About 40 Buddhist teachers, mostly from Portland and Seattle, gathered in the spacious dharma hall at Dharma Rain Zen Center.
Photos by: Steve Wilhelm

Buddhist teachers from around the Northwest gathered at Portland’s Dharma Rain Zen Center April 9, together exploring many aspects of their teaching roles.

This was only the latest of a series of teachers’ gatherings over more than 15 years, in Seattle and in Portland, which have been a significant contribution of Northwest Dharma Association.

The  group  was graciously welcomed by Dharma Rain Abbot Kokumyo Lowe-Charde. Next to him is Myoyu Haley Voekel, ordained priest at Great Vow Zen Monastery.

About 50 leaders from all major lineages and traditions sat in a large circle in the great hall of Dharma Rain, which embraced them with its natural wood structure and pale green walls. The group was balanced in gender, about half women and half men.

The daylong event started with a slow check-in around the circle, where each person described the groups they lead, their style of practice and history.

Then the main group voted on the top three choices among a list of discussion topics, and divided into three discussion groups. The three for the morning session were Zoom, diversity and pooling resources.

During the morning Zoom session, participants explored some of the evolving skills  of using Zoom to support online dharma groups.

Twice during the day the larger group broke into small break-outs, to explore more deeply subjects the teachers had chosen.

Some of the skills were how to offer hybrid sessions including both online and in-person people, and how to avoid getting “Zoom bombed.”

There was much appreciation for how Zoom has opened opportunities for people to participate in dharma activities who otherwise couldn’t, due to distance or health conditions.

Lunch was a delightful vegetarian offering, prepared by Dharma Rain volunteers. After lunch, participants got to tour the facility, seeing the retreat cabins and the residential buildings.

Watching over the day’s proceedings was this statue of Kannon (the Japanese spelling of Kuan Yin) with her vase of compassion-water.

After lunch the group used a similar process to divide into another three groups, this time working with other dharma traditions, environmental awareness, and sangha dynamics with different levels of students.

The sangha dynamics group led to a rich discussion about how to encourage people new to the practice, while honoring and engaging those with experience.

“It’s a balance between leadership and collaboration. It’s tricky because it shifts and changes,” said Nelly Kaufer, leader of Pine Street Sangha in Portland. “It’s more important to be heard than to be loved.”

Teacher Candle Summers, of the Portland Insight Meditation Community, said it’s important to acknowledge that every dharma group is multi-leveled.

“Let everyone’s voices be heard,” she said.

Liza Baer, executive director of Kagyu Changchub Chuling, said, “mutual respect and valuing each person” are key.

“How do you listen to sangha and bring in different voices if they have different opinions?” she said. “How do you get new voices?”

The event ended with a sharing of ideas, such as a proposal that Northwest Dharma Association might add an online bulletin board. Also many participants shared ideas about how the dharma can be passed on to a younger generation.