On Sunday, February 4, we celebrated our annual Nehan ceremony, commemorating the Buddha’s passing into parinirvana. Jyoshin’s talk reflected on the teachings of the death of the Buddha and explored… Read more »
On Friday, February 2, a fifth-grade class from Cedarwood Waldorf school came to do a field trip to DRZC to work in the orchard and also to spend some time… Read more »
Beyond the karmic mirror, we find that enlightenment is communal. Kakumyo speaks of preference and renunciation in a spiritual community. This talk was given Sunday, January 28.
A crew from Great Vow Zen Monastery came out to help with Wednesday’s work party. It made for a lively lunch, as we all got to know each other better.… Read more »
As he swallowed the cup of poison hemlock, Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. Our practice encourages us to know the self, but also to drop the… Read more »
What is Justice, and how does it relate to Mercy? Both are kind of old-fashioned words, old-fashioned virtues, and both are interpreted in a variety of ways. Genko talks about… Read more »
On December 10, Kaishin had her Shuso Hossen ceremony, where she was tested on a verse from the “Precious Mirror Samadhi”: Function secretly, like a fool, like an idiot. Just… Read more »
How we engage in the tasks before us is both a spur for and a measure of our path. As we install a new shuso and enter a new term… Read more »
On December 31, we will have our annual New Year’s Eve celebration. It is a longstanding tradition in our Sanghas to come together in fellowship and practice, as the world… Read more »
We just got a piece of unexpected information. The dormitories (duplexes) were once part of Columbia Villa, a 1943 post-war housing project, one of the first public housing complexes on… Read more »
Madison High School offered the first semester-long for-credit mindfulness course in public high schools in Portland, now in seven schools in the Portland Public School district. At the end of… Read more »
On January 7, Annen will be installed as our new shuso. The shuso (also known as the Chief Junior) sits near the abbots at the front on the hall, and… Read more »
In the ordination ceremony, we say, ‘I have changed my form, but kept my wish.’ What does this mean? We carry many wishes into our practice, and the innermost wish… Read more »
This week is quiet, with few practice events, and cold weather making it more difficult for volunteers to come out. We are winding down to being closed the next two… Read more »
The current shuso, Valerie Kaishin Kelly, will take her “final exam,” presenting a verse and answering questions from teachers and sangha members. Come help “prod the loaf” to see whether… Read more »
This week we are in Rohatsu sesshin. See the schedule for times when you can join us for zazen, services, and Dharma Talks. You are also welcome to come join… Read more »