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禅のこだま
EKIZEN
NEWSLETTERBYTHESHINNYOJISANGHA
Autumn2015‐n.24yearVI
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EVENTS
ReturningtothearticlepublishedintheSummer2015editionofEkizeninwhichwefeatured
our Teacher Rev. Iten Shinnyo Roshi’s trip to Taiwan following Her teacher, Rev. Ryushin
AzumaRoshi,belowishissalutation.
Farewell message from Rev. Shinnyo to her Teacher Rev. Azuma Roshi and travelling
groupinTaiwan.
Goodeveningeveryone,
Asthetimehascomeformetosaygoodbye,mythoughtsaboutdeepthankfulnesstomyTeacher
AzumaDochoRoshifortheimmensegiftthathehasalwaysofferedme.
Also,thejoyofthisexperiencewithhim.
I will now return to Italy, in Florence, to all the practitioners and students of Shinnyoji, the
beauty found in this visit and most of all, the great Teaching that I receive from my Teacher
everytimethatIhavethepossibilitytobenearHim.Hiseverymove,everyword,althoughina
differentlanguage,isformeIshinDenShin,thesourceofDharma.
Thanks to Kunii Roshi for coordinating our trip and to all of your for your kind presence, I
apologizeforanydisturbanceImayhavecausednotspeakingyourlanguage.
SafetravelshometomyTeacherandtoeachoneofyou.
Minna‐sankonbanwa
Owakarenotokiga,chikazuitekimashita.
Azuma Docho Roshi no osobade sugoshi, takusan no keiken wo sasete itadaki, kokorokara,
kanshasiteimasu.
Italia ni kaerimashitara, Shinnyoji no deshi ya yūjin tachi ni, kono ryokō no subarashisa wo,
tokuniAzumaRoshinooshienosubarasisawo,tsutaetaitoomoimasu.
Azuma Roshi no osoba ni irudakede, Roshi no shosa, kotoba nado subetega, watashi ni totte
taisetsunaoshiedesu.
Hanasukotobawachigaimasuga,Buppōnominamotodearu,IshinDenshinniyori,tsutawatte
kimasu.
Konkai no ryokō no junbi dewa, Kunii Roshi ni, taihen osewa ni narimashita.
Arigatougozaimashita.
Mata,hokanosankashanominasamanimo,shinsetsunishiteitadaki,arigatougozaimashita.
Nihongogahanasenakutemoushiwakearimasendeshita.
AzumaRoshitosankashanominasama,dōzokiwotsukeke,Nihonniokaerikudasai.
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CONFERENCEINTAIWAN
OnMay12th,2015theRev.RyushinAzumaRoshiheldaConferenceinTaipeiastheFounder
oftheSekaiZenSenta‐WZCWorldZenCenter.TheobjectiveofthisAssociationistounite
ZenteachingandPracticeinaUniversalCenter,inwhicheachperson,regardlessofreligion,
sex,age,politicalviewscanstudyandpracticeZen.
BelowaresomerelatedarticlespublishedinJapanesenewspapers.
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Article published on June 19th, 2015 in the Chūgai Nippō newspaper of Kyoto with a
translationinEnglish.
“SekaiZenSenta(WZCWorldZenCenter),ConferencebyReverendAzumaRoshi”
From May 11‐15th, 2015 the second Conference of the Sekai Zen Senta (WZC, World Zen
Center)washeldinTaipeiinforeigncountries.
Twenty‐fivepeopleattendedtheConference,includingtheleaderRev.AzumaRyūshinRoshi,
PresidentoftheSekaiZenSentaandAbbotofDaijoji,andtheRev.SuzukiKesshū,vice‐leader
andAbbotoftheGokurinji.TheAbbotofShinnyojiandafollowercamefromItaly.
Il Rev. Azuma Roshi held the open conference in the main classroom in the “Kegon Senshū
Gakuin”schoolinTaipeithemed“TheSearchfortheFundamentalPrinciplesofBuddhism”.
Duringtheconference,theRev.AzumaRoshisaid:
“Satori悟り‐Illumination–isthestateinwhichtheideaofrelativevaluesistransformedinto
absolute values. This Satori was transmittedfrom the Buddha Shakamuni throughall of the
historicPatriarchstoDōgenZenji,the51stgenerationtome,the83rdgeneration.
In his numerous texts, Dōgen Zenji tried to express the concept of Satori through various
wordsbutthetermthatexplainsitthebestwasthestateofJijuyōzanmai自受用三昧.
Jijuyōzanmai自受用三昧isthelifeofshinjindatsuraku身心脱落‐abandoningthebodyand
mind–inotherwords,itisaveryanimatedlifeinwhichsomeonesittinginZazenbecomesa
Buddha and that the same time, is awakened to the Truth (Dharma) guiding other toward
Awakening, until the time in which this Awakening is extended throughout the entire
universe.”
AfterthespeechfromRev.AzumaRoshi,ProfessorKendo,DirectoroftheTaiwaneseSchool
“Kegon Senshū Gakuin” presented on the Center of Research on the Kegon Sutra recently
beganathisSchoolandexpressedthedesiretoincreaseculturalexchangewithpeoplewith
differentpathsanddeepenthestudyuponZen.
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Later that afternoon the second Conference was held in the Banqiao Cultural Center of the
Ryūzanji,whichisoneofthemostancienttemplesinTaiwan.ThephotoshowsRev.Azuma
RoshireceivingacalligraphygiftfromProf.OhKinZan,DirectoroftheRyūzanji.
TheRev.OhnoKyōji,AbbotoftheShinpukujiinJapan,whocoveredtheofficialDōshirole–in
numerous ceremonies during the trip to Taiwan, commented upon the teachings of Rev.
AzumaRoshi:
“HespokeabouttheessenceofZazeninsimpleterms.Itwasaverypreciousexperience,Ihad
thefeelingasifitstruemeaningdeeplystruckmeinthechest.”
Onthe14thday,afterhavingvisitedtheGeneralGovernorofTaiwanfromtheformerEmpire
of Japan, the group arrived in Bukkōzan, the largest temple in Taiwan. There they had the
specialoccasiontosharetheirthoughtsandfriendshipswiththeTaiwaneseBuddhists.
中外日報 2015年6月9日
世界禅センター 東氏が台湾で講演
世界禅センターの第2回海外講演が5月11日〜15日、台湾、台北市内で開かれた。東隆眞
・センター長（大乗寺住職）を団長、鈴木潔州・獄林寺住職を副団長に、25人が参加した
。イタリアの真如寺からも2人の僧侶が参加した。
東センター長は5月13日、台北市の華厳専宗学院で｢仏教の根本（いちばんたいせつな点
）を求めて｣と題して基調講演。
｢悟りとは相対的価値観を絶対的価値観に転換した世界。その悟りが釈尊から歴代の祖
師たちに伝わって、道元禅師で51代、私で83代。道元禅師は悟りを様々に表現したが、
『自受用三昧』としている｣と解説。｢自受用三昧｣とは。｢人が端坐して仏となり、自ら真
理（法）に目覚め、他の者を目覚めさせて宇宙世界につながっていく、生き生きとした心
身脱落の生活だ｣と述べた。
賢度院長は昨年、華厳経に関する研究センターを開設したことを紹介し、｢今後も多く
の人たちと交流していきたい。禅についても学んでいきたい｣と挨拶した。
午後は台湾の浅草寺とも称される龍山寺の板橋文化広場で講演。写真は龍山寺の黄欽山
・董事長に書をもらう東住職（左）。
各地で法要の導師を勤めた大野恭史・真福寺住職は｢坐禅の核心を分かりやすい言葉で
語り、本当の意味がすとんと腹に入ってくるような大変尊い時間を過ごすことができた｣
と話している。
14日は台湾総督府などを見学し、台湾最大の寺院、仏光山を参拝し、台湾仏教界との
交流を深めた。
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Article published on June 18th, 2015 in the The Bukkyo Times Weekly of Tokyo with
theEnglishtranslation.
DaijōjiSōtōshūSchoolandthesecondforeignConferenceofthe
SekaiZenSenta
The“SekaiZenSenta(WZCWorldZenCenter)”wasinauguratedtwoyearsagointheSōtōshū
SchoolDaijōjiMonasteryinKanazawa(IshikawaPrefecture).
AsaresponsetotherequestofTaiwaneseBuddhists,adelegationofJapaneseBuddhistscome
to Taiwan May 11‐15th to attend the second foreign Conference by Rev. Azuma Ryūshin
Roshi, President of the Center and Abbot of Daijōji, he was also the Dean of the Women’s
University of Buddhism in Komazawa. Amongst the 25 travelers were monks and faithful
followers.TheycamenotonlyfromJapan,butalsofromothercountries:theRev.AnnaMaria
ShinnyoMarradifromShinnyojicamefromItaly,themonkRenGyokucamefromChina,along
withChamindaRyuseiaSriLankanmonkwhohasstudiedalongtimeinJapan.Thosepresent
frombothcountries–TaiwanandJapan–listenedtothepreciousspeechfromthePresident
Azuma.
ThethreegroupsthattookofffromtheKomatsu,NaritaandKansaiairportsreunitedonthe
11th in Taiwan, the day after they visited the National Museum of the Palace, the Ryūzanji
temple, which is compared to the famous Japanese temple Sensōji in Asakusa, Tokyo, for
popularity,andtheChikurinzanKannonji,whichalwayswelcome manyfollowersinitsvast
space.ThemembersofthedelegationwerestruckbytheTaiwaneseBuddhists’strongenergy.
On the morning of the 13th, they visited Kegon Senshū Gakuin, the Institute for Buddhist
Studies,foundedbytheKegonRenjaFoundation.OnemainlystudiestheKegon‐Avatemsaka
Sūtrathere.
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The Kendo Director of the Kegon Renja Foundation warmly welcomed the Japanese
delegationbysaying:
This School was established in 1962, about 50 years ago. We recently welcomed foreign
students from Vietnam, Hong Kong and China. Also, the Center of Kegon Research was
inauguratedinwhichasymposiumwasheldandBuddhistsfromvariouscountiesexchanged
theirthoughts.IhopethatAzumaRoshireturnshereforfutureconferences.”
PresidentAzuma’sanswertotheSekaiZenSenta:
“Dōgen Zenji was very interested in the Kegon Sutra and upon this theme he wrote the
chapter“SankaiYuishin”inthe“Shōbōgenzō”.Wetooareinterestedindeepeningourstudious
exchangeswithyou.”
TheDirectorKendoenthusiasticallyreplied:
“Inreality,thosewhoestablishedtheKegonRenjaFoundationweremonksfromtheSōtōshū
School,butunfortunatelywedon’tstudyZenalothere.IwouldliketograciouslyaskRoshito
comeheretoteach.”
Caption:AzumaRoshiexplainingthefundamentalprinciplesofBuddhism.
During that afternoon, Azuma Roshi held a discussion themed “Upon researching the
fundamental principles (the most important points) of Buddhism” in collaboration with the
Rev.ZuibutsuZenjifromtheAssociationofOriginalBuddhisminTaiwan,inCulturalSquareat
theBanqiaooftheRyūzanji.TheroomwasfullofpeoplewhofollowedAzumaRoshi’slesson
Shikan Taza – just sit with great interest. (The summary of the discussion will be in this
article.)
IntheSquare,TheVice‐presidentoftheRyūzanjifirstwelcomedthedelegation:
“InfinitethankstoAzumaRoshi forcoming fromJapan.Weareveryhappyandhonoredby
thefactthatthegreatJapaneseTeachermaysharethoughtswithBuddhistsinTaiwan.”
ThewordsofAzumaRoshi:
“Itoothankyouallforpreparingthisoccasionformetospeaktoday.Buddhismwasopened
bytheBuddhaShakyamuni2,500yearsagoandcontinuedtospreadaroundIndiaforanother
500 years.GraduallyhisteachingspeaktoTibet inthenorth,Myanmarinthesouth,andin
ChinaandJapanintheeast.AndnowIwantedtoproposeaquestionuponhowthestateof
BuddhisminthewestofIndia.Afteryearsofresearch,13yearsagoIpublishedabookcalled
“BuddhismandIslam”.IalsospokeabouthisontheNHKchannel–NationalJapaneseTV.”
And so Azuma Roshi continued to explain the Dōgen Zenji by speaking of the international
diffusion of Buddhism from vantage point of comparative theology. From the listeners
interestedinthislecture,therewasaloudapplauseforthisJapaneseMasterofgreatculture.
ZuibutsuZenjiheldadiscussiononhowtoapplyZazentooureverydaylives.
Caption:TheconferenceexpectednextyearinEurope.
Onthe14th,afterhavingvisitedtheNationalMuseumofthePalace,thedelegationmovedon
toBukkōzanjiinKaohsiung,largesttempleinTaiwan.
WelcomingwordsoftheVice‐AbbottRev.Keirin:
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“IthankyouallforhavingtravelledsuchalongwayfromJapan.IhavebeentoEiheiji,oneof
the two principle temples of the Sōtōshū School and I met Japanese monks. Il Rev. Seiun
Taishi, Founders and Abbot of this temple, frequently attends inter‐religious meetings and
alsoteachesZazen.Bukkōzanjiistheidealplacewherepeoplefrommoderntimescanstudy
Buddhism.”
TodayBukkōzanjihasaround1,300monksandthereare300headquartersopenaroundthe
world.InJapan,thereisoneinTokyo,Osaka,NagoyaandGunma.Asanactofgratitude,the
Vice‐AbbotKeiringaveagivetoeAzumaRoshiandpromisedfutureheart‐feltmeetings.
ThedelegationcamebacktoTaipeibyhigh‐speedtrainShinkansen.Onthelastdayofthetrip
theyvisitedtheNationalChiangKai‐shekMemorialHall.Afterwards,theyattendedthe
QigonglecturebyRev.RinTokumouwhomakemadeagreatefforttocreatethisConference
as the Taiwanese Director of the Sekai Zen Senta and also holding the title of Master of the
Orthodox Qigong Association of Taiwan. After the Qigong lecture, the members of the
delegationtookoftourofdowntownTaipeiandleftfortheairporttoreturnhome.
TheVice‐groupleaderRev.SuzukiKesshūspokeabouthisimpressions:
“Following the first foreign Conference last year in Zhejiang, China was a great success, the
second meeting was also successful thanks to your kind collaboration. We have already
receivedrequeststoholdconferencesfromHollandandSpain,whichwewilldonextMay.We
wanttocontinuespeakingaboutZenabroadlikethis,withAzumaRoshiatthecenter.
Commentsfromtheparticipants.
Rev.OhnoKyōshi,AbbotofShinpukujiintheprefectureofYamaguchi,Japan:
“Although brief and simple, the discussion by Azuma Roshi had the core, the soul of Zazen.
EventhoughtheywerethesamewordsthatIreadeverydayinthetexts,thetruemeaning
deeplypenetratedmeaslikeaveilfellfrommyeyes.Iamverysatisfiedandhonoredtohave
beenapartofthispreciousexperience.”
Mr.FukushimaTeizō,followerofDaijoji:
“IwasstruckmyRoshi’stalkabouthowsimplysittinginZazenisanentirelifeandthatwe
shouldcontinueZazenwithsincerity.Duringthediscussion,IsawthattheBuddhistsfromthe
two counties repeated Gasshō and Sanpai in silence. I have never been to such a solemn
Conferenceinmylife.”
Rev.AnnaMariaShinnyoMarradiofShinnyojiinItaly:
“BeingnearAzumaRoshi,everymovementandwordofmyTeacherisapreciousTeachingfor
me.Evenifwespeakdifferentlanguages,everythingistransmittedthroughIShindenShin,
the origin of the Dharma. Returning to Italy, I will speak about this marvelous trip to the
followersandfriendsofShinnyoji,particularlyabouttheTeachingbyAzumaRoshi.”
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VISITTOSHINNYOJI
TheMayoroftheJapanesecityofKadokawaSamaandhisofficialdelegatesvisitedShinnyojio
celebratethe50thAnniversaryoftheTwincityagreementbetweenFlorenceandKyoto,Rev.
Matsuura Kanshu, Abbot of the Mibudera Temple in Kyoto and the Abbot of the Zen Rinzai
TempleTōfukujiinKyoto.
ThankyouletterfromtheMayorofKyoto
京都市
国際交流課
京都市中京区寺町大池604-8571
2015年7月3日 真如寺住職
アンナマリア・伊天真如老師
親愛なる老師様
私に同行した京都市の代表団が貴寺院を訪問いたしました折の、心温まるおもてなしに対
し、感謝の気持ちを表したく思います。
京都から遠く離れた異国の地で、真如寺に祀られたお仏壇と地蔵像を拝見しまして、改め
て貴寺院と壬生寺との交流を思い出し、この二寺院間の交流がフィレンツェ、京都という
歴史と文化を誇る二都市の姉妹都市交流のシンボルではないかと思った次第です。
また、貴寺院の参禅者たちが、仏教の教えに従い修行をする真摯な様子に、深い感銘を受
けました。
今回のフィレンツェ訪問は、今後のフィレンツェ京都間の交流をいっそう促進するよい機
会となりました。貴殿が今後もこのお勤めを続けていかれますことを光栄に思います。
最後になりましたが、貴殿のますますのご健勝をお祈りいたします。敬具
京都市長
門川 大作
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ThankyounotefromRev.MatsuuraShunkai,AbbotoftheMibudera
June2015(YearsoftheHeisei27)
DearfriendswhoattendedtheOpenEyesCeremonyoftheYakataJizōatShinnyojiin
Florence,
OnJune12th,2015theHōyōceremonyfortheYakataJizōwascelebratedbetweenItalyand
JapanalongsidethepresenceofMr.KadokawaDaisaku,MayorofKyotoandMr.TsudaDaizō,
PresidentoftheCityCouncilofKyoto.TheYakataJizōwasdonatedandshippedfromthe
MibuderatoShinnyojiandwasrespectfullyreceivedbyRev.AnnaMariaShinnyoMarradi,
AbbotoftheShinnyojiTemple.
LastyeartheJizōBonwasofficiallyrecognizedasanimmaterialculturalpatrimonyoftheCity
ofKyoto.Later,theYakataJizōwasaddedinalongsidetheBuddhainatempleinaEuropean
country.Thisistrulyagreatjoyforme.
AttachedarethephotostakenthedayoftheCeremony.Iwouldbehappyifyoukeptthemfor
yourmemories.
ThesummerhasbeguninKyotoandweareapproachingtheJizōBonheldinAugust.Ihope
thatmanypeoplecelebratethisyearsothatthoseineveryneighborhoodofKyotoaremore
connected.
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Manythanks,Gasshō
MatsuuraShunkai,AbbotoftheMibudera
DearAnnamaria,
Isawthepicturesfromtheinaugurationofthe7jizosontheMatsuuraSyunshositethrough
TsujiHoshino,thesecretaryoftheFondazioneDelBianco.
Iseeyoursmile,IreadmanycommentsfromotherJapanesepeople.Theygaveyouaprecious
gift(evenifyouhadtogivealottoo),andtheymadeakindandrespectfuloffering.
Greatcomplimentsandwishes,
Hideyuki
Prof.HideyukiDOI
CollegeofLetters‐RitsumeikanUniversity
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NEWSFROMDAIJOJI
DaijojiDayorin.120,15August2015
Aida’stestimony;
DaijojiDayoriAoftheDaijojiDayorin.120,15
August2015
AidaKongō相田 金剛,practitioneratDaijoji,
Kanazawa
IreceivedTokudofromAzumaRōshiinOctober
2014(26thyearofHeisei).
Eightmonthshavepassedsincethishappened
andIaskmyselfwhathashappenedinsideof
myself.Ilivethesamewayeverydayreceivingthe
guidancefromelderlymonks,intensely
dedicatingmyselftomytasks.Accordingtome,
Practiceisneverascetic.Itisimportanttowalk
togetheramongstothersuponthepaththatyou
havechosen,thatyoubelievein.Ithinkthat
constantlygoingalongthispathistruePractice.
Photocaptions;
Thesecondforeignconferenceofthe
SekaiZenSenta(WZCWorldZenCenter)
On14May2015,intheBukkōjiTemple,Taiwan
Titleofthetext;
Thesecondforeignconferenceofthe
SekaiZenSenta(WZCWorldZenCenter)
Text;
Fromthe11thto15thMay,2015AzumaRoshi,
AbbotofourTempleandPresidentoftheSekai
ZenSentaheldaConferenceattheKegonSenshū
GakuinInstituteintheCulturalPlazaofBanqiao
intheRyūzanjiTemple,bothinTaipeiand
Taiwan.
Hisdiscussionwaswelcomedwithgreat
enthusiasmandinterestfromtheattendees.The
delegationwasmadeupof25monksand
followers,includingtheChinesemonkRengyoku,
theSriLankanmonkandpractitionerChaminda
Ryūsei,andAnnaMariaShinnyoMarradiof
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ShinnyojiinItaly.BigthankstoMr.RinTokumou,theHeadDirectoroftheSekaiZenSentain
Taiwanforhispreciouscontributiontomakethiseventhappen.Thedetailsaboutthistripare
publishedinBukkyoTimesofJune18th,2015.
TheHymnofShinnyojiinFlorence.フィレンツェ真如寺のうた
IreceivedagiftfrommyfollowerShinnyosanwhocamefromShinnyojiinItaly.ItwasaCD
withtheHymnofShinnyojiinFlorencealongwiththetextofthelyricswhichiscomprisedof
4 verses written by Shinnyo san herself. The music of the Hymn was composed by Teacher
CarloIppolitowhoisalsoapractitioneratShinnyoji.
Herearethelyricstothefirstverse.
Sanshu–AbbotoftheDaijōjiTempleAzumaRoshi
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ACTIVITIES
Sesshin26‐28June2015
Sesshin11‐13September2015
15
Teisho12September2015
TenshinlisteningtotheTeishoconnectedbySkypeinNewYorkCity(USA),where
shelivesandworks.
16
SigninsheetfortheSesshin11‐13September2015
LunchtogetherattheendoftheSesshin,13September2015
17
POETRY
WrittenbypoetCarloMichelstaedter(Gorizia,3June1887–Gorizia,17October
1910),hediedattheageof23,hewasawriter,philosopherandItalianscholar.
TheshortlifeofMichelstaedterflows–ashisLettersshow‐exhibitingawillto
continuouslyliveilluminatedbythedesireofametaphysicalsomethingelseorelsewhere
createdhimself.Asayoungman,hewasanimpulsiveandrestlessexploreroflanguageand
phrases.MichelstaedterwasburiedintheJewishcemeteryinRožnadolina,whichtodayis
NovaGorica,justafewmetersfromtheItalianborder.
Risveglio
Giacciotral’erbe
sullaschienadelmonte,ebeveilsole
ilmiocorpocheilventom’accarezza
esfioranoilmiocapoifioriele’erbe
ch’agitailvento
elosciameronzantedegliinsetti‐‐
Dellerondiniilvoloaffaccendato
segnadicurverotteilcieloazzurro
etraenell’altovasticerchiillargo
volodeifalchi…
Vita?!Vita?!quil’erbequilaterra,
quiilvento,quigl’insetti,quigliuccelli,
epurtraquestisentevedegode
stasottoilventoafarsivellicare
stasottoilsoleasuggereilcalore
stasottoilcielosullabuonaterra
questoch’iochiamo“io”,mach’iononsono.
No,nonsonquestocorpo,questemembra
prostratequifral’erbesullaterra,
piùch’iononsiagliinsettiol’erbeoifiori
oifalchisunell’ariaoilventooilsole.
Iosonsolo,lontanoiosondiverso–
Altrosole,altroventoepiùsuperbo
Voloperaltricielièlamiavita…
Maoraquicheaspetto,elamiavita
perchénonvive,perchénonavviene?
Cheèquestaluce,cheèquestocalore,
questoronzarconfuso,questaterra,
questocielocheincombe?M’èstraniero
l’aspettod’ognicosa,m’ènemica
questanatura!Basta!Vogliouscire
daquestatramad’incubi!Lavita!
lamiavita!Ilmiosole!
18
Mapelcielo
montanlenubisudall’orizzonte,
giàlambisconoilsole,giàlaterra
invidianolaluceedilcalore.
Unbrividopercorrelanatura
erigidomicorreperlemembra
alsoffiaredelvento.Machefaccio
schiacciatosullaterraquitral’erbe?
Oramilevo,chèorahounfinecerto,
orahofreddo,orahofame,oram’affretto,
orasolamiavita,
chèlastessaignoranzam’èsapere–
lanaturainimicaoram’ècara
chemidaràriparoenutrimento,
oravadoaronzarcomegli’insetti.–
OnSt.Valentin,June1910
TESTIMONIES
Walking
Vacation in Montpellier, a small city near the sea in the south of France, with a downtown,
manytree‐linedstreetsandamodernneighborhoodwithanexpanseandeclecticstyle...the
nearbysea,thehousesofthefishermen..Ireturnedafterafewyears,veryimportantyears,
manythingshavechangedinmylife,andstillfoundmyselfwalkingalongfamiliarstreets...I
perhapsIwasfamiliartothem...
Only a few years ago my emotional and spiritual life, my friends were completely different,
maybeitwastakingadailypathtosomewhereIstilldon’tknowwhere,butexists‘definitely’?
ItwasstrangetoseeagainthebuildingsthatIlove,gotothechurches,visitthemuseums,it
waslikeintroducingmyselfagaintothecity.Iwasthesamebutabitdifferentwithmyfriends
inthiscity,theyunderstood,theycomprehendedthattherehasbeenachangeandtheyare
happy,withouttoomanywords,theyknowme.
After nearly a year since the Shukke Tokudo, I recognize myself as what I am today, as do
thosewhoareclosetome,theysensemywalk...
Walking...knowingmycharacter,Ihavealwaysbeenwalking.I don’tliketofossilizemyself
intoarole,embodysomethingthatI‘am’prisonerofan‘outfit’ina‘belief’tomanagelikea
gainedknowledge,apowertotakecareof,ahierarchicalrolethatcanproducepseudo‐merits,
aspiritualwalkthatbecomes‘marketing’andrelationaldiplomacybetween‘powers’.
I’vehadadoubtforalongtime,it’snotanewthing,itrevolvesaroundmydeepwill‐ability‐
inclinationofcompletelyadheringtoaJapanese‘cannon’ofRitual,butthisdoesnotstopme
atallfromparticipatinginitandfromfeelingitsdistanceforce,Isaythisforacertainreason‐
my western culture does not know or cannot be anything else, and so perhaps for these
reasons I can’t make it mine, I can’t ‘wear it’ and be one with it. This is it. And I can’t be
insincerewithmyselfonmyPath.
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Istillmustinterpretmuchofthepath,Imustunderstandandfeel,apathsomewhatquietthat
cannot‘say’toomuch,toprogressintosomethingthatisandwillbe‘useful’andhelpmyself
andothers.
Iwanttogrowinmyunderstanding,infeelingandperceivingtheWorld,letitenterinside,let
metransformandfinallynothavefearofcontinuouschangeandofreturning...
Ifeelmyresponsibility,inthesamewaythatIfeelthatIlivewithinaLineagethatprotectsme
andthatIrespect.MyPath,asIsaid,isevolvingandIstilldon’tknowhowbutIknowtowait
andreceive,tocomprehend.IhavefaithinZenandinmyTeacherRev.ShinnyoRoshi.There
aremanythoughtsandImoveforwardalongtheWaywithRespectandrecognition,gratitude
andmodesty.Maybeit’stheexactawarenessof‘catchingtherightbait’andthatIwillnever
beabletobetraymyselforbetrayafaiththatforme,evenwithallofthedoubtsandfaults,it
verysolid.
AbookofSutrashasalways‘keptmecompany’onatableinmyroomandIsawitalotduring
theday,Ithinkthatit,inacertainsense,‘represents’theTeacherandalloftheSangha...
Somethingbeautifulhappenedtomeeveryday,Iwashappywalkingaroundthecity,inthe
places that I love, the joy of visiting friends, because I am what I am, still the same and
different,Ifeel‘united’,neverrepressedordishonest,neverfullofremorse.ButIabsolutely
feellikeIbelongtoaserious,TrueandhonestPathatShinnyojiwiththegreatluckofhaving
met the Rev. Shinnyo Roshi, my Teacher, thanks to whom I was able to know “the Zen that
onlyShebrings”.
Gasshō
Shinden
Summer
Thesummerlightisrough,atleastitisforme.Theshuttersareclosed,withpeelingpaint
facingthestreet,andthedarkness,literalandinternal,fallsuponthefloor.Desertedplaces
andpopulatedplaces,arenotactuallydifferent,concentricmigrationsofants.Iplaywithmy
camerainthedaylight:Ifollowit,inanarrowspacebetweenthetreesandwalls,every
embellishmentisanimpressionofamoment,afarewellandwelcomeallatonce,perhapsa
welcomeback.Isitintheeveningandmybreathisatable,alwaysdifferent,presentwithout
askinganythingmore;thededications,namesbetweenmypalmsofmytwohands.
InJuly,IaskedtheTeacherifIcouldreceivetheVowsoftheBodhisattva.Theletterislong,
consistingoftwopages,wantingtoexplainanddefine.Itisabriefstepandinaninstant,it
willnolongerbeastep.WhenIwenttoschool,ateacherFiorellocalledmeOurPoet,and
ruffledmybangs.NowIthewordsthatIhearfalltothegroundandmakethesoundofacan
shakinglikeintheWizardofOz.Itissummer,andalsothisyear,Septemberwillcome.
Gasshō,
Cecilia.
IcametotheTemplebecauseIfeltabitconfused,presenttensiontowardstheunconditional,
theunbreakableforcetobuildametalcathedralaroundmysoul.Anexpanseofhotcoalsand
fire,blinding,theybotheredme.IwasattractedtowhatItoldmyself:discoverandshapethe
superhumanpresentineveryperson.Uniteandorder,withcollectedintensity,thechaos
presentaroundme,inasolidnucleus,aneworder.Theuprightnessagainsthorizons,the
marbleagainsttheswamp.AllofthisthankstotransfiguringexperienceswithinPractice.I
20
laterdeveloped,independently,throughapersonalpath,mostlyfocusedandanti‐egalitarian,
thesameinstances.Howeverenhancedbydizziness,asionicsacrifices:thearchaichoplite,
thatgiftofself.
Gasshō
GregorioG.
InthetransmissionoftheuniversalteachingsofthehistoricBuddhafromTeacherShinnyoto
theSangha,oneclearlyfeelstheawareness,andevenmore,ourTeacher’smatureexperience
intheDharma,atrueunionthattransmitsthelifeofthemindandhearttothepractitioners,
orientedbeyondillusiontowardtheexistentialpresent.
Thankfully,
Gasshō
MicheleG.
Myfirstthoughtofthemorning.
Gettingangrywithlovedonesinyourlife,“you’rebotheringme...!”,onlytorealizelaterthat
they are irreplaceable, and you can’t tell them this. Discovering that taking care of your
parentsisn’tjusta“job”,butaluckyoccurrence,theirunfortunatesuffering,whichyouwould
neverunderstandotherwise.
Youralwayspresentson,Michele.
Gasshō.
MicheleN.
Then,afterallofthepoetry
thatpasses
andnoone
saysanythinganymore....
Shinden
25June‐2July2015
I had a lovely week at the Temple. Infinite thanks from my heart to the Teacher who
welcomedmeandhostedmeintheGuestRoom,thankyouforhertimeandteaching.Thank
you to the Sangha that demonstrated a lot of patience while I reviewed the Form. As the
Teachersays:returningtoyouTempleandsittingwithyourTeacherafteraphysicalabsence
is a great opportunity to reflect upon your Practice. As soon as I entered Shinnyoji, I felt a
simpleandnaturalpresenceofbeingthere,asifIhadneverleft.Butatthesametime,Ifelt
verydifferent,morerelaxed,focusedandfirm,IfeelclosertotheTeacherandtheSangha,I
felttheirfaithandcommitment.
Like someone walking through the fog and returns home soaking wet, I came back to
Shinnyojiwet.This“shower”rinsedawayeverydoubtthatIhadaboutthePracticethatIdo
alone in America. I thought that my Practiced was too “thrown together” or “done how it
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seemstome”,butIsatinZazeneverydayjustthesame.AtShinnyojiIfeltadeepcontactwith
the energy around me, the air and environment were always the same, but I felt them in a
morenurturingandwelcomingwaythanbefore.
WhilerelearningtheForm,Ifeltopenandwithoutatraceofperfectionism.Thanksagainfor
yourpatienceandrepetition.IhavelearnedthatpracticingZenisalsobeingcompassionateto
yourself,notonlyotherpeople.Ipaidattentiontomyembarrassmentduetoclumsilyringing
thebell,mystrangepronunciationoftheEko,andwhenIwentthewrongwayorfacedthe
wrongdirection.IappreciatetheTeishogivenbytheTeacherduringthisSesshin,shespoke
abouttheimportanceofforgivingourselvesduringourPractice.Apartofmewantedtofeel
stupidorintheway,butthisisego,Imadethedecisionnottogetdiscouragedandwithdeep
breaths,IfeltmyheartbeatandIacceptedmyselfasIam.
TheFormisamysticalpractice,itgivesrespectandharmonytotherituals,Ihaven’tfounda
Zen Temple in New York that practices Forms like at Shinnyoji, by at least I can practice
Kyudowhichteachessimilarprinciples.
IfeelthecallingoftheBuddhaWayevenstrongerthanbeforeaswellasgratefulnessforthe
support from the Patriarchs, instruction and demonstration from the Teacher. I hope that I
canreturntoShinnyojisoon.Thanksagain.
Gasshō
Tenshin
IpreparemealsfortheSangha–reflectionsfromaTenzoapprentice
In the Tenzo Kykōun, Dōgen often refers to an ancient Chinese text, the Chanyuan Qinggui
(RulesforZenMonasteries,writtenbyZongleonMountZangluin1102).Amongstthecited
quotesarethefollowing:
“ThepurposeoftheTenzoistopreparemealsforthemonks”and
“Put your illuminated mind to work, constantly trying to serve diverse meals that are
appropriatefortheoccasion,andthatalloweveryonetopracticewiththebodyandthe
mindwithoutanyobstacle”.
The first quote seems simple and easy. Our functional
transpositionatShinnyojisoundsstraightforward:thejobofthe
TenzoistopreparemealsfortheSanghawhentheyconvenefor
aZazenkaiorSesshin–nothingmore.
Ok,thiscanbedone.Allyouhavetodoiskeepcountofwhowill
bepresentthroughouttheday,payattentiontotheTeacher’sor
another practitioner’s needs, pick out a menu, plan what you
needin the kitchen–meaningmake agrocerylist–“figureout”thericecooker,maintaina
calmdemeanorinthekitchenandeverythingisdone.
Unfortunatelyitisnotatalllikethis.ThesecondpassagecitedbyDōgenbreaksadamthat
brings the Tenzo into a deep spiritual dimension where the simple affirmation “I prepare
mealsfortheSangha”becomesanintenseformofPractice.
JustlikesittinginZazen–loweringyourselfinShikan‐taza–becomestheonlyactivityinthe
mindandbodyforthewholetimethatwespendontheZafu,alsoplanningmeals,preparing,
servingthefoodandtidyingupthekitchen,representsthecompletenessoftherealitybeing
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livedbytheTenzofortheentireday.Theresponsibilityishuge–infact,itiswritten:“ifthe
Tenzo offers a meal without harmony of the six tastes and three qualities, it cannot be said
that he serves the community”. From a simple meal depends the success of everyone’s
Practice.
Being the Tenzo requires total concentration and abandonment. Each moment, each step,
must be lived in full awareness because as Dōgen teaches, “you must manage even a small
vegetableleafsothatitmanifeststhebodyoftheBuddha.Inreturn,thisallowstheBuddhato
manifestitselfthroughtheleaf”.
Itry,IattempttobeonewiththeingredientsthatIprepare,theutensilsthatIworkwithand
the decision I make. I try to offer the food with an open heart and complete abandonment.
DuringtheSesshin,intheeveningsbeforegoingtobedIensurethateverythingisreadyfor
the following morning – the table is set, the food is ready – and I wash the rice before the
morning alarm sounds. This is my Practice. Unfortunately my concentration is often
overwhelmedbytherushandunfoldingoftheevents,theofferingofthefoodwithanopen
heart is overshadowed by the ego waiting for a recognition and the right choice of food
sometimesisdoneabithastily.
DōgenteachesthatweshouldcompletelyidentifyourPracticewiththeactivitiesoftheTenzo
andinsistsuponthefactthatwhenwesitinZazen,wemustonlysit,whileweworkasthe
Tenzo,wemustonlydothat.
Thisisalsoverydifficultforme.WhilesittinginZazenmymindisalreadyprojectedtoward
whatwillhappenlater:ingredientstoprepare,thescheduletofollow,theplacestosetatthe
table. A vortex that absorbs the concentration, decomposes the posture and makes the
moment difficult as if it were a long and strenuous marathon that is not lived moment by
momentbutonlyfocusingonthefinishline.The“illuminatedmindoftheTenzo”whichDōgen
refersto,isnotmymind.
There’ssomethingthatImustconfess.Thericeinbrothinthemorning,eatenwithpaprika
andgomashio,isn’tasbadaswemakeitouttobe...andeverynowandthen,inthewinter,I
prepareabowlformyselfathomeforbreakfast...
Gasshō
Ei‐shin
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Thetemple,theSanghaandZenhavebeenapartofmesincethefirstday.Uncoveringmyself
andthoseatShinnyojiisoneofthemostbeautifulandtruegiftsofmylife!
Gasshō
Rossana
“Everythingisperfectasitis.”ThisisathoughtthatIthinkaboutoftenbecauseit’scomplete,
itgivesmeserenity.Ioftenworry,Ifeartomorrow,butthinkingthat“everythingisfinelike
this”givesmestrengthandfaith.It’snotaninactiveacceptance,butrather,lifewithabitof
curiosity. Pain is not an intruder, it is a part of this perfection, and it happens to be
accompaniedbyunexpectedandimportanteventsthatlaterwillbeasupportfortherestof
thislife.
Deep thanks to our Teacher and for all of the Sangha for having been close and supportive
lately.IcontinuouslyfeltYourpresencenexttomeandthishelpedmegreatly.Thankyou.
Gasshō
Kei‐shin
BuildingaMountain
OneofthefirstthingsIeverreadaboutBuddhismistheThreeMarksofExistence.Thefirst
mark of existence is impermanence. Everything in life is impermanent. In a moment
everything can change. We have many things but we possess nothing. Families, loved ones,
homes, money, health, happiness, suffering, emotions, and thoughts are just feathers in the
wind.Itcanbehardtofindsomethingtoholdontowhenthatwindisalwaysblowing.Really
what do we have to hold onto? That is my hope for Zen, to show me peace. I believe that
throughZazenandworkingatthetempleIcanbuildasanctuarywithinmyself.IknowthatI
can neverescapetheimpermanenceoftheworld,butI wishto findZeninmyheartthatis
strongandstillasamountain.
Gasshō
Josh
I have finally reach a small goal in my life. Time and energy dragged me into the usual and
dailyflowofthislifeinwhichweareinvolved.Also,agreatlightfromabove(orbetter,from
below)openeduptomeduringthesetimesofgreattirednessandconcentration–sittingin
Zazen,Ifeltmyworldlybreathuponmyskin.
Itisinthistime,almostbeyondthetimethatmyattentionnoticedinthecarwhilereturning
home from work (I usually meditate during at sunset, a time when the day seems most
intimatetomeandfullofimportancethatIamnotabletoexpresswithwords).AtthattimeI
realized how truly difficult life must be for those who wake up at 6:30 a.m. for work then
returnhomeat7:00pmandyoumuststillhavethejoyousstrengthneededfromyourfamily,
children,tendingtothehouseuntilit’stimetogotobedandstartalloveragainthenextday.
The strength of a mother who, beyond working, must also raise a child or two, take care of
othertasksandaftertheyearspass,alsoagrandchild,maybetwo.Andallofthisforwhat?We
askourselves.Istronglybelievethattheonlythingstrongenoughtosupportallofthiseffort
must be love and compassion for the family, children, for all of those who are around you.
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After this assurance, monastic life seems less distant, less external. It can’t be any more
difficult than those who work 12 or 13 hours every day and then still have the strength,
returninghome,tosmileatwhoeveropensthedoor,andhavesomethingthoughtfultosayto
someoneatthesupermarketorgiveyourseattosomeoneonthebuswhoseemevenmore
tired.
Inthiswaythereisnotimeforuselessthings,fortheegotoenter.AstheTeacherDōgensays,
theideaofAwarenessisnotAwareness,AwarenessisAwareness,itisthiswaywithoutgoing
out to look for whatever ecstatic and extreme experiences, beyond writings and words, I
believe that if you succeed in energetically living through this inextinguishable love for a
positivelife,IcouldsaythatI’malreadyhappylivinginthefluctuatingworld.Unfortunately
Zazeneventuallyfinishes,theworldcallsandthisboltsoflightluckilystayinourmemoryand
guideourfutureactionshoping,thatitfortifiestheWayinanewexperience.
Gasshō
Yūshin
25
PRACTICERETREATS
Sesshin:26‐28May.
Sesshin:11‐12‐13September.
DuringeachRetreat,ourTeacherShinnyoRoshiholdsaTeisho.
PhotosbyFabioDaishin,
EditingbyIvanoEi‐shin
TranslationintoEnglishbyLisaTenshin
CalendarofeventsforPractice:
Zazen–everyMondayfrom8:00–10:00p.m.
Zazen–everyFridayfrom8:00‐9:30p.m.
Zazenkai–OneSundaypermonthfrom9:00a.m.to6:00p.m.
Sesshin – One weekend per month from Friday at 8:00 p.m. to
Sundayat2:00p.m.
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