We are on Denkoe Sesshin this week. It is a cloistered retreat, which means that it is closed from breakfast through dinner. Early mornings (5-7:20am) and evenings (7-9:25pm) are open for drop-in. Wednesday Work Parties Dharma Rain hosts regular Wednesday work parties from around 9am to 3:30pm. There is plenty of work for people to… Read more »
In the depths of winter it is easy to be deluded that nothing changes and the grey and cold will last forever. In the depths of adult life that delusion can arise as well. Yes, little things change, but nothing fundamental changes, we think. Drifting and dreaming, life passes by. The practice of zen teaches… Read more »
Three new residents are now on site. Kemyo just moved in. Zonnyo is doing a residency for the month of April. Kakuon is resident for spring Ango, that is, March, April, and May. We are enjoying having full dorms and lots of people at meals. In addition to these three, residents include Jyoshin, Ember, Genko,… Read more »
Dharma Rain is pleased to announce its new planned giving program. The Branching Streams Society is a way for our members and friends to ensure our sustainability for future generations of way-seekers by including Dharma Rain in their estate plans. Planned giving is for everyone, regardless of how small or large your financial estate may… Read more »
In his “Instructions to the Cook,” Dogen lists three qualities of mind that the Head Cook, or Tenzo, of a monastery must cultivate: Joyful Mind, Nurturing Mind and Magnanimous Mind. Shin’yu explores the second of these, Nurturing Mind, and the wish to take care of the things and people of our world. This talk was… Read more »
Ken Barker sent three lovely pictures – two of birds, and one of a rabbit. You can find a list of birds spotted at Dharma Rain by those participating in eBird. This is a citizen science project, a network of local, national, and international partners. They have a list of 94 species spotted and recorded… Read more »
Each year we study a chapter of the Denkoroku as a way of honoring and learning from our ancestors. This year, April 16-21, Denkoe is a cloistered retreat on a trial basis. There are two entry points, at the Monday night beginning or on Friday for the weekend, with participants staying for the entire retreat… Read more »
On March 24, the sixteen participants and three staff who worked together in an intensive 10-day training for sangha leaders finished their time together. Three of the participants shared short dharma talks that they developed in the course of the training to give the rest of us a taste of what they’ve did. People came… Read more »
This week’s weather has been outstanding, and the moon rising over Rocky Butte was spectacular. The visiting Sangha Leaders have enjoyed March at its best.
Anicca, or Impermanence, looms large among our basic Buddhist teachings. It’s one of the three characteristics of existence and is intimately related to the Four Noble Truths. Impermanence seems pretty straightforward – everything changes. It’s pretty easy to accept that intellectually, but not so easy to live in congruence with it. Why do we struggle… Read more »
A special thank you in three directions. First, we received a very generous, $250,000 gift from an anonymous donor, paying out over 10 years. This gift helps reduce our debt over time. Secondly, Nancy Kodo Conover and David Ellston forgave their $45,000 portion of the Semble loan. Dharma Rain took out this loan from friends… Read more »
On March 9, six people became lay disciples. Kakumyo’s students are Minshu, Honei, Yusatsu, Sokuchu, and Zuiryu. Jiko’s student is Daiko. All of them have sewn rakusus and met all other criteria for becoming lay disciples. The sangha rejoices. The weather is slowly getting better, and we are beginning to work outdoors again. Wednesday’s work… Read more »
Especially during challenging times or when experiencing personal difficulties, we can find comfort by focusing on our core practice – our Soto style of Zen. Fumyo highlights some practical aspects of our Soto Zen including its beginnings as a unique style and its subtle pragmatism. He also touches on deep questions at the heart of… Read more »
Several people became lay disciples this week. The decision to enter a formal teaching relationship is a serious one. But it’s not magic – teaching takes place both in and out of such a relationship. What does a teacher do? How do we work with the embodiment in front of us? This talk was given… Read more »
Fujaku gave a lesson in putting up a curtain rod to the students of Frog Song this morning. The children watched him work with great interest and had many helpful suggestions!
Keeping things dry in an Oregon winter can be tough, but not as difficult as not leaking our practice intention. This Sunday, we’ll explore the process of diverting attention on a few different timescales, and find some tips to keep this from happening. This talk was given Sunday, February 24.