eMirror Vol 23, No. 44 (2019-11-01)

 

Amidas

eMirror Vol 23, No. 44

Friday, Novemver 1st, 2019
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho

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



Most people live their lives with only the palest encounters with the vividness and richness of the colours, forms, sounds, sensations, smells, tastes and cognitions of reality. And unfortunately some of the sutras and masters that people meet teach them to grow calluses over their eyes and to close off the senses. Some sutras with the best of intention blame the senses for confusion. After all, you can’t lust after what you don’t even notice. Some religious groups put veils over women in order to protect the men from lust and also to protect the object of their lust from being ruined by others. Some Buddhist practices would have all of the senses veiled to protect self-image from confusion but also to keep it protected in a cocoon of self-contemplation. Some even amount to a kind of sensory leprosy that not only brings loss of feeling and numbness but parts of the body just falling off and away into abstractness.

In the language now called Pali the words “samisam” for “bodily” or “sensual” literally means “with raw meat” and for mental or non-sensual is “niramisam” means “not with raw meat.” With the language itself so constrained and hobbled this is understandable in the ancient Indian texts to a certain extent. The Buddha Dharma has continued to develop and be articulated in many languages and cultures but still some of these orientations and strategies of avoidance of actual experience are revered.

This is not necessarily a matter of particular schools of Buddhism. There is no such thing as the Hinayana school. The various Theravadin traditions of Southeast Asia derive from and follow traditions earlier than the Mahayana schools that developed in India but they are not Hinayana as such. There can be Hinayana Zen Masters and Pure Land Teachers and Tibetan lamas. There can be Mahayana Theravadin bhikkhu. Hinayana and Mahayana are orientations towards practice and experience. The Hinayana backs away, crouches, and hides. The Mahayana sits up straight and pervades and embraces all beings and all worlds. True practice reveals the living body as the Way.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning teisho 4: "This is Not the Samadhi of Dharmata," Monday, December 6, 2004 in the teisho series "Essentially Real: Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s 'Hossho: Dharmata'."
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: 
November 13th and 27th.

Hermitage:
The Roshi began a period of hermitage on Wednesday October 30th, which will end at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana. 

Introduction to Zen Workshop
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place at Dainen-ji on Saturday, November 2nd. For more information please see: http://www.wwzc.org/content/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: http://www.wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program

November Two-day Sesshin
The November 2-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday,  November 10th. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as is possible.
On Saturday, November 9th, associate and general students may attend a sitting held in the Zendo. 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.

Daiko-ki
November 18th is the Memorial for the death of Anzan Daiko zenji.

Samu Weekend: 
The next Samu Weekend is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 23rd and 24th. Please pencil these dates into your schedule so that you will be able to attend some or all of this weekend of samu practice. Saigyo tando will be writing soon to students with more details about the activities taking place over the weekend. To register please send an email to Saigyo tando at saigyo dot cross at gmail.com or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at 613-562-1568.
 


Recent Changes in Monastic Training Posts



During the Daruma-ki O-sesshin, there were the following changes:  Mishin ino began training as Godo and Saigyo tando began training as Ino.
 


Retreats



Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Friday, October 25th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 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.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


 

  • Saturday, November 2nd: “Bright Right Through”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries
    on Dogen zenji's "Muchu Setsumu": Reading of the text (1 of 12)
  • Sunday, November 3rd: SAkN “Root Cycle Three: Aware Space" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “The Spectrum of Radiance” (teisho 8 of 8)
  • Monday, November 4th: “The Posture of Practice” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Zazen” (Dharma Talk 1 of 2)
  • Thursday, November 7th: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Understanding” (23 of 71)

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.
 


Newly Presented Teachings


 

  • On Saturday, October 19th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented the Dharma Talk “Heaps and Poisons”, the second presentation in the series “The Sky Around the Clouds”.
  • Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the October Daruma-ki O-sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
    • October 7th: Rujing and the Stainless
    • October 8th: Rujing, the Abbot of Tiantong part 1
    • October 9th: Rujing, the Abbot of Tiantong part 2
    • October 10th: Rujing’s Windbell
  • On Saturday, September 14th during the September sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the Reading of Denkoroku Case 51: Tiantong Rujing as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China.”
  • On Saturday, August 24th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented the Dharma Talk “The Sky Sits Up Straight”, the first presentation in “The Sky Around the Clouds”, a new series of Dharma Talks.
  • On Saturday, August 10th during the August sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the teisho “Zhijian's Concealed and Unconcealed” as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China.”
  • During Yaza on Saturday, July 13th, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the teisho “Yaza: The Buddha and the Lies”.
     

WWZC Website


wwzc.org

Newly Added Recorded Teachings for Associate and General Students

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:

 


Roof Repair and Essential Repairs to the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters)


 

MVIMG_20190127_084840.jpg

Essential repairs are needed to the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters), and we are in the process of planning how we can best proceed with this large project. The needed work includes replacing the roof over that area of the building, taking down the ceiling in the Hojo washroom to repair interior damage and properly insulate, and address structural problems (extremely uneven floors, and ventilation, plumbing, and electrical issues). We have received quotations for much of the work but are still waiting on some information. We will be providing the Sangha with a detailed plan breaking the work into phases, along with the amount that must be fundraised.

The image above shows the icicle that forms every winter on the roof of the Hojo. It is often over 20 feet long and is causing damage to the exterior trim and roof line and may be causing interior damage and mould inside the walls.
 


Dainen-ji re-roofing work completed



The work to replace three portions of the monastery roofs, which we began fundraising for in August of 2018 has been completed. Over 6 days in late September, Godfrey Roofing removed all of the old roofing materials and flashing from the Osho-ryo flat roof, the 2nd floor covered balcony roof and the bay window roof of the first floor library and installed new roofing and flashing. On the flat roof we now have a white membrane material which allows for any standing water that may accumulate and the two other steel roof were replaced with standard roof tiles. The quality of the work is excellent. 

New roofing on Osho-ryo flat roof
New roofing on Osho-ryo flat roof

Thank you very much to everyone who donated towards this project over the last year. In the past, each of these three roofs have leaked at various times and it is a relief that these roofs are now secure for the coming years. 
 

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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.

Godo (J) The senior monk in charge of conduct in the Hatto and the Zendo by the Teacher.

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

wooden pot


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
Mixed grain (pearled barley, arborio, calrose and basmati rice); sliced deep-fried tofu braised in a sauce made from shoyu, gochugaru, garlic, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds, garnished with chopped scallions; jjigae made from sauteed sliced daikon, carrots, cubed potatoes, chopped white onion, ginger, Napa cabbage, vegetable stock, doenjang (Korean miso), and shoyu; baek kimchi.

Tuesday Yakuseki
Roasted pea meal bacon, sliced and finished on the griddle; green cabbage slaw (thinly sliced green cabbage, carrots and white onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lime juice, horseradish, salt and pepper); crusty rolls.

Thursday Yakuseki
Roasted ‘little gem’ potatoes (potatoes, bran oil, salt and pepper); Vegan “sausage slices”; cauliflower, broccoli and green cabbage with butter, salt and pepper; mushroom gravy (roux, sauteed cremini mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms, shoyu, thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion, lots of black pepper). 

Baking by Shikai sensei:
Lemon vanilla cheesecake served with strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar (prepared by the Godo); Chocolate salt caramel cookies; oat and date cookies; No bake chocolate peanut butter squares; Apple crisp.
 

Offering mudra


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 Shikai sensei:
Thank you to Mishin godo for two rather complicated clothing alterations. 

From Jinmyo osho:
Thank you to Shikai sensei for chopping vegetables for this evening’s meal. Thank you to Mishin godo for finding replacement parts for the monastery food processor; to Saigyo ino, Fushin shramon and Endai shramon for work on a wall of shelving in the Osho-ryo; to Saigyo ino for researching and purchasing shelving for a storage area in the pantry and for making arrangements to get an HVAC unit levelled properly; to Leonardo Nobrega for some programming magic to make a transcription foot pedal work in Linux (it works beautifully). 

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for editing the weekly eMirror newsletter, which has hundreds of subscribers around the world (students and members of the public).

From Endai shramon: 
Thank you to Shikai sensei for making a phenomenal cheesecake. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for finding space for bookshelves to store the Hojo library. Thank you to Mishin godo in her position as treasurer for overseeing the processing of donations and the financial operations of  White Wind Zen Community. Thank you to Saigyo ino and Fushin shramon for work to build the bookshelves for the Hojo library. 

From Ian Richard: 
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for leading the recent Dharma Assembly, and to all the monastics for ensuring it ran smoothly. Thank you to Jinmyo osho and Mishin godo for helpful perspective in Daisan and a practice interview, respectively. Thank you to Mishin godo for showing me how to maintain my practice while working with data and spreadsheets on the computer for samu, which will be particularly helpful at my job as well.
 
From Claude Schryer:
Thank you to Shikai Sensei for her ‘Zen is not Kidding’ Dharma Talk. It was very instructive on how to consider doubts about practice and helped me calm down and deepen my practice. I also appreciated the humour and quality of language in this Dharma Talk. Thank you to the Ino for his helping me understand that practice interviews are not about amplifying my own storylines about practice. Thank you to the Godo for advice on extending peripheral vision while bowing in the Hatto and that slightly turning our head when sightlines are poor can be ok. Thank you to the roshi and all monastics for allowing general students to observe and learn at the bi-monthly Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows).
 
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Elizabeth Eve and Peter McRae for donations to the Hojo roof and renovation fund.
 


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.

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