eMirror Vol 29, No. 19 (2025-05-09)

Yaoshan, woodblock print

Woodblock of Yaoshan Weiyan

eMirror Vol 29, No. 19

Friday, May 9th, 2025
Edited by the Practice Council

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



Many of Eihei Dogen Kigen zenji’s teachings have their foundation in the sayings of Yaoshan and he features prominently in Dogen’s major work the Shobogenzo and in the Eihei Koroku, the Extensive Record of Dogen’s sayings. Although he was briefly considered in the Turning the Wheel of the Way series and some other teisho, I have wanted to help you to get to know Yaoshan. However there seems to be no currently accessible extensive single record of his sayings and doings or “yulu” as there is for Dogen, for example, or for Mazu Daoyi or Baizhang Huaihai or other prominent masters.

So I have gathered together what passages I have been able to find, placed them within a particular order, and compiled them into a single text called “Medicine Mountain” which is what the characters in the name “Yaoshan” mean.

Yaoshan’s medicine is good for what ails you: the ways in which people sicken themselves with the poisons of the three klesas of passion, aggression, and stupidity that flow from the wound brought into their lives by the fracturing of reality into knower and known, subject and object, a self “in here” and a world “out there”. Actually, it’s the same tonic that was hawked about by Sakyamuni Buddha in India and that Dogen brought back to Japan. It’s even being flogged here and now by me. It is the fundamental openness of experience and the practice of realizing this through zazen.

-Beginning teisho 1: What About You?, Saturday, May 14, 2005, in the series "Wandering on Medicine Mountain" presented by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin at Dainen-ji
 


Death notice 



With sorrow we inform the Sangha of the death of Jennifer Ryoshin Comeau. Ryoshin was accepted as an associate student in 2000; as a general student in October of 2004, and was accepted by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho as a probationary formal student in January of 2008. She was accepted as a formal student of Shikai Zuiko osho on June 20th, 2010. She was 50 years of age. She had been ill with multiple myeloma since March of 2010.
 



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):  May 14th and 28th

Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of hermitage due to underlying health issues.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next two Introduction to Zen Workshops will take place on Saturday, June 7th at 1:45 p.m. and Saturday, July 5th at 1:45 p.m. To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca ; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa 

Sogaku-ki O-sesshin:
The seven-day Sogaku-ki O-sesshin will begin on Friday, May 16th at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Friday, May 23rd at noon. Students are reminded to send in their schedules as soon as possible. 

Combined Associate and General Sitting:
The Saturday, May 17th combined associate and 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. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor. Seating is limited. Registration is required.

Cancelled Sittings due to O-sesshin:
The Monday evening, May 19th associate sitting that would normally begin at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled.
The Thursday evening, May 22nd associate sitting that would normally begin at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled.

A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public 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.

Sogaku-ki:
May 18th is the memorial for the death of Sogaku Myoshin Hakukaze daiosho.
 


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.
 


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 and Training Sessions


Information About Scheduling Retreats or Training Sessions

Associate public student Mary Korika sat a retreat from the evening of Wednesday, May 8th to the afternoon on Friday, May 10th at Dainen-ji. 
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


May 10th to May 17th

Listening to Recorded Teisho and Dharma Talks

General sitting Saturday, May 10th: Five Fingers, Ten Directions: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Jippo": Teisho 8: Here It Is (30 minutes)
Formal sitting Sunday, May 11th: "Working With Koan" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Questions and Answers (31 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, May 12th and Thursday, May 15th: "The Touchstone" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei: Dharma Talk 22: Mahavairocana, part 2 (13 minutes)
Combined associate and general sitting Saturday, May 17th: Sitting Up Straight: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's "Zazen Yojinki": Introduction and Reading of the text "Zazen Yojinki" by Keizan Jokin zenji (43 minutes)
 


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: “Practising Without an Edge”
Teisho presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on February 19th, 2025
https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/practising-without-edge

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
 


Request for Help to Maintain the Grounds



If you would like to offer time to help with maintenance in the grounds your help will be appreciated. You can offer a regular period of samu or make arrangements with the shissui to come for a single period of caretaking practice. Please write to info@wwzc.org or directly to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com if you can assist with this work. Thank you. 
 


Samu Weekend Report
by Saigyo ino, shissui



Over the weekend of Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th we held a spring Samu Weekend to work on projects in the grounds and inside the monastery. 28 students offered their time to work on a huge number of tasks over the two days, doing caretaking practice to improve and maintain Dainen-ji. Here are some of the "highlights":

In the Hatto, the walls and radiators were painted as well and some of the trim. The ceiling light diffusers were refreshed with new diffusing paper added to the perspex panels and new bulbs installed. The window screens were dismantled, repainted and new screen material installed. In the area outside the Hatto rear door, an area of damaged flooring was repaired and shored up ready for a patch of new oak flooring to be installed. All of the spare zafu and zabuton were worked on to designate which need repair, which are spare, which can be sold and what needs to be disposed of. Lots of repair was made to zafu and zabuton over the two days. Spare kunsu and jubon were laundered and ironed. Work was done to improve the I.T. systems in the building and a new cabinet put together for the administration office. The attic storage area was clarified. In the first floor washroom new shelving was built and installed to replace the old cabinet which, whilst a lovely piece of furniture, was not very functional. This shelving will hold the monastery paper products and cleaning cloths. All the cleaning cloths were tagged to make them easily identifiable from the other cloths in the building. 

In the grounds, as well as the usual spring clean-up, many improvements were made. New porch screens were built to hang under the side porch, repairs were made to areas of rotting wood on the side porch and new matting was installed. The trailer bed was painted, the shed tidied, hoses installed, laundry room window painted and a huge load of renovation waste and garbage loaded onto the trailer for disposal. The snow blower and its housing were put away until next winter. The large garbage bin was leveled and cleaned and the base repaired and the side fence was scraped and repainted. A city toxic waste disposal day coincided with the Samu Weekend so we were able to safely dispose of all the excess toxic waste products that cannot go out with the usual weekly garbage. 

Thank you very much to the Roshi and Jinmyo sensei for designing the wonderful meals we enjoyed each day and to Jinmyo sensei and Mishin godo for preparing the meals and refreshment for participants. 

Thank you to the following students who worked with the monks over the two days and helped to get so much done: Myocho, Yujin, Kelly Babcock, An Nguyen, David Alexander, Mario Delisle, Luis Fumero, Loïc-Alexandre Ouellette, William Hinz, George Donovan, Artik Chauhan, Tarik Kaya, Don Charette, Daniel Roach, Shannon Morphew, Stacey Loyer, Kathleen Johnson, George Donovan, Sean Howarth, Ian Reynolds, Sam McFarlane, Loïc-Alexandre Ouellette, Rowan Russell, Helen Jelich and Sophia Stevenson.
 


Bargeboard Restoration



The amount raised to date is $21,950.

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.

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.
 


Zafu for Sale



We have a selection of used zafu for sale in Myomaku. Please speak to Mishin godo or Saigyo ino if you are interested or send an email to info@wwzc.org
 


Jubon and Kunsu for Sale



We have a selection of used jubon and kunsu for sale which have been laundered and ironed. Please ask Mishin godo or Saigyo ino if you are interested or write to info@wwzc.org
 


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.
 

Fish hook kettle


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 this week:

Monday Yakuseki:
Brown and white Thai Jasmine rice; tamarind-peanut curry (Chopped carrots, onions, daikon, seared tofu, Thai red curry paste, tamarind paste, peanut butter, light and dark soy sauce, small amount of maple syrup, coconut milk, served with roasted peanuts and fresh coriander); salad of chopped romaine, green leaf lettuce, radicchio, and fresh speckled pea sprouts with a dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, with honey and black pepper; sliced fresh pineapple with Tajin. 

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Chicken and mushroom stroganoff (egg noodles, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, thinly sliced onion, minced garlic, chicken stock, coconut cream, lemon juice, blue and yellow oyster mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, parsley for garnish); blanched and then seared haricots vert with butter and Chef Dom’s hot sauce. Sliced cantaloupe with Tajin.

Thursday Yakuseki: 
Lundberg brown rice with chopped scallions and Shanghai bok choy; red lentil dal (red lentils, finely chopped onion, finely diced sweet potato, minced ginger, garlic and bird chilies, chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric and cumin); salad of chopped radicchio, romaine, and green leaf lettuce, and chopped tomatoes with a dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, with honey, black pepper, mango chutney, and lime pickle.

 

Hands in gassho, black and white photgraph


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 Yujin:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for regular dokusan. Thank you to the Office of the Tenzo for the varied and nutritious resident meals this week. Thank you to Mishin godo for offering to help me try to rescue an orchid plant which is struggling in my resident space.

From Stacey Loyer:
Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for ongoing clarification on forms and encouragement to help maintain my practice. Thank you to the Office of the Tenzo for the delicious meals during my retreat. Thank you to the students who have stayed after sittings to take care of the boot mats, the hallway, and other areas of Dainen-ji that require cleaning afterwards.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to David Alexander and Daniel Roach for donations to the Bargeboard Restoration Fund.

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