Dogen’s Four Embracing Actions (Excerpt from a talk by Hozan Roshi, July 2016)

I’m going to talk about how we cultivate and manifest Bodhisattva nature in our practice here in this wonderful room, and in our practice in the world, which are not two things. The context is with such alarming public discourse, based on fear, on separation of one group from another, but my question is not about Republican or Democrat or politics as such. It’s about how you and I can carry our practice, the composure, effort, and patience of zazen from this room into the world. How can we cultivate our ability to plant seeds of peace to replace seeds of violence, greed, and delusion that we actually all have within us, to transform them?

This is an important teaching, one of the most accessible teachings by our ancestor Dogen from his Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. The first is generosity or giving. The second is loving or kind speech. The third is beneficial action. And the fourth is identity action. These are the ways a Bodhisattva goes forth in the world, ways one can operate, the natural functioning of an awakened Bodhisattva. They are also ways we can cultivate our Bodhisattva nature, develop that nature to give birth to the Bodhisattva within us by living in these ways, returning to these practices, particularly when things are hard or things are going wrong.

Dogen starts by talking about generosity, or Dana: “Giving means not to be greedy, and not to be greedy means not to covet. Even if we rule the four continents, in order to teach, to offer the teachings of the true way, we must simply and unfailingly not be greedy.” He says it’s like offering treasures we are about to discard to those we do not know. “We give flowers blooming on the distant mountains to the Tathagata, and we offer treasures accumulated in past lives to living beings.” In his time, to give flowers blooming in the distant mountains was to give the Buddhists something they already had; flowers just bloomed. In our time, we have to make an effort to sustain those flowers because what we are doing on our mountains is stripping them for timber, strip mining them for coal, developing them for housing projects. There’s no room for the flowers to bloom in many places. For us to give flowers on the distant mountain to the Tathagata, to the Buddha, calls for a serious effort or intention, and that’s in the spirit of giving. Dogen writes that we offer ourselves to ourselves, and we offer others to others. That’s to me the turning line. We offer ourselves to ourselves. In other words, we allow ourselves to be as we are, to be as our true selves, not necessarily as our narrow selves or small selves, but to be as free and open as we can, to hold this posture when we offer ourselves to ourselves. That’s what we’re doing when we’re sitting zazen.

The second of these embracing actions is loving speech, which he says means to arouse compassionate mind when meeting with living beings. It means don’t immediately stake out your position to challenge or oppose, but actually listen. He says, in general, we should not use any violent or harmful words, which leaves a little opening for when sometimes there might be a need for strong speech, not necessarily harmful, but strong speech. When your child is about to step off the curb into traffic, you have to speak strongly. You may have to do things, to exercise that strength to help people, but in general, not. And then he says speak with a mind that compassionately cares for living beings as if they were our own children. That’s loving or kind speech. The third principle is beneficial action, which means creating skillful means to benefit living beings, whether they are noble or humble. Dogen says we should benefit friends and foes, self and others alike we are all one being. How we treat our friends should not be different from how we treat those we are in opposition to. We may use different language, a different approach, but we have to recognize there’s a fundamental human connection that we have. We are all expressions of this big mind, and this is the way we treat ourselves. When I’m sitting in zazen, there are pleasant and unpleasant thoughts, critical and affirming thoughts that arise in my mind. The practice is to meet them all respectfully and let them walk away. If we push them away, if we react to them, they will hang around and push back. This dynamic of contention is what we feed by our reactivity, so we should benefit friends and foes, self and others alike. Then, Dogen says, because beneficial actions never regress, if we attain this mind, we can perform beneficial actions even for grass, trees, wind, and water. This is the wide vision of Dogen, of Chinese and Japanese Zen. It’s all alive. Everything’s alive, and so it’s not just about me, not just about my family; it’s about the entire world that we inhabit. The fourth point is identity action, sometimes translated as cooperation, sameness, identity meaning being—not like identity politics. It’s being in identity with all that you encounter, meaning we’re all part of one large identity, not to be different from self or others. Do I have an integral sense of myself where I include, as Suzuki Roshi often said, everything as part of myself rather than separating off this and this and this, compartmentalizing it, trying to push this in the basement, sticking this one up in the attic, putting this one forward so people can see it. It’s to not be different from all that one is, to recognize this fundamental oneness of being. He says the ocean does not refuse water; therefore, it is able to achieve vastness. It just takes all the water, as much water as you want to give, and it’ll be as big as it needs to be. The mountains do not refuse earth; therefore, they are able to become tall.

“And wise rulers are not weary of people; therefore they form a large nation. Wise rulers do not weary of their people. That does not mean they fail to offer rewards and punishments, but they never tire of their people. Although people desire to form a nation and have wise rulers, few fully understand why a wise ruler is wise. They are simply glad to be embraced by the wise ruler, but they don’t realize they are embracing a wise ruler.” Thus, the principle of identity action exists both in the wise ruler and the people. A society exists on the basis of our willingness to go along with it. That means sometimes we go along because we’re privileged by it, sometimes because there’s a gun held to our heads, or sometimes for what we perceive to be our children’s sake. But it’s always about society existing on the basis of cooperation.

When that cooperation is withdrawn, societies change; this is how things change. In China’s history, there would be a conflation of natural disasters, probably going on all the time, but people would notice and say, oh, it’s time for us to withdraw our support for this ruler because he’s not wise anymore; we need to find a new one. It’s about this dynamic; the only way a ruler can continue is with either the willing or the coerced cooperation of the people. Identity action means sameness, and this is what Dogen says here: the principle of identity action exists both in the wise ruler and the people. Can I meet people whose views seem diametrically opposed to mine, listen to them, and create an atmosphere where I can present mine? This is highly idealistic, but it’s the best thing that I know how to do. And it’s what I’m working with, basically, when I sit zazen. Can I meet the parts of myself that are deeply troubling to me and just accept them as part of the whole catastrophe? As I develop the capacity to do that, then my ability to include others becomes broader; then, one is bringing forth one’s Bodhisattva nature. And that’s what I wish for each of us. And that’s what I think, at the deepest level, our practice is about.

Our practice period, in the springtime when the circle of life turns in renewal, is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the practice of living an enlightened life, to renew our beginner’s mind. Practice period includes sitting, walking, chanting, cooking, serving, eating, working, resting—all of this is enlightened activity, woven into whole cloth by zazen.

BZC members have jobs, families, and responsibilities outside the gate. Our practice is as much in our homes and in the world as in the zendo. This is our ongoing Dharma experiment—dedicated lay practice, sitting with everything. During practice period we do have recommended requirements, but within these requirements each person creates his/her/their own schedule. Some will be able to do only the minimum; others who are able can extend themselves further.

Each of us must be realistic about our capacity. The important thing—during practice period and throughout the year—is to clarify and set a practice intention, then do our best to keep to that intention. You don’t have to break your bones to do practice period. But don’t be slack with yourself either. With Right Effort our practice edge comes into view. What is the Middle Way? Whatever commitment and schedule one arrives at, we are all practicing together intimately.

Not everyone in the sangha has the time and energy to participate in practice period. That is completely understandable, and everyone is welcome to come to the zendo when they can. The PP class is open to all, and sesshins will be open to non-PP participants as space allows. All of us are supporting and being supported by the practice period— peaceful abiding. These weeks together can extend throughout the year. As Dogen says, “Practice period goes beyond this.” (from the May‒June 2023 Newsletter)

Welcome to 2023 and the turning of the season, the return of light. What will come our way this year is unknown. The pandemic still wanders at will; its course is uncertain and compels us to stay flexible in so many of our activities.
The last three years—marked by the pandemic and by Sojun Roshi’s illness and death—have spurred us to let go of customary patterns and plans, to adapt, to bow to grief and loss, even as we move forward.The Berkeley Zen Center sangha seems to be adept at making these changes. I think this is the deepest legacy of our late teacher: in the spirit of zazen simply to be a true community, a beloved community; to remain flexible and capable of an appropriate response as conditions continually change.
I am now about two years on as BZC’s second abbot. While I had a very long apprenticeship as tanto and vice-abbot, nothing I had previously encountered prepared me for the changes we have had to reckon with. I want to emphasize that I have never felt alone or overburdened by the zigs and zags of the Covid years. Senior students, residents, and long-time practitioners carry so much of the day-to day responsibilities of our temple life. I am deeply grateful to all. As for Sojun, he spent fifty years preparing us to meet uncertainty, even to welcome it. He showed us how to lean into zazen practice and cultivate ordinary mind.
Over the last years, I feel I’ve been mainly trying to support the practice and community. Not everyone agrees about what this should look liked. Should our Covid protocols be looser or tighter? Should we return to our prepandemic schedule more quickly? Are we at risk of losing the practice legacy carefully crafted by Sojun over many years? As a community, how should we be responding to a societal call for a deeper commitment to equity and inclusion? There are other questions.
My response to such issues has been to listen deeply and hear the inner voices of Sojun and our ancestors. To be patient and nonreactive, to try and see the other side of things. When possible, to take the time to build consensus for major decisions. Honoring these principles, much of my energy has necessarily been focused on administration and organizational process. In the coming year I plan to get help sharing these tasks. I’ll say more about this early in the year.
If I can share some of the administrative responsibilities, I’ll have more time as abbot to focus on the dharma. I’d like to do more teaching and studying with people. This would include classes, informal teas, ongoing study groups, etc. Starting in January I will expand my dokusan hours online and in-person. It is important for us to train and refresh the Soto Zen forms, which include basic zendo activity and comportment, the proper way to do various service positions, how to chant, how to bow, and so on.
The practice we have inherited is always a work-in-progress. Many of us have seen small shifts over the years. Like Sojun, I prefer to make changes slowly, honoring what our ancestors carefully carried here from China and Japan. Then the pandemic drove us out of the zendo we love and into the unexpected and challenging land of Zoom. Now, as the pandemic’s effects are more diffuse, we have had to create a “hybrid” practice—in-person and online—which is very challenging.
What next? We don’t know, but we do know how to practice together. On that ground, which is the meeting place of faith and action, I believe we will step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole.
—Hozan

Ryushin Andrea Thach, Ellen Webb, and Ron Nestor will be offering an ongoing koan study group beginning Wednesday, February 1. We’ll meet once a month on the first Wed­nesday evening from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. We’ll be using The Book of Serenity translated by Thomas Cleary, as well as commentary on each case by Yamada Koan Roshi, a contemporary Zen teacher.

The Book of Serenity is the koan collec­tion most closely associated with the spirit of our Soto lineage. We have found these koans both compel­ling and difficult in their variety of tone, emphasis, and interpretation. The stories in them are based on actual Zen practi­tioners and teachers who mostly existed in the Tang dynasty (roughly 600‒900 A.D.). The Book of Serenity was created in the twelfth century by Hongzhi, who chose the koans to include and created a verse to accompany each one. Wansong provides commentary alongside the koans. His comments run the gamut from critical to humorous, and often seem quite modern. All the koans deal with nonduality in some way, but the devil is in the nuances and the details.

We’re aiming for something between a class and a dharma group. There will be no fee. We’re hoping that participants continue to show up because of their interest. We will start out on Zoom. An announcement and link will be available in the week before the first session, as well as an earlier reminder.

If you would like more information, please contact Ellen Webb (elweb@sbcglobal.net).