2009 November Announcements

2009 November Announcements Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center Prayer beads used for keeping track of prayers and chants. Contents: 1. Upcoming Events 2. Dharma School Series 3. Buddha Thought 4. Volunteer! 5. Saturday Schedule Reminder 6. Dae Yen Sa Video Upcoming Events Candlelight Walking Meditation Evening Candlelight Walking Meditation and Chanting for an End to Violence ---In November, we will be planning an evening of mindful walking and chanting for peace within us and within the world. This evening service will take place in the Main Hall that will be lit by (battery operated) candles. As part of the service we are asking Sangha members, friends and guests to offer a short written or impromptu prayer for peace. This special evening promises to be beautiful and powerful. We will keep you posted on specific date. An Invitation to Enjoy Stillwater Meditation!!! Stillwater invites everyone to visit their Holistic Health Fair at their Holistic Health Center, 30 Beach Road, Wolcott CT from 11 am to 2 pm. The day includes free workshops, Reiki massage, transformation energy, snacks and beverages as well as free instructional classes in Yoga, Tai Chi, NIA (aerobics) and meditation. Telephone 203-879-0630 for details and visit them on the net! http://stillwatermeditation.com/ Nonviolent Communication Workshop Sangha members Aaron Doyle and Eduardo Barrios are working on scheduling a non-violent communication workshop in the coming months. See more info at http://www.cnvc.org and stay tuned for more information in the future! The Dharma School Series Chanting & Meditation 7 pm - 7:30 pm Dae Yen Sa Dharma School & Tea 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm We welcome individuals of all paths and understandings to participate in weekly gatherings consisting of meditation, meditative reading and review along with group reflection on Buddhist principles and practices or Dharma. The only requirement is an open mind and open heart. Study Topic for Wednesday 11/04/09: 11/11/09: The Dhammapada, Chapter 5 - Fools. For those with Books please read Chapter 5: Fools For those without books please read Chapter 5: Fools “Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius-and a lot of courage-to move in the opposite direction.” --------Albert Einstein Fools. We have all experienced them and maybe more times than we'd like to admit, we have played the fool. But take heart, no one is exempt. The dictionary defines a Fool as: "a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person". The last definition "a silly person" is kind of funny and makes me think of Monty Python comedy sketches! What's not so humorous is the first definition, "a person who acts unwisely". In the chapter on Fools, the Buddha is not speaking about eliminating fun in our lives, but rather living life without awareness and mindfulness. There is a reason that of the three poisons, Greed, Anger, and Ignorance, that Ignorance is the most destructive, because of negative consequences that can arise from mindlessness. We can create all sorts of pain and suffering due to our ignorance or wrong view of a person or situation. Just reflect on your own life experience. It is not easy to live out of the Dharma and to "suffer the fools" around us. But we know as Buddhist practitioners, with Bodhisattva hearts, any little enlightenment we experience, or merit gained, is not for us to keep, but to be shared to help extinguish the ignorance of the whole world. Together we practice going courageously, compassionately and with supreme humility, bringing light to the dark places within us and without -- and hopefully with a healthy sense of humor. Nobody is condemned in Buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly lowliest, just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds. Namu. Ongoing Wednesday Night Dharma ---Wednesday's we are continuing the 26 week study of the Dhammapada. Books are provided with a suggested $5 donation.This study will be practiced in the meditative recitation style similar to our Shantideva experience. The first session started Wednesday evening 10/14/09. The winters are always shorter when we're studying together! Let's embark on this Dhammapada journey and see where it takes us.Invite someone new to experience the warmth of the sangha. Buddha Thought Hot Dog Vendor Joke Including Sequel! Q: What did a Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? A: Make me one with everything. (The hot dog vendor prepares the hot dog and gives it to the monk. The monk pays him and asks for the change. The hot dog vendor says: "Change comes from within". A classic Buddhist joke found on the net. Volunteer Requests Assistance with preparation for special events, weekends and teaching nights is always greatly appreciated. This includes assistance in the kitchen, setting up, taking down and any other donation of talent or effort that can assist the temple. You are always greatly appreciated! The temple does have some special requests from time to time as well. Sati Meditation Recently, a small group from Dae Yen Sa enjoyed a field trip to Chuang Yen Temple in Carmel, NY. We participated in a retreat day, where we learned a new form of meditation practice called Sati. In Sati Meditation the practitioner uses mindful movements of the hands to bring about greater awareness.This practice was introduced by Luangpor Teean Jittasubho (1911-1988) of Thailand and taught to us by Dr. Dwight Chien. It is our intention to make Sati meditation sessions available at DaeYen Sa. If any member who participated in our Sati retreat in NY is interested in leading Sati meditation please see Eduardo. For those wishing to experience the Sati retreat day at Chuang Yen, the next session is December 12, 2009. Calling all TV Techies! The temple is seeking a volunteer(s) to help us find or purchase a big screen TV for the Main Temple that we could also connect to a computer. There are so many great teachings and wisdom available in multimedia now that would add to study experiences. In addition the temple is considering offering occasional "movie nights" for families. Maybe our first Movie night could be "MULAN" in honor of dear little Sasha! Of course, we are also seeking donations for the purchase of the TV, or, of a TV itself. Thank you in advance for your kindness in achieving this goal for the benefit of the sangha. Please see Su Yen Sunim to help with this endeavor. Lending Library The East gives us thousands upon thousands of Buddhist sacred texts. And here in the West we have access to many books and articles from teachers like Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron and other well-known teachers. It is our goal to begin a small lending library of Buddhist texts that would be open to Sangha members. The idea has been approved by Su Yen Sunim and Master, so we'll keep you posted on the logistics. In the meantime consider donating your books of wisdom to the temple. Make it a practice in letting go! Talks and Workshops While we have the Wisdom of the Triple Gem we also recognize the network of members and friends with wisdom to share with Dae Yen Sa. If you, or anyone you know, has an interest in presenting a workshop/lecture/training that is relevant and appropriate to Buddhist principles and practice, please speak with Eduardo. At present, the Temple does not have funds for lecturers. Any presentation would be considered a donation would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance. SPECIAL MENTION! Nirvana Juice Bar, Torrington One of our Sangha members, Rosie, invites us to visit her juice bar in Downtown Torrington. Rosie offers many wonderful health and energy drinks and foods as well as aromatic incenses and products sangha members would appreciate. In addition Rosie hosts guest lectures and open mike nights. Visit her website for more information and then visit her store for some "chill" time. http://nirvanahealthbar.com/ Nirvana is a healthy, fun and informative place to visit! Saturday Temple Regular Schedule: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Yoga 10:00 AM to 10:20 AM Tea Break 10:20 AM to 11:00 AM Silent Meditation 11:00 AM to 11:10 AM Walking Meditation 11:10 AM to 11:30 AM Chanting 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Korean Vegetarian Lunch The first Saturday of each month, Dae Yen Sa has a retreat day with a revised schedule. Call or contact the temple for the schedule and activities for that day. A Problem for Everything! Pierce from Stillwater Meditation presents the idea of a problem for everything and using this idea for release from stress. 19 Kinsey Road New Hartford, CT 06057 Telephone: (860) 489-3254 Cell: (860) 459-6255 Fax: (860) 489-5760 Donations greatly appreciated! VISIT DAE YEN SA ON FACEBOOK!