Month: September 2015
Dharma Rain launched our first-ever crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo this week. Planting Zen and The May Sit has a goal of raising $50,000 in just 40 days. In the first few days, 115 people have donated $16,736. Our crowd funding campaign is one component of our current $400,000 matching gift challenge. That means that… Read more »
In zen practice we often try ‘to come back to center,’ or ‘to calm down,’ or ‘to open up,’ because if we’re in such a state then our thought, speech and action causes less problems. These kinds of shorthands refer to varieties of experience that we’ve learned to trust. But isn’t that conditioning? A subtle… Read more »
This week’s Wednesday work party focused on getting the solar light poles up on the pathway sections, both to 82nd and down through the orchard to Russel Pond. These are only 10 feet tall, but reports from the field are that they are just as attractive and unobtrusive as the other street lights. They light… Read more »
Keeping the Precepts can be challenging when decisions need to be made and disagreements arise, whether in the world of work or here in the temple. As the temple has grown, more and more of the needed work is done in meetings in committees. How do we apply Right Speech to our work? To what… Read more »
We approach Big Mind with our small minds; we find our greater selves through the vehicle of the small self. But much of the time, we live and experience the world within that small self. How do we keep going when it seems like nothing changes? What is the meaning of “still” and “here” when… Read more »
This last Sunday the Daoren met in Uji, and were grateful not only for the electric lights but also for the heat! We still have some warm days ahead of us, but are beginning to experience colder days when we can enjoy a heated space. In addition, now the street lights are on at night,… Read more »
Lotus Blooming – our fundraising campaign for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square – has received a major boost! An anonymous donor has given us a $200,000 matching gift to help us wrap-up fundraising for Phase 1 by December 31st. Successfully finishing Phase 1 will enable us to complete our new meditation hall (“Sodo”). To get… Read more »
Good news! The Sodo will be getting a big makeover (on the inside) for four weeks right after Kyogen’s Memorial. And so we will move Sunday Services back to Jason Lee beginning September 27 until Segaki Festival on October 25. During that time, a number of essential interior work projects will be done, including walls… Read more »
Plans are shaping up for an anniversary commemoration of Kyogen’s death on Saturday, September 19. We will have a brief ceremony at 3pm, followed by music, and then break for barbecue and softball practice (no actual diamond, but playing catch, etc.). It will probably go to around 7pm or whenever it gets dark. You would… Read more »
“Decisions are the junctures where our lives meet the world. They define the trail we leave behind.” While the source of this quote is unclear, it is worth investigation at the beginning of Ango. With inspiration from Dainin Katagiri to Dr. Seuss, Bukkai will follow several threads concerning how we decide. This talk was given… Read more »
It’s true! We have electricity on the property. Uji is wired up, and turning on electric lights never felt so wonderful. The Sodo is wired, but has no light fixtures yet. The street lights aren’t quite there, but we expect them to be functional very soon. Now that we are going into a darker time… Read more »
Lotus Blooming – our fundraising campaign for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square – has received a major boost! An anonymous donor has given us a $200,000 matching gift to help us wrap-up fundraising for Phase 1 by December 31st. Successfully finishing Phase 1 will enable us to complete our new meditation hall (“Sodo”). To get… Read more »
In this student talk, Yoan focused on concrete practice steps for releasing clinging and aversion with a fabricated sense of self and cultivating that which gives rise to equanimity and joy. This talk was given Sunday, August 30.