Reflections on Compassion by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield

The month of February brings Valentine’s Day, a romantic holiday, celebrating love and affection. Here are two Buddhist psychologists, authors, and thought leaders sharing their reflection on acceptance and compassion.

JACK-KORNFIELD-facebook-e1471649003592-1Jack Kornfield on Compassion for Imperfection

What if you could love yourself fully, including your imperfections? What if you could love others in the same way? You might fear that by loving your anger or laziness, your addictions or your anxiety, that you will never change for the better, that you will become more angry, lazy, addicted, or anxious. But if you experiment, you will see that what happens is often the opposite. As you love and accept yourself in a bigger, wiser love, your fear and aggression, your neediness and inertia, lose their hold. …Continue reading…

tara-brach-Tara Brach on Learning to Go Through Life with Love in Your Heart

A Q&A with Buddhist psychologist and renowned meditation teacher Tara Brach about offering radical compassion to yourself and others. Many of us have the habit of judging ourselves and others harshly, drawing lines of blame that separate us from each other. But there’s another way, writes internationally recognized meditation teacher Tara Brach in her new book. Radical Compassion is a way of practicing acceptance and care for ourselves and others that allows us to stay present to all that life brings and stay connected to each other. …Continue reading…

Chinese Spring Festival 3/21 cancelled

Spring Festival 2020 (2)

2020 Chinese Spring Festival

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 21, 2020, and join us for the Texas Buddhist Association’s annual Chinese Spring Festival on the beautiful grounds of the American Bodhi Center in Hempstead, TX.

For the purpose of providing free lunch to all attendees, the Texas Buddhist Association asks you to register if you like to stop by.

More information coming soon.

The Saving Grace of a Spiritual Community-Josten Ma

The Saving Grace of a Spiritual Community by Josten Ma

Josten distinctly remembers when he left Hong Kong over 30 years ago, that he would not be interested in Buddhism. Until many years later, he attended a Dharma class near his home in Northwest Houston and learned about the Buddha’s true words, Jade Buddha Temple and the English Dharma Group. And this started his meditation “career,” which continues to be a vital part of his life. 

Josten served the Texas Buddhist Association in various roles as a long-time EDG coordinator and three-term Board member. More recently, he developed EDG’s semi-annual four-week class on Mindfulness in Urban Living, which he leads in its fourth year. Additionally, he spearheads a local community meditation program called SMG, Satellite Meditation Groups. Meditators meet weekly in three geographical areas around the Greater Houston area.

Meditation is an essential part of his life, and Josten is inspired by sharing his passion with others. It is especially gratifying for him to see dedicated members that join EDG’s classes and take the instructions seriously. The inspiration comes when many begin to see benefits from their earnest practice of the mindfulness exercises. 

Josten Ma

“Personally, my saving grace is the spiritual community (Kalyāṇa-mittatā), nowadays called “support group.”

“Meditation is always present deep inside me, doing it, however, is a different ball game,” Josten points out. “If I didn’t continually associate with people that were interested in meditation, my 20+ years of practice might not have happened.” 

An internet search on this topic reveals a multitude of excuses for not starting or maintaining a regular meditation practice:

According to Mindful Magazine:

  • I’m too busy; I don’t have the time.
  • I find it really uncomfortable to sit still for too long.
  • My mind won’t stop thinking.
  • There are too many distractions; it’s too noisy.
  • I don’t see the benefit.
  • I’m no good at this; I never get it right.
  • It’s all just weird New Age hype.

“If any of these excuses sound familiar, you are not alone. And so, I encourage you to join our weekly Sunday meditation program at Jade Buddha Temple from 10-10:30 am. I am leaving you with a few articles; they might inspire you in the coming New Year 2020. After all, it’s the time of the year to set internal and external intentions!”

Buddhist Podcast Ethan Nichtern

The Road Home podcast with Ethan Nichtern is a contemporary exploration of Buddhist teachings.  Since 2001, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City and the United States. Formerly a Shastri, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, and on the part-time faculty at Eugene Lang College at New School University, Ethan has lectured at Brown, Wesleyan, Yale, NYU, FIT, Antioch and other universities, and as well as at many meditation/yoga centers and conferences around the country and world.

The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern – Be Here Now Network

On Apple podcast.

Episode 30: Leadership & The Art of Growing Up with Jerry Colonna

This time on the Road Home Podcast, Ethan Nichtern is joined by leadership coach Jerry Colonna for a conversation around balancing leadership and wealth with the principles of mindfulness and spiritual practice.

Jerry Colonna is the CEO, and co-founder, of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm whose coaches and facilitators are committed to the notion that better humans make better leaders.

For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, an executive, and a board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others to lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity.

Dharma – January 2020

Happy New Year to our monastic and lay sangha and everyone who visits our website.

This month, we celebrate New Year twice, on January 1st as well as Lunar New Year from January 24-26.

We invite you to visit us for our January Dharma talks, every Sunday from 10:15am to 11:30am.

January 5  Fundamentals of Zen Koan practice with Eng Chew

January 12 Mindfulness as a building block of emotional intelligence with Diego Estrada

January 19 The Noble Eightfold Path Series Venerable Hung I

January 26 Lunar New Year Celebration General Assembly

Dharma – December 2019

VGavesi Dharma EDG April 14

We invite you to visit us for our December Dharma talks, every Sunday from 10:15am to 11:30am.

December 1

The Maha Parinibanna Sutta by Andres Carrillo

December 8

Overcoming Fear by Darin Winter

December 15

The Five Aggregates Series by Venerable Hung I

December 22

Nibbāna by Bhante Katapunno

December 29

End of Year EDG Group Discussion

Celebrating Compassion in Houston

Celebrating Compassion with the English Dharma Group&TBA – Sunday, November 10

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As a partner of Compassionate Houston, the Texas Buddhist Association joins various faith and non-profit organizations in celebrating the Charter for Compassion’s 10th anniversary.

The Charter is an umbrella organization of many compassionate cities and individuals around the globe, united in the principle of creating a respectful, kind, and compassionate world.

The Buddha taught that to realize enlightenment, we must develop two qualities: wisdom and compassion, two wings that work together to enable flying.

EDG, on behalf of TBA, is taking part in celebrating the 10th anniversary by reading the Charter of Compassion during our Sunday Dharma talk on November 10, 2009,

tenth-anniversaryCharter

For information on the Charter and Compassionate Houston, see the download link below:
Charter for Compassion with brief overview of Compassionate Houston

Dharma – November 2019

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  • Types of Meditation and their roles | November 3 | Daniel Strain. Daniel, who leads our meditation every 1st and 3rd Sunday, will present an in-depth look at different types of meditation, techniques, their roles, and relationships. Time 10:15am to 11:20am Kwan Yin Hall.
  • Mindfulness without meditation | November 10 | Bhikkhu Cintita. This Sunday’s public talk is part of Bhikkhu Cintita’s Introduction to Buddhism class. Mindfulness and concentration without meditation is open to everyone. Time 10:15am to 11:20am Kwan Yin Hall.
  • Temple Closed | November 17. As it is custom, the Sunday following the Saturday bazaar on November 16, our biggest fundraising event, the Temple is closed, and no EDG programs are offered to give our volunteers time to rest. For information on our bazaar, click here.
  • Nirvana | November 24 | Bhante Katapunna. The Venerable continuous with a talk on the concept of Nirvana/Nibbana following Venerable Narada Mahathera’s book “The Buddha, His Life, and His Teachings.” A free PDF is available on our website under Free Downloads. Time 10:15am to 11:20am Kwan Yin Hall.

Annual Temple Bazaar 11/16

Texas Buddhist Association at Jade Buddha Temple

Presents

“Annual Bazaar”

@ 10:00 am on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Please join us in celebrating our biggest fundraiser event, a lively day filled with joy for the whole family.

Fun for all Ages

Cultural Extravaganza

International Food Stalls

Multi-Language Karaoke 

Face painting

Gift Booths

One of the highlights is our Raffle with a chance to win over 100 attractive prizes, such as $1000 cash, iPhone XR, drone, Ipad, Keurig Coffee Maker, and a Dashcam. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each or $50/booklet.

Come and bring family and friends.

Bazaar2015_3Jade Buddha Temple
6969 Westbranch Drive
Houston, TX 77072-2163

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2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018 EDG sponsored activities

Face Painting – Karaoke – Used Items Booth

See you there! Best food in town!

Dharma Talk Sep 29

Right Thought by Dr. Ann Friedman

Join us this Sunday for Ann’s Dharma Talk on Right Thought, the second factor in the Wisdom group of the Noble Eightfold Path, described by the Buddha as a way to end suffering, or in contemporary terms, to find lasting happiness.
This factor indicates noble qualities such as detachment, love, compassion, and non-violence, extended to all beings. And a lack of wisdom results in thoughts of selfish desire, ill-will, hatred, and violence in ourself as well as society.

Ann FriedmanAnn Friedman, Ph.D., a psychologist with private practice in Houston, has studied mindfulness with various national teachers since 2007. She received a Certification in Mindfulness Facilitation from the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) of the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at UCLA.

Ann teaches mindfulness classes for adults, teens, and school districts, often in collaboration with Mental Health America of Greater Houston. She also presents at corporations. In 2018 Ann was sent by UNICEF to teach Mindfulness in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

Ann previously served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Counseling Psychology Graduate Program for over ten years.