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We are a small Thien (Zen) Buddhist Temple practicing "laughing farmer zen" - living our practice, sitting zazen, being here - right now!
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Calendar
Our new Summer Schedule:
Sunday Morning Services (no Saturday morning services)
* Buddhist Ceremonies
Thien (Zen) services are in blue
July
1 - New moon
3 - Sunday Service
4 - Independence Day
9 - Sunday Service
15 - Full moon
15-16 Trout Lake Arts Festival
15 - Buddhist Movie Night 6PM
17 - Sunday Service
20 - Zen Potluck lunch at Beth's
24 - Sunday Service
25 - Prison Ministry CRCC
30 - New moon
31 - Sunday Service
August
6-7 Trout Lake Fair
7 - Sunday Service
7 - Lughnasadh
13 - Full moon
14 - Sunday Service?
14 - Thich Nhat Hanh Public talk in Vancouver BC (Sunday Service may be cancelled)
21 - Sunday Service
28 - New Moon
28 - Sunday Service
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Thich Nhat Hanh Speaks:
 Treat your anger with the utmost respect and tenderness, for it is no other than yourself. Do not suppress it-simply be aware of it. Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed. When you are aware that you are angry, your anger is transformed. If you destroy anger, you destroy the Buddha, for Buddha and Mara are of the same essence. Mindfully dealing with anger is like taking the hand of a little brother.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
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| | Dogen Zenji |
A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
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Empty Mind Sayings
"Stars, darkness, a lamp, a phantom, dew, a bubble. A dream, a flash of lightning, and a cloud--thus we should look upon the world (all that was made)." 32 Gatha, Diamond Sutra
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Northwest Buddhist Resources
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Dear Dharma Friends,
We have hosted Venerable Thich Kim and VenerableThich Tan, 2 Vietnamese Pure Land monks from the Co Lam Pagoda in Seattle. They stayed with us for 3 days and Thich Tan will return in late July to spend more time with us. We hope to have more monks from various denominations of Buddhism stay at our temple. While the monks were here they expounded on Amitabha (A Di Da Phat) and the doctrine of the Pure Land.
We appreciated learning of thier practice and learning of how others practice the Dharma.
Thich Kim's father has become quite ill and is dying. Thich Kim has returned to his Vietnam to be with him. We offer our meditations and devotions to Master Kim and his family.
In loving kindness,
Thich Minh Tinh
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 | | Green Living |
MORE WOOFERS!
We have had more folks visiting us on behalf of World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms. WOOFers travel to organic farms and work in trade for room, board, and learning opportunities.
After our last newsletter, Hunter arrived at the Abbey, followed by Zachary and Dee, and later Robert. Zachary and Dee came in their own 5th wheel trailer, which seems to be a smart move based on the stories we've heard about other farms. Our WOOFers continue to be a wonderful asset to the farm. They've put in new cut flower beds and support systems for tomatoes, harvested, pruned, worked on trellises for the peas, worked on screens for the strawberries, and have helped immensely with our Saturday market activities! They've also been caring for the chickens and other animals of our menagerie. So far all of the WOOF'ers have been sitting with us in the temple, and at least they tell us that they enjoy it!
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| | Hunter |
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Angerrrrrr
by Thich Tam Tri/Denise Morrison
I was on the phone the other day with a friend of mine when they told me about something they had done concerning me. Within nanoseconds, I was fuming, and for several minutes, was stewing in justified anger. The whirlwind of the Tazmanian Devil had begun. How DARE they do this? Where do they get off with their view? GRRRR!
And then a voice inside my head said...."Justified anger.......is still ANGER. Who is this anger harming?"
Oh. Me. The person I was angry with was going on with whatever they were doing, completely oblivious of all my mental ranting. No matter what somebody else says or does to me, if I let it bother me, it bothers......ME! My ego holds onto that burning coal of anger, and I'm the one who suffers, no matter how justified my anger may be. Looking at where the anger comes from and then letting it go, makes me feel better, and lighter. Just like letting go of a filled balloon that hasn't been tied: the anger goes pbhbhphpbtpbt....all around the room, and then stops. I receive equanimity, no matter what is going on with other people in my life.
In the Akkosa Sutra, there is a story of a Brahman who had the Buddha over for dinner and then served him with a stream of insults during the meal. The Buddha asked the Brahman if, when he had other guests at his home, if he served them with food. The Brahman replied "Of course". The Buddha then asked if the guests do not eat, what happened to the food. "Then it is all mine", said the Brahman.
"In the same way, brahman, that with which you have insulted me, who is not insulting; that with which you have taunted me, who is not taunting; that with which you have berated me, who is not berating: that I don't accept from you. It's all yours, brahman. It's all yours."
It's the same way with anger. It's a noxious gift that we don't have to keep. May we all be able to let that anger balloon go, and may we all find peace.
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Pure Land Buddhism
 | | Venerables Thich Kim and Thich Tan |
Since Venerable Thich Kim and Venerable Thich Tan were here recently, we learned a bit about the Pure Land school of Buddhism.
In brief, Pure Land is based on the practice of reciting Amitabha as a form of meditation. Their teachings are that if one believes in Amitabha and recites His name, one will be able to leave the cycle of suffering and be reborn in the Pure Land. At that time one would be taught how to attain full enlightenment.
We were very happy to have Venerables Thich Kim and Thich Tan with us, and look forward to seeing them in the future.
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Meditation
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+ Join us Monday - Friday at 6:30 AM for our usual daily service. (We have an extra early sit at 6 AM M-F for those wishing for more meditation time).
+ Thursday and Friday Evenings at 6:30pm
+ Sunday Morning at 9 AM (note: we no longer have Saturday morning meditation)
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