Sangha News for December 2023

In accord

Shohaku Okumura

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (72)
 In Accord with Dignified Cushions and Ladles
219. Dharma Hall Discourse on the Fifteenth Day of the First Month [1247]

The family style is pure white, like plum blossoms, snow, and the moon.
At the time of flowering, fortunately there is a way to protect the body.
The clouds are bright, the water is delightful, and our effort is totally perfect.
Without realizing it, our entire body enters the emperor’s neighborhood.

As I mentioned in my explanation of verse 45 of Kuchūgen, the Fifteenth [Full Moon] Day of the First Month is called jōgen (上元) in Japanese. This is one of the three gen (元, yuan): jōgen (upper yuan, 上元, the 15th day of first month); chūgen (middle yuan, 中元, the 15th day of the 7th month); and kagen (lower yuan,下元, the 15th day of the 10th month). In Daoism, these days were celebrated as the birthdays of the three deities. Beginning with the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–25 AD), jōgen was one of the important annual events in China. Even today this day is celebrated and called yuanxiao jie (元宵節, Jp. genshō setsu, Yuan evening celebration) or the lantern festival. Streets are decorated with many red lanterns and people stay on the streets until late in the night, singing and playing music. Since the 15th day of each month is the full moon day, it is the day of uposatha (布薩, Jp. fusatsu); so on this day, in addition to the repentance ceremony, Buddhist temples also celebrated jōgen.  READ MORE

Practice recap

Okumura Roshi’s virtual talk: In mid-November Sanshin held a joint Sunday practice with the Minnesota Zen Center, since Okumura Roshi had been asked to give a talk in honor of that center’s 50-year anniversary. He served as head teacher there in the mid 1990s, and for this talk he provided a commentary on founder Dainin Katagiri’s death poem.

Rohatsu sesshin: Five participants (three regional and two local) sat the entire seven-day sesshin, with another six regular sangha members joining us for one or more partial days.  As usual, on the final night we sat until midnight and closed with a brief chanting service, which we repeated following full sangha practice on the next Sunsday.

We inaugurated three new tables, built by Hosshin Shoaf and Jeff Seikan Alberts, for our oryoki meals, as well as two drop-down hallway shelves built by Komyo Melfi for meal staging.  We continue to refine our oryoki practice, which was reinstated with the September sesshin after many years of buffet meals at the rental unit next door.  Practitioners have picked it up quickly and are taking increasing responsibility for setup, cooking and forms.  In this way we can continue to welcome newer practitioners and fold them into a stable existing practice structure.

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Coming up

Holiday closures: Sanshin will be closed, with no practice activities or administrative work going on.

• December 24 - 26 for Christmas
• January 1 - 3 for New Year

Sawaki Roshi memorial: We'll replace the usual morning service on December 21 with a memorial service for Kodo Sawaki Roshi, our founder's dharma grandfather.  He died on 21 December, 1965 at the age of 85.

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Ryaku fusatsu:  Our monthly ceremony of renewing our aspiration to practice with the precepts happens January 15 at 7 pm.  Both in-person and virtual participation is possible, and everyone is welcome regardless of whether or not you've formally taken precepts.

Introduction to Zen Buddhism: Six Thursdays, 7 - 8:30 pm beginning January 18.  Offered at Sanshin in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College Center for Lifelong Learning.  In-person participation only.  We'll explore what Zen Buddhism is really all about, beginning with the central ideas of Buddhism itself and moving on to the teachings and practices particular to its Soto Zen form. Class will include instruction in sitting practice (zazen) as well as plenty of time for questions and discussion.  Learn more

Visit our Schedules and Calendars page for information on all upcoming events.

In this issue:​

• Okumura Roshi: In accord
• Just for fun:  Ye cannot see the wood for trees
• ​Practice recap: Okumura Roshi's virtual talk; Rohatsu sesshin
• Coming up: Holiday closures; Sawaki Roshi memorial; ryaku fusatsu; Intro to Zen
• American religious landscape:  Americans value hobbies, community, money and work over religion
• Sanshin Network: News from Italy and Minnesota

Just for fun:
What if Dogen Zenji taught using Western proverbs?

Ye can not see the wood for trees.

A Western ancestor warned, "Ye can not see the wood for trees."  Indeed, to be blind in this way is truly pitiable!  It is certainly possible not to see the wood, but to see only the trees is to ignore the life of the forest.  Ordinary beings see only leaves and branches and don't even dream of the existence of the wood.  If the eye of Buddha was open, we would see that the forest is nothing other than the trees and the trees are nothing other than the forest.  We should understand that the forest and the trees are two sides of one reality that arise together.  To see only the trees and not the wood is to be caught in the delusion of separation.  

There is no wood before trees.  However, do not think that trees are not distinct from the wood.  You cannot see the wood without trees; you can only see the wood with trees.  The wood is for trees and the trees are for wood.  The life of the wood is nothing other than the life of trees; wood and trees do not hinder each other.  Do not close one eye to see the wood and fail to see the trees.  Open both eyes to observe the life of trees in the wood and the life of the wood in trees.

And yet, in the moment of tree, there is nothing but tree and in the moment of wood, there is nothing but wood.  Each is completely itself.  Four trees or forty trees are one forest, and four trees or forty trees are four or forty trees.  Who would deny this?  Whether we would or would not, the wood knots itself into a network of trees and the trees cannot not knot themselves into a network of forest.  Where is the tree?  Where is the wood?  When they become one piece, if you call their names you may only hear the reply of the wind.

In the East, the sangha* is a forest of many individual trees functioning completely to carry out the virtue of peace and harmony.  There, an ancient buddha said that when more than four monks gather together, they form a sangha, which is a priceless treasure of the country.  Four monks or forty monks are one sangha, and four monks or forty monks are four or forty monks.  If I call your name, how do you reply?  Do you obscure the forest?  Are you obscured by the forest?  Consider this carefully.
  -- Hoko

* Sorin 叢林 (sangha), lit. thicket or grove of trees.

American religious landscape

Americans value hobbies, community, money and work over religion: Recent research on trends in Americans' personal values continues to show the decline in the perceived importance of religion over the past few decades.  According to a new Gallup report, "Out of eight life aspects updated, Americans rated seven as having equal or more importance in their lives now than 20 years ago -- community activities, hobbies or recreational activities, your money, your work, your friends, your health, and your family.  The only aspect of life tested showing a significant decline in importance was 'your religion.'”  While Americans appear to have moved away from certain social norms and have become less religious, they have become more attached to other aspects of their daily lives -- including hobbies, community activities, money and work.  READ MORE
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Sanshin Network

Representatives of the US Embassy of the Holy See joined a meeting of Encounters: Pathways to Interfaith Dialogue at Centro Zen Anshin, where high school students learned about the importance of places of worship as not only religious spaces but also as social reference points. There was also a brainstorming with students, and a Q&A session led by Doryu Cappelli and Gyoetsu Epifanìa. They gave their personal testimony about Buddhism and the importance of the small temple.

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Shodo Spring will offer a class on Dogen's vow beginning January 3 that will include zazen, presentation and discussion.  In this three-session class, we’ll clarify the context and meaning of Dogen’s Eihei Koso Hotsuganmon, and explore its implications for our lives and spiritual practice.  Attendance is by donation.  More information is here.    

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