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Sangha News for March, 2023

3/15/2023

 

Sparrows and Crows in the Vast Universe

Shohaku Okumura
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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (63)
Sparrows and crows
in the vast universe

268. Dharma Hall Discourse

After twenty-one days of facing the tree, and doing walking meditation,
the morning star appeared and illuminated the Milky Way.
Unexpectedly he sat and broke through the vajra seat.
Who could fathom the wall-gazing of our house?


Except for the final sentence and this poem, the entirety of dharma hall discourse 268 is a quotation of Zen master Huanlong Huinan’s[2] instruction to his assembly of monks:
When you climb a mountain you should reach the peak. When you enter the ocean you should reach the bottom. If you climb a mountain and don’t reach the peak, you will not know the unlimited vastness of the universe. If you enter the ocean and don’t reach the bottom, you will not know the shallows or depths of the blue-green sea. If you already know the unlimited vastness and the shallows and depths, you can overturn the four oceans with one kick, and topple Mount Sumeru with one push. As for a person who opens their hands like this and reaches home, how could he not be aware of the sparrows singing and crows cawing among the cypress trees? Do you all want to understand this clearly?  READ MORE

​In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Sparrows and crows in the vast universe
  • News: Yael Weiss to kick off the Platinum Celebration, new oryoki video in progress
  • Practice recap: Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin
  • Coming up: Ango with Shinko, work afternoon, May genzo-e, June sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Rome, Belgium, Ohio and Minnesota

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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News

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Yael Weiss to kick off the Platinum Celebration:  Sanshin is pleased to include a Concert Conversation with practitioner and world-renowned concert pianist Yael Weiss in its lineup of June events celebrating Sanshin's 20th anniversary and the stepping back of the Okumuras as its practice leaders.  Yael will be discussing and demonstrating her international commissioning and performance project, 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World.”  This groundbreaking endeavor brings together composers from 32 countries of conflict and unrest throughout the world, joined together in sending a message of oneness and peace. Each new composition is inspired by one of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas, and the entire cycle of new works is unified by a single “peace motif” from Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

​The title of the project comes from Dogen's Kyojukaimon, his comments on teaching and conferring the precepts.  He writes about the ninth precept, not being angry, "Neither withdrawing nor setting forth, neither being real nor being void, [therein] you will see the ocean of bright clouds and the ocean of magnificent clouds."  Yael received lay precepts from Okumura Roshi at Sanshin in 2007 and continues her practice in New York.  She's brought 32 Bright Clouds recitals to Korea, Cuba, Austria, Canada and venues throughout the US.  Her 2020 recital for the Smithsonian Institution was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and was attended by audiences internationally via YouTube Premiere.  

Yael is a former faculty member of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and an advocate for the power of music in the service of peace.  Her presentation will kick off our weekend celebration with a meaningful opportunity to reconnect with each other and with our aspiration to live by the bodhisattva vow.  Click here for the latest information about the Platinum Celebration and to RSVP if you're planning to attend in person.

New oryoki video in progress:  A group of practitioners spent the day serving as actors and models for our forthcoming instructional video on taking oryoki meals at Sanshin.  Michael Komyo Melfi shot the piece and will be completing post-production.  It will be important to have a resource that explains our style, which is based on the style carried out at Antaiji, because we'll be returning to taking meals this way for sesshin and retreats beginning in July.  Look for the finished video on our YouTube channel within the next few months.
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Practice recap

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Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin: Eight people sat in honor of our founder's teacher, whose 25th year memorial day was March 13.  The five-day sesshin ended with a memorial service held following the usual Sunday dharma talk with the rest of the sangha.  Uchiyama Roshi is one of the most important influences on Sanshin's practice today.  For links to works by and about him, go to this page. 
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Coming up

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Ango (April 3 - July 9): Ango, or practice period, is an opportunity to focus a bit more intensively on our practice and perhaps to make a commitment to ourselves to stretch a little -- to sit a little more, attend a little more frequently, learn something new or take on a particular activity.  We invite you to consider how you might deepen your practice during this time.

Ango at Sanshin is designed to include the three activities of our practice: zazen, work and study.  This three-month period includes sesshin, genzo-e, the precepts retreat and several work days in addition to our regular daily and weekly practice.

During ango we have the additional leadership of a shuso, or head novice, who takes on various responsibilities in the sangha as an opportunity to develop clergy skills.  Our shuso for this ango is Shinko Hagn from Vienna, who was ordained by Hoko in 2019.  His theme for the ango is Four Embracing Actions.  He will be supporting our practice and we will be supporting his growth as a leader.  Shinko will be giving a series of nine Sunday talks, serving as doshi for monthly World Peace ceremonies, serving as ino for monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremonies, assisting with sesshin and retreats, and working with the sangha in myriad other ways while he's in residence here.  In June, we will recognize the coming completion of his term as shuso with two ceremonies in which he will demonstrate his dharma mastery to the sangha and his readiness to teach and serve independently.


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Work afternoon (April 9): There's a lot to do to get ready for the Platinum Celebration and other spring and summer activities.  Participants generally engage in groundskeeping, building maintenance, and cleaning and sorting items like tools and supplies.  Everyone is welcome for work practice, which generally happens on the second Sunday of the month.


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Virtual genzo-e on Shobogenzo Bussho (Buddha Nature), Part 3 (May 3 - 8):  Okumura Roshi taught about the first and second parts of this text in the May and November 2022 Genzo-e.  However, no prior knowledge of the text is required, so if you missed the previous genzo-e you will have no problem following along. This retreat is Okumura Roshi's final offering of genzo-e before he steps back from day to day leadership at Sanshin.  All zazen periods and lectures will be shared on Zoom, and we encourage participants to participate in the full schedule if possible.  Visit the virtual genzo-e page to learn more and to register. 


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​June sesshin (May 30 - June 4): Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We set aside the usual activities -- or entertainments -- of temple life, like work periods, meetings with teachers and dharma talks, and focus completely on zazen.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaiji in Kyoto, Japan.  We carry on and offer this tradition of   our lineage here at Sanshin. Learn more here. 
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Sanshin Network

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Making precepts history in Belgium:  Mokusho reports that he's given lay precepts to three sangha members at Daishinji in Belgium.  Shoju came from France to be on hand as well for the ceremony, thought to be the first time an authorized Belgian Soto Zen teacher has given precepts in that country, or at least the first time in Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium.  While many Belgian lay practitioners have received the precepts, previously the preceptor has always been French.  "The most obvious result of this experience is the bond that has been strengthened between the participants and the teacher," Mokushu noted.  "It is clear that this experience contributes to strengthening our sangha.  Three more people have started sewing their rakusu and will receive the precepts at the Jukai ceremony on 7 April 2024."

Austrian novices in Italy: At the conclusion of sesshin, Doryu ordained two sangha members from Austria, as well as practitioners from Denmark and Sardinia, at Centro Zen Anshin in Rome.  He and Gyoetsu agreed to give Susanne and Sabine their start as novices, since Shinko has not yet completed the credentialling necessary to conduct the ceremony himself at Daijihi in Vienna.
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Virtual visit to Grove City Zen:  Hoko gave a virtual talk for Grove City (OH) Zen's February practice day, held in partnership with the Central Ohio Center for Pragmatic Buddhism.  The theme of the day was taking practice off the cushion, and she talked about practicing peace.


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Upcoming events in Minnesota:  Shodo notes that Mountains and Waters Zen Community has one event and two residential practice opportunities coming up:
April 14-16 is a land care retreat in our traditional style, about half meditation, half work, plus open time for exploring the land or for visiting. Registration is required, and there is a fee.  The first residential practice opportunity is to join us for weeks or months beginning any time, on a work exchange basis.  We have a resident who is a permaculturist and will be actively working with the land, and your work would be mostly with him.  Zen practice includes morning zazen, weekly online class, occasional discussion groups,and Antaiji-style retreats at least quarterly.  The second residential practice opportunity would be longer-term residence. Unfortunately, we're not able to offer work exchange, but can help you find leads for part-time jobs.  By fall there will be two spaces open with private rooms.  Email Shodo for more information or check the website.

Sangha News for February 2023

2/15/2023

 

Growth of oneness

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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (62)
The Growth of Oneness
Dharma Hall Discourse for Winter Solstice on the First Day of the [Eleventh] Month [1240]

The body and mind of each Buddha now can grow.
The face and eyes of jade rings and round jewels are shaped in a heavenly palace.
Having counted each of them, how long and far do they reach?
On this auspicious occasion, knowing the count is the single brightness.

The title of this poem in Kuchūgen is朔旦冬至 (sakutan tōji): 朔 (saku) means the first day of the month, 旦 (tan) is dawn or morning. The first day of a month in the lunisolar calendar is always the new moon day. 冬至 (tōji) is winter solstice, the first of the twenty-four seasons based on the movement of the sun; it is always in the eleventh month. In the lunisolar calendar which was used in China and Japan, the first day of 11th month became the winter solstice once every nineteen years. That occasion was considered auspicious; at the Chinese and Japanese imperial courts, sakutan tōji was an important celebration. Because it is winter solstice, the length of day is the shortest and length of the night is the longest of the entire year; in addition, it is the new moon day, and therefore people did not see any illumination by the moon’s light. This day was considered to be the day Yin(陰 ●)energy reaches its ultimate point. It was also thought that, from that day forward, Yang(陽 ○)energy restores its strength each day—the daytime is getting longer. This is the important turning point of the season. It seems Dōgen Zenji celebrated this rare occasion at Kōshōji. Since he passed away 13 years later, he did not experience the next sakutan toji in 1259. In this poem, he connects the change of the season in the calendar and the change in the heavens and the earth with his community’s practice in the Buddha way.  READ MORE

​In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Growth of oneness
  • News: New articles by Okumura Roshi
  • Practice recap: Work days
  • Coming up: Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin, ango with Shinko, lay precepts
  • Sanshin Network: News from Colombia, Minnesota, Germany,  Belgium ​and Austria

​Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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News

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New articles by Okumura Roshi:  The latest issue of Dharma Eye at includes two articles by Okumura Roshi. One is about the precepts and the other is about the Kannon fascicle of the Shobogenzo. See the issue for free here. 

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Practice recap

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Work days: The sangha held two work days over the last month, mainly devoted to painting in the stairwell and continued finishing work in the zendo as well as general groundskeeping.  There's a lot to do to get ready for the ango and for the anniversary and leadership transition activities happening this spring and summer.  Everyone is welcome at work days, which generally happen on the second Sunday of the month.  

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Coming up

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Five-day sesshin in honor of Uchiyama Roshi (March 7 - 12):  Sesshin will be held as usual but will end with a memorial service for Uchiyama Roshi, who died on March 13, 1998.  Uchiyama Roshi is one of the most important influences on Sanshin's practice today.  For links to works by and about him, go to this page. ​

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Ango (April 3 - July 9): Ango, or practice period, is an opportunity to focus a bit more intensively on our practice and perhaps to make a commitment to ourselves to stretch a little -- to sit a little more, attend a little more frequently, learn something new or take on a particular activity.  We invite you to consider how you might deepen your practice during this time.

Ango at Sanshin is designed to include the three activities of our practice: zazen, work and study.  This three-month period includes sesshin, genzo-e, the precepts retreat and several work days in addition to our regular daily and weekly practice.

During ango we have the additional leadership of a shuso, or head novice, who takes on various responsibilities in the sangha as an opportunity to develop clergy skills.  Our shuso for this ango is Shinko Hagn from Vienna, who was ordained by Hoko in 2019.  His theme for the ango is Four Embracing Actions.  He will be supporting our practice and we will be supporting his growth as a leader.  Shinko will be giving a series of nine Sunday talks, serving as doshi for monthly World Peace ceremonies, serving as ino for monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremonies, assisting with sesshin and retreats, and working with the sangha in myriad other ways while he's in residence here.  In June, we will recognize the coming completion of his term as shuso with two ceremonies in which he will demonstrate his dharma mastery to the sangha and his readiness to teach and serve independently.


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Lay precepts:  Three places remain in the runup to this year's jukai-e activities with Hoko, set for July 9.  If you're considering sewing a rakusu and taking lay precepts at Sanshin this year, it's time to finish your discernment and make a decision about whether or not to go forward.  If the answer is yes, go to this page to learn more about the process, the required retreats and other information, and to submit your request to participate.   

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Sanshin Network

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Colombia's first official Soto Zen temple:  Okumura Roshi and Shoryu Bradley were on hand at Comunidad Soto Zen de Colombia in Bogota for Densho Quintero's shinsanshiki, or mountain seat ceremony.  A shinsanshiki marks the official installation of the abbot of a temple, and these events were part of the official establishment and recognition of the temple within Sotoshu.  The community includes ten novices ordained by Densho and also has practice centers in Medellín, Armenia and Salento, and in Caracas, Venezuela.  See more photos and a press release on the sangha's Facebook page.

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Zuise around the network:  Onryu Kennedy, who received dharma transmission from Eido Reinhart in Minnesota in 2021, has completed zuise ceremonies at Sotoshu's two head temples, Eiheiji and Sojiji, in Japan.  The ceremonies are required for official recognition and authorization by the denomination as a dharma teacher.  Kyoku Lutz (Germany), who received transmission from Hoko in 2020, and Mokusho Depreay (Belgium), who received transmission from Okumura Roshi in 2022, are making plans to complete their zuise ceremonies within the next few months.  There has been a tremendous waiting list for zuise for some time due to the pandemic, and now that travel to Japan is possible once again our network members can carry out their training and credentialing.

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Hoko in Europe:  Hoko spent a week each in Vienna and Hannover visiting and working with the leaders and sanghas of Daijihi and Fruhligsmond Zendo.  In addition to regular daily practice, several rounds of sightseeing and fellowship activities, she participated in a special ceremony in each place.  In Vienna, joined by Doryu and Gyoetsu from Anshin Centro Anshin in Italy, sangha leaders held a little purification and blessing ceremony on the land which will shortly become the site of a campus containing a new temple as well as housing for people making the transition from incarceration or homelessness.  In Hannover, joined by Shoju and Shogen from Zendo L'eau Vive in France, sangha members held a brief ceremony at Aegidienkirche, which was bombed during WWII, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Daijihi is led by Shinko Hagn, who was ordained as a novice by Hoko in 2019.  Fruligsmond Zendo is led by Kyoku Lutz, who received dharma transmission from Hoko in 2020.
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for January 2023

1/15/2023

 

Eyes wide open

Shohaku Okumura
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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (61)
Eyes wide open
Dharma Hall Discourse in Appreciation of the New and Former Tenzo and Director

[The directors and tenzos] buy yellow rice throughout the province for us,
and [arrange] for firewood to be carried up to this nook in the mountains.
With wind and clouds in cooperation, the dragons gain the water.
With this merit completed, their eyes are wide open.


According to the Pure Standard for the Zen Monastery (禅苑清規, Ch. Chanyuan Qinggui, Jp. Zen’nen Shingi) which appeared in 1103 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1126), in a Zen monastery there were four temple administrators: director (監院, kan’nin), supervisor of monks (維那, ino), chief cook (典座, tenzo), and work leader (直歳, shissui).

Later, in Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), when Dōgen visited, because Zen monasteries had become larger and administrative work had gotten more complicated, the position of director was divided into three positions: general director (都寺, tūsu ), assistant director (監寺, kansu), and treasurer (副寺, fūsu). Therefore, in the very beginning of Instructions for the Tenzo (典座教訓, Tenzokyōkun), Dōgen wrote, “From the beginning in Buddha’s family there have been six temple administrators. They are all Buddha’s children and together they carry out Buddha’s work.”    READ MORE
In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Eyes wide open
  • News: Tekifu Honda Roshi passes away
  • Practice recap: January sesshin
  • Coming up: February abbreviated schedule, Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Minnesota and Indiana

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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News

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Tekifu Honda Roshi, one of the last remaining teachers who practiced with Kodo Sawaki, passed away on January 11.  Okumura Roshi explained, "He practiced with Sawaki Roshi at Daijoji in Kanazawa, when Sawaki Roshi was shike (main teacher) of the Shuritsu Sodo (the monastery sponsored by Sotoshu).  When that Shuritsu Sodo was closed, Tekifu-san and  a few other monks moved to Antaiji and practiced with Uchiyama Roshi."  Issan Koyama is now practicing at Myokoji, where Honda Roshi had been teaching and spending time, although in his final days he moved back to Zuisekiji, the temple he inherited from his father.  Issan has been in residence at Myokoji on and off for the last three years, and reports that " we are going through a rather chaotic time here." 
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Practice recap

January sesshin:  Seven practitioners persevered amidst myriad challenges to complete the 5-day sesshin.  No residents were on campus and several practitioners originally registered had to cancel their participation due to illness or other reasons. Those remaining faced a reallocation of work tasks and leadership roles that gave everyone several jobs a day in the kitchen and zendo just to carry on basic functioning,
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Just a few hours before sesshin was to begin, a water leak from the zendo ceiling inundated floorboards, under-floor heating, tatami and cushions.  Mops, buckets and fans were the order of the day as the great drying-out began.  Clearly practice in the zendo would not be possible for awhile.  

Hoko hastily constructed a makeshift zendo in the common room which just fit the size of the group and practice was held there for the first day and a half.  Kinhin was held outside, and practitioners had the opportunity to practice with the distraction of the bright moon, singing birds, winter breezes and uneven paving stones.

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With the zendo and its contents relatively dry, the group moved back but soon discovered that one of the two toilets near the zendo was leaking, rendering it off limits for the duration.  It meant a quick dash next door to the residential facility during kinhin for some when the sole remaining restroom was in use.

Nonetheless, the sesshin wrapped up successfully with the usual Sunday practice with the rest of the sangha and a talk by Okumura Roshi.  ​

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Coming up

February abbreviated schedule:  As usual in February, Sanshin will lighten its practice schedule for the month.  There will be no chanting services or Zuimonki reading following weekday morning zazen, and no weekday evening zazen.  The Wednesday evening discussion group has chosen to continue to meet during this time.  See the complete schedule here.
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Five-day sesshin in honor of Uchiyama Roshi (March 7 - 12):  Sesshin will be held as usual but will end with a memorial service for Uchiyama Roshi, who died on March 13, 1998.  Uchiyama Roshi is one of the most important influences on Sanshin's practice today.  For links to works by and about him, go to this page. 

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Sanshin Network

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Shodo Spring will give an online talk for Hokyoji in southern Minnesota on January 21.  Zazen periods begin at 8:30 and 9:00 am Central Time and the talk begins at 9:30.  More information is here.


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Great Wind Zendo in Danville, IN, founded by former Sanshin board members Mark Howell and Sabine Karner, creates and distributes a biannual dharma magazine available free online.  See the latest issue of Midwest Zen here and send an email to sign up for notices of future issues.

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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for November and December, 2022

12/14/2022

 

Speaking of Not Speaking

Shohaku Okumura
Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (60)
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Speaking of Not Speaking
270. Dharma Hall Discourse


Polishing a tile to make a mirror is diligent effort.
How could the way of thinking within steadfast, immovable sitting be careless?
If you want to visit that realm of glimpsing the ground [of Buddhahood],
you should further come here and close your mouth in silence.


This is verse 59 in Kuchūgen and Dharma Hall Discourse (上堂, jōdō) 270 in Volume 4 of Eihei Kōroku. The date of this dharma hall discourse is not known but it was given sometime between the 5th day of the 5th month and 7th day of 7th month in 1248. Manzan’s version is the same as Monkaku’s version.

In Eihei Kōroku, after reciting this verse, Dōgen made a short speech:
Tell me great assembly, are Eihei and the ancient ones the same or different? Try to say something and I’ll see how you do. If you do not speak, I will speak for all of you.

After a pause, Dōgen struck his abbot’s chair with the handle of his whisk, and got down from his seat.

The first two lines of this poem are about two dialogues Dōgen Zenji discussed in Shōbōgenzō Zazenshin (坐禅箴, Acupuncture Needle of Zazen). Zazenshin was originally written at Kōshōji in 1242, and presented to the assembly at Yoshiminedera in the 11th month of 1243, shortly after moving to Echizen from Kyoto. In the same month, Dōgen wrote Shōbōgenzō Zazengi (坐禪儀, Zazengi, Standard of Zazen).  READ MORE
In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Speaking of not speaking
  • 100th anniversary of Soto Zen in North America: summary and images
  • News: Three novices take vows; update from the board president; Podia site offers genzo-e content and e-books
  • Practice recap: Virtual genzo-e; Rohatsu sesshin
  • Coming up: Holiday closures; January sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Germany, Italy and Minnesota

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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100th anniversary of Soto Zen in North America

Members of the Sanshin community filled key roles in this national and international anniversary celebration and jukai-e in November in Los Angeles.  Okumura Roshi served as a sekkaishi, or teacher of the precepts; Hoko, Shoryu and Hosshin made up the ino ryo, responsible for leading chanting and shomyo; Eido Reinhart was a member of the ryoban ryo, the group of clergy on the platform during ceremonies; board member Zuiko Redding served as a gosendoshi (main officiant's escort) and Mark Fraley, Gene Elias and Mark Ahlstrom were kaitei, or precepts recipients.  The week-long event was in preparation for several years and became a valuable opportunity for continued transmission of the dharma to the West.  Additional images are available on our Facebook page.
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News

Three novices take vows:  Immediately following the close of the Rohatsu sesshin on December 8, Misaki Kido from California and Sanshin residential practitioner Kikuko Morimoto completed shukke tokudo ceremonies, taking their vows with Okumura Roshi and becoming novices.  Each received the traditional robes, bowls, lineage paper and dharma name, as well as the precepts.  Misaki is now known as Jikei and Kiku is now Esho.  

Two days later, Stefanie Wachowitz from Germany completed the same ceremony with Hoko and is now known as Jinryu.  She practices with Kyoku Lutz at Fruhlingsmond Zendo in Hannover but will be returning to Sanshin in April for a term of residential practice.  The addition of these three new members of the Sanshin Network brings the family to nearly three dozen ordained sangha worldwide. 
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PictureOkumura Roshi and Mark Fraley at the 100th anniversary events in Los Angeles
Board President Mark Fraley says:  As our sangha looks to welcome a new head dharma teacher in June of 2023, Sanshin’s board of directors is preparing to ensure our community’s continued capacity to cultivate Zen practice in the Midwest.   We are currently in the process of revising the mission statement, preparing for 20th anniversary events, and nurturing an inclusive and ecologically sustainable sangha.  We are also planning to raise funds so that we can renovate our facilities, expand programming, support the Dogen Institute, and ensure the Okumura family has a safe and stable living environment.   If you have an interest in supporting our sangha to meet these goals, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 


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Podia site offers genzo-e content and e-books:  Dōgen Institute has launched a subscription site for access to audio and video content related to our mission.  With a monthly subscription, you will receive access to a collection of Okumura Roshi’s genzo-e lectures. We are offering a variety of audio and video recordings of various genzo-e given over the years. These genzo-e focus on the study of Dōgen Zenji’s Shobogenzo. Each genzo-e generally consists of 9 or more individual lectures. When available, a printed translation of the text being studied is also provided.  The subscription is $10 per month, or $100 for a full year, and you will receive a free, 5-day trial with your subscription.  For more information, please see this page.

Two e-books are also available on the Podia site.  One is Okumura Roshi's e-book, The Structure of the Self in Mahayana Buddhism.  Okumura Roshi writes: “In my original dharma talks on Opening the Hand of Thought, I mentioned no-self, but the relation among these three perspectives of the self (conditioned self, no-self and universal self) was not clearly explained. That relation, within the context of Mahāyāna Buddhism, became the focus of this article.”  Also available for download is Hoko's Understanding Sanshin Style.

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Practice recap

Virtual genzo-e:  Okumura Roshi's penultimate genzo-e at Sanshin covered part two of Dogen's Bussho fascicle.  Eighty practitioners attended the five days of lectures, with most listening remotely and a small group of residents and workers took part in person.  The final genzo-e at Sanshin will take place in May.
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Daijihi in Austria
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Centre Shikantaza in Belgium

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​Rohatsu sesshin:  Twelve practitioners gathered for the annual observance of Buddha's awakening.  The weeklong sesshin is the longest on Sanshin's annual calendar, and on the final evening participants sat until midnight and ended with a brief chanting service.  The service was held again on the following Sunday so that more of the sangha could participate in the observance, one of the traditional sanbuki (Three Buddha Days).


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Sesshin and Genzō-e: Continuities and Communities
Sawyer Jisho Hitchcock
 
A few days into the recent November genzō-e on Shōbōgenzō Busshō, Okumura Rōshi introduced the story of Nagarjuna’s “manifesting the form of the round moon,” sitting zazen before an assembly of eager seekers. Nagarjuna’s first quoted words to his soon-to-be fellow practitioners are, simply:
 
 “If you want to see buddha-nature, you should first eliminate self-clinging.”
 
As Okumura Rōshi went on to say, in his humble and amused way, many of us Buddhists tend to view this “elimination of self-clinging” as, in a sense, a kind of endpoint of Buddhist practice – so that to call this our first task towards “seeing buddha-nature” seems like a bit much to ask!  Nevertheless, in Dōgen’s slightly altered retelling of this story for his fascicle Busshō, it appears
that all those assembled are soon sitting perfect shikantaza together with Nagarjuna. Dōgen has the assembly intone in unison:
 
“At this moment, we are not seeing anything with our eyes; we are not hearing anything with our ears; we are not discerning anything with our minds; we are not experiencing anything with our bodies.”
 
In other words, the community has dropped off body and mind, so that separation between “sense-organs” and their “objects” – and between individual practitioners clinging to their own selves – in some sense falls away.
 
In a related story, during the informal teatime following September sesshin, Dōju asked Owen and me that mischievously innocent question, “How was your sesshin?” I gave him a kind of sour look and shook my head to convey a tired (and achey...) body and mind, and then something like the following exchange ensued:
                       
Dōju (still grinning mischievously): Do you feel your ‘beginner’s mind’ refreshed?  Okumura Roshi always used to say there’s nothing like sesshin to remind us we’re all still beginners...
 
Me: It’s kinda funny... just before this sesshin I was thinking, ‘Ah, I think I’m starting to understand sesshin...’
 
Dōju (smiling still): Sesshin can never be the object of our understanding.
 
Right away, I felt a kind of raw disappointment in the plain, quick truth of what Dōju said. Now, connecting this small post-sesshin exchange to Dōgen’s take on Nagarjuna’s sitting assembly reminds me of the liberating aspect of that truth. For the duration of our temporary assembly as a ‘loose-knit’ yet intimate sesshin community, our shared activity is not something to be put to later use, in some way we can definitely “understand.” Though reflection on what transpires can be helpful, Hōkō reminded us at our breakfast gathering following this past Rohatsu sesshin that “Doing sesshin is studying sesshin.” After just a few days, this particular
practice structure dissolves, and each of us continues along some trajectory, having, very simply, lived together – each of us having fully occupied a space.
 
On many occasions over the past eight months living and practicing in residence here at Sanshin, I’ve been reminded of my own beginner’s mind in this world of practice, inclusive of life in general. Being closely involved in the uncertain work of co-creating a new and unique residential practice structure here, I’ve had the feeling of being in over my head more than once.
 
There has also been a durable awareness throughout of the good fortune to be continuously present here during this time. When awake, I feel I’ve been able to draw certain lines of continuity, through my own body and mind, somewhat unique to a life of practice here – like those between sesshin-without-toys and genzō-e; evening zazen, sleep, and morning zazen and service; the bamboo thicket, the wildflower meadow, the paw paw patch; vegetables grown very near or very far away; solitary Eihei Shingi study and Friday sangha breakfast with oryoki; Kiku (now Eshō) and me, and the rotating array of sincere practitioners and teachers here in the dorm and the broader sangha.
 
And there has been something profoundly compelling, here at Sanshinji so near to Okumura Rōshi’s retirement and Hōkō’s stepping up, in setting some groundwork for others to take a turn at refining this life – and carrying it onward and outward beyond their own
understanding.
 
I find one more contemporary reflection of Nagarjuna’s matter-of-fact advice to his assembly, in Hōkō’s recent e-book Understanding Sanshin Style, “Figuring out what community really is means studying what selflessness really is.”
 
Looking towards the end of my own time in the temporary assembly living and practicing here twenty-four hours a day, knowing that my relation to this and other communities will shift in some fundamental ways, I can only say that, of course, I haven’t figured it out. May present and future Sanshinji residents, practitioners, and widening circles of assemblies of beings continue to work together to deepen and clarify this study endlessly.

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Coming up

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Please note holiday closures: Sanshin will be closed for the holidays on the following days;
​regular practice will not be held and administrative work will be paused.

December 24 - 26 (Saturday- Monday)
December 31 - January 2 (Saturday - Monday)

​Sesshin begins on January 3; regular activities will resume with Sunday morning practice on the 8th.


​Sesshin (January 3 - 8): Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We set aside the usual activities -- or entertainments -- of temple life, like work periods, meetings with teachers and dharma talks, and focus completely on zazen.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  We carry on and offer this tradition of our lineage here at Sanshin.   More information and registration are here.
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Sanshin Network

Shodo Spring of Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota is offering an online class studying Uji through Dainin Katagiri's book Each Moment is the Universe. The class begins January 4, 6:30-8 pm Central Time, with optional zazen at 6 pm, and runs through March 15 on the first three Wednesdays of each month. Donations are requested but not required; registration is required. On December 15 registration will be opened to the public through Facebook and other publicity methods.  More information and registration is available here,

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Kyoku Lutz of Fruhlingsmond Zendo in Hannover, Germany took part in Sakyadhita Deutschland's November conference.  Women from all Buddhist traditions gathered in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt for the event.

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Gyotesu Epifania of Centro Zen Anshin in Rome was interviewed by Radio One.   Listen here; the interview begins at 4:30.  She and Doryu Cappelli have been busy working with various faith and educational groups, making presentations and performing chants and music in the community.

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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for October, 2022

10/14/2022

 

Grieving for my late teacher

​Shohaku Okumura
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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (58)
Grieving for my Late Teacher
515. Dharma Hall Discourse in Memorial for Tiantong [Rujing, 1252]

On this day my late teacher suddenly went on pilgrimage,
Kicking over the barrier of his previous births and deaths.
The clouds grieve, the wind moans, and the valley streams are turbulent,
As his young child (Dōgen) yearns and looks for his beloved face.

​The first dharma discourse on Tiangtong Rujing’s memorial recorded in 
Eihei Kōroku was given on the 17th day of the 7th month in 1246.  After that, Dōgen gave a discourse each year on this occasion until 1252. We don’t know if Rujing’s memorial was held at Kōshōji before moving to Echizen or not. It is difficult for me to imagine that Dōgen and his sangha did not have memorial ceremonies for Rujing at Kōshōji, but somehow there is no record of it. Although Dōgen’s discourse for Rujing’s memorial was held each year, somehow Dōgen recited only a verse without any speech, except on this occasion. This was his final memorial discourse for his teacher. In the 7th month in 1253, he was already sick; at the beginning of the 8th month, he went to Kyoto and passed away on the 27th day.  READ MORE


In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Grieving for my late teacher
  • News: Org development skills sought, daily work practice open to the sangha, help Sanshin receive round-up funds
  • Practice recap: October sesshin, Rosicrucians visit Sanshin 
  • Coming up: Talks for Great Tree, virtual genzo-e, online precepts retreat, Rohatsu sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Spain, Germany, Belgium and Indianapolis
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Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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News

Org development skills sought
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Board president Mark Fraley comments: The Sanshin Zen Community Board of Directors is collaborating with friends and sangha members to support our dharma community well into the future.   This includes plans to renovate our Bloomington campus to meet the needs of our local community; enhance the capacity of the Dogen Institute to create and disseminate new content worldwide, and to expand our residential program to accommodate more sincere practitioners.  We are doing this work while planning for a leadership transition as Okumura Roshi moves to the role of founding teacher.  We know we need to continue to cultivate strong leadership to meet the aspirations of our community.   Please reach out to me
 if you have skills and interests in organizational development or leadership.  We are deeply grateful to those who volunteer their time to help care for the future of our sangha.   ​
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Daily work practice open to the sangha:  Sanshin's residential practitioners carry out a daily schedule of zazen, study and work, and they'd like to open the work practice portion of the day to any local sangha member who'd like to join in.  Work happens on weekday  afternoons from 1 to 3:30 pm and is mainly focused on groundskeeping and other outdoor activities.  It's a chance to build community as well as to engage in mindful work.  If you'd like to participate, it's helpful to let Sawyer know so that he can be prepared to help make best use of your time.

Help Sanshin receive round-up funds
Doju suggests:  Practitioners who live in Bloomington may be familiar with our local grocery co-op, Bloomingfoods. Each month, Bloomingfoods asks customers to round up their bill for the benefit of local nonprofits as part of their “Positive Change” program. This year, Sanshin Zen Community is on the ballot to receive these round-up donations. Each month this could be a substantial amount that has the potential to greatly benefit Sanshin. If you have a Bloomingfoods membership, you can vote for us here.  The deadline to vote is just a few days a way on October 20th, so act soon!  If you don’t have a membership and you are interested in having one, you can investigate here.
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Practice recap

October sesshin:  Nine practitioners carried out the three days of the sesshin, sitting fourteen periods of zazen a day.  All were either local or regional practitioners and most had previous experience of sesshin at Sanshin.
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Rosicrucians visit Sanshin
Ritoku Robinson reports: A small group of Rosicrucians paid a visit to our community to learn about Zen Buddhism. After a general introduction and outline of Buddhist philosophy and history we went into the zendo for formal instructions on how to practice zazan. Issan was kind enough to assist me by demonstrating proper posture and mindset. He also participated in the general discussion on the philosophy of Buddhism. Rosicrucianism is a Hermetic philosophy within the tradition of esoteric Christianity which historically played a significant role in the introduction of Buddhism into the West. In the 18th and 19th century the Rosicrucians appropriated elements of Buddhist philosophy into their own asserting a belief in perennialism that all True Religion agrees on the fundamentals. Most Westerners of the time period that studied Buddhism had this presupposition as a paradigm of interpretation of Buddhism. This continues well into the 20th century, although today we have much more direct knowledge of Buddhist tradition.  Just as the history of Buddhism has it that it adapts itself to the cultural circumstances in which it operates, this is no less the case when introduced into Western Civilization.

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Coming up

Talks for Great Tree Zen Women's Temple:  Doju, Issan and Shoryu will all be giving virtual talks on a variety of topics for Great Tree in Asheville, NC over the next few months.  Talks are open to the public and information about all of them is on this page.​

Virtual Genzo-e: Bussho II (November 3 - 7):  Okumura Roshi will continue his virtual lectures on the Bussho fascicle of the Shobogenzo, begun with the May 2022 genzo-e and concluding with the May 2023 genzo-e.  These will be Okumura Roshi's final genzo-e offered in this form.  LEARN MORE

Soto Zen North America 100th Anniversary Online 5-day Precepts Retreat (November 16 - 20):  Okumura Roshi will be among the sekkaishi (precepts explaining teachers) giving lectures at this retreat, held at Zenshuji in Los Angeles.  The week also includes dharma talks, zazen and ceremonies.  LEARN MORE     REGISTER (do not use the form on the information page)

Rohatsu sesshin (November 30 - December 8): Rohatsu sesshin marks Shakyamuni's awakening under the bodhi tree.  On the final evening we sit until midnight and hold a brief chanting service.  This is our longest and most intensive sesshin of the year.  Registration has not yet opened, but mark your calendar and watch for updates.  LEARN MORE
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Sanshin Network

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Densho Quintero from Soto Zen Colombia reports: I am happy to share with you the news that the Spanish translation of Living by Vow has been finally published in Spain. The name of the book is Vivir guiados por el Voto and the publisher is Editorial Nous.  It's available through the publisher's website.
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Doju in Europe: Doju and his partner, Allie, visited Sanshin Network members Kyoku Lutz (Germany) and Mokusho DePreay (Belgium) and their sanghas during recent travels through Europe.
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Gardens for Peace: Sawyer and Hoko represented Sanshin at the Gardens for Peace event held at Marian University in Indianapolis. They held a World Peace ceremony for attendees and Hoko gave a brief talk; then they joined participants in folding cranes, doing calligraphy and enjoying refreshments.  More images are available on Sanshin's Facebook page.
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for September 2022

9/15/2022

 

Out into the world

Shohaku Okumura
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Dogen's Chinese poems (57)
442. Dharma Hall Discourse Closing the Summer Practice Period [Seventh Month, Fifteenth Day, 1251]

Completion of a dharma year

After three months of protecting our lives without departing the monastery,
The completion of another Dharma year has come.
Now, striking the wooden sounding block on the bare ground,
patch-robed monks at this time open their travelling bags

to go back out into the world

Ango (安居 literally, peaceful abiding) is a translation of the Sanskrit word “varṣa” meaning “rain.” During the three-month rainy season, Indian monks were requested to stay in one place. According to a Vinaya text, Buddhist monks did not have this system originally, so that they traveled during cold weather, hot weather, and rain; all year round. People looked down at them and criticized them, saying, “How can they walk trampling down the crops and grasses, injuring life that is one-facultied and bringing many small creatures to destruction.”  Then the Buddha instructed monks not to travel during the rainy season, to prevent the killing of insects and worms while walking on muddy roads. The residences established for staying during the rain retreat are called varṣāvāsa or “rain abode.” That could be the origin of the expression u-ango (雨安居, rain peaceful abode). This system continued even after monasteries were established, and it has been maintained until today. In India, “protecting life” means not to kill insects and other living beings, but here we interpret that the peaceful abiding is the protection of the monks’ dharma life by focusing on practicing and studying under the guidance of a teacher. READ MORE

In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Out into the world
  • News: Ecological vision statement underway, new director, another sewing apprentice at Sanshin, Yoko on growing up Zen
  • Coming up: October sesshin; virtual genzo-e, online precepts retreat, Rohatsu sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Belgium and Germany
    ​
Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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Photos of Sanshin by Myogen Ahlstrom
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News

Ecological vision statement underway:  Sanshin's board of directors has adopted in principle an ecological vision statement that connects our style of practice with beneficial action related to caring for the earth and its resources.  The draft statement was composed by Doju and Sawyer, and directors and practice leaders are now discussing everything from stewardship of our land to transportation to building considerations.  Once the content of the statement is finalized, it will be posted on the website and will guide decisionmaking about Sanshin's day to day operation as well as providing considerations for practice.
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Another new director:  Eido Reinhart has joined the board in the in-lineage clergy seat.  She practiced with  Katagiri Roshi in Minnesota and when he died she practiced with Okumura Roshi when he served as the leader of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in the 1990s.  She received lay precepts from him, then ordination as a novice and eventually dharma transmission.  Eido participated in two three-month angos in Japan (2013 and 2016), participated in zuisse in Japan and is recognized by Sotoshu as kokusai fukyoushi (international teacher/missionary).  Read a more complete biography on our About Sanshin page.

And another sewing apprentice:  Yuko is working with a second sewing apprentice for a very brief period.  Anick Beaulieu from the Association Zen de Montréal, in the lineage of Taisen Deshimaru, is at Sanshin for just three weeks to get instruction in dharna sewing that she can use to help others in her sangha.  She joins resident Kiku Morimoto in honing her skills as an apprentice.
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Anick, Kiku and Yuko
Yoko on growing up Zen:  Filmmaker Yoko Okumura's recent presentation as part of Zenshuji's 100th anniversary lecture series is now available for viewing online.  She discusses her childhood as the daughter of a Zen monk and shows her film SIT, a short documentary about her family.  "I always thought having a Buddhist monk for a dad made me special," she says.  "Even to this day, when people ask 'So, what was your life growing up like?' and I say, 'Well, my dad's a Buddhist monk,' it's always the thing that makes me immediately interesting."
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Please note:  If you attended the recent genzo-e by Okumura Roshi on Kenbutsu and would like to send dana to him, you may do so on this page.  (General donations are welcome via this page as well.)
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Coming up

Sesshin (September 29 - October 2 ):  Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  LEARN MORE

Gardens for Peace (October 7, 2- 4:30 pm): Hoko will speak briefly, lead a short zazen period and conduct a World Peace ceremony at this event, held in the Japanese garden at Marian University.  Activities will also include folding cranes, calligraphy and a presentation about the cultural place and symbolism of the Japanese tea house.

Virtual Genzo-e: Bussho II (November 3 - 7):  Okumura Roshi will continue his virtual lectures on the Bussho fascicle of the Shobogenzo, begun with the May 2022 genzo-e and concluding with the May 2023 genzo-e.  These will be Okumura Roshi's final genzo-e offered in this form.  LEARN MORE

Soto Zen North America 100th Anniversary Online 5-day Precepts Retreat (November 16 - 20):  Okumura Roshi will be among the sekkaishi (precepts explaining teachers) giving lectures at this retreat, held at Zenshuji in Los Angeles.  The week also includes dharma talks, zazen and ceremonies.  LEARN MORE     REGISTER (do not use the form on the information page)

Rohatsu sesshin (November 30 - December 8): Rohatsu sesshin marks Shakyamuni's awakening under the bodhi tree.  On the final evening we sit until midnight and hold a brief chanting service.  This is our longest and most intensive sesshin of the year.  Registration has not yet opened, but mark your calendar and watch for updates.  LEARN MORE
Looking ahead to 2023

In 2023 Sanshin Zen Community will celebrate its 20th year.  
It's also the time at which Abbot Shohaku Okumura will step into a founding teacher role and turn day-to-day leadership over to the current vice abbot, Hoko Karnegis.  In addition to the usual practice events, the ango (practice period) this year will include several special activities that mark these important milestones in the life of Sanshin.  You are welcome to participate.  Please note that if you're coming from out of town you will need to manage your own travel and to find somewhere off campus to stay overnight; Sanshin does not have guest accommodations.

April 3: Ango begins
May 4 - 8: Okumura Roshi's final genzo-e: Bussho III (virtual)
May 31 - June 5: Sesshin with Hoko and Hosshin
June 17: Honsoku gyocha (formal tea and explanation of shuso's koan)
June 18: Hossenshiki (shuso's ceremony answering the sangha's dharma questions)
June 22: Okumura Roshi's 75th birthday
June 24: Morning: anniversary event, including launch of new Sanshin Network book on Shobogenzo Bodaisatta Shishobo; Afternoon: Okumura Roshi's stepping down ceremony
June 25: Hoko's stepping up ceremony

July 5 - 10: Precepts retreat and jukai-e with Hoko; ango ends
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Sanshin Network

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Mokusho DePreay from Belgium has completed dharma transmission with Okumura Roshi.  Mokusho is the founder of Centre Shikantaza in Mons.

Gyoriki Herskamp from Germany has officially become a novice under the direction of Okumura Roshi and completed his shuso term and hossenshiki at Ryumonji in Iowa.  He transferred to Okumura Roshi after the death of his first teacher, Missen Bovay, who ordained him as a novice in the Taisen Deshimaru lineage in 1997.  He is the founder of Sanko-ji in the Black Forest, and has particular interests in practicing with nature and working with young people.
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German-speaking sangha meeting:  Gyoriki reports: The German-speaking sangha met for the third time in the Black Forest for an exchange and samu weekend. Eight people from Germany and Austria came together this time.

Each of the practice centers presented itself, reported on current practice and talked about plans for the future. In addition, there was an exchange about the implementation of Sanshin style in our own practice center and how the cooperation could be improved.

We also did a lot of samu: grapes were processed into delicious jam, potatoes were harvested, a shed roof was covered and a lot of cleaning was done.   

It was an interesting and joyful weekend for everyone, so that in the end it was clear: We'll meet here again next year.

Hoko and Shoryu were back at Zenshuji in Los Angeles for the final set of rehearsals for the 100th anniversary ceremonies and jukai-e set for November.  They're serving as inos, with backup from Hosshin, leading chanting, offering ekos and singing shomyo.  Sangha members Mark Fraley, Gene Elias and Myogen Ahlstrom will be among the 100 people receiving the precepts at the event.
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for August 2022

8/15/2022

 

Balancing practice, study, and work in the world

Shohaku Okumura

To become a Buddhist monk or home-leaver means to cut off all kinds of worldly relations and focus on studying and practicing Buddhist teachings. Lay people cannot cut off all associations. As you know, I’m a Buddhist priest—yet I’m kind of a lay person. I have a family and a job, so I cannot cut off all those kinds of associations. But another meaning of this “cut off all associations” is not to think those people and things and affairs around me are something separate from me. This is part of me. If I am in this network, these ten thousand associations are part of me. So actually, we cannot cut ourselves off. But traditionally to be a home leaver means to cut off all responsibility or duty in society and become a member of a Buddhist monastery. So if we understand this phrase “cut off myriad distractions” objectively, it’s not possible for us. But at least when we sit in the zendo, and let go, we can “cut them off.” So we need to interpret this in a way that we can practice.  READ MORE
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In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Balancing practice, study and work in the world
  • Practice perspective: Serving the Three Treasures: A Few Ordinary Doubts and Reminders
  • Other news: New director, sewing apprentice at Sanshin, Facebook fake
  • Coming up: September and October sesshin; virtual genzo-e with Chapel Hill Zen Center
  • Sanshin Network: News from Colombia and Minnesota

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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Practice perspective

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Serving the Three Treasures: A Few Ordinary Doubts and Reminders
Sawyer Hitchcock

A few days ago, I stood at the kitchen counter of Sanshin’s resident apartment, carefully patting wild mushrooms dry with a paper towel. These firm, golden-orange chanterelles and delicately gilled white oyster mushrooms were unexpected gifts, foraged and dropped off a few days before, along with a box of fresh produce, by a couple of friends of mine, Erik and Rose, who are farmers here in Bloomington.

Through the opening over the sink that looks into our living and dining area, I could see Kiku crouched over about a dozen lit candles on the low table in front of the couch. She was using some rare time outside of sewing Buddha’s robe (she’s here primarily as an apprentice Dharma-sewing teacher with Yuko; see following article) to rescue a batch of struggling altar candles in need of a trim. Mokushō, having just arrived from Belgium a week earlier to carry out the Dharma transmission process with Hojo-san, only to receive a positive COVID test result on day two, was on his fourth or fifth day of isolation upstairs in his room (thankfully, with mild symptoms).

Following Rose’s recommendation to soak the treasured mushrooms in a cleansing bath of salt water for an hour before cooking, I was aware of passing time, and of the familiar low-level, vaguely motivating anxiety that often arises in me when cooking for others on a schedule (lunch at noon). Watching water spread into the paper towel as I guided it along the ear-like curves and crevices of each chanterelle, a not-uncommon thought during the past several months appeared again: “What exactly am I doing here?” And, following relatively swiftly, a glimpsed and spacious reminder, courtesy of “joyful mind” (kishin), offered a mostly trusted answer: “Well, I’m serving the Three Treasures...”

In the Tenzokyōkun, which I’ve been looking into for an hour most mornings during a study period after breakfast, Dōgen describes the experience and functioning of joyful mind in the temple kitchen:

Now I have the fortune to be born a human being and prepare food to be received by the three treasures. Is this not a great karmic affinity? We must be very happy about this (Dōgen’s Pure Standards, 48).

Reflecting on the endless cascade of causes and conditions that have resulted in my living a life of (more or less) concentrated practice here at Sanshinji over the past four and a half months – with four and a half more to go – there is a sense of ordinary awe. But could this wiping dry of gifted mushrooms intended for a vegetable pasta lunch served to three ordinary beings, really be the same as “preparing food to be received by the three treasures”? And why should I be so happy to do it?

Another question occurs to me now: what reason do I have to doubt such a statement about my own activity in this little kitchen, meant to directly support three real people in their ongoing practice, and in establishing Sanshin’s fledgling residential practice? When Kiku spreads the brown fabric of the okesa over the table and steadily sews, I don’t need to question whether or not this is Buddha’s robe unfolding. Biking over to the nearby Hobby Lobby to retrieve a bottle of whiteout and some fabric glue for Mokushō to correct a mistake on his transmission documents, I don’t need to doubt that he is part of the 84th generation aspiring to carry forward the Buddha’s teaching – N-95 mask and all.

What else are the three treasures supposed to be? Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, present and accounted for at the table – each meal and twenty-four hours a day.

What’s missing?

Kiku suggests more water in the pot – so the noodles don’t stick together. And maybe some more salt.

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Other news

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New director:  Michael Komyo Melfi was appointed to Sanshin's board of directors at its annual meeting a few weeks ago.  He's the primary organizer of Grove City Zen, a small sitting group in Ohio.  After gaining an interest in Buddhism in high school, he  began reading and studying more in college and discovered Sanshin Zen Community in his backyard in Bloomington.  Michael took lay precepts with Hoko in 2019, and after leaving Bloomington and moving to the Columbus area he wanted to continue to practice Zen in the Sanshin style and give others the opportunity to do the same.  He's now a pre-novice with Hoko, completing requirements to ordain as a novice.  Michael studied History and Religious Studies at Indiana University, has a passion for studying Buddhist philosophy and history, and lives in Grove City with his wife and two dogs.  His 2019 video series History of Zen in America includes interviews with Okumura Roshi, Hoko and Doju.

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Sewing apprentice at Sanshin:  Residential practitioner Kikuko Morimoto is engaged in a one-year study with sewing teacher Yuko Okumura, learning robe sewing technique and history as originally described in the Vinaya and in other texts such as Digen's Shobogenzo Kesakudoku.   Kiku's apprenticeship, begun in April, builds on her existing sewing skills and ensures that knowledge of this traditional 2,500-year-old practice is passed to the next generation. Yuko is the only teacher in the US who has completed a year of formal sewing training at Antaiji within the lineage of Kodo Sawaki, who revived the tradition of hand-sewing  okesa in modern Japan. 
 
After this apprenticeship, Kiku hopes to be able to spread this knowledge to various temples around the United States, and thus help to ensure the preservation of this sewing lineage, which comes directly from Buddha.  "Unfortunately, this sewing practice is dying out even in Japan. Though at a few temples the monks still sew their own okesa, most priests in Japan purchase their okesa.  Preserving this knowledge will be critical to carrying on the tradition of personal sewing practice. Geographically, this knowledge will first be shared with Soto Zen temples across the US."  Videos of Yuko and Kiku and their sewing practice are up on the Kesa Sewing Channel.

Kiku was born in Kobe, Japan.  She is an artist and Japanese teacher who has been practicing meditation since she took a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation course in 1995.  She received lay precepts from Soshin Teah Strozer in 2017 at the Brooklyn Zen Center, where she was the co-facilitator of its BIPOC sangha.  She served as the shika (guest manager) and tenzo (head of kitchen) at Ancestral Heart Zen Monastery in New York from 2019 until last spring, when she moved to Sanshin for her apprenticeship.

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​Facebook fake:  Please be aware that the "public figure" Facebook account created in the name of Shohaku Okumura is unauthorized and is not connected in any way either with him or with Sanshin.  Nothing posted there comes from him, though it seems that material from Sanshin's Facebook page as well as those of members of the Sanshin Network has been reposted.  Please do not like, share or follow.
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Coming up

Sesshin (September 1 - 4 and September 29 - October 2 ):  Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  LEARN MORE
Virtual Genzo-e with Chapel Hill Zen Center (September 9 - 14): Shobogenzo Kenbutsu ("Seeing Buddha")
This genzo-e is a collaborative effort with the Chapel Hill Zen Center.  Sanshin will stream Okumura Roshi's lectures on Zoom and at Chapel Hill Zen Center these talks will be framed with in-person zazen, meals, and a work period.  A few spaces remain at Chapel Hill for in-person participation; all others may register for virtual participation.  More information is available here.
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Sanshin Network

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Visit to Colombia:  Board chair Mark Fraley was in Bogota last month and stopped in to visit the sangha at Comunidad Soto Zen Colombia, headed by Sanshin Network member Densho Quintero.
Mountains and Waters Alliance activities:  Shodo Spring is taking reservations for the sesshin being held in Minnesota on  September 23-27.  The cost is $40 per day; dana is optional.  "These tend to be small, we take turns cooking, and we carry out a 12-hour day.  Also, the place is completely free of incense and fragrances."  Partial participation is possible, and reduced fees are possible.  Information about accommodations and other things, as well as registration, is here.

Mountains and Waters is also holding an open house on September 5 (Labor Day) afternoon from 1-4 pm, with a brief introduction to Zen from 4 - 5 pm.  More information is here.
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for July 2022

7/14/2022

 

Don't have deluded thoughts

Shohaku Okumura

​Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (55)
328. Dharma Hall Discourse

The story of two pieces of earthworm
The root of life and death from beginningless ages
is what ignorant people call the original person.
Even though they turn upside down and disseminate their views in the process,
the great earth, mountains, and rivers are still the pure body.


​
Dharma Hall discourse 328 is given during the summer practice period in 1249. In the discourse, Dōgen Zenji introduces the dialogue between Zen Master Changsha Jingcen (Chosa Keishin, 長沙景岑, ? – ?), and a government minister named Zhu regarding buddha-nature of an earthworm that is cut into two pieces. After introducing the dialogue, Dōgen recites this verse without any further comments. The dialogue is as follows:

Government Minister Zhu asked Changsha [Jingcen], “When an earthworm is cut into two, I wonder which piece has the Buddha nature?”
Changsha said, “Don’t have deluded thoughts.”
The officer said, “What about when both pieces are moving?”
Changsha said, “That is only because the wind and fire has not yet dispersed.”

After further discussion, Changsha said, “Ignorant people call this [consciousness that is the root source of life and death] the original person.”    READ MORE


In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Don't have deluded thoughts
  • Practice recap: Receiving lay precepts
  • Other news: Birthday break; summer fund appeal
  • Coming up: Virtual talks by Okumura Roshi on Dogen's Chinese poems and on the Kenbutsu fascicle; September sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Italy and Colombia

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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Practice recap

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Receiving lay precepts: Eight people from the US and Canada received the precepts during Sanshin's first jukai-e in three years. The ceremony marked the end of the five-day precepts retreat and the three-month ango.  This was Okumura Roshi's final jukai-e; he steps back from day to day leadership at Sanshin in June, 2023.  See more photos on our Facebook page.
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Other news

Birthday break: There was a pause in the work day for a birthday lunch and cake in honor of the Okumuras. Both have birthdays in mid-June. Residential practitioner Kiku created the Japanese-style strawberry shortcake.
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Summer fund appeal:  If we know how to contact you, you'll soon be receiving our summer appeal letter; meanwhile, you can read and respond to it here.  While one-time financial gifts are always welcome, please also consider a monthly contribution. This is the most convenient way to give; your donation is automatically transferred from your credit card or bank account, and you can change or cancel at any time. It also makes our income more predictable and reduces our costs, and a greater portion of your gift goes directly to Sanshin.  Please provide what financial support you can, but even if that's not possible for you right now, your practice itself is an important contribution.  ​
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Coming up

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Sesshin (Sep 1 - 4):  Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  LEARN MORE
Genzo-e at Chapel Hill (NC) Zen Center (Sep 9 - 14):  Okumura Roshi will give two 90-minute talks a day on the Kenbutsu or Seeing Buddha fascicle of Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo.  Talks will be livestreamed via Zoom from Sanshin.  Virtual participation will be managed by Sanshin; registration information is forthcoming.  Information about the sesshin itself and in-person participation is here. 
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Sanshin Network

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Italy: Centro Zen Anshin held a Blessing and Planting Ceremony for a small ginko tree, a second generation descendent of the trees that survived in Hiroshima.  Gyoetsu Epifania calls it "a symbol of peace, of rebirth, of the ability to regenerate the plant world.  It now resides in the beautiful garden of our temple, enveloped by the chants and prayers of all who participated in the ceremony, including practitioners of our center, Tibetan Buddhist monks of the Giamze Center in Rome Trastevere, and important friends from the nonprofit, government, Buddhist and arts communities."

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Writings by two members of the Sanshin Network have been posted to Sotoshu's website as part of its teachings on the UN's sustainable development goals.  Doryu Capelli of Centro Zen Anshin (Italy) writes about Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities, and Densho Quintero of Soto Zen Colombia writes on Goal 16, Peace and Justice for All.
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for June 2022

6/15/2022

 
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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (54)
A Pitiful Condition
Shohaku Okumura

335. Dharma Hall Discourse
Tathāgata Zen and Ancestral Zen
were not transmitted by the ancients, but only transmitted falsely
in the Eastern Land (China).
For several hundred years some have been clinging with delusion
to these vain names.
How pitiful is the inferior condition of this degenerating world.


This dharma discourse was given during the summer practice period in 1249.  Taigen Leighton and I took this title for the discourse from the fourth line.  In Shōbōgenzō and Eihei Kōroku, Dōgen Zenji often criticizes various aspects of the Zen he encountered in Song Dynasty China.  This verse is about one of the problems he found.  He does not agree with the distinction between Tathāgata Zen and Ancestral Zen.

Tathāgata Zen is a translation of Nyorai Zen (如来禅).  This expression is used in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (Nyū-Ryōgakyō, 入楞伽経).  According to scholars, this Mahāyāna sutra was created around the 4th century CE in India.  Lanka refers to Sri Lanka; avatāra means “to enter,” so that the title means “Entering Sri Lanka.”  In this sutra, somehow, Shakyamuni Buddha is invited by the king, visits Sri Lanka, and answers his questions.  Basically, the teaching in this sutra is a combination of the consciousness-only theory of the Yogacara school and the theory of Tathāgata-garbha.   READ MORE
In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: A pitiful condition
  • Practice recap: Sesshin with Shodo, hossenshiki for Issan
  • Other news: Video series rolling out, no-mow May, Dogen Institute seeks graphic design volunteer, anniversary preparations continue
  • Coming up: Shoji workshop with Issan, virtual talks from Okumura Roshi, virtual precepts retreat
  • Sanshin Network: News from France, Belgium, Arkansas, California

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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Practice recap

Sesshin with Shodo:  Our thanks to Shodo Spring of the Mountains and Waters Alliance for coming from Minnesota to lead our June sesshin.  Participants say it was a peaceful time of intensive practice before the many activities of hossenshiki, work days and precepts retreat that take up the rest of the month.
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Hossenshiki for Issan:  Special guests Gengo Akiba, Teijo Munnich and Koyu Mori were on hand for ceremonies recognizing the coming completion of Issan's term as shuso.  After a three year delay due to the pandemic, the hossenshiki finally allowed him to demonstrate his dharma mastery to the sangha and his readiness to teach and serve independently.  For the first time, virtual participants were also present and able to ask their dharma questions.  Additional photos are posted on Sanshin's Facebook page.
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Other news

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Video series rolling out:  Most of Interior Mythos Journeys' latest series with Okumura Roshi has now been posted. The four remaining segments will be posted over the next four Thursdays, then the full interview (1 hour 39 minutes), is scheduled for Thursday, July 14th.

No-mow May: Residential practitioner Sawyer explains: You may have noticed that during the month of May, some areas of the lawn were left unmowed.  This was done as an offering to grasses, flowers, pollinating insects, and all beings on through the food web.  In early spring, many bees and other pollinating insects are re-emerging from the winter, and nectar sources are scarce.  By not mowing for a month, we allowed flowers such as fleabane, wild strawberry, violets, wood sorrel, clovers, and grasses themselves to develop fully, also thereby providing an early season food source for pollinators.  As the season progresses, the wildflowers in the native plant meadow on the east side of the building will provide a continuous source of nectar and habitat.
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Seeking graphic design volunteer:  The Dogen Institute, the educational arm of Sanshin Zen Community, is looking for a volunteer graphic designer.  Even two hours per month can be extremely helpful, and we welcome your participation from anywhere in the world.  The work will concentrate on the presentation of our web properties and materials, such as e-books.  We are currently working on a couple of logos, as well as a few illustrations for books.  Experience with Adobe Illustrator desired.

We understand that your volunteer work for not-for-profit organizations comes at the expense of your personal time. With that in mind, we always respect and appreciate whatever amount of time you have to offer towards these efforts.  Please contact DI director David Thompson or use the Contact Us link on the Dōgen Institute website.


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Anniversary preparations continue:  The ino team of Hoko and Shoryu spent nearly a week at Zenshuji in Los Angeles working on the many ekos, shomyo elements and other chants needed for the five days of ceremonies set for November to celebrate 100 years of Soto Zen in North America.  Activities will include a jukai-e during which 100 people from around the country, including several practitioners from Sanshin, will receive the precepts.  Okumura Roshi will give three talks during the event.
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Coming up

Shoji (Life-Death) workshop with Issan (June 25): At this time of isolation, doubt, and grief, learning from Buddha’s and Dōgen’s teachings, we explore a way to connection, trust, and healing.  In this one-day workshop, we alternate supportive Buddhist texts readings, including Shōbōgenzō Shōji – Life-Death, and exercises to share our experiences.  Read more and register here.
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Virtual precepts retreat: June 29 - July 4
​with Shohaku Okumura:  

This retreat focuses on the study of the bodhisattva precepts that Buddhists receive as guidelines for living a life of practice.  This year's group of precepts recipients will be in the zendo in person engaging in zazen, lectures, work practice and silent meals; the schedule is here.  A precepts ceremony (jukai) is held during the last day of the retreat in which those practitioners will receive the Buddhist precepts and a rakusu, or lay robe, which they have sewn beforehand.  Outside of these recipients, all participation in the retreat will be virtual.  All spaces for precepts recipients are filled for this year and the retreat will not be opened for general in-person registration.  Please contact us for access to our virtual practice page if you don't already have it.  Registration for virtual participation is not necessary, however dana will be gratefully accepted.

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Sanshin Network

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Ordinations in France: On May 15 Shoju Mahler gave the priest precepts to her student Raphaël Benoit who received the Dharma name Jido Shogen, and also to Mokusho Depreay's student, Laurent Nieblas Ramirez who received the Dharma name Shozan Keido.  Shoju is the founder and head priest of Hosuiji in Alès, France. Mokusho is the founder and head priest of Daishinji in Mons, Belgium.  "We are very lucky to both be Okumura Roshi's disciples and very grateful to be receiving his teachings.  Mokusho and I support each other and work closely together to spread the Dharma." says Shoju.  Everyone enjoyed the ceremony and the beautiful sunny day!  Mokusho observed, " A beautiful ceremony, which opens a new chapter for Shôgen and Keidô, but also for our center, since it is the first time that one of its members receives the ordination of "Buddhist priest" (except Mokusho)."

Genzo-e participation and new dorm in Belgium:  Seven people joined Mokusho in online participation in Sanshin's May genzo-e from Daishinji in Mons.  He says "It was also the occasion for us to inaugurate the dormitory installed by me and Fabien, since four people stayed there for one or more nights.  We are already looking forward to the next retreat in November, in the same form."

Dongelberg retreat in Belgium:  It had been a year since the last retreat, Mokusho explained, since last fall's event had to be cancelled.  Practitioners met again in Dongelberg for a weekend of practice which included zazen, samu, meals using oryoki, and teachings by Jokei Lambert Sensei, Abbess of the Demeure sans Limites (Ardèche).  The focus was on the role of the tenzo, and Jokei Sensei drew on Master Dogen's Tenzo Kyokun and on her own Tenzo practice.  Participants also had the opportunity to see the film Tenzo, with several talks by Aoyama Roshi, Abbess of Nissodo in Nagoya and one of Jokei Sensei's teachers.
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New communications from Gyobutsuji in Arkansas:  Shoryu has been working with his novice Myoho Kendall to create a monthly electronic newsletter for the temple, and the first issue is now available here.  Gyobutsuji also has a new YouTube channel, built by Michael Komyo Melfi of Grove City Zen, which makes available a growing number of Shoryu's talks and workshops.
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Graduation in California:  On May 22, Jokei Molly Whitehead completed her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  Her first class for graduate school, four years ago, began with the question, “What is the self?” Jokei has enjoyed integrating insights from Western psychology with Zen study and practice. She looks forward to ongoing learning as a therapist and priest, and to supporting people’s efforts toward liberation, meaning, and joy.

After training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, she studied for several years with Shohaku Okumura and was ordained by him in 2011. She has helped to edit several of Okumura Roshi’s books, including The Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo.  Her geographic location may change in the coming months, but she can be reached through her soon-to-be-revived blog and is always happy to hear from fellow sangha members.

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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.

Sangha News for May 2022

5/15/2022

 

Pull Your Own Nose and Lift the Ancient Kōan  ​

Shohaku Okumura
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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (53)
Dharma Hall Discourse Beginning the Summer Practice Period [1247]

Digging a hole in the sky, leveling the earth, and constructing a demon’s cave,
The monk’s bad-smelling waters splatter, pouring over the heavens.
Donkeys and cows mix together with buddhas and ancestors.
Pull yourself by your nose.


This is the dharma hall discourse on the occasion of the beginning of the summer practice period on 15th day of the 4th month in 1247. Dōgen Zenji and his sangha moved from Kōshōji in Fukakusa, near Kyoto to Echizen (presently Fukui Prefecture) in 1243. The buildings of the new monastery Daibutsuji were built in 1244 and they moved in the winter of 1244. In 1245, they had the first summer practice period (ango) at Daibutsuji. In 1246, the temple name was changed to Eiheiji, and Pure Standards for Temple Administrators (知事清規 Chiji Shingi) was presented during the summer practice period. So it was in this year, that the sangha began to practice following the traditional system based on the Chinese pure regulations (清規 shingi). The sangha was divided into two groups. One group stayed in the monks’ hall and concentrated on practice, following The Model for Engaging the Way (弁道法 Bendoho); another group worked in the administration building, kuin (庫院), which included the kitchen, storeroom, and various administrative offices to support the practice.  READ MORE

​In This Issue:
  • Okumura Roshi: Pull your own nose and lift the ancient koan
  • Practice recap: Virtual talk on sangha, first genzo-e on Bussho
  • Other news: Recording 5-minute dharma talks; anniversary prep; new books available; Intro to Dogen study page
  • Coming up: June sesshin with Shodo Spring; Honsoku gyocha and shuso hossen for Issan  Koyama; 
    Shoji workshop with Issan 
  • Sanshin Network: Listen to Issan's story; genzo-e worldwide; jukai-e in Colombia

Are we reaching you?

Do we have the best and most current contact information for you?  If you've changed your e-mail address or moved to a new place of residence, or if we've never had complete information about how to reach you, it's time to update your record.  Please take a moment to go here to send us the contact information you'd like us to use.  We'll check it against your current record and update as needed.  Don't miss any of the upcoming communications from Sanshin -- update your info today!
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Practice recap

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Virtual talk on sangha:  Hoko gave a virtual talk for the Great Tree Zen Women's Temple in Asheville, NC.  Her topic was Dogen's Three Aspects of Sangha and she covered the manifesting, maintaining and absolute sangha as described in the Kyojukaimon and the relationship between sangha and precepts.  The Great Tree sangha is studying sangha this year and preparing for a precepts receiving ceremony.  Great Tree founder Teijo Munnich was an early organizer of Sanshin Zen Community and will be visiting Sanshin next month for our honsoku gyocha and shuso hossen ceremonies.


First genzo-e on Bussho:  Nearly 100 virtual participants and a small crew of residents and officers in the zendo took part in the five-day May genzo-e.  It was the first of three retreats in which Okumura Roshi's lectures will focus on Shobogenzo Bussho, one of Dogen's most important fascicles.  He will cover parts two and three in his final two genzo-e at Sanshin, scheduled for November and next May.  
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Other news

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Recording 5-minute dharma talks:  Dokan Kojima from Soto Zen North America's Los Angeles office visited Sanshin briefly to record 5-minute dharma talks by Okumura Roshi and Hoko for posting on its Facebook page.  The talks are part of a series that has already included board member Zuiko Redding.  Talks are also available on the Soto Zen Buddhism North America website.

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Anniversary prep:  Shoryu Bradley, founder of Gyobutsuji in Arkansas, spent a few days at Sanshin working with Hoko on ino materials for the 100th anniversary of Soto Zen in North America.  The 5-day event, to be held in Los Angeles in November, includes a precepts receiving ceremony for 100 practitioners, including Mark Fraley, Gene Elias and Mark Ahlstrom from our own sangha.  Okumura Roshi will be giving three lectures on the precepts, Hoko and Shoryu will serve as inos, and Hosshin is a member of the building committee.


New books available
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 In this book, hundreds of Sawaki Roshi's sayings taken from his wide-ranging teachings have been carefully compiled and grouped according to subject, with an introduction was written by Uchiyama Roshi.
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Okumura Roshi wrote the forward to this book, a collection of talks, photos and calligraphy by Jakusho Kwong exploring Zen history and practice, nature, and the teachings of Eihei Dogen.  Kwong is a dharma successor of Shunryu Suzuki.
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Translated by Okumura Roshi and edited by Doju Layton, this edition includes both the Shobogenzo Zuimonki and translations of and commentary on Dogen’s waka poetry.  

Intro to Dogen study page:  The Dogen Institute has created a page on its website to house links to the six videos from Hoko's Introduction to Dogen retreat held last February as well as the handout for download.
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Coming up

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​June sesshin with Shodo Spring:  ​While all seats for in-person participation are now full, virtual participation remains available.  Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We set aside the usual activities -- or entertainments -- of temple life, like work periods, meetings with teachers and dharma talks, and focus completely on zazen.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  We carry on and offer this tradition of our lineage here at Sanshin. 

Shodo Spring is a dharma heir of Shohaku Okumura and is a member of Sanshin's board of directors.  She sits monthly Antaiji-style sesshins in the tradition of her lineage, leads an informal study group, and occasionally gives talks and retreats at other temples. She founded Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota, a part of the Sanshin Network, to work together with all beings for the welfare of the whole earth. She lives on a farm, apprenticing herself to the plants, waters, animals and earth, learning to be human, and she spends time with her children and grandchildren.  More information about the sesshin is here.


Honoku Gyocha and Shuso Hossen for Issan Koyama (June 11 - 12):  These two ceremonies allow the shuso to demonstrate leadership and dharma mastery during the ango and are an important part of the progression toward status as a fully registered member of the clergy in the Soto Zen denomination.  On June 11 at 7 pm, Okumura Roshi will make some remarks about the koan chosen for these ceremonies, and at 10 am on June 12 Issan will preside over dharma questions about the koan from the sangha.  Both events will be available virtually.  Complete information about the ango is here.
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Shoji (Life-Death) workshop with Issan (June 25): At this time of isolation, doubt, and grief, learning from Buddha’s and Dōgen’s teachings, we explore a way to connection, trust, and healing.  In this one-day workshop, we alternate supportive Buddhist texts readings, including Shōbōgenzō Shōji – Life-Death, and exercises to share our experiences.  Read more and register here.
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Sanshin Network

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Listen to Issan's story: As part of the StoryCorps project, shuso and former hospice worker Issan Koyama talked about his experiences with grief.  The podcast is available on the StoryCorps website, and a two-minute version is available on the NPR Morning Edition website.


Genzo-e worldwide: Teachers and sanghas from around the network participated virtually in this month's genzo-e, including Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota (Shodo Spring), Centre Shikantaza in Belgium (Mokusho DePreay), Fruhlingsmond Zendo in Germany (Kyoku Lutz) and Daijihi in Austria (Shinko Hagn).
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Image from Daijihi in Vienna
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Jukai-e in Colombia:  Densho reports: On Saturday, April 16, after an intense seven days' Precept’s study sesshin, we had the Jukai Ceremony for six members of our sangha. The new bodhisattvas are Patricia Jyōshin Arias (Pure Trust), Carlos Dainei Barbosa (Great Serenity), Cesar Kandō Segura (Path of Generosity), Cristian Shinkō Calderón (Heart of Light), Albeiro Taikan Cardona (Clear Vision) and Oscar Shūtoku Cárdenas (Superb Virtue).
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For complete information about Sanshin and our style of practice, visit our homepage.
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