Abbot President of DDM Accompanies You to Cultivate Wisdom and Happiness
During our lifetime, our main goal may be just to seek happiness. However, what is happiness? In view of this, the Abbot President of DDM, Venerable Guo Dong will deliver a special speech on October 26th at Sheraton, New York to explore the simplest and purest form of happiness in our mind through the wisdom of Buddha Dharma.
Some people measure the value of life by happiness. However, for a Buddhist, happiness has nothing to do with the pursuit of outer desires; on the contrary, being content and grateful is the biggest blessing. At the press conference held in New York on October 25th, the Abbot President said what is most important is to adjust the concept and mindsets of ourselves because during our lifetime we more or less encounter difficulties. Thus, if we can think positively, approach problems from opposite directions and turn pressure into power to assist us, we will find everything is actually the nutrient that helps us cultivate happiness and wisdom.
The Abbot President also encouraged the audience to “Embrace compassionate vows, don’t embrace complaints.” Actually, “vows” and “complaints” are the reactions of our mindset; the reason why we “embrace complaints” is that our mind is affected by the outside surroundings and then we have attachments. Therefore, as far as Buddha Dharma is concerned, complaints are a kind of vexation which disturbs us and others. If our mind cannot be disturbed by outside circumstances we can start to purify our mind, which will at least reduce complaints, and then we can “embrace vows” to bless and care for ourselves and others; after which the world in front of us will be changed.
The connection between Dharma Drum Mountain and America are very profound. The founder of DDM, the late venerable Master Sheng Yen established his first monastery “Chan Meditation Center” in New York, and thereafter spread the Dharma alternating between the U.S. and Taiwan for many years. To continue the special Dharma affinity from DDM’s founder, the Abbot President of DDM often preaches the Dharma and promotes DDM’s vision of “protecting the spiritual environment” around the world. This time, he was invited by Chinese Buddhist Cultural Association to deliver a special speech called “Embrace Vows, Don’t Embrace Complaints – Start Your Happy DNA” in the afternoon of October 26th where he will lead everyone to gain the wisdom of happiness.
(Translated by Tom Hsieh/Edited by DDM Australia Editing Team)