Author: Genko Rainwater
Today, Frog Song families helped to raise the last beam on the shelter structure being built in the playground. This will replace the canopy that has been there for the… Read more »
We are entering into Portland Pride season. “Pride” turns up on both Christian and Buddhist lists as one of the seven deadly sins or one of the five poisons, respectively.… Read more »
Last Sunday (June 3), the end of the Dharma School year, students presented skits to share some of what they learned this last year. The theme for the year was… Read more »
This coming Sunday we will watch the traditional year-end Dharma School skits, where the children share something of what they have learned in the past year. This takes the place… Read more »
A couple of years ago, Fujaku planted a lot of strawberry plants. This week, we are reaping the fruit of that planting, while Fu swelters in a monastery in Japan.… Read more »
This Sunday we’ll explore qualities like concentration, focus and receptivity with a Buddhist lens. How do these qualities affect our life, and what contributes to reliably accessing them, both within… Read more »
Planting continues in the garden. We are harvesting several things that overwintered, like kale and beets; and some that have been growing for some years, like asparagus and artichokes. Strawberries… Read more »
Dharma Rain’s diversity, equity and inclusion assessment and planning process continues. We are now researching what other Zen Buddhist groups across the country are doing to diversify their membership, and… Read more »
The story of the historical Buddha is often used as a lens to examine our own practice and path. This talk touches on the point where he escapes the confines… Read more »
The shuso reminds us that now that we are in warmer summer weather, we ask that people not wear shorts and tank tops in the zendo. In general, we try… Read more »
Happy Mother’s Day! For some, Mother’s Day can bring up memories of crayon drawings on refrigerators, sharing space with brightly colored magnetic letters of the alphabet. This is part of… Read more »
On Sunday, May 6, we had another successful celebration of the Buddha’s Birthday. The day dawned with a spectacular display of clouds over Rocky Butte to the east. We put… Read more »
Buddhists around the world traditionally celebrate the birth of the Buddha in the spring. Our celebration here at Dharma Rain this year is this coming Sunday. The children’s sangha decorates… Read more »
Last Saturday, teens connected with the Blueprint Foundation spent time on the land, learning how to use the tractor and mower, and helping with various gardening tasks. They seemed to… Read more »
Why do we feel different when we are alone? The self alone changes when it meets others. Is one self more authentic than the other? How do we resolve the… Read more »
Gardens and trees are waking up to spring, with that particular green only found in April. During Wednesday’s work party, Phyllis mows in an effort to tame a “sea of… Read more »