Tu Viện Quảng Đức105 Lynch Rd, Fawkner, Vic 3060. Australia. Tel: 9357 3544. quangduc@quangduc.com* Viện Chủ: HT Tâm Phương, Trụ Trì: TT Nguyên Tạng   

Zen meditation Community members practice path to peaceful living

11/01/201103:33(Xem: 3225)
Zen meditation Community members practice path to peaceful living

meditation_buddha1
Zen meditation Community members practice path to peaceful living 

by Joe Hermosa, Valley Morning Star, March 30, 2004 

 

Rio Grande, USA -- The pungent smell of incense wafts through a room shaded by thin reed blinds. In that room people sit in a circle on chairs and pillows strewn on the floor.

They discuss their thoughts following meditation.

Members of the Sangha of the Rio Grande Valley practice Zen meditation at a group meeting. By KEMBERLY GONG
 

The people are members of the Sangha of the Rio Grande Valley, a band of diverse people who meet, not always regularly, to meditate and discuss Eastern thought.

Their common thread is Zen meditation and the pursuit of mindfulness. Mindfulness, the shift of focus to the present, is the path to a more peaceful living, members of the group say.

Small pockets of people in the Valley are discovering alternative ways of healing, shunning a caffeinated life for a calmer existence.

Whether they practice Zen meditation, yoga and other forms of physical, spiritual or mental healing, they are finding there are outlets in the Valley to help them do so.

The Zen community is not large, said Mark Matthews, who founded the group 11 years ago. He said he did it in the hope of finding others with an interest in meditation as a way to improve life.

In the Rio Grande Valley, Zen meditation may seem as vague and unattainable as the gently curling smoke from a stick of incense. But its appeal has spread to some Valley residents.

Those who participate appreciate the dedicated few that keep the group alive.

Most members said they were surprised when they found others interested in Eastern thought in the Valley.

"Believe me, I thought I was the only one in Texas," said Noe Reyes, the owner of a tree nursery in Edinburg. The most recent meeting was held at his home.

Reyes built a Japanese garden and a teahouse in part of his yard to give him a serene place to meditate, and has been meditating for about six years. He said it’s helped him control anger and stay calm in tough times.

"I believe that because of my meditation, I am more calm about things and I am better able to keep my cool a lot more than I used to under stressful situations," he said.

Jennifer Klement, a member of the group for six years, said it was important to have meetings with others who practice.

"It is like a church: you need a Sangha, you need the support of others," she said, and a place to discuss the teachings and the practice of meditation.

Sangha is a Sanskrit word that means a community, either lay or ordained, that practices Buddhism.

The group creates a small community of people with similar beliefs.

Some find the group by word of mouth, while others find it on the Internet.

The Sangha was founded by Matthews, a former Catholic priest, and Sister Mary Catherine Griffin, who were both inspired by a book called "Being Peace" by Thich Naht Hanh, a Vietnamese monk who has published books on peace, Buddhism and meditation.

"I devoured the book," Matthews said. "It was so wonderful to be exposed to the practice of mindfulness."

The group was started with a few core members, most of whom have left, though others have filled the spots.

The group has taken many different turns down its path, sometimes meeting every two weeks and at other times, meeting every two months.

"We kind of naturally meet," Matthews said. "We go through cycles."

Regardless of the numbers attending, Matthews said the group connection is important.

"It’s important to have a group of people who are practicing here. It’s a support. When we get together, we have questions and we can share those experiences," he said.

Suzie Lovegren, who recently attended her first meeting with the group, said she was happy to find others who shared her commitment to meditation.

"I felt myself sitting less, and I wanted the support of others who were doing this," she said.

"Support deepens your own practice," she said.

Lovegren attended with her husband James, and three of her children.

The group focuses on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the primary principles of Buddhism, which is the elimination of suffering.

They believe that by focusing on the present, happiness can be achieved.

Members focus their energy by deep breathing and clearing their mind of "all of the things that our minds do that prevent us from being in the present," such as thinking about events in the past or future.

Matthews said some people may be hesitant to try meditation because they are not familiar with it or don’t know how to do it.

"Meditation is so simple," he said.

"It’s really training the mind to calm down, to become peaceful."

He said it was "very practical. It’s not very strange or mystical."

He said it is not mandatory to sit in a certain position. The important thing is to focus on breathing in and out, he said.

Focusing on one thing helps one to relax and "find peace within oneself."

Many group members said they were familiar with meditation or eastern thought before joining the group.

They continue to meditate daily, while meeting occasionally to discuss their practices and study a facet of Buddhist teachings.

 
Source: http://www.buddhistnews.tv

 

Gửi ý kiến của bạn
Tắt
Telex
VNI
Tên của bạn
Email của bạn
05/10/2023(Xem: 1057)
pa-auk-tawya-sayadawThis is the second Sutta the Buddha taught to human beings after His enlightenment. It was taught five days after the full-moon day of the first rains retreat, that is, the fifth day after the expounding of the Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta. Đây là bài Kinh (Sutta) thứ hai mà Đức Phật thuyết giảng cho nhân loại sau khi Ngài giác ngộ. Nó được giảng năm ngày sau ngày trăng tròn của tháng mùa mưa đầu tiên, ngày thứ năm sau khi thuyết giảng Kinh Chuyển Pháp Luân (Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta).
05/10/2023(Xem: 808)
The Buddha was careful to classify questions according to how they should be answered, based on how helpful they were to gaining awakening. Some questions deserved a categorical answer, that is, one that holds true across the board. Some he answered analytically, redefining or refining the terms before answering. Some required counter-questioning, to clarify the issue in the questioner’s mind. But if the question was an obstacle on the path, the Buddha put it aside.
05/10/2023(Xem: 1185)
Buddhist traditions – Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism. A personal account of how anatta and meditation are related in the experience of the author follows. The twin approach of contemporary textual study and personal phenomenological investigation may prove to be a helpful methodology in the elucidation of this most enigmatic, and perhaps, most controversial teaching of the historical Buddha
23/09/2021(Xem: 6487)
Kính mời quý Phật tử xem thông báo này của Moreland City Council (nhân viên council vừa đến chùa nhờ thông báo), nếu quý vị chưa chích Covid-19 vaccine xin liên lạc booking số: 1800 675 398 và đến Fawkner Community Hall, 79 Jukes Rd, Fawkner (cách Tu Viện Quảng Đức một con đường, 5 phút đi bộ) vào các ngày 27, 28 và 29 tháng 9 năm 2021 để được chích vaccine. Từ 12 tuổi đến 60 tuổi sẽ được chích Pfizer; từ 60 tuổi trở lên sẽ được chích AstraZeneca. Cầu nguyện đại dịch sớm tận trừ và mọi người vui khỏe và bình an. Nay xin thông báo, Thích Nguyên Tạng Trụ Trì Tu Viện Quảng Đức 🙏🙏🙏🌹🥀🌷🌷🌸🏵️🌻🌼🍁🌺🍀🌹🥀🌷🌸🏵️
20/08/2021(Xem: 4700)
Venerable Ananda Maitreya was one of the most respected Buddhist monks of the twentieth century in Sri Lanka. Venerable Ananda Maitreya was born near Balangoda in Sri Lanka. He was ordained as a novice on 2 March 1911 in Sri Lanka. His upasampada [higher ordination] was conducted on 14 July 1916 in Balangoda Sri Lanka. Although he travelled overseas, he remained rooted in Balangoda and opened Dhammananda Pirivena a monastic college for novice Monks in Balangoda. Venerable Ananda Maitreya played important roles in the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He served as a lecturer in Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhalese at Ananda College in Colombo. When Nalanda College in Colombo was opened in 1925, he became the first teacher of Buddhism On opening in 1959 Vidyodaya University appointed him a Professor of Mahayana Buddhism in 1959, Dean of the Faculty of Buddhist studies in 1963, and Vice Chancellor in 1966. In 1969, Venerable Ananda Maitreya was appointed as the Mahanayaka [Head] of Am
03/05/2021(Xem: 8429)
Once, as I was about to hold a summer Dharma class on a beach, as the first students began to arrive for the session I picked up two rocks and carefully placed them, one on top of the other, on to a much larger rock base. Observing what I had just done, three students approached: a young married couple and their five year old son.
03/05/2021(Xem: 8564)
True Seeing (Ven. Shih Jingang) One day, while Little Pebble and his Master were walking through a garden, the old teacher stopped to look at a white rose in full bloom. He motioned for his young disciple to join him, and they both sat down near where the flower was growing. ‘Little Pebble,’ said the Master, ‘when you look at this object, tell me what you think about it.’ ‘The flower is pretty,’ stated the boy. ‘I like it.’ ‘’’Flower,” you say. “Pretty, like it,” you say,’ replied the Master, looking to see how his young disciple reacted. Then he added, ‘Mind creates names like flower, and thoughts of like and dislike, pretty and ugly. This mind is small and closed, but if you can see beyond it to the nature of mind, then all is vast like space, completely open to all things. In this state of awareness, there is neither a flower nor a non-flower. Understand?’ But the young disciple did not quite understand, so his Master continued, ‘Little one, come here each day,
03/05/2021(Xem: 10313)
One day, Little Pebble went to his teacher, and said, ‘Master, my friend’s dog Tiger died.’ The look on Little Pebble’s face told the old monk that he was troubled. ‘Little one, do you have any questions?’ ‘Master, where did Tiger go?’ ‘Where did you come from?’ asked the old monk. ‘From my mummy’s tummy.’ ‘And where did Mummy come from?’ Little Pebble couldn’t think of an answer. The Master regarded his young disciple for a moment, then said, ‘Remember, when you made shapes with mud and named them Mummy, Daddy, Master?’
14/03/2020(Xem: 21232)
The Book was first published in 1942. The present edition has been revised and expanded. Though primarily intended for the students and beginners rather than scholars, the reader will find it an extremely valuable handbook, offering a sound foundation to the basic tenets of Buddhism as found in its original Pali tradition.
facebook youtube google-plus linkedin twitter blog
Nguyện đem công đức này, trang nghiêm Phật Tịnh Độ, trên đền bốn ơn nặng, dưới cứu khổ ba đường,
nếu có người thấy nghe, đều phát lòng Bồ Đề, hết một báo thân này, sinh qua cõi Cực Lạc.

May the Merit and virtue,accrued from this work, adorn the Buddhas pureland,
Repay the four great kindnesses above, andrelieve the suffering of those on the three paths below,
may those who see or hear of these efforts generates Bodhi Mind, spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma,
the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Quang Duc Buddhist Welfare Association of Victoria
Tu Viện Quảng Đức | Quang Duc Monastery
Senior Venerable Thich Tam Phuong | Senior Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang
Address: Quang Duc Monastery, 105 Lynch Road, Fawkner, Vic.3060 Australia
Tel: 61.03.9357 3544 ; Fax: 61.03.9357 3600
Website: http://www.quangduc.com ; http://www.tuvienquangduc.com.au (old)
Xin gửi Xin gửi bài mới và ý kiến đóng góp đến Ban Biên Tập qua địa chỉ:
quangduc@quangduc.com , tvquangduc@bigpond.com
VISITOR
110,220,567