Year: 2017

Beginning March 1 and ending May 31, we observe an Ango period of intensified practice. (See the wheel of the year for an overview of our liturgical calendar.) Zazen starts earlier on weekday mornings, followed by a somewhat longer morning service, and we add a mid-day hour-long sit. Denkoe Sesshin fits within this spring Ango period,… Read more »

Our annual Jukai retreat is in process this week, and will culminate in the Jukai ceremony on Sunday, when individuals receive the Bodhisattva Precepts and formally become Buddhists. Please come to witness this important event in the growth of the Sangha. We have had three ceremonies so far (Kyojukaimon, Sange, and Ketchimyaku), with two more… Read more »

This coming week, our sangha will launch its first Daijukai in the new Sodo. The community is invited to participate in a series of rare ceremonies throughout the week that express the breadth and depth of Zen path of training. The open retreat culminates in a precept ceremony the following Sunday where several students will… Read more »

Experience reveals just how challenging Zen practice can be. Being awake, rather than dreaming, requires behavioral discipline, gentle vigilance, and a willingness to accept discomfort, as layers of conditioned responses are illuminated. Again and again I have seen the value of sangha, and the teacher-student relationship in particular, for helping to sustain and revitalize practice.… Read more »

From ice to flooding, it’s been quite a winter. Record rainfalls show that our stormwater system (in which the bioswales play a part) is functioning well. The courtyard has taken some hits this winter, but still looks beautiful, even with standing water. The other gardens are not ready for planting, but spring is coming soon.… Read more »

November 20, 2016, Dharma Talk, by Gyoshi Kaplan. This talk was not recorded, and so Gyoshi has written it up as an article. Why am I giving this talk? I experience this stage of life – growing old – as a wonderful, pivotal opportunity to dive deeper into life. And especially, deeper into spiritual practice.… Read more »

Kakumyo offers a preview of one of the themes of the upcoming Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom) seminary class. He looks at the core Buddhist teaching that everything is changing, the process of coming to deeper appreciation of this fact, and what it means for navigating the world. This talk was given Sunday, February 5.

Once again, we have glazed sidewalks and cold weather. Still, we have had some movement toward getting the duplexes (residents housing) ready to move on to the property. More ground preparation has happened this week, for example. Metro [facebook link] recently published a Regional Snapshot content package on their brownfield page, and included their profile… Read more »

There is strength in knowledge and strength in numbers! Join with others from around the state in “Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities.” We meet Tuesday, February 7, at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Salem for: keynote speech by Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum briefings on housing, hunger, health care, gun safety,… Read more »

Bukkai takes a risk and talks about joy, in a talk that is part lecture from Buddhist sources and part practice advice and instruction. This talk was given Sunday, January 29.

This week’s Wednesday work party worked on finishing the siding for the front of the barn and also to caulk on the inside in an effort to stop leaks. If putting a bird on it signifies approval, then we must have succeeded. We really value our volunteers, who were happy to return after a couple… Read more »

Sunday 3:58 AM One last shot at Rohatsu Everyone’s still asleep Savoring the still still of sesshin seventh A journal and warm tea ablution by the back French doors I realize what I’d hoped was moonlight Bathing the kitchen all this time Nothing but an overdone silver screen The last ditch katz of a lone… Read more »

Dharma Rain’s Sewing Master Genko Rainwater shares some of the research that has contributed to the Zen Sewing Study Group meeting on Tuesday nights. There’s a lot of interesting history behind the various kinds of robes that we wear. Beyond that, she will look at the practice of wearing robes (including rakusus and wagessas), the… Read more »

A sigh of relief has been heard in the land. Snow and ice has melted, and snow boots have been put away to dry. Delayed shopping has been accomplished. Now there are clean-up tasks of various sorts to do, and people can again attend our events safely. Several sangha members are away, at Inauguration events… Read more »

One of the attachments that many of us work hard to satisfy is an aversion to failure. This is a particularly interesting attachment for several reasons. This Sunday, Kakumyo will explore why, and make a dharmic case for failure as a crucial ingredient in one’s spiritual path. This talk was given Sunday, January 15.

The beauty of a rare winter snowstorm has been breathtaking. The weather has impacted our attendance, though we have continued our schedule of events. A few hardy souls trickle in to various things, like the sewing class on Tuesday and Wednesday’s Precepts class. We are asking that people use their own best judgment about whether… Read more »

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