Category: Blog
On June 14, 2017, Wy’East Zen Center celebrated the lay disciple ordination of Kimberly Choan Wood-Saldana (in grey robe above), taking Jyoshin as her teacher. She is flanked by Shintai (blue rakusu) and Jyoshin (gold rakusu), who are Dharma Rain teachers serving the group. Next to Jyoshin are Gyokuko Carlson, abbot of Dharma Rain, and… Read more »
The source of respect is the unlimited heart of Buddha Nature. Jealousy and envy arise when we entertain the anxiety that there is not enough of something for us. Starting from the Buddha’s generous predictions of Buddhahood for his disciples, Gyokuko will explore our practice of giving and receiving respect. This talk was given Sunday,… Read more »
The AZTA (American Zen Teachers Association) conference last week brought together teachers from all over the country to share information and do a little business. The sessions were helpful and interesting, and the schmoozing in between times were also helpful. It was a remarkable conference for harmony. The photo shows everyone who attended except Gyokuko,… Read more »
The AZTA (American Zen Teachers Association) conference has been meeting here since Wednesday night. In between sessions, the participants engage in lively discussions comparing notes about practices in different temples, etc. Our esteemed tenzo Shin’yu, aided by dedicated volunteers, has been making wonderful meals for conference participants. This week’s work on the duplexes consisted mainly… Read more »
This Sunday, August 6, at 10:30am, you are cordially invited to witness as Kakumyo is officially installed as co-abbot in an Ascending the Mountain ceremony. All are invited to witness and participate in this exciting and significant step in the growth of our temple. Note that there will be NO Regular Sunday morning program that… Read more »
Memory is unpredictable. Certain events remain vivid; others fade away. Many of us will lose memories as we age. What is it in our practice that is remembered, no matter what? How do we retain wisdom even in forgetfulness? This talk was given Sunday, July 30.
We are in high summer, and this time of year, morning and evening light comes from the north, bathing the north side of the Sodo in a beautiful glow. This week work continues on the duplexes, getting them ready to lower on to the foundations soon. Tai’an shows one aspect of “exploratory demo.” The garden… Read more »
We have a sacristy team that works hard to keep our altars looking beautiful and clean. Here Sarah arranges flowers she has found on the property in different arrangements for different places.
Genko tackles the topic of Time: what is it? how do we work with it? some of the many aspects of time as something that exists, or maybe not. Are we moving forward? What about developmental stages? What about how much time we’ve had in practice? And of course, Dogen’s fascicle, “Uji,” addressing existence-time, has… Read more »
This week work continues on the duplexes, getting them ready to lower on to the foundations next week. We have finished underfloor framing and done a fair amount of necessary demolition as well as some preliminary utilities preparation. As of today, we’ve also cleaned out almost all of the debris from inside the units and… Read more »
Drawing upon Dogen’s “Teachings of the Inanimate,” Seido talked about Buddhism’s approach to our conflicted relationship with the natural world and how the nondual leaps beyond false divisions. Where does nature begin and end? Where does sentience begin and end? This subject welcomes our direct experience in the natural world, our heartfelt concern for the… Read more »
Three of the aspects of the Enlightened Mind are not achieved through will, intention and rational thought, and yet they are not achieved without good will, good intentions and clear reasoning. Gyokuko will play with the interplay during her Dharma Talk this Sunday. This talk was given Sunday, July 9.
Work continues on the duplexes. Gary is tearing out parts of a wall. Phyllis and Nancy are sweeping up the debris. In the process, they discovered an apparently-abandoned nest inside a light fixture. We don’t know for sure what kind of bird left it there. In addition, the garden is beginning to produce food for… Read more »
A question we often get asked is “what is enlightenment,” followed closely by “how do I get it?” Kakumyo explores this realm in his Sunday talk. Come see whether he actually answers these perennial questions. This talk was given Sunday, July 2.
The concrete foundations got poured for both duplexes Wednesday and Thursday this week. We are still working underneath the two houses, framing and removing old wood and insulation. Tai’an is shown underneath the house while a contractor levels concrete. Will was one of many who sorted and loaded wood. By August we expect that both… Read more »
What happens when Indra, King of the Gods, sees a line of ants marching across the floor? A little storytelling about Indra leads us to contemplation of how we all fit together in the big scheme of things. This talk was given Sunday, June 25.