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Zen Center News

 

Child Care Before Dharma School

Child-care is now available at the Dharma House during Sunday morning zazen and service from 8:30am to 10am, on Dharma School Sundays only. This is so parents can come and participate in services at the zendo before Dharma School starts. Children not enrolled in Dharma School can also attend child-care, but parents need to pick up their kids immediately after service, as the child-care attendants transform into Dharma School teachers or high school students.


Term Opening

The Fall Term opened Sun., Sept 29, after a day-long retreat the day before for more than 20 term students. Sangha members, as well as all term students present, took turns stating their vows for the Fall term. By speaking onešs vow before the community, practitioners are encouraged to maintain their vow, while the Sangha collectively holds the space and supports one another during the practice period.


Sangha Forum

On Sept. 29, in lieu of a Dharma talk, we opened the fall term with a well-attended Sangha forum ­ a general meeting of the membership, led by the board. We discussed our financial health, building maintenance, membership issues, ethical review, and changes in the by-laws. Remember that complete board meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board in the zendo basement, near the kitchen door.

 


 

On-Line Purchases

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.


 

Residency Program

Change is again underway at both the Dharma and Sangha houses, with current residents moving out, new residents moving in and a few shuffling between and within the two houses. Rose Grenelle moved out of the Sangha House in early September and Faddah Wolf will be moving out of the Dharma House in October. Fred Green has moved down to the Sangha House, while Anne Suiho Jensen has moved in to the Dharma House as a full-time resident. There are a couple of people on the waiting list, and still a few more hovering with interest.


 

Operations Corner

This summer has seen many changes at the Dharma House; most remarkably, four new egress windows have been installed in the basement, and the bedrooms have received a complete makeover. The remainder of the basement will be finished in November. Work projects in October will focus on replacing old plumbing, finishing landscaping and irrigation, working on the Sangha house bathroom, and some much-needed work on the Dharma House kitchen. With Ango in November, there will be plenty of projects if members wish to volunteer time for some mindful work practice.


 

Newsletter Submissions

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 wešve 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


 

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:

Thank you to all who give and support the stability and growth of the Center. Gassho to Josei, Ryushin and Mamiko for vegetarian sushi; Joe Niski and Nanette for a CSA food box full of organic vegetables; Lara Cartwright for a VCR; Kisei Martin for peppers, squash, tomatoes, & zucchiniŠall from her garden!; Jikan for blueberries; Erin Luthy for beans from her garden; Joan McKenna for blueberries; Sokyo Swallow for plums; Geoff Gass for pears; Anne Suiho Jensen for a wheelbarrow; Anthony Stevens for a rotary hammer; and Ann Lameka for garden veggies.

 

 

 

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STILL POINT edit of 31 October 2003
archive edit 26 February 2004
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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