Opening Ceremony Remarks – Abbot Koshin Cain – 10-03-21
This is, to be sure, a watershed moment for our sangha.
Thanks to Lisa Deveraeu, who trusted that we would be good stewards of this property, and saw an opportunity to do something for the community. Wouldn’t have happened without you Lisa. Thanks to Russ Weeks, the previous owner, who at many and various points helped this process along.
Thanks to our realtor, Denise Katz, who worked hard at a much reduced rate for us because it was a community good.
Thanks to our board of directors, and the steering committee. A particular thanks to our board president, Diane Sweetman, who has put countless hours into this, and has navigated it brilliantly and with good humor.
Thanks to all those whose generosity allowed us to purchase our land 3 years ago, which has now allowed us to purchase this property.
Thanks to two deceased dear friends of the sangha. Martin King, who’s generous contribution 15 years ago allowed us to dream of a place. And Jean Bosch, who worked toward securing us this very property years ago.
On this land that was once inhabited by the Puyallup tribe, by successive farmers, by our neighbor Tim and Sue Wilkerson, by Russ Weeks and his family, I hope we can steward it well.
I’d like to dedicate it to the three treasures: The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
The Buddha, our symbol of contemplation. We will do 1000s of hours of meditation in the Zendo, which will transform the building. And little by little I hope we can make this natural area into contemplative gardens that are a community treasure.
The Dharma – this will be a place of study and learning. The first Buddhist temple on Vashon Island. I hope there will be others, but I hope we do a serious, good job with the teaching at this one.
The sangha. We have a place we can make our home. To settle into. To work together on and grow into, as our sangha grows into the Vashon community.
