New Statue. The donation of our new Manjusri Bodhisattva statue for the meditation hall arrived from Canada in October. Thai Bao, a Vietnamese Buddhist sculptor, together with friends, brought the statue on 7^thOctober. It was installed in the hall that evening, and the next morning Rev. Master Meian performed an eye-opening ceremony. Manjusri is the Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom and he sits in stillness upon the beast of self. We are all very grateful to sit in this new statue’s beautiful quiet presence.

Retreats and Events. Our Segaki retreat was held October 27-30, ending with the Founder’s Day Festival on Sunday, 30^thOctober. 28 people attended, with 19 joining online via Zoom. The discussions were particularly good, and it was rewarding to see how much teaching participants were taking to heart. Our annual festival memorial for Rev. Master Jiyu was held on Sunday, 6^thNovember, and was followed by a meal offering for the community and all guests from a group of Vietnamese lay Buddhists in the Bay Area.

Monastic Visitors. We gladly welcomed a month-long visit from Rev. CheongEong Sunim, a female Zen monk from Korea. Her help was of great service in the kitchen. We also appreciated a short visit from Rev. Clairissa of the Wallowa Buddhist Temple in Oregon. As Thanksgiving drew near, we enjoyed visits from Rev. Master Hugh of the Eugene Priory and Rev. Maser Leon of the Portland Priory. And we welcomed once again for the winter Rev. Kalden Wangmo, a former OBC monk now training in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition.  Such guests are always welcome, and their visits help strengthen our sangha ties.