Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Transformation family program

As the seasons change, this month's family program (Aug. 24) explored TRANSFORMATION.  
We examined a live Monarch caterpillar and chrysalis and and then made our own  butterflies and caterpillars out of play-dough. 

2019 Annual Meeting Summary (Newsletter Article)


SHAO SHAN TEMPLE ANNUAL MEETING
MEETING SUMMARY
June 8, 2019
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Screen Room, Shao Shan Temple




On June 8 members of the Shao Shan Temple (SST) sangha gathered in the Screen Room to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting. Present were Development Committee members Taihaku, Kenzan, Stella, Noah, Judy, and Max. Nine other members of the sangha were also present.  



TEMPLE REPORTS
The 2018 Temple Reports were distributed by email prior to the meeting and were also available at the meeting. The Development Committee took questions on the Sangha Report, Program Report, Buildings & Grounds Report, Cemetery Report, and Financial Report. Sangha members were pleased to hear that participation at the temple programs remains steady. There were approximately 103 first-time visitors to the temple in 2018. Sangha members noted that attendance at Saturday Work Practice has declined. A discussion followed which focused on suggestions on how to improve participation in Work Practice activities. Sangha members were encouraged to hear that donations in 2018 were up from the previous year in almost all categories.

2018 FINANCIAL & FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES
The results of the 2018 Annual Alms Round fundraiser were also heartening. Approximately 85% of donations came from one-time donations, and 15% from monthly donations. About 43% come from people who do not regularly attend SST. Sangha members were encouraged to think about monthly pledges as they allow SST to do more financial planning. Any amount is appreciated but if everyone gave $70 per month we could meet the annual budget requirements. Donations in the offering bowl were down slightly from last year. It was suggested that the offering bowl in the entrance of the temple could be made more visible. There was a very good response to the Holiday Fair at the temple and at the Maple Corner Community Center. Bequests and Charitable Gift Annuities were also presented as an additional way to contribute to SST. 

SHAO SHAN TEMPLE MASTER PLAN
It was reported that the Development Committee was actively involved in reviewing the bylaws and other temple policies. Now that the organization is more developed there is a need to expand the original bylaws. A subcommittee has been created for this purpose. Part of the bylaws review includes exploring a new organizational structure for the temple which involves a shared management model among the Abbot, Board, and in certain circumstances, a proposed “Council” of Abbots from other small Zen temples in the United States. The Council would help provide support and advice for the temple should the need arise. For example, the Council could be involved with mediating conflicts which might arise between an Abbot and a Board.

The Development Committee is also working on a plan to transfer the land that the temple, buildings, and cemetery currently rest on from Taihaku to the Shao Shan Temple nonprofit organization. The temple and cemetery property will be conveyed to SST in the near future. The land where Connie’s house and the White Jewel Mountain are situated will be transferred to SST upon Taihaku’s death. The land where the rental properties and the garden are located will be conveyed to Taihaku’s children upon her death. The survey of the land has been completed and the necessary wastewater/water permits have been filed with the state and the town to meet regulations for subdividing the land.

2019 IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
A number of planned improvement projects were discussed including:
·         Completing the winterization of the Little Hall bunkroom and entrance/storage area,

·         Installing thermostatically controlled electric heat in the main room and bunkroom of the Little Hall,

·         Removing from the temple property the red pines which could damage the temple buildings if they were to fall.
      
·         Performing temple interior/exterior maintenance,

·         Continuing the driveway maintenance program.

Sangha members were interested in the possibility of SST converting to solar energy. Several suggestions were offered by the sangha which included putting a new roof on the Screen Room over which solar panels could be installed, using the space freed up when the red pines are taken down for a free-standing solar panel system, and investing in a solar farm at a location other than SST. It was pointed out that financial incentives are currently available which might reduce SST’s upfront costs.

FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION
Sangha members were very pleased with the programming that the temple is offering, including the idea of a special meeting for formal students. Sangha members were very positive about the newsletter as well. It was mentioned that the articles were informative, short, and provided readers with a good overview of what was going on at SST. Sangha members particularly enjoyed the new “Heart of the Way” feature.    

It was group consensus that the Annual Meetings were very helpful and the sangha appreciated the efforts of the Development Committee to organize and present the agenda. The meeting was a good balance between a formal agenda and an organic discussion which grew out of the agenda items. It was suggested that these types of meetings be held twice a year and that one of the meetings be held closer to the Annual Alms Round and the giving season.

The meeting adjourned at 11:45 am.



The Heart of the Way - ShaoRen (Newsletter Article)


Heart of the Way
by
Shao-Ren



Of all the influences that led me to Zen, the death of my father when I was a child was the most important catalyst. As is often the case, this early encounter with “the great matter of life and death” sent me on a search throughout my early years. Thankfully, I had a mom who accepted and encouraged my exploration of spirituality.

When I was 16, a friend invited me to attend a talk given by H.H. the Dalai Lama. This was part of the Dalai Lama’s first trip to the United States in 1979. It’s amazing to recall the small gathering at the Theosophical Society that day! A year later when I went to college, I somehow knew that I wanted to study Buddhism. 

In college I found the academic study of Buddhism dry and far too removed from experience. After three frustrating years, I gave up. Thankfully, there was a professor in the psychology department who was teaching experiential methods related to mindfulness. This apparent detour into psychology eventually developed into a deeply satisfying career. At that time I couldn’t have imagined the cross-pollination between psychology and Buddhism that exists today.

I moved to Vermont in the late ‘90s and was incredibly fortunate to begin working with a therapist who was a committed Buddhist practitioner. Her personal integration of seemingly divergent paths offered a powerful model for me. In 2004, another encounter with “the great matter” occurred with the birth of my daughter. Being a new mom opened me up in ways I didn’t expect. Watching my daughter change, day by day, made me sensitive to the fleeting nature of things. Perhaps this recognition of impermanence also gave rise to a sense of urgency around the spiritual dimension of my life. 
My first visit to Shao Shan in late 2005 was a remarkable experience for me. I was struck by the living, vibrant quality of the temple – and even more struck by Taihaku, who seemed to relate to her surroundings in a way I had never encountered before. Though I was a little afraid of her at first, she put me at ease over the next few months and took great interest in my experience as a new mom. This pointed me in the direction of engaging with my everyday life as the ground of practice – no more dry academic Buddhism! In 2008, I became a formal student which confirmed the connection that I felt in that first meeting and has also sustained my practice in community with others.

The intimacy of the Shao Shan sangha and the warmth and care expressed by Taihaku and Kenzan have provided a continuous teaching about taking care of and appreciating life – so much at the heart of Zen. At times I have struggled with what seemed like an uneasy fit between my Zen practice and my work and family responsibilities. Slowly, and with the help and enormous patience and gentleness of my teachers, I am seeing that there is really no separation and “my Zen practice” is becoming just my life. In 2017, I had the incredible experience of travelling to Japan with Taihaku to visit her training monastery, Hokyoji. Seeing the strong, earthy, wholehearted practice that is the foundation of Shao Shan only deepened my gratitude and aspiration.  Thank you.  
Shao-Ren


Monday, August 19, 2019

Open House- August 18


Shao Shan Temple hosted its 4th annual Open House on Sunday August 18th afternoon.

This was an opportunity for people who practice here at Shao Shan Temple to invite family and friends to experience the temple on a more informal occasion.  It was also a time for neighbors and community to discover what is this Buddhist Temple down the road. 

A warm welcome to all who came to visit the Temple for the first time on Sunday!