Dharma Rain - News
Zen Center News
Fall Ango — Nov. 5 through Dec. 11
DRZC offers intensive training periods, or Ango, twice a year — one
in the fall and one in the spring. The recent Fall Ango, a month-long intensive,
included extra sitting in the mornings and afternoons, and silent meals. Fall
Ango began with the all-night Founder's Vigil on Sat., Nov. 5 and culminated
with Rohatsu sesshin. Sittings were generally well attended, with 8–16
people for mornings and 4–8 for most afternoons. There were also more
people around for work projects and residency. There will be a Spring Ango
starting in late April, so consider planning to participate.

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| Jackolanterns
on the porch of the Dharma House during Halloween. |
Bountiful Bodhi Bazaar
Dharma Rain held its biannual Bountiful Bodhi Bazaar over Thanksgiving
weekend, Nov. 25 and 26th. Twenty-nine artists participated, including three
musicians who played live music for the sale on Saturday. Several volunteers
helped to make the sale a success by cashiering, setting up, cleaning up
afterwards, and contributing baked goods. The Center will net just over $2,000
from the sale. The highest dollar amount was collected by the Center's bookstore,
which ran an inventory clearance sale. The second highest seller was our
own Karen Sokyo Swallow, whose artwork just keeps getting better. Overall
the quality of arts and crafts offered at the sale keeps improving, and several
of us
got a large part of our holiday shopping done (and/or bought gifts for ourselves!).
It was fun to see Sangha members under different circumstances, and
to appreciate aspects of them that we usually don't get to see. Thanks to
all for your hard work and for supporting the sale.

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| Bountiful Bodhi Bazaar,
where the Zendo was temporarily converted into an arts and crafts fair
for
two days. Above: Sylvan Genko Rainwater oversees lastminute details
on Member's Night, Friday. Below: On Saturday, the Bazaar was open to
the public, where people were able to choose from the arts and crafts
from twentynine different artists. |
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Residency Program
Dharma Rain Zen Center residents commit to becoming an intimate part of
the residential community as well as deepening their relationship to the
larger
DRZC Sangha. They commit to spending more time and energy doing formal practice,
within the context of Sangha, than is usually possible outside of residency.
During their term of residency they seek out and accept guidance from the
Center teachers, Soto Zen teachings, and the dharma inherent in the Center's
training matrix and traditions. As work outside the temple and personal commitments
allow, residents attend daily zazen, communal meals, Wednesday evening and
Sunday morning programs, work practice days, monthly Fusatsu and in-town
retreats. They have sanzen (interview) with the Center teachers at least
once a month and participate in the Term Student program. They also hold
regular
temple
jobs and make themselves available for temple work projects.
DRZC members who have been actively involved in the Center for at least
6 months to a year are eligible for residency. Practitioners associated with
other teachers
and Buddhist groups may be considered for residency, but only if they and the
residential review committee determine that a full commitment to DRZC residency
is compatible with any obligations and involvements they already have. For
a booklet describing residency and an application, call the Center at 5032394846.

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Segaki
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| Dharma School students
celebrate Segaki in
the Zendo. Above left, Dharma
school teachers
Todd Fifield and Josei
Krebs, and above right, Kenryu Binns, oversee the feeding of the Hungry
Ghosts. This was followed soon after by the feeding of the hungry Dharma
School kids. |
Welcome to our New Members!
DRZC continues to grow as more guests and regular attendees become supporting
members. Thank you to all who have made a commitment to practice, share and
grow with Dharma Rain. If you have any questions regarding membership,
please contact Kakumyo Lowe at 503.239.4846 or staff@dharma-rain.org.

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Thank you
Thanks to all who help to keep the center running! Thanks go to Harold
and Maya Williams for items including a telescope; Bob and Zoki Orman for
CDs
and an exercise ball; Genko Rainwater for CDs and cases; Luisa and Diego
Centeno for cooking oil, coffee beans and Mexican cheese; Jeff Theeret for
Dharma books; Patrick Finneran for vegetables; Kisei Martin for cartons of
toothpaste and floss; Rich Mackin and Blair Vail for bread and fresh–picked
eggplant and peppers; Shin'ei Brown for fresh–picked bok choy; Ann
Lameka for huckleberries and garlic; Jim Schulz–Browning for a Bodhidharma
painting; and Geoff Gass for persimmons. Special thanks to Sierra Moon's
mom, Mary Anne Fairchild, who responded to our request with a beautiful van!

Begging Bowl
The Center could use pruning shears and loppers for the garden; and of
course, funds for the $50,000 worth of work on the Zendo roof.
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