WELCOME to VISITING TEACHER, MONJA ISSHIN from BRAZIL!

[Myozan Kodo]

Rev Isshin,
A sincere welcome to Treeleaf. I look forward to seeing you around the Sangha.
Deep bows
Myozan

[Mp]

A warm welcome Rev Monja Isshin ... look forward to this wonderful opportunity. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Taigu]

Welcome sister, welcome.

deep bows from nothing into This.

gassho

Taigu

[Heishu]

Rev. Isshin, welcome to Treeleaf and I look forward to having you share with us.

Gassho,
Heishu

[TimF]

Seja bem vinda Treeleaf, Rev Isshin!

Gassho,
Tim

[Kyonin]

Bem-vinda! É uma honra tê-la entre nós.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Amelia]

Welcome, welcome, bows, and thank you for joining us.

[Jundo]

Hi,

Just one name correction: Kyonin wrote to tell me that in both Spanish and Portuguese "Monja" is the feminine form of monk. So that's "Lady Monk/Nun", her title. She is "Rev. Isshin" or "Monja Isshin".

I have made the correction! Muito obrigado, Kyonin!

Gassho, Jundo

[Mp]

Hi,

Just one name correction: Kyonin wrote to tell me that in both Spanish and Portuguese "Monja" is the feminine form of monk. So that's "Lady Monk/Nun", her title. She is "Rev. Isshin" or "Monja Isshin".

I have made the correction! Muito obrigado, Kyonin!

Gassho, Jundo

Excellent, good to know. Thank you Jundo and Kyonin. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Kyotai]

Welcome Isshin!

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

( for us newbies.. Dharma Combat? I assume some form of Dharma debate?)
NM I looked it up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_combat

In those Rinzai (and some Soto-Rinzai mixed) Lineages which engage in Koan Introspection Zazen, there is Dokusan where the student must come into the Master's room and present his or her understanding of the Koan, often in a kind of back and forth (and backless forthless) combat. There are also all the old stories where a student will surprise and challenge the Master with some repartee demonstrating his or her understanding.

In Soto Zen, however, the reference is to a ceremony ... more a choreographed and pre-scripted dance these days than real "Dharma Combat" ... called "Shuso Hossen". Shuso Hossenshiki is a ceremony found traditionally in most Soto Zen lineages, a ceremonial rite-of-passage marking a student’s promotion to the rank of Senior seat (Shuso), meaning something like "Senior Student". It takes place at the conclusion of the intensive training period of Ango during which the student serves as a model to the sangha or community. ... At the Shuso hossen ceremony, the shuso gives his or her first dharma talk and takes questions from the community in a very ritualized form of Dharma Combat. However, these days, the Koan "Mondo" or the "Dharma Combat" is now pretty much according to a written script in classical language that few understand, so rather a bit of theater. Few people even really understand the old language they are speaking ... like the difference between modern English and English during the middle ages. It is kind of a lovely dance performance, not really a "combat".

On the other hand, like theatre or dance ... it is "real", and people find the meaning within it that one finds in their heart! By playing Hamlet on stage, we really "become" Hamlet and all that his words contain.

But maybe Isshin will present her personal experience of the ritual if we ask her. Here is a video of how one looks and sounds, "acting out" a Koany tussle, and basically the content is all pre-practiced and unintelligble to most of the people listening ... and often those participating too ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ZK8I5bpz4#t=13

Gassho, Jundo

[Tiwala]

Welcome Monja Isshin!

Side note:

What is zuise and baika? First time I've ever heard these terms. Are there examples of them online?

Gassho, Ben

[Jishin]

Bem vinda a Treeleaf! Tem bastante gente com raizes brasileiras por aqui. :-)

Gassho
Jishin

[Kokuu]

Thank you for spending time with us, Rev Isshin. Welcome.

Gassho
Kokuu

[Nengyo]

Welcome to treeleaf!