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Thank you to all the members who have volunteered their time and skills to help keep our growing Sangha running smoothly. Sometimes the amount of work required to keep everything going seems overwhelming, but with many hands helping, the load is lightened. On the facing page is a partial list of the jobs recently filled by members for the current term (and often beyond; DH = Dharma House, BH = Buddha House, or zendo, SH = Sangha House):
Believe it or not, these are not all the jobs there are. For instance, there are still three very important caretaking positions currently unfilled (and frequently neglected), which need attention on a weekly basis: zendo kitchen caretaker, zendo tea room caretaker, and zendo lecture room caretaker. To help out, please speak with anyone on the Apprenticeship Committee (see below).
Cleaning/Caretaking Laundry Mikio Ohgushi Trash Oliver Young Domyo Sater Recycling Jim Schulz-Browning Yard Consultant Shoten Carver Yard Asst. BH Sally Schoolmaster Yard Asst. DH Yafe' Binns Carl Shoemaker Yard Asst. SH Domyo Sater Lawn DH David Robinson Bathrooms BH Homitsu White Bathrooms DH Rose Grenelle Vacuum Zendo Kosen Hynson DH Floors Faddah Wolf Misc Cookies Fred Green DH Dusting Raika Garrard Library Shin'ei Brown Email Group Enji Hoogstra Zendo Attendants Web Site Jeanette Ryan Tues. Gatekeeper Faddah Wolf Outreach Dainin Morse Tues. Ev. Opener Kisei Martin Domyo Sater Tues. Ev. Closer Enji Hoogstra Finances Treasurer Gary Oshiro Wed. Gatekeeper Faddha Wolf Asst. Treasurer Chikan Pfeifer Wed. Ev. Opener Chikan Pfeiffer Asst. Treasurer Joe Niski Sunday Opener Hugh Draney Treasurer Trainee Jerome Madden Sunday Closer Hugh Draney Sunday Doorwatch Kat Strieby Sales, fundraising Bookshop Mgr. Fred Green Sewing Master Kisei Martin Sewing Apprentice Faddah Wolf Taping Tape Classes/Talks Hugh Draney Tape Duplication Fred Green Newsletter Content Editor Sosetsu Stauffer Copy Editor Jiko Tisdale Layout Apprentice Laura Cartwright Calendar Domyo Sater Events/News Lara Cartwright Ceremonial Mailing Yafe' Binns Precentor Kei'un Clardy Jisha Gyoshi Kaplan BH Sacristan David Robinson DH Sacristan Rose Grenelle Dharma School Parent Contact Bess Yuishin Clark Helper/Floater Ko'in Newsom High School Teacher Sosetsu Stauffer Middle School Teachers Jeff Hotei Coleman Sara Coleman Grade School Boys Eric Leatha Homitsu White Grade School Girls Jeanette Ryan Enji Hoogstra Workshops Coordinator Hoyu Clardy Preschool Group Bess Yuishin Clark Leaders Hoyu Clardy Zenkyo Howard Dosho Van Sant Jiko Tisdale Dainin Morse Assistants Kisei Martin Yuishin Clark Shintai Dungay Sokyo Swallow Fred Green Faddah Wolf
On Sun. February 24, Karen Sokyo Swallow took on the brave task of becoming Shuso for the next year. She is welcomed by the Sangha members, and we are sure to put her to the test. You're in the hot seat now, Sokyo! !
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 puruse and purchace Zen Center publicatons. Point your browser to: http://www.dharma-rain.org/StillPoint/pp/pub.html.
A reminder that the Center goes on Summer schedule starting June 9. Please see details in the Events section of this newsletter and the calendar.
Anyone who has been in the Buddha House lately has noticed the new, beautiful carpet installed downstairs in the lecture room. Donated anonymously by a member, it replaced the old carpet which was finally (and mercifully) ripped out after the messy removal of the old boiler. Some members allege the pattern on the new carpet gives deeper insights while staring at it during moments of ZazenŠ.
More good news about the Zendo: the leak that was flooding the sewing room downstairs has been stopped (we hope for good) by a new drain installed outside. This drain catches not only rainwater from our building, but from the neighbor's house as well. The sewing master is grateful for this repair. Finally, in an attempt to be somewhat proactive with building upkeep, we are currently taking bids to replace the roof on the Dharma House.
It seems the pond in the side yard at the Dharma House has become a favorite for neighborhood frogs, indigenous Pacific Tree frogs, to be exact. If you have spent time there lately, you have probably heard the noisy critters as they try to lure mates to their watery love nest. A few must have had success as the pond is loaded with frog eggs. . .
Sometimes we have questions about practice we don't want to take to formal sanzen on Sundays. Two other options are available: speaking with a practice advisor and informal sanzen. Practice advisors are lay disciples who meet with people in an advisory capacity informally, getting together over coffee or by phone. Contact Jill Bukkai Washburn through the Center 503-239-4846 for more information. All advising is kept confidential.
Far left: Painting crew stops to pose.ZCO finally has possession of the property in Clatskanie that is quickly developing into the Great Vow Zen Monastery. (They are cleaning and moving stuff in, but Hogen, Chozen and the ZCO residents won't be living there until the occupancy permit is acquired, probably sometime from mid-April to early May.)
Immediate Left: Chozen, Official Photographer of Great Vow.
DRZC members joined ZCO members for a work day there March 23, which was both fun and successful, and by the end of the day, many of the volunteers fell in love with the property and its prospects!
Left: Hogen and Chozen chat with volunteers.
Right: Chozen and Gykuko inspect the premises; Hogen waves.
Left: Crew gets silly from paint fumes and stops to clown around.
ZCO will be needing a lot of help with this project in terms of labor and financial support; having their monastery available as a retreat center and place of practice benefits all of us. If you would like to volunteer, please call ZCO at 1-503-728-0654.
Below: The whole work crew stops to rest.
We're full! All the resident spaces at both Houses are completely occupied. Welcome new residents: Brett Milligan in the Dharma House, for a two-month stay, and David Robinson and Hyakurei Florence at the Sangha House.
It takes many busy hands to make a sesshin happen.
Work periods give retreatants a chance to develop active meditation and to contribute to the well-being of all.
Left: Goodies are prepared for formal tea.
Above: Tenzo and helpers prepare for mindful work in the kitchen.
Below: Making a delicious meal for hungry meditators.Below: Retreatants help clean up gardens and flower beds for spring-time blossoms.
Below Right: Flowers are prepared for the altar.
Ten zabutons and a collection of great dharma books are now available for use by the meditation group at Coffee Creek. Thank you very much for your generous donations -- Getsushin Brox and the women at Coffee Creek.
Member Lara Cartwright was married to Rob Bender on April 20 in a traditional Buddhist ceremony with many added modern features and the blessing of a Catholic priest to boot. Congratulations to Lara and Rob.
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; we'll take it from there.
We are grateful to Katie Bretsch for a food processor; Bess Yuishin Clark for two cookbooks; Ani Paldrön for tea; Mikio Ohgushi for two books for the prison program; Marta Farris for lots of bread; Gina Jikan for sweetbread; Heidi Enji Hoogstra for an office chair (which is undoubtedly a great benefit to our abbot, who spends much of his day at his computer); Hyakurei Florence for books, squash and soba; Hogen and Chozen Bays for a box of pots, and Lara Cartwright for olive oil.
Much thanks also to those who have helped prepare us as a sangha to deal with the struggles and the deaths of members: Scott Teijin Grim, who handcrafted a stunning wooden portable altar for private memorials; the many people who helped with the Jôjû project - making white clothing, rakhusus, wagessas and malas; and Joseph Mugaku Engum for the new Transfer of Merit Board for the zendo. Special merit to Jill Bukkai Washburn, who initiated and shepherded this project to maturity.
The Zen Center is begging for a few items: a large (7-quart or bigger) commercial mixer to keep bread in the mouths of hungry residents; a few garden benches; used kitchen cabinets and drawers for the Sangha House; and an economical, low milage used car.
STILL POINT archive edit of 27 October 2002
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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