Tesshin opened this week’s talk by recounting a documentary about the famous film director Mike Nichols.  In the interview, Nichols stated that every scene in a movie must be one of the following…

•Negotiation

•Seduction

•Fighting

Tesshin wondered if this reflects the reality of our day to day interactions with others.  If you think broadly enough, can you remember an interaction which did not fit into one of these three categories?  Perhaps you can come up with a few examples, but we must admit that the “meat” of our interactions is in fact negotiations, seductions, or conflict.  So what does this mean?

 

Tesshin used an ongoing conflict in the Soto Zen organization as an example.  His email inbox has been flooded with events surrounding one of the teachers – Ed Espe Brown.  This teacher was accused of making sexually crude remarks and of being dismissive of transgendered people.  As such, the Zen Center of San Francisco banned him from teaching at their temples – even though he had decades of teaching experience.  Obliviously this situation touches on conflict and fighting, but Tesshin wondered if the “scene” could be moved to more of a negotiation.  

 

In our daily society, this would be an open and shut case.  We would make a snap decision based on our current opinions on issues like gender identity.  However, can the Zen community be better?  First, Tesshin reminded us that everyone involved is committed to right thought, right speech, and right action.  As such, it in incumbent everyone to pause, center themselves, and recommit to finding the truth.  Tesshin emphasized that in today’s fast paced society this is rarely done.  People in our society are only interested in winning the fight.  There is no effort given to negotiation – in fact, there is not even an effort to “seduce” the other side.  It is all fighting, killing, and winning.   

 

As it turned out the San Francisco Zen Center reviewed the tapes of all of the lectures given by Brown.  They also talked to the students who originally felt offended by the lectures.  At this point, a lot of negotiation had to happen.  Not negotiation between the parties, but negotiation with people’s own ego.   Could the offended students consider that perhaps they misunderstood what Brown had to say?  Could Brown consider that what he had said so casually could cause harm and be unskillful?  Could the Zen center consider that they acted too rashly in censuring Brown or depreciating the student’s concerns.  It is this type of negotiation – namely challenging the ego – which is so needed in today’s world.  

 

Tesshin went on to remind us that not every situation is “black and white.”  There are many perspectives and nuances.  We must avoid our ego’s desire to quickly come to an answer and then fight to the death to maintain it.  Rather, we need to negotiate with our mind and realize the possibilities.  The good news is that our time on the cushion is the perfect preparation to think this way.    Tesshin exhorted us to “Be Brave” and to look deeply at your own mistakes, assumptions, and misunderstandings and then to do the most “skillful” thing possible.  

 

 

Lastly, we just wanted to let everyone know that this is our first year anniversary.  Thank you to everyone for your diligent practice over this past year, and a deep bow to Tesshin for all of his teachings!