Jukai Ceremony 2024
Jukai Ceremony 2024 On Sunday June 2nd, 14 people received the bodhisattva precepts in our annual Jukai ceremony, formally becoming Zen Buddhists in our lineage by publicly vowing to live by the precepts as best they can. Congrats and welcome! Six people received...
Spring Sesshin 2024
Spring Sesshin - April 23-28, 2024 This spring, 19 of us joined to sit together for Sesshin at Oral Hull outside of Sandy Oregon. This year felt like the the quietest sesshin yet, we're getting the hang of creating the sesshin container together at this...
2024 BWZ Wesak Festival
Last weekend, the Sangha celebrated Wesak which commemorates the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. To begin the ceremony, we set up a special altar and place a small baby Buddha statue on it. The statue depicts a baby Buddha standing on a lotus. One of his hands points to...
March One Day Retreat
Last weekend, the Sangha came together for a One Day Retreat. We had 11 people in the Dirt Zendo and about 17 involved in the Cloud Zendo throughout the day. During the retreat we pay mindful attention throughout the day to our meditation, our breath, chanting, silent...
Jinryu’s Commencement: The Shuso Hossen Ceremony
This past Sunday, March 17, a good half (!) of our Sangha gathered together in the Dirt and Cloud Zendos to celebrate our beloved Jinryu Janna Allgood, who completed her term of service as shuso, Bright Way Zen's "chief student." In this role, Jinryu assisted Domyo in...
Sign of the Times: A New Bright Way Zen Sign!
After many years of sporting a plastic banner that got progressively more tattered by the Portland rain and wind, this year we invested in a brand-new sign that hangs above the entrance to the Dirt Zendo. It's beautiful, bright, and easily visible from the busy street...
Pool Journal
Dear Sangha members: Domyo asked me to share an experience of insight as encouragement to other members of Bright Way Zen sangha, since it arose from the same combination of Domyo’s teachings, practice, and inquiry in which we all engage. Marv Cohodas I begin...
Reviewing the Results of Our Member Survey
On behalf of the Bright Way Board I would like to share with you a discussion that took place at our last Board meeting. We were discussing the results of the most recent survey that was taken this past spring. In reviewing the results, overall, they were very...
Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at BWZ
Article by Shoketsu Ellen Carlin The Buddha said to his students, “Go forth for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world.” One of the goals in the Bright Way Zen Strategic Plan is to share the Dharma with more people. We...
Multiple Ways to Practice Dana Paramita
Article by Jinryu Janna Allgood Mahayana Buddhism has six paramitas, or expressions of perfection or completeness. Dana Paramita is often associated with charity and includes the giving of alms. According to our new Strategic Plan, there are two areas of focus where...