Jizo Bosatsu rupa on the Zendo Butsudan, Dainen-ji,
photograph by Ven. Fushin Comeau shramon
Jizo Bosatsu rupa on the Zendo Butsudan, Dainen-ji,
photograph by Ven. Fushin Comeau shramon
Friday, December 14th, 2018
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
The Teachings arise then through kanno-doku 感應道交 or “call and answer.” Traditionally it is said that when the name of a Buddha or a bodhisattva is called out, their wisdom and compassion spontaneously respond to those who open to it. A bodhisattva is one who is opening to Openness or who is open to or as Openness. A Buddha is completely open as Awareness in itself. And so the Buddha-work, the Awakening activity of the Buddhas and Awakened Ancestors is always done openly, without the confines of personal agendas. Since their every intention is always the fulfillment of the Four Great Vows, they are like a broken ladle, a leaking water dipper, cast off and cast away into the open expanse of the Field of present experience. Having realized the truth of the Shobo 正法, the Complete Dharma, they have no other use than to express the Dharma which expresses itself through them. And so they are not usable in the commerce of the world. But they are not broken up but rather broken open. It is not just that they are unusable, it is that they have only one use. Whether they speak of the Three Paths or the Twelve Divisions or a single bright jewel or flakes of snow in silver bowls they are always saying the same thing. The Buddhas and Awakened Ancestors do not only respond to the call of beings, they call forth to beings to respond to the Dharma, to take responsibility for the Dharma.
Again and again in your practice you can see how heavy-handed and struggle-oriented you tend to be. Instead of then giving up and retreating into a haze of thoughts and feeling-tones about that can you just allow the recognition that you are completely unnecessary to the life of the bodymind? Seeing does not need you in order to see. All that happens when you enter into the situation is that you say, “I see! I see!” and squint and peer at something and shut down the open field of view into your usual narrow territory.
Just let seeing see, hearing hear, the breath breathe and allow this whole moment to be wholly this moment… by itself,… without a self. In the moment of realizing that the presumption of a self is completely unnecessary, can you continue into the moment of “completely unnecessary” itself?
This is where the Wheel of Dharma is turning. This is the source of all of the Teachings. This is what speaks teisho and calls you to open to Openness as a bodhisattva that can then respond to the call of beings and simply answer, “Yes?”
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, concluding teisho 4 "Yes?" Monday, February 16, 2004 in the teisho series "The Thread of the Buddhas," commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bukkyo.
Fusatsu: December 19th, January 17th and 31st.
Hermitage
The Roshi began a period of hermitage on Monday, December 12th, which will end at 12 a.m. on Saturday, December 15th.
Introduction to Zen Workshop
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place at Dainen-ji on Saturday, December 15th. For more information please see: http://www.wwzc.org/content/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: http://www.wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
Joya (New Year’s Celebration)
On Monday, December 31st at 10 p.m. until Tuesday, January 1st at 12:00 a.m., we will celebrate Joya or New Year's. Join Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, Ven. Shikai Sensei and Ven. Jinmyo osho and the monastics of the Northern Mountain Order in ringing in the New Year with 108 recitations of the Mahaprajnaparamita Hridaya sutra mantra. Following the sitting there will be an array of shojin-ryori (Zen vegetarian cuisine) dishes for an informal feast. All students are welcome to attend. There is no better way to begin the year. Dana is $25. Please register by sending an email to schedule at WWZC dot org, or telephone the Zen Centre office (613) 562-1568.
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.
Jean-Francois St-Louis sat a partial retreat on Saturday, December 8th.
To Schedule a Retreat
Please visit this Web page for information about scheduling a retreat and an explanation of the different kinds of retreat (duration and timing) you can sit: https://wwzc.org/retreats. Please note that retreats should be scheduled one week in advance.
Public students sitting retreats should send an email to schedule@wwzc.org to confirm they sat a retreat so that notice of it can be included in the eMirror. Please include the location of the retreat and the duration.
If associate students are unable to attend the Thursday evening associate sitting, they may attend one of the general sittings to make up for the sitting they missed. General sittings are held on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. (first Bell is at 7:15) and Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. (first Bell at 9:15 a.m.). Please send an email to request permission to attend one of these sittings.
Teisho presented at general and associate sittings which are part of a series need to be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out. If you miss a sitting please borrow a copy of the missed teisho from the library or download it from the WWZC Media Site as soon as possible, so that the continuity of what is being presented is not disrupted. The weekly list of recorded teisho played at sittings is posted on the web site at:
https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings-schedule
Students can access the password-protected online Recorded Teachings library on the WWZC website at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings or through the streaming site at http://app.wwzc.org. The custom-built media streaming site allows students to live stream recordings from the WWZC Recorded Teachings collection. It is optimized for use on smartphones and tablets, and works with most modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It can also be used on desktops.
While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings. Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically.
MP3 recordings of five teisho are currently available:
On Saturday, September 22nd, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented "The Whole World is Already Ready", Dharma Talk 2 in the series "All Around, All At Once".
Direct link to transcript of Dharma Talk: https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/all-around-all-once-part-2-whole-world-already-ready
Direct link to MP3 recording (accessible to students): https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings/all-around-all-once
On Saturday, November 17th, 2018, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari presented the Dharma Talk "Unfabricated", Dharma Talk 3 in the series "All Around, All At Once.
Each Sunday afternoon (except during O-sesshin and Sesshin), Caretaking Council (Saigyo tando, Fushin shramon and Endai shramon) do samu from 1:30p.m to 4:30p.m. on the various small projects required around the monastery. There are always a great many tasks that need to be done and so any students are welcome and encouraged to come to Dainen-ji to join the monastics in caretaking practice. If you would like to partake in the samu practice on Sundays please write to Saigyo tando at saigyo.cross@gmail.com.
by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
Continuing on with “Painted Cakes: A Zen Dictionary” a limited edition text written by Anzan Hoshin roshi in the 1980s and last revised in 1994.
Samsara (S) The continual round of Birth and Death. The circular closed patterns of self-image struggling to become real.
Questions can be sent to me, Shikai sensei, at shikai.sensei@gmail.
Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzokyokun 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 osho serves as tenzo and Mishin ino and Saigyo tando offer assistance as tenzo-anja.
Monday Yakuseki:
Kimchi rice (chopped baechu kimchi, chopped white onion, Thai white and brown rice, corn, shoyu, chopped scallions); spinach soup (vegetable broth with shoyu, memmi, ginger, fresh spinach); Hong Kong style mushroom gluten (mein jin) with seared red and poblano peppers and Spanish onions, with garlic, shoyu, and bulgogi sauce.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Braised beef (chunks of stewing beef cooked in an instant pot pressure cooker with tomato juice and concentrated beef stock), combined with chunks of carrot, onion, celery, seasoned with chipotle adobo, thyme, rosemary, savoury, garlic, and oregano and slow cooked to finish it off; crunchy baguette rolls, several kinds of cheese, two kinds of hummus, sweet gherkins and sour dills. Vegetarian option: tomato soup with carrots, onion, celery and potato.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Mashed Russet and Yukon gold potatoes (butter, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper); cauliflower and brussel sprouts in a cheese sauce (roux, milk, mustard powder, garlic powder, sauteed onions, cheddar cheese); steamed spinach; sauteed deep-fried tofu seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic, onion powder, lots of black pepper.
Baking by Shikai sensei:
Sour cream cheesecake with berry amaretto sauce; feta biscuits; oat raisin, chocolate chip, walnut cookies.
If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo osho at rengezo at Gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror" in the subject line.
From Jinmyo osho:
Thank you to the Roshi for preserving and making available to us the Teachings of Joshu Dainen Hakukaze zenji, our grandfather in Dharma. Anzan Hoshin Hakukaze roshi is the Kaisan or Founding Master of Honzan Dainen-ji. Joshu Dainen Hakukaze zenji, after whom the monastery was named, is honoured posthumously as co-Founder.
From Saigyo tando:
Thank you to the Roshi for the stone arrangements on shelves, window sills and hallways in many locations through Dainen-ji and for regular trips with Jinmyo osho to pick-up food and supplies for meals served to retreatants, at events and to residents. Thank you to Shikai sensei for excellent oatmeal cookies and cheesecake made this week. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for leading the Rohatsu O-sesshin and for overseeing the activities of the Caretaking Council. Thank you to Mishin ino for many hours of WWZC administration each week. Thank you to Fushin shramon for upkeep to the monastery snow blower and for preparation required for the installation of our new boiler, and to Endai shramon for making a repair to a laundry dryer which involved research and buying the required parts. Thank you to Ian Richard for painting a wooden butsudan made by the Roshi many years ago. Thank you to Sarah Goul and Hannah Kent for cleaning work following the installation of the new heating system boiler and to Peter McRae for archiving samu.
From Endai shramon:
Thank you to Shikai sensei and Jinmyo osho for presenting the Dharma through the many Dharma Talks that they have presented over the years, some of which we have heard at general and associate sittings over the last several months. Thank you to Saigyo tando for organizing and overseeing the installation of a new furnace at Dainen-ji to replace the 23-year old inefficient one.
Dainen-ji, being a 140-year-old building, is continuously in need of maintenance and the costs associated with this can be astronomical when such things as porch repairs or exterior painting are needed. This is something that we cannot afford to do, yet must do and so the "All is Change" project has been created. The "All is Change" project is very simple. Most of us have a bowl or a jar or some other kind of container that we keep somewhere at home and fill up with loose change because it's too heavy to carry around. Several hundred dollars has been collected so far both in loose change and Canadian tire money which has been put towards the building maintenance fund. If anyone would like to contribute to this fund, each penny will be appreciated. The “All is Change” container is on the wooden wall shelf under the Sangha Board in the cloak room.
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