This Sunday, February 7, a special ceremony will take the place of the usual Sunday service and Dharma Talk. It includes a procession where the incoming Co-Abbot Pro Tem arrives at the temple, doing bows, intoning dharma phrases, and is greeted by the sangha amidst much ceremonial. The procession includes temple officers and representatives from… Read more »

On January 30, 2016, Kei’un finished her year as shuso with a Hossen ceremony. She presented a verse from the “Litany of the Great Compassionate One” (part of Vespers), and invited all attending to question her about it. Om to the one who leaps beyond all fear… Thy life is the completion of meaning; It… Read more »

Sodo front steps, engawa building and kitchen cabinets are the main focus for volunteer effort this week. Come and help us out, and enjoy the benefits of work practice with Sangha. We can use your help anytime that we’re on schedule and not on retreat, just let Ikuo (ikuohull at gmail.com) know beforehand so we… Read more »

A recurring theme in Kyogen’s Dharma Talks was finding or discovering what is ours to do. This Sunday David Choten Robinson will present a student talk on how his practice and work with this theme informed his ability to meet opportunities and challenges while living in Uganda in 2012. This talk was given January 31.

After an impressive volunteer effort, our engawa decking is nearing completion. This Saturday afternoon (starting at 1:30 after the Kanzeon Festival), and during our regular Wednesday work party, we will make a final push to lay the remaining boards. Come help us – the more hammers banging the better! Next week we begin installing our… Read more »

Two of our region’s leading foundations recently joined our efforts for Planting Zen in Siskiyou Square with grants totaling $55,000. Unlike other grants we have received, these gifts support construction costs associated with our project. Oregon Community Foundation granted $35,000 toward completion of Phase 1, and Spirit Mountain Community Fund awarded $20,000 toward our Community… Read more »

This Sunday the current shuso, Gay Kei’un Lewis, will take her “final exam,” presenting a verse and answering questions from teachers and sangha members. This is the culmination of a year of intensive practice and service to the Sangha. Come help “prod the loaf” to see whether she’s done. Join us this Sunday, January 24,… Read more »

On Saturday, January 16, three new Lay Disciples took teachers and committed to Dharma Rain Zen Center and its lineage. Shown are Kaimon O-Ren (Sally Tomlinson) with her teacher Bukkai, and Kakumyo with his new students Unju Jitsuso (Joe Walder) and Unju Daigai (Randall Filbert). During the same ceremony, disciples Keido Koshin (Thomas Bruner) and… Read more »

The MLK Day of Service on Monday was a huge success. As promised, about 100 PCC students showed up to work on the property. They planted trees and shrubs, spread gravel, and helped with the new fence. This fence, along Siskiyou Street, is required by the City, and is designed to prevent people from falling… Read more »

Editor’s Note: Gyokuko sent this letter to the governing councils. I’d like to give some advance notice to the temple leadership regarding the next step in our sangha’s process of succession. It’s a long and involved process which is part of how we ensure the spiritual vitality, social harmony and institutional longevity of our sangha.… Read more »

This Sunday Kakumyo will speak about his upcoming kessei term as part of the preparation for becoming co-abbot. His taking up this challenge suggests a question for all of us: How do we blend the depth of insight and the routine of integrity with the complexities and inadequacies of our embodied lives? Drawing beauty from… Read more »

Our Sodo is nearing completion! However, there is still a lot of important work that needs to happen before it can be fully operational with an occupancy permit. Now the paid contractors are finished and almost everything else needs to be done by our own volunteer efforts. If you would like to help finish our… Read more »

We did it! Because of the generosity of our Sangha and friends, we exceeded our $500,000 Matching Gift Challenge by raising $389,530. Coupled with the $250,000 matching challenge gift from our anonymous donor, our Matching Gift Challenge fundraising totaled $639,530. The success of our challenge brings Phase 1 of Lotus Blooming – our fundraising campaign… Read more »

What are the markers of maturity in the practice? How do we define this subjective term? We teach that practice is enlightenment, there are no stages of enlightenment. Yet there are real markers of development in practice, qualities we develop and can recognize over time. One is generosity, giving the self freely. A sense of… Read more »

With the start of the new year, we resume regular Wednesday work practice, beginning about 9:30 and going to about 4pm. Lunch is provided at the 85th House at 12:30pm. Work continues on the engawa, and landscaping projects are gearing up. A special work practice day will be on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Monday,… Read more »

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!

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