Hishiryo (Before Thinking), sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, early 1990s
eMirror Vol 26, No. 35
Friday, August 26th, 2022
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Thinking has been distorted into compulsive use of language, imagery and feeling tones through the three klesas of passion, aggression, and stupidity. It is used as a means of attempting to grasp and manipulate and hold on. It is used as a means of dulling the vividness of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling in order to defend the sense of locatedness as a self from being dissolved by them. It is used as a screen to blur. And I was not as yet even speaking of the contents of such distortions of thinking but only of their uses by self-image. However, of course the contents of discursiveness, of imagery, of feeling-tones are of course about the three klesas as well as guided by them.
Opening up around thoughts and releasing them into clear intelligence cannot happen without formal practice. There is no art form or sport or game that is involved with this at all. Zazen and deep koan study are the best ways of doing this. However the art of literature can help one to have an appreciation for, a deeper understanding of, and perhaps have a playful sense of language, perhaps of being able to use it without being used by it, at least as much. Of course as one’s practice deepens, as thinking clarifies, this will affect how one is with language and literature.
-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Class Six: "The Mind Is Not 'The' Mind" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu: August 24th, September 7th and 28th.
Dogen-ki (August 28th)
Dogen-ki August 28th is Dogen-ki, the memorial of Eihei Dogen zenji's death.
Samu Weekend
The next Samu Weekend will take place on August 27th and 28th. Each day begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m. Please pencil these dates into your calendar so that you will be able to attend some or all of this weekend of samu practice. Saigyo ino 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 ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com.
September Two-day Sesshin:
The September two-day sesshin will begin on Friday, September 9th at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Sunday the 11th 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
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, August 23rd at her home in the Berkshires. Brian Lakeman sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, August 21st at his home in Brampton, Ontario. Aaron Ford sat a half-day retreat on Monday, August 22nd 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.
Retreats at Dainen-ji
Although the monastery is not open to associate and general students for scheduled sittings, if you would like to sit a retreat at Dainen-ji, that is now possible.
You would need to schedule your retreat a week in advance. You will also need to get a rapid antigen Covid test done the day before you arrive and email us to let us know that you are Covid negative.
You will need to wear an N-95 mask while in the monastery. This link will let you know where you can pick up a free rapid antigen test https://covid-19.ontario.ca/rapid-test-locator
During the retreat, where the timing occurs along with scheduled sittings, you would join monastics and formal students in the Hatto on the second floor and wear a mask as we all do. During the other periods, you would sit in the Zendo on the first floor and would not wear a mask unless there are other students present.
You can sit a partial retreat, half-day retreat or full retreat for one or more days (providing you stay in the monastery and do not leave). The duration of retreats is as follows:
Half-day Retreat
You would need to arrive 15 minutes before the actual starting time. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at noon. Or begin at 9:30 a.m., end at 6:00. Or begin at 3:00 p.m., end at 9:10.
Partial Retreat
You would need to arrive 15 minutes before the actual starting time. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at 6:00 p.m. Or begin at 9:30 a.m., end at 9:10 p.m.
Full retreat
You would need to arrive by 5:45 a.m. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at 9:10 p.m.
Please remember to bring a change of clothes suitable for samu (caretaking practice). If staying overnight, please remember to bring a sleeping bag, a towel and other such necessities. If you have been diagnosed by a medical doctor as having allergies to specific foods, please contact the tenzo-anja, mishin godo at mishin at gmail dot com, a week in advance of your retreat to inform her of dietary restrictions as this affects food purchases and meal planning. The suggested dana for retreats is $50 for a full day or $40 for a partial day, which covers the basic cost of food and other materials. Donations above this figure are very welcome and all donations are tax deductible.
If you would like to schedule a retreat, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org.
Monastery Room for Rent
Two views of the new room, with the drywall installed and mudding started.
We are in the process of building a new room in the monastery which will be available for rent in the Autumn. If you would like to engage in a period of long-term training, please contact Mishin godo at mishin@gmail.com for further details.
It is recommended for students thinking of moving into the monastery to engage in a period of temporary residential training (a week, two weeks, a month or so) before making the decision to move in permanently. Students living in the monastery are required to attend all of the scheduled sittings, so you need to be practising as a general student to meet this requirement.
Recorded Teachings Schedule
Saturday, August 27th to Saturday, September 3rd
Saturday, August 27th: “Wild Time: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on “Uji: Being Time” by Eihei Dogen zenji: “The Totality of Time” (3 of 13)
Monday, August 29th: Hekiganroku 14: "Yunmen's 'A Right Word'" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
Thursday, September 1st: "The Mayko of Me" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, September 3rd: “Wild Time: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on “Uji: Being Time” by Eihei Dogen zenji: “The Absolute Moment" (4 of 13)
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
Tengo (J): Turning word or phrase. Pivotal teaching. In a koan, the word or phrase that the issue of the koan hangs on and that must be penetrated and then expressed by the student.
Posted August 26th, 2022. New entries are posted every two weeks.
Photograph by Ven. Mishin Roelof godo
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 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for residents:
Monday Yakuseki:
White and brown jasmine rice; Bulgogi tofu (deep-fried tofu triangles, poblano peppers, red bell peppers, banana peppers, cubanelle peppers (monastery grown), bulgogi sauce, ginger, shoyu; baechu kimchi.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian option: macaroni with tomato sauce and lentils (mirepoix, red wine, San Marzano tomatoes, passata, tomato juice, thyme, oregano, basil, pinch of cumin, cayenne, tinned green lentils, served with parmesan cheese).
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: The same tomato sauce described above, with the addition of cooked hot Italian sausage meat, ground chicken, ground pork and ground beef, simmered for several hours, served with Parmesan cheese.
The above dishes were served with a salad of Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, chopped tomatoes, celery, radishes, radicchio, served with a red balsamic dressing (red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, demerara sugar, salt, black pepper, bran oil).
Thursday Yakuseki:
Thai jasmine rice; chickpea curry (chickpeas, chopped onion, diced tomato, anaheim peppers, red bell peppers, poblano peppers, Madras curry powder, Kashmiri chili powder, chopped coriander, coconut milk; chunks of fresh pineapple.
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 growing fresh peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs we have been using to prepare yakuseki dishes over the past few weeks; to Saigyo ino for setting up wireless access for my new computer; to Fushin shuso for securing a bird feeder with suction cups to the outside of one of my windows - to the delight of the two monastery cats, Shindo and Kiden; to Senbo for sending out the eMirror each week, and for work on reprinting the book “Before Thinking”. to Leonardo for washing cleaning cloths regularly; to Fushin shuso, Leonardo and David for helping Mishin godo move the treasurer’s office into a new space.
From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for researching the art of fermentation and making tempeh starter, and for the great tasting soybean tempeh she has made. Thank you to Fushin shuso, Leonardo Nobrega and David Gallant for working with me on Sunday to move the treasurer office to the former archiving room space in the attic and set up the new room.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Hannah Kent for a donation towards the Samu Weekend. Thank you to Adda Hernandez and Jeffrey Wilkins for donations.
