Hiding a crooked intention (or, Godzilla vs. Dogen!)

Zachary Smith at San Francisco Zen Center, November 14, 2007 Download from SFZC's Shuso blog (donate)

“Even if you might ignore it in order to hide a crooked intention . . . this ignoring would also be continuous practice” • telling the fox that you can’t hide from the law of cause and effect • What happens when you try to ignore the cause of law and effect? Godzilla! • the modernist approach: only human artifice is required to relieve us from our suffering . . . and deliver us from the law of cause and effect • Then . . . something unexpected is awakened, and the first thing he does is eat something beautiful and modern • At the end, “Aaah, Godzilla: our teacher” • Coming to Zen Center for really good reasons, bringing all your humanity, causes and conditions with you • Hard on ourselves -- in another attempt to escape the law of cause and effect • wrecking legs, making a mess of a hand, moved to tears • “the savage complexity” of the condition of our lives • Huhmmmm that hurts • Pain that no longer stirs things up • Continuously avowing, continuous practice • The remarkable moment of screwing up the chant books • No hope . . . it’s a family matter