eMirror Vol 24, No. 50 (2020-12-11)

 

Ven. Shikai Zuiko O-sensei (Feb. 6, 1942 -  Oct. 31. 2020) at Dainen-ji in 2003, Photograph by Tarik Kaya

Ven. Shikai Zuiko O-sensei (Feb. 6, 1942 -  Oct. 31. 2020) at Dainen-ji in 2003,
Photograph by Tarik Kaya


eMirror Vol 24, No. 50

Friday, December 11th, 2020
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho

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



On Saturday, October 31st, Shikai Zuiko O-sensei died of pneumonia at the Montfort Hospital. Brilliant, fierce, and funny, she was deeply loved and lived a long life of many accomplishments. An artist in different media, she had been a broadcaster and travelled the world. In 1987 she became my student. 
Here is one of the first poems I wrote for her:

one mind,
one body,
no mind,
no body

in this moment
who are you?

what is this moment?

everyday
you breathe in and
breathe out

why?

    Well?

She was the first student to receive monastic ordination and was a trailblazer for many. Here are some autobiographical comments: https://wwzc.org/ven-shikai-zuiko-sensei. As a practice advisor and then Dharma Teacher she continued to travel for many years. She brought our Lineage's Zen to England and Germany, to prisons and universities. Over the past years as her health suffered she stopped travelling but always carried and upheld the Dharma. 

Since her death and up until Saturday, December 19th, monastics and residents at Dainen-ji have been practising the Komyo Shingon. If you have received instruction in this practice you are welcome to join with us in your home practice.

Traditionally in our Lineage the cremated remains of Teachers are cast into the air to become traceless. During this time of the pandemic this will be delayed indefinitely. When it is possible this ceremony will be held and her ashes will be scattered by the water garden that she loved so well. For the time being, her remains are in the Hojo.

Her two best friends, the cats Kitsune and Shindo, are being well cared for.

If you have memories or stories about Shikai sensei that you would like to share then please feel free to write them down. Eventually these will be collected into a "sayings and doings" (yulu or goroku) commemorating her life, practice, and Teaching.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
 


Hojo Renovations



Funds raised to date: $46,380.

Thank you to all for your generous donations to the Hojo Renovation Fund which have enabled essential improvements to be made to the Hojo, Abbot's Quarters. The contractors have finished their work and the Roshi will be moving into the newly renovated Hojo, Abbot's Quarters, in the next few days.

We have raised slightly more than the amount needed for the renovation project. The additional funds raised will be used to cover the costs of a new window and window screen in the Hojo over the fire escape. This will replace the existing window that is many years old and in disrepair. Once we have approval for the window from the City of Ottawa Heritage department, it will provide a properly insulated and safe egress.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: 
December 16th and 30th.

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

Dainen-ki
December 12th is the anniversary of the day on which the Roshi’s Teacher, Ven. Yasuda Joshu Dainen roshi died.

Joya (New Year’s Celebration)
On Thursday, December 31st at 10 p.m. until Friday, January 1st at 12:00 a.m., we will celebrate Joya or New Year with 108 recitations of the Mahaprajnaparamita Hridaya sutra mantra at midnight.
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, December 8th at her home in the Berkshires. Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on Thursday, December 3rd at her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick. Brian Lakeman sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, December 6th at his home in Brampton, Ontario. Daryl David sat a half-day retreat on Monday, December 7th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Sarah Goul sat a half-day retreat on Wednesday, December 9th at her home in Kingston, Ontario.

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”.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule



Saturday, December 12th to Saturday, December 19th

Saturday, December 12th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Not Now This Now That” (teisho 3 of 44)
Sunday, December 13th: SAkN: Being Between Being by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Being-Between Being" (3 of 6)
Monday, December 14th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Move Past Householder's Life" (Dharma Talk 12)
Thursday, December 17th: “The Four Great Vows” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Endless Obsessions” (Dharma Talk 2 of 4)
Saturday, December 19th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Shakyamuni Buddhas” (teisho 4 of 44)
 


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.
 


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)

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



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.

Shoken (J) "First View". The first interview between teacher and student which traditionally involves the student offering incense and a gift and applying for acceptance as a student. 

Posted November 20, 2020. New entries are posted every two weeks.

 

Oryoki set drawing


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 godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja. The following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings this week:

O-sesshin Meals continued:

Friday

Breakfast: Fried rice (Biryani leftover from previous evening meal); scrambled eggs.
Lunch: Calrose rice; miso shiru (kombu stock, shiro miso, ginger, shoyu, mirin, rice vinegar, silken tofu, rehydrated shitake mushrooms); takuan and gari.
Supper: cavatappi in garlic butter sauce; sauteed gai lan with red and white kidney beans; cubes of friulano with gherkin and lemon zest.

Saturday
Breakfast: Fried cavatappi pasta, greens and beans leftover from the previous evening's meal.
lunch: Mixed white and brown jasmine rice topped with cubed daikon sauteed in chile sauce; seaweed soup (strained leftover miso shiru stock with wakame seaweed, slivered ginger, shoyu, sesame oil, chile paste, and silken tofu); baechu kimchi.
Supper: Mixed grain (calrose medium-grain white rice, Korean short grain rice, arborio rice, and pearled barley) with peanuts; dai gai choy soup (chopped dai gai choy, celery and white onion, slivered ginger, shaoxing cooking wine, shoyu, vegetable stock, white pepper, cubed deep-fried tofu); Asian pear with lime juice and chili flakes.

Sunday
Breakfast: Scallion and mushroom congee (mixed grain, strained broth, and minced shitake mushrooms, all left over from previous day's meals, chopped scallions, minced coriander stems, slivered ginger, sesame oil, shoyu, white pepper); scrambled eggs.
Lunch: Mixed grain left over from previous day mixed with peanuts and sauteed chile daikon; miso shiru (kombu stock, shiro miso, ginger, shoyu, mirin, rice vinegar, silken tofu, rehydrated shitake mushrooms); takuan and gari.
Supper: Lundberg brown rice mixed with baby green peas and butter;  tomato soup (diced carrots, onions, celery, minced garlic, cremini mushrooms, tomato juice, fresh oregano, fresh basil, cumin, red wine; cubes of friulano cheese and artichoke hearts.

Monday
Breakfast
: Chirashizushi (calrose rice, diced cucumber, diced takuan, chopped gari, slivered scallions, rice vinegar, gari pickling liquid; omelette cut into large squares)
Lunch: Thai jasmine rice; seaweed soup (strained leftover miso shiru stock with wakame seaweed, slivered ginger, shoyu, sesame oil, chile paste, and silken tofu); baechu kimchi with thinly sliced asian pear.
Supper: Mixed grain (white and brown Thai Jasmine rice, turmeric); Thai coconut milk curry (cubed Spanish onion, red, yellow and poblano peppers, dai gai choy, ginger, Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, demerara sugar, lime juice; thinly sliced Napa cabbage with chipotle mayonnaise).

Thursday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (calrose, arborio, and Thai sticky rice, barley); bulgogi tofu (sauteed cubed Spanish onion, red and poblano peppers, dai gai choy, slivered ginger, minced garlic, bulgogi sauce, black pepper); baechu kimchi mixed with thin bias-cut celery.

 

Jinmyo osho bowing in gassho


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 Mishin godo for the many, many hours she has dedicated to treasurer’s work in the past few weeks. 

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