eMirror Vol 27, No. 21
Friday, May 26th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
That a human being is a mobile digestive system is certainly true but of course it is not the only truth. It is just a way of talking about it and of examining the meaning of many of the meanings that we have believed about ourselves, the world, and “the scheme of things.” And we can afford to be somewhat friendly about that too, to be somewhat cheerful about it. We can talk about it as the “twenty-five foot earthworm.” We can even be somewhat comfortable with that, just as we become comfortable with just sitting here, just breathing in just this moment. Sitting here moment after moment, feeling a pain in the knee, a twinge in the ankle. Having a sudden upsurge, an upwelling, a tidal wave, of silly thoughts and then of deep insights. And then of deep stupor. We can become comfortable with all of these states coming and going, and just be very gentle with ourselves, be very gentle and humorous with our experience, and open past whatever patterns of contraction might arise.
In this way, we begin to not only recognize some element of nobility and dignity about our experience, we learn how to express that as well. Perhaps it is something as simple as how you put down your spoon in oryoki when you are finished with it instead of just dropping it there in the bowl. You actually feel the contact. Perhaps we begin to express it in how we notice that we are rushing a little bit, we are panicky, a little bit crazy, and we notice that the person sitting behind us is a little crazy too, we can notice it in their breath; and so we allow our breath to open and slow and to become a little gentler because they might notice that and it might help them. All manner of small kindnesses like that are available to us if we are there to recognize them.
It is in these small little things of daily lives, in our eating, in our walking, in our talking, in our dressing, how we comb our hair — not the style into which we comb our hair, but how we actually hold the comb — that we can accept our wormhood. And develop past that, develop past the cycle of feeding and breeding that is the whole concern of the worm. And begin to explore further possibilities without leaving our basic ground of bodymind.
-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing 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 31st, June 21st.
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
June Two-day Sesshin:
The June two-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11th.
Saturday, June 10th General Sitting
The general sitting will take place in the Zendo. Arrival time is 9:15, in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45. Students are reminded to stay on the first floor.
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
Deshi Isshin sat a 7-day retreat in alignment with the sesshin schedule at Dainen-ji, in her home in St. John, New Brunswick. Rev. Chiso anagarika sat a half-day retreat on Tuesday, May 23rd in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Public associate student Christian Pustilnik sat a one-day retreat on Sunday, May 14th at his home in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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 27th to Saturday, June 3rd, 2023
Saturday, May 27th general sitting: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "Socks and Rice Cakes" (9 of 13, 26 minutes)
Monday, May 29th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Beyond Convenience” (7 of 71, 11 minutes)
Thursday, June 1st associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Beyond Convenience” (7 of 71, 11 minutes)
Saturday, June 3rd general sitting: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "Authority and Customs" (10 of 13, 23 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.
Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)
Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Ven. Fushin Comeau shuso following her death
Yaza (J): zazen done after formal zazen periods have concluded for the day; all night sitting
Posted May 19th, 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:
Chinese long-grain rice; spicy scrambled tofu (extra-firm tofu scrambled, onion, minced garlic, rice vinegar, Chinese soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil, chopped scallions); soup with greens (mushroom stock, thinly sliced ginger, lots of white pepper, shoyu and long strips of bok choy); chopped Asian pear and crisp apples with lime juice and chilli flakes.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian option: Beyond burgers with a thick onion/ mushroom sauce, served with torn noodles and baechu kimchi.
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: miso-braised beef (blade roasts cut into two-inch stips, seasoned with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, seared and then braised in stock, sauteed onions, shitake mushrooms, shiro miso, tomato paste, rice wine vinegar, minced red chillies, thinly sliced green onions); torn noodles; Baechu kimchi.
Thursday:
White basmati rice; soya kofta curry (reconstituted soy chunks ground up with chickpea flour, chopped red onion, minced ginger and garlic, fresh coriander stems and leaves, chopped green chillies, garam masala, kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, and cumin, formed into small patties and deep-fried) served in a curry made from a masala of chopped red onion and diced tomatoes with minced garlic and ginger, chopped red chillies, green cardamom, popped mustard seeds and cumin seeds to which was added coconut milk, coriander powder and fresh coriander leaves); chopped Swiss chard was added at the end of cooking. Served with sliced 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 Fushin shuso for arranging for and overseeing the repair of one of the monastery washing machines. Thank you to Deshi Senbo for creating a gallery page of the April Samu Weekend when the last 53 yews were planted: https://wwzc.org/gallery/samu-weekend-april-28th-and-29th-2023. Thank you to Phil of Save On Plants for cultivating the healthy yew trees that we purchased from him and planted in the monastery grounds last year and this spring. They are very healthy.
From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for the Dharma text The Practice of Taking Care which she wrote in 1991. Thank you to Ian Richard for transcribing three teisho. Thank you to Stacey Loyer for garden samu.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Nicholas Huston and Adda Hernandez for donations.
