eMirror Vol 29, No. 11 (2025-03-14)

Ko (Light) sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi,  1995, Zazen-ji

Ko (Light) sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, 
1995, Zazen-ji


eMirror Vol 29, No. 11

Friday, March 14th, 2025
Edited by the Practice Council

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



So the Precepts are a statement of this. They say: “This is Buddha, this is Dharma, this is Sangha.” They say: “Wrong action does not arise.” It does not say: “Don’t do bad things.” It says “Wrong action does not arise. There is only the arising of benefit.” In the recognition that there is Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, wrong action does not arise. There is no motivation for it. It simply doesn’t come up.

[Student]: But it’s there?

[Roshi]: What do you mean? The potential to cause harm is only there when we refuse to recognize the releasing of contraction of attention. That we are the open space of the Three Jewels is the point of the Precepts. What we mean is you are not producing wrong action if you are realizing the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Student: [Inaudible]

[Roshi]: That’s right. There is no killing first of all means that life does not kill. Life never kills. Everything dies but life never kills. Killing is when we distance ourselves from something. “Killing” is when we stand apart from something and use it as equipment, use it as something that we are simply trying to get something “from” or do something “to” without any recognition of the mutuality of what this thing, what this person, what this event is. 

And so: Killing means “killing time”, it means not being present. Killing means looking at a spider in your bathtub and going whump [pantomimes killing the spider] as if it didn’t have the right to be there - you know, as if it wasn’t doing whatever it was doing in its own life. So when you see the spider, it means taking a piece of toilet paper or a piece of paper, sliding it underneath the spider and putting it outside the window. It also means that if there are roaches in your house and they are infecting the food so that you could get sick and you could spread the sickness to many other people and this sickness could go on and on. Therefore you call an exterminator and have the roaches killed. Because there is the recognition that death is part of life. Death is part of how life lives, but killing is when you create unnecessary death, when you create suffering.

- Continuing the Mondo "Confusion is the Mother of Wisdom", from a Dharma Assembly presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Zazen-ji, May 1991
 

The Hatto (for formal sittings)

The Hatto (for formal sittings)
 

Zen with renovated floors and new Butsudan (August 2024)

The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)

 


Practice Schedule and Upcoming Events



Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows): March 12th and 26th.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa: The next two Introduction to Zen Workshops will take place on Saturday, April 5th at 1:45 p.m. and Saturday, May 3rd at 1:45 p.m. To register: 
https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa

Keizan-ki
March 21st is the memorial for Keizan Jokin zenji.

Hanamatsuri Sesshin:
The April Hanamatsuri sesshin will begin on Friday, April 11th at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Sunday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. Formal students are asked to send in their schedules as soon as possible. 

General Sitting:
The Saturday, April 12th general sitting will take place in the Zendo. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting will end at 11:30 a.m.

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
 


Weekly Practice Schedule



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, there is a $5 contribution which can be made through Eventbrite: Register for Saturday Breakfast 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. Retreats may be scheduled on Fridays.
Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students. It starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:10 a.m. with the chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki which ends at about 10:30 a.m.
 


Alternate parking for sittings near Dainen-ji



If you need alternate parking near the monastery due to snow parking bans or lack of parking spots you can use the Loblaws car park located at 363 Rideau Street - 
https://en.parkopedia.ca/parking/parkade/loblaws/k1n/ottawa/?arriving=2…
The car park is open until 10:00 p.m and charges $4 per hour. A full day 6:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $10.
 


Congratulations



Congratulations and deep gassho to Marilyne Bonsirven of Chelsea, QC who has been accepted as an associate student.
 


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 and Training Sessions



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, March 11th in Cambridge, Massachusetts. General student Rowan Russell sat a two-day retreat on Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th at Dainen-ji.

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 are a public student and 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.

If you would like to engage in a training session either at the monastery or at home by aligning with the schedule of the monastery, please read the information on this page: 
https://wwzc.org/training-sessions 
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


March 15th to March 22nd

General sitting Saturday, March 15th: Five Fingers, Ten Directions: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Jippo": Teisho 1: Naked Awareness (19 minutes)
Formal sitting Sunday, March 16th: SAkN Oceans of Realms: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on the Vow of Samantabhadra: Teisho 14: Setting Forth as Infinite Forms (18 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, March 17th and Thursday, March 20th: "The Touchstone" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei: Dharma Talk 14: Karuna (21 minutes)
General sitting Saturday, March 20th: Five Fingers, Ten Directions: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Jippo": Teisho 2: Fields of Awakening (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. Teisho and Dharma Talks are presented during sittings and so should be listened to while you are sitting.

You can access the online Recorded Teachings Library at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings

Please note that recorded teisho should be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out as themes, metaphors, questions are raised and answered from different angles throughout each 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



Teisho: “I Know Who You Are!”
Teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented at Dainen-ji on March 13th, 1999
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/teisho-i-know-who-you-are

Dharma Assembly: On Karma 
Mondo by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented in April  of 1986, River Road Zendo. 
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/dharma-assembly-karma

Dharma Assembly: Freefall
Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on January 7th, 2007: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/dharma-assembly-freefall

Before Thinking (Dharma Talk 68): A Jewel in Bright Light
Dharma Talk by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented at Zazen-ji on September 14, 1991: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/jewel-bright-light

Kwannon
Teisho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, transcript of a teisho presented on May 6, 1986, at River Road Zendo: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/kwannon

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

 


Bargeboard Restoration



We received a first detailed quotation for this work of $22,700 plus HST and after receiving other quotations hope to be able to move forward with this project in the spring of 2025. The amount raised to date is $10,680.

From the “Heritage Conservation Glossary”: Bargeboard (bordure de pignon): Boards or other decorative woodwork fixed to the edges or projecting rafters of a gabled roof, sometimes called “gingerbread”.

Being subjected to the extreme fluctuation of Ottawa’s freezing, dry winters and the heat and humidity of summers for 150 years have taken their toll on the monastery’s elaborate gingerbread. Some of it is so old and damaged that it was necessary to take it down before it fell down. Other areas are badly cracked and all of it needs restoration, sanding and repainting.

Gingerbread

As all of the gingerbread is four floors up and difficult to access because of the steep pitch of our roofs, this is not work we can do ourselves. It is going to require someone skilled in the use of a “cherry picker” and scaffolding, and will also require excellent carpentry skills as some of the gingerbread will need to be recreated. And so we are beginning the process of finding a company that we can hire to do the work.

Because Dainen-ji is a heritage building, these repairs must be done or we could lose our heritage status. 

We will post the estimated cost of the repairs as soon as we have received that information from contractors we are negotiating with. Any amount you can contribute would be gratefully received.
 

Japanese teapot on fire


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 March Two-day Sesshin:

Saturday:
Breakfast: Noodles (spaghettini, sauteed thin strips of yellow onion, poblano and red bell peppers, light shoyu, sambal oelek, oyster sauce, grated ginger, minced garlic, sugar, sesame oil); scrambled eggs.
Lunch: Calrose rice garnished with gomashio (toasted 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: Pasta e ceci (ditali rigati pasta, cooked chickpeas, aquafaba, white wine, tomato paste, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lots of black pepper, grana padano cheese; coleslaw (thinly sliced green cabbage, carrot, and white onion, mayonnaise, lime juice, dijon mustard, horseradish, salt, pepper, toasted pumpkin seeds); cubed friulano mixed with sliced gherkins.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Butternut squash congee (cubed, roasted butternut squash, minced garlic, calrose and arborio rice, green peas, roasted peanuts, fresh speckled pea sprouts.
Lunch: White and brown Thai jasmine rice garnished with sauteed small dice of daikon; spicy wakame seaweed soup (leftover strained miso shiru broth, wakame, slivered ginger, shoyu, roasted chile oil, silken tofu); kimchi.
 
The following meals were prepared this week:

Monday Yakuseki:
Toasted naan; curried vegetables with paneer (ground onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes slow cooked, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, garam masala, chopped carrots, zucchini, oyster mushrooms, paneer sauteed with turmeric, cayenne and salt); raita (chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, plain yogurt, black pepper, salt, ground coriander and cumin.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Shepherd’s pie (minced beef, diced carrots, celery, onion, green peas, corn, gravy made from sauteed mushrooms, mushroom stock, thyme, paprika, lots of black pepper, rosemary, garlic and onion powder, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes); salad of chopped green leaf lettuce, romaine, radicchio, thinly sliced red onion, celery, and fresh speckled pea sprouts with an optional dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar with honey and black pepper. 

Thursday Yakuseki: 
Rigatoni in a mushroom/rose sauce with rigatoni pasta (sauteed oyster mushrooms, caramelized Spanish onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, fresh rosemary, oregano, lots of black pepper, cream); salad of chopped green leaf lettuce, romaine, radicchio, thinly sliced red onion, celery, and fresh speckled pea sprouts with an optional dressing of white balsamic vinegar; cubed friulano cheese dressed with HP sauce mixed with water and chopped parsley.

 

Monk in gassho - drawing


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 Mary Korica:
Thank you to the Roshi for Founding White Wind Zen Community and Dainen-ji, the monastery in Ottawa, and for the opportunity to receive instruction through the Long Distance Training Program. Thank you to monastics for all of the work they do to maintain the environment of practice for students. Thank you to Mishin godo for practice interviews.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Denise Beaudot for a donation to the Bargeboard Restoration Fund.

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