Dharmacakra mudra
eMirror Vol 23, No. 43
Friday, October 25th, 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 people who wish to enter the samadhi of dharmata and even to go beyond that but although they encounter Buddhist masters and sutras they are deflected. This is because the masters they encounter themselves encountered masters that had received only the handing down of Buddhist versions of self-image’s strategies of recoil and avoidance and grasping and poverty rather than the Transmission of the Dharma. This is because the sutras that they study were written by small people who puffed up their own words by pretending they were heard and remembered by Ananda and spoken by the Buddha.
“EVAM ME SRUTAM. Thus have I heard. Once the Buddha was dwelling at Rajagrha together with a great assembly of bodhisattvas and a great assembly of worthy ones. Numberless devas, gandharvas, and other celestial beings were also in attendance as were numberless human sons and daughters of noble family. At that time the Bhagavan, the Samyaksambuddha Sakyamuni arose from samadhi, stood, and stretched. Then lights of immeasurable hues sprang forth from the usnisa of the Bhagavat and spun in a circle illuminating worlds without measure. Then the Bhagavan, the Tathagata spoke, saying, “O sons and daughters of noble families, listen well.”
“We are listening closely, O Bhagavan,” said the people.
“Of infinite merit is the generosity of those sons and daughters of noble family who offer to the monastic Sangha a wee bit of chocolate. How much greater then would be the merit of those who give each monk a Mars bar. E-ve-ry day,” said the Bhagavan rubbing his golden hands together. “Ex-cell-ent.”
And so on.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning teisho 4: "This is Not the Samadhi of Dharmata," Monday, December 6, 2004 in the teisho series "Essentially Real: Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s 'Hossho: Dharmata'."
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu:
October 30th, November 13th and 27th.
Hermitage:
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday October 30th, which will end at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd, 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, November 2nd. 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
November Two-day Sesshin
The November 2-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10th. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as is possible.
On Saturday, November 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.
Daiko-ki
November 18th is the Memorial for the death of Anzan Daiko zenji.
Samu Weekend:
The next Samu Weekend is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 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 be writing soon 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.
Recent Changes in Monastic Training Posts
During the Daruma-ki O-sesshin, there were the following changes: Mishin ino began training as Godo and Saigyo tando began training as Ino.
Retreats
Mohamed Zakzouk sat a one-day retreat on Sunday, October 20th.
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.
Newly Presented Teachings
- On Saturday, October 19th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented the Dharma Talk “Heaps and Poisons”, the second presentation in the series “The Sky Around the Clouds”.
- Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the October Daruma-ki O-sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
- October 7th: Rujing and the Stainless
- October 8th: Rujing, the Abbot of Tiantong part 1
- October 9th: Rujing, the Abbot of Tiantong part 2
- October 10th: Rujing’s Windbell
- On Saturday, September 14th during the September sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the Reading of Denkoroku Case 51: Tiantong Rujing as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China.”
- On Saturday, August 24th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented the Dharma Talk “The Sky Sits Up Straight”, the first presentation in “The Sky Around the Clouds”, a new series of Dharma Talks.
- On Saturday, August 10th during the August sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the teisho “Zhijian's Concealed and Unconcealed” as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China.”
- During Yaza on Saturday, July 13th, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the teisho “Yaza: The Buddha and the Lies”.
Recorded Teachings Schedule
- Saturday, October 26th: "The Sky Around the Clouds, part two: Heaps and Poisons" Dharma Talk by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari
- Sunday, October 27th: SAkN “Root Cycle Three: Aware Space" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Surrender into Radiance” (teisho 7 of 8)
- Monday, October 28th: "Snake's Head Soup" by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Thursday, October 31st: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Before Thinking” (22 of 71) - Saturday, November 2nd: "“Bright Right Through”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries
on Dogen zenji's "Muchu Setsumu": Reading of the text (1 of 12)"
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
Newly Added Recorded Teachings for Associate and General Students
- The Sky Around The Clouds: DharmaTalk 2: Heaps and Poisons
Direct link: https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings/sky-around-clouds - MP3 of “Yaza: The Buddha and the Lies”: Yaza: The Buddha and the Lies
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
- 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
Roof Repair and Essential Repairs to the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters)
Essential repairs are needed to the Hojo (Abbot’s Quarters), and we are in the process of planning how we can best proceed with this large project. The needed work includes replacing the roof over that area of the building, taking down the ceiling in the Hojo washroom to repair interior damage and properly insulate, and address structural problems (extremely uneven floors, and ventilation, plumbing, and electrical issues). We have received quotations for much of the work but are still waiting on some information. We will be providing the Sangha with a detailed plan breaking the work into phases, along with the amount that must be fundraised.
The image above shows the icicle that forms every winter on the roof of the Hojo. It is often over 20 feet long and is causing damage to the exterior trim and roof line and may be causing interior damage and mould inside the walls.
Dainen-ji re-roofing work completed
The work to replace three portions of the monastery roofs, which we began fundraising for in August of 2018 has been completed. Over 6 days in late September, Godfrey Roofing removed all of the old roofing materials and flashing from the Osho-ryo flat roof, the 2nd floor covered balcony roof and the bay window roof of the first floor library and installed new roofing and flashing. On the flat roof we now have a white membrane material which allows for any standing water that may accumulate and the two other steel roof were replaced with standard roof tiles. The quality of the work is excellent.
New roofing on Osho-ryo flat roof
Thank you very much to everyone who donated towards this project over the last year. In the past, each of these three roofs have leaked at various times and it is a relief that these roofs are now secure for the coming years.
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.
Shashu (J) The hand gesture used in walking or standing practice. The right hand is formed into a loose fist and is covered by the left, with the left thumb held inside the right fist, hands held at the diaphragm.
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
Noodle soup from a range of cooked ingredients set out so that students could assemble their own bowls (lo mein noodles, cremini mushrooms, sliced Spanish onions, sliced poblano peppers, bok choy, peeled soft-cooked eggs, optional roasted peanuts and chopped scallions, vegetable and mushroom broth with shoyu, ginger, and white pepper.
Tuesday Yakuseki
Crusty rolls, sliced Nova Scotia smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, hummus and coleslaw (green cabbage, carrots, white onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, horseradish, Dijon mustard, black pepper).
Thursday Yakuseki
Mixed grain (calrose rice, arborio rice, barley) garnished with furikake; miso shiru (dashi stock made from dried kombu, reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, shiro miso, slivered ginger, shoyu, mirin, rice vinegar, silken tofu, tatsoi); takuan and gari (pickled ginger).
Baking by Shikai sensei:
Oat raisin cookies; chocolate chip brownies with raisins and coconut
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 Mishin godo:
Thank you very much to Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi for the opportunity to train in the major training post of Godo (head monk, rear hall monk), and for having established a detailed structure for monastic training that is based on the traditional Japanese monastic environment but adapted to this time and place. Thank you to Shikai sensei and Jinmyo osho for their training and instruction in this and previous training posts. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for presenting the Dharma Talk “Heaps and Poisons” and leading regular Dharma Assemblies where students can engage in a full day of intensive formal practice.
From Endai shramon:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for leading the Dharma Assembly this past weekend and for presenting the next Dharma Talk in the series “All Around the Clouds” titled “Heaps and Poisons”. Thank you to Jinmyo osho and Mishin godo for preparing the delicious meals served during the Dharma Assembly. Thank you to Saigyo ino for setting up all the equipment for recording the Dharma Talk.
From Gillian Higenbottam:
Thank you to Jinmyo osho for leading the October 19th Dharma Assembly and for the first two Dharma Talks in the new series, to Saigyo ino for practice advice and for answering questions during my stay at Dainenji, to Mishin godo for leading the two meals served in the Zendo and for being concerned when I stumbled during Great Bows, and to Fushin shramon for the loan of a belt for a kunsu at 4:45am.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Endai shramon and Gillian Higenbottam for donations to the Hojo roof and renovation fund.
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.
