Yesterday the driveway got torn up in preparation for pouring concrete for the driveway entering the property. Because of this, we won’t be able to drive in to the property for about a week and a half (including Sunday morning). Instead, park at Glenhaven Park at 82nd and Siskiyou, cross at the traffic light, and… Read more »
Resonant of our recent Segaki retreat, this koan invites a changed relationship to one’s “ghosts” often understood as unresolved karma arising in the present. The dharma talk is about how we care for “ghosts” and what it means to save or release them. While many of us struggle to let go of these unbidden appearances… Read more »
There’s still a lot going on at Siskiyou Square. Multiple contractors are doing multiple projects. Sometimes our parking lot is almost full with all of the trucks. Forms are in place to pour concrete for sidewalks along our road. The zendo floor is almost complete in the Sodo, and the dining room is being worked… Read more »
What a treat it was to hold the Segaki Retreat and Ceremonies in the new Sodo. The new wood floor was only partially installed in the zendo, but it was enough to give us a flavor of it. It’s beautiful, and also wonderful to walk barefoot on. Having walls also really changes the feel of… Read more »
Twice a year, the sangha has an opportunity to hear from our governing bodies and to ask questions and give feedback. This fall forum is primarily sponsored by the Board of Directors, giving updates on where we are with the multiple transitions we are going through. The Dharma Council will also give a brief report.… Read more »
There’s a lot going on at Siskiyou Square. The pathway between 82nd and the parking lot / road got paved yesterday. The new flooring got delivered and unloaded into the Sodo this morning. And a helpful excavator driver moved a bunch of stones from the ravine up to a place where they can be considered… Read more »
Birth and death are moments in time – and yet the fact of our birth and death is called the Great Matter. How do we contemplate our own extinction from this life? The Buddha addressed his death directly. We will talk about the simple, profound questions of dying, caregiving, grieving, and planning for the inevitable.… Read more »
Our crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo – Planting Zen & The May Sit – continues making progress with your help. As of today, 194 donors from Germany, Australia, Costa Rica, Canada and the U.S. have given $26,125 – all of which will be matched 1:1 by our anonymous donor. With only several weeks left to… Read more »
There’s a lot going on at Siskiyou Square this week. Kakumyo shows Wednesday work party volunteers how to install intake filters for the storm water inlets. This is to prevent debris and small animals from falling in and getting stuck, blocking the flow of storm water to the system taking it to the dry wells… Read more »
We say that we begin practice as a way of addressing our own suffering. We continue practice for the sake of others. Over time, our practice evolves, so that it becomes for the sake of the Dharma itself. How does this work, and what does it look like? Genko explores these questions and more. This… Read more »
Many thanks to all of you who have shared our Indiegogo crowd funding campaign – Planting Zen & The May Sit – with your friends, family and neighbors. As a result of your outreach, 173 people have donated $23,642 – 47% of our $50,000 goal! Planting Zen got a great boost on KGW News last… Read more »
Work continues on drywall inside the Sodo. Here workers are putting the sheetrock into the skylights. The building is being transformed! The sheetrock is almost all in, and taping has begun. Much of the exterior of the Sodo has been painted, and looks beautiful. In addition, the Founders Shrine has been painted to match the… Read more »
Frog Song Montessori Preschool is in its fourth week! The first few weeks have been full of excitement as the children get to know each other and the classroom. “Grace and courtesy” lessons, such as how to wash your hands and set up for lunch, how to quietly watch another child working or carefully carry… Read more »
Dharma Rain launched our first-ever crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo this week. Planting Zen and The May Sit has a goal of raising $50,000 in just 40 days. In the first few days, 115 people have donated $16,736. Our crowd funding campaign is one component of our current $400,000 matching gift challenge. That means that… Read more »
In zen practice we often try ‘to come back to center,’ or ‘to calm down,’ or ‘to open up,’ because if we’re in such a state then our thought, speech and action causes less problems. These kinds of shorthands refer to varieties of experience that we’ve learned to trust. But isn’t that conditioning? A subtle… Read more »
This week’s Wednesday work party focused on getting the solar light poles up on the pathway sections, both to 82nd and down through the orchard to Russel Pond. These are only 10 feet tall, but reports from the field are that they are just as attractive and unobtrusive as the other street lights. They light… Read more »