Intro Workshops

Wednesday night classes focus on Buddhist teaching, from its early stages in India through its expression in Soto Zen. This annual class explores topics such as the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, Dependent Origination, the Paramitas and other aspirational practices, as well as contributions from some of our important Zen ancestors, including Dogen. The Foundational Teachings classes are a seminary requirement and prerequisite for many other seminary classes. Taught by Sosetsu.

All Wednesday night classes are open to the public. There is no charge, though donations are gratefully accepted.

We meet on this schedule:
7-7:10pm Evening Service
7:10-7:40 Zazen
7:40-7:50 Break, Tea
7:50~8:50 Class
8:50-9 Vespers

This class is NOT available on Zoom, though it is usually recorded (audio only). Recordings of classes and Dharma Talks are available on the website.

The Introduction to Zen Meditation workshop is designed for complete beginners, but it is also recommended for anyone who has not received instruction in the Soto Zen style of zazen. No previous experience is necessary.

This meeting is available both in person and online. Advance registration for attendance, whether in person or on Zoom is not required. Clicking the link for Zoom attendance will bring up a form to provide your first name and email before joining the meeting.

The class meets irregularly for ten sessions (on Tuesdays or Thursdays) from 7-9pm. First class is September 10, 2024. Last class is November 26, 2024. Taught by Genko.

Kakumyo offers this Qigong class open to beginners as well as advanced practitioners, and all the physical postures can be modified to fit individual needs or limitations.

We will focus on “the 14” (ie., the JinJing Gong Shi Si Shi), but do pieces of a few other forms as well. The goal is to have you leave with:

• an exposure to the types of breathing and basic postural principles
• a felt sense of what we mean by “tendon-meridian”
• basic introduction to a variety of qigong techniques (shaking, walking, standing, percussion, sound, visualization) that can be used to support vitality and transformation
• enough familiarity with the “14” and the “7” that you could practice on your own, (perhaps with the handout that will be provided)

The style is from the JinJing Gong lineage. Kakumyo is a fully authorized teacher, with 20 years of qigong practice. His teacher was Bill Frazier, who learned from Wang Shifu in China, whose teacher was Li Jie, a Taoist priest of the Quanzhen pai school, Longmen Pai sect.

The JinJing Gong lineage is small, based around Chengdu, China, but a practice community has sprung up around Portland, OR, over the last 20 years. This is a vigorous style of qigong, with a variety of different forms/sequences. It has martial, medical and contemplative roots, incorporating graceful movements, challenging breathing, detailed mindfulness, and other elements into the overall exercise.

Fumyo, Kakuon, and sometimes others lead the ancient, traditional practice of the recitation of the Avatamsaka (Flower Ornament) Sutra.

We chant aloud as a group for approximately 30 minutes each week. No registration required; please attend as you are interested or able. We meet in the library on Sundays after the dharma talk.

We are using Cleary’s translation of the Sutra. Please bring your own copy if you have one. There are a limited number of extra copies available for use in the library.

According to Thomas Cleary, this sutra “is perhaps the richest and most grandiose of all Buddhist sutras, held in high esteem by all schools of Buddhism that are concerned with universal liberation. Its incredible wealth of sensory imagery staggers the imagination and exercised an almost mesmeric effect on the mind as it conveys a wide range of teachings through its complex structure, colorful symbolism, and its mnemonic concentration formulae.”

If you have questions, please contact Fumyo or Kakuon at dharma-rain.org.

The Dharma Garden council is offering a workshop for cultivating a practice to restore harmony when difficulties arise, based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Beginning Anew is an opportunity to heal the hurt we  can feel, created by our most intimate relationships. Its roots are in the Buddhist teachings on deep listening and speaking. It teaches us to look honestly at ourselves, our past actions, speech and thoughts, and create a fresh beginning for ourselves and our relationships.

In this workshop, we will give practical instructions on how to build a safe container to rebuild our most precious relationships through connection and compassion.

Register here.

This advanced study group will examine the first ten fascicles of Dogen’s Shobogenzo. Each week, a different member will lead the group discussion.

If you would like to join this study group, we ask that you:

-Be a Dharma Rain member
-Have Seminary or similar dharma study experience.

If you have any questions about the class or joining the class, please contact Tsuho at above email.

Required Text

Master Dogen’s Shobogenzo, Book 2, translated by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross, Published by Dogen Sangha, 1994

You can purchase the bound version, download the pdf , or borrow from the library.

Note: Participating in this study group does not count for seminary credit.

August 20
September 10
September 17
September 24
October 1
October 8
October 15
October 22
October 29

Registration (required) for the class closes August 17. 

The class meets irregularly for ten sessions (on Tuesdays or Thursdays) from 7-9pm. First class is September 10, 2024. Last class is November 26, 2024. Taught by Genko.