A new wave of Buddhism has started, represented by these teenagers exploring Qi Gong, and the Dharma, at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center.
Photos by: Jack Morrison, Northwest Vipassana Center, Taso Papadakis, Po Lam Buddhist Association, Sakyadhita, Sravasti Abbey, Fausto Villaneuvo

With this issue we’re offering something unique: year-by-highlights of the past decade of Northwest Dharma News, chosen by you, the readers. This is a splendid opportunity to see how the Northwest Dharma Association community has evolved in the last decade, responding to peoples’ changing needs, to new technologies, and to the internal power of the dharma itself.

Reflecting her Dharma transmission, longtime practitioner Anita Feng became Zen Master Jeong Ji, just one of a growing number of women in top teacher roles.

Using Google algorithms we were able to pick out most-popular stories for each of the past 11 years. Here we’re offering at least one story from each of those years.

We settled on 11 years because this corresponds to the time since we redesigned online Northwest Dharma News, to offer readers a richer and more graphics-filled experience. (Tip of the hat to our esteemed production guru Stephen Schildbach for determining the top stories, for our overall graphics, for many digital tricks to produce this issue.)

As you explore this issue please note that it’s structured differently than usual. Instead of a directory of stories organized  by subject, here you’ll see stories organized by year, starting from 2012. Feel free to explore as you will, and enjoy.

Buddhist teacher Jaye Seiko Morris, here with author Genevieve Hicks, is just one of a rising number of Black and indigenous Dharma teachers.

Please remember, all of this is supported by the generosity of members and donors, so please donate if you are so moved. As your Northwest Dharma Association moves forward, also please remember that willing hands and leaders are always needed, to bring the unique resource of Northwest Dharma Association, and Northwest Dharma News, into the next generation.

Editing Northwest Dharma News continues to be a privilege and a joy. Through this journey I’ve met remarkable Dharma leaders doing remarkable things. As a community we’re bringing the Dharma into the 21st century, adapting to new realities as the teachings of the Buddha always have. This flexibility has much to do with the Buddha’s unique teachings on emptiness.

Here I’m going to list six themes that have emerged over these years. We’d love to hear what you’ve learned.

The monastics at Sravasti Abbey support climate change work, along with many other Buddhist climate change activists around the region.

• Dharma groups have been adapting to the new realities of the 21st century in innovative ways. For instance in 2012 we ran a story about teenagers turning in their cell phones to gather in retreat, to learn about themselves without electronic support. On the other end of the technology spectrum, in 2021 we ran a story about the evolution of Clear Mountain Monastery, which has been attracting participation from around the world through creative use of online technologies including YouTube, Zoom and Discord.
• Women have been reaching equality with men in many aspects of the Dharma, swiftly erasing 2,600 years of male dominance. For instance, in 2015 we ran a story on Anita Feng of Seattle’s Blue Heron Zen Community, becoming one of the first  women to get full dharma transmission in Zen lineage. She became lead Blue Heron teacher, with the new name Zen Master Jeong Ji. In 2021, Seattle University Professor Dr. Sharon Suh became president of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women, a global pioneer in supporting women in the Dharma.

Seattle University Professor of Buddhism Sharon Suh stepped into global prominence, as president of the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women.

• Diversity became increasingly important within the Northwest Dharma Community, as leadership moved toward more people of color. In 2018 we ran a very illuminating story about what the Dharma means to three seasoned Black Buddhist teachers, all of them with roots in Africa.
• Asian Buddhist groups continued to strengthen their presence in the region, often with significant investments. For instance in 2013 we ran a story on Portland’s Tibetan community opening a 17,000-square-foot practice and cultural center. In 2021 we ran a piece on the massive expansion of the Po Lam Meditation Vihara in British Columbia, which includes a 10-foot cedar Buddha.

In a major expansion, Northwest Vipassana Center is adding 71 individual meditation cells to its retreat center in Unalaska, Washington.

• A streak of independence characterizes Northwest Buddhism, with people crafting unique ways dharma can make a difference. For instance, in 2014 we interviewed Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who from his Seattle seat expresses very traditional Tibetan Buddhism in very innovative ways. In 2020 we ran a story on 10 Northwest Buddhist climate change activists,  all of them seeking ways to bring climate balance to the world.
• Many of the region’s larger Buddhist groups have continued to develop infrastructure, all focused on bringing Dharma to people. Just for instance, in 2019 we ran a story on Nalandabodhi’s new Mahasiddha Retreat Centre, in Canada’s British Columbia. A 2022 story shared the construction of 71 meditation cells, at the Northwest Vipassana Center in Onalaska, Washington.

Fulfilling a 20-year expansion plan, Po Lam Meditation Vihara in British Columbia is completing a large main temple, accommodations for 60 retreatants, and a 10-foot-high cedar Buddha.

All of this points to a core truth: The strength of dharma in the this region will be directly tied to people’s realization of what the Buddha taught. 

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the Buddha awakened to the nature of reality, and then turned to help others do the same. Many also awakened then, many have over the centuries, and many still are doing so now, here in 2023. Thus as you scan the stories of this last decade, see how this core truth, this thread of awakening beings to their innate potential, weaves through everything created by Dharma groups in the Northwest and Western Canada. 

We’d love to hear from you, with any thoughts about this decade, and tips or ideas about stories we should be covering. Please email!

May all of you be well
May all of you find peace
May all of you cultivate loving kindness
May all of you awaken

Sincerely,
Steve Wilhelm
Editor
Northwest Dharma News