Mushin Daie zenji,
Zenga by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 25, No. 37
Mushin Daie zenji,
Zenga by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 25, No. 37
Friday, September 10th, 2021
Edited by the Practice Council
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
The phrase "Who says ‘gold is manure?'" comes from a well known poem by Chanyue:
People can't fathom the ocean's depths or mountain's heights.
Past and present, more and more green and blue.
Don't mix with the shallow and narrow;
Low ground only grows brambles.
Who says "gold is like manure?"
This in turn is a reference to two Chinese politicians named Zhanger and Chenyu of the third century B.C. who at one point declared that, compared to their friendship, gold was manure. Later, they had a falling out and one betrayed the other to his death. Nothing is certain or permanent, especially our stories about ourselves and each other and the whims and the mental junk and jumble of self-image.
Mushin zenji's comments restate this:
Whether north or south, east or west, each way you face faces you. Suffering and happiness mix together, Buddhas and common people mingle in the crowd.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing the teisho "Epilogue: The Naked Post", Saturday, April 9th, 2005, at Dainen-ji, in the series "The Primordially Awakened Way: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Kobutsushin: The Old Buddha Mind".
Fusatsu:
September 22nd.
September Two-day Sesshin
The September two-day sesshin began on Friday, September 10th at 8:00 p.m. and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 12th. Probationary formal students and formal students are reminded to send their schedules to Saigyo ino as soon as possible.
Hermitage:
The Roshi is currently in 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
A large project to landscape the front gardens is underway at Dainen-ji after the water gardens were removed due to damage and the amount of yearly upkeep required to keep it functional. Much work has already been done but there is still a great deal to do, so if any students can offer time to assist with this project please write to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross@gmail.com. Thank you.
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, September 7th at her home in the Berkshires. Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on Thursday, September 2nd at her home Chamcook, New Brunswick. Brian Lakeman sat two half-day retreats on Friday, September 3rd and Sunday, September 5th at his home in Brampton, Ontario. Tarik Kaya sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, September 5th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Elizabeth Eve sat a one-day retreat on Sunday, September 5th at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thach Hoang sat a one-day retreat on Monday, September 6th at his home in Laval, Quebec.
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is not possible at this time to schedule retreats in the monastery. 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.
Saturday, September 11th to Saturday, September 18th
Saturday, September 11th: "Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: "Hongren's Maintaining the Mind, part three" (teisho 42 of 44)
Monday, September 13th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: "Seeing a Straight Road and Seeing a Dusty Road" (Dharma Talk 54)
Thursday, September 16th: "The Touchstone 17, Samanthabhadra" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, September 18th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: "Rujing's Silver Coins" (teisho 43 of 44)
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.
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. Many of these will be posted on our website over the next few months.
During the January 2020 Sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
January 11th: “Rujing's Broken Broom of Mu”.
During the December 2019 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity, Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
December 2nd: Rujing’s Plum Blossoms Again
December 3rd: Rujing’s Flower for Pindola
December 4th: Rujing’s Painting Plum Blossoms
December 5th: Rujing’s Frogs and Worms
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the November Sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
November 9th: Rujing and the Old Plum Tree
Dharma Talk Presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on the occasion of receiving Inka: “Receiving the Dharma Seal: Hekiganroku Case 2: Zhaozhou’s ‘The Vast Way is Without Difficulty’”, Dainen-ji, Sogaku O-sesshin, Thursday May 20th 2021.
Read the transcript: Receiving the Seal
Listen to the recording (accessible only to students of this Lineage): Receiving the Seal
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:
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
Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death
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.
Shugyõsha (J): Practitioner
Posted September 3rd, 2021. New entries are posted every two weeks.
Photograph by Ven. Mishin godo
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 for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Monday Yakuseki:
Falafels (chickpeas, onion, fresh parsley, fresh coriander, roasted garlic, chickpea flour, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground cardamom); salad for the falafels (Romaine and leaf lettuce, celery, sliced radishes, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion); turnip pickles; sesame sauce for falafels (tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic); tomato soup (diced tomatoes, tomato juice, red wine, chopped onion, roasted garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper, oregano).
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Mixed grain (Calrose, arborio, Thai long-grain rice, basmati rice, pearled barley); Vegetarian mushrooms and tofu (shitake, eyiyengi, oyster and cremini mushrooms in a vegetarian oyster sauce with lots of garlic, chopped shishito peppers, shoyu, ginger, tamarind, chili oil, sesame oil; meat option - added sauteed ground pork; sauteed bok choy and gai lan.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Cavatappi pasta with a garlic/butter sauce; bean soup (chopped onion, celery, carrots, cremini mushrooms, garlic, tomato juice, red and white kidney beans, oregano, fresh thyme, fresh basil, cumin, red chili flakes; salad of Romaine, leaf lettuce, radicchio, salad (chopped celery, scallions, radishes, tomatoes, sliced red onion with a dressing of white balsamic vinegar blended with bran oil and roasted garlic).
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 sensei,
Thank you to Saigyo ino for helping me with a number of tasks this week; to Fushin shramon for repairing a small lamp that Kiden the kitten knocked over and smashed.
From Mishin godo:
Thank you to Denise Beaudot for a bag of fresh grown garlic.
From David Gallant:
Thank you to Roshi for the countless hours of translation work he has completed for the Sangha and for the thousands of teisho he has presented. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for regular dokusan and for the many Dharma Talks she has presented. Thank you to Mishin godo for her rooftop gardening efforts this year which have been included in many of the resident meals this summer. Thank you Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for regularly leading kata during the morning sittings. Thank you to Fushin shramon for helping me with the garbage bins this week.
From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to David Gallant for a donation for Jinmyo sensei's dental costs.
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