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Our annual Segaki Retreat and Segaki Toro was held October 24-26. On Sun., Oct. 26, an altar was set up at the back of the Zendo and filled with sugary sweets; salty, fad-laden potato and corn chips; and other tempting junk food to lure the hungry ghosts to partake of the Dharma they desperately desire but are unable to accept. While Sangha members chanted and each made an offering of incense, names of people who had recently died were read aloud. Later that same evening, the beautiful and solemn Segaki Toro ritual closed the weekend.
Left: The altar covered with goodies for the Hungry Ghosts or Gakis (and the hungry humans). Click here for larger image.
Right: Segaki comes at about the same time as Halloween. Here is Fred, joyfully celebrating Halloween. (For a truly terrifying close-up, click here.)
If you are a member of DRZC and would like a tax receipt for donations made during the 2002 calendar year, please call the Center.
On Sat., Nov. 1, four students became lay disciples of Kyogen: Sylvan Rainwater, now Genko (Mystery Light); Faddah Wolf, now Yuetsu (Joy Soften); Oliver Young, now Ha'an (Destroy the Hermitage); and Joe Niski, now Shisei (Discover the Truth).
(Click on any photo to see a larger view, or click here to see a page with larger photos.)
Right: The ceremony begins with Kakumyo, Kyogen and Domyo at a simple altar.
All the lay disciples share a "family name"- Keido ("bright hall")- taken from one of our temple founders, Keido Chisan. They've made a commitment not only to accept intimate direction from a particular teacher, but to take responsibility for the health, welfare and future of this temple and lineage.
Above: Joe Niski, DRZC corporate secretary, receiving his Dharma name, Shisei (to seek the truth) from Kyogen, becoming a Lay Disciple.
Right: New lay disciples of Kyogen (from the left wearing the white katas): Joe Shisei Niski, Sylvan Genko Rainwater, Oliver Ha'an Young and Faddah Yuetsu Wolf. Kakumyo and Domyo assised with the ceremony.
DRZC now has the capability to accept payment for many goods and services on-line through our web site. You can sign up and pay for retreats, subscribe to Still Point, and purchase Zen Center publications. To purchase publications, point your browser to: http://www.dharma-rain.org/StillPoint/pp/pub.html.
Faddah Yuetsu Wolf's father, Jerome Wolf, died on October 26. A memorial was held on Oct. 31; Yuetsu thanks the sangha for the support he has received. Jerome Madden and his wife, Jennifer Wentzien, have a new member in their family: Heinrich Paul, who was born on Nov. 7, is named after ancestors from both sides of the family. Shin'ei Brown is now living at GVZM. Mary Raika Garrard has moved to Corvalis and, although she misses her sangha, is enjoying small-town life. She plans to visit often and hopes that we will stay in touch with her. (If you have any news you wish to share with the sangha, please email choten@earthlink.net .)
Steady progress has been made on improvements to the Dharma House both for city-mandated projects, as well as routine repairs (phone system) and beautification (stitting/Kanzeon room/old library). Look for a new fence at the Sangha House, and round two of the Dharma House basement remodel in the near future.
The newsletter is assembled and edited during the first week of every other month. Submissions are very welcome: 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, contact Choten at 503/234.3813.
Deadlines and possible topics:
January-February (New Year's eve, precepts study, Hossen): December 1
March-April (Jukai, spring term): February 1
May-June (Denkoe, end of term, summer): April 1
July-August (summer practice): June 1
September-October (fall term, term student program, Segaki): August 1
November-December (Founder's Day, Rohatsu, Christmas): October 1
Please consider having your monthly pledges to DRZC automatically withdrawn from your personal checking account. DRZC has entered into an agreement with an accounting service to process the monthly withdrawals from the checking accounts of participating members and deposit them in our account for a monthly maintenance fee charged to DRZC. In additional to saving everyone paper, this process will save time for our treasurer and will conveniently reduce each participating members monthly "To Do" list by one item.
Sign-up forms are available at the Center; just ask one of the priests or Board members, or call or drop us a line. When you complete the form, just return it to the Center with a voided personal check and sit back and relax; well take it from there.
A large, stone mortar & pestle; a jigsaw and a circular saw; and a Captain's bed (a twin bed with storage space built in).
Thanks To:
Thank you to all who give and support the stability and growth of the Center. Gassho to Kisei for veggies; JD for fruit; Susan McDaniel for canned goods; Jikan for mochi; Seido for veggies; Ota Tofu for tofu and soy nectar; Choten for a donation toward the purchase of a light fixture and pot rack for the DH kitchen; Lara Cartwright for tomatoes and a computer monitor; Zenkyo and Mark for a car for the Carlsons; Jerome Wolf for a garlic press, 20" TV/DVD and VCR; Rene Berblinger for lots of veggies; Rich Mackin for broccoli; Kosen Hynson for a futon frame; Troy Fowler for cookies; Raika for figs and sugar; Joe Shissei Niski for veggies; Keishin for mochi; Doug and Linda Carnine for pillow covers; Mary Anne Mitchelle for a statuary stand; Sokyo Swallow for calligraphy of the Bodhisattva Vows; Rebekah Elowyn for plants and fruit. And to the many others we may have forgotten to name, for their generosity.
STILL POINT edit of 29 December 2003
Edited for archive on June 30, 2004
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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