The talk you're about to hear is by Zen teacher Sensei Amana Wrightson.
For teisho, today July 11, 2023, we're going to look at taking the precepts, the Bodhisattva Precepts. The ceremony is happening on Sunday late afternoon evening. And usually I spend several teishos looking at the precepts, but this year, we just have one, so it'd be quite compressed. But hopefully helpful to people who may be considering coming to Jukai for the first time, hopefully, it's something for people who've done it many times as well.
We've been reading a book by Reb Anderson, called "Being Upright: Zen Meditation of the Bodhisattva Precepts," and he says something at the beginning, which I think we can all take to heart. He says, For the Zen practitioner, the bodhisattva precepts are not a side issue. They are at the core of the process of awakening. The core of the process of awakening. Not something extra but something really fundamental.
He also says, The 16 great body said bodhisattva precepts are the gateway to authentic Zen practice. They offer a way to bring the stillness and silence of sitting into active expression in everyday affairs, a way for compassion to into all aspects of our lives. They are not the life vain of upright sitting. These precepts are intended for those who dedicate their lives to the liberation of all living beings. Shakyamuni Buddha and his successors agree that these prayers precepts are not just moral, ethical imperatives or orders that are given by someone else, and that we're supposed to follow up. Rather, they are a map of the Buddhist world and through them we can realize ourselves as Buddha
we'll be looking at the ceremony and what it refers to in the light of the statement.
Hawaii for compassion to enter all aspects of our lives. The precepts are really where we get guidance on, on how to, to, to bring Bodhidharma into our everyday lives. And compassion is really at the core of us.
Jukai is, is a kind of renewal that's something we don't necessarily only do once but many times to renew our commitment, because we're all always pulling short what our commitment aspires to really bodhisattva away and our teacher Roshi COVID Would would recommend to people that they that they take a shower or a bath before coming to Jukai and wear clean clothes. These little things just create a certain feel to the to the sermon and underline the fact that it is an act of of purification and renewal. Here at the center, the the evening will commence with zazen for for informal setting. And this is putting yourselves in the front. Seat is the opening act of this ceremony. cuz it's informal, so people can come at whatever point they wish to prior to the actual ceremony and set it to one's own rhythm. The the Zendo will be organized differently, we'll have a medicine row. So for us now then we'll be facing the Buddha. And Buddha figure itself was as a reminder of our noble virtuous nature that we are manifesting, and as much as we put these precepts into practice. Then at 530, the ceremony will start and begins with the penzion. We just just chatted a few minutes ago. And this to say a little about, about this challenge. Usually ceremonies don't start with the penzion, but with the Heart Sutra. But, perhaps because the emphasis in our precepts ceremony is on compassion, loving kindness, it makes sense to have the Kanungo the timbers can on sutra first. We say can say on praise to Buddha, all on one with Buddha, or awake to Buddha, Buddha Dharma Sangha, eternal, joyous, selfless, pure, through the day comes eon through the night penzion. This moment arises from mind, this moment itself is the lines that jump out here through the day comes on through the night comes
where we're taking the precepts in order to activate our compassion to have it permeate all aspects of our lives day and night. One way of interpreting the signs or another one equally valid is celebrating the presence of cannon all through the day or through the night always there and these two ways of seeing it are not separate
during this, this recitation we can answer just chanting people who will be be coming in and making offerings at the altar, pincher for crowded incense on the charcoal, one kind of offering and Donna for the teacher as well if one so wished this is this is the one time in a year when, when Donna is personally for the teacher for me. And these the powdered incense and the downer way of expressing gratitude for the teaching. And again, doing this we do it often I guess, in terms of donating, but to do this as a group and to do it physically, again, has more power. Doesn't have to be a huge donation. Of course, just whatever feels appropriate. It's really symbolic. of one's one's willingness to to support the teacher
like everything else, this there's the teaching requires means for it to go Go ahead koans Sangha is require input. So that they can happen
so we start with this chanting is this. If it was an emphasis on Kunal What do you suffer of compassion? She Who hears the cries of the world I could recall the two that the relationship between the word kindness and kin
become and do the ceremony with our brothers and sisters in the Dharma. And later on we'll hear at the end of Jukai where were said to be entering the Buddha's family which again we do over and over
after the heart of the Quran sutra, then the teacher enters and purifies the altar with the whisk, and then offers incense and does prostrations just as the Sangha has been doing up until this point, offering incentives and doing a one prostration.
Gain we might wonder why teach accom comes after nobody else
could imagine them, the teacher is a bit like sheep and this is images used in Christianity, the Shepherd leads from behind the sheep go first. And you can relate that to the bodhisattva who Pope postpones his own awakening to guide others first guiding others across the to the other shore.
Then have to these offerings at the altar. We do chant pressure paramita which is usually the first chanting and chanting services. And of course it's a description of Canons awakening. Some scholars say that cooking is the one speaking in the sutra. The teaching is of form and the Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. This this is an important thing teaching to bring to the presets if you can you can look at it from different angles. We'll see later. Then, the next the next happening after the president paramita which really calculates so many of the teachings about how school is in school. We recite the repentance gutter nine times when evil actions committed by me since time immemorial, stemming from greed, anger and delusion arising from body speech in mind. I now repent having committed and framing this this research recitation is we call on Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. To witness our repentance and to help us to to go beyond one point. This has said the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the past were like us, and we will in the future become Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So that we imagined these bodies start was getting around as we as we make this repentance. And we remember that they were like us and other words, deluded and different kinds of ways. And yet they became Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We say we will in the future become Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
It's it's powerful encouragement to us. We may feel we're constantly falling down in the practice. But this is this is the path that many others have tried and before us and we can draw on their great wisdom and realization
this repentance that we do is okay no way is it it's kind of clearing the decks of any any obstructions that might be there Shantideva said one losses to summarize the whole of the piano the protection of all beings is accomplished through examination of one's own mistakes. So, you see what might be in the way of, of our realizing the precepts and bring them out into the open
bring bring them out where they can be transformed by the light of day become become teachings for us be termed delusion transformed into wisdom. In the last update, I also mentioned must Sheng Yen is a staple of the precepts are protective, they protect and protect all beings because they create an atmosphere of safety, for for and they repeat, they protect ourselves as one among many those many beings, because they protect our mindstream from from becoming definable or complex complexified.
This is a little bit from the rebellious Imbolc bodhisattva has continuously confessed their non virtue because delusion occurs moment after moment. Confession must also be moment. After moment bodhisattva was continuously see and admit their own delusions and non virtuous deeds. Less enlightened people confess less often. The most unenlightened and dangerous people are those who think they never do any non virtuous deeds at all. The greatest darkness for the human mind is to believe that you never do anything wrong or hurtful stupid. Conversely, continuous confession confession of non virtue opens the gate to great light confession of wrongdoing is an act of awakening. The lady says we human beings are driven by thoughts that we take to the real, conscious and unconscious beliefs of right and wrong good and bad, and existence and non existence. In formal confession we admit that we are driven by such thoughts and at the same time we feel remorse for being driven by some by such thoughts. We admit that we are ordinary human beings without becoming discouraged and giving up our aspiration for enlightenment. When I admit that I am as I am, I allow myself to be so. And I realized that Buddha allows me to be so true. Buddha allows all beings to be just as they are, in all their particular in limited ways. Buddha's compassion embraces me, just as I am right here and now just as I am right here and now with the purity of complete forgiveness. The circumstance in which we need to accept ourselves right where we are, in order to to repent, to express our regrets. Admitting who you are, you are purified, being purified, you can now go home to awakening right away you were rewarded for your honesty, you can go back to perfect away from them. Again saying this this repentance is like clearing the decks. You forgot for a moment that you are driven by vain nd thoughts and that you move The way from your home through them forgetfulness. The further you get from being ordinary, the harder it is for you admit to admit that you are, the less that you admit who you are, the more you feel Unforgiven, and trapped and who you are. And the further you feel from the Buddhist compassion, distance from yourself is distance from Buddhist compassion. So opening ourselves up, asking the Buddhas and bodhisattvas for their help can be transformative
the end of the repentance, we say freed from pasture farmers and harmful actions. This is how we how we aim to take the 16 bodhisattva precepts
recognizing our past harmful actions and releasing them renouncing this weekend.
Then we take, we receive the 16 pieces each of them three times, we do things and in saying the three times that are important, they want to make sure that they they sink writer because the first and second times we don't we're not be fully present with what we're saying. But by the third time, we should really be fully engaged with what we're saying.
So we could probably spend whole whole picture talking just about three treasures. So again, wouldn't just be touching on some points.
The three refuges the three the three treasures, the Three Jewels are really fundamental we find them in, in all schools of Buddhism, I'm pretty sure and they pan out of these three he's gone to in a minute, the other submerge the three general version resolutions emerge from the three refuges and in the 10 precepts, from the from the general resolutions, kind of fleshing out of the the jail resolutions, but let me just read a little bit from this from the three bullets of saying about the different aspects of the three trigger triggers which we take, take refuge in. And these are called in Japanese they called eat Thai sambal is the unified three churches. Unified three churches consists of the Buddha, viral China, representing the realization of the world of emptiness, of Buddha nature, of the unconditioned, and quality, seconds the Dharma, the law of beginningless, and endless becoming, to which all phenomena has subject according to causes and conditions. And third, the harmonious fusion of the preceding two which constitutes total reality as experienced by the enlightenment. So these are the most fundamental the deepest way to understand the three treasures, realization, the laws of the universe and the harmony, harmonious fusion of these two. Then we have the manifested three treasures. The first of the manifest is sweeping through changes is the historic Shakyamuni with through his perfect enlightenment, realized in himself the truth of the Unified three treasures, Ito's Sunbow. The second is the Dharma, which comprises the spoken word is in service of Shakyamuni Buddha, wherein he elucidated the significance of the Unified three treasures and the way to its realization. The third includes the immediate disciples of the Buddha Shakyamuni. And the other followers of the day, who heard believed and may reveal in their own bodies, the E tie Sambo that he taught. So, the the manifested in three treasures or refer to historical Buddha had His teaching and His followers. And then finally, the abiding three treasures. We might not be aware of this when you think of the three treasures. But the third aspect of the three treasures is artwork, the iconography of borders, which will come down to US border figures. Paintings would even include architecture here the iconography that is expressing expression of teaching. These are treasures. Second of these is the written sermons and discourses on the border.
In other words, the sutras and the shastras on the vinyasa all of these where we can find out about the teachings of the Buddha.
And then the third part of this this abiding Three Treasures was contemporary disciples the practice and realize that saving truth of the Ito sandbar as it was first revealed to Shakyamuni Buddha. So that's us with we're part of the third, this third aspect of the three treasures. When we when we when we practice together, we're realizing the abiding Three Treasures
keep keeping this mind in mind remembering it may or may suddenly change the ways that we interact with each other.
So, moving on from these rich and layered three refuges or treasures, to the three general loosen general resolutions, which are very simple and straightforward, to do no harm to the good to liberate all living beings. We can read this as a kind of progression to do no harm is the bare minimum. But there's more which we can do, we can do good we can be of benefit. And then the ultimate is the third one to liberate all human beings. This is bodhisattva is around stated very simply
do what we can to ferry beings across to the shore of enlightenment by sharing with them this this liberating teaching Ito Samba. And we can help in as much as we realize that teaching for ourselves
finally we come to the 10 Cardinal precepts and I'll say a little bit about them in general and then just look at a couple briefly
The first five of the 10 are probably pretty much common to all schools of Buddhism. And all of the all of the 10, the first five and the second five, formulated in terms of what to avoid. The the second half of each of the presets in our rendering of them was added by Roshi Kapleau, and others to make them more positive. You think about it a negative formulations is just tells you what to not do that the more positive interpretation and each precinct was added. This wasn't the first time there were lists lists of virtues, we can just combine these two, slightly different content for the second five. But if I'm an advisory anabolism, something like 10, virtuous behaviors that lead us to.
Not to kill, not to take what is not given, to not engage in harmful sexual relations, not to lie, not to cause others to take in toxicants, not to do so oneself, not to gossip about others false praise my oneself
not to withhold spiritual material aid, not to indulge your anger, and not to revile the three treasures, but to cherish and uphold them, which of course, brings us back around to the first three. So these have this circular quality tool. So, as I said, last time not to go into each each one of these, which is probably a whole teisho in itself. But just some, some stories and some comments about a couple of them that are interrelated. Over the years, I would say that there are three of these precepts that people would tell me that they struggled with, by far the most compared with other the other presets. And they are the ones to do with kind speech, or not to gossip about the faults of others and entreprise oneself, so six and seven. And the other one that people have a really hard time with, is number nine, not to indulge in anger.
And other sort of way of interpreting these precepts as either from the conventional side, or from the the absolute side, conventional side is the side whether there we, there's reference to self and other good and bad, right and wrong. And then there's this other aspect of each of these precepts, which transcends these, we have to be careful here that the relative or the conventional side is very well understood. Before we venture into talking about the absolute because there's a danger with this, you can have a sort of statement when somebody says no mine or yours, therefore, I'm justified in taking what you hear when you precepts is to respect the property others. What's what's, what's wrong with that, of course, is that it's true that there's no there's no nothing's owned by anybody. But that's equally so the person who's stealing as it is the person is stealing from no more justification for for that Hecht. There are there other Reasons why somebody might steal but might be mitigating factors such as hunger or poverty, but still be in the conventional if you will, if one takes the property of others one sets oneself up for kinds of problems but what I want to look into a little bit as these is this is prescriptive upon kind speech and later on I'm not indulging in anger
you know, in our research for the Diamond Sutra, we learned the story about Subhuti who is the the main character in the Diamond Sutra and this relates to his life before he joined the Sangha.
As a child so booty was so attractive and intelligent that his parents had high hopes for him, and took great care in his upbringing. But as he grew, older people came to dislike him. Even neighbors, who had formerly been friendly, would frown at the very sight of him. This was due to his habit of speaking ill of everyone he encountered. After a while, his anger was directed not only at human beings, but other creatures as well. He even hurl stones and curses at birds in the sky. His parents and relatives could do nothing to control is raging. After a series of quarrels with his mother, father, one day, reprimanded this caused Subhuti to run away from home, he dashed into the nearby mountains refuse to return. But the quiet of the forest and mountains do not calm his anger, stamping on the ground and throwing stones at birds, he moved deeper and deeper into the woods. Suddenly, he was surprised by the abrupt, abrupt appearance of an old man who asked gently, why have you come alone into this forest? So booty retorted briskly, everyone makes a fool of me. Today my father scolded me and made me so angry that I ran away from home. But this the old men remain quiet calm in 10 just said, being angry without doing God's will only increase your suffering, it cannot benefit you in any way. And then he told us a booty about the Buddha who was teaching quite nearby. And his kind, gentle words, were not were enough for somebody to be able to recognize that he was pretty fed up with this vicious cycle he had got himself into being shunned by others because of his anger, and then taking their attitude as, as a cause for his further rotation. So he decided he'd take the old old man's vise, CAD advice and go and seek out the Buddha. Which he did. And when the when the moment was right, he approached the border, and asked him if he could join the Sangha. And Shakyamuni took one look at him and said, a short taper is clearly written on your face. There is no room for irritability in the discipline of amongst life, you must have patience and forbearance appearance, do you think you can develop these traits? And Subhuti didn't say anything.
Buddha continued, if you are constantly angry without trying to alter your mental attitude, evil will increase day by day. And so finally, the very deeds of goodness will disappear. In a reasonable man's anger makes him suffer the torments of hell, since he is constantly poisoned his own mind with venom that leads to fault finding and killing. He shuts himself up in his own suffering, until ultimately he is unable to find a way out of it. And it really was some sense of severity was on his way, at least, to painting himself into this kind of corner.
It's an example here of how the precepts can be In particular, they can be like, flags tell us when we were hitting the wrong direction hitting directions Aloni causes more suffering. And, of course, the booty became the, the discipled foremost and in understanding of emptiness, which was showing the being a great antidote to his, to his bad temper
as little bit more about, about anger and hatred, teaching in the Mahayana tradition is that, that
anger is, is particularly stemming stemming from the, the poison of hatred is is particularly dangerous.
Got the page number, I'll see if I can find it. There's another sutra when that when that were launched, this is expressed very aptly, something I had not come across before. But it's very, it seems a very important thing for us to remember.
Here we are. Teaching of Mahayana Buddhism, the teaching of Zen is teaching with love, not hate.
Inappropriate anger is completely antithetical to the way of the bodhisattva it can be the source of violating all the other precepts. When we are angry, we might even think of killing those who are most precious to us. When we're angry, we might think of stealing something we don't really want just to hurt somebody. We might lie even when it brings no personal gain person, when we are angry, we can become angry and goodness itself. And he, he tells the story of from a Maha Ratna Kuta sutra, in which a monk called Polly asked the Buddha world on the one suppose the bodhisattva breaks the precepts out of desire, another does so out of hatred, and still another does so out of ignorance will not have one, which of the three offenses is the most serious, and the bottom replied properly. If the bodhisattva continues to break precepts, out of desire for CalPERS as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, his offense is still minor. If a bodhisattva breaks precepts out of hatred, even just once, his offense is very serious. Why? Because a bodhisattva who breaks precepts out of desire still holds sentient beings in His embrace, whereas a bodhisattva who breaks precepts out of hatred, for sake sentient beings altogether, or clearly, a body section should not be afraid of the passions which can keep him home safe, which can help them hold sentient beings in His embrace, but he should fear the passions which can cause him to forsake sentient beings sentient beings. This is something we can we can remember when we when we find ourselves irritated.
To not reject any being, to you to develop, feel forbearance and patience in relation to things we find annoying to tolerate small things small transgressions we could say. And to cut off anger as quickly as we can
time is nearly up. Just
finish up here the ceremony after the third time through all the precepts.
Teacher says, We are all now members of the Buddhist family. And then we'll bow together. That bow is a physical way of expressing kinship, being all members of one family and Aiko that follows starts homage to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas homage to the living Sangha and the 10 directions, so forth. March that embody our Dharma and Sangha. We here with agains had taken back circling back to the beginning when we invoked this borders and body surface to help us overcome to farmers shortcomings. Now, we were paying homage to them, celebrating bowing down to them, grateful for his Buddhas and bodhisattvas ancestors for having transmitted the print presets to us. And then last, but not least, we in with the Four Vows, how actual bodhisattva vows commitment or intention, perhaps not perfect commitment or perfect realization, but sincere wish to realize the the bodhisattva vow in our lives to awaken for the sake of all water to help other store we
will stop here and resign Four Vows
all the things without number two endless slime passion for it, again is beyond measure. I love to
go to rotate. Oh beans love to liberate endless slime passion. To love Tula bridge Dharma gays Fion mentor to penetrate the right way or Buddha. I love to say oh baby number two liberate Atlas my passions lie terminates beyond measure, I vow to penetrate the gray gray to return.
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