Sunday, August 9, 1970
San Francisco
Suzuki (speaking formally):1 —Paul Discoe and [1 word unclear] Reb
Anderson, who have come here to be ordained as disciples of the Buddha. Listen
calmly and attentively.
Due to surpassing affinities, this ordination ceremony becomes possible. As
Buddha's disciples, you have acquired the opportunity to receive the teaching
transmitted from Shakyamuni Buddha through the patriarchs to me and to manifest
the Buddha's way forever.
Even the buddhas and patriarchs cannot help but admire you who are earnestly
seeking the Buddha's path in this world. With sincere belief in his dharma and
practicing his way with so true consternation [?] for all sentient beings.
It is rare indeed to receive a human body in this cosmic world. However, since
we cannot avoid the reality of birth and death, we must deeply and gratefully
appreciate how meaningful and marvelous this present existence is. There indeed
is the opportunity to listen to the dharma, and the appearance of Buddha in
this world is our great joy.
Embracing Buddha's teaching, we sincerely accept the buddhas as our parents.
And moment after moment we endeavor to live the life of enlightenment which
transcends greed, anger, and self-delusion. Thus, Paul and Reb, reflect on the
circumstances that have made this ceremony possible and consider deeply the
innumerable blessings of your family and friends.
The great deliverance bestowed upon you by your father is higher than a
mountain. And your mother's love is deeper than the ocean. It is my sincerest
wish that you return at least a small part of this parental kindness, and with
your whole life express your gratitude to all those who have cared so much for
you.
[After 50 seconds, the recorder was stopped for an unknown interval.]
The last hair is called shura. Only Buddha is able to cut it off. Now I
will shave it off. Do you allow me to do this?
Paul: Yes I will.
[Wood clappers (kaishaku) are struck twice.]
Suzuki (chanting):
Shaving your head and again shaving your head, you are now in the path of the
Buddha with immovable mind of great determination, having made a vow to save
all sentient beings from their suffering.
Shaving your head and again shaving your head, you are now in the path of the
Buddha with immovable mind of great determination, having made a vow to save
all sentient beings from their suffering.
Shaving your head and again shaving your head, you are now in the path of the
Buddha and immovable mind of great determination, having made a vow to save all
sentient beings from their suffering—having made a vow to save all sentient
beings from their suffering.
Suzuki (speaking formally):
Nyoho2 [?] Paul Discoe, your Buddhist name will be Daiho
Zengyu. And your friends will call you by the name of Zengyu. August Ninth,
Nineteen-Seventy.
Nyoho Reb Anderson, your Buddhist name will be Tenshin Zenki.
And your friends will call you by the name of Tenshin. August Ninth, Nineteen-Seventy.
[After 35 seconds, recorder was stopped for an unknown interval.]
Suzuki (speaking formally): Do you want to receive Buddha's precepts? You
should make confession. There are two meanings in confession, but there is a
way for confession transmitted from the Buddha through the patriarchs to us.
Recite after my words.
Suzuki (chanting): All the karma ever created by me—
[Clappers3]—
Ordinands (chanting): —since of old, on account of greed, anger, and
self-delusion, which have no beginning, born of my body, speech, and thought, I
now make whole open confession of it. [Clappers]
All the karma ever created by me since of old, on account of greed, anger, and
self-delusion, which have no beginning, born of my body, speech, and thought, I
now make whole open confession of it. [Clappers]
All the karma ever created by me since of old, on account of greed, anger, and
self-delusion, which have no beginning, born of my body, speech, and thought, I
now make whole open confession of it.
[After seven seconds, recorder was stopped for an unknown interval.]
Suzuki (speaking formally): Now we should receive the Triple Treasures.
[Clappers]
Suzuki (chanting): I take refuge in the Buddha.
All in room (chanting): I take refuge in the Buddha.
Suzuki (chanting): I take refuge in the dharma. [Clappers]
All in room (chanting): I take refuge in the dharma.
Suzuki (chanting): I take refuge in the sangha. [Clappers]
All in room (chanting): I take refuge in the sangha.
Suzuki (chanting): I take refuge in the dharma. [Clappers]
All in room (chanting): I take—
[Recorder was stopped for an unknown interval.]
Suzuki (speaking formally): In the Buddha realms, in all directions, the earth
trembles and flowers fall. What is the meaning of such an extraordinary sight?
Buddha says in this world of [2-3 words], for us who want to receive the
precepts, having received through a discourse on bodhisattva's precepts,
revered by their teacher who had previously received them from his teachers,
are allowed to receive the Buddha's precepts, and now they are sure to be
buddha. Therefore, the universe manifests such a joyous omen. From hearing
this, the bodhisattvas bow to them and said, if so, we have now accepted the
precepts and by keeping them with the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha, the great
teacher and sage.
Our study and practice are accompanied by innumerable bodhisattvas. This is due
to the perennial and diamond-like element of the bodhisattva's precepts. Due to
ripening of this great opportunity, their bodies are resting in the dharma
world. And all the world are involved in those bodhisattva precepts.
In the realm of the great observance of bodhisattva precepts, who are
practicing the precepts for whom [?] as the great precepts practice—to whom it
many [?] are going, the observance of the pure bodhisattva precepts, there is
no subjectivity or objectivity and no merit even in pure practice. Thus, our
practice continues forever. We should preserve the good fruit of those true
merits of bodhisattva precepts and mutually share the true buddha way with all
sentient beings.
Here we have Zengyu and Tenshin, and bodhisattva's precepts have been
transmitted to them, and they have joined our order of Buddha. It is our
heartfelt desire that they will be mindful of those precepts and manifest the
precepts in their everyday lives.
[Brief conversation off-mike.] [Clappers]
Suzuki begins to chant in Japanese:
Sesshi kai ziki—
[Recorder stopped for unknown interval.]
Suzuki (speaking informally):
I am so grateful to have [name unclear] Sensei and Nishima [?]-sensei for the
ordination of Zengyu-san and Tenshin-san. And, I'm so happy with all of your
friends to have this ordination ceremony.
I want to say just thank you for our teachers and your friends, who make this
occasion possible for us. It is, of course, not only our effort but also
especially of the patriarchs and originated from Buddha's enlightenment.
If one attains enlightenment, all the sentient beings will be enlightened.
There is this kind of truth which is difficult to accept, but that is very
true. And to have a disciple who will attain enlightenment is the most
important thing for our society. Your parents raised you so that you can
contribute some good elements for our society. First of all, we all should be
very grateful for Zengyu-san's parents and for Tenshin-san's parents, who
raised you with this spirit.
Everyone has the spirit to save others. That spirit is always inside with us.
Our true mind is always the spirit-mind to save all sentient beings. In your
happiness, or in your adversity, or even in critical moments of each one of us,
the mind which comes out always, in such a moment, is the mind who wants to
contribute something to our human work. This is the mind Buddha found in its
true sense. After leaving various things behind him, he found out this truth.
He found out true mind, which is a spirit to save all sentient beings, and
became Buddha.
On this point, if you think about the true spirit of saving others, which is bodhisattva-mind
and which is buddha-mind too, we will realize how important it is to have
someone who will be a good example to human beings, and who has the true spirit
of saving others even before saving themselves. When we think and reach this
point, we cannot help extolling this ceremony of ordination, which means to
join our order, to save all sentient beings.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for Buddha, for our teachers, for your
parents, and all of you, and all sentient beings in the world.
Thank you very much.
_______________
1 Opening words are missing on tape.
2 Presuming nyohō is correct, it means "to act in
conformity with the regulations prescribed by the Buddhas and patriarchs"
(Y. Yukoi, The Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary. Tōkyō: Sankibō,
1991, p. 510).
3 Clappers struck 1 time unless otherwise indicated.
Source: City Center original tape. Transcribed by Katharine Shields 6/6/00.
Checked against tape by Bill Redican 6/29/00. Lightly edited for readability by
Wendy Pirsig and Peter Ford (3/2021).
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