September 2022, Issue 89

Editorial

Welcome to the September edition of Myoju magazine. The theme for practice in this third quarter has been Harmony: Practice and Study, reflected in much of the content of this issue.

At the time of writing the Jikishoan sangha has just concluded a five-week hybrid retreat period, our 70th retreat to date, combining online and face to face practice, training and study. In the final week of retreat we gathered together for intense, intimate practice centred each day around four periods of zazen, from early morning to late evening, Teisho study and community practice.

At our March-April retreat Ekai Osho taught on Master Sekito Kisen’s Sandōkai – The Harmony of Difference and Equality. The themes of lineage, transmission and actualisation in practice continued during the latest retreat period, with Ekai Osho teaching on Hōkyō Zanmai – Jewel Mirror Samadhi by Zen Master Tōzan Ryokai. Both are important texts in the Soto Zen lineage. In this issue’s Dharma Talk, ‘Mind Field’ Ekai Osho draws on Hokyō Zanmai and Master Dōgen’s Genjokoan to speak about the practice of Nyoze – suchness or just this.

During July the sangha joined Ekai Osho in remembering and paying tribute to the many great and important teachers and Dharma friends who have helped guide him in his monastic career, reminding us that, “we become human beings through the guidance and education of great teachers”. In ‘The Importance of Memorials’, Ekai Osho teaches us that remembrance is a practice of purification.

We also mourn the recent passing in July of Tsugen Narasaki Roshi, brother of Ekai Osho’s transmission teacher Ikko Narasaki Roshi, and the Abbot of Zuioji Monastery and Founder of Tokozan, our home temple in West Heidelberg.

On September 11 the Jikishoan community held its Annual General Meeting at the Australian Shiatsu College and online. The next Committee of Management has been nominated, bringing into effect a fresh start to the year. Once again, my deep thanks to everyone who has contributed to the production of Myoju magazine.

In gassho, Margaret Kōkyu Lynch — Coordinator

Read this Myoju (file in Google Drive)

June 2022, Issue 88

Editorial

Welcome to the June issue of Myoju magazine. The theme for this second quarter is Harmony: Unity and Diversity.

It has been a busy three months for the Jikishoan community. In March, the Annual Sangha Picnic was held at Darebin Parklands in Heidelberg. The Picnic is always a great opportunity for Jikishoan members and students, family and friends to get together.

Retreat 69, the first 5-week retreat for the year began in mid-March and continued into April. Students took part in both ‘live’ and online practice events. Each Sunday afternoon Ekai Osho gave his Teisho on Sandōkai – Harmony of Difference and Unity by Master Sekito Kisen.

The 23rd Annual Foundation Day celebration was held on the morning of 1 May at the Australian Shiatsu College and was followed in the afternoon by Jiho Marisha Rothman’s Hossen-shiki (Head Student ceremony). The Dharma talk featured in this issue is a part of Ekai Osho’s commentary on the main case, Shobogenzo-Zazenshin given at the Honsoku Gyocha (formal tea) a week prior to the Shuso ceremony. The featured student article is taken from a talk given by the Shuso to the community at Sunday Sanzenkai—the final in a series of three talks on Shuso practice and training.

Following Foundation Day and the Hossen-shiki, students and friends who attended the events have written their impressions of the day. It was a wonderful celebration for Marisha, her family, friends and the Sangha, and a fine ending to the retreat 69 practice period.

Preparations are now underway for Retreat 70, a 5-week online retreat beginning on 17 July. In the fifth week we will return to residential retreat practice with a 7-day retreat (12-19 August) to be held at the Casa Pallotti Retreat Centre in Wesburn, near Warburton in Victoria. For further details see the Teaching Schedule p20.

Thank you to Ekai Osho and all those who have contributed to this issue of Myoju magazine.

Margaret Kōkyu Lynch — Coordinator

On behalf of Ekai Korematsu Osho — Editor

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March 2022, Issue 87

Editorial

To be called a student of Zen you have to demonstrate this harmony through your practice, through your life. No separation. Connect with everything you meet and make the best of it.

Ekai Korematsu Osho

Welcome to the March 2022 issue of Myoju magazine. Each year Ekai Oshō chooses a theme for the Jikishoan Community, a focal point for practice and training throughout the year. This year’s theme is Harmony, and the sub-theme for this first quarter is Harmony: Self Care. Ekai Osho’s Dharma Talk, Harmony: Self-care was given at Bansan (formal entering ceremony) at Thursday evening Sanzenkai at Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook. He speaks of the importance of bringing one’s “best possible physical condition and good energy to the practice (then) your mind can work beautifully, resuming its own natural, original way”.

In this issue of Myoju we have reflections by students of Jikishoan’s Integrated Buddhist Studies Program (IBS) on their past year of practice and training. Tony Crivelli is training as Benji (attendant to the Head student) in the current Shuso Ryo. He writes about his experience chanting the Vow of Samantabhadra, during Shitsunai Kankin, one of the Shuso Ryo’s weekly practice activities.

Retreat practice is the focus of the Main Course C study program and for the last two years Jikishoan has hosted three online retreat periods each year. Ruth Brunt has written about her first year of practice in the Main Course C program, exploring how best to approach long term practice; the pitfalls she has encountered, and the lessons learned.

Naomi Richards contribution is taken from a report written as part of her training as an assistant coordinator in the Main Course A program during 2021. She writes on using memorisation as a way of embodying the practice.

My deepest thanks to everyone who has contributed to the production of this issue.

I hope you enjoy Myoju.

Margaret Kokyu Lynch — Coordinator

On behalf of Ekai Korematsu Osho — Editor

Read this Myoju (file on Google Drive)