Tuyết Sơn Thiền Tự

Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple

 

November 2013 Newsletter

Dear Dharma Family,
Please look at our new winter Schedule - below.  We've cut back on the weekday services and we've added some full day and weekend retreats.  Our trip to China was wonderful - we were treated so very well and made many new friends.  Ven. Sandra Simpson (Xiang Ci), Ven. Richard Miles (Fa Lang), Ven. Jeffrey Miles (Fa Hsing), Ven. Thich Vinh Minh, Ronald Zimmerman, (Thich Minh Tien), Ven. Kozen, (Thich Minh Tinh) , Tina Mcnurlen, Deborah Nelson, Eric Reed, and Susan Bankson, our wonderful interpreter joined in our China trip.  Ron Zimmerman took his Novice vows with Master Ming Chan Shi and also became a student of Master Wan Xing Shi.  I will have more photos and information in our next newsletter.  Please do the gratitude exercise at the bottom of this page - it really was a shock for me to read about water and sanitation.  May we all be well and happy and thankful this season.  Thay Kozen
Our China Trip
So many stories - so many beautiful temples, people, and practices.  More to come in our December newsletter

We encountered beautiful temples in scenic mountain retreats
 
The 6th Patriarch's temple and remains were a wonderful visit


Debbie viewing one of the many landscaped temple gardens we visited.

We are in China at an airport and we ran into Rick McClure who had been hiking in Nepal. 
From left to right - Rick Thay Vinh Monh, Debbie, and Thay Kozen.

Ecumenical & Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration!

Monday, November 24 at 7pm

White Salmon Methodist Church

Dessert and coffee to follow.

Participating spiritual traditions include:

Baha'i Spiritual Assembly of Klickitat County;

Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ

Mid-Columbia Unitarian Universalist Fellowship;

Mount Adams Zen Buddhist Temple;

Asbury/Our Redeemer Lutheran Partnership;

St. Mark's Episcopal Church;

Trout Lake United Presbyterian Church;

White Salmon United Methodist Church

A special ingathering for MAMA Emergency Funds will also take place:

The Mount Adams Ministerial Association has an Emergency Fund to assist people with emergency needs in Kickitat and Skamania Counties. MAMA also makes referrals to social service agencies in the area.

Checks of support can be written to MAMA.

Your financial support is tax deductible.

All are welcome!  Please join us! 

One and two day retreats
22 November - one day retreat
6 December - one day retreat
10-11 January two day retreat.

We will practice several forms of meditation, and develop metta, loving kindness practices for ourselves and others. Vegetarian meals will be served.

Please contact Ven. Kozen for reservations and details 

  Lord Buddha

We are a small Thien (Zen) Buddhist Temple practicing  "laughing farmer zen" - living our practice, sitting zazen, being here - right now!

Calendar


NOVEMBER

 8 Renew Tibet Aid pledge

22 One day retreat 

 

DECEMBER  

6 One Day retreat 

7 Midnight meditation (11:00 pm -1:00 am)     

8 SundayService 9am  Bodhi Day - celebration of Buddha's Enlightenment - (Japan).  Temple gift exchange   

25 Yule

31 Midnight meditation  (11:00pm - 1:00 am) 

JANUARY

1 New Years day
10-11 Two day retreat
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).  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/ 


TIBET AID NEEDS YOUR HELP
As you can see from our donation below, Tibet Aid is an ongoing charity we support.  They need more children sponsors as well as direct donations.  Would you be willing to help?  You can sponsor a child for $40.00 a month - a most wonderful merit gaining activity.

Contact : Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL  Executive Director
Tibet Aid 34 Tinker Street, Woodstock,  NY 12498
Email: sponsor@tibetaid.org
Telephone & Fax: +1 845-679-6973
Toll Free: 1-877-842-3824 (1-877-TIBETAID)
Our temple's yearly donation to:

Tibet Aid

(donation 2014 - 2015)

 

Sonam Choetso   08-10875-10                    $480.00

Dechen Youdon    08-10876-10                   $480.00     

TCV School Gopalpur, Village Darati         $100.00

Lobsang Legden                                           $480.00

Tibet Aid                                                      $100.00

Total Donation                                             $1640.00

 

We just started sponsoring a 15 year old monk - Lobsang Legden.   He lives at the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in southern India

 

Gratitude Exercise

Did you know that according to http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/:

- "780 million people lack access to clean water.  340 million lack access to any water"

- "More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world."

- "The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns".

- "More people have a mobile phone than a toilet".

- "Every minute at least one child dies from a water-related illness".

Go to your kitchen sink.  Pour yourself 1 glass of water.  Take 2 sips.  Pour the rest down the drain. 

Gratitude - we live in a place of adequate water that is clean and drinkable.  We have sewage systems that process wastewater and fecal/urine matter.  The Buddha tells us that we are fortunate to be born human, as only as a human may we become enlightened.  I want to add that I feel fortunate to be born in a country where safe water, public sanitation, and freedom exist.

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

509.395.2030  (e-mail -put in the @ sign) kozen1 at embarqmail.com