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Siddham Sanskrit alphabet
Siddham Sanskrit alphabet


eMirror Vol 26, No. 37

Friday, September 9th, 2022
Edited by the Practice Council

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



Language is a distillation of meanings drawn from experiences. Poetry is the distillation of language so that depths of meanings are conveyed. Some of these meanings resound clearly and distinctly, others might sound somewhere in the background, like a rumble.

There are many writing exercises that can stir or loosen or shake your sense of words, their meanings and sounds. The first one that I often give to students who wish to study poetry with me requires only a sheet of paper, a pen, and a single word at the top left of the page. It could be the word “water.” Now one would write a word in front of or after it. Perhaps “fresh.” Now beneath that write the word “water” again and next to it another word. Write “water”, another word, “shining.” And again and again, filling up both sides of the page as quickly as you can. Inevitably you will repeat words but that is fine as long as you don’t fall into a loop. Now read it through. You might wind up with something like: 

“Fresh water, 
shining water, 
bright water, 
wonder water, 
wire water, 
wild water, 
hard water, 
soft water, 
tree water, 
root water, 
branch water, 
word water…” 

Some of the words will somehow seem to convey associations which are strange but somehow powerful. Then throw it away.

Another exercise is loosely based on renga, a long poem form in which one poet writes a few lines which are then added to by another and then passed on to another and so on. It is a wonderful game and has its own strict rules but usually does not read as art. Open a book of poetry. Write down the first line of the first poem, the first line of the second and so on. Read it through. Some of the lines might actually work together. You might edit others so that they would work together. What would you take out? Why? Now throw the whole thing away, its plagiarism. However, since this is an exercise, that’s fine. It’s like using a recipe as a starting point to get a sense of ingredients and proportions.

-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Class Six: "The Mind Is Not 'The' Mind" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
 


Re-opening the Monastery



We will be re-opening regular sittings to students, beginning with the Saturday morning sitting for general students on October 15th. The sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. First Bell is at 9:15 a.m. The sitting ends at 11:50 a.m. If required we will be using two practice Halls for sittings (the Hatto and Zendo) to ensure adequate spacing and all students attending will be required to wear an N-95 mask. We will be sending emails to all students with further plans for re-opening.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: September 7th and 28th.

September Two-day Sesshin:
The September two-day sesshin will begin on Friday, September 9th at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Sunday the 11th at 6:00 P.M.

Introduction to Zen Workshop 
The next Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, October 1st, at 1:45 p.m. For more information please see:
https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa 
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program 

Daruma-ki O-sesshin
The Daruma-ki O-sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 2nd, and will end on Sunday, October 9th at noon. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as possible. 

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.

Re-opening the Monastery
We will be re-opening regular sittings to students, beginning with the Saturday morning sitting for general students on October 15th. The sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. First Bell is at 9:15 a.m. The sitting ends at 11:50 a.m. If required we will be using two practice Halls for sittings  (the Hatto and Zendo) to ensure adequate spacing and all students attending will be required to wear an N-95 mask. We will be sending emails to all students with further plans for re-opening.

Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of "self-isolation" due to underlying health issues until the COVID-19 situation clarifies.

Beginning Instruction in Zen Practice:
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, September 6th at her home in the Berkshires. Thach Hoang sat a two-day retreat from Friday, September 2nd to Sunday, September 4th at his home in Laval, Quebec. Tracey Parker sat a half-day retreat on Monday, September 5th at her home in Perth, Ontario. Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on Thursday, September 8th at her home in Chamcook, New Brunswick.

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.
 


Retreats at Dainen-ji



If you would like to sit a retreat at Dainen-ji, please email schedule@wwzc.org to register.

You would need to schedule your retreat a week in advance. You will also need to get a rapid antigen Covid test done the day before you arrive and email us to let us know that you are Covid negative.

You will need to wear an N-95 mask while in the monastery. This link will let you know where you can pick up a free rapid antigen test  https://covid-19.ontario.ca/rapid-test-locator

You can sit a partial retreat, half-day retreat or full retreat for one or more days (providing you stay in the monastery and do not leave). The duration of retreats is as follows:

Half-day Retreat
You would need to arrive 15 minutes before the actual starting time. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at noon. Or begin at 9:30 a.m., end at 6:00. Or begin at 3:00 p.m., end at 9:10.

Partial Retreat
You would need to arrive 15 minutes before the actual starting time. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at 6:00 p.m. Or begin at 9:30 a.m., end at 9:10 p.m.

Full retreat
You would need to arrive by 5:45 a.m. Begin at 6:00 a.m., end at 9:10 p.m. 

Please remember to bring a change of clothes suitable for samu (caretaking practice). If staying overnight, please remember to bring a sleeping bag, a towel and other such necessities. If you have been diagnosed by a medical doctor as having allergies to specific foods, please contact the tenzo-anja, mishin godo at mishin at gmail dot com, a week in advance of your retreat to inform her of dietary restrictions as this affects food purchases and meal planning. The suggested dana for retreats is $50 for a full day or $40 for a partial day, which covers the basic cost of food and other materials. Donations above this figure are very welcome and all donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to schedule a retreat, please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


Saturday, September 10th to Saturday, September 17th

Saturday, September 10th: “Wild Time: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on “Uji: Being Time” by Eihei Dogen zenji: “Wild" (5 of 13)
Monday, September 12th: Hekiganroku 31: "Magu's Ring Staff" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi 
Thursday, September 15th: "The Point of the Posture and What It Points To" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei 
Saturday, September 17th: “Wild Time: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on “Uji: Being Time” by Eihei Dogen zenji: “Drunk and Walled In" (6 of 13)
 


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. 

 


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death


scroll

Ten thousand dharmas: Numbered things, all experiences

Posted September 9th, 2022. New entries are posted every two weeks.

 

The Gokan-no-ge Meal Chant (japanese)

The Gokan-no-ge Meal Chant


Office of the Tenzo



Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) 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 following meals were prepared on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for residents:

Monday Yakuseki:
Black bean burgers (black beans, chickpeas, lentils, TVP granules, cooked chopped cremini mushrooms, rolled oats, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, pea protein powder, marmite, tamari, red beet powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, some chipotle barbecue sauce), formed into patties, pressed with panko and then fried); served with a choice of vegan or dairy cheese, sliced tomatoes, raw onions, cooked onions, lettuce and sliced tomatoes; tomato soup (San Marzano tomatoes, tomato juice, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, basil, thyme, oregano). 

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian option: Mapo tofu (Chinese chili bean sauce, Chinese ground bean sauce, fermented black beans, dried chilis shoyu, sesame oil, mushroom stock, thickened with cornstarch) with cubes of medium-firm tofu simmered until “pockmarked”; crumbled fresh tempeh; ground pork; brown and white Thai jasmine rice; kimchi.
For those who wished to supplement their diet with meat: the mapo tofu contained cooked ground pork; ground pork; brown and white Thai jasmine rice; kimchi.

Thursday Yakuseki: 
Spaghettini with garlic/oyster sauce (vegetarian oyster sauce, low sodium shoyu, sambal oelek, lots of minced garlic, scallions, strips of poblano, jalapeno and red bell pepper, strips of onion, served with roasted peanuts; carrot-miso soup (garlic, ginger, chopped carrots, apple, leeks, tomato, cumin, cayenne, sweet paprika, turmeric, coconut cream); salad (romaine and leaf lettuce, radicchio, chopped Celebrity tomatoes from the roof garden, radishes, celery) with red balsamic dressing. 

 

Little monks bowing, Japanese 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 Fushin shuso:
Thank you Anzan Hoshin roshi for the environment of practice. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for cat advice for "Wolfie", a guest cat in probationary training on the third floor. Thank you to Mishin godo for monastery roof garden produce and for leading the weekly cleaning and storage of monastery supplies. Thank you to Saigyo ino for weekly trips for monastery food and supplies. Thank you to Leonard Nobrega for maintaining a supply of kitchen and cleaning clothes. Thank you to David Gallant for weekly cleaning and storing of compost and recycling bins.

From David Gallant:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for researching and experimenting with a large variety of cuisines, and for the many delicious meals prepared for residents each week.







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White Wind Zen Community · 240 Daly Avenue · Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6G2 · Canada