eMirror Vol 27, No. 22 (2023-06-02)


Buddha rupa robed in moss at Wolfville Zazenkai, Nova Scotia

Buddha rupa robed in moss
at Wolfville Zazenkai, Nova Scotia


eMirror Vol 27, No. 22

Friday, June 2nd, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council

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



When the Buddha was offering his advice to Rahula about the elements, I think that this is what he was trying to say: I think that he was certainly trying to offer more than just advice to Rahula. I think that he was trying to offer the inheritance that Rahula had asked for that day when he followed the Buddha back to the encampment of monks. As his father, Siddhartha had, along with his mother, given to Rahula a twenty-five foot long earthworm encased in a carriage of bone fitted with the latest evolutionary developments in sensory and cognitive equipment. And the inheritance that the Buddha had for Rahula was that Rahula was Buddha; that Sariputta was Buddha, that all beings are Buddha. That inherent and unconditioned freedom is the inheritance and birthright of all beings. And that this is uncovered by working with ourselves as we are.

And so, after speaking to Rahula about the elements, he then says,  “Practice metta Rahula,” (or as it is said in Sanskrit, maitri) “practice friendliness. Becoming kind, malevolence is released.” Allowing oneself to be gentle with oneself, with each other, with the spoon, with the colour that is being seen, the sound that is being heard, the general sense of anxiety, malevolence and defensiveness, the basic grudge, that the worm might exert in trying to defend its territory is seen to be unnecessary. Feeding is a simple thing. We don’t have to fight each other for it, there is plenty of food, the refrigerator is full. And if we stop hoarding food then there will be food for all beings everywhere. No one need go hungry. And if we stop keeping ourselves closed in, stop shutting ourselves away from each other, then no one will be lonely. No one will be frightened. No one will be victimized.

We can care for others by releasing malevolence and we release malevolence, our territoriality, our sense of anxiety, by practising friendliness, gentleness, kindness towards ourselves and the elements of our experience.

-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 Hatto (for formal sittings)

 

The Zendo (for associate and general 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):  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
 


Congratulations and Deep Gassho to the Following Students:



To Challian Christ on being accepted as a general student by the Roshi; To Jeffrey Wilkins of Texas, USA on being accepted as an associate public student by the Roshi; To Spencer Gordon of Bowmanville, Ontario on being accepted as an associate student by the Roshi; To Zachary Claxton of Texas, USA on being accepted as an associate public student by the Roshi; To Laura Malone of Maryland, USA on being accepted as an associate public student by the Roshi; To Tyler Bateman of Toronto, Ontario on being accepted as an associate public student by the Roshi; To Lanny Cardow of Ottawa, Ontario on being accepted as an associate student by the Roshi; To Stephanie Houle of Ottawa, Ontario on being accepted as an associate student by the Roshi.
 


Notes on the Forms



Students should arrive by first bell, 15 minutes before sittings begin so that they can be in the Zendo or the Hatto by second bell at the latest to join others for kinhin. This is important because practice advisors meet with the Sensei at third bell, five minutes before the sitting begins in order to determine who is present and decide the order of practice interviews to be announced. If you arrive late, it makes it difficult to know who is present as students are in various change rooms etc., and sometimes results in delaying the sitting. Please do your best to arrive on time to avoid disrupting the schedule of the monastery.

If you arrive after the sitting starts and the door is locked, you don't need to turn around and go home. Ring the bell once and then sit on the bench on the front porch. If possible, we will come and unlock the door for you right away. If we are in the middle of the chants or listening to a teisho, we will come to let you in as soon as the teisho finishes.     

If you need to leave a sitting early due to illness, to meet an early deadline or for some other reason, please inform a practice advisor, the senior in a practice room, or the jikido before leaving. We worry about you
otherwise.
 


White Wind Zen Community Website Update



"Difficulty, Strangeness, Beauty": transcript of a Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, December 13, 1988: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/difficulty-strangeness-beauty

"Standing in the Rain (Tangaryo)": transcript of Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, December 13th, 1988: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/standing-rain-tangaryo

"Snow": transcript of Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, November 18, 1989: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/snow
 


Retreats



Tracey Parker sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, May 27th at her home in Perth, Ontario.

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, June 3rd to Saturday, June 10th, 2023

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)  
Sunday, June 4th formal sitting: SAkN: Infinite Infinities by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Huntun’s Faceless Face" (4 of 7, 23 minutes)
Monday, June 5th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Uncertainty” (8 of 71, 14 minutes)
Thursday, June 8th associate sitting: Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Uncertainty” (8 of 71, 14 minutes)
Saturday, June 10th general sitting: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "The Place the Three Jewels Shine" (11 of 13, 24 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 Ven. Fushin Comeau shuso following her death



scroll

Zabuton (J): a flat padded cushion for practitioner's knees.

Posted May 19th, 2023. New entries are posted every two weeks.
 


Fundraising 2023: Roofs



We are in the process of gathering estimates for roof repairs to several areas of our roofs shown in yellow and white in the following graphic. All of the other (grey) sections of roof have already been taken care of. We have needed to redo the roofs a section at a time because the costs of replacing them, given the size and extreme angle of our roofs is very high. In the next week or two we will post the details of the best estimate we receive. We do know that the total cost to reshingle all of the areas that need to be redone will be in the neighbourhood of $30,000 but we should have a more exact figure in the next few weeks.

Roof Sketch

 

Two cubes of deep-fried tofu


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:
Thai white and brown rice; Vegan Kung Pao ‘chicken’ (soy chunks reconstituted and torn into small pieces, chunks of Spanish onion, poblano, red bell peppers, finely chopped jalapeno peppers and green onions, minced ginger, light and dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, white pepper, Chinese cooking wine cornstarch to thicken the sauce, served with roasted peanuts)bok choy w/ vegetarian oyster sauce, garlic, baechu kimchi; wide strips of onion sauteed, mixed with long strips of bok choy seasoned with vegetarian oyster sauce and minced garlic.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian option: Crusty rolls with butter; Vegetarian ‘chicken’ cutlets (ground chickpeas and wheat gluten mixed together, kneaded and formed into ‘cutlets’ which were then braised in a savoury broth of vegetable stock, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, Kashmiri chilli powder, Dijon mustard, black pepper and apple cider vinegar, and then pan fried until crispy);  Napa cabbage salad  made from thinly sliced Napa cabbage, slivered carrots, thinly sliced daikon and red onion, served with a dressing made from equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and honey.
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: roasted chicken thighs seasoned with a dry rub ( onion powder, garlic powder, Madras curry powder, garlic powder, cumin and coriander powders, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, bran oil). 

Thursday:
Sourdough bread; vegan garbanzo salad (chickpeas, minced scallions, minced red onion, minced garlic, and jalapeno, nutritional yeast, mustard, black salt, black pepper, cayenne) with creamy vegan mayonnaise made from aquafaba blended with some whole chickpeas, Dijon mustard, sea salt, lemon juice, bran oil; a salad of chopped leaf lettuce, romaine, and radicchio, thinly sliced celery, thinly sliced red onion, chopped tomatoes, black olives,  and vegan Greek style ‘feta’ (chunks of tofu marinated in a mixture of shiro miso, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, dried oregano, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes); chilled tomato juice (it was 35 degrees Celsius at suppertime).

 

Gassho sign (hands in gassho in in a circle)


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 experimenting with making a range of vegan cheeses, most recently vegan feta which was an excellent addition to salad. Thank you to Fushin shuso for installing hooks in the kitchen to hang measuring spoons from. Thank you to Chantal Maheu for bookkeeping samu. Thank you to David Gallant for the use of his car for errands. Thank you to Rowan Russell for archiving samu. 

From David Gallant:
Thank you to Saigyo ino for organizing the samu task board at the side entrance which is very helpful in indicating which weekly samu tasks need to be taken care of on any given day.

From Ian Richard:
Thank you to the Roshi for the Mushin sho in the Zendo, reflected from many different angles throughout the room, seen particularly aptly through the frame with Huineng daiosho's verse. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for daisan, to the Office of the Tenzo for a delicious variety of meals, to Mishin godo for pointing out when I'm overthinking things, and to Saigyo ino for much guidance and instruction throughout my retreat. Many thanks as well to Stephanie and Challian for occasional drives to and from the monastery this month.

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