2009 December Announcements

2009 December Announcements Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center Sue Yen Sunim's Mandala Sue Yen Sunim worked on a beaded lotus mandala for 30 days and it can be viewed at the temple. The mandala has the symbols for Om written on it. It also has the words for peace, Dae Yen Sa, and Om Mani Padmi Hum. This creation is part of her meditative practice and came to her via meditation. The art piece is also made possible by generous donations of beads! Mandalas are geometric patterns symbolically representing the universe or sacred landscape used for meditation purposes. Several examples of mandalas can be viewed at the temple. 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 Sunday, December 20th, 7 pm-9 pm. Evening Candlelight Walking Meditation and Chanting for an End to Violence is planned as 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. As part of the service we are asking Sangha members, friends and guests to offer a short written or impromptu prayer for peace. A tea reception will follow. Nonviolent Communication Workshop Learn how to live more peacefully and compassionately practicing Right Speech and Right Action. Scheduled for January 18, 2010, 6:30 - 9:30 PM in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The snow date is January 19, 2010. Teachings presented with guest NVC teacher Joe Brummer! Joe spent years exploring why people commit acts of violence against others. He studied nonviolence, conflict resolution and worked with the Institute for Study and Practice of Nonviolence to bring teaching to schools, and serves on the Community Mediation Center of Rhode Islands Juvenile Restorative Justice Advisory Board. He has recently attended International Intensive Training on Nonviolent Communication. Joe is the Connecticut representative for New England NVC. Visit the link http://www.cnvc.org for more information on the course. In this course you will learn how to: Express yourself in ways that can be heard. Truly hear what others are expressing regardless of the words used. Connect with the universal needs driving all human behavior. Express gratitude without the use of praise and moral judgments. Use language as a tool of connection rather than control. This important course is free to the general public. Please share the information with your friends! 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 12/16/09: The Dhammapada, Chapter 10 - The Rod or Punishment For those with Books please read Chapter 9: The Rod or Punishment For those without books please read Chapter 9: The Rod We all know about punishment. We all have experienced some form or corporal punishment and unfortunately different degrees of abuse at the hands of others. But what would happen if those who inflicted punishment realized the principle of Exchanging Self for Other"? That none of us wants pain and suffering. What if those individuals, for an instant, could have put themselves in the place of the punish-ee, maybe they would have chosen a nonviolent means of expression. And what about us? What "rods" do we use to correct and control people and situations? We may not be inflicting corporal punishment, but if we are honest, we might find that we wield subtle forms of punishment usually out of our unskillful speech. Each day we have the opportunity to cultivate peace, but because of anger, stress, misunderstanding, impatience, we can easily lose our mindfulness and reactively pick up the rod of harsh speech. The Buddha reminds us that no amount of almsgiving, prostrations, recitations or offerings can clear away the harmful consequences of our speech and actions. Look at your own life experience when you have hurt someone and apologized. While the apology is an important step for healing, the karmic imprint is still left upon the relationship and it takes time and trust to rebuild goodwill. It is through meditative introspection, in the study of dharma virtue, and by practicing mindfulness with our brothers and sisters in the sangha and in the larger world that we become free of the need to use punishment as a means of control. Once we begin a path of liberation we can no longer pick up the rod, certainly we know it is hurtful, but it is simply ineffective, working against its intended short-term result and producing karmic consequences that last. (DHAMMAch.10v.13) Buddha is very clear in his instruction that we "- one should neither strike, nor cause to strike."(DHAMMAch.10v.1), and I add in body, speech and mind. And what are the consequences of using the rod? The saying, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" says it best. We don't want spiritual blindness, we want to see clearly with eyes of truth. Maybe we could use the practice Buddhist nun Pema Chodron calls, "Just like me". She uses this when she's sitting in traffic, looking at the faces of other frustrated drivers she says, "just like me he/she doesn't want to be here. " "Just like me that woman wants to be home and take her shoes off", etc. You see we are all the same this way. Time to put down the rod. Namu. Nobody is condemned in Buddhism, for greatness is latent even in the seemingly lowliest, just as lotuses spring from muddy ponds. Invite someone new to experience the warmth of the sangha. Buddha Thought It Will Pass A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!' "It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly. ---Old Buddhist joke found on the web. 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. Starting the Mandala Deconstruction Geshe Lobzang Samdup starting the deconstruction process of the Medicine Mandala by making lines in the sands with the Dorje. The deconstruction of the Mandala symbolizes impermanence. 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!