eMirror Vol 26, No. 45 (2022-11-04)

Rahula as the 11th of the 18 Lohan  by Guanxi 891
Rahula as the 11th of the 18 Lohan 
by Guanxi 891


eMirror Vol 26, No. 45

Friday, November 4th, 2022
Edited by the Practice Council

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



In this Hanamatsuri sesshin, we will consider a Discourse, a Sutta, which was supposedly spoken by Siddhartha Gautama, Sakyamuni Buddha, and was supposedly addressed to his own son, Rahula. The Sutta is called “Big Advice to Rahula,” or the Maha Rahulovada Sutta. Let’s begin.

EVAM ME SUTAM.

Thus have I heard.

Once, the Generous One was staying at Anathapindika’s grove in the Jetavana forest. One morning the Generous One, having dressed and taken up his robe and bowl, went to Savatthi for alms. That same morning the Venerable Rahula, having dressed and taken up his robe and bowl, also went to Savatthi for alms, following close behind the Generous One. The Generous One, without turning around, addressed the Venerable Rahula:

“All form, Rahula, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, low or high, far or near, is to be seen as it is with complete and perfect knowing.1 Thus: ‘This is not mine, this is not me, this is not my self.’”

“Form only, Generous One? Form alone, Well-Gone One?”2

“As with form, so it is with basic reactivity, symbolization, habitual patterning, and consciousness.”

    1Sammappanna.
    2Sugata.


-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho One: "Flowers Falling" in the series "Flowers and Worms", Hanamatsuri sesshin, April 11th to 14th, 1991, Zazen-ji.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: November 9th, November 23rd.

Introduction to Zen Workshop 
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, November 5th, at 1:45 p.m. To register for the next workshop: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca
For more information please see:
Introduction to Zen Workshop (Ottawa) 

November Two-day Sesshin
The November two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11th and ends on Sunday, November 13th at 6:00 p.m.

Daiko-ki
November 18th is the Memorial for the death of Anzan Daiko zenji.

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

Beginning Instruction in Zen Practice for Those Living Outside of Commuting Distance of the Monastery:
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: Long Distance Training Program | White Wind Zen Community
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, November 1st at her home in the Berkshires. Mario Delisle sat a half-day retreat on Monday, October 31st at Dainen-ji. Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on Monday, October 31st at her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick. Julien Jefferson began a nine-day period of residential training at Dainen-ji on Wednesday, November 3rd which began with a three and a half-day retreat. 

If you would like to sit a retreat at Dainen-ji, please email schedule@wwzc.org to register a week in advance. For further information please visit this page: https://wwzc.org/retreats

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, November 5th to Saturday, November 12th

Saturday, November 5th: "Paramita" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Dana: Richness" (2 of 7, 36 minutes) 
Monday, November 7th: "Horizons of Experience" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi (29 minutes)
Thursday, November 10th: "Horizons of Experience" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi (29 minutes) 
Saturday, November 12th: "Paramita" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Sila: Discipline" (3 of 7, 32 minutes) 
 


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
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



scroll

Theravada (P): “Way of the Elders”. The form of Buddhism found in Ceylon, Burma and Thailand, the Sravakavada. Within the past two hundred years monks and now laypeople in the Theravada have taken up meditation practice once more, the most flourishing style of which is Vipassana (in Sanskrit Vipasyana), a practice similar to beginning stages of Hakukaze Soto Zen mindfulness practice.

Posted November 4th, 2022. New entries are posted every two weeks.

 

vegetables


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:

Monday Yakuseki: 
Biryani (leftover white and brown Jasmine rice and calrose rice, fried, cubed Yukon gold potatoes, diced carrots and diced onion, baby green peas, biryani masala (bay leaf, fennel seeds, star anise, green cardamom, black cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds and mace); tomato soup made from blended whole tomatoes, tomato juice and mire poix, curry powder and a drop of cream; coleslaw made from green cabbage, thinly sliced carrots, daikon and red onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, Dijon mustard, popped yellow mustard seeds and toasted brown cumin seeds.

Tuesday Yakuseki: 
Mixed grain (calrose, arborio, basmati, pearled barley, and sona masoori rice); pickle made from very thinly sliced ‘watermelon’ daikon (white on the outside, vivid pink on the inside) and purple daikon with lime juice, mirin, salt and white pepper; sauteed baby bok choy with strips of onion. 
Vegetarian option: semi-firm tofu dusted with salt and white pepper and then coated in potato starch and fried, served with a dipping sauce of shoyu, mirin and minced ginger. 
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: tsukune (minced chicken mixed with egg yolk, minced ginger, finely chopped Spanish onions, and potato starch which were fried and then braised in chicken stock seasoned with ginger, sesame oil, and shoyu. 

Thursday Yakuseki: 
White and brown calrose rice; bulgogi tofu (sauteed chopped Spanish onion, poblano and bell peppers, green cabbage, minced ginger, bulgogi sauce, shoyu, with seared cubed of medium-firm tofu); braised daikon (braised rounds of daikon (braising liquid made from shoyu, shitake mushroom stock, mirin, sesame oil); kimchi.
 

Monk in gassho - drawing


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 the Roshi for the many hours he has spent this week reviewing transcriptions of his teisho and Dharma Talks. Thank you to Saigyo ino for patching a wall in the Sensei-ryo after a bracket was removed. Thank you to David Gallant and Hannah Kent for their work in refurbishing the ‘attendance app’ that helps in planning regular practice interviews, (and where applicable, daisan and dokusan) for students attending sittings and retreatants.

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Gillian Hern for Northern Spy apples from her orchard and preserved lemons. Thank you to Shigemi Ichino for beautifully coloured daikon and kohlrabi.

From Gillian Hern:
Thank you to the Roshi and monastics for the existence of Dainen-ji, and for hosting me at my recent retreat and first visit to the monastery in several years. Thank you to the office of the Tenzo for the excellent and varied meals, and to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for helpful practice interviews and instruction on forms that had gotten a little rusty. Thank you to Mishin Godo for her kindness in giving me advice on practising with a frozen shoulder, and links to Daruma-kata Aiki videos that will be useful.

From Ian Richard:
Thank you to the Roshi for the Doing Not-Doing and Zen Arts: Flowering of the Senses series, as well as the 全 sho in the recent eMirror. Thank you so much to all the monastics and residents for the work involved to resume regular in-person sittings at the monastery. Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for observations and pointers, for answering many small questions about forms, and for teaching through examples in countless ways every day.

From Julian Yates:
Thank you to Saigyo ino for patiently helping me organize my visit to Dainen-ji, for initial instruction and continual guidance in all the forms used during practice and through my retreat, and for answering questions. Thank you to Mishin godo for further guidance on forms, answering questions, preparing delicious meals, and for the practice interview near the end of my retreat. Thank you to both Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for ongoing support through telephone practice interviews, which have been important to me for further insight and understanding of practice. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for the delicious lunch of leftovers from Thursday's yakuseki, and for offering to answer questions even though I had none at the time.
Thank you to the Roshi for creating a wonderful space for practice, and building a community of people who are so supportive. I am truly grateful.
 

 

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