eMirror Vol 30, No. 4 (2026-01-23)

Hishiryo "Before Thinking", sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi


Hishiryo "Before Thinking", sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi

eMirror Vol 30, No. 4

Friday, January 23th, 2026
Edited by the Practice Council

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


The vast and subtle intelligence of the bodymind is wondrous in its flexibility. In the length of time it takes to snap the fingers the bodymind has processed the incredible amount of information necessary to actually snap the fingers [Roshi snaps fingers] and to hear and understand the snapping sound. The sound might mean many things depending upon the context. It might signal a call for attention. It might be a disparaging gesture. It might be used as a kind of flourish. Or in this case it is used as an example of an experience and the richness of experiencing. The bodymind’s intelligence is such that this is just a very minor example of its great capacities. It can see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and feel and think. It can stand, sit, walk, and lie down. It can talk and tell jokes and laugh and cry. It can hear the sound of a bird and know it as the sound of a bird. It can even know the kind of bird and what kind of intention might be expressed by the sound, the plumage, the seasonal habits, the breeding and flight patterns and usual foods and lifespan of this kind of bird. The bodymind can write poetry and carve statues and arrange flowers and stones and paint with ink or colours or even with digital pixels. It can also use its intelligence to confuse itself. It can get lost in its ability to name birds and animals and people and stars and shapes of clouds. Its open capacity to think and feel thoughts too rich and nuanced for words can be lost in discursiveness and imagery. Our capacity for deep and expansive thinking can become fragmented and reduced into mere thoughts. We can confuse ourselves so much that deceit, treachery, indulgence, and violence can all seem to be good ideas. The mournful parade of battles and wars and death camps and oppression that has been the vast majority of human history is the sad result of this. 
    The Buddhas and Awakened Ancestors ask us to step out of marching in the parade and to just sit up straight as we are and allow thoughts to become resolved back into the open intelligence of the bodymind.   

- Beginning teisho 8: 2005, in 13 August, 2005 in the series "Wandering on Medicine Mountain" presented by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin at Dainen-ji


The Hatto (for formal sittings)

The Hatto (for formal sittings)

The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)

The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)

Practice Schedule and Upcoming Events

Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows):  February 4th and 18th.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next  Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, February 7th, 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 Seven-day Nehan O-sesshin will begin on Sunday, February 15th at 8:00 p.m. It will end on Sunday, February 22nd at noon. 

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 21st. 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. Seating is limited and registration is required: Register for Combined Sitting

Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Monday February 16th 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 19th 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 hermitage due to underlying health issues.


Weekly Practice Schedule

Formal Sittings for WWZC Students: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. The formal sittings begin at 6:00 a.m. You would need to arrive by 5:45 in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 7:25 with the Chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki review which ends at about 7:50. If you need to leave before the kata, please let us know that in advance by sending an email to schedule@wwzc.org.

Saturday Morning General Sitting for WWZC Students: The general sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. You would need to arrive by 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45 a.m. Some general students attend the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning formal sitting, stay for breakfast and then attend the general sitting. If you stay for breakfast, there is a $5 contribution which can be made through Eventbrite: Register for Saturday Breakfast Proceeds from meals go to White Wind Zen Community.

Monday and Thursday Evening Associate Sittings for WWZC Students: The associate sitting begins at 7:30 p.m. You would need to arrive by 7:15 p.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 9:10 p.m.

Friday (Hosan): There are no formal sittings scheduled at the monastery on Fridays, but you are expected to sit at home if you have committed to sitting zazen daily. Retreats may be scheduled on Fridays.

Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students. It starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:10 a.m. with the chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki which ends at about 10:30 a.m.


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 


What to do if you Arrive After the Sitting Begins

If you arrive after the sitting starts and the door is locked, 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.


Retreats and Training Sessions

Information About Scheduling Retreats or Training Sessions

General public student Thach Hoang sat a one and a half-day retreat from Saturday, January 17th to Sunday, January 18th at his home in Laval, Quebec.


Recorded Teachings Schedule

Listening to Recorded Teisho and Dharma Talks

Recorded Teachings Schedule for January 24th to January 31st:
General sitting Saturday, January 24th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 4: The Buddha "Old" (21 minutes).
Formal sitting Sunday, January 25th: "SAkN The Anatomy of Awakening" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Teisho 2: Living the Body (32 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, January 26th and Thursday, January 29th: "Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Death" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin (24 minutes)
General sitting Saturday, January 31st: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 5: Fences, Walls, Tiles, Stones (23 minutes)


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 http://wwzc.org/dharma-position  

Eyes See, Ears Hear http://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear 

Embarrassment http://wwzc.org/embarrassment 

Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: http://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way


Translations and Texts

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

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

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 Keisei Sanshoku: Sounds of Streams, Forms of Mountains, 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 still ongoing.

Roshi also finished 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.


White Wind Zen Community Website Update

Dharma Talk: “Embarrassment” 
Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi on August 25th, 1990. 
https://wwzc.org/embarrassment-0/ 

Teisho: “Practising Without an Edge”
Teisho presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on February 19th, 2025
https://wwzc.org/practising-without-an-edge/ 

Teisho: “I Know Who You Are!”
Teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented at Dainen-ji on March 13th, 1999
https://wwzc.org/teisho-i-know-who-you-are/ 

Dharma Assembly: On Karma 
Mondo by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, Presented in April  of 1986, River Road Zendo. 
https://wwzc.org/dharma-assembly-karma/ 


Request for Help to Maintain the Grounds

If you would like to offer time to help with maintenance in the grounds your help will be appreciated. You can offer a regular period of samu or make arrangements with the shissui to come for a single period of caretaking practice. Please write to info@wwzc.org or directly to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com if you can assist with this work. Thank you.


Wooden Practice Materials for Sale in Myomaku

Saigyo ino has made a selection of wooden practice materials which are now for sale in Myomaku. These include boxes for storing incense, incense bowls, kneeling benches and kaishaku. He is donating a portion of the proceeds to WWZC. You are welcome to go into myomaku before or after sittings to see what’s available.

Wooden Practice Materials for Sale in Myomaku


Alternate parking for sittings near Dainen-ji

If you need alternate parking near the monastery due to snow parking bans or lack of parking spots you can use the Loblaws car park located at 363 Rideau Street - Parking - Loblaws.

The car park is open until 10:00 p.m and charges $4 per hour. A full day 6:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $10.


Office of the Tenzo

Office of the Tenzo

Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (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 WWZC does not advocate any particular diet. However all meals prepared during practice events, such as Dharma Assemblies, sesshin, or retreats are vegetarian or vegan as most people can eat this. On Tuesday evenings there is an optional meat dish, as some people find that a purely vegetarian diet, especially as they get older, is not sufficient for their health. If you are adhering to a strictly vegan diet, you can write to the tenzo, Jinmyo Renge sensei, at jinmyo.renge@wwzc.org a week prior to attending an event to request vegan foods. If you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to foods, you should write to the tenzo about dietary restrictions a week before attending events.

The following meals were prepared on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings:

Monday:
Mixed grain (calrose and arborio rice, barley); dumpling soup (broth made with vegetarian stock, mushroom powder, slivered ginger and lots of white pepper, chopped dai gai choy, Napa cabbage and scallions and sauteed cremini mushrooms to which vegetarian dumplings were added); chopped Asian pear mixed with lime juice and chile flakes.

Tuesday:
Mashed Yukon gold potatoes with granny Smith apples; caramelized onion to serve on top of the potato/apple mixture; sausages (mild Italian, hot Italian and bratwurst served with HP sauce and Dijon mustard); coleslaw (thinly sliced green cabbage, carrot, and white onion dressed with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish, lime juice, salt, and black pepper.

Thursday:
Crusty bread; leek and potato soup with rosemary, thyme and lemon; salad of chopped radicchio, romaine and green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced red onion and celery, roasted almonds, and crumbled feta cheese with an optional dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar with honey and black pepper.


Thank you

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 and Jinmyo sensei leading the Office of the Tenzo for having designed over almost four decades thousands of meals for sesshin and O-sesshin practitioners, Yakuseki evening meals for residents, and retreatant meals. Thank you to Saigyo ino for installing a blind in Myomaku to cut down on sun glare when the Sensei uses the Shuryo for dokusan. Thank you to Yujin for setting up and managing media site accounts for new students.

From Tarik Kaya:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for accepting me as a probationary formal student, all the instructions and encouragement over the years. Thank you to the late Shikai osho for the instructions, her care and kindness.  Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for countless practice interviews and for their dedication and hard work. I am very grateful.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Myocho Maheu for a donation.

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