Closing down the Old – Opening to the New

On May 31st PFOD Makes a Move and Hopes you Follow

Ajahn Sucitto just before offering a Blessing Chant
at Dharma Rain – It’s all juiced up for us now ;)

As Portland Friends of the Dhamma continues to investigate options (rent, lease, purchase) of a permanent home for our community, we begin by renting space from Dharma Zen Rain Center as of May 31st.

Final Days at the Sellwood Methodist Church:

• Friday Night Dhamma Closing Vigil – May 24th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
• Sunday Eightfold Path Class – May 26th, 9:30 – 11:00 am
• Tuesday Book Study – May 28th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

First Evening at Dharma Rain Zen Center:

• Friday Night Dhamma, May 31st Opening Vigil – 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Magga-Bhāvanā Program

“Cultivating the Path”
First Saturday of the Month
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

To shape our lives around the practice of the Buddha’s teachings, rather than shaping the practice of the Buddha’s teachings around our lives.

Monthly daylongs of teachings, practice, and exploration, jointly led by Sakula Mary Reinard and Matthew Grad. Daylongs are held on the first Saturday of each month, starting April 6, 2013.

• Fostering the practice of sīla, samādhi and paññā with ever increasing clarity, depth and continuity.
  • Sīla: The precepts and acts of generosity, goodwill and compassion.
  • Samādhi: Stability of mind through formal practice.
  • Paññā: Insight into the Four Noble Truths and Three Characteristics (impermanence, suffering, not-self).
• Nurturing our practice together as community, keeping harmony utmost.
• Cultivating a respectful and supportive attitude toward our lineage.
• Committing to the Three Refuges.
• Living by the Five Precepts.
• Undertaking the Eight Precepts on Full Moon Days.
• Making every effort to attend the Magga-Bhāvanā daylongs.
• Maintaining a daily meditation practice and attending at least one meditation retreat annually.

• Live by the Five Precepts.
• Mark the Full Moon Days in some fashion (e.g., by placing flowers on your alter).
• Regularly attend a PFoD offering led by one of this program’s teachers: Matthew’s Walking the Eightfold Path and/or Sakula’s Friday Night Dhamma.

If you are interested in possibly joining, or would just like to learn more, please contact Matthew Grad.

Ajahn Pasanno

Starting Friday, June 28 (Portland & White Salmon)

Ajahn Pasanno will visit Portland and White Salmon in late June and early July. Check back for details as the date gets closer.

This Week

Looking Ahead

Some of the talks recorded at the center.

Do you want to know what Friends of the Dhamma is doing? For the most complete list of events, see the calendar.

If you would like to receive weekly reminders and updates, become a member of the Yahoo! Group. This is where updates are posted and members can have discussions. The traffic on this group is perhaps about twenty messages a month.

If you would like to receive monthly announcements, you can get these by MailChimp, Facebook or Twitter. The same information goes to all of these groups, so you only need to be a member of one.

Mailing Address
1327 SE Tacoma St. #159
Portland, OR   97202

Our mailing address is not the same as our location. Please send mail directly to our mailing box. We will not receive mail sent to our location.

Physical Address (We are moving on May 31st)
Before May 31st, we are meeting in Sellwood
1422 SE Tacoma Street
Right next to the Sellwood United Methodist Church, Second Floor

Starting May 31st, we are meeting near Hawthorne
2514 SE Madison Ave
At the Dharma Rain Zen Center

We strive to provide a casual and comfortable atmosphere at Portland Friends of the Dhamma.  Knowing a bit about how things run during an event at the center can help things go smoothly.  When attending an event, please consider:

• Noble silence begins as you enter the building.
• Meals are always potluck.  Someone will be in the kitchen to receive food offerings.
• In support of the gathering’s meditative atmosphere, we strongly discourage arriving after the first bell has rung to begin the day.
• There are a limited number of cushions; you might want to bring your own when there is a guest teacher.
• Remove shoes before entering the shrine room.  Shoes are welcome everywhere else.
• Keep any valuables with you in the shrine room.
• Leaving early is fine, but please let a lead person know and depart only during a walking meditation or break time.
• When you leave, put away your cushions and remove any items you brought or used in the shrine room.
• There will be someone officiating clean up at the end of the day; offering your support is very much appreciated.
• When there are guests teachers the library opens only after the program ends.

Appropriate Dress

Wear loose fitting, modest clothing that covers the shoulders and knees.  Sleeveless or strapless shirts, short pants and skirts are discouraged.  Upasikas are encouraged to wear black pants and white shirts when in the presence of a monastic guest.

How Should I Behave Around Monastics?

Most of our visiting teachers are monks and nuns of the Thai Forest tradition.  They have a dress and discipline that can feel rather alien to our Western customs.  This can make people wonder how to interact with them.

We encourage everyone to respect this form and its etiquette as both a way of practice and an opportunity to support these merging cultures. Remember that a respectful attitude will come through and is more important than knowing any particular etiquette.  Of course, knowing some etiquette can make us feel more relaxed and support the overall atmosphere of the center.  So when attending an event at PFoD:

• The shrine room is for meditation, please enter quietly.
• When sitting, please do not point your feet at either the shrine or the monastics.
• Do not lie down anywhere in the meditation hall.
• When addressing a monastic it is considered polite to put hands in anjali.
• Don’t hesitate to have practice questions prepared if this helps get your questions answered.  There is usually a good amount of time for questions.

For a small and comprehensive booklet about engaging with monastics please see Discipline and Conventions: Standards of Theravada Buddhist Renunciate Communities

Portland Friends of the Dhamma and teachers are supported by the generosity of its members, friends and anyone so inspired. We never charge a fee for any events taking place at our facility. Our doors remain open because of the voluntary contributions of time, effort and/or financial (tax deductible) donations of participants. Please do not hesitate to come whatever your financial situation may be, all contributions are deeply appreciated whether that be in the form of graciously accepting from this gift of Dhamma and/or giving of spiritual, material or financial means.

Fridays, 7:00 – 9:00/9:15 PM

The evening is designed to encourage a friendly and casual atmosphere in support of deepening our understanding to the benefits of sharing the every day challenges of living in accordance to the eightfold path.

We begin with a 40 minute meditation (sometimes guided, sometimes silent) followed by a Dhamma reflection and optional check-in and discussion. This class is suitable for all.

This evening is led by PFoD’s Spiritual Director, Sakula Mary Reinard.

The third Friday of every month—when they are not on winter retreat in January through March—Ajahn Sudanto and the monks from the Pacific Hermitage lead this group. You can read about that here.

A Six-Week Class Offered Twice a Year
Begins Monday, April 1, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

The next Meditation for Beginners class starts Monday, April 1, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 PM. This six-week class series introduces the practice of mindfulness as taught in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.  The class series is offered twice a year—in spring and fall—and is followed by an Introduction to Buddhism class.

Each class consists of one or two periods of guided meditation and a discussion of a variety of topics that help us understand what meditation is and how to practice it.  Participants will be encouraged to establish a regular sitting meditation practice at home.

There is no advance registration; please come to the first evening if interested. This is not a drop-in class. If a participant cannot come to the first class, the latest time to start is the second class. These classes occur on a regular basis so if you can’t make this one, simply check back for future classes.

A Six-Week Class Offered Twice a Year

This six-week introductory course covers the basics of Buddhist thought and practice from a Theravada perspective.  The next class will be scheduled for Mid-2013. You might also consider taking the Meditation for Beginners class.

We begin with a brief historical overview of Siddhatta Gautama and his awakening, and a description of the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

During the following weeks, we’ll focus on the key concepts behind the Buddha’s core teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

For a textbook, we’ll use Mapping the Dharma: A Concise Guide to the Middle Way of the Buddha. The Portland Friends of the Dhamma library has plenty of copies available for checkout. Copies also will be available for sale, if you’d like to have your own, for $15.

Leading the course is Paul Gerhards, author and publisher of Mapping the Dharma.

Class is limited. Registration is required. To register, please contact us.

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

This is a peer led gathering of practitioners loosely following the Puja (service) format of the Abhayagiri Buddhist monastery, a Buddhist community in the tradition of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho.

We begin the evening with a short period of chanting (chant books provided), followed by about 45 minutes of meditation. After meditation there is short break.

In December 2012 we began reading a new dhamma study book, “Parami” by Ajahn Succito.  The “Ten Perfections” are

Dana (Generosity)
Sila (Morality)
Nekkhamma (Renunciation)
Khanti (Patience)
Sacca (Truthfulness)
Viriya (Energy/Effort)
Pañña(Discernment/Wisdom)
Adhitthanna(Determination/Resolve)
Metta (Kindness)
Upekkha (Equanimity)

From the book:  ”The parami take spiritual practice into areas of our lives where we get confused, are subject to social pressure and are often strongly influenced by stress or stress-forming assumptions.  Providing alternative ways to orient the mind in the stream of daily events, the “perfections” can derail obstructive inner activities and leave the mind clear. Cultivating parami means you get to steer your life out of the floods.”

This book is offered freely in the library at the center. There are many copies available and we will have some on hand in the shrine room for use.

Though this group is best suited to those with some degree of regular practice, everyone is welcome to drop in, anytime.  See some of you there.

Fridays, 7:00 – 9:00/9:15 PM

The evening is designed to encourage a friendly and casual atmosphere in support of deepening our understanding to the benefits of sharing the every day challenges of living in accordance to the eightfold path.

We begin with a 40 minute meditation (sometimes guided, sometimes silent) followed by a Dhamma reflection and optional check-in and discussion. This class is suitable for all.

This evening is led by PFoD’s Spiritual Director, Sakula Mary Reinard.

The third Friday of every month—when they are not on winter retreat in January through March—Ajahn Sudanto and the monks from the Pacific Hermitage lead this group. You can read about that here.

Alternate Sundays, 9:30 – 11:30 AM

The Buddha’s teachings are supremely profound and breathtaking in scope. But how are we to put them into action, here and now? The Buddha’s answer: Walk the Noble Eightfold Path.

This path embraces every facet of our lives and spiritual development. It guides our daily activities, our meditation, and our direct, immediate experience of insight. In short, the Eightfold Path is the bedrock of Buddhist practice. Or to put it the other way round, in the words of Ajahn Chah, “Our practice is to make this path arise within us.”

In this class series, we explore the path as a whole, and each of its eight factors. The point here is not just to learn about the path, but to probe its transformative potential. We ask ourselves, “What happens when I actually give this a try?”

The course is taught by Matthew Grad. He draws on both ancient and modern teachings to help us uncover the reach and power of the path. Classes include Matthew’s reflections, plus lively group discussions grounded in our direct experience. There will also be practical exercises to help us explore and experiment with walking the path for ourselves. So the course doesn’t just talk about the path. Rather, it serves as a hands-on workshop, and as a support for the deepening of our practice.

This course is for all of us, no matter how much or little we have studied and practiced the Dhamma so far. The pace will be relaxed, so we can thoroughly explore every facet of the path at our ease. This means the course will run at least six months, maybe a year. There’s no registration—just show up. And it’s fine to join us at any point, or merely drop by to test the waters. Newcomers are always welcome.

This class meets every other Sunday from 9:30 – 11:30 AM. Check the calendar for the exact days. If you have any questions, please contact Matthew here.

One Sunday a Month, 9:30 – 11:30 AM

Portland Friends of the Dhamma is having a special morning for our community, families and friends to gather together. There will be meditation with childcare across the hall followed by casual conversation and play.  Everyone is welcome to this morning.

9:00 AM Childcare opens
The childcare starts a half-hour before the meditation to give kids and grown-ups time to settle in.   Bring kids age one through eleven to the annex room across from the meditation hall where there will be a caregiver and various toys and activities.

9:30 AM Meditation and Q&A/Sharing
As the children play across the hall, there is a guided meditation and sharing for an hour in the shrine room.

10:30 AM Casual conversation and play
Later, we’ll spread out into the kitchen and share some snacks while we talk and watch the kids play.

A Six-Week Class Offered Twice a Year
Begins Monday, April 1, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

The next Meditation for Beginners class starts Monday, April 1, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 PM. This six-week class series introduces the practice of mindfulness as taught in the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah.  The class series is offered twice a year—in spring and fall—and is followed by an Introduction to Buddhism class.

Each class consists of one or two periods of guided meditation and a discussion of a variety of topics that help us understand what meditation is and how to practice it.  Participants will be encouraged to establish a regular sitting meditation practice at home.

There is no advance registration; please come to the first evening if interested. This is not a drop-in class. If a participant cannot come to the first class, the latest time to start is the second class. These classes occur on a regular basis so if you can’t make this one, simply check back for future classes.

A Six-Week Class Offered Twice a Year

This six-week introductory course covers the basics of Buddhist thought and practice from a Theravada perspective.  The next class will be scheduled for Mid-2013. You might also consider taking the Meditation for Beginners class.

We begin with a brief historical overview of Siddhatta Gautama and his awakening, and a description of the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

During the following weeks, we’ll focus on the key concepts behind the Buddha’s core teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

For a textbook, we’ll use Mapping the Dharma: A Concise Guide to the Middle Way of the Buddha. The Portland Friends of the Dhamma library has plenty of copies available for checkout. Copies also will be available for sale, if you’d like to have your own, for $15.

Leading the course is Paul Gerhards, author and publisher of Mapping the Dharma.

Class is limited. Registration is required. To register, please contact us.

A Half-Day Class Offered a Few Times A Year

Chanting at Chithurst (photo by AunSoton)

The next workshop has not yet been scheduled.  Please check later if you are interested.
No Pre-registration required (Feel free to let us know you are coming :)
Drinks and snacks provided

Questions? Contact Charla at here.

For those who might feel discouraged in your chanting abilities, we hope that by the end of Saturday you will feel more encouraged, supported by each other and confident in your chanting.  For further inspiration and encouragement below is a video link of Bobby McFerrin teaching an entire audience to chant in unison in 3 minutes.  Play along and see what happens!

http://youtu.be/Hodp2esSV9E

All programs at Portland Friends of the Dhamma are offered by dana, in the spirit of generosity by giver and receiver. If you find this workshop helpful and of benefit to your practice, all dana given will support Portland Friends of the Dhamma. 

“Cultivating the Path”
First Saturday of the Month
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

To shape our lives around the practice of the Buddha’s teachings, rather than shaping the practice of the Buddha’s teachings around our lives.

Monthly daylongs of teachings, practice, and exploration, jointly led by Sakula Mary Reinard and Matthew Grad. Daylongs are held on the first Saturday of each month, starting April 6, 2013.

• Fostering the practice of sīla, samādhi and paññā with ever increasing clarity, depth and continuity.
  • Sīla: The precepts and acts of generosity, goodwill and compassion.
  • Samādhi: Stability of mind through formal practice.
  • Paññā: Insight into the Four Noble Truths and Three Characteristics (impermanence, suffering, not-self).
• Nurturing our practice together as community, keeping harmony utmost.
• Cultivating a respectful and supportive attitude toward our lineage.
• Committing to the Three Refuges.
• Living by the Five Precepts.
• Undertaking the Eight Precepts on Full Moon Days.
• Making every effort to attend the Magga-Bhāvanā daylongs.
• Maintaining a daily meditation practice and attending at least one meditation retreat annually.

• Live by the Five Precepts.
• Mark the Full Moon Days in some fashion (e.g., by placing flowers on your alter).
• Regularly attend a PFoD offering led by one of this program’s teachers: Matthew’s Walking the Eightfold Path and/or Sakula’s Friday Night Dhamma.

If you are interested in possibly joining, or would just like to learn more, please contact Matthew Grad.

Friday, April 19, 5:30 – 9:00 PM
(Every Third Friday of the Month)

One the third Friday of the month, Ajahn Sudanto from the Pacific Hermitage comes into Portland to offer teachings. On that day, the schedule is:

5:30 – 6:45 PM  Casual tea and conversation
7:00 – 9:00 PM  Meditation, Dhamma talk, Q&A

Please check the calendar for the exact days.

Governance at Portland Friends of the Dhamma is handled by a Board of Directors and various committees. Meetings are open to the entire community.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Portland Friends of the Dhamma meets at least four time a year. Meetings are open to all community members. The board is governed by its bylaws. Members of the board serve a two-year term for up to three terms before a one-year sabbatical is required. Elections are held at the annual meeting in May. The current Board members are: Alistair Williamson (President), Jim Walker (Treasurer), Greg Satir (VP), Sakula Mary Reinard, Sallie Odenthal, Jessica Swanson and Rachel Telesmanick. Mary Meyers is serving as Secretary.

Program Committee

The Program Committee meets on the first Monday of the month, except when the month has a Board meeting.  The committee is chaired by the Community Spiritual Director who together with the Board, elects its members.  The Program Committee is responsible for:

• Programs and teachings offered by, at, and/or on behalf of Portland Friends of the Dhamma.
• Deciding which monastics to whom Portland Friends of the Dhamma will extend invitations to teach at or on behalf of Portland Friends of the Dhamma.
• Deciding which laypeople will lead, facilitate, or teach programs and teachings offered on behalf of Portland Friends of the Dhamma.

The program committee members are: Sakula Mary Reinard (chair), Joan Benge, Heather Fercho, Greg Satir, Charla Chamberlain and Matthew Grad.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is chaired by the Treasurer of the Board and is formed to assist with the Treasurer’s duties. The committee is elected by the Treasurer and the Board. Current members are: Jim Walker (chair), Ruby Grad, Alistair Williamson, Scott Benge and Greg Satir. The Finance Committee is responsible for:

• Assisting the Treasurer with the Treasurer’s duties and providing the Board of Directors with an annual financial report.
• Establishing and reviewing internal financial controls.
• Reviewing any and all financial statements of and involving Portland Friends of the Dhamma.

Upasika Renewal Day – Usually in June
Kathina – An “offering ceremony” in late October/early November

About Abhayagiri Monastery

Abhayagiri Monastery exists to provide an environment in which individuals and families, guests and residents, are given the opportunity to be in contact with the principles of the Buddha’s teachings and cultivate those same qualities in their own lives. The monastery derives from the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism and is open and respectful to all traditions that embody the central elements of the Buddha’s Path: generosity, virtue, mental cultivation, wisdom, and compassion.

Having traditional monastic practice as its foundation, Abhayagiri provides an opportunity for men and women to live the ‘forest-dwelling’ life of simplicity, meditation, and self-discipline, thereby supporting all to fully enter upon the Buddha’s Path to Enlightenment.

Continue reading at Abhayagiri.org →

Meditation Class – Every Tuesday and occasional weekends
Upaksika Day – Once a month
Community Work Day – Once a month
Pah Bah – An “alms ceremony” in late October or early November

About the Pacific Hermitage

Nestled in the Columbia River Gorge along a forested stretch of White Salmon’s Jewett Creek is the home of a small group of Theravada Buddhist monks. The Pacific Hermitage is a branch of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, California.

Established in the summer of 2010, the Hermitage is a place of solitude for these monks who devote their lives to meditation and simple living. The monks walk daily through the town of White Salmon to accept donations of food, and are available to the community as a spiritual resource. They also teach and lead Buddhist meditation locally and in the region.

Continue reading at PacificHermitage.org →

Magha Puja (Sangha Day) – Usually in February
Visakha Puja (Buddha Day) – Usually in May
Asalha Puja (Dhamma Day) – Usually in July
Pavarana Day (End of Rains Retreat) – Usually in October

About the Thai Forest Tradition

The Thai Forest tradition is one branch of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Theravada Buddhism, also known as the Southern School of Buddhism, is present throughout Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. The Theravada tradition is grounded in the discourses recorded in the Pali Canon, the oldest Buddhist scriptures. Theravada literally means the Way of the Elders, and is named so because of its strict adherence to the original teachings and rules of monastic discipline expounded by the Buddha.

Continue reading at ForestSangha.org →

This day recalls the passing of Ajahn Chah on January 16, 1992. Each year, there is a big memorial at his home monastery in Thailand, Way Nong Pah Pong.

Ajahn Chah was born June 17, 1918. You can read more about Ajahn Chah at AjahnChah.org and ForestSangha.org.

About Ajahn Chah

‘Everything Is Teaching Us’ summarizes Ajahn Chah’s approach quite neatly. Showing us the immediacy of the Dhamma, he demystified the concepts of Buddhism so that almost anyone who listened could get the point, be they barely literate farmers or highly educated city people, Thais or Westerners. Yet nothing was compromised, and through his unmatched skill people usually got more than they bargained for.

He taught villagers how to manage their family lives and finances, yet he might be just as likely to tell them about making causes for realization of Nibbāna. He could instruct a visiting group on the basics of morality, without moralizing and in a way that was uplifting, but would gently remind them of their mortality at the end of infusing them with his infectious happiness; or he might scold the daylights out of local monastics and lay people. He could start a discourse by expounding the most basic Buddhist ideas and seamlessly move on to talking about ultimate reality.

By Paul Breiter at AjahnChah.org – more found there and also at ForestSangha.org

“If you have wisdom wherever you go you will be carefree. The whole world is already just fine as it is. All the trees in the forest are already just fine as they are…”
– Luang Por Chah

Fertile Ground Meditation is a weekly sitting group held on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Astara Yoga and Healing Arts, 1409 Broadway St. in Vancouver, Washington. There is a 30-minute guided meditation followed by optional sharing and discussion. Monks from the Pacific Hermitage are invited to teach several times a year.

All sittings and events are offered on a dana basis and anchored in the teachings of the Theravada Thai Forest lineage of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho. Everything we do is completely voluntary (you do not have to share or discuss), free of charge and open to anyone. A few meditation cushions are available, in addition to chairs. Please bring a cushion or a firm pillow/blanket to sit on if you have one.

The name Fertile Ground comes from a line in the chanting we do in this tradition, which is from the ancient Buddhist scriptures: “The sangha is the most fertile ground for cultivation.” All are welcome.

Jessica Swanson is a Theravada Buddhist lay practitioner who lives in Vancouver Washington. She has been practicing in the Ajahn Chah/Ajahn Sumedho tradition for ten years, and is an Upasika, or “one who sits close by” to the monastics. As an Upasika, Jessica follows the five precepts and takes the monks and nuns of this lineage as her teachers. She coordinates the Upasika Program of the Pacific Hermitage, and serves with the lay community of Portland Friends of the Dhamma.

Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Occasional Saturdays

The Portland Community of Mindful Living practices in the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a poet, a scholar, and a peace activist. His life-long efforts to generate peace and reconciliation moved Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. He founded the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon and the School for Youths of Social Services in Vietnam. When not traveling the world to teach “The Art of Mindful Living,” he teaches, writes, and gardens in Plum Village, France, a Buddhist monastery for monks and nuns and a mindfulness practice center for lay people.