bzc fundraising letter 11.27.95

dear friends and supporters of berkeley zen center,

during the past two years as your president i've been involved in some of the more elaborate growth of our temple. the decision-making process is not a particularly easy one given the diversity of our sangha and its many points of view. we are fortunate to have board members who have been able to hear these many points, offer new ideas for consideration and finally arrive at a resolution which best serves the community at large. no doubt you have felt the results as you passed through the gate.

the outcome of the community room and kitchen remodel/retrofit exceeded every expectation. the combination of safety upgrades with the enlargement of the most utilized space (second to the zendo) on the temple grounds has greatly improved the quality of life and practice here. very soon we will begin construction of a permanent wheelchair ramp for the community room, an accessible bathroom in the laundry room area and a renovation of the laundry room-garden shed complex. this upgrade will put to rest many of the issues which have always been of concern to us. these projects were conceived to meet the growing needs of our community. bzc has evolved from its humble beginnings on dwight way and what has remained constant throughout is our sangha treasure: people like you and me dedicated to deepening the roots of zen in america and insuring its future for the generations to come.

suzuki roshi put special emphasis on the importance of sangha. while buddha and dharma are essential to practice, his instruction cut through our self-centered view and helped us understand the teachings and thereby ourselves! in order for us to continue this work please give as generously as you can.

on behalf of berkeley zen center i would like to thank every one of you who have so kindly donated to our fundraising efforts in the past. it is impossible to meet your generous outpourings with words on a page. please receive my gassho with the understanding that your contributions are deeply appreciated by us all.

in gratitude,

ross estes blum
president