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Sangha News for August

8/15/2024

Monthly commentaries

Dogen's Chinese Poems (80)
Washing a Painting of Breakfast
Commentary by Shohaku Okumura

436. Dharma Hall Discourse [1241]

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

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.

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

New on the web this month

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.

Shuso ceremony activities on Youtube:

June 29th: Hoko on Baizhang's fox (Honsoku gyocha 2024)
June 30th: Esho's hossenshiki ceremony

From our directors

Sanshin's directors focus on board functioning at annual retreat

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jake and Eliza of New Ground Farm measure out bamboo for use as tomato trellises

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.

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.

Never alone in the garden, harlequin bugs had their way with our kale crop

Sweet potatoes looking good (above ground, at least!)

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.

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.

Coming up

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.

Sangha Stewardship workshop with Hoko: Introduction to the role of director
Oct 4 & 5, 2024

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.

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.

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

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:

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.

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.

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.

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

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:

"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.

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!"

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.

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."

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.

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.

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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