July 2021
Services via ZOOM - SUMMER SCHEDULE
Morning Meditation 6:30 am - 7:30am, Monday - Friday (Temple + ZOOM)
Noon Meditation 12 noon - 1:00pm, Monday (only on ZOOM)
Morning Service 8:30am - 10AM, Saturday (Temple + ZOOM)
Evening Meditation 5:30PM - 6:30PM Tuesday (Temple + ZOOM)
all of the above via ZOOM - meeting # 5093952030
you can attend some of the above meetings in person

Thich Nhat Hanh Study Group
2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Contact Bonnie at bon2626wit@att.net for information and a Zoom link.
Dharma talks, metta, meditation, teachers, sharing, and much more!
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Dear ones,
Well, June has been an exceptionally hot month in the pacific Northwest. Our temperature in Trout Lake has been over 110F - some sort of record. Our normally cold waters for irrigation are a bit warmer and very clouded and murky. Such a dramatic change reminds me that every day, every moment is a gift and that everything and everyone is subject to change. Our historical teacher, the Buddha, gave us the 5 Remembrances as part of his Dharma teachings.

The Five Remembrances
  1. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
  2. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.
  3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
  4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
  5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Each time we drive to the store, plan a dinner, set up a meeting, take a walk, or any other action - it might or might not happen as we think it "should". Everything and everyone are of the nature to change. Let us celebrate the moment now - right now - and live our best life with the brightest of intentions right here and right now. Living in gratitude for the great and small gifts seems to bring our hearts closer to happiness.
May we all be well and healthy. May we all know love and peace. in metta, Thay Kozen
Photo by Jeff Lemley
Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva and Mt. Adams Photo by Jeff Lemley
Fritz did the wonderful drone videos of our small farm. We have one future wedding planned here who is thinking about having a drone photographer do some of the wedding photos. you can see the videos Fritz did of our farm at https://youtu.be/Nrfn7quzn88
Thich Minh Thien, (Thay Z) Abbot of Budding Dharma
Arlington, Texas          thayzzen@gmail.com

Satisfaction

I am of the age to remember a song by the Rolling Stones called “Satisfaction” with the famous line, “I can’t get no satisfaction”. Back then, it spoke to a generation very different from their parents who were challenging all the mores of their time. It was also where drugs, rock and roll and sex were being touted as ways to try to counteract all the dissatisfaction. As we look back, we can clearly see that all of that dissatisfaction was just the attitudes of the time.

So, what does the Buddha say about satisfaction? One of the quotes I found says: “Those who do not know satisfaction, even when living in a heavenly palace, are still not satisfied. Those who do not know satisfaction, even if rich, are poor. People who know satisfaction, even if poor, are rich.” Thousand of years ago, this Teacher from Northern India discovered the answer; namely, the origin of our sufferings or lack of satisfaction is our attachments. It is never what we have or where we find ourselves in life but rather our abilities to view life through a different lens. The one I have chosen is through the teachings of the Buddha.

These thoughts came to the forefront the other day while watching the sentencing of the police officer who was found guilty of 3rd degree murder in the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This terribly sad event occurred a year ago and spawned a new energy into the Black Lives Matter movement. At the courthouse, there was the grieving family of Mr. Floyd and those who were there in support of the family as well as a myriad of news organizations covering this breaking news. A sentence of 40 years was a possibility which many thought would be appropriate. The judge however, thoughtfully sentenced this police officer to 270 months. I watched some react with relief that a substantial sentence was assessed and expressed that no sentence could bring Mr. Floyd back. Others were outraged that the maximum sentence was not given. I make no judgement about the beliefs of either group however that was the moment where the concept of what will it take for our human race to reach a state of satisfaction and find true happiness became a lesson for me.

Thich Nhat Hanh has spoken many times about the apparent inability of many to not be able to find happiness and satisfaction in the lives we try to lead. He says, “What we need is transformation of our consciousness, our idea of happiness, our lifestyle. Not only are those of us in the West attached to a high-consumption lifestyle, those in Asian countries are very much doing the same. We like to buy new and exciting things. We are seeking for happiness, but there is suffering inside of us. There is a big vacuum inside of us. That is why we are looking to fill up that vacuum inside. That is our situation.”

It is apparent to me that without changing our thinking and the way we choose to do our living, we will not escape that lyric from the sixties and find some satisfaction, reduce our suffering and find day to day, moment to moment, happiness. When I find myself questioning my own satisfactions and happiness, there is nowhere else to look but into my own thoughts, desires, beliefs and ignorance. Seeing things the way that they are and not adding my judgements to them provides the balance to recognize the satisfaction that is right in front of me.

May all beings be happy and free and know love and peace.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Poetry from Venerable Fa Hsing
(Thich Tâm Minh)       mountainwayzen@yahoo.com

Sweet moments of life
flit happily away
on a butterfly's wings
this bright summer day.

*************

Free to wander
on this sunny day,
every step I take
creates the way.


Recovery Dharma
Recovery From Addictions and Afflictions by Dick Withers
The next Gorge Recovery Dharma Inquiry meeting is Saturday, July 10, at 11:00 am (Pacific time). The meeting will include discussion of "Wise Speech" - the third practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. In May and June we shared our thoughts about "Wise Understanding" and "Wise Intention". In the remaining months of 2021 we will explore each of the remaining practices of the Eightfold Path and how these practices nourish recovery from addictions and afflictions of all kinds.
Participants will be admitted from a waiting room at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/754615114.
The Trout Lake Abbey is spiritual 'home' to the monthly Recovery Dharma Inquiry meeting though we are still meeting in virtual space. These monthly meetings (on the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m.) 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. Following our meeting on July 10 we will discuss moving to a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting beginning as early as August.
Please mark your calendars now for the annual OctSoberFest
at The Abbey on Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Recovery Dharma (RD) is a worldwide program of peer support for persons recovering from substance use disorders as well as 'process addictions' such as gambling, overeating, tech addiction, and other harmful or dysfunctional behaviors. RD uses Buddhist principles and practices and is informed by best practices of other peer support programs. The book Recovery Dharma can be accessed and downloaded for free at recoverydharma.org. Schedules and links for on-line Gorge Recovery Dharma meetings are listed at recoverydharma.org/meeting-list. Questions? - contact richard.withers@att.net.
The Thich Nhat Hanh Study Group by Bonnie Withers
has chosen The Mindfulness Survival Kit for its next discussion book beginning Wednesday, July 14. The TNH Study Group meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will continue meeting online until further notice. Discussion can be joined in any given week.
When Dick and I moved to Hood River five years ago, we were delighted to discover a new Buddhist sangha meeting on Mondays at noon sponsored by the Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple. At one of the early meetings, I read a selection about meditation from Thich Nhat Hanh. A group member asked me if I would consider conducting a study group using the writings of this beloved teacher to deepen understanding of Buddhist principles and practices. Thus was our study group born. Our format is simple with check-in, meditation of about 25 minutes, a short break, then reading and discussion. We end with a closing gatha.
Our first selection was Peace is Every Breath followed by The Path to Emancipation and selections from Understanding Our Mind. Special interest in the Five Precepts (Mindfulness Tranings), generated by the readings and discussion and also as a response to the Temple ceremonies on April 10 “Taking Refuge and The Precepts”, lead us to choose The Mindfulness Survival Kit as our next selection.
The Mindfulness Survival Kit explores the trainings on Reverence for Life, True Happiness, True Love, Listening and Loving Speech, and Nourishment and Healing. Can our collective practice lead to a Global Ethic? The book concludes with an investigation and comparison of major ethical traditions. This small format paperback is reasonably priced at $13 (kindle is $7).
For more information, and the link for Study Group Zoom meetings, please Contact Bonnie Withers at bon2626wit@att.net.
"As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death".
Leonardo da Vinci
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