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Umpan, photograph by Rev. Jido Comeau anagarika
eMirror Vol. 11, No. 34 Friday, August 24th, 2007 Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror
We have the word “self” and it can be a useful and convenient word. But what is being described cannot be fit into the word. When we say “myself” or “yourself” we are speaking of numberless aspects of experiencing arising within, through, and as this bodymind and that bodymind. This bodymind is facing the room in one direction and that bodymind is facing the room from another. Both are seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling and cognizing but are doing so differently. But this difference does not split one bodymind off from what another actually is. There is no self and other here. The right foot does not feel the left foot’s sensations but both the right and the left feet are feeling, are ways of knowing. Knowing is not isolated as the left foot or the right foot. Seeing is not the same as hearing but they are both ways of knowing, examples of knowing, activities of knowing. Knowing in itself, Awareness in itself, Experiencing in itself presents itself as every possible way of knowing and as whatever is known but it does not become trapped as any of them. And every possible way of knowing and every possible known are themselves not broken off from Knowing in itself. They are each it as them. When I say “Awareness in itself” the word “self” there just means “as it actually is”. If the word “self” means anything at all it means “as it actually is,” this bodymind “as it actually is”: alive all the way up and down and through, an intertwining of organisms and organs, each of them a way of knowing and a system of knowings, gathered together as Knowing in itself as this bodymind. That is myself, that is yourself; and the “I” and “you” are not selves just as “right” and “left” are not separate selves. Apparently “sentient beings” like human bodies and apparently “insentient beings” like bones and stones and wind and snow are each themselves without an isolated self that is broken off from everything else. All of us, as we actually are, are intimately together and we are all dharmata, we are all essentially real. We are all open and luminous as experiences and as Experiencing in itself.
-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho 6: “Coming Thus As Us” in the series “Essentially Real, commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s Hossho: Dharmata”. Presented on Saturday, January 22, 2005.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra Chanting of the Precepts will take place on August 29th, September 12th and 26th. The Vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on September 5th, and September 19th.
Samu Weekend The third samu weekend of 2007 will be taking place on August 25th and 26th. The schedule will include cataloging the library of books in the Shuryo; making improvements to the pantry to organize storage of caretaking supplies and to create an area for computer-related work; taking a load of trash to the local dump; painting the front steps, weather permitting; and more work done in the grounds.
Hermitage The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on August 29th which will end on Sunday, September 2nd, 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, September 1st. 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.
September Two-day Sesshin The September two-day sesshin will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 7th and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, the 9th. On Saturday, September 8th, associate and general students may attend a sitting held in the Zendo. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m. (in time for First Bell). The sitting ends at 11:30 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor.
Oryoki for General Students On Saturday, September 15th, 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, September 26th, which will end on Sunday the 30th, at 10:00 a.m., when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana. (Please note that these dates were not included in the Practice Calendar).
Recorded Teisho Schedule Monday, August 27th general sitting – Wild Time: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin’s commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s Uji: Being Time: “The Absolute Moment” (teisho 3 of 10). Tuesday, August 28th formal sitting – Mikkyo-zo: Monastic Jishu: “Maras and Obstructions” (Class 6 of 15). Thursday, August 23rd associate sitting – Freedom and Tyranny: A Series of Three Mondo by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho: “Isms and Ists: The Language of Self-Image” (Dharma Talk 2 of 3). Saturday, September 1st general sitting – Turning the Wheel of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin’s commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji’s “Gyoji: Continuous Practice”: “The Most Important Thing” (teisho 1 of 44).
Current Teisho Series During the 2007 Sogaku-ki O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi began a new series of teisho entitled “Doing Not-Doing part two: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kyojukaimon” and "Fusatsu”. The following teisho have been presented to date:
Reading of “Kyojukaimon” and “Daruma Isshin-kai” (May 16th, 2007) Teisho 1: It's “Inconceivable Luminosity” (May 17th, 2007) Teisho 2: The Eyes of All Beings (June 16th, 2007) Teisho 3: Unbroken (August 11th, 2007)
Congratulations Congratulations and deep gassho to Matthew Moher on being accepted as an associate student by the Roshi. Matthew is a resident of Ottawa.
Retreats Jennifer Comeau sat a two-day retreat on Saturday and Sunday (August 18th and 19th). Jane Brown sat a two-day retreat on Monday and Tuesday. Deshi Vicki Robichaud, visiting from B.C., sat a retreat at Dainen-ji, which began on Wednesday evening and will end on Friday at noon.
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.
Summer Garden Work During the summer and autumn months there is always work to be done in the grounds, including regular watering, weeding, planting, deadheading and tidying. If you can offer some time to help maintain the monastery grounds please contact Saigyo chiden at saigyo@telecomottawa.net or by leaving a message on the office answering machine at 613 562 1568
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 Fennel, celery, Spanish onion, green cabbage, red and yellow bell peppers, konyaku and sliced atsuage tofu in a Thai red curry made with pureed tomatoes, green and jalapeno chiles, ngoc mam and lime. mirin, lemongrass, and coconut milk; huge Brussels sprouts roasted with sambal bajak; sliced white eggplant and quarter cut large white mushrooms roasted with extra virgin olive oil and white mustard seeds and cumin seeds; Thai jasmine rice garnished with deep-fried lentils.
Tuesday Yakuseki Yellow split-pea soup with leeks and white wine; pulled smoked turkey thighs; Parmesan tuiles; roasted shitake and oyster mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil and tarragon; buns with Normandy cultured butter; slaw of green cabbage and white onion with julienned shiso leaves and celery seeds.
Thursday Yakuseki Pasta salad of trotolle ("spinning top" rolled coils) with roasted and sauteed shitake, cremini, oyster and white mushrooms dressed with shoyu, sesame oil, and Xiaoxing wine; gazpacho with San Marzano tomatoes, Italian cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow heritage tomatoes, Lebanese cucumbers, yellow and red bell peppers, garlic chives, Kafir lime leaf infusion, red wine, slivered ginger, and ngoc mam; roasted chippoline onions with extra virgin olive oil; roasted sliced plum tomatoes with Sichuan peppercorns; salad of blanched sugar snap peas with chickpeas and black beans with chopped coriander and lime.
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 Jinmyo osho, “Thank you to Vicki Robichaud for the gift of organic coffee for the monastery kitchen; to David Clawson for work on the monastery Twiki.” From Mishin tando, "Thank you to the Roshi for reminding me again and again to release and open into the inherent richness of experiencing; to Shikai osho for the Dharma Talk, "Overcoming the Inner Dictator"; to Jinmyo osho for finding appropriate clothing for my upcoming trip to Kenya; to Nathan Comeau for archiving samu; to Jane Brown for dana processing samu." From Saigyo chiden, “Thank you to the Roshi for the loan of some wonderful books from his collection. Thank you to Shikai osho for relocating many unused items from the pantry prior to the re-organization taking place over the samu weekend; to Jinmyo osho for editing the eMirror each week and for relevant and interesting internet articles; to Graham Mayeda for helping to carry sheets of drywall up three flights of stairs; to Carys Carrington for samu in the grounds; to Neil Porter for repairing areas of the furnace room floor; to Jane Brown for taking me to a beautiful area of Ontario to look into possible land for a rural centre.”
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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