eMirror Vol 25, No. 22 (2021-05-28)

Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi sittin zazen on a rock in front of a rapid river, 1988, Photograph by the late Ven. Shikai Zuiko O-sensei
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, 1988,
Photograph by the late Ven. Shikai Zuiko O-sensei 


eMirror Vol 25, No. 22

Friday, May 22nd, 2021
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho

The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.



Or we hear

So the monk now asked [Zhaozhou], "How is it when the waters of the ancient river valley are cold?"

The Master said, "Bitter."

The monk asked, "What if someone drinks the water?"

The Master said, "Dead."

Xuefeng heard the Master's words and said, "An Old Buddha, an Old Buddha," and offered nothing in reply.

And we think, "That's me, just like Xuefeng. Always outclassed. I'm just not going to say anything any more. I'll go into daisan and she'll ask, ‘How is your practice?' and I'll just say, ‘Fine, fine. I enjoyed the teisho. I really learned a lot. My, that's a nice rakusu you have on. Have you lost weight?' I'm not going to let them make me feel bad about myself. I already feel bad enough. Why can't they just leave me alone?"

Or you hear me speak with great sadness of what might befall the coming generations and the numberless but finite kinds of beings on this earth as the climate changes and of my determination to continue to express the way of the old Buddhas for all beings and my beseeching us to all to keep the Dharma clear and direct. And you think, "Wow, what a downer. What kind of apocalyptic tree hugger is this guy, anyway? I come here to zone out after work and do my Zen thing and this guy wants to take away my SUV. No way."

None of this will help you to understand what Dogen and Zhaozhou or even I have to show you about who you are. But if you sit up straight and stop talking to yourself as if there were someone there you were talking to, then the old Buddha that you are can recognize itself, can become itself as it truly is.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing the teisho "Fences, Walls, Tiles, Stones", Thursday, February 17th, 2005, at Dainen-ji, in the series "The Primordially Awakened Way: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Kobutsushin: The Old Buddha Mind".
 


Inka For Jinmyo Renge sensei



On the evening of Thursday, May 20th, during the May Sogakuki O-sesshin, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari received Inka, or the Seal of Authenticity, as a Zen Teacher from Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, and became his first Dharma-heir. As one who has received mind to mind transmission from the Roshi and holds the Lineage, she is thus able to transmit this Lineage at all stages of practice, including transmitting monastic vows and passing on the transmission herself.

Jinmyo Renge received Shiho Transmission as a Dharma-successor from the Roshi on December 8th, 2001 after having practised as a student and then a monastic since 1990. She presented the monthly Introduction to Zen Workshops for 17 years. As well as bearing a vast range of responsibilities within the Sangha, she trained in the time-honoured post of Tenzo since 1991 and has trained students in oryoki practice since 1992. While serving in the training posts of Shuso, Ino and Godo and Osho, her responsibilities have included overseeing Great Matter Publications and White Wind Zen Community Archives, as well as the duplication, preservation and transcription of our extensive collection of recorded teisho, Dharma Talks, and classes. She has also assisted the Roshi in training other monastics in their training posts of Shuso, Ino and Godo, as well as practice advisors. She worked with Anzan Hoshin roshi on the translation of the Bonmokyo (Bramajala sutra), on the Ten Grave and 48 Supporting Precepts.  She has produced weekly issues of the Sangha electronic newsletter, "The eMirror" since 1998. 

In addition to providing instruction to Sangha members practising at the monastery in Ottawa, she provides training to her own probationary formal and formal students (deshi) and corresponds by email with a large number of students practising in other parts of the world. She is responsible for presenting and organizing many resources such as the Retreat Handbook and other materials.

As well as presenting the foundations of mindfulness and insight, for many years she has also received from the Roshi authorizations to give instruction in koan practice and study, various aspects of kaji and Mikkyo, and the monastic ritsu and shingi. While there are some areas yet to be realized, the Roshi has decided that now it is time to acknowledge Jinmyo Renge as Sensei so that our Sangha can ripen further as a result. 

With Shiho ceremonies, as with Shukke-tokudo, these have always been open to all students who have registered to attend. However, given these times of the Covid-19 virus and isolation, the ceremony was conducted privately in the Hojo. This was followed by a Dharma talk by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei in the Hatto.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: 
June 9th, June 23rd.

June Two-day Sesshin
The June two-day sesshin will begin on June 11th at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Sunday the 13th of June at 6:00 p.m.

Hermitage:
The Roshi is currently in an extended period of "self-isolation" due to underlying health issues until the COVID-19 situation clarifies.

Beginning Instruction in Zen Practice:
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
 


Retreats



Loïc-Alexandre Ouellette sat a partial retreat on Thursday, May 20th at his home in Gatineau, Ontario. Tarik Kaya sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, May 22nd at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Tracey Parker sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, May 23rd at her home in Perth, Ontario.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is not possible at this time to schedule retreats in the monastery. If you would like to sit a retreat at home please follow the schedule outlined in this page:  https://wwzc.org/retreat-schedule-public-students. We can arrange for a telephone interview or daisan providing this does not conflict with the sesshin or O-sesshin schedule listed above, under “Upcoming Events”.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule



Saturday, May 29th to Saturday, June 5th

Saturday, May 29th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Bodhidharma's Transmission part 2” (teisho 27 of 44) 
Sunday, May 30th: SAkN: Dimensions of Space by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Dimensionless Space" (5 of 8)
Monday, May 31st: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Putting on the Kesa" (Dharma Talk 37)
Thursday, June 3rd:  "The Touchstone 2: Countless" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, June 5th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Bodhidharma's Transmission part 3” (teisho 28 of 44)
 


Listening to Teisho and Dharma Talks



​Associate and general students should continue to follow the recorded Teachings schedule for the sitting you were attending at the monastery, and listen to that during your home practice.

You can access the online Recorded Teachings Library at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings-schedule. 

You can also use the streaming site at app.wwzc.org to live stream recordings from the online Library. If you have forgotten your password or need assistance with accessing the recorded Teachings, please email schedule@wwzc.org.

Please note that teisho should be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out as themes, metaphors, questions raised and answered evolve in spirals throughout the series.

 

Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s,
by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei


Translations



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 Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Many of these will be posted on our website over the next few months.
 


Newly-Presented Teachings



During the January 2020 Sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          January 11th: “Rujing's Broken Broom of Mu”.
During the December 2019 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity, Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          December 2nd: Rujing’s Plum Blossoms Again
          December 3rd: Rujing’s Flower for Pindola
          December 4th: Rujing’s Painting Plum Blossoms
          December 5th: Rujing’s Frogs and Worms
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the November Sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          November 9th: Rujing and the Old Plum Tree
 


Newly Posted Transcript on the WWZC Website



"Zen is Not Kidding" by Shikai Zuiko sensei https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/zen-not-kidding
 


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

 

scroll


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death



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.

Shobogenzo Zuimonki (J) Literally "Easy Gate to the True Eye of Reality," or "An Introduction to the True Eye of Reality." Anthology of brief informal teachings of Dogen zenji compiled by Ejo zenji.

Posted May 28th, 2021. New entries are posted every two weeks.
 

bowl of soba noodles


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 godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja. The following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings this week:

Monday Yakuseki:
Thai white and brown rice; bulgogi tofu (chopped Spanish onion, dai gai choy and red bell peppers, finely sliced ginger, bulgogi sauce, shoyu); chunks of Asian pear with lime juice and red chili flakes.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Choice of crusty rolls and corn chips; chili (ground beef, pasata, diced tomatoes, chopped red peppers, chopped onion and jalapeno peppers, red and white kidney beans, chipotle adobo, Mexican chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, chopped coriander), served with sour cream; Vegetarian option: red bean chili (tomato juice, diced tomatoes, chopped red bell peppers, red kidney beans, chipotle adobo, Mexican chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, chopped coriander);  coleslaw (green cabbage coleslaw (thinly sliced green cabbage, carrots and white onion, mayonnaise, horseradish, lime juice, and Dijon mustard). 

Thursday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (calrose, Arborio and Basmati rice with pearled barley); ganmodoki (mashed silken tofu, chopped medium-firm tofu, minced shiseido, seeded red chilies, jalapeno peppers, minced scallions and ginger, egg whites, salt, rice flour) formed into balls, rolled in potato flour and deep-fried; dipping sauce of shoyu, rice vinegar, ponzu, pinch of sugar, minced ginger, minced red chilis); daikon pickle.

 

Drawing of monks bowing


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 sensei:
Thank you to Mishin godo for preparing meals during O-sesshin and for many hours of bookkeeping for WWZC; to Fushin shramon for putting together a metal storage rack in the Sensei-ryo; Saigyo ino for building a shelf in the Sensei-ryo; to Senbo for making changes to the Website and for overseeing the Great Matter online bookstore. 

From Chiso anagarika:
Congratulations to Jinmyo sensei for receiving Inka from Ven. Anzan Hoshin Roshi. Thank you to Roshi for establishing Dainen-ji and thus making it possible for Dogen zenji's lineage of Zen to be practiced and realized here. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei, for showing and teaching us how it is done. There is nothing like teaching by example. Having witnessed how Jinmyo sensei practiced through medical difficulties, accidents, floods and fires besides the daily rigorous schedule of the monastery, during her different training posts has been an eye opener. Her dedication, humor and trust in this practice always came through. Deep gassho.

From Zenki anagarika (Wolfville Zazenkai):
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for the enormous contribution over decades to the establishment and development of true practice, to my benefit, and to the benefit of so many students and practitioners. I offer sincere thanks and deep Gassho to you on this occasion of Inka, May 20, 2021.
 
From David Gallant:
Thank you to Mishin godo for preparing a wonderful variety of nutritious meals for practitioners during Sogaku-ki O-sesshin.

From Jean-François St-Louis:
Congratulations and deep gassho to Jinmyo osho for receiving inka. May your sincerity and deep commitment benefit all beings.

 

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