Solidarity meditation

Today the Portland Buddhist Peace Fellowship joined the Cambodian community in an historic event at the Cambodian temple: a joint meditation involving teachers from both Soto Zen and Cambodian traditions, and meditators from Vipassana, Soto and Rinzai Zen, Cambodian, Tibetan, and Vietnamese traditions. Joint gatherings of Asian and “western” Buddhists are rare because of language barriers and cultural differences, but today we made an attempt to overcome those difficulties with translators and practices that are common to all our traditions. We had sitting and walking meditation, chanting in Khmer and English, and an exercise in seeing each other. 

It marks a beginning. We hope to have more opportunities to practice together.

I made few photos because I had other responsibilities, but the main blip and the second extra (entry of the Cambodian elders into the temple) are mine. Sue made a number of beguiling photos during the photo op at the end, including one of the Soto Zen teacher, Kodo, receiving a gift of flowers from Dara Loung (first extra). Sue observed that it was a moment of "East and West bowing to each other." That was our purpose. Dara, Kodo, and I planned the event together, and about seventy people participated.