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EkiZen - Newsletter from the Sangha of Shinnyoji
Winter 2013 - n. 17 year IV
OurbelovedTemple,Daijojiimmersedinthesnow
ZenTempleLaGendronnière18‐20October2013
Our Teacher Shinnyo Roshi visited “La Gendronnière” Zen Temple in France to attend the
AnnualSeminarorganizedbythe“EuropeanSōtōZenOffice”.
This year the conference, held in English and translated into French was titled “Critical
Interpretation and Technological Instruments in the Study of Doctrinal Foundation Sōtō
Teachings”specifically“ThewayofstudingDōgenandtheSōtōZenTeaching‐Introductionto
Japanese and Western approach”. The speaker was Seijun Ishii, ex‐Director of Komozawa
University,ofthegreatestinternationalexpertofresearchandmoderninterpretationofthe
Sōtō Zen teachings and of the most notable academics in traditional and modern
methodologiesinBuddhistStudies.
WarriorsoftheSpirit
The other night during the Kusen held at the second Zazen, our Teacher used this phrase
“Warriors of the Spirit”, referring to us, Zen practitioners. It was lovely! So whoever of us
chooses to practice the Zen Way with our Teacher, is a warrior, and the adversaries are
illusion,attachments,conditions,habits,egoism,andincorrectviews.Summedintooneword:
yourego.
Us warriors of the spirit have a very powerful weapon: Zazen. Our Teacher, faithful to the
heritage of our Lineage, doesn’t ever get tired of telling us how much importance Dōgen
placed onmeditation. Furthermore, like every true Zen Teacher, Shinnyo Roshi tells us that
evenwhodoesnotpracticeZazencanbeapersononthePath.Eachoneofus,asshealways
says,isaBuddhaandwealllivewithourkarma.
IamonceagainonthepathandthankmyTeacherandmyfriendsoftheSangha,especially
those with whom I have been practicing for a long time. Whenever I was down, they know
how to support me with their gazes (every time we saw each other) and with their Zazen.
Thanks
Gasshō
Beingthere
OurTeacheroftentellsusabouttheimportanceofourpresenceattheTemple.Athousand
booksarenotequaltoaZazendonewithaSanghaandZenTeacher.Beyondbeingthere,itis
alsotheonlywaytolive,withpractice,theBodhisattvaspiritthatcanhelpothers.Howelse
cannewandoldpractitionerstestifythatwearethere,inZazen,supportingandencouraging
ourselves.
Shinkai
Silence
Silence‐it’saphysicalnecessity,almostlikeair.
Whatissilence?WhatdoesitmeantomeandwhydoIneeditsomuch?
Silence scares us because it frees a suffocated scream inside the mind. Silence is disarming
becauseitputsusinfrontofourselves,itliberatesusfromdistractions,ittakesawayexcuses
andoptions,itobligesustocatchourbreathandlistenclosely.Itishardtomanage,itseems
useless and dangerous, unattractive and often unknown, silence, in reality, is a big effort. It
helpsusopenthewindowsofthosedarkmustyandstaleroomsinourminds.Thebrightlight
ofwisdomandcompassionshinesandfinallyletsusfindthethingsthathavebeentherefor
yearsbutwehavenevernoticed.
Silence strips bear the I ‐ it disarms it, making it insecure, taking away its strength. At the
beginning its reaction is angry and it unleashes a complex creation of images, visions,
apparitionsmadejusttodistracttheattentionfromitsnudity,buttheeffectlastsjustalittle
bit because it doesn’t have the catalyzing element: the listening, observing and gawking
public.Withoutit,theIcannotbearthe
standoff with its worst enemy: the
impossibilityforittoexistalone.
Silence, a great inspiring strength, a
greatrefuge.Initwecanperceive,even
ifjustforamoment,theessenceofour
existence.
Onecanhaveavisualflashofwhatthe
complexmechanismisthatgovernsus,
the unstoppable flow of our mind
evolving that mixes into infinite other
beings,likewaterintowater.Insilence,
every movement, every thought can
move with a very natural cadence
allowingitselftoexistinawareness.
Willweeverhaveenoughofsilence?It
issomethingtoobigforusandforour
minds. Our continuum, exactly like a
river,wearsawayatthebed,makinga
channel along a path determined by
causesandexternalfactors.Ifitdidn’t,
it would disperse into thousands of
useless streams and would be easily
absorbed into the ground. No, we are
still not ready to give ourselves up to
silence,ourmindsstillcannotpenetrateeverything‐wearestillnotlikewaterinwater.
I turn on music, I open a book, I squint my eyes, I look for someone to talk to.... I fill an
emptinesswithemptinessbutIfeelmoresecure,andfromthevoid,theIreappears,rejoicing
forhavingescapeddanger,arrogantasusual.
Ei‐shin
Thankyou
Thepastfewyearshavebeenveryhardforme.EkiZenhasbeenaclearandsilenttestimony.
Mytestimonieshavegatheredandrevealedhowmuchthathashappenedinmylife.
Today I can say that thanks to my pain, I am free from any “illusions”. I am certainly more
aloneandIhavefewerhopes,buttherearestillsome.
Practicewasabighelp.ShinnyoRoshiknewhowtostayclosetomewithoutdoinganything
outoftheordinary,butshewasthere.Shewasmylightthroughdesperation.Ifpracticeisfor
this,forthejoyofbeingableto‐maybe‐onedaybealighttosomeone:mychildren,mywife,
myfriends,strangerswhoIhavemetand‐whoknows‐evenpeoplewhohavehurtmealot
andIwouldliketoforgive.
Shinkai
QuarterlyNewsletterfromtheDaijojiMonastery,DaijojiDayorin.115
September2013
“TheFoundationoftheSekaiZenSenta,InternationalZenCenter”
SekaiZenSentawasfoundedatDaijojionMay14th,2013.
TheInaugurationandFirstReunionwasheldonJune9th.
DuringtheSecondReuniononJuly3rd,theofficialassignmentsweregiventothemembers
and our Abbot Azuma Ryushin Roshi was nominated President of the Center and Hei Dōki
RoshiasVicePresident.Theotherrolesarepublishedonthefollowingpage(2).
The main objective of the Sekai Zen Senta is to define the current reality of Zazen
practitioners throughout the world, mainly their state of collaboration and reciprocal
relationship.Wedeepenourprayerforworldpeace.Theactivityforpreparationandservices
arebeginning.Wesincerelyaskforyourunderstandingandcollaboration.
“TheSuzukiDaisetsuMuseum”
ASeriesofConferencesheldfromSanshuRoshi‐OurAbbot”
The Suzuki Daisetsu Museum in Kanazawa organized a series of conferences to help us
understand this great philosophy on the theme: “Suzuki Daisetsu and Zen Culture”, upon
whichSanshuRoshi,ourAbbot,heldtalkson:“TheSourceofEverydayCultureinJapanand
Zen”onMay18th,2013andlateron:“TheOriginsofZenCulture”onJune15th,2013,bothat
theKabukiTheaterinKanazawa.
Sincethereweremorerequeststoattendthanexpected,theMuseumorganizershadtolimit
themaximumnumberofattendeesto70people,whichwasthemaxcapacityofthevenue.
“AnItalianGroupLeadbyShinnyoRoshi:TheVisitandthePractice”
Iten Shinnyo Roshi, Abbot of Shinnyoji and follower of our Abbot Azuma Ryushi Roshi
returned to Japan with three of her followers, Iten Goshen, Iten Benshin and Gregorio Pitti.
They intensely dedicated themselves to practicing the Way of our Temple from June 7th to
18th. They were all very happy to have follow the course held by our Abbot on the the
ShōbōgenzōZazengi.
“Buppō,Bukkyō,Butsudō:TheBuddhaDharma,Buddhism,theWayoftheBuddha”byAbate
AzumaRyūshinRoshi
ReadingthetextsbyDōgenZenji,forexamplethe95volumesintheShōbōgenzō,wenotice
the fact that, besides the Bukkyō chapter, they mostly contain numerous words such as
“Buppō”or“Butshudō”.
Therearevariousinterpretationsoftheterm“Hō”(Dharma)oftheBuppō,butaccordingto
me,DharmameansTruth.
SowhatisTruth?Itsignifiestheconsciousnessthatcannotbeexpressedthroughwordsand
letters, meaning Reality itself that goes beyond our discernment. Through the three times:
pastpresentandfuture(time)andtheTendirections(space),everythingthatexistsisReality.
Even we are Reality. But if he try to understand this, we immediately fail. The Shakamuni
BuddhaunderstoodtheDharmathroughZazenandbecameawareofbeingDharmaitself.The
term “Kyō” (teaching) by Bukkyō represents the transmission and words of the Shakamuni
thatoriginatefromhiscompassionbyhelpingusbeawareoftheDharmamanifestedbefore
us. They are the Sutras. The Sutras are the Buddha’s teachings. The Sutras are taught
accordingtothelevelofwhoisstudyingthembecausetheycanbeacceptedbyeveryone.Itis
why they care called “Hachimansisen no Hōmon ‐ the 8,400 doors to the Dharma ‐ the
numerousteachings”.TheSutraswillnumerouslyarisealsointhefuturebecausepeoplewill
besavedandEnlightedthroughthem.
Intheend,althoughtheteachingsoftheBuddhaareverybeautiful‐themeritsoftheBukkyō
cannotariseifitisnotpracticed.ThispracticeistheWay,inotherwords,theBuddhaWay‐
Butsudō.TheWayoftheBuddhaislimitlesslyextendedlikeourdailylives.
“ZazenandZen”
Everywhereintoday’ssocietyweloudlyhearthewordZen.DaijojiisaBuddhistTemplefor
theZenSchool.Itisgenerallydefined‐bymyselfandbyothers‐asaTemplebelongingtothe
SōtōSchoolofZenBuddhism,butthisdefinitionisusuallytheconsequenceofthecustomof
today’ssociety.Inhistexts,DōgenZenjiveryoftenmentionsthethewordsZa(satdown)and
Zazen. He rarely uses the word Zen. He said that it wasn’t possible to correctly define the
teachingtransmittedfromtheBuddhaandthePatriarchswiththesameofaSchoollikeSōtō
orZen.TheoriginofthewordZenisDhyāna,inSanskritwhichcomesfromtheChineseword
Channa, abbreviated as Chán, or Zen in Japanese. According to the Buddhist dictionary by
Iwanami Publishing House, the word Zen means meditation or unification of the mind and
body.
However,accordingtoDōgenZenji,theZazencorrectlytransmittedfromSākyamuniBuddha
andofthePatriarchsisHishiryō,meaning“tostopallthoughtmomentandtheconcentration
ofthemind,”orinashorterversion,nottothinkofanything.Thisiswhyit’sbettertousethe
wordZaratherthanthewordZen,andevenbetter,tehwordZazen.DōgenZenjisaidthatZa
wastheTrueNatureofourselves.Zazenisn’tmeditation.Itdoesn’ttrytounifythemindand
body.Itcan’tbecomeMu,nothingness.
Kyosaku
TheKyosakuisa70cmlongstickthatresemblesaswordwithoutahilt.ItisoftenusedinZen
Monasteries and Temples to help practitioners concentrate. During Zazen, an elderly
practitionerslowlywalksbehindthefellowpractitionersastheymeditateandhitsthemona
precisepointontherightshoulderwiththeKyosaku.Thishithasthepowertocalmsomeone
downifheorsheisnervousoritcanawakenifthepersonissleepy.
AtShinnyoji,theKyosakuiskeptnearthealtar.OurZen,althoughitisrigorousandrespects
thetraditionoftheAncientPatriarchs,doesnotusetheKyosaku.I’mnotgoingtoexplainwhy
notbecauseI’mjustapractitioner,butIcansaythathavinghaddirectexperiencesinZazen
practiceinotherItalianZendos,Ithinkthatourpraxisisveryinteresting.Also,this“missing
element” forcesus to work harder to calm down or wakeup, on our own. Italso givesus a
larger silence and a larger concentration, as well as solitude during meditation. Lastly, it
doesn’tbring“lightpunishment”thatusingtheKyuosakumayprovoke.Itdoesn’tignorethe
fewtimesthatourTeacherusedtheKyosaku,wewelcomeitlikeeverythingelseatShinnyoji‐
withopenarms,withoutjudgment,weletourbodiesandmindsgo.Oratleast(Isaythiswith
asmile)Itrytodoso.
Shinkai
ATeacher’sExample
AlthoughtheZenWayispracticedbyfewpeopleintheworldandfewthroughouthistory,it
hasproducedmanytexts.Thisisverystrangebecauseifwereadafew“official”texts,likethe
historic ones, it seems that our Practice must be done along with a Teacher. It’s an
uncomfortableideabecauseaninstructionalbookislikeadog,youareincommandofit,buta
Teacherontheotherhand,aTeacherinteractswithyouandsometimesnotinagreementof
howwewouldlike.Frommyexperience,IcanconfirmthataTeacherisnecessarymostofall
for the example. It doesn’t matter if he or she says something, just that he or she moves. A
person on the Path understands the silent language of the Teacher. Our Teacher Shinnyo
Roshiveryoftenspeaksthroughheractionsthatcreatenumeroussilentteachings.Arecent
example: Roshi decided to shave her head a little while ago for the Rōhatsu night, a very
important night for us Zen Buddhists and in particular, for us at Shinnyoji because two
practitionerswereordained.Thegestureofshavingherheadwasverypowerfulandgavea
strongexampleforallofus.
Shinkai
Excerptfrom:“Introduction”Chapter1oftheLotusSutra
“AndIseethosewho
observetheprecepts,
noflawintheirconduct,
pureasjewelsandgems,
andinthemannerseekingtheBuddhaway.
AndIseeBuddhasons
abidinginthestrengthoffortitude,
takingtheabuseandblows
ofpersonsofoverbearingarrogance,
willingtosufferallthese,
andinthatmannerseekingtheBuddhaway.
Iseebodhisattvas
removingthemselvesformfrivolityandlaughterandfromfoolishcompanions,
befriendingpersonsofwisdom,
unifyingtheirminds,dispellingconfusion,orderingtheirthoughtsinmountainand
forestforamillion,athousand,tenthousandyears
inthatmannerseekingtheBuddhaway.”
SincemyrecenttriptoShinnyojilastSeptemberIfeelevenstrongertheimportanceofhaving
andtakingcareofanaltarinmyhome.MyisintheloftareaofmyapartmentinSeattle,alittle
space about the living room with a ladder meant for a storage space, for me it is where I
practiceZazeneverymorning.WhenImademyaltar,Itookaboxandarollofbamboo,thenI
putalittleBuddhastatueontopthatmybrothergavemeformybirthday.Iaddedafewgreen
and grey stones, crystals and a white candle. I always keep a lemon or sprig of basil, or
something
that
reminds me of Italy
on my altar. Our
Teacher gave me a
small bowl that came
from a temple in
Kyoto
for
daily
offering. I always
keep seashells from
Viareggio, one is
turned upside‐down
and filled with sugar
for the offering.
Somethings change
on my altar, like
when someone gives
me something, or
sends me a postcard,
inthepicturethereis
the incense that the
Teachergaveme.NowthereisapostcardfromthePantheon,averyspiritualplaceforme.
IthinkalotaboutthealtaratShinnyoji,Ifeelthecandle’sflameandthesmelltheincense.I
thinkaboutyouallwhilewesittogether,IwishIcouldbewithyou,rememberthatmyheart
isthere.ThankyouTeacherandmySangha,whomIloveverymuch.Thanksagain.
Gasshō
Tenshin
OurTeacherwasinvitedbyRev.TaigōSpongiaSensei‐HeadInstructorin
ItalyoftheIOGKF‐heldadayofZazenkaiattheToraKanDōjōinRome.
Conferenceon“TheStyleofJapanesePoetry:Haiku”byProf.PaoloPagliat
ShinnyojionOctober13th,2013.
Conference:“TheHistoryofBuddhisminJapan”byProf.HirooNakajimaat
ShinnyojionNovember16th,2013.
Zazenkai October 13th, 2013
SPECIALRŌHATSU2013
Excerptfrom“ZenintheArtofEnlightenment”byKeizanJokin,thesecondAbbotofthe
DaijojiTemple1268‐1325
Chapter1‐BuddhaShakyamuni
TheShakyamuniBuddhaabandonedhispalacewhenhewasnineteenyearsoldandshaved
his head. For six years he followed ascetic practice. He sat for 6 years in an indestructible
chairsostillthattherewerespiderwebsoverhiseyelidsandabird’snestuponhisheadand
plantsgrewaroundthechairwherehesat.Onhis30thbirthdaywhichwasthe8thdayofthe
12thmonth,wewassuddenlyEnlightedwhenthefirstmorningstarappeared.Hesaid,“Iam
Enlightedalongwithallothersentientbeingsoftheearth”.
Hethenpassedthenext49yearsteachingandhelpingothers,withouteverbeingalone.With
onlyhisrobeandasinglesmallbowl,hehadeverythingheneeded.Hetaughtatmorethan
370assemblies,finallypassedtheEyeTreasureofTruthtoKashyapaandthistransmission
continuestoday.
ThisistherootoftheTransmissionandthePracticeoftheTrueTeachinginIndia,Chinaand
Japan.
The Shakyamuni Buddha’s behavior throughout the his life is a model for his disciples who
succeededhim.EversincetherehavebeenpeopleintheworldwhosearchedfortheWayof
his Teaching, they have always imitated the form and behavior of the Buddha and in their
everymovement,theykeptthetaskofself‐awarenesspreeminent.
HavingbeenpassedfromBuddhatoBuddha,fromfollowertofollower,thetrueTeachinghas
neverbeenforgotten.AlthoughtheBuddhadidnotalwaysindicateorexplainthesamething
in more then 370 discussions during his 40 years, the various stories, parables, metaphors
and explanations do not go beyond the exemplified principle of the story of his
Enlightenment. This means that the self is not the Shakyamuni Buddha, even if the
Shakyamuni Buddha comes from the self. Not only does it give birth to the Shakyamuni
Buddha,butallbeingsontheEarthcomefromit.Inthatsamewaythatawovennetcreatesa
cloth,whentheShakyamuniBuddhawasEnlightedsotoowereallofthebeingsoftheEarth
andallBuddhasofthepast,presentandfuture.
Being likethis,whatis theprincipleof Enlightenment?I’masking:TheBuddhaisEnlighted
along with you? Are you Enlighted along with a Buddha? If you see that you have become
EnlightedalongwiththeBuddhaorthattheBuddhahasbecomeEnlightedwithyou,itisnot
the Enlightenment of the Buddha. This is way you cannot call it the principle of
Enlightenment. Also, I, and others together are not neither one nor two. Your skin, flesh,
bones,ormarrow;doesnothavegreatphysicalelementsnotmentalelements.Thereforedo
notconsidertheEarth’sbeingdifferentforyourselves.Theseasonscomeandgo,mountains,
rivers and regions change in various moments: know that it’s due to the Buddha who is
raising its eyebrow or blinking its eyes. It’s due the unified body that is manifested in a
myriadofforms.Thisiswhystudyingitfromeveryangleandpenetratingitineveryway,you
clarifytheEnlightenmentoftheBuddhaandunderstandyourEnlightenment.
“Abranchprotrudesfromtheoldapricottree.Atthesametimethornsareborn.”
PRACTICETESTIMONIES
Yūshin
It was difficult developing this year’s practice theme. Mushin is a very delicate and fragile
conditionforme,thatcanescapeatanymoment.
It’s hard to free the mind from the attachments of everyday routine defined by my study
schedule,myfamilyandwork.PracticingZazenhasbecomemoreandmoretangibleasthere
arenotonlyattachmentsandobstaclesthatmustbeovercomebutworriesinconnectionto
worldactivity,worriesthatourmindsironicallydon’twanttoseparatethemselvesfrom.
TheSesshinsthisyearhavehelpmeexperienceclearingawaythecloudsthatweighmymind,
Zazen after Zazen the habits of our thoughts cease, naturally and spontaneously allowing
Mushinconcentration.Themoretimethatpasses,themoreexperiencesoftheWaythatshow
mehowdifficultitistopracticeZeninaworldandinaconditioninwhichwealllive.Despite
thesedifficulties,IamnotdiscouragedbecauseIknowthatI’mathomeuponthepaththatI’m
taking.
Piergiorgio
Our practice has made me understand and appreciate the sense of being aware. Sitting in
Zazenwithmyeyesopen,alowgaze,Iawake,IsettledownandIfeellightasafeather.Ifind
myselfaware,present,Igointoaflowwitheverything,here,now,butalsowithmypastand
future. I notice that I am without form, empty and full at the same time. I smile during this
momentsofawareness.
Daishin
Ever since I began sittingin Zazen, as a mountain lover, I have thought about writingi
somethingon“ZenandtheArtofMountainClimbing”:primarilyfocusingonthephysicaland
emotional act of climbing that involves the body and mind, moments of interior confusion,
inclinations, hesitations, fear and imagination, all to be recovered in the “here and now”
representedbyyourbreath,bytheclarityofthemind,andbytheactiondoneinthemoment:
stepbystep,withawareness,withhandlesthatareoftenunexpected.
Recently,othermetaphoricalaspectsofmymountainclimbingexperienceshaverelatedtomy
PracticeattheTempleandintheSangha,2013waslikeatheatrewithsuddentwists,changes,
expansionsandregressions.
Evenmyprivatelife,timesoftirednessandfear,havecontributedtothisresonancebringing
breathlessness,exhaustionandtheemptinessthatIfeelwhileclimbing.
Economiceffortstosustainpeopleclosetomeindifficultyandmysonwhostudiesinanother
city, all choices made with a heavy heart, mind and body, have created weight, like friends
attachedtomebyametaphoriccordaroundmywaist,emphasizingtheresponsibilityIown
for their well being. Between work, practice, everyday exhaustion, pain and stiffness my of
agingbody,andashorthoursofsleepfullofdreams,likethehighaltitudeescapeinterposed
whenpossible,Ihaveoftentreatedmyselflikeanobject,betweenclarityandalighttrance.I
have often perceived the Temple as a peaceful oasis, but even it has seen unforeseen
avalanches.Ihavesharedlongcollectiveeffortsforsupportingthosewithemergencies.Some
fellowclimbershavemarchedtogetherinaconvoytogether,whileotherhaveseensomeone
stumbleabit,riskingafall,draggingnewerclimbersbehindthem.Sometimesafoots“falls”
into hard snow on the surface and goes deep: the equilibrium is broken and the cord is
yankedcausingustogasp.Ifsomeoneslipsfromasteepcliffsomeoneelsemustdivetothe
otherdirectioninordertosavetherestofthegroupfromfalling.Wehardlyevertakerisks,or
wefallalone.ThisisaSangha.ThisishowIfeel.
The rigid formality of the Temple is like a self‐examination, done in refuge, with your own
toolsandonyourowncapacitytogetoutandclimb;itiswhatyouknowaboutyourselfand
whatyouare,andfreefromresourcesthatallowyoutocontemplatearoundhorror,beauty,
easeanddanger.
Igo,Iact,Iwalk....ina giventimeIthinkthat I’vereachedthenextpinnacle,I try, Idetach
myself,....andIfindmyselfstillfarawayfromit.Mydisappointmentofthemirageshouldn’t
destroy the tension of progress: never think too much, don’t have regrets, get mad. I think
about rhythm, counting and breathing step by step, or singing, keeping rhythm, ancient
memories,powerfullikeaSutra.
Inthesamewaythedeceivingfeelingthatthesoughtafterpinnacleisnearvanishes.Theysay
thatyoucanneverownthemountain:onthesummit,itisthemountainthatpossessyou,and
yourealizethisonlywhilelookingupfromthevalley,yourfeetarehumbledbytheeuphoria
of trying, after having loosing concentration and exhaustion of descending. I have always
riskedthisinmyPractice,everytimeIseemtohavereachedandgraspedontosomething
Fromabove,ifyouhangaroundonthecordorstumbleintothehypnosisofautomaticsteps,
someonemayyellatyouortugyou.AttheTemple,Roshi’dKyosakudoesn’tstrikethosewho
aredaydreamingorundisciplined,butwords,themind,andgoals,ithitsmorethanwood,and
withthesameobjective,strikesenergyandcompassion.IntheSangha,weareboundtogether
by the chord of our practice, sometimes in the smiles of green pastures and streams and
sometimesbetweenpainandhardshipsofwarwithinaparchedinteriorduringZazen,Samu,
assigned responsibilities and our everyday private lives, together we resist and progress
together.
Withsnowuptomywaistline,thefirstinlinecreatesthetrailandwhoeverfollowsstepsin
thefootstepsmakingchangesuponit.Someoneretreatsbyuntyinghimself,disappearsinthe
fog,orfallsandislostforeverorjustforalittlewhile.FromwhatIhaveseen,betweenusin
theSangha,thereciprocalrepercussionsoftheseeventsareneverbrieforgowithoutnotice.
In light of climbing and the “race to the top”, we recently had an experience regarding
somethingoftendebatedevenbetweenusclimbers.Inthepast,asperhapsinmartialZenthat
one feels in some environments, the verticality, the absolute heroic tension toward the top,
andit’sunquestionedfollowing,areunalienablevalues.
Today,somedissidentandtransgressivevoices,fundamentallysustain,ifnecessary,thevalor
ofquittingorholdingback.
AsinZazen,oneshouldpracticewithoutgoals,asyoushouldmovetowardthesummitwith
aninnocentspirit,withsimplicity,naturalness,andsensitivity,hearttoheart,betweenperson
andenvironment,betweenClimbingBuddhaandMountainBuddha,whichisthemomentin
whichaclimbercanbreakaneggshellanddare,whiletheMountain,likeateacher,welcomes
himtothetop.
Sometimesitisnecessarytostop,evenifjustastepawayfromthesparklingicytop.Abandon
plansandorganization,ifinadequate.Iadmireandsmileupontheideaofknowingwhento
quit.
Back on the ground again, tiredly walking, amongst our own imperfect Zazen and repeated
errors,ourintegrityandtheintegrityofothers:admittingandacceptingwhoweare.Thisis
why, in order to stay whole, to stay optimistic but in realistic conditions, you don’t have to
alwaysonlyclimb:youcanalsowander,orgodown,foralittlewhileorforever:thisdoesn’t
meantogiveup,itmeanstoworkonandcareforaprocessofawareness.
In2013Iperceivedthisveryoften,andRoshi,withagreatheart,wordsandactionsseemed
toemphasizethis.
I see the stone tower built and demolished many time by Milarepa, by apparent fits of his
TeacherMarpa,beforecomingtohimandwelcominghimasastudent,andalwayssupported
fromafarbythecompassionoftheTeacher’swife.
.....“TheLifeofMilrepa”byRechung,“TheAnalogMountatin!byDaumal,“TheMeditationsof
theSummit”byJuliusEvola...
Books,trees,rocksandice:thelivingBuddhaofmyPractice....Irunmyfingersalongthebook
bindingsalongmypartner’sbookshelf,andthatonlyhaveapartialexistenceinmylife,Iread
atitle,anauthor,andIopenarandompage,Ifeelvoracious,fullofhumanpainandtension,
withoutenoughpracticeandtime,liketheproseandpoemsofDinoCampana.
Iwanderbetweenjourneysandrestingplacesthepilgrimmountain.
Words that welcome many more, Mushin, and that I freely construct: I find these words
adequateforthiseveningofvigilandthistime:“Ilivedbetweenmysticlonelinessdetached
likeasimplegreydoveflyingtowardstheimmenselyopenvalleys....Thetallrockcolumnsof
theVerna,thatreflectgreylightatthesummitduringsunset,adarkforestallaroundme...
On the unending rocks that go higher and higher, natural towers are built that suport the
conventual house reflecting light from the West... The peaceful strength of the spirit, rocks
throwninapilefromastrongwindtowardthesky,thepeacefulnessofnaturebeforebeing
coveredwithgreenwoods,purifiedbyaninfinitelovingspirit...”
“Thereisthenight;andhereIstayvigil
Clearerandclearer:Iamfarandalone
Theserviceisquiet,towardtheinfinite
(Thespiritisquiet)solemnpoems
Tothenight:tothenight:Imean:Only
Shadowsthatreturn,thathadleftus....”
Benshin
SittingattheTempleduringtheRōhatsuvigiltomesignifiesthatanotheryearofpracticehas
passedandI’mstillpracticing.Thereforeaitislikealittlepersonalcelebrationatthesame
time as the great celebration of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. The Teacher spoke about
Mushinthisyearasthethemeforourpractice,itseemsrightsasthatImomentarilysensedits
perfume,loweringmygaze,Iwelcomeditsomehow.Anyway,thepathseemedstraightand
clear,howeverIcametoaslipperypathfullofconfusion,doubtandfear,lotsoffear
I remember a Benshin from a few months ago, she was so serious, efficient and always
present,shewassostrongandconvincedoftheTemple’spracticethatshedecidedtoreturn
to the Temple in Japan. Sometimes I regret it. Maybe she was too efficient, too present, too
convinced. And this is how the prickly period began after the stay in Japan. A break from
practicingattheTemple,buthavebeenconsistentathome.
It’strulydifficulttopracticealone,youfeelnakedandverylonely,andonedoesn’tknowhow
tomoveforward,butonecangoalone,atleastforalittlewhile.Butwhatafearitistolose
yourpractice,tobelost!
IcamebacktotheTemplethankstotheTeacher,aswiththerestofthedifficultieswithherI
left them behind. Now there is a hesitant Benshin, on her own, without Samue and Sangha
friends.Morefragile?Moreaware?Maybeonlydifferent.
SometimesIaskmyselfwhyIpractice.Idon’tfindananswer.ButIpractice,andmostofall,
whenit’ssunnyout,I’mhappy.Thankyoueveryone.
Shinden
It’snoteasyformetospeakaboutmyexperienceattheTemple,wordsaren’tenough....They
arefirstofall“due”todeepthankfulnesstoShinnyoRoshi,Iwouldsay“endless”thanks,a
thankfulnessforexistingwithusinthismoment,forbeingsomeonetosharewith,onmany
levels, the same Path. Thanks forhow she encourages and supports Living and Life. Roshi’s
presenceinourlivesisundeniable,notbecauseit’suseful,butratherbecauseshe’s“nextto
us!”.
Thank you for her passion and intelligence for the constant work and for establishing and
alwaysdefiningherZen,Shinnyoji’sZen,andItalianZen,whichIfeelthemostapartofandof
whichIsharethedeepspiritandmostjoyousabout.Zenisbasedontheclearteachingsofthe
BuddhaandPatriarchsandofferafreshandlivinghistoricmemory,welcomingthisWayof
freedom with individual peculiarities and life choices that today express different types of
freedomandconcepts.AZenthatturntoothers,tochoosingcompassionforopeningupand
helpingothers,inareciprocalsense.AZenwithoutahintofecclesiasticalexaggeration,that
however maintains a living ritual. The seriousness that is held in Shinnyoji, the historic
Lineageisrecognized.TheeleganceofeveryaspectinShinnyoRoshi’slifeexpresseswhatus
practitionershaveyettolearn.Thejoyofliving,thelackofawarenessandmortifications,the
deepbeliefinbeinghumanandrespectfortheabilitytoevolveaspeople.Theironyandthe
gamesthatarealwaysthere.Thedeeplisteningandcomprehensionofeveryissue.Aboveall,
the Truth of Zen practice that Shinnyo Roshi expresses with her life, her being. Verifying‐
usingagesturethatIreallylove,Zen.Inthis“pathonapath”,Ibelieve,Iwouldlikeandhope
topracticewithyou,ithashelpmesomuch,aspecialandimportantoccasionthatwillalways
bewithme‐becausethereisalways“history”.
Ithasbeenanintenseyearformeineverypointofview,IamhappytobehereatShinnyoji,I
am well and I feel good with a Shangha that reciprocates the support, transmits a positive
energy, without any competition or careerism. Honest and sincere. Being so happy with a
Sangha is not to be taken for granted, I hope that everyone fully understand and feel the
strengthofthisgift...
AthoughtfulthankyourecognizingtheAbbotAzumaRoshiwhohasdonealotforShinnyoji.
Onthisholidayevening,Ithankandhopethatallofmylovedones,oneofwhichIwouldlike
to mention: my mother, Massimo, Sergio, Stefano, Elisabetta.... and everyone else. On this
Rohatsuevening,IfeelagainmyfaithfulwishforShinnyoRoshi,totheSanghaandeachoneof
us.
ThankyouBuddha!
MicheleN.
IamwhatIam
HappytobewhoIam
AndIwouldneverwanttobeanythingelse.
IamwhoIam,hereandnow;
IthinkofwhatIam
IspeakofhowIam
Iwelcomemybeing,aboutbeingwhoIam
hereandnow.
Intheimpermanenceofeverything,aflameofhopebecomesreality,“tobetouched”
bythestateofthespirit;
intheebbandflowofcontinuousbeing,aflexibleaction...alion’sheart;
inthechangeandrelativityofevents,anindissolubletruth....
thatisbornandre‐emergeswhatseemedinexistent;
stopping,tocheckyc,indepth,oncedone,refound,youwillneverforget,
ormaybeyouwill,THISISPERMANENT.
IsmoShinkō
DearestTeacherShinnyo,FriendsoftheShinnyojiSangha,thoseoldandnew,
IpracticedatShinnyojiwhilelivinginItaly2yearsago.Itwasaveryimportanttimeforme
andmyfamily.InowlieinFinlandandpracticeinadifferentZenSchoolundertheguidance
ofanewteacher,butShinnyojihasalwaysbeeninmyheartandIstillconsiderShinnyoRoshi
as my Teacher‐ she will always be important. In a bit I will do sanpai and take down the
offering,alittlecupofsugarwater.IlearnedthispracticeatShinnyoji.Ilikegivingofferingin
themorningremovingitintheevening,IsupporttheBuddhaastheBuddhasupportsme.The
differentschoolsanddifferentTeacherusedifferentwaystohelptheirfollowersunderstand
reality.Idon’tthinkthatonemethodissimilartoanother‐FormisEmptiness,Emptinessis
Form.
EvenifIhavebeenpracticingformanyyearsnow,Idon’tthinkIwilleverbeabetterperson.I
getangry,Igetbeatendown,sometimesIdrink,sometimesIfeellikecrying.Atthesametime
my life has not gotten better and I still have a lot of problems ‐ but the practice goes along
withdifficulties,thisisok.Ihavealottohandleintheworldsurroundingme.Icannotchange
much,notevenmyself,butpracticehasopenedmymindtotherealityoflifeandhasallowed
me to accept things as they are. Paradoxically, this has been a great change. Thanks to you,
Teacher Shinnyo, and all of my friends of the Sangha, have a fantastic Rōhatsu, a Merry
ChristmasandHappyNewYear.Abighugtoyouall.
Ivano
WhenIarrivedatShinnyoji,duringmyfirstmeetingwiththeTeachersheaskedmethemost
difficultquestion:“Whydidyoucomehere?”
Myanswerwas,“topracticeZazen”,Roshisimplysmiledwithoutsayinganythingelse.Ever
sinceourfirstmeeting,IhaveknownhowZazenatShinnyojiisdone,continuousandintense.
A Zazen done from many things, continuous attention where awareness is a part of every
gestureandword.AnancientIndiansayingsays,“whenthediscipleisready,theTeacherwill
come”.ThankyouRoshiforgivingmeaplacetosit.
Marco
Ihave beengoing to theTempleforayearandhalfnow.When I’m here,I trytofollowthe
rhythm that the Teacher implies through her actions. I sit and breath like everyone else. I
joyfully sit, sometimes with a bit of fear, about being about to speak with the Teacher.
Heartfelt greetings to everyone. Thanks to the Teacher, the monk, the elderly and all
practitionersthathavemadethisplacepossible.
Tenshin
Ihaveobservedandlearnedmanythingsthroughoutthisyearofpractice.Ipracticednearly
theentireyearaloneathomeinAmericawiththesupportoftheTeacher,theSanghaandthe
Patriarchs.Thisyearwasverydifficult,betweenwork,moving,lonelinessandvariousother
unfortunateevents,butIfoundinspirationanddeterminationthroughmyPracticeandVows
oftheBodhisattva.IhavedoneZazeneveryday,IdidservicetotheTemple,andIleanedupon
faithinmyPath.BeforecomingbacktotheTemplethisSeptember,Iwasabitnervousfrom
thefearthatIhadn’tpracticedwellenoughandthatIwouldhavedisappointedtheTeacher.
Instead, my return was a marvelous confirmation of my practice and faith. I felt a deep
connectionbetweenmyself,theTeacher,ShinnyojiandthePatriarchs.Thinkingaboutitnow
remindsmeofhowIfeltwhenIrealizedthatIhadbeenwalkinginthefogandreturningto
theTemple,Iwaswet.Honestly,Ididn’tthinkIwasdoinganything.Ireceivedthevowswith
seriousnessandeffort,fromthereon,everythingunfoldedonitsown.OurPracticeisagreat
gift,Iacceptitwithstrengthanddelicateness,andmostofall,withthankfulness.Thankyou
Teacher!Gasshō
GregorioP.
HiTeacher,howareyou?ThingsarefinehereinBerlin.IbeginGermanlanguagelessonson
January13th.Ihopetofindajobsoon(it’snotaseasythatI’vebeentold).It’salsodifficultto
findaplacetoliveifyoudon’thaveajobanddon’tspeakGerman.IdoZazenassoonasI’m
aloneathome.WarmgreetingstoyouandtheSangha.IwilltrytositwithyouduringtheVigil
onthe8th.Seeyousoon.Gasshō
MicheleG.
I thank the Shinnyoji Temple for this year where I have concretely strengthened the
awarenessinmyselfthatisthebaseofmyspiritualpath:everypersonhastheirownBuddha
Nature. In front of this reality there is a myriad of illusions, useless goals occur, while
embracingthetruepathofmantowardexistence.Onecan’tsaythatwe’rejustmadeacertain
wayandthere’snothingthatwecandoaboutit,inreality,therearemanythingswecando
aboutitnowandyoucandothem.WhatmagnificentRealitythatoccursrightbeforeoureyes,
peoplewhoarenolongerslavesofthemselves,freefromthemselvesinall,manychallenges,
battletoconfrontwithaconstructivespirit,movingforwardwecreate,uncovertheHumanity
ineveryhuman.HumblyGasshō....
Lō
OurTeacheroftensays,“everythingisOne”.Yourealizehowmuchthisphilosophicalconcept
isinrealityabsolutelyrelativetoeverydayexperienceinthemomentinwhichlifegivesyoua
hardship. A strong lesson, violent and sudden. Learninghow not to judge, not to follow our
foolishdualmindthatdominates:thisismygoalthatI’msettingforthisnewyearofPractice.
Learninghowtonotjudgemyself,letalonediscovermyself.Toknowmyself‐andtherefore
knowmyBuddhaselfinthesilenceofZazen.UncovermyselfinfacadesthatIencounterinthe
everydayworld,towelcomewithoutcategorizingthebehaviorofthosearoundme.Ifeelthe
closeness of every member of the Sangha. I feel the presence of the Teacher in my life, and
with her‐ through her ‐ all of the Ancient Patriarchs. A sincere thank you to her, tirelessly,
constantlypointingherfingertothemoontous.
Shinkai
TheeveningofRōhatsubringsbackalotofmemories.Isaanunforgettableevening,formany
reasons.IremembermyfirstRōhatsuinSanDomenico.Manypreciousfaces,someareeven
heretonight.Thenthelastone,lastyear;oneofthemostdifficultandpainfulyearsofmylife.
My physical presence was there, but my mind and spirit were not. After one or two Zazen
sittings,IhadtogodowntotheguestquarterswhereIslept,layinginthoughtaboutbeingin
the only place in the world where I wanted to be in that painful moment, but aware that
nothingandnoonecouldhelpmefeelbetter.
ThisRōhatsurepresentsarebirthforme.Iamheretotestifythatevenaftergreatpain,you
cangetupandstartagain.Iamnothereformyself,buttodivemypresencetoallofyouand
to carry an important lesson: keep going on that Path that first Buddha, then Dōgen have
givenus.Rōhatsuwithoutpractitionersisonlyaword,withushereitbecomesaneventand
wecanconfirmthatafterhundredsofyearstheZenWayisstillalive.
ForuspractitionersofShinnyoji,itisstillmoreimportantforustobehere.Weasupported
by our Teacher Shinnyo Roshi ‐ within our official Lineage ‐ our personal way of verifying
Practice. Whoever crosses the doorway of our Temple may notice the love, welcoming,
compassionandgiftthatarehere.Likeamusicalvibration,ourwavesmoveinharmonywith
the teachings from our beloved Teacher that penetrate the being of each guest and we are
surethatwillremainintheirmemoriesandintheirheartsforever.
Gasshō
Haiku‐RōhatsuVigil2013
Theholymirror,
repolished,isalsopure‐blossomsofsnow
Toginaosu
kagamimokiyoshi
yukinohana.
MatsuoBashō(1644–1694)
TearsofReverence
Nowdyedcrimson
Bythefallingmapleleaves....
Tōtogaru
namidayasomete
chirumomiji.
MatsuoBashō(1644–1694)
Hehideshistrail:
that’showamastertravels!
Autumnisnowwaning.
Atokakasu
shinoyukigataya
kurenoaki.
YosaBuson(1716‐1783)
Autumnnight
readinganoldbook,
theNarapriests.
Akinoyoya
furukifumiyomu
Narahōshi.
YosaBuson(1716‐1783)
Lightning‐
streakbystreak
curestheworld
Inazumaya
hitokirezutzuin
yoganaoru.
KobayashiIssa(1763‐1827)
Theyearends
howlongwill
thatturtlehanghere?
Toshinokure
kamewaitsumade
tsurusaruru.
KobayashiIssa(1763‐1827)
Standinginthecoldrain
forother’ssake
theBuddha.
Hitonotame
shigureteowasu
hotokekana.
KobayashiIssa(1763‐1827)
PicturesfromtheVigil
SPECIALRŌHATSU2013
TESTIMONIESaftertheRŌHATSU
CorrespondencebetweenShinnyoRoshiandMaestroDami
DearTeacherDami,
During the evening of Rōhatsu, your music expanded our hearts, it passed through every
emotional rivulet and tremor. The vibrations from your impromptu notes, in their
compositionanddissolution,remindedusofeveryjoy,pain,weary,effort,difficulty,elation,
disappointmentandeuphoriaofourlivesinPractice,throughamusicalcounterpointthatina
magicalmomentthatwesharedhadthechancetoexpressitself.
The music that you created was not “another” from our Meditation, and this is why, within
your notes, the silence of our Zazen was played in a harmonious continuum. A deep and
thoughtfulthanksforthissublimegiftthatyouhavegivenus,withhopeofseeingyouagain.
Inparticular,thankstoyourwifeforhersweetpresence.
ItenShinnyo
DearTeacherShinnyo,itismyhonortothankyoufortheextraordinaryopportunitythatyou
havegivenme.BeinginyourTemplewasasourceofhappinessandandgreathonor.Itwas
more than the strong emotions that I play through my instrument. I wish you a lot of
happinessandIamsurethatourpathswillcrossagainsoon.
Awarnhug,
VolfangoDami
CorrespondencebetweenShinnyoRoshiandVenerableLongo
HonorableLongo,
Adeepthanksforyourpreciousparticipation atShinnyojiduringtheRōhatsuevening,asa
fatherandtestimonytoIvanoEi‐shin’sOrdination.Itwasagreatjoyformeandtheothersto
havemetyouandyourpresenceexpandedtheinter‐religiousdimensionattheheightofour
TraditionandinthesacredbreathduringtheOrdinationCeremony.Gasshō
ItenShinnyo
ReverendItenShinnyo,
Thankstoyouforsharing,thanksforthehonorandprivilegethatyouhavegivenme.Iwas
very happy to be with you, I felt at home with my Dharma sisters and brothers, with deep
feeling and presence I pass a very important Zen evening, and therefore, as for the entire
Buddhistworld,theRōhatsuevening.
ItwasaveryintenseandsignificanttimewhileEishintookRefugeandwasOrdained.
Ihopetoseeyouagainsoon.
RaffaelloLongo
LobsangGonpo
CorrepondencebetweenShinnyoRoshiandtheCalligraphyTeachers
DearPaola,
DeepthankstoyouandNicolaforthesplendidgiftofcalligraphythatyoumadeduringthe
Rōhatsuevening.Seeingin“inaction”waslikedoingZazenalongwithyou.Oursilenceunited
with your expert and joyful hand that impressed with strength and sweetness the sign
“Satori”andsupportedusinharmoniousUnity.
Thank you for your precious presence with us on the Vigil evening to celebrate the
EnlightenmentoftheBuddha.
InGasshō,withrecognition
ItenShinnyo
GoodmorningShinnyo!!
ThankyouandyourSangha,silentlyandstronglyunited,theintensewelcome!
Abighug
PaolaeNicola
Rev.PaoloTaigōSpongia
DearShinnyoSan,
We got back to Rome at 8, and of course, went straight home, I wasn’t able to fall asleep,
somehowourVigilcontinuewithyou.
IwouldliketoexpressmythankfulnessforthewarmwelcomeinwhichyouandyourSangha
offeredtous.
I was deeply moved by finally being able to sit in the Reign of Peace and Harmony that
Shinnyojihasbecomethankstoyourgenerouseffortandyourimmenselove.Youaretrulya
Great Teacher, a Great Mother of all Beings, you have always been this, but now more than
everyouareofferingarareandpureDharma.
I hold a deep admiration for your and unconditional affection for you. The look that we
exchangedintheDōjōwhenwewereabouttoleavewasthesealofanunbreakabletiethat
wastrulyhearttoheartlikethebeautifulcalligraphythatyougaveme.
Icareforyouandifyoueverneedanythingfromme,Iwillalwaysbehereforyou.
PaoloTaigōSpongia
Yūshin
Lotsofenergyandlotsofenthusiasm.ThetraditionatShinnyoji,asdesiredbyoutTeacher,
makes Rōhatsu an occasion of welcoming and sharing. Again this year, showed its fruits,
confirming apreciousopportunitytolivein harmonywithjoy andto practicetogether.Old
andnewpractitioners,guestsfromourandothertraditionsunitedtocelebrateonebrotherly
spirit,the EnlightenmentoftheBuddha.Thespontaneousadhesionof thosewantingtobea
partoftheRōhatsuconfirmedthatthisyeartherewouldbealotofparticipants,helpandjoy
fromallpractitioners,surelyemphasizedbythenewOrdination.Thisenergythatsupported
usandhasbeenwithusthroughtheVigilwasthebenefitfromtheworkanddedicationfrom
theTeacher,theSanghaformakingsurethatthistraditionisrepeated,weopenourhearts,
practicedtheJapaneserigorousformfromourLineage.
Gasshō
MicheleN.
THEDAYAFTER:MondayDecember9,2013.
ThedayaftertheVigilwasatruerealizationofTakingRefugeintheThreeTreasures;during
afreneticandveryemotionalbutcontrolledRōhatsu.Aware,sereneofwhatIwasabouttodo
in every step, I felt a passed time, in a flash, a moment in which a door was opened to me,
unable to be explained through words, as if I was trying to explain a though to a robot...
MeetingaLama,withwhomaftershakinghandsandtalkingalittle,“Iunderstandthathehas
understood”isauniquefeeling,saidfromsomeonelikemyself,whoisfarfrom“feeling”the
Tibetantradition.
As I said, the day after was a true “realization”: wearing the Rakusu for the Sutra in the
morning, a true volcano exploded, all of the magma that was inside, that has always been
there,wasjustwaitingfortherightmoment...Bummm!!“HereyouareMichele,gosit,dowhat
youneedto,welcomeback”.
Gasshō.
Daishin
LittletimehaspassedsincetheRōhatsuVigil.
It was a great effort for Roshi and for the Sangha to organize and prepare for the event, to
welcome the many expected guests, to celebrate with dignity the Ordination to Bodhisattva
andTakingRefuge,thisyearfallingonthevigilnight.Anintenseandharmoniouseffort.
Thedeterminationremainsinmyheartandmind,butsodoesthehappinessandjoylivein
thiscommunalaction;afeelingofinteriorstrengtheningfeltbyadheringandcomingcloser
thanevertooutTemple’stradition.
Thankfulness for the experience lived, for the music given to us during the evening, for the
precisely maintained order of the ceremony, reading the testimonies of practice, the
ceremonyofTakingRefugeandOrdination,theformalmealintheZendo.
Joyfulness for this collaborative feeling of reunion, togetherness during the tension and
aligningtoservetheBuddhaforallthosepresent,betweenthestress,thewearinessandtheir
overcomingtheseobstaclesthroughoutthevigil.
Happiness, also, even for the serenity expressed by the Teacher. Everyone seemed to have
sharedthefeelingofunionandpositiveconnection,fromthosepresenttothoseabsent,that
insomewayweareconcretely“madetoperceive”fromAmerica,toFinland,toplacescloser
to Shinnyoji: the perception of the universal Sangha. Rōhatsu 2013 helped me live in an
intenseway,Istillcarrythevibrationswithme,thestrength,thesupportandthejoycoming
frombeingabletoPracticewiththisSangha,inthestepsofourLineage.
Gasshō.
Shinden
I personally lived this evening in a very tranquil way and with ‘unconscious’ awareness of
being in a ‘special’ moment, but without rhetoric or effort of forcing myself to ‘do my best’
because it was obliged. The feeling of being there and not being there was beautiful. We
affectionallyandfaithfullywelcomedthewordsofShinnyoRoshiwhowishedusagoodnew
yearofpractice,offeringusanewtheme:Mushin,newbecauseitisanotherthingtouncover
andpractice.
I heart beautiful music played ‘impromptu’ by Teacher Dami, I saw the calligraphyteachers
workingwithjoyandtechnique,Iheardthesplendidhaikus...
We participated with lively emotion during the solemn Sanbō‐kie Ceremony and Zaike
TokudoexpressingandconsolidatingtwopresencesintheWayofourSangha,MicheleandEi‐
shin.Thosewhowerewithus,myfriends,wereactivelypresent,theywelcomeduswithjoy
throughoutthenight,thereweren’tpractitioners,followersandguests,justa“everyone”for
thisevening,agift,ahomage,deeplyfelt,withserenityandhonesty.
TheTemplehadguestsfromRome,theRev.SpongiaandhisfollowerstheVenerableLobsang
Gompo Longo, each brought something inexpressible through words, something serene and
joyousthatwillremainwithus.
Theinterventionsfrom theSanghawereverybeautiful,touching, andeach hadexpresseda
sincereTruththatmovedinandinacertainsense,‘tookinmyheart’consolingthehappiness
ofthatmoment.
The meal in the Zendo was in silence, Zazen until dawn, the Zazen that ‘opens’ and keeps
goingfromthefirsthoursoftheeveningupon‘It’sWay’.
This night is like a life‐zazen‐poem. It’s this for me. Without thinking about it, I lived, I was
there,wewereallthereandthat’sall.NowIthinkaboutitand‘Imissit’, butIknowthatI
can’t miss everything about it because everything continues, it still is. Thanks again to
ShinnyoRoshi,IknowthatshehaddoneaforthepastRōhatsuvigilsandwhoknows,thosein
thefuture...withadmirationandwithaffectionandallrespectpossible,thankyou,thankyou
fortheLIFEatShinnyoji!
Shinkai
AftertheRōhatsu2013
The temptation is to color a rainbow rather than write words. Leaving the colors and their
meanings, I try to evoke what happened. It was without a doubt the most intense, lively,
emotionalandmovingRōhatsu.Formeitwasthepersonalandprofessional“rebirth”Rōhatsu
afteraperiodofdarknessandpain.Ialsohaveinfrontofmeaaparticularanddecisiveyear
formyZenBuddhistpracticeandthishasplayedanimportantroleineverytimeIcometo
Shinnyoji which has become my second home. There were many crucial and touching
moments.IcriedwithBenshin improvisedhertestimony.SaturdayeveningBenshinmelted
myheartwithhers.Ifeltclosetoherlikeneverbefore.Iamhappyforherandhercourage.
HavingTaigōSenseiherewithhisgroupofpractitionersfromRomewasatruejoy.Itseemed
thattheywereathome,ratheritwasthefirsttimethatI’vebeen.TheVenerableLamaLongo
representedanunexpectedpresencebutequallywonderful.Iwasabletospeakwithhimfora
bit and he seemed like a very interesting person. I really appreciated his simplicity and
essence.
WhatcanIsayaboutmydearfriendVolfangoDami,agreatmusicianandorchestradirector,
whohasgivenmeforviolinimprovisationsthataretrulypreciousandmusicallystunning.
Abeautifulwalkunderthestarsawokeourmindsandourbodies,towardthehalfwaypointof
thelongVigilnight.
The significant light from which we burnt our propositions for practice that we wrote last
year.Idon’tknowwhattosayaboutmySanghabrothersandsisterswithoutfeelingthatthey
justallowedallofthistohappen.
EI‐shin and Michele were delicate and strong along with an embrace ‐ officially ‐ on the
BuddhaWayandBodhisattvas.
I’ll end with a thankful thought for Shinnyo Roshi. Everything at Shinnyoji is there by her
impulsivevisionandherundyingfaithandauthenticity.Formeitisagreatjoytowalkwith
herandserveherwithdevotionandrespect.ThankstoherIamproceedingstrongalongmy
pricklywalkwithmykarmaandhernurturingknowledgeabouttheDharma,alwaysknowing
whentointerveneattherightmoment,toteachandindicatemypath.Thanks.
Grazie.Gasshō
ItenEi‐shin
This is my first Rōhatsu Vigil and Jukai ceremony and my ordination at Shinnyoji. A unique
night, unforgettable, rich of emotion and an intensity that I have never felt until now. The
tensionandthetirednessaccumulatedbythepreparationswentawaythemomentIentered
theZendoandIfelttheextraordinaryenergythatitgaveoff.
DuringthecourseofthenightIfeltjoy,Icried,Iunderstood,IabandonedandIletgo.When
dawnbroke,nothingwaslikebefore.
VenerableTeacher,inthesefewmonthsIhavereceivedsomuchfromyou.Notonlyhasthe
SanghawelcomedmebyacceptingtoguidemealongtheWay,butitallowedmetotouchthe
true Dharma, live and pure that flows with our Lineage through you. I await a long and
tiresomewalkbutintheawarenessforthestrengthandprotectionofthePrecepts,Iconfront
itwithanopenheartandfreemind.Deepheartfeltthankstoyou,theNoblePatriarchs,allof
theSanghafromDaijojiandShinnyoji‐nowIamathome.
CommunicationtotheSangha
Dear Sangha, Our Teacher would like to inform us that in light of the last Rōhatsu, Lisa
Tenshin sent a o‐fuse from America, complete kits for calligraphy. Alos, Ismo Shinkō sent a
generous monetary offering to the Temple, a deep thank you to both the you for your
offeringstotheTempleandtotheSangha.CZFSecretary‐ShinnyojiTemple
TeacherReverendItenShinnyoRoshi
DearSangha,dearOrdained,
Ideeplythankeachoneofyouforyourparticipationanddedicationgivenduringtheevening
ofRōhatsuatShinnyoji.
This year was a particularly intense, attended and complex Rōhatsu in the events starting
with the magical notes from Teacher Dami’s violin, to the sacred and solemn Ordination
Ceremony,thepresenceofReverendTaijoSpongiaandhisfollowers,tothetestimonyfrom
theVenerableLobsangGompoLongo.
It is thanks to your generous, harmonious and attentive presence that you were able to
participateineverymomentoftheVigil,thatweliveanintenseandunforgettablemomentof
Practicetogether,dedicatedtotheEnlightenmentoftheBuddha.
InGasshō,withinfiniteaffection
Rev.ItenShinnyo
Benshin
DearTeacher,Ithankyou foryour thoughts, yourpresence andyourheart.Participatingin
the Vigil was good for me, I was happy to have been able to be with all of the people who
contributed.
Gasshō
Shinden
Thanks Roshi, a profound thanks for the Zen that you transmit to us. Your words give us
comfortandhelpus.Withfaith.
Daniele
DearTeacher,
Thanks for having guided and encouraged us throughout the night. I remember some very
beautifulmoments,mostlythekinhinunderthestarsandtheSutrafire.
Gasshō
THE TEACHINGS OF THE BODHIDHARMA Chapter IV – The Awakening Sermon [TABLE13]
Longago,therewasaBuddhanamedDipamkara,orlamplighter.Thiswasthemeaningofhis
name.Butfoolsdon’tunderstandthemetaphorsoftheTathagata.Persistingindelusionsand
clinging to the tangible, they light lamps of everyday vegetable oil and think that by
illuminating the interiors of buildings they’re following the Buddha’s teaching. How foolish!
The light released by a Buddha from one curl between his brows can illuminate countless
worlds.Anoillampisnohelp.Ordoyouthinkotherwise?
Practicing all six periods of the day and night means constantly cultivating enlightenment
amongthesixsensesandperseveringineveryformofawareness.Neverrelaxingcontrolover
the six senses is what’s meant by all six periods. As for walking around stupas, the stupa is
yourbodyandmind.Whenyourawarenesscirclesyourbodyandmindwithoutstopping,this
is called walking around a stupa. The sages of long ago followed this path to nirvana. But
people today don’t understand what this means. Instead of looking inside they insist on
lookingoutside.Theyusetheirmaterialbodiestowalkaroundmaterialstupas.Andtheykeep
atitdayandnight,wearingthemselvesoutinvainandcomingnoclosertotheirrealself.
[TABLE14]
Thesameholdstrueforobservingafast.It’suselessunlessyouunderstandwhatthisreally
means. To fast means to regulate, to regulate your body and mind so that they’re not
distracted or disturbed. And to observe means to uphold, to uphold the rules of discipline
according to the Dharma. Fasting means guarding against the six attractions on the outside
andthethreepoisonsontheinsideandstrivingthroughcontemplationtopurifyyourbody
andmind.
Fastingalsoincludesfivekindsoffood.Firstthere’sdelightintheDharma.Thisisthedelight
thatcomesfromactinginaccordancewiththeDharma.Secondisharmonyinmeditation.This
istheharmonyofbodyandmindthatcomesfromseeingthroughsubjectandobject.Thirdis
invocation, the invocation of Buddhas with both your month and your mind. Fourth is
resolution,theresolutiontopursuevirtuewhetherwalking,standing,sitting,orlyingdown.
Andfifthisliberation,theliberationofyourmindfromworldlycontamination.Thesefiveare
the foods of fasting. Unless a person eats these five pure foods, he’s wrong to think he’s
fasting.
Also,onceyoustopeatingthefoodofdelusion,ifyoutouchitagainyoubreakyourfast.And
onceyoubreakit,youreapnoblessingfromit.Theworldisfullofdeludedpeoplewhodon’t
seethis.Theyindulgetheirbodyandmindinallmannerofevil.Theygivefreereintotheir
passions and have no shame. And when they stop eating ordinary food, they call it fasting.
Howabsurd!
[TABLE15]
It’sthesamewithworshipping.Youhavetounderstandthemeaningandadapttoconditions.
Meaningincludesactionandnonaction.WhoeverunderstandsthisfollowstheDharma.
Worship means reverence and humility it means revering your real self and humbling
delusions.Ifyoucanwipeoutevildesiresandharborgoodthoughts,evenifnothingshowsits
worship.Suchformis its realform.TheLordwantedworldlypeopletothinkofworshipas
expressinghumilityandsubduingthemind.Sohetoldthemtoprostratetheirbodiestoshow
theirreverence,tolettheexternalexpresstheinternal,toharmonizeessenceandform.Those
who fail to cultivate the inner meaning and concentrate instead on the outward expression
never stop indulging in ignorance, hatred, and evil while exhausting themselves to no avail.
They can deceive others with postures, remain shameless before sages and vain before
mortals,butthey’llneverescapetheWheel,muchlessachieveanymerit.
But the Bathhouse Sutra says, "By contributing to the bathing of monks, people receive
limitlessblessings."Thiswouldappeartobeaninstanceofexternalpracticeachievingmerit.
Howdoesthisrelatetobeholdingthemind?Here,thebathingofmonksdoesn’trefertothe
washingofanythingtangible.
When the Lord preached the Bathhouse Sutra, he wanted his disciples to remember the
Dharma of washing. So he used an everyday concern to convey his real meaning, which he
couched in his explanation of merit from seven offerings. Of these seven, the first is clear
water,thesecondfire,thethirdsoap,thefourthwillowcatkins,thefifthpureashes,thesixth
ointment, and the seventh the inner garment He used these seven to represent seven other
thingsthatcleanseandenhanceapersonbyeliminatingthedelusionandfilthofapoisoned
mind.
SanghaFondatorimet:
SundayOctober13‐MondayNovember11
PRACTICERETREATS
Zazenkai13October2013
Sesshin15‐16‐17November2013
RōhatsuVigil7‐8December2013
TranslationfromEnglishoftheBodhidharmatextbyEvaYōshin
PicturesbyFabioDaishinandLisaTenshin
EditingbyGiancarloShinkai
TranslationofEkiZenfromItaliantoEnglishbyLisaTenshin
Calendar of meetings for Zen
Practice:
Zazen–Threemeetingsperweek:
Mondayeveningfrom8:00to10:00,
Tuesdaymorningsfrom6:30to7:30,
Fridayeveningfrom8:00to9:30.
Zazenkai–OneSundaypermonth
from9:00a.m.to6:00p.m.
Sesshin–Oneweekendpermonth
fromFridayeveningat8:00to2:00
Sundayafternoon.