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Zen Center News

 

Mountains and Waters Sesshin

Once again, Jill Bukkai Washburn led a retreat she sometimes refers to as 'camp for adults,' a combination of sitting, study of Dogen's Mountains and Waters Sutra, and outdoor activities like hiking and campfire tales. Attendees agree that the combination of silent work, quiet study, play, and group sharing is potent and welcome. Now that we're doing retreats at Great Vow, it's also a chance to enjoy Camp Adams beautiful woods again.


 

Newsletter Submissions

The newsletter is put together in the first week of every other month. Submissions are very welcome: short or long articles, which can be on any point of practice, including travel, research or personal experience; descriptions of events we've had; the occasional poem or drawing. We don't 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 Jiko, 239-9323.

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

 
 

Dharma Camp

In late August, 22 young people came together at Great Vow for Dharma camp. The high school students attended for almost seven days, the younger ones for almost five days. Early-morning semi-silent sittings, formal breakfasts marked by solemn hilarity (or is it hilarious solemnity?), games and mini-workshops, a massive water fight and more were the events of the week. On the last day, family and friends gathered to enjoy skits, songs and leftovers. Many deep thanks to the staff who volunteer to make this wonderful week come to life.



On-Line Purchaces

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. To purchase publications, point your browser to: http://www.dharma-rain.org/StillPoint/pp/pub.html.


 

Lay/Monk Forum

At the end of September, 18 seminary students spent an entire weekend discussing the question of lay and monastic lives. This was an elective class for seminary and something of an experiment. Each participant picked a topic to research, made a presentation and led a discussion. Subjects ranged from the historical and academic, such as the relationship of certain sutras to this question, to the personal and present-day, like right livelihood. It was an exhausting weekend, but filled with lively conversation and debate. Many people also expressed a sense of dissatisfaction with the forum, as the topic proved enormous and subtle, and many more questions were raised than put to rest. Perhaps another such event or a longer class on the topic will take place in the future.

 


Whole Nine Yards Sale

Our annual gigantic yard sale held over Labor Day weekend this year was a terrific success. Many gasshos to members who donated goods to sell and those who volunteered to tag items, act as cashiers, and clean up afterwards. A special thank you to Jackie who coordinated the whole shebang.


 

Operations Corner

The kitchen remodel at the Sangha House proceeds apace: it's beginning to look like a kitchen again. Special, super-sized thanks to Yafe and Hugh for their long hours and tireless (or so it looks from here) efforts. Youre not really tired, are you, guys?


 

Term Opening

The Fall Term opened Sunday October 6, after a day-long retreat the day before for the 20 term students. Sangha members, as well as all term students, stated vows for the coming term. Speaking the vow aloud in front of everyone encourages members to maintain their vow with the support of the entire Sangha.


 

Advice Available

Sometimes we have questions about practice we dont 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.


Electronic Pledges

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.



Thanks To:

Gasshos to Ani Paldron for homemade pickles; Debra Martin for beets, carrots and salad greens; Joe Niski and Nanette Redmond for one week's worth of produce from Sauvie Island Organic; Eric Leatha for a bike trailer; Great Vow for produce; David Robinson for a pineapple; Rose for cloth and flowers; John for pears; Shin'chi for a Jukai cookie mold; Sokyo for biscotti; and J.D. Devros for eggplant & zucchini.

 

Begging Bowl

A used, economical small car for the priests is really needed. We're still looking for the ever-elusive 7 qt. bread mixer. A small kitchen tragedy has created a need for a 4 qt. stainless steel saucepan.

Photo left: Ellen, a former resident of Sangha House, now in the 6th grade, left this drawing behind to cheer up the kitchen-remodeling crew.

 


 

 

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STILL POINT edit of 3 November 2002
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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