Tag: News
Wednesday’s work practice included work on playground structures in preparation for a Frog Song parents work day on Saturday. The children were fascinated with the workers (in this case Zonnyo and Kakumyo), and the workers sometimes stopped to interact with the kids. Wednesday Work Parties Dharma Rain hosts regular Wednesday work parties from around 9am… Read more »
This week’s Wednesday work practice focused on the garden. On a stunningly beautiful day, Zonnyo and Phyllis, along with Gemmon and Nelly, all worked outside to beautify the garden. Here, Phyllis pulls out old artichoke plants. Wednesday Work Parties Dharma Rain hosts regular Wednesday work parties from around 9am to 3:30pm. There is plenty of… Read more »
This week we are on Heart of Work retreat. This means that it has been very quiet around here during the day while people are working elsewhere. There are retreatants around during the morning and evening. This week we are short two of our ordained staff who are at the biennial SZBA conference in New… Read more »
Students of Frog Song Montessori Preschool started their school year this Tuesday, putting lunch boxes and rain boots in their cubbies, and exploring their new classroom in duplex unit D2 (formerly known as Unit 4). Frog Song, now in its fourth year, is in the process of becoming a state-certified preschool. This change allows us… Read more »
Last week five Dharma Rain members joined 15 other people in the 18th annual Cultivating the Way Retreat at Empty Field Zendo west of Eugene. Led by Dharma Teachers Seido and Genko, the 4-day retreat offered the participants a great container for practice in a beautiful organic farm setting. It being harvest time, the food… Read more »
A wonderful time was had by all at our summer party on August 4. Croquet, cornhole, competitive oryoki, and a bounce house were some of the entertainment that kept everyone happy during an afternoon of perfect weather. Gyokuko is shown rallying the troops when we were about 2/3 to our goal, as shown by the… Read more »
Top news this week is that the duplexes have passed the final inspections, and are now certified for occupancy. As a result, our residents can officially move in, and we have flexibility to arrange these spaces for our use. This comes out of a lot of hard work on the part of many volunteers, and… Read more »
Kakumyo and two more volunteers worked on the playground structure Wednesday afternoon. More volunteers worked in the morning, and the structure is coming along nicely. Continuing to work in the afternoon in the current heat is difficult at best, requiring both dedication and making good decisions about when to stop. Wednesday Work Parties We have… Read more »
Every Saturday morning, a happy group of immigrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea come to work in the community gardens next to the barn on Siskiyou property. This is a partnership with the Oregon Food Bank’s Seed to Supper program and the Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural Resource Center. The garden has also received some financial support… Read more »
Frog Song is in the midst of their first week of summer camp – studying all about bugs! Otherwise, this week is very quiet, because many of the staff are at Dharma Camp, and so most programs here on the Siskiyou campus are on hiatus. First reports from camp are that it is mellow this… Read more »
This last Sunday, Kakumyo enlisted help from sangha members to move the canopy that has been in the Frog Song playground the last few years to back behind the barn. Frog Song has a new structure in the works that will replace the canopy as a covered area for the playground. Wednesday Work Parties The… Read more »
This last Sunday, Annen ended her 6-month term as shuso by presenting a verse from Genjokoan by Dogen. Dharma Rain and visiting teachers, as well as sangha members, questioned her, testing her understanding of the verse. She passed the test, according to her teacher Jiko, and received congratulations. This coming Sunday Yoan will be installed… Read more »
The weeks around summer solstice are the only time of the year when you see sunlight on the north side of the Sodo. Also the only time of year when sunlight comes through the north windows to illuminate the altar and cast these interesting shadows. The people participating in Genzo-e Sesshin have been privileged to… Read more »
Today, Frog Song families helped to raise the last beam on the shelter structure being built in the playground. This will replace the canopy that has been there for the last couple of years. The families became close during this school year, and on this, the last class of the year, the children were excitedly… Read more »
Last Sunday (June 3), the end of the Dharma School year, students presented skits to share some of what they learned this last year. The theme for the year was the Six Realms. A crowd gathered in the zendo, and included the adults and the children’s mingling together for lots of fun. Several of us… Read more »
A couple of years ago, Fujaku planted a lot of strawberry plants. This week, we are reaping the fruit of that planting, while Fu swelters in a monastery in Japan. Nothing like sweet fresh-picked organic strawberries for breakfast and in desserts! In other news, plumbing and electrical is moving forward on the duplexes, and volunteers… Read more »