SokukoJi Sangha News

April 2013

Click to jump to Stories: SOKUZAN ROBERT BROWN RECEIVES Sokuzan’s Transmission DHARMA TRANSMISSION Okesa: Buddha's Robe On Thursday, March 7, 2013, Ku- Upcoming Memorial zan Shoho Michael Newhall, Resi- Day Retreat dent Teacher and chief priest at Jikoji Zen Center, our sister temple Sokuzan Conducts Jukai in Los Gatos, California, traveled to Traverse City Retreat SokukoJi to confer Dharma trans- mission on Sokuzan Robert Brown. St Louis Workshops In the private ceremony held in the zendo, Shoho and Sokuzan SokukoJi’s Future Annex convened for nearly three hours Help Us Help Others where Shoho administered the rites and conferred transmission Monthly Video Dharma according to the Soto Zen lineage. Monthly Audio Dharma The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Addendum Buddhism (pg. 71) defines Dhar- ma transmission as:

“Transmission of the Dharma from master to disciple. According to the Zen tradion, the first exam- ple of Dharma transmission oc- curred on Vulture Peak between Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddharta Gautama) and Mahakashyapa.

“Tradional renderings of Zen history are oen referred to as 'transmissions of the lamp.' These maintain that the Dharma was transmied from Shakyamuni through twenty-eight generaons of Indian patriarchs, the last of whom was Bodhidharma, who carried the teaching to China. The Dharma was then transmied through five generaons of Chinese Zen patriarchs to the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-neng (638-713). Since then, the Dharma has been transmied by masters throughout the genera- ons of the Zen lineage; all surviving Zen lineages trace themselves back to Dharma transmission from the Sixth Patriarch.

“The most common expression indicang that an authenc transmission has oc- Kuzan Shoho Michael Newhall curred is for a master to confer inka, or a “seal of approval,” onto a disciple. There are also a variety of outward symbols used within the Zen tra- dion to cerfy a transmission of the Dharma. In some cases, official cerficates of transmission are prepared; in other cases, a Dharma robe, a portrait of the master, a copy of a text, or a religious implement belonging to the master may serve the same purpose. Only those masters who receive a seal of trans- mission are eligible to take on disciples, passing on the Dharma to the next generaon. In addion, the expression is employed as an instuonal recognion of office. The Soto school in Ja- pan today uses the ritual form of Dharma transmission to indi- cate valid ordinaons within the sect. Almost every Soto monk receives Dharma transmission when he is ordained in order to qualify as the head priest of a local temple.”

And from Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo (Chapter 17):

“A Buddha is transmied Dharma only from a buddha, an an- cestor only from an ancestor, through merging realizaon in direct transmission. In this way, it is the unsurpassable enlight- enment. It is impossible to give the seal of realizaon without being a buddha, and it is impossible to become a buddha with- out receiving the seal of realizaon from a buddha. Who else, other than a buddha, can cerfy this realizaon as the most venerable, the most unsurpassable? Kuzan Shoho offering incense at the Jizo Shrine

“When you have the seal of realizaon from a buddha, you have realizaon without a teacher, realizaon without self. This being so, it is said, 'A buddha receives realizaon from a buddha; an ancestor merges realizaon with an ancestor.'”

During the ceremony, Sokuzan formally exchanged his novice monk's Okesa, which he had sewn for his 2007 ordina- on, for his brown Okesa, which was stched over a two-year period by more than fiy praconers and students from Traverse City, New York City, Bale Creek, and State College, Pennsylvania.

Understandably, this personal experience is not easily conveyed, but when asked about the sig- nificance of his Dharma transmission, Sokuzan said:

“In terms of the tradion, it is a way of giving an imprimatur to the pracce of an ordained priest (male or female) so that people who approach will see that he has been authorized to funcon as a leader or teacher in the Buddhadharma. In the Zen tradion, Dharma transmission may also be given when someone is quite young because they need it to qualify and funcon as the head priest when they come into a family temple so there may or may not be realizaon happening.

The Zendo is prepared for the Dharma transmission ceremony Return to First Page “A transmied priest in this country is more like someone who has been praccing for years and has gone through Shuso pracce or what is re- ferred to as Dharma combat. Confronted by quesons about meditaon and pracce, the priest demonstrates, through his answers, that he has an understanding that is beyond informaon or a superficial, conceptual idea. He actually has some insight into realizaon.

“In addion to the sewing of the robe (Okesa), the Rakusu, and the zagu (bowing mat), there are certain lineage documents that have to be made similar to the kechimyaku (the blood lineage) that is made for jukai (lay ordinaon).

“With Dharma transmission, Shoho Mike Newhall told me, 'Now you're “street legal.” You've been doing this anyway, but now you're actually approved by the lineage holders.' This transmission enables me to give lay ordinaon, ordain monks, give Dharma transmission as well as other pracces that we have been doing. This is important to me—to be part of a lineage that has been going on for centuries rather than of some- thing that was just made up--being part of the family of the Buddha, Dinner at A Taste of India down through Bodhidharma, the 6th patriarch, Rujing out of China and then Dogen in Japan, and then up to my Teacher, Kobun, and my precep- tor, Shoho Mike.”

Following the ceremony, Jiun, Seikyo, Kanzan, Unyo, Sheldon, Jusn, and Julie, celebrated with Sokuzan and Shoho at A Taste of India in Bale Creek.

Help Us Help Others SokukoJi Buddhist Community is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organizaon. We operate largely by donaons. Please help us connue to cover the expenses of providing pracce space and teachings. Visit SokukoJi’s Dana Page to use Credit Cards or PayPal, or send a check to SokukoJi Buddhist Community, 33 Anderson Ct., Bale Creek, MI 49017. Thank You!

Please remember to contribute to the Dana Box in the hall across from the kitchen. Monthly Video Dharma Click here to watch Sokuzan talk on “Shaking Hands With Demons”, to not fight the negavity in the mind that arises on the path of enlightenment, or view other dharma talks in our Video Dharma. Monthly Audio Dharma Click here to listen to “Guided Sense Consciousness Meditation” by Sokuzan in Traverse City on March 10, 2013, or lis- ten to other dharma talks in our Audio Dharma . Return to First Page Sokuzan Conducts Jukai; Karen becomes “Kozan” Sokuzan’s recent Dharma transmission gave him the authority to conduct Karen McLean’s Jukai ceremony in which she formally took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, commied to the bodhi- sava vows, and received the ten grave precepts.

Sokuzan approved Karen’s request for Jukai about two years ago. She was required to sew a rakusu (le and be- low) in the tradion of Sokuzan’s line- age, parcipate in extended retreat pracce, study the Buddhadharma, facilitate meditaon/ study groups, and parcipate in other vari- ous awareness pracce forms.

During Jukai ceremony which was performed in Traverse City with local sangha aending, Karen was given the public dharma name “Kozan”, which means “Tiger Mountain.” The dharma name serves as a reminder of the com- mitment to the path.

Upcoming Memorial Day Weekend Retreat The retreat will be from May 23rd to the 27th, sign up now to reserve your spot. This year we will take advantage of the lodging space available at the temple in hosng this retreat. We will begin on Thursday, May 23rd at 7:00 pm with orientaon and oryoki instrucon and the retreat will conclude aer lunch on Monday, May 27th. We will have communal meals, with lunch being served oryoki style in the zendo, and breakfast and dinners in the community room.

We will have service and block sing each morning. Aernoon and evenings will include sing and walking medita- on, various awareness pracces such as brush and ink awareness, dharma study, work periods and other pracces. Sokuzan will give a Dharma talk each day, and there will be opportunity for private interviews.

We will have specific details on the schedule as the retreat approaches. The cost to aend the enre retreat is $280.00, which includes lodging at the temple and all meals. If you are interested in aending, please contact Kozan at [email protected]. Return to First Page The Okesa: Buddha's Robe

Takkesage (Robe Chant) Great robe of liberaon! Virtuous field far beyond form and empness Wearing the Tathagata's teaching We vow to be with all things.

History of Nyohō-e (from Study of the Okesa, Nyohō-e—Buddha's Robe by Tomoe Katagiri) One day about 2,500 years ago when Shakyamuni Buddha was on his way from Rajagrha to the south to teach with his disciple Ananda, he stopped to take a look at a rice field and noced its footpaths were formed in a marvelous order and neatness. The rice plants were grow- ing together peacefully with other creatures without any discrimina- on. Shakyamuni Buddha pointed to the rice field and asked Ananda if he could create a Buddhist robe for the disciples of Buddha that had the same paern as those rice fields. Ananda said that he could. This robe was made of long and short pieces of discarded fabric, dyed and sewn together, and is called Okesa in Japanese. There are three consideraons concerning the wearing of the Okesa for a disciple of Buddha. The first is its praccal use as clothing, the second is its ceremonial use as a religious garment, and the third is receiving it as the Buddha's body and mind. In Japan, however, its praccal use disappeared, and only its uses as a ceremonial garment and as receiving the Buddha's body and mind remained. The formless teaching of the Buddha is con- tained in the form and shape of the Okesa. The Okesa that is made in the tradional way and is one with Buddha's teach- ing is called nyohō-e and has been handed down from India to China and Japan: nyo is used as '”as-it-is- ness” in the sense of showing the law or truth as it really is; hō means law, truth, or the Buddha's teaching, or principle; e means robe, clothes. Connued on Page 8

SokukoJi’s Future Annex: Will it Happen? For a couple of years, SokukoJi has had an eye on the property behind the temple on North Avenue, which includes a four apartment brownstone that is currently occupied. It has been for sale for a while, and recently with a drop in price, it is realisc for SokukoJi to purchase it pending inspecons. One of our pracce residents, Seikyo, is already renng one of the apartments. The purchase of this building would increase living space for pracce residents and retreat parcipants. The tuion and room fees would pay the mortgage and help support the temple. We will keep you posted.... Return to First Page Sokuzan Leads A Retreat In Traverse City

Sokuzan and Unyo traveled to Traverse City Michigan for a retreat March 8th through 10th. With ropes, carabineers and sheets, the main level of Karen’s home became a temporary zendo for meditaon and Dharma talks, with extra sing space up in the lo. “Don’t go to War with War” was the theme of the talks for the weekend. We had about sixteen peo- ple from the area aend. During the retreat, Karen became “Kozan” when Sokuzan conducted her Jukai ceremony.

On the eve of the 10th. Traverse City Mindfulness Meditaon Group host- ed Sokuzan for a guided meditaon (which is this month’s Audio Dharma) and Dharma talk during their regular weekly sing me at the local UU, where they rent space for pracce. There were lots of people and some really good quesons for Sokuzan. The Traverse City sangha appreciated the teachings.

Return to First Page Sokuzan and Unyo Travel to St Louis In mid February, Sokuzan and Unyo took a trip to St. Louis for two workshops. The first was “Awareness Pracces for Visual and Performing Arsts,” hosted by Sangha members Laura Ernst and John Foughty. Sokuzan began with an introducon to meditaon, and then led the group through sensory awareness and Enso prac- ces.

Sokuzan made a big impression on the youngest parcipant, 8 year old Ella, who shortly thereaer went to her school’s ca- reer day as a Buddhist monk! Above, Sokuzan giving instrucons in "Opening The Eye Mind: Visual Art Through Focused Awareness" at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum in St. Louis, MO. Here, he directs parci- The second workshop was “Awakening the pants through the exercise using Georges Braque's painng, "Large Interior with Palee." Eye Mind,” held at the Mildred Lane Kem- Below, John and Laura contemplate another Braque painng using Sokuzan's technique per Art Museum on the campus of Wash- ington University in St. Louis.

Sokuzan taught the group his own meth- ods for increasing visual awareness using the pieces in the current exhibion of painngs by French cubist Georges Braque.

In between workshops Sokuzan, Unyo, and Laura also snuck in a trip to the St. Louis Art Museum to check out the coun- try’s second largest collecon of Max Beckmann, Sokuzan’s favorite painter!

We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excre- ment, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundaon of warrior- ship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and pracce meditaon with it.

— Chogyam Trungpa

From Talk One of "Warriorship in the Three Yanas," an unpublished seminar given at the Rocky Moun- tain Dharma Center, August 22, 1978. Sokuzan taking a picture of a Beckmann painng Return to First Page The Okesa: Buddha's Robe Connued When all three are put together, it means that the law, or the Buddha's teaching, is represented as it really is by means of one's clothes or robe. Nyohō-e was transmied from Shakyamuni Buddha to Bodhidharma in India, and in China from Bodhidharma to Taiso Eka Zenji (Hui-ko), from Eka Zenji to Dai-i Doshin Zenji (Tao-hsin), from Doshin Zen- ji to Daiman Konin Zenji (Hung-jen), from Konin Zenji to Daikan Eno Zenji (Hui-neng), the Sixth Patriarch, and on through successive Buddha's disciples to Tendo Nyojo Zenji (Ju-ching), Eihei Dogen Zenji's teacher. Dogen Zenji transmied it to his descendants in Japan. At the age of 25, Dogen Zenji was at Tien-tung-shan in China, doing zazen with many monks, when at the end of morning zazen he saw that a monk who sat next to him held up the Okesa with both hands, put it on his head, and with gassho recited the verse of the Okesa: Great robe of liberaon! Virtuous field far beyond form and empness Wearing the Tathagata's teaching We vow to be with all things. At this me, Dogen Zenji quietly vowed to become a direct disciple of Bodhidharma, correctly transming the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha. He vowed to see, listen to and wear Buddha's pure direct teaching. He vowed that all senent beings would aain Buddhahood through seeing and wearing the nyohō-e and through listening to the verse of the Okesa. Dogen Zenji teaches us about the merit of the Okesa in the Shobogenzo “Kesakudoku,” or the merit of the Okesa, and “Den-ne,” or the transmission of the robe. He says we should understand that the Okesa is the Buddha's body and Buddha's robe. It is said that if we receive Buddha's teaching firmly believing that an Okesa is Buddha-nature and not just a piece of fabric, then when we put the Okesa on our body, our eyes become Buddha's eyes, our ears become Buddha's ears and our nose becomes Buddha's nose. When doing zazen for even a minute we are Buddha.

The Fabric, Color and Construcon of the Okesa: Tradionally, the fabric for the Okesa is made from worn-out cloth that has been resewn; however it can be difficult to find the required amount so it is acceptable for a monk to receive an offering of new material from a donor. For Sokuzan's robe, his student—and wife—Unyo Priscilla, donat- ed the fabric. The Okesa of a transmied priest is referred to as a “brown” robe, but the color can be a variaon of that. Sokuzan's robe is a saffron-colored, nine-row, silk-lined, Okesa constructed in the kujo-e style. Each row is made of one short piece and two long pieces. This construcon symbolizes the water flowing smoothly in the rice fields, from the center to the right and le sides, and from the top to the boom. Connuing from Study of the Okesa: The brand new material is cut into long and short pieces. Cung a large piece of material is symbolic of using dis- carded fabric, and to cut a large piece of material into small pieces means to emancipate us from strong aachment. Each row of the Okesa is sewn together with two or more long pieces and a short piece. Some rows have a short piece on top and a long piece on the boom, and others have a long piece on the top and a short piece on the boom. This construcon means Buddha-nature is neither big nor small, neither long nor short. A short piece does not al- ways take a higher place on the top, and we cannot judge that the top is more important because it is in a higher po- sion or the boom is less important because it is in a lower posion. Buddha-nature really permeates everywhere. What is short is short of itself; what is long is long of itself. There is no difference between a long piece and a short piece. When we sew the Okesa, at the beginning of each sewing session, we light a candle and offer incense on the altar. Then we bow in front of the altar three mes, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Aer that, we begin with the same mind as when we do zazen, and with every stch, we recite in silence: “I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha.” Aer each sewing session, we bow again three

Return to First Page mes at the altar. The Okesa is sewn with a kind of backstch called kyakushi in Japanese. This stch takes a lot of me because for every stch that goes forward, the next goes downward. With each stch, the sewer, Senryu Kamatani Roshi says in his book, Teisho Kesakudoku, that the kyakushi way of sewing—back and forth with every stch—shows us the truth of Buddha's teaching. Immanent in the kyakushi stch is the pracce and teaching of “eko hensho.” “Just turn your light inward and reflect.” This way of sewing is a stch forward and then one backward. We do it this way over and over again. If one has some me for sewing and the vow to make the Okesa with deep consideraon and full devo- on for every stch, even an unskilled person can make an Okesa.

The Rakusu: A rakusu is made from the basic structure of the five-row Okesa, so it is a kind of Okesa. It has a lining and is made from five ver- cal rows, each with one short piece and one long piece, using the nyoho material, color and way of cung but not the size. The rakusu is treated the same as an Okesa. There is uncertainty about the origins of the rakusu which has its roots in China. According to Wikipedia: Legend holds that when the Chinese emperors forbid the wearing of robes, defrocked all the Buddhist monks, and bestowed imperial favor on the Confucian and Taoist priests, Buddhist monks then created a minia- ture version of their robe to be worn secretly around the neck under- neath their regular lay clothing. Aer the persecuons were over, the wearing of the rakusu was conn- ued but now as a symbolic outer robe and only on informal occasions, such as traveling, when the ceremonial outer robe was protected by not being worn. Ch'an Buddhism was studied by Dogen Zenji, who traveled from Japan to China in 1224. Dogen returned to Japan in 1227 or 1228 with his knowledge of Ch'an Buddhism, as well as the rakusu. The rakusu fell into Sokuzan’s brown Rakusu represents Dharma transmis- sion; sewn by Genryu Eddie Jones of Penn. general disuse in China, but due to the tradion connuing in Japan, it is now commonly associated with Zen Buddhist lineages stemming from Japan. In the Soto school, the rakusu is sewn by praconers who request to receive jukai or lay precepts. A brown rakusu indicates that the wearer has received Dharma transmission and is authorized to teach. On the back of the collar of the rakusu, there is an idenfying embroidered stch that represents each of the exisng schools of Zen. The Soto school uses a broken pine needle design, the Rinzai school a mountain-shaped triangle, and the Obaku school a six-pointed star.

The Zagu: The zagu is used as a mat to protect the Okesa from dirt when the monk sits or bows. It is also used to protect his or her health when sleeping. Since ancient mes, the custom in India has been to walk in homes with shoes on and to sit on dirt floors. Thus everyone, regardless of whether they were monks or ordinary people, always had to carry mats to sit upon. When the The le shows it opened all the way, the right is slightly folded and looks like a zagu is made from new fabric, we sew a piece of square in the middle; which is how it is folded in preparaon for bowing. used fabric in the center. And although there were several sewers for the zagu, Kozan (Karen) stched the majority of it. Return to First Page WITH DEEPEST BOWS AND OCEANS OF APPRECIATION!!

In our April newsletter, we highlighted Sokuzan Bob Brown's Dharma transmission and shared with you through photos and stories the history and creation of his Okesa, Rakusu, and zagu—all of which could not have been completed without the loving hands and help of many Sangha sewers both near and far.

However, nowhere in all those words did I offer one small nod or bow to Seiko-sensei (Kaaren Wiken), our Sewing Teacher from Palmyra, Wisconsin, whose artistry, encouragement, interpretation, and manifestation of Nyoho-e (Buddha's robe) made this formidable sewing practice accessible and real! My humblest apologies for this oversight, Seiko-san!!

Since 2006, Seiko-san has provided her sewing expertise to us beginning when Sokuzan stitched his novice monk's robe in anticipation of his priest ordination in August, 2007. And when Sokuzan's students asked to receive jukai (lay ordination), he directed each to Seiko- san for the sewing of their Rakusus: Youn Badr Bekir in 2009, myself (Unyo Priscilla Brown in 2010), and Kozan Karen McLean just this past March. Additionally, Jiun Kyle Tomczyk, Andrew Lautenbach, and Julie Drabik are sewing their Rakusus under Seiko-san's instruction in preparation for their jukai. I am also honored to be apprenticing with Seiko-san as her sewing student.

Thank you, thank you!!

With deepest appreciation, Unyo Priscilla Brown

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