Sangha News for March, 2021

The Great Way

Shohaku Okumura

Dogen's Chinese Poems 39

Following the Rhyme of the Official Wenben
The great way has continuously pervaded.
How can Peng and Ying be found outside?
Strolling along with a staff, chanting in loud voice,
This lump of red flesh arouses the ancient wind.

“The great way” is a translation of dadao (大道, daido). In Chinese Buddhism, dao (道) is used as a translation of several Sanskrit words, such as bodhi (awakening),  marga (usually translated into English as path), and gati (destination).  From a Buddhist perspective, the great way might refer to the Buddha’s unsurpassed awakening.

However, before Buddhism was introduced to China, Dao (道) was already one of the most important words for both Confucianism and Daoism. In Confucianism, just as the celestial bodies such as the sun, the moon, and the stars move around the same orbital way, and also just as the four seasons repeat in a certain order each year, people thought that each and every thing in this universe has its own way. They thought there must be a certain way we human beings should walk, following a certain order as a member of society.
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In This Issue:

• Okumura Roshi:  The Great Way
• Practice Recap: Year of Beneficial Action; March At-Home retreat; When will Sanshin reopen?
• Sanshin Network:​ Dharma transmission in Colombia; Spring work practice in Minnesota; Sesshin at Great Wind
• Coming Up: April At-Home retreat

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Practice Recap

Year of Beneficial Action: The second monthly workshop for this local/regional group continued the discussion of beneficial action as an offering.  The program is using the Bodaisatta Shishobo as a roadmap for its exploration of community engagement as a practice and how we can respond skillfully as bodhisattvas to the issues we see in the world.  Participants also have the opportunity to post reflections on a discussion board and to share the issues and resources with which they're practicing; see one of Mark Hotoku Howell's posts at right.

​March At-Home Retreat: Hosshin and Hoko were in the zendo for the three days of the retreat, with about two dozen other practitioners participating from home over the course of the event.

When will Sanshin reopen?

We don't know that yet, but a committee of board members and practice leaders is now meeting to determine what's necessary to make that happen and which activities will restart in person first.  As soon as there's a plan, we'll let you know by email, newsletter, Facebook and on the website.

From our beneficial action discussion board:

Our zendo is presently reading What the Buddha Taught [1]. The author discusses “doubt” early in the book. I am full of doubts. In the context of beneficial action, I have many doubts about knowing what actions are truly beneficial and what actions seem right in a moment but have harmful results over the long term. My hope is the author’s comments on doubt will add positively to the discussion on deciding when and how. He says,

“According to the Buddha’s teachings, doubt (vicikiccha) is one of the five hinderances (nivarana) to the clear understanding of Truth and to spiritual progress (or for that matter to any progress). Doubt, however, is not a ‘sin’, because there are no articles of faith in Buddhism. In fact there is no ‘sin’ in Buddhism, as sin is understood in some religions. The root of all evil is ignorance (avijja) and false views (miccha ditthi). It is an undeniable fact that as long as there is doubt, perplexity, wavering, no progress is possible. It is also equally undeniable that there must be doubt as long as one does not understand or see clearly. But in order to progress further it is absolutely necessary to get rid of doubt. To get rid of doubt one has to see clearly.

“There is no point in saying that one should not doubt or one should believe. Just to say ‘I believe’ does not mean that you understand and see. When a student works on a mathematical problem, he comes to a stage beyond which he does not know how to proceed, and where he is in doubt and perplexity. As long as he has this doubt, he cannot proceed. If he wants to proceed, he must resolve this doubt. And there are ways of resolving that doubt. Just to say ‘I believe’, or “I do not doubt’ will certainly not solve the problem. To force oneself to believe and to accept a thing without understanding is political, and not spiritual or intellectual.”

For me, I have great difficulty in seeing clearly into many of the topics of the day. It’s not that I think the problems being raised are not problems. It’s that the problems are enormously complex and are not likely to be easily solved.
-- Mark Hotoku Howell

[1] W. Rahula, What the Buddha taught, Rev. ed., 1. paperback ed., vol. EN132. London: Gordon Fraser, 1978.

Sanshin Network

Densho Quintero​ of the Soto Zen Community of Colombia reports that he's given dharma transmission to Dairen Jácome, who has been practicing with him for 18 years.  Dairen was also one of the Sanshin Network members who served as a zazen facilitator during November's virtual genzo-e.  "I am happy for being able to materialize my vow to continue the teachings and lineage of our dear Honshi," Densho remarked.

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Shodo Spring of the Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota notes that she's offering a spring work practice period that will include garden work, care of the wild land, construction projects and cooking.  Members of Sanshin's practice community from around the region have participated in work practice events there over the last two years.  Information on June and September sesshin is now available as well.

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Hoko led the second sesshin held at Great Wind Zendo, a lay Zen sangha in Danville, IN.  Mark Hotoku Howell, who received the precepts from Okumura Roshi, and Michael Komyo Melfi, who received them from Hoko, sat the entire three-day sesshin and were joined by members of the sangha as their lives permitted.  The sesshin ended with a memorial service in honor of the 23rd anniversary of the passing of Kosho Uchiyama, Okumura Roshi's teacher.

Coming Up

April At-Home Retreat
April 1 - 4
Join us virtually for three days of practice in the style of our sesshin, a retreat devoted simply to sitting zazen.  Sanshin leaders will be in the zendo maintaining the schedule and carrying out the activities of a standard sesshin day at Sanshin.  You are welcome to connect via Zoom and follow along at home for as much of the day as you like.  The sangha will arrive for the final zazen period and the retreat will officially end just prior to the regular Sunday dharma talk; you are welcome to attend that talk if you choose. 
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​​Resources from Sanshin

Virtual morning and evening practice: Sanshin offers weekday morning zazen and liturgy via Zoom.  The zazen period begins at 6:10 EST and lasts 50 minutes; liturgy follows directly afterward.  In the evenings, zazen begins at 6:30 and lasts 30 minutes.  The complete schedule is here; please email us if you're interested in participating.

Sanshin Solo: Recognizing that more folks than ever are now practicing in Sanshin's style by themselves, we've added a Sanshin Solo page to our website offering tips and information about practicing on your own.

Dharma study: Study materials remain available from our Dogen Institute and video recordings of dharma talks on our YouTube channel.

Resources from around the Sanshin Network

Centers and groups from around our global network are offering virtual practice in multiple languages and are willing to include practitioners from outside their immediate sanghas.  Please see this page of our website for a complete listing.

Giving to Sanshin

Gifts of financial support
Whether as a practitioner, a financial supporter, a listener/reader or simply as an interested friend, Sanshin welcomes you to our international sangha.  Like all nonprofit organizations, Sanshin depends on the generous offerings of those whose lives are helped by the work it does.  Visit this page to set up a monthly donation or make a one-time gift online, or download a form to use when giving by check. 

Community give-back programs
Designating Sanshin Zen Community as the recipient of give-back programs is a painless way to provide funding support simply by making your usual purchases!  

Amazon Smile: Instead of going to Amazon's regular homepage, go to Amazon Smile and sign into your Amazon account.  Choose Sanshin Zen Community as your charity, and .05% of what you spend will come to us.  Remember, only purchases at smile.amazon.com (not www.amazon.com or the mobile app) support Sanshin.

Kroger:  If you shop at Kroger with a Plus card, your regular purchases of groceries and household goods can provide financial support for Sanshin.  Create or sign in to your Kroger account, enroll in Kroger Community Rewards® with your card, and choose Sanshin as your organization.  Every time you shop and swipe your card, a percentage of what you spend will come to us.  Fifteen households are already participating on Sanshin's behalf.

Employer giving programs
Friends of Sanshin who work at companies like Google and Adobe are providing regular financial support through payroll deduction and employer gift-matching programs.  Check with your employer's human resources or community relations department to see whether giving opportunities like these are available at your workplace.