eMirror Vol 27, No. 40 (2023-10-06)

 

Photo of hundreds of buddas statues (historic site?)


eMirror Vol 27, No. 40

Friday, October 6th, 2023
Edited by the Practice Council

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



As Chan developed in China and then later as Zen In Japan, students were still trying to find ways of making the Dharma into a system of cosmological statements about the world that they could think about instead of a direct and experiential investigation into the fact of experiencing and the actual nature of experiences.

Sometimes a Master might say that there are no things. At others that you are the ten thousand things, the numberless grasses. Sometimes that you must pick up a blade of grass as the sixteen-foot golden body of the Buddha. Sometimes that the Buddha is the crusty bamboo spatula that monks used in the old days to wipe their asses. Sometimes that there is no Buddha. Sometimes that you are Buddha. Over and over again though, they were always saying the same thing.

-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):  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 

Daruma-ki O-sesshin
The Daruma-ki O-sesshin began at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 1st, and will end on Sunday, October 8th at noon. 

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 7th. 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.

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



Rowan Russel sat a partial retreat on Saturday, September 30th at Dainen-ji. Beth Buerkle sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, September 30th at her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick. Charlane Bishop sat a partial retreat in her home in Newtonville, Nova Scotia, on Monday, October 2nd. 

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, October 7th to Saturday, October 14th

Saturday, October 7th 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: “Magic” (teisho 13 of 22, 22 minutes)
Monday, October 9th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “What Makes Sense” (26 of 71, 9 minutes)
Thursday, October 12th associate sitting: “Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “What Makes Sense” (26 of 71, 9 minutes)
Saturday, October 14th 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: “Bodhidharma's Meaning” (teisho 14 of 22, 19 minutes)
 

Recorded teisho playback during the Daruma-ki O-sesshin

Monday, October 2nd - SAkN Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: "Surrender into Radiance" (teisho 7 of 8, 12 minutes)
Tuesday, October 3rd - SAkN Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: "The Spectrum of Radiance" (teisho 8 or 8, 14 minutes)
Wednesday, October 4th - SAkN Root Cycle Four: Moving in Knowing: "Motion" (teisho 1 of 5, 28 minutes)
Thursday, October 5th - SAkN Root Cycle Four: Moving in Knowing: "Uknown Knowing" (2 of 5, 32 minutes)
Friday, October 6th - SAkN Root Cycle Four: Moving in Knowing: "Finite and Infinite Motion: The Total Field of All Possibilities" (3 of 5, 31 minutes)
Saturday, October 7th - SAkN Root Cycle Four: Moving in Knowing: "Tantra is Unnecessary" (4 of 5, 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

 


Autumn Samu Weekend report 
by Saigyo ino



Over the weekend of Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th, 23 students joined the monastics to work on many projects during our annual autumn Samu Weekend, two days of work to improve and maintain the practice environment of Dainen-ji. A great deal was accomplished over the two days. Here are some of the "highlights":

At this time each year we wash the windows of the building and so several students worked through the day to remove storm windows, wash down all of the bug screens and clean the many windows of the monastery. Outside, work was begun to winterize the grounds which included re-installing the snow blower shed which is stored during the months without snow, watering, tidying and trimming back foliage from plants. Work was also done to begin re-landscaping the area under the Chinese elm on the east side of the garden, filling a dry-stream trench so that in the spring further landscaping of the area can take place. The storage room next to the Shuryo was re-organized with the three temporary bookcases dismantled and taken to the basement Undo, holes in the walls insulated and repaired (a temporary fix until a full renovation takes place) and the storage system for the spare zafu, zabuton and benches improved. For the ongoing renovation of the guest room on the 1st floor the massive old bookcase was taken apart and moved to the other side of the room to facilitate access to the unfinished wall so that we can now work on that side of the room. Work was done to tidy the electrical room including removing the now unused doorbell system, in the Hatto, a broken sash window rope was repaired and the necessary re-painting done and a great deal of touch-up painting was completed through the public areas of the building. The walls of the basement washroom were cleaned and a kitchen three-drawer unit was sanded and repainted. The early 20th century school blackboard restoration was completed and it now graces the curved area at the bottom of the basement stairs. Work was started to catalogue the books in the Shuryo library, a new samu notice board was designed and created so that we can keep better track of the many regular cleaning and maintenance tasks needed in this building, physical copies of our weekly newsletter, the eMirror, were filed and new lights were installed in the side entrance foyer and over the Shuryo butsudan.  

Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for designing and preparing the truly wonderful midday meals enjoyed by those students who stayed through the day and to Mishin godo for assisting her with the preparation and serving of the meals. 

Thank you to the following students who offered their time to do samu over the weekend:

Senbo, David Gallant, Luis Fumero, Tarik Kaya, Helen Jelich, Loic Ouellette, David Alexander, Sean Howarth, Ian Richard, Denise Beaudot, Kathleen Johnson, Stacey Loyer, Mario Delilse, Jean-Francois St-Louis, Carl Anderson, Brandon Rouleau, Sam MacFarlane, Christian Hansen, Shigemi Ichino, Christina Comeau, Rowan Russel, Shannon Morphew and Stephanie Houle. 
 


Fundraising 2023: Roofs



Total donated to date: $13,359

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

 

Drawing of two person eating soba


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 during the Daruma-ki O-sesshin:

Monday
Breakfast:
Banana pancakes (all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, milk, white vinegar, baking powder, baking soda, mashed ripe bananas, vanilla, maple syrup, sea salt, butter); scrambled eggs.
Lunch: Mixed grain (white and brown Calrose) garnished with furikake (nori sprinkles); miso shiru (broth made from kombu, slivered ginger, shiro miso, dried shiitake mushrooms, shoyu, mirin, rice vinegar, Shanghai bok choy, cubed silken tofu); takuan and gari.
Supper: Thai white and brown rice; crispy tofu (cubed medium-firm tofu in a crispy batter made from all-purpose flour, corn starch, finely minced garlic, finely chopped scallions, coriander powder, and salt); mushroom bisque (vegetable stock, mushroom stock, dried mushroom concentrate, slivered ginger, white pepper, shoyu); chopped fresh pineapple.

Tuesday
Breakfast:
Noodles (Chinese egg white noodles, sauteed thin strips of yellow onion, poblano peppers from the monastery roof garden, and red bell peppers, slivered ginger, shoyu, chile-garlic sauce, lime juice, sugar, sesame oil); scrambled eggs.
Lunch: Leftover mixed grains (white and brown calrose, Thai white and brown rice) mixed with scallions and garnished with roasted peanuts; spicy wakame seaweed soup (leftover strained miso shiru broth mixed with leftover mushroom bisque, wakame, slivered ginger, chile, shoyu, roasted chile oil), with silken tofu; kimchi.
Supper: Roasted Yukon gold potatoes (cubed potatoes, bran oil, salt, pepper); Savoury tofu (medium-firm tofu basted with butter, bran oil, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder cooked on the griddle); coleslaw (julienned green cabbage, white onion and carrot, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, horseradish, lime juice, salt and pepper).

Wednesday
Breakfast:
Acorn squash congee (Thai white rice, minced garlic, roasted acorn squash) garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds and optional Chinese black vinegar and roasted chile oil; scrambled eggs. 
Lunch: Mixed grain (white and brown Calrose and arborio rice) garnished with gomashio (roasted ground sesame seeds and salt); miso shiru (broth made from kombu, slivered ginger, shiro miso, dried shiitake mushrooms, shoyu, mirin, rice vinegar, Shanghai bok choy, cubed silken tofu); takuan and gari.
Supper: Calrose brown rice with butter and baby green peas; 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); salad of Romaine lettuce, chopped celery, radicchio, chopped tomatoes, finely sliced red onion, served with a dressing made from equal parts of Mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sweetened with some honey. 

Thursday:
Breakfast:
Fried rice (leftover brown rice with peas, leftover fried tofu, scrambled eggs, chopped Spanish onion, mild Brazilian peppers, poblano peppers, ground coriander, ground cumin, chipotle).
Lunch: Thai white and brown rice topped with sauteed cubed daikon; wakame seaweed soup (leftover strained miso shiru broth mixed with leftover mushroom bisque, wakame, slivered ginger, chile, shoyu, roasted chile oil), with silken tofu; kimchi mixed with thinly sliced cucumber, shoyu, sesame oil.
Supper: Basmati rice; chickpea curry made with a base of caramelised onion and tomatoes, popped black mustard seeds, toasted cumin seeds, minced garlic and ginger, chopped carrots, leftover roasted Yukon gold potatoes from Tuesday, leftover curried butternut squash soup from Wednesday, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and fresh coriander leaves; spinach stem soup (blended spinach stems cooked in vegetable stock, cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt and black pepper, and a little cream to which chopped fresh spinach leaves were added just before serving; chopped fresh pineapple. 

 

Anzan Hoshin roshi bowing in gassho


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 Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi:
My thanks and deep gassho to all who participated in our recent Samu Weekend.

From Mario Delisle:
Thank you to the Roshi for establishing and providing us such a great environment for practice. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for her warmth and kindness establishing an environment of openness and trust during my first daisan with her. Thank you to Mishin godo for her instructions concerning some details of the posture during the last practice interview and for her humour in general. Thank you to Saigyo ino for his work and maintenance at the Centre. Thank you for his generosity and straightforwardness as well as his kindness during practice interviews. Thank you to Fushin shramon for his helpfulness during the samu period.

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