News July – Sept 2023
Rev. Phoebe was invited to give a talk to the local Rotary International club, which she did on April 10. Her talk was well received. She was invited by a deacon of one of Santa Paula’s Catholic churches, who we had met at an event last year, and subsequently had tea with him and his wife at the temple.
We began holding one-day retreats in April, on the 15th and have since held a second one on June 10. Day retreats run from 9 am to 4 pm, and include five meditation periods, walking meditation, a Dharma talk and a discussion. It is an opportunity to go more deeply into meditation than most of us typically have the time for, and to talk about aspects of our practice about which we have questions. People have also enjoyed sitting in our back garden, which we have turned into a quiet space for sitting and observing nature. We will hold the next one-day retreat on July 29.
The annual Wesak Festival was held this year on May 7, just after the full moon of May, which in the ancient calendar was called Vesakha, and hence the name. We had a full meditation room that day, which was followed by a potluck of relatively simple things to eat—an enjoyable occasion.
Squirrels moved into the attic during the spring, in particular a female who proceeded to have a litter of kits, and that was when we started hearing them scurrying around. Pest control guys came and blocked off the openings where the squirrels were getting in; then it became a matter of trapping the juveniles and getting them out of the house, which was no easy matter. We got them out but unfortunately a couple died in the process.
We have been eating from our garden this spring: lettuce, parsnips, leeks, green onions, arugula, snow peas, carrots, kale, beets, chard, cilantro, and now cucumbers, tomatoes and green beans. Almost everything was started from seed. As the soil in our raised beds improves, we are getting more productive vegetables. One kale plant in particular has survived for about a year, is now five feet tall, and has his own name: JJ Kale. Meanwhile the fish have been thriving in their pond, which now has a pond lily, which has bloomed, and a water hyacinth. Seven baby red minnows have appeared recently, swimming around in a tiny minnow school. The goldfish have gotten noticeably larger, as have the mosquito fish. The garden also has several resident birds, most notably a pair of scrub jays who are there every morning, and who eat every strawberry before they get ripe enough for humans.
In Memoriam
Rev. Master Jisho Perry 1941-2023
Rev. Master Jisho was ordained a Soto Zen Buddhist monk in 1971 by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett, and was the most senior active monk in our monastic order before his death on May 3. He lived at Shasta Abbey and at Throssel Hole Buddhist Priory (later Abbey) in the UK during the 1970s, and then moved to Santa Barbara to start the Santa Barbara Zen Priory. He is remembered fondly by many of our members and acquaintances from his years in Santa Barbara; he invited Rev. Master Phoebe to join him in 1998. He and Rev. Master Phoebe moved the priory to the Ventura County mountains in 2000, and the priory then became Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple. He returned to Shasta Abbey in 2001, remaining there the rest of his life. We owe a debt of gratitude to Rev. Master Jisho for all the work and dedication he poured into establishing our temple, for all of his teaching and good humor over so many years. A memorial was held at Shasta Abbey on July 1, and Revs. Phoebe and Seikai were in attendance as well as many of his old friends.
On July 13 our old and wonderful dog Yasper died. Many people and animals have been welcomed by him when they came to the temple, he was a friendly and affectionate creature. Thank you to all who have given him treats and loving care over the years.
Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple. 