Dharma Forest

Lecture on Buddhism in the West at Tianjin's Nankai University

Prof. Yeh Jiaying, one of the world's eminent scholars of Chinese literature, invited our delegation to Tianjin, China's Nankai University to give a talk about Buddhism in the West. Prof. Yeh's connection to the DRBA began in Vancouver, where she taught at the University of British Columbia.  One of her students during her youth in Hong Kong had met Master Hsuan Hua, and after graduating UBC, decided to leave home to become a Buddhist nun. The student became Dharma Master Heng Gwei, and she introduced Prof. Yeh, her respected teacher of Chinese poetry to Master Hua. Master Hua invited Prof. Yeh to lecture at Gold Buddha Monastery in Vancouver, and at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and we have stayed in touch over the years. Prof. Yeh, who has taught at universities around the globe, returned several years ago to Tianjin, where she still teaches at Nankai.

Nankai has produced such distinguished alumni as Premiers Zhou Enlai and Wen Jiabao.

Chinese Online Press Reports DRBA Trip to China (In Chinese)

The DRBA delegation that just returned from China made the Chinese online news. Several of the stories appeared on the websites of the monasteries we visited; other stories were carried by the Buddhist news networks that are up and running these days.

Please click the links to check out the Chinese language stories and photos.

First article about Dharma talk at Tianjin’s Guanyin Convent
美国法界佛教总会会长恒实法师一行参访天津荐福观音寺


Second article about Dharma-talk at Guanyin Convent
美国法界佛教总会会长恒实法师一行参访天津荐福观音寺


Article on lecture at Beijing University
佛教在西方的新面貌——美国万佛城住持恒实法师于北大演讲


Article on visit to Donglin Monastery, in Jiangxi
美国法界佛教总会会长恒实法师参访九江东林寺


Second article on visit to Donglin Monastery
美国法界佛教总会会长恒实法师参访东林寺


Conversation with Abbot Dauan at Donglin Monastery
大安法师与美国恒实法师座谈


Article on visit to Bailin Monastery, in Hebei
美国万佛城恒实法师一行参访河北柏林禅寺


Article on visit to Longquan Monastery, in Hebei
弹着吉他讲经的洋和尚 - 美国法界佛教总会一行来访北京龙泉寺

Gwhyneth Chen Plays all-Chopin Piano Concert This Sunday At BBM

Chopin Piano Concert At Berkeley Buddhist Monastery This Sunday

The Chimei Arts Foundation of Taiwan has invited Ms Gwhyneth Chen to record a CD of Frederic Chopin’s piano works. The album will be released worldwide to commemorate Chopin’s 200th birthday.  During Thanksgiving week this year, Ms Chen will record the CD here in the Bay Area.

She has graciously accepted our invitation to preview her program at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery for a select audience of friends. The repertoire will include eight pieces including three Nocturnes, a Ballade, an Etude, and two Polonaises, among others.

All friends of classical music are invited to come enjoy the deeply spiritual music of Frederic Chopin, played by a performer who has integrated her Buddhist practice and her musical expression.

A pianist of international stature, having played over 500 concerts with orchestras around the world, Gwhyneth Chen has twice been invited to perform in the Chopin Festival of Mallorca. There she lived in the monastery where Chopin wrote some of his more popular works. She has also been invited to perform at the Chopin Festivals of Duzsniki, Poland and in Vienna, Austria. Her instrument for the concert will be a 9' Steinway concert grand piano.

The Berkeley Monastery is located at 2304 McKinley, Berkeley, CA, 94703, at the corner of Bancroft and McKinley Avenues, one block west of Berkeley High School.

The First Pure Land Monastery: Eastern Forest (DonglinSi)

Lushan is a beautiful range of mountains in Jiangxi Province. Lushan's broad area contains many monasteries, grottoes, caves and hermitages; one of the oldest in constant use is Donglin Si, Eastern Forest Monastery, home of the Pure Land School of Buddhist practice. Master Huiyuan founded the place back in 386 C.E., which means this sacred space has been a source of good energy for the planet for 1700 years!

There is a board describing the brief history of Donglin Si and it contains the names of so many famous literati of Southern China for the last thousand years: Xie Lingyun, Tao Yuanming, Bai Juyi, Su Dongpo, Wang Yangmin, Zhuxi, Dong Qichang, and so on.

Our visit was chronicled in the Monastery's own internet presence (In Chinese)

Abbot Da'An and manager Daoyuan made us feel most welcome. They are planning the opening of a vast, grand image of Amitabha Buddha next year.

Master Daoyuan guided us through the various historical marvels contained inside the Monastery grounds.

Monks and nuns really cultivate Pure Land practices here. They have built seclusion cells for those who wish to practice intensively on their own for a period of time, laity and clergy alike.

Pictured is the current laity seclusion campus. The monastic campus is still under construction.

Speaking Dharma Outdoors at Tianjin's Jianfu Guanyin Convent

Bhikshuni Miaoxian has established three convents in Tianjin, the first one being Jianfu Guanyin Convent. (The Guanyin Convent For Creating Blessings.) Dharma Master Miaoxian is a distinguished Buddhist nun in China; she speaks Dharma, trains younger nuns, and creates opportunities for disciples in Tianjin to cultivate the Way. She has visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and during our return visit to Tianjin this time, she invited me to speak Dharma to her community. The weather was freezing cold, it had just snowed three inches the night before. We arrived at her temple at 10:00 AM, processed in to the Buddha Hall, paid our respects and then immediately began speaking in Chinese to the 2,500 people standing patiently outside in the cold to hear the monk from America talk Dharma in Mandarin. Happiness all around! Check out the photos for the smiles on the faces of the crowd and the delegation alike. Click here for the Chinese language news coverage of the event (photos).

Dharma Master Miaoxian invites me to speak to the Assembly.

Introductions while our delegation stands patiently (really cold!)

2,500 listeners.

Enthusiasm!

Auspicious energy.

Bhikshunis' traditional Chinese instrument Dharma-music orchestra. The sound of blessings.

(left to right in front: Madalena Tam, Bhikshuni Miaoxian, Heng Sure, Master Jinyong.)

Iroquois Rituals of Thanksgiving

The Institute For World Religions takes delight in hosting Joanne Shenandoah and her husband, Doug George, for a lecture and concert on Sunday, November 15th, 2009, at 6:00 PM, on the topic "Iroquois Rituals of Thanksgiving." Joanne is a familiar guest at the Berkeley Monastery; she has graced us before with two outstanding house concerts; this time Doug George, a distinguished journalist and author will speak as well. Joanne has graciously invited me to close the evening with a dedication of merit. All are welcome to attend!

60th Birthday Party in Shanghai

The People's Republic of China is 60 years old this year, and so am I! When our delegation got to Shanghai Abbot Dharma Master Zhaocheng welcomed us to celebrate at Longhua Si, (Dragon Flower Temple,)  the 1700 year old Monastery that actually pre-dates the city of Shanghai. Friends flew down from Beijing, up from Shenzhen, and over from Tianjin to join the fun. The picture shows Abbot Zhaocheng greeting myself, Laywoman Tan Mujie (Madalena Tam) and Dharma Master Jinyong, from CTTB. I first met Abbot Zhaocheng in 1987; we have shared many Dharma-adventures together over the years. He is now the Abbot of Longhua Monastery, having been chosen to succeed his teacher, Great Master Mingyang.

Birthday Cake! Wesley Hsu, his daughter Madeline, Lin Zhiping and Madalena Tam

Happy party-goers! From left: Hsieh Kuo-cheng, Yu Kuo-chen, Lin Zhiping, Lin Zhiping's wife Xiaoji, YC Liang, Guo Cuc Chung and Liang Yu-chi.

Speaking Dharma after lunch.

Longhua Monastery's managing director Dharma Master Pingxi tells about the Tripitaka Room.

A wonderful Ming Dynasty Vairocana Buddha image.

Master Pingxi tours us through the courtyards of Longhua Monastery.

The Spiritual Atmosphere of Lushan

Toured Lushan (Mt. Lu) with our group after coming down from Cloud-dwelling Mountain and Zhenru Monastery. With marvelous scenery that inspired the classic Chinese landscape paintings of old, Lushan has brought Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucians alike for thousands of years to its waterfalls, tranquil lakes, rolling clouds and craggy mountain scenery.

As the sun rises the lake changes personalities. It's colors emerge.

Immortal's Cave is a scenic Taoist hermitage on the mountainside.

Seen through the gate at Immortal's Cave

 

The Daoist Hermitage at Immortal's Cave

Master Zhuxi, one of the founders of Neo-Confucian thought in the Ming Dynasty (16th Century) taught at Lushan's White Deer Grotto Academy. His Rules For Learning helped form the backbone of Confucian education for centuries.

博學之 Study it extensively,
審問之   Inquire into it accurately,
慎思之 Think it over carefully,
明辨之   Distinguish it clearly,
篤行之  Practice it earnestly.
學之序 This is the priority for study.

The spectacular scenery seems to put one in touch with ageless mountain wisdom.

Visiting Donglin Monastery: Home of the Pure Land School

What is the spiritual atmosphere at a 1,600 year-old sacred place? Donglin Monastery on Lushan in Jiangxi Province is such a place. In 362 CE Master Huiyuan created the Pure Land style of Buddha Recitation practice here and Pure Land practice spread far to become East Asia's most popular form of Buddhist practice.

Our delegation visited and got the benefit of Manager Daoyuan's kindness as he toured us around and explained some of the history of this incredibly wholesome monastery. An account of our visit is found on their website. (In Chinese)

Donglin Monastery is a practicing community: they don't take door tickets (a rare exception in China), they invite all comers to join their practice, they have seclusion campuses for people who want to focus deeply on their Buddha recitation. Abbot Da An is a dedicated lecturer on Pure Land Practice.

(L.to R. Bhikshu Jin Yong, Manager Daoyuan, Rev. Heng Sure, Abbot Da An.)

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Master Xuyun's Nirvana

 

A delegation of 17 DRBA disciples traveled to Jiangxi Province, China, to attend the conference and ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of Great Master Xuyun (Empty Cloud's) entering Nirvana. The saintly Chan Master lived to be 120 years old; DRBA founder Master Hsuan Hua was his Dharma-heir. The ceremonies and conference were held at Yunju Shan (Cloud-Dwelling Mountain's) Zhenru Chan Monastery.

 

I was invited to speak at the Conference preceeding the celebration on "Master Hsuan Hua's Relationship with Master Xuyun." Few people in China had seen the photos I presented of Master Hsuan Hua's Hong Kong response to the Nirvana of Master Xuyun.

Our delegation joined a crowd estimated at 4,000 attendees.

 

I spoke as representative of foreign delegates.

References for Simplicity Talk at Vegsource Healthy Lifestyle Expo

I just finished my talk in Los Angeles at the Vegsource.com Healthy Lifestyle Expo. During the talk I referred to a long list of outstanding resources on the topic of Simple Living. I went through quickly and promised that I would give folks a list for future reference. 

More to come, with complete references.

This is a 3.8MB pdf file.

Download References for Simple Living

Taiwan to Enact Strict Vegetarian Product Labeling

Earth Times.org reports that Taiwan will enact world's strictest law on veggie food labeling. Taiwan is to enact the world's strictest law on labeling vegetarian food at the request of Buddhists and people who eat vegetarian for health reasons, the health ministry said Monday. Starting from July 1, Taiwan food manufacturers must use five categories, up from the current two, to identify the content of vegetarian food. Violators will be fined from 40,000 to 200,000 Taiwan dollars (1,200-6,000 US dollars), the Department of Health said.

Link to the article in Earthtimes.

Note that for the first time, the category "pure vegetarian" means food without pungent plants. Currently the labelling only indicates whether food is pure vegetarian or contains no meat but egg and milk. Now added are categories separating egg and milk as well as vegan. Pure vegetarian refers to food which does not contain meat, egg, milk or plants including onion, garlic or leeks, which are spicy and considered unclean and bad for meditation. They are banned for strict Buddhist practitioners. Vegan, on the other hand, may contain the "unclean" vegetables.

Posted on : 2009-06-08

 

A Watershed in the Modern Expression of Buddhism

Many people hang on to the stereotype of Buddhists as passive navel-gazers, self-absorbed meditators who can't be bothered to stand up from beneath their trees to help others in need or to take a stand on social issues.

It gives me pleasure to introduce Buddhist Global Relief, (BGR) an interdenominational community of Buddhists and friends of Buddhism who seek to give concrete expression to the Buddha's great compassion as an on-going project in the contemporary world.

Founding visionary Bhikkhu Bodhi, wrote this about BGR in Buddhadharma in the Fall issue of 2007:

"The special challenge facing Buddhism in  our age is to stand up as an advocate for justice in the world. A voice of conscience for those victims of social, economic, and political injustice who cannot stand up and speak for themselves. This, in my view, is a deeply moral challenge marking a watershed in the modern expression of Buddhism."

The mission of Buddhist Global Relief is to provide relief to the poor and needy throughout the world regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, or religion. Bearing in mind the Buddha’s statements that “hunger is the worst kind of illness” and “the gift of food is the gift of life,” BGR especially focuses on providing food aid to those afflicted by hunger and lack of food security. Its long-range goal, however, is to combat all the manifestations of poverty that detract from the inherent dignity of human life.

Click here to watch a slide show explaining the scope and function of Buddhist Global Relief.

Here is a pdf of Helping Hands, the newsletter of BGR for you to download..Download HH_V01N02_summer

Let the Lotus of Compassion enfold the world!

Buddhist and Gandhian Economics: Dialogue on Integrating Spirituality with Social Action

Dr. Ariyaratne is in town, visiting from Sri Lanka.  Known as the "Gandhi of Sri Lanka", keeper of the world record for largest global meditation with 850 thousand people, and founder of the Sarvodaya movement with millions of members, Dr. Ariyaratne is nothing short of a legendary peace activist.

Walter Link

On Tuesday Oct 13th, the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery will have pleasure of hosting "Dr. Ari" in Berkeley, in discussion with social entrepreneur Walter Link and Gandhian scholar Michael Nagler, around the theme of Buddhist and Gandhian Economics: What would Buddha Buy?  What Would Gandhi Globalize? … and Why Should You Care?

For more info and/or to RSVP, please visit this link.

(Please note that we will only be able to accommodate the first 100 RSVP's.)

 

Dr. Michael Nagler

This event is co-hosted by the Metta Center (http://www.mettacenter.org) and the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery.

Western Buddhist Monastic Gathering at CTTB

The CTTB hosted this year's Western Buddhist Monastic Gathering: 40+ ordained monastic men and women spent four days discussing the theme "Buddhism and the Environment: Non-Greed, Gratitude and Simplicity."

As always, everybody enjoyed the many traditions living together in harmony, cultivating together and setting aside the petty differences that historically split the Sangha into “yanas” or vehicles. Look at the beautiful colors of the robes in the photo

Along with a full schedule of monastic practices: meditation, chanting, and mindful living, we listened to presentations and discussed the following topics which I’ve listed with the presenters of each topic first:

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi –  Monastic responses to global warming/climate change – what practices are helpful, both internally & externally, personally and nationally?
    ‘Buddhist Global Relief’ ~ Power Point presentation by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi on his new benevolent aid organization.

Bhikshuni Heng Yin   –     Cultivation of potential & hope through education & renunciation particularly environmental education and creating more awareness of simple living in the younger generation.

Spiritual-Environmental Film Fest:– ‘Renewal’ ~ a path-breaking film that relates stories of the emerging movement of religious environmentalism across the United States. 

Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi –  Working with anxiety & the threat to future generations.

Spiritual-Environmental Film Fest: –  ‘Crash Course’  ~ The CRASH COURSE seeks to provide a baseline understanding of the economy so that we can better appreciate the risks that we all face.
        a) Peak Oil; b) Energy Budgeting;
        c) Energy and the economy;
        d) Environmental Data 

‘Spiritual-Environmental Film Fest: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ ~ This is a moving & wonderful animated feature film by Miyazaki on the power of compassion in environmental restoration.

Ajahn Sona  – Alternative Technologies in Use & Prospective.

Ven. Ayya Tathaaloka –      Genetic Engineering, Cloning & Robotics – Blessing or Curse? What To Do?

Rev. Heng Sure and Rev. Jian Hu – Buddhist attitudes towards the treatment of animals: in the monastery & in factory farming; also instructions to laity on animal rights/welfare & diet.

"You've offered to walk into the minefield of hate..."

Here is film-maker Michael Moore's letter to President Obama, congratulating him on winning the Nobel Peace Prize and also reminding him of the size of the job ahead. I appreciate his last line:
    "...The whole world is depending on the U.S. -- and you -- to literally save this planet. Let's not let them down."

Moore's tone is respectful and his vision is clear. If you don't read anything else, read the PS at the bottom.

Dear President Obama,

How outstanding that you've been recognized today as a man of peace. Your swift, early pronouncements -- you will close Guantanamo, you will bring the troops home from Iraq, you want a nuclear weapon-free world, you admitted to the Iranians that we overthrew their democratically-elected president in 1953, you made that great speech to the Islamic world in Cairo, you've eliminated that useless term "The War on Terror," you've put an end to torture -- these have all made us and the rest of the world feel a bit more safe considering the disaster of the past eight years. In eight months you have done an about face and taken this country in a much more sane direction.

But...

The irony that you have been awarded this prize on the 2nd day of the ninth year of our War in Afghanistan is not lost on anyone. You are truly at a crossroads now. You can listen to the generals and expand the war (only to result in a far-too-predictable defeat) or you can declare Bush's Wars over, and bring all the troops home. Now. That's what a true man of peace would do.

There is nothing wrong with you doing what the last guy failed to do -- capture the man or men responsible for the mass murder of 3,000 people on 9/11. BUT YOU CANNOT DO THAT WITH TANKS AND TROOPS. You are pursuing a criminal, not an army. You do not use a stick of dynamite to get rid of a mouse.

The Taliban is another matter. That is a problem for the people of Afghanistan to resolve -- just as we did in 1776, the French did in 1789, the Cubans did in 1959, the Nicaraguans did in 1979 and the people of East Berlin did in 1989. One thing is certain through all revolutions by people who wish to be free -- they ultimately have to bring about that freedom themselves. Others can be supportive, but freedom can not be delivered from the front seat of someone else's Humvee.

You have to end our involvement in Afghanistan now. If you don't, you'll have no choice but to return the prize to Oslo.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. Your opposition has spent the morning attacking you for bringing such good will to this country. Why do they hate America so much? I get the feeling that if you found the cure for cancer this afternoon they'd be denouncing you for destroying free enterprise because cancer centers would have to close. There are those who say you've done nothing yet to deserve this award. As far as I'm concerned, the very fact that you've offered to walk into the minefield of hate and try to undo the irreparable damage the last president did is not only appreciated by me and millions of others, it is also an act of true bravery. That's why you got the prize. The whole world is depending on the U.S. -- and you -- to literally save this planet. Let's not let them down.

Buddhist Films to Preview At BBM This Saturday

Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery we will have a special screening of a short film by Robert Chang, entitled "Liberating Life" (2009 16 min.)

Set in Vancouver, British Columbia, "Liberating Life," is a documentary exploring the practice among some Buddhists of "liberating life." Members of Gold Buddha Monastery ransom animals that are to be slaughtered in order to set them free.
Robert will also preview several selected clips of larger film project that features Brian Conroy's sublime Buddhist story-telling.
The Berkeley Monastery is located one block west of Berkeley High School at 2304 McKinley Ave. at the corner of Bancroft.

Rita's Daughter's Banjo

One day when the United Religions Initiative's Global Council was meeting at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Rita Semel, who was then the chairperson of URI, heard me playing music with a Lutheran pastor friend, Jack Lundin. She asked whether anybody played banjo. I mentioned that I did and Rita told the story of her daughter's banjo.

It seems that Rita had given her daughter a banjo in the early 1960s, during the Folk Music boom. Tragically, Rita's daughter passed away, and the banjo stayed in the closet for years. The music she heard at CTTB inspired her and she offered the banjo in a gesture of generosity so typical of Rita.

Today at the Interfaith Chapel at the Presidio in San Francisco, I sang an Interfaith song while playing her daughter's banjo, with Rita sitting in the first row. I saw her smile and wipe away a tear when I introduced the song this way: "Every time I play this special instrument I hear the voice of Rita Semel's daughter singing to make others joyful. And I am grateful."

Buddhist Ceremonies 101 Part 3 This Saturday

This Saturday morning (Oct. 3, 2009) I'm going to lecture once again on the basics of Buddhist ceremonies. This time we'll practice chanting. We'll listen to the sounds of Buddha's or Bodhisattva's names and mantras; how the chanting of holy names resonates in the body, and how to integrate chanting and stillness into our daily practice.

I recorded the first two lectures in this series and after some editing they'll be ready for posting to Dharmaradio.org.

Some of our Dharma-friends attended the Guanyin Bodhisattva Recitation Session at the CTTB this summer and discovered an unknown love for devotional practice. They asked for some background information and this lead to our lecture series. Stay tuned!

Vancouver Sun's Guest Editor on Saturday

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has deep affinities with the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. The local newspaper, the Vancouver Sun, invited him to serve as Guest Editor for a special edition of the paper on Saturday, Sept. 26th, and he accepted. Every section of the paper shows the influence of the Buddha's teachings; the main theme is "Educating the Heart."

His Holiness was here to attend a Peace Summit, that brought together Nobel Laureates and spiritual luminaries in conversation.

The Vancouver Sun will be donating 10 cents for every special edition sold over the weekend to the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, a non-political, non-religious, Vancouver-based charitable organization focused on fostering personal and global peace.

Dharma Events in Canada

This weekend I traveled to Vancouver to attend the Dharma events at Gold Buddha Monastery. It was the 25th Anniversary of a temple that Marty Verhoeven and I staffed back in the early 1980s. At that time Gold Buddha was located on East Hastings and Gore. Our monastery was the former Salvation Army. Now the temple has moved to a more tranquil neighborhood.

Precepts for the Deceased, the Three Refuges, a Leaving-home Ceremony, a vegetarian fair, a two hour plus Dharma talk on Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and a week long Repentance Liturgy, with twenty Buddhist nuns attending, made for a full week of events.

This little guy sits at the feet of Medicine Buddha and makes sure that everything goes "according to Dharma."

New Buddhist Youth Blog

Please check out the new DRBY Dharma Realm Buddhist Young Adults blog.  You'll find articles, reflections, photos and insights written and designed entirely by young adults. Inspired by the vision of Master Hsuan Hua as he brought the essential teachings of the Buddha to the West, this new publication hits the right spot.

Meditation Retreat In the Oregon Mountains

Sixty Dharma Friends spent five days in the mountains of Coastal Oregon; studying the Shurangama Sutra. Click on the photo to see the bright faces.

Images from the Swannanoa Gathering

"Music brings balance to human nature," said Confucius.

 

Banjo Instruction with Scott Ainslie (Photo by R.L. Geyer. Used by permission)

I introduced my "Meditation For Musicians" class on Orientation Night.

(Photo by R.L. Geyer. Used by permission)

New Friends: Jane Smith, Adam Rafferty, Heng Sure, Kate Campbell, Peter Smith.

Meditation At Swannanoa

Teaching Meditation For Musicians at the Swannanoa Gathering's Guitar and Contemporary Folk Week. (Photo by Guitar Week Coordinator Al Petteway)

Musical Instruction at Swannanoa

In the classroom with the world's finest teachers of acoustic guitar and banjo: the Swannanoa Gathering.

Scott Ainslie

Al Petteway and Class
Paul Asbell playing my Voyage-air Guitar

Swannanoa Gathering - Guitar Week

It's Guitar Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in Western North Carolina. Look at who was jamming at midnight on the front porch: Pat Donahue (from Prairie Home Companion), Mike Dowling, Paul Asbell, Mary Flower, Peter Mulvey and on mandolin, Robin Bullock. Playing acoustic blues until dawn, purely for the love of the music.

Hey, What D'ya Know? Buddhism Wins Best Religion Award! (Spoof!)

Did you know that religions officially competed against each other? Apparently so, and Buddhism WON! (Did you know that Buddhism is a religion?) SCORE! Is anybody listening? Don't let me disturb your meditation.The only problem, the contest holders can't find a Buddhist who is willing to accept the award! Read it here and silently applaud.

This seems like a clever hoax. The supposed organization who sponsors the award, The International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS) is nowhere to be found on the web. Any verifications out there?

Let's send little Emily Chen, eleven months old, to accept the award!

(Click on the photo to see it bigger.)

Fewer Miracles, More Reflection

I want to speak out about people who love to predict disasters, and I mean Buddhists. A chain letter email going round alerts the unwary that because of the total solar eclipse occurring on July 22nd, there will definitely be an earthquake and tsunami in the oceans of Southeast Asia. The warning states that the solar eclipse will destabilize the four tectonic plates that converge in and around the Indian subcontinent. It even predicts the time that cities across China and Japan will be hit and the seismic severity of the quake. Even if such frightening rumors were true, even if one had the power to predict the future, as those who forward this email around imply, any truly compassionate person should pause before they terrify people and check out the facts. The facts are: eclipses don't cause earthquakes.

I’m disturbed when people who call themselves Buddhists are ready and willing to spread fear. There may be a tsunami on the 22nd, for that matter there may be an earthquake this very evening or any evening. But what will the Buddhists say, especially Master Hsuan Hua's disciples, if there is no tragedy on the 22nd? Do we shuffle and grin and claim a victory, that our mantra works and we are responsible for keeping the calamity away? It’s just like the old joke where somebody wants to sell you a product, his aerosol spray, that he claims is tiger repellent. When challenged that there aren’t any tigers anywhere near, his reply is, “Effective isn’t it? Won’t you buy some?“ The July 22nd Tsunami prediction is a hoax, an urban legend.

Are we that hungry for a reputation of having special powers that we take any chance to advertise our cultivation, or more precisely, our teacher’s cultivation? Cultivation done for others to see is not the real thing. In fact a reputation gained by intimidating others may in fact increase our wrong views and unwholesome affinities.

There may be an event as predicted. If it happens, we will certainly respond appropriately then. The idea seems to have originated with one German scientist Hans Lehner, who has a reputation for prognostication and is considered a rebel among quantum physicists. The media loves controversy and sensation, and has picked up this questionable prediction; irresponsible individuals keep it churning, such is he way with other urban legends.

I have already received three such warning emails from certain individuals, who sent it out in bulk, hoping to spread it as widely as possible, telling people to “stay off the beaches” on July 22nd. I hope those folks will consider sending this link  that quotes scientists from Cal Tech who claim with authority that “eclipses do not cause earthquakes.“ to the same people to whom you sent the frightening warning. Perhaps you can give an alternative, scientific view, and let people choose for themselves whom they believe.

Don't we want people to look at Buddhism as a teaching on virtue, wisdom and compassion? I for one want to heed Master Hua's exhortation not to mention psychic powers when teaching the Dharma in the West. Virtue and compassion are the key items in this culture; not being accurate seers of disasters.

The rumor mongers hold the attitude of the gambler; they stake their reputation, indeed the reputation of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas on being powerful fortune-tellers. Do psychics also transform their faults and bad habits? Will being right in predicting calamities change anyone's afflictions? Will it help them make the Resolve for Bodhi?  Let's encourage living beings towards wisdom and compassion, and exhort people by our personal example to cultivate all the time, not just to keep off bad luck. Maybe we could cultivate with a heart of great kindness all the time, regardless of adverse or favorable situations.

"Three Steps and One Bow" Song

Canadian songwriter and guitar builder Fabrizio Alberico in 2005 wrote a song called "Three Steps and One Bow."  Ha Guo Hong posted the lyrics and included an audio file on his site. Click here to listen to "Three Steps and One Bow."

Three Steps One Bow
Fabrizio Alberico, 2005

I’ve been running away from a future
That looks nothing like my past
And the only peace I ever found
Is the kind that never lasts
Brand new car, tailored suit, shiny diamond ring
Fleeting joy cannot disguise the same old suffering

Chorus:

One day I’ll walk without touching the ground
I’ll speak without making a sound
I won’t seek, just walk in a different time
Three steps and one bow
Three steps and one bow

Desire’s a single flavour
What I crave is something more
Something I can bite into that’s not rotten at the core
One meal a day is all I need to keep me on the road
And the wisdom carried on my back
Will lighten up the load

Chorus

So I’ll walk for the people I meet on the streets
And the ones I’ve never seen
And I’ll bow down to a universe
Where few have ever been
Going to change my mind to change my ways
My actions will be clear
Got to turn the world away from
All this arrogance and fear

Chorus

3 million steps, a million bows, forehead to the ground
800 miles to touch the world with the peace that I have found
I’ve looked down the barrel of a gun
And thought, time for a new deal
I took my vow, promised to myself
To be constantly real

Friends From Beijing Visit CTTB

Two friends of DRBA from the Central Government in Beijing visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery last week during the 30th Anniversary celebrations at CTTB. Mr. Shi Yuanpeng is the Deputy Director of the Cultural and Religious Publishing Company in Beijing. He is directly responsible for publishing nine volumes (so far) of Master Hsuan Hua's sutra commentaries in Simplified Chinese characters. These books are now the biggest sellers in their catalog. Mr. Han Song is the editor in chief of Chinese Religions Journal, published by SARA, the State Administration for Religious Affairs in Beijing. We have been hosted in China by SARA and it was our turn to welcome the two friends as our guests. They toured the Bay Area and visited the Berkeley Monastery before returning to Beijing on Tuesday.
(l to r) Prof. Raymond Yeh, Mr. Han Song, Mr. Shi Yuanpeng.

Lunch at the JunKang Restaurant: (Standing l to r) Mr. Han Song, Prof. Ron Epstein, Heng Sure, Mr. Shi Yuanpeng, Priscilla Yeh, Cuc Chung, Ocean Epstein, Cynthia Chang, Courtney Bruntz, (kneeling:) Madalena Tan, Lucie Hall.

(l to r) Madalena Tan, Rev. Heng Sure, Mr. Han Song, Mr Shi Yuanpeng.

Transmitting the Bodhisattva Precepts for Laity

160 people from as far away as Finland, Singapore,  Vietnam and Canada received the Bodhisattva Precepts for Laity on Friday, July 3rd. The candidates studied the precepts for a week at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, in preparation for the two-hour ceremony, which is found in the Upasika Precepts Sutra, Spoken by the Buddha.

This group of preceptees seemed especially sincere, and the event felt auspicious.

Even though they are small. please look at the faces in the photograph for inspiration! The photograph is courtesy of Robert Chang.

It's Called The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

In 1978, while on a pilgrimage up the coast of California, I wrote a song dedicated to the place we hope to reach: the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The song got me through many a hard time, and kept my heart focused on the goal when it would have been much easier to quit.

I will be singing this song at the CTTB this Sunday, as part of our 30 Anniversary celebrations. A Dharma-friend has put up a webpage with the lyrics of the song and an mp3 of me performing the song. Click here to listen.

Helen Woo Visits Berkeley Monastery

I was a brand-new Novice Monk when Helen Woo first arrived at Gold Mountain Monastery; I followed Master Hsuan Hua down to Los Angeles in 1975. Helen had convened the largest Refuge and Precepts ceremony in American Buddhist history in Pasadena; over 100 people became Master Hua's disciples,
Since then Helen has been one of DRBA's most able Dharma Protectors. She and her husband, Dr. Wesley Woo, were instrumental in supporting my Three Steps, One Bow pilgrimage back in 1977-79.

She remains a dedicated cultivator; Helen bows the 10, 000 Buddha's Repentance ceremony in her own Buddha Hall at home in LA. She came up recently to the Bay Area to tell stories for our Oral History Project of her life-changing encounters with our teacher. She is an inspiring story-teller and role model!

Inspiring Craftsmanship: Fabrizio Alberico's Latest Guitar

I own and admire Canadian Luthier (Guitar Builder) Fabrizio Alberico's guitar #3. Since 1998, when my beloved instrument was built, Fab has gone on to become one of Canada's, indeed one of the world's most respected makers of fine acoustic instruments. Fab is a performing musician as well, and recently developed a deep interest in yoga, in meditation, and in the Mahayana Buddha Dharma. 

He recently built a small-body, 00-size mahagony and spruce guitar; he has named it "Mary Rose" and sent me pictures and audio clips. Fab plays "Amazing Grace" and at the end of the clip the sustain of the guitar goes on and on. Listen for yourself:  Please click here to look at listen at Fab's latest guitar.

Here is a photo of my guitar (on the right) and it's brother, guitar #5.

Translation Conference In Los Angeles

Attended a conference at Hsi Lai Monastery in Los Angeles the first week of June, to investigate translation of Buddhist Sutras. Dr. Ron Epstein and I joined distinguished scholars to discuss progress in understanding the Buddha's spoken teachings. Many of the participants had been students of Prof. Lewis Lancaster over the years; I got reacquainted with Bill Powell, Carl Bielefeldt, Dr. Lancaster, and other friends, including Bill Porter (Red Pine), whose translations of Chinese Buddhist prose and poetry are highly regarded.

Click here for more information on the Conference.

Ron Epstein and I reported on the work being done by the Buddhist Text Translation Society, including our new translation of the Shurangama Sutra, which arrived from the printers just this week.

Highlights of the Conference included discussion of a proposed "Sutra Summer Camp" that could bring together both experienced and novice translators in a pleasant setting to share the tools and techniques of translation, combined with regular practice of the Dharma.

Vegan Buddhist Nuns Have Same Bone Density as Meat Eaters

Australian medical reserchers have published a study (click here to read the news item) that followed Vietnamese Buddhist nuns, who are vegan (consume no meat or dairy or eggs) and discovered a significant finding: although the womens' calcium intake is less than a third of meat eaters' intake, the vegan women's bone density was the same as women who eat meat and diary.

This survey's conclusion challenges a common criticism of vegan diets: that removing meat and dairy from one's diet makes one less healthy, particularly harming one's bone density.

Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea

Longtime friend of the Berkeley Monastery, Jaimal Yogis, has just published his first book: Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea. Jaimal studied Dharma here with a group of friends and their search is documented in this handsome paperback from Wisdom Publications. The story narrates Jamail's search for truth and happiness, and he identifies surfing and Buddha Dharma as two tools he uses to aid the search. Click here for more information.  I suspect Jaimal will always appear as a byline from distant lands. The last I knew he was a contributor to San Francisco Magazine; the year before, I heard he was flying through the smoky streets of New Delhi reporting on unrest between Indian religions; before that the report came from a  Hawa'iian beach where he landed after completing the Columbia Journalism School Master's degree, and so forth - - you get the point. 

Now this impressive piece of prose makes a mark- - www, jaimalyogis.com will help you get a copy; his website holds a video with footage of two actual surf runs! My experience with Jaimal so far has been, keep the meditation cushion warm because if he left recently, that means it won't be long til he's back for the sit! Congratulations, Dude!

Read the Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change

A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change deserves your attention - - please consider signing it and encouraging friends and family to do the same. You need not be a Buddhist to support the initiative - - living on the planet is enough! Click here to read about the Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change

Recite the "Universal Door Chapter" of the Lotus Sutra

Somebody suggested that we make a pledge to recite the "Universal Door Chapter" from the Lotus Sutra  with the wish that Guan Yin Bodhisattva might respond to end the suffering of people whose lives have been impacted by the economic crisis. The Universal Door Chapter (Pu Men Pin 普門品） is the story of Guan Yin Bodhisattva that is told in Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra. The idea caught on and lots of folks have already pledged to recite the sutra. Should you want to read it or recite it yourself, you can find it here.

We are inviting people to recite the sutra once a day or many times a day, up to reciting it 100 times, and then transfer the merit to end the suffering and hardship caused by the global recession that is plaguing so many individuals, families, and nations. We plan to gather in Berkeley on Saturday, August 15th and transfer the merit together.

Many people have experienced Guan Yin Bodhisattva's compassionate responses in their own lives; we are suggesting that Guan Yin can respond in a big way if we supply a large enough spiritual stimulus. It takes about twelve minutes to recite the Universal Door Chapter; then please transfer the merit or dedicate it with a prayer or a vow or a wish however your heart desires it.

Please do consider reciting this wonderful text and sending out your thoughts for healing energy for the world and for living beings.

Here is an English version (text format)  of the "Universal Door Chapter," translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society.Download Pumenpin_text

Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi and Prof. Raoul Birnbaum in Dialogue

The Eighth Annual Master Hsuan Hua Memorial Lecture took place at the Pacific School of Religion on Thursday night, April 16th, 2009. Both speakers were in fine form, as they discussed the topic "In Search of a Genuine Engaged Buddhism: Voices from Ancient Texts, Calls From the the Modern World."

Ven. Bodhi spoke eloquently from the perspective of the Pali tradition of the Theravada; Prof. Birnbaum used the Mahayana Sutras in the Chinese tradition to expound his views on the Bodhisattva's vows and their implications for Engaged Buddhism. An overflow crowd estimated at 225 listeners heard two carefully reasoned positions, and then enjoyed the speakers' dialogue.

Both talks will be published in book form by Open Court Press in 2010. Stay tuned for further announcements about its preparation.

Layman Ha Guo-hong captured photos and videos of the event; please click on this link to view the images.

DRBY Conference at BBM

The 11th Annual Conference of the Dharma Realm Young Adults is happening this weekend in Berkeley at the Monastery. Organized and lead by college students and young professionals, the conference brought 100+ youth to the weekend gathering. Details are available at www.drby.net.

Learning Guqin In Shanghai

Musical Blessings! In Shanghai before returning to California I took a lesson on the ancient Chinese zither (table-top lute) at the You Huang Li Studio (幽篁里).

Director of the Studio, Qiao Shan, an accomplished performer and teacher of the guqin, showed me the basics of left and right hand techniques for making sounds correctly on the instrument. The guqin has been in constant play since the time of Confucius, and its music is soothing and deeply grounding. Some of the available music for guqin is thousands of years old, and one feels while listening, that the music speaks with the voice of the Dao.

World Buddhist Forum In China 2009

The Buddhist Communities of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong convened a huge gathering in Wuxi, China, and Taipei, Taiwan, called the World Buddhist Forum. Entitled "A Harmonious World, A Synergy of Conditions," this second Forum (the first was in 2003, in Hangzhou,)  brought together representatives from 50 Buddhist countries, the Forum met from March 28th to April 1st, 2009. This collaborative project used Buddhism to strengthen peaceful international ties across the Taiwan Straits and around the world. Over 1700 persons attended the opening day. The conference took place in Wuxi at The Ling Shan Fan Gong, a new venue that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, and was completed in two and a half years, only for this event.

Prof. Pan Zongguang, Chancellor Emeritus of Hong Kong Polytechnical University, co-chaired the 5th of seven speakers' panels on Opening Day.

Mr. Jet Li, who is a sincere Buddhist disciple, gave a rousing Dharma-talk about his Jet Li One Foundation.

Master Ming Zhe, of Qingdao's Sandalwood Monastery.

Dharma Master Jin Fan, of CTTB, addresses the Group on Challenges to Buddhist Education.

Dharma Master Jin Fan responds to questions during the Forum Group on Buddhist Education

Dragon Flower Monastery, Shanghai

My first two visits to China led me both times to Dragon Flower Monastery, (龍華寺）which has been a sacred, ancient corner of downtown Shanghai for 1800 years. My Dharma-friend Master Zhao Cheng has become the new Abbot, and he keeps track of all the activities of the Monastery, including the 40,000 guests who come to light incense and bow twice each month around the year.
 

 

Gao Min Monastery, Where Master Hsu Yun Was Enlightened

Master Hsu Yun, the Venerable teacher of Master Hsuan Hua, was enlightened in a famous episode at Gao Min Monastery in Jiangsu. After nearly dying from falling into a river on his way to a China Session, Master Hsu Yun heard a tea cup hit the floor and shatter. The sound woke him up to the source of his Buddha nature and his own mind. All his doubts fell away and his mind was luminous and boundless.

We visited Gao Min Monastery and toured its nine-story pagoda, the Chan Hall where Master Hsu Yun woke up (it's now the main dining hall) and a nearby convent where the sharira/relics of Ven. Master Lai Guo are preserved.I will post photos separately.

Elderly Buddhist Nun

This Bhikshuni is 81 years old and left home when she was 6. Wearing her robes she has been through the Republican Era, the Japanese Invasion, the Second World War, the Communist era, the Cultural Revolution and the current period of prosperity and renewal of Buddhism. She works every day in the garden and in the ceremony hall, serving as a model for the younger nuns.

The photo shows (wearing the red cap) the elderly nun, and in the back, the Abbot of her convent,  myself and Bhikshu Jin Fan, from the CTTB.

Seasoned Wooden Fish Shows How Its Done

There are layoffs all over the country but in Fa Yuan Monastery in Beijing, this veteran wooden fish is holding up fine. Despite younger, more attractive youth waiting for the job, seniors still set the pace in the Buddhist Sangha.

 

Visit to SARA in Beijing

Master Hsuan Hua's commentaries on sutras have been published by the Religious and Cultural Publishers of the Central Government of China for the last two years. Shi Fu's books have become the best sellers in their catalog, already being sold out and reprinted five times. We were hosted at a banquet by the State Adminstration for Religious Affairs (SARA) to celebrate the success of Master Hua's publications, and also to welcome SARA's latest title from us: Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs, in Chinese translation!

 
The photo shows our gathering for lunch at the Religious Affairs Office, in the Houhai section of Beijing, which is the former residence of the father of the last emperor of the Ching Dynasty, Puyi. From left to right: Mr. Lin Zhiping, our local Beijing Dharma-protector, Bureau Vice Chief Shi Yuanpeng, Chief of the Publishing Department Chen Hongxing, Jin Fan Shi, Heng Sure, Ms Guo Wei, Director of the Foreign Affairs Department of SARA, our mentor in China Madalena Tam, Vice Chief Ms. Dai Chenjing, and Han Song, Editor in Chief of the journal China's Religions.

Return Visit to Fa Yuan Monastery

In Western Beijing the ancient monastery known as Fa Yuan Si, "Source of the Dharma," is home to the Beijing Buddhist Studies Academy. Our Dharma-friend Master Yuan Chi is the Antiquities Librarian for the Buddhist Association of China. Every trip to Beijing we drop in to see what he has collected recently. After the Cultural Revolution Fa Yuan Monastery was the place where orphaned Buddha images found a home. As a result Master Yuan Chi has quite an outstanding collection of rare images and implements from the Three Kingdoms, Wei, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, . This time we got to look at an 1800 year old incense holder, and Guan Yin images from the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

 

The photo shows an incense urn (not a censor, but a pot for holding incense) from the Three Kingdoms period (2nd century CE).