These words... Good morning. Call forth as much as you can of love, of respect, and of faith. Remove the obstructing defilements and clear away all of your taints. Listen to the perfect wisdom of the gentle Buddhas, taught for the wheel of the world, for heroic spirits intended. This is the opening verse from the 8,000-line Prajna Paramita Sutra.

[01:01]

And it's often struck me as a kind of anthem or battle cry for all of us to surrender. To lay down our arms, to cross our legs, open our hearts and our minds. So I want to begin this morning by thanking you and expressing my gratitude that you have surrendered this day, that you have entered this quiet, darkened room. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you. In fact, I'm very sure. So among the very many good reasons there are for being here at all,

[02:08]

I think the most important one is the support that we give to each other. And I also want to thank you for your attention to the words that I have to say. I am not ready to sit on this seat. And I am very grateful that you allow me to do so anyway. This past year, as some of you know, I have been studying, in my way, the Lotus Sutra. Lotus of the Wondrous Dharma, Mahayana Sutra.

[03:11]

The name of this ancient text is on the list of the ten names of Buddha that we chant. I think that you chanted this morning with your meal. And that we chant for both precept, lay and priest initiations. At Nenju. And for those of you who aren't familiar with this list of the ten names of Buddha, there's a calligraphed copy on the altar in Cloud Hall, where the priests store their okesas. And part of our job as students of the Buddha way is to listen to the teachings of these gentle Buddhas. The Buddhas before Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha. The Mahayana Siddharma Pundarika Sutra, the Lotus Sutra.

[04:16]

And the great Bodhisattvas, the Bodhisattvas of great compassion, great activity, great wisdom. And last but not least, the Prajnaparamita, the great wisdom teachings themselves. Most of you know that the Heart Sutra that we chant daily to the beat of the drum is a one-page summary of the 8,000-line Prajnaparamita Sutra. So this morning I want to bring to you a few of the good reasons why the Lotus Sutra sits in the midst of the ten names of Buddha. And what it's doing in the midst of our hard-working, no-nonsense,

[05:24]

or at times perhaps pure nonsense, Zen community. It was a great surprise and a wonderful discovery for me to find out that Suzuki Roshi had spent the entire summer of 1968 lecturing on the Lotus Sutra at Tassajara. I didn't know that. And there's a huge transcription of those lectures that I never knew existed before. So someday maybe this work, these teachings will be more widely known and available to you all as well. So first of all, this Sutra, for good reason, is honored throughout the world as a masterwork of language art. And like the great cathedrals, mosques, and temples of this world,

[06:33]

it's anonymously created. But in this case by multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and multi-generational community of beings, of sentient beings. And the inspiration for the completion of this task of translation and protection, over great distances and great stretches of time, was provided by the Sutra itself and its enlightened content. On a personal level, I was greatly affected by encountering this text. Somewhat in the way I imagined that those of you of artistic or religious sensibilities

[07:37]

might be affected in staring up at the Sistine Chapel. It was quite unexpected for me to, through prolonged contact with the Sutra, to experience the possibility of a living vision being illustrated in my imagination by the brush strokes of words and language. I was deeply impressed, as we say. Just as the mudra of the hands in our sitting posture serves to impress and to seal and to sign our union with the cosmos,

[08:37]

this Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, seals and signs our union, the union of the human mind with the mind of Buddha. And what is painted there on the ceiling of the imagination is a vision, a vision of a world not beyond the mind, not beyond the grasp of the human hand, but rather of their full extension. The as-if of who and what and where we are. The as-if of this very mind is Buddha. I don't want you to believe that perhaps the images from the Lotus Sutra

[09:49]

are any different than the images that you see around you in your daily life. They're not. What's different is that you and I simply don't recognize them to be the same. Sometimes after I'd be studying for a few hours, I'd go out into my yard and look out at the plants, and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the images in my mind and what I saw. This Buddha land, this vision of a Buddha land, and my funny life at Green Gulch Farm. At the beginning of the story, and the Lotus Sutra is a story, it has a plot, and there are a number of heroes,

[10:54]

and it has a very, very happy ending. There is a great gathering of human and other sentient beings who are all sitting around listening to the Buddha teach the basics of the Middle Way. The Four Noble Truths, the Six Parmitas, the Twelve-fold Chain of Causation, and the wisdom teachings of emptiness, non-duality, dependent co-arising, each of these spoken in accord with the mind of the listener. When the Buddha has finished this introductory lecture, which has its own name, it's called the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, the entire congregation, having just heard this lecture, receives what are called the Ten Merit Powers.

[11:56]

It's not hard to notice that my beloved daughter and her very best friends, Gabe and Nate, are very interested in this idea of powers. They have Power Rangers and Power Rings, they eat Power Bars and they wear Power T-shirts, and all of them are very adept at making these sound effects to let one another know that their superheroes have been smashed to smithereens. A lot of times I think this is what they do in lieu of talking to one another. The power that arises from the Buddha's teaching is of a quite different sort than this, not a different nature, but of a different kind.

[13:03]

It's the power of joy and of compassion, the power of generosity, of ethical conduct, of enthusiasm, patience, wisdom and concentration. And most of all, it's the power of a deep and abiding devotion to the welfare of all living beings. So following the introductory lecture and the empowerment of the congregation, the crafting of the main body of the Lotus Sutra begins. Starting in Chapter One, this congregation, now filled with the joy of the teachings, look up at the Buddha with affection and gratitude, at which point he does something that even for him is quite remarkable.

[14:07]

From a circle of white hair between his eyebrows comes forth a ray of light, illuminating 18,000 worlds in an all-inclusive vision. At that time, the world-honored ones, surrounded, worshipped, revered, honored and extolled by the four groups, preached for the sake of all the bodhisattvas the great vehicle sutra called Innumerable Meanings. The great vehicle sutra is the great vehicle of the world. It is the law by which bodhisattvas are instructed and which the Buddhas watch over and keep in mind. Having preached this sutra, the Buddha sat cross-legged and entered the contemplation termed the Station of Innumerable Meanings,

[15:13]

in which his body and mind were motionless. At this time, the sky rained Mandarava, Mahamandarava, Manjushaka, flowers over the Buddha and all the great assembly, while the universal Buddha world shook in six ways. Then in the congregation, Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, gods, dragons, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Maharagas, human and non-human beings, as well as minor kings and the holy wheel-rolling kings, all of this assembly obtained that which had never been before. With joy and folded hands and with one mind, looked up to the Buddha. And then the Buddha, sent forth from the circle of white hair between his eyebrows, a ray of light,

[16:15]

which illuminated 18,000 worlds in the eastern quarter, so that there was nowhere it did not reach. Downward to the Avicci hell, upward to the Kanchika heaven. In this world were seen in those lands, all their living creatures in the six states of existence. Likewise were seen the Buddhas, existing at present in those lands. And there could be heard the sutra laws whose Buddhas were preaching. There could also be seen their Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas who had practiced and attained the way. Further were seen the Bodhisattva, Mahasattvas, who walked the Bodhisattva way from various causes with various discernments in faith and with various appearances. Likewise were seen the Buddhas who had entered final nirvana. And there were seen the stupas made of the precious seven things

[17:17]

for the relics of the Buddhas, which were erected after the Buddhas entered final nirvana. A slightly radical and simplified version of this same story appears as case one in the Book of Serenity. One day, the World Honored One ascends the seat. Manjushri strikes the gavel and says, Clearly observe, the Dharma of the King of Dharma, the Dharma of the Queen of Dharma is thus. The World Honored One then got down from the seat. In our Zen tradition, we might say it even in a more simplified way.

[18:23]

We might say, Just this is it. Or we might do something like, The point is that this is the point. Right here and right now, bare, naked reality. Do you see it? The reality of being itself. Adamantine, ineffable, first principle. Just, wow. Wow. Now, it seems that one might think or hope that it would be enough.

[19:37]

Present moment, only moment. Maybe even more than enough. But whether we're fortunate or unfortunate, I really don't know. But it never seems to be so for us. We are restless and busy, little bipeds. A warm-hearted regard for our very human nature is repeatedly woven into the narrative of the Lotus Sutra. So the very next thing that happens at the sight of the Buddha's illuminated forehead is a deeply familiar human response when confronted by bare-naked reality. With one mind and one voice, the congregation cries out,

[20:48]

What does it mean? Meaning isn't just an interesting concept for us, it's a vital concept for us, particularly those of us with enough shelter and food. What is the meaning of my life? The word meaning shares a language root with the word to moan. What is your moaning? What are you suffering? And what is your deepest concern? It was out of kindness, compassion and pity

[21:49]

for the suffering of the entire world that the Buddha responded to this question from the congregation and taught the Sutra of innumerable meanings for this teaching of the Buddha can take any form, any form at all that will alleviate the suffering of the world. What the Buddha replied to the congregation when asked what does it mean is the very title of Chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra. In the Sanskrit the word is Upaya, meaning skillful means, tactfulness or expedient devices. Suzuki Roshi explains that Chapter 1 is the first principle, the teachings of wisdom.

[22:52]

Just this Prajnaparamita in which the Buddha's vision illuminates our big common ground, the ground on which everyone can enjoy each one's own way. And then he says that Chapter 2 is the second principle, tactfulness and skillful means. The emphasis here is placed on mercy and compassion over wisdom. The way to help people with skillful means is the most important point. In Zen there is no first principle. What we have is just skillful means which we practice moment after moment.

[23:55]

Wholehearted practice itself is first principle, is skillfulness, is the Buddha way. So what does it mean? It means whatever it takes, whatever is necessary, whatever will work to bring all of us to awakening and to peace. All for one and one for all. This is the Mahayana vision and this is the ray of light and of clarity that comes from an all-inclusive, non-dual seeing. Not one and not two. Not separate me and not a separate you.

[24:57]

Can you see it? The Buddha knew full well from his own experience that this clarity of vision was not easily won. I know that none of you in this room wishes anything less than complete awakening from the horrid dreams of abuse and separation from which you suffer. And yet what a mess we make. I once trapped two raccoons in Grace's house by mistake. They weren't bad raccoons, but they were desperate and within two hours they had completely torn everything to shreds. So the Buddha in the Lotus Sutra outlined his famous and simple recipe

[26:10]

for the complete enlightenment of a human being. Step one. Put an end to all heretical, false, upside-down, inverted, and dualistic views. Check out thoroughly all of the assumptions, projections, and imputations with which you decorate the blank canvas of the imagined self and the imagined other. There's a woman that I know you all have heard of from Ed Brown. I also heard about her from Ed Brown myself. Called Byron Katie. And I don't know her yet, I'd like to meet her, but I did hear about a suggestion she makes for a practice that I rather enjoy. What she suggests is that

[27:11]

when those little nasty thoughts occur about other people, instead of holding them down or back, let them out. Really let them out. Write them down. Illustrate them. Allow them their full negative potency. And then ask yourself the simple question, Is this true? Sometimes I think the little snippets of repressed negative thinking are much more dangerous than these big stories out of which they extrude. Is it true? Through this and through other methods, we may come to rid ourselves

[28:13]

of all confidence in the veracity of our own opinions. And when this stage is then complete, belief in your small self and in your no-self will have come to an end. And you will be at peace. This is the stage of nirvana. The stage of rest. Conjured by the Buddha for those worn out by the effort it takes in crossing the perilous ways of mortality and earthly cares. In the Lotus Sutra, the peace of nirvana is described as a magical city, splendidly adorned with houses, surrounded by gardens and groves, streamlets and bathing pools, massive gates and lofty towers, full of both men and women, in which all may enter without fear

[29:16]

to enjoy themselves at will. Sounds just like Tassajara, especially when you're living at Green Gulch. But now the Buddha gathers his dear disciples from their resting place and preaches to them what he calls the real law. And it begins. Now is the time to move to Green Gulch Farm to exert yourselves with the utmost zeal, perfecting boundless knowledge, power and fearlessness, and forever seeking the good and bringing benefit to all living beings. This is step two of the recipe for complete, perfect enlightenment. And this is the step that takes you all the way to Buddha. If this assignment sounds daunting, it is.

[30:23]

However, the good news, also from the Lotus Sutra, is that your simple and sincere practice here this morning is already sufficient to guarantee each of you a prediction of your future as a Buddha. How about that? And in whatever time it takes, this is the kind of time that isn't like money. It can't be earned and there's nowhere to spend it. Just this is it. And in the meanwhile, we live as if caring for our posture, our breath, our feet and our hands, and caring for one another.

[31:25]

Such wholehearted practice is the Buddha's teaching, alive and flowing freely everywhere. The no separation of means and ends. When the students are ready, the teacher appears. That would be you. Thank you very much.

[31:55]

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