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- Application qualification
Everybody and anybody can apply for this.

- Standard of photo
Color or Monochrome
Number of photos: 1 sheet or 1-4 sheets (note: there may 1 series of photos on the same title).
Data formed by JPEG
A piece of your original and unpublished work
Do not modify the photo digitally by computer or other.

- Deadline
June 25th
Email to Sokanbu: t.taibun@sotozen.eu

- Judge
Ms. Mutsumi Ishibashi (Photographer)

- Prize
1st prize: 1 award, Certificate + 50,000JPY, Gift
2nd prize: 5 awards, Certificate + 30,000JPY, Gift
Canon special prize: 5 awards, Certificate + Gift
3rd prize: 20 awards, Certificate + 10,000JPY, Gift

- Exhibition
Your photo will be exhibited in Japan on the day of a lecture presented by Shumucho.

Application procedure:

Title your work:
Theme: 1) View of or in temple or 2) Any image that inspires you to record it
Place of photo:
Date:
Inspiration of the work:

Your Name:
Address:
Tel:
Nom de plume (If you want to use one):

▼ Read more

2/ Zen River 20/21 Febuary.
Zen River is located right in the North of Holland. The land is flat and criss-crossed with many canals and streams. The main Zen river construction was originally conceived and built (in the thirties) as a community & adult education center by a local protestant minister. So there is a history of service and religion associated with the buildings.
The Hossenshiki is held at the end of a three month Ango which started in the latter half of November. So there had already been many Teishos and Dharma talks.
Rev Yusho Sasaki’s gave a talk the night before the Hossenshiki . It was entitled “Why I ended up a Zen monk and being here now” and it was hoped that this was more a light hearted reflection than a serious lecture.
The chapter chosen for the Hossenshiki was chapter 11 of the Hekigan Roku (Blue cliff Record), “Obaku’s dregg slurpers”. The same story found in the Book of Serenity (Shoyoroku). In Zen River the shuso selects which chapter of koans are to be used.
An unusual point in Zen River is that after chanting Hannya Shingyo the Shuso (in this case Rev Shinyu Roest) gave a Teisho on the selected chapter. This was very interesting. Shinyu san really managed to understand it, digest it and spit it out.
In Zen River the language of choice is English not Dutch. This is one of the unique facets of this community. Some one-third of participants are non-Dutch.

3/ Kanshoji Hossenshiki 12/13 March.
Kanshoji is forever up-grading and developing. There is now an automatic door at the entrance. The Sodo, Hatto, Buddha hall have all been completed and they are now constructing a corridor between all the buildings.
Here in Europe, as in Japan, they tend to choose chapter 2 on Bodhi Dharma Emptiness. This time Rev Yusho Sasaki gave a Teisho during the tea ceremony. The theme was her interpretation of the above kōan.
Everything was conducted in a strictly Japanese traditional style. The Koan tea ceremony and the Hossenshiki itself. Attendance was high, around 60 members. The Hossenshiki took place at the end of Ango. Two days after Hossenshiki , Ango finishes. It must have been a long two months for the Shuso, Rev Ryugen Vercauteren, being an exemplary monk for that period and then completing Hossenshiki.
There were a good range of ages present. First, second and third generation practitioners. We can only hope that this trend prevails.
Here at Kanshoji there is a combination of strict Japanese style discipline and a more relaxed Western attitude. This is an excellent combination. Not too strict neither too relaxed.