and thus the life is without hindrance, without hindrance. There is no fear far beyond all inverted views. One realizes nirvana. All buddhas of past, present, and future rely on Prajnaparamita and thereby attain unsurpassed completeness. Therefore know the Prajnaparamita as the great miraculous mantra, the great bright mantra,

[01:33]

the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which removes all suffering, and is true, not false. Therefore we proclaim the Prajnaparamita mantra, the mantra that says, sattva-se, dharma-se, para-dharma-se, akham rathe, bodhi-sva. In the dharma world there is no coming, no going, no birth, no death. With deep gratitude in mind we have gathered in this Buddha Hall to offer sweet water, rice, tea, cake, fruit, flowers,

[02:41]

light, incense, and our chanting of the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra and dedicate the merit of this offering to our great original teacher, Satyamuni Buddha, to all the ancestors of this lineage, and to our abbot, Jotetsu Rinpoche. May his dharma continue to flourish and benefit all beings, and may this Sangha and the whole world live together in joyous peace. Namo Buddhah, sentient beings,

[03:46]

all beings, [...]

[05:15]

all beings, Sangha brothers and sisters, I have always tried my best to be forthcoming and honest with all of you, and I see no reason to change that old habit at this late date. Please bring me your true questions. Please don't be polite or respectful, just speak your heart. Thank you.

[07:04]

Hi. Hi. I was looking over your comments for the Stepping Up Ceremony, and you were saying we should forget everything, even Zen. And with my poor memory, if you're forgetting everything, how will this lineage continue? My faith is that if we really forget everything, that's the way the lineage will continue. Well, thank you. So you're on the right track. Yeah. Which I study. Don't study. Oh, then I'm really on the right track. Turning toward the light.

[08:21]

This is the first I've seen you since your adventure in the hospital. How are you doing? I'm doing really good. It was quite nice. You said to be forthcoming and honest. You gave a teaching about parenthood and said that parenthood is all about letting go. I can find no place in my heart for that teaching right now. Well, just know that that's the direction you're walking in, and be always honest about how your heart really is. That's the main thing. I'm not sure I want to walk in that direction. When you suffer enough, you'll know that's the only way to go. I feel like I would rather want to learn how to hold differently, as each occasion inherits. Keep trying. You'll see. Okay. Nobody believes me, you know.

[09:27]

Thank you very much. You're welcome. Walking towards the light. You look well. I'm fine, thank you. A little weak, but I'm fine. Well, you'll get stronger. And then weaker. And at last. So, waning moments. Yes.

[10:32]

Still up there. Well, that's what it looks like. It might be harder to get down off of that platform than to get up on it. We'll see. So, what do we see? We see, what do we hear? The frog sangha croaking the diamond sutra. A hawk making one last pass. And the mice running for shelter. And the owl waiting for dinner. And the mothers of Zen Center feeding their young. The abbot toils in the fields day and night hoeing row after row.

[11:32]

Polly Cannon Zen Hospice Shobo Genzo Dick Baker Blue Cliff Record Student Housing Row after row the abbot hoes. And then finally, and again, the Prajnaparamita. The lovely, the holy, the mother of all the Buddhists. The abbot hoes, that row. Now, perhaps you could turn your light to this question. And although the rain has come to wash this light clean, not yet. A few more minutes and it's all gone.

[12:37]

But maybe you could help me with this question that you know so well. If there were sentient beings, and there was Realization, we know that there would be no way of dragging one towards the other. But Prajnaparamita says there's no Realization and no beings. But perhaps you could help me with this. Just because there's no Realization we have to make every effort to achieve it. And for the very reason that there are no beings we vow and make every effort to lead them to Supreme Enlightenment. Could you illuminate those lines for me?

[13:42]

How should I behave? How should I act? How should I conduct myself? Nothing whatsoever has happened. And you've said nothing. We're just exchanging places from beginningless beginning forever. Sounds familiar. Thank you again for that. Thank you. Thank you. Turning towards the light. Zen loves a mock show. Stars, a fault of vision,

[14:47]

lightning. What about simply taking our place in the world? What's it all about? Today I was sitting on the toilet reading the Earth Island Institute journal. There are so many things going on. So many problems. Anywhere we look. So many bodhisattvas calling attention to them. A Pema Chodron is just right. Start from where you are. Thank you for your teaching. Thank you for your support and love over many, many years. Let's keep going.

[15:49]

Thank you. Thank you. This is it, huh? It's always it. Yeah. That's what they say. That's the truth, no? Don't you think so? Yeah, I just don't like it all. Who likes it? I like complaining.

[16:52]

Me too. It's an old tradition. Outside the container. What is the way? I think there's an error in the question. What is it? There is no outside the container. Feels like outside the container. Yes, let go of that. Thank you.

[18:02]

Thank you. So, Ketsurin Sho, when the elephant turns towards the light, what does he see? What can I say? When the elephant turns towards the darkness, what does he see? Same thing. I don't think so. You'll see. I'm not an elephant. You are. I wanted to mention, by the way, since I owe you a letter,

[19:21]

might as well take the chance now to answer you, saves time. Wait a minute. I just wanted to tell you that real love is for he-men, strong men. Elephants? Yes. And your heart is full of that love. And I believe that it's true. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

[20:55]

Thank you. That's how the Dharma is expressed with body, speech and heart. There are no external standards. So, how do we know whether we have really brought out the Tathagata's truth? We don't know. But we have a great hope. And life goes on. Dear Norman Abbott,

[22:54]

Heading quickly to Nath Abbott, teacher, friend, these gifts are from the Sangha and they're a small token of our appreciation for the many, many years of gifts that you've given us. Thank you. Norman, from the, particularly from the Green Gulch Gang, filled with love for you and to keep you in the techno-tangle forever. Thank you.

[24:05]

I'm very close to you but I'll use the microphone anyway. Can you hear? Yeah. Well, I don't know how long, early 70s, you landed on my doorstep. 1970. 1970, you landed on my doorstep. You and Alan Liu. And you both came out from Iowa. And before that, New York. And before that, I don't know. But, you know, this is a long journey with many stopping places. And this is one of them. And you went on to become Abbot of Zen Center. Alan went on to become rabbi of a very prominent congregation in San Francisco. And who would have thought such a thing? And the destiny, you know, of you two being so close and diverging

[25:06]

but remaining also close and with that deep tie. And I could see that continuing for a long, long time. And I wish that you could have been Abbot longer. I think your tenure is a little too short. But there's nothing we can do about that. You said it was okay. I said it was okay. So I'm very easygoing, you know. Thank goodness. It keeps me from being anxious. I don't get anxious. So that saves me. But I really had nothing to do with all this, you know. It just happened, right? And I think it all happened because you practiced. Your practice is the most important thing, not your ambition. You have never had any particular ambition

[26:08]

and just stuck your nose into practice. And stayed there with total integrity. And that's why you're where you are now. So I hope the best for you. And I'm looking forward just to sit back and watch what will happen next. So good luck. And I wish you the best. Hi. I haven't known you as long as this old fellow next to me. But it's also been quite a while. Look,

[27:16]

when you came to live with us in New York for that year, I was very impressed by why you came. And what you did. And I've been impressed ever since by what you've done. And why you went to the places you went. Well, one foot in Jerusalem and one foot in India. One foot in Japan and one foot in California. One foot in New York. No, two feet in New York. Look, this, I think, is going to be the most important part of your life. I shouldn't say of your life. Each new phase is a new life.

[28:18]

So I don't know what or who you will be in this next phase, but coming down is always so important. And when it begins. So please just plunge in. And let's drink some tea at the bottom of the ocean. Thank you for your work, your life. Brother Abbott, I'm going to miss you. I know that Linda Ruth and I will get along fine, but I'm still going to miss you. There's so much

[29:21]

willingness to just follow your heart and be innovative and say what's important to you and do what's important to you. And because your heart's in it, everyone can go with you. I have really appreciated serving with you these last four years. And I wish you all the best in your new venture. Gambate. It is too soon. And I'm going to miss you terribly. Your strength, creativity, your teaching of Dharma through everyday life, your teaching of everyday life

[30:23]

in the Dharma has been extraordinary for me to watch and to learn from and to work with in this supposedly very everyday life job that I'm doing. The creativity, the ability to take the things that didn't work and not dump on any of us about it, the patience, the teaching that you gave me many years ago when you were director and I was ENO at Green Gulch, which was, it'll all work out, Barbara. I've carried that with me for all these years and every time I start to flutter I'll hear your voice saying, it'll all work out. And so these next years, who knows what they'll be for you or for me. It'll all work out, though. Thank you so much. I remember those days

[31:40]

when we first went to see Mel. And he's right. Who would have expected it? I thought Mel was going to become the rabbi of a prominent congress. So here we are, the father and the kid brother and the older brother. You wouldn't imagine it, but I'm actually older than Norman. Anyway, it seems like just a moment ago that we came here to help you climb up. And it seems like just a moment before that that we came here about the same time that we met Mel to this room. Must be 30 years ago. And we heard in this room a Zen master

[32:42]

from Japan. I don't even know who it was. But he gave a talk and he said, I guess he thought, you know, coming to America, to be speaking to all Christians. So he chose a line from the Gospels. And it was, unless you be as little children, you'll never enter the kingdom of heaven. And I remember he kept saying, I mean little, little, little children. One week old, already too late. Well, it's more than one week now. I hope it's not too late. Anyway, ancient friend, completely familiar face before either of us was born. Going up, going down, what difference does it make? Before you went up, you are already

[33:44]

fulfilling the ancient prophecy. The Nivruh Hupecha, Kol Mishpachotah Adama. All the families of the earth will be blessed by you. And after you step down, you'll still fulfill it. But now a different ancient imperative. Just leave. Leave everything that's familiar, everything that makes you comfortable and secure, and go to a place where nothing's certain and everything is possible. That's the place you know best anyway. You know, I was pretty reluctant

[34:53]

about your accepting this position some years ago, you might recall. And I was reluctant for a number of reasons, but the biggest one I think was that I wasn't sure if it's what you wanted. And I think I jumped on board at the point when I saw that it was what you wanted, even though I wasn't sure why. Still am not sure why. But what I've seen in these last five years is a sense, what I have is a sense of your life's work. Not that your life's work has been this last five years, but the many threads that you brought to this job have coalesced in some way so that I have a sense of what your contribution is

[35:54]

to this planet. You're very close to a unified field theory. And the beautiful thing about this is that it has benefited Zen Syndrome, and it's benefited you, and it's also benefited us. And for this I thank you. Thank you. I'm also about maybe 1971, you and I were in a seminar

[36:56]

on Yogacara, taught by the great Japanese scholar Yukio Kajiyama. And I remember one night after the class, we kind of walked home together, and then we got in a car, and I think it was your car. One of us was giving the other one a ride, and I think you gave me a ride. And you drove me someplace in Berkeley. And then you stopped the car and I got out. As I got out, I think it was me that got out, not you. But I remember you kind of leaned over either towards me and said goodnight. And I thought, what a sweet guy. And I never forgot that sweet guy.

[37:57]

And I kept seeing him again and again, just somebody who gave me a ride and said goodnight. No big deal, but it was just really sweet. And then, somehow, we kept running into each other in classes for the next 29 years. Is that 29 years? Yeah, 29 years. So we kept being in classes and lectures and sessions of meditation together, practicing Yogacara and Madhyamaka in formal meditation posture. And I noticed you actually put into practice the meditation

[39:00]

teachings. I saw you practice. You actually did sit there and practice and practice and practice as a regular monk, as Ino, as Tanto, as Abbot. You practiced the teachings of meditation and you seemed to like it and be awake for it. And then, about five years ago, you became Abbot and after the ceremony, or during the ceremony, I felt somehow this event of you becoming Abbot was a great healing, something healed in the ceremony. And I said that to you afterwards and you said, that's why I accepted this job. And I've watched from that time till today, continually

[40:02]

seeing you make the effort to heal wounds in the community of Zen Center and in the world at large. And I think you've been successful in this work. I've also watched and seen you make tremendous effort, really working hard besides teaching Dharma in classes and lectures and doksan. I've seen you work really hard to raise funds for Zen Center, to help Zen Center be financially and you know, organizationally sound and clear. And I know that's a lot of work and I was constantly amazed how hard you worked on that in addition to your teaching responsibilities. I really did over and over wonder how you could make the effort

[41:06]

because a lot of times you were kind of tired. But you did anyway. The way you're sitting right now, I can't walk around you, but that's what I feel like doing. And though the world will little note nor long remember what I just said, it will never forget your practice. Thank you so much and I hope you live many more years to practice the way you have been. Thank you.

[42:11]

Your name? Elephant Cave? Big, big cave. Many, many elephants together in your heart. And sleep, sit in the den and make warm heart. You from now you can make many places big cave

[43:14]

and save people and students and yourself. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you.

[44:40]

I adore my brothers and sisters, teachers, good friends. Thank you so much for your kind words, for your generosity. One overwhelming day of generosity capping off more than 25 years during which you have all been very generous to me. And I have not deserved it, but I am glad of it. And I hope that in the future I can find some way to pay it back. With all of your wholehearted support these few short years I have tried my best

[45:41]

to exercise the awesome spiritual power the office of Abbot of Zen Center brings. And I think that I have succeeded in proving that an ordinary person with limited faith and even more limited realization can lead Zen Center. And now we all know that we can survive such a thing. A Zen Center has survived. You have survived. And I have survived. And I've even been

[46:43]

pretty happy and maintained my health. And the most wonderful thing of all, I'm still married. Which was in some doubt in the beginning. But when I step down from this mountain in a moment I will renounce all this power and all the love and support that goes with it. And tomorrow it will pass to a worthy successor. And a new era will begin and I will return to normalcy. I leave

[47:47]

with gratitude, of course, but also with a degree of sadness and some disappointment. But when is there not some sadness and disappointment? I hope I can continue to practice with all of you as the years go by like phantoms do drops clouds dreams like flashes of lightning across the dark sky.

[48:37]

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