Good day as well. Sorry, there isn't nothing like good afternoon. There isn't, okay. To say good day in English is a little bit like saying goodbye. Like, well, good day. Okay. Okay. So what are we planning to talk about today? At least I'd like to hear what I would surely like to hear what is the heart of your practice. Or even some close approximations. Remember the first one that speaks gets a gold star.

[01:07]

Our talk was so nice that it's hard for me to tell many things from it because it all developed now. Most of it. about breathing, about being there and practicing. And in the end we had a question. I'll try to get it in words. The term of sentient beings is special in Buddhism. and has something to do for me also with the core of Buddhism. It has to do with sentient beings. Maybe, Deutsch, as you go along? Okay. And a question was at the end, which I will try to put into words. And we talked a lot this week about self and Tathagatamath.

[02:37]

And the term... Sentient beings appear very little sometimes around. Could you say something about the relationship from the term sentient beings You want a lot. That's why you get a star.

[03:38]

That's why you get a star. Well, simply, I think sentient being is a... We can understand there's a substitute for self. Yeah. When you... no longer have a self, I think the sense of it is, when you no longer have a self defined through separateness. But your sense of self covers everything. And that's a phrase that Sukershi used a lot, the self covers everything.

[04:40]

And you feel the unity of mind, as I suggested, encompasses everything in the field of perception. including everything that's all the objects of perception. There's a feeling that the very nature of everything is sentient. Now that's not meant to be scientific, but but meant to be the feeling that the world we live in is sentient as we know it. And it's also meant in a more specific sense to mean every kind of living thing that has feeling.

[05:45]

Again, with the natural feeling that we're connected or part of all things that have feeling. And I think when you don't define yourself through your brain-like or brain-conceptual ability, which then separates you from most of sentience, when you tend to define yourself through this feeling, which has a greater power of knowing than conceptualization, then you more logically and naturally feel a kinship with everything that feels. you don't have nonsense like I told Descartes felt that dogs don't have feelings.

[07:11]

They make a lot of noise and you torture them, but it's just like the noise of a machine or something. This is a radical idea of most of our point of view. I mean, everybody knows your dog feels pain. And I think if we really had a sentient feeling connection, we would certainly treat our livestock animals differently and so forth. We don't think of their feeling as somehow the same as ours. Okay. Now the star has been given out, everybody's going to keep quiet, huh?

[08:28]

Yes. In our group it was quite similar to the report, the other report. It was a very beautiful atmosphere. And what I took with me is that Buddha, Dharma, Sangha is something like an idea which is around the heart of practice. And to describe my feeling, I would like to give a sentence. The longing heart, the heart of longing, Or the longing heart.

[09:39]

The longing heart opens the door to the treasure of knowledge. For me, it is the longing in the heart at the same time. I still remember the word of Shunji Mizutsuki. It is wisdom that is on the way, on the search for wisdom. And I also came to this word of Suzuki Roshi's, it is wisdom which is looking for wisdom, seeking for wisdom. It seems to me, from the feeling that this seeing drive, or this seeing heart is ultimately the drive, and the practice around it gives me the opportunity to develop it. The longing heart really is the driving force of practice.

[10:41]

The longing heart. It also was said in our group that a core is also the posture we take in sasen. Okay, thank you. Yes? Oh, yeah. You can't lift your arm without saying something. Asserting your power in independence. Okay. The group is unruly today.

[11:45]

The group is unruly today. We had a short discussion about whether we should define this more closely, what this searching heart is. First we had a discussion whether it would be necessary to define it further, what the heart of practice is. And then we said it's really that we can answer this question from our feeling. And there was very quickly there was an agreement. Agreement between Ralph and me because we are taking part in the ceremony tomorrow.

[12:56]

That we both found our way to this group and to Baker Roshi by reading the book of Suzuki Roshi and this was a kind of falling in love. Maybe the term falling in love is not really, we're not sure about it. Maybe it's something like being drawn to something or... Yes, or familiarity. Familiarity. It's difficult to really grasp it. And we then thought about what it is. And I think it's also this consistent... We asked ourselves what it is and we found also that it is Suzuki Roshi's being with one's

[14:04]

Incompleteness and one's failures, not expecting oneself to be complete. And you felt that from reading the book? Yes, I think so. And by your teaching. It was true of him, but... By your teaching, because you represent his teaching. Oh, okay. I hope so. Yeah, yeah, I hope so too. And then we also found that heart of practice could also mean what our daily practice is, our most important practice. And we all found in the group that meditation also helps us in our everyday life to find moments of stopping and look what's really present in this situation.

[15:40]

Good, thank you. In our group, the heart of the practice was centered around the concept of trust. In our group the answer to the heart of our praxis centered around trust, confidence. For some it was the confidence in some truth and for others it was...

[16:53]

Trust to find the simplest and most precise explanation for reality. Trust to find the simplest and most precise explanation for reality. Trust to find the simplest and most precise explanation for reality. to find a one-pointedness which includes everything. Yes, but we were all of the opinion that trust is a very important element, and the atmosphere in the group was also very trusting, very carried and very beautiful. But we all felt that confidence is very important and we all felt among ourselves this feeling of trust carrying us.

[18:19]

how difficult it is to transform this experience that we make in practice into everyday life, but that we are already thinking about how this can be done, because we notice that with everyday life, as it has been so far, and how we function there, we are not satisfied. that we want to change something, so everyone in their own way, and also in small steps, but it is something like an impulse to look at what I can change in my everyday life, so that it is better connected with the practice. And finally we talked about how difficult it is to bring what we experienced here in our everyday life and all of us we had the feeling that there should be some ways to find at least little changes in our everyday life.

[19:33]

And you can't find little changes in your everyday life? We are trying to find, each one is going to try to find little changes in everyday life. That allow you to practice or the effective practice? So that practice and everyday life fits better together. Mm-hmm. Okay, I understand. Yes? I was in the same group and I also felt this atmosphere of openness, but my contribution was that I don't know what this trust is. I know two states.

[20:43]

Either I don't have trust and I'm looking for it. I'm feeling separated. What I need, it would be trust, but I don't have it. I'm not trusting. Or I'm connected. And then I also don't know what trust is because I don't need it then. And now sitting here I also found a third state and maybe that's really in the direction. Yes, that I'm in a movement of search.

[21:53]

But that feels more like knowing. Now I know that I'm looking for trust. No. Now seeking. You're in a state when you know that you're in the act of seeking. Now it's necessary. Oh, now it's necessary to seek. What do you mean by seek? um And then the other thing is I try, I'm seeking, but then I know when it's not trust, then if I find something, I know that I found it.

[23:03]

So, is das ungefähr? And there is a game where your eyes are blindfolded and you have a stick and you try to find the pot. And if you hit it, you know that you got it. So there is no trust in the system. You can hear them knocking before they stop. She also said she hears the pot being hit before it's really hidden. Before it's actually hit. She hears it before it's actually hit. This is... It's a state where I'm thinking and it feels more like knowing because I know I have to see and I'm sure when I'll hit it.

[24:07]

So it's more like... I don't really know what it's just. How often do you play this game? If you did know, if you did hear the pot before you hit it, this would be trust. And when you don't need trust, we could define that as trust. But I cannot know it. Thirty blows. Are being... Are being withheld. Yeah. For me, I... I suppose I have a kind of worldly wariness.

[25:35]

But for the most part, I find myself... I always trust everyone. Partly just because I'm maybe stupid. But I just like it. It's the best way. I feel better functioning that way. And a person has to go a long way to make me distrust them. Yes, Neil? Yes, I was in the same group and I wanted to say something about trust, especially because I trust other people, But for me, one of the most important things in my practice is self-confidence.

[26:54]

Oh, I was in the same group and... Has any other group reported to the same group? No, I'm just teasing. Go ahead. It's kind of important that I say something because it's a terrible, actually, fear, you know, to speak. I won't interrupt you again. Okay. And... Yeah, we were talking about confidence and I couldn't or yeah this or faith, you know and and I think I can trust Other people mostly I think I can maybe share this kind of viewpoint that you just spoke about but for me at one heart of practice among Various hearts of practice for me is is the theme of self-confidence?

[28:04]

Don't Yeah, and that's just For me, the path of practice is the path of self-confidence. In Buddhism, for me, it is represented with the three attributes. Did I say that correctly? Yes, it is always in contrast to the doctor. And yes, this is an essential heart of the practice, this friction or this movement between fear and self-confidence. Yes, what I meant with the three benefits is that when I take benefits in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha,

[29:05]

Okay, maybe I'll try and say that. Oh yeah, so this is an important theme, especially in contrast with fear. And this way is, for me, essentially a way of self-confidence, or towards self-confidence, and always working with this kind of movement between fear and self-confidence. And for me, one important thing the Buddhist path has to offer for me is the three refuges, which represent somehow a very deep vow of self-confidence,

[30:18]

sort of taking refuge in somebody who isn't a total fool and, you know, that I express something that is true. Does that make sense so far? Maybe that's all I have to say. It makes sense. Thank you. It wasn't so hard, was it? That wasn't too bad, was it? I was not in the same group. This was an overwhelming group. That's what really touched me, what Neil said. I would say the same to the core of practice is also for me the three refuges.

[31:27]

How are the three refuges a core of practice for you? Because I can't take one away. If I would take one of it away, the whole practice wouldn't make sense to me. I came to it because one in my group said for her it was an important point that you said you are going down until you can't have no choice anymore. Reducing everything into you. Maybe, Deutsche, as you go along. What touched me about Neil very much was that although I was not in the same group, I defined it in the same way.

[32:30]

For me, the heart of the practice are the Three Refugees in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. And on the question of why I would define it that way, I would say because I couldn't leave any of these three, or if I left one of them, the whole practice would make sense to me. Yeah, that's basically it. No, I was thinking about, okay, what could I take away from my practice, and it wouldn't change, really, the core wouldn't change. And so I thought, well, I could take away... the house, the Vendu, the Buddha, the rituals.

[33:32]

So there are a lot of things what I could say, okay, I can practice without. But Dharma, Sangha, and Buddha, in the sense of the teaching, yeah, I couldn't let go. Do you need to say that in German? Yes, I have deepened it again simply because of the way I have done it. I have simply thought about what I could leave out of my practice and it would still make sense. And then I started with four. So I could, if necessary, renounce the rituals, renounce the Buddha statue, renounce the house as such, Thank you. Yeah. In our group, there was first some people who thought one person, for their personal experiences, for one person, the heart of practice in the moment is linked to the house, to the Hadeshof, but there is a place which gives heart, right?

[35:03]

Comfort. Yeah, comfort. And also to refer to. Not only places, everywhere in Germany. One person said that for her, the heart of the practice is very connected to the Johanneshof. As a place, a central place. There was a question, is heart something big? When you practice a lot, then you have it, or is it just a possibility to find it in everything new? That was me saying it, and so I never ask myself what is the heart of my practice, and that gave me now like a practice to look maybe at these hours and, ah, what is the heart now?

[36:13]

So, you see, I don't know. Then there was one person, I brought in first of all, the heart is something very big, the practice, I don't know that yet, and then I brought in a simple level, maybe I can develop that as a practice, in every being, what is actually the heart right now. Then one person, for one person was instruments. The feeling between people? Yes? One other point was that having practised together in the streams and through seminars, there is a certain connectedness between people, and this is what comes back in the daily sitting, which makes a reconnection to this connectedness. And this makes the field between the people which are doing the same thing, practising, makes the art of practice.

[37:21]

The one point was that through the common practice and through the shins, a connection between the people, between us, arises and that is also available in daily practice alone at home and there is a connection with it and this connection is what makes the heart of the practice. Okay, thank you. It would be nice to hear from someone who hasn't said anything during the seminar, if you can find some excuse to say something.

[38:30]

It just helped me. This is Friday in the group. And I asked actually a lot of questions about the sheen and how it all works together. So I decided to come again and try it out. Okay, good, thank you. Yes? What touched me most in our group was that Beate said something She said that the relationship between her and other people in her normal life is without talking

[40:33]

Well, it's a good relationship between friends, okay, but a lot of talking and she doesn't necessarily work with them or do anything with them. And on the opposite, experience in these groups. Sometimes you don't know a lot about a person and you just sit beside and it's enough. You have the same feeling of relation. I sometimes feel this with people too, before knowing. Maybe Deutsch as you go along? As Beate said, she told me about her experience with friends or people she met in everyday life, in the normal everyday life, and that often which is also talked about a lot, and you don't necessarily work together, but you understand each other very well.

[41:48]

While here in this group you sit next to each other and don't necessarily know each other very well, and yet this feeling of connection arises, this very strong feeling. And I have the impression that in my normal life I can feel this very often, but until now I thought it's not free from prejudice. I use it in a wrong way. I feel this kind of sympathy without knowing anything, directly, often, but it's not... I don't see that sometimes there are blockings from my side to judge or to feel it in the right way. I would like to change this.

[42:50]

Yes. and I don't see the share of blockages that I myself have. What we have defined here as a feeling, without this personal pre-acceptance. And I would like to change that very much. Look more closely and find out what is wrong from my point of view. I think it's good if we have a territory and the Sangha opens us to the territory. When we can kind of trust our intuitions of how life could be.

[44:00]

which sometimes we don't get much reinforcement of in ordinary circumstances. Someone else would like to say yes. I do not like to give a report, but something personal which just came up for me. This morning I felt happy as you told us about the ruby... The ruddy moon. The ruddy moon, yes. The ruddy moon. The ruddy moon. Because after my docuson, I went for a walk with Christa and we talked about my doxon. You did? I'm just kidding.

[45:15]

Somehow we were tired, but in some way we just found our way up this hill. And on the sill to the right, there was still the light of the sun setting. And to the left, through the silhouette of the dark trees, you could see a very tiny, the first starting moon. And we stayed to live with this event in Landau. and we just stayed there together to experience it, to experience this event.

[46:26]

And on the one hand this experience was I in midst of this nature event, after this very touching doksan, But also sharing with Krista and this morning also sharing with you. Yasutani Roshi, Suzuki Roshi and Soen Nakagawa Roshi. And maybe Maisumi Roshi. Edo Roshi. Edo Roshi, yeah. Edo Roshi. Were you there? I got to Tassara the day before they were over. That was the first time.

[47:28]

So you went to the top of the mountain, was it? Oh. We'd been to the mountain. Anyway, we all went up and decided to chant up the full moon. So we got pretty high in the moon. We couldn't see, if I remember correctly. We got pretty high up on the mountain. It's the same place where some of Sukhyoshi's ashes are. And Sukershi asked that some of my ashes go there, but I don't know if... It's not timely yet. It's not timely. Anyway, we stood up there and... Don't rush me. Anyway, we stood up there and chanted.

[48:32]

When the moon came up, the little jumped. We stood there and recited, and the moon came up in small jumps while we recited. But it felt pretty wild. It was great. Do you remember anything you would like to add to the story? Also, Tassajara is very hot and dry in the summer. And the next morning during Zazen it rained for ten minutes. I don't want you to hear that. A little bit of rain. It was very unusual. It always smells good in dry places when it rains. Yeah. It was quite an event. I remember when they were planning it, I thought, Jesus, this is nuts, but boy, it was... Quite a good time.

[49:33]

And it was for Nyogen Senzaki's Ashes, yeah, we put some of Nogin Sensaki's ashes up there. That's right. Sukhish's ashes are in three places, one in his temple in Japan. But he really wanted some of his ashes to be in the United States, in the West. And so we had these two places. One was way up in the mountain, and then we have a site on a hill above the monastery complex. And when we went up the night to put the ashes, were you with us when we went up to put Sukershi's ashes? In the stupid ventana? No, no, up in the... Up in the mountain.

[50:45]

Because we went up there, I don't know what night it was, but an extremely windy, stormy night. And I was carrying Suzuki Roshi's ashes around my neck. And I was carrying Suzuki Roshi's ashes around your neck. Thank you. I didn't realize how funny that sounded. The tradition is when you carry someone's ashes in a funeral ceremony, they're in a box or a container. And then you wrap a cloth or sheet around, a kind of sheet-like cloth around it.

[51:56]

And you tie it around your neck. And then you carry them right here against your body. So I had to climb, and Mr. Suzuki, his wife, was with us. There were a lot of people. I don't know how many people. At the same time, was it? Yeah. And we climbed up that hill. And it was extremely windy. It was even hard to climb with the wind. And I tried to scatter the ashes, and as soon as I would touch the ashes, they'd blow off everywhere. And Oksana was standing right beside me. She said, just like Suzuki Roshi always does. And Rokusan stood next to me and said, this is exactly like Suzuki Roshi.

[53:04]

Excuse me, is it that you do some sutras there, or can you tell us some more about the funeral sermon? I asked if you could tell us more about the funeral sermon. Yeah, we chanted and, you know. You'll get your chance. Wait. So, anyone else? Oh, yes, you. In our group, we, for some reason, we shared how we started practicing.

[54:10]

And as I thought about this, I found at the heart of my practice the time when I met you for the first time. In Poland. In Poland. When the Vina Banda was born. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, I can't say much about it. It was just like I didn't have anything, I didn't want anything to do with Sam before. Sam was just like, I mean, these black guys sitting around and they just don't want to live or something like that. So I was pretty prejudiced and yeah.

[55:14]

I think Atum, who was a Sufi teacher, and myself were there, and that's where we became friends. We stayed in the same room, so we called ourselves roomie mates. It's pretty bad, I know, but... Atum, the Sufi teacher, was also there, and we were in the same room together, and that's why we... So Rumi is this Sufi poet, Rumi, friends. So I just had total prejudices against Zen at that time and I thought these are just these people who only wear black and actually have nothing to do with life. And this was really a strange experience because it was the first time that teachers were allowed to go into Poland in 1987 or so.

[56:25]

And the Polish people were extremely curious about this event. Liked it, liked it very much and at the first morning in this dark grey car where the wind blew the coal dust around beneath a black tent there were some teachers standing up and introducing themselves to the crowd and we didn't know anybody except Atun, the Sufi teacher. And then Roshi got up and, I mean, before there were some German shamans and they came and said, we are going to have a sweat lunch like this. And they tried to make people join their workshops. And then there was Roshi standing up and saying something like, well, I'm doing Zen and if you want to join me, I'm happy or something like that.

[57:29]

I don't remember exactly. Well, I didn't know what to say. All these flamboyant people. I felt like Neil a little bit. I was a little shy. I didn't know what to say. There were all these great people and I felt a little shy like Neil. Anyway, this was the experience of a real person there. When we were in Poland at that time, it was a bit like being in San Francisco in the 60s. Because everywhere we went, all these people followed us around and scattering flowers and stuff like that. It was kind of great. I hadn't seen such kind of a New Age enthusiasm since the 60s in America. Yeah. Anything else?

[58:35]

Yes. When I asked this question today about what the heart of my practice is, I had a very spontaneous answer, and I think it was my whole life, that I somehow brought a taste into my life that can be life. And that's why I made the search, When I heard this question today, I had a spontaneous answer to it, and it was something like that you were born with this taste, It's like a taste which has been always there, and this is what life is, what life can be, and what I'm doing, I'm following this taste more and more.

[59:42]

And I'm entering somehow from the outside to this practice and I'm living here now for five weeks. And the practice I'm experiencing here is somehow a succession of my search, which I shared with other people and other means. And what Roger said in the teashop yesterday morning really touched me, because it was about this lightness and being happy.

[60:59]

What Roshi said yesterday in the lecture, it struck me very much, where you talked about serenity and happiness. Almost since the first day when I came here, although I didn't know at all what expects me here, I had the feeling, this is exactly the right spot for me. This feeling is still there. Yes, I have a heart of my practice, even if I don't get anything with this practice. So I have the feeling that here I have the heart of practice although I just began to practice Okay, yeah, thank you.

[62:11]

I hope so Sophie and really the more people more individuals who Find this a place to practice it makes it into a place to practice Yes. What I would like to say is that for me the most important experience The most important experience concerning practice which I can take home with me? When I came here and I heard that so many people will be here,

[63:17]

First I was shocked. I'm trying to keep up with Nihai. Because I thought, well, I know nobody and this is too much and I can't remember names and And also what you said is true, we don't know each other. We know us a little bit by now. But the beautiful thing that I experienced during meditation was that so much strength came to me from the others.

[64:43]

So that only by now I know what meditating really is. I never before sat in a way like here. And this is like a treasure which I can take home because it's something I can hold, it holds for me. This is a beautiful experience and I'm really grateful for it. well I love being a part of what we're making here at Johanneshof and here in Germany or German speaking Europe

[66:21]

And this is the last time during this practice week I think that we'll meet like this. Is there anything in particular anybody would like to say or bring up or ask? Yes. Or is it the heart of your practice? Okay. Yeah, I suppose, because, you know, I thought during this conversation, geez, maybe I should answer this question too. This was Gerald's question, so... No, no, it was Dieter's question. Dieter's question, oh. It's good, yeah, so... I suppose at the... If the core of practice can be a vision, my vision is a feeling of connectedness with everything, but particularly with each person I meet, either fully or partially or accidentally.

[68:06]

And I feel myself the experience of mostly, almost always feeling connected with whoever I meet. Also, the sort of feeling of that seems to lead my practice and develop my own feeling for being alive in myself. And at a practical level, it's the... It's the staying present in my breath.

[69:11]

And then part of that is actually the sense of the dharma of each moment. So those are the two main things I first thought of when I said maybe I should think of what it is. But the other is the I know that's always present with me. is the sense of the acceptance and confidence Sukhiroshi had in me. And at the same time, my feeling of... How can I put it? not reaching his presence or his teaching but a feeling of trying to move into it and it gives me the feeling of some kind of lifting feeling but lifting to where I can't reach

[70:43]

So my feeling of sentience is very connected with, pretty much inseparable from his feeling of sentience. So I suppose those three are really versions of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. So I suppose it's a practical way or instrumental way I take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Okay. And tomorrow we'll have the lay ordination for four people, five people? Four people, okay. And And that's, it's a ceremony in which you take the precepts.

[72:08]

And taking the precepts is really, as I call it, the precepts of basic humanity. You decide, well, it's about time I'm a human being. It's about time I vow, yes, these are the way human beings should be. I should make this clear. So the vows are kind of quite natural way for human beings to be. And we also take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And that the way we take refuge, as I just expressed it, can be found through your own experience and practice at this time in your life.

[73:20]

At the same time, there's always the potential of fully taking refuge in and realizing Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And we get a new name. And you get A raksu that actually is already yours, you made it. But we give it back to you. And the raksu is, most of you know, but it's a kind of symbol of Buddha's robe. And it's made from pieces of cloth, as Buddha's robe was supposedly made from scraps of cloth. And it's sewn together with a sort of each dharma little chant on each stitch.

[74:22]

And that feeling on each stitch, even if you forgot to chant it occasionally. When I'm in America, people see this and they say, is that your bag? And in English that means, is that your job or your thing or something like that. So I cannot always answer honestly, yes, that's my bag. Mm-hmm. And along with now putting on to a small extent, but to a full extent, because it doesn't matter about the size, Buddha's clothes.

[75:33]

It's a lot like we chant in the morning, now we open Buddha's mind, but it actually says, now we open Buddha's robe. A field beyond the heart sutra, a field beyond form and emptiness. The Tathagata's teaching. Tathagata is the Buddha, thus coming and going, pulse of Buddha. The Tathagata is teaching for all beings. For all sentients. And at the same time you're given a new name, a Buddhist name. Which probably the most important part is, it's like you let go of all your previous names or identifications.

[76:55]

So the Buddhist name has various understandings of what it represents. Your strengths at present and your potential and often some physical object is part of it. Like a mountain or a moon or something like that. But it can be. You don't have to really try to interpret, is this really me? Because then we'd have to take that name away and give you another name. Some people get into, I don't like my name.

[78:05]

This isn't really me. Well, that's the whole idea. So I should give you a name like... Mug, bug, mosquito, watcher. Mug, bug. Something, I don't know, something you'd say. Then you'd say, oh, this is not me. Not me. I promise I won't give anyone the name Mudbug. I'll try to do something nice. Okay. But I loved it to see, I think, Paul Soldner ran around with a T-shirt.

[79:16]

And it's nice. I love that. So it's a beautiful thing, you know? Well, there's an expression in English. When you didn't get good grades at school or you lost your job, you say, my name is mud. It means everything went bad. I don't know why, but somehow when I was a kid, You know, you play games and people choose different names. And the only name I ever remember choosing always was mud.

[80:19]

I don't know why. Maybe I need any one of you therapists want to help me. Maybe that's why I became a Buddhist. By the way, there's at least a couple of architects here. Ursula, I mean, yeah, and Maureen, yeah. And Marie-Louise, who has worked as an architect. Is anybody else here who's an architect? Because I'm going to suggest, and Marie-Louise and Gerald and I have already spoken about it, we want to do something about the bathrooms here, improving them, changing them.

[81:20]

During Sashin Kinhin, the lines at the toilets can be rather long. In Japan, you can buy whole units that you just pop into a place, you know. That are shower and dressing room and everything. What? I would plasticate. And... I don't know if you can buy such things in the United States, or it would be good. Maybe we can make them of wood, which would be nicer, but we have very, very limited funds, and we need some solutions. So not now, but maybe the three of you could talk a little bit, and with Gerald, the four of you, if we can come up with some solution that we could afford. And I'm an amateur architect.

[82:27]

And I'm happy to participate too. Okay, thank you very much. Oh, yes, this evening. Hans Joachim will speak with us as Paul did last night. And some of you know Hans. And Gerald will introduce him this evening. But you studied with Deshimaya Roshi for how long? Just two or three years. Up until when he died. And he taught in Deshimaya Roshi's lineage for some time.

[83:30]

And Hans is practicing here now some of the time. So I think it's a wonderful opportunity if he can share something with us this evening. And we're going to see if we can find an English translator for Paul and myself. Eric agreed? Okay. That was my introduction, actually. I'm sorry. That's perfectly fine. Find out something else to say. Thank you very much. Thank you for translating again.

[84:37]

And in the Maitreya posture, too. That's Maitreya? It seems like the future Buddha doesn't have to sit cross-legged. Lots of people are asking me what the day is like tomorrow. I already said that we will sit and get up early and do our Ayurvedic practice again. After that we didn't know how the schedule will be. I don't know. I think let's assume that we'll have sasen at the usual time. And breakfast at the usual time. And let's aim for having the ceremony about 11 o'clock. And then after the ceremony, we have lunch.

[85:38]

And if there are people here who'd like to stay longer, We could have some kind of gathering or discussion or something. But as I said before, usually Sunday afternoon there's always enough people have to leave early that it kind of breaks up the group. So it's probably likely that we'll end after lunch Yeah. And I will try to finish Doksans tomorrow morning. If not, I could continue in the afternoon. And Monday and Tuesday. So, is that all right? Okay.

[86:47]

Good. Thank you. Yes. A question, is there a fire this evening or not? Oh, I heard, shall we do a fire? After the talk of fire. After the talk of fire. This is going to be quite a talk. Yeah. And there's also a custom, you know, a Buddhist custom of when you have a fire, sometimes a fire ceremony, You write on a piece of paper what you'd like to be free from. And you can also write on a piece of paper the names of somebody who's died that you want to have a feeling of, not exactly a feeling of cremating, but honoring them in some way.

[87:52]

Strangely, it's a way of honoring them. So you can use it both to consecrate something that you want to continue, but also to free yourself from something. To consecrate means to make sacred. So should we have a fire this evening? All right, good. You got the firewood and everything? Maybe it's because we... There you go. You don't want to burn up all your work. Yeah, okay. Okay, thank you very much. Vielen Dank.

[88:40]

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