April 2022 - Happy Spring |
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TEMPLE SERVICES
Via ZOOM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5093952030#success
MONDAY - FRIDAY at 6:30 am and 5:30pm via ZOOM
MONDAY at 12:00 - 1:00 PM via ZOOM
SATURDAY 8:30 AM - service + meditation via ZOOM & in person
Special Vajrayana and Theravada education from March - September 2022
1st and 2nd Saturdays - Mahayana teaching
3rd Saturday - Vajrayana teachings Khenpo Karten Rinpoche
4th Saturday - Theravāda teachings Ven.Bhante Patthago
SUNDAY LGBTQ+ Group 7:30 PM
IN PERSON MEETING
THURSDAY at 12:00 - 1:00 PM IN PERSON
1412 13th street, suite 200. Hood River, OR. 97031
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Thich Nhat Hanh study group on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
Shinrin Yoku FOREST BATHING May 7, 2022. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m
The Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, or Forest Bathing, is good for both physical and mental wellbeing. It is proven to reduce stress hormone production, improve feelings of happiness and free up creativity, as well as lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system and accelerate recovery from illness.
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The Abbey has a job opening for a Farm Manager full time with benefits.
Please contact Thay Kozen for details
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HAPPY EARTH DAY Wednesday April 22
This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods… together, we must Invest In Our Planet.
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CIRCLES OF HOPE, CIRCLES OF CARE
Join Mount Adams Ministerial Association (MAMA) as we celebrate Earth Day
When: Sunday afternoon, April 24th at 4 pm.
Where: Fisher Hill Bridge off of Hwy 142. About 2 miles north of Hwy 14.
Cross the river and find us on the south side of the road under the bridge.
What: MAMA is a circle of faith leaders from a wide variety of faith traditions. We’re inviting you to bring your voice as we celebrate and explore how our circles of faith intersect with circles of hope and care for our troubled planet. No matter your faith tradition, or none at all, we all must come together as we seek to address environmental issues in The Gorge and the wider looming climate catastrophe.
Bring: Please bring something to sit on and carpool if possible.
Note: There is road work on Hwy 14 so be sure and turn on the Old Hwy at Rowland Lake and head past Catherine Creek. You will emerge just before the Klickitat River back on Hwy 14 just before Lyle. Cross the river and turn left on 142. https://mountadamsministers.org/
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Making Climate Cents Monday, April 4 from noon to 1pm.
Explore saving money while making choices that reduce our impact on the planet. Often healthier and more environmentally sustainable options exist. We will share ideas and encourage actions with opportunities for connection on this noon Zoom.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81183069367
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NEW HOOD RIVER in person meditation
1412 13th Street, Suite 200. Hood River, OR.
http://www.trinitybodyarts.org
THURSDAYS at 12:00 - 1:00PM
Join us as we re-start our in person Hood River Sangha.
We'll be starting the 1 hour group on Thursday 31 March
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Dear ones,
The Buddha SAT quietly under a tree. AND in doing so he changed the world. He accepted women as clergy (unheard of at the time), he welcomed untouchables into the clergy (unheard of at the time), and he offered murderers a way to be clergy (also unheard of at the time). All 3 of these actions changed the lives of many people. All 3 of these actions caused great anger and ostracism from society for a period of time. As his teachings continued these acceptances became the norm. As he sat he taught the world the treatment or medicine to cure suffering.
"In this world of dependent origination, birth,
aging, sickness, and death are unavoidable. Prince
Siddhartha learned of this truth when he ventured
beyond his palace and visited the poor area of
town. There, amidst beggars, sick people, and frail
elders, he saw the reality of life. Immediately, a
desire arose in his heart to relieve the pain and
suffering of these people. Thus, he renounced his life
of luxury and became a monk, hoping that through
meditation and cultivation he could find solutions
for poor and ailing people."
"...Visualize the Buddha as a doctor, knowledge of the Dharma as medicine, monastics as nursing staff, and all lay-people as patients. According to this medical analogy, Buddhism is considered a medication with broad applications—a medication that can cure ailments in all aspects of life."
Buddhism, Medicine, and Health ......by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
For our Ukrainian and Russian brothers and sisters who are being maimed and slaughtered, it is truly sad and so unnecessary.
For our mentally ill and chemically dependent brothers and sisters, it is so sad and so unnecessary.
For our brothers and sisters who live in great poverty, sickness, corruption, or filth it is so sad and so unnecessary.
For our brothers and sisters who live with discrimination due to race, religion, poverty, disabilities, sex, or nationality it is so sad and so unnecessary.
It is who we are as a species. We sometimes seem to feel that "might makes right" and that as long as I get what I want then it is OK for others to suffer.
I cannot change the world. I cannot stop the killing, pain, uselessness, loss, or the unnecessary. All I can do is to speak the Dharma and my truth, to not give in to anger, hatred, desire, or ignorance, to practice the way. in peace and metta.
That your heart can feel so very sad at the suffering of others
speaks to the nature of your Bodhisattva path.
We can survive the suffering by our practice, understanding, and love. We are at our best when we can go beyond our own stuff to help others.
Breathe deeply and with peace my friends. 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
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Is There Life after Death? Fifty Years of Research at the University of Virginia
This is awesome! Not only are all those ideas and thoughts incredibly interesting, BUT this group is researching it all... Based upon Dr. Stevenson's research into children who remembered past lives. I highly recommend this video. Thay Kozen
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A FLOOD OF FEELINGS
by Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot, Arlington, Texas
Sometimes feelings ebb and flow; and sometimes they arise and wash over us like a tidal wave. Sometimes the cause of those feelings are of a very personal nature as a result of something directly impacting our lives, like death, illness, loss of a relationship, etc. Sometimes, we cannot seem to identify the impetus or the cause of a feeling. Have you ever felt sad, anxious or fearful and you are just not sure why? And then there are times when our feelings can be impacted by something out of our direct sphere of influence. A current example might be what is occurring now between Russia and the Ukraine.
In Buddhism, what differentiates positive and negative emotions is not our immediate feeling of happiness or discomfort but the happiness or suffering that is the long-term result of those emotions. It is taught that the long-term effects of our actions have been considered more important than the short-term effects, which tend to be fleeting in comparison. If, in the long term, an emotion produces unpleasant experiences, it is considered negative; if it brings happiness in the long term, it is positive. Buddhism explains that virtuous (positive, constructive, wholesome) emotions lead to happiness in the long term, while non-virtuous (negative, destructive, unwholesome) emotions lead to suffering.
I was recently reading a book called, “The Wise Heart” by Jack Kornfield. There he speaks to the concept that every moment of our sense experience has a feeling tone. Each sight, sound, taste, touch, smell or thought will have either a pleasant, painful or neutral quality; painful because we don’t like it; pleasant because we do or neutral because we just aren’t paying attention in the moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh, identified 5 steps in dealing with our feelings and emotions:
1. Recognize each feeling as it arises
2. Become one with the feeling
3. Calm the feeling
4. Release the feeling
5. Look deeply into the feeling
Again, in the Jack Kornfield book, he suggests that one can deal with these emotions and feelings by using a mindfulness training called RAIN which stands for R (recognition), A (acceptance), I (investigation) and N (non-identification) and this provides a basic alphabet of working with and through these feelings and emotions.
What we are learning through our buddhist practice of Meditation and Mindfulness is that we all share similar feelings and emotions and that becomes part of our interconnectedness. We also know that Impermanence affects everything, including our feelings and emotions. We can always be sure that nothing remains static and all things change.
In order to not let “destructive emotions” like hate, anger and fear take the better of us, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, says it is important to train the human mind. Training our mind through meditation and mindfulness enables us to see things as they really are and becomes like a raft that can carry us through our continuous flood of feelings to the other shore where we suffer less and experience a growing sense of peace, happiness, gratitude and love.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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Ven.Bhante Patthago
Theravada Tradition presenter on the 4th Saturday of the month March - September 2022
I was born Steven John Jr and is originally from New England just south of the Boston area. I can recall from a very early age feeling the undercurrent of unsatisfactoriness that seemed to be inherent in my experience.
After some years I found I had a thirst for truth and would feel most alive when engaged in spiritual contemplation and conversations about the nature of life and existence.
Shortly after high school I started working in the Nursery industry and found I had a love for growing trees and being outdoors.I continued to do so for many (25) years all the while feeling this continuity of unsatisfactoriness or lack of a inner happiness and joy that I somehow knew was what all beings were looking for.
In 1999 I moved from the Boston area to Portland Oregon. One day while inquiring about Buddhist Meditation at a local temple I met a Thai Forest monk who informed me of his evening meditation class. Shortly after was the experience of clearly knowing I had found what I was looking for.
I continued to practice as a lay person with my teacher Ajhan CittaPunno Maha Thero ,also known locally as Ajhan FaThai for many years until finally receiving full ordination in Thailand.
My special interest as a monk is in the early teachings of the Buddha and early Buddhist Meditation as taught by the Buddha before the emergence of all the different schools and traditions we now have today including Theravada.
I am currently a resident monk at a small hermitage in Oregon where I continue to practice and teach meditation in both Oregon and Washington.
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Thay Kozen's Solitary Retreat
My private solitary retreat is usually done in a forest or at the sea shore. I do enjoy the Shinrin Yoku (Forest bathing) practice in the wild and natural forests of the Pacific Northwest. Here are photos of my recent solitary retreat.... Thay Kozen
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Dharma Retreats
I just completed a short private solitary retreat at a dear friend's private tree-house. I want to encourage everyone to attend at least 2 retreats a year; a private solitary one (just you), and another joining a group.
My personal recommendations for joining group retreats are:
Cloud Mountain - lots of Dharma retreats scheduled throughout the year
Great Vow Zen Monastery - a traditional Japanese style zen monastic training temple
Thich Nhat Hanh - any of his many centers or monasteries.
Mt Adams Buddhist Temple - solitary and group retreats (numerous 1, 3, and 7 day retreats in 2022
Northwest Dharma Association also has many listed retreats
Life is short - let us all do our best to awaken....Thay Kozen
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Dear friends gifted me the use of their tree house for my private retreat |
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A charming gate leads to the entrance ramp |
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Nestled in the trees, rain, bird song, and breezes are guests |
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Tall, tall trees with sword ferns below - it was beautiful. |
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Recovery Dharma- Transforming Addictions
and Other Harmful Habits by Richard (Dick) Withers
Recovery Dharma uses Buddhist practices and principles to overcome addictions through meditation, personal inquiry, and community engagement. Columbia Gorge Recovery Dharma is supported by the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple. We are thankful for the leadership and encouragement Thay Kozen has provided.
Recovery Dharma (RD) was founded in the summer of 2019 with publication of the book Recovery Dharma. Local RD meetings were quickly organized throughout North America and around the globe. RD meetings include meditation, dharma study and sharing. Drawing from successful elements of 12-Step and other peer support groups, RD provides a complementary or alternative program of powerful tools to support recovery and growth.
The Recovery Dharma book can be ordered - or can be downloaded free of charge (see button below) It provides an accessible introduction to the study of the Four Noble Truths and the Wise Eightfold Path for beginners and is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to strengthen and deepen their practice. We recommend not only to persons struggling or suffering from harmful habits and obsessions, but also to those who are friends or family of someone dealing with addiction.
Our meetings are currently online and you are welcome to join:
Columbia Gorge Recovery Dharma
Sundays at 6:15pm and Wednesdays at 7:00pm: (Pacific Time)
https://zoom.us/j/6585138476
Meeting ID: 658 513 8476 Password: 516313
From the back cover of the book Recovery Dharma:
Recovery Dharma is a peer led movement and a community that is unified by the potential in each of us to recover and find freedom from the suffering of addiction. This book uses the Buddhist practices of meditation, self inquiry, wisdom, compassion, and community as tools for recovery and healing. We welcome anyone who is looking to find freedom from suffering, whether it’s caused by substance use or process addictions like codependency, sex, gambling, eating disorders, shopping, work, technology, or any obsessive or habitual pattern. We approach recovery from a place of individual and collective empowerment and we support each other as we walk this path of recovery together.
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Living While Black
by Beverly Williams-Hawkins
I was in a full downward pose when our eyes met. I knew by the familiar glare in his eye, that unless I grabbed my yoga mat and immediately dashed for the door, we were going to have an encounter and it wasn’t going to be pleasant. As always I was right, rarely does my “Living While Black” radar fail me. It’s been honed to a keen sharpness through nearly 70 years of daily practice. “So where you from” he asked, fully convinced he had every right to grill me about my pedigree. “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania” I replied.” He was not convinced “No, I mean where are you really from…” and on it went from there.
This little vignette is just one example of Living While Black, there are many. There are the incessant questions about “Where you’re from” “Who are your people” “Can I touch your hair?” Then there is “The Talk” given incessantly to every Black child as they prepare to go it alone in the streets of America “You know what to do if you’re stopped by the cops right?” And there are the glares and stares, being intentionally bumped into and let us not forget the infamous “Karens” who used to clutch their pearls and cross the street at the sight of a young Black man. These days they just start yelling and threatening to call the police.
I don’t know if you have ever doubted it but in case you have let me assure you that Living While Black is a thing and not a fun thing. Imagine your life if you could depend on a daily dose of incoming slings and arrows for no other reason than the color of your skin. Imagine never stepping foot into a national park because when you grew up the woods were not a safe place. Imagine being constantly plagued niggling little questions about how you’re treated all day every day “Was that person rude to me just because they are rude or because I am Black. Imagine finding yourself in a war zone and being told if you’re Black it’s just fine for you to walk to safety. Yes Dear Ones, as much as I hate to tell you I must inform you that Living While Black is a thing and it is exhausting.
I hope you will watch the videos Thay Kozen has curated for a further exploration of what it looks like to Live While Black in America................. In metta, Beverly Williams-Hawkins
Please watch the youtube videos below
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Dragonfly Play School
The school is hosted by Mt Adams Buddhist Temple and located in our temple's cloister.
The sound of children at play rings out around our small temple.
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How Can I Help UKRAINE?
While many of us might feel helpless when confronted with geopolitical machinations of this scale, we’ve rounded up some ways you can help the people of Ukraine right now.
DONATE
Organizations on the ground and globally are actively supporting people within Ukraine and refugees seeking safety elsewhere with medical and humanitarian aid, these organizations include:
PEOPLE IN NEED is providing humanitarian aid to over 200,000 people on the ground. For those most in need, they provide food packages, emergency shelter, safe access to drinking water, hygiene items, and coal for heating.
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UKRAINIAN RED CROSS does loads of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors.
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CARE is responding to the crisis by providing Ukrainians in need with food, hygiene kits, psychosocial support services, access to water, and access to cash.
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APRIL IS A SPECIAL MONTH FOR MANY FAITHS & GROUPS
29 Arbour Day - plant and save a forest
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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.
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Mt Adams Buddhist Temple 46 Stoller Rd., Trout Lake WA 98650 509.395.2030 https://www.mtadamsbuddhisttemple.com/ |
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