Digital image by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 25, No. 5
Digital image by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol 25, No. 5
Friday, January 29th, 2021
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
Tonight, this February evening of the year 2005, the world is still a beautiful place. Rooks were sitting on the roof outside one of the windows of the Hojo in the arrangement of stones set out there. They were cold, but then they should be, because it is February in Ottawa. They were hungry and appreciated the bits of bread left out for them. Perhaps this world will continue to maintain some of its beauty over the coming decades and centuries of climate change. But there is an incredible vividness and richness to experiencing that goes beyond any particular experience and is radiant as every experience, no matter what it is. It is incredible. It is overwhelming. And it is always available to us if we make ourselves available to it. Arthritic joints, explosions of itches running over the face and back, the smell of fresh rice, freshly falling snow in the darkness of the night and a sky bright with reflected light, these bodyminds sitting up straight in the Hatto are all it and it is incredible, overwhelming, and overflowing.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, beginning the teisho "Assorted Old Buddhas", Monday, February 14th, 1990, at Dainen-ji, in the series "The Primordially Awakened Way: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Kobutsushin: The Old Buddha Mind".
Fusatsu:
February 10th, February 24th.
Nehan O-sesshin
The Nehan 7-day O-sesshin will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 12th, and will end at noon on Friday, February 19th.
A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public 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.
Nehan
Commemoration of the Buddha’s Death (Nehan-e) February 15th.
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
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, January 26th at her home in the Berkshires. Deshi Isshin sat a partial retreat on Friday, January 22nd at her home in Saint John, New Brunswick. Chantal Maheu sat a one-day retreat on Monday, January 25th at her home in Alymer, 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. We can arrange for a telephone interview or daisan providing this does not conflict with the sesshin or O-sesshin schedule listed above, under “Upcoming Events”.
Saturday, January 30th to Saturday, February 6th
Saturday, January 30th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Yunju's Bothering” (teisho 10 of 44)
Sunday, January 31st: SAkN "The Anatomy of Awakening" by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "Feeling into Knowing: Sagara Mudra Samadhi" (9 of 9)
Monday, February 1st: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “When They Formally Leave Home" (Dharma Talk 19)
Thursday, February 4th: “Maintaining the Way” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Saturday, February 6th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “The Work of the Way” (teisho 11 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
"Zen is Not Kidding" by Shikai Zuiko sensei https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/zen-not-kidding
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 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.
Sravakavada (S): A term used to refer to early Buddhist schools: "Way of the Hearers". It is much less derogatory than "Hinayana". Refer to The Complete Teachings Of Reality, Part One: The Development of Buddhist Psychology.
Posted January 22nd, 2021. New entries are posted every two weeks.
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 godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja. The following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings this week:
Monday Yakuseki:
Conchiglie pasta in butter garlic sauce (chopped onion, minced garlic, butter, lemon zest and juice, grated pecorino cheese, salt, pepper); green beans with walnuts (green beans blanched then sauteed with slivered garlic, salt, and pepper, garnished with toasted walnuts); green olives, artichoke hearts, and halved grape tomatoes marinated in olive oil and dried oregano.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Meat option: beef and vegetable stew (cubed stewing beef, chopped onion, cubed rutabaga, carrots, and yukon gold potatoes, swiss chard, minced garlic, beef and chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, dried thyme, salt and pepper). Vegetarian option: Lentil and root vegetable stew (brown lentils, chopped onion, cubed rutabaga, carrots, and yukon gold potatoes, swiss chard, minced garlic, vegetable broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, black pepper). Coleslaw (thinly sliced green cabbage, white onion, and carrots, mayonnaise, lime juice, horseradish, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper); crusty buns.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Lundberg brown rice and peas (Lundberg brown rice, green peas, butter, salt); butternut squash soup with caramelized onions (butternut squash, carrots, yellow onions, bay leaves, butter, salt, pepper, cayenne, whipping cream, garnished with fresh parsley); salad of red and green leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sliced radishes) with dressing (grapeseed oil, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, dried basil, salt, pepper).
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 Claude Schryer:
Thank you to Mishin godo for instructions on how to open states and storylines and for the reminder on how to use the search function on the web site.
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