Talk Notes:
It's very nice to be back. I spent July into August with a mix of downtime at our little place on Samish Island, a solo backpack in the Glacier Peak wilderness, kayak camping in the San Juans, and a river trip in Idaho. Mostly it's just so helpful to have periods where I'm a lot less obligated to go to this or that meeting or event even the wonderful events here at Red Cedar.
I started this practice a decade or so ago when I was pretty desparate for some unstructured time - I was sooo sooo sooo busy, it's one of those where you think back to yourself and wonderful how on earth you did all of that and stayed even remotely sane and healthy. Mostly wonderful stuff to be involved in but so much of it.
These days life is a little more easeful. And the couple of times I did come here in person or Zoomed in for a meeting I noticed a kind of "this isn't bad, do I really need my sabbatical?" But I know that thought very well and was able to answer myself, "yes I do and if you want to do a few work things during that time it's okay but watch yourself eh?"
I'm also always grateful to see that I'm not essential around here. That's an egoistic thought we can easily believe in isn't it? I'm essential and if I'm ever not there it's all going to fall apart. Whether that comes up in a relationship, a work group, a project you're involved in. It's good to have experiences where we see again that that delusion is not true. In fact so-and-so or the group I think that's so dependent on me might benefit a bit from my absence anyway!
Do you know what I mean? Are there areas of your life that feel that way. That it all depends on you? I wonder if it really does. Or of course it's never a simple yes-or-no answer in reality is it? Life is complicated.
At one point, years ago, someone asked me: so would you ever stop being a part of Red Cedar? And I really thought about it. What came up was, "well it's not healthy if I feel stuck here, like a life sentence I received, and this is a wonderful and amazing thing which appears to be at the core of my life's work so yeah, I'll be here for a long time." But that phrase "it's not a life sentence" really stuck with me and changed my attitude for the better. There's something important about making a deep commitment to something. And there can also be an unhealthy overtone - a subtle but powerful kind of clinging - that we bring to that commitment. Can we learn to fully commitment without adding those toxic sprinkles?
I got to share that "well, it's not a life sentence" line with a few people recently and it seems like it really rang a bell.
Anyway while I was away I know much happened in each of our lives and at the meetings here various things happen. I know Hannah and Kanho continues their explorations of the fabulous Platform Sutra and how it's reflected in Dōgen's teachings. And I appreciate the Desiree stepped up to both offer a few half-day sits and some teachings on what Thich Nhat Hanh calls the The Dharma Seals and the Three Doors of Liberation. Good stuff. And a good and important process to put yourself out there and try to say something about the teachings.
Norman never gave me a lot of praise or criticism but I do remember that one of the first times we came late to the summer sesshin on Samish Island and asked me to give the first talk, he asked me if it could be recorded on a device so he could listen when he arrived. He did and in his talk the next day I remember him saying, "I appreciate what Tim said in yesterday's talk, but even more I appreciate that he said anything at all." So that's my feeling at the moment: I haven't made the time just yet to listen to the talks so I can't say anything yet about the content but I can for sure and with deep gratitude say how much I appreciate the willingness to be up here on the hot seat and say something. Whatever we say will never be perfectly clear or brilliant or completely organized but it'll be absolutely and expression of the Dharma of that moment in time: each person bringing their years of practice and meeting this particular moment of all of us together. We may have planned what we're going to say, sure, but even still the actual experience of giving the talk is co-created in this moment by all of us.
So thank you for helping me create this moment together with you.
And not to reinforce my reputation for overly long introductions and digressions, I do have a topic. I want to step back into my ongoing project to give talks on each of the texts in the Sutra Book. In early June we looked at the Merging of Difference and Unity by Master Shitou. There were also talks a little earlier by Kanho Chris on another Zen poem in our book: Master Dongshan's Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi.
Anyway after the Merging of Difference we find the Metta Sutta - the Sutra on Loving Kindness - and he find two versions of it in our books.
This is a very early Buddhist text - found in the Pali Cannon collection in a book called the Kuddhaka Nikkaya - it's the last book in a set of 5 huge volumes written in the Pali language of South India which ended up being the kind of official language of early Buddhism - kind of like Church Latin for the Catholics. Later Indian Buddhism was recorded in Sanskrit and also in the local languages of the many cultures Buddhism spread out to. The section of the this sutras book it's in is called the Khuddakapāṭha meaning "short passages" - a collection of short verses that were probably memorized by all Buddhist novices in those early schools. These texts don't have the usual "Thus have I heard..." opening where the story of where the Buddha was and who was there is recounted. They just start right in.
So this is stuff to memorize and bring into our hearts so it's great we have it here for chanting. We mostly chant these at the noon service during retreats so I hope you'll come to some of the Fall Practice Period retreats to experience this.
It is historically weird for a Zen sangha to chant this text. The Japanese Zen monks and nuns didn't have access to the Pali Canon until recently although there are translations of all of it in Chinese which they may have had access to. But it's not material that Zen has traditionally focussed on, then or now. I have the official Sōtō Zen liturgy books from Japan and the Metta Sutta is not in there.
It's a Zen in the West addition. Kind of like making use of compassion training slogans from the Tibetan's our teachers in the West felt like Zen's strong emphasis on wisdom and it's spare and uncompromising style might make it hard for people to see the heart, the love, and the compassion that's in our way. It's not made very explicit. Like in the hundreds of Zen koan stories every single one has some kind of insightful pointing towards the deep wisdom teachings but just a handful mention compassion.
So we find ourselves with the incredible luxury of having access to all of the Buddhisms and while we want to stay true to the depth and clarify and continuity of the Zen way it's wise to add a few things I think. To show the softness, the kindness, the love and compassion that's in our way too.
So we have a text here that encourages us to practice loving-kindness towards all beings. Doesn't get any more explicit than that.
Let's dive in to the first version labeled "Metta Sutta" on page __ - I'll say more next week about why we have two different versions.
Metta sutta line 1
This is what should be accomplished by the one who is wise, who seeks the good, and has obtained peace.
First we set the stage. The following describes the life, the project, the work, of those who are wise, seek the good and life in peace. So it's a teaching in a way but it's also a description. Here's what the life of such a person looks like.
I found another translation of this line I find more helpful:
Ven h. saddhatissa
He who is skilled in welfare, who wishes to attain the calm state [ Nibbana ], should act thus:
In this one there is some skillfulness but it's more future tense. If you wish to be a wise, good person who knows peace this will tell you how to practice. That's from a monk I'm not familiar with.
Another version of this by a well known and reliable translator named Thanissaro Bhikkhu who puts it this way:
Thanissaro
This is to be done by one skilled in aims who wants to break through to the state of peace:
Skilled in aim. Know whether you want to be going.
Then we first have a summary of such a person's qualities:
Metta sutta line 2
Let one be strenuous, upright, and sincere, without pride, easily contented, and joyous.
Strenous is interesting.
The teaching doesn't lead with just relax and be happy.
Do you remember the a cappella singer Bobby McFerrin who had that great hit. It was the first top
Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry Be happy In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double Don't worry Be happy, don't worry, be happy now
[Chorus] Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy
That was the first song to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks in 1988 I learned. Boy I am concerned that people 60 and and over are going to give cultural examples that make half of the room scratch their heads but hey, a little history of American culture in the '70's and '80's isn't the worst thing I guess.
Anyway that's a great attitude to hold to. I also learned that Bobby McFerrin was probably quoting a spiritual teacher Meher Baba who used to say "Don't worry, be happy, and I will help you" .
But the teaching before us says be strenuous too. Be willing to do the work.
Be upright. Be moral, be clear.
Drop the pride - be humble as my teacher was always telling us. The wise don't know everything. The wise are wise enough to know the limits to their understanding.
And they yes, easily contented and joyous.
Here's the rest of the song - it's just a few verses with lots of him playing around with his wonderful voice.
[Verse 2] Ain't got no place to lay your head Somebody came and took your bed Don't worry Be happy
The landlord say your rent is late He may have to litigate But don't worry Be happy, look at me, I'm happy
[Chorus] Don't worry, be happy (Hey, I'll give you my phone number, when you worry, call me, I'll make you happy) Don't worry, be happy
[Verse 3] Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style Ain't got no gal to make you smile But don't worry Be happy
'Cause when you worry, your face will frown And that will bring everybody down So don't worry Be happy, don't worry, be happy now
After telling us what to do in general, the text says what not to do. Most Buddhist teachings express things in the negative - it's just the style of them.
Metta sutta
Let one not be submerged by the things of the world.
Let one not take upon oneself the burden of riches.
Let one's senses be controlled.
Let one be wise but not puffed up and let one not desire great possessions even for one's family.
Let one do nothing that is mean or that the wise would reprove.
This section is interesting because it sounds so contemporary and about our everyday lives doesn't it? Don't lost in the things of the world including in the capitalist economy. And yet this text was almost certainly delivered to monks and nuns.
There is a story from the early commentaries on these Pali teachings that says the Buddha gave this teaching to a group of monks who's just moved into a new forest to meditate. And started having weird dreams and feeling weird in their meditations and having horrific visions of corpses scattered around and icky stuff like that. So they went to the Buddha to tell him about this and he said, "oh the spirits of that forest are suffering, I will give you a teaching that will help them." And he recited the Metta Sutta for the monks to memorize so they could chant it as they walked back into the forest.
And sure enough the spirits were appeased and all was well from then for the monks in their practice.
If you've been to the Samish Summer sesshin you saw that we do the same thing to honor the spirits of the Samish people there. We do a special outdoor service and chant the Metta Sutta.
Anyway that story doesn't seem to fit the lines about not being submerged by the world on burdened by riches.
The next line sounds more monastic: "Let one's senses be controlled."
This was a huge theme in early Buddhism. The senses and sensual pleasures are often presented as dangers. And they certainly can be. As distractions. As the roots of addictions of all kinds too. But there's sometimes something very locked down in the early teachings that can feel very challenging. It can sound like "don't enjoy life" - the encouragement, though, is to have a very quiet life or practice. To let the enjoyments be quiet ones. A flower. The sky. The breath. Not to get lost in the wilder and higher volume kinds of pleasures.
Later Buddhisms felt like the sense pleasures actually can practiced with as powerful energies that can help us transform too. But this line "let one's senses be controlled" is very early Buddhism and worth experimenting with. One practice of the monks and nuns which we tried out at Samish is the practice of holding a lowered gaze as you walk around. Just turn down the visual excitement. We practice that formally here during kinhin. Don't look around, let the visual quiet down, just gaze softly towards the floor and the person ahead of you. Give your mind less material to chew on and turn into the various dramas we can create inside our heads.
The next bit feels like two different ideas glommed together with an "and"
"Let one be wise but not puffed up and let one not desire great possessions even for one's family."
Not puffed up - another way of saying to be humble I guess. And then back to the themes around the riches and things of the world: don't desire great possessions even for one's family.
Of course desire will arise. There are so many forces around us and in us to encourage to emergence of desire for a new this or an updated that. Our practice is to recognize desire as desire and not let it run us so much. To take a breath before you hit the "BUY" link. These are perilous times for us in that way. Previous generations had to go to stores or call someone to make a "mail order" - and then you had to wait for weeks, really and truly, before the stuff came. It's way too easy now to buy something and get it FAST. Don't desire great possessions even for one's family.
And the last line in this section:
"Let one do nothing that is mean or that the wise would reprove."
This is precepts practice, right? Don't be a jerk. I love the second half. Ponder not just if you think this is an okay thing to do but consider if a wise person you trust would agree with you. If in your mind you find yourself imagining you just wouldn't want to tell so and so that you said or did such and such, then probably it was, in fact, a mean thing to do. So let's ponder if the wise would approve or reprove choices we make.
Then we at last reach the kind of core of this text. The practice of loving-kindess. Of metta. Of deep and powerful well-wishing.
Metta sutta
May all beings be happy.
May they be joyous and live in safety, all living beings, whether weak or strong, in high or middle or low realms of existence.
Small or great, visible or invisible, Near or far, born or to be born,
may all beings be happy.
May all beings be happy. This is the encouragement to deeply practice this wish, this offering. May you be happy. May you be well.
A few other translations for "may all beings be happy"
- May all beings be at ease
- May all beings be happy in themselves
- May beings all live happily and safe and may their hearts rejoice within themselves.
- May all beings be happy and secure, may their hearts be wholesome!
The Pali line is something like "Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā"
The word sabbe means "all," sattā means "beings," bhavantu means "may they be" and sukhitattā relates to being happy or having a happy mind/heart.
If "happy" sounds a little light, you could also translate sukkha as a kind of grounded joyfulness. There's a different Pali word, piti, that means that kind of bright and excited happiness - the "yipee!!" kind.
Or one traditional commentary says "piti" is the delight of getting something desirable, while "sukha" is the actual savoring of it once you have it. So the happy in "may all beings be happy" is the savoring kind. Knowing that we already have what we deeply need and really feeling that, really savoring it.
And the core idea here is we offer this unconditionally. To all beings. Not just the ones we like. Not just the ones we think deserve it. All beings without exception.
We got halfway through the text, let's do some triads around this. The usual form groups of 3, one person speaking the others deeply listening. The topic I want to suggest is "what supports you in offering love to others; what gets in the way?"
