March Introduction to Shao Shan

 

Saturday morning March 22nd, was an in-person "Introduction to Shao Shan Temple" program.  Seven new people participated.  This program offers an overview of the Temple, history, programs offered, an introduction to meditation, the opportunity to ask questions and a brief tour of the grounds.  Noah & Caleb joined as sangha (Temple community) representatives.

Winter Mini Practice Period - 2025

 

The Winter Mini Practice Period is designed to provide an opportunity for Temple participants to make a individual commitment to intensive practice during these several weeks of ongoing extended practice schedule.  We began on March 1st and concluded with a weekend Sesshin (Meditation Retreat) on March 15th&16th.  This is our fourth annual March Practice Period. 

Heart Sutra Copying Practice

The theme of this year's practice period was the "Heart Sutra." chanted daily. Several of the Dharma Talks were offered by visiting teachers.

Ven. Lhundub Chodron Dharma Talk #2

Rev. Seiso Cooper - Dharma Talk #3

Rev. Jisho Siebert - Dharma Talk #4

With deep gratitude to all the visiting teachers and to all who participated in this year's Winter Practice Period - may it be of benefit.

Rev. Kenzan - Dharma Talks #1&5

Temple front doors open during meditation

Adapting in Winter - March Family Program

 

For the March Family Program the children explored the themes of winter adaptations and adapting to changing circumstances. We began by sharing our names and things we had been noticing about the natural world, including a few returning birds, dramatic shifts in temperature, strong winds, and ice. We then discussed various ways that animals adapt to winter, including hibernation/torpor, staying active, and migrating. We pretended to be different animals adapting in their various ways - snowshoe hares hopping with camouflage fur, Canada geese flying south for the winter, foxes hunting for mice, and bears and chipmunks sleeping in their dens and burrows. We also talked about ways humans adapt to the challenges of winter, such as putting on warm gear, making fires in our homes, making snow people and skiing to have fun in the cold, and shoveling and plowing to be able to move around. Next, we ate a delicious snack of mud (chocolate pudding), snow (shredded coconut), dirt clumps (toasted walnuts), rocks (raisins), and melted snow (water) to give ourselves extra energy before our outdoor adventure. Once fed, we ventured outdoors and dug our own human-sized burrows and tunnels in the snow banks around the temple property. Finally, we joined the adults in the temple zendo for an exploration of meditating with different hand mudras and ended with some group OMs.

Buddha's Parinirvana 2025

On February 15^th Buddhists around the world traditionally commemorate the Buddha’s Parinirvana - Shakyamuni Buddha’s departure from this body.   

This year we commemorated Buddha's Parinirvana with an extended meditation period which included a reading of excerpts from the Parinirvana Brief Admonitions Sutra - Shakyamuni Buddha's last words.  The meditation was followed by a ceremony which included chanting, formal offerings and traditional aspects of Soto Zen funeral services.

O good followers of the path! Do not grieve! Even if I were to live in the world for as long as a kalpa, our coming together would have to end. There can be no coming together without parting. ... it may be that you will think, “The teacher’s instructions have ceased.” But it should not be seen like this. For what I have taught shall be your teacher, all living beings shall be your teacher, this bright world, and your very mind itself, shall be your teacher.  

-Excerpts from the Parinirvana Brief Admonitions Sutra

Hearts of Lovingkindness - February Family Program

For February's in-person Family Program, we celebrated lovingkindness and the heart. The children's portion of the program began by sharing our names and things we had been noticing in the natural world, which included snow, snow and more snow (and snowflakes!). 

For one activity we paid mindful attention to our pulses as we jumped up and down for a minute and then stood quietly as our heart beats settled back down. We also passed a group pulse, in which each person squeezed the hand of the person next to them as the pulse moved around the circle. Next, we crafted Lovingkindness/Valentine's cards and paper snowflakes, some of which became offerings on the Temple altar, and also made pine cone peanut butter bird feeders as a lovingkindness offering to the birds and other outdoor creatures. 

Finally, we gathered inside the Temple with the adults for some meditation and ringing of the bell, sending the vibrations of lovingkindness near and far.