March 2021 Newsletter
Weekly Temple Services 
Monday Noon via ZOOM Meditation and Metta: https://zoom.us/j/366450747
Difficulty connecting? Please text Dick at (414) 587-4065.
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Saturday 8:30am full service + meditation
via ZOOM 891 8528 5652
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Thich Nhat Hanh Study Group Meetings are 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 6:30-8:00 pm. Contact Bonnie for group ZOOM number email, bon2626wit@att.net
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Tuesday Evening 5:30 - 6:30pm meditation NEW CLASS
via ZOOM 891 8528 5652
Special Buddhist Basics Classes on ZOOM

March – four forty minute classes 
Four Noble Truths - Rev. Valerie - 3/6
Eight Fold Path - Minh Bao - 3/13
Ten Cardinal Precepts - Rev. Emily (alt: Rev. Scott) 3/20
Taking Refuge - Rev. Jean Luc - 3/27

April - A one day Basics class on April 3rd
Approximately 40 minutes each for all the following topics: 
Four Noble Truths – Rev. Emily
Eight Fold Path - Rev. Valerie
Ten Cardinal Precepts - Minh Bao
Taking Refuge - Rev. Scott See
classes start at 10:15 am on Saturday after morning service on ZOOM
 
Meditation Saturday 8:30 am full service + meditation
via ZOOM 891 8528 5652

RETREAT SCHEDULE
8 am-4 pm on ZOOM

March 20th - Retreat
April 10th - Taking Refuge Ceremony
April 17th - Retreat
May 15th - Retreat
May 29th - Vesak Ceremony
Dear ones,

Our new temple construction initial phase is being engineered. We hope to have plans into the county soon and start construction in the spring. This is the first of 3 phases and will allow us to meet under cover in an outside space with a heated floor.

We had a wonderful 3 day retreat the last weekend in February. It was a warm hearted learning experience with a lively and active sangha. One of our guest speakers was Khempo Karten Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama (www.manjushridharmacenter.org). Join us for our one day retreats in March or April.

We have added a Tuesday evening meditation class 5:30 - 6:30 pm, join us for a ZOOM sit.

A big THANK YOU to all the teachers, students, and attendees at our ZOOM retreats. A special THANK YOU to Rev. Valerie who brings her special organizational talents into making a correct and working schedule and theme. And another big THANK YOU to Rev. Scott who keeps all internet things and we humans who interface with it working in harmony. Good Dharma delivered efficiently, effectively, and lovingly. I am humbly grateful to be a small part of these efforts.
May we all be well and happy. May we all know love and peace....Thay Kozen
 Mt Adams Buddhist Temple 2021 Ministerial Program
Current Ministers in training
Rev. Jean-Luc Devis, Corvallis, OR
Rev. Valerie Grigg Devis Corvallis OR
Rev. August Jensen, Trout Lake WA
Rev. Emily Martin, Hood River OR
Rev. Scott See Vancouver WA
Rev. Dave Sheppard White Salmon , WA
Buddhist Poetry Un-Group
Join us as we delve into the Therigata - a collection of poems from the first Buddhist nuns and learn what it was like to be a female follower of the Buddha 2500 years ago. Through their own words, we are learning about their unique struggles, sacrifices and how they each found their own enlightenment. The group is conducted via email and you are welcome to contribute as much or as little as you wish, on your own time. Contact Minh Bâo for more information: SucoMinhBao@gmail.com
A Thought
"It is interesting how much love/heart energy has been flowing in these past few months. It is not just an outpouring from the heart of loving kindness toward all beings, but also an in-pouring of sorts. It is like receiving and accepting all the pain and anguish of the world in a flow that comes in and passes through the heart space and is somehow resolved in the process. And it is a combination of my own past regrets and guilt that is resolved, but as much the pain, guilt and regret of the whole of humanity that is being pacified and healed as well. It is heart warming and humbling. May all beings be free from suffering." Dhammadasa
Friends in Myanmar
We had two monks from Myanmar visit us last year. We have been unable to contact them since the military coup d'état. May the monks and all the people of Myanmar be at peace.
Per the news "A crackdown by security forces in Myanmar in which at least 18 anti-coup demonstrators were killed has brought renewed calls for tougher international sanctions on the ruling junta.
Western outrage over the Feb. 1 coup and the killing of protesters has reignited a debate on the effectiveness of sanctions, less than a decade after liberalisation prompted most countries to start removing them."
Western countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union, have implemented or are considering targeted sanctions to squeeze the military and its business allies. Such “smart” sanctions focus on junta leaders and businesses owned by or tied to the military and make it illegal for individuals, companies or banks to engage with them - the goal being to pressure the army to reverse its coup and free detainees including elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi."
Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot of Budding Dharma
Arlington, Texas          thayzzen@gmail.com
My Cup Runneth Over
Last week, Texas was beleaguered by freezing arctic temperatures that crippled the state and most of its’ residents. People lost power in sub freezing temperatures; no heat and bursting water pipes plagued many. This however, was not my experience as I had continuous power and water during the entire time. 
One day, while flipping through tv channels, I came upon a Christian preacher who was espousing the concept of “… my cup runneth over …” from the Bible and how one’s faith would deliver this generous bounty to everyone. One could say that my cup did runneth over during this bad weather compared to what the vast majority of my fellow Texans experienced. This expression of my cup runneth over reminded me of a Zen story I had heard where a cup was running over; however the concept of running over was used in a very different way. The story goes like this:
A well known professor went to visit Zen Master Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868–1912). Master Nan-in received this university professor who came to inquire about Zen. As Master Nan-in gracefully served tea, the professor described his many ideas about his understanding of Zen. The master remained quiet as the professor spoke and continued to pour tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor was taken aback watching the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “Stop! It is overflowing. No more will go in” said the professor. “Like this cup,” Master Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
I would suspect that many of us come to Buddhist practice as adults. We may have formed our own conceptual understanding about what this philosophy of life teaches as well as our own expectations about what may result from our practice. We may harbor hopes and/or expectations about what might ensue as we add to the experience with teachers, books, sutras, etc. As our knowledge increases however, many, like myself, sometimes struggle with our own preconceived thoughts, beliefs and delusions until, like that professor, we feel, …”No more will go in…”. As we struggle with our own thoughts and expectations, sometimes we limit our possibilities to learn and experience what is true and real
In a book by Shunryu Suzuki (1905-1971) called, ‘Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, he states, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.” In the beginner's mind there is no thought of…I have attained something. All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. That is when we can really learn something.
The beginner's mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless. Dogen-Zenji, always emphasized how important it is to resume our boundless original mind. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice and gain benefit.
So when considering new thoughts and opinions, occasionally check to see if any resistance is the result of your cup running over. The legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee, sums it up nicely: “Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.” Seek the Beginners Mind in all things.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Poetry from Venerable Fa Hsing (Thich Tâm Minh)
      mountainwayzen@yahoo.com
Recovery Dharma

The March Recovery Dharma Inquiry meeting topic is the Third Noble Truth. The meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, March 13, and can be accessed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/754615114. Meetings last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  

Discussion and journaling about the Third Noble Truth - The End of Suffering - explores our personal and shared commitment to understanding that there is a path to end the suffering that is caused by craving, confusion and aversion.

The Trout Lake Abbey is spiritual 'home' to a monthly Recovery Dharma Inquiry meeting. These meetings (on the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. PST) are in addition to the weekly meetings (Sunday and Wednesday Evenings) of the Gorge Recovery Dharma program. We are grateful for the support of the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple and look forward to a time when we can once again meet in person on the Abbey grounds. Please 'stay tuned 'for announcements as summer approaches.

Recovery Dharma (RD) is a worldwide program of peer support for persons recovering from substance use disorders and also 'process addictions' such as gambling, overeating, tech addiction, and other harmful or dysfunctional behaviors. RD uses Buddhist principles and practices and draws lessons and best practices from other peer support recovery programs including 12-Step fellowships such as AA and Al-Anon.

The book Recovery Dharma can be accessed and downloaded for free at recoverydharma.org/book.  

For more information about the Trout Lake Abbey Recovery Dharma Inquiry meetings, contact Richard at Richard.Withers@att.net
Venerable Master Thích Trừng Sỹ
abbot of Pháp Nhãn Temple, in Del Valle TX
"Buddhism, the path of peace, awakening, and enlightening, has been present in the world for over 26 centuries. Lord Sakyamuni Buddha, Founder of Buddhism, along with his disciples, anciently as well as presently, all have the same hearts of wish and vow
to propagate the Dharma and to serve humanity."

The Buddha has taught:
Do not pursue the past,
Do not lose yourself in the future
The past is not any longer,
The future has not yet come.
Looking deeply at life as it is
In the very here and now
A practitioner dwells
in the stability and freedom.
We must be diligent today
To wait until tomorrow is too late
Health will get weaker and weaker
We cannot practice.
Death comes to us suddenly
It is very difficult for us to know it in advance.
A person knows how to dwell in
Both day and night in mindfulness
The Buddha calls him or her as
The person knows the best way to live alone.
Namo Sakayamuni Buddhaya

There are many educational articles on Venerable Master Thích Trừng Sỹ's website
in English and Vietnamese http://phapnhan.org/en/
Heretic Indeed! a great story!
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me."
I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?" He said, "Yes."
I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian."
I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant."
I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."
I said, "Me, too!" Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."
I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over......by Emo Philips

Laughing...YES! Discriminating mind, good vs. bad, right vs. wrong. The great Zen Master Dogen tells us "When opposites arise the Buddha mind is lost". ....Thay Kozen
S
Sunrise on a snowy morning,
Avalokiteshvara welcomes the sun
on the mountain.
As we move from Winter to Spring we may feel a renewal of heart and spirit. May we carry compassion for all beings in our hearts. May we be be the peacekeepers, and an example of the change we want to see in the world.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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 Buddhist Temple   46 Stoller Rd., Trout Lake WA 98650 509.395.2030    https://www.mtadamsbuddhisttemple.com/