I attended one day of the Chan Retreat weekend (April 17-18) at Dharma Drum Mountain Washington Chapter. I just wanted to say that I appreciate the gentleness of Mr. Mao and the great opportunity to spend a day of practice with others. The day was perfect to me: 8 form Ch'an Meditation, listening to insights from Mr. Mao and Master Sheng Yen, eating great food, and observing oneself during walking meditation.

It's so hard sometimes to slow down and get to know oneself. At times, perhaps I use life to avoid examining this great matter. Whenever there is a chance to face life and its obstacles (or the ones I've created), I try to take it. And "this great matter" sometimes presents itself in the most practical ways: how do I not clang my eating utensils around to avoid disturbing others, how do I stay awake? Each time these thoughts arrive they present an occasion to return to the method. Isn't that wonderful?

I want to thank Mr. Augustine Mao for providing his teaching and the Dharma Drum Mountain Washington Chapter for providing the chance to practice. It's a great service and I deeply appreciate it.

Craig Foster

The Seattle chapter of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association will participate in the ‘Taiwanese Night Market’ on May 15, 2010. This annual event, hosted by the Taiwanese Student Association of the University of Washington, will be held at the UW Hub Lawn.

This marks the fifth year of our participation in fund raising snack sales at this Taiwanese ‘tastes’ event. Only those food items the DDMBA ladies are most expert at making are on offer. Honest and quality ingredients, and authentic taste, needless to say. Also available at our booth will be both free and for-sale Dharma books and reading materials.

We look forward to your presence. Besides partaking in delicious snacks, you will be able to express your care and kindness in supporting and sustaining Dharma Drum Mountain’s continued offering of various Dharma classes and opportunities for group activities and practices. Let your support contribute to your provision gathering for your cultivation of merit and virtue.

We cordially await your participation, so that we may share in this worthy occasion together.

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Event date & time: May 15, Saturday 6 – 9 pm
Event location: University of Washington Hub Lawn
Event website: click here(vendor menus, etc.)
DDMBA contacts: Christine Lin (425.681.3740); Meling Chen (425.394.1380)
DDMBA e-mail: ddmba.seattle@gmail.com

 

Hello everyone:

Our center is in the midst our annual snack/ food sale fund raising event.

As you know, we are an entirely donation-based organization. We charge little or nothing for all activities at the center, with the only goal of making meditation and Buddhadharma available so that they may benefit individuals and society.

Your help in promoting the sale of the snack and food items to anyone who is interested in supporting us would be greatly appreciated. All proceeds will go directly to rent and utilities payment, the center's physical upkeep, accommodating visiting teachers (who inevitably travel and stay frugally), etc.

Attached please find the sales menu. These are all delicious, handmade, traditional Taiwanese snack/ dim sum/ tapas type of items (to Asians, snacks--little eats--are mostly savory dishes). You can see that they are very inexpensive.

Orders are taken through May 07, and the food items will be available for pick up on May 11 at our center (deliveries may be arranged in some cases). If several of your friends or co-workers order, it might be most convenient for you to pick up the food on May 11, and make it available to them.

You may e-mail these ordering sheets to friends you think may be interested, or you may print out as many as are needed, collect the information, and e-mail or call them in to the folks named on the order sheets.

Your efforts are appreciated. Thank you.

Time: Apr 17 & 18, 2010, 9am to 5pm.

Place: 14028 Bel-Red Road #205, Bellevue WA 98007

《Poster》

Dear Friends,

The Transmission of the Bodhisattva Precepts will be held from July 2nd to 5th, 2010 at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York. It is the fifth time DDMBA officiating this event here in the United States.

We will give thorough teachings on the meaning and practice of The Bodhisattva Precepts. The essence of the transmission is that once The Bodhisattva Precepts are transmitted, they plant the seed for the recipients to become Bodhisattvas. This seed grows in this lifetime and matures through subsequent lifetimes as the recipients apply these precepts to the best of their abilities in their daily lives.

The Bodhisattva Precepts encompass the following:

1. The Three Cumulative Pure Precepts: to uphold the precepts that regulates personal behavior, to practice and cultivate virtues, and to vow to deliver all sentient beings.

2. The Four Indestructible Faiths: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and Vinaya.

3. The Ten Virtuous Precepts: to refrain from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct; to keep one’s speech free from false statements, frivolous chatter, divisive words, and harsh language; and to keep one’s mind free from craving, aversion, and erroneous views.

4. The Four Great Vows: to deliver innumerable sentient beings, to cut off endless vexations, to master limitless approaches to Dharma, and to attain Supreme Buddhahood.

5. The Ten Inexhaustible Precepts: not to kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, and be deceitful; not to sell, buy and consume intoxicants; not to speak of faults of monastic and lay bodhisattvas; not to praise oneself and defame others; not to be miserly; not to give rise to aversion; and not to slander the Three Jewels.

If you wish to take The Bodhisattva Precepts, please download the application form from http://chan1.org and return it no later than June 1st, 2010. Dormitory space is limited. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and will be notified of the acceptance status as soon as possible.

With metta,

DDMBA-WA with joined palms

Dates: Every Thursday (starting November 5, 2009)
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Location: DDM Buddhist Association Seattle Chapter
14028 Bel-Red Road - Room 205, Bellevue WA, 98007
Cost: Free! (participants purchase book “Zen Wisdom” on their own)

For more details, see: 《Flier》

(cancelled), Title: Zen practice in ordinary life

The Dharma talk by Guo Gu has been cancelled. It is tentatively rescheduled to Spring 2010.

About the speaker

Guo Gu (Jimmy Yu) is one of Master Sheng Yen’s senior lay teachers and translators, assisting with and leading activities at the Chan Meditation Center, Dharma Drum Retreat Center, and Dharma Drum Mountain, Taiwan. In 1982, while still quite young, he learned meditation from Master Sheng Yen, and began practicing Chan intensively in 1989. He was also the personal monastic attendant and assistant to Master Sheng Yen for almost nine years, and then, in 1995, he was given permission (inka) by the Master to teach Chan. He has led retreats in various parts of the United States, Europe, and Asia. Guo Gu is now the guiding instructor for the Western Dharma Teachers at the Chan Meditation Center. He received his doctorate in Buddhist Studies in 2008 from Princeton University, and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Florida State University.