May 2022
This is a long newsletter. Turn on photos and be sure to scroll all the was to the bottom of the newsletter.
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

*********
Thich Nhat Hanh study group on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
(for info about the study group , contact Bonnie at bon2626wit@att.net.)

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 well-being. 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.

Online education - Ways to meditate
May 14 - Sitting Ch'an - Thien, Zen 10:30 am - 11:15 am
May 21 - Sitting Vipassana Meditation
May 28 - Practicing Walking Meditation
June 4 - Practicing Gratitude and Moving Meditation

Dear ones,

What a wonderful and exciting month April has been at our temple. Spring has been glorious this year. So many beautiful flowers. I appreciate the occasional warmth so much. At the same time, we had unexpected snow and cold - the photo shows a cherry tree in full bloom covered in snow in April.

Our 1st phase of our temple is mostly done and our 2nd phase is at the designer's right now. We hope to start building the actual temple (2nd phase) by the end of May 2022.

Due to Covid we have been closed for almost 2 years. We've reopened to retreats and temple/sanctuary members. No general B&B guests at this time.

Our internet is quite limited right now - we are awaiting equipment - perhaps we will be better by the end of May.

We have reopened our temple to onsite services as well as our small B&B. If Covid gets bad again we will close down again, which we hope does not happen.

We now have 2 promised endowments; 2 individuals have put into their will that a portion of their estate will be left to the temple after their death. This is such a kind and generous offer to continue to support our temple even after death. Such merit and metta.

We are seeking a full time farm worker. If interested please contact Thay Kozen at the temple.

I continue to offer metta and well wishing to all of our Ukrainian and Russian brothers and sisters who are involved in this brutal and terrible war. Such suffering and pain are involved.

Wynn Bruce, a 50-year-old climate activist and Buddhist, set himself on fire in front of the U.S. Supreme Court last week, prompting a national conversation about his motivation and whether he may have been inspired by Buddhist monks who self-immolated in the past to protest government atrocities.

In memory - this month is the 80th anniversary of the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans from Hood river. Oregon..See poster at the bottom of the page.

I go to Heart Mountain Internment camp in Wyoming to pay honor to a Zen Priest who was interred there. May we all be well and happy, may we all know love and peace....Thay Kozen
2022 Retreat Schedule

We have limited dates for in person retreats. Please accept our apology if the dotes below do not match our previous commitments.

in person retreats
May 7 - Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) Day Retreat 9am - 3 pm
June 18 – Metta Day Retreat 9am-3pm
9 July - Maha Sangha 10am- 2pm celebration (day only, no overnight guests)
Aug 12 – 14 Meditation Retreat Friday 5pm - Sunday 3pm
Oct 4 – 9 Fall Retreat + Shinrin-Yoku Tuesday 3 pm - Sunday at 3pm
(Sunday is Shinrin-Yoku)
Dec 8 - Midnight meditation 11:30pm - 12:30 am
Dec 31 - Midnight meditation and ring the great bell 108 times 11:30pm - 12:30 am

Online education - Ways to meditate
May 14 - Sitting Ch'an - Thien, Zen 10:30 am - 11:15 am
May 21 - Sitting Vipassana Meditation
May 28 - Practicing Walking Meditation
June 4 - Practicing Gratitude and Moving Meditation

Online education - Taking Refuge study classes
Nov 12, Saturday at 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Nov 19. Saturday at 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Nov 26, Saturday at 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Taking Refuge Ceremony - online and in person
December 3, Saturday 10:30 am - 11:30 am

I encourage everyone to do a 1 week retreat and 2 additional 1-2 day retreats every year Recommended retreat centers are Cloud Mountain in Castle Rock WA, Great Vow in Clatskanie OR, Deer Park in Escondido CA............Thay Kozen
“A true friend is one who stands by you in need.”
It’s from a section in the Sigālovāda Sutta, where the Buddha summarizes, in poetic verse, some teachings he’s just given to a householder called Sigālaka.

"a true friend is one who stands by you in need....
whoever in hardship stands close by, that one truly is a friend."

Buddha tells a group of monks about seven qualities they should look for in a friend,
from the Sigālovāda Sutta

"The seven are:
  1. They give what is hard to give.
  2. They do what is hard to do.
  3. They endure what is hard to endure.
  4. They reveal their secrets to you.
  5. They keep your secrets.
  6. They don’t abandon you in times of trouble.
  7. They don’t look down on you in times of loss.
“The person in whom these things are found is your friend,” the Buddha

So look around you at the people you call friends - how do they measure up to the Buddha's quotes above? True friends are rare and are great treasures. May we all have a true friend....Thay Kozen
The Reverend Canon Father David Forbes
April 1926 - April 2022
The Rev. Canon David Forbes, a renowned champion for Episcopal education and founding headmaster of Cathedral School for Boys, San Francisco, and St. Paul's Episcopal School, Oakland, died on April 26 in Palm Springs, California, age 95.

Canon Forbes had an indelible impact on the Episcopal Diocese of California, independent and Episcopal schools across the country, and many parishes in the Bay Area. He was an active leader in both the National Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Episcopal Schools.

Born April 29, 1926, in Palo Alto, California, he served in the Army and went on to earn his B.S. and M.S. in geology from Stanford University and his M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary. He served as Canon at Grace Cathedral for nearly 70 years. He is survived by three daughters and their husbands, four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. And many many friends.

A memorial service will be held at Grace Cathedral on May 25, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Forbes Endowed Teaching Chair at Cathedral School for Boys.
from the San Francisco Chronicle

Father David was a true friend of mine for over 35 years. I had the pleasure of spending the week with him prior to his death. I will miss him...Thay Kozen
by Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot
Arlington, Texas          

Noble Silence

Last weekend, I attended a 3 day retreat in Austin, Texas. It was hosted by Plum Blossom Sangha which is in a tradition of Buddhist practice instituted by Thich Nhat Hanh at the Plum Village Monastery in France and which was the first monastic practice center founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. It is an approach to Engaged Buddhism taken mainly from a Mahayana perspective, that draws elements from Zen and Theravada traditions.

This practice is characterized by the application of mindfulness to everyday activities (sitting, walking, eating, speaking, listening, working, etc). These practices are integrated with lifestyle guidelines called the "Five Mindfulness Trainings” (a version of the Five Precepts), which bring an ethical and spiritual dimension to decision-making and are an integral part of both the monastic and sangha life.

This retreat included individuals called aspirants, who were attending to receive the transmission of these Five Mindfulness Trainings. The activities included sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks around Deep Hearing and Listening, a little singing and some dharma sharing. But for the most part, it was conducted under the agreement of the participants to observe Noble Silence.

Noble Silence is a term attributed to the Gautama Buddha and it is helpful to understand the concept of Noble in his time. Noble was considered as something or someone who has united three aspects of being; namely, body, speech, and mind. Noble Silence does not mean that one is not allowed to talk; rather one makes the decision to pay attention to both the inner silence and outer silence and is easier to undertake when words and distractions like conversations, phones, tv, radios, etc are not in the way. It is in the silence that you may become more aware and start to ponder things like the sounds of nature or you feel the wind blowing in the trees, the clouds crossing in the sky or birds chattering and singing. Internally, you may experience a heightened sense of your being, both in body and mind.
Instead of listening in order to talk, we were encouraged and invited to understand ourselves in silence. Instead of filling space with words, we were invited to focus on the fullness that already exists without our efforts to dominate or control it. We were invited, in the silence, to experience the power of Presence or Being and simply rest in it. This silence was described as noble because it brings dignity and wholeness to whatever experience we find. We were encouraged not to try and mentally force the Deep Listening and Hearing in the silence but to relax in a presence beyond the ego or words. This Noble Silence allows for a heightened sense of intimacy with the world. In this sustained silence, senses become more acute and both the inner and outer world can appear to us with greater clarity.
What I found in observing this Noble Silence during the retreat was a deepening sense of peace and calm. The lesson for me is to find more opportunities to practice in silence and to leave the distractions of thought, words and actions to just be where they are. I know they will be waiting for me on the other side but maybe I will have a reserve of calmness to simply smile at all my distractions, busyness and boredom and find a deepening sense of mindfulness in all ways and in all things.

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhass
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
Meditation
by Venerable Master Thầy Trừng Sỹ
Abbot of Pháp Nhãn Temple, Del Valle TX

Meditation is a very valuable, effective, practical practice method that helps us live a life of mindfulness, awareness, joy, and happiness right here and right now in the present life. Applying and practicing meditation daily diligently, regularly, and assiduously, we can master our clear, peaceful, and relaxed bodies and minds. As we know meditation is a spiritual food that is very necessary for our daily lives including children and adults. Whether you are religious or non-religious people, you can learn, understand, and apply meditation practice in your daily lives to benefit your bodies and minds.

Indeed, meditation is not limited to religion, it goes beyond religion. Anyone who wants to have peace of mind and peace of body can apply meditation learning and meditation practice to benefit many people. When our bodies and minds are at peace, we can bring authentic happiness and peacefulness to many people. Conversely, when our bodies and minds are irritable, angry, anxious, stressed, uncomfortable, and not peaceful, do not expect us to bring peacefulness and happiness for ourselves and for other people. Therefore, meditation is very important and necessary for everyone to apply and practice right now and here in the present life.
Thầy Trừng Sỹ is a dear friend of many years and a kind and loving monk....Thay Kozen
The Sangha & The Bodhisattva Vows
by Rev. Scott See
How Does Buddhism Impact Those Around Us?
In our meditation services, we at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple often begin with a Chant of Compassion which starts with, “May we surround all forms of life with infinite love and compassion.” And we end with a Dedication of Merit which includes, “May the merit of this penetrate into each thing in all places so that we and every sentient being can realize the Buddha’s way.” These beginning and ending phrases set the intention of our practice–to become the best version of ourselves so that we can be better able to serve others. Those last two words are key–”serve others.” The teachings at Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple emphasize that, all our efforts, while they are directed at our own spiritual health, ultimately is to benefit all people. I should say, to benefit all people, all sentient beings, and the world we live in including our environment. Buddhism teaches us to let go of the differences between our self and others. If we do something to help ourselves, we are indirectly doing something to help others. If we do something to help others, we are indirectly doing something to help ourselves.  

Not 2
Human beings are very good at categorizing and labeling things. I am American/German/Chinese/etc. I am Buddhist/Christian/Jewish/Muslim/etc.. I am Caucasian, Hispanic/Asian/Black/etc. The lists go on and on. And yet every label to which we become attached puts us in harms way of disharmony with everything around us. Think of any of the big crimes against humanity and you’ll find that the crime began with a single thought: I am [fill in the blank] and they are [fill in the blank]. Perhaps no war would ever begin if world leaders focused on how we’re all the same and how we all have the same wants and needs for wellness, happiness, love, and peace. It’s not that labels don’t exist. It’s just that when we become too attached to them, harmony suffers. The world of “we vs. them” is fraught with conflict. The world of “we’re all in this together” has none of this conflict. It’s interesting to note that when the Dalai Lama gives a presentation to a large crowd, he will often begin by introducing himself as a simple monk, who, though he hasn’t met most of the people in the audience, still feels a connection; a sameness with everyone in the audience. This humility and this focus on the sameness leads to harmony and peace in the world.  

Metta, or Loving Kindness
May you be well;
May you be happy;
May you know love;
May you know peace.

This is called the Metta Mantra. Metta is a Pali word that means loving kindness. And a mantra is a word or phrase that is repeated to help us concentrate on the message of the mantra. This mantra is one of the Metta practices that are an important part of our path. We repeat this mantra five times. In the first repetition, we dedicate the mantra to ourselves; in the second, we dedicate it to someone easy to love; in the third we dedicate it to someone we don’t know; in the fourth, to someone difficult to love; and lastly, we dedicate the mantra to ourselves again. Including ourselves in our Metta practice speaks to the idea that we shy away from focusing on differences between ourselves and others. As Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche said, we strive “to practice a friendliness towards ourselves that is so strong it radiates out to all people.” In other words, we work on our own stuff so we can be in a better position to help other people with their stuff.  

Relationships
As the song by The J. Geils Band goes, “Love Stinks.” Romantic love often leads to heartbreak. The same can be said for the love between family members, or any strong attachment. The idea that love leads to pain is as controversial now as it was at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, our historical teacher. This is not to say that Buddhists avoid relationships. Far from it. Rather, as Thích Nhất Hạnh, the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher, tells us that true love comes from understanding. And when a relationship does lead to heartbreak, we don’t avoid it. We embrace the pain and look at it closely. And in observing the pain, the pain loses its strength. We can’t necessarily eliminate it, but we can soften the pain by contemplating the impermanent nature of everything. As our fourth precept says, “I resolve not to engage in improper sexuality, - but to lead a life of purity and self-restraint.” (The precepts are guidelines that, for the most part, deal with relationships with other people.)  

The Ten Cardinal Precepts
I resolve not to kill
  - but to cherish all life.

I resolve not to take what is not given
  - but to respect the things of others.

I resolve not to engage in improper sexuality
  - but to lead a life of purity and self-restraint.

I resolve not to lie
  - but to speak the truth.

I resolve not to cause others to take substances that impair the mind, nor to do so myself
  - but to keep the mind clear.

I resolve not to speak of the faults of others
  - but to be understanding and sympathetic.

I resolve not to praise myself and disparage others
  - but to overcome my own shortcomings.

I resolve not to withhold spiritual or material aid
  - but to give them freely where needed.

I resolve not to indulge in anger
  - but to exercise restraint.

I resolve not to revile the three treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha)
  - but to cherish and uphold them.

Interbeing
Thích Nhất Hạnh teaches about interbeing, a word he coined to mean the interdependence of all people and all things. When you think of it, we’re all here due to an infinite number of factors. There are all the people involved with the mere fact of your existence. Your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. There are all the environmental factors. The sun, the rain, the earth itself, all were necessary for you to be. In fact, our simple existence and what we’ve become are inextricably linked to other people, places, and things. We can live in harmony with the world if we acknowledge that we depend on a multitude of things for our very existence. It’s when we think of ourselves as separate or independent, that we begin to feel special and entitled. This entitlement leads to attachment which often leads to suffering.  

Sangha
The Sangha, or Buddhist community, is one of the Three Refuges of Buddhism. Early on in our Buddhist practice, one has the opportunity to take a vow of the Three Refuges or 1. Taking refuge in the Buddha (the historical teacher), 2. The Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), and 3, The Sangha (Buddhist community.) So from the very beginning of one’s experience with Buddhism, you will be immersed in a community of members who are well practiced in Metta and equanimity. This makes for a very loving and non-judgmental community.  

Equanimity
As briefly mentioned before, when we do Metta practice, we include those who are challenging to love. It’s common to offer well wishing prayers to those who cause suffering. That does not mean Buddhist condone behavior that causes suffering, but rather we acknowledge that all people want to be well, to be happy, to know love, and to know peace. It is in this spirit of well wishing for all that promotes harmony.  

In Summary
Buddhist practice serves to reduce suffering for ourselves so that we are better equipped to help reduce suffering for all. As the Dalai Lama says, “My religion is kindness.” Many Buddhists take a Bodhisattva vow, the first of which is as follows:  
“Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to free them all.”
Free them all from suffering, from attachments that cause suffering and from delusions or ignorance that cause suffering. So in answer to the question, “How does Buddhist practice impact others?” I might be flattering myself if I thought that I am helping all sentient beings, but I can say for sure that this is my intention with every breath I take. 
Organic Eggs
more nutritious than conventional eggs?
Free-range eggs from hens allowed to peck on pasture are a heck of a lot better than those from chickens raised in cages! Most Organic eggs are cage free and free range.
Most of the eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture. That’s the conclusion we have reached following completion of the 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. Our testing has found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
  • 1/3 less cholesterol
  • 1/4 less saturated fat
  • 2/3 more vitamin A
  • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
  • 3 times more vitamin E
  • 7 times more beta carotene

If you are going to eat meat or animal products please consider the animal's welfare.
A Greener World's Animal Welfare Approved is the highest certification
for humanely managed animals. We raise chickens for their eggs (we do not kill or eat our chickens). Our farm is certified Animal Welfare Approved and Organic and is inspected twice every year.
Thay Kozen
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.

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.
A Story of Suicide, Thinking of Suicide and Finding Peace
by Rob W.

Mangala: It's not a problem for me anymore. It was almost 39 years ago. I was nearing the end of my drinking and becoming more and more miserable. On my last drunk in September of 1983 I reached the end of the line as far as I knew. I swallowed a handful of pills and started washing down handfuls of aspirin with beer. I vomited all over myself and passed out. I was quite surprised to wake up and discover I wasn't dead. My brother came over and found me like that and rousted me out. He had recently gotten sober in AA and tried to get me to join too but I wasn't ready. I went another nine months.

I didn't drink during that time and for the last five months I went to meetings with the woman I was living with, to help her out don't ya know. She was doing AA and so was my brother and their lives were getting better but mine wasn't. So in May of 84, I was contemplating suicide again. I had decided on June 1, to get drunk the next day and commit suicide and make sure I was successful. But I went to one last meeting with her and heard the message I needed to hear. I didn't complete the act the next day. I joined AA and started to work the program for myself and here I am today.
Q: Do you still remember in particular what it was that you heard that day?
Mangala: Yes I do remember it. It was Friday night, June 1, 1984. We went to a meeting of the St. Sebastian's Group in Akron, Ohio. I'd never been to this group before. The chairs were set up in circles. The speaker sat in the inner circle against a wall. The chairperson was Armand L. and the speaker was Gene G. We were sitting about three circles out to the speaker's left. I remembered Gene from going to meetings with my mother when I was about 12 or 13. He was a crusty old guy from what I thought of then as a lower strata of society. He talked for about 20 minutes and introduced a topic. One of the things I remembered from his story was that he used to bet people in bars that he could eat glass. That's how he got them to buy him drinks. His topic was "denial". He said denial was when you are faced with absolute proof of something and refuse to admit it is true.

He said alcoholics are prime examples of the art of denial. He started the discussion around the room to his right so it went around the circles three times until it got to me. It seemed like each person had some experience that should have told them they were alcoholic but they had refused to admit it until something happened to make them finally face reality. Many of their experiences were things that had happened to me. Their bottoms were all different. Some really bad and some pretty mundane. So as the discussion got closer to me a light bulb came on in my head. I had been divorced twice, two daughters I had never been a father to, numerous job and educational opportunities passed up, a suicide attempt, a second attempt planned for the next day, but I had not been able to admit I needed help. So when it got to me I stood up and said "My name is Rob and I'm an alcoholic." That was the first time I'd said that out loud. I get goose bumps every time I tell that, including right now, because in that moment my entire life changed. It was as if I'd been sitting in the dark and someone turned the lights on. So I went to another meeting the next day and the day after that and I've been a sober member of AA ever since. So, to answer your question, yes I do remember.

It's interesting to be typing this all out. I'm not sure I've ever put it all down in black and white before but there it is.

Mangala is now a practicing Buddhist and part of our Sangha.....I am happy that his suicide attempt was unsuccessful....Thay Kozen

Beings are numberless
Do you vow to free them? 

Delusions are inexhaustible;
Do you vow to end them? 

Dharma gates are boundless;
Do you vow to enter them? 

The Buddha way is unsurpassable;
Do you vow to become it? 

What can we do to make our own lives and the lives of all beings safer and more peaceful?

FOREST BATHING
The bestselling guide to forest bathing with a new section of hands-on forest bathing practices and space for journal entries and reflections.
Simply being present in the natural world, with all of our senses fully alive, can have a remarkably healing effect. It can also awaken in us our latent but profound connection with all living things. This is “forest bathing,” a practice inspired by the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku. It is a gentle, meditative approach to being with nature and an antidote to our nature-starved lives that can heal our relationship with the more-than-human world.
I like this book...ThayKozen
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, the victory of a smaller, poorly equipped Mexican force against the larger and better-armed French army was a morale boost for the Mexicans
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 Zen Buddhist Temple   46 Stoller Rd., Trout Lake WA 98650 509.395.2030    www.Mtadamszen.org