HOW Zen Operations
(Page Under Construction)

 


As we continue to work towards our vision of growing our Portland Sangha, we will be updating this page with the latest developments. This includes the latest progress in our who to contact to get involved, building search, and new programming push .

 



The Steering Committee has set up groups to focus on specific goals:


Steering Committee Members: Bansho, Kodo, Fuho, Gensho, Rinsan, Cibyl, Greg, and Hogen. This committee oversees the overall project and reports to the Zen Community of Oregon Board of Directors.

Operation Budget Work Group: Hogen (chair), Chuck Enosku Gleason, Cibyl, Bansho, and Kodo. This work group is working on a prudent budget for how to operate our own center and what sort of programs, attendance and growth is necessary to sustain a Portland Center.

Fundraising Work Group: Vacant (chair), Greg, Kojun and Michelle. This work group will develop short-term and long-term fundraising plans.

Building Search Work Group: Julie Weiss (chair), Loren Christensen, Cibyl and Genkan. This group will go look at potential properties.

Communications: Julie Weiss, Daitetsu Hull, Kyoko, Christie Koehler and Ray Hixson. This group will be handling the promotion of the new Portland Program.

The following standing committees will also be involved:

Membership: Genkan (chair), Jomon, Bansho. This is a regular ZCO committee whose mission is to help strengthen and grow membership and ensure ZCO is a welcoming place.

Sangha Council: Kodo, Ensoku, Ryushin, Senryu, Rinsan, Kari, Genko, Jomon, Bansho, Fuho. The Council is made up of members who have made a commitment to Zen Buddhist practice through jukai and the 5 precepts. They help develop and teach classes and arrange for outside speakers and teachers to come to Portland.

We are eager for your input!  Our goal is to achieve a sustainable and responsible model for owning and operating our own place. Please contact these groups if you would like to get involved (or click on the highlighted name to email).

  • Criteria for Finding a Building/Property

1.     Location relative to Sangha:  Located in the area where primary sangha population resides (though obviously not all). A reasonable search area to be bordered (roughly) by the Willamette River, Broadway/Fremont, 65th/Tabor, Woodstock.
2.      Safety: People who attend need to feel safe in the neighborhood.
3.      Zoning: Any property has to have the correct zoning for our purposes.  Focus on churches. Cannot expect to get zoning changed after purchase.
4.      Building code: If a building changes its previously designated use, then it may require prohibitively expensive updating to meet codes for the new use.
5.      Size: PDC is ~ 4,500 sf.  To accommodate projected growth, we will need to consider properties over 8,000 sf.
6.      Parking.  Any activity which regularly has many people coming to it must have approved parking areas, a function of the size of the building and the maximum number of people it is rated for.
7.     Cost: A compromise between optimal location, zoning/code, size, state of repair, and terms of payment.

If you see a building that might fit this bill, please contact anyone on the Building Search Work Group: Julie Weiss, Nic Shojun and Genkan.

 


  • Naming the Portland Program

    The board and our teachers, having absorbed the input of the Sangha, having considered the nature of our practice, giving attention to both heart and mind, heaven and earth, have selected …

    "Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple"

    … as the name of our downtown program.

    We hope everyone feels free to reflect on and discuss this decision.

 


 

 
 

 

Zen Community of Oregon
P.O. Box 368
Clatskanie, OR 97016
(503) 728-0654
Email: info@zendust.org

©2006 Zen Community of Oregon
Updated: August 20, 2008
Site by Michelle Bagley