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Begins 16 February
The Lunar Year of the Dog
Each year is related to a Chinese zodiac animal according to the 12-year cycle. Years of the Dog include 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, and 2030... The Dog occupies the eleventh position in the Chinese zodiac, after the Rooster, and before the Pig.
2018 is the Chinese Year of the Brown Earth Dog. This lunar New Year starts from February 16th 2018 and ends on February 4th 2019.
Dog’s most defining characteristic is their loyalty. They will never abandon their friends, family or work. Honest and just, they are popular in social circles. Everyone needs a Dog friend for advice and help. They are also good at helping others find and fix their bad habits. The Dog is yang energy
Despite how they act, they are worried and anxious inside. However, they will not let this stop them. Once they decide on something, no one can persuade them against it.
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Weekly Temple Services
Monday - Friday 6:30 am and 6:30 pm Meditation , Saturday 9am full service + meditation
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Dear Ones,
Many exciting things happening at our temple. We have a new propane stove which is wonderful looking with a warm cheery flame as well as keeping us nice and warm.
Thay Z and I are going to Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand in April. Perhaps a lay person or two will go with us. We'll be visiting old friends as well as Thich Nhuan Anh and Suco Gioi Bao in Japan. In Vietnam we hope to visit Hue and the memorial site of Thích Quảng Đức (The compassionate monk who burned himself during the Vietnam war). In Thailand we hope to visit Thich Nhat Hanh's temple.
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Paranirvana Retreat
Join us on 10 February
for a one day retreat. We're asking a $40.00 donation for the day.
8 am – greeting and tea
8:15 Orientation and introductions
8:45 sitting meditation
9:05 walking meditation
9: 20 mindful reflection break
9:40 Metta Practice
10:00 Review of the Cardinal Precepts,
self writing of our concerns
10:30 sitting meditation
10:50 walking meditation
11:00 Dharma Talk & sharing
12 noon Lunch
1 pm Metta Sutra & Practice
1:45 Qi Gong - Shibashi, mindful movement
2:45 mindful reflection break
3:05 sitting meditation
3:25 walking meditation
3:35 Dharma talk and closure
4 pm end of retreat
Weather permitting we will walk the Labyrinth and walk outside. Bring warm clothes, waterproof boots and coats and a good hat. We may have snow and ice or bright sunshine – we’ll adjust the program to accommodate the weather. Lunch will be salad, cheese, veggies, and bread. Tea will be available all day.
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Thich Minh Thien's Column
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LOVE AND LOVING
by Thich Minh Thien (Thay Z)
Month number two of 2018 and the shelves of card shops, gift, department and grocery stores have been stocked with all the things needed to celebrate a February holiday; namely, Valentine’s Day. Shortly after the Christmas holidays, things traditionally associated with Valentine’s Day began to appear for sale. And short of Christmas, Valentine’s Day is the biggest spending holiday of the year in America. Cards, flowers, candies, etc. have all become symbols of how we choose to express our love to another on this holiday dedicated to Love.
Mountains of articles, books and treatise have been written and dedicated to the topic of Love. How to find love, how to re-energize love, choosing the right lover, how to recover from a love gone wrong, are just some of the areas that have been set to poetry and prose, enacted on the stage and cinema screens and certainly is at least a sub-plot in almost every story told. As I look at my own personal history, I can see the effects of my own involvement with Love; the ups and downs, the joys and heartaches, and how all of it has impacted my life and some of the choices I made.
Love is a fundamental of life. Every religion and spiritual direction uses Love as the core for its’ very existence. Being so surrounded with all of this Love, one might wonder why we haven’t gotten better at it. Currently the divorce rate in the United States stands somewhere between 40-50 percent. I would bet that we would be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t relate some relationship or incident involving Love that didn’t seriously affect choices or life for either the better or worse. I don’t think I would be far off in stating that Love has caused most of us significant suffering (unhappiness) of some sort.
So, what does our Buddhist practice say about Love? As I searched my friend “Google” for some perspectives on the topic, I found the word “Loving” more frequently; or at least as often as I saw the word “Love”. That begs the question, “what’s the difference between Love and Loving”.
Most times, we link Love to another person, idea, desire, etc. and we become dependent on that other element for the fulfillment or satisfaction of our Love fantasy. Loving does not require a vehicle for its fulfillment or expression. I might put it this way. Love is a destination where Loving is the journey. It is each step we take in this thing we call life. Loving is our expression of being whole and complete. It is already available within ourselves and the Loving choices we make are not dependent on anything outside of our own understandings and approach to living.
In Gil Fronsdal’s writings on the Buddha’s Teachings on love, he says; “One of the most rewarding spiritual practices is to cultivate the ability to bring loving into all aspects of our life and to all the people we encounter. This entails learning how to include a loving presence while we speak to others, are in conflict with others, and are living with others. While this can be a daunting task, it begins with having the intention to do so. And it is supported by appreciating each manifestation of love we encounter. Even practicing loving-kindness for the time it takes to snap the fingers is beneficial. Each drop of practice is significant and, as the Buddha said, “with dripping water, the water jug is filled.”
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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Our temple has a new propane stove. This is the first time in 10 years when we have been warm in the winter. It's a wonderful feeling to walk into a nice warm temple on a snowy winter day. Thank you to all who donated to make this purchase possible
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Workshop on Being Mindful Parents
Join Kathy Keller-Jones, child developmental psychologist, for a workshop on being mindful parents in the digital age on Saturday, February 10th at 9 am in the Community Room at the Columbia Bank in White Salmon. Learn about the variety of impacts technology can have on kids and teens and discuss strategies for balance with other Gorge families. Suggested donation of $20/person, $30/couple to support scholarships for Cascade Mountain School students.
Here is a link to our event on Facebook:
e has a new r
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Lots of meditation going on At Trinity Natural Medicine
in Hood River Oregon
MEDITATION
- Monday Meditation & Metta (12-1 pm) Join our Trinity Sangha and Thay Kozen from Mt. Adams Zen Center in loving kindness meditation and a 30 minute sit.
- Monday Breathe (5:15-5:45 pm): Yogic breath work
- Tuesday Sunrise Meditation (6:15- 7am, simple mindful movement followed by a 30 minute sit, feel free to come for the sit at 6:30 am). You can join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/778871623
- Wednesday Mid-Week Meditation (12-1 pm, 20 min sit, 10 min walking meditation, 20 minute sit), hosted by Thay Kozen of Mt. Adams Zen Center and Trinity Sangha lay meditation instructors
- Thursday Sunrise Meditation (6:15- 7am, simple mindful movement followed by a 30 minute sit, feel free to come for the sit at 6:30 am)
ACUPUNCTURE, CHINESE MEDICINE, MASSAGE, YOGA,
GONG FU, QI GONG, TAI CHI
- For Adults and Children
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Children Imprisoned and Starved in World War II
It seems sometimes easy to give into fear, ignorance, hate and anger. The below two photos from our past, remind us of the great suffering we can inflict on others when we given to our anger, desire, and ignorance. Looking at these photos forces me to ask if such actions are ever warranted for any reason?
Are we doing things right now that cause suffering?
Every act and intent we do becomes our only true possession.
Hating Republicans, Democrats, blacks, Jews, Asians, Gays, Mexicans, Muslims, or any group or individual can lead us into despicable behavior. Guard your thoughts closely and when such thoughts arise, practice Metta (loving Kindness) , and the Buddha's teachings on peace.
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February, March, and April Upcoming Events
February
3
Imbolc - Druid Event
1
0 Paranirvana 1 day retreat
16 Lunar New Year
16- 18 Temple Closed - Kozen on retreat
17 Advanced Computer Training 10:30am - 1:00pm with Scott See**
23-25 NUNM Qi Gong Retreat - Private
24 Thay Z's Birthday (Thich Minh Thien, Ven Ron Zimmerman)
March
3 Householder's Zen - with Debbie Nelson 10:30 am - 1:00pm , The Zen of Cheese **
8 Yoga, Meditation, & Zen Koans by Suniti contact: 503 913 8959
16-18 Spring Retreat, Metta and Meditation
24 Spring Equinox - Druid Event
31 Passover Starts
April
1-30 Temple closed - Kozen Traveling in Vietnam
20-22 NUNM QI Gong Retreat- private
28 Beltane - Druid Event
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Mt. Adams Zen - Outside Of Our Temple
Every Monday & Wednesday - Trinity Sangha, at Trinity Natural Medicine at 12 noon
1808 Belmont Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
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1st and 3rd Wednesday Evenings - Trinity Sangha Stu
dy Group Time 6:30-8:00pm
Where: at Withers residence, 1829 5th St., Hood River
(Sieverkropp Development behind Rosauer's)
Book to be studied:
passages from The Path of Emancipation. These are transcripts from a 21 day retreat led in 1998 in Burlington, Vermont, by Thich Nhat Hanh.
It is not necessary to buy the book.
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11th Step Recovery Meeting #1-
A Fresh Step Forward in Recovery Sunday afternoons 4:30pm at Bethel UCC Church,
480 E Jewett Blvd, W
hite Salmon, WA. Contact Dick Withers:
[email protected]
; 414-587-4065
11th Step Recovery Meeting
#2
- A Fresh Step Forward in Recovery
Thursdays afternoons 4:30 pm at Good Medicine Healing Arts, 1029 May Street. Hood River, OR.
Contact Dick Withers:
[email protected]
; 414-587-4065
Other Meditation Groups in the Gorge
Pacific Hermitage Meditation and Dhamma talk
with Thai Forest Monks
6:30-8 pm every Tuesday evening
at Yoga Samadhi in White Salmon, WA. http://pacifichermitage.org
Hood River Zen
Sunday afternoon walking and sitting meditation 2nd and 4th" Sundays
Good Medicine Lounge on 1029 May St in Hood River. Contact Kyri Kengan Treiman (
[email protected]).
Monday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
,
at Bethel Congregational Church in White Salmon
White Salmon Dharma Practice Group every other Sunday evenings
at Atlan (near Northwestern Park outside of White Salmon). Contact: Scott Cushman: ([email protected]; 925-708-5652)
Washougal Mindfulness + Meditation Group - on hold now
Last Sunday of each month from 4:00-5:15pm
Washougal Acupuncture & Massage: 1436 A Street Washougal, WA 98671
Trinity Natural Medicine
- Monday Breathe (5:15-5:45 pm): Yogic breath work
- Tuesday Sunrise Meditation (6:15- 7am, simple mindful movement followed by a 30 minute sit, feel free to come for the sit at 6:30 am). You can join virtually: https://zoom.us/j/778871623
- Thursday Sunrise Meditation (6:15- 7am, simple mindful movement followed by a 30 minute sit, feel free to come for the sit at 6:30 am)
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Sunrise on a snowy morning,
Avalokiteshvara welcomes the sun on the mountain
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For our brothers and sisters in recovery from alcohol and substances
SUNDAY 11TH-STEP MEETING - WHITE SALMON, WA
by Dick Withers
It has now been a year since a small group of 12-Steppers met several times in our Hood River home to organize a weekly 11th Step Meditation meeting in the Gorge - open to all persons “interested in a program of recovery.”
With the support and sponsorship of the Mt. Adams Zen Temple (Thank you, Thay Kozen!), we secured a location arranged by one of our planners who is a member of Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) in White Salmon. Rev. Kelly Ryan, the pastor at Bethel, has been very generous and helpful. We meet for an hour and a half…during winter months our meetings begin at 4:30 pm. The planning group prepared a first draft of our statement of purpose and practice which is read at the beginning of each meeting. It has been revised with minor improvements several times (and will likely continue to be updated with group consensus).
After introductions or a brief check-in we read the following - based on the preamble often used at the beginnings of 12-Step meetings: "We are a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that we may solve our common problems and help others to recover from alcoholism and addiction…. There are no dues or fees for participation; we are self-supporting through our own contributions…. This meeting is sponsored by the Mt. Adams Zen Temple but is not otherwise allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes…. Our primary purpose is to stay clear and sober, and to help others achieve sobriety and freedom from addiction.”
Contributions - entirely voluntary - have been donated to Bethel Church in lieu of rental or facilities fees.
Our statement also reflects the inclusive and welcoming nature of our meetings and practice. Persons new to either recovery or meditation practice (or both) are especially welcome at any time.
“This meeting offers an opportunity for persons interested in a program of recovery to join in meditation practice with others and to strengthen spiritual and mindful growth in a sharing and supportive community. We draw from the wisdom and experience of many spiritual traditions as well as the principles and practices of 12-Step recovery programs. “Through meditation, study and sharing, we vow to fulfill the blessings of serenity, courage and wisdom contained in the Serenity Prayer so that we may be restored to health in body and mind and be of service to others.”
We value the anonymity of all members, especially newcomers. This is a bedrock value of the 12-Step tradition and is mentioned in our opening statement. Individual members may choose to reveal their own names or identifying information at times, but we hold each other’s privacy in complete confidence. In this way we create a safe environment where each person can share honestly and completely from the heart if they wish.
Meeting Format
Following introductions and reading the group statement, Sunday 11th-Step participants share 20 to 30 minutes of silent meditation (instruction for newcomers is available). We rotate meeting leaders monthly. Leaders determine with the group the length of each period of meditation. The group may also choose to add a short period of walking meditation or other meditation practice.
Following meditation, the group breaks for tea (and sometimes home-baked treats).
The Sunday 11th Step meeting then turns to a period of discussion and sharing. This year our discussion is based on readings from the book Mindfulness and the 12 Steps by Therese Jacobs-Stewart. Each month will focus on a step in the 12 Step program. Extra copies of the book are available to borrow or purchase; and new-comers will not find themselves at a disadvantage - each discussion stands alone. Participants may then respond to the reading and may share personal challenges and triumphs in recovery and in mindfulness practice. There, of course, is no requirement to speak; and in 12-Step tradition, we avoid crosstalk - each participant can share without interruption.
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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 Zen Buddhist Temple 46 Stoller Rd., Trout Lake WA 98650 509.395.2030
www.Mtadamszen.org
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