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YEAR OF NEWS :
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Northern Sri Lanka has been suffering from civil war for nearly thirty years. On 5 August this year, I returned for there with Ms. Bi-Hua Chiang, to implement an initiative to help war-afflicted students. This initiative offers stipends to a total of thirty students and has been approved by the Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF), with liaison with Department of Health officials in northern Sri Lanka who made recommendations for the stipend recipients.
Last Sunday (February 28), I attended DDMBA's Living Ch'an Workshop. To learn the Buddha Dharma through a workshop sounds new to me. In fact, I wasn’t sure what to expect since it is neither a dharma talk nor a traditional meditation class.
My brother suffered from depression. His concern was centred on himself, and his mind was filled with cynicism, anxiety, and despair.
Northern Sri Lanka has been suffering from civil war for nearly thirty years. On 5 August this year, I returned for there with Ms. Bi-Hua Chiang, to implement an initiative to help war-afflicted students. This initiative offers stipends to a total of thirty students and has been approved by the Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF), with liaison with Department of Health officials in northern Sri Lanka who made recommendations for the stipend recipients.
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My experience at DDRC was life changing. I have read many
books on Buddhism and all the reading has been helpful. However,
reading books on the path, and actually taking steps on the path or
entirely different things.
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I have considered myself a Buddhist for the past thirty years, but the past two years have taken me into a deeper understanding of Buddhist thought and practice about life. I became acquainted with Master Sheng Yen three years ago when visiting Dharma Drum Mountain Monastery in Taiwan for a day tour.
Sunday February 28 was the most exciting day in the history of Canadian athletics. The last event of the Winter Olympics was taking place. It was the national sport – ice hockey – against the country’s biggest rivals, the USA. Vancouver’s streets were crowded with cheering fans staring up at huge screens fixed to tall buildings.
This was the second time I participated in the Living CH’an Workshop held at the Vancouver Dharma Drum Centre. I learned a great deal when I participated in the workshop last time.
Pause for a moment! Just listen to those voices in your head.
… Can you hear them?
Pause for another moment! Just notice the images your mind is playing.
… Can you see them?
Now ask yourself the question: When faced with a new situation, are these voices and images telling me what to do or am “I” deciding what to do?
In a world where stress, strain and rush abound, peace of mind is of paramount significance. It is a treasure that everyone desires, but only few know how to get it and even fewer do something to get it.
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