College Students visited Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre
Twenty students from Rhodes Wellness College visited Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre (DDVC) on the afternoon of February 26. The field trip provided a glimpse of the benefits of meditation on holistic health and the possibility of incorporating Buddhist teachings into their counselling practice to help people walk through challenges in life.
Alexandra Goldwell - the instructor who led the group - stated that the college provides 1-2 year programs for Counselling Diploma and Life Coach Certificate. In addition to school work, students have to complete 80-100 hours of practicum before they can obtain their certificates and practice counselling in fields such as mental health.
Venerable Chang Wu, the director of DDVC, welcomed the group with the history of the centre. It all started with just a small gathering in a house. The centre then materialized when more and more volunteers donated their money and time to make it possible to provide a space and welcome all practitioners.
After a guided tour of the surroundings, the students arrived at the Chan Hall for a brief introduction to Buddhism and a meditation session. In the talk, Venerable Chang Wu drew examples from students’ daily lives and explained the Basic Buddhist teachings such as cause and condition, true nature, and Four Noble Truth. In the second half of the tour, students of all levels - from complete beginners to seasoned meditators - experienced guided sitting meditation. This was followed by a lively discussion on how to focus a wandering mind, the daily schedules of a Chan retreat, and how to apply the principles of Chan 24/7.
One of the students commented on how she was inspired by the Dharma Talk, especially when Venerable Chang Wu reviewed how “Everything has its history.” She thought she understood Buddhism, but the talk opened her eyes to new perspectives and insight.
The instructor Alexandra thanked the monastics and volunteers at the centre. She highly recommended meditation to the students, and immediately started arranging another visit with another group of students in the coming May.