Shao Shan Temple: June 2021

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Temple Garden Team

With generous hearts and willing hands a team has gathered together to keep the Temple Vegetable Gardens going this season. Previous years, Taihaku spent much of the summer with joyful energy tending her green plant "babies" - growing food that later became delicious meals. The joyful energy continues with Temple sangha individuals and families coming together to plant, weed and harvest.

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Resuming in-person programs!

This past Saturday, June 12, 2021 was our first in-person regular program since closing for the pandemic in March 2020. It was a perfect weather morning for this return - with a crystal blue sky and cool enough that there were no bugs. The program consisted of meditation, service and fellowship time. To help minimize covid-19 risk, in addition to meditation seating in the Zendo, there was also seating in the side room, in the Sangha Hall and outside. Service was held in the open-air Zendo extension (i.e. outside) and the Fellowship time was up in the Sangha Hall.

Children's Program - remembering Taihaku

For this month's Children's Program, we honored and remembered our beloved teacher, Taihaku. We first shared some of our nature experiences of this verdant late spring, many of which aptly revolved around the growth of our gardens. We then read and acted out the beautiful book Always Remember, written by Cece Meng and illustrated by Jago. The story tells of Old Turtle, who has taken her last swim, and of the ocean animals who each remembered how she has touched their lives.

The final page of the book reads:

"[S]he was a wonderful teacher and friend.
[S]he loved to laugh and have fun.
[S]he explored the unknown and discovered great things.
[S]he showed kindness and strength.
And [s]he made the world a better place.
When Old Turtle died, the ocean took [her] back.
But what [s]he left behind was only the beginning."

For closing we rang the bell three times, feeling Taihaku's reverberation in our own hearts and minds, honoring how she has touched each of us, and recognizing how her love and wisdom continue to spread throughout the world.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Memorial Service for Rev. Taihaku Nishiren Priest

On Sunday, May 30, a memorial service for Rev. Taihaku Nishiren Priest, Founding Abbot, was held at Shao Shan Temple. Her family, members of the temple Sangha, many friends, and the ravens nesting on the property attended the outdoor ceremony, which was the first public, in-person ceremony held at the temple since the pandemic began.

Rev. Ejo McMullen, Abbot of the Buddha Eye Zen Community Temple in Eugene, Oregon and Rev. Kenzan Seidenberg, Shao Shan Temple’s Vice-Abbot, led the services. Rev. Ejo is the Shao Shan Temple Soto Zen Council Representative. As Council Representative he came to the Temple to assist and support Rev. Kenzan and the Sangha after Rev. Taihaku’s unexpected death on May 24. We are deeply grateful to Rev. Ejo for his assistance at this difficult time.

The ceremony included chants venerating the Buddha and the founding Abbot of Shao Shan. Eben Broadbent, Rev. Taihaku’s son, delivered a touching and comforting eulogy. Members of the family, Sangha, and the community were invited to share their memories of Rev. Taihaku and her teachings, offer incense, and participate in a procession around the temple accompanied by bells, cymbals, the trumpeting of a conch, and the beat of drums. Rev. Kenzan offered words of remembrance and encouragement to close the ceremony.

Following the ceremony refreshments were provided by the family and all joined in fellowship to remember Taihaku’s life among us.

Thank you to Rev. Taihaku’s family and all of the volunteers who worked to prepare for the memorial.

A formal Buddhist Funeral which may include abbots and monks from North America and Japan will be held in the fall.