Winter Solstice

On the evening of December 20th, a Winter Solstice ceremony took place at Shao Shan Temple.  Sitting together at the darkest time of the year in the midst of candlelight blessing.

New Year's Greetings are coming!

Shao Shan Temple's 

2018 New Year's Greetings 

are in the mail!  

Below is the message on the back of each.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR

2018

This prayer tablet is an expression of Shao Shan Temple’s deep wishes and dedication to the welfare of the community.  It is a bridge between the temple and your everyday practice

This has been placed on the temple’s altar - it has been charged with the great energy of faith and courage. 

This prayer tablet is designed to be displayed in your home to bring peace and protection for the upcoming year.

This year’s message is

HEART-OPEN

( SHIN-KAI )

May peace and blessings extend from your home to the wider world in the upcoming year.

New Year's Greetings are also available at the Temple if you do not receive one in the mail.

Family Program: Generosity and Blessing Wishes

In this month's family program, the children explored generosity while preparing a box of food for the Worcester Food Shelf.  They decorated the box with hand made snow flakes and pictures.  They also made popcorn strings to share with the woodland creatures.

In the Temple, the children had a magical opportunity 

to give generous blessing wishes to their parents.

Rohatsu Sesshin!

December 1^st-8^th was the Rohatsu Sesshin (Meditation Retreat) at Shao Shan Temple.

The Rohatsu Sesshin was a time of concentrated practice to commemorate

Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment upon seeing the morning star.

This year's sesshin included zazen and kinhin (sitting & walking meditation) from 5:30am to 8:30pm, daily oryoki breakfast, daily dharma talks following the story of Buddha's life,  food offering walks, the possibility of Dokusan and delicious garden produce meals.

On the final morning, we hung above the altar, the scroll from Tendo Nyojo's monastery that Taihaku received from her teacher in Japan.

Dharma Talk

Kinhin (walking meditation)

The scroll from Tendo Nyojo's monastery