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Sangha News for May

5/15/2025

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Commentaries

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (88)
Prepare the Tea and Hit the Cart
Commentary by Shohaku Okumura
The flower in my hand opens toward the sun,
but at times we prepare Zhaozhou’s tea.
A patch-robed monk’s [calligraphed] circle is the moon in mid-autumn,
but still we ask, “What are the three pounds of sesame?”
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In the poem, the flower blooming toward the sun in the summer, and the circle of the moon in the autumn are verification. Preparing Zhaozhou’s tea and inquiring about the three pounds of sesame are examples of continuous study and practice at each and every moment of our lives. READ MORE

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Giving Up Home Life
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

GIVING UP HOME LIFE,
I VOW WITH ALL BEINGS,
TO HAVE NO HINDRANCE IN LEAVING HOME
AND LIBERATING THE MIND.

In this issue:
  • ​Commentaries: Prepare the tea; Giving up home life
  • From our directors: Spring fund appeal underway; Farewell to departing board members
  • Practice recap: Virtual dharma study intensive; Garden opening ceremony & May work day
  • Coming up: June sesshin; Nyoho practice opportunities; Open Reality with Shodo; The Empty Roles We Play with Tonen
  • Sanshin Network: News from Atlanta, Arkansas & Soto Zen North America
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New on the web

Sanshin source
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  • Zen and spiritual health
  • Sangha and Society section has new links to Sotoshu's work with UN Sustainable Development Goals, including writings by Sanshin Network members
  • New talk from Doju on practicing in the senmon sodo
  • Daily dressing as a dharma practice
  • New articles at the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury:
     ​What does it mean to wear a rakusu?
     ​The meaning of the robe verse
     ​The manner of receiving: jukai-e
  • Koun Franz talk on nyoho-e: Each stitch is like the earth exploding 
  • Tonen's teachings: a collection of resources by Tonen O'Connor, including her blog, Thinking about dharma​​​
108 Gates
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  • [72] Entrustment as a part of the state of truth
  • [73] The balanced state, as a part of the state of truth
  • [74] Abandonment, as a part of the state of truth
  • [75] Right view
    [76] Right discrimination
Sunday dharma talks
  • April 6: Okumura Roshi on Buddha's birthday - Is Buddha born or not?
  • April 13: Doju on his time at a training temple​
  • April 20:​ Hoko - Nyoho-e, nyoho food
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Literally giving up home life isn’t necessarily what we do when we take on dharma leadership today—and yet, there are teachings in this gatha that all practitioners can fruitfully consider. To give up home life is to shift one’s focus and to put a priority on approaching the world through the lens of practice. READ MORE
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From our directors

Our spring fund appeal is underway.

Your practice and contributions have made it possible to create and maintain a nurturing environment together, where the dharma continues to flourish.


Today, we humbly ask for your financial support in maintaining our facilities ​(replacing our old toolshed, for starters) and upholding the dharma work and practice of Okumura Roshi, Hoko, and our broad sangha of sincere practitioners -- including you.

A gift of any size is welcome and appreciated, as is your moment-by-moment practice. Thank you!


In gassho,
The Sanshin Development Committee
Mark Fraley, Norma Fogelberg, Tonen O'Connor, and Gene Elias
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Our goal: $10,000  ----  Received so far: $2049.18
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Thanks and farewell to departing directors: Due to other important obligations for their time and attention, Laura Miller and Zenki Batson recently stepped down from our board of directors. Laura served as vice chair for nearly two years, offering in-depth organizational knowledge and experience that will continue to positively impact our sangha and temple operations. Zenki, Vice-Abbess at Chapel Hill Zen Center, held our outside-lineage clergy seat for about a year and a half, offering an important perspective from the wider North American Zen community. We thank them both and wish them well in their ongoing endeavors!
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Practice recap

​Virtual dharma study intensive: About 55 practitioners from various parts of the U.S. and throughout the world participated in a virtual dharma study intensive from May 1 - 10. Okumura Roshi offered ten lectures on his translation of Ejo Zenji's Komyozo-Zanmai (The Treasury of the Samadhi of Radiant Light), and participants engaged with him in lively Q&A sessions. The next dharma study intensive will likely be held in early November.
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​Garden opening ceremony & May work day: After regular zazen on Sunday May 11th, the sangha walked together from Sanshinji to our community garden plot ten minutes up the road and carried out a garden opening ceremony. We chanted the Heart Sutra and the Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani as part of formally recognizing the 10 X 20 ft plot as a place of communal practice and asking the land, beings, and elements for their support and protection of our practice as temporary stewards of this ground. Most of the vegetables will end up in our oryoki bowls during sesshin and retreats.
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A small Avalokiteshvara figure is now enshrined at the plot.
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Nyoho-e see the light of day.
After the ceremony, a few practitioners remained at the garden for weeding, watering, and sowing seeds. The rest walked back to Sanshinji and worked on electrical wiring in the zendo, edging around the parking lot, weeding the flower gardens, mowing the lawn, and setting new posts for our "dead hedge" brush fence. Our next work day is scheduled for Sunday, June 1st.
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Coming up

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​June sesshin (register by Tuesday, May 27th): Space remains for participation in our upcoming 5-day sesshin. Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen 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. LEARN MORE & REGISTER BY MAY 27TH

Regular nyoho practice opportunities: Food & clothing
As part of our focus on nyoho food practice from May - August, a few new regular practice opportunities are now available for local participation. On the last Sunday of each month (beginning May 25th), we'll begin practice at 7 am with zazen and a formal oryoki breakfast, leading into regular Sunday practice. Practitioners are also invited to gather at our community vegetable garden plot every other Friday evening from 6 to 8 pm (at latest) to tend our sesshin-bound crops, under the direction of a practice leader. Stay tuned in the coming days for more information on how to participate.

On a weekly basis, there is also an opportunity to engage in dharma sewing, between 6:30 and 8:30 pm on most Tuesday evenings at Sanshin. Practitioners gather to quietly sew nyoho-e as a practice of zazen mind, working on their own rakusu or okesa, assisting others, or participating in the long-term project of sewing a temple okesa for Sanshin. No prior experience is necessary, but before showing up for the first time, please contact Esho Morimoto.
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Open Reality: An evening ​with Shodo Spring (online)
Thursday, June 18th, 6:30 - 8 pm ET

Sanshin will host a virtual dharma talk and discussion led by Shodo Spring, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi, introducing her forthcoming book, Open Reality: Meeting the Polycrisis Together With All Beings. Shodo writes:

When Dharma eye looks at modern existence, things open up. This book is a deep dive into that opening, including questions of human nature, relationship with all sentient beings, and ways to open up our lives to allow the whole world to flourish. This talk and discussion offers an overview and an invitation. 

No registration is required, but you can sign up at right for a reminder in the lead-up to this public virtual event.
You can pre-order the book here, and check out excerpts recently published at resilience.org.

    Open Reality with Shodo: Sign-up for event reminder

Submit
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The Empty Roles We Play​: 3-part virtual discussion series with Tonen O'Connor
Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 pm, July 17th, 24th, & 31st

Zen practitioners are invited to join Tonen O'Connor, resident priest emerita of the Milwaukee Zen Center and longtime friend of Sanshin, for a series of three virtual discussions on the roles our self assumes as it faces life's changing nature. We will examine how society assigns roles to us and how our own choice of roles impacts our lives. We will consider the relationship of shikantaza, zazen without roles, to the roles we assume daily. A sense of humor will be welcome. LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Visit our Schedules & Calendars page for a complete listing of our regular and extended practice opportunities.
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Sanshin Network

Doju to speak at Three Mountains Zen: In the midst of his own travels in Georgia, Doju Layton will be giving a dharma talk for Three Mountains Zen in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, June 1st. Organized primarily by Apriel Fusatsu Jessup-Searcy, a regular virtual practice participant at Sanshin, Three Mountains Zen is "a lay Zen Buddhist community that collaborates, studies, and practices in spiritual friendship with Sanshin Zen Community." LEARN MORE
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News from Shoryu & Soto Zen NA: Shoryu Bradley of Gyobutsuji in Arkansas has been asked to help choose the first guiding kyoshi for Soto Zen North America.  He's been appointed to the nominating committee along with several other teachers from around the country.  That group is now at work on a slate of candidates to be proposed to Soto Zen NA's Denominational Council for consideration.   The guiding kyoshi is the overall leader and the internal and external face of the denomination, working closely with the Council to support and guide the organization in accordance with its mission and goals.  Shoryu says that the committee's slate should be ready for consideration within the next few months.
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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 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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide. Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you for your participation!
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Sangha News for April

4/16/2025

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Commentaries

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (87)
The Thundering Canon
Commentary by Shohaku Okumura
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Tripitaka Koreana
The traces of the teachings are here from the Buddha’s transformation of the great thousandfold world.
A raised fist produces clouds and thunder.
In this place converges the ocean of boundless meanings.
He is able to open the eighty thousand Dharma gates.


​467. Dharma Hall Discourse for Appointing the [New] Librarian

“The great thousandfold world” is a translation of 三千大千世界 (sanzen daisen sekai). In Sanskrit: tri-sāhasra-mahā-sāhasro lokadhātuḥ. Other English translations are: “Three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system” or “trichiliocosm.” This is like the entire universe we can hold in our imagination, the universe through which Shakyamuni Buddha’s influence reaches. This is also called the sāha world. In Mahāyāna Buddhist cosmology, a Buddha teaches the entire “great thousandfold world.” Other buddhas such as Amitabha Buddha, Medicine Master Buddha, etc. have their own great thousandfold world, outside Shakyamuni’s trichiliosm. The traces of Buddha’s teachings to edify all beings in this entire world is the collection of the Tripiṭaka. One set of Tripiṭaka scriptures is stored in the library at Eiheiji and the zōsu (librarian) is taking care of it.

When we read Dōgen’s verse, it is important to remember that the scriptures do not simply refer to written material on the paper; the librarian needs to take care of the true reality of all beings. READ MORE

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Danger and Difficulty
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

WHEN IN DANGER AND DIFFICULTY,
I VOW WITH ALL BEINGS
TO BE FREE AND UNHINDERED
WHEREVER I GO.

​In the traditional deck of Tarot cards there is one known as the Hanged Man. The image is of a man suspended upside down by his right ankle with his hands behind him, and one interpretation is of delay or stuckness that is of one’s own making, or the inability to move oneself forward by one’s own power. 

​When we’re faced with challenges, it can feel like there’s nothing we can do. There’s a barrier in front of us called danger and difficulty, and there’s no getting over or around it. It seems we just have to sit here, immobilized, trapped, waiting for something, anything to happen.


Yet if we’re successful in overcoming our challenges, it’s often because suddenly we gain a new perspective. Aha! I do have agency in this situation. There is something I can do. It’s not the obvious thing, or the easiest thing, but why not consider all possibilities? Are we not actually free and unhindered all the time, until we decide we’re not? READ MORE​

In this issue:
  • Commentaries: The thundering canon; Danger and difficulty
  • New on the web: Sanshin Source; 108 Gates; Sunday talks
  • News: Message from the head priest of Sotoshu for 2025; New book featuring Okumura Roshi 
  • Practice recap: Buddhist essentials series complete; Buddha's birthday; Sewing retreat; April work day
  • Coming up: Virtual dharma study intensive; Nyoho food; 5-day June sesshin
  • Sanshin Network:​ A book by Shodo Spring
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New on the web

​Sanshin Source:
  • Zazen That Amounts to Nothing: Shundo Aoyama describes her experience of sesshin at Antaiji led by Uchiyama Roshi
  • Sawaki Roshi's 20th century nyoho-e movement
  • Appetite Is Also a Blessing by Shundo Aoyama
  • Videos at the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury:
    - Koun Franz on nyoho materials, color and amount
    - Hoko on "covering the canal with a kesa" 
  • Buddhist essentials: 18 important topics to know

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​108 Gates: New written commentaries from Hoko on the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination are posted HERE each Monday.
  • [68] Mindfulness, as a part of the state of truth
  • [69] Examination of Dharma, as a part of the state of truth
  • [70] Effort, as a part of the state of truth
  • [71] Enjoyment, as a part of the state of truth​

​Sunday talks on Youtube:
  • Mar 16th: Myogen Ahlstrom -- The naked dharma
  • Mar 23: Hoko -- The kesa covers the canal
  • Mar 30: Hoko on Kodo Sawaki and the 20th century nyoho-e movement
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News

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A message from the Head Priest of Sotoshu in 2025: 
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Every year the head priest of Sotoshu gives an official message. The following is a translation offered by Sotoshu for English speakers.

The various problems facing the world today are complex and layered. It is not an exaggeration to say that the crisis threatening basic human rights, such as the right to live in peace and the dignity of life, is only growing.

As followers of Shakyamuni Buddha and two founders of Soto Zen Buddhism, we must know the sure path to follow.
Shakyamuni Buddha realized the law of dependent origination (the interconnectedness of all things) and, through his wisdom, observed everything correctly. He demonstrated with his own life that harmony with others is achieved through compassion. This way of life, free from self-interest and egoism, is what we should follow.

Dogen Zenji taught, “Learn the backward step that turns the light and shines it inwards.” This means to pause in our steps, adjust our breath, step back two or three paces, and humbly reflect on our actions in the light of the Buddhist path.
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Keizan Zenji taught, “We must always generate thoughts of harmony and reconciliation.” The disturbance of harmony is, throughout all ages, caused by human self-interest and desire, namely greed. It is this greed that is the source of suffering and the root of conflict.

Since this world is impermanent and selfless, the sun and moon shine without personal attachment, illuminating everything. We too wish to engage with all things and all circumstances with the utmost sincerity.

The act of gassho (palms together in reverence) is to align oneself with the Buddha. By engaging in zazen (seated meditation), where we can awaken to the Buddha within ourselves, let us pray and wish for a peaceful life for all people across the world, ensuring that no one is left behind. Let us continue to practice the way of the Bodhisattva together.

Gassho
Homage to the Buddha Shakyamuni
Homage to Zen Master Dogen, Great Master Joyo, Eminent Ancestor
Homage to Zen Master Keizan, Great Master Josai, Great Ancestor
​
1 April 2025
Donin Minamisawa
Head Priest of the Sotoshu


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New book featuring Okumura Roshi: When Thinking is a Problem is a collection of essays examining the activity of thinking and how it is a primary factor in suffering at the individual as well as at the collective level, while at the same time, a necessary function that is often taken for granted and misused.

​The collection includes a chapter and translation by Okumura Roshi
. The book is edited by Charles Eigen, who practices at Milwaukee Zen Center, and is now available for pre-order.

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Practice recap

​Buddha's birthday: The sangha marked Buddha's birthday on Sunday, April 6th with a dharma talk by Okumura Roshi and our brief annual ceremony. Buddha's birthday is one of the sanbukki, or three Buddha days, marking the important event's in Shakyamuni's life -- his birth, awakening, and death. Our Dogen Institute recently published an e-book (Plum Blossoms in the Snow) featuring teachings given on these three days over the years at Sanshin by Okumura Roshi and Hoko.
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Shakyamuni to Sanshin: Buddhist essentials series complete (resources now available)

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About thirty practitioners, in person and online, participated in a six-week series led by Hoko introducing eighteen fundamental Buddhist study topics and the ways in which they underpin our practice at Sanshin today. Most of Hoko's remarks during the series, divided according to topic (see video at right), are now available along with curated resources on the Buddhist Essentials page of Sanshin Source. Much appreciation to local practitioner Will for his involvement in editing these recordings so that they can remain available for the long term.

​Sewing retreat: This year's cohort of three lay precepts recipients spent the week of April 7 - 14 sewing their rakusu, which they will formally receive as part of the jukai-e ceremony at the end of this year's precepts retreat in July. Two others dropped in for parts of the retreat to sew robes along their paths to ordination and dharma transmission. Esho Morimoto led several hours of sewing instruction each day, Hoko and Yuko offered teachings and presentations related to the meaning of sewing and wearing nyoho-e, and Hoko and Hosshin (this year's preceptor) worked together to cook meals for the participants. Recordings of Hoko's and Yuko's presentations will be made available in relevant sections of Sanshin Source in the coming weeks.
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​April work day:​ The sangha gathered at Sanshin for our monthly work day on Sunday April 13th. Inside the temple, practitioners worked on electrical wiring in and around the zendo while sewing retreat participants continued to sew their rakusu. In the breezy sunny weather outside, practitioners weeded the moss garden and native flower planting area, cleared the area where a new toolshed will be placed later this year, and screened our temple compost heap toward use in our sangha vegetable garden plot. Our next work day is scheduled for May 11th.
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Coming up

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​Virtual dharma study intensive on Ejo's Komyozo-Zanmai (register by Tues, Apr 29th)
May 1 - 10, 2025, 10 - Noon online with Okumura Roshi 

Over the course of ten mornings this May, Okumura Roshi will offer ten lectures on his own new translation of Komyozo-Zanmai (The Samadhi of the Radiant Light Treasury​), a text attributed to Koun Ejo Zenji. Koun Ejo (1198 - 1282) was Dogen Zenji's close attendant, principle dharma heir, and the second abbot of Eiheiji following Dogen's death. He transcribed and compiled many of Dogen's writings and discourses, but Komyozo-zanmai is the only original writing attributed to Ejo. In it, Dogen's shikantaza ​(our practice of zazen) is discussed as the samadhi of the radiant light treasury. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER BY APR 29

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Tangible Thusness: Exploring ​nyoho food this May - August

Continuing our yearlong investigation of the teachings of nyoho (things done or made according to dharma), we'll shift our primary focus from clothing to food during the second third of the year, May - August. Clothing, food, and shelter are traditionally regarded as the "three faces" of nyoho. Look out for Sunday talks as well as regular opportunities to engage in communal food practice through oryoki meals, local farm partnerships, and participation in our sangha vegetable garden.

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5-day June sesshin (June 3 - 8): Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen without distraction.  It's one of the core activities for us in this dharma family, and we pay a lot of attention to it.  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.  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
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Sanshin Network

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Upcoming book release from Shodo Spring: Pre-orders are now being accepted ahead of the September release of a book by Shodo Spring, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi, who leads practice at Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota. The book is titled Open Reality: Meeting the Polycrisis Together With All Beings. Shodo writes:

When Dharma eye looks at modern existence, things open up. This book is a deep dive into that opening, including questions of human nature, relationship with all sentient beings, and ways to open up our lives to allow the whole world to flourish.

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Shodo Spring practiced at Sanshinji from 2004 to 2011. Her teaching now grows from that training and from learning and practicing permaculture during that time. LEARN MORE AND PRE-ORDER
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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 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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide. Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you for your participation!
Support our dharma work and practice
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Sangha News for March 2025

3/15/2025

0 Comments

 

Commentaries

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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (86)
The Brush Mightier Than Rocks
Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

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Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (86)
The Brush Mightier than Rocks
460. Dharma Hall Discourse for Appointing the [New] Scribe

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Great Penetrating [Surpassing Knowledge Buddha] counts the numerous ink drops ground from three thousand worlds.
Although these are imagined as three thousand, they are [unreal] as a lotus in the twelfth month.
​Elevate the three-foot brush made of tortoise hair

to inscribe the destruction of the tough rock body of the outsider.

In China, at large prestigious monasteries, which had several hundred monks and which were supported by the emperor’s government, the scribe’s responsibility must have been huge. He must write many official letters to the government, letters on behalf of the abbot to the supporters, fundraising appeals, etc. He must create calligraphy for the dedication prayers for all the ceremonies, public announcements to the community members, etc. He must possess a lot of knowledge about prose and poetry and the skill to make calligraphy.

In today’s Sōtō Zen monasteries, the position of scribe is almost like the assistant of the head monk (shuso), and the post is held only during a 90-day practice period. It is not specifically a large job for the whole monastic system. It is not clear how the scribe’s job was during Dōgen Zenji’s time. Dōgen does not write much about the scribe’s work and practice. There is no explanation in Eihei Shingi or Shōbōgenzō. We find only one more Dharma hall discourse in Eiheikōroku, on the occasion of appointing the scribe—Dharma hall discourse 336, given in 1249. READ MORE

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Crowds
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

WHEN IN GATHERINGS OR CROWDS,
I VOW WITH ALL BEINGS
TO LET GO OF COMPOUNDED THINGS

AND ATTAIN TO TOTAL KNOWLEDGE.[1] 

I love collections. There’s something really interesting about seeing variations on a theme. How many ways can we make the same object with different characteristics: color, size, shape, theme, materials? Or, how many ways can we use the same material to make different things? How many things can we make in the same color? The harmony of difference and sameness is right there in front of us.

We can think of the groups to which people belong in the same way. We’re constantly forming and dissolving communities. They may be families, work groups, sports teams, classes, audiences, lines at the checkout counter, passengers on a bus. We gather and something holds us together for a few minutes or a lifetime, and then that community dissolves and we’re on to the next one. We can think about and talk about a community as a singular thing, but of course we know that it’s made up of individuals, just as the body is made up of the five skandhas of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Somehow these aggregates come together for the duration of a human lifetime and then move on to their next position. READ MORE

In this issue:
  • Commentaries: The brush mightier than rocks; Crowds
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday dharma talks on YouTube
  • From our directors: EAR Committee appointees
  • Practice recap: Tangible Thusness resources; March work day; Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin; Buddhist Essentials
  • Coming up: Rakusu sewing retreat; Buddha's Birthday; Virtual dharma study intensive
  • Sanshin Network: News from Japan
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New on the web

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108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 60 - 67 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [60] The faculty of mindfulness
  • [61] The faculty of balance
  • [62] The faculty of wisdom
  • [63 - 67] The five powers

Sunday talks on Youtube:
  • Feb 16th: Hoko on Nirvana Day 2025 - "Death and the Robe"
  • ​Mar 9th: Boundless, well-rooted vows - Okumura Roshi on Opening the Hand of Thought (256)

Sanshin Source:
  • Shakyamuni to Sanshin: Buddhist essentials
  • Practicing in community
  • Sanshin's story
  • The precepts
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From our directors

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Ethics and Reconciliation (EAR) Committee appointees: As part of carrying out Sanshin's Ethics Policy, Sanshin's board of directors appointed three members to an Ethics and Reconciliation (EAR) Committee at its February board meeting. This is a standing committee tasked with implementing restorative justice principles to assist in resolving conflicts, clarifying ethical issues, and responding to allegations of misconduct, in the event that more informal attempts at conflict resolution and restoration of wholesome relations within the sangha are not sufficient. The appointees are Shoryu Bradley, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi who leads practice at Gyobutsuji in Arkansas, Dennis McCarty, a retired Unitarian Universalist minister who lives in Bloomington, IN, and Sonia Leerkamp, who brings extensive experience and expertise in restorative justice, law, and public service and currently lives in Brown County, Indiana. You can find full bios and contact information of EAR Committee members, as well as the full text of our Ethics Policy (grounded in the sixteen bodhisattva precepts, with more specific guidance) HERE.

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Practice recap

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Tangible Thusness resources available: As part of our yearlong focus on nyoho teachings and practice throughout 2025 here at Sanshin, recorded clips from our nyoho workshop with Koun Franz in January are now available. From January through April, we're focusing primarily on nyoho teachings related to clothing, from traditional Buddhist robes to what we wear to work. More clips from Koun's workshop on nyoho in general will be released in the coming weeks and months, posted to relevant pages within the nyoho section of Sanshin Source:


​March work day: On Sunday, March 2nd, practitioners emerged from our Quiet February practice schedule with a full sangha work day. Much of the work practice was focused on "spring cleaning" inside the temple, with Hoko and Sawyer reorganizing our administrative office, Esho cleaning Okumura Roshi's office, Will updating our office computer setup, Reghan painting the zendo kitchen, and Hosshin and Clark working together on routing electrical wires in the zendo. Our next work day is scheduled for April 13th.

​Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin: Seven practitioners carried out sesshin at Sanshinji from March 6 - 9, with several others participating for a portion, in-person and virtually. Because this sesshin falls near the anniversary of Uchiyama Roshi's death each year, we dedicate it in his honor and carry out a memorial service for him with the sangha during Sunday practice immediately following sesshin. Even here at the end of winter, much of the produce for this sesshin was sourced locally, from Wilderlove Farm and public farmers' markets in Bloomington.
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Ongoing Buddhist essentials series with Hoko
Wednesday evenings, Mar 5 - Apr 9, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

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About thirty practitioners, in-person and virtually from home, have participated in the first two of six planned lecture and discussion sessions on Buddhist essentials, led by Sanshin's senior dharma teacher Hoko Karnegis. So far, Hoko has introduced such fundamental Buddhist study topics as the life of the Buddha, the four noble truths, and the precepts, with attention to how we practice with all of this within the Soto Zen tradition at Sanshin. See Hoko's brief overview of the Three Treasures at right.
Recordings of Hoko's remarks on each study topic as well as text summaries of the material presented will be posted HERE as they become available in the coming weeks. Beginning and experienced practitioners are welcome to participate in upcoming discussions, whether or not you've been present for these early sessions. LEARN MORE about how to participate, virtually or in-person (no registration or fee).
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Coming up

​Buddha's Birthday (Sunday, April 6th): Following regular zazen and Okumura Roshi's dharma talk on Sunday, April 6th, we will mark the occasion of Shakyamuni Buddha's birth with a brief ceremony and a potluck lunch.

seated by 9:05 am - Zazen
10:10 - Dharma talk
~11:10 - Buddha's birthday ceremony
followed by ​sangha potluck lunch
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All are welcome to join us for the joyous occasion and opportunity to practice with one of the sanbukki​, or Three Buddha Days.

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​Rakusu sewing retreat: As part of the process for formally receiving the precepts this year, five practitioners will gather to sew rakusu, practice together, and learn about nyoho-e in the Soto Zen tradition during a retreat at Sanshin from April 7th - 14th. [Note: registration is closed]. Esho Morimoto will lead the sewing instruction, and Hoko Karnegis and Yuko Okumura will offer teachings on practicing with robes in our tradition.

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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Virtual dharma study intensive on Ejo's Komyozo-Zanmai
May 1 - 10, 2025, 10 - Noon with Okumura Roshi

Over the course of ten mornings this May, Okumura Roshi will offer ten lectures on his own new translation of Komyozo-Zanmai (The Samadhi of the Radiant Light Treasury​), attributed to Koun Ejo Zenji. Koun Ejo (1198 - 1282) was Dogen Zenji's close attendant, principle dharma heir, and the second abbot of Eiheiji following Dogen's death. He transcribed and compiled many of Dogen's writings and discourses, but Komyozo-zanmai is the only original writing attributed to Ejo. In it, Dogen's shikantaza ​(our practice of zazen) is discussed as the samadhi of the radiant light treasury. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

For full information about Sanshin's practice schedule, see our Schedules & Calendars webpage.
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Sanshin Network

​News from Japan: Doju Layton, an ordained student of Okumura Roshi who usually lives in Bloomington, recently spent three months (108 days to be exact) practicing in residence at Kotaiji in Nagasaki prefecture, Japan, as part of his ongoing dharma leadership development and clergy credentialing process with Sotoshu, the official Soto Zen Denomination in Japan. Upon leaving the temple, he embarked on foot on a section of the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage.

Shinko Hagn, who leads practice at Daijihi and is an ordained student of Hoko Karnegis, offers the following report and reflection on his own recent travels in Japan with fellow Daijihi practice leader Koryu:
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Only 8 days for a trip to Japan! Well, actually it was a business trip. Koryu and I were invited by the Japanese External Trade Organization to Shiga Prefecture to taste and perhaps buy the famous Omi tea from various tea farmers. Of course, we also took the opportunity to extend the trip to Kyoto, Tokyo and Izumo in Shimane Prefecture, where our current tea partner is based. The trip was a great success for our tea business, we learned a lot and were even on Japanese television. I was able to see Mount Hiei, where Dogen Zenji's journey began, from a distance on the other side of Lake Biwa and in Kyoto we visited Kennin-ji, the temple where Dogen lived before and after his trip to China. In Izumo we visited the second oldest shrine, Izumo Taisha, which was very important for the development of Japanese culture, the development of an architectural style independent of China began here.
In Tokyo, we were welcomed by our Dharma friend Rev. Hojun Szpunar, who is in charge of the Zen Class for Soto Zen International. He is originally from Poland but has lived in Tokyo with his Japanese wife for over 15 years. Hojun showered us with gifts in the first ten minutes. These included a beautiful picture scroll showing Shakyamuni after his enlightenment. We also received kotsus. We then went to Shogaku-ji, a temple where he helps to support lay people. There was a training session for ceremonies that day. We met the abbess, Yuko Yamada, who has been in office since last fall. She is very well known as she is the first woman to be allowed to teach in Eiheiji. Her specialty is Chan in China. Her English is excellent, she has been to the USA and also to Europe. In order for her to become abbess, she was adopted by her predecessor and the temple now belongs to her.

​After we sat zazen together, she invited us to give a talk. We talked about our center 
and how we spread and express Soto Zen in Austria. We also talked a bit about Shishobo and about Zen in Austria and Europe in general.
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Afterwards there was a very stimulating discussion, Hojun translated everything for us. Afterwards we ate using oryoki for lunch and got to know another new style. Shogakuji has been run by women only for many years. The temple was built in the 17th century and there is a black Kannon figure, a true rarity, on the altar instead of a Buddha. However, the temple was destroyed during the Second World War, the figure was rescued and the temple was rebuilt. Another very nice detail is that Yamada Roshi received a new Manjushri figure from a neighboring artist for her inauguration. The big surprise: Manjushri's face is modeled on her face.
It was good to see that the temple in the middle of Tokyo faces very similar challenges like we do here in Vienna. Only two people, Yamada Roshi and another nun, run the temple, just like we do in Vienna. However, the funding is different. We try to do it with our tea business and in Japan it is mainly ceremonies and rituals for the community, especially funerals, or taking care of the home altars of the Sangha members. We are very grateful for the generous donation we received for our talk.
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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 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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide. Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you!
give to Sanshin
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Sangha News for February

2/15/2025

0 Comments

 

Commentaries

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (85)
Green Leaves Turn Red
Commentary by Shohaku Okumura
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526. Dharma Hall Discourse 
​
You should know that becoming a buddha is not something new or ancient.
How could practice-realization be within any boundary?
​Do not say that from the beginning not a single thing exists.

The causes are complete and the results are fulfilled through time.


In this verse, Dōgen is saying that when we practice zazen, that zazen is a buddha named Becoming-buddha (Sabutsu) or Practice-buddha (Gyōbutsu). Possibly this idea is from the final teachings of the Buddha in the Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teaching. Buddha said, “From now on all of my disciples must continuously practice. Then the Thus Come One’s Dharma body will always be present and indestructible.”[5] In doing our zazen in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching, the Buddha’s dharma-body is manifested in the practice. This is the meaning of zazen is itself becoming-buddha. Our zazen here and now is always new, but it is the manifestation of the old (eternal) dharma-body of the Buddha. It is both new and old, or neither new nor old. READ MORE​

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Giving
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

When I give something,
I vow with all beings
to relinquish all
with a heart free of clinging.

We usually associate generosity with loving kindness and compassion, but it also has to have an element of wisdom. We have to see how the world actually works and that we are supporting and supported by all beings already: things are already coming to us and from us, and giving is already constantly happening. We also have to wisely discern whether or not our gift is helpful to the recipient. Are we giving because we want to, or because the recipient really needs it? Are we giving what we would want or what the recipient really needs? Will this gift enable further suffering (for example, are we giving money for drugs or drink)? Are we giving simply so this person will go away? It all takes wisdom as well as compassion.  READ MORE
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From our directors

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Because of your generosity: Together, we raised $30,000 during Sanshin's 2024 Fall Fund Appeal. Although we didn't reach our aspiration of $50,000, this was a significant increase from our 2023 efforts. Thank you -- as our treasurer notes below, your generosity makes a real difference in our collective practice.

​
In gassho,
Sanshin Annual Fund Committee
Mark Fraley, Norma Fogelberg, Tonen O'Connor, Michael Melfi, Laura Miller, Gene Elias, Neil Chase, Jeff Alberts, Karla Passalacqua, and Henry Coffey


Treasurer's update:
Gene Kishin Elias

Where does it come from?
Mostly from people like you
Practicing giving​
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In this issue:
  • Commentaries: Green leaves turn red; Giving
  • New on the web: Sanshin Source; 108 Gates; Sunday talks on Youtube
  • From our directors: Because of your generosity; Treasurer's update
  • ​Other news: Upcoming publications related to our lineage
  • Practice recap: 'Being Old' discussion series complete; Nyoho workshop; Quiet February
  • Coming up: Nirvana day; Buddhist essentials series; March sesshin; Ryaku fusatsu; Save-the-date for May dharma study intensive
  • Sanshin Network: A gathering in Europe; New issue of Midwest Zen
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New on the web

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What's new at ​Sanshin Source?: Sanshin Source is Sanshin Zen Community's newly available and continuously evolving online library of context and in-depth information about our style of practice within the Soto Zen tradition. ​Here's the latest:
  • Practicing in community
  • Sanshin's story
  • ​The precepts

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​108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 56 - 59 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [56] The four right exertions
  • [57] The four bases of mystical power
  • [58] The faculty of belief
  • [59] The faculty of effort

​Sunday dharma talks on Youtube:
  • Jan 5th: Okumura Roshi on Opening the Hand of Thought (255)
  • Jan 19th: Esho Morimoto - Your Most Important Question
  • Jan 25th: Koun Franz - "Each stitch is like the earth exploding"
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Buddhism grew out of the ancient Indian sramana (‘one who strives’) tradition, also sometimes called the ‘renouncer or ascetic tradition,’ and its continuity was dependent on the offerings of the wider society for material support. Siddhartha Gautama followed this tradition prior to his awakening as Buddha. And it has continued as a basis of our practice since the time when Rome was a small village. But what does that mean in these modern times?​

Just like there's no practice without practitioners, the dedicated financial support of our wide-ranging community also remains essential to Sanshin's part in carrying forward the Soto Zen tradition in the West. With your support and involvement, we strive together to create and offer a field of merit through teachings, research, 
practice resources, and numerous opportunities to gather and practice in community.

In January of last year, I provided the following breakdown: “Our largest expenses have been and will continue to be teaching, research and content generation – that is by far our primary mission.” And so it was in 2024, which also included growth in program-related income.

​For 2025, we have approved a budget that continues to focus on these priorities, while ensuring that our facilities are safe, inviting, and suitable for practice. Your gifts of financial support continue to be vital in enabling Sanshin to make Soto Zen practice available in our own particular style, grounded in the teachings of the Buddha, Dōgen Zenji, and Sawaki, Uchiyama and Okumura Roshis.

If you have questions about Sanshin's finances, please email me.  Thank you for your practice and support, and may your life be filled with kindness, joy and magnanimity.
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Other news

Recent and upcoming publications connected to our lineage: Books featuring the work of Okumura Roshi, Hoko Karnegis, Uchiyama Roshi, and Shinshu Roberts will be published this year. Translators include Daitsu Tom Wright, Howard Lazzarini, and Okumura Roshi. You can click on the cover images below for more information.
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Released February 15th, 2024. Cover art by Hosshin Shoaf. Published by the Dogen Institute.
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To be released Feb 18th, 2025. Shambhala Publications.
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To be released Nov 25th, 2025. Wisdom Publications.
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To be released Aug 19th, 2025. Including Okumura Roshi's translation of both Genjokoan and Senne's commentary on Genjokoan. Shambhala Publications.
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Practice recap

Dharma offerings from 'Being Old' participants: Our three part virtual discussion series on ​The Zen Practice of Being Old, with Tonen O'Connor, was completed in January. A recap of some of the group's collaborative conclusions on being old, as well as examples of the yuige (death poems) written by participants, are now available on Sanshin Source.

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​Nyoho workshop with Koun Franz: About twenty-five practitioners, in-person and online, participated in our workshop with Koun Franz, Nyoho: The Dharma of Just This​. This gathering helped us to frame our ongoing year of Tangible Thusness, exploring nyoho teachings as a sangha. Look out for dharma talks, online resources, and workshops on this theme as the year unfolds.

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​Quiet February practice: During February and August at Sanshin, the regular practice schedule becomes quieter, less busy, and more focused on zazen. We let go of chanting services and Shobogenzo Zuimonki readings on weekday mornings, most Sunday dharma talks (which are replaced by one more period of zazen), and all evening practice activities.
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Coming up

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​Nirvana day: This Sunday, February 16th, we will mark the occasion of Shakyamuni Buddha's parinirvana (passing away, or "nirvana without remainder") with a brief ceremony and a potluck lunch. 

9:10 am  Zazen
10:10 Dharma talk by Hoko: Death and the robe
~11:15 Nirvana day ceremony, followed by a potluck lunch

Although this Sunday's schedule departs from the simplified schedule of this month's other three Sundays, the occasion is in keeping with our less busy attitude, offering space for practicing with our tradition's central teachings on life-and-death and impermanence. All are welcome to participate.


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Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin (Mar 6 - 9): Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen without distraction. We dedicate our March sesshin each year to the memory of Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, the teacher of our founder, Shohaku Okumura and author of the foundational book Opening the Hand of Thought.  We will hold a brief memorial service following the usual Sunday morning zazen and dharma talk, given by Okumura Roshi himself. LEARN MORE & REGISTER

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​Buddhist essentials: Shakyamuni to Sanshin
Six Wednesday evenings, Mar 5 - Apr 9, 7 - 8:30 pm


Beginning in March, Hoko will lead a six-evening lecture and discussion series tracing the connections between foundational early Buddhist teachings, through the development of Mahayana teachings and practice, and into the history of the Soto Zen tradition and practice at Sanshin and beyond today. The material is intended to be accessible and useful for all practitioners, whether beginner or experienced. Those just establishing their practice are especially encouraged to attend in order to gain a firm foundation for zazen, work, study and ritual going forward as members of the sangha.

​Note that these sessions will replace our usual Wednesday evening dharma book discussions between March 5th and April 9th, and will allow extra time for Q&A, ending by 8:30 ET at the latest each evening. All are welcome to participate, virtually or in-person. There is no registration or fee, and donations are welcome and appreciated.


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Save-the-date: Virtual dharma study intensive with Okumura Roshi on Koun Ejo's Komyozo-zanmai (The Samadhi of the Radiant Light Treasury​)
May 1 - 10, 2025 (10am - noon ET)

Over the course of ten mornings this May, Okumura Roshi will offer ten lectures on his own new translation of Komyozo-zanmai (The Samadhi of the Radiant Light Treasury​), attributed to Koun Ejo Zenji. Koun Ejo (1198 - 1282) was Dogen Zenji's close attendant, principle dharma heir, and the second abbot of Eiheiji following Dogen's death. He transcribed and compiled many of Dogen's writings and discourses, but Komyozo-zanmai is the only original writing attributed to Ejo. In it, Dogen's shikantaza ​(our practice of zazen) is discussed as the samadhi of the radiant light treasury.

Registration for this virtual-only event is not yet open; look out for further details in the coming weeks!


For full information on our regular and upcoming practice activities, visit our Schedules & Calendars page.
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Sanshin Network

Sanshin Network teachers gather in Mons, Belgium:
Mokusho's report:
EUROPEAN SANSHIN NETWORK
First Teachers’ Meeting
Daishinji (Mons, Belgium), February 6th-9th, 2025

The desire for closer collaboration between the European heirs of the lineage of Kodo Sawaki Roshi, Uchiyama Roshi and Okumura Roshi arose a few years ago, just before the first wave of Covid. A date had been set to meet in Mons, but the health situation and the multiple restrictions imposed by the authorities prevented the meeting from taking place.

In July 2024, Jokei Lambert Sensei, a disciple of Joshin Bachoux Sensei and Aoyama Roshi, took the initiative of inviting Shoju-san, Doryu-san and Mokushō-san to give teachings at the Demeure Sans Limites (Hokaiji, Saint-Agrève, France). It was at this point that the idea of a network re-surfaced. This led to the organisation of a meeting in Mons in February 2025.

This meeting gave us the opportunity to work and relax together. All this helped to strengthen the links that already existed between us, and we decided to meet once a year if possible, in February-March if possible, always in an informal and friendly setting, as Dharma brothers and sisters.

Our discussions focused mainly on topics chosen from among the many suggestions made by all the participants. The main themes proposed were: teaching within the sangha; communicating with people who are not practising but who might be interested in the Dharma (the market place: how to reach people without resorting to ‘advertising’, which often opens the door to illusions); financing practice centres; voluntary work for the benefit of vulnerable people in hospitals, prisons, etc.; the isolation of teachers living far from the big urban centres; the teachers’ vision of their own center (offering an urban setting conducive to meditation; a place for spreading the Dharma; a space for inner peace in the midst of nature, etc.).

The group decided to address the first two subjects proposed: teaching the Dharma and communicating with non-practitioners (the so-called ‘outside’ world, the marketplace).
The various aspects of the discussion were addressed in relation to the following questions: Teaching what? To whom? What for? How? When? These questions and many others should enable the teacher to accompany the practitioner on the Way, in the knowledge that each person has different skills, potential and characteristics, and that one person’s Way is not necessarily another’s Way.

During the week-end, a great deal of space has been set aside for the notion of upaya [as: an (enlightened) person’s ability to tailor their message to a specific audience]. Tea ceremony, ikebana, calligraphy, chanting, even “blessings” (see below) can be skilful means, specific ways to touch people and open them up to the Dharma by paying attention to the body (the deep meaning of gestures; the way you give something to someone; developing listening skills by listening to the body, etc.); we can respond to a request for a ‘blessing’ for (a) pets(s); we can listen to a practitioner who has had a miscarriage and create a space in the temple where she can meditate or light a candle if she feels the need; etc. 

Someone noted:    - “My body is my temple”; “the practice of body and mind”
- “Do we teach what people want to hear?”
- “What we teach is not “our” teaching”. The way we teach can be personal.
- If I change, the world changes.

All discussions were very inspiring: teachers learning from their fellows’ experience(s).

For the first arrivals in Belgium, the trip began with a visit to the Bois du Cazier colliery, the site of a huge mining disaster in which 262 miners of twelve different nationalities, including 136 Italians, perished on 8 August 1956. This day is commemorated every year in Italy. Not only the Italians among us, but everyone present was deeply moved by this visit to the site of the disaster, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Those who stayed a little longer in Belgium visited a very fine exhibition, Buddha, the experience of sentience, at the Royal Museum in Mariemont.

It’s important to point out that Jisho san took part in all our work. Everyone was delighted to have her with us. We are convinced that she can become an important link in our sangha between the European Sanshin Network and Japan. We’d like to make her our ‘ambassador’ for the future.


Participants: Koryu-san (Vienna), Jinryu-san (Germany), Gyoriki-san (Germany), Moku-shō-san (Belgium), Gyoetsu-san (Rome), Shinko-san (Vienna), Doryu-san (Rome), Ten-shin-san (Brussels), Jokei-san (France), Myōsen-san (Belgium), Jisho-san (Japan), Shoju-san (Alès, France, online)
Shinko & Koryu's report:
Finally, after a 5-year delay due to the pandemic, the Dharma leaders of the European Sanshin network met in person at Daishinji, Mons (Belgium). Warmly welcomed by our hosts Mokusho and Myosen, we enjoyed several days of discussions, practice, cultural events and relaxed times.

Sanshin community members from all over Europe took part: Doryu and Gyoetsu from Italy, Gyoriki and Jinryu from Germany, Jisho from Japan, Shinko and Koryu from Austria as well as Shoju from France (online). Two close friends of the Sangha, Jokei from France and Tenshin from Belgium, joined the meeting as well.

In a workshop-like manner, we explored several topics of interest and then settled for two main questions: How do we communicate our way of practice to people before they come to the Zendo? And how do we teach the Dharma? These inspiring exchanges were accompanied by cultural trips to a former mining site, where hundreds of Italian workers died in the 1950s, and an exhibition showing Buddha statues, pictures, and ceremonial objects.

As with many meetings, the most fruitful conversations happened over dinner, where we discovered several ways how we can support each other, be it with encouragement, practice opportunities, or a wonderful cup of matcha skillfully prepared by Jisho-san. Our thanks also go to the Sangha at Daishinji who supported us by lending a car and cooking lunch.
This was only the first meeting of many more to come. The idea is to rotate places all across Europe.

Sadly, we could not be there on the last day because we had to leave for Japan (on a business trip for our teashop and a meeting with Dharma friends in Tokyo). We are deeply grateful for experiencing the community spirit of Sanshin. It is extremely helpful to realize that we're all facing similar, if not the same, challenges, and that there is a dharma family that supports us.
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​New issue of Midwest Zen: The seventh issue of Midwest Zen, edited by former Sanshin board chair Mark Howell, is now available for free download/online viewing. Mark writes, "My original intent for this issue was to focus on the topic of Joy because I wished to create a calm space amid the din of world events. As I received submittals, a second theme emerged, that of Wonder. The works in this issue explore the joy we experience in our lives—on a cushion, among one another, alongside a path, river, or hot spring, in the snow—and contemplates the wonder of the universe."
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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 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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide.  Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you!
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Sangha News for January

1/15/2025

0 Comments

 

Commentary

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Balconies
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

When climbing up in balconies,
I vow with all beings
to ascend the tower of truth
and see through everything.

​
In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, balconies frequently adorn celestial palaces or other buildings that represent unsurpassable true awakening.

Along with flower garlands, golden nets, jewel-encrusted furniture and other luxurious things, balconies establish a structure as being something beyond the everyday. A raised balcony clinging to the side of a heavenly palace is certainly an elevated vantage point from which to gain the broadest possible view, and not a spot that everyone can easily reach.

This gāthā describes the action of climbing up into a balcony, not simply being there somehow and enjoying the day. Climbing and ascending are our practice. The view is already there for anyone to see, but until we can put aside our delusions and distractions, we can’t experience it directly. The pure jeweled balcony of awakening remains closed to us, even though it’s really a part of ourselves.  READ MORE

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From our directors

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New board member Doshin Johnson: Rev. Dōshin Diana Johnson is a Soto Zen Buddhist kokusai fukyoushi (international teacher/missionary). Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri within the Catholic religious tradition, she served over 3 decades in Chicago as a bilingual social worker and local government administrator. She experienced a ‘call’ to interfaith chaplaincy, began a divinity program at Chicago Theological Seminary and, following early retirement and a move to the southwest, started zazen practice with Rev. Daiho Hilbert of Clear Mind Zen, who introduced Dōshin to Rev. Okumura’s Living by Vow.

​She has a BA dual major in political science and foreign languages; a Master’s of Public Administration; and a Master’s of Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy. She completed the Foundations Program at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care as well as chaplaincy internship and residency units at hospitals in Whittier and La Jolla, CA. In addition to 11-months of monastic training with Rev. Seido Suzuki Roshi at Toshoji Senmon Sodo in Okayama Japan, Dōshin has trained with her teacher, Rev. Gyokei Yokoyama at Long Beach Buddhist Church and Sozenji Buddhist Temple, and continues to serve with: Rev. Shumyo Kojima Roshi and the lay leadership at Zenshuji Soto Mission in Los Angeles; Rev. Mumon Savoy and the Jirando la Rueda del Dharma (Turning the Dharma Wheel) sangha in Veracruz Mexico; and Rev. Sozui Schubert at Hidden Valley Zen Center in San Marcos CA. Recently at the Cedar Rapids Zen Center she served for six months as interim practice director following the death of founding teacher Rev. Jien Zuiko Redding. Dōshin currently lives in San Diego with her spouse of 32 years.

In this issue:
​
  • Commentary: Balconies
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday dharma talks on Youtube
  • From our directors: New board member Doshin Johnson
  • Other news: Introducing Sanshin Source
  • Practice recap: Six Points discussion series complete; Being Old​ disussion series underway; January work morning
  • Coming up: Tangible Thusness 2025; Nyoho workshop with Koun Franz; Quiet February practice schedule; Buddhist Essentials series; Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: ​New Year's greetings from Colombia and Rome
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New on the web

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108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 52 - 55 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon), which explore the four foundations of mindfulness, are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [52] The body as an abode of mindfulness
  • [53] Feeling as an abode of mindfulness
  • [54] Mind as an abode of mindfulness
  • [55] The Dharma as an abode of mindfulness

Sunday dharma talks on Youtube:
  • ​Dec 15th: Hoko on "nothing extra" ritual within Sanshin's practice vision
  • Dec 22nd: Hoko on ​nyoho: "according to dharma"
  • Dec 29th: Hoko on ​the 3 faces of nyoho: clothing, food, & shelter
  • Jan 5th: Okumura Roshi on ​Opening the Hand of Thought
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Other news

Introducing Sanshin Source: Sanshin Source is Sanshin Zen Community's newly available and continuously evolving online library of context and in-depth information about our style of practice within the Soto Zen tradition.  It serves as a partner-site to our main operational website (www.sanshinji.org), with many linkages growing between the two sites over time. Anyone is welcome to peruse and study these resources as our collection continues to grow.  We've organized the content according to our practice vision diagram so that you can see the relationships between the elements.  Intersecting these elements with each other gives interesting new insights into our practice. Watch for new content throughout the year and beyond -- may it support us in understanding our practice and practicing our understanding.
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Practice recap

​Six Points discussion series complete: Throughout 2024, practitioners gathered at Sanshin and virtually from home for a bimonthly series of teachings and discussions exploring Sanshin's six points of practice, as part of last year's practice theme, lineage & legacy. On December 19th, we discussed Dogen's teaching of ehou ichinyo (kesa and dharma are one) as an essential aspect of Sawaki Roshi's legacy and our practice today at Sanshin. Thanks all for your participation throughout 2024.

​A recording of Hoko's opening remarks for the evening can be viewed at right, and a playlist of her opening remarks from these discussions throughout last year can be found on our Youtube channel. 
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Being Old discussion series underway: More than two dozen practitioners have come together online for the opening sessions of a three part discussion series on ​The Zen Practice of Being Old led by longtime friend of Sanshin and respected teacher in her own right, Tonen O'Connor. Discussions have revolved around new opportunities for practice and dharma insights available at 70 years of age and beyond that differ from the experience of our younger years. Participation has ranged from Bloomington to Vermont to Australia.
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Winter work practice: In the midst of cold, snowy weather over the past few weeks in Bloomington, work practice has focused around shoveling snow so that we can continue to gather and practice, and tending to various tasks inside the temple. In early January, Hosshin led the process of installing a new monitor on the wall in the corner of the zendo, replacing our previous (damaged) monitor, and allowing for a greater sense of the presence and involvement of practitioners who regularly join us virtually via Zoom.

​On our January work day, Esho led our more or less biannual process for converting used beeswax candle trimmings into a new batch of candles for our altars, Hoko expanded our used dharma book shelves, Chris and Sawyer undertook a temple technology inventory, and Hosshin completed months-long work on the wood valance over the Manjushri altar in the zendo. Our next work day is scheduled for Sunday, March 2nd.
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Coming up

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Tangible Thusness in 2025: Following our practice theme for 2024, lineage and legacy, in 2025 we embark on an exploration we're calling Tangible Thusness​, a deep investigation of the teachings of nyoho, or things done or made according to the dharma.  Here at Sanshin, we sometimes put a lot of attention on seemingly-abstract teachings from the Buddha, Dogen, and our 20th century ancestors; Tangible Thusness is our opportunity to experience the truth of these teachings in our concrete, everyday lives.

​
Over three four-month segments, beginning this month with clothing, we'll explore each of the traditional three faces of nyoho (clothing, food, & shelter) in turn, seeing what we can learn about the specific face and also how we can apply those teachings throughout our practice life, in and out of the temple. ​LEARN MORE


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Nyoho: The Dharma of Just This 
​
(registration closing Tuesday, Jan 21)

A one-day workshop led by Koun Franz
Saturday, January 25th from ​9 am - 5 pm

There is a tradition—within the Soto Zen tradition—called nyohō, a practice of exploring the dharma as it’s expressed through the material world around us.
 These teachings offer a way for us to touch, smell, taste, view, and hear the dharma—to hold it in our hands. They invite us not only to consider our practice in terms of the Buddha's original teachings but also to take creative responsibility for it in each moment.

Join Koun for a day which will frame our year of Tangible Thusness, exploring n
yohō teachings and practice as a sangha throughout 2025. In-person and virtual participation is welcome.

Koun, who leads practice at Thousand Harbours Zen in Nova Scotia, has traveled to Bloomington to lead workshops at Sanshin a couple of times over the years, including one also focused on nyoho, and one examining Keizan Zenji's writing, Zazen Yojinki. Koun is also a member of the advisory committee for our Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER by Tues, Jan 21st


Quiet February simplified practice schedule: During February and August at Sanshin, the regular practice schedule becomes quieter, less busy, and more focused on zazen. We let go of chanting services and Shobogenzo Zuimonki readings on weekday mornings, most Sunday dharma talks (which are replaced by one more period of zazen), and all evening practice activities. Keep an eye on our Schedules & Calendars page to see how regular practice activities shift next month.

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Save-the-dates for Buddhist Essentials with Hoko:
​From Shakyamuni to Sanshin

Six Wednesday evenings, March 5th - April 9th
​

This spring, Hoko will lead a six-part lecture and discussion series tracing the connections between foundational Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and three marks of existence, through the development of Mahayana teachings and practice, and into the history of the Soto Zen tradition. We'll see how all of this underpins our day to day practice at Sanshin and beyond. The material is intended to be accessible and useful for all practitioners, whether beginner or experienced.  Those just establishing their practice are especially encouraged to attend in order to gain a firm foundation for zazen, work, study and ritual going forward as members of the sangha.

​Note that these sessions will replace our usual Wednesday evening dharma book discussions between March 5th and April 9th, and will allow extra time for Q&A, ending by 8:30 ET at the latest each evening. Virtual and in-person participation is welcome and encouraged.


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Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin (Mar 6 - 9): Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen without distraction. We dedicate our March sesshin each year to the memory of Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, the teacher of our founder, Shohaku Okumura and author of the foundational book Opening the Hand of Thought.  As he is one of the main shapers of our style of practice, we can't help but be grateful for his life and practice.  He died on March 13, 1998.  We will hold a brief memorial service following the usual Sunday morning zazen and dharma talk, given by Okumura Roshi himself.
​LEARN MORE & REGISTER

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Sanshin Network: New Year's greetings

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“May this New Year be a time of Peace and Harmony, liberated from greed, hatred and ignorance... " From the eko (dedication) of the New Year's Greetings Ceremony on January 3rd, 2025 at Anshinji, Rome, Italy.
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Soto Zen Colombia, founded by Densho Quintero.
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PictureA sangha greeter, sculpted by Masaki
​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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide.  Your generous support will be used to make sure Sanshin-style teaching and practice remains available.  Thank you!
0 Comments

Sangha News for December

12/16/2024

1 Comment

 

Commentary

Dogen's Chinese Poems (84)
Ninety Days in Buddha's Hand

Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

​
183. Dharma Hall Discourse at the Closing of Summer Practice Period [1246]
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We have played for ninety days with Gautama’s single hand.
Extending a trusty hand, he passed along a wooden ladle by the handle.
Consequently, clouds and water monks in the monastery
who practice repentance are joyful together.


​This particular Dharma hall discourse was given on the occasion of the end of the summer practice period in 1246. One month before, on the fifteenth day of the sixth month, Dōgen had completed writing Pure Standards for the Temple Administrators (知事清規, Chiji Shingi). On the same day, he changed the temple’s name from Daibutsuji (大仏寺) to Eiheiji (永平寺). In the Dharma hall discourse in which he declared the changing of the temple’s name, he used the famous expression, “Above the heaven and below the heaven, this very place is Eihei (Eternal Peace), (天上天下当処永平, tenjō tenga tōsho Eihei).[5]

Around this time, Dōgen completed writing the 75-fascicle version of Shōbōgenzō. The final, 75th fascicle, Leaving Home (出家, Shukke) was written after this practice period, in the 9th month in 1246. From this year on, he writes the fascicles which are included in the twelve-fascicle version of Shōbōgenzō, and he revised already-written fascicles as necessary. Otherwise, giving Dharma hall discourses becomes the main teaching activity for him. This particular summer practice period must have been a monumental event in Dōgen’s life. READ MORE
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News

​Fund appeal continues: Coming together with the sangha to take care of our practice and our temple is just an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. 

​Many thanks to those who have contributed so far to our annual fundraising appeal -- there's still time to participate, through offerings of any size. It is due to the the continued support of our beloved dharma community, that Sanshin Zen Community remains a warm and vibrant home for the Dharma to flourish. But we still have room to grow! Learn more about our Fall 2024 Fund Appeal.
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Funds raised so far: $22,017

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*As of Dec 15th. For each thousand dollars we raise together, we'll color in a square of Indra's Net -- a symbol of interconnectedness often referenced by Okumura Roshi. Thank you for your participation and practice.
In this issue:
  • Commentary: Ninety days in Buddha's hand
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday dharma talks on Youtube
  • News: Fund appeal continues; Sanshin clergy at Sotoshu conference; Esho teaches enso to university students; DePauw University Buddhist club visits Sanshin
  • Practice recap: November work morning; Rohatsu sesshin and ceremony
  • Coming up: Ryaku fusatsu; Six Points discussion # 6; The Zen Practice of Being Old with Tonen O'Connor; Nyoho workshop with Koun Franz
  • Sanshin Network: ​News from Japan, New York, and Europe
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New on the web

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108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 47 - 51 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • ​[47] The mind without enmity and intimacy 
  • [48] Hidden expedient means 
  • ​[49] Equality of all elements
  • [50] The sense organs 
  • [51] Realization of nonappearance

Dharma talks on Youtube:
  • Oct 27th: Hoko on dharma study within Sanshin's practice vision
  • Nov 24th: Hoko on work practice within Sanshin's practice vision
  • Dec 8:​ Okumura Roshi on Buddha's awakening & losing our eyeballs

​Sanshin clergy at Sotoshu conference: Sanshin was well-represented at the 2024 Sotoshu conference at Zenshuji in Los Angeles.  Hoko, Myogen and Esho attended from Bloomington, Shoryu came in from Arkansas, as well as Eido and Onryu from Minnesota and Doshin from Iowa.  Attendees tended to general denominational business before hearing about and discussing several new translations of texts by Keizan Zenji.  Hoko is also the vice president and communications officer for Soto Zen North America, a newly forming organization being created to eventually take over some of the functions of the denomination in North America, and she delivered an update presentation at the conference.  ​
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Hoko presents.
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Esho & Shoryu await a flight.

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Esho teaches enso​: Esho offered teachings about ensō to a group of students enrolled in a course on Japanese language and culture at the Indianapolis campus of Indiana University, in mid-November. In Zen art, an ensō (円相, "circular form") is a circle hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express the Zen mind, which is associated with enlightenment, emptiness, and freedom. Esho's presentation included a short lecture on the history of ensō, a demonstration of drawing an ensō, and finally a brief period of guided meditation as preparation for several rounds of the students drawing their own ensō.
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Sawyer accompanied Esho to Indianapolis, assisting with transportation and setup, and learning about enso together with the students.

Students visit Sanshin: Members of DePauw University's Buddhist club traveled to Bloomington from Greencastle, IN to participate in regular Sunday practice at Sanshin on November 24th. After some brief instruction, the group of about 15 students participated in zazen, listened to Hoko's dharma talk, and met the sangha during informal tea afterwards.
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Sawyer demonstrates zendo forms.
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It was a full house in the zendo, which was rearranged during zazen to accommodate the visitors.
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Practice recap

​November work morning: The sangha gathered for monthly work practice on the morning of Sunday, November 17th, following zazen and our monthly World Peace Ceremony. Practitioners worked to rake leaves off the lawn and into a future native woodland area on the northeast corner of our grounds, planted bulbs and native wildflower seeds as part of an effort to supply our altars with season-long homegrown flowers next year, and repaired our limping electric lawnmower.

Rohatsu sesshin & ceremony: A close-knit group of five practitioners carried out this year's 7-day Rohatsu sesshin. Several others participated in extended portions of the sesshin, supplied ingredients and cooked meals, dropped in occasionally for periods of zazen, and/or joined the group for the formal tea and late night zazen periods leading up to the Rohatsu Heart Sutra service at midnight on December 8th. Since December 8th (the traditional date marking Shakyamuni Buddha's awakening) this year fell on a Sunday, local practitioners joined sesshin participants for a potluck breakfast that morning, followed by regular Sunday practice including a dharma talk from Okumura Roshi and a Rohatsu ceremony with the wider sangha.
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This sesshin incorporated the largest harvest from our sesshin garden this year, with sangha-grown daikon radishes, turnips, arugula, sweet potatoes, kale, and Napa cabbage directly supporting our own practice.
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Coming up

Ryaku fusatsu tonight (Mon, Dec 16 at 7 pm ET): Join us this evening, virtually or in-person, for our monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremony. We carry out this ceremony on the Monday evening closest to the 15th each month, as a regular renewal of our aspiration to practice with the sixteen bodhisattva precepts. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you've formally received the precepts. ​If attending in person, please show up by 6:50 pm, to allow enough time for offering incense and purifying rakusu or okesa (if you have one) before the ceremony.
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We'll mark the 59th anniversary of Sawaki Roshi's death with a brief memorial service on Sunday, Dec 21st.
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​Six Points discussion #6 (Thurs, Dec 19th):
Deeply inquiring into the teaching of ehou ichinyo: kesa and dharma are one
  • 6:30 - 7 pm (ET): Zazen
  • 7 - 8 pm: Discussion

Whether or not we've taken precepts and wear rakusu or okesa, we'll learn more about the importance of Sawaki Roshi's leadership in the 20th century nyoho-e movement, and begin looking into the teaching of ehou ichinyo: kesa and dharma are one.  Earlier this year, Sanshin launched the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury, an effort to collect and offer the most complete and accurate set of resources possible related specifically to our dharma great-grandfather’s nyoho-e teachings and practices.
How does the Buddha's robe embody our practice of the Buddha's teachings?

​
Virtual and in-person participation is welcome; just drop in, no registration necessary. Learn more and check out Hoko's opening remarks from past discussions on our lineage & legacy webpage.

The Zen Practice of Being Old​: 
​
Three-part online discussion series for practitioners age 70+
Jan 9th, 16th, & 23rd, 2025 from 2 - 3:30 pm ET 
​with Rev. Tonen O'Connor


A few spaces remain for Zen practitioners age 70+ to join Tonen O'Connor, resident teacher emerita of the Milwaukee Zen Center and former Sanshin board member, for a series of three afternoon virtual discussions this January about new dharma gates that appear as we age. This series is not about "spirituality for positive aging," nor is it about "achieving graceful elder years." It is about new opportunities for practice.
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Tonen looks out to sea during travels in Japan.
The discussions will focus on the practice opportunities and dharma insights available at 70 years of age and beyond that differ from the experience of our younger years. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

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​Koun Franz was born in Helena, Montana. He was ordained in 2001, then trained at Zuioji and Shogoji monasteries. Koun and his family now live in Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia), where he leads practice at Sensōji (Thousand Harbours Temple) and also works as a counseling therapist.
Nyohō: The Dharma of Just This
A one-day workshop led by Koun Franz
Saturday, January 25th from ​9 am - 5 pm

There is a tradition—within the Soto Zen tradition—called nyohō, a practice of exploring the dharma as it’s expressed through the material world around us.
 These teachings offer a way for us to touch, smell, taste, view, and hear the dharma—to hold it in our hands. They invite us not only to consider our practice in terms of the Buddha's original teachings but also to take creative responsibility for it in each moment.

Join Koun for a day which will frame our year of Tangible Thusness, exploring n
yohō teachings and practice as a sangha throughout 2025.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
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Sanshin Network

Issan and European sanghas in Japan: Issan Koyama, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi, coordinated with several European dharma heirs and organizations carrying out "sangha pilgrimage tours" in Japan between October and December this year. These travels included visits to Buddhist and historic sites in Tokyo, Kyōto, Fukui, Matsumoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Kamakura and Kōfu. Learn more at Issan's New York Zen Community for Dogen Study Facebook page.
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Doryu, Issan, and Gyoetsu at Eiheiji.
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Mokusho, Francoise & company at Muryoji.
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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!
1 Comment

Sangha News for November

11/15/2024

0 Comments

 

Monthly Commentaries

Dogen's Chinese Poems (83)
Dwelling Thoroughly in the Mountains

Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

2. Informal Meeting on New Year's Eve
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With more than three hundred pieces of empty sky
I can buy one branch of plum blossoms at the end of the twelfth month,
which, with auspicious clouds at the top of the cliff and the moon above the cold valley,
Contains spring and warmth promising sounds of laughter.


This shōsan (小参, Informal Meeting) presentation on New Year’s Eve is too long to quote in this article. Dōgen’s main point is to praise abiding and practicing in the mountains. I suppose this was given shortly after their annual monastic practice was established at Daibutsuji in 1245. When he wrote Shōbōgenzō Mountains and Waters Sutra (山水経, Sansuikyō) in 1240, “mountain” was still a somewhat poetic and philosophical image of the Buddhadharma. But now, Dōgen Zenji and his community lived and practiced in the remote mountains entirely covered with deep snow.

It is interesting to me that while Dōgen was living in Kyoto, the capital city, he had the opposite opinion. I think it is fortunate for us that Dōgen mentioned both sides and had to make a choice because of the conditions in his time and of his sangha. Sometimes, we must make such a choice: whether we should share the dharma and practice with more people, or keep our practice strong and the sangha small with only determined practitioners.
​READ MORE

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Adornments
Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

When putting on adornments,
I vow with all beings
to give up phony decoration
and reach the abode of truth.

Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with getting dressed up or having an attractive home. Sometimes we make that extra effort because we care about those we will meet or host. We don’t show up at a wedding wearing a sweatshirt and we don’t use a shabby tablecloth when throwing a dinner party. We want to be part of creating a special and beautiful experience for everyone.
​
However, of course, there’s always a bit of ego involved with decoration, and I suggest that that’s what the “phony” in this gāthā is about. If adornment is aimed at convincing ourselves and others that things are other than they are, we’re setting the stage for suffering. This gāthā asks us to consider the nature of beauty, and by extension, the nature of value and worth. READ MORE
In this issue:
  • Commentaries: Dwelling thoroughly in the mountains; Adornments
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday talks on Youtube
  • From our directors: Amid the season
  • Other news: Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury; Public Sotoshu online dharma talk; A call for Sanshin photos
  • Practice recap: Virtual dharma study intensive; Six Points discussion #5; Closing out the garden season
  • Coming up: Nov work day; Ryaku fusatsu; Rohatsu sesshin; The Zen Practice of Being Old
  • Sanshin Network: News from Japan
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New on the web

108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 43 - 46 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [43] Pursuit of abundant knowledge
  • [44] Right means
  • [45] Knowledge of names and forms 
  • [46] The view to expiate causes 

Sunday dharma talks on Youtube:
  • Oct 13th: Okumura Roshi on the meaning & practice of "Sanshin" ("3 Minds"): OHT #254
  • Oct 20th: Hoko on zazen & sesshin within Sanshin's practice vision
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From our treasurer

Gene Kishin Elias​

Amid the season
For helping and good tidings,
Will you help Sanshin?


Whether our year-end traditions include Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah or Rōhatsu, it's a good time to reflect and find harmony within ourselves, our community and our environment. ​​When we settle ourselves and see our world with wisdom and compassion, noticing how we support and are supported by all beings, giving arises naturally.
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Funds raised so far: $8065*

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*As of Nov 13th. For each thousand dollars we raise together, we'll color in a square of Indra's Net.  Coming together with the sangha to take care of our practice and our temple is just an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Learn more about our Fall 2024 Fund Appeal.
With the election behind us and requests for political contributions no longer coming in, we can turn our attention -- and our financial support -- to enabling zazen, work, study and ritual at Sanshin.  This year alone, contributions to political parties and candidates generated $7.6 billion, and if Sanshin had just 0.0125% of those contributions, we could dissolve our Development Committee, paint our facility, build a new zendo, replace our roof, increase our teaching, research and study, and establish a permanent residential practice.  Dollars for the dharma can go a long way!

Sanshin's fund drive is an opportunity to invest in the future of Soto Zen practice in North America through supporting your own sangha and temple.  If you're able to make a contribution of any size, or increase your current level of giving, it will be greatly appreciated.  Please email me with your questions about Sanshin's finances and plans.  Thank you for your support, and may your life be filled with joy, magnanimity and nurturing.
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Other News

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Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury: 
​
Nyoho-e has no market value
A brief teaching from Okumura Roshi

​
The monks [in the early sangha] washed abandoned rags and then cut off only the unstained pieces. They sewed those pieces together and made their robes. Those rags found in the grave yard or on the street had no market value any more; they were just abandoned, so the monks could take them without other people objecting. A robe made this way is free from greed or desires. READ MORE


​Public online talk from Sotoshu representative (Nov 19th):

Zoom meeting information for a public dharma talk (in English) sponsored by the Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office is offered below:

​November 19, 2024 05:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86572619045
Meeting ID: 865 7261 9045


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Do you have photos of Sanshin history?
Our thanks go out to longtime friend of Sanshin Barb Corson for contributing several vintage photos to our archive from her own collection.  We're always interested in receiving images that capture Sanshin's history.  If you've been here and taken photos that are now lurking in your own files, please consider sharing them with Sanshin so that we can document our story.
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Practice recap

​Virtual dharma study intensive:​ From Nov 1st - 10th, about sixty practitioners participated from throughout the U. S. and beyond via Zoom in a 10-day dharma study intensive with Okumura Roshi, focused on Dogen Zenji's early text Gakudo Yojinshu (Points to Watch in Studying the Way).

​The schedule consisted simply of a lecture and Q & A with Okumura Roshi each morning, which practitioners folded into their own schedules of zazen and day to day responsibilities and practice from home. A small support crew was present in-person to facilitate technical and zendo needs. This event is the successor to the genzo-e retreats of the past twenty years, and is held online twice a year.  The next one will be carried out in May of 2025, with the topic TBA.
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​Six Points discussion #5:
Work practice as an investigation of community

A group of practitioners gathered at Sanshin and virtually from home on November 14th to sit zazen and then discuss the fifth of the six points of practice fundamental to Sanshin's mission and practice vision: work practice as an investigation of community. A recording of Hoko's opening remarks for the evening will be made available soon. See other Six Points talks on our Youtube channel. 

As part of our yearlong investigation of lineage & legacy​, we'll discuss the sixth and final point, deeply encountering the teaching of ehou ichinyo (dharma and Buddha's robe are one), on December 19.


​Closing out the garden season: Though we still have some daikon radishes, turnips, kale, arugula, and Swiss chard in the ground yet to harvest for Rohatsu sesshin, much of our garden caretaking practice this month has focused on putting the garden "to bed" for the winter. To help ensure next year's garden fertility, local practitioner Michael shared seeds for overwintering cover crops and journeyed with Sawyer to local farm T7 Ranch to gather cow manure. Many thanks all around to the many beings who have contributed to this year's growing efforts, whether watering, planting, harvesting, fertilizing, or eating during sesshin, retreats, and workshops throughout the year.
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In mid-October, several practitioners gathered to harvest sweet potatoes, which will likely end up in our oryoki bowls this Rohatsu sesshin.
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Coming up

​November work morning (10:30 am - 1 pm) this Sunday, Nov 17th: This Sunday we'll gather for a work morning, following regular zazen at 9:10 am and our monthly World Peace Ceremony. Hosshin will lead a few practitioners on projects inside the temple, and Sawyer and Esho will coordinate work around some fall flower planting. All are welcome to participate in this monthly opportunity to engage body and mind and actively study interconnectedness as a sangha.

​Ryaku fusatsu (Mon, Nov 18th at 7pm): This Monday we'll hold our monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremony. We carry out this ceremony on the Monday evening closest to the 15th each month, as a regular renewal of our aspiration to practice with the sixteen bodhisattva precepts. Virtual and in-person participation is welcome, regardless of whether or not you've formally received the precepts. ​If attending in person, please show up by 6:50 pm, to allow enough time for offering incense and purifying rakusu or okesa (if you have one) before the ceremony.

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​Rohatsu sesshin: Registration for our 8-day Rohatsu sesshin is open through next Friday, Nov 22nd. You can register for the whole sesshin or for a selection of full days. Rohatsu is carried out each year across the Buddhist world in recognition of Shakyamuni's awakening under the bodhi tree. Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen 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. Learn more and register here.

The Zen Practice of Being Old​: 
​
Three-part online discussion series for practitioners age 70+
Jan 9th, 16th, & 23rd, 2025 from 2 - 3:30 pm ET 
​with Rev. Tonen O'Connor


Zen practitioners age 70+ are invited to join Tonen O'Connor, resident teacher emerita of the Milwaukee Zen Center and former Sanshin board member, for a series of three afternoon virtual discussions this January about new dharma gates that appear as we age. This series is not about "spirituality for positive aging," nor is it about "achieving graceful elder years." It is about new opportunities for practice. The discussions will focus on the practice opportunities and dharma insights available at 70 years of age and beyond that differ from the experience of our younger years. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
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Mountains of Echigo Yuzawa, photographed by Tonen & friends while traveling in Japan
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Sanshin Network

Sanshin visitors at Muryoji: Muryoji, in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, is the home temple of Aoyama Shundo Roshi, a well known and respected Soto Zen teacher. Jisho Takahashi, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi who currently lives and practices at Muryoji, helped to guide and coordinate visits there from several other Sanshin Network teachers and practitioners in October.
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On October 25, a total of 18 people, including Okumura Roshi's dharma heirs Mokusho DePreay from Belgium and Issan Koyama from New York along with several of their sangha members, visited Muryoji. Rev. Jokei Lambert, who translated and published Aoyama Roshi's book Hana-ujyo (Flowers, Mirrors of Our Lives) this year, was also present. 
​

Jisho gave a tour of the temple, and the group experienced hanayose, a kind of ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arrangement), and observed the tea ceremony practice.
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Doju Layton, an ordained student of Okumura Roshi, and his partner Alli Gillet, who received lay precepts at Sanshin earlier this year, traveled in Japan for a few weeks before Doju's six-month stay at the training temple Kotaiji -- including a visit to Jisho and Muryoji in mid-October. Alli reports, "They were such a warm and welcoming sangha that it was hard to say goodbye. We felt like we were part of their family even though we only spent just a couple of days with them."
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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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Sangha News for October

10/15/2024

0 Comments

 

Monthly Commentaries

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Dogen's Chinese Poems (82)
Feeding sixteen-foot grasses to the water buffalo

Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

326. Dharma Hall Discourse for the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month Celebration [1249]

The fifth day of the fifth month is the Festival of the Center of Heaven,
when Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī appear as worldly people,
and pick a sixteen-foot stalk of grass
to nurture the water buffalo of Guishan.


In the second line, 遍吉 (Ch. Bianji, Jp. Henkitsu) refers to Samantabhadra, and 文殊 (Ch. Wenshu,Jp. Monju) refers to Mañjuśrī. Samantabhadra bodhisattva sitting on an elephant is the symbol of great practice and Mañjuśrī bodhisattva sitting on a lion is the symbol of wisdom. These bodhisattvas are often enshrined as the attendants of Shakyamuni Buddha. On this day, the great bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī follow the worldly custom and collect medicinal plants. Probably Dōgen refers to the monks at Eiheiji, who practice following Samantabhadra and study true dharma following Mañjuśrī, and who also collect medicinal plants to celebrate the festival on the fifth day of the fifth month. They might put in the bath a bundle of calamus (Japanese iris, or sword lily) which has sword-shaped leaves and a strong fragrance, as common people in lay society do.

However, the grass they pick is not a common medicinal plant. “And pick a sixteen-foot stalk of grass” is a translation of 拈來一茎丈六草 (
nenrai ikkyō jōroku sō). 拈來 (nenrai) is “to pick or hold and come.” The rest of the line is made up of two words一茎草 (ikkyōsō) meaning one stalk of grass, and 丈六 (jōroku), sixteen-foot. Jōroku is an abbreviation of丈六金身 (jōroku konjin), meaning sixteen-foot golden body [of the Buddha]. The name of this grass is a combination of “one stalk of grass” and “sixteen-foot golden-body [of the Buddha].” READ MORE

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I Vow With All Beings: 
Palace rooms

Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

If I'm in palace rooms,
I vow with all beings
to enter the sanctified state,
forever rid of defiled craving.

This gāthā asks us to consider what sacred space is, and to look carefully at the distinction between purity and defilement. Is an opulent palace always a place of delusion, filled with glittering objects of attachment? Is a zendo or Buddha Hall always a place of sanctity?

[A palace] would seem to be the very opposite of a Buddhist space, but North American practitioners are sometimes surprised by the ornateness of Zen temples in Japan, expecting austere rooms with little color. Instead, they usually find very large altars covered in shiny and colorful brocade hangings, gold trim, and multiple kinds of offerings and fixtures. The temples may own and display important and valuable works of art, manuscripts, artifacts and robes. How is this different from palace rooms? READ MORE


In this issue:
  • Commentaries: Feeding sixteen-foot tall grasses to the water buffalo; Palace rooms
  • Fall fund appeal: Practicing Today, Building Our Future Together
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday talks on Youtube​
  • Practice recap: Six Points discussion #4; Sangha Stewardship workshop; Work practice; Hoko completes talk series; Okumura Roshi's talk for Silent Thunder Order retreat
  • Coming up: Virtual dharma study intensive (Nov 1 - 10); Six points discussion #5; Ryaku fusatsu; Rohatsu sesshin
  • Sanshin Network: News from Japan, Colombia, and Austria

New on the web

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​108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 38 - 42 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [38] Reflection on impurity 
  • [39] Not to quarrel
  • [40] Not being foolish
  • [41] Enjoyment of the meaning of the Dharma
  • [42] Love of Dharma illumination

Sunday talks on Youtube:
  • Sep 15 -- Hoko on Gate 108: From one state to another
  • Sep 22 -- Doju on practicing patience
  • Sep 29 -- Hoko on Gate 109: Water sprinkled on the head

Fall Fund Appeal: Practicing Today, Building Our Future Together

This is the time of year when Sanshin Zen Community gathers together offerings of financial support and looks to what's ahead. ​​
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Funds raised so far: $3090*

*As of Oct 13th. For each thousand dollars we raise together in support of the dharma and our practice, we'll color in a square in Indra's Net. Thank you for your participation and practice.
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"Whether we give or we receive, we connect ourselves with all beings throughout the world." -- ​Eihei Dogen Zenji
Throughout this year, Sanshin has kept expenses under budget while offering important opportunities for practice, but we are falling short on our projected annual donations. To address our deficit, we are committed to raising $50,000 together by December 31st so that we can balance our 2024 budget.

In the same way that work practice is not simply volunteer work, offering financial support as a part of the sangha is not simply giving a handout.  Both are the practice of being in a dharma community and investigating the nature of giving and receiving.  Is there really someone giving and receiving something, or is there simply a call and response that arise together, without separation?

Financial contributions of any amount are appreciated at any time. For further information and to donate, visit our Fall 2024 Fund Appeal webpage. ​​

Practice recap

Six points discussion #4:
​Dharma study as a support for zazen


A group of practitioners gathered at Sanshin and virtually from home on September 26th to sit zazen and then discuss the fourth of the six points of practice fundamental to Sanshin's mission and practice vision: dharma study as a support for zazen. A recording of Hoko's opening remarks for the evening is available at right and on our Youtube channel. 

As part of our yearlong investigation of lineage & legacy​, we'll discuss the fifth point, work practice as an investigation of community, on Thursday, November 14th.
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​Sangha Stewardship workshop: 
Introduction to the role of director


Practitioners explored the theme of dharma center board directorship as bodhisattva practice through a day of study, discussion, and zazen with Hoko on October 5th. This was the second and final Sangha Stewardship workshop of the year at Sanshin, the first being focused on the roles of the tenzo and ino. Recordings and resources based on the teachings explored in these workshops will be made available to sanghas and practitioners in the near future.


Work practice: The sangha gathered for our monthly work day on a warm, early-fall Sunday, October 6th. Practitioners weeded and cleared the moss garden of autumn leaves, continued piling up the "dead hedge" brush-pile fence on our northern boundary, and deep-cleaned our zendo altar cabinets and Okumura Roshi's office.

Throughout the month, practitioners continued to care for the sangha vegetable garden, including recent plantings of cold-hardy crops like kale, arugula, radishes, and turnips. This evening (Oct 15th), we'll harvest sweet potatoes ahead of a likely first frost! 
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The community garden staff have also encouraged us to harvest flowers from their public plots for offering on our altars.
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Hoko completes talk series: Hoko talked on Gate 109 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon​) on September 29th, completing her 8+ years-long gate-by-gate series of Sunday dharma talks. The sangha celebrated the occasion with a surprise offering of one of Hoko's oft-referenced dharma gates: cherry pie. Still not finished with this rich text, Hoko continues to convert these dharma talks into written commentaries, which are posted to our 108 Gates webpage each Monday.

​Okumura Roshi offers a talk: In coordination with Silent Thunder Order's fall retreat, which itself focused on teachings from the Sawaki-Uchiyama-Okumura lineage, Okumura Roshi offered a Sunday dharma talk for retreat participants via Zoom as well as for regular Sunday practice at Sanshin on Sunday, Oct 13th. 
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Coming up

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​Virtual dharma study intensive (Nov 1 - 10): Over the course of ten mornings (10am - noon ET) this November, Okumura Roshi will offer ten lectures on Eihei Dogen Zenji's Gakudo Yojinshu.  Dogen wrote and compiled this text in 1234, the year after he founded his first temple, Koshoji. It is thus thought to have been Dogen's first writing for his students as a guide for practice at Koshoji.

The dharma study intensive accommodates virtual participation only. Our intention is to make each lecture recording available to participants before the next day's lecture begins - these recordings will also remain available to registrants for a period of one month after the conclusion of the lecture series. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER (closes Tuesday, October 29th)

Six points discussion #5 (Nov 14):
Work practice as an investigation of community
  • 6:30 - 7 pm (EDT): Zazen
  • 7 - 8 pm: Discussion

We'll discover how work practice is an investigation of community rather than simply being volunteer work at the temple or in the world.  This is where we actively practice with the precepts, come to understand beneficial action, and directly experience the sangha as the virtue of peace and harmony.  At Sanshin, we are beginning particularly to focus on our relationship with the land and the food we eat.  How do we take our practice off the cushion and into our activities with the various communities in our lives?

Virtual and in-person participation is welcome. Learn more on our lineage & legacy webpage.
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Ryaku fusatsu ceremony (Nov 18): Our next ryaku fusatsu ceremony will be carried out on Monday, Nov 18th, at 7 pm ET. Ryaku fusatsu is our monthly ceremony of renewing our aspiration to practice with the sixteen bodhisattva precepts. All are welcome, in-person and virtually, whether or not you've formally received precepts. ​If attending in person, please show up by 6:50 pm, to allow enough time for offering incense and purifying rakusu or okesa (if you have one) before the ceremony.

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Rohatsu sesshin:  Registration for our 8-day Rohatsu sesshin is now open. Rohatsu sesshin is carried out each year across the Buddhist world in recognition of Shakyamuni's awakening under the bodhi tree. Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen 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. Learn more and register here.

​For complete information about our regular practice schedule and upcoming activities, visit our Schedules and Calendars webpage.
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Sanshin Network

Sanshin clergy in Japan: Two ordained students of Okumura Roshi, Doju Layton and Jikei Kido, will soon begin practicing in residence for several months at Kotaiji in Nagasaki prefecture, Japan, as part of their clergy credentialing processes with Sotoshu and their own ongoing practice and development as dharma leaders. There will be some overlap in their stays at Kotaiji, and for Jikei, it will be her second three-month period of practice at this training temple.
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Zen open house in Vienna: Shinko Hagn, an ordained student of Hoko in Vienna, Austria, recently opened a new place of practice called 1000 Hands House for his sangha and the wider community.
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Shinko reports: On October 5th, we held our first open house at the 1000 Hands House. The 1000 Hands House is the institutional umbrella that unites all our activities: Daijihi –the Soto-Zen sangha, 1000 Hands –our social project, and Shinkoko.at –the teashop. There was an introduction to Soto Zen, a Qigong trial lesson, a tea tasting in ritualized form, and an introduction to our social project. We had a lot of fun with the many visitors.

​Why 1000 hands? Our Sangha is called Daijihi, which is the Japanese translation of “boundless compassion." Todo-san translated this term for me many years ago when we founded our sangha. Kannon (Avalokithesvara in Sanskrit) is the manifestation of this. The 1000-armed Avalokithesvara, called Senju Kannon, is one of the six classical representations of Kannon in Japan. We have taken her as a symbolic figure for our actions because these 1000 hands emphasize the possibility of being able to help anyone at any time, and give them a hand. Thus, boundless compassion is particularly emphasized, and we can learn to go far beyond our small self. In October 2023, we took a walk through the center of Vienna with our dharma friend Rev. Aigo Castro from Spain. In the shop window of an antiques dealer, a 1000-armed Kannon suddenly appeared, more precisely a Guan Yin made of Dehua porcelain. A few days later, we discovered our new house and visited it for the first time. A few weeks later we acquired the Kannon statue and now she stands in the main room of our center as a protective deity. Aigo will do the eye-opening ceremony for her in mid-November.

Dogen study in Colombia: Densho Quintero, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi, recently gave a presentation on his new book Introduccion al Zen de Dogen, itself based on his study with Okumura Roshi. The event was held at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia and introduced by José Luis Mesa PhD, professor of the university's Faculty of Theology. More than eighty people were in attendance.
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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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LEARN MORE about our intention to raise $50,000 before the end of the year in support of our shared practice. Thank you for your participation and practice.
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Sangha News for September

9/16/2024

1 Comment

 

Monthly Commentaries

Picture1st to 4th century Mahayana Buddhist site, Nagarjunakonda Andhra Pradesh, India
Dogen's Chinese Poems (81)
Buddha nature beyond conditions

Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

439. Dharma Hall Discourse

All tathāgatas are without Buddha nature,
but at the same time, previously they have fully accomplished true awakening.
Bodhisattvas studying the way should know
how Buddha nature produces the conditions for Buddha nature.


​The concept of Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) came about during the period when the Middle Mahāyāna Sutras were created. The Mahāyāna Sutras created before Nāgarjuna (from the middle of the 2nd to the middle of the 3rd century C.E.) and which are quoted by him are called Early Mahāyāna sutras. These include sutras such as the Prajñā-pāramitā Sutras, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Pure-land sutras, and so on. Mahāyāna Sutras created after Nāgarjuna and before Vasubandhu (4th to 5th century C.E.) are called Middle Mahāyāna Sutras. I suppose this concept came about because of the Mahāyāna teaching which says that all living beings who have aroused bodhi-mind, and who have taken the bodhisattva precepts and the four general vows, have the possibility to become buddhas whether they are home leavers or lay practitioners. READ MORE


PictureMixed-media image Copyright©2024 Hoko Karnegis.
I Vow With All Beings: 
Festive occasions

Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

On festive occasions,
I vow with all beings
to wish that we enjoy ourselves with truth
and realize amusement's not real.


​Most of us love a celebration, whether a quiet, intimate event or a real blow-out. It means there’s something good going on, something so positive and important that we take the time to create special conditions to recognize it. Sometimes it’s an annual observance, like a birthday or New Year, and sometimes it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, like a graduation, ordination, or wedding. In any case, we put aside the everyday obligations and worries, gather some folks together, and have a joyful time. In the temple, festivals were traditionally held to mark seasonal changes, and activities included viewing cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, or the moon, accompanied by special dishes and prayers for well-being. Dōgen seems to have held such festivals with his monks, and on some occasions asked them to compose poems about their aspirations. READ MORE

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From our directors

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Sangha meeting recording available: Sanshin’s Board of Directors presented ‘Building our Future Together: Sanshin’s Long Range Plan,’  as part of our annual board retreat in early August. The presentation was followed by a public Q & A with the sangha. See here for a recording of the full conversation. ​

​The Long Range Plan includes 5 primary goals:
​
  • Realize and implement the mission and vision of Sanshin Zen Community 
  • Create and maintain sustainable practices and plans for the continued mission of Sanshin Zen Community
  • Support Shohaku Okumura as outlined in his employment contract and other planning documents
  • Update and add physical facilities as needed for the practice and administration of Sanshin Zen Community
  • Hire staff and update the current staffing model to meet the current and growing needs of Sanshin Zen Community

If you have questions about the Long Range Plan, please reach out to Laura Miller, our board vice-chair.

To offer financial support toward all five goals of the Plan, see our Giving to Sanshin page. 


Help us fix a leak in our roof!

A leak in my roof??
Oh my, a leak in my roof!!!
Help us fix the leak
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Gene Kishin Elias, Treasurer
In this issue:
  • Commentaries: ​Buddha nature beyond conditions; Festive occasions
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Sunday talks; Ceremony photos on Facebook
  • From our directors: Sangha meeting recording; Help fix a leak!
  • Other news: New translation at the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury; Ceramic dharma donations
  • Practice recap: Work day; September sesshin
  • Coming up: Virtual dharma study intensive; Ryaku fusatsu; Six Points discussion; Sangha Stewardship workshop; Sunday talk for ASZC
  • Sanshin Network: News from Italy
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New on the web

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108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 34 - 37 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [34] Inhibition of self-conceit
  • [35] The nonarising of ill-will
  • [36] Being without hindrances
  • [37] Belief and understanding

Recent Sunday talks on Youtube:​
  • Doju on Mara
  • Okumura Roshi on Opening the Hand of Thought (253)
  • Hoko on community, morality, and Gate 107: Beyond regressing & straying

Recent ceremony photos on Facebook:
  • Jukai-e (lay precepts ceremony) 2024
  • Myogen Mark Ahlstrom's ordination
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Every year we put together our budget, and in that document we try to anticipate what we may run into as "extra-ordinary" expenses.  As our facility ages, we accrue more and more expenses in keeping the place healthy and safe.  And, yes, we do actually have a leak in the roof; it's above Okumura Roshi’s office and library.  Our insurance may defer a portion of the repair cost, but of course we'll have a deductible to cover regardless.

And then there is the aging appliance that needs to be replaced.  And then there is the garden shed out back which has deteriorated to the point that it requires two IU Football linemen to assist us in opening its doors. And then there is…  well, you get the picture  – especially if you are a homeowner.

We strive every day to make sure your donations support the dharma, our teaching and practice, translations and research.  As we deal with the challenges of impermanence like everybody else, if you are in a position to enhance your financial support and help us meet our facilities expenses within the ebb and flow of your life, it would be greatly appreciated.  If you have questions about Sanshin's finances, please email me.  Thank you for your support, and may your life be filled with joy, magnanimity and nurturing.
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Other news

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​New translation at the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury:

The Robe and the Dharma are One Thusness

by Kōdō Sawaki
Translation by Michele Sevik and Issan Koyama


This is the robe of faith of no form. It is Buddha’s teaching itself. The kesa is ultimately the complete expression of Buddha Dharma. It pervades the entire universe and has immeasurable width and breadth. It is infinitely large and encompasses space in all directions. It is infinitely small and is present in the most incomprehensibly small spaces. It is exactly the Mind Seal of Liberation of No Form and Realization itself. READ MORE


Ceramic dharma donations: Sangha member Ed McEndarfer recently donated two pieces of ceramic dharma art to Sanshin, which have now found homes in our zendo and gardens.  Ed, a retired professor of fine arts and respected ceramic artist, has now moved from Bloomington to North Carolina.  Photos by local practitioner Reghan Stonier.
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This lotus bowl sculpture was made by Zoey Chen, a former ceramics student of Ed's at Indiana University, who went on to enter a Chan Buddhist monastery in Taiwan, her home country. See her artist statement at right.
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This piece, a 200-year-old antique from China, now serves as the incense burner on the Buddha altar.
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Practice recap

​Work practice: On September 1st, we emerged from our simplified Quiet August practice schedule into a full sangha work day. Inside the temple, Hosshin continued crafting the wood valance above the Manjushri altar. Out on the grounds, practitioners focused primarily on continuing to construct the "dead hedge" brush pile fence on our northern boundary.

​Looking towards the fall throughout the month in our sesshin vegetable garden, practitioners gathered once a week or so to plant and care for fall crops like sweet potatoes, Napa cabbages, daikon radishes, and arugula.
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Andrew sprinkles straw mulch

​September sesshin: Eight practitioners participated in a 3-day sesshin at Sanshin from September 5 - 8. In addition to beets from our own garden, much of the produce for our oryoki meals was sourced from Outlier Farmstead in Bloomington. Many thanks to local practitioner Eunyoung for donating a meal, to Esho for her steady practice in and out of the kitchen throughout sesshin, and to all those who participated in part or all of the sesshin, in-person and virtually from home. 

Click here to read Hoko's recent writing on Sanshin style sesshin practice. Our next sesshin is Rohatsu, marking and honoring Shakyamuni Buddha's awakening at the beginning of December.
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Coming up

Registration now open: Virtual dharma study intensive with Okumura Roshi
Nov 1 - 10, 2024
Over the course of ten mornings this November, Okumura Roshi will offer ten lectures on Eihei Dogen Zenji's Gakudo Yojinshu.  Dogen wrote and compiled this text in 1234, the year after he founded his first temple, Koshoji. It is thus thought to have been Dogen's first writing for his students as a guide for practice at Koshoji.

The dharma study intensive accommodates virtual participation only. Our intention is to make each lecture recording available to participants before the next day's lecture begins. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
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Ryaku fusatsu​ ceremony: Our monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremony will be carried out on Monday, Sep 16th, at 7 pm EDT. Ryaku fusatsu is our monthly ceremony of renewing our aspiration to practice with the sixteen bodhisattva precepts. All are welcome, in-person and virtually, whether or not you've formally received precepts.  The next ceremony will be October 14.

Six Points discussion #4: 
Dharma study as a support for zazen (Thursday, Sep 26) 
  • ​6:30 - 7 pm (EDT): Zazen
  • 7 - 8 pm: Discussion
​
We'll investigate how our engagement with dharma study supports our intensive focus on sitting.  It's not that we sit in order to understand the teachings of Dogen or the Buddha, it's the other way around.  What's the relationship between sitting on the cushion and studying a text?

Virtual and in-person participation is welcome. Learn more on our lineage & legacy webpage.
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Sangha Stewardship workshop with Hoko:
​Introduction to the role of director
Oct 4 & 5, 2024


Join us for a Sangha Stewardship workshop exploring the theme of dharma center board service as a bodhisattva practice. We hope that this workshop can be a part of fostering dialogue and support between dharma practice communities in our region. Whether you are a director yourself or just wish to learn more about and contribute to the harmonious governance and functioning of your practice community, you are welcome to join us this October. 
​LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Dharma talk by Okumura Roshi for Atlanta Soto Zen Center: Okumura Roshi will be giving a dharma talk on Sunday, October 13th at 10:30 am ET via Zoom as part of ASZC's fall retreat, which itself has the theme of  “Celebrating the Legacy of the Kodo Sawaki, Kosho Uchiyama & Shohaku Okumura Lineage.” To learn more about the retreat as whole, see ASZC's website.

Note that we will hold Sunday practice on that day, both virtually and in-person, adjusting our usual timing to align with ASZC's schedule. Thus, please note that the dharma talk begins twenty minutes later than the usual time, and that the usual timing of zazen will likely also be shifted. Stay tuned to our Schedules and Calendars page for updates in the coming days.
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Sanshin Network

Twenty-five years of practice: The sangha at Centro Zen Anshin, founded by Okumura Roshi's dharma heirs Gyoetsu Epifania and Doryu Capelli in Rome, gathered earlier this month to celebrate twenty five years since Gyoetsu's and Doryu's ordinations.
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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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide.  Your generous support will be used to make sure Sanshin-style teaching and practice remains available.  Thank you!
1 Comment

Sangha News for August

8/15/2024

0 Comments

 

Monthly commentaries

Dogen's Chinese Poems (80)
Washing a Painting of Breakfast

Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

436. Dharma Hall Discourse [1241]
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Green bamboo and peach blossoms are a painting.
Bottle gourd vines are entwined with gourds.
The barbarian’s beard is red, and there is also a red-bearded barbarian.
Having eaten breakfast, wash your bowls.


This is a short Dharma hall discourse. At the beginning of his speech, Dōgen Zenji introduces the kōan:

"I can remember, a monk asked Zhaozhou, 'This student has just entered the monastery. Please, master, give me some instruction.'
Zhaozhou asked, 'Have you eaten breakfast?'
The monk said, 'I have eaten.'
Zhaozhou said, 'Wash your bowls.'"

Then Dōgen continued, “The ancient Buddha Zhaozhou has spoken like this. Now I, Eihei, have a mountain verse.” After a pause, he recites this poem. This kōan about Zhaozhou’s (趙州從諗, Jōshu Jūshin, 778–897 CE) instruction to a newcomer is one of the popular stories in kōa collections. For all novice monks who haven’t already had the experience of monastic practice, one of the first things they need to learn is how to use ōryōki bowls and recite the meal chants from memory. Dōgen Zenji describes the whole process of formal ōryōki meals in The Dharma for Taking Food (赴粥飯法, Fushukuhanpō), the third section of Eihei Shingi​. Until we master the ritual of the ōryōki meal, it is not possible to enjoy the foods and the rest of monastic life.
READ MORE

PictureMixed-media image Copyright©2024 Hoko Karnegis
I Vow With All Beings: 
Attaining my desires

Commentary by Hoko Karnegis

WHEN ATTAINING MY DESIRES,
I VOW WITH ALL BEINGS
TO WISH THAT ALL BEINGS PULL OUT THE ARROWS OF LUST
AND REALIZE ULTIMATE PEACE.

​
How interesting that this gāthā does not shame us for having and achieving our desires, when we often hear that chasing after things and running away from things is at the root of our suffering. The Buddha’s four noble truths point out that ​our lives as karmic human beings are characterized by suffering because we have things we don’t want, we don’t have things we do want, or we’re worried that a currently acceptable situation will change. The cause of our suffering is desire; we want things to be other than they are, or, as Sawaki Rōshi said, “You suffer because you don’t want to accept what has to be accepted.” There is a way to release ourselves from this suffering: practice the eightfold path.
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Yet this gāthā sort of celebrates with us as we achieve what we want. I’ve gotten the life partner, the dream job, the new car, or the haircut I always wanted! What could be better? Now my life is really complete and I’m finally happy! There’s nothing more to do.

​Hmmm. Really? This gāthā reminds us that while we can certainly enjoy our success in this moment, we’ll soon be on the hunt for the next source of gratification. READ MORE

In this issue:
  • Commentaries: Washing a painting of breakfast; Attaining my desires
  • New on the web: 108 Gates; Shuso ceremony recordings
  • From our directors: Annual board retreat; Updated Dogen Institute mission statement
  • Other news: Bamboo giveaway complete
  • Practice recap: Six points discussion #3; July garden upkeep; Quiet August practice carries on; Recovery dharma group with Hosshin
  • Coming up: 3-day September sesshin; Sangha Stewardship workshop; Save-the-date for November virtual dharma study intensive
  • World religious landscape: In Asia, what makes you a Buddhist -- or not?
  • Sanshin Network: News from Austria, Colombia, France, Minnesota, and Danville, IN
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New on the web this month

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108 Gates: Hoko's written commentaries on gate statements 29 - 33 of the 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination (Ippyakuhachi Homyomon) are now available, together with study/discussion questions for groups or individuals. New commentaries are posted to our 108 Gates page each Monday.
  • [29] Repayment of kindness 
  • [30] No self-deception 
  • [31] To work for living beings 
  • [32] To work for the Dharma
  • [33] Awareness of time 

​Shuso ceremony activities on Youtube:
  • June 29th: Hoko on Baizhang's fox (Honsoku gyocha 2024)
  • June 30th: ​Esho's hossenshiki ceremony​
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From our directors

Sanshin's directors focus on board functioning at annual retreat  
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At its weekend retreat -- the first held in person since before the pandemic -- Sanshin's board of directors explored its own structures, culture, and effectiveness in serving the sangha and implementing its Long Range Plan (see below).  The August session included three days of meetings that included discussions with practice leaders and the larger sangha.
Long Range Plan: Central to the weekend's activities was a public sangha meeting and Q & A focused on a presentation of Sanshin's Long Range Plan, a document which is intended to guide Sanshin's operations and development over the next twelve to fifteen years.  A recording of the presentation and sangha meeting will be released in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out the article "Building Our Future Together" from our May newsletter for background on Sanshin's Long Range Plan.
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Functioning as a community: Board members discussed topics ranging from strategies for strengthening internal and external board communications to structures for maintaining and managing institutional knowledge such as regular policy reviews, and potential adjustments to the format and frequency of board meetings themselves to enhance effectiveness and workflow. They also formally approved the return of a development committee to engage in focused efforts at meeting Sanshin's fundraising goals. 
Board service as practice: Throughout the weekend, board members also particularly leaned into board leadership as practice by beginning and ending days with zazen and including liturgy and soji (temple cleaning) in their schedule -- and several local practitioners joined them in these activities.  Directors treated their time together not only as an annual meeting but as a true retreat, in order to fully integrate their practice with their purpose as a board. 
We thank all of our board members for their dedicated work and practice in stewarding our sangha, of which they themselves are an integral part.

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Updated mission statement for Dōgen Institute
David Thompson
Editor-in-Chief,
Dōgen Institute

Dōgen Institute is the educational outreach arm of the Sanshin Zen Community, and its existing mission statement outlines its role supporting the work of Okumura Rōshi. As part of the recently concluded annual retreat of the Sanshin Board of Directors, board member Karla Passalacqua and I presented an updated version of the DI mission statement, which the board formally endorsed:
 
“The mission of Dōgen Institute is to preserve and make available Shohaku Okumura Rōshi’s life work on Dōgen and to provide a venue for works on Dōgen by teachers from within the Sanshin Network and the Sōtō Zen community.”
 
The new mission statement re-emphasizes continued support for Okumura Rōshi, and adds a forward-looking statement outlining its role in support of the next generation of teachers and authors. DI remains focused on works by and about Dōgen, his tradition, and the themes which run through his teaching. The new statement offers a path of continuity into the future for the work of DI.
 
The new mission statement also offered us the opportunity to realign with Sanshin's current mission statement, updated in 2023. Both of these statements now reflect an updated understanding of Sanshin's mission as outlined in Senior Dharma Teacher Hoko Karnegis’ work on Sanshin style. We are grateful that we are able to publish this new mission statement in support of Hoko and the next generation of teachers. Karla and I understand the importance of DI's role as a venue for the ongoing work of bringing Buddhism into the West. We appreciate the support we have received over the years from our website readers, our book readers, our subscriber communities, our volunteers, and our staff.

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Other news

​Bamboo giveaway complete: Since the removal of the bamboo grove on temple grounds at the request of the City of Bloomington last August, Sanshin practitioner and operations manager Sawyer has been coordinating with the sangha, Bloomington farmers and gardeners, and a few local organizations to distribute the resulting bounty of sturdy cut poles for use in local small-scale agricultural endeavors (in addition to our own use as fencing in the moss garden and along our north boundary). Last month, the last of the bamboo was given away to a pair of local farmers and to Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a local food security and education organization in Bloomington, for distribution to gardeners in the community.
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Jake and Eliza of New Ground Farm measure out bamboo for use as tomato trellises
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Practice recap

Six Points discussion #3: A group of practitioners gathered at Sanshin and virtually from home on July 25th to sit zazen and then discuss the third of the six points of practice fundamental to Sanshin's mission and practice vision: balancing peace and progress.​ We discussed the significance of zazen and study in modern daily life so that we can at once maintain both 100% "progress" and 100% "peace of mind" -- a subtle practice theme which was very important in Uchiyama Roshi's life and teaching.

​A recording of Hoko's opening remarks for the evening is available at right and on our Youtube channel. We undertook this evening of study and practice as part of our yearlong exploration of lineage & legacy, and we'll take up each of the remaining three points on selected evenings this year (see our lineage & legacy​ page for the schedule and more).​ We'll discuss the fourth point (dharma study as a support for zazen) on Thursday, September 26th.
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Sesshin garden upkeep in July: Many thanks to Bloomington practitioners Esho, Owen, Rachel, Eunyoung, Chris, and Andrew for taking care of watering, weeding, trellising, and mulching needs in the sangha's sesshin garden while the project's main steward, Sawyer, was away traveling for three weeks in July. The sangha is enjoying tomatoes now, and we're on track for Swiss chard, Napa cabbage, and hopefully sweet potatoes and golden beets in time for September sesshin.
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Never alone in the garden, harlequin bugs had their way with our kale crop
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Sweet potatoes looking good (above ground, at least!)
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Quiet August practice carries on:  During February and August at Sanshin, the regular practice schedule becomes quieter, less busy, and more focused on zazen. We let go of chanting services and Shobogenzo Zuimonki readings on weekday mornings, most Sunday dharma talks (which are replaced by one more period of zazen), and all evening practice activities (except for our Getting Started in Zen Practice sessions, to keep open a meaningful access point during this quieter time for folks who are new to the practice or community).  Read more about our quiet months on this page.

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Mud and Lotus Collective recovery dharma group: Hosshin Shoaf, a practice leader at Sanshin and a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi, facilitates an in-person group that explores the intersection between Buddhist teachings and practice and addiction recovery.  Following 20 to 30 minutes of guided meditation, participants read and discuss books or other materials related to recovery and the dharma.  At the moment, the group is reading The Zen Way of Recovery; bring your own copy or just listen and follow along.  If you are interested in participating, simply attend as your life permits. There is no registration or fee; donations are welcome. The group meets on Thursdays from 6:30 - 8 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2120 N Fee Lane in Bloomington; enter at the north portico entrance.
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Coming up

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September 5 - 8 sesshin:  ​Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice zazen without distraction.  It's one of the core activities for us in this dharma family, and we pay a lot of attention to it.  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 look forward to practicing together!

We're offering some new resources to help participants better understand our style of sesshin.  See those here, particularly this comprehensive page on the origin and intention of Sanshin style sesshin.  You may also register on this page.

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Sangha Stewardship workshop with Hoko: Introduction to the role of director
Oct 4 & 5, 2024
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This October, Hoko will lead our second Sangha Stewardship workshop, this time exploring the role of director, particularly in a sangha board of directors context. Registration is now open, here. Whether your sangha is new and small with a more hands-on working board, or a larger community with a policy or governing board, service as a director can and should be a meaningful opportunity for bodhisattva practice, not just volunteer work.  

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Note that this workshop is aimed particularly at small sanghas in our region which may be ready to explore adding more structure to their communities or to move from being informal gatherings to legally recognized organizations.  Sanshin simply wants to contribute to the sustainability of smaller practice groups without resources in this area, helping them to get their feet under them, make good decisions, and continue to develop as healthy and viable sanghas.

​For more information and to register, visit our Sangha Stewardship webpage.

Save-the-date for virtual dharma study intensive (Nov 1 - 10) with Okumura Roshi: For this November's study intensive, Okumura Roshi will be offering ten online lectures on an updated translation of Eihei Dogen Zenji's Gakudo Yojinshu (Points to Watch in Practicing the Way). 

​Dogen wrote and compiled this text in 1234, the year after he founded his first temple, Koshoji. It is thus thought to have been Dogen's first writing for his students as a guide for practice at Koshoji. In this piece, Dogen picked out and discussed various points to be careful about in our practice, organized into ten short sections. Among these, Dogen put emphasis on seeing impermanence and arousing bodhi-mind as foundational to our practice.
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Registration for this virtual-only event is not yet open; stay tuned for further details in the coming weeks!
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World religious landscape

In Asia, what makes you a Buddhist -- or not?

Research newly released by the Pew Research Center shows that in Asia, engaging in certain practices makes one a Buddhist -- and engaging in others puts one outside of Buddhism.  Of course, there are variations by country, but overall:
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  • Clear majorities of Buddhists in most places surveyed say you cannot be truly Buddhist if you do not respect elders. In Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam, at least eight-in-ten Buddhists hold this view.​​
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A 231-foot tall Buddha statue in Bangkok, Thailand - visible from throughout the city
  • Buddhists across the region also say that someone cannot be truly Buddhist if they do not respect deities or spirits. Most Buddhists in almost all places surveyed say this, including 80% in Taiwan and 76% in Vietnam.
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  • In some places surveyed, Buddhists also see a need for people to respect their homelands to be considered truly Buddhist.  For example, in Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand – where Buddhism holds a special status under the national constitutions – most Buddhists say a person cannot be truly Buddhist if they do not respect Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, respectively.  This is also the majority view in some places, such as Vietnam and South Korea, where Buddhism does not hold a favored status under the constitution. But elsewhere in East Asia – including Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan – fewer than half of Buddhists take this view. ​
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​Pew also asked Buddhists in Asia if a person can be truly Buddhist if they:
  • Do not pray
  • Never go to temple or pagoda
  • Drink alcohol
  • Make offerings to or worship ancestors
On balance, Buddhists are less likely to see these actions as disqualifying someone from truly being a Buddhist than they are to say the same about disrespecting elders or disrespecting deities or spirits.   READ MORE
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Sanshin Network

Center "1000-Hände-Haus" opens in Vienna, Austria: Shinko Hagn, an ordained student of Sanshin's senior teacher Hoko Karnegis, reports that he and his sangha have established a new place of community practice in Vienna:
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"After three years of searching and some very dramatic experiences, we, Shinko and Koryu, have finally found a place to realize our practice project. We call it "1000-Hände-Haus" ("1000 Hands House"), a place of retreat in the middle of the city of Vienna in Austria, with a Soto Zen temple included. It is a place where we practice, work, study, take care of others and drink tea. A place that contains and reflects the whole of life. A place that is a refuge for people in need, a place of contemplative care. A place where we also do business, live, love and do many other things. Monasteries have always been a place of refuge as well as a place of business, which is why we modeled our center on these structures that have been around for centuries.
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Buddhism and economics are a difficult topic in the West, one could almost speak of a taboo. The view of monasticism here is characterized by the old idea of renouncing possession, of begging. This is also the case in most Buddhist traditions in Asia, but not in Japan. Many of our brothers in Japan have a regular job alongside their monastic vocation. Large monasteries are also commercial enterprises.
But how do we finance ourselves here in the West, especially in Europe, where philanthropy is not as big an issue as in the United States? One of the main reasons for this is certainly that countries in Central Europe provide state-organized social systems that cover many needs. In our culture, begging is considered offensive and immoral. There are no Buddhist monks on the streets chanting sutras and asking for alms. But in a way, we are beggars indeed, for we receive donations. Thanks to a generous donation from a foundation, we have been given a house in which we can realize our project. But we pay rent, and our project must be self-supporting. That will be a big challenge. The two of us work almost exclusively on a voluntary basis. We want to base our funding on three pillars: private donations, public funding and income from our business activities, i.e. our tea store shinkoko.at (unfortunately not
yet available in the USA).
Our house consists of a public area on the ground floor with a zendo, tea showroom, tasting room and communal kitchen. There are two offices, two guest rooms with three beds, and a guest bathroom. On the upper floors there are two apartments: one apartment (complete with kitchen and bathroom) is given to our pastoral care protégés. The second apartment is intended for our Zen community. The two of us currently live there, but there is room for two more residents. We can provide up to 10 beds for sesshins and retreats: there are 3 double rooms, one single room and three beds in the zendo.

We would like to invite the Sanshin community from all over the world to pay us a visit. You can stay for a few days or a few months, practice with us or even actively participate in the project. Looking forward to seeing you!"
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Dharma heirs gather for a week of teaching and practice in France:  From July 10th to 17th, three of Okumura Roshi's European dharma heirs (Shoju Mahler of Zendo l'Eau Vive Hosuiji in Ales, France, Doryu Cappelli of Anshin Zen Centre in Rome, Italy, and Mokusho Depreay of Centre Shikantaza in Mons, Belgium) took part in a retreat at the invitation of Jokei Ni, the abbess of Hokaiji in France. 

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Mokusho reports: ​"Each teacher gave one or two Dharma talks. The practitioners liked that very much. The teachers enjoyed it also. The teachers in our lineage were very happy to meet for this occasion, spend time together and get to know each other better. We decided to meet again in February 2025 not for a retreat but for a weekend of practice, reflection and deepening the dharmic ties between us. We hope that other Dharma brothers and sisters in our lineage will join us at this occasion​."
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Shuso ceremonies at Daishinji: ​Honsoku gyocha and hossenshiki ceremonies were carried out at Daishinji, founded and led by Okumura Roshi's dharma heir Densho Quintero, in Bogota, Colombia. The shuso was Hosho Arredondo, who had also previously trained at Toshoji in Okayama Prefecture, Japan for one year.
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New book: Densho Quintero has recently completed a new introductory book on Dogen in Spanish. Densho says, Introduction to Dogen's Zen is based on my study of Dogen's teachings with Okumura Roshi. It is a basic book, hoping to open gates and to produce interest to deepen in the study, through Okumura Roshi's books.
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A Minnesota visit: Near the end of July, Bloomington practitioner Sawyer Hitchcock traveled to Minnesota to participate in an "Earth Apprentice Retreat" at Mountains and Waters Alliance, a practice community led and founded by Shodo Spring, a dharma heir of Okumura Roshi. In Shodo's words, the weekend retreat facilitated "learning to relate to the land with mutuality, interdependence, and communication." After the retreat, Sawyer stayed for a week to visit and practice with Shodo in the zendo and on the land, including significant progress towards converting an old shed in a pine grove on the property into an outdoor zendo. To learn more about Mountains and Waters Alliance and to see a schedule of upcoming events, visit the MWA website.

New issue of Midwest Zen now available: Midwest Zen is an online magazine with essays, poetry, calligraphy and photographs. It is published by Great Wind Zendo in Danville, Indiana, a lay practice community founded and led by former Sanshin board chair Mark Howell. Midwest Zen is available free of charge on Great Wind's website as both a downloadable pdf and a virtual flip-book. 
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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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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide.  Your generous support will be used to make sure Sanshin-style teaching and practice remains available.  Thank you!
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