The Sixteen Great Bodhisattva Precepts
— Reb Anderson Roshi
First Talk: Why Would I Want to Be a Bodhisattva?
“It was revealed and affirmed to the teacher Myozen that the precept vein of the bodhisattva is the single great condition of the Zen gate.”
—the Blood Vein (Kechimyaku)
Date/Time: July 11, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Second Talk: Dependent Co-arising
“I, together with the great Earth and all living beings, attain the way at the same time.”
—the Buddha upon awakening
Date/Time: July 18, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Third Talk: The Teaching of the Two Truths
“Rigidly holding to the conventional understanding of the precepts violates the precepts.”
—Dogen
Date/Time: July 25, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Fourth Talk: I Take Refuge in Being Me
“When you are willing to throw yourself completely into your everyday life, moment by moment, you are taking refuge in buddha, dharma, and sangha.”
—Reb Anderson Roshi
Date/Time: August 1, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Fifth Talk: The Three Pure Precepts
“Refrain from all evil/Practice all that is good/Purify your mind: This is the teaching of all buddhas.”
—The Dhammapada (a collection of gatha attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha)
Date/Time: August 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Sixth Talk: Life Is Not Killed
“Sitting upright in the midst of the impulse to kill realizes its cessation.”
—Reb Anderson Roshi
Date/Time: August 15, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Seventh Talk: You Mean It’s Not Ok to Steal!
“Gavampati took a grain of rice to see if it was ripe. It could not be returned to its original place (on the stalk). Because he committed this action, he was born as a cow for five hundred generations.”
—The Commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom
Date/Time: August 22, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Eighth Talk: Not Misusing Sexuality
“You will later deeply regret having misconstrued your self as other and the action you took based on such a mistake.”
—Reb Anderson Roshi
Date/Time: August 29, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Ninth Talk: Right Speech: Not Lying, Not Speaking of Other’s Faults, Not praising Self at the Expense of Others, Not Disparaging the Triple Treasure
“Tung-shan defined two kinds of words: If there is any rational intention manifested in words, then they are dead words; if there is no rational intention manifested in words, then they are living words.”
—Transmission of the Lamp
Date/Time: September 5, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Tenth Talk: No Intoxicants
“The true meaning of the precept is that one should refrain not only from drinking alcohol but also from getting drunk on nirvana.”
—Bassui
Date/Time: September 12, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Eleventh Talk: There Has Not Been Begrudging
“A disciple of buddha is not possessive of anything.”
—Reb Anderson Roshi
Date/Time: September 19, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes
Twelfth Talk: A Disciple of Buddha Does Not Become Angry
“This bodhisattva precept means not to be angry when anger is inappropriate, and to be angry when anger is appropriate.”
—Reb Anderson Roshi
Date/Time: September 26, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
Duration: 60 minutes