THIS WEEK AT RED MAPLE

Greetings to all,
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Which is true practice -
Compassionate action or private insight?
Which petal is the real trillium?
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1. THIS WEEK AT RED MAPLE 

1.1. Practice on June 11 will be Beginner’s Mind (practice). 

1.2. Advance Notice: Mahasangha will be on Saturday, June 18. The theme for this month is Monju (Manjushri), the bodhisattva of prajna-wisdom.

2. RELIGION EXPERTS 

I have distributed by email today’s ARE feature : Does life have a meaning and if so, what purpose do humans serve? 
If you want a personal copy, contact Innen

3. SAMU THANKS 

Many thanks to those who stayed after practice to work in the gardens. The small triangle bed is now full of plants (See photo below), the veggie garden is rabbit-proof (we hope) and the Jizo garden had several layers of trash cleared away.  

And, of course, the resident mosquitoes enjoyed a lovely brunch

Special thanks to the two lads from the Township who regraded Byers Road. In the process, they widened the road in front to allow better parking. They also dropped a load of gravel and doubled the size of our little parking lot. 

Yours in the Dharma,
from Akashaloka,  

Innen, doshu
om namo muni muni, shakyamuni svaha 

Red Maple Sangha ~ Open Up and Serve 

Visit us online at www.realperson.com 

THE MIRACLE OF DHARMA

The Miracle of Dharma

We were astonished to discover a Yellow Lady’s Slipper along the Circle Walk on Monday morning. This is a a relatively rare and delicate plant that appears only occasionally in this area. The timing is rather special. I had just moved the Buddha head to a location near the apple trees. A few days later, this flower appeared. I have posted a photo below.

The Lady’s Slipper was so-named as a reference to "Lady chapels" that appeared in mediaeval Europe, the Lady of course being the Virgin. Perhaps we can connect it with our own celestial lady, Kwan Yin.

That this should appear here of all places and of all years reminds me of the miracle of the Dharma.

We have a verse that says:

" The Dharma is vast and deep,
Perfectly penetrating and rare to encounter,
Through numberless kalpas.
Now we can see it, open and attain it.
We vow to attain the Tathagatha’s true teaching."

That we in this small and isolated community, so far from the Dharma homelands, have this opportunity to learn and practice the Dharma is rare indeed. Perhaps the appearance of our Slipper may inspire your practice.

Innen, doshu

Om namo amida butsu

RED MAPLE WEEK MAY 30

THIS WEEK AT RED MAPLE

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4. PHOTO THANKS 

Thanks to Tim for the photos of Akashaloka.

Here's a sample

 

in the Dharma,

Innen, doshu

Ottawa Tendai Group on its Way

Kanzan Purchse reports that he has signed a contract to hold the first sessions of our Ottawa 'younger brother' the Flowing Rivers Sangha. The location will be at the Bronson Centre just north of Somerset Street/Bronson. Kanzan will begin publicizing the group which, like Red Maple, will ground itself in Tendai practice traditions. Look for more news over the summer, for a September start-up

Their website is http://www.flowingrivers.ca

MINDFULNESS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Here is a first list for those who want reading sources.

Titles I know

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness; Williams, Segal and Teasdale, with an intro by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Peaceful Mind: Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology to Overcome Depression by John R. McQuaid, Paula E. Carmona, Zindel V. Segal

The Zen Path Through Depression by Philip Martin

The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression, Second Edition by Mary Ellen Copeland, Matthew McKay

Mindfulness in Plain English, Updated and Expanded Edition by Bhante H. Gunaratana

Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Anxiety, Fear, and Panic by Jeffrey Brantley, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

A Handbook for Constructive Living
by David K. Reynolds

Constructive Living (Kolowalu Books
by David K. Reynolds

Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection
by Gregg Krech

Do One Thing Different : Ten Simple Ways to Change Your Life by Bill O'Hanlon

Stop Blaming, Start Loving: A Solution-Oriented Approach to Improving Your Relationship by William Hudson O'Hanlon, Pat Hudson, Patricia O'Hanlon Hudson

Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think by Dennis Greenberger, Christine Padesky

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, Matthew McKay, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman

The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns

Titles I don’t yet know

Yoga for Depression : A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga
by Amy Weintraub

Mindfulness
by Ellen J. Langer

Mindfulness and Psychotherapy by Christopher K. Germer (Editor), Ronald D. Siegel (Editor), Paul R. Fulton

MINDFUL ACTION WORKSHOP REFLECTION

The "Life of Mindful Action" workshop which ran over the weekend, was, for us, a real example of constructive action. Not only was the material based on Constructive Living content, the whole process was such a good experience of staying grounded in what "purpose" might be.
I was especially struck by the poem that Jon K-Z quoted called "The Wind, One Brilliant Day". The poem is by Antonio Machado and translated by Robert Bly. You can read it at:

http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/antonio_machado_2004_9.pdf

It contains the haunting reminder that we each have a unique purpose, our "garden" entrusted to us and urges us to ask " what have I done with the garden entrusted to me?"

Ray,
When one realises one is asleep, at that moment one is already half-awake.

Thich Nhat Hahn Walking DVD

We now have the wonderful Thich Nhat Hahn DVD, Peace is Every Step. This a quasi-bio of Thay. There is also a complete 90 minute talk on the disc. It is a companion to the two books we have also acquired on walking practice by THN.