Digital painting by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 27, No. 19
Friday, May 12th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
As twilight opens its dusky flowers, it is bright at the edges of clouds, bright at the horizon. Night will soon flower, unfolding its dark petals of space, its petals of stars. This moment flowers right now. The Way flowers every time that we come back to the breath, every time that we feel a step, every time that we allow ourselves to experience the elements of our experience as they really are.
-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, concluding Teisho Five: "The Flower of Twilight" in the series "Flowers and Worms", Hanamatsuri sesshin, April 11th to 14th, 1991, Zazen-ji.
The Hatto (for formal sittings)
The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)
Practice Schedule and Upcoming Events
Formal Sittings for WWZC Students: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings The formal sittings begin at 6:00 a.m. You would need to arrive by 5:45 in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 7:25 with the Chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki review which ends at about 7:50. If you need to leave before the kata, please let us know that in advance by sending an email to schedule@wwzc.org.
Saturday Morning General Sitting for WWZC Students: The general sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. You would need to arrive by 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45 a.m. Some general students attend the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning formal sitting, stay for breakfast and then attend the general sitting. If you stay for breakfast you will need to make a $5.00 dana contribution for the meal. Proceeds from meals go to White Wind Zen Community.
Monday and Thursday Evening Associate Sittings for WWZC Students: The associate sitting begins at 7:30 p.m. You would need to arrive by 7:15 p.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 9:10 p.m.
Friday (Hosan): There are no formal sittings scheduled at the monastery on Fridays, but you are expected to sit at home if you have committed to sitting zazen daily.
Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students.
Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows): May 17th, and 31st.
Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
May Sogaku-ki O-sesshin:
The May Sogaku-ki Seven-day O-sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 12th, and will end on Friday, May 19th, at noon. Probationary formal students and formal students are reminded to send their schedules as soon as possible.
Saturday, May 13th Combined Sitting:
Mishin godo will email associate and general students about registering for this sitting.
Formal sittings During the Week of O-sesshin are reserved for participants of the O-sesshin.
Cancelled Sittings:
The Monday, May 15th and Thursday, May 18th associate sittings are cancelled due to O-sesshin.
Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of hermitage due to underlying health issues until the COVID-19 situation clarifies.
Long Distance Training Program:
For students living an hour or more commuting distance from the monastery in Ottawa, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
White Wind Zen Community Website Update
“River of Memory”: transcript of teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, on March 21st, 1991:
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/river-memory
The Practice of Taking Care: short text by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei while training as Shuso. Zazen-ji, 1991.
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/practice-taking-care
Retreats
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat a semi-retreat on Tuesday, May 9th in the Berkshires.
If you are a student of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and 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, Saturday, May 13th to Saturday, May 20th, 2022
Saturday, May 13th combined associate and general sitting “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Snow” (5 of 71, 13 minutes)
Saturday, May 20th general sitting: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "The Dragon Maiden" (8 of 13, 19 minutes)
Recorded Teisho Playback During the Sogaku-ki O-sesshin
Saturday, May 13th: SAkN Root Cycle Two: Locating the Self: "Understanding, Misunderstanding" (1 of 3, 14 minutes)
Sunday, May 14th: SAkN Root Cycle Two: Locating the Self: "Locatedness and Framing" (2 of 3, 29 minutes)
Monday, May 15th: SAkN Root Cycle Two: Locating the Self: "The Energy of Framing" (3 of 3, 22 minutes )
Tuesday, May 16th: SAkN Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: "Entering Aware Space" (1 of 8, 15 minutes)
Wednesday, May 17th: SAkN Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: "Frames of Time and Space" (2 of 8, 21 minutes)
Thursday, May 18th: SAkN Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: " The Body of Knowing" (3 of 8, 14 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
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 by Saigyo ino
Over the weekend of Saturday, April 29th and Sunday, April 30th, we held a Samu Weekend to plant a new hedge of yew trees along the east side of the building. Last year in early spring we planted 50 yew trees along the front and north west corner of the property and this weekend we planted another 53 along the east. Working through the rain, 18 students assisted the monks over the two days and now the perimeter of Dainen-ji next to the road is surrounded by a lovely yew hedge which will grow and fill out as the years pass. The regular rainfall in the days following the planting will be very good for helping the trees get a good start.
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for her extremely generous donation towards the purchase of the yew trees.
Thank you to the following students who worked on this project in less than ideal conditions to improve the grounds of Dainen-ji so dramatically in a short space of time:
Leonardo Nobrega, David Gallant, Chantal Maheu, Shigemi Ichino, Sam McFarlane, Tarik Kaya, Rowan Russell, Hannah Kent, Mario Delisle, Julien Jefferson, Ian Richard, Selina Wamsley, Greg Parker, Sophia Stevenson, Tarik Kaya, Jesse Steinberg, Robert Carew and Challian Christ.
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei and Mishin godo for planning and preparing the wonderful midday meals we enjoyed on each day.
Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)
Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Ven. Fushin Comeau shuso following her death
Vairocana Buddha (S); Biroshanu Butsu, Dainichi Nyorai (J): “the illuminator” --- representation of the Primordial Awareness that gives rise to all Buddhas or Luminosity Itself, the Actual Nature Itself --- a central figure of the Kegon or Avatamsaka sutra.
Posted May 5th, 2023. New entries are posted every two weeks.
Office of the Tenzo
Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo | White Wind Zen Community) 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 WWZC does not advocate any particular diet. However all meals prepared during practice events, such as Dharma Assemblies, sesshin, or retreats are vegetarian as most people can eat this. On Tuesday evenings there is an optional meat dish, as some people find that a purely vegetarian diet, especially as they get older, is not sufficient for their health. If you are adhering to a strictly vegan diet, you can write to the tenzo, Jinmyo Renge sensei, at jinmyo.renge@wwzc.org a week prior to attending an event to request vegan foods. If you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to foods, you should write to the tenzo about dietary restrictions a week before attending events.
The following meals were prepared on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings:
Monday Yakuseki:
Caramelized onion frittata (caramelised sliced Spanish onions mixed with beaten egg, topped with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with basil, salt, black pepper, finished with grated friulano cheese then baked until cooked through and the cheese turned golden-brown; Cream of potato/rutabaga soup (cooked Yukon gold potatoes and rutabaga, herbs de Provence; thyme, lots of black pepper, a little cream; salad made from thinly sliced Napa cabbage, grated carrots, grated daikon, thinly sliced white onion, served with a dressing made from equal parts mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, with lots of black pepper and sweetened with honey.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
White and brown Thai rice.
Vegetarian/Vegan option: Thai curry (coconut milk, lime juice, chopped coriander, Thai red curry paste, bamboo shoots, chopped green Swiss chard stems, celery, white onion, and Napa cabbage, cubed semi-firm tofu, served with roasted peanuts).
For those who wish to supplement their diet with meat or fish: basa fillets roasted in the oven, served separately from the curry.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Ramen noodles with garlic sauce (cooked ramen tossed with a sauce made from minced garlic and ginger, Chinese soy sauce, sambal oelek, sesame oil, vegetarian oyster sauce and a bit of brown sugar); Thai curry soup (leftover Thai curry blended and diluted); salad of Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, radicchio, chopped tomatoes and celery, radishes, and thinly sliced onion.

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 Mishin godo:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for purchasing two dwarf Japanese barberry bushes for the front grounds. Thank you to Chantal Maheu for adding many bags of cedar mulch around the new yew trees lining the Friel Street side of the property. Thank you to Rowan Russell for archiving samu to improve the audio playback of older recorded Teachings.
From David Gallant:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for preparing a wonderful and varied array of dishes each week for resident meals. Thank you to Saigyo ino for doing the grocery shopping for Dainen-ji each week.
From Selina Wamsley:
Thank you to Jinmyo Sensei for offering support and clarity through an email exchange, as well as very thorough responses to my recent practice journals.
