Sangha News for July 2022

Don't have deluded thoughts

Shohaku Okumura

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

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

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

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

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

In This Issue:

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

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Practice recap

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

Other news

Birthday break: There was a pause in the work day for a birthday lunch and cake in honor of the Okumuras. Both have birthdays in mid-June. Residential practitioner Kiku created the Japanese-style strawberry shortcake.

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Summer fund appeal:  If we know how to contact you, you'll soon be receiving our summer appeal letter; meanwhile, you can read and respond to it here.  While one-time financial gifts are always welcome, please also consider a monthly contribution. This is the most convenient way to give; your donation is automatically transferred from your credit card or bank account, and you can change or cancel at any time. It also makes our income more predictable and reduces our costs, and a greater portion of your gift goes directly to Sanshin.  Please provide what financial support you can, but even if that's not possible for you right now, your practice itself is an important contribution.  ​

Coming up

Sesshin (Sep 1 - 4):  Sesshin at Sanshin is an opportunity to practice without distraction.  We practice in complete silence following a 4 am to 9 pm daily schedule that consists simply of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen with one-hour periods for meals and a bit of personal time.  This sesshin-without-toys style of practice was created by our founder's teacher, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, and practiced at Antaji in Kyoto, Japan.  LEARN MORE

Genzo-e at Chapel Hill (NC) Zen Center (Sep 9 - 14):  Okumura Roshi will give two 90-minute talks a day on the Kenbutsu or Seeing Buddha fascicle of Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo.  Talks will be livestreamed via Zoom from Sanshin.  Virtual participation will be managed by Sanshin; registration information is forthcoming.  Information about the sesshin itself and in-person participation is here. 

Sanshin Network

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

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

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