eMirror Vol 27, No. 6 (2023-02-10)



Zenga of chanting by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
Zenga of chanting by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi


eMirror Vol 27, No. 6

Friday, February 10th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council

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



The Buddha said that in order to really begin to understand how to be mindful you have to begin with the body. To understand the body clearly, you have to see the arising, dwelling, and decaying of different qualities of sensations, different qualities of perception, different qualities of experience. And yesterday we talked about the possibility of applying the Buddha’s teaching on the mahabhutas, the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space to the mind as well as the body. Now, amazingly, in order to apply these teachings to the mind, we have to begin with the body. Mind and body don’t seem to have a seam, there does not seem to be any place that we can say that mind and body are separated from each other.

In the text that we were just chanting to begin the evening zazen rounds, Dogen zenji’s Fukanzazengi, it says, “Practice and realization are the deportment of this very bodymind.” It is in the body that we encounter the mind. The mind sets itself forth as body and the body sets itself forth as mind. It is in being aware of the body, and then aware with the body, and finally aware as the body that practice and realization themselves begin to flower.
                            
-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning Teisho Three: "The Worm" in the series "Flowers and Worms", Hanamatsuri sesshin, April 11th to 14th, 1991, Zazen-ji.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: February 22nd.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, March 4th, at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa

Nehan O-sesshin:
The Nehan O-sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 10th, and ends at noon on Friday, February 17th. 

A Sitting for Associate and General Students During the Nehan O-sesshin:
A combined sitting for associate and general students will take place in the Zendo on Saturday, February 11th. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m. (in time for First Bell). The sitting ends at 11:30 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor.

Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Monday February 13th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.

Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Thursday February 16th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.

A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public students are asked to send their weekly practice journals, as they will be reviewed. But unless there is something that needs an immediate reply, you will not receive an email reply until the week following the O-sesshin.

Nehan:
Commemoration of the Buddha’s Death (Nehan-e) February 15th.

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

Long Distance Training Program:
For students living an hour or more commuting distance from the monastery in Ottawa, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
 


White Wind Zen Community Website Update



“River of Memory”: transcript of teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, on March 21st, 1991: 
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/river-memory
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, February 7th at her home in the Berkshires. Thach Hoang sat a one and a half-day retreat on Friday, February 3rd and Saturday, February 4th at his home in Laval, Quebec. Loic-Alexandre Ouellette sat a one-day retreat on Saturday, February 4th at Dainen-ji. Aaron Ford sat a two-day retreat on Saturday, February 4th and Sunday, February 5th at his home in Calgary, Alberta.  Charlane Bishop sat a half-day retreat on Monday, February 6th at her home in Newtonville, Nova Scotia. 

If you are a student of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and  would like to sit a retreat at Dainen-ji,, please email schedule@wwzc.org to register a week in advance. For further information please visit this page: https://wwzc.org/retreats

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.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


Saturday, February 11th to Saturday, February 18th

Saturday, February 11th: “The Touchstone" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei: "The Touchstone 14, Karuna" (teisho 14 of 22, 22 minutes) 
Saturday, February 18th: "The Landscape of Reality" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Through the Edge" (10 of 12, 35 minutes)

Recorded teisho timing during Nehan O-sesshin:

Saturday, February 11th: “Sitting Up Straight”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's "Zazen Yojinki": “Straighter!" (17 of 18)
Sunday, February 12th: “Sitting Up Straight”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's "Inexhaustible Field of Zazen" (18 of 18)
Monday, February 13th: SAkN “Root Cycle One” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Explanations” (teisho 1 of 6)
Tuesday, February 14th: SAkN “Root Cycle One” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Space” (teisho 2 of 6)
Wednesday, February 15th: SAkN “Root Cycle One” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Activity” (teisho 3 of 6)
Thursday, February 16th: SAkN “Root Cycle One” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Knowing” (teisho 4 of 6)
 


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 shuso following her death



scroll

Dongshan Liangjie 洞山良价 (Tung-shan Liang-chieh; Tozan Ryokai), 807-869. Dharma-heir of Yunyan Tansheng. Wuben (Wu-pen, Gohon) is a posthumous title. Gave Transmission to Yunju Daoying. Appears in Blue Cliff Records Case 43, Records of Serenity 22, 49, 56, 89, 94, 98. See Denkoroku Chapter 39. See Dogen’s Gyoji. See also the teisho series by Anzan Hoshin roshi Rhythm and Song: Commentaries on the Hokyo Zanmai and Medicine Mountain: The Recorded Sayings and Doings of Zen Master Yaoshan Weiyan.

Posted February 10th, 2023. New entries are posted every two weeks.

 

Tenzo (Japanese characters)


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 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings:

Monday Yakuseki:
Fried Rice (leftover Thai rice, calrose brown rice, and calrose white rice, small diced carrots, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped scallions, osmanthus eggs, Chinese light shoyu, Chinese dark shoyu, Shaoxing cooking wine, white pepper; ganmodoki (mashed silken tofu, chopped medium-firm tofu, minced shiseido, seeded red chilies, jalapeno peppers, minced scallions and ginger, egg whites, salt, rice flour) formed into balls, rolled in potato flour and deep-fried); sauteed green beans, strips of white onion and strips of poblano peppers, cooked with garlic.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with butter and peas. Mushrooms roasted with chili sauce; tomato soup (blended cooked carrots, celery, onion, minced garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, thyme, basil, lots of black pepper).
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: roasted chicken thighs seasoned with a dry rub (garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and thyme. 

Thursday Yakuseki:
Ratatouille (oven roasted garlic, chopped white onions, chopped zucchini and eggplant, red bell peppers, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, tomatoes, bay leaves salt, black pepper) served with grated Friulano cheese; salad of romaine, leaf lettuce, radicchio, thinly sliced red onion, celery, and chopped tomatoes with a dressing of mayonnaise, dijon, apple cider vinegar, honey, and black pepper.
 

Gassho sign (hands in gassho in in a circle)

Thank You



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

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to the Roshi for the collection of 25 Great Matter Dharma texts available to students and the general public. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for writing the Retreat Handbook with detailed instructions on forms for sitting retreats at Dainen-ji, and for the pages of information on the White Wind Zen Community website with instructions for public students on sitting home retreats and Notes on Home Practice. Thank you to Saigyo ino for shopping for monastery groceries at several stores every week and organizing morning samu assignments. Thank you to Fushin shuso for cleaning and preparing candles and candle holders for use in practice halls. Thank you to Leonardo Nobrega and David Gallant for archiving samu to work on older recordings on audio cassettes that have issues with playback quality. Thank you to Ian Richard for samu every Sunday to work on the eMirror archives.

From Ian Richard:
Thank you to the Roshi for the “Cutting the Cat Into One” Teachings, and to Mishin godo for suggesting I re-read them. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for daisan and for showing me the sewing machine. Thank you to Mishin godo for teaching me more about the Daruma-kata Aiki, to Saigyo ino for a correction about forms, and to Artik for patience with a mistake I made.

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