Dharma Rain - News

Zen Center News

May-June 2006

eScrip
Jukai 2006
Tanahashi Translation Workshop
Member News
Spring Term Student Retreat
Thank You
Begging Bowl
Newsletter Submissions

eScrip: Raise funds for the Center and Dharma School while shopping

Here is a new way to contribute to the Center that doesn’t cost you anything extra. Put your normal shopping to work for us by enrolling in eScrip. The way it works is that merchant members budget an allowance for donation to schools and charities. The fundraising company eScrip disperses the funds. We qualify for these donations because of our work with children. This is the first grant program we have found for which we qualify, and we would like to take maximum advantage of this opportunity.

To join in this opportunity, you may simply sign yourself in at escrip.com or give your name, address, zip and Safeway Club Card number to Gyokuko. You can sign up on forms at the Center or e-mail gyokuko at dharma-rain.org (using the proper symbol for the at).

If you would like to do more, you may go to escrip.com and register credit and debit card numbers. Then when you use the registered payment cards at a member merchant, that merchant will make a donation based on the size of your payment. A partial list of merchants include: Market of Choice, Whole Foods, Yoke’s Fresh, Zupan’s, Carl’s Jr., Big 5 (WA only), The Perfect Grape, Sierra Trading Post, Pep Boys, Orvis, Office Max, Linens ’n’ Things, Eddie Bauer, It’s a Beautiful Pizza, New York New York, Blue Bamboo, Cactus Jacks Tex­Mex, Casa Colima, Chen’s Dynasty, Got Curry?, Halo Thai, Amadeus, Big Daddy’s BBQ, Marrakesh Moroccan, Montego Bay, Pasta Pronto, Sakura Bana, Samurai Sam’s, Tambayan Restaurant, Crab Bowl, Rose and Raindrop, Tik Tok, Tuscany Grill, Village Inn (Lloyd Center and Beaverton), Wong’s Chinese (Tualatin and Wilsonville), Zao Noodle Bar.

Additional merchants and restaurants may be seen on the website, where you may also download coupons that save you money and generate another nickel for the Center each time one is redeemed. There is also an option to shop the Online Mall, which includes Home Depot, JC Penney and Target.

Start with the easy part, though. Just register your Safeway Club Card number to let Safeway donate toward our work with children.

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Jukai Ceremony

Our annual Jukai ceremony was held on Sunday, March 19. Eighteen people received the bodhisattva precepts and formally became Buddhists. Receiving Jukai at Dharma Rain does not necessarily imply commitment to this particular temple or lineage, but instead is a very personal step toward clarifying and deepening one’s own intention to live as a Buddhist, entering into the “Sangha of the Ten Directions.”

Jukai participants and staff. From left to right (look at the right ear): Mary Payne, Joesph Walder, Domyo Sater — Work Leader, Bruce Podobnik, Tsarra Berger, Keven Hendrick, Thomas Oleary, Maya Williams, “A.J.” Davis, Kyogen Carlson — Preceptor, Tam An Kinh Tran, Maria Luisa Centeno, Stacey Bassett, Nathan Martin, Wesley Wright, Geoffrey Fletcher, Patty Garland, Sosetsu Stauffer — Shuso, Christina Trotti­Valela, Chris Marchi, Zoki Orman — Jisha.

During rehearsal for the Jukai cermony, Tam An Kinh Tran (right) practices with jisha Zoki Orman, preceptor and priest Kyogen Carlson, and work leader Domyo Sater.

Being watched by the rest of the Jukai partcipants, Mary Payne (left) shares a smile with the staff as they practice at the ceremony rehearsal.

During the Jukai Ceremony, being witnessed by friends, family, and the other Jukai particpants, Nathan Martin (right) receives the precepts from Kyogen Carlson, officially making him a Buddhist. Welcome Nathan, and all the other people who received the precepts this year!!

Preceptees find their Jukai certificates after the ceremony, with help from Domyo Sater (left).

 


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Spring Term Student Events

The first spring Term Student retreat went well. Nineteen participants were divided into two groups. Each student made a presentation to their group, answering one of three questions posed by Kyogen in advance. Questions from others in the group followed. The focus of the retreat was to help students clarify some aspect of Dharma as it relates to personal experience by attempting to explain it to others. It was interesting and challenging to do this. A sense of shared experiences and an appreciation of differences arose among those participating in this retreat.

 

Tanahashi Translations Workshop

On Thursday January 12, Kazuaki Tanahashi led a Dogen Translation workshop at the Portland Dharma Center. Several members of Dharma Rain Zen Center and Zen Community of Oregon participated. Using a rough translation of Dogen’s Ki-e Sambo, “Taking Refuge in the Three Treasures,” as basic material, they worked to refine and polish the translation into fluid English, while Kaz kept us true to Dogen’s original intention. It should appear in Kaz’s translation of the complete Shobogenzo.

From left: Gyokuko Carlson, Domyo Sater, Hogen Bays, Kazuaki Tanahashi, Josh Bartok and Genko Rainwater.

 

 

 

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Member News

At our last newsletter staff meeting, we realized that something has fallen through the newsletter cracks — Member News! And it is due time we brought it back. So many of us are involved with the Center, but our main interaction is often limited to staring at the back of other members’ heads.

This section will allow members and friends to share important news in their life. Getting married? Having or adopting a child? Moving? Starting an exciting new career? Graduating? Won a major award? Let us know! Send an email to newsletter@dharma­rain.org, with the subject noting “Member News,” or drop off a note to the Center with your announcement.

Recent member news

It’s been an especially exciting time at the Martin household. Members Michael and Gwen Kisei Martin celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on March 23, and their son, Nate, took the precepts this spring, making this the first “entire family” of members who have taken precepts at Dharma Rain. Nate joins a small but growing number of adult members who have attended our Dharma School program. Congratulations!

DRZC’s precentor, Blair Vail, has just become a licensed massage therapist, specializing in pain management and posture issues. She is now accepting clients. Blair and her partner, Rich Mackin, continue to perform acoustic music at the Star E. Rose coffeehouse on NE 24th and Alberta every second and fourth Sunday at noon. In other musical news, Lisa Mann, bass player and vocalist, has released a new CD, Self Material. It’s an eclectic mix of rock, blues and more.

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Thank You

Thank you to all who give and support the stability and growth of the Center. Gassho to... Zenkyo and Kim for the treadmill; Geoff Gass for oranges, muffins and donuts; Kathryn Work for a zabuton and zafus; Erin Luthy for Dharma School craft supplies; Faddah Yuetsu Wolf for sourdough bread; Ivy Holt for produce, candles, honey, olive oil, beans, rice, noodles and books... and anyone else we may have forgotten!

 

Begging Bowl

In addition to the ongoing financial needs (remember the much needed roof repair), the Center could use a fairly compact audio CD player and sound system, primarily for dharma school. We could also use a second, heavy-duty wheelbarrow (we tend to be tough on them), and sunflower starts for the garden. And any small and durable musical instruments (drums, horns, bells, etc.) for dharma school would bring great joy.

 

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Newsletter Submissions

The paper copy of the newsletter is assembled and edited during the first week of every other month. Submissions are welcome and needed. Please submit short or long articles, which can focus on any point of practice, including travel, research or personal experience; descriptions of events we’ve had; the occasional poem or drawing. We do not print anonymous articles. Please submit typed submissions if at all possible, and by e-mail if you can, to: newsletter@Dharma-Rain.org (this saves the newsletter staff from having to re-type the work). If you have questions or ideas for an article, contact Choten at the above email address.

Deadlines and possible topics:

  • July-August issue (summer practice, poems, cartoons): deadline June 1
  • September-October issue (fall term, term student program, Segaki): deadline August 1
  • November-December issue (Founders’ Day, Rohatsu, Holiday Season): deadline Oct. 1