Tuyết Sơn Thiền Tự

Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple

    Many parts of the world remain in states of conflict. We keep all of mankind in our daily thoughts and meditations. We remain concerned about the rise of radical religious political activists in the Christian and Muslem faiths - it seems that some folks are trying to hijack religion to be instruments of exclusion, hate, and war. We pray for peace and tolerance and a renewed sense of peace in our world.   

     May peace truly live in our hearts and may we all experience peace.  Love, Thay Kozen 

To our Dear Beloved Friends,

As the Winter Retreat continues to unfold in all our practice centers in Europe and America, Thay's condition in the hospital remains stable.

Thay continues to rest peacefully with the ticking clock on his pillow, and we sense that he is relying on his deep awareness of breathing, rooted in Store Consciousness, to guide his healing process. Even the doctors have been surprised at the consistent level of oxygen in his blood. Thay is truly the best breather in the world, inspiring us to deepen our full awareness of the breath. Thay continues to remind us that each day we are alive is a miracle, and that simply to breathe is a gift.

The latest scan shows that Thay's hemorrhage has slightly reduced in size. The edema is still present, but has not worsened. The doctors have met to re-evaluate their approach and review how to nourish Thay's body more as we enter medium-term treatment. Thay continues to receive 24-hour care from his monastic attendants as well as hospital nurses. We are very grateful for the commitment of the hospital neurologists who are maintaining Thay's healing process with open hearts and minds.

Earlier this year, Thay accepted an invitation from Pope Francis to go to the Vatican on December 1 & 2 to support a global initiative to end modern slavery. A delegation of 22 monks and nuns, including Sister Chan Khong and Thay Phap An (Director of our European Institute of Applied Buddhism in Germany) are now in Rome to realize Thay's wish.

We continue to be grateful for your messages of support and the energy of mindfulness and compassion being generated for Thay. Wherever we are, we know that our practice of nourishing and healing ourselves is the best way we can all take care of Thay, and take care of the present moment.

Because happiness is impermanent, that is why we have to nourish it.   -TNH, 10th June 2014

May we all offer our meditation and merit from our practice to this gentle, loving teacher.  Thay Kozen 

January

4  Buu Hung Monastery       10 - 11 two day retreat          21 Jan CRCC Prison Visit  

February  

1 Buu Hung Monastery       18 CRCC Prison Visit           18 New Years celebration at Co Lam Pagoda (Chinese New Year) 

March

1 Buu Hung Monastery 

18 Mar CRCC Prison visit  

Dustless,  

perfect,  

present.

Very clear, yet appearing hidden.

How can we see it?  

How can we not?

Ah -  

breath in,  

breath out - Ah!

Thay Kozen 

PO Box 487, Trout Lake WA 98650     www.MtAdamsZen.org

Plum Mountain Buddhist Community - Aberdeen WA 

December 2014 Newsletter

Weekly Schedule: Daily 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Service with short recitation and half hour seated meditation, at 516 W. Cushing in Aberdeen. This is except for Fridays and when Thay Kobai is away from the Harbor. Our regular community (sangha) gathering is Tuesday evenings at Cushing St. 6:30 to 8 p.m. We do some movement and sitting meditation, with plenty of guidance for newcomers. Thay Kobai or a senior student gives a short talk on Buddhist principles followed by Q&A and discussion.

Events in December

2 December, Tuesday: Community Meditation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We do some simple movement and seated meditation, followed by a short talk by Thay Kobai on "Meditation, the Eighth Element of the Eight-Part Map of the Path" and a Q&A. See details above. Also, we will make sandwiches tonight for the Lunch Under the Bridge program tomorrow. Those who are able, please bring sandwich breads, sliced cheese, mayo, lettuce etc. Also some food prep gloves and sandwich-size zip lock bags.

3 December, Wednesday: Lunch Under the Bridge for Chaplains on the Harbor. We meet at 10:00 a.m. in the kitchen at St. Andrew's Episcopal in Aberdeen. We'll make coffee and do hot water for tea and hot chocolate, then pack the carts and walk (and roll) over to the DOT bridge site to start serving about 11:00 a.m.

5 December, Saturday: Full Moon

9 Deember, Tuesday: Community Meditation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We do some simple movement and seated meditation, followed by a short talk by Thay Kobai and a discussion. People of any or no faith are welcome.

16 December, Tuesday: Community Meditation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We do some simple movement and seated meditation, followed by a short talk by Thay Kobai and a Q&A discussion. People of any or no faith are welcome.

21 December, Sunday New Moon

23 December, Tuesday: Community Meditation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We do some simple movement and seated meditation, followed by a short talk by Thay Kobai and a Q&A discussion. People of any or no faith are welcome. Check with Thay Kobai if you have questions.

30 December, Tuesday: Community Meditation, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We do some simple movement and seated meditation, followed by a talk by Thay Kobai.

Random News

Our leadership circle met last month at Tully's in Hoquiam, followed by a nice lunch at the Korean restaurant in Cosmopolis. Mostly we covered Thay's health and sobriety as well as what he wants done when he dies. Several members of the Circle have copies of the documents needed and other copies will be in my file at Trout Lake Abbey.

Circle member and village acupuncturist, Doris Reed is making a nice recovery and recently graduated to driving herself to work.

Some Dharma:

In the last month of the year, our topic is the last of the eightfold map: Meditation. And I'm puzzling how to explain the difference, or make the transition from mindfulness to meditation. I'd say that mindfulness is necessary for meditation, but not sufficient. So what's that added element that transforms mindfulness into full-on meditation?

I've been reading a bit of Dōgen lately and he's a brilliant poet, philosopher and spiritual teacher. He's also very practical, as in Instructions to the Cook. But in general his stuff makes pretty difficult reading. And I've always found that men and women who approach practice by way of their thinking minds often get completely ga-ga over Dōgen. The fascicle called Uji, or Time/Being is one such masterpiece of elusive prose. It's sort of like Einstein trying to explaining the space/time nexus. My first teacher, Issan Dorsey approached practice almost totally from the heart, but he used to go around saying "I got that Uji thing going." He couldn't explain it to you, he just liked the sound of the word.

Yet it is here in Dōgen, I think, that we find that transforming ingredient. Meditation is mindfulness plus stillness. It's where we experience our being deeply in present time. Elsewhere our poet says "It's like a hammer striking Emptiness." In those words you can hear the Universe ring.

He also wrote a lovely little poem called Zazen, here it is:

Meditation is clear sky, empty throughout,

A bird flies like a bird.

It's clear water all the way to the bottom,

a fish swims like a fish.

Thay Kobai