Vesak Day 2009 is in TWO days!

Vesak Day 2009 is two days away, this Saturday at UCLA!! If you are in the Los Angeles area, please come to our FREE event. Below is all you need to know plus an updated schedule of who's speaking, performing, and leading the discussion. Also, if you have facebook, please RSVP on our event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?sid=657edc3b662d97cfd68ac50c970aeea8&eid=76892984253&ref=search

If have any questions, contact me at eriku@ucla.edu. Hope to see you there!

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Who: Southern California University Buddhist Association (SCUBA) 

What: Vesak Day (or Buddha Day) celebrates the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha. It is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world as a remembrance of the Buddha and his universal message of peace to humankind. 

Come out and learn more about Buddhism with the University Buddhist Association! Everyone is welcome - Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The event is FREE and will consist of cultural performances, speakers, a Bathing of the Buddha ceremony, and a Q&A session. 

Performances by: Chinese Cultural Dance Club and Nam Giao Do

Speakers: Don Farber, a renowned photographer of the Dalai Lama and Buddhist Life; Venerable Miao Hsi, of Hsi Lai Temple; Venerable Pannaloka of Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara

Discussion Leaders: Venerable Kusala of the International Buddhist Meditation Center; Professor Natasha Heller; former UBA president Aaron Lee

When: Saturday, May 23, 2009
10:30 - 2:00pm

Where: Kerckhoff Grand Salon, UCLA
308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Why: To watch amazing performances, listen to great speakers, learn something about Buddhism, and eat delicious and free food.

More information about Vesak Day:

Significance of Vesak - Buddha Day
http://www.buddhanet.net/vesak.htm

Wikipedia - Vesak
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak

What is Vesak?
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,4043,0,0,1,0 

Vesak Message from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
http://theuba.blogspot.com/2009/05/vesak-message-from-british-prime.html

Week 8: Vesak Day!

Hello UBA friends,

First, a quick note to remind you about our weekly meditation meeting this Tuesday, May 19th from 5:30-7 pm at the UCC (633 Gayley). As always, our meetings are facilitated by Reverend Kusala, who leads us in a dharma discussion followed by a chance to ask questions and a
meditation. Previous dharma discussions are available in podcast form at Rev. Kusala's website: www.dharmatalks.info.

Also, we would like to formally invite each and every one of you to our special annual Vesak event presented in conjunction with SCUBA, the Southern California University Buddhist Association, held this year at UCLA. Here are some details on the event:

Who: Southern California University Buddhist Association (SCUBA)

What: Vesak Day (or Buddha Day) celebrates the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha. It is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world as a remembrance of the Buddha and his universal message of peace to humankind.

Come out and learn more about Buddhism with the University Buddhist Association! Everyone is welcome - Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The event is FREE and will consist of cultural performances, speakers, a brief Bathing of the Buddha ceremony, a Q&A session, and lunch!

Performances by: Chinese Cultural Dance Club and BOCA Youth Group Choir

Speakers: Don Farber, a renowned photographer of the Dalai Lama and Buddhist Life; Venerable Miao Shi, of Hsi Lai Temple; Venerable Pannaloka of Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara

Ceremony Led by: Ven. Huei Hsuen of Dharma Seal Temple

When: Saturday, May 23, 2009 11:00am - 2:00pm (doors open at 10:30 am)

Where: Charles E Young Grand Salon in Kerckhoff Hall, UCLA 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Why: To watch amazing performances, listen to great speakers, learn something about Buddhism, and eat delicious and free food.

Please join our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=76892984253

For more info, contact us at ucla.uba.online@gmail.com.

Celebrate Vesak Day at UCLA!

The Southern California Univeristy Buddhist Association (SCUBA) presents: Vesak Day celebration at UCLA! This is happening the during Memorial Day weekend so save the date!

What: Vesak Day (or Buddha Day) celebrates the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha. It is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world as a remembrance of the Buddha and his universal message of peace to humankind. 

Come out and learn more about Buddhism with the University Buddhist Association! Everyone is welcome - Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The event is FREE and will consist of cultural performances, speakers, a brief Bathing of the Buddha ceremony, and a Q&A session. 

Performances by: Chinese Cultural Dance Club; and more to come.

Speakers: Don Farber, an acclaimed photographer of the Dalai Lama; and more to come.

When: Saturday, May 23, 2009
10:30 - 2:00pm

Where: Kerckhoff Grand Salon, UCLA
308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Why: To watch amazing performances, listen to great speakers, learn something about Buddhism, and eat delicious and free food.

More information about Vesak Day:

Significance of Vesak - Buddha Day
http://www.buddhanet.net/vesak.htm

Wikipedia - Vesak
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak

What is Vesak?
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,4043,0,0,1,0 

To learn more about the University Buddhist Association at UCLA, please visit our:
Website: http://www.theuba.org/

Christian Disneyland

Florida...famous for Universal Studios, Disneyworld, and ... the Holy Land Experience?
Watch this video clip from Newsweek and see if you're up for a visit to this Christian theme park.



I was curious as to whether or not there are Buddhist theme parks. It turns out there's a Buddhist theme park in Saigon, Vietnam called Suoi Tien Park that features the torments of Buddhist Hell. Quite interesting. Here are some pictures of the park, which in my opinion looks pretty intricate and detailed.

Anyone else know of any religious theme parks?

Message to Buddhists for the Feast of Vesak

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL
FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

MESSAGE TO BUDDHISTS
FOR THE FEAST OF VESAKH/HANAMATSURI 2009

Dear Buddhist friends,

1. The forthcoming feast of Vesakh/Hanamatsuri offers a welcome occasion to send you, on behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, our sincere congratulations and cordial best wishes: may this feast once again bring joy and serenity to the hearts of all Buddhists throughout the world. This annual celebration offers Catholics an opportunity to exchange greetings with our Buddhist friends and neighbours, and in this way to strengthen the existing bonds of friendship and to create new ones. These ties of cordiality allow us to share with each other our joys, hopes and spiritual treasures.

For the full message, please click here.

Buddhist's New Year

Here's a Buddhist's New Year Guide from Shambhala Sun Space:

"Still not sure how you’ll celebrate the arrival of 2009? Well, for meditators, there are seemingly as many possibilities as their are methods and schools. Here are just a few. Just click on their links for more info."

Read full article

Photo from Shambhala Sun Space

What does a Buddhist say to the Christmas shopper?

I have posted a few articles on Buddhism and shopping, as we all feel a certain degree of necessity to buy presents for those we care about. But how can we balance all the sales, lines, and gift wrapping with merely enjoying the holidays for what it really represents - a time to recollect and spend time with loved ones at the end of the year.

I found this short but clever and helpful little line from the article "Where Buddha Meets Freud":

Q: What does a Buddhist blogger say to the Christmas shopper?
A: Be the present.

Yes, be the present. Not only does that provide an interesting way of looking at the holidays but it also eliminates all the stress of pushing and shoving through crowds and lining up at stores...the list could go on. May everyone enjoy their holidays.

Read full article

Don't celebrate Christmas?

For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas...

Read full article.

Britney wishes Japanese Merry Christmas

Britney Spears wished Merry Christmas during a guest appearance in a Japanese TV show. I guess even though the Japanese are mainly Buddhist, she means well at heart.

Read full article.

War on Christmas

Here's an interesting article that discusses the "war on Christmas" that some people fight in during the holiday season. The University Buddhist Association at UCLA staff recently experienced something related to this issue in trying to find a holiday card for Venerable Kusala that did not mention "Christmas" or any family relationships (father, mother, son) on it. The result was a really hard time searching through all possible cards but also finding a great card at the end.

Read full article.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we come upon Thanksgiving Day and come together for Thanksgiving dinner, let us be reminded of the Five Contemplations and be mindful and thankful of the food we eat:

1.This food is a gift of the whole universe, the Earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard work.

2. May we eat in mindfulness and gratitude, so as to be worthy to receive it.

3. May we transform our unskillful states of mind, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.

4. May we eat in such a way as to keep our compassion alive, reduce the suffering of living beings, and preserve our planet.

Insights...

While serving our food:
In this food I see clearly the presence of the entirer universe supporting my existence.

Before eating:
Beings all over the Earth are struggling to live. May we practice so that all may have enough to eat.

After the meal:
My plate is empty. My appetite is fulfilled. My heart is filled with gratitude for parents, teachers, friends, and all beings.

5. We accept this food so that we may nourish our brother and sisterhood, strengthen our Sangha and realize our ideal of serving living beings.

All verses above are taken from the Deer Park Monastery.