rest of the community before the sesshin. There'll be a talk on Sunday, but this is the last time we'll be talking before the sesshin. And I just wanted to say that I feel we've been blessed with good health during this practice period. for most of the way, and now we're being blessed with some illness. Various people are feeling somewhat bluey and coldy, but I really appreciate everyone's efforts up to this point. You've really been wholehearted in your practice of the way. I hope you get rested in the next few days and that when Sashin starts, we'll all be able to sit together again.

[01:12]

And at the beginning of Sashin, we have admonitions which we read. And I think the admonitions say something like, Sashin, the time of Sashin, is an opportunity to discover or to discover anew and even realize our ultimate concern in life. I think it would be good though if we, starting, you know, now, that we look in our hearts and see is most important in this life for us, and that we care for this deep concern and come into sesshin maybe already being aware of it and cherishing it and caring for it.

[02:23]

And then it can become deeper and clearer as we go into the quiet and stillness. I've already talked about this with you before, but I want to say again that one way to understand or one way to practice sitting, one way to practice sitting, and one way to practice walking

[04:05]

is as a ceremony. To practice sitting as an expression or a statement ...most important to you. And another way to say it is that there is a way of sitting which is given. Sitting is a gift. sitting as an offering to the Buddhas, as an act of worshiping Buddhas.

[05:25]

Tim, who looks like he's sick. Is he here? Before he went to bed, he told us the etymology of the word ceremony that he discovered, which was religious worship or an act of worship. So one way to see the zazen we're doing here is as a ceremony, which is worshiping. zazen or worshipping Buddha or worshipping complete perfect enlightenment. The

[06:33]

The tradition wherein sitting practice is seen as an act of offering and worship of the enlightened way of life, that kind of zazen, is compared to the inconceivable, immeasurable merits of the Buddhas. So you may notice that there's a tradition of speaking of this kind of sitting as something which is inconceivable, the merit of which is inconceivable, which is the same way that we talk about the virtues of the Buddhas. So there is a kind of sitting which is the same as the virtues of the Buddhas. There's a kind of meditation practice which is the way the Buddhas are and the way the Buddhas live.

[07:42]

And so there's a practice of sitting and aligning ourselves and paying homage to and worshiping And pledging our loyalty to ultimate reality, the Buddha mind and the Zazen, which has the characteristic of the Buddha mind. It's not about trying to get anything, of course, like enlightenment. It is directly indicating not trying to get it. It is worshipping enlightenment. It is aligning with enlightenment. It is honoring and making offerings to enlightenment.

[08:51]

Just like if you met a person who is said to be a you might meet the person and make some offerings and you might worship the person you might honor the person but you wouldn't try to get the person probably would you you would be happy to meet the person and be intimate but you wouldn't be trying to get the person otherwise you would be if the person was a Buddha, you would not be honoring the Buddha. You would not be loyal to the Buddha. You would not be worshiping the Buddha. You would be indicating the Buddha. You would be indicating the opposite, namely somebody who's trying to get something. Buddhas are not trying to get anything. Buddhas are already everything.

[09:56]

So living here in delusion, we still can do ceremonies which we can do wholeheartedly as an act of worshiping, honoring, being generous towards the Buddha, the Buddha's which is honoring and worshiping the way all beings are working together in perfect peace and harmony. As a ceremony which is honoring and making offerings to the way we are working together in perfect peace and harmony. this is the Buddha.

[11:14]

I don't know if this kind of practice of the worshipping of the Buddha mind by the act of sitting, I don't know if that ...alignment with the most important thing in your life as you see it. Maybe it is. But there is an opportunity to right now and and many more minutes and seconds and hours for the next week or so, there's an opportunity to sit here and in each moment to the practice the life of Buddha. Make offerings to the practice which is the same practice and the same enlightenment

[12:38]

to give your body and mind through this ceremony, to donate it, to use it to worship the one practice which we're all doing and the one enlightenment which we all are. And not just in sitting, of course, but when you stand up, when you walk in this room, even if you, of course, walk out of this room to go to the toilet, that you do that, that you make every action a ceremony, a performance of the life and practice of the Buddhas.

[13:47]

The ceremony of zazen is not the same as zazen, but they're inseparable. Zazen will manifest as the ceremony. The ceremony of performing the life of Buddha is inseparable from the life of Buddha. And the life of Buddha will appear and manifest as a dramatic, public performance of the life of Buddha. When we eat in this room during Sesshin, with our bowls and our chanting, this is the manifestation of the life of Buddha.

[14:58]

When you sit and eat your meal in this way, and you give yourself to this ceremony, this ceremony can be seen as worshipping the life of Buddha, and is a manifestation of the life of Buddha, of worshipping it. All there is to the Buddha way is the ceremony of the Buddha way. There is no additional Buddha way. If we are not doing the ceremony of the Buddha way,

[16:08]

we are then exiling ourself from the Buddha way. If we think there's some Buddha way in addition to the ceremony of the Buddha way, we're exiling ourself from the Buddha way. To wholeheartedly enact the Buddha way in every action is called the Grandmother Mind of this school. And the Grandmother Mind is that whatever you do is worshipping the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. And aside from this worship and offering to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, which is the same as offering and worshipping the same practice and the same enlightenment of all beings.

[17:24]

There's no additional Buddha way to this. This ritual, ceremonial performance of the Buddha way includes all beings.

[18:58]

It includes beings, for example, who do not know what their deepest intentions are. It includes beings who have not discovered the aspiration to attain Buddhahood for the welfare of all beings. It includes all beings who are not practicing this ceremony, who are not giving their action, each action, moment by moment, in their life and actions, over to the bond among all beings. All those beings are completely included in this bond and in this ceremony. But of course the ceremony is not the same as not the ceremony.

[20:14]

The ceremony is a performance of the practice but not everyone does the ceremony. As a matter of fact, some of you hardly know that you're doing the ceremony or have hardly joined making your Zazen a gift to the Buddhas. Wherever your practice has been, It has always been included in the practice of the Buddhas because that's what the practice of the Buddha is. It's including whatever you're doing and it's the same practice that you're doing which is the same that the Buddhas are doing. There is a practice which you're involved in which is the same practice and the same enlightenment as the Buddha's. That is the practice, that is the Buddha, and that is what the sitting can be a ceremony towards.

[21:21]

And there is no Buddha way in addition or separate from the ceremony. And without the practice of such a ceremony, the Buddha way will not be realized, even though it is the ultimate reality. If anyone would like to publicly perform the ultimate reality, other than sit here quietly, you're welcome to do so.

[23:01]

I heard that Rachel's foot's asleep, but here she comes. She's not walking in the usual ceremonial form, but here she comes. Rachel, did you know that when we walk in here, we have a ceremonial way of walking? Yes, I forgot. Okay, it's okay. Do you want to meet? Okay. That was it. Well, I was going to say, would you rather kneel than stand up? Is that what you prefer? Is that okay? Yeah, sure, it is. I'd rather kneel. Okay. Is it possible... to make your offering to the Buddhas if you try to met the Buddhas and don't know who they are? That's a good question.

[24:29]

She said, is it possible to make an offering to the Buddhas if you don't know what the Buddhas are and have never met them? I would say Yes. Just like you can make an offering to starving people in Darfur who you have never met and don't know who they are, but you would like to send them some food. It's like that. Just like you can make an offering to distant mountains which you have not met and don't know what they are. But I also say unto you that if we make offerings to the Buddhas who we have never met and do not know, we will meet the Buddhas and we will know the Buddha.

[25:39]

We will know the Buddha as our offering. So when we make an offering to Buddha, at first when you make it, you may think, here's the offering, and the Buddha's over there separate from my offering. But as we make our positive thinking and everything about us a gift to the Buddhas, we come to realize that everything we've been doing is the Buddha. Everything we've been doing as an actually is the Buddha. And we meet the Buddha as our practice of adoring, worshiping, and aligning ourselves with Buddha. Because, of course, Buddhas are constantly making offerings to Buddhas and aligning with Buddhas and worshiping Buddhas.

[26:40]

So when we do that, we are the same as Buddhas. And before we do that, we are the same as Buddhas too, because we have the same practice and the same enlightenment as all Buddhas. And when we do this practice, we know through the practice. We don't know through the practice, we know as the practice. The practice is the way we know. The practice is the way we meet the Buddhas. That was a very good question. You have some more? Yes. You're just addressing it. It seems like when you don't know and haven't met, then it's... If you don't know the nature of the person you're addressing, it's different than addressing someone who's a person kind of like you over in some other country. Oh, I see. It's kind of hard to imagine who you're making an offering to.

[27:44]

It's like you're making an offering to somebody in a wall. So if you're making an offering to somebody in a foreign country who's hungry, you think, well, I know what hunger is like, so I know what it's like to make an offering to a hungry person. Is that what you mean? Yeah. I think they have human problems like I do, and I want to help them. Yeah. At the ceremony the other day on Sunday and also a few weeks ago on... Was that another Sunday? We had the ceremonies where people received the Bodhisattva priesthood. And in the ceremony, the people say, O bodhisattva mahasattvas, please concentrate your hearts on me. These people actually asked these great beings, these bodhisattvas, to look at them. They requested these bodhisattvas to concentrate their hearts on them, to come and actually be with them.

[28:50]

They didn't know who these people were, but they were inviting them to come and be with them. So there's some implication that both people in foreign countries in that they're not actually over separate from us in some other country, they're actually right here. There's something about these beings that we feel like we can call them and they'll be here. And actually that the calling of them is them. Wishing compassionate beings to be with us is what compassionate beings are like. Compassionate beings are inviting everybody to be with them. So when we invite them to be with us, we're meeting them. So you invite them so that you can make... So you can make an offering. In this case, you invite them to assist you in receiving the bodhisattva precepts. You're inviting bodhisattvas to assist you in receiving their precepts.

[29:52]

And when you invite them, they're here. Not invitation and then they come later. The invitation happens at the same time as their realization of their presence. And in the wholeheartedness of the invitation, you know the bodhisattva. That's what the Bodhisattva is. A wholehearted participant with you all the time. They're wholehearted. They're wholeheartedness. And when you're wholehearted, there's no separation. And you realize their presence. And when we're half-hearted, or we don't even invite them, we're not here. And I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure that not too many years ago at Zen Center, at the point in the ceremony where it says, O Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, O enlightening beings, great beings, lay your hearts on me.

[31:01]

The way we used to do the chant was not saying that. We used to say the next part, I so and so, Buddha's disciple, receive this robe of such and such panels. we start with the chant, but not the first part. I don't know what the reason was for not saying that part, the first part. I don't know. But it might be because in the early years of Zen Center he was not ready to issue invitations to bodhisattvas and buddhas to come to our ceremonies. We were just kind of like, that sounds like something I came here to get away from people. But now we're exposed to this strange thing of inviting infinite

[32:06]

enlightening beings and great beings to come and not just come, but come and like give me your full attention. And in that relationship we will really know, not only will we know bodhisattvas, but we will know that we have the same practice as them. And we in them have the same practice as all beings, including the beings who do not yet feel that they want to invite those to come. Is it possible that they don't come sometimes when you invite them? It is 100% impossible. that they don't come. Because when you invite them, that is them. Inviting beings to come and be with us is enlightening beings. That enlightening being is, please come and concentrate your hearts on me.

[33:09]

That is enlightenment. So if you think you invited them and they don't come, that means you didn't really invite them? If you think you invited them and they don't come, you see? and you think they didn't come, okay? Yeah? You didn't really invite them. Yes, that's right. You were holding back a little on your invitation. You were kind of like, okay, let's see if this, how this works. Okay, bodhisattvas, mahasattvas, looking to see if they're going to come, right? But because you're looking to see if they come, you missed that somebody's chanting here and that they're here already. If you're looking for the slightest bit and being separate from your... Like right now, your questions could be the Bodhisattva's questions. if you're wholehearted in that. But anyway, in the question, in the practice, that is them coming. That's how they come. At that time, because that's how you are.

[34:11]

Other people who say, Bodhisattvas, please don't come. As a matter of fact, give me, you know, as Mary Peck, give me a break, Mr. So-and-so, and get away from me. I don't want to talk to you anymore. And I hate you. this kind of way of talking, sometimes people talk, right? And they do not realize that what they're saying is an invitation to the bodhisattvas to come. They do not get that. So they do not see that the bodhisattvas are totally running and they're telling, being mean to people. The bodhisattvas are there, but they don't realize it because they don't think they're inviting bodhisattvas. They think they're telling creepy people to get away. They don't think that's an invitation. So because they don't do the ceremony of inviting the bodhisattvas, they think the bodhisattvas are not there. But they are. But since you don't practice that, you think, here I am all by myself, nobody saw it, no kind, no super kind, super beneficent beings are hovering around me, helping me while I'm being mean to somebody.

[35:18]

This is the and I feel bad about being mean to this person, plus I feel bad about being all by myself with no great supporters. But they're there. But if you don't practice this ceremony of bodhisattvas, mahasattvas, please concentrate your hearts on me. If you don't do that, you miss it. It's there, but you miss it. If you don't say, I'm talking to Rachel now, and this is worshipping Buddha, my conversation with you is an offering to Buddha. If I don't do that, or some ceremony like that, then I miss that actually Buddha is here right with us, supporting us, and Buddha is how you and I are doing the same practice. You and I are doing the same practice. You and I are doing the same practice. We have the same enlightenment and the same practice, and if we don't make offerings to that, we can miss it.

[36:19]

But if we do, our offerings are exactly, totally manifesting it. And if we resist it and do it half-heartedly, well then that's kind of like being mean to people. And then we feel like, well, the bodhisattvas are not helping me right now because they don't mean to people. But they do. Whenever you're mean to people, bodhisattvas are helping you be mean to people. They don't want you to, but they're still supporting you. And they're not being mean to people, but they're doing the same practice you're doing and the same enlightenment you're doing. When you first start, it seems like you can't help being half-hearted.

[37:28]

Yeah, or even less than half-hearted. Heartless. Yeah, heartless. It seems like when you first start, just before you start, you might have been heartless. But sometimes, as soon as you start, you're like wholehearted. And, yeah. Before you think about whether you were or not, And so, sattvas, when they sit in meditation halls, generally speaking, generally speaking, their sitting in the meditation hall is an offering to all Buddhas. Generally speaking, their sitting in the meditation hall is worshipping all Buddhas. But also their sitting in the meditation is an act, is a ceremony of praising the merits, the virtues of others.

[38:30]

So right now also, I'm sitting here with you, other people are sitting here with you, and their sitting is praising your merits, your virtues. That's the sitting practice. which is the ceremony of making offerings to Buddha and praising the virtues of Rachel, which are sometimes easy to praise wholeheartedly by whatever we are doing. All of us right now are doing a different thing, but all of us right where we're doing this, can see your virtues and praise them. You don't have to do yours. Do you see the other people's virtues? I'll try harder.

[39:39]

And you can try harder and also you will be able to do it more if they would also come and express themselves the way you do. That would help you if they would do that. They would help you by doing that. Express themselves. And offer themselves, offer their expression, you know, as an act of offering. when you can see people sitting at their seats, and you can see, oh, wow, look at that guy. He's like offering his sitting to the Buddhas. And he's like sitting there worshiping the Buddhas. And he's like sitting there honoring all beings. And he's like, when you see people doing that, which they are, then you also see, oh, wow, I feel praised. virtues and his virtues and his virtues. And over here is her virtues and her virtues.

[40:45]

When you see that, you see that. And when you see that, that goes with making offerings to Buddhas. Making offerings to Buddhas, worshipping Buddhas, goes with seeing other people's virtues and being happy about it. And not seeing other people's virtues goes with not making offerings to Buddhas and not praising Buddhas and not worshipping Buddhas. So, all day long here, you've got to practice. And is your practice a gift to all Buddhas? If it is, then your practice will also be praising the virtues of others. They go together. One hundred percent. And the more you practice this, the more you realize this.

[41:52]

If you don't practice this, then this will not be realized, even though it's reality. There she goes, in traditional fashion, walking like ancient Zen monks. Can you see your watch, Arlene?

[42:57]

I can't. What time is it? Eight eighteen. Eight eighteen, huh? Eight eighteen, that's kind of a nice number, isn't it? Yes, it is. Eight twenty-eight is, I like eight twenty-eight also. Do you like eight eighteen, sir? Do you like 828? It's a good time to go to bed. It's always a good time to go to bed. 818, 828. It's a good time to go to bed. And it's a good time to make offerings to Buddhas. That's good. When you go to bed, are you going to make offerings to Buddha? And are you going to worship Buddhas when you go to bed?

[43:57]

Are you going to praise the virtues of others when you go to bed? Okay. Are you going to be of service and accommodate to all sentient beings when you go to bed? In the most curled, comfortable position I can get. Are you going to dedicate the merit? All of the merit. Oh, wow. Well, looks like things are going to have a good day tomorrow. Because Arlene tonight is going to set things rolling in the right direction, right? Okay. But if we stay here a long time, you're still going to do... Later, if we don't go to bed right now? So, Paul, his machine here?

[45:01]

He's coming tomorrow. Okay. And is he going to bring a mic for people to use? Okay. So during Sashin, he's going to have a mic for you guys. So you can have a mic and, you know, that's going to really be great. You're going to perform the Buddha way like you never were able to before. It's going to be like... a great show. So anyway, everybody now get ready to go to bed with Arlene. And please join her wonderful practice which she has vowed to do. I'm so happy. I'm glad I came tonight. And... Please take care of your health.

[45:58]

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