Northwest Dharma Association

NWDA Home

FULL ISSUE >>

NW Dharma News
Rev. Senji Kanaeda leads the monks and nuns in a formal procession called a Gyodo
Winter 2019, Volume 32, #2

NW Dharma News

Trains, Cats, and Dharma; A Great Man Gone

David was a great lover of cats…and they loved him

In September the Northwest Dharma community was saddened to hear of the passing of David Forsythe, the long-time volunteer leader of Northwest Dharma Association. For the past several years NWDA has been re-visioning and planning for the transition to a new generation of Dharma leaders and association volunteers. If it hadn’t been for David’s vision and skill, the organization might not have survived long enough to make those transitions. David came to Seattle from upstate New York, where he’d been managing online library catalog systems. He began volunteering for NWDA in 1996, and was unfailingly enthusiastic about rolling up his…

Continue Reading

Dharma Education

Mindfulness Retreat Transforms Teens in Oregon

Teens practice mindfulness while prone, a favorite during the retreat.

This past August more than 50 teens and adult mentors gathered at the Ananda Center at Laurelwood, just outside of Portland, to spend a week together practicing the art of mindful meditation. This was the 6th teen retreat held in the Pacific Northwest sponsored by Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme – “I be me”). Today’s teens report high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Add to that family conflicts, the prevalence of drugs and alcohol use, and national problems such as overt racism and political adversity, and our teens need more support than ever. Inward Bound Mindfulness Education retreats for…

Continue Reading

Dharma in Canada

Retreat Center Offers Canadian Mountain Solitude

The Mahasiddha Retreat Centre provides a tranquil and inspiring environment for retreat and study

Less than a year after opening in the snowy Canadian Rockies, the Mahasiddha Retreat Centre is planning more retreats for 2020. Mahasiddha is the first rural retreat center to be operated by Seattle-based Nalandabodhi. That organization, under the direction of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, offers traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings tailored for contemporary practitioners. Mahasiddha Retreat Centre complements Nalandabodhi’s normal focus on daily practice, study and mindful activity. Since its opening last spring Mahasiddha Retreat Centre has supported several group retreats. We’ve also welcomed retreatants who found there the space and tranquility for individual practice of several days or weeks. We look…

Continue Reading

Compassionate Action

Pacific Northwest Peace Pagoda, a dream revived

Nipponzan Myohoji monks and nuns make an offering

In August people traveled from across the U.S. and Japan to Poulsbo, Washington, to celebrate the ground purification ceremony for what will be the first peace pagoda on the West Coast by the Nipponzan Myohoji Order. The 150 attending the ceremony witnessed a living prayer for peace; with a soft breeze moving the many colorful flags, and sunlight illuminating the grass, the trees, and the opened earth for the peace pagoda. The pagoda project is being led by Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist nuns, monks, and their supporters. The ground purification ceremony or Jichin-sai, is a traditional Buddhist and Shinto ceremony asking…

Continue Reading

Dharma Healing, Arts

What’s New and What’s Ancient With Your Mala?

People wearing malas celebrate a "Listening to the Sound of Silence” retreat at the Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon. The retreat was taught by Jerry Braza from the Order of InterBeing.

Around the Northwest, Buddhist practitioners are using the strings of beads called malas in new and sometimes-surprising ways. And maybe not so surprising, here in 2020, some people are adapting digital devices to support their dharma practice as effectively as physical malas have since the time of the Buddha. As I reached out to Buddhist practitioners around the region, I was fascinated by the array of perspectives they bring to their mala use. Malas sold in Seattle empowering refugee Tibetan nuns in India Seattle-based Tibetan Nun Project in 1987 began raising funds to educate and empower nuns in the Tibetan…

Continue Reading

Sangha News

Female Leader Takes Over at Seattle Soto Zen

Outgoing teacher Eko Jeff Kelley prepares to bow with Kanshin Allison Tait, incoming teacher, in 2019.

Leadership changed at Seattle Soto Zen in September, with new spiritual director Kanshin Allison Tait replacing Eko Jeff Kelley as resident teacher. Kelley has retired after serving in the role for nearly 10 years. Shortly after the teacher transition ceremony Seattle Soto Zen conducted its annual September sesshin at Camp Indianola, west of Seattle. Tait and Kelley shared teaching responsibilities for a topic Kelley had chosen, “Impermanence Is Buddha Nature.” The sesshin participants were very aware of the truth of impermanence, as they said farewell to their beloved teacher. “Now things are changing,” said Kelley in his closing remarks. “That’s…

Continue Reading
Go to the Northwest Dharma News for more!

Featured Events

Day of Mindfulness with Steve Wilhelm

The Four Foundations A One-Day Retreat Date: January 25, 2020 Time: 9 am to 5 pm Place: The Friends’ Meeting House at the corner of 19th and Sheridan Streets Bring any cushions or other meditation supports. Chairs will be provided. Bring your lunch. Tea will be provided. A suggested donation of $20 will help to pay for the space and teacher expenses.  However, all are welcome regardless of donation. A separate dana basket will be provided for the teacher. Write us here if you wish more information. A registration form is here. https://www.ptsangha.org/port-townsend-sangha-november-dom-registration-form/ This one-day retreat will include Dharma talks, sitting and…

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: PT Sangha

Date: Saturday, January 25

Event Type: ,

Tradition: Vipassana
Teacher: Steve Wilhelm

Becoming Ordinary – Zen Day Retreat

Come spend a lovely winter day, meditating and contemplating Ordinariness. Nansen famously told Joshu, “Ordinary mind is the way.” What did he mean, and what does it tell us about our practice? Join the Puget Sound Zen Center for a full day of sitting at the beautiful Joan Hanna Barn on Vashon Island. Abbot Koshin Chris Cain will discuss Becoming Ordinary. No previous meditation experience required; all cushions, chairs, etc. provided. Space is limited. $55 for PSZC members; $75 for nonmembers. 8:30 A – 4:30 P. Lunch included. To register got to www.pszc.org. Questions? Contact registrar@pszc.org.

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Puget Sound Zen Center

Date: Saturday, January 25

Event Type: ,

Tradition: Zen
Teacher: Koshin Cain

Mindful Eating-Compassionate Living Retreat

Dr. Sharon Suh of Seattle University will be hosting a mindful eating retreat on January 25th. The half day retreat will begin at 9:00am and will run until about 12:00pm. Lunch will not be provided, but please feel free to bring a lunch and share in some discussions following the retreat. During this half day retreat, you will learn foundational mindful eating principles and practices.  Mindful Eating – Compassionate Living focuses on rediscovering a joyful relationship to food and our bodies and is based in Buddhist practices.  Participants will engage in meditation, mindful movement, discussion, and receive take-home materials to…

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Date: Saturday, January 25
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Type: , ,

Three Day Retreat with Eric Nord, JDPSN

Retreats offer a rare opportunity to let go of the demands of our busy lives and recognize our inherent compassion and wisdom through dedicated Zen training. Each day includes chanting, sitting and walking meditation, work practice, a private kong-an interview and formal vegetarian meals. Here’s more detailed retreat information and retreat schedule.   Members: $30 plus dana* per day, Non-members: $40 plus dana* per day. *dana is a voluntary gratitude to our teacher   Please register online by Tuesday, January 28

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Blue Heron Zen Community

Start: Friday, January 31 @ 7:00 am
End: Sunday, February 2 @ 3:00 pm
Event Type: ,

Tradition: Zen
Teacher: Eric Nord, JDPSN

Zen Master Dogen’s “Mountains and Waters Sutra”

Jason Wirth is professor of philosophy at Seattle University and an ordained priest in the Soto Zen tradition. His recent books include Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth: Reading Gary Snyder and Dogen during the Ecological Crisis (2017) and Nietzsche and Other Buddhas (2019).

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Date: Sunday, February 2
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Type: ,

Lucid Dream Yoga: The Path of Awakening Through Sleep and Dream

A weekend with Andrew Holecek Discover the remarkable world of nocturnal meditation, where a wealth of wisdom awaits you every night. Lucid dreaming is the first of five nocturnal practices, which include liminal dreaming, dream yoga, sleep yoga, and bardo yoga. These meditations offer boundless potential for psychological and spiritual growth, and provide a unique opportunity to explore the nature of mind and reality. During this program we’ll explore the science behind lucidity, how to induce lucid dreams, what to do with them, and how to transcend any obstacle. This platform then allows us to explore the other four meditations….

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Nalandabodhi

Start: Friday, February 7 @ 7:00 pm
End: Sunday, February 9 @ 4:00 pm
Event Type:

Daylong Retreat: Five Freedoms from Self Entanglement

We’ve heard it said that we can be our own worst enemy. For this day of mindfulness, we will explore the distinction between our conventional sense of self and our ultimate understanding of not-self, and what this distinction can mean in our lives. We’ll also explore the five aggregates or skandas, the factors we unconsciously use to build a sense of self. By bringing better understanding of these five into our lives, we can find more day-to-day inner and outer freedom. The day will include periods of walking and sitting meditation, meditation instruction and dharma talks and small group discussion….

Member Group: Seattle Insight Meditation Society

Date: Saturday, February 8
Time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Event Type: ,

Tradition: Vipassana
Teacher: Steve Wilhelm and Sooz Appel

Calm and Clear

Stability. Clarity. Flexibility. Join us for a hands-on workshop that teaches two simple, profound ways to support mental, emotional, and physical health: meditation and mindful movement. Science is beginning to show how mindfulness improves mental focus, flexibility, and memory, and how it can reduce stress, anxiety, compulsion, depression, and chronic pain. Mindful movement increases flexibility and strength, improves physical balance, blood circulation and blood sugar, and supports cardiovascular health and immunity. This workshop is for beginners and experienced meditators. We’ll share practical methods of meditation for cultivating mental stability and clarity. We’ll also teach several forms of mindful movement, including…

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Natural Awareness

Start: Friday, February 14 @ 7:00 pm
End: Sunday, February 16 @ 4:00 pm
Event Type:

Tradition: Non-sectarian
Teacher: George Draffan and Damien Abel

D.T. Suzuki and the Remaking of Pureland Buddhism

“Pure Land Buddhism as we know it today is in many ways the result a crisis and redefinition of Buddhism during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. A major figure in this redefinition was the scholar and thinker Daisetz Suzuki, who is perhaps best known today as a proponent of Zen in the West. But he also had a deep interest in Pure Land Buddhism. This talk explores the life and thought of Suzuki and his innovative interpretations of Pure Land Buddhism.” This talk is part of the 73rd Annual NW District Buddhist Convention being held in February of 2020.

Featured Event
Mahasangha Event

Member Group: Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Date: Saturday, February 22
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Event Type: ,

Go to Full Calendar of Events
CLICK >>

What's Happening

Book Launch: Wake Up to What Matters: A Guide to Tibetan Buddhism for the Next Generation 

Avikrita Vajra Sakya Rinpoche is a young, dynamic Buddhist teacher who is tuned in to Western culture and has trained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

More >

Dharma Voices for Animals has a new chapter in Portland

Dharma Voices for Animals (DVA) is a nonprofit organization committed both to practicing the teachings of the Buddha and to speaking out when the actions of those in Dharma communities and the policies of Dharma centers lead to animal suffering. We want to be the voice of the animals who cannot speak our language. With the help of members and…

More >

Invitation to Contribute to Resource for Prison Inmates 

Prisoners are not allowed to access the internet. Buddhist groups are invited to contribute to a printed resource for the use of inmates during and after their incarceration.

More >
CLICK >>

Group Members

Seattle One Drop Zendo - Water Moon Dojo

A place for zazen/sitting meditation in the Rinzai tradition, sutra chanting, readings, some practice talks. Please contact us for orientation if needed.

Tradition: Rinzai (Myoshinji lineage) || Location: Seattle, WA

Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound

The Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound supports the Plum Village practice and tradition of mindfulness and Buddhist meditation, as exemplified by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and his lineage of many other Buddhist teachers. We share and co-own Dharma Gate, our Seattle practice center, with Three Treasures Sangha, which practices in the Zen tradition of Robert Aitken Roshi. MCPS practice opportunities are open to anyone with a sincere interest in mindfulness meditation practice and our tradition. If you are unfamiliar with Buddhist meditation, we encourage you to attend an Orientation in conjunction with your first visit. Off-schedule Orientation can...

Tradition: Zen || Location: Seattle, WA

Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre

The Dharma Drum Vancouver Center (DDVC) is dedicated to practicing the teachings of the Buddha through the Dharma Drum lineage of Chan Buddhism, as established by Chan Master Sheng Yen. We welcome all who seek freedom of mind and heart to practice Chan Buddhism with us. Our experienced monastic and lay teachers offer guidance in Chan meditation practice. While the context is the Buddha’s teaching, these practices are universal in scope. They help to develop awareness and calm within ourselves, and to lead a life of cultivating compassion and wisdom. People of like minds from all walks of life come...

Tradition: Chinese Chan || Location: Richmond, BC

Pristine Mind Foundation

Pristine Mind Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche dedicated to helping people live fully, die fearlessly, and transform every area of their lives by offering accessible and experiential Buddhist teachings.

Tradition: Tibetan || Location: , WA

Seattle Soto Zen

Come Sit with Us Our weekly Sunday sitting is open to all. Beginners are more than welcome. We offer zazen instruction at 9:10 AM. Seattle Soto Zen practices in the tradition of Suzuki Roshi, founder of the San Francisco Zen Center. We follow the forms of Soto Zen with a spirit of warmth and inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation is welcome. Our practice includes sitting meditation, walking meditation, liturgy, a Dharma talk and discussion. We conclude with tea and cookies.

Tradition: Zen || Location: Seattle, WA

Dharma Rain Zen Center

DRZC is a diverse group of people who come together to share the practice of meditation, and to study the principles of Buddhism. The purpose of the Center is to offer instruction in Zen practice and Buddhist teachings, and to provide a place where people can form a community that supports Zen practice in everyday life.

Tradition: Zen || Location: Portland, OR

Snow Buddha Meditation

Snow Buddha Meditation & Yoga offers mindfulness meditation and mindfulness yoga classes, based on Theravada Buddhist teachings in combination with Hatha Yoga and Western scientific research into Mindfulness.

Tradition: Theravada, Vipassana || Location: Anchorage, AK

Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling

Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling (STTL) is a centre for Buddhist meditation and learning belonging to the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Its activities are guided by His Holiness Sakya Trichen, the spiritual head, and its founder and resident spiritual director, Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche. The centre holds regular Sunday puja sessions and hosts teaching and other spiritual events conducted by Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche, as well as visiting teachers.

Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism || Location: Richmond, BC

1 2 3 ... 13 ... Next »   Last »»
Go to the Group Directory page for more!