eMirror Vol 26, No. 14 (2022-04-01)

Photograph of Shuryo under construction
Photograph of Shuryo under construction
See April 1st Update Below


eMirror Vol 26, No. 14

Friday, April 1st
Edited by the Practice Council

The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.



The vibrations of air that we emit when we talk or speak resonate as well with the volume of the space that we are in. The sounds bounce off the walls, floor, ceiling, our bodies, furniture, bookcases and so on.

When you speak, feel the breath becoming sound. Feel the four resonators and the tongue against teeth and palate. Notice the succession and play of open and stopped sounds. If what you are saying requires that you not be able to notice these things, then it is probably too contracted to be worth saying at all. When you are speaking with friends, what is the range of your voice? At work? With strangers? With family members? Does your voice suddenly go up or down when speaking with some one? 

Notice the volume of the space of the room that you are in. When chanting in the Hatto at a formal sitting notice where the walls meet the floor and ceiling and each other. As well as whatever level of moisture might be present in the throat or lungs or mouth, notice how the temperature and humidity of the air affects the sounds.

When listening to someone speak, allow whatever you feel about what they are saying to be present but allow this to be open to the actual sound of their voices and all of the other sounds that are present as well.

Listen. Can you hear the slapping and clicking of your eyelashes and lids as you blink? The roar of blood and swirling of air in the cavities of the ear? The sound of your breath?

In Denkoroku 14, Keizan Jokin zenji says,

Each action and moment throughout the twenty-four hours of the day is precious, and the turning of birth and death is always within samadhi. Seeing is limitless. Hearing is limitless. Even the knowledge of the Buddhas cannot explain these things. All of these are the motion of the ocean of the Actual Nature. Each thing, each grain, is the limitlessness of reality and is beyond any measure or comparison.

Each sound is a wave in the sea of sounds. The space of hearing is the feeling of these waves. Each sound is the Original Face of your actual nature speaking. The Original Face is not any sound, it is not all sounds, it cannot be heard. But it presents itself as all sounds and silences. Let hearing hear and perhaps it will tell you all about it.

-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, concluding Class Three: The Sea of Sounds" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: April 13th and 27th.

Hanamatsuri Two-day Sesshin
The Hanamatsuri two-day session will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 8th, and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 10th.

Samu Weekend on April 16th and 17th
We shall be holding a Samu Weekend on Saturday, April 16th and Sunday, April 17th. The samu will take place from 9:00a.m. to noon and from 1:30pm. to 6:00p.m. on each day with a meal at noon for those attending for the full day. Spring work will be taking place in the grounds as well as the ongoing build of the new monastery Shuryo (library). We shall be continuing to wear masks during the samu.  
Please send an email to saigyo.cross@gmail.com or by leaving a message on the office answering machine at 613 562 1568 if you are able to offer samu over this weekend. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions if you are planning on staying for lunch. 
If you are able to assist on the Friday or Monday of the long weekend that would also be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hermitage
The Roshi is currently in an extended period of "self-isolation" due to underlying health issues until the COVID-19 situation clarifies.

Beginning Instruction in Zen Practice
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
 


Retreats and Sesshin



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, March 29th at her home in the Berkshires. Aaron Ford sat a two-day retreat on Thursday, March 24th and Friday, March 25th at his home in Calgary, Alberta. Tarik Kaya sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, March 26th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Pablo Melchor sat a one-day retreat on Saturday, March 26th at his home in Madrid, Spain. Daryl David sat a half-day retreat on  Monday, March 28th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. 

If you would like to sit a retreat at home please follow the schedule outlined in this page:  https://wwzc.org/retreat-schedule-public-students.  After your retreat, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org to confirm that you sat a retreat and include the duration and location.

 


April 1st Update 
East Wing Project:
Shuryo (Library and Study Hall) Under Construction


 

Bay window


On Wednesday, March 23rd, an electrician spent a good portion of the day in the Shuryo working on the wiring for pot lights, supplemental heating, wall switches, and he tidied up old outlets etc. 

On Thursday, March 24th, foam insulation was added around and above the bay windows and part of the adjoining walls as this room has always been very cold in the winter. 

 

Photograph of insulation as well as part of the arched frame for the bay window which will be trimmed in curved oak.

Photograph of insulation as well as part of the arched frame for the bay window which will be trimmed in curved oak. 


Antique cupboards purchased from Facebook Marketplace

Last week Saigyo Ino began fitting the lower sections of the bookcases and his measurements were very accurate - they fit perfectly. The bookcases were purchased second-hand from a house in Toronto that was being refurbished. The Ino drove to Toronto, dismantled and numbered each piece of the oak and burled walnut cases. Installing them in the Shuryo is rather like working with a gigantic jig-saw puzzle.

As the dismantled library is currently being stored in the Zendo (one of our two practice rooms), it is a priority to get the Shuryo completed so that the Zendo is functional again for when the monastery opens to Sangha and to the public. We hope to finish the work in the Shuryo by May 1st as that is when the Ino is scheduled to return to his day job. 

We anticipate that over the next four to five weeks, a further $10,000 will be needed to complete the first part of the Shuryo project. Materials and labour for the construction done as of March 25th have already been paid for. The additional $10,000 is for an electric heater, drywall and drywall compound, trim, paint for the Shuryo, and enough plywood to lay floors for the adjoining guest room and public washroom (the floors in those two rooms had to be ripped up to remove asbestos tiles and are hazardous to walk on). There will also be the expense of window coverings for privacy in the Shuryo. 

If you are able to help, any amount would be gratefully received.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


Saturday, April 2nd to Saturday, April 9th

Saturday, April 2nd: "Drawn In, Moving Forth": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: "Hit the Mark" (27 of 28)
Monday, April 4th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Seeing People Who Appear to be Attractive and Seeing People Who Appear to be Unattractive" (Dharma Talk 83)
Thursday, April 7th: "Opening Traps and Cages, part 3" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, April 9th: "Drawn In, Moving Forth": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: "The Message and Legacy" (27 of 28)
 


Listening to Teisho and Dharma Talks



​Associate and general students should continue to follow the recorded Teachings schedule for the sitting you were attending at the monastery, and listen to that during your home practice.

You can access the online Recorded Teachings Library at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings-schedule. 

You can also use the streaming site at app.wwzc.org to live stream recordings from the online Library. If you have forgotten your password or need assistance with accessing the recorded Teachings, please email schedule@wwzc.org.

Please note that teisho should be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out as themes, metaphors, questions raised and answered evolve in spirals throughout the series.
 


Recorded Teachings for Public Access



While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of the Lineage of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically. MP3 recordings of four recorded teisho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi are currently available:

Dharma Position https://wwzc.org/dharma-position
Eyes See, Ears Hear https://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear
Embarrassment https://wwzc.org/embarrassment
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: https://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way

 


Translations and Texts



Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s,
by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei

Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi has recently completed translation work on some shorter texts by Eihei Dogen zenji from the Shobogenzo. The work on these particular texts is based upon the literal translations that he worked on with Joshu Dainen roshi at Hakukaze-ji around 1977-78 followed by many years of putting them down, picking them up, and polishing. Naturally, more essential texts such as Uji, Genjokoan, Shinjin Gakudo and some 40 others were completed first and have been given extensive commentaries by the Roshi. This batch of texts includes Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Annotation details and successfully conveying them across various document formats are the issue at this point.

Work on Bussho: Buddha Nature, a very long and nuanced text by Dogen zenji, is ongoing.

Roshi is also finishing an update to the Saijo Shingi: The Deportment of Radiance, our manual of monastic training standards which is a supplement to the ancient Eihei Shingi and Keizan Shingi. 

 


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death


scroll

Continuing on with “Painted Cakes: A Zen Dictionary,” a limited edition text written by Anzan Hoshin roshi in the 1980s and last revised in 1994.

Taigo (J): "Just waiting around for enlightenment to happen"

Posted April 1st , 2022. New entries are posted every two weeks.

 

Tending to Kettle on a fire - drawing


Office of the Tenzo



Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) that the work of preparing and serving meals is "a matter for realized monks who have the mind of the Way or by senior disciples who have roused the Way-seeking mind." In alignment with this, part of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's samu for the Community involves personally overseeing the activities of the ancient office of tenzo. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei serves as tenzo and Mishin godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja. The following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Monday Yakuseki:
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with peanuts; wakame seaweed soup (wakame, thinly sliced ginger, cubed tofu, shoyu, mirin, strained leftover miso shiru, sesame oil and roasted chilli oil); braised daikon with chopped bok choy; baechu kimchi.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian option: Mashed Yukon gold potatoes; cubed semi-firm tofu in mushroom gravy (roux made with bran oil and all-purpose flour, mushroom stock, shitake mushroom powder, sauteed cremini mushrooms, chopped white onion, minced garlic, shoyu, smoked paprika, Thyme, rosemary, lots of black pepper; peas, corn and carrots seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. 
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: seared pork chops seasoned with chipotle and ancho powder, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and bran oil. 

Thursday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (leftover Lundberg short grain brown rice and Thai jasmine rice); bulgogi tofu (chopped and seared Spanish onion, poblano and red bell peppers, minced ginger, cubed tofu, bulgogi sauce, shoyu); Shanghai bok choy and gailan cut into lengths and mixed with sesame oil, salt and pepper, and lime juice then microwaved briefly. 

 

Monks bowing (drawing)


Thank You



If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo osho at rengezo at Gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror" in the subject line.

From Jinmyo sensei:
Thank you to Fushin shramon for installing hardware for the ‘telescoping racks’ on the new stove and for weekly pots of cat grass for Shindo and Kiden (monastery cats). 

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Charlane Bishop for an assortment of unusual varieties of hot pepper seeds.

From Saigyo ino:
Thank you to the Roshi for "No Consolation" (https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/no-consolation) written to a student in response to the events of September 11th, 2001 but so relevant now. 
Thank you to Jinmyo Sensei for research and planning for the installation of a new yew hedge at Dainen-ji and for her generous contribution towards the cost of this project.  
Thank you to the following students have have assisted with the work to build the new Shuryo (monastery library) over the last two weeks: Fushin shramon, Senbo, Leonardo Nobrega, David Gallant, Carol Hodgson, Shannon Morphew, Claude Schryer, Sam McFarlane, Ian Richard, Jean-Francois St-Louis, Daryl David, Eric Cyr and Sarah Goul.  

From Sarah Goul:
Thank you very much to Roshi for two precious sho, for establishing the monastery, and for many translations and commentaries. Thank you to Sensei for The Touchstone series, for delicious meals and for setting me up in the paint-fume-free first floor library. Thank you to Godo for sharing delicious homegrown green sprouts, for my favourite eggs, for an invite to watch a TV show, for suggesting that I take a nap and for doing finances. Thank you to Ino for all the work on the Shuryo, for leading kata, for a great practice interview, and for a task of snipping drywall corner bead which included useful example of deportment/perspective when having not done things perfectly. Thank you to Fushin Shramon for setting me up to polish brass, which ultimately polished up my practice. Thank you to David for a fun evening chat. Thank you to Benoit for doing the groceries and routine house cleaning while I was away.

From Julien Jefferson:
Thank you to Anzan Hoshin roshi for translating and offering a commentary on Dogen zenji's Genjokoan in "Intimate Reality". Thank you to Saigyo ino for offering his time for the construction of a new Shuryo. Thank you to Mishin godo for our recent practice interview.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for a donation towards Hojo improvements. Thank you to Elizabeth Eve for a donation toward construction of the new Shuryo (study hall).

 

 

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