Eugene Buddhist Priory Members Newsletter

Eugene
Buddhist Priory
Eugene, Oregon

Eugene Buddhist Priory Newsletter
November and December, 2005

New Stupa for Rev. Master Jiyu

Links to printable versions of the EBP Calendars, Newsletters, and Special Announcements and Events:
November Calendar (PDF)
December Calendar (PDF) Revised
Oct. 25, 2005 Newsletter (PDF)

(If you can't open the pdf, click here to download Adobe Reader)

Usual Weekly Schedule
Events of Note (November and December)
Note from the Prior
Priory Notes

Third Refuge Assistance Coordinators
Transportation to the Priory
Alms Bowl

Usual Weekly Schedule: (check below on specific dates)

Mondays - Closed except for emergencies.
Tuesdays - Open at 2 pm. 7:45-8:30 pm Meditation and Evening Office.
Wednesdays - 7:00-9:00 pm Service, Meditation, Dharma talk, and Evening Office.
Thursdays - 7:45-8:30 pm Meditation and Evening Office.
Fridays - 7:45-8:30 pm Meditation and Evening Office.
Saturdays - 9:30 am Meditation, 10:00am Short Morning Service or other service.
Sundays - 9:30 am Meditation, 10:15am Ceremony or other activity, followed by Dharma talk and tea. The Priory is closed after 2 pm.
Note: Early meditaton and Short Morning Service on Wednesdays and Fridays . Please call the evening before to verify the time.

Events of Note: (November and December)

Feeding of the Hungry Ghosts Ceremony - Sunday, October 30. (See Note From Prior for details).

Burning of Paper Tombstones - Wednesday, November 3, an outdoor bonfire starting at 7:30pm, following meditation at 7:00.

Orientations - Saturdays, November 5 amd December 10.

Founders Day Ceremony & Potluck - Sunday, November 6.

Saturday Work Day - Saturday, November 12. 9:30am Meditation; 10:00am SMS; Workday until 5pm. Bring sack lunch and food to share.

Retreat - Saturday, November 19. 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Dharma School for Children - Sunday, November 27. Dharma school will be at 10:15am; Scripture practice for the adults. Tea afterwards for everyone.

Temple on Retreat in recognition of Buddha's Enlightenment - Thursday, December 1 through December 9. See the calendar for meditation times.

Workday - Sunday, December 10. cleaning the temple & grounds and decorating for winter holidays.

Buddha’s Enlightenment Day Celebration & Potluck - Sunday, December 18.

Maitreya Bodhisattva Festival - Sunday, January 1, 1:00pm.

The temple will be closed for the month of January except for usual Sunday and Wednesday activities the first two weeks (1^st – 15^th). We will reopen February 1^st.

October 25, 2005
Note from the Prior

Dear Friends,

I pray you are all well. We look forward to many of you joining us for the Feeding the Hungry Ghosts Ceremony this Sunday, October 30, 2005 (usual schedule: 9:30 meditation; 10:15 ceremony). Accompanying this letter is a short article about ‘hungry ghosts’ telling what kind of offerings you might bring for the altar. The following Wednesday, November 3, will be the Burning of Paper Tombstones, an outdoor bonfire starting at 7:30pm, following meditation at 7:00.

Other Sunday events in November: Founder’s Day on November 6, celebrating the life of Rev Master Jiyu-Kennett — we plan to show photographs of her life and of Shasta Abbey as part of the Dharma talk; a potluck follows. Our Veterans Day memorial will be November 13, Thanksgiving Ceremony on November 20, and Dharma school on November 27. Check calendar for other November activities.

In December, the temple will be on retreat December 1 through 9 in recognition of the Buddha’s enlightenment. We’ll send a revised calendar with more information on times for meditation. **Please note: the orientation has been rescheduled for December 10**. December services include the Avatamsaka Scripture Festival on Sunday, December 11, Buddha’s Enlightenment Day Celebration & Potluck on Sunday, December 18, New Year’s Eve Ceremony on Saturday, December 31, and Maitreya Bodhisattva Festival on Sunday, January 1 (at 1:00pm, followed by snacks & refreshments). Saturday, December 10 will be a workday cleaning the temple & grounds and decorating for winter holidays. **We will be closed Christmas Day, December 25**.

The temple will be closed for the month of January except for usual Sunday and Wednesday activities the first two weeks (1^st – 15^th). We will reopen February 1^st The next newsletter and calendar will be out in early February.

News.Our gratitude goes to everyone who helped with the introductory day retreat on September 15, with a special thanks to Sally Meadow for coordinating and Clara Freeman and Jan Hiatt for the lovely meal. We had 13 new people spend the day with us learning about meditation practice. The inclement weather prevented our doing working meditation outside, so they got some extra sitting meditation and Dharma talk. As long as members are willing to carry the responsibilities of running the retreat, we’ll offer two each year, spring and fall.

Transfer of Merit. Perry Cramblit’s recovery from surgery for pancreatic surgery has gone well. He and his wife Wendy thank everyone for their merit, support, kindness, and care during this time. Shuyu Singer, a former first priest of our temple, recently had emergency heart surgery and expects a long recovery. If you wish to include him in your meditations and prayers, the merit would be appreciated.

Please may you all take care and have a peaceful time as we head into winter.

Yours in the Dharma, Rev. Oswin

P.S. Members: recently some of you asked what sorts of (inexpensive) gifts would be appropriate for the Prior’s ordination and Transmission anniversaries, October 6 and March 9. Ongoing landscaping could use the donation of iris bulbs (for new animal cemetery/orchard), daffodils & jonquils (for meadow near parking lot), and hellebores and lungwort (Pulmonaria) for the stupa area. I don’t want a big gift. Remembering and making the effort are the important aspects. Congregational projects are also a kindness: there’s usually something like planting flowers or trees that needs doing that requires the combined effort of a group of people.

Notes

Drivers Still Needed:
If you can occasionally give a ride to someone, please let Rev. Master Oswin know, as some of our members still need transportation at times.

Third Refuge Assistance Coordinators:
If you're a sangha member and need assistance due to illness or other pressing circumstances, contact the coordinator for that month to see who has offered to help in those particular ways. The sangha is one of the Three Treasures and is worthy of our offerings, time, and care.

Future of Newsletter
We plan to revive our printed version of the newsletter after the new year. If you want to receive it via post, please send or confirm your address with us. A pdf version for printing out will be posted on the website. And we will retain our e-list in order to notify you when it is posted. If you do not wish to receive email from the Priory, please let us know.

Shasta Abbey cookbook available
Cooking with Gentle Heart features almost 400 vegetarian recipes, two hundred of which come directly from the kitchen of Shasta Abbey. Copies are available at the Priory (cost $22). All proceeds go to help the Abbey finance the recent construction the Bodhidharma Hall, a residence for monks. Help the monastery repay the loan they took out to complete the building. As of last report, they are within $20,000 of the completion of the financing.

Respectful Dress at the Priory
In keeping with our intent to restrain the senses and cultivate a pure heart, please wear clothing at the temple that is both comfortable for meditation and at the same time respectful and neat. Body and mind being one, how we treat and regard our physical form can have a significant impact on our spiritual practice. Inappropriate dress includes shorts, jeans, tights, halter tops, tank tops, low cleavage dresses, T-shirts with loud slogans, and highly-scented lotions and perfumes.

Alms Bowl

Alms received: We appreciate the kind donations and gifts that make this temple possible. Recent food gifts include: produce from Sundance Natural Foods, cookies and pastries for tea, soups, milk, butter, yogurt, lunches and frozen meals, rooibos and black teas, granola, bread, chocolate cake, hazel nut butter, pasta, tomato sauce, vegetables, and fruit. We are also grateful for the donation of a new automatic shut-off teakettle, canned food for the cats, postage stamps, books for the library, altar flowers, fabric, & Velcro. Several people have contributed to the temple through various projects: robe and blanket mending, wagesa and meditation wedge sewing, scrapbook preparation, and the final step of finishing our Feeding the Hungry Ghosts “Buddhas of the Dead” banners. And we continue to be grateful for all the help given to keep the temple and grounds clean and orderly. Coming just 5 or 10 minutes early for an activity and feeding cats, putting dishes away, sweeping the kitchen, etc. makes a substantial difference.

Alms Bowl: Donations we could use include: paper towels, 60-minute cassette tapes, a large wok, large stones for marking animal graves, and a used, lightweight gasoline-powered lawn mower.

All offerings--large or small, material or spiritual, tangible or in service--enable the temple to exist as a place of teaching and refuge for those who wish to practice in the Serene Reflection tradition transmitted by Rev. Master Jiyu. Our support of the Priory is another way we show our gratitude for all that she gave us.

May our donors of the Four Supports,
food, lodging, medicine, clothing,
be free from enmity and danger;
be free from mental suffering;
be free from physical suffering.
May they take care of themselves happily.
May whatever they have gained not be lost.

Let us know if this webpage of the calendar and news provides you with information and updates about the Priory in an easily accessible and timely manner. Any thoughts or suggestions regarding format, design, articles, graphics, mailing, web access etc. are appreciated. We also welcome contributions of articles or questions about meditation and Buddhist practice, as well as artwork, graphics, and digital photographs with a Buddhist theme.

Eugene Buddhist Priory Members' Photo Gallery