Dharma Rain - Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets — Draft

Adult Sangha Fact Sheet

Mission — Dharma Rain Zen Center (DRZC) seeks to help people find and understand the source of suffering in daily life, and to release and cure that suffering for the benefit of themselves and others. A Zen Buddhist temple for lay practice, DRZC is dedicated to helping people realize, cultivate and integrate principles of compassion, loving kindness and peace of mind in everyday, normal American lives. DRZC strives to help each person find his or her own center in meditation, live a moral daily life and bring an energetic mindfulness to all situations.

History — DRZC has been continuously active in the greater Portland area for over 30 years. Originally founded as an affiliate of Mt. Shasta Abbey in California, DRZC has operated as an independent organization since 1986. DRZC has been under the guidance of co-abbots Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson, ordained Zen Buddhist priests, for 20 years.

Uniqueness — DRZC is the largest Zen Buddhist congregation in the state Oregon, and has an intentional focus on lay practitioners. DRZC is open to all persons regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation. All programs are either free or low-cost. DRZC is engaged with the broader Zen Buddhist community on the national, state and local levels, and encourages its members to be actively engaged in the community at large.

Structure — DRZC is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization governed by an 11-member Board of Directors. Spiritual and operational guidance is provided by the co-abbots. DRZC has more than 160 dues-paying members, and owns and occupies three facilities totaling 20,000 square feet in Southeast Portland, including two houses and a temple. A volunteer-driven organization, DRZC operates with a $150,000 annual budget.

Programs — In addition to services on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, DRZC’s Adult Sangha program includes four components:

  1. Community Outreach includes presentations by DRZC at colleges and universities, visits to DRZC by area students enrolled in philosophy or religion classes, and participation in area interfaith dialogues.
  2. Education Programs include Introductory Workshops providing visitors or newcomers with a broad overview of meditation and Buddhist practice. Workshops are offered twice a month, are two hours in length, and are free of charge. Introductory Classes are held on most Wednesday evenings, explore related Buddhist themes over four to eight weeks, are interactive, and are free of charge. Seminary Classes are held most Tuesday evenings for members who have an established practice, and an interest in more in-depth study.
  3. Retreats provide an opportunity to delve deeply into meditation and self-reflection, range from one day to one week in length, and are offered five times a year.
  4. Residency provides members with a chance to deepen their practice by living at the temple while maintaining their work, education or other lay commitments. Residency periods can range from several days to two years.

People Served — DRZC served more than 1,000 unduplicated men and women in 2006.

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Dharma School Fact Sheet

Mission — DRZC’s Dharma School program seeks to teach kids compassion, loving kindness, equanimity and peace of mind, provide tools for self-reflection and insight, and provide the vocabulary and tools to facilitate their later spiritual search.

History — DRZC’s Dharma School was founded in 1984 by Abbot Gyokuko Carlson in response to requests from members and non-members for family and youth-friendly programs. Four children were part of the first Dharma School in 1984. As a natural extension of Dharma School, and again at the request of members and non-members, Dharma Camp was added in 1995. Five children attended the first camp.

Uniqueness — DRZC’s Dharma School program is the largest child-specific program operated by a Buddhist congregation in Oregon, and one of the oldest and largest operated by a Buddhist group in the country. The program is open to all youth regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation, emphasizes a practical, skills-based focus, and operates almost exclusively with volunteer labor

Structure — DRCZ’s Dharma School program consists of two components:

  1. Dharma School is offered every other Sunday morning from September through June. Programming includes music, meditation, lesson and discussion, and facilitated recreation. Participants range in age from 3-18 years old, and are clustered into five age-appropriate groups - pre-school, early elementary, late elementary, middle school and high school. Approximately 27% of participants are youth of color, 50% do not come from DRZC member families, and 25% come from families with no spiritual or religious affiliation. A total of 75 unduplicated youth were served in 2006, and some 20 DRZC members volunteered as activity leaders and teachers.
  2. Dharma Camp is a seven day residential camp held at a sister facility in Clatskanie, Oregon in August each year. Daily programming includes meditation, group discussion, arts and crafts and facilitated recreation. Campers range in age from 8-18 years old, and are clustered into four age-appropriate groups – middle elementary, late elementary, middle school and high school. A total of 42 unduplicated youth were served in 2006. Of those, approximately 17% attended on full or partial scholarships and 17% were youth of color. Camp utilized some 30 volunteers, including 20 DRZC members and 10 members of a sister congregation in Clatskanie.

Youth Served — A total of 101 unduplicated youth were served in 2006.

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Prison Outreach Fact Sheet

Mission — DRZC’s Prison Program seeks to: 1) give men and women who are incarcerated the tools to deal with their own lives, gain insight into the habits and patterns that have got them where they are, stop harming themselves and others, and become happier and freer people wherever they are; and 2) help men and women transition successfully back into society upon release from prison, starting or maintaining a self-evaluation and insight practice.

History — DRZC’s Prison Program was founded in 1997 by a 65 year old University of Oregon French Literature professor who had a brother who was murdered. When a man on death row in Arkansas contacted the Temple requesting support, she corresponded with him until he was executed. One year later two men on death row in Oregon contacted her, and in response, the program was started. Since retiring in 1999, the now 73-year old has since made this program her life’s work

Uniqueness — DRZC’s Prison Program is the largest prison outreach program in Oregon operated by a Buddhist congregation. The program is open to men and women regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation, and has a practical skills-based focus. Since its inception, services have been provided almost exclusively with volunteer labor.

Structure — DRZC’s Prison Program consists of two components:

1. Prison Groups include meditation, facilitated discussion on topics such as compassion, loving kindness, equanimity and peace of mind, and workshops on topics such as anger management and non-violent communication. Active prison groups are located in the following locations:

  • Oregon State Penitentiary (Salem) meets twice a month, with an average attendance of 25. Some 1/3 of participants are men of color, most are serving long term or life sentences for serious crimes, including murder. A total of 40 unduplicated men were served in 2006.
  • Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (Wilsonville) includes two groups: i) Minimum Security meets every other Saturday morning, with an average attendance is 8. 20 unduplicated women were served in 2006. ii) Medium Security meets every Friday evening, with an average attendance of 15. A total of 35 unduplicated women were served in 2006.
  • Two Rivers Correctional Institution (Umatilla) meets quarterly. A total of 30 unduplicated men were served in 2006.
  • Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (Pendleton) meets weekly. A total of 15 unduplicated men were served in 2006.

2. Dharma Friends consists of DRZC members who volunteer to be paired with a woman upon release to provide ongoing support. A total of 5 unduplicated women were served by 5 volunteers in 2006.

People Served — 110 unduplicated men and women incarcerated in state prisons were served in 2006.

 

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