eMirror Vol 27, No. 37 (2023-09-15)

 

Blue sky with clouds, photograph by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi

Photograph by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi


eMirror Vol 27, No. 37

Friday, September 15th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council

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



Sitting with our knees mere inches from a wall, we sit in and as a vast space. Right here and right now, this space opens out in all directions, and unfolds itself as all directions. Within this space of our experiencing there are numberless spaces. There is the space of hearing, the space of sensations, the spaces of flavours and of fragrances and of colours; and within these spaces are further spaces: The dimensions of rooms, of hallways, of the spaces between branches and under trees and over stones that arise within the space of seeing, the spaces between the notes of music, the spaces between our teeth that are felt by the tongue, the spaciousness and vividness of the taste of salt.

The space of our experiencing is also arising within larger spaces. Sometimes the space we experience can be narrow, musty, and claustrophobic; sometimes it can be bright and open. When we release grasping at experiences, release grasping at an experiencer, and simply allow experiences to be as they are and experiencing to be as it is, then there are further experiences and ways of experiencing that open. Then we recognize that these are not actually new ways of experiencing, not new kinds of experiences. Our experiencing was always just a kind of hollow within these larger spaces. When all experiences and ways of experiencing are released into the space of Experiencing in itself, then right here and right now we contain all spaces and forms and we pervade all spaces and forms, without even needing to stand up from zazen to do it.

Whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down we are Aware Space moving within itself. Whether we turn to the left or right, go upstairs or downstairs, go inside or outside, it is always right here and right now.

But this right here and right now of encountering these words is ungraspable. There is always only just this moment but this moment is not a thing that can be held. This place of right here that we experience is not separate from its time of being present right now within our experience of it. This right here and right now arise within our experiencing and our experiences are all of here and now. This space of right here and now is also the context of how we experience because it is experienced as the coming together and embrace of the spaces of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, thinking, and feeling. It is both content and context and is everywhere all around us and as us. It is the sensations of the hands touching each other but it cannot be grasped.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, Teisho 2: "The Space of Here and Now," February 10, 2001, in the series "Playing With Space: Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Koku”

 

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):  September 27th, October 11th and 25th. November 1st.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, November 4th at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa 

Autumn Samu Weekend - September 23rd and 24th 
We shall be holding the next Samu Weekend on Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th. Please pencil these dates into your calendar so that you will be able to attend. As part of the weekend we shall be working on our yearly window washing, continuing with a renovation in the 1st floor guest room, doing some organisation in the basement and starting the various winterizing projects we need to do each year. As there will be a great deal to get 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 has written to all local students about the Samu Weekend so if you have not yet replied to his email please do so soon so that he is able to arrange the many tasks happening over the two days.

Daruma-ki O-sesshin
The Daruma-ki O-sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 1st, and will end on Sunday, October 8th at noon. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule@wwzc.as soon as possible. 

Combined Associate and General Sitting During O-sesshin:
There will be a combined associate and general sitting that will take place in the Zendo on Saturday, October 2nd. Arrival time is 9:15 (in time for First Bell). The sitting starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11:45 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor.

Cancelled Associate Sittings:
The Monday, October 2nd associate sitting that would normally begin at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to O-sesshin.
The Thursday, October 5th, associate sitting that would normally begin at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to O-sesshin.

A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time for monastics to take telephone calls or reply to email correspondence sent by public students (unless it’s an emergency). Students are asked to send their weekly practice journals, as they will be reviewed. But unless there is something that needs an immediate reply, you will not receive an email reply until the week following the 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
 


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



Chunen angya sat a two day retreat aligned with the sesshin in Guelph, Ontario. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday in Cambridge, MA. . General public student Thach Hoang sat a two-day retreat from Friday, September 8th to Sunday, September 10th at his home in Laval, Quebec. Associate public student Zachary Claxton is sitting a seven-day retreat from Saturday, September 9th to Friday, September 15th as part of his three week period of residential training at Dainen-ji. Associate public student Christian Pustilnik sat a one and a half-day retreat at home beginning on Saturday, September 9th at 3:00pm. and ending on Sunday, September 10th at 9.10p.m. at his home in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. General public student Elizabeth Eve travelled from her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia and arrived at Dainen-ji on the evening of Wednesday, September 13th. She will be sitting a retreat until the morning of Sunday, September 17th. Associate student David Alexander sat a half-day retreat on Thursday, September 14th. General public student Tracey Parker sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, September 10th 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, September 16th, to Saturday, September 23rd. 

Saturday, September 16th 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: “The Highest Mountain, the Floor of the Deepest Ocean” (teisho 11 of 22, 22 minutes)
Sunday, September 17th formal sitting: "SAkN: Dimensions of Space by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Exploring Spaces" (8 of 8, 19 minutes) 
Monday, September 18th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Understanding” (23 of 71, 13 minutes)
Thursday, September 21st associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Understanding” (23 of 71, 13 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
 


Fundraising 2023: Roofs



Total donated to date: $9,084

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

 

Kuin by Sao Zenchu (black and white drawing of a busy monastery kitchen)Kuin by Sao Zenchu


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:
Brown and white basmati rice; curry (a masala made from cooked onions and tomatoes; turmeric, coriander (dried and fresh), cumin, cayenne, minced chilies, carrots, daikon, coconut milk, lentils); cubed Asian pears with lime juice and chilli flakes.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Roasted Yukon gold potatoes; grilled bok choy, dipping sauce made from chipotle adobo mixed with “Dom’s Hot sauce”, black pepper, and cumin. 
Vegan option: black bean burger (finely chopped celery, red onion, mushrooms and soaked walnuts, minced garlic, onion powder, Marmite, barbecue sauce, Frank’s hot sauce, dried mushroom powder, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, dried Italian seasoning)
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: baked chicken thighs seasoned with curry spice dry rub.

Thursday Yakuseki:
Vegan warm naan shawarma sandwiches: chickpeas tossed in bran oil, cumin and garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, coriander, cloves, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, and roasted in the oven until crispy; a garlic dill sauce made from tahini, lemon juice, dried dill, minced garlic, and sea salt;  sliced tomato, red onion and thinly sliced strips of Romaine lettuce; Vegan Curried butternut squash soup (diced shallots, minced garlic, chopped butternut squash, Madras curry powder, cinnamon, coconut milk, vegetable broth, chilli-garlic paste, and a little maple syrup); cherry tomato, cucumber and celery salad with finely chopped red onion, and a ‘salsa dressing’ made by Mishin godo (roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, and jalapeno, pureed and mixed with minced red onion and salt).

 

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 Jinmyo sensei:
Thank you to Fushin shuso for finishing the “Painted Cakes (do not satisfy hunger) series of entries begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho and finished by the Shuso following her death.

From David Gallant:
Thank you to Mishin godo for growing many wonderful herbs and vegetables on the rooftop garden this year at Dainen-ji. Thank you to Saigyo ino for his significant efforts in the construction of the rooftop decking and 'squirrel cage' early on in the pandemic.

From Jensen Burghardt:
Thank you to the Roshi for founding White Wind Zen Community and for creating a structure of training that makes it possible for local students as well as those receiving instruction through the Long Distance Training Program to receive ongoing instruction and support in their practice. Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for helping me to set up my in-person visit to the monastery, showing me forms and also making accommodations for my injury. Thank you to the monastics who were present during my visit for their patience, kindness and guidance.

From David Alexander:
Thank you to the Roshi for creating such a positive and supportive environment for practice, and to members of the Sangha for their contributions to help maintain it. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei and Mishin godo for outstanding meals the last two Thursdays; they were truly the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. Thank you to Mishin godo for the instructions on how to make a kunsu and other information provided during practice interviews. Thank you to Saigyo ino for instruction during my retreats, samu planning, and for practice interviews. 

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Brennan Beall, David Alexander, and Neerja Joshi for donations towards the upcoming Samu Weekend.

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