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―<br />
……………………………………………………<br />
To learn the Buddha Way<br />
is to learn one’s own self.<br />
To learn one’s own self<br />
is to forget one’s own self.<br />
To forget one’s own self<br />
is to be enlightened<br />
by the myriad dharmas.<br />
To be enlightened<br />
by the myriad dharmas<br />
is to let one’s own mind and body<br />
as well as that of all others<br />
fall off.<br />
( from: Chapter “Genjô-kôan” in the Shôbôgenzô by Master Dôgen )<br />
……………………………………………………
Photo by SATO Migaku<br />
Opening Comments :<br />
Working on Koans ……………………………… by YAMADA Ryôun 04<br />
Teisho: Shôyôroku (35)………………………………… by YAMADA Ryôun 6<br />
Teisho: Shôdôka (18)…………………………………… by YAMADA Kôun 15<br />
Words of Yamada Kôun Rosh(67) …………………………… by TONOIKE Zen’yû 19<br />
Thoughts of Gratitude on the 100 th Birthday of Mrs. Kazue Yamada<br />
…………………………………………… by Ursula OKLE 22<br />
Report on the New Zendo Place ………………………………………………… 24<br />
Cleaning Action at the New Zendo Site ………… by ICHINO Toshiyuki 26<br />
Zenkai Schedule…………………………………………………………………… 28<br />
Gallery …………………………………………………… by YOKO’O Tatsuhiko 29<br />
Editor’s Note ……………………………………………………………………… 30
Opening Comments:<br />
YAMADA Ryôun<br />
Working on Koans<br />
During the recent Rohatsu Sesshin I explained the method of<br />
working on koans in connection with the instruction given before retiring<br />
to bed. A number of people asked that this be written up in the Kyôshô<br />
so I wish to repeat what I said about the content of the instruction while<br />
augmenting my talk a little.<br />
We speak of working on koans but to talk about that one must first<br />
have a correct idea of what a koan is. I already touched upon the<br />
question, what is a koan, in the previous issue (#356) in my teisho on #45<br />
(“Four Phrases from the Engaku-Sutra”) of the Book of Equanimity.<br />
“The original meaning of koan was public document. A public document<br />
had absolute authority and could not be mistaken. From there it came<br />
to be used in the world of Zen to mean: the essential self, your original<br />
face, the true Buddhist way.” Put succinctly, a koan is your true self.<br />
All the koans that we work on are forms of our true self that the<br />
patriarchs of old are presenting to us using various situations. So we can<br />
say in other words that working on a koan is the practice of trying to see<br />
with the same eye as theirs the forms of the true self that the patriarchs<br />
of old are presenting to us. It goes without saying that when I say “see”<br />
here I do not mean the “see” of seeing a physical object but rather the<br />
meaning is to grasp through one’s own direct experience.<br />
That is enough for a general explanation. More concretely, one is<br />
asked to present to the roshi not an explanation but a concrete<br />
manifestation of the form of the true self being shown in each koan. No<br />
amount of explanation will suffice to “pass” the koan. If one can grasp<br />
4
clearly and experientially the true self presented in the koan then one can<br />
spontaneously manifest that true self.<br />
So how is this done? There is only one way. One must become<br />
that true self totally. I myself received guidance for Mu and the Sound of<br />
One Hand from Haku’un Roshi. Koun Roshi directed me through all the<br />
remaining koans. One day in the dokusan room, I think it was while I<br />
was working on the Gateless Gate, Koun Roshi asked me: “You are<br />
progressing through the koans rather smoothly. How are you working<br />
on them?” I replied openly: “I have never thought about how to make a<br />
presentation. I put the koan I have been given into my head, and then I<br />
do nothing but forget myself in MU’ing. Then wondrously the way of<br />
presenting suddenly appears as if coming to me from ‘over there’.” In<br />
reply Koun Roshi said: “That is fine. I was the same. I am not sure<br />
where it came from but the presentation seemed to drop<br />
down—wheeew—as if from the sky like one stream of light.” Even now<br />
that “wheew” of Koun Roshi is ringing in my ears.<br />
Since this method has Koun Roshi’s stamp of approval, I ask you<br />
also to follow it. I would like to repeat the point again. With each koan<br />
one must completely become one’s true self. The presentation is the<br />
expression that the true self makes with each koan that one works on. If<br />
one can become completely that true self it will express itself<br />
spontaneously without need for any directive from anyone. That is<br />
exactly what the true self is.<br />
The one receiving dokusan must also be careful. One must look<br />
carefully to see if the presentation, which may seem OK at first glance, is<br />
one that has been thought out or one that is an expression of the true self,<br />
that is to say, one that has “come down.”<br />
Conversely, some presentations, while seeming to be a little off the<br />
point, can be ones that have “come down.” In this case, rather than just<br />
label the presentation as unacceptable, one must see through it and give<br />
further suitable direction to polish it up.<br />
I hope this instruction is useful to practitioners as well as teachers.<br />
5<br />
(translated by Jerome CUSUMANO)
SHÔYÔROKU (Book of Equanimity)<br />
CASE 35<br />
Instruction:<br />
Speedy action and swift speech shatter the assault of non-Buddhists<br />
as well as of the heavenly devil.<br />
A master of surpassing caliber, transcending even the principle of his<br />
own school, condescends to help a student of excellent aspiration<br />
and of the sharpest wisdom.<br />
What if you meet a fellow who never turns his head even if he gets hit<br />
with a stick?<br />
Case:<br />
Presenting: Rakuho came to Kassan and without bowing<br />
stood facing him. Kassan said, “A chicken dwells in the phoenix nest.<br />
It's not of the same class. Go away.” Rakuho said, “I have come<br />
from far away, hearing much about you. Please, Master, I beg you to<br />
guide me.” Kassan said, “Before my eyes there is no you, and here<br />
there is no old monk.” Rakuho shouted, “Kaatzu!” Kassan said,<br />
“Stop it, stop it. Don't be so careless and hasty. Clouds and the<br />
moon are the same; valleys and mountains are different from each<br />
other. It is not difficult to cut off the tongues of the people under<br />
heaven. But how can you make a tongueless person speak?”<br />
6<br />
Rakuho’s Obeisance<br />
By YAMADA Ryôun
Rakuho said nothing. Kassan hit him. With this, Rakuho started to<br />
obey Kassan.<br />
Verse:<br />
The red-tailed carp shakes its head and wags its tail;<br />
Totally independent, he knows how to act in complete agility.<br />
Even if he possesses the art to cut off tongues,<br />
He is pulled by the nose and led to real freedom.<br />
Outside the window screen, in the luminous night, wind and moon are<br />
like day;<br />
In front of the withered tree, blossoms and grass are in eternal spring.<br />
O, a tongueless person, tongueless person!<br />
How fitting is the one phrase – a full manifestation of the absolute<br />
command.<br />
As he walks alone in his sovereign realm, all is perfectly clear.<br />
Well then, – let people under heaven be merry and enjoy themselves!<br />
On the Instruction:<br />
Speedy action and swift speech shatter the assault of<br />
non-Buddhists as well as of heavenly demons. This describes the manner<br />
in which a Zen master guides a student, which is the main theme of the present koan.<br />
When an accomplished master guides a student, his responses to the moves of the latter<br />
are quick, and his words are so swift and sharp that they can shatter any attack of<br />
non-Buddhists and heavenly demons. “Non-Buddhists” or literally “those outside of the<br />
way” is an expression that was originally used for all systems of thought outside of<br />
Buddhism. In contrast to those “outside of the way,” Buddhists were called “those inside<br />
the way.” In India of the 5-6th century BCE there were said to be 95 kinds of<br />
“Non-Buddhists.” Especially mentioned among them were the so-called “Six teachers<br />
outside the Path” – namely the six founders of Indian schools of thought who were<br />
famous and widely respected. Later, the meaning of the word “outside the Path ” came<br />
to mean “that which is opposed to the truth,” “heresy” or “one who propagates heresies.”<br />
“Heavenly devil” refers to the Devil King, the Lord of the sixth heaven, the world<br />
7
of heaven populated by beings without a body, which is the highest place in the realm of<br />
desire. He is said to cause a lot of trouble to the Buddha and practitioners. When<br />
Shakyamuni sat under the Bodhi tree practicing Zazen, this devil king is said to have<br />
appeared and tried to prevent him from reaching enlightenment, but the Buddha<br />
subdued him and became enlightened.<br />
A master of surpassing caliber, transcending even the<br />
principle of his own school, condescends to help a student of<br />
excellent aspiration and of the sharpest wisdom. When a true master in<br />
Zen meets a student of excellent aspiration, he dares to transcend common sense and the<br />
basic principles of Buddhism, and teaches him in accordance with his aspiration. This<br />
refers to Kassan in the present case.<br />
What if you meet a fellow who never turns his head even if he<br />
gets hit with a stick? What do you do when you meet such a person of the highest<br />
caliber who does not even budge or turn his head when he is hit with a stick? With this<br />
question he is introducing the main case. The person of the highest caliber is Rakuho<br />
who appears in this case.<br />
On the Case:<br />
This case is transmitted in the Soto and Rinzai Schools with a slightly different<br />
nuance, and in this sense can be said to be a delicate kind of koan. Of course it is<br />
possible to handle it in Zen training without paying any attention to the respective points<br />
of view of Rinzai or Soto. Perhaps it is better that way. Nevertheless I’d like to touch<br />
on this delicate point of difference here. As is well known, the Shoyoroku, which was<br />
compiled by Wanshi, following the tradition of the Soto school. So please remember that<br />
it was this Wanshi who chose this koan for this collection.<br />
Rakuho, who appears in this case, is Master Rakuho Gen’an [Luofu Yuanan,<br />
833-897] and was, together with Sansho, a cherished Dharma heir of Master Rinzai. He<br />
served Master Rinzai for 20 years and was called Rinzai’s sharpest arrow (a wondrous<br />
single-pointed arrow). It is said that he was never defeated in any Dharma combat. He<br />
was regarded by Rinzai as “without equal under heaven,” and received Rinzai’s stamp of<br />
approval [inka], and following this Dharma transmission, went on his own independently.<br />
This is where he is, at the point of the Dharma combat in this case. After this Dharma<br />
8
combat, Rakuho became a disciple of Kassan, and returning Rinzai’s Dharma seal,<br />
became Kassan’s Dharma heir.<br />
Kassan is Kassan Zen’e [Xiashan Shanyuan, 805-881], Dharma heir of Sensu<br />
Tokujo (dates unknown), a Dharma brother of Tozan Gohon [Dongshan Wuben, 807-869].<br />
From the point of view of the Dharma, Tozan and Kassan were related as Dharma uncle<br />
and nephew, and therefore belong to the Soto lineage. This koan presents the occasion<br />
in which Rakuho, the prime disciple of Rinzai, eventually became the Dharma heir of<br />
Master Kassan, in the direct line of Soto. It is not hard to imagine that Master Wanshi<br />
chose this koan to convey the style of the Soto lineage which is different from the Rinzai<br />
style. But it is not so easy to pick up that difference.<br />
Presenting: Rakuho came to Kassan and without bowing<br />
stood facing him. Rakuho came to Kassan to receive his guidance. According to<br />
one version, Kassan had heard rumors of Rakuho and was impressed by him, but<br />
thought, “Alas, there is still something lacking,” so Kassan wrote him a letter to invite<br />
him to come.<br />
Rakuho comes and stands straight in front of Kassan, without even a word of<br />
greeting. In his mind he was audacious enough to disregard Kassan altogether, but on<br />
the other hand, it certainly is the height of rudeness.<br />
Kassan said, “A chicken dwells in the phoenix nest. It's not of<br />
the same class. Go away.” Bah! A chicken has made its way improperly into<br />
a nest of a phoenix. This is not your place. Go home, go home! A phoenix is a<br />
legendary bird in ancient China, revered in the same way as a dragon.<br />
Rakuho said, “I have come from far away, hearing much about<br />
you. Please, Master, I beg you to guide me.” At that point Rakuho changes<br />
his attitude entirely. This speed of being able to change one’s mode of being is indeed<br />
worthy of praise. “I have heard of your very high reputation as a Zen Master. I have<br />
come from afar and seek your guidance. Even one word is enough for me.”<br />
Kassan said, “Before my eyes there is no you, and here there is<br />
no old monk.” To me, the whole point is whether you can really see into this one<br />
phrase presented by Kassan as his teaching. That is, the whole koan is about this<br />
phrase, which is the “whole” of Buddhism.<br />
9
To say it clearly and exactly, Kassan means, “there is no you, and there is no I.”<br />
There is no you, there is no I, there is no mountain, no stars, no sun, there is no universe<br />
at all. This is what Kassan is saying.<br />
But what is important here to note is that Kassan is not speaking on this level of<br />
“Everything is empty” – which is often employed in Zen. The “really” I was talking<br />
about is precisely this. The “real“ meaning of “absolutely nothing” is that the whole<br />
world of phenomena that extends in front of my eyes is at the same time this fact of<br />
“absolutely nothing.” I am now writing this sentence facing my computer. The<br />
computer in front of my eyes as such is “the reality of nothing at all.” Don’t take this<br />
lightly as something which many people, imitating Yamada Koun Roshi and using his<br />
words, say, “The computer in front of me is completely empty.” I am not talking about<br />
that level of language.<br />
The Dharma combat that ensues between Rakuho and Kassan is something that<br />
I see as Kassan’s own attempt to transmit to Rakuho what I am saying here.<br />
Rakuho shouted, “Kaatzu!” Kassan said, “Stop it, stop it.<br />
Don't be so careless and hasty. Clouds and the moon are the same;<br />
valleys and mountains are different from each other. Rakuho used the<br />
famous “Kaatzu,” which he had directly received from Rinzai. But this trademark<br />
“Kaatzu” is lightly brushed away by Kassan. “Stop it, stop it.” Why do you scream like<br />
that? It’s only a big racket. Perhaps you may be seeing “the clouds and the moon are<br />
the same”, but you do not see “valleys and mountains are different from each other” at all.<br />
Wrong, wrong!<br />
To only see “the clouds and the moon are the same” means that you only see<br />
“there are no clouds, and there is no moon.” You don’t see what I said before, namely<br />
that the clouds and the moon really don’t exist. The clouds and the moon really don’t<br />
exist as such is the world of “clouds and the moon are the same, valleys and mountains<br />
are different from each other.” As I said before, the world of phenomena itself is “the<br />
clouds and the moon are the same.”<br />
It is not difficult to cut off the tongues of the people under<br />
heaven. But how can you make a tongueless person speak?” Kassan<br />
is only saying what I have been saying here, in a different way. To cut off the tongue of<br />
people under heaven is to see the world “without tongue.” It is to realize the world of<br />
10
“no tongue”, “no feet”, “nothing at all.” In other words, it is to realize the world in which<br />
all thoughts and concepts have been cleared away. It doesn’t mean that this does not<br />
exist. Your “Kaatzu” is merely on this level. Using one’s tongue and chattering away is<br />
itself a form of the one person without a tongue. Thoughts and concepts as such are the<br />
world in which all thoughts and concepts have been cleared away. You still do not see<br />
this point.<br />
Rakuho said nothing. Kassan hit him. With this, Rakuho<br />
started to obey Kassan. Rakuho could say nothing. Without missing a beat,<br />
Kassan gave him the stick. From that time on Rakuho became Kassan’s disciple and<br />
then his Dharma heir, as mentioned before. With the expression “Kassan hit him,”<br />
Master Bansho conveys a humorous nuance: “Who would have thought that Kassan<br />
would become Master Rinzai!”<br />
On the Verse:<br />
The red-tailed carp shakes its head and wags its tail. The<br />
red-tailed carp who shakes his head and wags his tail is a description of Rakuho. It was<br />
this energetic Rakuho who came to Kassan.<br />
Totally independent, he knows how to act in complete agility.<br />
In the beginning he stood confidently in front of Kassan without even greeting him, but<br />
admonished by Kassan, he quickly changed his attitude and asked for his teaching.<br />
Rakuho could change so completely because he has no self-attachment in the face of the<br />
Dharma.<br />
Even if he possesses the art to cut off tongues, he is pulled by<br />
the nose and led to real freedom. With Rakuho’s “Kaatzu” he could present the<br />
world of “no tongue” to Kassan, but it was only after Kassan had pulled him by the nose,<br />
could he grasp the wondrous world of “no tongue is tongue” and “speech is no speech,”<br />
“delusion is enlightenment.”<br />
Outside the window screen, in the luminous night, wind and<br />
moon are like day. Our true Self in which there is nothing at all, which is total<br />
darkness, is at the same time light itself, and shines like the bright daylight that<br />
illuminates the whole universe without limits. Even though it is total darkness, it<br />
enlightens and clarifies everything. The “window screen” is literally a curtain of a<br />
11
palace made of gold, silver and jade. Even at night it is as bright as daylight.<br />
In front of the withered tree, blossoms and grass are in eternal<br />
spring. In front of a rock there is a withered tree. There, grasses and blossoms are<br />
always in bloom. To say that all flowers and grasses are blooming out of the withered<br />
tree is not exactly right. The withered tree is “not possessing anything”; the flowers and<br />
grasses are “unlimited treasure.” So, in the middle of “not possessing anything” there is<br />
unlimited treasure. But even this saying is not really right. Nothing as such is<br />
unlimited treasure, the withered tree as such is the flowers and grass. “Not possessing<br />
anything” is a different name for unlimited treasure; withered tree is a different name<br />
for flowers and grass.<br />
O, a tongueless person, tongueless person! How fitting is the<br />
one phrase – a full manifestation of the absolute command. One phrase<br />
– “tongueless person” – is enough. As I said before, it refers to the “really” tongueless<br />
person. A tongueless person is mountains, rivers, happiness, sadness, an old person, a<br />
child, life, death, and at the same time none of these have any shape or form, but are<br />
indeed “a tongueless person.” All we can say is that this is truly a mysterious world.<br />
As he walks alone in his sovereign realm, all is perfectly clear.<br />
Well then, – let people under heaven be merry and enjoy themselves!<br />
Under the heavens and on the earth I alone am honored The whole universe is I myself<br />
– this fact is so clear. When you clearly understand this fact you are completely at peace<br />
and free for the first time. Nevertheless, people usually do not realize this and live<br />
merrily in a carefree way.<br />
With this we come to the end of my teisho on this koan. As a reference, I<br />
would like to offer Koun Roshi’s comments on this koan and my thoughts related to this.<br />
Neither Koun Roshi’s comments nor my views are to be considered the “official”<br />
interpretation. These are simply offered as reference for your own practice. So please<br />
take them as such.<br />
Koun Roshi notes that this is just his own personal view and leaves us the<br />
following comment: “I cannot help but think that Rakuho’s “Katsu” in the case and<br />
Rinzai’s “Katsu” are on the level of that which takes away the dualistic view of<br />
subject-object in the phenomenal world. When a kendo master shouts “Mee-n!” in a<br />
match, and when a pianist plays the piano, these also take away the subject-object<br />
12
dualistic opposition. These are, however, events in the world of phenomena. Of course,<br />
when the pianist plays the piano in the concert, there is no self, and there is no pianist.<br />
But that itself is not enlightenment.<br />
To make a person with no tongue speak one has to fully grasp that world in<br />
which, even while in the midst of speaking, there is no such thing as a tongue at all. In<br />
the Five Aspects [Goi] of the Soto School (composed by Zen Master Tozan) it is not the<br />
opposition of subject and object but the opposition of the world of phenomena and the<br />
world of true nature. That is the difference. Of course even in the Rinzai School there<br />
are many persons who see with a true eye, including National Teacher Bukko, the<br />
founder of Engakuji Temple, who wrote the verse “Ah what joy! I am empty, the world is<br />
empty.”<br />
However, here the “Katsu” of Rakuho appears to me to be an event in the world<br />
of phenomena. Isn’t that what Kassan is prodding him for? He seems to be saying,<br />
“Not enough. You have not yet seen that world of ‘Not a speck of cloud that would<br />
obstruct the gazing eye.’ You have not yet seen world of “Coming in the midst of the<br />
Essence” [shochurai].<br />
Zen Master Dogen practiced Zen for nine years under the guidance of Rinzai<br />
Masters Eisai and Myozen, but could not find satisfaction. So he went to China, where<br />
he attained the experience of “Dropping off body and mind.” He realized great<br />
enlightenment, seeing the world of “Not a speck of Buddha Dharma.” After coming back<br />
to Japan from China, Dogen continued to hold Zen Master Rinzai in great esteem, but all<br />
of a sudden his evaluation of him takes a different turn. For me [Koun Roshi] this is<br />
similar to the dissatisfaction that Kassan felt toward Rakuho. Please keep this in mind<br />
as reference.”<br />
But as for me [Ryoun Roshi] I question whether Koun Roshi’s point of view<br />
truly hits the mark. The dissatisfaction of Zen Master Dogen towards Zen Master<br />
Rinzai and toward the entire Rinzai lineage is that they cling too much to the teaching of<br />
emptiness. The approach of the Rinzai School is first of all to completely realize<br />
“emptiness” and from there one enters into its personalization. Because of this<br />
procedure it is likely that there is a danger of clinging to emptiness. Ordinary persons<br />
mistake the world of phenomena for the world of fact and do not see the world where<br />
there is “not one thing,” in short the world of emptiness. This is of course a one-sided<br />
13
view. However, to cling to the world of emptiness and to separate the world of<br />
phenomena form the world of emptiness is equally a one-sided view.<br />
“The world of phenomena” and “the world of emptiness” are one and the same<br />
world called by different names. Dogen was exceedingly strict on this point. Seeing<br />
phenomena and emptiness on equal terms he freely moved to and fro in their midst.<br />
Because of that, if one’s eye is not clear enough, one cannot follow Dogen in his world.<br />
Dogen does not even use the word emptiness at all. It is good to see the opening lines of<br />
the “Genjokoan” Chapter of the Shobogenzo. What we call the “world of phenomena” is<br />
referred to by Dogen as “When all things are Buddhadharma.” What we call the world<br />
of emptiness or the world of Essence is referred to by Dogen as “When myriad things are<br />
without an abiding self.” These two aspects referred to by “When” are one and the same<br />
world seen from different angles and expressed as such. It is like the difference between<br />
looking at the same teacup from above and looking at it from the side. For Dogen these<br />
two aspects are completely the same, and he went about freely from one to the other.<br />
The entire Rinzai School, beginning with Zen Master Rinzai, lacks this realization of the<br />
equality of the two aspects as well as the freedom to go to and fro in their midst. This,<br />
from Dogen’s point of view, was the cause of his dissatisfaction with them.<br />
14<br />
(translated by Maria REIS-HABITO)<br />
Picture by Katharina SHEPHERD
Lecture Eighteen<br />
Teisho on the SHÔDÔKA<br />
By YAMADA Kôun<br />
However the burning iron ring revolves about my head,<br />
With bright completeness of dhyana and prajna<br />
I never lose my equanimity.<br />
If the sun becomes cold, and the moon hot,<br />
Even a host of demons cannot shatter the truth.<br />
The carriage of the elephant moves like a mountain,<br />
How can the mantis block the road?<br />
The great elephant does not loiter on the rabbit's path,<br />
Great enlightenment is not concerned with details,<br />
Don't belittle the sky by looking through a pipe.<br />
If you still don't understand, I will settle it for you.<br />
We have come to the final teisho on the Shôdôka. Let's look at the text without further ado.<br />
However the burning iron ring revolves about my head, with bright<br />
completeness of dhyana and prajna I never lose my equanimity. It is<br />
said that the "iron ring" pulverizes everything. Some commentaries say it is a staff with a<br />
ring attached. We might think of it today as the hammer in an ironworks. Even in a state<br />
where the iron ring is revolving above my head and I don't know when it will descend and<br />
take my life, I am not perturbed in the least.<br />
Dhyana is the concentration of mind, prajna is the wisdom of satori awakening. The<br />
wisdom of satori is usually said to be the wisdom that comes from samadhi power, the<br />
wisdom that arises from concentration of spirit. Although there are definite similarities<br />
between concentration of spirit and the wisdom of satori, they are actually different. Even<br />
though we have mental concentration, if we are still concentrating our spirit on some object<br />
outside of us, spiritual awakening will never result. Concentration of the spirit calls to<br />
mind the martial arts: kendô, kyûdô [archery], jûdô or aikidô. All practices in Japan with<br />
the word dô [way] attached to their name are ways that require concentration of spirit. But<br />
even the most accomplished kendô swordsman cannot hope to come directly to satori<br />
15
awakening through the mental concentration developed in his practice of swordsmanship.<br />
I would never deny that incredible powers of concentration are required for this and other<br />
arts. The same holds for the art of kyûdô. Focusing our entire spirit on the target requires<br />
great powers of concentration. But enlightenment does not result directly from that<br />
concentration of spirit. However, if we concentrate our spirit on something without form<br />
within us, enlightenment will result.<br />
The text speaks in terms of dhyana [concentration of spirit] and prajna [enlightened<br />
wisdom]. Nevertheless, as just mentioned, the wisdom of satori cannot appear without the<br />
power of concentration of mind. But satori awakening does not result from just any sort of<br />
concentration of the spirit. Even a master swordsman like YAMAOKA Tesshû of the Meiji<br />
Period had to practice zazen under the guidance of a Zen roshi. Thus we can be perfectly<br />
and completely endowed with dhyana and the wisdom of enlightenment. The satori which<br />
appears from concentrating our entire spirit on something without form within us is<br />
endowed with the wisdom which allows us to see the actual world. And this world does not<br />
move in the least, no matter how difficult the circumstances. For example, if we are in a<br />
life-and-death situation where death could come at any moment, it does not move at all:<br />
"With bright completeness of dhyana and prajna, I never lose my equanimity."<br />
That's easy enough to say, but no easy thing to put into practice. Kaisen Oshô of Eirinji<br />
Temple said: "Mind and body let go, even fire is cool." It is said that he uttered these words<br />
while being burned to death on the temple veranda. This originally came from a Chinese<br />
poem with the following lines: "Zazen does not always need mountains and rivers: Mind<br />
and body discarded, even fire is cool" (Tojunkaku, 6cCE). This is possible if we are truly<br />
endowed with the "bright completeness of dhyana and prajna." But I doubt that even a<br />
single person in Japan today is capable of such concentration of spirit. Even though you<br />
have the eye of satori, if you do not have the power issuing from concentration of spirit you<br />
cannot do it. Likewise, if you only have the power of concentration of spirit and have not<br />
yet grasped the truth in the wisdom of satori, you cannot do it either. It is only when both<br />
are present that it becomes possible. Some years back, we read how monks and nuns in<br />
Vietnam committed self-immolation by pouring gasoline on themselves and setting<br />
themselves on fire in protest. Such an act is only possible with the power of zazen. When<br />
Yôka Daishi says, "with bright completeness of dhyana and prajna I never lose my<br />
equanimity," he is speaking of his own world.<br />
If the sun becomes cold, and the moon hot, even a host of demons<br />
cannot shatter the truth. It's normal for the sun to be hot and the moon to be cool.<br />
The expression here is like saying, "when the river starts flowing upstream." Even in a<br />
totally abnormal state where the sun has become cold and the moon hot, and no matter<br />
16
how many demons are present, it's not possible to destroy the true teaching. That means<br />
the preaching of the Buddha who taught the true fact. It is not the true teaching simply<br />
because the Buddha preached it; it is the true teaching because he was preaching the truth.<br />
"Demon" can be understood here as that which robs life, that which confuses our bodies and<br />
minds and cuts off the life of virtue. It is said that there are four kinds of demons, all of<br />
which act as a hindrance to accomplishing the Way. No matter what evil or demons may<br />
appear, they cannot destroy the truth which the Buddha taught. Yôka Daishi is brimming<br />
with confidence and conviction when he utters these words. He knows that, no matter<br />
what anyone says, this fact is immovable and absolute.<br />
The carriage of the elephant moves like a mountain, how can the<br />
mantis block the road? The carriage of the elephant means a huge and splendid<br />
carriage drawn by elephants. It is the Greater Vehicle. This great carriage moves<br />
majestically with the authority of a mountain. You may have seen pictures of the floats at<br />
the Gion Festival in Kyoto moving with stately calm through the crowds. This may help<br />
you create an image in your mind of what Yôka Daiji is speaking of here. In other words,<br />
the teachings of the Greater Vehicle of the Mahayana moves forward with stately majesty,<br />
not perturbed by anything. How can a tiny mantis standing on the road block the advance<br />
of that enormous and stately vehicle? There is the Chinese fable of the "Axe of the Mantis,"<br />
referring to how the two forefeet of the mantis resemble an axe. The mantis flails his<br />
forefeet aggressively at anything in its path, forgetting its own tininess and puniness. That<br />
little mantis is hardly a match for the huge vehicle moving steadily down the road. We can<br />
think of the mantis as symbolizing ordinary learning or philosophy or perhaps the<br />
teachings of the Small Vehicle. Even if those teachings attempt to disturb the carriage of<br />
the elephant (i.e., Mahayana Buddhism) they cannot do so.<br />
The great elephant does not loiter on the rabbit's path, great<br />
enlightenment is not concerned with details. Earlier in this poem, Yôka<br />
Daishi declared:<br />
Cut out directly the root of it all--<br />
This is the very point of the Buddha-seal.<br />
I can't respond to any concern about leaves and branches.<br />
Actually the cases are not few where people get caught up in details and lose sight of the<br />
main matter. If we can cut to the root source, those other smaller problems will find<br />
solutions on their own. If you want to fell a great tree, you have to cut at the roots. Then<br />
the leaves and branches will wither on their own. Nevertheless, many people concern<br />
themselves with the leaves and branches, forgetting the trunk. That's not the real way. As<br />
17
Yôka Daishi says, "The great elephant does not loiter on the rabbit's path. Great<br />
enlightenment is not concerned with details." The same holds for any enterprise or for<br />
government. You have to grasp the matter at the source. Then, even if you make some<br />
errors in details, it will not have any effect on the main matter. What's important is<br />
grasping the root matter and seeing the essentials. This is of course true regarding<br />
enlightenment as well. Grasping the essential matter is most important and then knowing<br />
how to express it. We must be careful not to get excessively caught up in the literal<br />
meaning of the words and miss the main point.<br />
Don't belittle the sky by looking through a pipe. The Japanese expression<br />
kanken [literally, looking through a bamboo pipe] found in this poem is still used today to<br />
mean excessively narrow views. In Japan we also speak in terms of "looking at the sky<br />
through a reed" to make the same point. Looking at the sky through a pipe, we fail to<br />
notice how truly broad and limitless the sky actually is. Yôka Daishi warns us against<br />
doing so and then concluding that the sky is narrow when we have never really experienced<br />
the sky. Then comes the final line of the poem:<br />
If you still don't understand, I will settle it for you. Throughout this poem, he<br />
says, I have attempted to preach the basic matter in a detailed and careful manner. If you<br />
still don't understand, you must come to me and I will settle the matter for you. Come to<br />
me with any problem you have and I will cut off the problem at its root. Thus ends the<br />
Shôdôka.<br />
Having completed this series of teisho I am all the more in awe of Yôka Daishi's clarity of<br />
vision and richness of expression. At the same time, I can't help admiring myself a little for<br />
having been able to speak at length about this great work!.<br />
18<br />
(translated by Paul SHPHERD)<br />
Photo by HARA Akira
************************************************<br />
Words of<br />
Yamada Kôun Roshi<br />
(67)<br />
***********************************************<br />
Genuine Experiences Are<br />
One<br />
Buddhism always has as its goal “believing in, understanding, practicing,<br />
verifying and actually entering” [shin, ge, gyō, shō, nyū] the infinite and absolute world.<br />
The terms ‘infinite and absolute’ are the opposite of the terms ‘limited and relative,’ but<br />
we can’t picture that fact concretely in our minds. Yet we can call both infinity and the<br />
absolute facets of zero or emptiness. When we thoroughly penetrate the world of zero,<br />
we can concretely gaze at and contemplate infinity. The clear and personal<br />
witnessing of this zero is called kensho or verification [shō]. Dōgen Zenji seemed to<br />
have preferred the word ‘verification’ [shō]. Now, it would not be an exaggeration to<br />
say that without verification [shō], there is no Zen, and without Zen, there is no<br />
Buddha Way.<br />
From the standpoint of common sense, the words that spring forth from a shō<br />
experience are all irrational, ridiculous, and may make rational-minded western<br />
scholars indignant, but when you grasp the world of zero, you understand that they are<br />
only natural.<br />
There is a saying: “The ten-thousand teachings come down to one,” meaning<br />
that, in the end, all religions are one. In this ‘one’ there are various levels of depth.<br />
There are people who say, with a wise look, such things as, “Christianity, Buddhism,<br />
Confucianism and Taoism are ultimately all the same.” This kind of ‘oneness’ is very<br />
superficial, and a person who speaks this way doesn’t know any of the religions well.<br />
In any event, when the ten-thousand teachings are investigated ideologically, they will<br />
never become ‘one.’ It just becomes a theoretical dispute. In the end, the theories<br />
also disappear and only quarreling remains. Even in the same Buddhist religion, the<br />
practice of praising the Lotus Sutra and that of praising Amida Buddha don’t become<br />
one, and on top of that in the same Nichiren School of Buddhism various sect ‘egos’ rise<br />
up and quarrel with each other. In Zen it is more or less the same as all the rest.<br />
This is because they try to settle disputes with nothing more than ideas or logic.<br />
What is “Praise to the Lotus Sutra?” It’s this! (thrusting out his kotsu.) What is<br />
“Praise to Amida Buddha”? It’s this! (kotsu.) This is declaring the matter of our<br />
19
intrinsic nature, the true fact. In the Third Case of the Gateless Gate (Mumonkan), it<br />
says, “Whenever Master Gutei was asked a question, he just held up a finger.” This<br />
has the same import. There is a koan that goes, “the Diamond Prajna Paramita<br />
Sutra.” This is it also. So long as they have genuine religious experiences, all<br />
religions are one. As an example, let me tell you about the founder of the religion<br />
called Kurozumi-kyō.<br />
As you know, in Japan from ancient times there has been a teaching called<br />
Shintō. It is a religion that worships Amaterasu Ômikami, the Sun Goddess, as its<br />
principle goddess. Though there seem to be various wrong impressions between it<br />
and Buddhism on both sides, a person who clearly had a personal experience of the<br />
Goddess Amaterasu was KUROZUMI Munetada, the founder of the Kurozumi Sect of<br />
Shintō.<br />
The head shrine of the Kurozumi Sect is in Okayama [in the western part of<br />
Japan] and not well known in the Kantō area [the eastern part with Tokyo as its<br />
center]. Munetada was born roughly two hundred years ago in 1780 in Nakano<br />
Village in Mino, a fief of the Bizen feudal clan during the Tokugawa era. His family<br />
had served as priests at Shintō shrines for generations, and his father, Kurozumi<br />
Muneshige, was the priest of the near-by Imamura Shrine dedicated to the Sun<br />
Goddess. From early childhood on, Munetada had very deep filial devotion, and it is<br />
said that as a youth his prayer was “to become a living god and make his parents’<br />
names well-known into the next world.” However, when Munetada was thirty-three<br />
years old, both parents took ill during an epidemic and died, probably from cholera or<br />
typhoid fever.<br />
For Munetada, who was so devoted to his parents, this was a great blow. He<br />
wept continually from morning to night, and it’s said that he even lost consciousness<br />
before his parents’ graves. And so, in the extremity of grief, he himself fell ill with<br />
pulmonary tuberculosis and was sick in bed for a year and a half. As his condition<br />
became critical, he resigned himself to the fact that he too would die. But at this point<br />
a strange thing happened. It is described in the book A Brief Account of the Founder,<br />
a biography of Munetada, as follows (cited in: NOBUHARA Taisen, Kurozumi<br />
Munetada and His Religion, 1962) :<br />
At that time, the Founder thought, “Originally I grieved so over the death of my<br />
parents, afflicted at heart and becoming gravely depressed, that I became ill. If<br />
I only could change my mind to take interest in things and be merry, so that my<br />
heart becomes cheerful, the illness would cure itself.” The Founder then<br />
decided that to nourish his mind even for length of one breath would be filial<br />
piety. Whether seeing or hearing, he would give thanks for the blessing from<br />
heaven. Earnestly, he nourished his mind by means of his own mind, and day<br />
by day--like tearing off a strip of thin paper--he began to recover.<br />
20
One day he got up from his sickbed, forced himself to bathe, and, as he bowed in<br />
veneration to the Sun Goddess, like frost disappearing in the morning sun, he<br />
was suddenly granted a complete cure of his long illness….(p. 1)<br />
Continuing to quote Nobuhara Taisen’s description verbatim:<br />
….a so-called ‘miraculous’ phenomenon occurred. Now, on the morning of the<br />
winter solstice that year, as Munetada was venerating the Sun Goddess (the<br />
sun) as usual, “a cheerful spirit suddenly pierced my heart. Filled with<br />
gratitude and joy, I involuntarily swallowed the rays of the sun. Then, in an<br />
instant I became light of heart and grasped for the first time the fresh and vivid<br />
being of heaven and earth.” He had had a special kind of religious experience.<br />
Munetada was 35 years old.<br />
To “grasp the fresh and vivid being of the heaven and earth” is a splendid<br />
expression. The goddess is the fresh and vivid being of the universe. He didn’t<br />
simply say that he had “seen” the goddess but that he had personally grasped<br />
that living goddess. Truly, these words describe well Munetada’s vibrant<br />
religious experience (op. cit., p. 12).<br />
Similarly, in a separate publication, The Sage Munetada, Nobuhara Taisen describes<br />
the scene of Munetada’s “grasping the fresh and vivid being” as follows. I quote:<br />
Rising before it was light, Munetada worshipped the bright red circle of the<br />
great sun as it rose behind the southern tip of Mt. Sō and was struck more<br />
strongly than usual with emotion. There is nothing more sublime in this world<br />
than the shimmering sun as it rises from behind a thick veil of auspicious purple<br />
clouds. For him it was not simply a scene. One must say it was the greatest<br />
of all miracles in the world.<br />
“Thank you!” Munetada shouted instinctively. In the next moment, he<br />
unconsciously gasped, “Ah!” Then, the rising red discus raced towards him<br />
through limitless space and plunged into his heart. At the instant he<br />
involuntarily gasped and closed his eyes, his entire body completely fused with<br />
the great shining light (pp. 31-32).<br />
I would like to append a short examination of whether this religious experience was<br />
in essence the same as the Zen experience of satori or whether it was completely<br />
different.<br />
21<br />
(To be continued)<br />
(compiled by TONOIKE Zen’yū, translated by Joan RIECK)
Thoughts of Gratitude on<br />
the 100 th Birthday<br />
Of<br />
Mrs. Kazue Yamada<br />
22<br />
by Ursula OKLE<br />
On September 23rd, Mrs. Kazue YAMADA, or "Okusama" as we foreigners<br />
call her, had her 100 th birthday. It was celebrated the day before with her family, and<br />
we foreigners living in Kamakura were also invited. We try to visit Okusama as much<br />
as we can in the Life-Commune Home in Kita-Kamakura, and we enjoy seeing her<br />
every time.<br />
Around 4 pm on September 22nd, Rainer and I picked up Okusama by car for<br />
the first time since she began living in Kita-Kamakura; we brought her to her house<br />
for the party. Along the way, she wondered where we were going and said, "We're not<br />
going very far away, are we?" I think she was remembering that in former times we<br />
quite often went out together for a drive in Rainer's car and had lunch with her at<br />
different places. We told Okusama that we were going to her house, and when we<br />
came close to the Hachiman Shrine she began showing us the way to the zendo.<br />
Almost everybody was already there waiting for her. Her family was happy to see her<br />
in good health. We went with her to the zendo and she offered incense at the altar.<br />
It was a very nice party and everyone did their best to make Okusama happy.<br />
Birthday cards and flowers were sent and also greetings from many foreign countries,<br />
because she was the Japanese mother for many who now live all over the world.<br />
Okusama and Koun Roshi had made their stay in Japan like “feeling at home”. In fact,<br />
when I met Father Lassalle for the last time in Germany at the zendo in Dietfurt, he<br />
said to me, “Please give my best regards to my mother in Japan." At that time he was<br />
around 90 and I never will forget this. But also among the Japanese who came for
zazen during all these years, I got the impression that for many of them she was like a<br />
second mother as well.<br />
Okusama is the first person I've ever known to celebrate a 100th birthday,<br />
and we four foreigners who celebrated it with her are very thankful that we can still<br />
spend time with her. It was through her efforts and those of Koun Roshi that San’un<br />
Zendo was built, and it became a zendo where everybody who experienced its spirit<br />
immediately felt at home. During her birthday party I heard her say what a good<br />
thing it was to build this zendo.<br />
Many more things could be said, but for myself, after nearly 42 years in<br />
Japan with Okusama and Koun Roshi at San’un Zendo, I can only express my deepest<br />
gratitude. Every year on her birthday I also feel this gratitude for Okusama in all the<br />
birthday greetings sent to her from so many people in foreign countries.<br />
I know you all join with me in wishing good health and all the very best for<br />
Mrs. Kazue Yamada.<br />
Pictures by Ursula OKLE<br />
23
Report on the New Zendo Site<br />
A. The entrance<br />
gate to the slope<br />
way toward the<br />
hilltop, where the<br />
zendo is scheduled<br />
to be constructed.<br />
B. The same<br />
entrance seen from<br />
the (public) street<br />
In Kyosho #353 (March/April 2012) Ryoun<br />
Roshi related in his Opening Comments<br />
how the plan to build a new zendo for the<br />
Sanbo-Kyodan had come about. Also, the<br />
concrete sketch of the zendo building was<br />
explained in Kyosho #354 (May/June 2012).<br />
Since then a lot of readers expressed the<br />
desire to see how the new zendo site looks.<br />
Therefore, we would like to show you some<br />
pictures of the site along with a brief<br />
explanation, in order to give you a general<br />
idea of the place.<br />
The spots A from H indicate the<br />
alphabetical numbering of the pictures<br />
shown below.<br />
C. On the way up the slope<br />
toward the hilltop.<br />
(The site is about 25 meters<br />
above street level. The alley way<br />
up the slope is about 50<br />
meters long.<br />
24
D. A vegetable garden<br />
up on the hill<br />
G. Various trees on the hill: cherry<br />
trees, Japanese maple trees, orange<br />
trees, loquat trees, plum trees,<br />
persimmon trees, etc. They will be<br />
preserved in the zendo compound as far<br />
as possible.<br />
E. A house on the hill.<br />
This will be demolished in<br />
due course.<br />
F. Another house with a warehouse on<br />
the hill. These buildings will also be<br />
demolished, so that a new zendo can be<br />
built.<br />
H. Last summer there was a<br />
geological inspection by digging into the<br />
ground at several spots on the hill. The<br />
results will be carefully integrated into<br />
the latest planning.<br />
In order to construct the new zendo we will need at least 5 million US dollars. The<br />
new zendo must be built by the Sanbo-Kyodan itself, and we sincerely ask you to<br />
cooperate with us in the fund-raising. Any support from friends of the Sanbo-Kyodan<br />
or from anyone who sympathizes with our efforts would also be highly appreciated. In<br />
order to make a donation please contact your local Zen teacher(s) whose names you<br />
can find on the followeing list:<br />
http://www.sanbo-zen.org/master_e.html.<br />
Thank you very much.<br />
25
Cleaning Action at the New Zendo Site<br />
26<br />
by ICHINO Toshiyuki<br />
Recently, Mr. HONDA Ikuji, Ms. TSUBAKI Tomoko and I – all middle-aged<br />
people – have been carrying out the cleaning and managing activities on the new<br />
zendo site. Up to the fall of 2011 there was a care-taker in charge of the site. Now we,<br />
the group mentioned above, are acting as the group looking after the site. Especially<br />
Mr. Honda visits and cleans the place quite often since his house is rather near the<br />
hill.<br />
The façade of the hill is in fact a forest, producing lots of dead leaves on the<br />
adjacent street in the fall. Our primary assignment now is to collect these fallen<br />
leaves so that they don’t disturb the inhabitants nearby. Sometimes we have to cut<br />
the bamboo branches covering the electricity lines or trim the twigs of the growing<br />
trees.<br />
Quite near the site live the leader of the “green preservation club” as well as the<br />
head of the local community. When we had the first joint cleaning action, they came<br />
to us and asked, “What’s going to be up there? What will happen to this forest? We<br />
would like to ask you not to cut down the trees.” They were quite worried.<br />
We told them that there would be a zendo. “Oh, a zendo! That is a relief. We<br />
were worried that something strange would be constructed up there.” It is nice to<br />
know that “Zen” has a fine reputation here! This will certainly guarantee that we will<br />
get along fine with the neighbors, and there will be people wanting to join us in the<br />
sitting too.<br />
There are many kinds of trees at the site. Plum, cherry, persimmon, biwa<br />
(loquat), summer orange and so on. There is already a vegetable garden too.<br />
In the cherry blossom season or the plum blossom time, we will be able to enjoy<br />
the beautiful sights here. Also we will be able to produce seasoned plums, persimmon<br />
tea or loquat tea by ourselves. A very healthy future indeed.<br />
Moreover, there are various crickets and birds chirping and singing, thus<br />
comforting our burdened heart. The higurashi cicadas in the summer will truly be a
treat. “Higurashi” means “to live only for the day”, which is exactly what I am doing<br />
as a poor monk.<br />
The site is near the top of the Okurayama Hill, situated in a very quiet<br />
residential area. But, since it is quite elevated from the level of ordinary houses, it is<br />
all the more serene. There is the Okurayama Park, which is famous for the “plum<br />
forest,” and an attractive pavilion called “Okurayama Memorial House”, built in the<br />
1920s, stands nearby. They all create a beautiful atmosphere.<br />
In order to spread the authentically transmitted Buddha Way for the sake of all<br />
living beings, we do have to successfully build and maintain a new zendo. With this<br />
wish as our prayer we carry on our actions: cutting trees, chopping bamboos and<br />
collecting fallen leaves….<br />
Cleaning action going on.<br />
Photo by HARA Akira<br />
27<br />
Giant bamboo trees<br />
being cut down, so that<br />
they don’t interfere<br />
with the electricity<br />
cables.
0<br />
San’un Zendo Zazenkai<br />
Dir. by: YAMADA Ryôun Roshi<br />
Jan. 13 (Sun), 27 (Sun)<br />
Feb. none<br />
Mar. 10 (Sun), 24 (Sun)*<br />
9:00 am - 4:30 pm:<br />
Zazen,Teisho, Dokusan & Samu<br />
* Memorial Service for the late<br />
YASUTANI Haku’un Roshi<br />
San’un Zendo Sesshin<br />
Dir. by: YAMADA Ryôun Roshi<br />
Mar. 15 (Fri) 19:00 –<br />
Mar. 20 (Wed) 15:00<br />
Contact:<br />
ZENKAI SCHEDULE<br />
of Sanbo-Kyodan Society in Japan<br />
for JANUARY , FEBRUARY & MARCH 2013<br />
Ms. Ursula OKLE<br />
Fax: +81-(0)467-23-5147<br />
Email: uvokle@sky.plala.or.jp<br />
or:<br />
Mr. SATO Migaku<br />
Email:<br />
sanbo7@rikkyo.ac.jp<br />
Ryôun-an Zazenkai<br />
(Only for people working on post-kensho kôans)<br />
Dir. by: YAMADA Ryôun Roshi<br />
28<br />
Jan. 12 (Sat)<br />
Feb. none<br />
Mar. 09 (Sat)<br />
9:00 am - 12:00 am: Zazen, Dokusan.<br />
The schedule is subject to change.<br />
Contact: Ms. Ursula OKLE<br />
(see above)<br />
Yoyogi-Uehara Zazenkai<br />
Dir. by: KUBOTA Ji’un Roshi<br />
Jan. 26 (Sat)<br />
Feb. 09 (Sat)<br />
Mar. 09 (Sat)<br />
9:00 am - 4:00 pm:<br />
Zazen, Teisho, Dokusan.<br />
At: -Chitose Building, 3F<br />
Uehara 1-33-12<br />
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0064<br />
Contact:<br />
Mr. MATSU'URA Yoshihisa<br />
Tel: +81-(0)3-466-9225
Gallery<br />
ダンス Tanz<br />
2003<br />
130x130cm<br />
Acryl,Sand/canvas<br />
YOKO’O Tatsuhiko<br />
29
Editor’s Note:<br />
We wish you, dear readers of the <strong>English</strong> Kyosho, a very happy New Year 2013!<br />
May the new year bring you valuable fruit in your efforts to constantly deepen your<br />
practice and to let all living beings take part in your great fruit.<br />
In this number of the Kyosho the series of teishos on the Shodoka by YAMADA<br />
Koun Roshi comes to its completion. We thank Paul SHEPHERD for his wonderful<br />
translation work. It is a great privilege for us to have Paul with his unique talent to<br />
freely render any Japanese texts, even if they are written in classical Japanese/Chinese,<br />
into beautiful <strong>English</strong>. In the next number we will start the teisho series on the<br />
Shinjinmei, also translated by Paul.<br />
Another special contribution is an article by Ursula OKLE, who has written a<br />
commemorative article in deep gratitude for Mrs. YAMADA Kazue (the wife of YAMADA<br />
Koun Roshi), who turned 100 last September. Mrs. Yamada was virtually the one who<br />
built the San’un Zendo for us, and we know that, without her, the Sanbo-Kyodan Zen<br />
movement would never have come to its fruition. We cannot thank her enough for this.<br />
Then follows a short report on the site of the newly planned zendo with some pictures, so<br />
that the readers may have a general idea what the place looks like. Mr. ICHINO, who is<br />
one of the people who have been taking care of the site, reports on their action as well as<br />
on his impressions of the site. It certainly is a beautiful site; as a matter of fact, however,<br />
we need more solid financial basis for the start of the construction, and we must jointly<br />
pray that more donations should flow into the zendo account. We sincerely ask you for<br />
your further support and cooperation<br />
Gassho.<br />
(editor)<br />
The KYôSHô (Awakening Gong), No. 358(January 1, 2013)<br />
Issued by: The Religious Foundation Sanbô-Kyôdan<br />
Hase 1-6-5, Kamakura-shi, 248-0016 Japan<br />
Edited by: The Sanbô-Kyôdan Society (Sanbô-Kôryûkai)<br />
%Tokyo Kembikyôin<br />
Kudan-minami 4-8-32, Tokyo 102-8288 Japan<br />
Tel: 03-5210-6669<br />
Fax: 03-5210-6676<br />
Email: sanbo7@rikkyo.ac.jp<br />
http://www.sanbo-zen.org/<br />
30<br />
Photo by<br />
HARA Akira