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Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple

 

November 2015 Newsletter
We are a small Thien (Zen) Buddhist Temple practicing  "laughing farmer zen" - living our practice, sitting zazen, being here - right now!

Dear Dharma Family,
We have so much to be thankful for.  We have a retreats coming up in November and January.  We also have our late night meditation 11:30pm to 12:30am on December 7th and 31st.  Our building fund is growing each month and we are in the middle of a wonderful Fall rain; may our mountain be covered in snow.
May we all be well and happy and thankful this season.  Thay Kozen

Sadi Minh Thien's Column
NOVEMBER, 2015
 
Over the past few months, I have been reading a translation of the Lotus Sutra and thought I would share a few thoughts about what meaning this sutra has held for one who is young in the Dharma as I am.
 
The Lotus Sutra is widely regarded as one of the most influential sutras in Buddhism. It is highly valued in the Mahayana tradition which spread throughout East Asia and is part of my tradition as well. Probably the key message I derived from my first foray into this wonderful, deep but complicated sutra (at least for me) is that "Buddhahood" - a condition of absolute happiness, freedom from fear and from all illusions - is inherent in all life. The development of this inner life state enables us all to overcome our problems and live a fulfilled and active life, fully engaged with others and society. One writer I came across on the internet stated it this way - "...Rather than stressing impermanence and the need to eliminate earthly desires and attachments, this sutra is a teaching which affirms our realities of daily life."
 
It is said that the Lotus Sutra is unique among the teachings of the Buddha in that it makes Awakening a possibility open to all people, without distinctions based upon gender, race, social standing or education and directs all of us towards a fuller expression of compassion to all beings.
 
This teaching can resonate in today's world where divisions are so strongly held against others for their race, their gender and sexual orientation, as well as for their spiritual practices, social and economic status and national and political beliefs. Seeing every being as a Buddha can help us eliminate our judgments and discriminations based primarily our own "stuff" and move us all forward in creating a more loving and compassionate world we so desperately need and seek. The elements and message of this sutra brings to my mind the lyrics of John Lennon's song, "Imagine", which for many people has become a prayer...
 
                           "Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try
                           No he ll below us, Above us only sky
                           Imagine all the people, Living for today...
 
                           Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do
                           Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too
                           Imagine all the people, Living life in peace....
 
                           Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can
                           No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man
                           Imagine all the people, Sharing all the world....
 
                           You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one
                           I hope someday you will join us, And the world will live as one"
 
May all Beings be Happy and Free...
 
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Fall Retreat

We held our Fall retreat at Mt Adams Buddhist temple.  It was a wonderful fellowship time with many Dharma talks, meditation, and great vegetarian food.  It was good to share practice with so many aspiring Buddhas. 

Ecumenical & Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration!

Monday, November 23 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! 

A most wonderful visit from Venerable Kuang Hsin

The most venerable visited our temple with many of his followers.  After a Amidha Buddha practice, Dharma talk, and tour we had a wonderful Vietnamese vegetarian meal. Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/zhengkuotemple.tw and his website is www.zhengkuo.org
Our New Temple Building Fund reaches $6,359.00
Thank you to Chúc Nghiêm, Quang Lac & Quang Dai
You can contribute at www.gofund.me/ywdqkc   or by mailing the donation to our temple (Mt. Adams Zen Buddhist Temple PO Box 487, Trout Lake, WA 98650).  Be sure to indicate "for the new temple" if you mail in a check.


Japanese researchers found that practicing shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing (essentially, strolling around a forest for a bit or sitting and soaking in that nature) led to lower cortisol levels and lower blood pressure, and greater activity in the body's calming parasympathetic nervous system. A slightly longer trip to the woods could even strengthen your immune system, as a study in Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine reported:
"People who spent 3 days and 2 nights in the forest had increased activity among their natural killer cells, which may help fight infections".  This was in our newsletter 1 year ago.  It remains a wonderfully pertinent bit of information.  Go, get out into nature.  Breathe and observe, breathe and observe, then do some more. Kozen
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 for 2015 - 2016
 
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 are also helping Chimi Dolma another Tibetan refugee child to attend a BSN nursing program in India. We have committed to $2,000 a year for 4 years.  It is our hope that Chimi will come to the USA to complete her Master's Degree in Nursing once she completes her BSN in India.


Sonam and Dechen
Winter temple meditation hours 
Tuesday - Friday 6:30 am,
Full Service Saturday 9am 
  
NOVEMBER 
1 Buu Hung Monastery Dharma talk and meditation at 3pm - in Vancouver WA
2 Bharatanatyam - dance and lecture 5pm
8  Hood River Meditation - 6pm at Trinity Natural Medicine                                            

1
4 - 15 Precepts Retreat - Buu Hung Monastery                                                                                                  22 Hood River Meditation - 6pm at Trinity Natural Medicine   
23 Ecumenical Thanksgiving  Service at White Salmon Methodist Church at 7pm                                          
29 Hood River Meditation - 6pm at Trinity Natural Medicine
DECEMBER
6 Buu Hung Monastery Dharma talk and meditation at 3pm - in Vancouver WA
7 Bodhi Day - celebrating Buddha's Birth, Death, and Enlightenment
meditation starts at 11:30 pm and ends at 12:30 am 
31 meditation starts at 11:30 pm and ends at 12:30 am 
  
JANUARY
3 Buu Hung Monastery Dharma Talk and meditation at 3pm - in Vancouver WA  
9-10 Two day metta retreat 
17-23 Week long Meditation Hut retreat 

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

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