Class 5 - Looking inwards

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Last week I shared with you one well-known story between the famous Chinese scholar Su Dongpo and his good friend Zen Buddhist Master Foyin. This week, I told you another humorous yet illuminating story between the two.

One day, Su Dongpo and Zen Master foyin was meditating in the monastery. When they finished, Su asked Foyin, "what do you see in front of you?"

"An enlightened Buddha!" Fo Yin smiled, "and what do you see?"

"A pile of bull shit!" Su Dong Po was making fun of Fo Yin. Su and Foyin often debated on Buddhism and philosophy and Foyin always defeated Su. Su thought this time he won!

Su Dong Po went home with a light heart. At the door, he met his little sister. She asked why her brother looked so happy.

"Because I won this time."

"How?" his little sister asked.

Upon hearing the story, Su's sister commented,

"My dear brother, you lost again."

"What?" he protested.

"Foyin has reached the state of a Buddha's mind. That is why he saw you as a Buddha. On the other hand, you had nothing but bull shit in your heart. As a result, you saw everything else as shit"

Buddhism talks about cause and effect. When we look inward, we see that all sufferings are caused by us, not by some external, supernatural, or uncontrollable circumstances. When our mind is tranquil, we see things around us peaceful. Meditation helps us reach that tranquil state.

Pictures of Zen Center visit

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It was truly an enlightening visit to the Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston this afternoon. Read the picture captions to get a glimpse of what we experienced today. Hope to see you in our next field trip.

class 4‏ - Cultivating the mind

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Su Dongpo (1036-1101) is one of the few figures in Chinese history who were masters of multiple artistic and literary disciplines. He was a great writer, artist and calligrapher. In addition, he was also a cultivator of Zen Buddhism. There were many interesting stories about him and his good friend Zen Buddhist Master Foyin. I shared with you this one today.

One day, Su Dongpo felt inspired and wrote this poem:

I bow to the heaven within heaven

I shower within the brightness of great wisdom

The eight winds cannot move me

For I always sit and stand still on the golden lotus


The "eight winds" in the poem refer to praise, ridicule, honor, disgrace, gain, loss, pleasure and misery - interpersonal forces of the material world that drive and influence all of us. Su Dongpo was saying that he had attained a higher level of enlightenment, where these forces no longer affected him. Can you imagine attaining this state of mind? It is very difficult to say the least.

Impressed by himself, Su Dongpo sent a servant to hand-carry this poem to Zen Master Foyin. He felt certain that his friend would be just as impressed. When Foyin read the poem, he only wrote one word on the manuscript and had it returned to Su Dongpo.

Su Dongpo was shocked when he saw what the Zen master had written. He became very angry. "How dare he insult me like this? He's got a lot of explaining to do!" Su Dongpo ordered a boat to ferry him to the other shore as quickly as possible. Once there, he jumped off and charged into the temple. He wanted to find Foyin and demand an apology. He found Foyin's door closed. On the door was a piece of paper, with the following two lines:

The eight winds cannot move you

One fart blows you across the river

It turned out Zen Master Foyin had written the word "fart" on the manuscript. Evidently Foyin had anticipated Su Dongpo's visit too. Su Dongpo's anger suddenly drained away as he understood his friend's meaning. If he really was a man of spiritual refinement, completely unaffected by the eight winds, then how could he be so easily provoked?

How about you? Are you easily distracted by your emotions, things others said to you, things others did to you, expectations, desires, etc? Meditation helps us calm our mind down so we have the ability to examine ourselves. Am I really as calm as I thought I was? Am I really as compassion as I thought I was? Am I really who I thought I was? Look inwards and find the treasure within.

Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect!

ABS in today’s Daily Cougar

Check out this front-page story about ABS in today’s Daily Cougar. A reporter had an hour-long interview with Venerable Jian Dan. I particularly like this quote, “I dress in traditional clothes, but I still live in reality.” How about you? Did you find this story interesting? Want to know more about how this monk lives his daily life in 21st century reality? Come to our weekly meeting and find out for yourself!

Class 3‏ - Living the present moment

When practicing meditation, we train our mind to focus on the present moment, not on what happened yesterday or on what is about to happen tomorrow. Today someone asked a very good question: When I drove to school today, I had to think– oh I need to go to meditation at noon. If I don't think about it, how will I come?

So I shared with you a well-known Zen story about two monks and a beautiful woman.

An older monk and a younger monk were traveling together and they reached a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman was afraid to cross the river because she might slip and be carried downstream. She asked if one of the monks might help her across.

The older monk carried this woman on his shoulder, crossed the river and let her down on the other bank. The younger monk was shocked and disturbed. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, monks should refrain himself/herself from any physical contact with the opposite sex.

After several days, the younger monk finally cannot stand the thought any longer. He came to the older monk and asked, "How could you break your vows and carry that woman on your shoulders?"

The older monk replied, "I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still."

What does this story mean to you? How does this story relate to your meditation practice? We practice the moment to moment mindfulness in daily life. When a thought arises, we take notice and let it go. Do not attach to it nor follow it. Mindfulness is the acute awareness of the reality as is, not as was or as will be.

Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect!

An enlightening visit to Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston

... an undiscovered pure land in this hectic city ....

Purpose : To relax and be immersed in a peaceful, elegant environment, to experience a spiritual bath, and to learn valuable teachings unknown to us before.

Time: September 23 (Sunday); 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Please arrive by 1:45 pm. It is extremity important that we are there on time to show our respect to their cordial invitation.

Who: Everyone is invited

Location: Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston, 12129 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77072, Tel: 281-568-1568

Transportation: On your own

Schedule

2:00 - 2:20pm Tour of the Center
2:20 - 2:50pm Meditation instruction
2:50 - 3:20pm Watching DVD of Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan, one of the world's largest Buddhist monasteries, an unbelievably magnificent treasure
3:20 - 3:25pm Break—Enjoy excellent tea and snacks
3:25 – 4:00pm Lecture; Q&A
4:00pm Riding the Ox Home

Interested? Email to uhabs8@gmail.com with your full name, major and cellphone number. If bringing guests, please provide their information.

Class 2 - Be the master of your mind

Where is Heaven? Where is Hell? If they exist, can you show it to me?

Today I shared with you a Zen story, a conversation between a Zen Master and a Zen disciple.

The Master slapped the disciple
The disciple became very angry and drew his sword, ready to kill the Master
"This is Hell." said the Master
The disciple was suddenly enlightened and felt gratitude and ashamed
"This is Heaven," said the Master

Heaven and Hell are states of mind, not places we go after life. When we meditated at UC today, loud music was going on outside. It could be Hell for you since it distracted your concentration. If the music made you angry, you were then in Hell. However, if you could focus your attention on the company of the members, and the positive energy we shared, you were in Heaven. Can you find similar examples in your daily life?

To be the master of our mind, we have to learn how to control it. Meditation is the process of gaining control of our true self. Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect!

Pictures of field trip to Bodhi Center

I am a bird because I like to travel and see the world
I am a dolphin because I am smart
I am a panther because I am fierce
I am a bat because I like to sleep
I am a beaver because I work all the time
I am a cow because I work hard
I am a fish because I am free
I am a lion because I want to be a king

We started a fun-filled day by playing this game in the van on our way to the center. Each person had to pick an animal that resembles their personality.Maybe this was a window into our inner self? Was it the true self? the imagined self, or the wishful self?

We arrived a little earlier so we sat and meditated for about five minutes. After lunch, we gathered in a gazebo and had some interesting conversations with the Abbott of Jade Buddha Temple, Ven Hung- I. The afternoon breeze made us feel right at home. Afterwards, we toured the center on a hay ride. Ven Hui Yong, a native Texan, gave us the tour of the memorial hall, the walking trails, and the meditation hall. After two group games, we were tired and ready for some rest. We rested for a while, washed our hands, and learned how to make dumplings. Since we made the dumplings ourselves, don't you think they tasted especially delicious?

The Texas summer heat exhausted us quickly but we had a lot of fun. Take a look at the pictures and see for yourself. More pictures will be uploaded so check back again. If you had fun, share your experience by leaving us a comment at the blog. If you have any suggestions, please email us so we can improve our upcoming activities.

A temple visit and another field trip (to the lake/beach) are in the planning. Stay tuned. What would be more interesting to get to know new friends by knowing what animals they are? Join us next time.