eMirror Vol 22, No. 25 (2018-06-22)
Photograph by Dr. Jinen S. Boates, rupa at Knowlan Mountain Zendo, Wolfville Zazenkai
eMirror Vol 22, No. 25
Friday, June 22nd, 2018
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
At the beginning of a new year, Buddhist temples throughout Asia have long been filled with throngs of Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and other peoples all shopping for good karma like groceries and trying to shed bad karma like dropping a cigarette butt or a gum wrapper.
The temples set out stalls and sell incense, candles, flowers, and trinkets of all sorts as aids to this getting and losing. In all of these temples are seated and standing statues of Sakyamuni Buddha who had presented a path to the end of suffering by simply ceasing to propagate it through releasing fixations and obstructions of attention.
Some of these statues extend their right hands with the palm open in a gesture called the abhaya mudra which indicates freedom from fear. Of course it also says, “Just stop.”
However, instead of just stopping, people pray to these statues for happiness and prosperity for themselves and their families. Sometimes, especially in these days of terror and violence, they might also pray for an end to conflict and for peace. But in bowing their heads and mumbling their wishes before these cold statues they are turning away from the living practice that the Buddha had actually Taught which was to sit, stand, walk, and lie down living in mindfulness moment by moment.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, teisho 1: "Buddha’s Sutras and Sutra-Buddhas," Saturday, January 10, 2004 in the tesho series "The Thread of the Buddhas," commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bukkyo.
Upcoming Events
https://wwzc.org/upcoming-events
Fusatsu: June 30th, July 13th and July 27th.
Hermitage
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, July 4th which will end at 9:30 a.m. on July 8th, 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, July 7th. For more information please see: https://www.wwzc.org/content/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa.
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://www.wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
Yaza
Yaza (all night sitting) will take place on Saturday, July 21st, from 10pm until Sunday, July 22nd, at 8am Zen Master Anzan Hoshin will lead the Yaza. Students attending should arrive by first bell at 9:45 p.m. A light breakfast will be served before the end of the Yaza. All students are welcome to attend. Please register soon as is seating will be limited. The suggested dana contribution for Yaza is $30.00. To register, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at (613) 562-1568.
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
Louis Radakir completed a seven-day retreat on Wednesday, June 20th. Gillian Kennedy sat a one and a half-day retreat from the morning of Saturday, June 16th to the evening of Sunday, June 17th. Sarah Goul sat a one and a half-day retreat from Saturday, June 16th to midday on Sunday, June 17th. Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Sunday, June 17th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Michael Nisch sat half-day retreat on Sunday, June 17th at his home in Ulm, Germany. Mohamed Zakzouk sat a one-day retreat on Tuesday, June 19th.
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, June 23rd: “Without Difficulty”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Jianzhi Sengcan's “Xinxin Ming: Words on Trusting Awareness”: “Opinions and Opening” (8 of 26)
- Sunday, June 24th: SAkN “Root Cycle Five” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “The End of All Knowledge" (1 of 5)
- Monday, June 25th: “Bright Right Through”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Muchu Setsumu": "The Path of the Sky" (3 of 12)
- Thursday, June 28th: “Flowers and Worms: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on the Maharahulovada Sutta: “The Flower at Twilight” (teisho 5 of 7)
- Saturday, June 30th: “Without Difficulty”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Jianzhi Sengcan's “Xinxin Ming: Words on Trusting Awareness”: “Vast Intimacy Is All That Is” (9 of 26)
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.
WWZC Website
wwzc.org
Google Practice Calendar:
The June to December, 2018 Practice Calendar has been posted to the WWZC.org Website. The Direct Link is: https://wwzc.org/online-practice-calendar
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.
PRAJNA (S); Hannya or E or Chie (J) Wisdom or Perfect Knowing.
“Jna” means knowing and “pra” means higher or traanscendent. In Zen used
to mean Awakening. In the Zen Community often translated as “radical insight” or “perfect knowing” because it is the direct experience of the Awakened Nature and so shatters the terms and reference points of self-image.
Questions can be sent to me, Shikai sensei, at shikai.sensei@gmail.com.
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:
Calrose and arborio rice; “Ugly tofu” (really ugly, but very tasty - sliced silken tofu cooked in sesame oil until it becomes pockmarked, then braised in a sauce made from shoyu, wasabi, lime juice and mirin, with chopped scallions and ginger; spinach sauteed with sesame oil, lime juice, lots of black pepper; freshly made baechu kimchi.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Thai white and brown rice with toasted coconut; Thai curry (seared pork medallions, deep fried tofu, coconut milk, red Thai curry paste, ginger, fish sauce, fresh coriander); freshly-made monastery baechu kimchi.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Linguini with roasted tomato sauce (olive oil, grape tomatoes, garlic, chopped basil, Parmesan cheese); vegetable soup (made with giardiniera fermented vegetables - vegetable stock, cauliflower, broccoli stems, sugar snap peas, snow peas, red bell peppers, poblano peppers, carrot and daikon matchsticks, radishes, green cabbage, red kidney beans, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, lots of black pepper); friulano with black olives.
Baking by Shikai sensei:
Fresh blueberry muffins; macerated fruit in a waffle bowl with Greek yogurt; fieldberry two ingredient shortcake with yogurt & lemon zest; plantain date oat flax seed & meal, millet, hemp hearts, vanilla;
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: Jinmyo osho for the time she spends with Shindo; Mishin ino for a tasty bar of chocolate covered of fruit leather; Fushin shramon for invaluable help in working out various aspects of a video recording problem; Peter and Janice McRae for an outing to the Museum of Nature to walk through an excellent display on the brain.
From Saigyo tando:
Thank you to the Roshi for daily feeding and care of the birds, squirrels and other local wildlife from the balcony of the Hojo main window. Thank you to Shikai sensei for biscuits and for excellent suggestions for improving security in the garden monastery following theft from the grounds. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for editing the eMirror each week and for making amazing monastery kimchi. Thank you to Mishin ino for her work as librarian and for organizing the teisho schedule each week. Thank you to Fushin shramon for creating and posting the teisho schedule poster each week and to Endai shramon for doing monastery lock-up every evening and lovely barley tea made for residents. Thank you to Hannah Kent for samu to water the monastery grounds and for setting up a regular commitment to do caretaking practice. Thank you to Sarah Goul for assisting with various samu projects each Sunday afternoon and to Shannon Morphew for gardening samu.
From Gillian Higenbottam:
Thank you to the Roshi for the teisho series “Without Difficulty”, and for enabling students to benefit from the clarity of the practise environment at Dainen-ji, even if only for short periods of time. Thank you to Jinmyo osho and the Office of the Tenzo for all the shopping and cooking that goes on, and for the terrific meals for retreatants. I particularly liked the tiny but surprisingly hot curlicues of red pepper tucked into a bowl of white noodles. Thank you to Shikai sensei for picking fresh spring herbs from the monastery garden for the snacks, and, yes, the fieldberry shortcake with bits of lemon zest. Thank you to Mishin ino for reading my practice journals all winter and trying hard to get me on track. Thank you to the Tando for the beautiful kaishaku made from a stick of wood I had brought to him in the autumn, and for promoting sanity. And thank you to fellow retreatants for making it easy to practise alongside.
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.
