Sangha News for May 2022

Pull Your Own Nose and Lift the Ancient Kōan  ​

Shohaku Okumura

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

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

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

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​In This Issue:

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

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Practice recap

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

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

Other news

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

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

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New books available

 In this book, hundreds of Sawaki Roshi's sayings taken from his wide-ranging teachings have been carefully compiled and grouped according to subject, with an introduction was written by Uchiyama Roshi.

Okumura Roshi wrote the forward to this book, a collection of talks, photos and calligraphy by Jakusho Kwong exploring Zen history and practice, nature, and the teachings of Eihei Dogen.  Kwong is a dharma successor of Shunryu Suzuki.

Translated by Okumura Roshi and edited by Doju Layton, this edition includes both the Shobogenzo Zuimonki and translations of and commentary on Dogen’s waka poetry.  

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

Coming up

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

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

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Honoku Gyocha and Shuso Hossen for Issan Koyama (June 11 - 12):  These two ceremonies allow the shuso to demonstrate leadership and dharma mastery during the ango and are an important part of the progression toward status as a fully registered member of the clergy in the Soto Zen denomination.  On June 11 at 7 pm, Okumura Roshi will make some remarks about the koan chosen for these ceremonies, and at 10 am on June 12 Issan will preside over dharma questions about the koan from the sangha.  Both events will be available virtually.  Complete information about the ango is here.

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

Sanshin Network

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

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Genzo-e worldwide: Teachers and sanghas from around the network participated virtually in this month's genzo-e, including Mountains and Waters Alliance in Minnesota (Shodo Spring), Centre Shikantaza in Belgium (Mokusho DePreay), Fruhlingsmond Zendo in Germany (Kyoku Lutz) and Daijihi in Austria (Shinko Hagn).

Image from Daijihi in Vienna

Jukai-e in Colombia:  Densho reports: On Saturday, April 16, after an intense seven days' Precept’s study sesshin, we had the Jukai Ceremony for six members of our sangha. The new bodhisattvas are Patricia Jyōshin Arias (Pure Trust), Carlos Dainei Barbosa (Great Serenity), Cesar Kandō Segura (Path of Generosity), Cristian Shinkō Calderón (Heart of Light), Albeiro Taikan Cardona (Clear Vision) and Oscar Shūtoku Cárdenas (Superb Virtue).

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