|
Monthly Calendar & Special Events
|
 |
Sunday Chant Service....................................................................10 to 11 AM Dharma Circle................................................................11 to 12 noon Leader's meeting.........................................................................April 3 Buddha's Birthday...................................................................April 10 BoardMeeting / Bake & stuff sale............................................April 10
Monday Night Dharma Circle.....................................................7:00 PM New! Buddhism 4 kids Wednesday Night....... 7PM * see side panel for more information *
Wednesday: Basic Buddhist Teachings ..............................7:00 PM April 6......................................History of Buddhism with Ira Bryant April 13.......................................Why the Lotus Sutra with Rev Kris April 20.....................................The Three Treasures with Rev Kris April 27......................The Seal of the Three Laws with Dave Rose Thursday Night Meditation.......................................................7:00 PM
Special Events Lotus Sutra Study - Fridays April 8 & 22........................... 7:00 PM Dharma Center Website
|
|
|
Prayers for Japan
 Rissho Kosei-kai in North America (RKINA) has started a blog page to collect prayers for people in Japan. Please take a minute to stop by and leave your thoughts in support of those suffering from the heartbreak of loss caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan..."When we look at the world with the Buddha-knowledge, we see that nothing exists in and of itself. Instead, everything is dependent on everything else. We coexist in a relationship of mutual support and dependence. Each part of the whole is thus linked with the other parts in one great life." Cultivating the Buddhist Heart, Nichiko Niwano pp74-75
RKINA Prayer Link
For those of you who wish to donate to the Relief Fund in Japan through the Oklahoma Dharma Center – there are 2 choices: first is for RK members in Japan (There were 20 RK groups with thousands affected in the disaster areas), second is for general Japanese population. Please designate your preferences. Please send your check to RK of Oklahoma, and designate "earthquake" in the check register. 2745 NW 40th St. OKC, OK 73112. Your gift is sincerely appreciated. RK International has dedicated 6 million dollars to relief efforts in addition to people power and support. For more information on the relief effort please see the special addition of SHAN ZAI Magazine.
And, lastly, If you can & would like to participate in fundraising for Japan earthquake relief, please print and distribute the following flyer:
Personal Prayers
I feel deeply connected to Japan. I have Dharma family there and it is my Kokoro no Furusato (place dear to one's heart - a spiritual home). Because we are all connected, I am constantly aware on several levels, of what is happening in Japan. I chant and pray for those who lost their lives and for those who remain, to persevere - knowing that their lives are forever changed, as is mine. The axis of the earth is different now and also the speed at which it rotates. We are all making adjustments to a new way of being. One of the most important things we can do now is to choose not to participate in fear, anger, or negative thoughts. Instead, let's consciously choose to have love, compassion, and patience for ourselves and others - letting that ripple out into the world and be of benefit to all beings. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo – Rev. Kris Ladusau
I have great difficulty expressing the overwhelming emotions of my heart and mind at this time of inconceivable losses, grief and challenges in Japan. I have searched within for the wisdom to know what I can best do and say: I am one person among many who send love and prayers for your strength, diligence and practice of compassion during these extraordinary times. I send immense gratitude for your great heart and courage. We are all connected and that which you do for your selves and those around you, you do for me. To you I vow to strengthen my own practice with diligence and courage. Gassho, Jan Rose - RKOK Dharma Center
|
|
Shoes outside the dojo:
Gratitude goes out to the Sangha for the Center's newly refinished concrete floor, with a very special thank you to Mike Moffeit. He has put heart, soul, extraordinary effort and time into beautifying all the floors at the center. Thanks also to Kim Miller, David Freeman, Ira Bryant, the contractor and all who helped un-assemble as well as reassemble the dojo. The floor looks fantastic...a condition to which many of us have been "attached"... thus for the first weeks of curing "shoes outside the door."
Buddhism 4 kids
This class is for children ages 2 and older whose parents' are attending the adult basic Buddhism class on Wed. night. Rev. Kris, David Freeman, along with his 3 year old grand daughter, Gracie, are developing a program which will offer a child-size version of Buddhist practices & principles. Teaching is through the Jataka Tales, Children's Stories of the Lotus Sutra as well as experiential practice and art projects. The Jataka Tales and "Children's Lotus Sutra Stories" are meant to teach generosity, honesty, morality and other values to children and show the way to good & wise behavior.
Tweets from Japan: 'Found in Translation!'
Someone overseas called me on my cell. She said she wanted to connect to anyone who is in Japan, and so she called the country code and her own mobile number, which happened to be the same as mine. I didn’t fully understand everything she said, because it was English, but I knew enough to know that she really wanted to support the Japanese people. It really gave me so much hope. Last night when I was walking home (since all traffic had stopped), I saw an old lady at a bakery shop. It was totally past their closing time, but she was giving out free bread. Even at times like this, people were trying to find what they can do and it made my heart warm. In the supermarket, where items of all the shelves fell, people were picking up things so neatly together, and then quietly stand in line to buy food. Instead of creating panic and buying as much as needed, they bought as little as they needed. I was proud to be a Japanese. It's so dark that I can see stars that I've never seen and it's so beautiful. People of Sendai, look up!
A Message from the United Nations, "Japan has always been there to assist other nations in their time of need. This time, the United Nations will do everything it can to help Japan."
I said to the train conductor "Things sure are tough" regarding the decision to run the trains all night. He smiled and said, "The times call for it." Nothing lost here!
|
|
