The han in Dainen-ji’s Hatto with the characters “Daiji” for the

“Great Matter of Birth and Death.” Photograph by Rev. Jido Comeau anagarika.

 

eMirror Vol. 11, No. 5

Friday, February 2nd, 2007

Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho

 


Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror

 

As our practice goes on and opens further we continue to learn numberless things about the richness of experiencing and experiences as they truly are. And yet all of it seems somehow familiar, as if it was always obvious but we had forgotten it. When we realize unshakeably and incontrovertibly that what we and all beings truly are is the nehan myoshin, the luminous Awareness beyond all reference point we understand why it is also called the Original Face or the Original Mind or Primordial Awareness. It has always already been the case that we are free of birth and death, beyond birth and death, and yet that we present ourselves as birth and death, as the ceaseless coming and going that is what all lives and life itself is. And even when we have realized ourselves as this primordial Awareness there is still yet more to learn.             

    It can be confusing to think about practice clearly because it is beyond thought. Many things have been said and many of these things come from the various understandings and misunderstandings that people have had throughout the history of the Dharma. From the point of view of the new student, Zen practice is brutal, austere, and terrifying. Or sometimes it’s nice. In any case, it’s a very long slog. When something is realized, a moment later we cannot remember what that something was. So surely practice is a matter of slowly accumulating realizations of “somethings”. Or something like that. From the perspective of more mature practice, Zen is just allowing reality to exert itself. From the vantage of Masters, nothing is easier. There are no things, just the vast ease of the playful Activity of Aware Space which dances while motionless. Hearing of this “great ease” some students are resentful, some despair, others try to just take it easy.

     Particularly confusing is the relationship between the process of learning and study through practice and the always already primordial and natural qualities of what is realized. Dogen brings this together in our practice as “shojo-no-shu”, the practice of realization, the continual practice of embodying Awake Awareness.

 

-Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, continuing teisho 1: “Meeting Natural Wisdom” presented Friday, December 3, 2004, in the series “Essentially Real, commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s Hossho: Dharmata”

 

Upcoming Events

 

Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra

Chanting of the Precepts will take place on February 14th and February 28th. The Vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on February 7th and 21st.

 

Hermitage

The Roshi began a period of hermitage on Wednesday, January 31st, which will end on Sunday, February 4th at 10:00 a.m. when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.

 

Introduction to Zen Workshop

Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho will present the next Introduction to Zen Workshop at Dainen-ji on Saturday, February 3rd. For more information please see:

http://www.wwzc.org/programs/Introduction_To_Zen_Workshop_Ottawa.htm.

            For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page:

http://www.wwzc.org/programs/longDistance.htm.

 

Nehan O-sesshin

The Nehan O-sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 9th and will end on Friday, February 16th at noon. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule@wwzc.org as soon as is possible.

During the O-sesshin, there will be two sittings held in the Zendo on Saturday, February 10th, which associate and general students may attend. The first sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. (please arrive by 9:15 in time for first Bell); the sitting ends at 11:30. The second sitting begins at 3:00 (please arrive by 2:45 in time for first Bell); the sitting ends at 5:00. Students attending either of these sittings are reminded to remain on the first floor.

 

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.

 

Oryoki for General Students

On Saturday, February 17th, general students who attend the 6:00 a.m. formal sitting may participate in oryoki practice led by Jinmyo osho. Associate or visiting public students who are in retreat at the monastery on that day may also participate in oryoki. Dana is $10.00. You do not need previous experience of oryoki to attend. For more information or to register please send an email to schedule@wwzc.org.

 

Samu Weekend

The first samu weekend of 2007 is scheduled to take place on the 24th and 25th of February. Work over these two days will include the continuation of the project to improve the insulation in the west side of the attic and also insulating the ceiling of the workshop. We shall also work to find other areas of the building which can use extra insulation, expandable foam sealer, caulking or draft stop in an effort to minimize heat loss and thus help reduce our extremely high heating costs. Please keep this weekend clear in your calendar so that you will be able to attend some or all of the two days of work practice. Students may register by sending an email to schedule@wwzc.org or by telephoning the Zen Centre office at 613-562-1568.

 

Hermitage

The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, February 28th which will end on Sunday, March 4th at 10:00 a.m., when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.

 

Recorded Teisho Schedule

Saturday, February 3rd general sitting – Sitting Up Straight: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin’s commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji’s “Zazen Yojinki”: “Say Cheese” (teisho 12 of 17).

Sunday, February 4th formal sitting - SAkN: Root Cycle Three: “Frames of Time and Space” (teisho 2 of 8).

Monday, February 5th general sitting – Without Difficulty: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin’s commentaries on “Xinxin Ming: Words on Trusting Awareness” by Jianzhi Sengcan: “Opinions and Openings” (teisho 7 of 25).

Tuesday, February 6th formal sitting – Mikkyo-zo: Monastic Jishu: “All at Once” (Class 1 of 15).

Thursday, February 8th associate sitting – This World of Ten Directions: “Each and Every” (teisho 6 of 10).

Saturday, February 10th associate sittings sitting – This World of Ten Directions: “The Cave of Ghosts” (teisho 7 of 10).

 

White Wind Zen Community Media Site

The Media Site is online again and many improvements have been made to it. If you have any problems accessing it, please contact Chunen ino at Chunen@telecomottawa.net

 

Website Update

A Dharma Talk entitled “Freefall” presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho during the January 27th Dharma Assembly has been posted on the White Wind Zen Community Website. The direct link is:

http://www.wwzc.org/Jinmyo_osho/Freefall.htm

 

 

Jinmyo osho’s Notes on the Forms

 

Which Way to Turn at the Back of the Practice Room

There has been some confusion about the direction students should be facing while doing the forms at the back of the Hatto or Zendo. All forms in practice rooms are done in a clockwise direction relative to the rest of the room. So in both practice rooms, students should turn to face the window when they are taking their seats or getting up from their seats. If there is a large number of students in the room, those standing along the back wall should just face forward while doing Great Bows or bowing to the Sangha.

 

Freezing at Fourth Bell

When fourth bell is struck indicating that the sitting is about to begin, students stop walking in kinhin and move to where they should be standing in the room. At least, that is what is supposed to happen. Instead, many students are “freezing” at the back of the room, giving right of way to monastics or formal students. Please don’t do this. Just start walking to where you think you should be. There’s no need to rush and no need to freeze. Just fall into an open space in the line of students walking around the room. There is no “seniority” in this; it is not a “form”. You are just walking. If you freeze, this just slows everything down and makes matters much more complicated. If you don’t know where to stand, just take a place and don’t worry about it as the Ino will tell you if you need to be elsewhere.

 

Forms for Leaving the Practice Room

When the Roshi and Dharma Teachers leave a practice room, students should stand facing into the room and wait until they leave. When practice advisors begin to move towards the door, the rest of the students in the room should immediately fall into line behind them. There is no delay between practice advisors and other students leaving the room even if a practice advisor is acting as doshi (leading the sitting).

 

The Forms for Striking the Densho for Daisan or Practice Interviews

Rooms used for daisan or practice interviews have a densho (bell) hanging outside the door. The only exception to this is the Undo which is not often used for that purpose. The form for striking the densho is to bring your left hand to gassho without bowing. With your right hand, pick up the striker and strike the densho once. Return the striker to its original position (be mindful about this and don’t place it askew), bring both hands to gassho and do a standing bow. Wait for the answering strike on the gong from within the room and then proceed to open the door.

 

And a Reminder

Please avoid the use of perfumes, scented aftershave and other pungent preparations as many people are sensitive to them. And they might smell nice to you, but they don’t necessarily smell nice to anyone else.

 

Retreats

Cesar aloe sat a one-day retreat on Saturday. Marcin Matuskiewicz sat a partial retreat on Sunday. David Kelleher sat a partial retreat on Thursday. Gillian Higenbottam and Stephen Sullivan are sitting a one-day retreat today.

 

To Schedule a Retreat

Please email schedules@wwzc.org to schedule a retreat, even if you have made verbal arrangements with a practice advisor or a Dharma Teacher. Emails sent to that address are routed to all members of the Practice Council who will need this information for the purposes of meal planning, preparing tapes for your retreat and planning samu assignments. Retreats are defined in the following way:

 

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) 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, Jinmyo osho at Jinmyo@trytel.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 $40 a day, which covers the basic cost of food and other materials. Donations above this figure are very welcome and all donations are tax deductible. There is also a retreat schedule for public students posted on our Website at:

http://www.wwzc.org/Resources/Public.student.retreat.schedule.htm

Public Students’ Retreats

For retreats to be mentioned in the eMirror, public students are asked to send an email to schedule@wwzc.org mentioning the date of their retreat and whether it is a partial, half-day or full retreat.  

 

Office of the Tenzo

Dogen zenji taught that the work of preparing and serving meals was "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. The following is a list of meals prepared on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, prior to the evening sittings.

 

Monday yakuseki

Chilk myeon (naturally black noodles made from arrowroot) with shoyu and dan dan sauce; whole small Korean cabbages braised with leeks, sliced at the table; roasted shitake, oyster, cremini, and white mushrooms with Vietnamese roasted chiles and sesame oil; roasted red and yellow bell peppers and cotton tofu squares and circles with bulgogi sauce; salad of carrot "noodles" dressed with ngoc mam and Meyer lemon.

 

Tuesday yakuseki

Lundberg Farm short grain brown rice with butter and peas; round, cross rib, and blade beef roasts seared then braised in vegetable juices and red wine with ginger, garlic, and mire poix; the strained braising liquor as a sauce; large white mushrooms roasted with tarragon and extra virgin olive oil; yu choy stir-fried in olive oil with dried chiles; salad of English pickled onions and Lancashire cheese with extra virgin olive oil, Meyer lemon, and chopped scallions.

 

Thursday Yakuseki

Large Yukon gold potatoes, halved and roasted in a mixture of seasoned oil and butter; meinjin (wheat gluten) in a mushroom gravy (portobello, white button mushrooms, porcini mushrooms); haricot vert tossed with seared red bell pepper strips; boiled green cabbage with butter, salt, pepper, and toasted mustard seeds. 

 

Students attending sittings on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings may make arrangements to join residents for meals prepared by the Office of the Tenzo. Please email schedule@wwzc.org at least one day in advance; Contribution is $10.

 

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 jinmyo@trytel.com. (Owing to the volume of mail I receive, please note that an email sent to me containing a thank you intended for the eMirror should specify that it is to be included. Otherwise I will likely assume that you are just sending me an email, will think, "Thank you very much," and that will be the end of it).

 

From Chunen ino, “Thank you to the Roshi for the Teachings in the form of thousands of teisho and Dharma Talks and for countless details at Dainen-ji; to Shikai osho for immediate clarifications of my misunderstandings, to Jinmyo osho for many, many corrections and improvements in my practice, to Mishin tando for several hours of administrative work, to Saigyo chiden for caretaking of Dainen-ji.”

From Mishin tando, “Thank you to the Roshi and Jinmyo osho for a delicious baby cabbage soup for Monday yakuseki; to Shikai osho for a stuffed monkey and several cat toys for Nanzan the cat; to Jinmyo osho for excellent roast Yukon gold potatoes for Thursday yakuseki; to Charles Enman for looking after re-shelving of returned tapes and CDs in the first floor library.”

From Saigyo chiden, “Thank you to Jinmyo osho for the recent Dharma Talk ‘Freefall’ and for preparing the wonderful meals provided for the participants of the Dharma Assembly. Thank you to Mishin tando for taking care of the many responsibilities associated with training as tenzo anja (assistant to the head cook) and to Jido anagarika for collecting a new ceiling fan to replace a broken one in the Hojo. Thank you to Neil Porter for a very thorough job of cleaning the workshop, to Gillian Higenbottam for priming a reclaimed door which will be used in the Hojo and to Carl Anderson for archiving samu.”

From Jennifer Comeau, “Thank you to Roshi for providing me with the space and opportunity to practice and for insightful, hilarious teisho. Thank you to Shikai osho for repeated reminders to practice during Daisan, for cheerful reminders to sit up straight and notice what's actually going on during retreats, for delicious refreshments (lemon pudding and feta biscuits especially), for magazines and for sharing useful observations about being an artist. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for the useful and concise Dharma talk on Saturday, for many delicious meals, for clear instruction in Daisan, for clarifying the forms and for sending the E-mirror every week. Thank you to the Ino for his support and instruction during retreats. Thank you to the Tando for many delicious meals during retreats and the Dharma assembly. Thank you to the Chiden for samu instructions and funny practice interviews. Thank you to all of the residents for maintaining the practice environment.”

From Doug Somers, “Thank you to Roshi for the teisho series Without Difficulty and Wandering on Medicine Mountain; to Shikai osho and Jinmyo osho for daisan and helping me to see more of how I tend to be, and to Shikai osho for the afternoon refreshments and tea; to all who planned, prepared, and served the meals during my retreat; to the monastics who devote their lives to carry on this lineage of transmission and who look after the countless details that support the practice of the Sangha.”

From Samantha Drouin, “Thank you to Roshi and Jinmyo osho for planning the Dharma Assembly entitled ‘Freefall’; to Jinmyo osho for a straightforward and humorous Dharma Talk; to Roshi for designing the menu and to Jinmyo osho, Mishin tando, and Saigyo chiden for preparing the lovely meals; thank you to Chunen ino for leading the informal oryoki.”

 

 


Ongoing

 

Samu

Request for Assistance, Office of the Treasurer

As part of clarifying and streamlining the financial processes of White Wind Zen Community, we would like to have pairs of students rotate to help process dana contributions on a weekly basis. To date, most of this work has been done by Mishin tando with the assistance of one or two other students, but it is time to restructure the system so that the work of the Office of the Treasurer becomes more manageable and more students are helping with this responsibility. If you would be available on Saturdays prior to the General Sitting for about a hour (from 8:15-9:15 a.m.), your help will be appreciated. Please email mishin@trytel.com. Training will be provided. No special financial skills are needed other than an eye for detail and accuracy.

 

Archiving Samu

Since 2002 the teisho presented by the Roshi and the Dharma Talks given by the Dharma Teachers have been recorded directly onto CD and copies made available to students. Prior to this time all of the recordings were made on cassette tape. Over the last years the monastics, with the help of several students, have worked to transfer the taped material onto CD, not only because cassette tape technology is fast becoming outdated but because the early tape recordings are deteriorating quickly and may soon become unplayable. To lose these teaching would be disastrous. We are presently making direct CD copies of all of the early tapes so that there is a back-up copy available should anything happen to the master tape which makes it unplayable but there is much work to be done. There are still over 100 tapes from the 1980’s and 1990’s that need to be re-mastered, relabeled and copied and this constitutes many hundreds of hours of work. If you are able to commit to a regular weekly schedule of two or three hours samu to continue this vital work, please let us know by writing to tapes@wwzc.org. Full training will be given.

 

Daily Samu

Samu each day to prepare the monastery for the arrival of the students is a very important practice for the monastics. Any help to assist the monks with brightening and clarifying the practice environment is very much appreciated. If you are able to come early before a sitting to do samu, please consult the samu notice board situated between the side entrance doors to find a task which has not been done recently. If you have any questions about the task please ask any monastic.

 

Improvements to the Second Floor Washroom

A project that has been on the high priory list for a number of years is the renovation of the second floor washroom. Even though this is the most frequently used washroom in the building it has never had any substantial improvements apart from being painted last year. Work on this washroom, which was scheduled to be taking place late this year or early next year, will again need to be delayed due to the necessity of a urgent roof repair to the west side of the roof. This repair will cost in the region of $13,000 and as this is considerably higher than our available budget we have had to cut back on other important work. Because of this, we have decided to fundraise in order to gather sufficient money to make the improvements to the washroom. The work to be done will include a new sink and cabinet and a new ceiling light, fan and exhaust. This will cost in the region of $1000 to complete. Students are encouraged to donate towards this project so that it can be scheduled some time in the winter and the improved facilities will be available by 2007. Improvements to this room will benefit every student that comes to the monastery for sittings.

 

CDs Available to the Public

A selection of CDs of teisho and Dharma Talks is available on our web-site. The page is found at http://wwzc.org/CDWebSales/CDWebSales.htm or follow the link for Dharma Texts and CDs on the home page. Over time more teisho and Dharma Talks from the over 2500 presentations made by the Roshi, Shikai osho and Jinmyo osho will be made available for purchase.

 

Ongoing Project: “All is Change”

Dainen-ji, being a 135-year-old building, is continuously in need of maintenance and the costs associated with this can be astronomical when such things as roof repairs or painting are needed. This is something that we cannot afford to do, yet must do and so the “All is Change” project has been created. The “All is Change” project is very simple. Most of us have a bowl or a jar or some other kind of container that we keep somewhere at home and fill up with loose change because it's too heavy to carry around. Several hundred dollars has been collected so far both in loose change and Canadian tire money which has been put towards the building maintenance fund. Most of the collected money was spent on materials for the new front path and we have also been able to purchase several new tools which will help greatly with ongoing renovations. If anyone would like to contribute to this fund, each penny will be appreciated.

 

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