eMirror Vol 23, No. 9 (2019-03-01)
From the Astasahasrika-Prajnaparamita Sutra,
the 8,000 Line Radical Wisdom Sutra, Mother of Wisdom
eMirror Vol 23, No. 9
Friday, March 1st, 2019
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
There are sutras which present instructions on practice such as the Satipatthana sutta and the Maha Rahulovada sutta, those in which the Buddha recounts his own practice such as the Ariya Pariyesana sutta, those which tell stories in order to illustrate limitations of view and how to surpass them such as the Vimalakirti Nirdesa sutra and the Lankavatara sutra.
Then there are sutras which promote tourism, [sarcastic tone] I mean “pilgrimage” to sacred sites and making generous offerings to the monastics who staff these places, sutras which describe mythical figures and how to obtain blessings and aid from them in times of trouble, sutras which denounce other sutras, sutras which promote themselves as the only text which will save you from endless rebirth in samsara.
Sutras were composed long after the Buddha’s death and well into the first six centuries or more of the common or Christian calendar.
Some were composed in India, some in China and Korea, some in Japan. For example there is the Bussetsu Sho Fudo Kyo in which the Buddha speaks of Acalanatha Vidyaraja or Fudo Myo-o which was composed in the 1100s or later and the Enmei Jukku Kannon-gyo which is called a sutra but is instead a dharani.
There is the Vajra-Samadhi sutra which was composed in Korea and was influential in early Chan. There is the Platform sutra of the Sixth Ancestor which is also not a sutra because it is a record of discourses of Huineng.
The Mahaprajnaparamita-hridaya-sutra or the Heart sutra which we chant so frequently, which was composed in China as a summary of the prajna paramita Teachings and was conveyed back to India where it was accepted and translated into Sanskrit.
And of course there’s the Daibonten-o-monbutsu-ketsugi-kyo, the Sutra of Questions and Answers between Mahabrahman and the Buddha, in which the Buddha twirls a flower in his fingers and Mahakasyapa smiles which was composed in China.
Dogen zenji’s point of view as stated in the “Tenborin” or “Turning the Wheel of Dharma” chapter of the Shobogenzo was that even if a sutra was produced in China, after its words have been quoted by Masters it becomes an authentic sutra which expresses the intimate intention of the Buddha. Dogen called one of his own essays the Sansui-kyo, the Mountains and Rivers sutra.
So a sutra can be a sutra even if it is not a sutra whether it was spoken by the Buddha or not, which none of them really were in any case.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho 7: "The Twelve Divisions", Thursday, February 19, 2004 in the teisho series "The Thread of the Buddhas," commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bukkyo.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu:
March 6th and 20th.
Hermitage
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage at midnight on Wednesday, February 27th, which will end at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 3rd, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.
Introduction to Zen Workshop
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place at 1:45 p.m., on Saturday, March 2nd. 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
March Two-day Sesshin
The March two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 10th. On Saturday, March 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.
Keizan Ki
March 21st is the memorial for Keizan Jokin zenji.
Samu Weekend
The next Samu Weekend is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 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 soon be writing 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.
Fundraising for Roof Repair
Fundraising goal: The estimates we have received for this roof work total $30,653.63 for replacement of all three roofs. We hope to engage the contractor to do the work in spring 2019, but this will depend on whether sufficient funds have been collected.
Amount raised to date: $9,730
Three roofs at Dainen-ji are in need of replacement in the next twelve months: the roof of the Osho-ryo at the rear of the building, and the roofs of the bay windows in the first floor library and the covered balcony on the west side.
The roof above the Osho-ryo is currently covered in tar and gravel, an old roofing system that is in need of replacement with a modern membrane. UV light has (dried and) damaged quite a bit of the tar, especially at the edges of the roof, creating a danger of leaks. A leak into the Osho-ryo via the chimney flashing was patched recently. Due to sagging of the roof structure over time, water is pooling in a low spot that is no longer draining properly. This will be remedied with the installation of a new membrane. The old flashing has pulled away from the building and has been repaired many times, as you can see from the photos. Old wires and other fittings need to be removed safely or secured properly.
Detail of Osho-ryo roof showing flashing in poor repair,
unsecured wires, and the deterioration of the old tar and gravel covering
Detail of Osho-ryo roof showing failing flashing and past patching;
green is moss growing on gravel roof surface
The roofs of the bay window of the first-floor library and the covered balcony are made of metal and are very old. They are rusty, and the leaking joints and flashing have been patched with tar many times over the years. These roofs will be replaced with modern shingles or a membrane as suitable. Both roofs have sprouted leaks numerous times in recent years, damaging materials for the suiseki arrangements stored there and putting books and other materials at risk in the first floor library.
Roof of covered balcony on west side of building
showing rusting metal surface and patched seams
Covered balcony ceiling showing areas of frequent leaks.
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.
Retreats
Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on February 28th in her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick.
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, March 2nd: “Bodhidharma’s Eyes” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin: “No Text, No Trace, No Corpse” (teisho 3 of 13)
- Sunday, March 3rd: SAkN "Tathagatagarbha" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Bodhicitta" (4 of 4)
- Monday, March 4th: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "Socks and Rice Cakes" (9 of 13)
- Thursday, March 7th: “So Intimate It Cannot Be Personal” by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari
- Saturday, March 9th: “Every Breath You Take" by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “When They Formally Leave Home” (Dharma Talk 19)
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.
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.
Sanmei (J) Three Aspects (of koan study).
Richi: knowing the ultimate. Aware Space.
Kikan: devices, skillful means. The machine.
Kojo: Reality Itself.
For a full presentation of the permutations of meanings of these three terms in the context of koan practice refer to Koan: The Real Question, May 1994 O-sesshin.
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
Spicy fried rice (Thai rice, sauteed cubed potatoes, caramelized onion, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, cardamom, coriander); saag paneer (cubed paneer sauteed in a small amount of oil, seasoned with cayenne, turmeric and salt; caramelized onion, chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chopped spinach stems, chopped spinach leaves, minced jalapeno, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, yogurt); carrot soup (blended cooked carrots, onions and jalapeno, seasoned with lime juice, cayenne, cumin, garlic, turmeric, and coriander, drizzled with some plain yogurt).
Tuesday Yakuseki
Beef stew (stewing beef pressure cooked until tender, chopped potatoes, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery, beef stock, tomato juice, lots of thyme, black pepper, red wine, some chipotle adobo, Dijon mustard, and a splash of red balsamic vinegar); green cabbage coleslaw; baguettes.
Thursday Yakuseki
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with butter and baby green peas; meinjin (wheat gluten), chopped red, green, orange and yellow bell peppers and onions seasoned with Yeo’s chili sauce, cumin, garlic and onion powder and smoked paprika; blended butternut squash, carrot and onion soup with lots of black pepper, lime juice, thyme, and a dash of cream; cubed friulano cheese with sweet gherkins.
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 Shikai sensei for picking up spices; to Saigyo tando for carrying really heavy bags of soil and compost up the stairs for me; Endai shramon for helping to organize the covered balcony. Thank you to Senbo for sending out the eMirror each week.
From Endai shramon:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for instruction in daisan. Thank you to Mishin ino for her work as Treasurer to oversee the processing of dana (donations) received from students and for managing all of the financial operations of the White Wind Zen Community. Thank you to Fushin shramon and Leonardo for clearing large amounts of snow over the last month.
From Claude Schryer:
Thanks to both Mishin ino and Saigyo tando for their advice and support during recent practice interviews, notably in learning to recognize persistent storylines. It sometimes takes a few repetitions before teachings are understood. The patience and generosity of monastics is much appreciated.
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.
