Sleeping cat enso
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 26, No. 23
Friday, June 3rd
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
I have found that students are often utterly unprepared by their cultures and lives to appreciate the nuances of bodily expression. Very little emphasis is placed on how one does anything that one does. One exception that I can think of is in sports. In basketball, you should not take a step without dribbling the ball; motion of the body must be timed with the hand and ball. In golf, a particular stance for the swing is preferred, but how you remove the clubs from their bag does not matter, how you walk, bend, and plant the tee in the ground do not matter, how you move following the swing does not matter. And so the ability of the fingertips and hands and wrists and arms and shoulders and chest and belly and back and thighs and knees and ankles and feet and toes to coordinate themselves with each other and the environment has not been explored nor even really been deemed particularly worthy of exploration. In gymnastics, the athlete is working with forms that have to do with balancing the body through manoeuvres related to the balance beam or high horse. There seems very little opportunity to apply what works for a perfect dismount to picking up a cup or putting it down. I do not think that leaning far forward from the waist at an extreme angle, letting the cup go a few inches above the table, and then straightening, and bounding up and down with the legs stiff and the arms held at a thirty degree angle from the trunk or swinging them around and around a few times has much to do with putting down a cup. By the way, I think that this phrasing is right, I have only watched young girls jumping around and off of parallel bars during an Olympic telecast once, so I am not sure if it is really called a high horse or not.
In any case, sports are not art. Which is not to say that a sport cannot be played artfully nor that it cannot be played attentively. However, they are games with goals. The goal of a game is predetermined, whether it is won or not. Art has no goal as such other than to illuminate or at least reflect something of the radiance of life, of bodyminds and of birth and death, how it is to meet the world, and the fields of the senses.
Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Class Three: "Touching the Sensation of the World" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu: June 15th and 29th.
June Two-day Sesshin:
The June two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 12th.
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
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, May 31st at her home in the Berkshires. Julien Jefferson sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, May 28th at his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Brian Lakeman sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, May 29th at his home in Brampton, Ontario. Aaron Ford sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, May 29th at his home in Calgary, Alberta.
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. After your retreat, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org to confirm that you sat a retreat and include the duration and location.
Recorded Teachings Schedule
Saturday, June 4th to Saturday, June 11th
Saturday, June 4th: "Bodymind of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Shinjin Gakudo": "Is a House a Home?" (7 of 17)
Sunday, June 5th: SAkN “Root Cycle Four” by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: “Tantra is Unnecessary” (teisho 4 of 5)
Monday, June 6th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Seeing People Debate" (Dharma Talk 92)
Thursday, June 9th: "Splat" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, June 11th: "Bodymind of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Shinjin Gakudo": "Raw Practice " (8 of 17)
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.
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 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
Translations and Texts
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s,
by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
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. 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 ongoing.
Roshi is also finishing 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.
Samu Weekend Report May 28th and 29th
by Saigyo ino
Photographs by Jinmyo sensei
Over the weekend of May 28th and 29th, 17 students attended our spring Samu Weekend and completed a wide variety of tasks in the grounds and inside the monastery. In the grounds we completed the installation of a new front border at the sidewalk using pressure treated planks and river-wash stone. This border can now be planted with shade loving plants to complete the work to re-landscape the front hedge area which began with planting of the new Hills Yew hedge in the early spring. Landscaping work was also completed at the side entrance and along the east of the building. More planting and tidying, mulching and watering was done in the grounds over the two days and the snow blower and its housing were put away for the year. A repair was made to the front steps handrail.
Inside the building the large bookcase which was being stored in the Zendo was installed in what will become the guest room next the Shuryo and the Zendo was cleaned and reset ready for sittings. Lots of organisation of books and journals was done in the Shuryo and in the new archiving room on the ground floor, the computer equipment and desks required for the archiving work were installed. The large number of CD's we have of the recorded Teachings was organised and collated so that they can be made available to students for purchase. The basement stairs were repainted.
Mishin godo and Leonardo sorting CDs for sale
Saigyo Ino and Mario cleaning the Zendo
Loic and Ian preparing the border next to the hedge
Saigyo Ino and Fushin shuso working on the border for the hedge
Almost finished border (we intend to plant a variety of hostas all along the fence line)
Jesse Steinberg, Artik Chauhan working on the stone pathway
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for the excellent meals she prepared for students who stayed for samu for the whole day and for keeping a photographic record of the work.
Thank you to the following students who offered their time to assist with maintaining and improving the practice environment:
Mishin godo, Fushin shuso, Leonardo Nobrega, David Gallant, Eric Cyr, Sophia Stevenson, Loïc-Alexandre Ouellette, Ian Richard, Mario Delisle, Rowen Russel, Shigemi Ichino, Sam McFarlane, Jesse Steinburg, Artik Chauhan, Marc Valade and Sydnee Burgess.
Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)
Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death
Tanku (J): "One-sided emptiness" A partial understanding of emptiness (ku or sunyata) which becomes a misunderstanding. For example: understanding the emptiness of experiences but not of the experiencer; understanding that there is no experiencer but not understanding that there are no experiences, only Experiencing.
Posted May 27th , 2022. New entries are posted every two weeks.
Office of the Tenzo
Dogen zenji taught in the 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 following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Monday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (white and brown Thai jasmine rice), tossed with seasoned vegetables and tofu (chopped Spanish onion, carrots, cubanelle, poblano and red bell peppers, minced garlic and ginger, peanut butter, hot chili sauce, toasted mustard seeds, toasted cumin seeds, toasted coriander powder, chopped tofu, served with roasted peanuts); chunks of Asian pear with lime juice and chili flakes.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (Calrose white medium-grain rice, arborio rice, pearled barley, Korean short-grain white rice); vegetarian option: battered deep-fried tofu; for those who wished to supplement their diet with meat, karaage (deep-fried pieces of chicken thigh in a spicy batter made from all purpose flour, potato starch, sake, minced garlic and ginger, shoyu and beaten egg); salad of Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, chopped celery. Dipping sauce and salad dressing made from shoyu, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, minced green onions and sesame oil.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with butter and peas; butternut squash soup (blended, cooked butternut squash and white onion, salt, black pepper, and a drop of cream); friulano cheese with sweet gherkins.
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 Jinmyo sensei:
Thank you to Mishin godo for a pair of kitchen shoes; to residents for carrying many boxes of books up down several flights of stairs to fill the bookcases in the Shuryo.
From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Fushin shramon for researching vacuum cleaners when the one we had stopped working. Thank you to Sam MacFarlane for an anti-fatigue mat for the monastery kitchen. Thank you to Shigemi Ichino for spring onions fresh from her garden. Thank you to Stacey Loyer for peanut butter cookies for monastery residents.
