Garden Work Day/Closing /Harvest Potluck 2025

 

 

On a October 4th, we gathered to for a garden work day, season-closing ceremony and a harvest potluck.  We filled buckets with the harvest of carrots,and beets and more.  Work time was followed by a Garden-Closing Ceremony - expressing gratitude for all that had made the garden possible and apologies to all beings harmed in the gardening process. This was followed by a delicious Harvest Potluck.

25th Anniversary Ceremony/Celebration

 

On Sunday, September 14, 2025, we celebrated Shao Shan Temple's 25th Anniversary.  This momentous occasion combined ceremony and celebration with the full afternoon program having several phases: 

Meditation - the Temple was open for sitting meditation, 

Honoring the Temple Founder, Taihaku Nishiren Daiosho - we chanted the Heart Sutra and the Dharma Lineage and offered incense

Honoring the first Sangha Elder - Honoring Kinsho Max Schlueter as Shao Shan Temple's first Sangha Elder.

Dedicating the new Bell Pavilion - the construction of the new bell pavilion was completed just a few days before the ceremony.  The bell sent to Shao Shan from Ryuunji Temple in Japan is housed in a stunning small pavilion that matches the unique Shao Shan Temple style.

Vows/Intentions - a primary part of our annual Anniversary Ceremony, we then tied ribbons onto the Temple gold pole with our highest aspiration.

Taiko drumming - we were honored to have the Burlington Taiko Drummers perform.  They were also part of the original Temple Opening Ceremony! (9/13/2000)

And closing with refreshments & social time & fiddle playing!

Nature Spirits Pilgrimage 2025

On a perfect-weather late-summer day, we gathered at Shao Shan Temple to acknowledge and pay respect to the greater nature that supports our practice.  This included a modified version of a ceremony done in Japan for blessings in gratitude to the protecting Spirits of the Land.

 Beginning with fog covered hills and dewy spider webs, and continuing into bright sun all of nature joined in our ceremony.  We offered flowers, incense and chanting at multiple sites on the Temple land acknowledging the myriad ways - known and unknown that they support our practice.  We sat in outside meditation on top of White Jewel Mountain and in front of the Temple.

The program was followed by a light lunch including vegetables fresh from the Temple Leafye Garden.

Maintenance Weekend 2025

 This year's Maintenance Weekend was August 14-17, 2025.  This year was primarily minor upkeep rather than major projects.  Work included: weeding, harvesting vegetables, processing vegetables for storage, sewing, machine maintenence, setting up the Mountain Retreat tent, installing a cemetery steps railing.

Deep gratitude to everyone who joined together as the life and breath of Shao Shan Temple!

Zen Summer Camp For All Ages! 2025

 

We had another successful Zen Summer Camp for All Ages in August of 2025. We began each day with a gathering of children and adults in the zendo, where the children set up the altar and we all listened to the sound of the big bell and sang our morning song. From there the children's program departed for their morning activity, while the adults meditated, had discussions about living mindfully, and participated in their own activities. We all then joined together again for lunch, a food offering walk, and a closing circle and song by the fire pit.  We were honored to be joined again by Rev. Jisho Siebert and Rev. Daishin McCabe and family from Zen Fields in Ames, Iowa.

Each day the children's program would first gather and share our names and something we had been noticing about the natural world. We reviewed our primary intentions in Zen Summer Camp, which were to pay attention, take care, and have fun! On the first day the children trekked over to the Leafye Garden, where we made sun prints using materials collected from the garden and beyond, harvested vegetables to snack on and share for lunch, and helped the adults with weeding and garden care. Periodically someone would ring a bell in the garden, everyone would pause and pay attention to our experiences of the present moment for a few breaths, and then resume our activities. 

On the second day Susan Stitely shared a demonstration of kyudo, the art form of Japanese archery, with both the children and adults. Susan explained some of the history of kyudo, the various types of bows, arrows and equipment involved, and showed us a short-range shooting technique. The children were then able to spend time with Susan Calza, who painted their faces with designs inspired by nature and their personal interests. We explored various forms of nature art, including nature sculptures inspired by several Andy Goldsworthy books, as well as nature mandalas.

For the final day the children hiked up to the tent platform on top of White Jewel Mountain, gathering wild edibles and noticing other interesting aspects of the natural world, including various critters, stone walls, mushrooms, plants and trees. We spent some time in the cemetery, where we walked around the stupa and visited Taihaku's resting place. At the tent platform we ate snacks and made "tree tea" with the hemlock, balsam fir, white pine and yellow birch we had gathered, along with a dash of maple syrup!  The adults had the opportunity to practice Zen Calligraphy with instruction from Rev. Daishin.

Thank you to everyone who supported and participated in Zen Summer Camp this year!