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Arrangement by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, circa 2002
Arrangement by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, circa 2002

eMirror Vol 26, No. 2

Friday, January 7th
Edited by the Practice Council

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



Let us do something simpler. Visualize a white space. Let it be square. Put a black bar at the top. Urf. Crushing. It pushes down. Put it on the bottom instead. Hmmm. It lifts the space up. Put a black dot in the centre and a bar on top and bottom. Urf. Too tight. Put the bars on either side. Hm. Lifts both top and bottom yet the centre is bright. All right. Clear the space. Just white. Now, put a dot to the upper left but not the edge of the square. About three-quarters towards the top. You might notice that you want to focus on the black dot and centre it, make it the focus. Instead, allow it to be to the upper left. Hm. This should in fact make you more aware of the space to the right. Both left and right should light up and top and bottom also lift. And the dot could also be to the right.

Now, another point. While visualizing all of this, if you could, were you still aware of the edges of the peripheral vision? If not, well, we will work with this later in your practice.

In the Hatto, the Butsudan is centred in the forward quarter of the room. Yet to each side are portraits, to the left a large print of a self-portrait of Dogen and to the right a portrait by myself of Bodhidharma. In the Zendo or in our branch centres or in home practice areas the portrait to the left is a representation of myself, to the right the same of Bodhidharma. This kind of centering is appropriate for a formal space. And yet the triangular shelf for ikebana or arrangements at the back of the Hatto is in the corner of the walls to the left as you walk in kinhin. Sometimes the ikebana is very vertical like three large sunflowers arranged at different heights, springing forth from a large, round dull black vase, as we have today. Often however the ikebana lean precariously out into the space towards the right.

-Ven Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing Class Two: "Both Eyes Open" in the series "Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses", October 1999 Daruma-ki O-sesshin, Dainen-ji.
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: January 19th

January Two-day Sesshin:
The January two-day sesshin began on Friday , January 7th at 8:00 p.m. and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 9th.

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 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
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, January 4th at her home in the Berkshires. Thach Hoang sat a two-day retreat from Friday, December 31st to Sunday, January 2nd at his home in Laval, Quebec. Daryl David sat a half-day retreat on Tuesday, January 4th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Beth Buerkle sat a one-day retreat on Wednesday, January 5th at her home 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.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


Saturday, January 8th to Saturday, January 15th

Saturday, January 8th: "Drawn In, Moving Forth": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: "Easy and Joyful Dharma Gate" (15 of 28)
Monday, January 10th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Seeing a Bridge" (Dharma Talk 70)
Thursday, January 13th: "Transparent" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, January 15th: "Drawn In, Moving Forth": Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: "Endless and Beginningless Practice and Realization" (16 of 28)
 


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

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.

Sogo (J) Words which move backwards and forwards. See also omote no go and ura no go.

Posted January 7th, 2021. New entries are posted every two weeks.


 

Tea Pot on a fire


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.

Monday Yakuseki:
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with butter and peas; curried vegetable soup (carrots, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, cooked in vegetable stock, blended and seasoned with Madras curry powder and a drop of cream); salad of Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, chicory, radicchio, radishes, celery, thinly sliced red onion; salad dressing made from equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar, sweetened with a small amount of honey with black pepper. 

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Crusty rolls heated in the oven; white bean stew (vegetarian, made with vegetable stock, soffrito (chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic), thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, a little Dijon mustard, barley and white kidney beans thickened with roux). Meat option as above but with added chicken dredged in flour and browned before adding to the stew; coleslaw made from green cabbage, finely sliced carrots, white onion, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, lime juice and horseradish. 

Thursday Yakuseki:
Shepherd’s pie (Beyond burger ‘mince’ browned and added to a sauce made with roux, vegetable stock, soffrito (chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic), peas and corn, thyme, cayenne, shoyu, chopped mushrooms, salad of Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, chicory, radicchio, radishes, celery, thinly sliced red onion; salad dressing made from equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar, sweetened with a small amount of honey with black pepper. 

 

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 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 finding a used set of bookcases and walnut burl wall panelling  in Toronto (https://youtu.be/niX4y5uw-18) - an affordable way for us to create a Shuryo (library and study hall) on the first floor of the monastery and for driving to Toronto to get them. Thank you to Marrie Schryer and her friend, David, for assisting the Ino in dismantling and loading the bookcases and panels onto a Budget rental truck. Thank you to the Ino, Fushin shramon, Leonardo and David for unloading everything and carrying it into the monastery. 

From David Gallant:
Thank you to Mishin godo for organizing the acquisition of a new dryer at Dainen-ji to replace the broken unit. Thank you to Saigyo ino for the three days of extensive effort and labour required to dismantle, pack, and transport many items (a 16-ft cube van was pretty much full) from Toronto, including a large collection of custom bookshelves, wall paneling, trim, doors, and a table, all for use at Dainen-ji.

 







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