eMirror Vol 21, No. 51 (2017-12-22)
Photograph by Rev. Chiso Tzelnic anagarika
eMirror Vol 21, No. 51
Friday, December 22nd, 2017
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror
Then Old Stonehead goes on:
In all things, the leaves spread out from the root.
High and low return to the source and become only words.
So, shikamo is "form" or "thing". Ichi ichi means "one one", or "each", no is "of", hō is "dharma". He means that each and every thing arises together with everything else as interactions emerging from interactions: naturally, spontaneously, without direction or intention, but as the play of possibilities. Up and down, front and back, left and right, in and out – all arise in the same place. All places arise in that place. Rooted in this we stand up and step forward.
-Continuing teisho 3: "Waking Up is Not a Matter of 'Up'," August 24th, 1996 in "Studying the Mystery," Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Shitou Xiqian's "Sandōkai"
Upcoming Events
https://wwzc.org/upcoming-events
Joya (New Year’s Celebration)
On Sunday, December 31st at 10 p.m. until Monday, January 1st at 12:00 a.m., we will celebrate Joya or New Year's. Join Zen Master Anzan Hoshin and Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei and Ven. Jinmyo osho and the monastics of the Northern Mountain Order in ringing in the New Year with 108 recitations of the Mahaprajnaparamita Hridaya sutra mantra. Following the sitting there will be an array of shojin-ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) dishes for an informal feast. All students are welcome to attend. There is no better way to begin the year. Dana is $25. Please register by sending an email to schedule at WWZC dot org, or telephone the Zen Centre office (613) 562-1568.
Retreats
Rodney Gallant arrived on Thursday, December 14th for 15 days of Residential Training. He sat a two-day retreat on Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th. Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Friday, December 15th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Leonardo Nobrega sat a two-day retreat on Saturday, December 16th and Sunday, December 17th. Hannah Kent sat a two-day retreat on Saturday, December 16th and Sunday, December 17th. Chiso anagarika sat a two day retreat from the evening of Monday, December 18th to Wednesday, December 20th. Alexander Tzelnic sat a two-day retreat from the evening of Monday, December 18th to Wednesday, December 20th. Peter McRae sat a half-day retreat on Wednesday, December 20th.
To Schedule a Retreat
Please visit this Web page for information about scheduling a retreat and an explanation of the different kinds of retreat (duration and timing) you can sit: https://wwzc.org/retreats. Please note that retreats should be scheduled one week in advance.
Public students sitting retreats should send an email to schedule@wwzc.org to confirm they sat a retreat so that notice of it can be included in the eMirror. Please include the location of the retreat and the duration.
Teisho
Recent Teisho
During the December 2017 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi continued his presentation of the series "The Lineage of Luminosity: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's “Denkoroku: Record of the Transmission of Luminosity”: Part Two: The Lineage in China:
- December 4th: Zhenxie's Cleverness Vanished
- December 5th: Zhenxie Qingliao's Turning Phrases
- December 6th: Reading of Case 49: Tiantong Zongjue
- December 7th: Tiantong Zongjue and Expressing It
Recorded Teachings Schedule
- Saturday, December 23rd general sitting; “The Primordially Awakened Way”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": “Assorted Old Buddhas” (3 of 8)
- Sunday, December 24th formal sitting: SAkN “Root Cycle One” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Truths” (teisho 6 of 6)
- Monday, December 25th general sitting: “Bodhidharma’s Eyes” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin: “Trouble” (4 of 13)
- Thursday, December 28th associate sitting: “Sitting Up Straight”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's "Zazen Yojinki": “Straighter!” (17 of 18)
- Saturday, December 30th general sitting: “The Primordially Awakened Way”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": “Subtle and Mysterious Mind” (4 of 8)
Missed Sittings and Teisho
If associate students are unable to attend the Thursday evening associate sitting, they may attend one of the general sittings to make up for the sitting they missed. General sittings are held on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. (first Bell is at 7:15) and Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. (first Bell at 9:15 a.m.). Please send an email to request permission to attend one of these sittings.
Teisho presented at general and associate sittings which are part of a series need to be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out. If you miss a sitting please borrow a copy of the missed teisho from the library or download it from the WWZC Media Site as soon as possible, so that the continuity of what is being presented is not disrupted. The weekly list of recorded teisho played at sittings is posted on the web site at:
https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings-schedule
Online Access to Recorded Teachings
Students can access the password-protected online Recorded Teachings library on the WWZC website at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings or through the streaming site at http://app.wwzc.org. The custom-built media streaming site allows students to live stream recordings from the WWZC Recorded Teachings collection. It is optimized for use on smartphones and tablets, and works with most modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It can also be used on desktops.
WWZC Website www.wwzc.org
Recorded Teachings for Public Access
While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings. Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically.
MP3 recordings of five teisho 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
- Yaza 2007: Sit Through the Night, the Night is Bright Right Through https://wwzc.org/yaza-2007
- 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
New Stock of Incense in Myomaku
A new shipment of incense has arrived in Myomaku (in the first floor library at Dainen-ji) with a variety of Shoyeido products available for purchase, to use in your practice space or as gifts. The selection includes an assortment of incense for daily use, several smokeless varieties, and premium incense. There are also incense gift sets, and small cloth and brocade sachets (containing powdered incense) that can be used to freshen closets. All proceeds support White Wind Zen Community.
Samu on Sundays
Each Sunday afternoon (except during O-sesshin and Sesshin), Caretaking Council (Saigyo tando, Fushin shramon and Endai shramon) do samu from 1:30p.m to 4:30p.m. on the various small projects required around the monastery. There are always a great many tasks that need to be done and so any students are welcome and encouraged to come to Dainen-ji to join the monastics in caretaking practice. If you would like to partake in the samu practice on Sundays please write to Saigyo tando at saigyo.cross@gmail.com.
Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)
by Shikai Zuiko sensei
Continuing on with “Painted Cakes: A Zen Dictionary” a limited edition text written by Anzan Hoshin roshi in 1994.
Omamaori(J); A talismanic object empowered by the teacher as a reminder of practice and an access point for transmission
Questions can be sent to me, Shikai sensei, at shikai.sensei@gmail.com.
Office of the Tenzo
Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzokyokun 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 osho serves as tenzo and Mishin ino and Saigyo tando offer assistance as tenzo-anja.
Monday Yakuseki:
White and brown basmati rice seasoned with curry powder; green lentils with sauteed cubed potatoes, carrots, chopped poblano, green bell and cubanelle peppers seasoned with garam masala; cremini, eryngii, and shitake mushrooms, faux "pork" mein jin and atsuage tofu triangles stir-fried with tandoori seasonings and coconut milk; tamarind soup with dai gai choy (mustard greens).
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes made with chicken stock, Dijon mustard and lots of black pepper; caramelized red, Spanish, and white onions with extra virgin olive oil; slices of roasted pork loin with tamarind, soy sauce, and garlic marinade; stir-fried gai lan (Asian broccoli) "white" kimchi (abaechu).
Thursday Yakuseki:
Caramelized onion frittata topped with sliced tomatoes and friulano cheese; leek and potato soup with carrot, celery, garlic, white wine, Dijon mustard, vegetable stock, Herbes de Provence (savory, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano); English cucumber with baechu kimchi.
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 Endai shramon:
Thank you to the Roshi and Jinmyo osho for preparing the delicious yakuseki meals served on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for instruction in daisan. Thank you to the Roshi for overseeing the practice of all students who live locally as well as at a distance from the monastery; to Shikai sensei, Jinmyo osho, Chunen angya, Mishin ino and Saigyo tando for providing long-distance instruction to associate and general public students who live far away from Dainen-ji. Thank you to Saigyo tando for overseeing samu on Sunday afternoons when the Caretaking Council members and other students practice samu and take care of repairs and improvements to the monastery.
From Chiso anagarika:
Thank you to the Roshi for years of unending patience in Teaching and for a pen clip for my note book; thank you to Jinmyo osho for the best pickles ever and her visible joy in making the best meals; thank you to Mishin ino for her care; thank you to Saigyo tando for the help with my suitcase and with parking; thank you to Fushin shramon for shoveling; to Endai shramon for his cheerful kitchen clean-up; and thank you to Alexander Tzelnic for opening and closing the Butsudan during our retreat, and for driving nine and a half hours in a snowstorm, and still making it in time for the Monday evening sitting (and for sharing the drive back to Cambridge).
From Hannah Kent:
Thank you to: the Roshi for Dainen-ji, a wonderful practice environment; to Mishin ino for recent practice interviews that show me how to work with states; to Saigyo tando for checking in with me during my retreat and making sure I had everything I needed; and to the Office of the Tenzo for delicious and healthy meals.
From Alex Tzelnic:
A heartfelt thank you to all who make practice at Dainen-ji possible: to the Roshi for making the teachings accessible to those near and far; to Mishin ino and Saigyo tando for their help with practice, logistics, and everything in between; to the office of the Tenzo for nourishing meals; to all the monastics and residents for their tireless efforts in creating such a bright and open space; and to Chiso anagarika for sharing the trip, and the practice.
What to do if you arrive late for a sitting
You don't need to turn around and go home. Ring the bell once and then sit on the bench on the front porch. If possible, we will come and unlock the door for you right away. If we are in the middle of the chants or listening to a teisho, we will come to let you in as soon as the teisho finishes.
Ongoing Project: "All is Change"
Dainen-ji, being a 140-year-old building, is continuously in need of maintenance and the costs associated with this can be astronomical when such things as porch repairs or exterior painting are needed. This is something that we cannot afford to do, yet must do and so the "All is Change" project has been created. The "All is Change" project is very simple. Most of us have a bowl or a jar or some other kind of container that we keep somewhere at home and fill up with loose change because it's too heavy to carry around. Several hundred dollars has been collected so far both in loose change and Canadian tire money which has been put towards the building maintenance fund. If anyone would like to contribute to this fund, each penny will be appreciated. The “All is Change” container is on the wooden wall shelf under the Sangha Board in the cloak room.
