Jianzhi Sengcan, woodblock print

eMirror Vol. 14, No. 10

Friday, March 5th, 2010
Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho



Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror

    One of the earliest and most influential Chan texts is the Xinxin Ming. In the original Chinese the 146 lines of four-characters to a line of the Xinxin Ming occupy only two-thirds of a page in the over 100,000 pages of the Taisho Tripitaka. It speaks concisely and clearly of the practice of realization: of aligning ourselves with the inherent luminosity of the space of experiencing instead of falling into the struggle and strategies that arise from the fragmenting of experience into dualities.
    Its well-known opening lines are:
        The Vast Way is without difficulty:
        just don't accept or reject.
    The Great Master Zhaozhou Congshen referred to these lines many times and there are a number of koan in the Blue Cliff Records, the Biyanlu or Hekiganroku that involve Zhaozhou and these words. You can hear the Xinxin Ming in Eihei Dogen zenji's Fukanzazengi or How Everyone Can Sit, one of our foundational texts and throughout the Eihei Koroku. Keizan Jokin zenji presented a commentary on it. Many Masters and students have been deeply influenced by the Xinxin Ming and it has been published throughout the centuries and translated into many languages. But its origins have been lost.     Traditionally, the text is attributed to Jianzhi Sengcan who is known as the Third Ancestor of Chan, the Dharma-heir of Dazu Huike, the Second Ancestor, who in turn was the Dharma-heir of the First Ancestor Bodhidharma. The legends of the early Ancestors are not really history at all but they are not really just fictional either. The legends and hagiography convey to us Teachings about our own practice. While we are not primarily concerned with the history of the text it is important to acknowledge what scholars have concluded for decades now and that Sengcan, if he existed, if he lived the life he is said to have lived, had nothing to do with the Xinxin Ming. Sengcan is said to have died in 606. There are no references to the Xinxin Ming until much much later. Zhaozhou for example lived from 778 to 897.
    There is a text called the Xin Ming or Words on Mind which is attributed to Niutou Farong who lived from 594 to 657, who was a Dharma-heir of the Fourth Ancestor Daoxin. The similarities between the Xin Ming and the Xinxin Ming have caused some scholars to believe that the Xinxin Ming was actually written after the time of the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, who lived from 638 to 713, as a condensed version of the Xin Ming. Some scholars think that the Fourth Ancestor Daoxin might have composed the Xinxin Ming and that the Xin Ming was an expansion on it. Some others propose that Daoxin wrote down a verse that Sengcan had presented orally.
    As well, the earliest biography of Sengcan appears in the "Record of the Teachers and Disciples of the Lanka", "Lengqie shizi zi", compiled by Jingjue; who lived around 683-750 but the text was only discovered in the Dunhuang caves in 1926. There it says that, "He did not put any writings into circulation. He only taught intimately those who came close and did not publically Transmit the Dharma. He had only one known disciple, the Venerable Daoxin, who attended to him for twelve years."
    So, in the end, we do not really know who the author was or even when it was composed, although dozens of generations have believed it to be Sengcan. And so, it seems reasonable to still refer to it as being attributed to the Third Ancestor.


- Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing teisho 1: "It Wasn't Sengcan" in the series "Without Difficulty: Commentaries on Jianzhi Sengcan's Xinxin Ming:Words on Trusting Awareness," Saturday, January 14, 2006

Bendowa eBook Now Available

A new translation by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Yasuda Joshu roshi, over thirty years in the making, of Eihei Dogen zenji's "Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way" is now available as an ebook PDF for free download from the web site. The Roshi has made it availabe under a Creative Commons license so everyone is free to copy and distribute it as long as it is not for commercial purposes, proper attribution is maintained, and the text is unaltered. The ebook is extensively annotated and provides the Japanese text.      This text will be the basis of the Roshi's new teisho series, begun during the recent Rohatsu O-sesshin, "Drawn In, Moving Forth: Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way."      Download it here: http://www.wwzc.org/translations/Bendowa-book.pdf

Upcoming Events

Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra

Chanting of the Precepts will take place on March 17th, and 31st. The vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on March 10th and 24th.

Hermitage

The Roshi began a period of hermitage on Wednesday, March 3rd, which will end on Sunday, March 7th 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, March 6th. 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

March Two-day Sesshin

The March two-day sesshin begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 12th, and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th.
     On Saturday, March 13th, 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, March 20th, general students who attend the 6:00 a.m. formal sitting may participate in oryoki practice led by Jinmyo osho. Please register one week in advance by sending an email to schedule at wwzc dot org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at 613-562-1568. Associate or visiting public students who are in retreat at the monastery on that day may also participate in oryoki.

Keizan-ki

March 21st is the memorial for Keizan Jokin zenji.

Introduction to Zen Workshop at the Harrow Zazenkai

Ven. Saigyo chiden will be presenting an Introduction to Zen Workshop at the Harrow Zazenkai in England on Sunday, March 28th at 2:00pm. For more information please write to info at wwzc dot org.

Cancellation of Dharma Assembly

The Dharma Assembly that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 27th has been cancelled. The displacement of our energy and functional spaces while the kitchen is undergoing reconstruction would make it unecessarily awkward.

Hermitage

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

Recorded Teisho Schedule

Sunday, March 7, 2010 formal sitting: SAkN: Questioning the Enigma: "The Flow of Reality" (teisho 1 of 4)
Monday, March 8, 2010 general sitting: Bodhidharma's Eyes: "The Cypress Tree" (teisho 10 of 12)
Thursday, March 11, 2010 associate sitting: Sitting Up Straight: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Keizan Jokin zenji's "Zazen Yojinki": "It's Just That Simple" (teisho 15 of 17)

Upcoming Dharma Talk

On Saturday, March 6, 2010, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho will present "Seeing a Spring", Dharma Talk 71 in the series "Every Breath You Take: Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho's Comments on "The Practice of Purity": Book Eleven of the Avatamsaka Sutra Translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho.

Current Teisho

During the December 2009 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi began a series series entitled "Drawn In, Moving Forth: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's 'Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way'", with the following presentations:
Reading of "Bendowa", part one (December 4, 2009)
Reading of "Bendowa", part two (December 5, 2009)
Reading of "Bendowa", part three (December 6, 2009
Reading of "Bendowa", conclusion (December 7, 2009)
Teisho 1: "Cutting? Exerting? An Introduction" (January 16, 2010)
Teisho 2: Simple Wonder (February 13, 2010)
Teisho 3: Jijuyo: Receive and Use (February 14, 2010)
Teisho 4: Waiting for A Swelling Tide (February 15, 2010)
Teisho 5: The Buddha's Mudra (February 16, 2010)
Teisho 6: The Person and World of Zazen, part one (February 17, 2010)
Teisho 7: The Person and World of Zazen, part two (February 18, 2010)

Current Dharma Talks

On Saturday, February 6, 2010, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho presented "Seeing a Pond", Dharma Talk 69 in the series "Every Breath You Take": Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho's Comments on "The Practice of Purity": Book Eleven of the Avatamsaka Sutra Translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho.

On Friday, February 19, 2010, Ven. Saigyo chiden presented a Dharma Talk entitled "Paint and Pain and Process" as part of Shukke Tokudo on being acknowledged as a senior monk or taiko.

On Saturday, February 20, 2010, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho presented "Seeing a Well", Dharma Talk 70 in the series "Every Breath You Take": Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho's Comments on "The Practice of Purity": Book Eleven of the Avatamsaka Sutra Translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho.

Missed Sittings and Teisho

Teisho presented at general and associate sittings which are part of a series need to be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out. If a student misses a sitting then it's necessary to borrow a copy of the missed teisho from the library or download it from the WWZC sound site as soon as possible, so that the continuity of what is being presented is not disrupted.


Retreats and Training Sessions

Pavel Grebenkov began a retreat on Tuesday, March 2nd, which will end on Monday, March 8th. Deshi Isshin sat a one-day retreat on Wednesday, March 3rd. Steven Karcz sat two day retreat on Saturday and Sunday February 27th and 28th at his home in Saskatoon.

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 gmail 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.
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.
Training Sessions 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 Chunen ino at chunen at gmail dot com to confirm that you have fulfilled your commitment and notice of it will be included in the eMirror.

Front Doors

Our beautiful old front doors are quite breezy. To help with cold air leaks they have been weatherstripped and this can make the door more difficult to close. Please do not slam the doors as this weakens the antique hinges and is not good for an old door. Push or pull it firmly to close it. Thank you

Samu Weekend Report

Over the weekend of February 27th and 28th we held out first Samu Weekend of 2010. 35 students attended over the weekend and a tremendous amount was accomplished. Here is a list of some of the tasks which were completed over the two days.
     Work continued in the kitchen, with the newly exposed shuryo floor and the breezy exterior walls which were revealed after taking down the old plaster and lathe ceiling being fully insulated. Wiring for the new lighting scheme was also begun. Walls were constructed in the laundry room in the basement to replace the temporary sheeting and a new pocket door was installed, which has vastly improved this area. Work was done to improve the second-floor washroom with a fresh coat of paint, new bath tub caulking and a freshly painted floor. The pantry was extensively reorganized creating a large clear area for a new and dust-free painting and glue-up area for bigger work projects. Many zafu were re-stuffed and repaired and the computer 'sickbay' in the pantry was sorted and organized. Clearing was done in the attic and the tongue and groove wall next to the attic staircase was removed, revealing the large space which will become shelving and storage.
     Thank you very much to the Roshi and Jinmyo osho who prepared wonderful meals for the participants even without the use of the main kitchen whilst the renovation is in progress.
     Thank you to the following students who offered time over the weekend to help maintain and improve Dainen-ji: Chunen ino, Mishin tando, Jido anagarika, Muryo, Senbo, Jennifer Comeau, Graham Mayeda, Nathan Comeau, Samantha Drouin, Gillian Higenbottam, David Gallant, Hanna Grazyna, Margaret McGarry, Michael Lifshitz, Abigail Lixfeld, Francois Fournier, Peter McRae, Oliver Fisher, Elizabeth Eve, Mary Korika, Michael Urbanski, Pierre Trahan, Andrew Mayeda, Sophia Stevenson, Jack Deyirmendjian, George Donovan, Curtis Cheslock, Rob McBride, Chantal Mayhue, Murielle Paradelle, Denise Beaudot, Pavel Grebenkov, Diane Smith and Mouktar Abdilahi.

Snow Shovelling

Over the coming months we are requesting the help of students at times of heavy snowfall to shovel snow on the property. The time spent by monastics snow shoveling is time that could be spent on replying to practice journals from those who cannot attend sittings at the monastery, meeting with preliminary students and spending time on such things as archiving. So any help would be very much appreciated and will support the practice of other students. Arriving early to a sitting or staying on for even 15 minutes after a sitting to assist with this would be very helpful. Snow shovels are situated by both porches and at the rear of the building. 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.

The following meals were prepared during the Samu Weekend:


Saturday Lunch: One bowl meal: Mabo tofu: sesame oil, red onions, red bell peppers, cubanelle peppers, whole red bird chiles, chopped green chiles, pi xian chile broadbean sauce, minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, ginger broth, chopped cremini mushrooms, sliced eryingi mushrooms; mixed grain: Lundberg Farms short-grain brown rice, Thai rice, pearled barley, bap, black Japonica rice, Chinese long-grain white rice and arborio rice; grated carrot and white onion slaw dressed with roasted chile oil, lime juice, ngoc mam, slivered ginger, garlic paste.

Sunday: Satay cabbage curry: Spanish onions, green cabbage, Napa cabbage, red bell peppers, mung bean sprouts, atsuage tofu triangles in a satay sauce with popped mustard seeds, cumin seeds, roasted chile oil, coriander; Thai jasmine rice; kkukdugi kimchi (cubed daikon).

The following meals were prepared prior to the evening sittings on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday:

Monday Yakuseki

Ziti with a creamy mushroom sauce: butter, olive oil, minced white onion, minced garlic, white and brown beech mushrooms, chopped eyringi mushrooms, porcini paste, thyme, milk; tomato soup: chopped white onion and garlic, San Marzano tomatoes and passata, red wine, basil, cumin, oregano; gardein (soy and gluten) faux "chicken" strips and red bell pepper strips roasted with a Dijon mustard and ancho chile sauce.

Tuesday Yakuseki

Dahk kalbi: chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings roasted with soy sauce, garlic, and kalbi sauce; gat (mustard greens), mung bean sprouts, eryingi mushrooms and sliced pyogo (shitake) mushrooms in doenjang (Korean soy bean paste) broth with slivered ginger; bap (calrose rice); baechu kimchi (Napa cabbage).

Thursday Yakuseki

Gassho, Thursday Yakuseki: Baked potatoes with labneh (goat and cow milk yougurt cheese); meinjin (gluten) with mushrooms (cremini, eryengi, oyster and porcini) in a Dijon mustard sauce; lightly cooked fresh ong choy (Asian spinach) with butter and lemon.

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 Gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror" in the subject line.

From Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi:

My thanks to all who participated in our recent Samu Weekend, as always to Shikai osho for her advice and energy, Jinmyo Renge osho for her organizational skills and throwing herself bodily into what needs to done, and to Saigyo chiden as shissui, and shissui-anja Graham Mayeda and Anne Muryo Schmitz for their work on the Kuin (kitchen), and to Jido anagarika and Francois Fournier for their extraordinary completion of a laundry room with a pocket door over a mere two days. To Chunen ino for his continuing work on our website and newsletter (and so much else) and to Zenrin for his support on this. To Mishin tando for all of her administrative mastery, now extending to researching range hoods following Muryo's suggestions, and great efforts. To Chiso anagarika for the gifts of a small folding desk for working with laptop and books from the floor in the Hojo (abbot's office) and several other stationary materials.

From Jinmyo osho:

Thank you to the Roshi for the use of the small kitchenette in the Hojo for preparing meals for residents during the week and for students participating in the Samu Weekend. Thank you to Muryo for climbing ladders (even with a bad knee) to install new light fixtures and prepare other wiring for the kitchen; to Graham Mayeda for his knot-tying skills which proved invaluable when lowering planks of wood 17 feet long from the kitchen ceiling; to Ian Hepburn for a gift.

From Mishin tando:

Thank you to the Roshi and Jinmyo osho for the delicious meals prepared for all who participated in the Samu Weekend; to Saigyo chiden for the many hours spent planning and undertaking the ongoing kitchen renovation project; to Jido anagarika for cleaning candles holders used in practice rooms; to Senbo for archiving samu.

From Chiso angarika:

Thank you to Roshi for the translation and presentation of "Bendowa", a text which comes to life after each teisho. Thank you to Shikai osho for making and teaching me how to make ginger tea (which I have been drinking ever since). Thank you to Jinmyo osho for the care and interest in my well being when I wasn't feeling good during Sesshin. On top of her other responsibilities she made sure that I have what I need. Thank you to Chunen ino for taking time to see what I can and cannot do for samu. Thank you to Mishin tando for her support. Thank you to Saigyo chiden for the clear Dharma Talk and humorous presentation; also for demonstrating how to do over 100 great bows with grace (with not so good knees). Thank you to Jido anagarika for the much needed coffee. Thank you to Muryo for letting me park at her house and picking me up from Dainen-ji. Thank you to Graham Mayeda for moving my things up to the 3rd floor and to Senbo for bringing them down.

From Tettsu:

Thank you to Abigail Lixfeld for the clarity of forms - her energy and straight-backed stillness and for bringing the Before Thinking CDs for Harrow Zazenkai; and to Mishin tando and everyone involved with preparing CDs for Branch students. To Marco and Geoff for their ongoing practice; to my partner Aelwyn for her immaculate preparatory housework help the day before- despite having just arrived that morning from India's Golden Triangle. And most of all - thank you to the Roshi for making all this possible.

From Michael Lifshitz:

Thank you to the Roshi for a vast treasury of teisho that point past who I think I am to the reality of this moment. Thank you to the Roshi, Jinmyo Osho and Mishin tando for many wonderful meals at Dainen-ji. Thank you to Shikai osho for daisan and for empowering a mala.



Ongoing

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 Teachings 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.

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.

Mountain Gate

Our handmade wooden Mountain Gate has been kicked in three times and repaired by shissui, Saigyo chiden, but it is only a matter of time before that, too, succumbs, so we shall need to work towards replacing the wooden gate with a wrought iron one that will withstand drunken kicking. Donations for this project now total $550.00.
    If you would like to contribute to the purchase of a wrought iron Mountain Gate, please contact Mishin tando at treasurer at wwzc.org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at 613-562-1568.

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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