Autumn Leaves Family Program

For the October Family Program we celebrated autumn while exploring the life cycles of trees and leaves. We practiced meditating as trees, dug into the layers of earth to find decomposing leaves from various autumns past, made leaf rubbings, attempted to catch leaves as they fell from trees, raked leaves to care for the Pet Cemetery, and made a big leaf pile to jump in. 
Inside the temple we listened to the bell with our whole being and several children tried ringing the bell themselves.

Annual Remembrance Ceremony

The Annual Remembrance Ceremony took place Friday evening October 4th.  The dark evening was magically lit with candles and firelight.

There was time to honor deceased loved ones, the spiritual lineage and those who are interred in the Shao Shan Temple Cemetery.

The evening included a candlelight procession up to the cemetery and chanting. 

Rev. Eitoku's visit - Sept 28&29

Shao Shan Temple was honored to host visiting teacher: Rev. Eitoku Kato this past weekend, September 28 & 29.   Rev. Eitoku is the Abbot of Ryougonji Temple in Japan and a dharma brother of Rev. Taihaku.  They spent several years practicing together at Hokyoji Monastery in Japan.

On Saturday, he and his wife joined the study group and then gave a demonstration of Baika - a type of melodic Buddhist hymns. On Sunday, Rev. Eitoku gave an inspiring Dharma talk on compassion and answered questions over tea.

Thanks to both Rev. Eitoku and his wife for making the long trip to be part of Soto Zen Buddhism in America.

Sunday teaching - group photo