Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Winter Solstice Ceremony


An enthusiastic group braved cold temperatures on the longest night of the year to participate in 
Shao Shan Temple's Winter Solstice Ceremony.
The ceremony included meditation, chanting, solstice poems and candlelight.

May we all bring our light into the world.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Family Program: Generosity and Snowflakes

In today's December family program, the families brought a food donation for the Worcester Food Shelf, discussed generosity and made paper snowflakes.

May all enjoy Happy Holidays!


New Year's Greeting Cards!


Shao Shan Temple's 

2017 New Year's Greetings 
are in the mail!  

Below is the message on the back of each 
New Year's Greeting.


HAPPY NEW YEAR
2017 
This prayer tablet is an expression of Shao Shan Temple’s deep wishes and dedication to the welfare of the community.  It is a bridge between the temple and your everyday practice

This has been placed on the temple’s altar during the December 8-day Rohatsu intensive practice.  It has been charged with the great energy of
faith and courage. 

This prayer tablet is designed to be displayed in your home to bring peace and protection for the upcoming year.

This year’s message is
BUDDHA – SEED

May peace and blessings extend from your home to the wider world in the upcoming year. 



Each card is hand-assembled and stamped

Ink drying on freshly stamped cards




New Year's Greetings are also available at the Temple if you do not receive one in the mail.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Rohatsu Sesshin - Dec. 1-8

The Rohatsu Sesshin, a meditation retreat from Dec. 1-8 was a time of concentrated practice to commemorate Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment upon seeing the morning star.



This year we had strong participation for the entire sesshin, with a core group that stayed at Shao Shan Temple.  

The sesshin included sitting and walking meditation from 5:30am until 8:30pm, with breaks after meals.  There were daily Dharma Talks by Taihaku & Kenzan on Shakyamuni Buddha's life from the time of his birth through his enlightenment.  Delicious garden-produce meals were served 3 times a day including Oryoki breakfasts (using the formal monk's eating bowls).
Thank you to everyone who participated in this time of intensive practice!


Below is the dedication that was read every morning:
 Peace Dedication
May the penetrating light of wisdom dispel the darkness of illusion.
May all harmful karma be dissolved and the mind flower bloom in eternal spring.
May our sangha and communities be peaceful and harmonious.
May the citizens of our land be safe and content.
May our nation’s leaders be filled with goodness, wisdom and courage.
May peace prevail in our communities.
May peace prevail in the nation.
May peace prevail on earth.
May our joyful practice radiate a vast and compassionate mind for all beings.



Monday, November 14, 2016

Peanut Butter Pinecones & Holiday Items

The children in the family program on November 12th focused on the themes of kindness and gratitude. They shared aspects of our lives that they were feeling thankful for, as well as ways to do kind things for others. They then practiced loving-kindness meditation and made peanut butter pine cone bird feeders to share that kindness with the animals of the forest..












Also Saturday November 12th was the first day that the Shao Shan Temple Homemade Holiday Items became available. Sangha and Family members came together in festive appreciation of the bounty of Shao Shan Temple's gardens and orchards.



Monday, November 7, 2016

Young Adult Program - communication


An enthusiastic group of adults in their 20's and 30's came together for a day-long program on communication. They experimented with communication skills using principles from Insight Dialogue, a practice of mindful communication developed by Gregory Kramer, as well as how to have more challenging conversations using principles from Verbal Aikido. The day also included meditation, a vegetarian lunch, and work practice.




Saturday, November 5, 2016

Work Practice & Holiday items!

An enthusiastic group stayed today after the usual Saturday morning program to participate in work practice.  
This work practice was focused on the Holiday Items from 
Shao Shan Temple's abundant harvests - 
labels were put on Crabapple Jelly, Blueberry Jam, Honey , Teas, ... Abundance!

Thanks to all who participated, also in cleaning and in planting seeds and other tasks around the temple.






Monday, October 24, 2016

Meditation Retreat - first snow

With the change of seasons -the weather becomes colder and our focus becomes more interior.  This was    reflected in the well-attended sesshin (meditation retreat) this past weekend. Beginning with the powerful, ancient purification and confession ceremony: Ryakufusatsu, the weekend included sitting and walking meditation, delicious meals with garden vegetables, a Dharma Talk by Kenzan on the Lotus Sutra, the first snow of the season and a celebratory closing tea with treats at the end.  Thanks to all who particiated.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Memorial Ceremony - 1st annual


Last night was a beautiful fire-lit ceremony in the mossy wooded Shao Shan Temple Cemetery.
The Memorial Ceremony was the first of what we hope will be an annual event.  It is a special time to honor deceased loved ones and those who are interred in the Shao Shan Temple Cemetery.  The ceremony included some elements of the Obon Ceremony that we have usually celebrated in August (a time to honor the ancestors and to invite them to be with us for a celebration).  We included our spiritual lineage as well as deceased loved ones. Gratitude to all who participated in this meaningful occasion and to all those who have gone before us and made it possible.





May Universal Brilliance prevail!




Saturday, October 8, 2016

Leaf Mandalas & Balancing Branches


Amidst falling golden leaves, the teens in the family program today, explored intentionally impermanent art (inspired by the outdoor sculptures of Andy Goldsworthy).  They created balancing branch sculptures and leaf mandalas and other designs and at the end of the program shared them with their parents. 


 Also Taihaku led a guided meditation for teens&parents and a discussion for the parents.


Thursday, October 6, 2016

Visitors from Afar & Chanting Pilgrimage


Shao Shan Temple was honored this past weekend to welcome Ishibashi Shonin (Oshonin-san),  a monk from the Nipponzan Myohoji Order.  





Oshonin-san was instrumental in the initial founding of Shao Shan Temple.

He led a chanting session during the Saturday morning program.  






On Sunday, amidst beautiful fall foliage, we had a 5 mile Chanting Pilgrimage.  Walking a loop beginning and ending at the Temple, we went along dirt roads and mountain trails, including the top of Little Sacred Mountain.






NAMU MYO HO REN GE KYO


Also recently we had a visit from Ranbir, from London, .  Ranbir was a couple of weeks at Hokyoji during the time Taihaku trained there.  This was his first visit to a Zen Temple in the United States.


Ranbir preparing to go up to White Jewel Mountain Retreat



Monday, September 26, 2016

Sangha Potluck - Sept. 25

An enthusiastic group of regular participants at Shao Shan Temple gathered together on Sunday at the Maple Corners Community Center.

This potluck, organized by the Development Committee, offered the Sangha a chance to gather together socially outside of the temple context, and also to have time to discuss the well-being and future vision of Shao Shan Temple.
A summary of the meeting will be in the next Shao Shan Temple Newsletter.

Thanks to all who participated!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Peace Day & Autumn Equinox

On September 21st, International Peace Day and the Autumn Equinox, we had a 2-part ceremony to commemorate these occasions.  An intimate group gathered for chanting at the peace pole garden and to participate in the Ryakufusatsu - an ancient purification ceremony that we perform at Shao Shan Temple on solstices and equinoxes.

MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Work Practice -Firewood Stacking

The changing of the seasons is reflected in the types of work that are part of the practice at Shao Shan Temple.  This week there were several firewood stacking sessions.  Each piece of firewood was passed along a chain of volunteers as we chanted 
"Namu Kie Butsu, Namu Kie Ho, Namu Kie So".

Thanks to everyone who participated ... and there is still more to stack!  Come join us!


Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Anniversary Celebration

Shao Shan Temple's 16th Anniversary was celebrated on Sunday September 11th.


An enthusiastic group gathered for this time of meditation, a 
re-dedication ceremony and refreshments.

Thanks to all who participated and all who 
helped make the occasion happen!