eMirror Vol 30, No. 5 (2026-01-30)
Keizan Jokin zenji, zenga by Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 30, No. 5
Friday, January 30th, 2026
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
In the Xinxin ming or Shinjinmei, the Third Chinese Ancestor Jianzhi Sengcan says, “Hishiryo no tokoro, shikijo hakari gatashi”: “Before Thinking cannot be fathomed by intellect or emotion.” This term “fei si liang” or “hishiryo” was later picked up and used by Great Master Yaoshan and Eihei Dogen zenji quotes Yaoshan in Fukanzazengi, Zazengi, and Zazenshin, all texts which are explicitly concerned with the right understanding and practice of zazen. In the Fukanzazengi, he says,
Think of not-thinking. How do you think of not-thinking? Be Before Thinking. These are the basics of zazen.
What I call zazen is not developing concentration by stages and so on. It is simply the Awakened One’s own easy and joyful practice, it is realized-practice within already manifest enlightenment. It is the display of complete reality. Traps and cages spring open. Grasping the heart of this, you are the dragon who has reached his waters, the tiger resting in her mountains. Understand that right here is the display of Vast Reality and then dullness and mental wandering have no place to arise.
And Keizan Jokin zenji in his text Zazen Yojinki that we have considered in the Sitting Up Straight series of teisho says,
Now think of what is without thought. How can you think of it? Be Before Thinking. This is the essence of zazen. Shatter obstacles and become intimate with Awakening Awareness.
- Beginning teisho 8: 2005, in 13 August, 2005 in the series "Wandering on Medicine Mountain" presented by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin at Dainen-ji
The Hatto (for formal sittings)
The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)
Practice Schedule and Upcoming Events
Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows): February 4th and 18th.
Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, February 7th, at 1:45 p.m.
To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca ; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
Nehan O-sesshin
The Seven-day Nehan O-sesshin will begin on Sunday, February 15th at 8:00 p.m. It will end on Sunday, February 22nd at noon.
A Sitting for Associate and General Students During the Nehan O-sesshin:
A combined sitting for associate and general students will take place in the Zendo on Saturday, February 21st. 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. Seating is limited and registration is required: Register for Combined Sitting
Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Monday February 16th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.
Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Thursday February 19th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.
A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public students are asked to send their weekly practice journals, as they will be reviewed. But unless there is something that needs an immediate reply, you will not receive an email reply until the week following the O-sesshin.
Nehan:
Commemoration of the Buddha’s Death (Nehan-e) February 15th.
Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of hermitage due to underlying health issues.
Weekly Practice Schedule
Formal Sittings for WWZC Students: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. The formal sittings begin at 6:00 a.m. You would need to arrive by 5:45 in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 7:25 with the Chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki review which ends at about 7:50. If you need to leave before the kata, please let us know that in advance by sending an email to schedule@wwzc.org.
Saturday Morning General Sitting for WWZC Students: The general sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. You would need to arrive by 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45 a.m. Some general students attend the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning formal sitting, stay for breakfast and then attend the general sitting. If you stay for breakfast, there is a $5 contribution which can be made through Eventbrite: Register for Saturday Breakfast Proceeds from meals go to White Wind Zen Community.
Monday and Thursday Evening Associate Sittings for WWZC Students: The associate sitting begins at 7:30 p.m. You would need to arrive by 7:15 p.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 9:10 p.m.
Friday (Hosan): There are no formal sittings scheduled at the monastery on Fridays, but you are expected to sit at home if you have committed to sitting zazen daily. Retreats may be scheduled on Fridays.
Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students. It starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:10 a.m. with the chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki which ends at about 10:30 a.m.
Long Distance Training Program
For students living an hour or more commuting distance from the monastery in Ottawa, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
What to do if you Arrive After the Sitting Begins
If you arrive after the sitting starts and the door is locked, 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 and Training Sessions
Information About Scheduling Retreats or Training Sessions
General public students Stuart Vickers sat a three-day retreat in his home in Toronto from December 24th to 26th.
Recorded Teachings Schedule
Listening to Recorded Teisho and Dharma Talks
Recorded Teachings Schedule for January 31st to February 7th:
General sitting Saturday, January 31st: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 5: Fences, Walls, Tiles, Stones (23 minutes)
Formal sitting Sunday, February 1st: "SAkN The Anatomy of Awakening" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Teisho 5: Tasting, Smelling, and Seeing Light (23 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, February 2nd and Thursday, February 5th: Flowers and Worms: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentary on the Maharahulovadasutta: Teisho 1: Introduction: Falling Flowers: a reading of the sutta (16 minutes)
General sitting Saturday, February 7th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 6: Collapsing, Dropping, Falling (18 minutes)
Recorded Teachings for Public Access
While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of the Lineage of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically. MP3 recordings of four recorded teisho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi are currently available:
Dharma Position http://wwzc.org/dharma-position
Eyes See, Ears Hear http://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear
Embarrassment http://wwzc.org/embarrassment
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: http://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way
Translations and Texts
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi has recently completed translation work on some shorter texts by Eihei Dogen zenji from the Shobogenzo. The work on these particular texts is based upon the literal translations that he worked on with Joshu Dainen roshi at Hakukaze-ji around 1977-78 followed by many years of putting them down, picking them up, and polishing. Naturally, more essential texts such as Uji, Genjokoan, Shinjin Gakudo and some 40 others were completed first and have been given extensive commentaries by the Roshi. This batch of texts includes Keisei Sanshoku: Sounds of Streams, Forms of Mountains, Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Annotation details and successfully conveying them across various document formats are the issue at this point.
Work on Bussho: Buddha Nature, a very long and nuanced text by Dogen zenji, is still ongoing.
Roshi also finished an update to the “Saijo Shingi: The Deportment of Radiance”, our manual of monastic training standards which is a supplement to the ancient Eihei Shingi and Keizan Shingi.
White Wind Zen Community Website Update
Dharma Talk: “Embarrassment”
Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi on August 25th, 1990.
https://wwzc.org/embarrassment-0/
Teisho: “Practising Without an Edge”
Teisho presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on February 19th, 2025
https://wwzc.org/practising-without-an-edge/
Teisho: “I Know Who You Are!”
Teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented at Dainen-ji on March 13th, 1999
https://wwzc.org/teisho-i-know-who-you-are/
Dharma Assembly: On Karma
Mondo by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, Presented in April of 1986, River Road Zendo.
https://wwzc.org/dharma-assembly-karma/
Request for Help to Maintain the Grounds
If you would like to offer time to help with maintenance in the grounds your help will be appreciated. You can offer a regular period of samu or make arrangements with the shissui to come for a single period of caretaking practice. Please write to info@wwzc.org or directly to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com if you can assist with this work. Thank you.
Wooden Practice Materials for Sale in Myomaku
Saigyo ino has made a selection of wooden practice materials which are now for sale in Myomaku. These include boxes for storing incense, incense bowls, kneeling benches and kaishaku. He is donating a portion of the proceeds to WWZC. You are welcome to go into myomaku before or after sittings to see what’s available.
Alternate parking for sittings near Dainen-ji
If you need alternate parking near the monastery due to snow parking bans or lack of parking spots you can use the Loblaws car park located at 363 Rideau Street - Parking - Loblaws.
The car park is open until 10:00 p.m and charges $4 per hour. A full day 6:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $10.
Office of the Tenzo
Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) 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 sensei serves as Tenzo and Mishin godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja.
The WWZC does not advocate any particular diet. However all meals prepared during practice events, such as Dharma Assemblies, sesshin, or retreats are vegetarian or vegan as most people can eat this. On Tuesday evenings there is an optional meat dish, as some people find that a purely vegetarian diet, especially as they get older, is not sufficient for their health. If you are adhering to a strictly vegan diet, you can write to the tenzo, Jinmyo Renge sensei, at jinmyo.renge@wwzc.org a week prior to attending an event to request vegan foods. If you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to foods, you should write to the tenzo about dietary restrictions a week before attending events.
The following meals were prepared this week:
Saturday Breakfast (Mishin godo):
Scallion and seared mushroom congee (white Calrose rice, minced ginger, chopped scallions, shoyu, salt, white pepper mixed with seared chopped cremini mushrooms) served with optional black vinegar and roasted chile oil; scrambled eggs.
Sunday Brunch (Jinmyo sensei):
Lion’s head meatball soup (water chestnuts, chopped firm tofu, ground pork, finely sliced green onions, garlic, minced ginger, shao hsing rice wine, shoyu, cayenne, eggs, cornstarch); broth made from fresh shitake mushrooms, chopped Napa cabbage, vegetable roth, shoyu, sesame oil, shitake mushroom stock, dehydrated shitake mushroom powder, hot chili oil; calrose rice, baechu kimchi.
Sunday Yakuseki (Mishin godo):
Jasmine and basmati rice mixed with roasted cubed acorn squash; mixed dal (red lentils, toor dal, urad dal, Turkish gram beans, turmeric, asafetida, curry leaves, chopped onion, minced hot green chile, minced ginger, ground cumin, chopped tomatoes, fresh coriander, Kashmiri chile powder, ghee, lemon juice); Indian-style carrot salad (grated carrot, thinly sliced red onion, currants, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, ground cumin, cayenne).
Monday Yakuseki (Mishin godo):
Mixed grain (white and brown Calrose rice, arborio, and pearl barley); tofu bulgogi (seared strips of medium-firm tofu, sauteed yellow onion, poblano and red bell peppers, carrot, daikon, bulgogi sauce, shoyu, minced garlic, black pepper); baechu kimchi.
Tuesday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei):
Jasmine rice; shrimp and tofu mendoan (batter made from equal parts all-purpose flour, potato starch and rice flour, chopped scallions, minced garlic and pencil chillies, coriander powder, baking powder); a soup made from low sodium chicken broth with Thai red curry paste and slivered ginger; dipping sauce made from kecap manis, light shoyu, lime juice, minced Thai green chile, minced garlic, minced ginger; chopped Asian pears mixed with lime juice and chile flakes.
Thursday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei)
Linguine in rose sauce (sauteed chopped Spanish onion, chopped sauteed eryengi mushrooms, minced garlic, tomato paste, chopped fresh tomatoes, cream); “beans and greens” (thick slices of red onion, chopped gailan and yu choi seared on the griddle with and red kidney beans, minced garlic, red balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper); cubed friulano cheese mixed with chopped gherkins and kalamata olives.
Other items made this week by Jinmyo sensei:
Almond brie made from freshly made almond milk, salt, lemon juice, probiotic powder, penicillium candidum and geotrichum candidum. Cat food made with cooked, ground rabbit, supplements, and omega-3 pet oil.
Thank You
If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo sensei at rengezo@gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror” in the subject line.
From Mishin godo:
Thank you to the Roshi for the many zenga he has brushed of Lineage Ancestors, many of which hang on the walls of the monastery such as the Bodhidharma zenga in the Hatto and Zendo, and the zenga of Keizan Jokin zenji appearing in this issue of the eMirror. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for organizing the archiving of practice materials. Thank you to Saigyo ino for looking after the many repairs big and small that a building of this size needs. Thank you to Fushin shuso and Yujin for ongoing work to improve the media site for recorded Teachings.
From Shannon Craig:
Thank you to Anzan Hoshin roshi for the teisho series “Turning the Wheel of the Way”. Thank you for the compassion of presenting this to students in recorded form. Thank you Jinmyo sensei for the many years of dedication to your practice and how your Teachings been available to students and monastics; to Mishin godo for the last practice interview in which you showed great compassion clarifying how I was narrowing attention and how to practice with the whole bodymind; to Saigyo ino for taking the time to speak with me during the last practice interview. I am grateful for the humour and deep understanding you showed me; to Fushin shuso for everything you do for students.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Adda Hernandez for a donation.
