UH Association of Buddhist Students

Meditation for a healthier you – Wed 9/10 at Wellness Ctr

2008-09-08T16:09:00.004-05:00

Title: Meditation for a healthier you

Location: Wellness center (inside Recreation center)

Time: Wednesday, September 10, from 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Speaker: Venerable Jian Dan (ABS’ first dharma teacher for fall 07, an experienced meditation teacher for over 10 years)

Cost: free

Description: We all strive for a healthier body. However, going to the gym only fulfills half of the equation. Research has indicated that regular meditation helps regulate blood pressure, stabilize emotion, improve concentration and reduce stress, all of which contribute to a healthier life style. Come to this interactive workshop and learn the proper and safe way of meditation.

Fall 2008 Meditation Class

2008-09-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

Classes will begin on

September 17th, 2008
WEDNESDAYS
NOON-1PM
UC CARIBBEAN
(RM 75, UNDERGROUND)

Movie Night (5/13)

2008-05-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

Enlightenment Guaranteed

May 13th, 2008
5 - 7 PM
PGH Room 218

a German film about two brothers, Uwe and Gustav, who travel to Japan to sort out the mess of their lives. Their plan is to visit the Sojiji Monastery in Monzen, near Tokyo. On their way there, in a rather literal Buddhist moment, they lose all of their belongings. When they at last make it to the monastery, they find that even there, enlightenment can be elusive.

Bathing Buddha Ceremony @ Jade Buddha Temple

2008-05-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

What do you do after the finals are over? How about come to Jade Buddha Temple and be part of the Bathing Buddha Ceremony this coming Sunday (May 11th)?

Every year, Buddhist communities around the world cerebrate Buddha’s birthday by holding a Bathing Buddha Ceremony. Showering the Buddha with clean water symbolizes the purification of our own greed, anger, and ignorance that are often manifested through body, speech and mind. When our own mind is purified, we will inevitably influence the people and environment around us. Eventually, we will have a purified, peaceful world – the true meaning of the Bathing Buddha Ceremony.

Please bring your family and friends to this highly celebrated annual event at Jade Buddha Temple. Each one will have the chance to shower the Buddha. There will be some chanting and a speech by the Abbot. Entire program will be translated into English live. Get your headsets on your way in to the grand hall. Free vegetarian lunch will be offered.

Date: May 11 (Sunday)

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon (expect a large crowd; street parking only)

Location: Jade Buddha Temple 6969 Westbranch Drive, Houston , TX 77072, 281-498-1616

See you there!

Summer Session

2008-04-28T14:17:00.002-05:00

Meditation classes for the Summer will be starting on

J U N E 4 t h - A U G U S T 10 t h

EVERY WEDNESDAY
4 - 6 PM @ the AD Bruce Religion Center
located at the Small Chapel
(Second floor, to the left, double doors)

April Activity: Buddha relics on display

2008-04-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

This Saturday, you will have a rare opportunity to witness some genuine Buddha relics right here in Houston. Texas Buddhist Association will have a Buddha relics resting ceremony on Sunday at American Bodhi Center. But on Saturday, there will be a public relics display at Jade Buddha Temple. You all are invited to attend this precious event.

When the Buddha lived in India in approximately 2,500 years ago, the people of that time had the opportunity to actually see and hear him, to be blessed by him in his human form. When Buddha left the earth by passing into nirvana (the enlightened state) during the body's death, he compassionately left relics so that today we still have the opportunity to receive the blessings
of the Buddha, directly.

These genuine relics are offered by Venerable Hung I, the Abbot of Jade Buddha Temple, to permanently rest at American Boddhi Center. In 1971 Venerable Hung I was visiting a temple in Taiwan when he met a traveling monk from India. Impressed by Venerable Hung I's big vow to spread Buddhism in the west, the traveling monk gave Venerable Hung I some of his shares of
genuine Buddha relics as a gift. Years later, Venerable Hung I brought these relics, together with his big vow, and arrived in Houston. Thirty years later, we are celebrating the permanent resting of these precious relics in Houston. This event symbolizes the spreading of Buddhism to the west, to Houston, and also the resting of enduring Buddhism teaching in American.

Relics are said to carry positive energy. Interestingly, they are themselves living entities; they can grow bigger, split into more, or shrink in size or even disappear. Viewing holy relics inspires us to develop our own hearts and minds, to develop loving-kindness and compassion and to understand spiritual teachings. Don't miss this rare event!

Date: Saturday, April 5th

Time:

10:30 – 11:00 welcoming the relics

11:00 – 11:20 offering to the Buddha

11:20 – 11:40 group picture with the relics

11:40 - public display of relics

Location: 6969 Westbranch Dr. Houston, TX 77072 http://www.jadebuddha.org/english

Vegetarian lunch will be provided. Event is free but donations are welcome.

March Activity: Birthday Ceremony of Bodhissattva Avalokitesvara

2008-03-15T16:08:00.001-05:00

You all are invited to attend this special ceremony, celebrating the birthday of Bodhissattva Avalokitesvara (Kwan Yin), at Jade Buddha Temple this Sunday. Please anticipate a large crowd so arrive early. Free vegetarian lunch will be provided. Hope to see you all there.

Jade Budda Temple
6969 Westbranch Drive
Houston, TX 77072
281-498-1616

March 23, 2008 - 10:00am - 12:00 noon

The birthday ceremony of Bodhissattva Avalokitesvara

The Texas Buddhist Association will hold a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of Bodhissattva Avalokitesvara (Kwan Yin) at the Jade Buddha Temple on March 23th (Sunday). The celebration of Bodhissattva Avalokitesvara's birthday offers an opportunity for all sentient beings to obtain the meirt of practicing loving kindness and compassion.

Venerable Jian Hai will deliver a speech on "Kwan-Yin -- embodiment of compassion and wisdom." He will also lead our general prayer for the health and well-being of all humanity, for the freedom from suffering, and for the cultivation of blessings and wisdom.

You and your family are cordially invited to attend the ceremony and receive the benefits of Dharma. English live translation will be provided for non-Chinese speaking audience.Program will include recitation of "chapter of universal gateway" and the sacred name of Kwan Yin.

Vegetarian lunch will be offered.

Class 3 (2/25): Outdoors Meditation

2008-02-25T11:02:00.002-06:00

Today we will be meditating at Butler Plaza which is between the MD Anderson Library and PGH, where the Sculpture and water fountain/Pool are located. The meditation will still be held from 1 - 3 PM.

Movie Night (2/22)

2008-02-16T18:54:00.001-06:00

Movie night next Friday (2/22/08) around 6:30 PM.

Date: Feb. 22, 2008
Location: 2515 Branch View Ln, Missouri City, TX, 77459
Time: 6:30 - 9 PM
Movie Title: TBA (suggestions welcome!)

FREE PIZZA

February volunteering opportunity

2008-02-07T14:00:00.001-06:00

VOLUNTEERING: SPECIAL NEEDS BASKETBALL PRACTICE

Support families with special needs!

Date:

February 16th, 2008

Location:

Tzu Chi Foundation
6200 Corporate Dr, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 981-8966

Schedule:

09:45 – 12:00 Recycle

12:00 – 13:00 Special needs basketball practice

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch (Vegetarian)

R S V P : uhabs8@gmail.com | http://uhabs.blogspot.com

Spring '08 Meditation Class Begins!

2008-02-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

We will have our first meditation class on February 11th, 2008.

American Bodhi Center Retreat

2007-12-16T18:00:00.000-06:00

On December 7-8th, 8 of us went to the Bodhi Center and conducted our first retreat. During the car ride to the center we had fun getting to know each other. We played a few games, one of which involves filling in the blanks of a personal biography:

Hello, my name is ____. I am ____ years old and I am majoring in ____. My hometown is ____ and I really ____ it there because ____. I always dreamed that someday I would ____, and that dream has ____ true. I feel ____ about it now! Some things I like to do include ____. There are many things I am good at and one of them is ____. I did a really interesting once and that was ____. My family consists of ____. If I could change one thing about myself it would be ____. Still, I am really glad to be here right now because ____. I would really like to get together with anyone who would be interested in ____. The one thing I want to be remembered for is ____. As far as future plans are concerned, I hope to be ____ someday.

Upon our arrival at ABC, we were welcomed by Venerable Hung-I who was unfortunately unable to stay with us during the retreat. The first day was very lax as we played the game Truth, Truth, Lie in which we were supposed to disclose two truths about ourselves and one lie, while everyone else had to guess which one of the 3 was the real lie. Well, we came to the conclusion that most of us were terrible liars. :) That's good news for ABS meaning everyone is holding on to the fourth precept (abstaining from harmful speech or lies).

Dinner was absolutely amazing! And this is no lie. We had BBQ veggie kebabs. The sausages looked so real that I think I liked them more than actual meat and it's healthy too! Sitting around the campfire we told ghost stories and gazed at the fireflies in the sky (stars) and "pretended" to know where the constellations were.

After such a hardy meal, we went inside and played Cranium. We were such an advanced group that we didn't even need to follow the directions. We played it our own way, which was by far more entertaining! I laughed so hard my stomach hurts and I started rolling on the ground as if I had an epileptic seizure.

Even though the noble silence didn't start until the following day, some of us just couldn't wait so we began the noble silence at 10 PM. In fact we got so used to being silent that most of us really didn't feel like talking after the noble silence was broken. This is true for both introverts and extroverts.

Overall the retreat was very successful. However we do have some unfortunate news. At the end of the retreat Venerable Jian Dan resigned his position as our Dhamma Teacher. Currently we are trying to figure out who would be able to replace the Venerable. What do you all think? Should we invite monks from other temples to lead our meditation? If so, must we invite different monks every sitting or the same monk for the entire semester? Or would a facilitator suffice? Would we all benefit from a group discussion led by a facilitator or a lecture from a monk or Dhamma teacher? Your inputs are greatly appreciated. Remember we really can not function without your thoughts and opinions.

Final class survey results

2007-11-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

In our last meeting, we gave out surveys to solicit anonymous feedback from you. Our hope was to make improvement and plan for next semester based on the survey. We collected thirteen (13) valid surveys. Interestingly, even though we made this an anonymous survey, only three people decided to leave their names out while the remaining ten gave us their names. Overall, you guys were pretty satisfied with our service but would like to have more field trips next semester.

The first part of the survey asked you to comment on the effectiveness and usefulness of the following six items: 1) blog/google group, 2) Dharma talk topics, 3) meeting format, 4) meeting time/location, 5) refreshments, and 6) field trips, and give suggestions. Overwhelmingly, numbers commented “interesting” “useful” “effective” “excellent” and “good” for all items. One person stated that the blog is good but maybe a “larger font size will be better.” Another member mentioned that Dharma talk topics were good but “probably can be improved.” One member recommended we might want to hold meditation for more then once a week. As to refreshments, most felt they were “delicious” while one member wrote “nice but unimportant.” One member proposed to have maybe a little more variety and should include hot tea. Four people asked for more field trips.

The second survey question asked you to reflect on their learning and share with us any example of how they have applied something they learned to their daily life. Here are some of what they shared:

“Help myself and help others”
“Best example: mindfulness in everyday
activities”
“I liked the idea of thoughts coming in & out but never
attaching to any one thought very long. This is beneficial in everyday life”
“I learned to control my road rage! Also I am trying to focus on living more
in the present instead of worrying about the future”
“Tolerance and
patience. No one single example, but try to practice everyday and impart on
others”

Question three asked for suggestion for next semester. Some suggestions are listed below:

“conditions in Buddhism”
“mind and body unification”
“emptiness, the
mind”
“how to understand what one should do with one’s life”
“regret,
guilt, happiness”
“how about an introduction to Buddhism (simple) in daily
tasks”
“Abstinence, dichotomy of all or nothing practice”

Question four asked for suggestion for activity and people seemed to want more field trip. However, only one person made some concrete suggestions of attending charitable events.

Question five asked for ways we can recruit more people. Your suggestions ranged from more advertising, posting flyers around certain colleges, going to religion classes, attending student fairs, to word of mouth by members. I hope when you made those suggestions, you also had an idea of what you can do to help realize those wonderful suggestions.

One thing I like to explain here. The reason we only held two field trips this semester was mainly due to limited manpower. With all of you showing strong enthusiasm in getting more involved next semester, manpower will not be an issue anymore. I am certain we will have a few more activities next semester if you all would pitch in and help out.

Stay tuned for our spring schedule.. Oh, just a sneak preview, we probably will hold our meeting on Thursdays next semester. We have not made a final decision on whether we will meet at noon or in the late afternoon. What do you think? Leave us a comment at the blog and let your voice be heard.

Class 12 – A Day of Appreciation

2007-11-15T16:49:00.000-06:00

This is our last class; the semester went by very fast. I like to take this opportunity to thank many people.

I first like to thank Josten and Grace who initiated the idea of establishing this association. After the initial idea, we found two disciples’ kids as the inaugural President and Vice President. They attended the required orientation in creating a campus student organization and registered Association of Buddhist Students. We thank them for getting us a legitimate status on campus.

However, they were not really interested in getting involved, which caused some problems at the beginning when trying to get things moving. As a result, I took over the President’s post. That was a very difficult yet necessary decision. It was a burden on me as a first-semester UH student, facing a new school, a new environment, and a new challenge.

During that time and since, Maya has been very helpful in taking care of lots of tedious paperwork, going through red tapes and dealing with UH bureaucracy. Of course then there is Grace, who, as many of you know, are the “underground” president. She has helped me a lot. For example, every Wednesday after here, I would go home and receive an email from her giving me a long list of mispronounced words from that day’s talk. (I am often amazed at how you all can understand my English.)

Last week Emily asked me what is my true “self?” I told her I try to practice having no one fixed self. I am just a member of this organization. I always remind myself that I don’t get to give talks if you guys don’t show up. This is the concept of causation, which we have addressed many times this semester. In Buddhism, we see all phenomena as the results of arising elements/conditions. When all elements/conditions are put together, t the arising of the event.

Take a moment to think about this concept. Our government gives us a stable country to live a peaceful life. UH offers us this building and this room to hold our events. We all happen to be part of the UH community who happen to know about this organization, who just so happen to be interested in meditation, who just so by chance are available during this time… This list goes on. Without all of the elements/conditions working together, we would not be able to meet here today.

About mid semester, I was asked if we should consider taking donations or charging membership fees. Absolutely no. I just want to offer myself to you, to do the best I can. I believe we cannot put a price tag on practicing meditation and/or practicing Buddhism. Many of you have seen the movie “Pay it Forward.” An elementary school kid had a social study homework on how to change the world. He came up with this idea that if he can do three good deeds for someone and they in turn can "pay it forward" and so forth, positive changes can occur.

This is very similar to Buddhism concepts. I don’t know how much I can do. I just try my best. If you have received even the smallest amount of benefits, gained some small concepts and made changes in your life for better, I just wanted you to do something for others. Share your experience, tell your stories, and introduce them to this organization. We often gather together to go to a movie or a club. Probably even more often, we should gather friends to come to meditation and to attend Dharma talks.

Please continue your support next semester. We need your help. Many times during the semester, I was so tired and wanted to give up. Then Mimi made many good suggestions as to how I can better deliver my talk. We started giving out handouts as a result of her constructive feedback. It is suggestions such as this that kept me going.

I made a lot of friends here. I hope you all feel the same. Hope to see every one of you next semester. Stay tuned for our spring schedule. Tell your friends, bring them here. Let’s put all our positive energies together. If we all do our best, together, we can change the world.

Thank you for a wonderful semester! Let’s bestow all merits upon all sentient beings.

Recorded by Jian Dan

願消三障諸煩惱
yuàn xiao san zhàng zhu fán năo

願得智慧真明了
yuàn dé zhì huì zhèn míng liăo

普願罪障悉消除
pŏ yuàn zui zhàng xi xiao chú

世世常行菩薩道
shì shì cháng xíng pú sà dào

May the Three Obstructions and all the afflictions be eradicated.
May I obtain true wisdom with clear understanding.
May all the obstacles from all my offenses be eliminated.
I vow to practice the Bodhisattva Way constantly, life after life.

PS. This trace was recorded four years ago for my Chanting Class.

Class 11‏ - Wants & Needs

2007-11-09T08:20:00.000-06:00

Today we discussed a seemingly easy concept – the differences between our wants and our needs. However, the line between the two is not always so clear cut. Most people think of wants and needs as opposites. This thinking results in the belief that wants are bad, not desirable. We should eliminate all wants and reduce all non-essential needs. Many people then become pessimistic and reclusive, lack of motivation and goals in life. Therefore, I believe this dualistic thinking needs some modification.

My definition of wants and needs takes a different view. I believe needs are our responsibilities while wants are our goals and wishes. Therefore, in order to achieve your goals/wishes, you have to be willing to take on the responsibilities that come with such a wish. For example, Buddha wanted all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment. We all want to achieve enlightenment. However, in order to achieve enlightenment, there are practices we need to follow. Practicing is our responsibilities. In other words, achieving enlightenment is what we want and practicing is what we need. If we approach wants and needs this way, we can have a positive life and are not ashamed of having wants.

However, in Buddhism, we also are cautious about attaching to our wants. If we are clinging to our wants, such an attachment will create suffering. Wants encourage us to realize our goals by putting in necessary (needs) efforts. In this process, be mindful of the states of your mind. Be mindful that everything is impermanent and observe the truth about cause and effect. If you can put in 100% of your efforts while not attaching to a fixed outcome, the outcome will be realized. The moment you are attached to a fixed outcome, you will never achieve your goal.

Now you understand the differences between wants and needs, and their relationships, be mindful in your daily life of what are wants and what are needs. Remember that impermanence is the true nature of all phenomena and attachments will create sufferings. Buddhism teaches us to be diligent in our practice without attaching to the ever-changing phenomena.

December retreat announcement!!

2007-11-05T17:21:00.000-06:00

Purpose: For beginners, this is the nature next step to deepen your meditation practice. For more experienced practitioners, this is an opportunity to sustain your practice and receive personal guidance from the teacher.

Date: December 7 & 8 (Friday & Saturday)

Location: American Bodhi Center

Fee: Free, donations welcome

Who: serious beginners & seasoned meditators

Registration: email uhabs8 @ gmail.com. Deadline November 21th, 2007.

Tentative schedule: (subject to change)

Day 1

2:00 pm Vanpool (meet up in front of Cougar Place). Note: you will be leaving your car overnight on UH campus.
3:30 pm arrive at ABC
3:30 – 5:00 welcome, settle in, introduction of basic rules
5:00 – 6:00 games
6:00 – 7:30 vegetarian BBQ or Hot Pot (depending on weather)
7:30 – 8:30 shower; break time
8:30 – 10:00 camp fire, star glazing or movie (depending on weather)
10:00 – 10:30 noble silence instruction
10:30 lights out

Day 2

(observation of noble silence begins)
7:00 wake up bell
7:30 – 8:00 breakfast
8:00 - 8:30 break
8:30 – 8:50 meditation instruction
8:50 – 9:10 meditation
========= break ==========
9:20 – 10:00 meditation
========= break ==========
10:10 – 10:50 sitting meditation in the hall or waking meditation outside
========= break ==========
11:00 – 11:40 Dharma talk (lecture)
(observation of noble silence ends)
========= break ==========
12:00 – 12:30 lunch
12:30 – 1:45 tour the center
1:45 – 2:00 break; exit survey
2:00 - 2:30 closing dharma talk; member reflection/sharing
2:30 – 3:15 clean up the environment
3:15 – 4:30 sweet home

Retreat Rules: (subject to change) 　

You have to stay for the entire retreat. No late arrival or early dismissal will be allowed.
Bring your own sleeping bag, pillows, change clothes and personal items necessary for personal hygiene.
Sleeping quarters are separated by male and female.
Vegetarian food throughout. Please do not bring any non-vegetarian items, cigarette, wine or illegal substance into the camp.
Please do not bring unnecessary valuables or jewelry.
Observe noble silence on Saturday morning. Noble Silence means silence of body, speech, and mind. Any form of communication with fellow student, whether by gestures, sign language, written notes, etc., is prohibited.
The use of cell phone is prohibited during the retreat period.
You have to fill out a registration form with medical insurance information. In addition, you will be asked to sign a consent and release form.

videos for merit dedication

2007-11-02T08:57:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Anne Rudnicki who made the long video, to Emily Marguardt who suggested that we meditate in a circle. Also we thank everyone who came early and helped with the setup. We thank those who stayed late and helped with the clean up. Most importantly, we thank everyone for your participation this semester. Your weekly presence makes this association possible. Let's cherish our friendship and be the wisdom light for one another!

Class 10 - Understanding Death

2007-11-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

Ryan was the first member of this association that I added to my Facebook account. He used to poke me whenever he found me online. When I received this shocking news last week, I realized I will never receive a poke from Ryan anymore. I am sad just like everyone else. Then I remember a story about a grieving mother.

Life is impermanent
During Buddha’s time, a mother was grieving for her son’s death. Her son died shortly after birth. The mother was so overtaken by the sorrow, she took her son’s body in search for a way to get her son back to life. Someone told him there is this enlightened saint named Buddha; maybe he has a way. This mother went to Buddha and expressed her sorrow and wish. The Buddha said, I can help if you can go and find a fire from a household to light this candle and bring this candle back to me. However, you have to get the fire from a household where nobody has ever died. The mother thought, this is easy, all I need to do is to light the candle. She went from door to door looking for a household where nobody has ever died. However, every household she visited, they all told her that, “we are more than happy to help you but somebody has died in my family. Sorry.” After a while, the mother finally realized that everyone eventually dies and life is truly impermanent. After realizing the truth about life and death, the mother was able to stop her sorrow, start practicing Buddhism, and eventually reached enlightenment.

Life never ends
In addition, in Buddhism, we also believe that life never ends. Life is like taking courses. We pass some courses while fail others. For those courses we fail, we have to retake them. For Ryan, he did petty well in relationship; a lot of friends memorialize him here today. However, he still had some courses that he needed to come back and retake. For example, I asked him to design a music program for us. He promised but it did not materialize. He still owed us a music program. If several years later, you see a cute boy who loves meditation, loves singing and playing music after we practice mediation. You know he is back!

Sadness is attachment
Some might ask, “Why do we feel sad?” We feel sad because we are still attached to him. When he is no longer with us, we lose the space, the chance to “practice” attachment to him. The practice of meditation can help us practice detachment. In Buddhism, lights also symbolize wisdom. Wisdom is like the light that illuminates the road ahead and chases away the shadow. Let’s find your wisdom within! During this difficult time, may your wisdom help you focus on the positive things we can learn from this event.

Dedication
Thanks to Ryan, because of him we have this chance to gather together today. Thanks to Ryan, he showed us how impermanent life is. He was like a bodhisattva, incarnated to teach us those truths. His death enlightens us to understand those truths just as the light that brightens our paths. To appreciate his teaching us about impermanence, we dedicate this wisdom to him. We wish that he could shower under the light of wisdom and achieve enlightenment. We wish that he will come back soon and we can practice meditation together again.

Also, let’s do not forget about the friendships present in this room right now. We appreciate this moment, appreciate everyone who is here today. Learning from Ryan, also we learn from all sentient beings. Ask yourself what did you learn from this event? For me, I treasure the chance we could gather here. May all become compassionate and wise and find the wisdom light within you.

May every living being,
Our minds as one and radiant with light,
Share the fruits of peace
Our hearts of goodness, luminous and bright.
If people hear and see,
How hearts and hands can find in giving, unity,
May their minds awake,
To Great Compassion, wisdom and to joy.
May goodness find reward,
May all who sorrow leave their grief and pain;
May this boundless light,
Dispel the darkness of their endless night.
Because our hearts are one,
This world of pain turns into Paradise,
May all become compassionate and wise,
May all become compassionate and wise.
(lyrics from UrbanDharma)

When East meets West: from a Buddhist monk’s perspective

2007-10-31T22:07:00.000-05:00

“What if monks fall in love? They just stop being monks?” wrote one student on the exit survey after attending a talk by Master Jian Dan.

This afternoon, Master Jian Dan was invited by Ms. Sabrina Marsh to give a talk to her undergraduate “Community Education” class at University of Houston. The class is offered by College of Education, with the goal to expose pre-service teachers to different cultures, experiences and paradigms

In today’s talk, Master Jian Dan shared his personal experiences living in American as a Buddhist monk. He talked about the common misconception linking Buddhist monks to Kong-Fu masters, and his encounters of cultural conflicts or misunderstandings between the East and the West. Master called the differences “internal versus external.” He used three examples to illustrate the point, chopsticks vs forks, mental math vs calculator, and Gong-fu vs weapons. From this “internal versus external,” Master concluded the talk by making the connection to meditation. He explained the training of internal mind as the path to true happiness.

After the talk, students had the chance to ask questions. Questions ranged from if he can have family and kids, if becoming a monk was a self choice, whether he plans to stay in America or go back to Taiwan, are there female monks, can a person be both Christian and Buddhist, what are some of the Buddhist holidays, to what is karma.

Meditation
Immediately after the Q&A, Master gave the students some brief mediation instructions and the group meditated for five minutes. Several participants stated at the exit survey that meditation was the most interesting part of what they learned today. Exit survey also asked students to reflect on their meditation experience today:

“I have never meditated before. It was fine but I wish we had more time”
“I loved it”
“before my thoughts keep distracting me, but today I was able to dismiss my thoughts”
“I liked it because I did not understand how to do it [before]”
“hard”
“my back hurt”
“I have never meditated before and I found this experience very relaxing. I especially like that it is a new skill that I can use to lessen anxiety”
“it really made me feel relaxed and calm”
‘I have always wanted to try meditation and learn some techniques and I thought it was great”
“today’s meditation was good, a little hard on my legs due to inflexibility”

Exit survey – most interesting
Several quotes from the survey showcased the variety of students’ reaction to this talk. When asked “what was the most interesting thing you learned today?” students answered:

“about the attachments in your life and mind…”
“internal vs external, difference in east & west cultures”
“that we are capable of controlling our mind. I cannot even control my emotions. I find it very interesting”
“about reincarnation”
“that in Buddhism you do not attach to anything and do not live for the future. I thought it was interesting because I spend most of my energy worrying about the future”
“the perspective of American culture from someone else’s perspective because it is easy to take our every day lives for granted and it’s interesting to see how other cultures view us”
“that to be a monk you see everyone as being your parent though the concept of reincarnation”
“about the difference between west and east… never looked at it that way”

Exit survey – further questions

Exit survey also indicated that many students still had more questions they like to explore. Questions such as “philosophy and life that a Buddhist has” “Buddhism” “What Buddha represents” “reincarnation,” and more. One student asked “What if monks fall in love? They just stop being monks?” Well, I guess we just have to find out the answer next time!

Two special events next Wednesday

2007-10-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Both events will be held at our usual meeting place (UC, Lone Start, 2nd floor #280). There will be about 15-20 minutes overlap.

Special event one – Dedication of Merit to Ryan

As announced previously, one of our devoted members, Ryan Donaghy passed away on October 20. Ryan used to meditate everyday. Association of Buddhist Students had the honor to sit with him in the past several weeks. This week, we will maintain our regular weekly class. However, Venerable Jian Dan will give a special topic about positive attitude toward death in Buddhism. Then we will have a short ceremony called dedication of merit, a practice of sharing all the goodness created by any wholesome action. In our case, we will dedicate our group sitting merit to Ryan......

Noon – 12:30 meditation
12:30 – 12:50 special topic: positive attitude toward death in Buddhism
12:50 – 1:00 dedication of merit to Ryan *
1:00 – 1:15 sandwiches (grab and go)

* Dedication of Merit - Rev. Heng Sure/Compassionate and Wise - Fr. Cyprian Consiglio – MP3 Download (5.3MB) from UrbanDharma

(Chanting of the metta bhavana mantra in Sanskrit)

May every living being,
Our minds as one and radiant with light,
Share the fruits of peace
Our hearts of goodness, luminous and bright.
If people hear and see,
How hearts and hands can find in giving, unity,
May their minds awake,
To Great Compassion, wisdom and to joy.
May goodness find reward,
May all who sorrow leave their grief and pain;
May this boundless light,
Dispel the darkness of their endless night.
Because our hearts are one,
This world of pain turns into Paradise,
May all become compassionate and wise,
May all become compassionate and wise.

Special event two – When East meets West: from a Buddhist Monk’s perspective

Venerable Jian Dan will give a talk to a class of 20 students this Wednesday. The class, titled “Community education,” is offered through the College of Education, with the hope to expose pre-service teachers to different cultures and paradigms. The class instructor, Ms. Sabrina Marsh has invited the Venerable to give a talk about his experience as a monk living in the west. Everyone is invited to join this talk.
1:00 – 1:15 sandwiches
1:15 – 1:55 talk
1:55 – 2:00 basic meditation instructions
2:00 – 2:05 meditation
2:05 – 2:25 Q&A

Class 9 – Cultivating Compassion

2007-10-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

Nowadays, compassion has almost become a buzz word that everyone talks about. As one of the fundamental concepts in Buddhism, compassion is such a big topic that it can take several classes to discuss. Today I just wanted to focus on two things: the differences between love and compassion, and some simple ways we can cultivate compassion in day-to-day life.

In Chinese, compassion is 慈悲. The first character means “give happiness,” and second one means “eradicate suffering.” In other words, a compassionate person tries to give others happiness by helping them eradicate their sufferings. In Buddhism, happiness means “without suffering.” That is why we also emphasize the concept of cause and effect. The logic is simple: if we don’t create any suffering causes, consequently there will be no suffering results. True happiness can be reached then.

Most people think of happiness as “plus” – more money, a better car, a prettier cell phone, etc. I think differently. I consider happiness as “minus” – the removal of sufferings caused by all the endless desires, wants, and wishes. Think about the last time you went to a movie with friends. You had a great time. The movie ended, you went home, and you felt a sense of lose! Why? Because your happiness was built on “plus.” When you don’t have “it,” you feel unhappy. These kinds of happiness are temporary. Not only do they not last long, they sometimes become the source of unhappiness. Compassion, on the other hand, is to give others true happiness by helping them remove their sufferings.

If you understand the true meaning of compassion, you can then easily tell the differences between compassion and love. First, love usually implies possession and control. The best example would be a typical relationship between the parents and their children: because I love you, so I want you to do something for me. The line between control and love is a very thin one. You have to observe it carefully. Some might argue that I am the parent therefore I have to take care of my children. Being a parent is your responsibility. A good parent fulfills his or her responsibilities without trying to control their children. You want to help your kids by providing them good environment and education, so they can grow to be their own person. You don’t own their life so you should not control them to be the way you want them to be. While love implies possession and control, compassion means I just want to offer, to give.

Moreover, love often implies “exchanges.” Just like conducting business, I give you something and you give me something back in return. I read in my physiology textbook a case study about abused wives. Even after years of abuse, many of them will not leave their husband. For one, they keep thinking: he will change one day. For two, they feel I have invested so much in him, in this family. Isn’t this just like doing business, a form of “exchange”? I invest in you so I am waiting for my return.

Lastly, compassion is selfishless where self-benefit is fully abandoned for the sake of serving all sentient beings. A compassionate person treats everyone as equal. On the other hand, love is often selfish, discriminating between the ones I love and the ones I don’t. For example, you attend your daughter’s dance recital where more than 30 dancers are on stage dancing. You take pictures. Go home and examine those pictures. You see only your daughter. Your pictures have only 1 person. Or maybe her close friends, the ones you know. This is a form of attachment. You are attached to seeing only your daughter. You go to see a dance with 30 people and you see only 1 person. If I go to the same dance recital, because I am not attached to any one person or thing, I will be able to see everything. When my attachment is eliminated, I have more room to see things as they are. Our life is more open this way.

Some might ask that I am a very selfish person. Why should I care about the benefits of others. Actually, we follow any practice all for very selfish reasons. Just think this way. I practice meditation so I can purify my mind. I cultivate compassion so I can reduce anger and remove attachments. Even if you have the desire to help others, you have to start by helping yourself first. For example, if you see someone drowning and you want to save him. Before you jump into the water, you have to make sure you know how to swim first. Otherwise, you both will die. Therefore, help yourself first then help others.

So how can we cultivate compassion in day-to-day life? To start, you should understand the concept of reincarnation. In Buddhism, we believe we are all connected somehow in our previous lives so we are here today in the same room. You might be my mom or dad or daughter or son in my previous lives. When understanding this, you treat everyone as equal and with compassion.

In addition, just look around and you will observe a lot of sufferings of sentient beings. By observing that sufferings are all around us, you will easily and naturally deepen your compassion toward all sentient beings.

A lot of people connect compassion with being nice. However, it is not necessary the case. A professor drops a student, a parent scolds a child, a friend warns another friend…all could be forms of compassion. The focus is on intention and result. The intention needs to be wholesome, for the betterment of the other person. Then you observe the result – has the action resulted in a better outcome? Remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the story that a Zen master hit the deers. On the surface, he hit the deers. However, if you examine his intention, he wanted to scare them away so they will not be hurt by human.

Lastly, you can try to practice vegetarianism. You try to reduce the consumption of meats, try to reduce your attachments to certain food. Practicing vegetarianism is one way of working on letting go of attachments, therefore opening up your heart and cultivating compassion.

Next time when you go to a group event, take some pictures. Try to treat everyone in the group equally. Observe all arising thoughts. Is it love or is it compassion? Observe yourself. Look inward. Think about how meditation can help and/or has helped you in cultivating compassion.

Passing of a devoted member – Ryan Donaghy

2007-10-25T08:27:00.001-05:00

Sorry for this late notice. We received this shocking news (see Daily Cougar and Houston Chronicle) that one of our devoted members, Ryan Donaghy, passed away last Saturday. Ryan started attending our weekly meditation from class one. Those who came to class one should remember him because he brought his own meditation cushion that day! Several of you even asked about where he got his cushion. Ryan’s girlfriend wrote to me, “I really appreciate you and all of the ABS members who had helped Ryan in the past; you guys mean a lot to him. I would like you guys to come to his funeral tomorrow at 11 a.m. if possible. Ryan would be very glad to have you there.”

Their will be a service on Thursday, 25th at 11 AM. This will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by the burial, and then a reception.

St. Mary Magdalene
527 S. Houston Ave.
Humble, TX 77338
(281) 446-8211

*** updated
- videos for our Merit Dedication to Ryan
- our class addressing the right attitude toward death

Class 8 -- Dealing with Anger

2007-10-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

Click to see more Class 8 pictures

We experience many different emotions daily. We are happy one moment and sad the next. Our mood swings. Have you ever really asked yourself why you are experiencing these emotions? Where do they come from? Where do they go?

Let’s take anger for example. Where does anger come from? What are the causes of anger? Have you thought about it? Your first response might be: so-and-so said bad words to me, or so-and-so did something that hurt me. In other words, it is all someone else’s fault. In Buddhism, however, we take a different view.

In Buddhism, we believe, for example, that anger comes from either a hurt ego or an unfulfilled expectation. We are so attached to our “self,” that when someone said or did something bad to us, our ego is hurt. In other cases, we expect certain outcomes. For example, the girlfriend expects the boyfriend to bring her a birthday present but he did not. The girlfriend’s expectation is not met, therefore she is angry. Regardless of the causes of anger, however, when a negative emotion such as anger comes, what can we do to deal with it? I shared with you four ways to deal with anger.

First, because Buddhists believe in reincarnation, therefore just think that I must have done something bad to this person in previous life. I owed this person. What this person did to me now is just a way for me to pay this person back the debt. You will no longer be angry if you believe you are paying back something you owe. If you got angry, then you plant the anger seeds in your relationship. In the future when you two meet, the anger seeds might flourish and you two will be trapped in this bad cycle again and again. Wouldn’t you be glad to pay your debt and be done with it in this life?

Secondly, I talked about the concept of returning an unwanted gift. When someone gives you a gift, if you don’t accept it, then they have to take it back. Think of the bad words the other person said to you as an unwanted “gift.” If you simply do not accept the gift, then you are unaffected by the bad words. It is very interesting that, say someone is trying to provoke you, trying to make you mad. However, if you do not accept the “gift,” and are not mad, usually it is the other person who is really mad now.

The third way to deal with anger is to temperately transfer your emotion to something else, especially when the anger is too overwhelmed for you to handle at this moment. Go shopping, go to a movie, go to a restaurant, do whatever you like to do. However, if you can, try to meditate. Count your breath and pull yourself back to a tranquil state. After all, breath counting is a technique that can be carried anywhere, anytime, and it costs nothing.

Lastly, I talked about observing “emptiness.” In Buddhism, we believe all phenomena are created as a result of many conditions. If you analyze the causes of your anger, you will realize that anger itself does not have its own “self.” (therefore the concept of emptiness) Think about it. A moment ago someone said a bad word to you. That moment has since passed away. However, you are still clinging to that moment and creating anger in yourself. Remember a couple of weeks ago I shared with you the story of two monks crossing the river. The younger monk was still attached to a phenomenon that had long gone. If the phenomenon is gone, why do we still punish ourselves by continuing thinking about it?

A young lady always got angry for trivial matters. She went to ask a Zen master how she can deal with her emotion. After listening to her complains, the Zen master said nothing. The Master led her to a meditation room then he locked her in it.

At first, the lady was very angry. She kicked and hit the door. She shouted, yelled and cursed. However, no one paid attention to her. Eventually, she calmed down. The Zen master stood outside and asked, “Are you still angry?” “No, I only blame myself to decide to come here, only to have such a hard time.” “If you can not forgive yourself, how could you forgive others? How could you have peace in your mind?” Then the Zen mater walked away.

After a little while, Zen master came back and asked, “Are you still angry?” “No” “Why?” “Even if I were angry, there is no way out of here.” “You still have anger in your mind, you just temporarily suppress it. The anger would burst out violently later.”

The third time, Zen mater came to talk to her. The lady said, “I am not angry now, because it is not worth it.” The Zen master said, “You still think about whether being angry is worth something. You are still angry.”

“What is anger? The lady asked the Master, then she reached enlightenment.

Why are we angry? Anger is something dumps from someone else but you willingly accept. It gives you a stomachache if you swallow it but if you don’t pay attention, it disappears. Being anger is to use someone else’s mistake to punish yourself. Life is too short to waste our time in being angry.

Meditation helps eradicate our negative emotions such as greed, anger, and ignorance by being true to yourself, by gaining true understanding about yourself. Once we have the purified mind, we will not be influenced and controlled by desires, wants, and all the emotions. We live in a fast paced society where we are always running around, trying to do everything. We give very little time to ourselves. Meditation gives us the awareness and mental power necessary to face everyday life with tranquility. It is extremity important that we meditate every day. When we encounter emotions, we then can quickly go back to this peaceful state of mind.

There are only four more classes to go. Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect!

What is a monk’s life like?

2007-10-15T18:52:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Master Jian Dan made a guest appearance at a class titled “Introduction to Buddhism” (RELS 14766) The Master was invited by the instructor Ann Gleig to share his personal experience as a monk. Students were looking forward to seeing a real monk after studying about Buddhism this semester.

Master Jian Dan shared with everyone his aspiration of becoming a monk, his childhood stories that helped shape his journey into Buddhism, his several encounters with female pursuers as a monk, and how he lives in this modern world while trying to spread very traditional Buddhism concepts.

After sharing his experience, students had the chance to ask questions. Questions ranged from his family’s initial reaction when he became a monk, the meaning of different color robes, meditation techniques, what was his teacher like, to what he does to have a good time. Master Jian Dan answered each question with his usual sense of humor and sincerity.

Several quotes from the survey showcased students’ reaction to this talk. When asked “what was the most interesting thing you learned today?” students answered:

“that monks are in touch with modern reality. It showed me that this is not an ancient practice that I cannot relate to”
“That a monk doesn’t necessary have to meditate all day long everyday’
“Life in the monastery”
“The different meditation techniques used”
“About his life as a monk, his experience”
“I liked the story of how he became a monk, it shows that people join monastery for a variety of means.’
“I was fascinated to hear about the encounter with impermanence”
“the monks lifestyle and how their life is modernized but yet still use Buddhism principles”
“Just hearing about his personal experience in starting to become a monk”

Overall, students enjoyed this experience as they commented:

“Excellent, great acting skills and sense of humor”
“I liked it. It was very insightful to have a real monk speak on his experience”
“very enjoyable! And quite insightful”
“was amazed at his compassion”
“very interesting”
“fantastic. Thank you so much”

Come to our Wednesday class and meet this humorous, compassionate monk who, as commented by one student, has “great acting skills.”

Class 7‏ - Inner Beauty

2007-10-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

click to see more class 7 pictures

What is beauty? Is it our physical character or is it something resides in our inner quality?

Two monks went to the market to buy some fruits. The older monk picked up a big peach and said to the younger monk "See how beautiful this one is!" The younger monk turned around and picked up another one. "This one is prettier." "Why?" the older monk questioned. "Your peach has spots on the skin. Look at mine, spotless, beautiful!" the younger monk replied. The two monks then argued over which peach is more beautiful than the other. A bystander overheard the conversation and commented to both monks, "They both are perfect!" Upon hearing this, both monks immediately reached enlightenment.

All peaches, regardless of their outside skin condition, possess identical nutrition values. However, it is our dualistic mind (as discussed last week) that always likes to compare. We compare this peach with that peach, this cloth with that cloth, this person with that person…. Then we separate them into like, dislike, good, bad, favorable, not favorable…

Buddha had a cousin Nan Tuo (難陀) who had a very beautiful wife. Nan Tuo would comb her hair and help her put on makeup everyday just to make her look even more beautiful. In Nan Tuo's mind, his wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. Because Nan Tuo had such a strong attachment to his wife's outer appearance, even after he became a monk, he continued to miss his wife. To help Nan Tuo eradicate such an attachment, one day Buddha used his supernatural power to bring Nan Tuo to heaven. Everyone in heaven is astonishingly beautiful. Nan Tuo noticed right away and was stunned by all the beauty the heavenly beings possess. Buddha asked Nan Tuo, "how is your wife's beauty compared to these heavenly beings?" "My wife is like an old monkey!" Nan Tuo responded.

Like I said last week, the duality of our mind creates all external phenomena. Originally Nan Tuo thought his wife was the most beautiful of all. However, compared with the heavenly beings, his wife can only be rated as an old monkey! So the question is, what is true beauty?

Like all peaches have the same nutrition values, each one of us possesses Buddha nature and has the same opportunity to reach enlightenment. The real beauty resides within each one of us. When we have inner beauties such as compassion and loving kindness, such a quality will manifest itself outward. Naturally, our outer appearance will change as a result of our inner tranquility.

Meditation creates a tranquil mind, a non dualistic mind. Such a mind is the inner beauty we all should seek. Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect! Remember in Nan Tuo's story that he will go to heaven and enjoy all the bliss and beauty. However, if he did not continue the practice, he still will end up in hell after he uses up all his blessings. As we discussed in class 2, Heaven and Hell are states of mind, not places we go after life. Be the master of our own minds today!

Religious Awareness Week with FREE lunches

2007-10-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Time: each day at noon, Monday through Friday October 15-19, 2007

Lunch: Free lunch is served everyday by a different ministry

Location: Religion Center

What: listen and share one’s religious experience and beliefs in a positive, personal way. Learn how to listen and converse constructively with those whoes beliefs or experiences are very different.

Who: everyone is invited. We are not asking for ‘official teachings’ - knowing that those from the same faith family often differ greatly – we are asking for the students to engage one another on the level of their own faith, understands, and experience – and do more listening than talking.

How: students will be invited to seat themselves at religiously mixed tables. The question for each day will take the form: “In your understanding and experience, what does your religious tradition teach about………. And how is it lived out?”

Themes:
Monday - Love
Tuesday – Justice
Wednesday - Forgiveness
Thursday – Peace
Friday – Right and Wrong

If your time permits, we need Buddhist students to participate and share your experience.

Class 6 - Duality

2007-10-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

Click to see more class 6 pictures

This was our sixth week of this semester, an important milestone for ABS and for you! Like a lot of you, I was also dealing with midterms and papers in the past two weeks. Like a lot of you who have full-time or part-time jobs, I was also feeling the pressure of balancing school work and other responsibilities. Again, like a lot of you, sometimes I wish I were “free” from all the responsibilities.

How can we be “free”? Is it the responsibilities that hold us prisoner or is it that we all are simply the prisoners of our own mind?

Once upon a time, there was a Zen master Gaofeng Miao (高峰妙). He was traveling and visiting other Zen masters. One day he was staying at a motel and got thirsty in the middle of the night. In the pitch dark, he found his way to the kitchen and a large container full of water. Immediately he drank the water, which had a sweet taste to it. The next morning, he woke up and wanted to drink that sweet water again. He went to the kitchen and was ready to drink the water from the container. In the daylight, however, he saw something floating on the surface. In addition, there was this filthy smell to it. It turned out that the water was waste from people washing their feet. Upon realizing that he drank some very dirty water the night before, Zen master Gaofeng Miao was shocked at first. Immediately then he reached enlightment.

Last night when the Zen master drank the water, he thought it had a sweet taste to it. This morning when he realized this was feet-wash waste, he did not have the desire to drink it anymore. Why? It was clearly the same water! Therefore the difference must not be the water. The difference lies in our mind. Our mind distinguishes clean from dirty, pretty from ugly, big from small, like from dislike. It is this duality of our mind that separates all phenomena. When realizing how dirty the water really is, the duality in our mind tells us not to like it and not to drink it. The duality of our mind creates all external phenomena; all external phenomena are the reflection of our mind. Zen master Gaofeng Miao reached enlightment by realizing this.

To further illustrate the point of duality, I shared with you another story about two mother-in-laws.

Mother-in-law A was complaining to mother-in-law B of how her son is married to this lazy wife. The wife does nothing around the house. Mother-in-law A’s son has to do everything, from preparing breakfast to doing laundry. “The wife is so lazy and my son is so unfortunate to have married her,” mother-in-law A grumbled.

“My daughter is very fortunate to have married to my son-in-law,” mother-in-law B shared. “How so?” Mother-in-law A asked. “Because my son-in-law does everything around the house. My daughter has to do nothing.” Mother-in-law B explained.

Clearly both in-laws are in the same situation. However, they both speak from a different perspective. The phenomenon remains the same; our mind distinguishes it. We all like to use our own standards to measure everything. As a result, we often make mistakes. Meditation helps us clear our mind so we can see things as is, not as how we want it to be.

Jerry asked an interesting question today, which related to the topic of duality. Jerry asked what is suffering. There is an English expression: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. What is considered suffering differs from person to person. Many people consider meditation suffering. When you value a certain thing, it becomes pleasant for you. When you don’t see the value of a certain thing, it might be the suffering for you. Suffering is the gap between reality and expectation. Again, it is the duality of our mind that creates all phenomena. Meditation helps us find the reality within and free us from all sufferings. Remember, we are always the prisoners of our own minds!

There are only six more classes to go. Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes perfect!

Class 5 - Looking inwards

2007-09-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

Click to see more class 5 pictures

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

2007-09-23T18:03:00.000-05:00

Click to see more pictures of Zen Center visit

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

2007-09-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Click to see more class 4 pictures

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

2007-09-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

... 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

2007-09-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

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.

Class 1 - Introduction to meditation

2007-08-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

We had a great time today; thanks to those of you who came out today. Even though lots of commotions were going on at UC, we learned the first step in meditation - breath counting. Set up a home practice and try to maintain a regular schedule, even if it is only five minutes. Group sittings are very important too. The energy of a group can help sustain our home practice.

Practice makes perfect.

See you all next week.

Labor Day Fun: Field trip to Bodhi Center

2007-08-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

Date: September 1, 2007, 10:00am – 8:30pm

Cost: Free (donation welcome; make check payable to TBA-Bodhi Center)

Meet: In front of Cougar Place (south side of the stadium, you can park at Lot 11A)

Transportation: Vanpool provided by Jade Buddha Temple

Who: ALL UH students, staff, faculty and their immediate family members. Remaining seats will be open to friends from other schools.

Location: American Bodhi Center (ABC) (about 1.5 hour drive northwest of Houston). ABC consists of 515 acres of land, eighty percent of which is forestland. Its rolling hills and lush landscape is filled with various trees, wildflowers, birds, and small forest animals. A variety of Buddha statutes have been placed along forest trails and phase I construction is near completion.

Registration: email to uhabs8@gmail.com with your full name, cell phone number, major of study, and number of guests (space is limited to 30 people) by 10:00pm Thursday, August 30.

Note: please wear something comfortable, plain and suitable for outdoor activities.

Schedule:

10:00 – 11:30 Vanpool to Bodhi Center

12:00 – 1:00 Delicious vegetarian lunch

1:00 – 2:30 Tea time with the Masters

2:30– 3:30 Outdoor group games

3:30 – 4:30 Guided tour of the center

4:30 – 5:30 Making dumplings

6:00 – 6:45 Dinner

7:00 - 8:30 Sweet home

Questions? Leave a message here at the blog, email uhabs8@gmail.com, or come to our Wednesday class. Space is limited. Hurry up!

ABS @ Cat's back

2007-08-24T08:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone who stopped by our table Wednesday. We are so glad that many people are interested in meditation and Buddhism. We are in the process of adding everyone's contact information to our listserv (google group). Our listserv will be one of our primary communication channels, in addition to this blog. Make sure you check your email for important announcements.

Here are some pictures from today. Did you find yourself? See you next Wednesday!

Party pictures

2007-08-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for coming. Here are some pictures from the party.

Did you find yourself?
Did you find the new friends you met?
What do you remember the most about the party?
Do you have suggeestions?

We want to hear from you. Leave us a comment at the blog.

Again, our weekly meditation will start next week - August 29th from noon to 1pm at UC Lone Star (280).

Welcome! international students

2007-08-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

Thanks for everyone who stopped by our table today! It was very interesting to meet all the friends from Sri Lanka, India, China, Malaysia.... Hope to see every one of you tomorrow at our party! Bring all of your friends too!

Here are some pictures from today.

Welcoming Party --- Come Hungry! Meet new friends!

2007-08-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendar.
Date: Saturday August 18th
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: UH Farish Hall (1st floor) (located right next to the a pond)

RSVP: Please do RSVP via Facebook Event so we can prepare food for everyone. If you don’t have a Facebook account, simply email us (uhabs8@gmail.com). We will send you an invite where you can use your email to view and RSVP this event.

Parking: For friends coming from other campus, Farish Hall is close to the intersection of Cullen Blvd and Wheeler Street. Free parkings are available either at the parking lot right next to the Religion Center (13A - entrance 13), or across from Cullen Blvd (15F - next to the stadium).

We have games and prizes in preparation. If you have any questions about life in general, we will have a question box for you. Come and see how everyone approaches life differently and how meditation might help you discover your inner happiness.

Here are some pictures from last year. We hope to have a more diverse group this time. See you there!

Welcome fellow yogis!

2007-07-31T18:47:00.001-05:00

We made an announcement about our weekly meditation at today’s yoga class (held at the recreation center). The message was well received and many people have gotten our business cards.

Like we said in the announcement, everyone wants peace, harmony, and happiness, regardless of their faith, race, age, gender, etc. A purified mind is the key to the heaven within and mediation is the process to purify our mind. Meditation can help us find the inner peace, harmony and happiness. Once we are balanced inside, we will be able to have a balanced relationship with everything outside – people, things, etc.

Come join us for our weekly meditation starting August 29th. No prior experience is required and people with all faiths are welcomed. Come even if you are just curious!

Time: Wednesdays, noon – 1:00 pm
Place: UC Lone Star Room (280)

We have been requesting evening classes. If there is enough demand, we will do whatever we can to make it happen. Keep your suggestions coming; this is the only way we can cater the best service to you! Let’s hear from you.

See you this Thursday, UC, 5:15-6:30pm

2007-07-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

We will have a table at UC this Thursday from 5:15 to 6:30 pm, as part of the incoming freshman "organization fair."

Come and chat with us! We will bring free English books about meditation to give away. Also we have small gifts such as bookmarks, post cards, power beans and more….

When: Thursday, July 19th, 5:15 – 6:30 pm
Where: UC Arbor
What: Come and chat with us

See you there! Bring a friend!

Poster is ready

2007-07-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Louis, our volunteer designer, we have our poster designed and printed today. The full-colored poster will debut next Thursday, at our next orientation fair. Take a look. As always, give us some feedback.

Fall Meditation time and location

2007-07-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

Weekly meditation: (8/29/07 - 11/14/07)

When: Wednesdays, noon – 1:00 pm (starting August 29th)
Where: Lone Star room (room 280, UC 2nd floor, directly across from Cougar1card office)
Who: beginners welcome; no experience required; people of all faiths are invited
What: learn how to calm your mind. wear something comfortable
How: led by a Venerable with formal training in meditation
Cost: FREE
Format: noon - 12:30 sitting; 12:30 - 12:50 discourse; 12:50 - 1:00 Q&A; 1:00- 1:30 snacks, music, chatting, & friends. Please arrive early especially if first time.

Monthly club meeting: (8/29/07 & 10/31/07)

When: last Wednesday of each month, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Where: UC Lone Star room (room 280, second floor)
Who: anyone who is interested in the organization
What: planning, debriefing, and Buddhism discussion
How: led by officers and Venerable

Welcome new members!!!

2007-06-28T21:24:00.000-05:00

It was really great to meet so many new friends at today’s orientation fair. Thanks for those who stopped by. If you have left us with your information, you should have received a greeting email as well as an invitation to join our google mailing list. Stay tuned for our Fall activities!

Unofficial business meeting

2007-06-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

ABS had our first “unofficial” business meeting this afternoon. It was “unofficial” since only people who have been with ABS since the beginning and their close friends were included in this meeting. Of course pizzas helped with the attendance.

Today, we made several important decisions:

Our weekly meditation will be on Wednesday from noon to 1:00pm, to be held at UC (room not yet reserved)
Our monthly business meeting will be held immediately after the meditation session (starting time to be determined)
We will have information table at UC on Tuesdays (at least for a couple of weeks) to let people know about our Wednesday meditation
We will focus on establishing our meditation classes in the Fall semester. Invitation for guest speakers will be incorporated maybe in the Spring.

We will need a lot of your help. If you are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 11:30 – 1:00pm, let us know.

Stay tuned for our next business meeting in August. You are all invited.

We will be at the freshman orientation this Thursday

2007-06-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

We got an information table during “organization fair”, a regular segment in UH’s incoming freshman orientation. Come by and say hi to us if you are on campus this Thursday. There are plenty of free English books about meditation to give away. Also some small gifts such as bookmarks, post cards, and more….

When: Thursday, June 28th, 5:15 – 6:30 pm
Where: UC Arbor
What: Come and chat with us

See you there!

Our first flyer!

2007-06-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

Yes! Our first flyer is ready, thanks to our in-house designer Louis. He is an advertising major who also holds a full-time job on campus as a web/graphic designer. Take a look. Give us feedback (everything can be changed of course). Do you like the logo?

We will copy the flyer on color papers. We need helpers to help distribute them. Anyone? All you need to do is post them at your building the buildings close to you. I have scotch tapes and staples if you need them.

Let’s get the flyer out and see how fast we can grow the membership!

Time for a slogan

2007-06-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

We are working very hard to get this organization up the ground and running. It is about time that we have a slogan.

According to webster.com, a slogan is

a word or phrase used to express a characteristic position or stand or a goal to be achieved
a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion

So that is what we are trying to accomplish... We have come up with an initial list of ideas. Which one do you like? Choose one or create one of your own… Leave a comment at our blog, respond through our mailing list, or drop me an email……..

Take a Break, Learn to Meditate
Relax, Sit and Do Nothing!
Health Body, Clear Mind- Learn to Meditate
Open Heart & Clear Mind
Learn How to Tame the Monkey Mind
Fitting the Universe in a Grain of Sand
Seeing the World Within
Discover Yourself Within

Let's hear from you!

online discussion group is created

2007-06-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

This morning, we setup a UH-ABS Google Group and it will be our online social place for dialogue and idea exchange. This is exciting!!!

For those who have accepted our invitation to join the group, thank you.

For first-time visitors, you are welcome to be part of our family.

We have also sent out invitations to people who attended our last year’s welcome party.

Hope you will join our group since we have many exciting programs in planning just for you --- social events such as BBQ, retreats, interactive dharma discussions, meditation and more. Stay tuned!

Activities are beginning to line up

2007-06-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

Here are some of our initial plans... More details to come. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think....

Meditation at noon (time and place TBA).
Buddhism in Plain English (time and place TBA).
Welcome party Saturday 8/18 evening (6:00 - 8:00 pm, Farish Hall 1st floor). Come for free food, books, dharma talks and more. A great way to kick start a wonderful semester!
Free weekend treats: Thanksgiving weekend and the weekend after final exam (Eligibility: attended at least 5 meditations or Dharma discussions). Free lodging, food, transportation. Activities include dharma talks, games, vegetarian BBQ, meditation. Location to be decided.

Welcome

2007-06-07T16:51:00.001-05:00

Guys, we are open for business!

Let's get this going!!