Mt Adams Buddhist Temple
Tuyết Sơn Thiền Tự. 雪山禅寺
April 2020 - Happy Spring
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Temple Services 
Monday Noon via ZOOM Meditation and Metta: https://zoom.us/j/366450747
Difficulty connecting? Please text Dick at (414) 587-4065.
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Meditation Saturday 8:30am full service + meditation
via ZOOM 891 8528 5652
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Thich Nhat Hanh Study Group Meetings are 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 6:30-8:00 pm. Contact Bonnie for group ZOOM number email, bon2626wit@att.net
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NEW Tuesday Evening Meditation 5:30 - 6:30 pm
via ZOOM 874 5145 8989
Dear ones,

Our New Temple's design is near completion. We hope to have final plans into the county very soon and begin building this Spring. Thank you to everyone who has donated funds for our new temple. We will also need help with landscaping in the late summer so watch for a notice of volunteers needed around August.

You might enjoy watching a wonderful reincarnation video on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JrSi7rWWpM

Saturday, April 10th will be a very special day. We will be hosting a zoom meeting in which our sangha members can Take Refuge (in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), commit to precepts, take Bodhisattva vows, and one woman will become ordained. Please join us at our regular Saturday morning service for this most auspicious and wonderful zoom meeting. We have never done a meeting like this, the pandemic has become our teacher in allowing our efforts to grow and continue outside of our usual practices.

Our Tibetan prayer flag pavilion was destroyed in a strong windstorm. We are rebuilding it this Spring near our new temple construction site.

There has been an increase in verbal and physical violence towards our brothers and sisters of Asian ancestry. Let us remember to be mindful to keep our selves safe. Also, let us remember that we are all children of the Buddha. All persons of any sex, color, religion, race, ethnic, social or financial status is a child of the Buddha. Let us be the change we want to see in the world, spreading tolerance and loving kindness to all beings.

Lastly, my adopted son, grandson and I will be making lunch for 100 + homeless folks in Portland next week. We're planning on passing out sandwiches, cookies, crackers, fruit, and a water. We're doing this as a family to celebrate the many gifts that we have experienced and to share the bounty with others. We cannot change the suffering of the entire world, and we can make a difference for some.

May we all be well and happy, may we all know love and peace, and may we share these blessings with all beings. in metta, Thay Kozen
RETREAT SCHEDULE
(1 day Saturday Retreats and 3 day Friday to Sunday Retreats)
 
April 17th                                1 DAY RETREAT                                   Ven. Jeff
THEME:  "Walking Gently on the Earth" - Earth Day (4/22)           Rev. Jean-Luc, MC
 
May 15TH                 1 DAY RETREAT                                           Thay Z       
THEME:  "Welcome Doubters: The Kalama Sutta"                          Rev. Scott, MC
(Holiday: Asala Pujha/First Turning of the Dharma Wheel)
 
June 18, 19 & 20th                   3 DAY RETREAT                       Thay Kozen
                                                                                                        Rev. Dave & Rev. Emily, MCs
THEME “Polishing the Sangha Jewel”: Seven Methods that will Prevent the Sangha from Falling into Decline.  (page 542 of Old Path, White Clouds)

NO GROUP/ZOOM RETREATS JULY - SEPTEMBER
Private Retreats and Saturday Services, Only
 
October 15, 16 & 17th          3 DAY RETREAT                      Thay Z
 THEME: “The 3 Poisons & The 3 Antidotes”               Rev. Valerie & Jean-Luc, MCs
 
November 20th           1 DAY RETREAT                                   Ven Miles
THEME: “Practicing Gratitude: Expressing Thankfulness in Daily Life”                                                                                               Sister Minh Bao, MC
 
December 18th           1 DAY RETREAT:                                 Ven Jeff
THEME: “Awakenings - the great and small”                             Rev. Emily, MC
 
          
 
2021 CEREMONIES
 
APRIL 10th  Taking Refuge & The Precepts
Novice Ordination for Sister Minh Bao
8:30 AM to 10 AM - part of Saturday Service
Following 8:30 AM Check-In
 
MAY 29th VESEK (Mahayana Tradition)
Celebration of Buddha’s Life
Part of the Saturday Service
 
DECEMBER 11th Taking Refuge & The Precepts
9:15 AM to 10 AM - part of Saturday Service
Following 8:30 AM Check-In
 
2021 “BUDDHIST BASICS”
CLASS SCHEDULE
(One Topic Per Week & 3 Hour Comprehensive Classes)
 
January 2, 9, 16, 23                             1 class each Saturday
February 6,13, 20, 27                           1 class each Saturday
March 6, 13, 20, 27                               1 class each Saturday
April 3rd (1 to 4 pm)   4 classes- Comprehensive & make-ups
(followed by a Taking Refuge Ceremony April 10th)

SUMMER BREAK JULY - SEPTEMBER

September 4, 11, 18, 25                        1 class each Saturday
October 2, 9, 16, 23                               1 class each Saturday
November 6, 13, 20 & 27                    1 class each Saturday
December 4th (1 to 4 pm)                    4 classes- Comprehensive & make-ups
(followed by a Taking Refuge Ceremony December 11th)
Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot of Budding Dharma
Arlington, Texas          thayzzen@gmail.com
PATIENCE

As the 2020 Pandemic appears to be lessening its grip in the USA, we begin to see a flurry of activity that we haven’t seen in about a year. A number of states are loosening the restrictions that had been in effect, like masking and social distancing. Some have even loosened the restrictions on occupancy in restaurants, theaters, gyms and the like. One can find critics of either policy; some saying that it is time to resume life and to get people back to work, back to the office, back to school and to rev-up the engines that drive the economy. Others say that dropping restrictions and policies that were designed to stem the tide of Covid-19 infections is premature and that we may in fact be inviting a resurgence of infections. Both sides are passionate about their beliefs. Both, may be demonstrating a lack of patience with each other’s arguments. This made me wonder about the nature of patience in human beings and what wise counsel our Buddhist path may have to offer.

The Buddha considered patience to be one of the mental states that an awakened person has perfected. Patience is an act of compassion toward ourselves, and it also gives rise to equanimity—that sublime state of mind that leads to peace and well-being.

So, what is patience? According to the dictionary, patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset. Will we all encounter delay, difficulty, or annoyance in this life?” The answer is more than obvious (if something can be more than obvious). I don’t know anyone whose life is free of these three.

Patience in itself is a virtue and it shows that you most likely have other virtues as well, such as forgiveness, tolerance and forbearance. It further shows that you have concern for other people and their views, you have compassion towards others and you have an open mind. So a lot is attached to this simple word.

In the Kakacupama Sutra, Gautama Buddha gave this advice:
‘…if anyone were to reproach you right to your face, even then you should abandon those urges and thoughts which are worldly. There you should train yourself thus: ‘Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to evil words; but I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.’ This is how you should train yourself.’

Patience is a core practice and teaching in the Zen tradition though Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh prefers to use the word inclusiveness as a substitute. The word inclusiveness has a very different flavor; it feels as if it has more depth and weight to it. The practice of inclusiveness means to not leave anything out, to see and feel from a wide, open perspective.
Inclusiveness is the practice of keeping our hearts open, especially when we feel stressed or challenged, or when reality is not aligning with our vision and expectations. Inclusiveness means questioning whatever story we tell ourselves, and realizing that our story might not be the only one.

No matter whether you prefer the term inclusiveness or patience, cultivating its’ elements into our actions with others and ourselves will certainly reduce suffering. This is the path of the Bodhissatva and a hallmark of our practice. 
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Buddhist Poetry Un-Group
Join us as we delve into the Therigata - a collection of poems from the first Buddhist nuns and learn what it was like to be a female follower of the Buddha 2500 years ago. Through their own words, we are learning about their unique struggles, sacrifices and how they each found their own enlightenment. The group is conducted via email and you are welcome to contribute as much or as little as you wish, on your own time. Contact Minh Bâo for more information: minhbaozen@gmail.com
Poetry from Venerable Fa Hsing
(Thich Tâm Minh)       mountainwayzen@yahoo.com

To this audience of one,
no symphony can compare
to a downpour before dawn.

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In the spring of life,
every day brings new growth
goldenrod in bloom.

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Wisdom or folly,
Compassion or hatred,
Generosity or greed —

The seeds we plant in the spring
become the harvest we reap in the fall.
Metta Practice - in English and Spanish
Say it to yourself, to a loved one, to a stranger, to one difficult to love, to all beings,
then once again to yourself. These few words can change your life.

May I be well
May you be well
Puedo Estar Bien
Tu Puedes estar bien
 
May I be happy
May you be happy
Puedo estar feliz
Tu Puedes estar feliz
 
May I know love
May you know love
Puedo saber o conocer el amor
Tu Puedes conocer el amor
  
May I know peace
May you know peace
Puedo saber o conocer la paz
Tu Puedes tener paz
The Trout Lake Abbey is spiritual 'home' to the monthly Recovery Dharma Inquiry meeting while we are meeting in cyberspace. These monthly meetings (on the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m.) are in addition to the weekly meetings (Sunday and Wednesday Evenings) of the Gorge Recovery Dharma program. We are grateful for the support of the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple and look forward to a time when we can once again meet in person on the Abbey grounds.

Recovery Dharma (RD) is a worldwide program of peer support for persons recovering from substance use disorders and also 'process addictions' such as gambling, overeating, tech addiction, and other harmful or dysfunctional behaviors. RD uses Buddhist principles and practices and draws lessons from other peer support recovery programs including 12-Step fellowships such as AA and Al-Anon. The book Recovery Dharma can be accessed and downloaded for free at recoverydharma.org. 
The temple has new bumper stickers and temple logo pins. They will be available for sale on line soon on our website https://www.mtadamsbuddhisttemple.com/ and at the temple.
Happy little monks reminding us to be careful in thought through our senses.
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.
Mt Adams Buddhist Temple   46 Stoller Rd., Trout Lake WA 98650 509.395.2030    https://www.mtadamsbuddhisttemple.com/