Newsletter of Dharma Rain Zen Center

Portland, Oregon

Volume XXV Number 1

January-February 2000

 

 

 


Callligraphy by Rev. Maeda, guestmaster at Notosoin (old Sojiji). Rev. Maeda is a second or third cousin in the Dharma to Gyokuko and Kyogen senseis. They share the same Dharma Great Grandfather, Koho Hakugan. Rev. Maeda explained the calligraphy as meaning "life is better when you smile."


Manzan Dohaku: The Man, His Temple and His Mission

By Richard Fumyo Mishaga

The place I most wanted to visit in Japan was Daijoji. When Kyogen first raised the idea of the Sangha trip to Japan, I immediately began lobbying to include this rather out-of-the-way temple and was relieved when he announced that it had landed a spot, a short overnight, on our final itinerary. My hope was to experience the flavor of practice at this temple, which has a unique connection to the lineage that is actualized here at DRZC. This connection begins -- at the point where Keizan's Denkoroku ends ­- with the "transmission of the light" from Ejo Koun to Tettsu Gikai, who founded Daijoji in 1293. For almost 400 years, Daijoji was the physical home of our tradition. From Tettsu Gikai to Manzan Dohaku, every one of our Dharma ancestors, 21 in all, served, in turn, as the Abbot of Daijoji.

This succession of abbots from our lineage coincided with Japan's medieval period, a time when the Soto temple system was distinctly different than it is today. There was no main temple or centralized authority or even any conscious identity with a unified Soto sect. Each of the Soto lineages, which had all descended from Dogen's third, fourth, and fifth generation disciples, operated temple hierarchies or clusters of temples that were more or less independent from the other Soto lineages. Thus, each lineage, evolving in those formative years, could develop its own style and flavor of Zen practice in response to the personalities of the temple officers, to local social pressures and to the demands of the feudal lord who sponsored the temple. From this perspective, Daijoji was no different from the other temples that had developed in medieval Japan. However, I was curious to know if those early practice traditions developed at Daijoji had endured on into the present.

October 6: Kanazawa, Japan. As the bus made its way through the bustling commercial districts in the general direction of Daijoji temple, I wondered again and again about those formative years, and about the practice styles of the holders of the Dharma that administered this temple. What was the style of Tettsu Gikai (the indomitable founder), the great Keizan Jokin, Meiho Sotetsu (the inheritor of Dogen's robe); Hakuho Genteki (the nationally renowned model abbot), Gesshu Soko (the visionary, conferred with the title, the Revitalizer), and, especially, Manzan Dohaku (the great reformer)? Had the flavor of their combined practice styles been maintained and would it still be actualized within these temple walls? Had their practice traditions remained distinct and would they be recognizable? Would this place seem familiar to me; would it bridge the cultural, spatial and temporal gulf from medieval Kanazawa to modern Portland?

Beyond the sanmon, the great entrance gate, a kindly monk greeted us and led us along the open passage to a guest room with neatly stacked bedding and a most welcome thermos of hot tea. After seeing to our needs, he quickly took his leave; this is a working temple, not a destination resort with orchestrated tours; he had chores to complete before dinner. Refreshingly left to our own devices, some of us began to explore. Gyokuko and I chose to peruse the faces of former abbots displayed in an incomplete set of ink drawings and photographs along the guest room walls. Under each portrait, kanji characters proclaimed each abbot's name and successional rank. It turned out that we were both searching for the same pair of kanji, "well being "-- "mountain," the characters that would identify the portrait of Manzan Dohaku. At last, we found the familiar ideograms below the rendering of a stately, middle-aged monk in a simple dark robe with a patterned kesa. He stared back at us serenely but intently with all the restrained force of a Niwo [temple entrance guardian]. So, our silent introductions completed, we greeted the famous Manzan and I set down my shoulder pack. I had arrived.

A A few members of the Abbots' gallery at Daijoji

Encountering the portrait hanging in the guest room personalized my relationship with Manzan, the man. We do not know enough about him - although he was a prolific writer, little of his work has been translated into English. How curious! It can be argued that, after Dogen, Keizan and possibly Gasan Joseki (Sojiji's first resident abbot), Manzan probably had a greater influence on the development of Soto Zen than anyone else throughout its history in Japan. In a simplistic way, Manzan's pivotal position in our lineage reflects his pivotal contribution to Soto Zen. With Manzan's retirement from Daijoji, the representation of abbots from our lineage ended at that temple, the path of our lineage was redirected to other temples and no ancestor ever served at Daijoji in that capacity again. Similarly, with the completion of Manzan's successful reformation campaign, the process of Soto Zen Dharma transmission was redirected and the Soto sectarian consciousness was forever changed.

Dharma transmission is the facet of the master-disciple relationship that preserves the identity and integrity of the master's lineage. When a disciple's intuitive cognition of reality has the same content as a teacher's own experience, the minds of master and disciple are one. The disciple must rely on the master to authenticate this mind-to-mind understanding and the disciple is then "transmitted" through the master's formal acknowledgement of the experience. This transmission process of inheriting a Dharma lineage from a single master is known as isshi insho. It is in contrast to the other form of transmission, the inheriting of the Dharma lineage of the temple where a monk resides, known as garanbo.

Transmission according to temple lineage, garanbo, sprouted from medieval organizational features of early Soto temples. Disciples of Gasan Joseki later codified garanbo through the regulated succession of abbots for several temples during the 14th century. Soon thereafter, garanbo became the model for most Soto temples throughout medieval Japan. As temple hierarchies and sectarian factionalism expanded, garanbo became more formalized and excessive. For example, it required that a monk, upon being appointed abbot of a temple, abandon the Dharma lineage he had inherited from his real master and adopt the lineage associated with his new temple, even if he had no previous spiritual connection with that line. By the 17th century, the problem of temple lineage transmission was perceived by some to have reached crisis proportions. With this type of transmission, there was the distinct possibility of no direct contact between a nominal disciple at a new temple and his new master or even between the disciple and any lineage representative of that master. The greater a monk's ability and the more temple assignments he accepted, the more jumbled his Dharma relationships became. Lack of clear lineage lines impeded the spread and acceptance of Soto Zen. Soto monks desiring to uphold the principle of face-to-face transmission from master to disciple were faced with either converting to Rinzai or subjugating their own abilities and desires to contribute to the welfare of others. Such were the conditions that had attracted widespread criticism and gave rise to the reformation movement led by Manzan and others that remolded the rules for Dharma succession in the late 17th century.

There were also more practical issues associated with garanbo, especially for talented, motivated monks from smaller lineages, like Manzan Dohaku. The garanbo system guaranteed that major temples would be continually supplied with capable temple administrators and with financial resources from their satellite temples. This system perpetuated the continual dominance of larger lineages over smaller ones. Lineages with large temple networks offered more opportunities and more financial support for talented monks then smaller lineages with fewer temples and resources could offer. Consequently, smaller lineages with fewer temples often experienced difficulty maintaining their most promising disciples.

Kanzeon statue in the cloister at Daijoji
The lineage of Meiho Sotetsu had been reduced substantially by the time Manzan Dohaku received transmission from Gesshu Soko. His lineage had not faired well during the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, partly the result of a historical coincidence. Three centuries earlier, the senior disciples of Keizan established their practices in the western provinces of Japan near Eiheiji, Daijoji, and Yokoji. This included, of course, Manzan's ancestor, Meiho Sotetsu, who assumed the abbot's seat of Daijoji after Keizan. Meiho's descendents also remained in the western provinces, building temples and administering to the needs of the rural peasants. During the civil wars and civil unrest of the 16th century, many of the feudal lords of western Japan, who had sponsored the temples of Meiho's descendents,were aligned with the opposition factions against the Tokugawa clan. When this opposition was decisively defeated and the Shogunate secured, support for many temples was lost. Also, other temples were pillaged and destroyed --at least 32 of the temples in Meiho Sotetsu's lineage network alone -- either as retribution upon their defeated patrons or as a result of civil riots and unrest. Even the original temple of Daijoji that Tettsu Gikai built near the town of Kaga was razed in a civil rebellion. The loss of temples, loss of support, and the effects of garanbo succession greatly retarded the rebuilding of Meiho's lineage and traditions. Finally its autonomy was restricted in 1615, when the shogunate ordered the affiliation of all Soto temples with either Eiheiji or Sojiji. The Meiho-line temples were assigned to the administrative jurisdiction of Eiheiji and were to conform with Eiheiji's regulations and practices.

This was the situation when the young monk Manzan initiated his campaign to reform temple transmission practices. In 1663, when he was 27 years old, Manzan vowed to change the Soto transmission practices by restoring the strong master-disciple bond, a bond that Manzan later shared with his own teacher, Gesshu Soko. His vision of reformation was not to a new system but a revival of the practices that Dogen had espoused in the Shobogenzo. Manzan was particularly influenced by three chapters -- Shisho ("Documents of Heritage"), Menju ("Face-to-Face Transmission") and Juki ("Assurance of Awakening"). Based on these essays, he would seek changes requiring transmission based on direct face-to-face contact between master and disciple and restricting inheritance to a single lineage through a single master. Manzan continued his long-standing effort to reform the accepted practices of temple lineage transmission for over 40 years.

Others had previously attempted to reform Soto transmission procedures but had failed. However, Manzan was a brilliant tactician who moved cautiously and waited for the right opportunities to implement his campaign objectives. Understanding that he would, ultimately, require a broad base of support, he spent years carefully testing the political waters. He quietly developed strategic alliances both inside and outside the Soto establishment with those who supported his vision. He also sought to learn who would oppose his campaign, and what their objections would be. Manzan refused ecclesiastical appointments that could compromise his position and potentially jeopardize his cause.
When Manzan freed himself of all responsibilities in 1694, he retired to the small temple of Genko-an on the outskirts of Kyoto, an important intellectual and ecclesiastical center in the 17th century. From this hub, Manzan and his allies still waited and finally, in 1696, the time was right. They moved swiftly; the initial judgments were unsuccessful. Undaunted, the alliance methodically exhausted all avenues of ecclesiastical appeal. Manzan then brought the case to ban temple Dharma transmission directly to the bafuku, the secular authority. He logically stated his arguments, often citing Dogen to prove his points.

Manzan was too astute and too seasoned a strategist to assume that he would have been successful within the ecclesiastic courts and temple administrative halls. He pursued all avenues to demonstrate that he had exhausted all ecclesiastic sources, a position from which he could take his case to the bafuku and from which he could continue to maintain his broad base of support within ecclesiastic circles. Manzan also understood the natural tension between the secular and ecclesiastic authorities and could use it to his advantage, presenting his arguments where others had failed. In 1703, after several counter appeals and some compromises, the bafuku finally ruled in favor of Manzan and proclaimed that the principles of face-to-face transmission and the inheritance of a single Dharma lineage would determine Dharma succession for Soto monks in the future.

Manzan Dohaku remained at Genko-an in Kyoto where he tirelessly continued to clarify and defend his revivalist positions until he died in 1714. Removing the restraints of garanbo had an immediate restorative effect on the smaller lineages; the numbers of Dharma heirs increased dramatically. The revival of Dogen's fundamental principles also caused the Soto sect in general to redefine its identity and revitalize its awareness of early practice traditions. Even now the strength of Manzan's convictions endures in our daily practice and this stately monk with the life-long mission continues to direct us as we actualize familiar forms.

October 7: Kanazawa, Japan. By 4:45 am, we were scurrying down a dimly lit hall toward the Sodo, the Monks' Hall. Stepping over the worn wooden threshold, across cold red tiles, past the polished black Monju, we silently filled spaces in front of vacant zafus. I settled between Kyogen and a wizened old monk. Unlike the other sodos and zendos we visited in Japan, this was the only place where the visitors were not kept apart or somehow segregated from meditating monks; here we just filled the openings on the tans, nothing special, no separation. As if to emphasize this difference, the cool, moist night air poured through the open windows, dispersed the hanging wafts of incense, and then sank around us in perfect stillness, as all settled into zazen. The old monk next to me never stirred; he could have been one of the full-sized statues in the temple's Founders Hall. The morning rain steadily bleached dark night to gray dawn. Somewhere out on the grounds, a deep temple bell called to the new day, which was echoed by a deep drum. Slow and steady, rising and falling, the bell-drum reminded both the morning and the meditator of cause and conditions, of impermanence and immaculacy.

 

Daijoji Zendo
This space in time seemed so familiar. It was so comfortable to be, to be there, to sit with no barriers and to express Buddha-Nature in the same space where Manzan had sat, where the great reformer simply practiced as an ordinary man among others doing zazen. When the inkin marked our time to leave, the weathered old statue next to me became animated; continuing meditation, we straightened our zafus. Purposefully, he turned and surprised me with an intent gaze and a slight bow. Quietly we filed out -- across the cold red tiles, over the worn wooden threshold, and into the dimly lit hall -- as if nothing sacred had ever happened that morning.

I would like to publicly express my gratitude to Togen of Daijoji who generously supplied us with a complete list of all 69 abbots of Daijoji, to Mikio Ohgushi who made that list come alive for me, and to Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson who made the trip to Japan and other things possible.

 

Japan Trip '99

By Kyogen Carlson-sensei


The seed for the 1999 excursion to Japan taken by thirteen DRZC members was planted nearly three years earlier. Back in 1996, Lay Disciples at the Center decided it was time for me to go to Japan, so they bought a ticket and sent me off. Traveling in the spring of 1997, I made some wonderful connections and received an invitation to return in 1999 for the rededication of the main temple buildings at Raigakuji in Nagano Prefecture. Raigakuji is where Keido Chisan Koho Zenji was abbot for 50 years, and where he is buried. He was also abbot of Daihonzan Sojiji, where Jiyu Kennett Roshi trained, and was, as most of you know, her teacher. A trip like this seemed too good to pass up and would give our members a chance to experience the connection we have to our lineage roots in Japan. Kennett Roshi felt strongly about establishing a western form of practice, and all but severed ties with Japan, so most of us who trained with her had no direct contact with those roots. Our disciples, naturally, had even less. My trip to Japan in 1997 had a profound impact on me and I knew it would have a similar effect on Gyokuko and on our disciples. Indeed it did. While there is much to report, we will save some of that for another time. What I'd like to do here is simply list the various temples we visited, what connection we have with each of them and add a personal reflection or two.


Aichi Senmon Nisodo. Located in Nagoya, this was the first temple I visited the last time I went and it was our first stop this time as well. The Nisodo is a women's training temple, famous for its strict discipline. Our connection there is one of history rather than direct lineage. Koho Zenji pushed through Kennett Roshi's certification as a roshi and full abbot in part to help the position of women in the Sotoshu and specifically, those working to establish the Nisodo as a recognized training temple. In addition, one of the patrons and protectors of the Nisodo was Suigan Yogo Roshi, Jiyu Kennett's mentor at Sojiji. Yogo Roshi's photograph is on the founder's altar at the Nisodo and he used to tell many stories of his years working with Jiyu Kennett when he came to give Dharma talks. Dai-en Bennage, abbess of Mt. Equity Zen Center in Pennsylvania, trained at the Nisodo and told us she feels almost as if she knew our teacher from those stories. The abbess at the Nisodo, Shundo Aoyama Roshi, made us feel very much at home, changing the schedule there so that we could join in practice with them. She is famous for her creative flower arranging and gave us a book about it, among many other gifts. In turn, we gave her one of Marta Farris' steel enso sculptures, a meditation shawl and a number of other less flashy gifts. Before we left, she lectured us rather sternly about correct form. I felt right at home.

Calligraphy sign at Daihonzan Sojiji over the Main Hall was done by Koho Zenji (click on picture to see larger image)

 Daihonzan Sojiji.This huge temple in Yokahama is, of course, where Kennett Roshi spent most of her time in training. While I received something of a VIP treatment the last time I was there, this time we were more like family and stayed in simple guest quarters near where the residents live and train. We met a monk from Norway, which gave Getsushin an opportunity to converse for a bit in her native tongue. We also met the abbot, Koso Itabashi Zenji, who also happens to be the present "Kanshu," or head of the entire Soto sect. He enjoys speaking with foreign Zen students and told us he admires Americans' love of zazen. While at Sojiji we toured the places Kennett Roshi would have lived and worked and enjoyed the ritual of going to the kitchen to collect the morning and evening meal with much shouting, apologizing and bowing.

Sogenji. This Rinzai temple in Okayama is becoming something of a Mecca for western Zen seekers. Shodo Harada Roshi, who has given many talks here in the past, focuses on teaching westerners with the help of his excellent translator, Chi-san. Chozen and Hogen Bays, Gyokuko and I, plus a number of members of both DRZC and ZCO have attended sesshin with Harada Roshi. There is an interesting link between his line and our own. A great Dharma uncle of his is the famous Soyen Shaku, who attended the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. His most well known disciple was D.T. Suzuki but another was Nyogen Senzaki, who taught in San Francisco and Los Angeles until his death in 1958. Some of Nyogen's early students include Robert Aitken, Philip Whalen, Paul Reps and one Samuel Lewis who became a close friend of Kennett Roshi when she first arrived in the United States. Koho Zenji himself studied with Soyen Shaku around the turn of the century before he became one of the most important Soto abbots of his time. The Sogenji monks are always very welcoming and generous with their time, and we are developing a close link with them. Mark Sosetsu Stauffer stayed on there for training and should be returning by the time this newsletter is mailed.

Arhats and the Buddha at Sogenji (click on images to get a larger view)
     


Eiheiji. No serious Soto Zen pilgrimage would be complete without a stop at Eiheiji, Dogen's own temple. In my opinion it is the most beautiful temple anywhere. Our stay there this time was somewhat brief as we arrived after the Bodhidharma Day festivities and the guest department was off duty. Instead we stayed at a very nice inn right near by. My most memorable moment was approaching the shrine where Dogen's ashes are kept and hearing the sounds of monks chanting inside, back in the dark recesses of the hall, as incense burned in the huge burner outside.

  Left: The train to Eiheiji


Daijoji. This rather quiet temple in the city of Kanazawa was put on the itinerary at the request of Fumyo Mishaga (see his article on Manzan Dohaku in this issue). It was associated with our specific line for 400 years. Today it is still a training temple, but not of the spit-and-polish variety such as Eiheiji and Sojiji. It caters to those who are not "temple sons" and so have chosen the monastic life as adults. ("Temple sons" are born to it and are obligated to assume the family temple. Many go to the big training temples to get their ceremonial skills refined but have little interest in zazen and the serious business of awakening to the Dharma.) Daijoji felt familiar in a deep way. It was a little rough around the edges but had a natural sincerity. I enjoyed listening to the monks struggling with the chanting. That too was familiar.

   

Notosoin (Old Sojiji). This beautiful temple on the Noto peninsula is on the site of the original Sojiji founded by Keizen. Sojiji was moved to Yokahama in the latter part of the 19th century after the original burned down. The original was rebuilt, even though it is no longer one of the two head temples, and it carries on the tradition of Keizan's style of practice. The beauty of the location and of the temple itself is stunning but the chanting of the monks was what impressed me most. It was here that I had a wonderful conversation with Rev. Maeda, who is a second cousin in the Dharma to Gyokuko and me. We spoke of the role of the priesthood in the modern world, and how Japanese Zen and American Zen are beginning to face the same kinds of issues. I hope to report on that conversation in more detail in the future.

Left: Jiko at Notosoin


Raigakuji. This was, of course, the temple we came to Japan to see. When Koho Zenji became abbot here around 1909, the main buildings had been destroyed by fire and his installation was done in a tent. He spent the next twenty years building a new Hondo (Ceremony Hall), Kaisando (Founders' Hall) and Ihaido (Memorial Hall) and it was these buildings that Misawa Roshi, our Dharma cousin, had just refurbished into exquisite condition. This was the last stop on our itinerary and our time there was filled with formal ceremonies. There were television cameras and news­ paper reporters and the Abbots of Sojiji and Eiheiji were the celebrants over two days. We took many photographs and hours of video so there will be plenty of opportunity to learn more about this phase of the trip.

 

 Japan Trip: Photo Album (click on thumbnail to get a larger image)
 

Left: The group of weary travelers stretches their legs after the second day of ceremonies at Ragakuji.

Right: Misawa Roshi at Raigakuji

 
  Left: Getsushin at the Airport
 
  Left: Detail of roof ornament at Raigakuji

Above: Morning in Japan
     

Gyokuko and a nun at Kyoto
Gyokuko and Kyogen with Rev.
Senryo Asai, who helped them in Nagoya.
 Gyokuko, Yafe, and Domyo wait for the train in Kanazawa


Women's Lineage

By Sallie Jiko Tisdale


The women's lineage we will begin using this term is divided, like the male line, into mythical, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and western ancestors. Here are two stories, one from near the beginning and one from near the end.


Ratnavati
Ratnavati is named as a mythical ancestor, because her story is told only in a sutra. In the Ocean Dragon King Sutra, she is described as a girl living at the time of Shakyamuni. She argued with Makakashyo, Shakyamuni's first Dharma heir and our second ancestor.

Makakashyo told Ratnavati, "You cannot attain enlightenment, because you are female. Women cannot attain full enlightenment."

Ratnavati answered, "If one has a pure mind and body, if one's heart is firmly set on enlightenment, then full Buddhahood is already in your grasp. There is no real difference between men and women. If women cannot attain full enlightenment, then neither can men. Enlightenment has nothing to do with this thing of being male or being female."

It is said that Makakashyo answered, "If you put it like that, you must be right."

Shakyamuni Buddha then predicted Ratnavati's full enlightenment, without stipulating that she would first have to become a man.


Soshin O'Halloran
Maura O'Halloran was born in Boston in 1955. Her father was an Irish immigrant, and she spent part of her childhood in Dublin and eventually graduated from Trinity College there. From an early age, she was interested in religion and a lifetime of volunteer service. Maura traveled widely after college and in 1979 followed her interest in meditation to Japan.

She knew very little of Buddhism or Zen (or Japan) when she arrived, but quickly found her way to Toshoji Temple, where she was ordained and given the Dharma name Soshin, which means both "great enlightenment" and "simple mind." She stayed at Toshoji and Kannonji Temples under the training of Tetsu-gyu So-in for three years. Her practice was naive and full of "beginner's mind," with many periods of confusion and questioning, but also filled with willingness and curiosity. She was devoted to Kanzeon. Soshin spent much of her three monastic years fulfilling Dogen's suggested practice of "not lying down for a thousand days," sleeping in the zazen posture. In 1982, she received transmission. Six months later, at the age of 27, while on her way home to Ireland, she was killed in a bus accident in Bangkok.

There is now a statue of Soshin as an incarnation of Kanzeon atKannonji. Her posthumous title is "Great Enlightened Lady of the Same Heart and Mind as the Great Teacher Buddha." Her story is told in the collection of her journals called Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind.


Three Bites

By Ellen Hynson

It's Thursday afternoon after Segaki and I'm eating lunch at my desk at work, as I often do. Today is different, though. I've brought leftovers from home and I pay attention as I get them ready. The cold cheese raviolis are all stuck together so, before warming them up, I carefully separate one from another to give each some breathing space. I tear fresh spinach into bite-size pieces, seeing the rich, green, heavily-veined leaves as earth's vivid gift under my downtown fluorescent lights. My salad dressing of olive oil, wine vinegar, and spices perfumes the office.

Sitting down to eat, I think of the verse we recite before meals at DRZC and begin to count each bite I take as the first, second, or third. I end all evil with the first bite, tasting soft pasta and the slightly bitter crunch of spinach. I cultivate all good with the second bite, pungent pepper and sharp cheese alive on my tongue. I save all sentient beings with the third bite, my fork tanging against the edge of my bowl. As I go on eating, it becomes difficult, then impossible, to clearly distinguish one bite from the next. Even though I still label them as first, second, and third, I can no longer separate evil, good, or saving all beings. The meal becomes the motion of my hand dipping from bowl to mouth, over and over, with tastes, textures, and smells intermingling. I use my finger to clean every morsel from inside the bowl, leaving nothing to waste.

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STILL POINT archive edit of 29 April 2000
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter

Volume XXV Number 1 January February 2000
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