Monday, September 21, 2009, 04:46 PM - All About Meditation
As usual I am behind in my writing, but not in my practice, these last few days have been as follows:* Thursday standing practice 15:40 pm - 17:40 pm
* Thursday Recitation of Earth Store Sutra 18:30 - 22:45
* Friday standing meditation practice 07:30 - 09:30
* Friday sitting meditation practice 21:30 - 22:00
* Saturday 07:30 - 08:30 chanting Shurangama Sutra & singing Great Compassion Mantra
* Saturday 10:30 - 12:30 standing meditation practice
* Saturday 14:00 -14:30 prostrations
* Saturday 14:30 - 15:30 sitting meditation
* Saturday 15:45 - 16:45 second sitting meditation
* Saturday 19:30 - 21:40 recitation of Earth Store Sutra
* Sunday 07:30 - 08:30 chanting Shurangama Sutra & singing Great Compassion Mantra
* Sunday 10:30 - 12:30 standing meditation practice
* Sunday 14:00 -14:30 prostrations
* Sunday 14:30 - 16:00 sitting meditation
* Sunday 16:15 - 17:15 second sitting meditation
* Monday 04:30 - 06:30 standing meditation practice
What an excellent retreat, and I am so proud of all of us for taking this precious time to cultivate and work towards purifying our minds and hearts. The weekend gave each of us a wonderful experience to churn up those unwanted/unnecessary negative emotions, thoughts and actions we have pursued in our lifetime (& past lives), and has taught us to continue on with our practice to keep reducing and bringing these to a lesser degree, if we can stay on the path and follow Shifu's teachings. Learn and cultivate and help others to discover that this is the only way - through diligent practice and dharma support from each other, can we then work through our negative space.
I look forward to the next intensive practice retreat.Sign up today for the next retreat
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Thursday, September 10, 2009, 06:56 AM - All About Meditation
Traditionally this fasting is done on certain dates of the Lunar Calendar for Laypersons, however, due to work schedules, and the changing of dates in connection to our Circadian calendar, we decided to keep life simple and just adhere to these precepts every Thursday.The vows to be observed include refraining from:
-Killing
-Stealing
-Lying
-Sexual activities (celibate)
-Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking cigarettes
-Using perfumes, wearing make-up or ornaments, singing, playing music, dancing and other forms of entertainment
-Eating in inappropriate times
-Sitting in high seats
So we eat our breakfast and lunch before noon, and then fast for the rest of the day. We are allowed clear liquids. This helps our meditation immensely - more concentrated, focused. We perform a food offering dedication to those who are less fortunate to have the amount of food we are lucky to have and take for granted, and offer to the hungry ghost.
It's just going on 6:30 am and just finished my daily 2-hour standing meditation practice. It was tougher this morning, as my mind was wandering more, so I had to really try to bring it back. I repeated the mantra more quickly which helped, but visualization of Shifu was fading in and out. Later on I will do my prayers and dedications and then 1-hour sitting meditation. Wen and I just started up reciting Earth Store Boddhisattva Sutra in the evening now, which I find always churns up some good stuff!
Om mani beimei hong
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Thursday, May 8, 2008, 08:25 PM - All About Meditation
It was my second year and third time to be invited by local high schools, (Iroquois Ridge Public School and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School both in Oakville), to teach basic Buddhism theory and Meditation to grade 11 students. Before the class I wondered if the kids would be intrigued sitting there silently for half an hour or even longer, amazingly, most of them demonstrated their extraordinary ability to discipline their minds during the 70 minutes class. Compared to adults, young people's minds are more innocent and direct, they definitely have more fresh energy and a simpler way of thinking.
I was brought to laughter when some of the16 year-olds couldn't hold a cross-legged posture for more than ten minutes, or at least they attempted to get out off it. They started giggling when I told them that my grandfather can do full lotus sit for a long time, and he is at the ripe age of 87.
As always, the best part of the class was showing to the students and teacher my Lay Buddhist robe. Volunteers eagerly wanted to try it on. The entire class became quiet and everybody’s eyes were fixed on the brown coloured long robe with the two huge sleeves which I explained comes from an ancient Chinese fashion style -- more than 2000 years ago.
For me, the Q&A section is always fascinating. Not because that I am the teacher to answer questions, on the contrary, I feel more like a student learning from those young minds. Questions such as "why do the Buddhas all look so fat?", "Can meditation extend life span?" and "What do you think of tattoos and taking drugs?" would rarely be brought out during my regular meditation teaching with adults. Sometimes, when I have to use some abstract words to give answers, they will comfort me and say, don’t worry, we know what you mean. Things are always seem sunny with kids!
I will have to give big thank you to the World Religion class teachers who have opened these great opportunities to me and invited me to participate with these teachings. I believe understanding is what love grows up on. To learn and extend the understanding to each other is the best way for our children to connect to the world. And I am honored to be a part of it.
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Monday, January 14, 2008, 09:54 AM - All About Meditation
This past weekend we had a great retreat. We had 7 of us attend all ready and willing to progress in our meditation and learn Dharma.Wen kept us in line:
After hours of standing and sitting meditation, chanting and eating amazing meals, we were totally,
Make sure you don't miss the next one!
Jemma
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Thursday, September 13, 2007, 12:34 PM - All About Meditation
It has been two years since we first started teaching TWDD meditation in Canada. Majority of our students, following days/months of practice, have experienced the joy of peacefulness and calmness rising from their hearts. Some have made positive life direction changes; some finally disembarked from the procrastination fences they were sitting on and became more focused on the path to true happiness for their lives. Others quit smoking and many gained various health improvements. As a powerful and profound meditation practice method, making such a great impact on people’s lives is fully anticipated and makes sense. To the true meditation practitioners, this is just the first step, and better is yet to come.
Practicing meditation is not like taking medicine -- to be taken only when you are not feeling well. The goal of consistent meditation practice is to allow yourself to become the meditation, to let the seed of peacefulness and happiness ripen and become part of your being. Just like a child learning piano, the experience of learning itself, may not be so appealing to the child because it takes a lot discipline and hard work, however, once when this child has grasped the essence of playing piano and is able to play beautiful music any time he or she wants, the joy of learning piano has just ripened. For the same reason, if we are only trying to focus on the moment of meditation, feeling happy if the meditation is peaceful and comfortable, and feeling upset or losing interest if in one period it becomes turbulent and hard on the legs, we will not be able to move forward into the stage of “becoming”.
So we meditate, with patience, dedication and vigorousness, and let the peace and compassion become part of who we are…
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