eMirror Vol 27, No. 34 (2023-08-25)


Dharmacakra mudra: The Gesture of Turning the Wheel of the Dharma (painting)
Dharmacakra mudra: The Gesture of Turning the Wheel of the Dharma


eMirror Vol 27, No. 34

Friday, August 25th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council

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



Realization, practice, and the Teachings are inextricably mixed. This is the Dharma. There is a traditional saying that the Dharma is good at the beginning, good in the middle, and is good in the end. Good in any place that you come into contact with it. And good for what ails you. The Dharma is the medicine which cures the sickness of beings.

Now most medicines are in fact poisons that, when mixed properly, heal. The Dharma presents us with the poison of our own ignorance, but gives us a way to work with that so that we can transmute our own confusion into our own wisdom. Sometimes, traditionally the Buddha is spoken of as “the great doctor.”

“Doctor Buddha wanted in Surgery.” (laughter) Each time that we cut into our confusion, something heals. This healing, this wholeness, is what the Buddha himself realized and what he passed on. And this was passed on not only to his son Rahula, because nepotism just wasn’t his style. Instead there were many great practitioners and teachers, such as Sariputta, the nun Dhammadina, Mahakasyapa, Mahamaudgalyayana and on and on and on in the early Sangha. And then from those teachers, many other students received the Teachings that enabled them to realize their own natures, and so they became teachers, and on and on and on.

The Dharma is spreading like some kind of virus through the system of conditionality, of what we traditionally call “birth and death.”

Until here we are, completely infested with it. It is coming out of our ears, coming out of our eyes. Our oryoki bowls are infested with the Dharma, our zafu are infested with the Dharma. Buddha bugs of mindfulness are nipping at the back of your neck, crawling in and out of your nostrils. You just can’t avoid them.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Teisho Seven: "The Old Fart" 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):  August 30th, September 13th and 27th.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, September 2nd at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa 

September Two-day Sesshin
The September two-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 8th and ends at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 10th. 

Autumn Samu Weekend - September 23rd and 24th 
We shall be holding the next Samu Weekend on Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th. As part of the weekend we shall be working on the various winterizing projects we need to do each year, along with yearly window washing, continuing with a renovation in the 1st floor guest room, and we will do some organisation in the basement. As there are many tasks to be done, we encourage you to please make time to attend and assist the monastics with the maintenance and improvements of the practice environment of Dainen-ji. Saigyo ino will be writing to students soon with more details. Please pencil these dates into your calendar so that you will be able to attend. Thank you.

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.
 


Retreats



General student Jean-Francois St-Louis sat a one and a half-day retreat on Thursday, August 17th and Friday, August 18th at Dainen-ji. Associate student Glenn Murphy sat a one-day retreat on Saturday, August 19th at Dainen-ji. Associate public student Selina Wamsley sat a one and a half-day retreat on Friday, August 18th and Saturday, August 19th and then a four and a half-day retreat from Monday, August 21st to Friday, August 25th as part of her three weeks of residential training at Dainen-ji. General public student Thach Hoang sat a retreat from the afternoon of Friday, August 18th to the evening of Saturday, August 19th at his home in Laval, Quebec. General public student Tracey Parker sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, August 19th at her home in Perth, Ontario. General public student Beth Buerkle sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, August 19th at her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick. General public student Aaron Ford sat a two-day retreat on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th at his home in Calgary, Alberta. General public student Julien Jefferson sat a two-day retreat on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th at his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rodney Gallant sat a half-day retreat on Tuesday, August 22nd at his home in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

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, August 26th to Saturday, September 2nd, 2023

Saturday, August 26th general sitting: “Wandering on Medicine Mountain”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on "Medicine Mountain": The Recorded Sayings and Doings of Zen Master Yaoshan Weiyan: “Unthinkable” (teisho 8 of 22, 29 minutes)
Sunday, August 27th formal sitting: SAkN: Dimensions of Space by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Dimensionless Space" (5 of 8, 27 minutes)
Monday, August 28th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Questioning” (20 of 71, 12 minutes)
Thursday, August 31st associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Questioning” (20 of 71, 12 minutes)
Saturday, September 2nd general sitting: “Wandering on Medicine Mountain”: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on "Medicine Mountain": The Recorded Sayings and Doings of Zen Master Yaoshan Weiyan: “Going Home” (teisho 9 of 22, 20 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.
 


White Wind Zen Community Website Update



“Cultivation of the Ground of Mind”: transcript of a teisho Presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, on June 4, 1989 
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/cultivation-ground-mind

The Practice of Boards and Stones” teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, on June 18, 1989
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/practice-boards-and-stones

"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 15th, 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
 


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Ven. Fushin Comeau shuso following her death



scroll

Zendo (J): practice hall

Posted August 18th, 2023. New entries are posted every two weeks.
 


Fundraising 2023: Roofs



Total donated to date: $8,734

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
 

Roof Sketch

 

Green tomatoes on the vine
Dainen-ji's rooftop vegetable garden,
Photograph by Ven. Mishin Roelofs godo


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:
Lundberg short-grain brown rice with butter and baby green peas; vegetable soup (vegetable stock, mushroom stock, chopped mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, minced garlic, chopped zucchini, thyme, chopped fresh parsley and basil, cayenne, lots of black pepper, apple cider vinegar; cubed friulano cheese with gherkins and lemon zest.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (calrose rice, arborio rice, pearled barley, basmati rice); green cabbage coleslaw (finely sliced green cabbage, carrots, and white onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, horseradish, lots of black pepper). 
Vegetarian option: sauteed chopped firm tofu, Spanish onion, celery, poblano and cubanelle peppers, red bell pepper, corn and black beans seasoned with barbecue sauce, cumin, black pepper, garlic, and smoked paprika.
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: tsukune (finely chopped onion, egg yolks, grated ginger, katakuriko (potato starch), ground chicken; sauce made from shoyu, mirin, ginger, thickened with potato starch. 

Thursday Yakuseki:
Thai white and brown Jasmine rice with roasted peanuts; a soup made with vegetable stock, Vegan bouillon powder, shoyu, slivered ginger, shaoxing cooking wine, sesame oil, white pepper, black vinegar, chopped white onion and celery, fresh bean sprouts, chopped green Swiss chard, and sauteed semi-firm tofu; Napa cabbage slaw (thinly sliced Napa cabbage, carrots, white onion, and daikon radish); fresh pineapple.

 

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 Rowan Russell for ongoing archiving samu to use Audacity to improve the audio playback of some of the oldest recordings of the Roshi’s presentations.

From Saigyo ino:
Thank you to Stacey Loyer for the gift of several new native plants for the grounds and for coming to Dainen-ji to plant them. Thank you to Challain Christ for continuing work on drywall install and mudding in the guest room. Thank you to Sam MacFarlane for touch-up painting in front hallway and for organising the painting supplies cupboard.  

From Jean-François St-Louis:
Thank you to Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi for years of commitment in providing students with the opportunity to practice in alignment with our lineage.  Thank you for skillfully presenting all the space needed for confusion to be released into whatever presents itself within this harmonious community. I am very grateful that you have allowed me to open gates at Dainen-ji and to enjoy noticing it.  Thank you to Ven, Jinmyo sensei for recent daisan and for your immense kindness in lightheartedly helping me open around some heavy handed anxieties. Thank you for paying attention and for noticing even the smallest details in their context. Thank you for your smiles and laughter. Thank you to Ven. Mishin godo for your constant and patient reminder to practice, whatever arises. Thank you to Ven. Saigyo ino for the abundance of hands-on instructions that you have provided over years of numerous samu activities. Thank you for the "nuts and bolts" clarity and practicality of your advice in many matters during interviews.Thank you to Ven. Fushin shuso for providing kind guidance on where to find tools and supplies in the monastery and for what I perceive to be an example of embodying monastic practice. Thank you to the Office of Tenzo for overseeing, preparing and presenting wonderful meals to sustain practice during my recent retreat.

From Challian Christ:
Thank you to Mishin Godo for your insights, humour, and clarity during last week’s practice interview. 

From Stacey Loyer:
Thank you to the Office of the Tenzo for sharing descriptions of weekly meals in the eMirror. They inspire me to experiment with different ingredients and ways of cooking at home.

From Glenn Murphy:
Thank you to all who contributed to making my recent retreat possible.  In particular, thank you to Mishin godo, Saigyo ino, and Fushin shuso for their guidance; thank you to Saigyo ino for a very helpful practice interview; thank you to the office of the Tenzo for the delicious and nutritious meals; and thank you to the other students I encountered for their steadfast example.  Thank you also to the Roshi for making this space available to students, and to all of the residents of Dainen-ji and students who help to sustain it.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Sarah Goul and Rowan Russell for donations to the Roof Repair Fund.

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