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Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple

 

June 2013 Newsletter
Dear Dharma friends,
   Happy Spring!  We are so blessed here to have had a mild winter, plenty of water, no storms, no natural disasters, and no illness or death at our temple.  So much to be thankful for - so much to be happy about.  The Buddha tells us what we think we become - so right now, I am becoming humbly grateful.  It seems when we accept all that happens peacefully and without preference that life becomes more and more simple.
   The Buddha tells us that our suffering is caused by our attachment to impermanent objects, thoughts, and concepts.  It is only by freeing ourselves of discriminative thought that we can be truly free and at peace.  One way to start this process is to have a regular meditation program.  Another step is practicing metta - loving kindness - on ourselves and all others.  Please read the metta exercise at the very end of this newsletter - it really works.  May we all find peace.
In loving kindness,  Kozen (Thich Monh Tinh)
 
One-day meditation intensives on June 29th, July 20th, Aug 24.

Join us for a 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. meditation intensive on either or  all of these three dates. We will practice several forms of meditation, develop metta, loving-kindness, practices for ourselves and others. A vegetarian lunch will be served. Please contact Abby for reservations at 509.637.4511 or e-mail her abgale@embarqmail.com.  We're asking for a $30.00 donation, but we would rather have you here than your money, so don't let finances stop you from coming.
Abby Ordination

A New Lotus In The Far Western Land

by Son Tran,  Vice-chair and sec. for Lien-Hoa Temple

Ven Nguyen Kim is already a 73 year old person.  He is one of a few Vietnamese Buddhist monks doing  the dharma works with American sangha at prisons or social centers in the state of Washington.  Due to this relation, Thay Nguyen Kim and the sangha have helped quite a few Americans learned Buddhism, and a couple decided to receive ordination.

One day in the month of May 2013, Thay Nguyen Kim sent out a message that he and other rev. would come to a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in a small town of Washington state to conduct ordination for a lady. He asked us to help preparing the facility for this event due to the temple was in a small town with not too many Vietnamese Buddhists.

 When we arrived at the Lien Hoa temple in Olympia Washington, the parking lot was very much empty.  There were two American ladies in the reception room, named Abby Layton and Kellyjoy.   Abby has her head almost shaved completely.   She is a psychotherapist with many years teaching meditation.  Abby has a very friendly smile with a cheerful face that would make everyone feeling warm and delightful.  Kellyjoy is Abby's student and close friend. Just like her teacher, Kelleyjoy was very pure and  peaceful.  She seems like a person has been practicing mindfulness meditation for many years.

Venerable Th�ch Minh Tịnh (Kozen Sampson) has been practicing Buddhist for more than 40 years and has been transmitted by the Zen Master Thich An Giao a student of Thich Thien An.  He together with Thay Thich Nguyen Kim and four other dhamar masters conducted the ordination ceremony.  Most of the ritual was done in English, including chanting, reading Dharma laws and taking vows.  

The ordination ceremony was simple but very spiritual, warm and touching.  Some of the guests had tears in their eyes when listening to Thay Kozen reading the ordination vows for Abby to accept them, especially when Thay Nguyen Kim shaved the last Abby's hair spot.  From now on, Abby has a new name Th�ch Nữ Minh T�nh (Th�ch = Sakya [Buddha last name], Nữ:  Female).  There was an after party after the ordination to congratulate C� Minh T�nh joining the sangha.

When asked about her previous teacher "Abby", Kellyjoy shared: 

"Abby is one of the most awake, loving, wise people I have ever encountered.  She truly makes everyone she meets feel loved and accepted.  I've never met anyone whose heart is that boundless.  It's an amazing thing to be taught how to truly love.    I aspire to have a generous, loving, kind heart like Abby has - so I think of her often and see her as much as I am able.  I think role models are very important, and she is a role model for many, many people."

With C� Minh T�nh's permission, we conducted a short interview for Vietnamese Buddhist readers at home: 

Q:  Dear C� Minh T�nh,  when was your first encounter with Buddhism?

A:  My first encounter with Buddhism was when I was 18 years old.  Suzuki Roshi came to Portland State University and taught.  I have been practicing since. 

Q:  May you please share with us your first impression with Buddhism?

A:  Here was a way of life that I could abide by.  Practicing loving kindness, and awakening to the nature of mind and suffering, suited me well.  And being dedicated to helping others, as I have done this since I was very young. 

Q:  Dear c� Minh T�nh,  may you please tell us about your works before the ordination?

A:  I have been a psychotherapist in Portland, Oregon for thirty years.  I also taught meditation for fifteen years    I worked in the Jewish community, teaching for many years.  I started a sangha in Brookings, Or five years ago. Beside that,  I practiced Vajrayana Buddhism for many years,  studied Thich Nhat Hanh teachings, and also Zen teachings. 

Q:  May you please let us know the main factors that encouraged you to become a Buddhist and then a nun?

A:  The two wings of Buddhist practice have been my life practices since I was very young. The wing of awareness, of getting to know the Mind, seeing clearly, understanding how suffering is created by the stories we tell ourselves. And the wing of loving kindness, and compassion.  Softening the heart in all situations, and loving more. 

  Also, having a Sangha to live with, where our lives are held by the teachings of the Buddha has been a lifelong dream for me.   Thay Kim said to me,  " why are you staying in Kindergarten?  Why don't you receive the blessings of being a nun?"  This helped me make the decision to become a nun.

  Venerable Kozen has been an inspiration to me. He consistently showed care and concern, and allowed me to become a nun in his Temple even though I was sick.  This was inspiring.  I saw that I could live a life of goodness, more effectively as a nun. 

There are many traditions and practices in Buddhism, they are all equally important  and reach the same goal.  May you share with us the reason you choose to receive the ordination in the Vietnamese tradition?

The teachings of Thic Nhat Hanh spoke deeply to my heart and mind.  The attention to loving kindness, and softening spoke to me.  Also, the Vietnamese community has been so welcoming.  When everyone visited from Seattle,  the women were so loving, and open and kind, that I felt I was with a kindred group of kindness. 

Q:  May you tell us about your plan after ordination?

I will be living at Mt Adams Zen Center as a resident nun and teacher.  I help lead services, teach meditation and metta, and support the community here as needed.  We are also an organic humane farm, so I get to farm a little.  I help people that want to come talk with me. 

A:  Is there anything you would like to say to the Buddhist followers in VN before we conclude?

You have a warm, deeply spiritual community.  Be so happy.  You have given me great blessings.  May you have many many blessings of love and peace.  Thank you for supporting the dharma.  Thank you for being my Sangha. 

Thank you so much for sharing your story.  We hope one day you will be able to visit VN as Thay Kozen did.  The Vietnamese will be very excited and welcome you wholeheartedlỵ.  They would love to listen to you about your psychologist therapist and teaching meditation.  We wish you peace, happiness and always in harmony with the Buddha teaching.

6 Meditation huts near completion in The Cloister 
   row of small shrines                                    close up of small shrine                          meditation huts 
 
   We have fenced off a back portion of our property to be used for meditation purposes.  This area, The Cloister, will have walking meditation paths, meditation huts, and 1,000 Buddhas or Bodhisattvas in small shrines around the interior of the fence.  
  The Klickitat County Planning commission has approved our building goals as well as our addition of 8 meditation huts.  We have completed 3 huts and are in the process of completing 3 more.  We have started on landscaping, irrigation , and adding power to each hut for heating in the winter. We've added 20 small shrines as well as our large granite Ksitigarbha (Jizo) statue.
   The huts cost us $8,500 each.  We're also asking for a donation of stone, cement or metal Buddhas to put in small shrines around the cloister (our winters are so harsh that plastic, ceramic, or resin statues may not hold up as well as denser material).  Please contact the temple if you would like to donate funds towards completing our last two huts, landscaping or Buddhas.
We are a small Thien (Zen) Buddhist Temple practicing  "laughing farmer zen" - living our practice, sitting zazen, being here - right now!

Calendar 


JUNE   

7-9 Yoga Retreat   

8 Ven. Miles and Sanga here 

17 Kozen to CRCC  

25-28 Kozen on retreat  

29 June, Saturday
One-Day Meditation Intensive

JULY   

3-7 Sufi Retreat   

8 Kozen to CRCC  

9-13 Cascade Mountain School retreat  

13 July - Ullambana (Obon) remembrance & Feast for our ancestors
14 - 18 NCNM Retreat
20 July, Saturday
One-Day Meditation Intensive 
Asala - Dharma Day
- The anniversary of the start of Buddha's teaching - his first sermon ,"The Wheel of Truth", after his enlightenment.
24 - 29 8 Winds Retreat


AUGUST

12 Kozen to CRCC  

22-26 ISSCA Retreat  

24 - One-Day Meditation Intensive, celebrating our temple's 4th anniversary. 

More Words of Wisdom 
by Gandi-ji

 "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet."

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."


"To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."


"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."


"Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny."

"The future depends on what you do today."


"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning."

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 sanga you can still donate dana (money).  The are a clearing house for Buddhist Activity in the Northwest and need our support. 
 
read more about the NWDA at http://www.northwestdharma.org/  
Lien Hoa Temple 
Lien Hoa Temple
Celebrating Wesak (Buddha's Birth, death, and
Enlightenment celebration) 

Ardiss DeFreece  
Local Art Show

Ardiss is the artist who painted the temple ceiling, and she is having an exhibit of her work at The Gorge White House on Sunday June 2nd from 1-3 pm.  Please join us there to celebrate her wonderful gift of art. 
Venerable Thay Kim
Poetry by Master Kim

Snow Mountain Monastery
 
The road to the city Trout Lake
Is covered with beautiful pine trees and green prairie.
Far away on the top of Snow Mountain
is covered with white snow and floating clouds.
 
Here comes Snow Mountain Monastery
Greeting by an old friend Kozen.
The village also seems exciting and cheery.
Garden, tree, and flowers seem like dancing.
 
Cherry and grapes are giving sweet smells,
A small steam is dancing into the pond,
Many Buddha and Bodhisattva status surround all,
And seven retreat shelters newly built.

Welcoming new comers,
to retreat, to chant, to meditate, or to relax.
The surrounding is so lovely and peaceful
A perfect environment to endure and develop wisdom

Master Minh Tinh welcomes all.
His highest priority is practicing Dhamma
Sometime he does find difficulty but never gives up.
During his spare time he also helps out the poor, the unfortunates and the prisoners.
He always excited when visiting students and supporting them.

Abby helps out daily.
After retirement, she ordained
Her Buddha's name is Minh Tanh
She is sincere and helpful all the works in the monastery.
She practices meditate morning and night
And then cleaning and fixing the worship hall
To keep it clean, shine and bright
Fresh flowers and light are always there.

All visitors are very pleased,
teachers and friends are all  meditate together
Snow Mountain Monastery is successfully built,
for one purpose - to help all living things to find wisdom.

       
News at Trout Lake Abbey
New Sign at the entrance to Trout Lake Abbey

New Sign
We have a new sign at the entrance to our farm.  It is made from carved cedar and should withstand the elements well.

We hope to have a Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple sign up soon - it is in the design process right now.


Prayer Wheels

Tibetan style prayer wheels are in the works for the entrance to The Cloister.  Many thanks to Keith, Corky, Stuart, and Ardiss for their kind efforts to make the prayer wheels.


The Cloister
A new entrance way has been built by Stuart - it is a welcoming roof and gate structure which will house the prayer wheels, a Temple Guardian statue, and a beautiful wind chime.

Cloister Entrance Gate
The gate is the main entrance in to the meditation hut and 1000 Buddha area.  We hope to also put the Tibetan Prayer Wheels on either side of the entrance.  Please stop by and visit our new cloister area.
Community Resources

 

Free Trade coffee that goes for a good cause:   

The Presbyterian Coffee Project provides free trade, sustainable, worker friendly coffee.  In the greater Trout Lake area you can purchase it from The Farm Store at Trout Lake Abbey.  Proceeds are shared between the Trout Lake Presbyterian church and the Mt. Adams Zen Buddhist Temple.

Northwest Dharma Resources

Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
http://www.cloudmountain.org/    

 

Co Lam Pagoda (Ethnic Vietnamese) 

3503 S. Graham St.,

Seattle WA 98118 
Some monks speak English

(Ask for Master Kim)  

 

Van Hanh  - Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant - 8446 SE Division St. 
Portland OR.  Operated by a Buddhist nun to support here temple. 

Open Gate Zendo
www.boundlessmindzen.org/ Olympia, WA
 

 Plum Mountain Buddhist Community http://www.plummountain.org 

 

Portland Buddhist Priory http://www.portlandbuddhistpriory.org/  

 

 

Northwest Dharma Association http://www.northwestdharma.org/

 

65 Barnedt Road, White Salmon,  Washington 98672

 

& Hood River Zenwww.hoodriverzen.org 

 

Thich Dang Tinh Chua 13440 SE 192st Renton WA 98058, Thien (Zen) Buddhist

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

509.395.2030  (e-mail -put in the @ sign) kozen1 at embarqmail.com
 Metta - 4 Sentences that can change our life

First: Take a deep breath, shift your body into a gently aligned state with your spine straight.


Start with your self - picture yourself right now in your mind, and say:
May I be well
May I be happy
May I know love
May I know peace

Then visualize a loved one, a stranger, an "enemy", or someone who has caused you pain and for each say:
May you be well

May you be happy
May you know love
May you know peace
 
Take a deep breath and hold it for a second between each of these visualizationsLastly return to yourself and visualize yourself and say the 4 sentences again for you.

By practicing this simple exercise daily we can start the process of re-framing our thoughts.  The Buddha tells us, "What we think we become".  May we all find peace.