Photograph by Frank Tettsu Woods


eMirror Vol. 13, No. 27

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Edited by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho



Quotes from teisho are run sequentially in the eMirror         


Dogen zenji says,


         Although realization is not like any of the sundry thoughts that preceded it, this is not because such thoughts were actually bad and you lack capacity. Past thoughts, in themselves, already were realization. But since you had upside-down views you thought and said that you lack the capacity. Whenever you feel useless you should know that it is because you are afraid of being stupid.


         Self-image is afraid to make a mistake. It is afraid to be exposed. It is afraid to not understand and so it pretends to understand; it mimics words and gestures, nods the head and grins hopefully. It doesn't want to appear chiisaku, stupid or small-minded and so it feels threatened by what it does not know.

         True practice is the open questioning of not-knowing, of releasing our knowledge about knowns in order to allow knowns to light up the Knowing which presences as them. Realizing the Buddha Dharma and seeing with the eyes of a Buddha means to let go of the image of an "I" and to understand with the whole bodymind. But self-image does not want to let go of its tethers and anchors of opinions and associations. Without them its basic insubstantiality and absurdity is too obvious. But self-image is too small to accommodate the vastness of what it is hiding from. And its opinions and views are too narrow and stupid to allow realization.

         It is not that there is something wrong with you. It is not that there is something wrong with the capacity to think. But because self-image pretends to be a self when it is only a habitual narrowing and localizing of attention, most of your thoughts tend towards poverty and a sense of lack; or towards lashing out at others or aggrandizing the image of a self. The sense of threat, of poverty, the need for aggrandizement, the thrashing and lashing do not come from outside self-image. They are not responses to anything actual but are effects of its presence. If there is self-image there is suffering. But you are not self-image. It is not someone or something other than you, but you are not it. It is an activity you are doing in many different ways in each moment; an activity of suppressing the vividness of life and narrowing this world of ten directions so that it is seen from only one angle of locatedness. The nature of each thought, regardless of its content, is, like anything and everything else, always already realization.


- Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi continuing "Seeing Eye to Eye: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Yuibutsu Yobutsu," teisho 1: Letting Loose the Lotus, Sunday, May 16, 2004


Upcoming Events


Fusatsu and the Vow of Samantabhadra

Chanting of the Precepts will take place on July 8th and July 22nd. The Vow of Samantabhadra will be chanted on July 15th and 29th.


Hermitage

The Roshi will begin a period of hermitage on Wednesday, July 1st, which will end at 10:00 a.m. on sunday, July 5th, 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 4th. 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.


Yaza

Yaza (all night sitting) will take place on Saturday, July 11th from 10 p.m. until Sunday July 12th 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@wwzc.org or leave a message on the Zen Centre office answering machine at 562-1568.


Oryoki for General Students

On Saturday, July 18th, 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.


Samu Day

The next Samu Day will take place on Saturday, July 25th. See below for further information.


Recorded Teisho Schedule

Sunday, July 5, 2009 formal sitting: SAkN: Root Cycle Three: Aware Space: "Open Details" (teisho 4 of 8)

Monday, July 6, 2009 general sitting: Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses: "Sea of Sounds" (teisho 3 of 6)

Thursday, July 9, 2009 associate sitting: Before Thinking: Foundations of Zen Practice: "Spring" (Dharma Talk 53 of 70)


Upcoming Dharma Talks

On Saturday, July 4, 2009, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho will present "Seeing a Twisting Road", Dharma Talk 53 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 Saturday, July 11, 2009, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho will present "Seeing a Straight Road", Dharma Talk 54 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 June 2009 Sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho in the ongoing series "Doing Not-Doing part three: Commentaries on the Forty-eight Supporting Precepts":

Teisho 33: Blessings and Wisdom (June 20, 2009)


Current Dharma Talks

On Saturday, June 13, 2009, Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho presented "Dharma Assembly: The Contraptions of Contraction: A Dharma Talk by Ven. Jinmyo Renge osho."

         On Saturday, June 27, 2009, Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho presented "Seeing a Downhill Road", Dharma Talk 52 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.


Retreats and Training Sessions

Francois Fournier began a retreat at 7:30p.m. on Friday, June 26th, which ended at 6:00p.m. on Sunday, June 28th. Alexis Fiset sat a one-day retreat on Saturday, June 27th. Jennifer Comeau sat a one-day retreat on Saturday and a half-day retreat on Sunday. Deshi Isshin sat a half-day retreat on Monday, in her home on Gabriola Island. Hanna Michaelkiewicz sat a half-day retreat on Monday at Dainen-ji. Neil Porter sat half-day retreats on Monday and Tuesday.



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.





Mala for Sale in Myomaku

Handmade by Jinmyo osho

Proceeds to kitchen Renovations


A mala (Sanskrit) is known in Japan as "nenju" or "juzu".

Nen = mental event. mind-moment, mindfulness, zu = to count, ju = bead, thus: nenju refers to 'beads used for mindful practice', and juzu translates as 'counting beads' (tally-beads).

         There are many different styles of mala because they are used in different cultures, for different purposes. The large mala we use have 108 beads. A smaller mala will be a fraction of a 108-bead mala, so they may have 54 beads, or if very small, 27. We tend to use the Japanese word "juzu" for a smaller mala as this kind of mala is common there. The size is a matter of preference, but most people do prefer to use a larger mala during formal practice. The smaller juzu can be very appropriate to wear to work during the day as a reminder of one's practice.

The Difference Between Mala Beads and Fashion Beads

Mala are tools for mindfulness practice, worked with one's hands by moving the beads along the string. They therefore require a durable, heavier cord and larger bead holes for stringing or they will break with use. The majority of western-made beads are manufactured for fashion necklaces and other forms of decoration, usually drilled with very small holes requiring the use of thin stringing materials which fray and break easily. Although they can be quite pretty, when such beads are used for making mala and finished with a tassel, restringing them turns into a project in itself.

The solution to this is to use large-holed beads and a heavier cord tied in a simple, traditional loop with two loose cords. The loop represents the cycle of birth and death, and the end strings represent the 'cutting' or severing of the cycle of birth and death. If the mala needs to be tightened, all you have to do is untie the knot, tighten the cord and retie the knot. If the cord begins to wear out, restringing is quick and simple.

Use of a Mala

All associate or general students can wear a mala around the neck informally or around a wrist as a reminder of practice. Associate students should only use them as a tool for mindfulness during a retreat or Dharma Assembly if they have been instructed to do so. You can ask a practice advisor or a Dharma Teacher for instruction in using them.

Care of a Mala

Mala are objects to be treated with respect and taken care of. When you are not wearing the mala, it should be coiled and placed preferably on a high shelf. Please do not hang it on a door knob or treat it casually by, for instance, leaving it on a table amidst coffee cups and magazines. It is a tool for mindfulness practice and should be cared for appropriately. A mala may be worn on the wrist during the day as the weight and sound of it can serve as a reminder of one's practice.

Empowerment (Kaji)

You can request that the Roshi or a Dharma Teacher empower your mala. The effect of empowering a mala is (metaphorically speaking) a bit like planing a piece of wood to make it very smooth. The Roshi or the Dharma Teacher would work with your mala for a period of time before returning it to you and it would be appropriate to offer dana for this. In our Lineage dana contributions for such things as empowering a mala is based on the number of beads in a mala ($108.00 as in a full-sized mala, or a fraction thereof - $54.00 or $27.00. Or just a really nice stone. But it has to be a really, really nice stone, one that you spent some effort looking for, not one you picked up in a parking lot that stood out because you accidentally kicked it with your shoe).


Samu Day on Saturday July 25th

A day of samu will be taking place on Saturday July 25th. During the day we shall be working on several ongoing projects in the grounds including work to complete the retaining drystone walls for the new borders, construction and staining of the new rain shelter, building the grape arbor at the rear of the building and painting and repair of the porches.

         The samu will be take place from 8:30a.m. until 6:00p.m., with a meal at noon for those attending. Please arrive in time for the samu chants which will be at 8.30a.m. and at 1:30p.m. If possible please come for the full day or full samu periods as this will make scheduling and assignment of tasks much simpler. If you are only able to give a couple of hours this will be most welcome, too.

         Please write to Saigyo chiden at saigyo at telecomottawa dot net if you able to attend some or all of this day of samu.



Summer Samu in the Grounds

Now that summer is here there are still many ongoing projects in the grounds. As well are garden maintenance work will begin soon to build new retaining walls for raised beds and construct a grape arbor at the rear of the property. Repairs and painting on the front porch is also being done over the next weeks. Each Sunday afternoon from 1:30pm, Saigyo chiden will be working in the grounds on a variety of projects and so if you have any time to assist with this work your help will be greatly appreciated. Please write to Saigyo chiden at saigyo at telecomottawa dot net if you have an hour or two on any Sunday afternoon (except during Sesshin) to let Saigyo chiden know that you will be coming to assist. Samu in the grounds would also be welcome at any other time during the week.


Kitchen Renovations

We have begun the process of renovating the monastery kitchen with the purchase of a double pot sink paid by a donation from a monastic and one other student. The double pot restaurant-style sink with right and left stainless steel draining boards will replace the sink in the kitchen which is far too small for our needs. We will also be replacing the 30-year old counter top as the area supporting the basin, faucet and taps had disintegrated and is no longer repairable. The sink will be stored in the basement until we are able to accumulate sufficient funds to purchase the faucet set and counter top and will likely be installed during the autumn or winter. If you would like to participate in this project by making a donation or help with installation, please contact the treasurer, Mishin tando, at mishin at trytel dot com.






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 served on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, prior to the evening sittings:


Monday yakuseki

Salad of faux gardein "beef" strips, blanched chopped asparagus and garlic stems, enoki mushrooms with sesame oil, shoyu, slivered ginger, and peanuts; tong ho (chrysanthemum greens) soup with shoyu, Xiaoxing wine, slivered ginger, and lime; mixed grain (gohan, arborio, barley, Korean brown and white sticky rice); baechu kimchi.


Tuesday yakuseki

Rice balls formed from mixed grains with gomasio (toasted sesame salt) to dip them into; dweji bulgogi: slices of cold pork loin roasts; cremini mushroom sauce with vidalia onion, minced garlic, shoyu, mirin, Michu cooking wine; salad of kkukdugi kimchi (cubed daikon), English cucumber, and fresh sweet water chestnuts.


Thursday yakuseki

Warm naan with egg salad (chopped eggs, chopped scallion, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise), roasted Vidalia onions, roasted plum tomatoes, roasted large cremini mushrooms with chipotle, served with Romaine lettuce and fresh basil.


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 Mishin tando: Thank you to the Roshi for the "Before Thinking" series of Dharma Talks, which were presented several decades ago but continue to be new each time I listen to them; to Jinmyo osho for making and selling mala, providing students with well-made mala to wear and raising funds for kitchen renovations; to Nathan Comeau and Sophia Stevenson for archiving samu.

From Saigyo chiden: Thank you to the Roshi for Zen Arts: The Flowering of the Senses, the teisho series being currently played at the Monday general sittings and for finding a superb screen saver (electricsheep). Thank you to Shikai osho for her Dharma Talks in the "Every Breath You Take" series. Thank you to Jinmyo osho for hand making many striking new mala for sale to students, the purchase of which goes towards the fund for renovations to the kitchen. Thank you to Graham Mayeda for continued work on the new rain shelter and for helping to collect and transport new work stations for the workshop found on the street. Thank you to Nathan Comeau for samu to build the the new grape arbor and for purchasing the wood required for this project; to Guillaume Albert for digging a deep hole in an area of stone backfill so that a new Boston Ivy could be planted in proper soil.

From Isabel Stramwasser: Deep gassho to Jinmyo osho, Isshin and Saigyo chiden for arranging Isshin's and my retreat on Gabriola Island. The retreat was very good and helpful for my practice. Thank you.




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.



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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