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Mt Adams Zen Buddhist Temple

 

March 2013 Newsletter
Dear Dharma Friends,

I recently received a letter from a young man wishing to find a "new religion".  In his letter he complained about a church service in his town and the "mean" Christians he encountered there.  As he and I explored this situation it became clear that he was indeed a Christian and had gotten his feelings hurt.  Rather than change his faith, we explored the wonderful teachings that can be found within his religion.  

I read an article by a Christian minister.  In it he said that sometimes Christians forget that kindness and loving our fellow man are an important part of their faith.  I went on to read a bit more and found these wonderful enlightened words in the Bible.

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness." (1 John 2:9,11)

 

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." (James 3:9,10)

 

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20)

 

Jesus put it this way in Matthew 12:34-36: "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken."

 

These wonderful guidelines could well have been spoken by Buddhist teachers throughout the centuries.  Let us remember that persons of all faiths seek the good and try to promote peace.  Please do not judge another person's lapses and imperfections of faith as the result of their religion. Rather, let us look at each other with kind and compassionate eyes and celebrate our successes more than our failures.  I believe all faiths have wonderful truths in them and seek to promote goodness for us all.

 

May we all have peace. 
In metta,
Minh Tinh


New Schedule

We are excited to add many new opportunities for meditation.
These services will last one-hour or maybe a little longer. 
Our most publicly attended service will continue to be Saturday mornings at 9AM.

 

Monday - Friday Morning Meditation  6:30AM 

 

Everyday (Sunday - Saturday) Morning Service 9:00 AM 


We are adding an extra service every weekday mornings (Monday - Friday) at 9:30 AM.  This service will include a meditation period, a Dharma (teaching) talk, and daily service.

We will continue to have our regular 6:30 AM service which will be meditation only.

We are adding more weekday evening services (Monday - Friday) at 6:30 PM

We are adding a Sunday Service at 9AM
(this is just a come and sit meeting - no formal services)

Please call us if you have any questions about the services
509.395.2030

Volunteer Opportunity!

 

The Emergency Voucher Program, which is a ministry of GEM (Gorge Ecumenical Ministries), is seeking volunteers to assist with the distribution of emergency vouchers.

Vouchers are distributed at Providence Hospital between 12pm and 2pm.

If you are a compassionate listener, creative problem solver, and feel called to serve some of the most vulnerable in our midst, this may be the volunteer opportunity for you.

Please plan to attend one of the following training sessions if you're interested in learning more and applying to be a volunteer:

 

Monday, March 4, 6pm-7pm

Tuesday, March 12, 6pm-7pm

Monday, March 18, 6pm-7pm

 

All training sessions will take place at Providence Hospital, Hood River Classroom 5

 

 

A private workshop held at Trout Lake Abbey  

Dancing the Spirit at the Mountain

Trout Lake Abbey 46 Stoller Rd.

Saturday, March 2, 2013  3:30-5:30 with potluck to follow 

Come earlier (2:30ish) and enjoy the beautiful grounds of this Zen/ Druid Nature Sanctuary and Organic Farm. Bring food to share and dinnerware for yourself -- we hope to keep this a trash free event. We will break for dinner about 5:30 and leave the Abbey sparkling by 7pm. If desired, you can stay at the Abbey B & B (509 395-2030).

 

For information on the One River Dances of Universal Peace in White Salmon on Third Fridays 509 493-2514

 

The Dances of Universal Peace are simple, meditative, and joyous circle dances. They use sacred phrases, chants, movements, and music from the world's wisdom traditions. There are no performers, no audience members, and no experience is necessary!

 

Come out of the winter into the majesty of nature's beauty. Simple joyous dances and a circle of open hearts - join together for community and inspiration. $5 -10 donation.


A private workshop held at Trout Lake Abbey

Beth's workshop
In this workshop practice sure- fire strategies to shift your body, brain and behavior.  We will explore sound vibration, toning, movement and awareness as a way to come into authentic balance. Learn to consciously identify and engage the repetitive patterns that keep us in the dramas of our life so we can live a life of freedom and choice. Dance a new dance, sing a new song, live a new story, all in a community of support.  

Facilitated by Beth Welton-Miller, MS, LMT.  She guides people to experience their essential wholeness so they can feel relaxation, grounded clarity and interconnectedness.  She is a teacher, shamanic practitioner, intuitive and body-mind therapist.  She loves living at the base of Mt Adams.

For more information contact Beth at 503-680-5810,  beth@vibrant-living.com
www.vibrant-living.com

Send e-mail to register with name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone #. How did you hear about the workshop?  You will be sent a registration packet with pre-workshop information.

Investment
Payment By March 8th             $65. - $120 self-selected
Paying After March 8th            $85. - $120  self-selected

Payable by sending check to: Beth Welton-Miller, P.O. Box 331 Trout Lake, WA  98650
Or PayPal on the website www.vibrant-living.com Contacts page
Click on PayPal button and put in amount paying.

Location:  Trout Lake Abbey, 46 Stoller Rd, Trout Lake, WA  98650

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

Calendar

Please note our new daily practice schedule

 

MARCH

4 Thay Kozen to CRCC Prison 

4 New temple schedule begins 

12-15 Thay Kozen to Tucson  

          Prison Ministry  

23 One-day Meditation Intensive 

     (7:30 am - 3:30 pm)

25 Thay Kozen to CRCC Prison 

 

 

APRIL
6 Buddha's Birthday
19 - 21 Earth Day Retreat
22 Thay Kozen to CRCC Prison

MAY
6 Thay Kozen to CRCC Prison
14-21 Thay Kozen traveling
18  One-Day meditation retreat
     (7:30 am - 3:30 pm)
 18 Buddha Day Celebration 9am
 
 
Words of Wisdom 
by Gandi-ji

"Seven Deadly Sins

Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice."

"Where there is love there is life."

"I like your Christ, I sometimes do not like your Christians. Your Christians are often so unlike your Christ."

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."

"God has no religion."

"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."

"Hate the sin, love the sinner."

Is your group part of the Northwest Dharma Association? 
if not, it is time to join!  If you are a solitary practitioner or without a sanga you can still donate dana (money).  The are a clearing house for Buddhist Activity in the Northwest and need our support. 
 
read more about the NWDA at https://www.northwestdharma.org/ 

 


   We are so excited about our new schedule.  It will allow us to continue our personal practice and allow community members to join us if they wish.  The early morning meditations (6:30 AM) have very little ceremony and include a 45 minute meditation, and a shorter meditation.  We will usually do a sitting meditation at this time but one day a week will be walking meditation.

  Please note that we will have a morning service every morning at 9:00 AM.  This will include some Dharma talks (teaching), sutra chanting, and different types of meditation. 
Come and join us.

CRCC Offenders receive books and small Buddhas

 Ven Kozen (Thich Minh Tinh)  and Ven. Kobai Whitney meet with offenders at CRCC. The men agreed to allow this photo to be taken with recently donated books and small Buddhas.  CRCC is a Washington State Prison located north of the tri-cities area.  It is about a 3.5 hour drive from the temple.  Some of the men at CRCC have found that iron bars and cement are not a prison for the spirit.  Some have become far freer in their incarceration and Buddhist practices than they ever were prior to prison.

Special Updates 
- We plan on building 3 more huts this Spring
- Our Tibetan Girl's savings are up to $1661.00 (our goal is $3000.00 - $1000 for each girl). In additional we would like to raise $7000.00 for one of them to go to dental school.
- Our 1000 Buddha project is going well - we now have 7 Buddhas - only 993 to go!
- We are making Tibetan style prayer wheels to border our new cloister entry.  Would you like add a special prayer to one of them? 
Venerable Tashi Tsering has passed away in February 2013
 
Our temple has been sponsoring him for the last 2 years through Tibet Aid. 
His history from Tibet Aid:
Venerable Tashi Tsering is a monk from Tibet and arrived in India in 1959. He joined Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (now known as Central University of Tibetan Studies), in Sarnath, Varanasi, in 1978 and graduated with an Acharya degree. Afterwards, he worked in Tibet House, Delhi, and as a teacher in the Tibetan School at Shilling for six years. He then joined the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration in 1987 and worked there until 2002.

Ven. Tashi Tsering was without any family support as none of his family members were in India; nor were his family in Tibet able to afford any assistance to him due to their poor financial condition. In addition to being without family support, he was also a chronic diabetic patient. Thus, he faced difficulties in meeting his daily expenditures and medicine bills.

Our temple is keeping candles lit and offering daily merit for Venerable Tashi Tsering until Saturday March 2
Upcoming retreats: 
March 23 one-day intense meditation (7:30 - 3:30)
April 19 - 21 Earth Day meditation retreat (Fri - Sunday)
April 27 one-day intensive meditation (7:30 - 3:30)
May 18 one-day intensive meditation (7:30 - 3:30)
call Abby for information at 509.637. 4511
Venerable Kozen's teacher Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka Roshi sits to the right of Rev. Wayne Tourda, surrounded by Rev. Tourda's Akido Academy students.  Thien (Chan or Zen) has a history of association with martial arts in Vietnam, Japan, and China. 

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

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