Rev. Patti Nakai created the Upaya Group in fall of 2013 to fill a growing volunteer shortage. Upaya hosts the tea/luncheon after service once a month, cleans and sets up the altar and temple for special temple holidays, and provides other services as called upon. The group is looking into adding more social events and volunteer activities in the future.
To join, feel free to ask any temple member for more information. You are not obligated to volunteer every time, of course–the goal is to have a large pool of volunteers who can step up as needed. The more people Upaya has, the stronger the temple’s base becomes.
The Upaya Group is a toban (Japanese for “it’s your turn”) group. Upaya is Sanskrit for “skillful means.” By engaging the people who’ve been regular members for several years with those just starting to get involved, we hope the new group will be the means to lead to a deeper sense of fellowship and a way to serve the temple as an expression of gratitude for receiving the Dharma. Please join us.