Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple
Tuyết Sơn Thiền Tự. 雪山禅寺
P.O. Box 487, Trout Lake WA 98650 https://mtadamsbuddhisttemple.org/
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This is a long Newsletter - Please enable photos and scroll to the end story "Photos in the snow"
Services via ZOOM WINTER SCHEDULE
TEMPLE SERVICES Via ZOOM
MONDAY - FRIDAY at 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. via ZOOM
SATURDAY 8:30 a.m. - service + meditation via ZOOM & in person
Special Vajrayana and Theravada education
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IN PERSON MEETINGS - most on ZOOM
SATURDAY MORNING SERVICE at 8:30am
M-F AM Meditation 6:30am - 7:30am
M-F PM Meditation 5:30pm - 6:30pm
46 Stoller Rd. Trout Lake WA
TUESDAY at 10:30am - 11:30pm IN PERSON - not on ZOOM
1412 13th Street, Suite 200. Hood River, OR 97031
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UPCOMING IN-PERSON CLASSES (some on zoom) at our temple
Mindfulness Meditation at the Hood River Library on January 8, 9-11AM
enroll - call Emily: 503-358-1949; emilygoodwinmartin AT gmail.com.
If possible, please pay at the time of registration using Venmo. @emilygoodwinmartin.
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Buu - Hung Buddhist Monastery
17808 NE 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98684. Tel: (360) 718-6158
Meditation Practice & Dharma Talk
The last Sunday of each month 2:00 pm.-3:00 pm
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Dear Ones,
Chúc mừng năm mới Happy New Year
As 2022 ends and the New Year begins, let us wish all beings to find peace, health and joy in the New Year.
We have our new chant book available on Lulu.com and at the temple.
When we see so many people living in makeshift shelters, young children thin from lack of food, the elderly living in poverty, or our minorities oppressed - let us open our hearts to the compassion of Avalokiteśvara and help as we are able. The sufferings of old age, sickness, and death surround us. May our hearts open to the sufferings of others and may we be activists for peace and kindness.
The New year, Solar or Lunar, is a time when we traditionally think of making a change in our current thoughts or behaviors, a new beginning. May your New Year be one of peace, harmony, and health.
Nam Mo Bon Su Thich Ca Mau Ni Phat! Namo Shakyamuni Buddha!!
in Metta.....Thay Kozen and Ven. Bhante
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Visitors paying respect to one of our new statues |
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Chinese Lunar New Year January 22, 2023
Year of The Water Rabbit
The Rabbit is the fourth zodiac animal sign in the 12 year lunar cycle. In Chinese element theory, each zodiac sign is associated with one of the five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth which comes once in a 60-year cycle. For example, 2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit. The last Water Rabbit year was 1963. In Chinese culture the rabbit, based on their living habits, symbolizes vigilance, wittiness, cautiousness, deftness, self-protection, and the moon. Considered to be the luckiest of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, the approaching year of the rabbit symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty.
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January 22, 2023
Vietnamese Lunar New Year's Traditions
By Lien Nguyen
In Vietnam 2023 will be the year of the Cat
In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is known as Tết or Tết Nguyên Đán. It is the most important and popular festival for the Vietnamese people during the year. Tết is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Each year a different sacred animal in the Chinese Zodiac controls the luck and destinies of all people. This year will be the Year of the .
Not only is Tết a celebration of the arrival of spring and an occasion to pay respects to one's ancestors, it is also a great opportunity for family to come together. Family members will return to their homeland for a reunion and to savour the flavours of the holiday.
Mâm Ngũ Quả (The Five-Fruit Tray)
The preparation of the five-fruit tray is an essential Tết tradition in every Vietnamese home. The tray symbolises the family’s respect for their ancestors and their wishes for the New Year. Each fruit represents a different prayer for the future. Due to regional differences in climate and
Normally, in all regions, the tray will be put on the altar in the home, though sometimes people set it up on the table next to a box of candied fruit.
Hoa Đào and Hoa Mai - (The Planting of Peach or Apricot trees)
During Tết people love to look at beautiful flowers because they think certain flowers will bring them happiness and luck in the New Year. People buy peach flowers (in the North) and apricot flowers (in the South) to decorate their homes.
To make these peach and apricot trees even more beautiful, Vietnamese people often hang twinkly LED lights on them, as well as red lucky money envelopes and small plastic figurines representing the gods of wealth. These plants are placed in the living room or in front of the house. Some companies put them in their offices to enjoy their beauty and to bring hope for good fortune.
Bánh Tét – Bánh Chưng - (Cylindrical Cake – Square Cake)
As Tết approaches you’ll notice a fire burning all night long on the stove in most Vietnamese homes. The families are cooking the traditional cakes for Tết. Vietnam is a country where wet rice is farmed, so it makes sense that there are many traditional Vietnamese cakes made from it. Bánh chưng and bánh tét cakes are made from glutinous rice, mung bean and pork and they are essential foods for the Lunar New Year. The colours of the cake symbolise the earth and the sky.
Bánh Mứt - (Candied Fruit)
Like bánh chưng and bánh tét, mứt is a must-have food for every family during Tết, though, it’s really more of a snack than a kind of food. The mứt is traditionally offered to guests when they arrive at a home to give their greetings and hopes for a happy new year. There are many categories of mứt, such as candied fruit, coconut jam, kumquat jam and sugared apples.
Lì Xì - (Lucky Money in Red Envelopes)
On the first day of New Year, the whole family will dress up and get together to offer New Year’s greetings and wishes to one another. This is a custom that has been maintained for generations.
The eldest members of the family will give red envelopes to the children and young adults, while advising them about their life, school and work. These red envelopes symbolize wishes of luck and wealth for the youngest in the family. After receiving the envelopes, the youth are expected to give some wishes to their elders for good luck, success and good health in the New Year.
Xông Nhà - (The Aura of the Earth)
On the first day of the New Year, Vietnamese families will carefully choose the first guest to step into their home. If the guest has a good Aura, meaning they are good fit with the zodiac of the homeowner, has good education, and is kind and healthy, then the family will receive luck and good fortune for the year. This is especially common among families who work in business.
Bữa Cơm Đầu Năm – (First Meal of the Year)
The Vietnamese believe that Tết is meant for getting together with friends and family. Therefore, the first meal of the year plays an important role in Vietnamese culture. Family members will return to their homelands, even if they’ve been living far away from home for a long time. Tết is a time to enjoy delicious food as a family and to talk about the events of the past year. Normally, the family will cook together and make traditional foods like spring rolls, Vietnamese sausages, bánh tét or bánh chưng.
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The Great Bell Rings in
the New Year
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On December 31, 2022 we will be ringing the great bell 108 times at midnight
We will welcome in the new year. This is an outdoors activity, and dress warmly. The roads are open and our driveway is cleared of snow.
Sadly we do not have accommodations for overnight stays and the roads are unsafe so local folks only please.
We will also ring the Great Bell on January 22 for the Lunar New Year
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Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot of Budding Dharma
Arlington, Texas
Peace on Earth Begins With Me
We just finished a holiday season where the words, …”Peace on Earth”… were heard over and over again. However, as we begin another 365 cycle, we seem no closer to the admirable goal of “Peace on Earth”. One might even argue we are farther away than ever. I don’t have a method of measuring any progress in that arena. What I do know is there are factions that hate each other over ethnicity, politics, sexuality and religious preferences and may be more evident than ever before. The rich are richer and the poor are poorer, the number of homeless and hungry are staggering, and our communal home, this earth and all its’ inhabitants, are in a crisis from which we may not be able to recover.
Yet in this coming year, like in previous years, and probably in years to come, we may again use this holiday time to expound on the joy of the season, over spend and consume much like a sugar high that doesn’t have value or last very long. We then will slip back into familiar patterns and again wonder about this elusive “Peace on Earth”.
Much of what I have learned in the philosophy given to us by the Buddha, is that looking for answers outside of myself often proves to be an exercise that uncovers little that is useful to reduce the unhappiness in life or possibly increase the joy that is already within us, waiting to be discovered. In the book, “Zen Philosophy, Zen Practice” by Thich Thien-An, he speaks of a “pure mind” when writing about the attainment of Buddhahood, He says, “…(there is) an importance in a pure mind; if the mind is pure, then everything becomes pure…” and, “…to practice Zen we must not withdraw from life, but get into life: we must fulfill our duties, do what we can…” and, “…contribute our part to the whole so as to change this world into a better world.”
The message is clear. Looking and waiting for “Peace on Earth” outside of ourselves will never produce meaningful results. We must seek our own roots of hate and prejudice over ethnicity, politics, sexuality, religious affiliations, etc. to understand and then stop the destructive nature of those elements in our world and communities. We must learn what sharing is and knowing when enough is enough to make a shift towards equality between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, so that no one is homeless, hungry or uncared for. We must honor, respect and nurture our environment so that all that share this space now and into the future, may know the miracle of this place that supports us in every moment.
When visiting Plum Village on a trip to Thailand a few years ago, I observed a number of signs posted throughout the village, created in calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh. Their purpose was clear; to raise mindfulness in any given moment. One that I especially remember was one that simply stated, “Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World”. The Catholic saint, Francis of Assisi said, “While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart” and our own Teacher, the Buddha stated, “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”
As we embark on another journey around the sun, let us strengthen our practice so that we indeed discover peace within and then work together in all ways that we are able, to someday realize “Peace on Earth” for all.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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Two Ecological Friendly Ways to Deal With Our Body after Death
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Recompose
A full-service funeral home specializing in human composting. Recompose is a licensed green funeral home offering human composting to transform your loved one's body into soil. Recompose works directly with you and the people in your life to ensure respectful, empathetic service from the time
of death through the body’s transformation into soil.
Contact us at (206) 800-8733. Recompose Seattle 4 S. Idaho St, Seattle, WA
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2. Earth Funeral Services
A carbon neutral alternative to cremation. Earth provides the Pacific Northwest’s most sustainable funeral option. Soil transformation is a natural, environmentally-friendly alternative to burial and cremation. Over a 45-day process, a body is gently transformed into a cubic-yard of nutrient-rich soil.
Families choose how much soil they would like returned – to scatter or plant – and the remainder is sent to our Olympic Peninsula conservation site for land restoration projects.
WA # 21032469 | 4620 B St NW, Suite 102, Auburn, WA 98001
OR # FE-8935 | 7600 SE Johnson Creek Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
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These services are a wonderful option for those of us wanting a more natural treatment
of our bodies after death....Thay Kozen
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Building a New Temple
Due to the Covid Pandemic, work force issues, and supply chain problems the first phase of our new temple has been delayed. We may finish the first phase by June 2023 and will start on the Dharma Hall (phase 2) in the Summer of 2023.
The first phase is a covered patio with a heated floor and walls that open up. We did this type of structure so that we could be in the open air, still warm, and safer in a group due to Covid.
We have a $100,000 matching grant offer so that
every dollar that is donated is actually worth two dollars.
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Jivaka Komarabhcca, Physician to the Buddha
Jivaka practiced Ayurveda medicine, a medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. There are many stories about his life, some from Health, a Publication of Prabhuram Anant Pharmacy for the Upheaval of Ayurved, and some from Buddhist Cannon. Both differ somewhat in their account of this healing practitioner. Shakyamuni Buddha’s physician, according to the Pli Buddhist Canon, was an Indian named Jvaka around the year 500 BC. According to some sources, Jivaka invented the massage technique that is now widely used in Thailand.
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Buu - Hung Buddhist Monastery
17808 NE 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98684.
Tel: (360) 718-6158
Meditation Practice & Dharma Talk
2023 Schedule
The last Sunday of each month 2:00 pm.-3:00 pm
Sư cô Huệ Hương and Rev. Scott See
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Rebirth, Reincarnation, Transmigration
During his lifetime The Buddha did not say much about the afterlife and reincarnation. He taught that NOW is the most important time to live a our best life. Many Buddhists believe that the concept of rebirth is an endless cycle of samsara, a cycle of continuous birth, death, and rebirth. This continues until one attains liberation from all desire,anger, and ignorance, entering into nirvana.
Can anyone speak a language he or she has not learned normally, in childhood or later? Claims to have accomplished this are made from time to time, but only rarely do they receive support when carefully examined.
In this volume, Dr. Stevenson presents detailed reports of two cases that seem authentic.
Authentic instances of speaking a language that has not been learned normally (responsive xenoglossy) suggest that another personality (perhaps one of a previous life) had learned the language. Cases of responsive xenoglossy thus add to the evidence concerning the survival of human personality after death.
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A great book that Venerable Jeff shared with us at out Spring Retreat several years ago. The author wants us to reclaim the Swastika from the evil of Hitler to the peace of the Dharma. The swastika has been used for over three thousand years by billions of people in many cultures and religions—including Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism—as an auspicious symbol of the sun and good fortune. However, beginning with its hijacking and misappropriation by Nazi Germany, it has also been used, and continues to be used, as a symbol of hate in the Western World. Hitler's device is in fact a "hooked cross." Rev. Nakagaki's book explains how and why these symbols got confused, and offers a path to peace, understanding, and reconciliation.
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In memory of Thich Minh Tâm
Venerable Kobai Scott Whitney, founder of Plum Mountain Buddhist Community
August 5, 1946 - October 17, 2022
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NEWS
The TV and newspapers seem filled with tragic and sad events, I found this video of folks just being kind, it is worth watching. Maybe we can all do more to just be kind. in metta....Thay Kozen
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We feed the small wild birds when the snow covers the ground |
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Avalokiteśvara in a winter wonderland |
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Thay Kozen and his dog,Ven |
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Snow covered Maitreya Buddha |
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Holiday lights celebrate the season |
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Snow covers the path to the temple |
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December has been a month of deep snow and lots of freezing weather. We have had snow storms, then rain, then freezing temps., then more snow, then rain and more freezing. And it is so very beautiful and peaceful. |
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Avalokiteśvara in the snow |
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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 www.Mtadamszen.org
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