Category: Blog
Doug Fir, our high school Dharma School class, hit the town on Saturday night (January 2). We had dinner in the Eco-Trust building, an exciting and eventful Zen-themed scavenger hunt in Powell’s, and finished the evening with dessert at Ben and Jerry’s. We all had a great time!
Paul Metzger’s new book, Evangelical Zen, is getting some buzz. Northwest Dharma Association published an article by Paul Metzger, who recounts some of the highlights of that dialogue and his new book. See the article here. On Jan. 26, Metzger is to read from “Evangelical Zen: A Christian’s Spiritual Travels with a Buddhist Friend,” with… Read more »
This story was published in the East Oregonian December 18. Inmates in Eastern Oregon prison take to an old Eastern practice to better life. Joe Engum of Pendleton started mediating because of a personal trauma. And for eight years now, Engum has been sharing that practice with other men experiencing troubles — inmates at state… Read more »
Genko takes up racial justice, and struggles to fit it within Dharma practice. What exactly IS political activism? How can it be effective? Is it important? Why or why not? How do we find what is uniquely ours to do about this and other social justice issues? How DOES it relate to our practice within… Read more »
Last week was Rohatsu Sesshin, our longest, deepest retreat of the year. We had 30-40 people at most meals, and often 40-50 in the evenings in the Sodo at zazen. Several people stayed overnight on the floor in the two houses, some stayed in nearby hotels, and three people stayed in trailers parked beside Uji.… Read more »
In this week of Rohatsu, let us not deny the possibility of enlightenment. Join us this Sunday, December 6, for zazen, sanzen and Bukkai’s Dharma Talk. Bukkai and Shintai offer sanzen. 8:30am Zazen (with optional sanzen) 9:00 Kinhin (walking meditation) 9:10 Zazen 9:40 Full Morning Service 10:10 Break/Announcements 10:30 Walking the Path in Darkness and… Read more »
Gyokuko is finding a new way to look at frugality. This talk was given Sunday, November 29.
What does it mean to be dignified? We use the word freely and in many contexts, but may find that a definition is not easy. The Buddhist view of dignity is a little different from the conventional one. Is dignity an inherent quality? What does it mean to act in an undignified manner? Are there… Read more »
While Lotus Blooming – our fundraising campaign for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square – is about money, our vision and aspiration for Siskiyou Square is about the Dharma. So, why does Lotus Blooming matter? “When I walked through the doors of Dharma Rain eight years ago, it didn’t occur to me that it would become… Read more »
Wednesday’s work practice was presented with the gift of a beautiful sunny day in the midst of a wet, windy week. 17 people came in from Great Vow Zen Monastery to work with us on various projects. (The photo of the courtyard was taken in Thursday morning’s rainy weather.) The courtyard needs to be able… Read more »
Following our Founder’s Day Service last week, we continue to commemorate with gratitude the great compassion that has been shown to us by our ancestral teachers. Fumyo explores the model for practice given to us by Shitou Xiqian (Sekito Kisen), our eighth Chinese ancestor. In his “Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage,” Shitou shows us how… Read more »
Yesterday morning they finally started putting asphalt down to pave Siskiyou Street and finish the driveway in to our road. They worked diligently through the day, and got it done. All of this means that this coming Sunday, we will be able to drive into the driveway to our own road and parking area. A… Read more »
While Lotus Blooming – our fundraising campaign for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square – is about money, our vision and aspiration for Siskiyou Square is about the Dharma. So, why does Lotus Blooming matter? “I care about restoring the land and providing a place for this community to come together. Dharma Rain has come to… Read more »
Once a year we hold an all-night vigil in honor of our founders Keido Chisan and Jiyu Kennet, both of whom died during the first week of November. This year, for the first time, we will hold this vigil in the Sodo, as we carry their work forward. Morning service on Sunday will be a… Read more »
This Saturday, November 7, beginning at 3pm, and ending Sunday, November 8, at 6:30am we will hold a Founders Vigil at the Sodo. This date is close to the anniversaries of the deaths of both of our founders, Keido Chisan Koho Zenji (d. November 1, 1969) and Roshi Jiyu Kennett (d. November 6, 1996). There… Read more »
In August, our fundraising campaign for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square – Lotus Blooming – received a major boost. An anonymous donor gave us a $200,000 matching gift to help us wrap-up fundraising by December 31, 2015. If we raised $200,000, we would receive all of the $200,000 matching gift. Our donor agreed to match… Read more »