Tenzo, sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 26, No. 26
Friday, June 24th
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
At its most basic, taste is the ability to respond to dissolved molecules while the sense of smell is an interaction between sensors and airborne molecules. Humans detect or construct or respond with a sensation of taste with taste receptor cells. From one to dozens of these are clustered in taste buds depending on the area of the tongue and there are also taste buds on the roof of the mouth. Infant humans have taste buds on the sides of the mouth as well. There are around ten thousand taste buds in the average mouth, although in general women have more than do men, and are born and die every seven to ten days. Each taste bud has a pore that opens out to the surface of the tongue allowing molecules and ions taken into the mouth to reach the receptor cells inside. Each taste receptor cell has receptor molecules on its apical surface and is connected to a sensory neuron in which it can generate action potentials that then move to the brain.
The traditional Western view is that there are only four primary taste sensations: salty, sour, sweet, bitter. However, there is currently evidence for a fifth which is called umami. This is a response to salts of glutamic acid—like monosodium glutamate (MSG). The traditional Asian view, for example the Japanese, is that there are six tastes or rokumi: bitter, sour, sweet, hot, mild, and salty.
Insects have the most nuanced sense of taste and have taste organs on their feet, antennae, and mouthparts. Fish can taste with their fins and tails as well as their mouths.
When you eat, do you notice where the various flavours are on the tongue? Where on the tongue does the sensation of sweetness arise? Bitterness? Salt? The tip of the tongue feels sweetness? Bitter flavours are felt at the back of the tongue. Sour flavours arise at the sides. Salty flavours are felt throughout, but mainly in the middle.
The sense of taste is the weakest of all of the senses. If you take two things with a similar texture such as potato and apple and cut them into identically sized pieces, mix them up in a bowl, close your eyes and hold your nose you could eat a bowlful and most likely not be able to tell the difference. You are welcome to try this. In fact you could amaze your friends with this trick at parties. I am sure that you can see another reason why I am never invited to parties.
Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Class Five: "It Becomes You" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu: June 29th, July 13th and 27th.
Yaza:
Yaza (all night sitting) will take place on Saturday, July 9th, from 10pm until Sunday, July 10th, at 8am. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei will lead the Yaza.
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, June 21st at her home in the Berkshires. Aaron Ford sat a half-day retreat on Friday, June 17th 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 25th to Saturday, July 2nd
Saturday, June 25th: "Bodymind of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Shinjin Gakudo": "Evening Comments: Practicing Like a Needle" (11 of 17)
Monday, June 27th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Seeing a King" (Dharma Talk 95)
Thursday, June 30th: "Starting Point" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, July 2nd: "Bodymind of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Shinjin Gakudo": "Bodaishin, Hempen, Koboshin, Neijoshin" (12 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.
Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)
Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death
Tathagata (S, P); Nyorai (J): "One Who Comes Thus". An epithet of the Buddha. Also used as a technical term to refer to reality as a process of "continual presencing" in classical texts such as the Lankavatara sutra.
Posted June 24th , 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 “. 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 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for residents:
Monday Yakuseki:
White and brown Thai rice; mild curried tofu (deep fried tofu, chopped Spanish onion, leeks, chopped poblano and red bell peppers, popped mustard seeds, toasted cumin seeds, Madras curry powder, coconut milk); spicy carrot-miso soup (cooked, blended garlic, ginger, chopped carrots, apple, leeks, tomato, cumin, cayenne, sweet paprika, turmeric, coconut cream, shiro miso); chopped Asian pear with lime juice and chili flakes.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Roasted Yukon gold potato wedges; celeriac salad (grated celeriac, lime juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper); braised asparagus with lemon juice and zest.
Vegetarian option: Beyond Burgers
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: oven roasted chicken thighs with a dry rub (garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, bran oil).
Thursday Yakuseki:
Fried rice (leftover Thai white and brown rice, leftover chopped roasties, shallots, minced garlic, jalapeno, chopped poblano and red bell pepper, curry powder, turmeric); lime tofu (deep fried tofu triangles, lime juice, black pepper) garnished with chopped scallions; carrot and celeriac salad; tomato soup (tomato vegetable juice, Frank’s hot sauce, salt, pepper).

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 David Gallant:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for many years of formal instruction, and for helping me over the past few years to arrange my life in a sensible way. Thank you to the Office of the Tenzo for providing dairy-free residents' meals for me while I go through a process of finding out if I'm lactose intolerant.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Ian Richard for a donation for materials for the upcoming Samu Weekend.
