On this day that we're thinking about the birth of this person who became our founder, the thought crossed my mind that after he realized the truth, he didn't say, or at least we didn't hear about him saying, now I'm going to teach everybody this truth. And he didn't say, everybody's got to learn this truth. And we're going to get rid of everybody who doesn't see this truth. And my disciples are going to eliminate everybody who doesn't line up with this truth. He didn't seem to talk like that. So he had this

[01:01]

this insight which is related to truth, this awakening related to truth. But the way he taught his disciples was not to hate any living being. Even if they hurt us, even if they hurt us very badly, my disciples will not get angry and will not hate them. So he not only realized a wonderful truth, which made him very happy, but he taught his disciples not to hate each other or other persuasions.

[02:04]

So anyway, I really appreciate his teaching of nonviolence. ...who realized wonderful truths, but they didn't teach nonviolence so strongly. Maybe they did teach it, but their disciples thought they said, you know, go to war for this religion. But he was very clear. Far from it. Never hate anybody no matter how bad they are to you was his very clear message. And although the people who relate back to him as their founder innovated greatly on the teaching, he was very clear about that point and no one could ever He can never find any sign of him ever not being very clear about nonviolence.

[03:16]

So it's a wonderful start. And this practice period has been whatever it was. And there were some times when I think some of the people had some difficulty with each other, some painful difficulty, I'm tempted to compare this practice period to other ones. And if I compare it, I would say that there really wasn't much at all compared to other ones. This was really a nonviolent practice period relative to other ones. But I'm not going to compare. In Zen style, I'm not going to compare. But I still want to recognize that there was some difficulty among us.

[04:26]

There was some pain. We had to practice patience with each other at some times. And there were hard times, but still, unless I was really sheltered from what was going on, and I do get sheltered to some extent, but usually I find out something eventually. And what I found out was that we did pretty well. We didn't hate each other much at all, that we were nonviolent. And that has something to do with us, I think, studying well of the truth and learning something. Taking a few steps into the awesome depth of the bodhisattva practice. Awesome depth of the teaching of emptiness. So we were patient, although we can get better.

[05:31]

We were patient with each other and with ourselves. And that's great. Nothing's greater. I want to. Of course, yesterday. And we all. saw the celebration of our wonderful Shusso, and again, I thank him for all of us for doing such a wonderful job, which was not that different from for Shusso, or the way he'll be afterwards. Again, I'm not comparing him to anybody else. But he was a splendid Shusso,

[06:33]

And it wasn't that different from his daily practice. So it's wonderful that he will continue through the summer here as an ordinary monk flying into the land of flies, happily doing the lowest work, the true spirit of a Zen monk. There wasn't a ceremony for the Tanto yesterday, but the Tanto also did a splendid job. Really, as you know, took special care of many people who at times she was there to help them. Really has a lot of energy to help people. It's wonderful. And also, it wasn't that different from before the practice period.

[07:37]

And probably this summer, she'll be moving among you, helping you out when you have a hard time probably. And as usual, for the 73rd practice period, Leslie was the director. And Smoothly arranged so many things so that various worlds meshed. The practice went along very smoothly due to her careful attention to all the rules. Thank you so much. And Galen sitting next to her, leading the process. maintenance crew or a shop crew who are taking care of the side of the place, maintaining the equipment so nicely, especially the swimming pool, which I almost got attached to.

[08:53]

And again, not only did they Not only did they take care of everything really well, but they were very strong in the Zendo. And sometimes the maintenance department freaks out and runs away from the Zendo at various points. But somehow in their formal practice, even though they took care of the plant, which is amazing. So I thank you and your crew. And the Sheikah, Kathy, also. And also assistant director. Always helping everybody. Sometimes too much. But, you know, not too much, too much this time.

[10:05]

You let people do a few of their own jobs. That's good. Thank you very much. And this is the last practice period she's going to do for a little while. So that's formal. So this is wonderful that I could be here when you were here. And the Tenzo. And, of course, the whole kitchen staff. As I said before, not only did the kitchen go well, although, again, there was difficulty. They're all still here. And, again, the kitchen was so steady in the Zendo. It was wonderful. I hope wonderful for you also to be able to continue your Zendo practice so intensely while doing all that physical work. Thank you so much. And Charlie, the treasurer, was also the jisha, which I don't know too much about.

[11:23]

But again, things seem to be going so smoothly. And he also was the jisha, as you know, and spent a lot of time being jisha. receiving your request, organizing all those 475,000 dog signs. That took a lot of work for him to coordinate that. That was a major thing. But it's wonderful, again, that he was able to take care of all that and sit cross-legged and work on his sitting through the practice period and develop sitting practice, even though I had to coordinate all this. Thank you so much for both your jobs. And the head of the garden. The gardens look wonderful.

[12:26]

I look forward to seeing them first forth in radiant life. And thank you for coming to the Zendo. Even though the spring called you. And, you know. I felt that Zendo was very strong, very well organized. He led the dawns very well. The ceremonies were. So smooth. Especially on a ceremony was very complicated and he organized things like that so well. So thank you also. And thank you all that did a splendid job, really. You thought I forgot? Did I thank the Benji yet?

[13:30]

The Benji not only did the regular Benji work, the, what do you call it, point person on the owls. Making this practice period the true owl practice period. The owl shoe sew and the owl cookie. Thanks to your special creative touch. Thank you so much. And then there was an Anja. Where's the Anja? Oh, next to the Benji. And the Anja. Well, he just was like, not to compare, but so sincere. And always wanting to help any way he could. And sometimes just a little bit attached to being helpful.

[14:39]

I told him I'd make my own lunch and he got a little upset. He really gave up himself to do the job. It was never like Well, can I take care of myself? You know, give me some space. Don't ask me to do another thing. When I was done asking him, he asked, what else can I do? What else can I do? Now, I don't know if Bert was like that before the practice period started. Was he? Yes. Fantastic. There he is, folks. An available Bodhisattva. If you need anything, there he is. with tremendous stamina and then what do you call it last but not least I don't know if it's last but anyway another one is the who organized all the work Liz and well Liz is another open hearted bodhisattva who completely gives herself to her work and also

[15:57]

You're also part of the reason why everything went so smooth. We thank you very deeply and hope you can continue the nice balance between the almost impossible to maintain balance between your formal practice and your work practice when you go to Green Gulch. Green Gulch doesn't have quite the support, but I hope you can approach what you've done here. And yes. You do? David, thank you. I was wondering what you were doing. And then... Oh, and Susan, too, also particularly helped me.

[16:59]

Very thorough and skillful and ready to help all the time. Thank you so much. So, and the rest of you, I mean... Anyway, not to compare you, but I really do thank you for taking good care of me. I hope that... You treated me honestly and that you were able to say what you wanted to say. But it's not too late. If there was anything you didn't get a chance to say, you can say it now. I'll sit down if it's too much. So it's a matter of continuity now. If you can continuity, that'll be wonderful.

[18:03]

And that's my intention, is to continue the practice that we've been doing here. I don't know if I'll be able to, but that's my intention. And having such an intention is a great joy. Having even to be able to think of it is a great joy. and I will continue to practice patience and I will continue to practice shamatha and vipassana when I have shamatha and I will continue to practice giving myself to all beings and I will continue to observe the precepts as carefully as I can This is my intention. I continue to be enthusiastic about Buddhist practice. And I intend to continue to enjoy the gift of concentration which all the Buddhas are giving to me.

[19:13]

And I intend to continue to devote myself to the wisdom of the Buddha. and I intend to always remember the wonderful intention which lives here to attain Buddhahood so I can be a more skillful servant to all beings. That's my intention. And if you don't have that intention, I'm waiting for you, patiently, to join the Bodhisattva Club. I'm not in a hurry. Rozzy, thank you so much. You were such a good, sentient being. You helped everybody a lot, didn't you?

[20:16]

Very helpful, Rozzy. She wanted so badly to get in there. So, yes. And Mary and Mark. We missed them. But in all three cases, I think it was seemed like it was fine. I would have been not felt so good about Betsy leaving. Where's Betsy?

[21:18]

Yeah. Butter. leaving, and she didn't. In their cases, it seemed like it really seemed best for them to go, and somehow it didn't seem best for Betsy to go, so it was nice that she could come back and finish the practice period. And I also want to just say that I special kind of recognition of the fact that we have two women here who are older than me. And I'm older than most of you. Oh, and you're older than me, too. And they're way older than me. You're too close. I'm sorry. I'm talking about the women. I don't know.

[22:23]

I think Lee is almost 70. And you're almost, you're over 70? 65. And Gordon is 61. So anyway, this practice is, you know, you know what it is. And they did it really well. And I want to especially notice that they're Note that they were able to, two of them, do their first Tazara practice period very well, and I'll go do another one. It's great that somehow we can have this range of life, not just the young people, doing such a physically challenging practice. Anything else we should bring up before we do our closing, our formal closing ceremony? Yes. I've been really looking at what I'm afraid of.

[23:25]

And I found that one of the things is just I have this fear that you don't realize how much you appreciate me. And I just really hope that you do. And that's why I wanted to say it. Well, thank you for saying that. Now, do I have to say it again? That I don't? I don't what? Realize how much we appreciate you. Well, I don't know if I do or not, but I just feel, I really didn't mean it when I said, thank you for taking care of me, because I get it. I get it that no matter what you do, no matter what you do, I get it. That it's low. I get it. People are mean to me sometimes. Real mean. They hit me and slap me. I understand it's love. I understand it's love. It's all love.

[24:25]

It's nothing but love. I get it. And I also get that people are beating me up sometimes, too. And sometimes I'll say to my wife, people are mean to me. And she says, but you're thriving. Do you know what thriving is? Thriving. Thriving. Thriving. Do you know what thriving is? It means like growing. It's like you thrive. So my wife is mean to me. Then you're fine. No, it's not. It's not. Because it makes me grow. It's good for me. Really. Do you... Some may be. It means growing well, not just growing.

[25:34]

Yeah, growing well. Right. So, anyway, I do get it. I do get it. I do get it. So intense, the love, that I do stagger sometimes. I have to sit down. It's so much. You're so kind. And you guys aren't the only ones that have been loving me and kind to me. Many old Zen teachers have been kind to me. I am here because of kindness and you are too. So I get it. But do you? Do you understand that we all love you? That's another question. Buddha's disciples love each other. They help each other. They don't hate each other.

[26:34]

And they have difficult times and they have pain. lighten sometimes, but they're helping each other. That's our sangha. So I hope we live a little while longer so we can study together some more. It's getting deeper and deeper. It's good now, but it's going to be nice to get deeper and open up new frontiers. of reality and suffering and love and compassion and practice. Don't you think so? Isn't it great that we have this wonderful frontier to walk forward? Now we can go to our Nenju style ceremony, except at the end it won't say Hosan.

[27:39]

It'll say end of practice period. All right, so let's go pay our respects to each other one more time.

[27:49]

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