Kuan Yin Shrine near Adelanto

A new meditation center has been established near rural San Bernadino County by Venerable Thich Dang Phap. A 24-foot high marble statue of Kuan Yin, the Boddhisatva of Compassion,

Phap's goal is to build a monastery "that would draw Buddhist and others from across the nation".

"A wooden sign hopefully proclaims the Chan Nguyen Buddhist Meditation Center. But it is still a work in progress.

A recently built concrete walkway is lined with 22 empty pedestals. Seven-foot-tall statues that will adorn them sit a few inches away, still in their packing crates and wrapped in plastic. Two gazebos topped by giant fiberglass lotus flowers are under construction. Boxes with roof tiles sit nearby. The rest of the 15-acre site is mostly barren desert that Phap long ago cleared of chaparral.

Yet the shrine already is attracting Buddhists from Riverside and San Bernardino counties -- there are as many as 100,000 Buddhists in the Inland area -- and other parts of Southern California."

Week 10: Last meeting of the Quarter

Hello UBA friends,

As we munch on the remains of our turkey or tofurky, we invite you to our last meditation of Fall Quarter, and of the 2008 year! As usual, we will be gathering from 5:30-7 pm this Tuesday, December 2nd at the University Catholic Center (UCC) at 633 Gayley Avenue. 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.

We hope to see everyone there! It will be a great chance to take a break from our hectic schedules of finals and papers and come back to the present moment.

Feel free to email us at uba.ucla.online@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for events you would like to see next quarter. Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you all again when we come back in January!

Interview with Master Sheng Yen

Here's an interview with Chinese Buddhist Master Sheng Yen by the Religion News Service. He is a prominent and influential figure in Chan (or in Japanese, Zen) Buddhism, teaching in America and writing about Buddhism for the West. You can read a short bio at Wikipedia as well as his new more in-depth memoir, Footprints in the Snow. Here are some interesting questions he answered in the interview:

Q. How did you get through the difficult times in your life?
A. There is no problem that cannot be overcome. To use our heart means to understand how we should go about carrying on. To persevere means to try again and again, and do not be worried and afraid. When I was in mountain, living alone, (I) never thought I was alone. I felt that there are many sentient beings and many bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) to help me.

Q. Why is it better for Buddhists to not get involved in politics?
A. This has something to do with Buddhist tradition. The Buddha was a prince who left home and did not want to get involved in politics any more. Politics is necessary for worldly people. But as soon as one is involved in politics, there will be a lot of problems regarding who is right and who is wrong. As a monastic or a practitioner, one should know what one needs to know about politics, but one should not get involved. As soon as one gets involved, one will immediately be sucked into the worldly, secular environment and be tangled up with it. This will obstruct one's cultivation in the practice.

Q. You recently decided to refuse a kidney transplant. Why?
A. Since I am already 80 years old, if a kidney is transplanted to my body, at most it will be used for 20 more years. If it is transplanted to a younger person the function to be fulfilled by the kidney will be greater. Therefore I think it is wasteful to transplant a perfectly functioning kidney into my body.

Urban Dharma Newsletter 11-28-08

In This Issue: Buddhism and Bhikkhu Bodhi

HI,

It's been awhile since the last newsletter, life is really full...
This newsletter is focused on Bhikkhu Bodhi... I hope you find it useful and interesting.

-Kusala-

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Dalai Lama's possible successor

A likely candidate to replace the Dalai Lama's position as leader of the Tibet movement is Gyalwang Karmapa, the third-highest lama in the Tibetan religious firmament. He is also known as the Karmapa.

"At 23, the Karmapa has some unique characteristics that make him appealing to a broad cross-section of Tibetan Buddhists, and even to China, which now claims the right to approve or veto all reincarnations born to become "'living Buddhas' - or senior lamas delivered to help alleviate human suffering. Reincarnation, or rebirth, is a basic tenet of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Karmapa is the first Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation to be recognized by both the Dalai Lama and Communist Party authorities of China. He made headlines in January 2000, at age 14, with his flight from Chinese-ruled Tibet into exile, traveling by foot and horseback, then by jeep and helicopter to India. Allegations of espionage, intrigue involving a forgotten amulet and squabbling within a monastery marked his early years in India.

Exuding self-assuredness, the solidly built, 6-foot-tall Karmapa received several foreign journalists in a rare interview over the weekend at the university that's his temporary home near the mountain headquarters of the Dalai Lama. The Karmapa talked of his love of music, his future role for Tibetan Buddhists and the lack of human rights in China. He criticized the Chinese government, which he said wanted 'to create this ethnic conflict' that exploded in deadly rioting in Tibet in March. However, he spoke tenderly of the Chinese."

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.

2009 Buddhist Calender

Hi everyone,

Thanksgiving is only a few days away and yet, stores are already featuring their Christmas products and setting up Christmas decorations - it seems like the year just passes by so fast. But as we look forward to all the wonderful things winter has to bring, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas break, it's always important to be mindful of the present moment.

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." -- Words of the Buddha --

In light of those words, to help everyone keep in the present moment, here is the link to a 2009 Buddhist calendar posted on the Urban Dharma website: http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/2009_calendar.pdf.

While it may seem contradictory to offer a calender for the coming year while suggesting to stay in the present moment, I find that one of the best ways to stay in the present moment is to know where the present moment lies relative to the past and present. In other words, do not dwell upon the upcoming year or what has happened in this past year, but merely be aware of the past and present that has been and is to come, and you will be much more conscious of the present.

With hopes of thanks and giving for everyone,
Eric