Dharma Rain Zen Center - News

Zen Center News

March 2013

 

Nehan

 

Nehan is the commemoration of the Buddha’s death, or Parinirvana. The adult Nehan ceremony focuses on a moment when someone goes up to the altar and blows out all the candles and turns off the altar lamp. A statue of the dying Buddha, reclining on his side and surrounded by animals, has been placed on the altar for this ceremony. This is called a Parinirvana statue, indicating that it depicts the Buddha entering his final or complete nirvana (cessation), which comes only with physical death. Behind the statue is a small screen, and behind the screen is a single candle that remains lit. At the end of the ceremony, another person goes up and relights the altar from that single, hidden source.

In the kids’ Nehan ceremony we focus on the natural sadness around, and the importance of gently accepting death and loss. The kids gather in the small zendo in the Zen Center house where the Parinirvana statue is sitting on a low altar. The priest explains the scene depicted by the statue, asking for help from the kids who know the story and prompting the younger ones to imagine how the Buddha’s friends felt. The kids especially appreciate naming all the animals around the Buddha — on our statue, created by Gyokuko sensei, there are herons and wolves and elephants and all sorts of creatures. From the story the priest transitions into asking whether any of the kids have lost a person or animal or plant to death, or in some other way. Many of the kids have lost a pet or a grandparent, and many tell of friends that they lost touch with because of a move.

Everyone then spreads out and draws or writes down the thing they have lost, or perhaps — for the older kids — something they want to let go of, and offers it to the fire.

 

Shuso Hossen

On February 3, Genko Rainwater finished her year of being Chief Junior, or Shuso, with a Hossen ceremony, where she presented a verse from the Universal Gateway Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, and was questioned about the dharma of that verse.

Processing in are (from left) Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, precentor; Genko Rainwater, shuso; Kyogen Carlson, Abbot; Jyoshin Clay, jisha; and Katherine Still, jikko.

The verse Genko chose was the following:

If drifting in a vast sea,
Menaced by dragons, fish, and demons,
By mindfully invoking Kanzeon's power
The billowing waves cannot drown you.

Fujaku, incoming shuso, asked the first question.

Then visiting teachers as well as sangha members asked questions in turn. Once everyone was satisfied, she presented a capping verse:

A thousand eyes to see the cries
a thousand hands and arms
clearly seeing, always wise
responding to the world's alarms.

She saw my dry and hidden tears
unlocked my fears, and I fell apart.
Amidst the rubble I could hear
the clear, true bell, her compassionate heart.

Now I wander freely on top of the waves
afloat in a sea of emptiness
like dragons, demons, and fish at play
I find joy in our togetherness.

You and she and I rejoice:
I speak at last in my own Buddha voice.

 

 

After her teacher told her she had done well, there were more bows to teachers, followed by congratulations.

 

Siskiyou Work Practice Days

We have had several work practice days at the new property, and have several more planned. This is a fun time, and has been connecting the Sangha with the Siskiyou neighborhood.

 

A couple of pictures from the January practice. Setting up food during the chilly morning — lunch and snacks, coffee and hot water for tea, and water for drinking and hand-washing. And a shot of the ravine in the afternoon sunlight.

A big project has been clearing blackberries. How have we done this? Let us count the ways. Here are some pictures from the February 28 work practice.

 

Ki’an wields a machine with a motor, while Kevin joyfully attacks with a hand tool.

 

 

 

Matt works with another machine, while children (and also a lot of adults) use time-tested loppers.

 

 

 

Kakumyo and Yoan both work with trees in their own ways, along with several other helpers. In February, we borrowed a chipper to turn the trimmings into mulch for the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing among former blackberry brambles, Gyokuko points out future plans to Travis and child.

 

 

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Thank you

Dharma Rain Zen Center is entirely supported by membership and donations. We appreciate all the hard work volunteers put into keeping the Center running. In addition, a “thank you” goes out to

  • Jonathan Chrighton for eggs and potatoes
  • Ota for tofu
  • Oblique for a substantial discount on good coffee
  • Debra Seido Martin for produce — including potatoes, squash, leeks, chard
  • Chuck Eishin Powers and Tao of Tea for tea
  • Ken Barker and Jeff Stookey for milk, vegetables, cheese, hummus, salad dressings, broom and dustpan, cookies, and oranges

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Sangha Support Net (SSN)

As Dana (generosity) is one of the six perfections and the most important of meritorious works enjoined on us through practice, it is the mission of the Sangha Support Network (SSN) to provide assistance in time of need to the members and associates of Dharma Rain Zen Center. The SSN is a charitable non-profit support group committed to helping individuals in the sangha in times of need due to chronic illness, death, despair, and discouragement.

Temporary assistance may be offered in the form of physical help such as moving, transportation, or a visit to a hospital or sickbed. Assistance might also take the form of counseling an individual to seek help, helping navigate through the larger community social service system, or finding other sangha resources that address their needs. The SSN provides an opportunity for cultivating compassion, balanced with equanimity.

Please contact the SSN [ssn at dharma-rain.org] if you or someone you know is in need of support.

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Member News

Current Residents

As of March 8, we had the following residents. Full time: Kyogen, Gyokuko, Kakumyo, Genko, Jyoshin, Fujaku, Shin’yu, Shin’ei, Doug, Sokai, and Mia. Part-time: Gemmon, Bukkai, and Josei.

Katie left to go spend six months in South Africa. David Choten Robinson is scheduled to move in March 12-15 to become a full-time resident.

Do You Have News to Share?

Let us know what’s going on with you, and we will share it with the rest of the sangha. If you have photos of Center events, let us share them as well.

 

Begging Bowl

Supplies for Dharma School are always welcome.

 

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