Volunteer Appreciation for Robin
“If you’re thinking about volunteering at KCC, try it out. You’ll enjoy it and it will bring you closer to the community!”
Robin’s dharma journey began when she was learning meditation practices through a sober meditation called “Refuge Recovery”. She liked the meditations, but it didn’t feel very authentic. Throughout their life, Robin felt a strong connection with the Chinese bodhisattva Guan Yin. Guan Yin kept making appearances. She found and purchased a beautiful Guan Yin statue in a small San Francisco shop. Some time later, Robin received as a gift a Guan Yin music box that sings a little song. In 2017, after a search for Buddhist centers in Portland, Robin came to Newcomer’s Night on Monroe Street. At that meeting, she found out that Guan Yin is a representation of Avalokitesvara or Chenrezi. “I lost my mind!” she exclaims.
“That very moment, I felt my spiritual seeking all these years was over. I started practicing Chenrezi, and have many good memories of sitting next to Sange with his bellowing voice, and harmonizing with Luna Grove.”
“I feel very connected to Chenrezi and the wish to become a bodhisattva to benefit all beings. It’s a beautiful aspiration and what the world needs. There is so much to learn in Dharma and the practices can be very profound. Just by practicing and trying it out, trying out different visualizations, it can help you to meditate in awareness. It’s a lot easier to do than people realize.”
Robin was the tea and shine tender for First Sunday’s half-day sit for several years at KCC. (every other first Sunday is Chenrezi practice and instruction).
“It helped me to have a regular commitment and to be there with the teachers and sangha. It made me feel helpful to the community and to be a part of it. I liked being exact and careful when making the shrine offerings, filling the bowls and lighting the candles. I love to make a beautiful offering to the buddhas.”
Robin says: “If you’re thinking about volunteering at KCC you’ll enjoy it and it will bring you closer to the community!”
Thank you, Robin, for your practice, presence, and the many ways you support the life of KCC!
Article courtesy of Kate Rudigier
