eMirror Vol 22, No. 31 (2018-08-03)
"Yuibutsu-Yobutsu", digital image and sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 22, No. 31
Friday, August 3rd, 2018
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Dogen zenji was never interested in just bits and pieces of the Dharma, in the various schools and sects that had emerged over time.
In India the fragmentation of the Dharma began at Vesali in 486 before the common era [BCE] at what is called the second Buddhist council. There developed two main schools, the Mahasanghikas and the Sthaviravadins from which would develop what are known as the Mahayana and Hinayana. From the Sthaviras would develop the Vibhajyavadins and the Sarvastivadins. From the Vibhajyavadins would develop the Mahisasaka and then from them came the Dharmaguptaka, the Theravadins, and the Kasyapiya. From the Sarvastivadins came the school of the Sautrantikas. From the Mahasanghikas there developed the Ekavyavahrikas (and from them the Lokottaravadins), the Goklikas (and from them the Bahasrutiyas and the Prajnaptivadins), and the Caitiyas (and from them the Purvasailas, the Aparasailas, the Rajagirikas, and the Siddharthikas). Later the Madhyamika school emerged around the Prajnaparamita Teachings and the Cittamatrin or Yogacarins from the Tathagatagarbha Teachings.
And on and on it went, spilling into China cascades of texts and Teachings from these various sects.
In trying to make sense of these fragments of the history of the Dharma in India some monks even formed new schools around single sutras and more or less ignored the others in order to avoid contradictions.
When Chan or Zen emerged it tried to stand aside from the doctrinal disputes and find a place to sit down to just do the practice that the Buddha had practiced. But in order to have a place to sit Chan became involved in the chains of patronage and the links of relationships and rivalries of properties and institutions and became another school of Buddhism.
Dogen was not interested in Zen as a school of Buddhism but in the whole Dharma as a whole. He rarely spoke of Zen as a school let alone of the Caodong or Soto school of Zen but instead emphasized the Lineage of Transmission that wove back through the lives of actual historical masters and then into the haze of legend until it reached its source, Sakyamuni Buddha. He spoke often of Sat-Dharma or the Shobo 正法, the True Dharma, the Complete or Whole Dharma which is realized and Transmitted “between a Buddha and a Buddha.”
“Between a Buddha and a Buddha” [Yuibutsu-Yobutsu 唯佛與佛] is a phrase from the Lotus sutra that, for Dogen, spoke of the intimacy of realization and the practice of intimacy that must actually be engaged with the whole bodymind.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning teisho 2: "The Whole Dharma As a Whole," Saturday, February 14, 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: August 8th and 29th.
Hermitage
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, August 1st, which will end on Sunday, August 5th, at 9:30 a.m., 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, August 4th. 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
August Sesshin
The August 2-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 10th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 12th. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as is possible.
On Saturday, August 11th, 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.
Dharma Assembly
On Saturday, August 25th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho will lead a Dharma Assembly which will begin at 9:30 a.m. (please arrive by 9:15, in time for first Bell) and will end at 9:00 p.m. Dana is $40.00, which includes two meals: lunch and supper. Participants are asked to bring clothing and shoes appropriate for samu practice. To register, please send an email to schedule at wwzc dot org or leave a message on the office answering machine at 562-1568. Dharma Assemblies are open to all students.
Note: The 9:30 a.m. general sitting that would ordinarily take place on August 25th is cancelled owing to the Dharma Assembly.
Dogen-ki
August 28th is Dogen-ki, the memorial of Eihei Dogen zenji's death.
Hermitage
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, August 29th, which will end on Sunday, September 2nd at 9:30 a.m., when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.
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
Stacey Loyer sat a half-day retreat on Friday, August 27th.
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, August 4th: “Without Difficulty”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Jianzhi Sengcan's “Xinxin Ming: Words on Trusting Awareness”: “Not Holding the Mind" (13 of 26)
- Sunday, August 5th: SAkN “Root Cycle Five” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Just This" (5 of 5)
- Monday, August 6th: “Bright Right Through”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Muchu Setsumu": "Bow (continued)" (8 of 12)
- Thursday, August 9th: "Aligned with the Way": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Hotsu Mujo-shin": "Each Thing Looms Above Everything Else" (3 of 6)
- Saturday, August 11th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Adornments” (Dharma Talk 8)
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
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
Congratulations
Congratulations and deep gassho to the following who have been accepted as associate students by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: Don Charette of Ottawa: Brandon Smith of Ottawa, and Gabriela Ponce of Ottawa.
Samu Weekend report
by Ven. Saigyo tando
Over the weekend of Saturday, July 28th and Sunday, July 29th we held our summer Samu Weekend. 17 students attended over the two days and worked on a variety of projects in the building and the grounds. Here is a list of the tasks that were accomplished:
The first floor library was rearranged with all the recorded Teachings on CD and audio tape and also the CD cabinets moved down from the attic. Lots of repair and re-painting was completed through the back staircase from the basement to the third floor and painting and cleaning was done in the kuin (monastery kitchen). A new doorknob was installed on the front doors, a new motion detector light unit was installed on the back porch, a grab-bar was installed at the top of the basement stairs to improve safety and new smoke detectors were installed on the third floor. Several doors were worked on to improve the fit and other smaller repairs were done through the building. Mishin ino completed a full day of administration and assisted with food preparation. In the grounds, two yards of new pea gravel was spread around the parking area, the cedar hedge received its yearly trimming and lots of tidying, trimming and watering was done. The side porch steps were repainted and a new privacy screen was designed, built and installed at the end of the side porch.
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for designing and preparing the wonderful midday meals enjoyed by those who stayed for the full day of samu and to Shikai sensei for baking the lovely afternoon refreshments.
Thank you to the following students for offering their time to do caretaking practice and in doing so help to maintain and improve the practice environment of Dainen-ji.
Mishin ino, Fushin shramon, Endai shramon, David Gallant, Ian Richard, Sarah Goul, Hannah Kent, Matt O'Leary, Leonardo Nobrega, Matt Broda, Jean-Francois St-Louis, Tarik Kaya, Pierre Trahan, Robin Whitehead, Kathleen Johnson and Denis Jaillet.
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.
Rinzai (J); Lin-chi (C) The Rinzai Zen lineage derives from Lin-chi I-hsuan (c 866). Rinzai Zen practice is characterized by its vigour and samurai-like qualities; places stress upon koan work as a system of enlightenment as a goal to be attained rather than as inherently what the mind is NOW. After completion of koan work Rinzai practice opens into shika-taza. Rinzai is the second largest Zen lineage in Japan, the Obaku school being third.
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:
Pasta fritatta (leftover frittata from the Samu Weekend - cavatappi pasta, chopped radishes, celery, scallions, sriracha mayonnaise, garlic, chopped radicchio, red onion, fresh oregano and basil, eggs, topped with friulano cheese); gazpacho made from chopped baechu kimchi, tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, vegetable juice; gai lan sauteed with lots of garlic.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Jasmine rice; seaweed soup (wakame, ginger, shoyu, mirin, chile oil, black pepper) with tofu; Jinmyo osho's kkakdugi and baek baichu kimchi.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain with sauteed cubed yam (Thai white rice and basmati rice tossed with sauteed cubed yam and chunks of Spanish onion cooked with lots of minced garlic); shitake and crimini mushrooms, strips of red bell pepper and zucchini cooked in bulgogi sauce and shoyu, garnished with toasted sesame seeds; deep-fried puffed tofu braised in a mixture of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), shoyu, sesame oil, and a pinch of turbinado sugar; kkakdugi kimchi.
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.
Thank you from Mishin ino:
Thank you to the Roshi for the series "The Matrix of Suchness", 18 classes presented in 1995 on "The Lion's Roar Discourse of Queen Srimala". Thank you to Shikai sensei for oatmeal raisin cookies that disappeared quickly at Samu Weekend refreshment. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for the excellent lunches prepared for Samu Weekend participants. Thank you to Saigyo tando for organizing the Samu Weekend and overseeing the many samu tasks done by students working in the building and on the grounds. Thank you to Fushin shramon for ensuring a ready supply of clean candle holders and candles for the practice halls. Thank you to Endai shramon for looking after the nightly "lock up", a circuit of the building to make sure doors are locked and windows closed.
From David Gallant:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for daisan during the past month and much support in general. Thank you to Saigyo tando for organizing the recent Samu Weekend. Thank you to Endai shramon for working closely with me during the Samu Weekend to construct a privacy screen for the side porch.
From Hannah Kent:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for a delicious lunch during the Saturday of the Samu Weekend and to Mishin ino for overseeing my samu assignment. Thank you to Saigyo tando for organizing the samu weekend and also arranging samu for me on Tuesday evenings. Thank you to Fushin shramon for responding to my scheduling emails.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to the following for donations towards the recent Samu Weekend: Peter McRae, Louis Radakir, Claude Schryer, Alex Groarke, Will Ferguson, and Jessie Steinberg.
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.
