Stones on Dainen-ji's grounds
eMirror Vol 25, No. 20
Stones on Dainen-ji's grounds
eMirror Vol 25, No. 20
Friday, May 14th, 2021
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho
The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.
In his text Sangai Yuishin, which considers this koan at some length, Dogen ends by asking, "What do you mean by ‘the vast earth'? This is what we must study through practice." The same point is made in his following comments in Kobutsu-shin:
Whether it be these times and circumstances or innumerable realms and empty space, it cannot be said that any are not the old mind. To maintain the old mind or to maintain the old Buddha is to maintain two heads with a single face, two things in a single picture.
All possibilities of experience, all possible experiences, are all the old mind or primordial Awareness. To practise this is to always open to a wider context. Maintaining two heads with a single face means to recognize that his head and her head both have the same face, the Original Face of Experiencing itself. This is it and that is it are two things within a single picture. All around the forms within a painting are the paint and canvas of the painting itself. No matter how many forms are painted there, they are all within a single picture.
Questioning into experiences is a matter of releasing ourselves into the vastness in which everything arises, dwells, and falls away.
"What is the mind of the old Buddhas?"
"What do you call this?"
Please, this evening, enjoy yourselves.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing the teisho "The Buddha Old", Wednesday, February 16th, 2005, at Dainen-ji, in the series "The Primordially Awakened Way: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Kobutsushin: The Old Buddha Mind".
Fusatsu:
May 26th.
Sogakuki O-sesshin
The Sogakuki seven-day O-sesshin will begin on Friday, May 14th, at 8:00 p.m. and will end on Friday, May 21st at noon. Students who will be participating and those who will align with the schedule of the O-sesshin while sitting at home are asked to send their schedules as soon as possible to facilitate the planning of dokusan and daisan as well as meal preparation.
A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time 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.
Sogaku-ki
May 18th is the memorial for the death of Sogaku Myoshin Hakukaze daiosho.
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
On the evening of Thursday, May 20th, during the May Sogakuki O-sesshin, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho-ajari will receive Inka, or the Seal of Authenticity, as a Zen Teacher from Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, to become his first Dharma-heir. As one who has received mind to mind transmission from the Roshi and holds the Lineage, she will thus be able to transmit this Lineage at all stages of practice, including transmitting monastic vows and passing on the transmission herself.
Jinmyo Renge received Shiho Transmission as a Dharma-successor from the Roshi on December 8th, 2001 after having practised as a student and then a monastic since 1990. She presented the monthly Introduction to Zen Workshops for 17 years. As well as bearing a vast range of responsibilities within the Sangha, she trained in the time-honoured post of Tenzo since 1991 and has trained students in oryoki practice since 1992. While serving in the training posts of Shuso, Ino and Godo and Osho, her responsibilities have included overseeing Great Matter Publications and White Wind Zen Community Archives, as well as the duplication, preservation and transcription of our extensive collection of recorded teisho, Dharma Talks, and classes. She has also assisted the Roshi in training other monastics in their training posts of Shuso, Ino and Godo, as well as practice advisors. She worked with Anzan Hoshin roshi on the translation of the Bonmokyo (Bramajala sutra), on the Ten Grave and 48 Supporting Precepts. She has produced weekly issues of the Sangha electronic newsletter, "The eMirror" since 1998.
In addition to providing instruction to Sangha members practising at the monastery in Ottawa, she provides training to her own probationary formal and formal students (deshi) and corresponds by email with a large number of students practising in other parts of the world. She is responsible for presenting and organizing many resources such as the Retreat Handbook and other materials.
As well as presenting the foundations of mindfulness and insight, for many years she has also received from the Roshi authorizations to give instruction in koan practice and study, various aspects of kaji and Mikkyo, and the monastic ritsu and shingi. While there are some areas yet to be realized, the Roshi has decided that now would be a good time to acknowledge Jinmyo Renge as Sensei so that our Sangha can ripen further as a result.
With Shiho ceremonies, as with Shukke-tokudo, these have always been open to all students who have registered to attend. However, given these times of the Covid-19 virus and isolation, the ceremony will be conducted privately in the Hojo. This will then be followed by a Dharma talk by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei in the Hatto.
All students are welcome to sit in their home or personal practice rooms on the evening of Thursday, May 20th, during the May Sogakuki O-sesshin, to align with this important event.
Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Tuesday, May 11th at her home in the Berkshires. Tarik Kaya sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, May 8th in his home in Ottawa, Ontario.
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, May 15th to Saturday, May 22nd
Saturday, May 15th: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: “Xuefeng's Rousing the Mind” (teisho 25 of 44)
Monday, May 17th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: “Lowering the Feet and Resting" (Dharma Talk 34)
Thursday, May 20th: "The Point of the Posture and What the Posture Points to" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho ajari
Saturday, May 22nd: “Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Bodhidharma's Transmission part 1” (teisho 26 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.
Shobogenzo Sanbyakusoku (J) Collection of three hundred koan compiled by Dogen zenji.
Posted May 14th, 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:
Ramen soup (miso soup made with kombu, reconstituted shitake mushrooms, minced garlic, chopped white onion, shoyu, baby bok choy, sliced deep-fried tofu and ramen); roasted portobello mushrooms; baechu kimchi.
Tuesday Yakuseki:
Crusty rolls; roasted, sliced peameal bacon; coleslaw (finely shredded green cabbage, white onion and julienned carrot, mayonnaise, lots of horseradish, dijon mustard, lime juice, salt, black pepper). Vegetarian option: Beyond Burgers.
Thursday Yakuseki:
Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice with butter and peas; butternut squash soup (cooked butternut squash and chopped onion blended, caramelized onion added along with chickpeas, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a small amount of cream); Napa cabbage salad (finely sliced Napa cabbage, radicchio, white onion, and julienned carrot).
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 David Gallant:
Thank you to the office of the Tenzo for the wonderful meals prepared for residents each week. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for regular daisan.
From Sophia Stevenson:
I wanted to write to offer congratulations on Jinmyo osho receiving inka at the upcoming ceremony. Your dedication to the practice and to the Sangha over so many years is inspirational. Thank you for the countless hours and breaths dedicated to making the Teachings available for those who wish to learn, for the insightful Dharma Talks, for the eMirror, for taking the time to check to see if I was eating well back when I was a student and for suggesting recipes (which I still use from time to time), and for all the ways you express the dharma with clarity, humor and authenticity. I do miss speaking with you. Here's hoping vaccines allow us to meet again in the near future. I will be sitting with you from my home on the 20th.
From Chantal Maheu:
Deep gassho and congratulations to Jinmyo osho for receiving Inka from the Roshi. I'm grateful for her tireless work to liberate all beings, for humourous and pointed dharma talks and for daisan.
From Sam MacFarlane:
I would like to thank the Roshi for doing Chuu-jo for my sister from April 22nd and continuing daily until May 21st. I would like to thank Saigyo ino for his patience and abundance of humor in our practice interviews as he repeats lessons that I have not fully learned.
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