eMirror Vol 24, No. 40 (2020-10-02)

Out to Dry, photograph by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei

Out to Dry, photograph by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei

eMirror Vol 24, No. 40

Friday, October 2nd, 2020
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho

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



Nothing comes to stay.

Nothing comes in order to haunt you.

None of your thoughts and feelings, none of your fears, none of your habits, really want to be held. They simply want to go away. They simply want to open. They simply want to reveal themselves as facets of the energy of experience. They simply want to be released.

But as long as you fear them, as long as you cling to them, as long as you hide from them, as long as you hide IN them, you do not allow them to be as they are. You cripple them and stunt them. You lock them up and tie them down and then their weight crushes you.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing the teisho "Zhang Drinks Sake", March 25th, 1990, at Zazen-ji


 


Icicle hanging from Hojo roof


Not ‘Elective Surgery’
New Update on the Plan for Essential Repairs to the Hojo 
(Abbot’s Quarters)



Hojo renovation funds raised to date: $33,205.
Fundraising goal: $40,000

The renovation project to carry out essential repairs to the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters) began in August and will continue until approximately the end of October. The work is being carried out by Copperstone Renovations.

The three-month project  involves taking down the ceiling in the Hojo washroom in order to insulate, raising the floor, repairing interior moisture damage, and addressing other structural problems (extremely uneven floors, and ventilation, plumbing, and electrical issues). We have had an ongoing problem with a gigantic icicle forming every year on that corner of the building, putting strain on the roof. Making repairs to the underside of the roof to stop the icicle from forming is a requirement of our insurance company, which in turn must meet the requirements of the mortgage company (lenders require insurance) and they set a deadline of a year for us to make the necessary repairs. So this was not ‘elective surgery’ on the building. It had to be taken care of to meet insurance requirements.

The cost of this portion of the work is approximately $40,000. While donations from monastics and lay students earlier in the year took us part way towards the total amount needed, fundraising was put on hold with the start of the Covid pandemic. However, icicles, insurance companies and mortgage companies don’t stop what they do because of pandemics, so we had to begin fundraising efforts again. 

All donations are gratefully appreciated. Please contribute what you can to support this essential work. Donations will receive a charitable tax receipt from White Wind Zen Community. 
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: 
October 14th and October 28th.

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

Daruma-ki O-sesshin
The Daruma-ki O-sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 4th, and will end on Sunday, October 11th at noon. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as possible. 

A Note to Students Concerning O-sesshin
During an O-sesshin the schedule is intensive for those participating and there is no time for monastics to take telephone calls or reply to email correspondence sent by public students (unless it’s an emergency).  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.

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

 


Congratulations



Congratulations and deep gassho to Claude Schryer of Ottawa, Canada, who has been accepted as a general student by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi. Congratulations and deep gassho to Bruce O'Roak of California, USA, who has been accepted as an associate public student by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi. 
 


Retreats and Sesshin


 

Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, September 29th at her home in the Berkshires. Elizabeth Eve sat a half-day retreat on Tuesday, September 29th and a one-day retreat on Wednesday, September 30th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Beth Buerkle sat a partial retreat on Thursday, October 1st, in her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is not possible at this time to schedule retreats in the monastery. 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. We can arrange for a telephone interview or daisan providing this does not conflict with the sesshin or O-sesshin schedule listed above, under “Upcoming Events”.
 


Listening to Teisho



​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 Schedule



Saturday, October 3rd to Saturday, October 10th

Saturday, October 3rd: "Rhythm and Song": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dongshan Liangjie's "Hokyo Zanmai": "True Centre" (8 of 15)
Sunday, October 4th: "SAkN: Tathagatagarbha" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "The Flash of Knowing" (2 of 4) 
Monday, October 5th: "Measureless" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge Osho-ajari
Thursday, October 8th: "Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: "Ordinary" (70 of 71)
Saturday, October 10th: "Rhythm and Song": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dongshan Liangjie's "Hokyo Zanmai": "The Path of Birds" (9 of 15)
 


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.

 

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


Translations



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. Many of these will be posted on our website over the next few months.
 


Newly-Presented Teachings



During the January 2020 Sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          January 11th: “Rujing's Broken Broom of Mu”.
During the December 2019 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity, Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          December 2nd: Rujing’s Plum Blossoms Again
          December 3rd: Rujing’s Flower for Pindola
          December 4th: Rujing’s Painting Plum Blossoms
          December 5th: Rujing’s Frogs and Worms
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the November Sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          November 9th: Rujing and the Old Plum Tree
 


Newly Posted Transcript on the WWZC Website



"Zen is Not Kidding" by Shikai Zuiko sensei https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/zen-not-kidding
 


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
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

 

Ma Ka Hannya Ha Ra Mitta Shin Gyo, Japanese characters


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei



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.

Shodo (J) “Way of the Brush”. The Zen art of brush calligraphy as practice. A “sho” is a work of such calligraphy.

Questions can be sent to me, Shikai sensei, at shikai.sensei@gmail.com.

 

"Tenzo" sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
"Tenzo" sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi


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. The following meals were prepared for residents prior to the evening sittings on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Monday Yakuseki:
Thai jasmine rice; red shepherd bell peppers, orange and yellow peppers, poblano peppers cut into chunks, mixed with cubed firm tofu, seasoned with garlic, vegetarian oyster sauce and white pepper; small salad of Romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion with a dressing made from blended cashews mixed with Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper), chunks of fresh pineapple.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Lasagna made with browned Italian sausage, ground pork, ground beef, monastery-made marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese (non-dairy option Vegan cream made with ground cashews, dried porcini mushrooms, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt); salad of romaine and leaf lettuce, radishes, red onion, and tomatoes; dressing - white balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, salt, pepper, basil.

Thursday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (arborio rice, Calrose rice, pearled barley, Korean short-grain white rice); Chinese dried black mushrooms, dried tree ear mushrooms, dried lily buds, cooked lotus root, water chestnuts, Chinese dried white fungus, dark shoyu, black vinegar, light shoyu, brown sugar, sesame oil, lots of white pepper, chopped scallions, chopped fresh coriander, thickened with cornstarch); seared monastery-grown poblano peppers cut into strips, tofu cut into batonettes, seasoned with garlic, shoyu, black vinegar and a pinch of sugar; baechu kimchi.

 

Drawing of monk bowing


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 osho: 
Thank you to the Roshi for ongoing instruction and for always answering my questions; Thank you to Shikai sensei for the Dharma Talk “Every Breath You Take 23: When Receiving Novice Precepts” (the story about the farmer is wonderful); to Mishin godo for ordering supplies from Bulk Barn, and for negotiating with Heritage Canada about the installation of a new window; to Saigyo ino for drilling holes in buckets to be used for growing peppers under grow lights; to Fushin shramon and David Gallant for carrying items to and from the attic; to Senbo for adding and updating pages on the Website when needed and for sending the eMirror out to the subscription list each week. Thank you to Tarik Kaya for removing cobwebs from the lights outside the Zendo (we have very enthusiastic spiders building condominiums in that area). 

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for making "tiger skin peppers" (hot and sour fried peppers with tofu) with the roof garden poblano harvest. 

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to the following for donations to the Hojo renovation fund: Jinmyo osho, Mishin ino, Saigyo ino, Chiso anagarika, Jinen, David Gallant, Leonardo Nobrego, Graham Mayeda, Marc Valade, George Donovation, Neil Faught, Bruce O'Roak, and Adda Hernandez. Thank you to Fushin shramon for a donation towards the 3rd floor flooring.

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