Over the past few weeks we have held five retreats including two silent meditation retreats, the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives (OBC) Lay Ministers‘ Retreat, the Continuing Practice Retreat, and the College Students’ Introductory Retreat.  We are grateful for the opportunity to offer the Dharma through the varied retreats we hold throughout the year.

On September 28 Rev. Helen was celebrant for the funeral of Mister Oh, Alison Stuart’s beloved 18 year old cat.  Alison, who previously lived in Mount Shasta, drove up from Grover’s Beach for the ceremony.

Every month or two, one of the Abbey monks goes to the Bear River Meditation Group in Applegate, California. On September 11th, Rev. Master Astor led a half-day retreat focusing on the image of Avalokiteshwara Bodhisattva standing still on a wild and dynamically moving dragon. The group discussed the seeming contrast between the stillness of the Bodhisattva and the energetic movement of the dragon as it is compared to the stillness of meditation and the  occurrence of turmoil in our daily lives.  The evening before the retreat some of the group went to a local Meadow Vista organic farm festival which included a pot luck meal, a tour of the gardens and blue grass music.  It was an enjoyable and relaxed time spent together.  On 10 October Rev. Vivian offered a talk on Women in Buddhism to the “Women, Gender, and Religion” class at Sierra College inRocklin CA. The class of 31 students found it quite helpful to learn of the powerful presence of historical women, women today, and Bodhisattvas within Buddhism as role models for their own lives.  Rev. Vivian then spent that Monday evening with the Bear River Meditation Group.  They had a lively discussion on identities, or labels, like female, black, gay, as obstructions and as aids to practice.