thank you for your patience of in being kind of crowded
hope you enjoy it
have we started by reciting a each
a while written by a pair i think written by a zen master named tory he's a disciple of hochman
this summer
there was a class in berkeley
zen meditation
i think maybe i don't know what i might have course might have been called zen meditation as as modi sat for hours and meditation colin bodhisattva vow or something like that
for a long time i've been wanting to
meditate on bow
and so the summer there was the opportunity
not just to meditate on vow and to consider vow the bodhisattva vow vows but in relationship how does it relate to
a zen meditation was also
brought up there which i
i was on to see how wonderful it was to bring them up together
i'm part of the reason is that i i think a lot as and students have asked me over the years and i think i've heard to ask other people to the do we pray and then
ha
yeah
our their prayers in zen practice
and
also i mentioned last sitting at know avoid somebody said that when he first came to zen center people asked him what his practice wasn't he said worshipping deities and the person said you're in the wrong school
them
for somebody it first
worshipping deities worshipping buddhas and bodhisattvas is part of their
his part of their life part of their part of their practice
so i think that it's a great opportunity for us now for a while to
on turn on
the vow
to discover and turn on and nourish
the vow of the body sad facts
i'm hell
and also
discuss how it relates to all the different
practices that were doing how does it relate to
forms and meditation
how does it relate to tranquility practice
how does it relate to work
and to
and to look at that in and be

be devoted to make it more and more constant a more and more and more and more constant and continuous awareness of how
what how our activity right now relates to
the blouse and the bodhisattvas
ha in a way
in a way yeah
the practice and body sad fact is actually
a vow and one other way
the practice of body starts their bows and bodhisattvas are the way that they carry out their practice
slightly different emphasis
and
it's it's very subtle or to distinguish between
the practice of bodhisattvas and the vows and bodhisattvas
there's they can be in one sense they can be identical in nuisance they can be apparently different
so i have been talking to you about enlightenment
has being the silent bond among our bags

so that enlightenment is there there's only one of those
it's constantly changing
the as the relationship between for beings is changing
and as always this one universal relationship among all bags
i would say you know you could even say that this is what dog and refers to as unconstructive nurse and stillness
immediate realization
nobody's building our relationship with everybody else
ah it's not constructed and yet
ha
and yet that's how we act that's that's how we are together
and the practice
in certain traditions
in certain lineages of disciples of buddha the practice
which i wish to encourage
is the practice which is the enlightenment i wish to encourage the practice which is this enlightenment
the practice of our relationship with each other if the practice
so in essence i wish to encourage the practice
which is
equally hold the some practice and equally homeless of enlightenment
or can say that i wish to encourage the practice and the enlightenment which is the same practice and the same enlightenment for you and all beings that's the practice which i want to encourage in among us
that's the enlightenment which i wish to encourage her moves
so practicing enlightenment
are not too

and i think bodhisattvas
generally speaking as far as i know this is the practice that they are devoted to their their devoted to the practice of all beings

and then and then in the sunday and my china sutra her
ah all i don't remember the buddhist sang it in the sutra are the lucky tesh bara body sought for ass
shakyamuni buddha
as though he had said in some other time
i'll
wagner like you say that body bodhisattvas
progress
proceed
in the practice by means of great vows
extensive vast all inclusive auspicious wondrous inconceivable vows that's the way you say the body surface
carry on and carry out
the practice enlightenment
so
what is as do many many kinds of practices many kinds of activities
together with all beings their practice here's the practice of all being say
the bodhisattvas are those who are in the practice of all beings and while there and the practice of all beings and the enlightenment of all beings they practice vows and their vows or not the same vows has most beings are into
so the body sought as who practice with our beings some of whom do not wish to practice with all beings the bodhisattva to have these vows and the beings which they put a practice with not all the beings a practice which have these vows
some do the ones who do either the other body surface some don't those are the people who haven't quite opened up to being bodhisattvas yet
so
that's why i like to bring out the vows so that we can have a chance to be supported in the actual practice that were doing together with everybody supported with the body sought for miles
to help us do this actual practice which is enlightenment
we
we dislike bodhisattvas may need these mouths because the bodhisattva the intervals
if they need them to do we need them if the great beings need them
we need them and we need them to be great things to be the bodhisattvas we need these vows according to
according to some teachers
some zen teachers some loans and teachers they say we need these vows
it's by means of these vows that we will actually enter into and realize enlightenment
and part of the reason why we need this was easily
i'm sorry but i should go
i'll get you know about that noise
okay well go right ahead norbert
we're practicing with you here be careful
in a pitfalls kitchen
so
the part of the reason we need these vows is because vows has something to do with
thinking
baza a has we'll see as we proceed
allows have something to do with thinking body start first
how looking to think to as you know
ha
what
nina sure other people think
anyway it seems to me that most people i now think and not just human people but don people also
and
pick people definitely
pigs are real thinkers
that's why
when you know what they're thinking about you do not want eat them
they do not want you to eat them
they want to grow up to be happy pigs
not just human beings think many many kinds of sentient beings think
innumerable forms of sentient beings things
and the thinking they have is called term aspect that rather than thinking that they're involved in his definition of their karma
and their karma if if they're com isn't attended to properly has been talking about a lot their karma has a consequence of forming obstructions to of all things
the same practice in the same enlightenment of all beings the kind of oil obstruct i will reap who had a consequence of obstructing
so we actually need to startling a new kind of thinking we need to start doing bodhisattva thinking
to let the boys have thing can come in to are being and eventually ah
i'm the word is sink in ah
flourish i don't want to say crowd out the other kinds of thinking that aren't bodhisattva vows but kind of surround them so that they won't
cause any more problems for anybody
to bring this bodhisattva vow in to surround and support all of our they thinking so that all of our think oliver are thinking is supported and lifted up by the bodhisattva vow
to participate and contribute to the realization of the same practice and the same enlightenment
so in a way what i'm talking about his at zen practice
when you bring it together with borisov of armies zen practice has brought together with a certain kind of thinking
and that's a little bit i'll just say right away it's a little bit of a problem for some and students because in practice often involves giving up thinking
giving up thinking is a very good thing to do
sometimes
and if you do it consistently if you give up if one gives up thinking in other words give up your karmic activity just let go of it moment by moment moment after moment after moment one becomes quite tranquil and serene and concentrated and flexible and
and open
and soft
so practicing tranquil actually it's a really good warm up to get ready to open up to the thinking of a bodhisattva
and then once you open to the thinking of a bodhisattva it's good to continue spending part of your life practicing giving up
thinking
actually to encourage you again to open to the vows
but partier time as has a bodhisattva is not spent just giving up thinking and being tranquil
it's being tranquil and thinking and thinking in what way for there's many ways for is angie just gave you one example of a way to think
way to think way to go catherine waiting for gene where you go bernard a way to think
which will realize the same practice in the same enlightenment of all bags
but it goes it it actually go that way of thinking goes very nicely with giving up thinking
so we do have a practice of concentration of tranquillity were we
we sit quietly settings nice can also walk quietly and lie that reclined quietly and stand quietly and don't move now when you're you're walking actually also don't move when you're walking
and in that a move in in a motionless listeners give up thinking and be tranquil and then our saying is go right ahead and continue that practice but now
listen to the instruction that bodhisattvas who practice those kinds of tranquility practices they also do those tranquillity practices
together with their vows

so some people would see a conflict between thinking and getting up thinking
i can see that but also there's a cooperation between giving up thinking and
body sought for thinking
when you give up thinking in your tranquil that you that and that have you be open to the thinking to the open thinking
the bodhisattvas open thinking in your tranquil mind you're trying for body your soft body or soft mind naturally opened to the
can the thinking of all bags to to opening and thinking of all beings and thinking about them and thinking about your relationship with them
and then having the are thinking about your relationship with them
and learning somehow to think about your relationship with them
together with whatever other kind of thinking you're doing
and also together with giving up thinking if you happen to be giving up thinking
and learn how to
think of your relationship with all beings while you're giving up thinking
but the giving the thinking you're giving up in that case here's the thinking of your relationship with our bags so you can become
paxson shepherd is tranquillity together with your thoughts of how you practice with our bags
and if you're doing other things other kinds of thinking not where you're not concentrating on giving up your thinking but you're concentrating on
thinking of
planting a flower are thinking of
cropping some flowers are thinking of putting a flower in a vase
that's a kind of thinking is a thinking which leads to a physical action or perhaps an instruction to one of year
cohorts to plant some flowers but anyway some kind of thinking which is in mind or body or speech three kinds of thinking three kinds of karma
whichever kind of charm where you're doing whatever the karma is bring that together with is possible to bring that together with the thought that you're doing this together with all beings
all unenlightened being seems to be easier for people actually
is some of that was somewhat resistant to
planting flowers together with in relationship over the benefit of all living beings
that's great especially glad people have an easy time doing that together with thinking of doing that together with all dogs
they say i'm happy to do together with on dogs but not all humans some humans i do not want to plant flowers with in relationship to and for the benefit of
but even harder for people seems to be is to
brush your teeth or when it got put butter onto a baguette
in relationship with all buddhas all bodhisattvas she's be harder for a lot of people and i'm i'm i'm happy to get into the reasons why
the conditions for people having a hard time with that
but the bodhisattva vow is to open to doing everything together with everybody
with all the buddhas all the bodhisattvas and all the non board is a non bodhisattvas some of whom aspire to be buddhas and bodhisattvas some of whom do not yet
way

so i'm gap

does she when i'm bringing up this artist this is this is this is what's being brought up now as a person like this
this is what the universe is up chucking

i mentioned the thing about putting butter on a baguette because there was a movie called diva french movie i think has seen in it where this guy's explain this other guy i think is a i think it's a gangster i'm not sure is he
he's explained this guy how to the zen of spreading butter on a baguette this is a french guy explaining the zen of bag and buttering
and you can imagine what it's like collect it's like the samurai version of
spreading butter i think i remember kind of a big knife big sharp knife spread into butter very concentrated you know giving up thought right
this exam is like just put the butter on the back get man that's good right
that's the zen
and what's not emphasize so much is that the zen is also that this bag buttering is being done together with all french people
and all and german people and all american people
with all hopper stars
with all bakers
with all beings
some people are interested in zen and are not
yet
ready to open to their and being done together with all beings
but the people who actually are taking care of zen not just the people who may get rich on it
in the movies for a nap
hairdressing parlors or whatever all the other places where as has been practiced
the people are taken care of the tradition and and for whom the tradition he's alive i say are those who practice concentration who practice just do it
just do it just knew it just do it just do it just do it just do it do the karma you're doing just think it just think it just think it or just don't think i just don't think it just give it up give it up given up the people who are concentrated that way
who bring that together with all beatings
in all ways they're the people who are really bringing the practice of concentration to its
to its realization of being something that's being done together with all beings
as again without unless you already have been practicing that way for aeons
you've got some other way of practicing that you've been doing for aeons and that way of practicing needs to be integrated with the bodhisattva vows
the an order that there's no obstruction
to the practice enlightenment of our bags
and he also says all kinds of problems and resistances to this wonderful bodhisattva is wonderful bodhisattva vows
and so what can we say them you know oftentimes in insane as we say them like center beings are numberless i've out to save them we say that but lies and students
don't so i thank or with it'll think are they don't understand that that vow goes with everything they do all day long they say for the we've are sentient beings are of high vowed to save them they say that but they don't think do i mean that
am i actually into that all day long every moment i'm saying let's look at that
is that vow allied the vow to save our beings as it is a living with every moment of your life
and if not
we a boy sat this practice with thick
the moments when it's not doesn't seem to be there
we can work with that
we we have vows to what did we have vows for what to do when your vows are not on the job
and people have resistance the vows about what to do when they're not bowing to
in all this is basically all resistances resistance to
the same practice and the same enlightenment of all beings that's basically our main thing are resisting is what thing we most want
that's it the center of our resistance
we have other things are resisting to you know
but we do that occasionally like we were occasionally resisting having a cold or where kazan are resisting a mosquito
but these are all just you know
when it got satellites
floating around a central issue
okay and at so on horizon which has already been my brought this up by at the yoga wrong and berkeley the summer and i brought it up because i ugly gosh sessions
i know and i also brought up in england these wonderful lot individual
as particular expressions of bodhisattva vows are also very nice to look out so we have tories and jeez wow
you're welcome to study it on the other side of the page there's a dog is the bodhisattva vow you're welcome to study that we have some onto podres ten vows and as a whole bunch of other such a beautiful vows and beautiful bodhisattvas that we can look at and resist
and wonder you know and look at what our resistance resistances about those educational value and all these resistances and all of our resistances to any aspect of this or more beings to save
so a few here by saving or beings and you resistant than that resistance is another being to save
if you hear about the vowed to
worship an honor and respect all buddhas and you have resistance to that that resistance is a sentient being to save is a sentient being too careful
we need to learn how to do that so there's always a sentient being to care for
so while you're spreading butter on the bag get this is there is there's one there's innumerable sentient beings to care for at that time while you're just
doing what you're doing
and there is also the opportunity to forget the vow to save all sentient beings while you're toasting your post does opportunity forget it
and as opportunity your notice actually hooks i toasted the tell us but i forgot to do it together with all sentient beings for the welfare of all beings i forgot
wow
it happens right it just happened and i heard it happens to know i noticed it happened so there's a resume in you're following practice and part in the for most of us and part of the rhythm is like when it goes below the threshold of happening
doesn't seem to be happening and and it does seem to be happening and it doesn't seem to be does rhythm in your vowing it's really always there but sometimes you don't notice it can find it where's the wow what was it it was a bargain oh yeah there it is sables engine beings okay great let's do it even while we're doing this
that's he and as yes years and as gonna go
are not even noticing is gone just
so
so i like to look at how you can no matter what practice you're doing or what non practice you're doing whatever practice you're doing or whatever daily life activity that you're doing that you do not yet see his practice bring the bow together with whatever you're doing
and then what you're doing has done for the sake of the vow or together with the vow
so that death
that's probably was i'm going to be working on for the foreseeable
had i welcome you to dive into this ocean and bodhisattva vow together with me and all the bodhisattvas and all the people
who are no one of the bodhisattvas are in the same ocean
analysts try to encourage ourselves to
you know
receive the great gift
of this vow of these vows the great nourishment the great uplift of these vows
and

and anything back for me at this time or for yourself
one it isn't gonna mention the word feedback i looked at up the dictionary has a nice definition
first definition is that part of the output of a process which becomes an input to the process
and the other meaning of fifty back is some critical or evaluative
response or comment so in both those senses your feedback is warmly encouraged and welcomed guess tracy
translation
okay let's hear it

cynthia

you didn't them to understand sin as being part of what
oh sin is a being
is a being which we vow to save we thought about save all sins

cinder i like to i like the etymology of sin which is as related to the word sunder to split
so there is splitting going on
you know for example of baguette
splitting is going on it seems to be going on sundering seems to be happening this world it's an illusion
but it there does seem to be splitting that's the basic sin is to split his world is to split your practice from somebody else's practice or your practice for your life in the for somebody else's that's that that's a kind of sundering it's gonna say
sin that the mind creates a singable i'm my practice is separate from her practice my life i'm a separate from a buddhist practice this kind of sundering this this is what i think i would mean by sin and i think etymologically the english word means the same
thing that you split yourself from inch in some traditions that would be split yourself from god
the your separate from god or your separate from your neighbor you know that would be or your separate from the apple and or your separate from whatever that there seems to me that phenomena in the world and it could be called since
our affliction
the basic and i says
we say that the first bodhisattva vow and of the for may one of the sensor
beings are sentient beings are numberless i've ah to say the next one is it's actually afflictions
but also can be called delusions afflictions our delusions illusions our afflictions sin is infliction affliction is a sin if from illinois
that kind of thing so not all of our karma's in sle sinful a lot of it is has a kind of split in it like i'm doing this with you know it's it's naturally like little kids they age you don't have to keep kids they don't want to hear from their brothers and sisters let me do it mice
self
the parish don't don't say you should be doing this yourself
they they up this amount is natural for them to say no i'm gonna do it at some point that they're gonna do it themselves
you're not going to help me granddaddy you know that you're not going to help me on my your all by myself it's gets done i did it he didn't help me all you know this kind of thing nobody i didn't teach him that
nigeria russia
no i'm not
so anyway it seems to be natural that we split that our minds splits ourselves from those for supporting us
and with or without whom we would not be here with sometimes say you know
i'm separate from yeah that's
an action based on that is it can say sinful or unenlightened action
okay