Soon after Shakyamuni Buddha was born, he could already walk. He took seven steps and said: “After countless eons, this is my last birth. Among all the devas and humans, I am the most honorable and the most excellent. In this lifetime I will benefit devas and humans. I vow to bring universal salvation to all sentient beings.” After Buddhism was transmitted to China, this statement of Shakyamuni’s was expressed as the saying: In Heaven and on Earth, I alone am the honored one.

Lately there appears to be an element of risk associated with showing up at the Zen Center, as Myong Soen has got in the habit of nudging us in various ways: we were just becoming accustomed to the notion of preparing a student talk in advance, and now we are invited to make something up on the spot! But as there is risk in showing up for anything at all in life I might as well give it a go.

Do you think that there will be a time when your students will do the chanting in English? In the future, maybe. When I first came here I thought to change it to English. But then I went to Poland. Can’t use English chants there. And Germany. So I decided to keep Korean style. Now, when our Sangha has a big ceremony, people come from all over the world. No problem, we all chant together in Korean.

A poem, written in 1938 by Soen Nakagawa Roshi1: Looking for serenity you have come to the monastery. Looking for serenity I am leaving the monastery. Kwatz! Stop running about seeking! The dusty affairs of the world fill the day, fill the night. I am not sure this is the proper poem for what I want to talk about today. But there is something in Roshi’s poem that touches me in a profound way.