“Hossho: Dharmata”, sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi

eMirror Vol. 11, No. 25

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho


Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror

Dogen zenji says,

People eat rice, rice eats people. Dharmata emerges as dharmata, and has never left dharmata samadhi. Both before and after its manifestation dharmata has never left anything. Dharmata and myriad eons are dharmata samadhi itself and we can call dharmata “myriad eons.”

Therefore, this place here and now is dharmata, dharmata is this place here and now. “Wearing clothes and eating rice” is wearing and eating dharmata samadhi. It is the actualization of the dharmata of wearing, of eating, of clothes, and of rice. If we do not wear clothes and eat rice, do not greet and speak, do not use the six sense organs, and do not do anything, it is not dharmata samadhi and we cannot enter into dharmata.


Dharmata is the way that things are, the essentially real. We cannot realize dharmata by sheltering ourselves or by perching up in some idea of transcendence. Whether we are absorbed in some state of concentration or are simply lost in our petty worries, spiteful vendettas, and stories of self and other, dharmata is the reality of our actual lives and we have exiled ourselves from it. But we can turn to face the wall and return to life through zazen. Fixated in a samadhi of self-image we cannot do anything other than be fixated until we let go of that fixation. But we can always continue the samadhi of dharmata and our practice of zazen in every action. We bow, we turn, we walk in kinhin, we eat, we speak, we listen. All of these things that we do in formal practice show us how to stroke a cat or drive a car or help the ill or dying or watch a film or take a nap as the actualization of dharmata. We can learn to actualize and express dharmata in each situation by being exposed to each situation as dharmata.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho 5: “Actualizing the Samadhi of Dharmata” in the series “Essentially Real, commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s Hossho: Dharmata”. Presented on Tuesday, December 7, 2004.


Upcoming Events

Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra

Chanting of the Precepts will take place on June 27th, July 11th and July 25th. The Vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on July 4th and July 18th.

                                                                           


Oryoki for General Students

On Saturday, June 23rd, 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 at wwzc dot org.

Hermitage

The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, June 27th, which will end on Sunday, July 1st 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, July 7th. 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.  

Hermitage

The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, July 4th, which will end at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 8th, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.

Yaza

Our annual tradition of Yaza (all night sitting) will take place on Saturday, July 14th from 10 p.m. until Sunday, July 15th at 8 a.m. Zen Master Anzan Hoshin will lead the Yaza. Students attending should arrive by first bell at 9:45 p.m. A light breakfast will be served before the end of the Yaza. All students are welcome to attend. Please register soon as is seating will be limited. The suggested dana contribution for Yaza is $25.00. To register, please send an email to schedule at wwzc dot org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at 562-1568.

Oryoki for General Students

On Saturday, July 21st, 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 at wwzc dot org.

Dharma Assembly

On Saturday, July 28th, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho will lead a Dharma Assembly which will begin at 9:30 a.m. (please arrive by 9:15, in time for first Bell) and will end at 9:10 p.m. Dana is $40.00, which includes two meals: lunch and supper. Participants are asked to bring clothing and shoes appropriate for samu practice. To register, please send an email to schedule at wwzc dot org or leave a message on the office answering machine at 562-1568. Dharma Assemblies are open to all students.

          The general sitting that would ordinarily take place from 9:30 to 11:40 on Saturday morning will be cancelled due to the Dharma Assembly.

Recorded Teisho Schedule

Saturday, June 23rd general sitting – This World of Ten Directions: “Frost and Snow” (teisho 4 of 10).

Sunday, June 24th formal sitting - SAkN: Root Cycle 5: “Beyond the Fields” (teisho 2 of 5).

Monday, June 25th general sitting – Without Difficulty: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin’s commentaries on “Xinxin Ming: Words on Trusting Awareness” by Jianzhi Sengcan: “Three Cases of Zhaozhou part two (Hekiganroku 57-59) (teisho 25 of 25).

Tuesday, June 26th formal sitting – Mikkyo-zo: Monastic Jishu: “Hakusan” (Class 2 of 15).

Thursday, June 28th associate sitting – “Mind Cannot be Grasped” (teisho 1 of 1).

Saturday, June 30th general sitting – This World of Ten Directions: “Early Morning Shines” (teisho 5 of 10).

Website Update

A Dharma Talk entitled “Stainless” presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho during the June 9th Dharma Assembly has been posted on the White Wind Zen Community Website. The direct link is: http://www.wwzc.org/Jinmyo_osho/Stainless.htm.

            Ven. Senbo shuso presented a Shuso Hossen Dharma Talk on May 18th, entitled “No Home”. The Dharma Talk has been posted on the Website and the direct link is: http://www.wwzc.org/NoHome.htm

Practice Calendar July-December 2007

The new Practice Calendar has been posted on the "Resources" Page of the White Wind Zen Community Website in .PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. If you do not have Acrobat installed, you will find the download link posted with the calendar. The direct link to the Page is:

http://www.wwzc.org/resource.htm

Residential Training

Deshi David Clawson was in residence this week following his participation in the recent sesshin.

 

Retreats

Nathan Comeau began a retreat on Monday morning which ended on Thursday morning following the formal sitting.

To Schedule a Retreat

Please email schedule at wwzc dot 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 at trytel dot 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 at wwzc dot org after they sit a retreat mentioning the date of their retreat and whether it is a partial, half-day or full retreat. Please also include the name of the city in which you live.

Garden work

Much work always needs to be done on the grounds. If you are able to offer any time to assist with garden samu please contact Saigyo chiden at saigyo at telecomottawa dot net. Your help will be appreciated. Thank you.

                                                           


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. Jinmyo Renge osho serves as tenzo and Mishin tando and Saigyo chiden offer assistance as tenzo-anja. Meals served on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, prior to the sitting:

Monday Yakuseki

Onigiri (rice balls of gohan seasoned with rice vinegar) both plain and filled with chopped takuan, rolled in gomasio with sheets of toasted nori; dai gai choy (mustard greens), daikon, and red bell pepper soup; atsuage tofu topped with chile miso; Korean roasted chestnuts with Vietnamese roasted chile oil.

Tuesday Yakuseki

Udon noodle salad with baby multi-coloured heirloom tomatoes, basil, slivered ginger and extra virgin olive oil; sliced rare prime rib; roasted shitake and cremini mushrooms and asparagus with balsamic vinegar; green cabbage slaw with white onion, celery seeds, Vietnamese roasted chile oil, and mayonaisse.

Thursday Yakuseki

Mixed grain (Lundberg Farm short grain brown rice, barley, Korean white and brown short grain sticky rice, kasha, gohan) and peas seasoned with curry and butter; oyster mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, Shanghai bok choy, and leeks braised in a hot and sour sauce; roasted plum tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, cubanelle and poblano peppers with cumin seeds and white and brown mustard seeds and extra virgin olive oil; salad of blanched sugar snap peas, Lebanese cucumbers and mache dressed with chaat masala, extra virgin olive oil, and ponzu.

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 at wwzc dot 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 rengezo at vianet dot ca. (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 Anzan roshi, “My thanks to Chunen ino and David Clawson for all of their work making windows wobble, explode, and burst into flames in the new Ubuntu Linux systems in the Hojo and elsewhere; to David for assorted hackage and documenting these on our wiki; and to all who offer samu at the monastery for the benefit of the Sangha.”

From Shikai osho, “Thank you to the Ino for a visit to the Science Centre in Montreal to see the not to be missed 'Bodyworlds 2' and a superb lunch in the old city; Mishin tando for, on a very hot day, picking up three boxes of cat cuisine; the Chiden for three elegant water plants which greatly enhance the pond; Senbo shuso for always carefully considered feedback on baked goods and refreshment; Jido anagarika for numerous tasks in fish care, fixing a small ice-cream scoop, and constructing an ingenious large spool knitting loom; Jennifer Comeau for fresh rhubarb from her garden and the loan of 'Infidel' and 'A Long Way Gone' two books presenting views of Islam and of child soldiers in Africa, both based on personal experience; Roger Clark for the loan of a book on the fascinating culture of ravens.”

From Jinmyo osho, Thank you to the Roshi for preparing monastics for the transition to Linux computer systems; to Ino and David Clawson for the many hours  spent this  week upgrading four of the monastery computers; to David for making our transition to Linux as seamless as possible and for a very clear explanation of Linux file structure; to Saigyo chiden for purchasing piano stools for the monastery.”

From Mishin tando, "Thank you to Roshi for the Mikkyo-zo series of classes
for monastics; thank you to Chunen ino and David Clawson for much work to
shift many monastery computers from Windows to Ubuntu."

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 at trytel dot 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 at wwzc dot 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.

Thank you for your generosity to help with this project.

Gassho,

Saigyo chiden, shissui.

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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