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"Ko: Light", sho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
eMirror Vol. 12, No. 5 Friday, February 1st, 2008 Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror
The luminosity that is shining as the sun and moon in the sky, as the pupil of your eye, as sounds and fragrances, as flowers blooming in the spring, as the palms of your hands and the backs of your knees, is very bright. In Japanese, it is called "komyo". "Ko" means "bright" and "myo" also means "bright". So "bright bright". Very bright. The brightness of bright. Luminosity. Luminosity is not actually light. Well, it is light, but it is also dark and it is also water and stone and leaves. Luminosity means the capacity of knowing to know, knowingness. An ancient metaphor for this is a mirror's capacity to reflect. How do we know that a mirror has the capacity to reflect? By looking at the reflections. It is because there are reflections that we know this is a mirror. Knowingness, the capacity to know, is shown by the presencing of knowns. Just as none of the reflections are what the mirror is or what the capacity to reflect is, nothing is known is what Knowing is or what luminosity is. But the fact of Knowing can be lit up for us and we can recognize luminosity through the presencing of knowns.
Upcoming Events
Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra Chanting of the Precepts will take place on February 6th and February 20th. The Vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on February 27th.
Hermitage The Roshi began a period of hermitage on January 30th, which will end on February 3rd 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 2nd. 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 8th, and will end on Friday, February 15th at noon. Formal students are reminded to send their schedules to schedule at wwzc dot org as soon as is possible. During the O-sesshin, there will be two sittings held in the Zendo on Saturday, February 9th, 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 16th, 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.
Samu Weekend The first Samu Weekend of 2008 will be held on February 23rd and 24th. The activities for the weekend are yet to be finalized. Please pencil these dates into your calender. To register, please send an email to Saigyo chiden at saigyo at telecomottawa dot net or telephone the office answering machine at 613-562-1568 to leave a message.
Hermitage The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, February 27th, which will end at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 2nd, when he leads monastics in Acalanatha Sadhana.
Recorded Teisho Schedule -Saturday, February 2nd general sitting - Turning the Wheel of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Gyoji: Continuous Practice": "Hard Luck Stories" (teisho 16 of 44). -Sunday, February 3rd formal sitting – SAkN: Presencing the Open Body: "Opening Past Everything" (teisho 5 of 5). -Monday, February 4th general sitting - Bright Right Through: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Dogen zenji's "Muchu Setsumu": "Great Faith, Great Doubt, Great Practice" (teisho 11 of 11). -Tuesday, February 5th formal sitting - Mikkyo-zo: Monastic Jishu: "Dedications" (class 15 of 15). -Saturday, February 9th general sitting - Turning the Wheel of the Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Gyoji: Continuous Practice": "Traces of Tracelessness" (teisho 17 of 44).
Dharma Talk On Thursday, January 31st, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho presented "If In Danger or Difficulty", the eleventh Dharma Talk in the series "Every Breath You Take: Comments on 'The Practice of Purity': Book Eleven of the Avatamsaka Sutra", translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai osho.
Retreats Francois Fournier sat a one-day retreat on Sunday. Isshin began a one-week training session on Sunday the 27th, during which she sat a one-day retreat on Thursday. Roger Clark sat a one-day retreat on Tuesday. Graham Mayeda completed two weeks of daily Maitri practice, guided by Jinmyo osho. Nathan Comeau sat a one-day retreat on Thursday. Neil Porter sat a partial retreat on Thursday.
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 rengezo at vianet dot ca, 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.
Training Sessions For Students Living in Ottawa: There are a number of options available to associate and general students who wish to practice more intensively, such as sitting a full or partial retreat for one or several days, or extending their practice at home to include two or three rounds. In addition, associate or general students may register for a "training session". This requires making a commitment to a one-week, month-long, or three month period during which they would attend all of the formal sittings at the monastery, morning and evening with the exception of Tuesday evening and Sunday morning (which are reserved for formal students and monastics) while continuing to live at home. The training sessions are intended to allow students to experience what it is like to participate in the monastery’s full schedule. Formal sittings are led by Roshi and include chanting practice and more extensive use of the forms. Students engaging in a training session would also have more opportunities to meet with Dharma Teachers or practice advisors to discuss their practice. At the end of a training session, students would return to their normal schedule. There would be no extra dana involved in practising a training session. With the Undo serving as a dormitory space students can register for periods of residential training at Dainen-ji for anywhere from overnight to several weeks. This involves attending the practice schedule, evening meals, participation in regular soji (cleaning the practice halls) and samu (care-taking). During the days one would go to one’s job or could do extra sitting and study outside of a retreat schedule. The dana for this is $40 a day; work scholarships can also be arranged. To register for a training session or residential training, please send an email to schedule at wwzc dot org or telephone the Zen Centre office at (613) 562-1568 and leave a message. When scheduling a training session, please remember not to include dates that fall within a sesshin or an O-sesshin. For Public Students: This requires making a commitment to a one-week, month-long, or three-month period during which public students sit zazen according to the following schedule: Monday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m.; Monday evening: 7:30 to 9:10 p.m. Tuesday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. Wednesday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. Thursday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m.; Tuesday evening: 7:30 to 9:10 p.m. Friday morning 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. (Friday is Hossan and there are no scheduled sittings at the monastery, but students are expected to sit at home). Saturday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. Sunday morning: 6:00 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. Public students who wish to do a Training Session should send an email to schedule at wwzc dot org to state their intention and specify the duration and schedule of their Training Session. After completing the Training Session, please send an email to Jinmyo osho at rengezo at gmail dot com to confirm that you have fulfilled your commitment and notice of it will be included in the eMirror.
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. The following meals were prepared on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, prior to the sittings.
Monday Yakuseki: Mixed grain congee with leeks, garlic stems, roasted white onion, oyster and tiny cremini mushrooms, dried sliced shitake and porcini mushrooms; roasted purple eggplant, white and red onion, red bell pepper, and plum tomatoes with Vietnamese roasted chile oil and shoyu; atsuage tofu triangles roasted with a sweet chile tomato sauce; stir-fried bok choy sum with lime.
Tuesday Yakuseki: Rogan josh (lamb curry with chickpeas, red and yellow bell peppers, with a caramelized reduction of white onions, red bell peppers and tomatoes seasoned with red chiles, ginger, garlic, hing, turmeric, garam masala, cardamom, coriander stems, much cracked black pepper); large white mushrooms roasted with yogurt and tandoori spices; white and brown basmati rice with red quinoa; slaw of green cabbage and red onion with key limes and roasted chile oil dressing; raitta of tiny grape tomatoes and quarter cut Lebanese cucumbers with slivered ginger and yogurt.
Thursday Yakuseki: Roasted yellow and ruby fingerling potatoes and roasted cauliflower flowerettes with Welsh rarebit sauce (beer and extra-old cheddar cheese, seasoned with cayenne pepper, paprika and Dijon mustard); scrambled eggs with sauteed cremini and eryengi mushrooms; blanched snow peas tossed with seared red bell pepper strips; baby green peas.
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, but be sure to type "eMirror" in the subject line.
From Mishin tando: Thank you to the Roshi for the arrangements of flowers, stones, bones that appear on the ikebana shelf in the Hatto, and the surprise of seeing a new arrangement appear on walking into the room for a sitting; to Shikai osho for finding an elegant-looking kettle for the dining hall to replace the one that stopped working; to Jinmyo osho for a delicious Thursday evening meal and the Welsh rarebit sauce which I hadn't tasted before.
From Saigyo chiden: Thank you to the Roshi for his wonderful translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's "Fukanzazengi: How Everyone Can Sit" the for loan of a shakuhachi flute. Thank you to Chunen ino for taking care of monastery stationary orders. Thank you to Muryo for many hours of electrical work to continue with upgrades to the basement rooms and electrical panels through the building and for frequent trips to buy materials for work being done to the building. To Guillaume Albert for samu to improve insulation in the basement pantry and to Matthew Moher and Neil Porter for samu to make improvements in the workshop. Thank you to Curtis Cheslock for setting up a regular samu period to assist with archiving work.
From Francois Fourner: Thank you to the Roshi for the Bodhidharma sho, to Shikai osho for exposing social conditioning, to Jinmyo osho for the timely Dharma Talk and to Jennifer Comeau for her efforts and example in becoming a probationary formal student.
From Doug Somers: Thank you to Roshi for the teisho series "Bright Right Through"; to Jinmyo osho for her Dharma talk and the 'cleaning the messy room' analogy for those who fixate on what practice will attain, and for leading the Dharma Assembly last weekend; to Shikai osho for preparing the tasty refreshments for the Dharma Assembly; to Chunen ino and Senbo shuso for kindly reminding me to continue my practice during the free period; to all who planned and prepared the delicious meals, and to Mishin tando, Saigyo chiden, and Senbo shuso for serving the meals enjoyed by the Sangha; to Saigyo chiden for overseeing samu, and for his answers to queries and the review of forms; and to the members of the Sangha who attended the Assembly and helped support each other's practice.
From Bruce Libman: Thank you to the Roshi for making Dainen-ji available for practice to all students. Thank you to the Oshos for their Dharma Talks and daisan. Thank you to all the practice advisors for their interviews and constant reminders to practice. Thanks to all those involved in making the Dharma Assembly happen this past weekend.
From Caroline Kadziora: Thank you to Jinmyo osho for the warming, fragrant, clear broth swimming with lovely greens, spices, and tofu as well as the tasty rice and crunchy cabbage side dish with a perfectly piquant sauce.... all wonderfully light and delicious. The tasty mixed vegetable dish with chickpeas, ginger and its array of textures, colourful shapes and forms was delightfully pleasing. The colourful mango dish with the segmented grapefruit and onion slices was a refreshing end to an excellent supper. Thank to Shikai osho for providing a very much appreciated refreshment of delicious date and oatmeal cookies. I would like to thank the Roshi for the interesting ikebana display. I enjoyed the lightness of the purple flowers with their stems standing tall in the black vase, and the sense of stability of the snake skeleton. 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 in 2007, was again delayed due to the necessity of a urgent roof repair to the west side of the roof. This repair 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 fund raise 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 spring and the improved facilities will be available in early 2008. 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. Many hundreds of dollars has been collected so far both in loose change and Canadian tire money which has been put towards the building maintenance fund. If anyone would like to contribute to this fund, each penny will be appreciated.
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