Received an e-mail from The White Wind Zen Community https://wwzc.org/

Bodhi Leaf

eMirror Vol 30, No. 6

Friday, February 6th, 2026
Edited by the Practice Council

The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.

The phrases “thinking of not thinking” and being “Before Thinking” come from a kien-mondo or encounter dialogue which occurs amongst other places as Sanbyakusoku Shobogenzo Case 129.

Once Master Yaoshan Weiyan was sitting. 
A monastic asked him, “What are you thinking of sitting there, still and balanced like a mountain?” 
The Master said, “Thinking of not thinking.” 
The monastic said, “How can not thinking be thought about?” 
The Master said, “Be before thinking.”
Later, Master Dogen said, “This present mind is already withered away. Non-mind has not yet appeared. This is the livingness of this life: supremely pure.”
On another occasion, Dogen said, “Li and Chang’s thinking of heaven and earth are just about exhausted in steady sitting. Did you know that above the sitting cushions and Zen boards that hell’s hot water in the cauldrons and charcoal in the fires are naturally pure and cool?”     

Some beginning students of Zen think that thinking itself is a problem and that Zen is a kind of state of not thinking and so they try to think their way into not thinking and think that this is Zen. As Sengcan said, they make the mistake of “using the mind to hold the mind” and set themselves against themselves by holding on to the view of a self.  Of course many meditative traditions do indeed have a state of blank consciousness as their goal. In order to escape from the drudgery and inconvenience of existence and the inevitable aches and pains and itches of the body and the incessant din and caterwauling of their thoughts, many religious traditions have made putting an end to thought as their aim and have sometimes even equated a thoughtless and blank state with the realization of a higher existence as atman or Brahma or a contra or anti-existence, which is how the nirvana or cessation that the Buddha taught has often been misunderstood. The Buddha’s nirvana is actually the cessation of conditioned experiencing, going beyond the reference points that are the result of locating Knowing in itself as the mere contraction of a sense of a knower or a self. The Buddha realized that this sense of a knower or self is the cause of sufferings that are interminable unless we cease pretending that the sense of a self, the image of a self, is who we are and what Knowing is. And he Taught an end to these sufferings through the path of practice. The Buddha recognized that these states of intense concentration are ultimately useless in putting an end to the suffering and unsatisfactoriness that beings experience in their lives because the mechanisms of grasping and avoidance are not addressed. He saw instead the need for direct and continuous insight into how attention moves towards and away from what is being experienced. However, this insight cannot be unfolded when attention is congested with discursive and imagistic thinking. It must be a quality of attention itself, it must be how experiences are experienced, and not just a story or an attitude about experiences. And so it is essential to stop propagating discursive thoughts, to see how these thoughts arise from a prior congealing and directing of attention and release this by opening attention to the greater context of whole bodily experience.

- Continuing teisho 8: 2005, in 13 August, 2005 in the series "Wandering on Medicine Mountain" presented by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin at Dainen-ji

The Hatto (for formal sittings)

The Zendo (for associate and general sittings)

Practice Schedule and Upcoming Events

Fusatsu (Renewal of Vows):  February 18th.

Introduction to Zen Workshop Ottawa:
The next  Introduction to Zen Workshop will take place on Saturday, February 7th, at 1:45 p.m.
To register: https://IntroductionToZenWorkshop.eventbrite.ca ; for more information please see https://wwzc.org/introduction-zen-workshop-ottawa 

Nehan O-sesshin
The Seven-day Nehan O-sesshin will begin on Sunday, February 15th at 8:00 p.m. It will end on Sunday, February 22nd at noon. 

A Sitting for Associate and General Students During the Nehan O-sesshin:
A combined sitting for associate and general students will take place in the Zendo on Saturday, February 21st. Arrival time is 9:15 a.m. (in time for First Bell). The sitting ends at 11:30 a.m. Students attending are reminded to remain on the first floor. Seating is limited and registration is required: Register for Combined Sitting

Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Monday February 16th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.

Cancelled Associate Sitting:
The Thursday February 19th associate sitting that would normally take place at 7:30 p.m. is cancelled due to the O-sesshin.

A Note to Preliminary and Public Students Concerning O-sesshin:
During an O-sesshin the schedule is such that there is no time to meet face to face with preliminary students or to reply to email correspondence sent by public students. Public students are asked to send their weekly practice journals, as they will be reviewed. But unless there is something that needs an immediate reply, you will not receive an email reply until the week following the O-sesshin.

Nehan:
Commemoration of the Buddha’s Death (Nehan-e) February 15th.

Hermitage:
The Roshi is continuing an extended period of hermitage due to underlying health issues.

Weekly Practice Schedule

Formal Sittings for WWZC Students: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. The formal sittings begin at 6:00 a.m. You would need to arrive by 5:45 in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 7:25 with the Chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki review which ends at about 7:50. If you need to leave before the kata, please let us know that in advance by sending an email to [email protected].

Saturday Morning General Sitting for WWZC Students: The general sitting begins at 9:30 a.m. You would need to arrive by 9:15 a.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 11:45 a.m. Some general students attend the 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning formal sitting, stay for breakfast and then attend the general sitting. If you stay for breakfast, there is a $5 contribution which can be made through Eventbrite: Register for Saturday Breakfast Proceeds from meals go to White Wind Zen Community.

Monday and Thursday Evening Associate Sittings for WWZC Students: The associate sitting begins at 7:30 p.m. You would need to arrive by 7:15 p.m., in time for First Bell. The sitting ends at 9:10 p.m.

Friday (Hosan): There are no formal sittings scheduled at the monastery on Fridays, but you are expected to sit at home if you have committed to sitting zazen daily. Retreats may be scheduled on Fridays.

Sunday Formal Sitting: The Sunday morning formal sittings are reserved for monastics, formal students, and probationary formal students. It starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10:10 a.m. with the chants. Following that there is a Daruma-kata Aiki which ends at about 10:30 a.m.

Long Distance Training Program

For students living an hour or more commuting distance from the monastery in Ottawa, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program 

What to do if you Arrive After the Sitting Begins

If you arrive after the sitting starts and the door is locked, you don't need to turn around and go home. Ring the bell once and then sit on the bench on the front porch. If possible, we will come and unlock the door for you right away. If we are in the middle of the chants or listening to a teisho, we will come to let you in as soon as the teisho finishes.

Congratulations

Congratulations and deep gassho to Onur Onder of Ottawa on being accepted as a general student.

Retreats and Training Sessions

Information About Scheduling Retreats or Training Sessions

General student Julien Jefferson sat a three-day retreat from Saturday, January 31st to Monday, February 2nd at Dainen-ji. Associate student Kathleen Johnson sat a half-day retreat on Thursday, January 29th at Dainen-ji. Associate student Bryan Roh sat a half-day retreat on Saturday, January 31st at Dainen-ji.

Recorded Teachings Schedule

Listening to Recorded Teisho and Dharma Talks

Recorded Teachings Schedule for January 31st to February 7th:February 7th to February 14th:
General sitting Saturday, February 7th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 6: Collapsing, Dropping, Falling (18 minutes)
Formal sitting Sunday, February 8th: "SAkN The Anatomy of Awakening" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: Teisho 6: The Matter of Consciousness (23 minutes)
Associate sittings Monday, February 9th and Thursday, February 12th: Flowers and Worms: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentary on the Maharahulovadasutta: Teisho 1: Introduction: Falling Flowers: a reading of the sutta (16 minutes)
General sitting Saturday, February 14th: The Primordially Awakened Way: Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's Commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's "Kobutsu-shin": Teisho 7: The Naked Post (23 minutes)

Recorded Teachings for Public Access

While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of the Lineage of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically. MP3 recordings of four recorded teisho by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi are currently available:

Dharma Position http://wwzc.org/dharma-position  

Eyes See, Ears Hear http://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear 

Embarrassment http://wwzc.org/embarrassment 

Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way”: http://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way

Translations and Texts

Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho

Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi has recently completed translation work on some shorter texts by Eihei Dogen zenji from the Shobogenzo. The work on these particular texts is based upon the literal translations that he worked on with Joshu Dainen roshi at Hakukaze-ji around 1977-78 followed by many years of putting them down, picking them up, and polishing. Naturally, more essential texts such as Uji, Genjokoan, Shinjin Gakudo and some 40 others were completed first and have been given extensive commentaries by the Roshi. This batch of texts includes Keisei Sanshoku: Sounds of Streams, Forms of Mountains, Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Annotation details and successfully conveying them across various document formats are the issue at this point.

Work on Bussho: Buddha Nature, a very long and nuanced text by Dogen zenji, is still ongoing.

Roshi also finished an update to the “Saijo Shingi: The Deportment of Radiance”, our manual of monastic training standards which is a supplement to the ancient Eihei Shingi and Keizan Shingi.

White Wind Zen Community Website Update

Dharma Talk: “Embarrassment” 
Dharma Talk presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi on August 25th, 1990. 
https://wwzc.org/embarrassment-0/ 

Teisho: “Practising Without an Edge”
Teisho presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on February 19th, 2025
https://wwzc.org/practising-without-an-edge/ 

Teisho: “I Know Who You Are!”
Teisho presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, presented at Dainen-ji on March 13th, 1999
https://wwzc.org/teisho-i-know-who-you-are/ 

Dharma Assembly: On Karma 
Mondo by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, Presented in April  of 1986, River Road Zendo. 
https://wwzc.org/dharma-assembly-karma/ 

Request for Help to Maintain the Grounds

If you would like to offer time to help with maintenance in the grounds your help will be appreciated. You can offer a regular period of samu or make arrangements with the shissui to come for a single period of caretaking practice. Please write to [email protected] or directly to Saigyo ino at [email protected] if you can assist with this work. Thank you.

Wooden Practice Materials for Sale in Myomaku

Saigyo ino has made a selection of wooden practice materials which are now for sale in Myomaku. These include boxes for storing incense, incense bowls, kneeling benches and kaishaku. He is donating a portion of the proceeds to WWZC. You are welcome to go into myomaku before or after sittings to see what’s available.

Alternate parking for sittings near Dainen-ji

If you need alternate parking near the monastery due to snow parking bans or lack of parking spots you can use the Loblaws car park located at 363 Rideau Street - Parking - Loblaws.

The car park is open until 10:00 p.m and charges $4 per hour. A full day 6:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. is $10.

Office of the Tenzo

Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) that the work of preparing and serving meals is "a matter for realized monks who have the mind of the Way“, or by senior disciples who have roused the Way-seeking mind." In alignment with this, part of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's samu for the Community involves personally overseeing the activities of the ancient Office of Tenzo. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei serves as Tenzo and Mishin godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja.

The WWZC does not advocate any particular diet. However all meals prepared during practice events, such as Dharma Assemblies, sesshin, or retreats are vegetarian or vegan as most people can eat this. On Tuesday evenings there is an optional meat dish, as some people find that a purely vegetarian diet, especially as they get older, is not sufficient for their health. If you are adhering to a strictly vegan diet, you can write to the tenzo, Jinmyo Renge sensei, at [email protected] a week prior to attending an event to request vegan foods. If you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to foods, you should write to the tenzo about dietary restrictions a week before attending events.

The following meals were prepared this week:

Saturday Breakfast (Mishin godo):
Mayak eggs (Korean marinated eggs): 6-minute soft boiled eggs, peeled and marinated in light shoyu, water, honey, minced red pencil chiles, minced garlic, chopped scallions, minced white onion) garnished with sesame seeds, sesame oil, and chopped scallions, served on a bed of Calrose rice.

Sunday Yakuseki (Mishin godo):
Rigatoni in garlic-butter sauce (minced white onion, minced garlic, chile flakes, butter, olive oil, green peas, cream); black lentil vegetable soup (black beluga lentils, chopped carrots, onion, celery, sweet potato, tomato paste, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper); diced friulano cheese mixed with chopped gherkins and lemon zest. 

Monday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei):
Roasted root vegetables (rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, carrots cooked with bran oil, vegan butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder); ‘Beyond Burger’ patties; diced carrots with peas and corn, butter, salt and pepper; parsley sauce (roux, vegetable stock, Dijon mustard, pinch of garlic powder, lots of black pepper, chopped parsley); boiled diced carrots, peas, and corn mixed with butter, salt, and pepper. 

Tuesday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei):
Mixed grain (calrose short-grain white rice, Thai jasmine rice, arborio rice, basmati rice, long-grain white rice); tonkatsu (pork loin pounded until thin, dipped in a batter made from equal parts of all-purpose flour, corn starch and rice flour seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper and salt then coated with panko and deep fried); tonkatsu sauce made from cooked, blended chopped onion, chopped apple, shoyu, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil; slaw of thinly cut green cabbage, carrots, and white onion dressed with lime juice, salt, and black pepper.

Thursday Yakuseki (Jinmyo sensei)
Warmed naan with butter; dal (toor and masoor dal, cumin and mustard seeds, hing, dried red chillies, green chillies, ginger/garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and onions, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, dried fenugreek leaves, fresh coriander); salad of chopped green butter lettuce, romaine, green leaf lettuce, and radicchio, thinly sliced red onion, and grated carrot with an optional Indian-style dressing of equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar blended with mango chutney, lime pickle, honey, salt and black pepper.

Also made this week by Jinmyo sensei: Advance meal preparation for the upcoming O-sesshin (toor dal and mango curry to be frozen); apple crisp;  lamb and rabbit cat food.

Thank You

If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo sensei at rengezo@gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror” in the subject line.

From Stacey Loyer:
Thank you to the Roshi for sharing the documentary Dream Window: reflections on the Japanese garden to a group of formal students and monks in 1993, along with providing valuable context around how the Japanese approach to gardens arose. Thank you to Shikai Zuiko osho for describing this film and sharing the Roshi's comments in the Winter 1993 issue of Zanmai, in her Dharma MediaWatch column. I was able to find Dream Window on youtube and really enjoyed it. 

From Julien Jefferson:
Thank you to Roshi for presenting the teisho series "The Primordially Awakened Way" and "Playing With Space", which I have been listening to recently. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for compiling the Retreat Handbook, in which I can always find exactly what I need to know. Thank you to Mishin godo and Saigyo ino for recent practice interviews. Thank you to the tenzo and tenzo-anja for preparing delicious wintry food during my retreat, especially the pea soup.