Dainen-ji grounds, photograph by Senbo Pham-Dinh
eMirror Vol 27, No. 25
Friday, June 23th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Did you ever notice how bright flowers are? And I don’t just mean their colours, but how they are bright about their colours. What I mean is that flowers are very intelligent. They turn towards the sun in order to eat the light. They put forth blossoms in order to encourage bees and bugs to come and gather food and, at the same time, help one flower over here to have sex with the flower over there. That’s really quite intelligent. It’s amazing. And there is so much intelligence everywhere. Everywhere that we look, there is this intelligence, this knowing what to do.
Even in the cycle of water falling to the earth, evaporating, and rising again into the clouds, there is an intelligence, there is this circulating of the elements that make life possible. And life itself is made of these elements. That’s very clever. And this intelligence presents itself to us in all the colours that we see. We are so clever to be able to discern so many colours, to hear so many sounds, to feel so many sensations. These colours and sounds and sensations are a succession of the rising and falling of earth, water, fire, air, and space.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning Teisho Six: "Beginning at the Beginning" 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): July 5th, July 19th and August 2nd.
Samu Weekend - Saturday, June 24th and Sunday, June 25th
Over the weekend of June 24th and 25th we are holding a summer Samu Weekend to work on various projects in the building and on the grounds. These tasks will include painting the front porch decking, installing the torii gate which we moved from the car parking area to the west side of the building; and finishing the installation of the recently restored sash windows in the 1st floor guest room we are currently renovating. If you have not yet replied to Saigyo ino's email please write to him to let him know if you are able to attend. Thank you.
Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, July 1st, at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
Yaza
Yaza (all night sitting) will take place on Saturday, July 8th from 10pm until Sunday, July 9th at 8am. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei will lead the Yaza. Students attending should arrive by First Bell at 9:45 p.m. A light breakfast will be served before the end of the Yaza. All students are welcome to attend. Please register soon as seating will be limited. The suggested dana contribution for Yaza is $30.00. To register, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at (613) 562-1568.
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
What to do if you Arrive After the Sitting Begins
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.
Request for assistance with video editing and filming
If anyone in the local sangha has video editing experience and would like to assist with a project to produce short videos of the forms that we use at Dainen-ji please write to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com. If you also have a decent camera that shoots video this would be helpful, though not essential. Thank you very much.
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
Pablo Melchor sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, June 18th at his home in Majadahonda, Spain.
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 24th to Saturday, July 1st, 2023
Monday, June 26th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Self-doubt and No-self” (11 of 71, 17 minutes)
Thursday, June 29th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Self-doubt and No-self” (11 of 71, 17 minutes)
Saturday, July 1st general sitting: “Bowing and Receiving”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence": "Sacred Space" (13 of 13, 21 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
Zazen (J) —sitting practice
Posted June 23rd, 2023. New entries are posted every two weeks.
Fundraising 2023: Roofs
After receiving several estimates for the repairs to the remaining areas of the roof, we now know that the total cost will be between $30,000 and $35,000 (depending on when the work begins, as estimates are only good for three to six months and costs keep increasing). 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.
Any contribution that you can make will be gratefully received.
Thank you and Gassho
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:
Cavatappi pasta with Vegan cheese sauce (sauteed finely chopped onion, grated vegan cheddar cheese mixed with cashew milk and a small amount of tapioca starch, seasoned with salt, pepper, mustard powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, citric acid), topped with toasted seasoned panko; a soup made from sauteed leeks, chopped shallots, chopped scallions, chopped red and white onion, marmite, vegetable stock, thyme, black pepper; a salad of chopped tomatoes, black olives, chickpeas and red onions dressed with balsamic vinegar and bran oil.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Warm buttered naan; Napa cabbage salad (sliced Napa cabbage, slivered carrots, slivered red onion, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, toasted cumin seeds and popped mustard seeds).
Vegetarian option: Curry with tofu (masala made from chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, minced ginger, turmeric, cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, hing, tomato juice, cut fried tofu).
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat, seared seasoned pieces of chicken thigh was added to a separate curry.
Thursday:
Thai white and brown 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); sauteed chopped gai lan and thin strips of red bell pepper with vegetarian oyster sauce and minced garlic; baechu kimchi.
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 David Gallant for the loan of a NetGear Nighthawk mobile hotspot router while we sort out a connectivity problem.
From Saigyo ino:
Thank you to Fushin shuso for picking up supplies for the upcoming Samu Weekend. Thank you to David Gallant for removing nails from the subfloor of the washroom we are renovating. Thank you to Stacey Loyer for gardening samu; to Challian Christ and Sam MacFarlane for work to remove 150 year old paint and staining from brass window hardware; to Sydnee Burgess for watering the grounds; and to Greg Parker for painting the guest room sash windows.
From Leonardo Nobrega:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for researching and preparing vegan recipes; to David for taking care of recent problems in the Monastery network. Thank you to the students who are coming to do samu inside and outside of the building.
From David Gallant:
Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for leading kata during the formal sittings each week.
