Experience sharing
Chan Meditation Center English Sunday Dharma Talk - Chan 101-1 by Gilbert Gutierrez
This lecture by Gilbert Gutierrez is the first in a series of five, which provides a synopsis on meditation suitable for both beginners and more advanced Chan practitioners. Gilbert stresses how Right View in practice--Pratītyasamutpāda (causes and conditions never fail)--is absolutely critical. He explains that appearances in meditation are there precisely because we put them there. In meditation, we should thus focus on contemplating the method to “stop mind that desi...
My heartfelt experience participating in an ordination ceremony
I could feel the wild thumping of my heart the moment I made my `first’ formal step on the red carpet of the Main Hall. The simplicity of the Main Hall with an ambiance of reverence took my breath away even though I had rehearsed numerous times for this ceremony. I was overcame with feelings that I have never experienced before; this was even more daunting than giving a piano recital given the fact that the number of people indoor was limited. After days of training with additional r...
Why Did I Choose to Take the Three Refuges and Five Precepts?
One word, faith. There is so much we don't know, haven't experienced, wisdom yet to be realized. In these situations, faith is all we have. After a little over a year at Dharma Drum Mountain and contributing weekly to the English Meditation and Discussion group, I have no doubt in the teachings of the Buddha. I strive to live in accordance with the Dharma because I believe that by doing so, the quality of my life will improve. I am grateful for ...
{Sharing} Wisdom from the Shurangama Sutra in Daily Life: Contemplating Our Sensory Experiences
By Tom Kaczmarski Rebecca Li's lecture, "Wisdom from the Shurangama Sutra in Daily Life: Contemplating Our Sensory Experiences ", is an example of Rebecca's ability to relate, what at first seem complex and abstract Buddhist concepts, to regular day to day life. I highly recommend the video recording* of the talk on the Dharma Drum Chan Meditation Centre Vancouver website, but for now let me touch on what were highlights for me. Recognising that an hour and ...
{Sharing} Celebration of Buddha's Birthday - Bathing the Buddha with a Beginner's Mind
During normal, pre-pandemic times, the Buddha's Birthday (also known as Vesak) is a joyous and festive occasion at the Chan Meditation Center (CMC). Perhaps comparable to Christmas in the West, the Buddha's Birthday is one of the most important, if not, the most important holiday in Buddhist cultures, a community event that is celebrated with food, entertainment, presents and ceremony. At CMC, ordinarily, there would be lots of people, a vegetarian feast, dance and musical performance...
What I Learned from the Interpretation Workshop
by Marty Ho For most of Angelenos, the spring of 2021 was lively and full of growth. As the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Los Angeles continued to improve, businesses started to re-open and people could finally return to workplaces. Interestingly, it was also a lively time of growth for our translation team of DDM LA Center. In March and April, after our team longing for a long time, Angela Chang from DDM Toronto Center offered us a workshop of Mandarin-English interpretation. Thank...
Insights from the Practice of Gratitude and Repentance
Chan Meditation Center _ Reviews on Online Tuesday Sitting Session Article By Yvonne Photos by Yin Ting Starting from this March, Tuesday evening sitting has gone online. Instead of commuting by train and bus, I can participate in the event by joining in the zoom meeting just a second. Like other human activities, so many things around us have changed. Some are temporary and some are permanent. And this transformation makes me to think a lot in the sitting meditation sessions....
Living peacefully through challenging times
2020 Online Tuesday Sitting Meditation Sharing (Article by Hang Yeung; Photos by Yin Ting) 2020 was a year full of great disasters and unprecedented challenges. The fear of the pandemic, the anxiety of the unknown, the inadaptability to the change of daily life... I also stayed at home for a long time for the prevention of infection. During the time of facing an unpredictable external environment and unstable mood and feelings, I couldn't help missing the time of group practices i...
Summary on The Introduction of the One Hundred Dharmas in Yogacara
(Chan Meditation Center Sunday Dharma Talk) @Article by Harry Miller @Photo by Chang Xun Ven. Changhwa gave a series of talks from October to December, 2020 on Yogacara teachings and doctrines. Yogacara is an important school of Buddhism that emphasizes practice through understanding of perception, cognition, and consciousness. Ven. Changhwa provides extensive background on the history of this important school. She speaks about Asanga and Vasubandhu (both of whom flourished i...
2020 Great Compassion Water and Land Service Online Practice Sharing
Like every other part of life since Spring, we practiced the rituals of "Liang Huang Repentance Sutra" at home via internet and it turned out to be powerful. This Repentance Sutra has been widely practiced for about 1400 years and is considered the king of repentance teachings. In this voluminous sutra, we pray for ancestors and for living beings alike. It is the Chan Meditation Center's focus around Thanksgiving every year to support world peace, health and happiness for a...