And to welcome you again to Work Week, for those of you who are joining us for the 4-5 days. I understood my assignment was to talk about work, so I'm going to do that tonight. And I've found in my years of life at Zen Center that this is one of the more difficult topics to discuss together. And I think it has something to do with the Buddhist teaching, and that's what I want to start with. We humans are innately endowed with an ability to be confused, so don't blame yourself. And sometimes when we talk about work, it's very hard to see what that has to do with

[01:07]

another word that we call practice. So here at Green Gulch we've actually put these two words together, if you notice, there's work practice. So I think part of the effort there was to hopefully do away with any confusion that they're two things. We even created work practice apprentices, it was my own invention as a matter of fact. But I also know from my own experience that it's possible and it does happen that I see work and practice as two things. So before I talk about work or practice, I want to offer you some teachings from the Buddha. I was thinking about Green Gulch and it seems that within this boundary of land, flat land, there are many methods for us, given to us, whether we're conscious of them or not, for

[02:16]

studying the Buddha's teaching. And I had this idea that it might interest you to hear the mission statement of the San Francisco Zen Center, like why are we here, what's our purpose? And people thought about this about 30 years ago and they said something. And some of us have heard this statement but I think many of you haven't. So here it is. The purpose of the San Francisco Zen Center that includes Green Gulch Farm, Tassajara and City Center is to embody, express and to make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha. The purpose of the San Francisco Zen Center is to embody, express and to make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha. The ideals are based on the example of the Buddha and guided by the teachings of the

[03:23]

Soto School as conveyed to us by our founder, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and other Buddhist teachers. Our intention is to express the non-duality of practice and awakening through the practice of Zen and the 16 Bodhisattva precepts. San Francisco Zen Center acknowledges and values equally the expression of practice in formal setting and in daily life. Thus, we affirm both lay and monastic practice as expression of the Bodhisattva way. So, I think what you'll find here at Green Gulch is an effort to make available, accessible to you the Buddhist teaching through our use of this land and these buildings and each

[04:28]

other. So, there are a lot of ways that you already know and even those who've only been here for a day will have experienced some of our methods of conveying the Buddhist teaching. We talk to each other like I'm doing now. We sit silently together. We chant together. We share tools and supplies and food. We also express ourselves through this kind of unchartable movement that each of us makes throughout the day, movements that you may think of as work or as play or as rest. Now, to understand the instructions about how to make use of these methods, we actually

[05:29]

look directly at the teachings of the Buddha themselves. And these can come in basically two forms for us. One form are the texts, the sutras, the Buddha's words, and you can find those in the bookstore and in the library. And the other form is our own common sense and our own reasoning. When the Buddha was alive, in fact, in the last few weeks of his life, he said to his own living disciples the following thing. You may think that the word of the teacher is a thing of the past, now that we have no more teacher. But you should not regard it as so. The Dharma and the discipline taught and described to you by me are your teacher after I am gone. You must be lights unto yourselves.

[06:30]

So, in other words, it's really up to each of us to find a satisfactory relationship to the Buddha's teaching, to ourselves, and to one another. And I think you all know that's a big assignment, and it's probably one that will go on for the rest of your lives, and for the lives of all those who come to live here after us. And I think most of us here intend to follow the example of those who came before us, you know, the ones with the beautiful names, like Shunryo Suzuki, Dogen Zenji, Tozan Ryokai, Nagarjuna, Amba Pali, Prajnatara, Shakyamuni Buddha. So, I wanted to begin talking with you tonight by sharing with you some teachings from the

[07:37]

Buddha Sutras. And this particular text, which I've chosen to talk about, is one that I'm studying now with my teacher, Rev. Anderson, along with the other priests and priest trainees. And I can say pretty confidently that none of us understand this text. But we're trying. And part of my reason for bringing this to you tonight is that I happen to know, by my experience, that trying to teach something is the best way to learn it. So, forgive me, but I'm going to use you tonight to help me try to learn this material. So, the text I brought is a rather beautiful book called The Wisdom of Buddha, the Samdhinirmochana Sutra. And this is the kind of basic text for one of the two major philosophical schools that

[08:46]

are the underpinnings for what we're doing here, for the Zen school. This text is the foundation for the mind-only school. And the other major school is called the Middle Way. And the Heart Sutra is an example of the Middle Way teachings. No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. This is mind-only. So, these two schools together balance one another. One is affirmation, mind-only. The other is negation, no mind. In fact, there are two helpful phrases that I learned some years ago to distinguish the flavor of these two teachings. Because you'll find in your studies here that these teachings will come at you at various times and it may sort of surprise you because they're coming from a different angle.

[09:48]

So, in the one phrase is that when the babies are crying, this very mind is Buddha. When the babies are crying, you say to them, this very mind is Buddha. That's the mind-only school. When the babies stop crying, you say to them, no mind, no Buddha. This is the Middle Way school. Do you see that? This very mind is Buddha, affirmation. This very mind, the one that's crying, that's Buddha. That's Buddha crying. Aww, baby's not crying anymore. No mind, no Buddha. Negation. So, the two of these together are what's called skill and means, depending on the state of mind of the baby. And it's kind of like that for us, you know.

[10:53]

This mind has a way of its own. And this very mind is Buddha. So, I'm going to try this, and please be patient with me. And please don't worry also if you don't understand any of this. And also don't worry if you think you do. Either way, you know, it'll all be over very soon, so. Okay, I actually brought some devices to help you, to help me. So, I'm going to read you a few paragraphs from one of the central chapters of this text,

[11:57]

and to give you a flavor of the sutras, which some of you may not have read yet, the sutra. And also, I've picked this particular chapter because it's the core understanding on which this entire school is based. So, this is maybe for some of you your first brush with this teaching, and that's to your good fortune, because this actually happens to be the path to enlightenment. That's what it says in the book, so. I also wanted to mention concerning this mind only, the idea of mind only, that what this school is pointing to is some helpful explanation about the mechanistic activity of consciousness. You know, it's pointing directly at the source of your confusion.

[13:01]

And in this case, my confusion is what I'm pointing to. It's my noodle. And I've actually taught my daughter, Sabrina, you know, when she's yelling about another cookie. Sabrina, the problem is not the cookie, it's in your noodle. So, she's learned this now. I said, where's the problem, Sabrina? It's in my noodle. I said, yeah, that's right. And she said, so that means I have to drop it, right? And I said, yeah. And she thinks about it for a very short time, and then she goes, I can't. So, we are one. We are one. I can't eat it. Okay. So. All right, so this is all about our noodles and how we come to believe what is true and what is not true about reality, so-called reality. And you all have your own personal version of reality that you carry around with you all the time.

[14:09]

And so this is an effort to help you to unpack that process that you're going through, moment by moment. So, this chapter, which is chapter six, are the questions of Gunakara. And he's a great Bodhisattva. And he's talking to the Buddha. He's asking questions in front of the assembly of monks. And he says to the Buddha, Bhagavan, that's a nice name for the Buddha. Bhagavan, when you say Bodhisattvas are wise with respect to the character of phenomena. Stay with me. When you say Bodhisattvas are wise with respect to the character of phenomena, just how are Bodhisattvas wise with respect to the character of phenomena? So this is the question he's asking the Buddha.

[15:15]

How is it that Bodhisattvas are wise with respect to the character of phenomena? Well, what's a phenomena? Well, a phenomena, I hear you ask, a phenomena is an occurrence, a circumstance or a fact that is perceptible by the senses. So that's just about all of it, right? What you see, what you hear, what you taste, what you feel, what you think. So all that input, those are the phenomena. You can put anything in there, x equals, you name it. It also says under the definition of phenomena, a marvel. I think that's really close to what the Buddha has in mind here. It's a marvel. The sound, the sight, the sense, the taste, the touch. It's a marvel. Okay, so I also want to suggest to you, right off the bat here,

[16:23]

that we also consider that as aspiring Bodhisattvas, that we wholeheartedly strive to be wise with respect to the character of phenomena. Moment after moment. So I also wanted to mention my appreciation of, in this translation, the use of the word respect. Being wise with respect to the character of phenomena. Because I think this is another big clue. How is it to be wise with respect to the character of phenomena? How is it to be wise with respect for phenomena? That's probably the answer right there, with respect. Look again. So here it is.

[17:27]

The Bhagavan replies, that's the Buddha, the Bhagavan replies to the Bodhisattva, Gunakara, Gunakara, you are involved in asking this in order to benefit many beings, to bring happiness to many beings, out of sympathy for the world, and for the sake of the welfare, benefit and happiness of many beings, including gods and humans. Your intention in questioning the Tathagata, that's the Buddha, I don't mean me, I just mean that's the Buddha, about this subject is good. It is good. Therefore, Gunakara, listen well, and I will describe for you how Bodhisattvas are wise with respect to the character of phenomena. Gunakara, there are three characteristics, this is all I'm asking you to learn tonight.

[18:28]

Well, try to learn it. Three characteristics of phenomena. And what are these three? They are the imputational character of phenomena. It's an I for imputational. The imputational character of phenomena, that's one character of all phenomena. They are the other dependent, other dependent character of all phenomena. And the thoroughly established character of all phenomena. You know that already. T.E. Thoroughly established. Okay. Okay. Gunakara, so now he's going to explain what these three are. Gunakara, what is the imputational character of phenomena?

[19:32]

It is that which is imputed as a name or symbol in terms of the own being, don't worry about that, or attributes of phenomena in order to subsequently, thereafter, designate any convention whatsoever. You are free to say whatever you like about the sound of the bird. I don't like birds. I love birds. You have perfect freedom to impute anything on phenomena. Don't you know? No one is going to stop you. Now, back to our very own English dictionary, about imputation, it says this, that which is imputed, imputed, you can think of it as input, put it on, input it, that is imputed as a name or a symbol,

[20:37]

derives from a Latin word that is meant to settle an account, like a banker, to either charge with a debit or to credit, I like it or I don't like it, I love it, I hate it, impute, it's your opinion, your opinion, your very own personal opinion about whatever you like, you are free. So this is the basic system we implore for praising and blaming, moment after moment, I like it, I don't like it, I'm not sure if I like it or not, those are the three possibilities. So, as I said, I alone attribute, impute characteristics on phenomena, it's private, it's personal business, it's your personal business.

[21:39]

So whether it's the sight of a truck, or the sound of a bird, or the smell of a rose, the touch of my own face, the taste of salt in my soup, I get to say, I like it or I don't like it, and no one can argue with me, or you, as I've noticed. So, this is one characteristic of all phenomena, I, imputed, right? So far so good? Okay. The next one is what the Buddha calls the other dependent characteristic of all phenomena. So you got one of them, now here's the other one. Now the other characteristic is this. Gunakara, what is the other dependent character of phenomena? It is simply the dependent origination of phenomena.

[22:43]

It is like this because this exists, therefore, that arises. Because this is produced, that is produced. It ranges from, due to the condition of ignorance, compositional factors arise, up to, in this way, the whole great assemblage of suffering arises. Okay, so this is what we all know as dependent co-arising. We call it dependent co-arising, they call it other dependent, but it's the same idea. I'm going to use the example of this piece of, what? Paper. It's a piece of paper, I say. And it's my piece of paper. Okay, got that? Okay, so this, free of my imputations, how did this get here? This is a famous Thich Nhat Hanh example.

[23:45]

How did this get here? Can you name some ways this got here for me? Your mother. My mother. Son. A son. Rain. Rain. Scissors. Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha. Scissors. Loggers. Bleach. Clouds. Chopsticks. Trucks. Trucks. Trucks. Chopsticks. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Criminals. Criminals. Lovers. Oil. Afghanistan. Nuclear war. Hydrogen. Oxygen. Vision. Molly. Okay, so you got it. You got it. This is true of every phenomenon. To say how it appeared is a magical trick. It's a trick of appearance. And we go on this amazing, this wonder.

[24:46]

What did I call it? A marvel. Piece of paper. Anybody got a piece of paper? Anybody got a pen? We're kind of, you know, a little coarse in our treatment of marvels. Or cavalier. Cavalier. Okay. Okay, so. All right, so this is another characteristic of all phenomena. All phenomena have this characteristic of being a marvelous arisal from multiple causes and conditions. Unnamed. Time, you know, endless. Big bang before the big bang. The big bang before the big bang. Brought us together. Each of us. And this white square. Okay. So that's the second characteristic. Gunakara, what is the thoroughly established character of phenomena?

[25:47]

It is the suchness of phenomena. Through diligence and through proper mental application, bodhisattvas establish realization and cultivate realization of the thoroughly established character. Thus, it is what establishes all the stages up to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. And this is a characteristic of all phenomena. Isn't that good news? You're already right in touch with complete, perfect enlightenment. All you have to do is see the trick that's happening in your noodle. Okay? Gunakara, for example, the imputational character should be viewed as being like the defects of clouded vision.

[26:53]

That makes sense? Defects of clouded vision. In the eyes of a person with clouded vision. Gunakara, for example, the other dependent character should be viewed as being like the defects of clouded vision. Like the appearance of the manifestations. So you're looking through this at this, right? You have a defect which is imputations. And you're looking at this through that. And what do you see? You see the other dependent should be viewed as being like the appearance of the manifestations of clouded vision in that very person. Manifestations which appear as a net of hairs, or as insects, or as sesame seeds, or as blue, or yellow, or red, or as white manifestations. That's how they appear when you look through clouded vision. Gunakara, for example, the thoroughly established character should be viewed as being like the unerring objective reference.

[28:00]

The natural objective reference of the eyes when that person's eyes have become pure and free of the effects of clouded vision. Okay? So one last piece here. Gunakara. In dependence upon names connected with signs, the imputational character is known. Depends on names. This is about words. Words. Words. The word. Word. I looked up word. It's connected. Oh, words convey meaning. So I'm talking at you, and my words are conveying meaning.

[29:03]

I don't know what meaning it's conveying. That's yours. But my words are my effort to convey meaning. Meaning, the word meaning comes from an old English word to moan. Yeah. Mmm. Mmm. Okay. In dependence upon names that are connected with signs, the imputational character is known. This is language. Thoughts. Concepts. Words. Sentences. Paragraphs. Novels. Magazines. The imputational character is known. In dependence upon strongly adhering to the other dependent character as being the imputational character, the other dependent character is known.

[30:05]

So we glue them together. We do. We think, we do think, that the imputational, what we think is identical, is the same as what there is to think about. That's the little problem with our noodles. By strongly adhering to the other dependent character as being the imputational character, the other dependent character is known. In dependence upon the absence of strong adherence to the other dependent character as being the imputational character, the thoroughly established character is known. Could you read that one more time? Yes. In dependence upon the absence of strong adherence.

[31:09]

You unglue these two. Your imputations, your opinions, your ideas, your thoughts, and just what's there. What's happening? What is? Suchness. In dependence upon the absence of strong adherence to the other dependent character as being the imputational character, the thoroughly established character is known. Who knows? Yeah, who knows? Okay, so. Okay, so then, you know, after I said all that, I thought, well, now, you get that, right? I think you do. I believe that. It's my imputation on you.

[32:10]

I think it's not that hard. However, I also know that, I've heard this many times, and it's like, you know. I don't have a pocket to put my realizations in. They don't hold. I know this. So, that's why we have to strive to respect, to be wise with respect to phenomena. We have to make a great effort to see how we are mistaking just what is for our ideas, our notions, our feelings. Oh my God, I'm having a feeling, you know. It must be true. I'm having a question. Okay. Let's see. Okay, so. Alright, this is a good sentence, so I'm going to read it. We don't have any pockets to store our realizations in.

[33:12]

In particular, the realization that we are already and have always been right in the middle of perfect freedom. That the whole universe, and in this case, in this case the whole universe is entirely personal. Just this person. A miraculous appearance. Just this person. Unfortunately, she must be stripped of her confusions and her delusions about the true meaning of words. Emperor Wu to Bodhidharma. What is the highest meaning of the holy truths? Holy truths. We like those. Perfect wisdom. What is the highest meaning of the holy truths? Vast emptiness. Nothing holy.

[34:12]

I'm cold. Who are you facing me? Don't know. Don't know. How does he know he doesn't know? He's wise with respect to phenomena. That's how he knows he doesn't know. The emperor didn't understand, so Bodhidharma, which means the truth of awakening, sat in a cave for nine years. And where do you think that cave might be? Is that your question? I'm almost done, I'm almost done. Did he? Yes. What was it? Your noodle? Well, I'll be in there just a minute. So I want to also read from Suzuki Roshi's wonderful new book, which I know some of you have already had some teachings from by Ed.

[35:21]

Dear Ed. So Dogen is talking about, he refers to a story about the first ancestor in China, Bodhidharma, and his student, his successor, the second ancestor, Taiso Eka. Bodhidharma tells Eka, if you want to enter our practice, cut yourself off from outward objects and stop your emotional and thinking activity within. When you become like a brick or a stone wall, you will enter the way. Okay? For Eka, this was a very difficult practice, as you can imagine, and he tried very hard until he finally thought he understood what Bodhidharma meant. And then Eka told Bodhidharma that there was no break, no gap in his practice, never any cessation of practice. And Bodhidharma said, then, your question, who are you who does constant practice?

[36:24]

Eka said, because I know myself very well, it is difficult to say who I am. And Bodhidharma said, that's right, you are my disciple. Do you understand? Yes ma'am? You want my question to follow that? Do you want your question to follow that? It's just a little amputational kind of question. It's just a question of the definition. I thought that the amputational included, but this might be something you said and I just missed the structure of it, but the amputational included like conventional language and conventional, like conceptual things that were agreed upon, not just my own likes and dislikes or feelings or, you know, constructed opinions, but just like, we agree that this is why. Your amputations, which are in language that's conventional, I mean, you learned it from your mom, right?

[37:30]

You didn't make it up. But they're not like a collective thing to call this white, it's not an amputation? No, but you call it white. I say, that's not white, that's off-white. So it's my opinion. I'm talking about the freedom you have to impute whatever you like, using English, which is a convention, on any object in this room, and we argue over those conventional arguments. Right, we have these different ways of saying white. Right, we have different opinions. So this is, my question is that I thought the amputational was not just colored by the individual that it included. No, I said yes, yes, I said yes, yes, I said yes. Did I? I said yes. It does, because English is conventional. Okay, so that's included within the amputational. It has to be, because you don't have any language that isn't conventionally created. Okay, okay. You didn't make it up. I sure didn't. No. I mean, you may make up words, you know, and then tell people what they mean, but that's still, you're using conventional language.

[38:32]

Okay, so that's included. You know, if you only talk in garbage, no one can understand you. Until you teach them. Until you teach them, and then it's conventional. That's right. Thank you. Yeah. That was all. Okay. Max has a question. Max? I just, I got lost in the three characteristics in relation to work practice, or did you bring that up? That was my exposition of work as a phenomenon. Oh, I see. Work is an amputation on an assemblage. Could you please find out what is an amputation on an assemblage? and show it to me. It's probably more like, oops, where is it? It's probably more like this, a huge assemblage of emotions, experiences, sensations, you know, and you said, yeah, I work from five to seven.

[39:33]

Oh, that's the word. Yeah, I was really bored. You are bored with this? How can you be bored? For even one second. Inhale. Exhale. Exhale completely into the emptiness. It's a zhukra, she said. Exhale completely into your dust, and then take a breath. Come back to life. Whew. It's a choice. So we have to study these things, though. It's not our nature to be so free or so happy or whatever, as you may have noticed about all of us here. We don't just walk around kind of appreciating, marveling at phenomena. You could. We'd question you about what you were taking, perhaps. But, you know, from trying that too, that won't last.

[40:37]

So you actually have to have an insight about reality. And, you know, people study these books for thousands of years with great effort. Eka studied being a brick for years. He practiced with brick practice. You know? Mind like a wall. That's pretty tough. If you work in the kitchen all day with a mind like a wall, you know, don't tell me you didn't practice. But then that leads me to question the whole idea of also needing to be like water and fluid. Because if you're like a brick, then you're rigid in your ideas and your opinions. Or you can't, or one could be. Well, try it. Try it for an hour. Having a mind like a wall. Just see if you can imagine what that would be. And then see what your relationship to fluid is. When your mind, when the mind is stable and quiet, like a tree.

[41:44]

How about like a tree next to a pond? Like Thoreau. A tree is living. A tree is living. If you like a tree, it's okay. The wall is out of trees, too. It's made out of wood. So it's okay. If you need it to be alive, that's no problem. But the idea is, don't move. Yeah. See if you can not move. And see what happens. What do you see when you're not busy running around chasing those insects and brushing those hairs away and whatever you're doing is compulsive. But when one is working, why wouldn't you just keep working? Well, that's mind like a wall.

[42:46]

Right. Just working. Right. Yeah. I have no problem with that. So don't we do that a lot? I don't know. Maybe some people have a good hang of that. You've been in Tassar for a while. Well, but even in work, you know, maybe it's because if I'm not in work I have a chance of cutting something. Well, if there are two things, if you think there are two things, that's work and practice. Or mind like a wall. Right. And my hand going like this with a piece of wood. I haven't separated the two. Yeah. Then I don't see that there's a problem. Mind like a wall and body like a fish. Right.

[43:47]

That's something when I start to put my opinions about what I'm doing. Yeah. Imputation. Yeah, right. Or when you get lost. I mean, a lot of times I think we're just lost in space, you know. If you said, hey, you, you're just kind of off in some little rivulet of the river, you know. It's not a fault. It's our nature to wander off in the woods. It's actually very sweet. You know, the story of the boy with the pickles. Suzuki Roshi said that was his favorite story. Do you all know that story or some of you? The boy is from the monastery and he's sent to get the pickles for dinner. And he goes to the pickle store. And as he's going there, he sees this circus poster. And he stops and looks at the circus poster, a little rivulet. And all of a sudden he hears the honk for dinner. And he runs in and he says, where's the pickles? Where's the pickles? And the guy gives him the pickles and he runs out. And then he comes back and he goes, where's my hat? Where's my hat? And the guy says, it's on your head. So, you know, we get, we get lost.

[44:52]

We don't, we don't know where we are. We don't kind of claim the place where we are. And it's sweet. It's not, it's not evil or bad. It's better. I mean, that's, that's, calling ourselves names is this. Judging ourselves is imputation. There's no one to judge you. The judge is dead. No judge, you know. But we, we get caught in that way of thinking. And we believe those awful voices that come into our minds. How we're not good enough. We don't know what we're doing here. This is all about liberation. It's about helping ourselves to relax. In my middle years, I have grown rather fond of the way

[45:57]

When the spirit moves me, I leave my solitary hut and go and see the things that only I can see. I follow the stream to the source and I sit and watch the place where the clouds pile up. Or perhaps by chance, I meet a woodsman and we laugh and sing with never a thought of going home. That's wood practice. Thank you. May I? May I?

[46:37]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ