eMirror Vol 23, No. 21 (2019-05-24)
Shindo, photograph by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
eMirror Vol 23, No. 21
Friday, May 24th, 2019
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Opening our eyes we can see that we have the opportunity to live on purpose. We have shielded ourselves and shielded others from the harshness of birth, old age, sickness and death with countless stories of hope and fear and selves and others. But in so doing, we have also shielded our eyes from the beauty and dignity and richness of our lives. Although there is no story behind the appearance of the universe and the births and deaths of numberless beings throughout its numberless worlds, although there is no purpose to all of this coming and going except to come and go, we can live on purpose. We can live in order to use this life to unfold and manifest the brilliant and primordial freedom that is the actual nature, the Original Face, of all beings.
And so, this evening and in each moment, please, open your eyes and enter bodily and directly into your life.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, concluding teisho 8: "The Purpose of the Sutras", Saturday, March 20th, 2004 in the teisho series "The Thread of the Buddhas," commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bukkyo.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu:
June 5th and 19th.
Fudo en-nichi
May 26th is a day traditionally dedicated to Fudo Myo-o. Fudo Myo-o (J) Acala Vidyaraja (S) A manifestation of “Mahavairocana” or all pervading Awareness as a wrathful guardian figure; a symbol of boundless energy, determination and compassion. Traditionally used as a symbol of the Teacher’s mind in this Lineage. Fudo stands glaring and snarling like a demon; it holds the sword of insight in one hand and the cord of the Precepts in the other; it has chained itself to a rock in the midst of the raging flames of the deepest hell to work for the liberation of all beings there.
Hermitage
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage at midnight on Wednesday, May 29th, which will end at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2nd, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.
Introduction to Zen Workshop
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, June 1st, at 1:45 p.m. For more information please see:
https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
June Two-day Sesshin
The June two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7th, and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 9th. On Saturday, June 8th, 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.
Monju-e
June 7th is a day traditionally dedicated to Manjusri, a reminder of prajnaparamita.
Congratulations
Congratulations and deep gassho to Eric Cyr of Ottawa who has been accepted as an associate student by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi.
Retreats
Deshi Jinen sat a retreat from the morning of Saturday, May 11th to the evening of Sunday, May 12th at the Wolfville Zazenkai zendo. Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Monday, May 20th 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.
Teisho
Recorded Teachings Schedule
- Saturday, May 25th: “Bodhidharma’s Eyes” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin: “Losing" (11 of 13)
- Monday, May 27th: "Expect to be Surprised" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari
- Thursday, May 30th: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Shamatha and Vipashyana” (2 of 71)
- Saturday, June 1st: “Bodhidharma’s Eyes” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin: “It Eats the Rice in Your Bowl" (12 of 13)
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.
Help Required with Archiving Project
We would like assistance from students to work on an archiving project which has been underway for a number of years. Approximately 100 recordings of teisho and Dharma Talks presented by the Roshi in the late 1980's and early 1990's are still not available to students on our web-site. These were recordings were made on audio cassette. The process for preserving these cassette recordings and making them available to students is as follows:
- Transfer the cassette recording to a digital format
- Edit the single digital files from each cassette side to separate the presentations.
- Clean up the quality of the recording as much as possible using computer software and in the cases of a recording being of very poor playback quality, using the services of a professional audio restoration company.
- Rename, digitally tag each presentation and add the recording information to the database.
- Create archive quality master CD copies of the recordings for long term storage including printing all of the CD case inserts and graphics.
- Upload completed audio files to the WWZC sound-site so that they are available to students to listen to.
This process is extensive and time consuming, requiring at least 4-5 hours of work for each individual recording. The amount of work required for the monastic sangha to complete this project expediently is not possible, so we are asking for help from the rest of the sangha.
A student would be required to offer regular commitment of time, a block two to three hours weekly is ideal but also a commitment every two weeks would work well. Students would be trained in the work they would be doing and so no specific skill set is needed.
If you are able to assist with this vital project to preserve the Teachings please write to Mishin ino or Saigyo tando or send a message to WWZC.org. Thank you very much.
WWZC Website
wwzc.org
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
- Yaza 2007: Sit Through the Night, the Night is Bright Right Through https://wwzc.org/yaza-2007
- 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
Samu on Sundays
Each Sunday afternoon (except during O-sesshin and Sesshin), Caretaking Council (Saigyo tando, Fushin shramon and Endai shramon) do samu from 1:30p.m to 4:30p.m. on the various small projects required around the monastery. There are always a great many tasks that need to be done and so any students are welcome and encouraged to come to Dainen-ji to join the monastics in caretaking practice. If you would like to partake in the samu practice on Sundays please write to Saigyo tando at saigyo.cross@gmail.com.
What to do if you arrive late for a sitting
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.
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.
Sei (J) Insight.
Questions can be sent to me, Shikai sensei, at shikai.sensei@gmail.
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:
Caramelized onion ramen (cooked ramen, caramelized thinly sliced onion, aka miso, black pepper, shoyu, with sauteed semi-firm tofu; bok choy sum sauteed with lime juice, garlic and lots of black pepper; mixed sprout salad with white balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, garlic and black pepper.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Roasted chicken thighs and drumsticks seasoned with zafrani masala; hainen rice (calrose and arborio rice mixed with barley, cooked with chopped scallions, ginger and garlic in chicken stock; roasted whole cremini mushrooms.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Cavatappi pasta with a garlic/butter sauce (butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lime juice, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes; Tomato-vegetable soup (sauteed chopped onions, zucchini, crimini mushrooms, carrots, poblano peppers, red shepherd bell peppers, red kidney beans, tomato juice, cumin, thyme, oregano, basil, savory, and porcini mushrooms; sprout salad (sunflower, wasabi, cress, broccoli, speckled peas, and daikon sprouts), with a white balsamic vinegar dressing.
Baking by Shikai sensei:
Feta biscuits; creamy date bars.
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 Anzan roshi:
Thank you to Endai shramon for making arrangements at his own expense to frame the portrait of Eihei Dogen zenji that hangs on the wall of the Dining Hall.
From Ian Richard:
Thank you to the Roshi for his translation and recorded reading of Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence. Thank you to Shikai sensei for lending me a pair of black pants for this past Saturday's sitting when I embarrassingly forgot mine at home. Thank you to Mishin ino for sending me the instructions for making a kunsu, which after unnecessary procrastination on my part I am now looking into.
From Claude Schryer:
Thanks to Mishin ino for reminding me during my practice interview, with humour and patience, about simplicity and the use of the forms.
From Peter McRae:
Thanks to Jinmyo osho for taking the time, at a recent sitting, to explain how kata can relate to the relationship of the bodymind to the space around it.
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.
