Month: February 2014
Having recently returned from several months of travel in Nepal and Thailand, Gyoshi gave a talk on February 23, 2014, about four main dharma themes he worked with there: Expect Nothing Don’t Define Oneself I Really Don’t Understand What’s Going On Clarify One’s Life Goals He explained how working with these themes helped him lighten… Read more »
Dharma Rain, Portland Friends of Trees, students from Concordia University and Madison High School, and Neighborhood Families Plant Trees and Shrubs On Saturday February 22nd, between 70 and 80 people joined forces to plant native species trees and shrubs in the ravine at the Siskiyou Square site of our new temple and cohousing development. This… Read more »
January 2014 This summary describing the work of the temple’s three major decision-making bodies is published regularly. Each of the three major bodies of the temple mandala – the Board of Directors, the Dharma Council and the Mandala Council – meets monthly and provides notes to be consolidated for a report to the general sangha.… Read more »
On Sunday, February 2nd, Fujaku completed his term as Shuso at the ceremony of Hossen. He presented this verse from the Diamond Sutra: “Therefore, Subhuti, bodhisattvas should leave behind all phenomenal distinctions and awaken the thought of the consummation of incomparable enlightenment by not allowing the mind to depend upon notions evoked by the sensible… Read more »
On February 15, 2014, Abbot Gyokuko Carlson ordained Diana Shin’yu Vitells in a Shukke Tokudo ceremony. We welcome her as a novice monk. More photos:
This letter came January 15, 2014, addressed to the Dharma Rain Sangha. I’m not certain who to address this letter to, but currently I’m serving the last 9 months of a 40-month prison term for robbery in the third degree. I spent the last 13 months at Oregon State Penitentiary where I became a regular… Read more »
Buddhism flourished for a thousand years and more after the Buddha died. By then Buddhism had spread to many countries and languages. For many reasons, Buddhism then began to decline and virtually died out in India altogether until very recently. The Dharma talk for the celebration of Nehan will explore the final teachings of the… Read more »
Kyogen Carlson Note: the following has been used as a hand-out for Precept classes at Dharma Rain Zen Center for a number of years In the linage tradition handed down to me from Jiyu Kennett Roshi and Chisan Koho Zenji, the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts are more than just a foundation for practice. They are complete… Read more »