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Many people from both the DRZC and ZCO sanghas took part in the annual 4th of July picnic at GVZM in Clatskanie. The celebrating began before the picnic with GVZM's participation in the Clatskanie parade, in which they paraded through town on a marimba float. Kyogen grilled again this year and many wonderful culinary delights were shared by all. It was a beautiful, sun-splashed day, filled with many activities, including kite flying, board games, hikes in the woods, basketball in the gym, Frisbee and one of the most grueling and exciting soccer games ever! Catch more digital snapshots of the day posted on the DRZC website.
The Men's Group held its first weekend retreat during June 27-29 at the Muzik Guard Station Lookout in the mountains east of Cottage Grove, Oregon. Ten men took part in the retreat, which was loosely structured to allow for plenty of quiet time to sit, hike and explore.
Upon arriving at the campsite, Kyogen read two poems translated in Cultivating the Empty Field by Taigen Daniel Leighton: "Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage" by Shitou and "Guidepost of Silent Illumination" by Hongzhi. These poems were read aloud each day by all present and served as a thread connecting us to our formal practice. Silence was maintained until breakfast each morning; however, much time was spent hiking and scrabbling up hillsides, scanning peaks from Hood to Shasta, exploring the remains of a mining ghost-town, and getting to know each other better through stories shared around the campfire (and, not to forget, hopelessly attempting to dodge swarms of gnats, flies and mosquitoes). Many thanks go to Kenryu and Kakumyo for organizing this event and for serving up some stellar fireside meals! More pictures of the retreat can be viewed on the DRZC website.
Kenryu cooks up a feast!
Todd stands silhouetted against the Cascade Mountains.
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.
About 30 members and their families and friends gathered at Colonel Summers Park for the annual Sangha picnic on July 26. After a great picnic feast, softball (actually, wiffleball) was again popular this year, with Ezra Parker and Fred Green showing us how the game is really played! Ultimate Frisbee and croquet followed.
We are keeping pace with routine repairs and maintenance, but are not making much progress on new projects. September promises to be a big month as the basement windows are installed and the yard gets put back together.
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
Thanks To:
Thank you to all who give and support the stability and growth of the Center. Gassho to Shoten Carver for a load of mulch; our neighbors, Ric & Marie Seaberg for a fig tree; Erica, Parviz, Helena & Jupiter Seth Ceilidh for a brussel sprout plant for the garden; Myoan McCarty for peas; Sokyo for a rosemary plant; Ann Suiho Jensen for greens, vegetables, fruit, plants and the best bear claws in the world(!); JoAnn, Dave and Jeff Lesh for homemade rhubarb jam, kelp salsa and spruce-tip syrup (sent all the way from Gustavus, Alaska); Kat Streiby and Charles Congdon for Rainer cherries; Yuishin Clark for watercolor paper and other art supplies; JD Devros for bok choy; Tai'an Blackwood for an upgraded pond pump; and Rene Berblinger for a variety of homegrown squash and cucumbers.
STILL POINT archive edit of 30 December 2003
Dharma Rain Zen Center Newsletter
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