Sangha News for March, 2023

3/15/2023

Sparrows and Crows in the Vast Universe

Shohaku Okumura

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (63)
Sparrows and crows
in the vast universe
268. Dharma Hall Discourse

After twenty-one days of facing the tree, and doing walking meditation,
the morning star appeared and illuminated the Milky Way.
Unexpectedly he sat and broke through the vajra seat.
Who could fathom the wall-gazing of our house?

Except for the final sentence and this poem, the entirety of dharma hall discourse 268 is a quotation of Zen master Huanlong Huinan’s[2] instruction to his assembly of monks:
When you climb a mountain you should reach the peak. When you enter the ocean you should reach the bottom. If you climb a mountain and don’t reach the peak, you will not know the unlimited vastness of the universe. If you enter the ocean and don’t reach the bottom, you will not know the shallows or depths of the blue-green sea. If you already know the unlimited vastness and the shallows and depths, you can overturn the four oceans with one kick, and topple Mount Sumeru with one push. As for a person who opens their hands like this and reaches home, how could he not be aware of the sparrows singing and crows cawing among the cypress trees? Do you all want to understand this clearly? READ MORE

In This Issue:

Okumura Roshi: Sparrows and crows in the vast universe
News: Yael Weiss to kick off the Platinum Celebration, new oryoki video in progress
Practice recap: Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin
Coming up: Ango with Shinko, work afternoon, May genzo-e, June sesshin
Sanshin Network: News from Rome, Belgium, Ohio and Minnesota

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News

Yael Weiss to kick off the Platinum Celebration: Sanshin is pleased to include a Concert Conversation with practitioner and world-renowned concert pianist Yael Weiss in its lineup of June events celebrating Sanshin's 20th anniversary and the stepping back of the Okumuras as its practice leaders. Yael will be discussing and demonstrating her international commissioning and performance project, 32 Bright Clouds: Beethoven Conversations Around the World.” This groundbreaking endeavor brings together composers from 32 countries of conflict and unrest throughout the world, joined together in sending a message of oneness and peace. Each new composition is inspired by one of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas, and the entire cycle of new works is unified by a single “peace motif” from Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

The title of the project comes from Dogen's Kyojukaimon, his comments on teaching and conferring the precepts. He writes about the ninth precept, not being angry, "Neither withdrawing nor setting forth, neither being real nor being void, [therein] you will see the ocean of bright clouds and the ocean of magnificent clouds." Yael received lay precepts from Okumura Roshi at Sanshin in 2007 and continues her practice in New York. She's brought 32 Bright Clouds recitals to Korea, Cuba, Austria, Canada and venues throughout the US. Her 2020 recital for the Smithsonian Institution was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and was attended by audiences internationally via YouTube Premiere.

Yael is a former faculty member of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and an advocate for the power of music in the service of peace. Her presentation will kick off our weekend celebration with a meaningful opportunity to reconnect with each other and with our aspiration to live by the bodhisattva vow. Click here for the latest information about the Platinum Celebration and to RSVP if you're planning to attend in person.

New oryoki video in progress: A group of practitioners spent the day serving as actors and models for our forthcoming instructional video on taking oryoki meals at Sanshin. Michael Komyo Melfi shot the piece and will be completing post-production. It will be important to have a resource that explains our style, which is based on the style carried out at Antaiji, because we'll be returning to taking meals this way for sesshin and retreats beginning in July. Look for the finished video on our YouTube channel within the next few months.

Practice recap

Uchiyama Roshi memorial sesshin: Eight people sat in honor of our founder's teacher, whose 25th year memorial day was March 13. The five-day sesshin ended with a memorial service held following the usual Sunday dharma talk with the rest of the sangha. Uchiyama Roshi is one of the most important influences on Sanshin's practice today. For links to works by and about him, go to this page.

Coming up

Ango (April 3 - July 9): Ango, or practice period, is an opportunity to focus a bit more intensively on our practice and perhaps to make a commitment to ourselves to stretch a little -- to sit a little more, attend a little more frequently, learn something new or take on a particular activity. We invite you to consider how you might deepen your practice during this time.

Ango at Sanshin is designed to include the three activities of our practice: zazen, work and study. This three-month period includes sesshin, genzo-e, the precepts retreat and several work days in addition to our regular daily and weekly practice.

During ango we have the additional leadership of a shuso, or head novice, who takes on various responsibilities in the sangha as an opportunity to develop clergy skills. Our shuso for this ango is Shinko Hagn from Vienna, who was ordained by Hoko in 2019. His theme for the ango is Four Embracing Actions. He will be supporting our practice and we will be supporting his growth as a leader. Shinko will be giving a series of nine Sunday talks, serving as doshi for monthly World Peace ceremonies, serving as ino for monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremonies, assisting with sesshin and retreats, and working with the sangha in myriad other ways while he's in residence here. In June, we will recognize the coming completion of his term as shuso with two ceremonies in which he will demonstrate his dharma mastery to the sangha and his readiness to teach and serve independently.

Work afternoon (April 9): There's a lot to do to get ready for the Platinum Celebration and other spring and summer activities. Participants generally engage in groundskeeping, building maintenance, and cleaning and sorting items like tools and supplies. Everyone is welcome for work practice, which generally happens on the second Sunday of the month.

Virtual genzo-e on Shobogenzo Bussho (Buddha Nature), Part 3 (May 3 - 8): Okumura Roshi taught about the first and second parts of this text in the May and November 2022 Genzo-e. However, no prior knowledge of the text is required, so if you missed the previous genzo-e you will have no problem following along. This retreat is Okumura Roshi's final offering of genzo-e before he steps back from day to day leadership at Sanshin. All zazen periods and lectures will be shared on Zoom, and we encourage participants to participate in the full schedule if possible. Visit the virtual genzo-e page to learn more and to register.

June sesshin (May 30 - June 4): 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 Antaiji in Kyoto, Japan. We carry on and offer this tradition of our lineage here at Sanshin. Learn more here.

Sanshin Network

Making precepts history in Belgium: Mokusho reports that he's given lay precepts to three sangha members at Daishinji in Belgium. Shoju came from France to be on hand as well for the ceremony, thought to be the first time an authorized Belgian Soto Zen teacher has given precepts in that country, or at least the first time in Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium. While many Belgian lay practitioners have received the precepts, previously the preceptor has always been French. "The most obvious result of this experience is the bond that has been strengthened between the participants and the teacher," Mokushu noted. "It is clear that this experience contributes to strengthening our sangha. Three more people have started sewing their rakusu and will receive the precepts at the Jukai ceremony on 7 April 2024."

Austrian novices in Italy: At the conclusion of sesshin, Doryu ordained two sangha members from Austria, as well as practitioners from Denmark and Sardinia, at Centro Zen Anshin in Rome. He and Gyoetsu agreed to give Susanne and Sabine their start as novices, since Shinko has not yet completed the credentialling necessary to conduct the ceremony himself at Daijihi in Vienna.

Virtual visit to Grove City Zen: Hoko gave a virtual talk for Grove City (OH) Zen's February practice day, held in partnership with the Central Ohio Center for Pragmatic Buddhism. The theme of the day was taking practice off the cushion, and she talked about practicing peace.

Upcoming events in Minnesota: Shodo notes that Mountains and Waters Zen Community has one event and two residential practice opportunities coming up:
April 14-16 is a land care retreat in our traditional style, about half meditation, half work, plus open time for exploring the land or for visiting. Registration is required, and there is a fee. The first residential practice opportunity is to join us for weeks or months beginning any time, on a work exchange basis. We have a resident who is a permaculturist and will be actively working with the land, and your work would be mostly with him. Zen practice includes morning zazen, weekly online class, occasional discussion groups,and Antaiji-style retreats at least quarterly. The second residential practice opportunity would be longer-term residence. Unfortunately, we're not able to offer work exchange, but can help you find leads for part-time jobs. By fall there will be two spaces open with private rooms. Email Shodo for more information or check the website.