Somebody asked me about, like, you know, they didn't really say it this way, but they said something like, if you're enlightened, do you know it? Or how do you know if you are? If you're in the process of liberating all beings, how do you know that you're in the process of liberating all beings? They didn't really say those things, but something like that. People often ask, how do I know? One of our things that we chant at Zen Center has a line, something like, when Buddhas are truly Buddhas, they don't necessarily think they're Buddhas. But they are Buddhas. One translation says, when Buddhas are truly Buddhas, they do not think that they're Buddhas.

[01:04]

I kind of go with, not necessarily. In other words, I think a Buddha could, like, think I'm a Buddha. Just like you can, a Buddha can do it, too. Go ahead, think you're a Buddha. Go ahead. How did it go? But, at the same time, they don't necessarily think they're Buddha. As a matter of fact, they don't necessarily ever think they're Buddha. But, if you go up to them and you say, hello, my name's Reb, who are you? Are you Buddha? And they might say, uh-huh. Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am. I had never thought of it before, but now that you mentioned it, yeah. Okay. Okay. Hallelujah! Okay, now, I might be doing what sounds like yelling. Am I yelling now? Okay, all right.

[02:07]

So, the same goes for bodhisattvas. They don't necessarily think, I'm a bodhisattva. Do they want to be a bodhisattva? Yes. You say, do you aspire to be a bodhisattva? And they might say, well, it's kind of personal. But, yes, I do aspire to be a bodhisattva. Are you? And they might go, well, I don't know. And they might say, yes. But an actual, somebody who's, I wouldn't say an actual bodhisattva, but somebody who's so much into it that other people think they're bodhisattvas, which does happen sometimes. People say, oh, there's a bodhisattva living over there. Those kind of people who a lot of people think, oh, they're so inspiring, their bodhisattva practice is so great.

[03:10]

I think they rarely think, I'm a bodhisattva. Even though they're doing bodhisattva work. In a really inspiring way. And they themselves are inspired to do it. And they're so inspired when they do. It's just great. But they don't, they're busy, you know. They're busy listening to people cry. They're listening to the cries of the world. They're busy listening to all the cries. It's not exactly, they have no time to think, I'm a bodhisattva. But anyway, they're very fully engaged and taking care of a lot of stuff. And so, you know, they don't necessarily go, I'm a bodhisattva, I'm a bodhisattva. But maybe they do once in a while. I myself, to tell you the truth, almost never think I'm a bodhisattva. But I often think I want to be one. I often think I want to be one. I really do, and I feel good about that.

[04:12]

But I don't think, well, I am. I don't think that very often. But I could. I could think it. It's not that big a deal. Now, I also want to mention another parallel example which I just gave. When people do a triple axel, you know what a triple axel is? It's a figure skating thing. When they do it, if you ask them afterwards, not during, don't talk to them during, but after they fly in the air and do this thing and then land on their one skate, firmly, you ask them later, what were you thinking about when you were spinning through the universe? What were you thinking when the universe was spinning around you? They were actually still, and everything in the universe was going around them. And we were enjoying the ride, watching. But the whole universe was pivoting on them

[05:13]

while they were doing this thing. What I've heard is they say, I don't... They can't even say, I wasn't thinking of anything. They just say, I don't know. Before they went into it, they think, OK, I'm going to do it. Here we go. Good luck, kid. And they're skating fast, getting going fast. And then they leave the world of thinking about being a bodhisattva. And they just do it. One hundred percent. And there's no space left, probably, for, I'm doing a triple axel. This is a pretty good one. I think I might get a ten on this one. They don't have time for that unless they're really, really good. So good that they can, like, have a conversation, Hi, Mom, when they're spinning. But I never seen that or heard about that, that they're so good that they can wave. You know, they... All that's there is a triple axel.

[06:21]

That's what's there. And all there is in a bodhisattva really is a bodhisattva. There's not, like, somebody out there watching the bodhisattva. Except the whole universe is watching the bodhisattva. That's out there. The whole universe is spinning around the bodhisattva. So, I just thought I might mention that just in case you want to ever be a bodhisattva. And now there's a bunch of hands, but I would like to do a ceremony now. Kind of an unusual ceremony. It's a usual ceremony, but I'd like to do it a different way. It's called a well-being ceremony. And I'd like to do the chant as usual. And then, after the chant, we dedicate the merit of our chant to some people

[07:25]

for their well-being. Okay? But in this time of doing it, I'm going to say a couple of names. Approximately, you know, a couple like approximately two. And then I invite you to do a triple axel and say somebody else's name if you want to. But be careful when you do it so you don't interrupt somebody else. And just say one name. Okay? Just one name. And then, if you want to say another one, you can say another one after giving somebody else a chance. Okay? So that's the unusual way of doing it that I'd like to do today. What do you think of that?

[08:26]

Are you... Great idea. Any other comments? Okay. All right. So now I'm going to introduce the chant. It's called emmei jyuku kanan gyo. Emmei means extending and protecting life. Jyuku means ten verse. Kanan means listening to the cries of the world. And gyo means scripture. Okay? That's the... Yeah! Oh yeah, that. Not all of you have memorized this chant, I guess. So I'll pass it out to you. You can read it while you're thinking of people's names. Are you ready for this ceremony?

[09:28]

You are a powerful being. emmei jyuku kanan gyo emmei jyuku kanan gyo

[10:47]

emmei jyuku kanan gyo emmei jyuku kanan gyo namubutsu yobutsu en buhoso en joraku ga joucho nen kanze on bonen kanze on nen nen jyushin kinen nen purishin kanze on namubutsu yobutsu en yobutsu en buhoso en joraku ga joucho nen kanze on bonen kanze on nen nen jyushin kinen nen purishin kanze on namubutsu yobutsu en

[12:08]

yobutsu en buhoso en joraku ga joucho nen kanze on bonen kanze on nen nen jyushin kinen nen purishin kanze on namubutsu yobutsu en yobutsu en buhoso en joraku ga joucho nen kanze on bonen kanze on nen jyushin kinen nen purishin May all awakened beings manifest through the three treasures their luminous mirror wisdom. Having chanted the enmei jyuku kan'an-gyo for protecting life,

[13:10]

we dedicate this merit and virtue to the complete healing, well-being, and equanimity of our dear friends, Kathleen Jacoby, Patty Bradford, Blair Fong, Barbara Newman, Francis Booster, Beverly Dobulski,

[14:11]

Bill O'Keefe, Elga Hoffman, Shayla Hoffman, Ed Reed, Louis Kopenko, Eleanor Kress, Juan Dion, Ruby Fong, Chris Ervin, Carly Diaz, Nora Morin, Jerry Walsh, Pam Rose Miller, Marta Schultz, Joyce Stone, Ellen Stevens, Richard Penrose,

[15:14]

And to all those who are lacking shelter, food, and safety, are suffering from physical or emotional distress, or who are exposed to violence of any kind, may they be supported deeply in the Dharma, be peaceful and free from suffering, and together with all beings, realize Buddha activity. All Buddhas, ten directions, three times,

[16:29]

all honored ones, bodhisattva, mahasattvas, wisdom beyond wisdom, mahaprasna paramita. Thank you for another great day at Novo. Thank you for another great day at Novo. Thank you for another great day at Novo.

[17:34]

When I was a boy, I watched TV, because we had a TV, and one of the shows I watched was called, I think called The Jackie Gleason Show. I think it was called Jackie Gleason Show, and then they had one part of the show at a certain point became a section called The Honeymooners, which I think became its own show later. But anyway, he used to come out, and he was kind of a big guy, kind of heavy set, and he used to actually do kind of like a flip at the end of his monologue at the beginning, a flip and then go on to kind of like a splits on the floor. And one time he did it and didn't get up. Then he retired from that. Anyway, he did this monologue at the beginning, kind of like Johnny Carson used to do or whatever. And then when he finished, at some point he would say to the dead orchestra,

[18:35]

he'd say, a little traveling music please, and then they would do this music and he would move off the stage. And away we go. And away we go. And away we go, yeah. And so that was that, and so now we'll have a little traveling music. Are you ready? Okay, ready? One, two, three. Oh, oh, oh, we may be ragged and funny. No, excuse me, start over. Oh, oh, oh, we ain't got a barrel of money. Maybe we're ragged and funny. But we'll travel along singing our song side by side.

[19:38]

I don't know what's coming tomorrow. Maybe it's trouble and sorrow. But we'll travel the road sharing the load side by side. Through all kinds of weather, what if the sky should fall? Just as long as we're together, let's be compassionate to all. We don't say it doesn't matter at all anymore. We don't say that. We say, what if the sky should fall? Let's be compassionate to all. When they finish their quarrels and departed,

[20:41]

we'll be the same as we started. Just a traveling along, singing our song side by side. Now that was worth recording.

[21:01]

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