Juzu and stone photograph by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
Juzu and stone photograph by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
Friday, January 11th, 2019
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
As Dogen says, “The practice of this chain of interdependent emergence is based on the relationship of cause and effect in the past, present, and future and the distinction between observer and observed.” And so, some people have taken the twelve links of interdependent emergence just as a subject to parse into various other categories to think about. Or they view the twelve links of the chain as locked together and try to follow it backwards or forwards in contemplation exercises.
But, as Dogen says, “However, if we study through practice the relationship between cause and effect carefully we can see that both samsara and causality are the Wheel of ‘completely unnecessary.’” Rather than tracing the links forward or backwards, at any moment that we recognize bondage we can release it. When this is practised from the open space of primordial freedom, of the Sofuyo-rin or the Wheel of “completely unnecessary,” then instead of cause and effect being a sequence of greater and greater weight, there are all just gestures of freedom. Interdependent emergence is emerging and falling away in each moment, just turning and shining.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho 5 "The Four Noble Truths and Interdependent Emergence" on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 in the teisho series "The Thread of the Buddhas," commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bukkyo.
Fusatsu: January 23rd, February 6th and February 20th.
Two-day Sesshin
The January two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 11th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 13th. Formal students are asked to send in their schedules as soon as possible.
Associate and General Sitting January 12th
During the sesshin, on Saturday, January 12th, there will be a sitting for associate and general students which will take place in the Zendo. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m. (in time for First Bell). The sitting ends at 11:30 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor.
Daiji-ki
January 22nd is the memorial of the date of death of Daiji Tenku daiosho, who was the Teacher of Joshu Dainen daiosho, both of whom Anzan Hoshin roshi studied with.
Hermitage:
The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage at midnight on Wednesday, January 27th, which will end at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 3rd, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.
Fundraising goal: The estimates we have received for this roof work total $30,653.63 for replacement of all three roofs. We hope to engage the contractor to do the work in spring 2019, but this will depend on whether sufficient funds have been collected.
Amount raised to date: $9,480
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.
Constantine Tikhonov sat a one-day retreat from the evening of Friday, December 4th to Saturday, December 5th. Ceri Behar sat a half-day retreat on Sunday, December 6th at his home in Istanbul, Turkey. Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Wednesday, January 9th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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.
We would like assistance from students to work on an archiving project which has been underway for a number of years. Approximately 100 recordings of teisho and Dharma Talks presented by the Roshi in the late 1980's and early 1990's are still not available to students on our web-site. These were recordings were made on audio cassette. The process for preserving these cassette recordings and making them available to students is as follows:
This process is extensive and time consuming, requiring at least 4-5 hours of work for each individual recording. The amount of work required for the monastic sangha to complete this project expediently is not possible, so we are asking for help from the rest of the sangha.
A student would be required to offer regular commitment of time, a block two to three hours weekly is ideal but also a commitment every two weeks would work well. Students would be trained in the work they would be doing and so no specific skill set is needed.
If you are able to assist with this vital project to preserve the Teachings please write to Mishin ino or Saigyo tando or send a message to WWZC.org. Thank you very much.
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:
The 138 articles with photos and descriptions presented by Shikai Zuiko o-sensei in the series "Who, What, Where, When, Why: Uncovering the Mystery of Monastery Objects" is available for download. http://www.wwzc.org/dharma-text/who-what-where-when-why
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
Mushroom pasta (farfalle pasta with sauteed crimini and eringi mushrooms, white wine, garlic, chopped white onion, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, and a small amount of cream); poblano, cubanelle and red bell peppers sauteed with meinjin (wheat gluten) seasoned with a small amount of tomato paste, chipotle adobo, garlic, oregano; cubed friulano cheese with sweet gherkins and lemon zest.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Peameal bacon; green cabbage coleslaw (with white onion, carrots, lots of horseradish, mayonnaise, lime juice); crusty rolls; tomato bisque (cooked Spanish onions and porcini mushrooms blended with tomato juice, seasoned with garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, basil, cumin and cayenne. Vegetarian option: sliced assorted cheeses.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Tteok-bokki (Korean rice sticks in a gojuchang sauce); vegetarian “pork” sauteed with red bell pepper strips, seasoned with tamari sauce, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, and honey; sauteed bok choy, gai lan and dai gai choy; kkakdugi (daikon) kimchi.
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 Saigyo tando:
Thank you to the Roshi for the teisho series “Bowing and Receiving”: Commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Raihai Tokuzui: Bowing and Acquiring the Essence" which we have started to listen to during the Monday evening general sittings. Thank you to Shikai sensei and Fushin shramon for baking a lovely cheesecake for residents. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for leading the morning sittings and for correspondence with students on the Long-Distance Training Program. Thank you to Mishin ino for designing and preparing the Sunday evening meal for residents each week. Thank you to Endai shramon for clarifying the cleaning supplies in the pantry. Thank you to Jean-Francois St-Louis for offering weekly archiving samu to assist the monastics with a project to transfer recorded teisho and Dharma Talks by the Roshi from the late 1980's and early 1990's from tape to digital format.
From Isshin:
Thank you to the Roshi for providing a safe and supportive space where students can practice. Thank you Jinmyo osho for daisan and for not holding back even when it’s uncomfortable; for delicious soups and stew when I was wasn’t feeling well. Thank you to the monastics whom always provide a chair for me and for accommodating my schedule. Thank you to the monastics and Sangha for the opportunity to practice with you - for many years I lived out of province and I realize now how much I missed.
From Constantine Tikhonov:
Thank you Anzan Hoshin Roshi for the opportunity to practice Zen in Ottawa, have a residential retreat and stay overnight at Dainen-Ji. Particular thanks to Saigyo tando for the practice interview on the enduring importance of context over content and ongoing instructions. Thank you Mishin ino for patience and kindness, while facing my foggy responses during morning Samu. Thank you Fushin shramon for samu directions in the kitchen. Thank you Jinmyo osho for nutritious meals throughout the day that culminated in the delicious bean and vegetable stew, delightfully exciting by its potential for staining the jubon. Thank you Shikai sensei for allowing the opportunity to do the bow in the dining hall, when I returned to being there. Thank you Endai Shramon for your being light.
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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