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Dear Dharma Family,
The full heat of August is here and we're very active in watering our gardens and fields. It seems that when the days are very warm we are acutely aware of the need for water and when days are just mildly warm we tend to minimize our response. Perhaps we are becoming more "water aware". Water, the life blood of our earth, is starting to intrude into our awareness. As our climate changes, we seem to be having increasing issues about water - too much, or often, too little. Many people around the world do not have easy access to potable water (
water safe enough to be consumed by humans or used with low risk of immediate or long-term harm).
May we all live in peace. Thay Kozen
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WE ARE BUILDING A TEMPLE
and we need your help
We have started on our plans to build a temple on our 23 acre farm. Our temple proposal has been approved for up to 4000 sq. ft by the Klickitat Planning Commission; now all we need is the money to start building. Please help us by donating to our building fund.
Please send your donations to the Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple at PO Box 487, Trout Lake WA 98650, or you can donate on line at
www.gofundme.com/ywdqkc
. We are a 501(c)3 organization and donations to the temple can be tax deductible.
Our existing temporary temple
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Pacific Northwest Interfaith Peace Walk
(left to right: Ven Gilberto Perez, Rev. Kirk Thomas, Ven. Kozen Sampson, and Ven. Senji Kanaeda.
Kanaeda and fellow monk Gilberto Perez are committed to "doing something." They both have participated in Peace Walks since 2005, including walks in Japan and last summer's Trinity-to-Trident Walk, which started at the nuclear testing grounds in New Mexico and traveled all the way to Bangor, Maine. "We are not agitators," Kanaeda said. "We wish peace. This is the thing we can do. These are small steps." |
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Master Wu visits
Master Wu, his wife, Karin and daughter, Zeena spent several days here teaching a Qigong Retreat.
Master Wu offers a long-term classical Chinese arts training program which provides a strong foundation of traditional Daoist practices. The Lifelong Training Program covers topics in Qigong (Neigong), Taiji, XinYi Quan, Yijing divination, Chinese astrology, Chinese calligraphy, Fengshui and more.
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Thich Nhat Hanh continues to recover
The latest update from Plum Village France on June 28, 2015, tells us that Thay is improving. He now eats solid foods, feeding himself, and can hum a song and say an occasional word. In July, after Thay's move to the US the following was released:
"Thay's rehabilitation will now be guided by a team of distinguished neurologists specializing in stroke and cognitive rehabilitation at UCSF Medical Center. We remain deeply grateful to all the medical team in France, in particular the doctors and nurses at the University Hospital of Bordeaux. It is thanks to their loving care, professionalism, and kindness that Thay has made amazing progress". May his recovery continue - Thay Kozen
Nine years ago Thich Nhat Hanh was asked,
"You will be 80 this year. Do you plan to retire as a spiritual teacher at any point?"
This is the answer he gave:
In Buddhism we see that teaching is done not only by talking, but also by living your own life. Your life is the teaching, is the message. And since I continue to sit, to walk, to eat, to interact with the Sangha and people, I continue to teach, even if I have already encouraged my senior students to begin to replace me in giving Dharma talks. In the last two years, I have asked Dharma teachers, not only in the monastic circle but also in the lay circle, to come up and give Dharma talks. Many of them have given wonderful Dharma talks. Some Dharma talks have been better than mine. I see myself in my continuation, and I will not retire. I'll continue to teach, if not by Dharma talks then in my way of sitting, eating, smiling, and interacting with the Sangha. I like to be with the Sangha. Even if I don't give a Dharma talk, I like to join walking meditation, sitting meditation, eating in mindfulness and so on. So don't worry. When people are exposed to the practice, they are inspired. You don't need to talk in order to teach. You need to live your life mindfully and deeply. Thank you.
DONATE TO SUPPORT HIS RECOVERY at:
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=tnh&id=6
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We are a small Thien (Zen) Buddhist Temple practicing "laughing farmer zen" - living our practice, sitting zazen, being here - right now!
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Travel
Our travel to China has been cancelled this year.
The only travel other than local, will be to
Chu Thien An
in Southern California
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Calendar
AUGUST
1-2 Precepts retreat
4 CRCC
10-12 Kozen Private Retreat
22 Ksitigarbha Day
29 Celebrating our 6th anniversary
SEPTEMBER
6 Buu Hung Monastery 29 CRCC
OCTOBER
10 Bodhi Dharma Day
10 One day retreat
23-25 Fall retreat
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When I came back from the temple, I noticed HER (a rose) in our backyard and
appreciated the beauty.
Even though I haven't taken care of this rose for a very long time,
she did her job quietly
whether I notice her or not.
Minh Bao
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Is your group part of the Northwest Dharma Association?
If not, it is time to join! If you are a solitary practitioner or without a sangha, you can still donate dana (money). They are a clearing house for Buddhist Activity in the Northwest and need our support.
read more about the NWDA at http://www.northwestdharma.org/
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Trout Lake Abbey
by Diane Rowley
Buddha on left
Stone pillar on right
I have entered here
Peace welcome sentry into
stillness, wholeness, emptiness
like a drink of cool water
from a well deep in the earth
for all who enter here
Chimes deep ringing,
ringing
Singing in the far off distance announcing the wind;
dove cooing
rooster crowing
celebrate existence;
larger than life white stone Buddha
guiding, guarding, gazing
at all who enter here
Supine, close eyed, gazing up
at the inside of sun warmed eyelids
Look
upon the soul
thick purple corduroy
a suitable barrier between
warm back muscle, bones, flesh, heart
thick lumpy grass, clover, dandelions
insistent balmy breeze blows
like a mother's tender fingers
lovingly
stroking skin again
and again
I have entered here
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 Needs our financial help
Sponsor a:
Child
Monk
Nun
the organization
at
www.tibetaid.org
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Sadi Minh Thien's Column
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a Meditation Service at the Buu Hung Monastery in Vancouver, Washington. After the Dharma talk, there was a question and answer time. A gentleman raised his hand and asked the question about how to stop the suffering of someone that you really care about who is not necessarily making the best choices in life. It was apparent that there was a good deal of emotional suffering occurring with the gentleman who had asked the question as well.
In his first teaching after Awakening, the Buddha tells us what we really need to know about suffering in the Four Noble Truths.
· Life means suffering
· The origin of suffering is attachments
· The cessation of suffering is attainable
· The path to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path
As our hearts soften through studying the Dharma, and as we practice living in Compassion and Loving Kindness, we also wish to end suffering for all forms of life. When we see suffering is occurring in someone's life that we care for and feel very close to, we also can take on suffering of our own. I know I have experienced this. I have also experienced times where I realized I cannot take on or end another's suffering; especially when the other person is behaving contrary to their Buddha nature and choosing to do things that are harmful. I learned that I can only continue to be loving and supportive as my dear one learns their lessons and make better choices to end their own suffering.
The Buddha's teaching on suffering is that we need to accept things we can't control because all things are impermanent. These are things like aging, sickness and death which are conditions where we have little control and cannot change the outcome. We will grow old, we will get sick and we will die. The good news is for things we can affect, Buddha taught that we can change our conditions so that they're more conducive to our happiness and spiritual growth. This is the spiritual balm that we can share with those we care for who continue to choose ways that contribute to their suffering.
At a place where I locally share Sangha in Texas, we frequently end our service with a chant called, "The Four Vows of Awakening Beings":
· Countless Beings we vow to free
· Ceaseless afflictions we vow to end
· Limitless Truth doors we vow to open
· The deepest path of Awakening we vow to realize
May the words of this chant lead us in Compassion and Loving Kindness to reduce our own suffering and the suffering of all sentient Beings.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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"Ever Tried. Ever Failed.
No Matter. Try Again. Fail Again.
Fail Better."
Samuel Beckett
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Prayer Wheels at our temple.
Our Tibetan brothers and sisters tell us that turning a wheel gives a similar benefit to saying a mantra. Each wheel is filled with mantras, sutras and prayers. These prayer wheels are located at the entrance and just inside The Cloister, our meditation retreat area.
When you are here - give the wheels a turn by pushing the wooden handles at the bottom in a clockwise motion. May the merit and well wishing of your action spread throughout the universe bringing a blessing to all living things.
From Nepal - beautiful hammered copper
Made by Ardis Defreece, a local artist |
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May the Infinite Light of Wisdom and Compassion so shine within us that the errors and vanities of self may be dispelled; so shall we understand the changing nature of existence and awaken into spiritual peace.
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What We think we become.
Buddha
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|  PO Box 487, Trout Lake WA 98650 www.MtAdamsZen.org
509.395.2030 (e-mail -put in the @ sign) kozen1 at embarqmail.com
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Temple Dharma Lecture Dharma Education
