Permission and Empowerment of Avalokiteshvara, the Stages of Meditation and the Three Essential Moment

Tokyo, Japan, 13 April 2015 - The Showa Joshi Women’s University Memorial Hall was empty this morning when His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived. He took a seat facing the small pavilion containing the mandala and a thangka of 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara to begin preparations for the empowerment he was to give. During the hour that these took the hall steadily filled.

Today’s proceedings began with a recitation of the Heart of Wisdom Sutra in Japanese. His Holiness explained what he was planning to do:“The tantric vehicle or vajrayana is also known as mantrayana, which means the vehicle that protects the mind. It protects the mind from ordinary appearance involving the practitioner’s visualizing him or herself in the form of a deity.”

His Holiness also explained the significance of the vajra and bell he was holding. He said the vajra represented deity yoga, while the bell represented understanding of emptiness. For visualizing of yourself as a deity to be effective it has to be qualified by an understanding of the emptiness of intrinsic existence. The vajra and bell are employed together to show that deity yoga and wisdom are indivisible.

Members of the audience attending His Holiness the Dala Lama's teaching at Showa Joshi Women’s University in Tokyo, Japan on April 13, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
Action tantra defines the disciples qualified to engage in tantric practice as bhikshus and bhikshunis and those who hold lay ordination. Therefore, His Holiness said he would offer lay ordination for those who wished to take it. He explained the five precepts pledging to avoid killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct and the use of intoxicants. He advised that individuals are free to decide how many and which of these precepts they can take and keep. He based the ceremony for taking these vows on a threefold recitation of a basic verse for taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. He followed this with an opportunity for disciples to generate the awakening mind.

He then led the audience in taking the Bodhisattva vows on the basis reciting the simple verse:

To the Three Jewels I go for refuge,
All misdeeds I specifically confess.
I rejoice in the virtues of wandering beings
And make a wish to attain the enlightenment of a Buddha.

He remarked that it would be helpful to recite this verse every day and to recall it when we come to die.

Once His Holiness had completed the Avalokiteshvara empowerment he said that it would be good to recite the mantra, but that the commitment was to help others if you can, and even if you can’t to make an effort to avoid harming them.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to a group of Chinese Buddhists during the lunch break of his teachings at Showa Joshi Women’s University in Tokyo, Japan on April 13, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
During the lunch break His Holiness met with a group of Chinese Buddhists. He told them that since there are estimated to be 400 million Buddhists in China, it is a Buddhist country. He recalled the many temples he saw during his visit in 1954-55. He remarked that the communist authorities have tried to eradicate religion and failed. Religion is a source of solace and while many religious traditions are rooted in faith, what stands out about Buddhism is its use of reasoning.

He told them that dialogue he has been holding with scientists for more than 30 years has been mutually beneficial. He has learned, for example, that the cosmology described in the Abhidharma texts is inaccurate and he accepts the scientific account of the universe in which we live. At the same time scientists are taking great interest in what they can learn of the workings of the mind and emotions from Buddhist texts.

He praised the Nalanda tradition’s rigorous approach to knowledge. He recommended reading and listening to explanations, thinking about what you have read or heard to gain conviction in it and then familiarizing yourself with what you have understood in meditation. He stressed the importance of study and analysis, pointing out that simply reciting the name of Amitabha is not enough.

His Holiness began the afternoon session by giving a permission of Avalokiteshvara Khasarpani, a one faced two armed form, depicted at ease, resting in the nature of the mind. He then gave a concise reading of the middle volume of the ‘Stages of Meditation’, touching on several of the topics it discusses, such as what the mind is and how to train it. Compassion, which is the catalyst that activates the awakening mind of bodhichitta, is based on the recognition that although sentient beings don’t want suffering, they continually create its causes.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the afternoon session of his teachings at Showa Joshi Women’s University in Tokyo, Japan on April 13, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Jigmey
He explained what is implied by the word beginningless when we say that sentient beings have been caught in cyclic existence for beginningless time. The substantial cause of consciousness is another consciousness and it is the continuum of moments of consciousness that is beginningless. He touched on the nature of suffering, noting that while the basic pain of what we acknowledge as suffering is obvious, what is described as the suffering of change and the all-pervasive suffering of conditioning we often mistake for pleasure.

In describing how to develop special insight the text elucidates the need to develop a calmly abiding mind. It explains the steps for developing this by, for instance, concentrating on a visualized image of the Buddha, warning of the pitfalls of laxity and excitement on the way. Transcendent special insight focuses on the emptiness of intrinsic existence. It is achieved by applying the concentration of the calmly abiding mind to the understanding that has been achieved through analytical meditation. This leads the practitioner to enter the paths of accumulation and preparation. Reaching the path of seeing also entails reaching the first of the ten bodhisattva grounds, which unfold during the path of meditation and no more learning.

His Holiness concluded the session with a short account of the ‘Three Essential Moments’ by Gendun Gyatso, the 2nd Dalai Lama. It is based on a teaching originating with the Indian Avalokiteshvara adept, Maitriyogi. It describes practices to do in life, at the time of death and in the intermediate state. The practices to do in life include visualizations of Avalokiteshvara and the transformation of all sentient being and meditation on the nature of the mind.

A view of the stage at Showa Joshi Women’s University's Memorial Hall during the second day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching in Tokyo, Japan on April 13, 2015.
Photo/Tenzin JigmeyThe practice for the time of death involved the transference of consciousness into Avalokiteshvara visualized on the crown of the head. This is something the practitioner needs to become proficient at doing, learning to project the consciousness upward while saying ‘hic’. When rehearsing the practice it’s important not to let the consciousness pass through the crown, but to catch it there and bring it back down again with ‘gah, gah’. Another crucial factor is being able to recognise the signs of impending death. His Holiness stated that there are long-term and short-term signs, but also coarse and subtle signs. An accomplished yogi, for example, can read the changes in the flow of breath through the nostrils.

His Holiness explained that key to the practices to be done in the intermediate state is being able to develop an awareness of being in such a state. He added that much depends on how the practitioner has done the practice while alive.

“In Japan time is strictly observed and we’ve already overrun so we’ll have to stop here,” His Holiness laughed. “Although we weren’t able to go through the texts word by word, you should be able to review them again yourselves and discuss what you learn with your friends. That’s all; thank you all for coming.”

Tomorrow, His Holiness will fly back to India.

View the original article here

Study reveals gene expression changes with meditation

Home Healing & Spirituality

Wisconsin, USA -- With evidence growing that meditation can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body.

<< Richard J.  Davidson

A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of mindfulness meditation.

The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained control subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities. After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice," says study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs," says Perla Kaliman, first author of the article and a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), where the molecular analyses were conducted.

The study was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Mindfulness-based trainings have shown beneficial effects on inflammatory disorders in prior clinical studies and are endorsed by the American Heart Association as a preventative intervention. The new results provide a possible biological mechanism for therapeutic effects.

The results show a down-regulation of genes that have been implicated in inflammation. The affected genes include the pro-inflammatory genes RIPK2 and COX2 as well as several histone deacetylase (HDAC) genes, which regulate the activity of other genes epigenetically by removing a type of chemical tag. What's more, the extent to which some of those genes were downregulated was associated with faster cortisol recovery to a social stress test involving an impromptu speech and tasks requiring mental calculations performed in front of an audience and video camera.

Perhaps surprisingly, the researchers say, there was no difference in the tested genes between the two groups of people at the start of the study. The observed effects were seen only in the meditators following mindfulness practice. In addition, several other DNA-modifying genes showed no differences between groups, suggesting that the mindfulness practice specifically affected certain regulatory pathways.

However, it is important to note that the study was not designed to distinguish any effects of long-term meditation training from those of a single day of practice. Instead, the key result is that meditators experienced genetic changes following mindfulness practice that were not seen in the non-meditating group after other quiet activities — an outcome providing proof of principle that mindfulness practice can lead to epigenetic alterations of the genome.

Previous studies in rodents and in people have shown dynamic epigenetic responses to physical stimuli such as stress, diet, or exercise within just a few hours.

"Our genes are quite dynamic in their expression and these results suggest that the calmness of our mind can actually have a potential influence on their expression," Davidson says.

"The regulation of HDACs and inflammatory pathways may represent some of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of mindfulness-based interventions," Kaliman says. "Our findings set the foundation for future studies to further assess meditation strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions."

Study funding came from National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (grant number P01-AT004952) and grants from the Fetzer Institute, the John Templeton Foundation, and an anonymous donor to Davidson. The study was conducted at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the UW-Madison Waisman Center.

View the original article here

Travel to Kyoto and find your spiritual side at a Buddhist meditation guesthouse

Home Dharma Dew

Kyoto, Japan -- Reverend Takafumi Kawakami is a very modern priest. When I arrive at Shunkoin Zen Buddhist temple, hidden deep in Kyoto’s serene Myoshinji temple complex, we don’t discuss Buddhism; we talk about Twitter, specifically his recent tweet about the first signs of spring.

<< Reverend Takafumi Kawakami offers a very modern approach to spiritualism (Picture: Alamy)

He tells me it is one of the best times of year to visit the old city, famous for its palaces, wooden merchant houses and geishas. The cold bite of winter releases its grip, the cherry blossom crowds come and go, and the city takes on an emerald hue.

Tonight I am staying in Rev Kawakami’s new eight-room guesthouse, The Cave Of Enlightened Dragon, which sits next to the main building, parts of which were built a mind-boggling five centuries ago.

As I check in, he offers me an espresso and tells me about the temple’s free wi-fi and bicycle rental.

I wasn’t expecting this, I tell him. Most don’t, he replies.

I am given a few rules: keep a respectful silence after 10.30pm and be prompt for tomorrow’s meditation session. Then he leaves me standing in the deafening silence of his temple, feeling a little like an intruder.

Temple lodging, or shukubo, is a very special way to see Japan’s simple, spiritual side. Most stays include vegetarian food and compulsory participation in morning Buddhist services.

Shunkoin offers something in-between. It is the only temple in Kyoto that offers classes in English and, although it doesn’t serve food, guests are given full access to a modern kitchen and a map pinpointing nearby supermarkets.

The meditation sessions here begin at 9am (others can start at an eye-drying 3am) and at just £43 a night, it is also something of a bargain.

So after a late-night wander around the complex grounds, with only a monk on a bike in my sights, I retreat to my small room, containing a mattress, desk and a bathroom, and sleep soundly for a long time.

The next morning, after a breakfast of rice balls, I meet my meditation companions. A young woman from Toronto tells me she has dipped a toe in these Zen waters but the two American students, who hilariously boast of food poisoning (‘I ate so much weird food I was sick!’), are clearly first-timers.

We sit cross-legged on cushions and listen wide-eyed as Rev Kawakami tells us how Buddhism and Shinto, Japan’s native religion, live harmoniously side by side, and how meditation helps in the 21st century.

‘Meditation provides time for your brain to digest the overload of information it constantly receives, which helps us keep an inner peace,’
he tells us. ‘It reorganises thoughts and helps us to be more objective and mindful.’

After our first 15-minute session, we all admit we didn’t have much luck clearing our minds. ‘It’s normal to have random thoughts and to see images, so focus on your breath and the rest will follow,’ he advises.

I do as I am told and the next 15-minute session passes in what feels like a minute. I bask in an incredible calmness and, judging by everyone else’s faces, so do they.

Rev Kawakami then leads us on a short tour and we hear his story. He studied psychology and economics at Arizona State University and started thinking about the role of religion in modern society after 9/11 so changed his degree to major in religious studies. He then committed to one year’s training at Zuiganji Monastery in Miyagi prefecture.

He is a staunch supporter of Japan’s LGBT community, a sector of Japanese society that silently struggles. He is also, I quickly discover, a clever businessman.

There are 70,000 temples in Japan but economists have calculated that by 2050 there will be just 10,000 left because of expensive running costs.

Rev Kawakami needs funds to keep Shunkoin running so he came up with this overnight meditation package. Do the other 45 temples in the complex disapprove? ‘Not at all – they think it is a fascinating way to reinvent the temple,’ he says.

I couldn’t agree more.

£43 per night for accommodation and meditation. www.shunkoin.com

View the original article here

Local Buddhist, meditation groups look forward to Zen master’s visit

Home The Americas US Northeast

Lectures, workshops and retreat planned for four-day visit

Buffalo, New York (USA) -- Buffalo’s Buddhist community is anticipating a rare visit from the abbot of a Buddhist monastery later this month, which will involve six events, all open to the public, including instruction on the basics of meditation.

<< Ryushin Sensei

Konrad Ryushin Marchaj, known as Ryushin Sensei, the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskills, which is part of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, will present three lectures, two workshops and a retreat during his four-day stay in the area.

“This is a rare and unique opportunity to have a Zen master, who is a master teacher, present and be in their presence, let alone hear talks by him,” said Marguerite Battaglia, who has meditated for years and is active with the Peaceful Heart Mindfulness Community.

Although Western New York has many groups practicing Buddhist meditation traditions, “what’s frequently not easily accessible to most of us in Buffalo is the opportunity to personally engage such an experienced Buddhist teacher,” said Ray Eigen Ball, coordinator of the Buffalo Zen Dharma Community, which is affiliated with the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism.

Ball has visited the Zen Mountain Monastery and met Ryushin Sensei, who was born in Poland in 1953 and escaped with his family when he was 13. Ryushin Sensei got his undergraduate degree from Yale, served in the U.S. Navy and attended medical school in Albany, later working as a pediatrician and psychiatrist until he entered the monastery.

“He’s very down to earth,” said Ball, “but you do come away with a real sense of authenticity, a person who is genuine. It can be a stark contrast to what we encounter day to day.”

Various strains of Buddhism developed after the death of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in 483 BCE in what is now India. The Zen community developed from Buddhist roots in China and Japan.

Ball said his visit is being greatly anticipated by members of the Buffalo Zen Dharma Community, as well as other people who follow Buddhist practices in mindfulness or meditation groups. Those groups “are peer groups; they’re not led by teachers,” he added.

Battaglia said every event is open to the public, including a morning workshop April 20, during which Ryushin Sensei will instruct people on meditation.

“That would be such a good opportunity for the general public to get this, and then be able to participate in the meditation that he will lead,” she says. “Usually this is something you have to find, and go to training for, and here it is coming right to us.”

The general theme of Ryushin Sensei’s lectures and workshops will be the elimination of suffering, the basic tenet of Buddhist study and practice. All will be held in the ministry center of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, 1064 Brighton Road, Town of Tonawanda. Donations of $12 for each lecture, $20 for each workshop and $10 for the retreat have been requested.

• The topic for the lecture from 7 to 9 p.m. April 18 is “Unconditional Happiness vs. Pursuit of Pleasure,” and will address the key question, “What is truly the basis for unconditional happiness?” Ball recommends this lecture for anyone just starting out. “This lecture’s topic is at the heart of the matter, what is it that causes us to be unsatisfied with our lives,” he says. “This is the basics. The first lecture will set the tone and lay the groundwork for the weekend, although they all stand on their own.”

• Two events will be held April 19. From 2 to 5 p.m., a workshop titled “Ethical life and the kitchen sink: How to actually practice the Buddhist precepts” will be held. “This is aimed at the Buddhist precepts, the moral and ethical teachings,” says Ball. The lecture from 7 to 9 p.m. that day is “Spiritual Bypassing: Shielding Ourselves from Our Feelings,” focusing on how people avoid the opportunity to become aware of the roots of their own suffering.

• Two events will also be offered April 20: a workshop from 9 to 11:30 a.m. titled “Introduction to Zazen,” instruction in the practice of Zen Buddhist meditation. This workshop, while accessible to people who have never meditated before, will also be valuable for experienced practitioners, Ball says. That evening from 7 to 9 p.m., Ryushin Sensei will speak on “Religion and Morality: Blinding or Illuminating?” in which he will consider the role of spirituality and religion in uniting and dividing people.

• From 9 a.m. to noon April 21, Ryushin Sensei will lead a retreat service similar to those held at the monastery. “It will be just like being at the monastery,” says Ball. “It’s the same program, where we have a liturgical service of chanting, a couple of rounds of sitting and walking meditation, but then Ryushin Sensei will deviate a bit. Normally he would just give a talk, but this year he has decided to give a short talk and then open it up with a question-and-answer period.” An informal communal lunch will follow.

During his visit, Ball says, Ryushin Sensei also will meet with a group of inmates at the Wende Correctional Facility who have been practicing Buddhism.

For details, please visit: http://mro.org/smr/buffalo/visit-by-ryushin-sensei/

View the original article here

Buddhist Meditation Center is an oasis of peace next to former Temple Mt. Ski Area

Home The Americas US Northeast

Hudson, NH (USA) -- Meditation is peaceful and inwardly focused, but occasionally it requires a lot of noise and outward effort, such as when you’re bringing a 4-ton statue of Buddha from Vietnam to the edge of Peterborough.

<< Staff photo by William Wrobel
Kien Tan stands in the meditation temple at Temple Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center in Peterborough, NH where he and other monks meditate three times a day and hold classes for local residents every Saturday.

“This was very difficult to get here,” said Kien Tan, one of two monks in residence at the Temple Mountain Buddhist Meditation Center, on Route 101, as he gazed at the huge seated Buddha. It greets you as you drive up to the house just west of what was once Temple Mountain Ski Area.

This Buddha is one of a number of statues placed along mediation pathways that wind through several acres of the property, depicting Buddha in several stages of his life as well as other figures important in his story. Along with a beautiful, 1-ton gong hanging in a pagoda, and touches of lighting and stonework near a small pond, they help create a space that is unique in the region, where people come each Saturday to learn how to meditate from two monks who have spent their lives at the practice.

The center was founded by Tue Man, 35, who lives at the center with Kien Tan, 75, both of whom originally came from near Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam. It follows the teaching of Vietnamese monk Thien Thanh Tu. (Note: The Telegraph’s typography cannot reproduce some punctuation marks used in Vietnamese names.)

The meditation center, which is registered as a nonprofit with the state, has been operating for about three years in a small, one-story house adjacent to what is now the Temple Mountain State Reservation, opposite Miller State Park and Pack Monadnock.

Many people became aware of it only last year when a large, ornate gate was built at the bottom of the driveway, visible to passing cars on Route 101.

When it received permission to operate as a “church/meditation center” from the Peterborough Planning Board in June 2011, the only stipulation was that it could not host overnight retreats.

The center was founded by about 10 Vietnamese families throughout the Boston area and New Hampshire, said Kien Tan, who, like Tue Man, speaks heavily accented and halting English. They came to New Hampshire to be on a mountain and yet still close to Boston, they said. The nearest similar temple is in Braintree, Mass.

The 11-acre property includes a small, one-story house at the end of a steep, 100-yard-long driveway. The house has not been altered from its domestic function except for the former living room, which has been turned into an open meditation center. A ceiling skylight illuminates a large sitting Buddha on an altar, surrounded by fruit and flowers, while the floor is lined with rugs.

The house is surrounded by trees and offers a beautiful view to the west, toward Peterborough and Mount Monadnock. The property is full of winding paths that have been painstakingly created over the years, often with flat stepping-stones that lead to statuary or small grottos.

In winter, after trees have lost their leaves, some traffic noise can be heard from Route 101, but otherwise it is still and quiet – except for when the occasional snowmobiler comes through.

Such peace is key the monk’s daily meditation, from 4-6 a.m. and 7-8 p.m., a practice that is key to their lives.

“It can make my mind awaken, (so) we have to know what we are,” Kien Tan said.

“You can know what is going on inside yourself,” Tue Man said.

Meditation is surprisingly difficult, they say. One of the draws of the center is the guidance that the monks can provide to a loose class that gathers Saturday afternoons.

“In a group it is easier – on your own self, it is not so easy,” Kien Tan said. “We have practiced. We can meditate anywhere and anytime.”

To help others approach this state, the center opens at 2 p.m. Saturdays. The men say various numbers of people show up from week to week for the free sessions, including a few regulars. Practitioners sit on floor rugs, in full-lotus or half-lotus position, or just kneeling if their joints aren’t up to it, for meditation and chanting.

Kien Tan says he came to the U.S. among the “boat people” who fled the Communist takeover at the end of the Vietnam War and has been associated with several Buddhist monasteries on the West Coast, the Southeast and most recently Michigan, before coming to New Hampshire to be part of the Temple Mountain Meditation Center.

Tue Man comes from the same area, although it was known as Ho Chi Minh City by the time he grew up.

“You prepare your mind with a vision of the Buddha,” he said of the work they do. “Those who come to learn, we can help them.”

View the original article here

Tales from a Buddhist meditation retreat

Home Healing & Spirituality

Reverend Dhammaruchi William B. Edwards is the founder of the Vipassana Buddhist Church/Center for Buddhist Development in Jefferson City.

Jefferson City, MO (USA) -- Meditation is the core teaching of the Buddha to address the Four Noble Truths of Suffering. There are two basic types of meditative practice in Buddhism: concentration meditation (Samatha) and mindfulness meditation (Vipassana).

Concentration meditation is the common meditation practice, which is characteristic of many different religious and non-religious traditions. Mindfulness meditation is the meditation which is unique to the Buddhist tradition.

For that reason, there are three teachings (suttas) which we focus on at the Vipassana Buddhist Church/Center for Buddhist Development in relation to meditation: "Mindful of the Breath Teaching," "Mindfulness of the Body Teaching," and "the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Teaching." These three teachings function together like a system.

We have our yearly meditation retreat at the Vipassana Buddhist Church/Center for Buddhist Development the first weekend after New Year’s Day. This year we had our retreat on Jan. 4, 5 and 6.

The first day of the retreat, Friday, began at 7 p.m. and lasted until 9 p.m. The evening began with a discussion on the purpose and goal of concentration meditation, also known as serenity meditation; and mindfulness meditation, also known as insight meditation. The goal of concentration is to attain deeper and deeper levels of concentration, known as the Jhanas, until the state of Samadhi is attained. Samadhi is such a deep focus of concentration that neither perception nor non-perception can be detected.

The goal of mindfulness meditation is to attain freedom from the rounds of rebirth. The way this is accomplished is to perceive through the body and mind all sense data with its Three Marks of Existence (or Three Dharma Seals) — suffering, impermanence and non-self. This eventually leads to the Four Stages of Sainthood, the last of which is the state of Nirvana. Nirvana is true enlightenment, the complete and total absence of suffering, sometimes referred to as true happiness. When someone attains the state of Nirvana they are forever freed from the cycle of rebirth.

We ended the first day of the retreat with "metta," which means "loving-kindness." Metta is sometimes referred to as a third form of Buddhist Meditation (However, in my own personal opinion, I think metta falls under the category of concentration meditation.)

We do metta as a guided meditation. Metta is one of the four feelings of good will called the "Brahma Viharas" (literally: heavenly abodes). Those four are: "loving-kindness," "compassion," "sympathetic joy" — the opposite of jealousy — and "equanimity." Our practice of metta at our Buddhist center incorporates all of these Brahma Viharas.

So everyone got comfortable on their cushion, and the guided meditation on metta began: "Picture yourself here in this room on this cushion. Go to yourself with this great metta, this great loving-kindness, and offer it to yourself. And say to yourself, 'May I be peaceful, may I be happy, may I be content. May no harm come to me. May I be relieved of suffering. May I not be deprived of my fortune duly acquired. All have karma as their own.'"

Then after offering metta to ourselves, we offer it to our parents. Then we offer it to our children. Then we offer it to our siblings, friends, co-workers, enemies, neutral persons, all beings on earth and all beings throughout the universe.

Then once again we picture ourselves and we gather up all of that metta we offered and we offer it to ourselves. So we begin and end with ourselves; you have to have loving-kindness for yourself before you can truly have it for others.

On Saturday, the second day of the retreat, we began at 9 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. The day included walking meditation, which consists of a slow, mindful circumambulating walk with a focus on the lifting, moving and placing of the feet.  At noon we had a potluck lunch with a discussion on Buddhist meditation and other Buddhist concepts. We continued our sitting meditation with Samatha and Vipassana practice for the rest of the day and, of course, ended the day with the guided meditation on metta.

On the last day, Sunday, the retreat began at 9 a.m. and ended at noon. We continued our sitting meditation, paused at 10 a.m. for a stretching break and a discussion about suffering, impermanence and non-self. We practiced Vipassana sitting meditation for the rest of the day and ended with metta, followed by a reading of the Ten Benefits of mindfulness of the body meditation from the Kayagata Sati Sutta.

We had a good attendance this year, and everyone commented that they thoroughly enjoyed this year’s meditation retreat.

Please visit our website at www.vipassanabuddhistchurch.org for our schedule.

May all beings be peaceful and happy!

View the original article here

Meditation can stave off cold and flu: Study

Home Healing & Spirituality

London, UK -- Meditation can be extremely effective at preventing winter ailments like cold and flu, according to a new research.

<< Meditation as antidote for flu?

Adults who meditated or did moderately intense exercise, such as a brisk walk, for eight weeks suffered fewer colds than those who did nothing, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Previous research has found that mindfulness meditation may improve mood, decrease stress, and boost immune function.

Some of the earliest references to meditation are found in the Hindu Vedas. Around the 6th to 5th centuries BC, other forms of meditation developed in Taoist China and Buddhist India.

The new study divided 149 people into three groups. One performed mindful meditation, a type of meditation that essentially involves focusing the mind on the present, the Daily Mail reported.

Another group jogged regularly for eight weeks while the third group did nothing.

The researchers then followed the health of the volunteers through the winter from September to May, although they didn’t check whether or not people carried on exercising or meditating after the eight-week period.

The participants were observed for cold and flu symptoms such as a runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing, and sore throat.

Nasal wash samples were collected and analysed three days after the symptoms began.

The study, found that meditators missed 76 per cent fewer days of work from September through to May than those who did nothing. Those who had exercised missed 48 per cent fewer days during this period.

In addition, mindful meditation can reduce the duration or severity of acute respiratory infections such by up to 50 per cent, and exercise by up to 40 per cent.

According to the website Scientific America, those who had exercised or meditated suffered for an average of five days; colds of participants in the control group lasted eight.

In addition, tests confirmed that the self-reported length of colds correlated with the level of antibodies in the body, which indicate the presence of a virus.

“Nothing has previously been shown to prevent acute respiratory infections,” said lead author Dr Bruce Barrett, a family medicine doctor and associate professor at the University.

“A lot of previous information suggested that meditation and exercise might have prevention benefits, but no high-quality, randomised trial had been done,” Barrett said.

“Flu shots are partially effective, but only work for three strains of flu each year. The apparent 40 to 50 per cent benefit of mindfulness training is a very important finding, as is the apparent 30 to 40 per cent benefit of exercise training. If this pans out in future research, the impact could be substantive indeed,” Barrett said.

The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.

View the original article here

The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church and hall will become a place of Buddhist worship and meditation

Home Asia Pacific Oceania New Zealand

Castor Bay, New Zealand -- A Buddhist organisation has bought the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church.

<< SOLD: the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church and hall will become a place of Buddhist worship and meditation.A Buddhist organisation has bought the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church.

The church and adjoining hall have been bought by the Auckland branch of a well-established Buddhist religious education society with other existing premises throughout the city.

Mairangi and Castor Bays Presbyterian Church property and finance convenor George Wyman said the church had been sold as the size of its congregations no longer warranted its own premises.

Congregation members will now integrate into the Mairangi Bay Presbyterian Church some two kilometres away or to the Anglican Church in neighbouring Milford.

The church will hold its final religious worship sessions over Easter in April next year. The sale of the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church was brokered by Bayleys Takapuna.

The two buildings have a combined floor space of 250 square metres with off-street car parking for eight vehicles, and sit on 1133 square metres of land with vast views over Milford Beach and the Waitemata Harbour.

The Castor Bay land and buildings have a capital valuation of $1.125milllion.

Bayleys Takapuna sales person Peter Christoffersen said that seven tenders were received for the Castor Bay premises after an extensive marketing campaign which embraced both the commercial and residential development potential for the land and buildings.

"Some of those tenders were for the commercial development of the site, while most were for development of a residential nature in line with its zoning of Residential 4 under the Auckland Council plan," Mr Christoffersen said.

"When the final round of tenders was assessed, the best deal put forward at the end of the process was that of the Buddhists. This sits well with the church's philosophy of encouraging spiritual worship, peace, and harmony and ensures the legacy created over almost 100 years in Castor Bay is maintained."

View the original article here

Buddhist Meditation: Catching the Right Thought Train

Home Dharma Dew

San Francisco, CA (USA) -- Consider your mind being like the platform of a train station where different trains of thought pull through the station in each moment, heading to various destinations: childhood memories, creative ideas, revenge fantasies, cravings for chocolate, vacation plans.

The untrained mind gets on every single train that pulls through the station, only later realizing what the destination is. For instance, the "Jealousy Train" leads to a bleak wasteland -- fear, aggression, obsession, stalking your ex, burning garbage, large rodents -- you do not want to get on that train! On the other hand, the "Generosity Train" leads to a place that is spacious, happy, relaxed and connected. That's a good one to board.

The path of Buddhist meditation practice involves developing a deep understanding of what leads toward peace and happiness and what does not; what is in harmony with the truth of the way things are (Dharma) and what creates suffering by going against the grain. Wise effort involves cultivating intentions that are aligned with this goal (skillful states), abandoning those that are not (unskillful states) and knowing the difference.

Developing this skill is a lot like learning how to read; in this case, reading the mind, heart and body through knowing the energy of the intentions, emotions and thoughts that drive us in each moment. You may not remember what it was like to learn how to read, but it can take some time! I had the experience in my adult life of learning how to read another language. After I finished college, I spent time in Sri Lanka doing meditation practice at various monasteries and centers. While my family is originally from Sri Lanka, I was born and raised in the U.S., so though I could speak conversationally, I was not very good at reading Singhalese language. I could read slowly like a small child, but certainly not fluently.

I traveled around a lot by bus, and in order to take the bus, you had to stand by the side of the road and when you saw your bus coming, flag it down to get on. The trouble was, my reading of the bus signs was too slow. I would see a bus coming and try to read the sign: "Co.....Lo...." Zoom! The bus would be gone before I could finish reading the destination. "Ku....Ru..." Zoom! Again I couldn't tell if it was the right bus or not. Sometimes I would guess based on the first two characters, flag the bus to get on and finish reading from the inside of the bus, stopping the bus as fast as I could if I had guessed wrong!

But as I studied the language more, I got better at reading. So after a while, I could read the signs well and easily know which was my bus and which was not. I spent less time on buses going in the wrong direction and was able to have a smoother, faster trip to my intended destination; I traveled with less confusion and more confidence.

Similarly, as we develop our practice we can learn to get on the thought trains that are helpful and skip the ones that are not. And just like in a train station, if nobody is boarding the trains that go to a destination, they will stop running them so often, and eventually stop running them at all. This is known as the path of purification, and it is completely possible for a 21st century person to attain, if you are interested in learning.

Of course in the meantime you will often get on the wrong train, but each time can be seen as an opportunity to learn. You will spend a lot of time developing intimacy with difficult states of mind, connecting with their challenges. But you will also learn about the beautiful states of mind and the joy that they bring. Through this practice you will become more effective in whatever you are trying to do in your life: politics, social change work, parenting, business and creative arts all benefit from catching the right thought trains!

So I wish you well in your practice. Enjoy learning about your mind and heart! Your efforts will be beneficial for you and all those you meet for the rest of your life.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anushka-fernandopulle/buddhist-meditation-catching-the-right-thought-train_b_1988349.html

View the original article here

Meditation marathon in Brunswick

The Melbourne Buddhist Centre in Brunswick will stage a 12-hour "meditation marathon" to help raise money to buy a new home in Moreland.

Centre chairwoman Dharma Charini Sudaya said everyone was welcome to join the marathon, even those who had never tried meditation.

"Anybody can come along and have a go," Ms Sudaya said.

"It's a 12-hour program of meditation, but nobody is expected to meditate for the whole time."

Forty-minute guided "taster" meditation sessions will run hourly for beginners while a continuous 12-hour meditation, chanting and puja (devotional ritual) program will run in a second shrine room.

"There have been a lot of recent studies on how beneficial mindfulness meditation is," Ms Sudaya said.

"One study found you can increase the grey matter in your brain, particularly in areas of empathy and memory, and most people know the connection between meditating daily and general stress relief."

A traditional Japanese paper folding workshop and a Japanese tea ceremony will also be held.

The event will be held at 1 Pitt St, Brunswick, on Saturday, August 25, 9am to 9pm.

View the original article here

Practices Derived from Buddhist Meditation Show Real Effectiveness for Certain Health Problems

Home Healing & Spirituality

New Delhi, India -- According to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice, mindfulness practices including Zen mediation have helped to resolve mental and physical health problems.

”An extensive review of therapies that include meditation as a key component - referred to as mindfulness-based practices - shows convincing evidence that such interventions are effective in the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and pain, when used in combination with more conventional therapies,” according to Dr William R. Marchand of the George E.

Mindfulness based therapies or exercises show clear results of health benefits. Mindfulness is described as “the practice of learning to focus attention on moment-by-moment experience with an attitude of curiousity, openness, and acceptance. In other words a part of practicing mindfulness is simply experiencing the present as it is rather than trying to change anything.

Dr. Marchand focused on three techniques: Zen meditation, a Buddhist spiritual practice that involves the practice of developing mindfulness by meditation. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) a combination of Buddhist mindfulness with meditation related to yoga as well as stress coping stretegies. The third type of technique he reviewed is Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which combines MBSR with principles of cognitive therapy.

As a result of Dr. Marchand’s study it has been revealed that MBSR is effective in reducing stress and promoting general psychological health in patients with various medical or psychiatric diseases.

These practices in addition help to affect mental and physical health in that they impact brain function in structure, which they believe is the reason for the practices helping decrease stress levels as well.

The use of such mindfulness practices are promising and overtime should be used consistently in clinical settings.

View the original article here

Mindfulness meditation found to combat loneliness

Home Healing & Spirituality

LOS ANGELES, CA (USA) -- A new study finds that mindfulness meditation can help older adults battle feelings of loneliness while also boosting health.
The study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior & Immunity, shows that eight weeks of training in mindfulness meditation (a total of 2.5 hours a week) is linked with decreased loneliness.

<< Older adults reported reduced feelings of loneliness after taking part in an eight-week training on mindfulness meditation.

The study included 40 participants between ages 55 and 85, some of whom participated in an eight-week training programme (a total of 2.5 hours a week) called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which was established by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the US.

“We always tell people to quit smoking for health reasons, but rarely do we think about loneliness in the same way,” said study lead J. David Creswell said in a statement dated July 24.

“We know that loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems and mortality in older adults,” he said, adding that the research suggests that mindfulness meditation training could be “a promising intervention for improving the health of older adults.”

Using the blood samples collected, the researchers also found that the older adult sample had elevated pro-inflammatory gene expression in their immune cells at the beginning of the study and that the training reduced this pro-inflammatory gene expression, which the researchers said could “reduce older adults’ inflammatory disease risk.”

Aside from alleviating loneliness, mindfulness meditation has also been shown in recent research to have positive effects on the brain – linked with brain changes that may even have effects against mental illness.

Another recent study also found that mindfulness meditation, along with moderate exercise, was linked to a reduction in the severity of colds and flu during winter.

View the original article here

Buddhism expert wants science to rethink meditation claims

Home Healing & Spirituality

Sydney, Australia -- SCIENTIFIC studies purporting to show the ancient Buddhist practice of meditation leads to permanent beneficial changes in the brain rest on shaky foundations, a world authority on Buddhism has warned.

<< Mind matters … Venerable Thubten Chokyi, centre, and other nuns and practitioners meditate at the Vajrayana Institute. Photo: Nick Moir

Bernard Faure, a visiting professor of Buddhist studies at the University of Sydney, said in a recent Sydney Ideas talk that little was known about the impact of meditation on the brain, and the interpretation of research results had ''a lot of wishful thinking".

Neuroscientific studies since 2004 have claimed the minds of Buddhist meditators are more stable, capable of greater compassion and have higher levels of activity in the part of the brain associated with wellbeing.

''The mutual validation of Tibetan Buddhism and neuroscience has generated a lot of funding on both sides," Professor Faure said.

But Professor Faure, who is also the Kao chair in Japanese religion at Columbia University, in the US, said the desire for quick results had "pre-empted robust critical questions".

For one thing, the use of rectal thermometers and electrodes on the body was likely to interrupt the meditator's concentration during experiments, he said.

Moreover, the study sizes were unreliably small, and despite the likely relevance to the results of the culturally specific origins and meanings of the mental states under study, neuroscientists had demonstrated little attempt to understand them.

The president of the Buddhist Council of NSW, Brian White, said interest in meditation was "generally increasing because of the scientific aspects becoming better known".

Venerable Thubten Chokyi, a Tibetan Buddhist nun and spiritual program co-ordinator at the Vajrayana Institute in Ashfield, said the mental pliancy and reduction of stress and anxiety that were byproducts of meditation were beneficial whether it was practised in a spiritual context or not. "Both have their place," she said.

The director of the Sydney Meditation Centre, Kevin Hume, who leads meditation classes for "highly educated professional people" said that while his clients were aware of scientific research on the benefits of meditation, the global financial crisis had been "far more significant in terms of the spike in numbers".

View the original article here

Unconventional Buddhist makes meditation relatable

Dressed in a suit and purple tie, atypical Buddhist practitioner and teacher Lodro Rinzler came to Winnick Chapel at Brown/RISD Hillel Thursday evening as part of a 24-city tour for his new book, "The Buddha Walks Into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation."

"I actually haven't read it myself, but I hear it's good," Rinzler joked. He received many laughs throughout the presentation, which was hosted by the Brown Meditation Community.

The 29-year-old Rinzler, who comes from the tradition of Shambhala Buddhism, began meditating at age 11 and lived in a monastery at age 17. In college, he created Wesleyan University's Buddhist House, a dorm for 18 students who practice meditation. He now writes and teaches two meditation classes a week in New York City.

Rinzler's book is about "how to integrate Buddhism into a college student's life" and life in general, said Noah Elbot '14, one of the nine BMC leaders. College is a time for "figuring out who you are," he said, and "meditation can give another perspective to that."

Rinzler may be more "relatable" to students than the "more traditional Zen master," Elbot said. He is also a living example of someone who has made a living through Buddhism — college students typically do not consider a career in religion, Elbot said.

BMC thought that Rinzler might appeal to younger people who are seeking to take up meditation without changing their whole lifestyle, said Evan Winget '12, another BMC leader.

Rinzler led a brief session of meditation, read aloud from his book and briefly spoke about himself and his thoughts on meditation. At one point, he asked the audience, "What do you guys want to talk about tonight?"

Audience members asked questions ranging from meditation technique to the relationship between meditation and drugs, drinking and sex. 

Rinzler said he believes it is the intention behind one's actions that is most important. Engaging in behaviors such as drinking, then looking to see if these acts are "escapes" or "ways to connect with others" allows one to see which to "cultivate" or "cut out" of one's life, he said.

"Any meditation is good meditation," he said.

Buddha was able to recognize the "potency of the moment" through meditation just as other people can do, Rinzler said. He said that one must interpret Buddhist teachings in a way that "meshes with our reality." For him, especially during college, Buddhism was a "gradual process" of finding a balance in engaging with the atmosphere around him, he said.

For those facing a difficult time meditating or suffering laziness, Rinzler recommended reminding oneself of the intention behind meditation. He urged students to consider practicing with a group and to "just sit" and practice discipline. Discipline is "often perceived in a negative way" but actually has a "sense of virtue," he said.

This generation has been raised to think in terms of being "whatever you want to be," yet this thinking pattern needs to be changed to "who," not "what" one wants to be, Rinzler said. Understanding the "who" part of the question is better than approaching life mindlessly, he said. "Mindfulness is bringing yourself fully to something," he said.

Rizler has learned about Buddhism and life from previous teachers and trial and error. "Mistakes are very valuable on this path," he said.

"It's great to have someone closer to our age" to address college students, said Halsey Niles '12.

But Winget, who comes from the more traditional Theravada school of Buddhism, wanted to raise his hand to disagree with Rinzler several times during the discussion, he told The Herald. "I don't think you can as mindfully take a shot as you can follow a breath," he said.

There are two "complementary movements" in America related to Buddhism, said Willoughby Britton, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior. One movement — which includes Rinzler — favors "popularizing" Buddhism, while the more "conservative" movement focuses on more traditional Buddhism, Britton said.

Britton does research on meditation and studies traditional Buddhist texts, she said. As someone heavily involved in contemplative studies at the University, Britton was "amazed" at the turnout of about 50 people, about 70 percent of whom she did not recognize, she said.

"I'm just here to learn something about something I know nothing about," said Sarah Parker '15.

Audience members, whom Rinzler addressed as "broke college students," were welcome to pay $10, not the normal $15, for the book.

BMC gathers Monday through Saturday in Manning Chapel to meditate. The nondenominational community is primarily made up of graduate and undergraduate students and sometimes staff and faculty. BMC also awards scholarships to students for meditation retreats, organizes potlucks, has worked once with the women's squash team on visualization and meditation and arranges for guests like Rinzler to come speak.

View the original article here

Can meditation make you a better parent?

Home Healing & Spirituality

Melissa McClements found it hard to cope with her daughter's tantrums - until she joined a parent and toddler meditation class. How do you stay calm when your child misbehaves?

London, UK -- My toddler and I recently started a meditation class. I know what you're thinking. What kind of idiot parent would attempt silent mind control in the presence of someone whose idea of quiet time involves sticking pencils up their nostrils and shouting 'Hickory Dickory Dock'?

<< Toddler throwing a tantrum
In the face of this, would any parent remain calm? Photograph: Chris Collins/Corbis

But now I am that idiot parent. And – despite a cringeworthy moment when my two-year-old pointed to a Buddhist monk and asked, "Why is that man wearing a dress like a lady?" – the meditation is going well. Really well. It's provided me with practical tools for day-to-day life with a toddler. For, let's face it, as adorable as their company can be, relaxing it is not.

Most of the time my daughter, Phoebe, is utterly beguiling – full of songs, giggles and spontaneous dances. But, occasionally, she experiences outbreaks of unmitigated rage. They involve floor-writhing, head-butting and a howling that would make any self-respecting banshee glow with pride. I find them hard to cope with, especially in public. There was an incident over a tuna sandwich in a cafe that I still can't think of without a shudder.

It was my husband who first came up with the idea of meditation. He started a course in it to help him deal with work stress. It all seemed a bit new agey to me: the sort of thing beloved by people who read auras and stick crystals on their kids' heads when they're sick. But then I witnessed the difference in him. He could shrug off incidences of workplace ineptitude that would previously have had him grinding his teeth in fury-induced insomnia at 4am.

I wondered if it could help me keep similarly calm during Phoebe's tantrums, and took her along to a parent and toddler meditation group at the local Buddhist centre. Believe me, this was not done without trepidation. I was brought up as an atheist to see organised religion as the source of all humanity's woes. I also think, however, that it's ignorant arrogance to write off ancient wisdom in its entirety.

We were ushered into a large room. Cushions and a basket of toys were laid out, as well as little tables, on which sat pencils and drawings of Buddha to colour in. I should point out that it is only the parents who meditate. The drooling ones are just there for a play. Two helpers keep an eye on them while the mummies and daddies zone out (when this was explained at the outset, I did wonder if they knew how to deal with attempts at swallowing a non-food item several times wider than the throat it's being forced into).

An orange-robed, shaven-headed man came in and sat, cross-legged, on a podium. I felt uneasy, until he made a self-deprecating joke about a monk telling a bunch of mothers how to cope with their kids. He spoke in a cockney accent and laughed frequently. Later, he teased some of the kids about their smelly feet.

We grownups closed our eyes so he could guide us through the meditation – initially instructing us to focus on our breathing and then asking us to dwell on a positive aspect of someone we experience, erm, 'difficulty' with in our lives.

It sounds terribly cheesy, but the children went strangely quiet at first – although they may well just have been over-awed by the unfamiliar setting. I really was able to try (and largely fail – come on, Tibetan masters spend a lifetime trying to do this!) to calm the swirling miasma of my mind.

And then I became aware that Phoebe had placed one of the drawings of Buddha on the carpet. She was punching through it with a pencil. Repeatedly. Irritated by the noise, I squinted down crossly at her through one eye.

"Close your eyes again Mummy," she laughed. I raised my eyebrows … and then remembered something the monk had said about being able to perceive the world more positively if I could change my reactions to other people's behaviour. I looked round the room. Other kids were now running about, throwing toys and mock wrestling on the carpet. A baby was screaming. All of this was far more disruptive than my daughter's behaviour. But none of it bothered me, because I wasn't responsible for them.

I decided that if I could ignore the paper hole-punching, I might really have learnt something. And, as we were leaving, I felt – truly unexpectedly – like I had (until Phoebe drew attention to the monk's outfit and showed we have much work on gender stereotyping to do).

We now attend weekly. Despite times when - mid-attempted meditation - my little one overturns the odd table or sits on my knee to try and prise my eyes open, I still feel it gives both of us a moment of calm during our busy week.

I'm not claiming that I've become a patiently smiling saint overnight. But I do think that if you can glimpse a moment of peaceful calm in the presence of your baby or toddler, you're really on to something – both as a parent and a human being.

View the original article here

Buddhist Meditation Center grows in size influence in Adelanto

ADELANTO • After searching far and wide for a quiet, peaceful place to build an expansive meditation center, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk purchased a 15-acre lot in the barren desert on Adelanto’s outskirts about seven years ago.

Many admired the ambitious vision of the Venerable Thich Dang Phap, but they questioned whether he could raise the money and support to see it through.

“I thought this one poor monk and he has such big plans and he’s old,” said Charles Serena, an American-born practicing Buddhist of Oak Hills who started visiting the Adelanto center in 2005, when it was little more than an 8-foot-tall statue and a few trailers. “And he’s made it all happen.”

Now approaching age 70, the soft-spoken monk, nicknamed “Tom,” has quietly built up a Buddhist worshipping place that draws visitors from throughout California and beyond.

He’ll tell you he’s far from done — he hopes eventually to expand to 50 acres — but he’s pleased to see his support base growing. He has put about $2.3 million in cash donations into the center so far, mostly through support from outside the High Desert, such as Buddhists in Orange County.

“I want to do this good for the community,” Phap said. “I want somebody having the happiness, the beauty.” He hopes after meditating at his temple, “you walk easy” and “heal, feel peace in your mind.”

On Saturdays and Sundays, up to 100 visitors will stop by, hailing from Orange County, San Diego, Northern California, Arizona and Nevada. On a recent Friday, families visited from Louisiana and Texas. Special occasions will draw monks from around the world.

Phap expects a special celebration to draw more than 2,000 to his temple on Sunday.

“It’s amazing to see something like that grow out of the desert,” said Eric Reed of Adelanto, a photojournalist who’s watched the temple grow and tries to track the High Desert’s Buddhist community. “I think there’s a pilgrimage aspect to it. People want to see how the faith is growing in other places.”

The Buddhist Meditation Center, on Highway 395 about 10 miles northwest of Victorville, is anchored by a 24-foot-tall, white marble statue of Quan yin, a Buddhist saint known for her infinite compassion and healing powers. Lily pads float atop a small pond around the 60-ton statue’s base.

Leading up to Quan yin are two rows of smaller white statues of various saints lining a concrete pathway, on which Phap leads 5 a.m. meditation walks on Sundays.

The center’s most recent addition was unveiled last month: a 6,700-square-foot main hall, most of which is occupied by a large temple with high-rise ceilings and a red carpet leading up to a shrine adorned with colorful orchids and offerings of assorted fruits.

Serena, a 59-year-old Vietnam War veteran, tries to visit the center a few times a month. He was introduced to Buddhism through his Vietnamese wife, Thao Serena, and he said the faith has helped him find inner peace.

“I’ve seen too many wars, and there was a lot of hostility that was within me that I’ve learned to put aside,” he said. “It’s a religion of peace and tolerance.”

Nash Munes, of Petra Engineering in Victorville, who took on the unusual project back in 2004, said he’s been surprised to learn how closely the Buddhist traditions and values align with his Christian beliefs.

The Buddhist population is small in the High Desert, but there are patches of both American-born and ethnic groups embracing the faith.

At the opposite end of the Victor Valley, some 35 miles east, a cluster

of small white buildings painted white with red trim house a different kind of Buddhist center in Lucerne Valley.

Here, an Americanborn group of about 80 to 100 regular members meet for ceremonies, meditation practice and retreats. There are no massive statues at the Desert Zen Center, just simple pathways alongside a few rose bushes and trees, and a vegetable and flower garden.

“We’re a humble little temple,” said Sande Simpson, 57, a Santa Monica native whose Buddhist name is Su Co Tam Huong.

“Buddhism is a lot like any religion, there’s all sorts of flavors, but the basic tenet is that there was a man, 2,500 years ago, who woke up and discovered that you don’t have to live in dissatisfaction,” she explained. “That’s the goal, to try and follow and understand what he figured out.”

As Phap, too, tries to teach people about Buddha’s enlightenment, he envisions adding to his center a kitchen, meditation hall, classroom/library and living quarters that can sleep up to 30 monks. He’s hoping to acquire more of the nearby land and overcome some of the obstacles he’s had during the San Bernardino County permitting process.

“At one time I would’ve said, ‘Yeah sure.’ At this point, seeing what he’s accomplished, I wouldn’t put it past him,” Serena said. “It’s really something special to see. It’s a place where you will find peace.”

For more information on the Adelanto center, visit http://ThienVienChanNguyen .org/tvcn.html.

For more information about the Lucerne Valley center, visit www.DesertZenCenter.org.

Get the complete story every day with the "exactly as printed" Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Form was NOT submitted.
Incorrect Code - Please enter the code below and resubmit the form. Form was NOT submitted.
Unknown error occurred. Please retry.

View the original article here

Burmese monks hold meditation session

Home The Americas US Northeast

Princeton, New Jersey (USA) -- Exiled activist and Buddhist master U Pyinya Zawta and two of his companions led meditation and Q-and-A sessions on Tuesday as part of a three-part program to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Burma.

<< Photo by Ananda Zhu
Burmese monks host a discussion in McCormick 101 on Tuesday.

All three monks are active in the All Burma Monks’ Alliance and participated in the 2007 Saffron Revolution, an anti-government protest led by Burmese monks.

The event, which was sponsored by the Princeton Buddhist Students’ Group, started with a meditation session.

“We thought meditation was important because it’s what we do, and it’s a huge part of their lives,” event co-organizer Cristina Stanojevich ’12 said.

Co-organizer Gabriel Greenwood ’12 also noted that the meditation fit well with other parts of the program, which focused on raising awareness about Burma’s political situation.

“To them, meditation and political activism are part of the same spirit,” Greenwood said.

Over two dozen students participated in the meditation, including many students who had meditated in the past.

“It was like other meditation sessions but shorter and very relaxing,” Rebecca Smaha ’14 said, adding that she is active in the Princeton Buddhist Students Group.

The second part of the program consisted of a showing of the controversial documentary “Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country.” The documentary includes prominent appearances by U Gawsita, one of the monks who attended the event.

The film emphasized the brutal reality of the Saffron Revolution, during which monks who decided to take a peaceful stand against the military regime faced violence and long jail sentences.

Immediately following the screening, audience members had a chance to ask the monks questions about their views and experiences. A noticeable theme in the monks’ answers was that the situation has not yet improved in Burma in the aftermath of the revolution.

“We haven’t seen the real change yet,” U Zawta said through a translator. “We say that because there are still political prisoners and they also have fighting between the military leaders and the ethnic groups that are at the border.”

Of the over 200 monks originally imprisoned, only 40 to 45 have been released because their prison time was fulfilled. The remaining monks face at least five to six more years of jail time.

However, U Zawta also noted that the uprising had improved relations between the monks and the people but led to further deteriorations in relations between the government and the military regime.

When asked about the relationship between the monks and the Burmese people, U Zawta stated that monks serve as the moral authority in Burma but lack political authority.

“Monks always have close contact with the people because most of the people are Buddhist and [the monks] know how the people have been suffering from the government,” U Zawta said.

Besides University students, the event also attracted local residents interested in meditation and Burma.

 “I just heard about it and I was interested to see the monks,” local resident Allison Cryon said. “I thought it was especially valuable to hear authentic information.”

View the original article here

Zen Buddhism Center offers study and meditation

Home The Americas US South

Austin, TX (USA) -- The head teacher at the Austin Zen Center referenced Kurt Vonnegut and the Christian creation story in the Saturday morning Dharma Talk - a signal that the center embraces the mixed cultural and spiritual identities that shape most Austinites.

<< Charley Tucker cleans the altar as part of the soji ritual at the Austin Zen Center Saturday morning. During soji all members of the community clean the inside and outside of the temple.

Charley Tucker cleans the altar as part of the soji ritual at the Austin Zen Center Saturday morning. During soji all members of the community clean the inside and outside of the temple.

Members of the sangha - community - include individuals who have studied Zen for decades and those who have come to it in recent weeks. Some people who cross their legs on the black cushions have left other religions, while others want to supplement their faith practices or are seeking spiritual community for the first time.

East Asian countries have practiced Zen Buddhism since the seventh century, and it became popular in the United States in the 1950s and ‘60s. Zen focuses on the attainment of self-realization and enlightenment through meditation and study of the dharma, the natural order of things.

Colin Gipson is the teacher’s assistant at the center, where he started practicing in 2000. He said Buddhism attracts people from many corners because Zen “doesn’t pick and choose.” College towns like Austin frequently have centers because the populations tend to be open-minded, he said.

“Buddhism is the only thing that ever made sense to me,” Gipson said. “It’s about sitting down and not running from my suffering.”

The center offers three meditations, called zazens, on weekdays as well as Saturday morning and Wednesday evening programs, weekend retreats, volunteer opportunities and individual training.

The sangha at the center is supportive of each other and welcoming to new practitioners, Gipson said. The center holds a beginner’s meditation every Saturday morning to teach the physical and mental aspects of zazen.

The silent form of meditation most common in Zen can be intimidating, as it requires a focus on breath and self that doesn’t enter into most people’s daily life. Pat Yingst, one of the practice leaders, said it can be hard at first to avoid thinking about daily tasks in the midst of meditation.

However, the Saturday morning program of a shorter meditation, a dharma talk and tea and cookies, provides a comfortable atmosphere for exploring meditation and Buddhism for the first time.

The main facility is warm and open, with wooden fixtures and large windows in the zendo, where most meditation takes place. The kitchen is a common space for members and guests. A large tree in the front yard almost begs to be sat under.

Leah Collier travelled to Austin from San Angelo to visit the zen center after studying Buddhism on her own for a few years. She attended the beginner’s meditation and dharma talk - the Buddhist equivalent of a sermon - Saturday morning with her spouse, Arlene Harbison.

“It was emotional but very enlightening,” Collier said. “I have a better understanding from just one talk about how to deal with emotions in a grounded way, how to react instead of overreact.”

Member Collin Whites started visiting the center regularly in June after receiving a medical discharge from the United States Navy.

“Something had changed, and I wanted to move forward in a new way,” Whites said. “I wanted a place of community, healing and growth. I find practicing meditation in the morning helps me be more present and be at attention, or to change my attention when I need to.”

As the zendo cleared out after the morning program, that sense of peace and clarity remained.

View the original article here

Study: Buddhist Meditation Promotes Rational Thinking

Home Healing & Spirituality

New York, USA -- Studies looking at the brains of people playing a fairness game found very different responses between Buddhist meditators and other participants.

<< A new study - with brain scans to back it up - suggests that people who regularly practice Buddhist meditation actually process situations involving rationality differently. (Istockphoto.com)

It’s no secret that humans are not entirely rational when it comes to weighing rewards. For example, we might be perfectly happy with how much money we’re making — until we find out how much more the guy in the next cubicle is being paid.

But a new study suggests that people who regularly practice Buddhist meditation actually process these common social situations differently — and the researchers have the brain scans to prove it.

Ulrich Kirk and collaborators at Baylor Medical College in Houston had 40 control subjects and 26 longtime meditators participate in a well-known experiment called the Ultimatum Game. It goes like this:

One person has a sum of money to split with another person. If the other person accepts the offer, they both walk away with cash in their pocket, but if he or she rejects the offer as too chintzy — which happens surprisingly often — neither receives anything.

The rational course is to accept any offer that is proposed, because getting something is better than nothing at all, but the Ultimatum Game suggests that for many people, emotion trumps reason. Being treated fairly is more important than coming out ahead financially.

Kirk’s subjects had $20 to split among themselves. When the offers were wildly asymmetrical (keeping $19 for oneself, while offering only $1), 72 percent of the controls refused the money, meaning both parties left empty-handed. But when the meditators played, only 46 percent rejected such blatantly unfair offers. More than half were willing to take whatever they were offered.

The test subjects played the game while lying inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, enabling the researchers to see which areas of their brains became active as they responded to various monetary offers. As in earlier experiments with the Ultimatum Game, the control subjects saw increased activity in a brain structure called the anterior insula when they were confronted with an unfair offer — an area linked to the emotion of disgust.

But the meditators’ brains reacted quite differently, activating brain areas associated with interoception — the representation of the body’s internal state. In fact, the researchers found very little overlap in the two groups’ neural responses.

Kirk, who recruited his meditators from the Houston Zen Center and other local Buddhist groups, wanted to explore a different mechanism for managing their emotions than the ones usually studied in cognitive neuroscience.

“To us it seemed that a more ecological way of doing this would be to see the effects of mindfulness,” he says. “Mindfulness, as opposed to emotion regulation, is using an outside perspective on one’s experiences, rather than changing their content (through distraction) or context (through reframing).”

Kirk, now a research assistant professor with the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at Virginia Tech, says that while the meditators’ behavior seems generally more “rational” than that of most of the controls, they did not use the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain usually associated with cold, calculated reasoning.

He also informally interviewed many of the meditators after they underwent the brain scans. “They reported that the offers did not actually seem unfair, or rather, that ‘difference’ doesn’t equal unfairness,” Kirk says. “It was as if the perception of difference incites less reactivity in meditators.”

View the original article here

Meditation – The Cleansing of the Mind

Home Healing & Spirituality

Singapore -- As humans, we are constantly thinking about our future or our past. But in order to experience life, we have to live each moment.  Lives happening of the past are just memory.

For lives happening in the future, that is planning. The only time we can live is now, this moment. Difficult as it may seem, we have to learn to do that first. We have to actually experience living in the present to eliminate a great many of our problems. Simple as it may sounds, difficult indeed it is to carry out. The only way to learn to live each moment is through what else - but the process of meditation.

Most if not all of us are quite capable to look after our bodies to make sure it is able to function well. But are we doing the same for our mind? What we may not have given much thought about is that our mind is the master and the body is the servant. The master, the one in charge, has to be in the best possible condition to direct the servant to ensure everything is in order. Everything in this world is mind-made, yet many of us take the mind for granted. Not many of us would take the body for granted though, we would ensure that it is well feed, well rested and when it is sick it is taken to the doctor. For the mind, that would be another matter altogether for most ordinary folks. Looking after the mind is essential for it to grow in depth and vision, but one suspect it is only the meditator who would know how to go about looking after it.

Many of us would likely to live our lives in the realities of yesterday and tomorrow, good and bad, like and dislike, but it is only when the mind is trained can we see beyond this and into other dimensions. The first thing that we need to do to made the mind ‘see’ beyond this present two dimensional lives is to first ‘wash’ and ‘clean’ it up in all our waking moments. For that, we will need to learn how to go about it. With the body, we certainly would know how to do it right from a very young age. But for the mind, it can only be cleansed by itself. What it has put in there before, the mind is the only one that can take it out. In that respect, one second of
concentration in meditation is also one second in the purification of our mind. Luckily for us, mind moments follow each other in quick succession but only one at a time.

When we concentrate, the five hindrances of sense desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, worries and doubts, would not have the chance to arise as our mind can only do one thing at a time. As we get better at concentration and the period gets longer and longer, the mind gets cleansed more and more. Our mind is like a fine, wonderful tool that each of us possesses and we obviously should learn how to go about looking after it at all times. It is a tool that we can use to accomplished many things including enlightenment and learning to look after it would ensure it will function properly.

During our meditation we learn to drop from our mind what we do not want to keep and only keeping our mind on the meditation subject. As we become more and more skilled at it, we should also be able to start making use of our meditative practice to assist us in our daily living, like helping us to drop those thoughts which are unwholesome and putting our attention to wholesome ones only.

Next, we will need to exercise and strengthen our mind to do exactly what we want it to do, to stand still when we want it to do so. This creates the power in the mind to let go, to renounce when it is so required. Thoughts which arise, happy or unhappy ones, in constant flux and flow; this is what we must learn to drop when we manage to stay on our meditation subject. Renunciation arises in meditation when we drop all thoughts. When we think, talk, or reads, it is using the mind in the interest of our ego. When there is nobody thinking, there will be no confirmation of the existence of the ego.

For those who have become masters of their own thoughts and learn to think what they want to think, have indeed move onto the path to becoming Arahants, the Enlightened Ones. At that stage, one has become master of the mind instead of the mind being the master of one self. The spiritual path is all about letting go, the letting go of all we have built up around us, which would includes conditioned habits, ideas, beliefs and thinking patterns. A strong mind does not suffer from boredom, frustration, depression or unhappiness. It has learned to drop what it does not want, and the practice of meditation has given it the necessary muscles to do so.

Of course the mind too need to rest. We have been thinking ever since we were small, in fact over our innumerable lifetimes. The only time the mind can have a real rest is when it stops thinking and start only experiencing. One simile used for the mind is that, it is like a blank screen on which a continuous film is shown without intermission. Here the film is like our thoughts and we forget that there is a screen
behind it. If we for once stop the show for a moment in meditation, we can experience the basic purity of our mind. This moment also brought about the arising of a moment of happiness with an accompanying state of bliss as well. It is a state conditioned by concentration. When verbalization stops, there is quiet and contentment of the mind.

Thinking is suffering, no matter what we are thinking. The moment we relax and rest our mind it gains new strength and happiness. This happiness created in meditation should also carries through to our daily living as the mind knows it can go home too and find peace and quiet in meditation when it so requires.

The letting go, the renunciation in meditation brings along with it insight, the understanding that the ego is constantly wanting and therefore wanting to think. When the ego stops wanting, it does not need to think and all un-satisfactoriness disappears. That is why, as Buddhists we need to meditate to cleanse our mind, to bring it peace and calm and most importantly, with the arising of Insights through
experience, the eventual cessation of our Suffering.

View the original article here