Category: News

Abhidharma, Buddhism’s map of the mind, is sometimes treated as a topic of merely intellectual interest. In fact, says Thich Nhat Hanh, identifying the different elements of consciousness, and understanding how they interact, is essential to our practice of meditation.

Thich Nhat Hanh, renowned Zen Master and poet, shares the importance of the Four Layers of Consciousnesses (mind consciousness, sense consciousness, store consciousness, and manas) in simple terms.

The Vietnamese Zen Master Thuong Chieu said, “When we understand how our mind works, our practice becomes easy.” To understand our minds, we need to understand our consciousness.

Read on

Jack Kornfield, author, Buddhist practitioner and one of the key teachers of introducing Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West shares his thoughts on the importance of compassion, love and kindness as antidote to ill-will and hate.

“In these confusing and heated political times, there has been an increase in hate speech and action. In response, we need to rededicate ourselves and our society to the underlying principles of compassion, ethics and kindness.

Buddhism teaches us there is only one way to foster individual and society-wide well-being: through universal respect, compassion and tolerance.
Buddhism rejects all forms of prejudice whether anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-black, anti-white, anti-other. Whether in word or deed, Buddhist teaching shows that any action based on intolerance or hate only brings suffering. Read on.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision for a Unified World

In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, Tricycle is sharing a video dharma talk and four articles about the intersection of race and Buddhism in our world. The authors hope that they serve to edify, motivate, and inspire you toward a deeper understanding of where we’ve been—and how far we have go to—regarding racial justice in our nation.

“There’s nothing about birth or social status that makes a person good or bad. People are good or bad solely in terms of their actions, and so that’s how they should be judged—not by the color of their skin.”

Reflections…

Enjoy various pictures taken during Venerable Bhikku Bodhi’s visit in Houston, November 12-14, 2016.

Thank you to all who walked with the English Dharma Group and/or donated to a noble cause. With the support of many, Houstonians collectively raised $22,240 that will go to Buddhist Global Relief programs benefiting those who are lacking basic needs and education.

Jade Buddha Temple and the English Dharma Group welcomed over 200 attendees to Bhikkhu Bodhi’s Dharma Talk on “Bridging Early Buddhism and Mahayana,” followed by an engaging afternoon workshop on the Venerables book “In the Buddha’s Words.”

We look forward to inviting Bhikkhu Bodhi for another visit in 2017.

On November 17th, more than 150 people representing nine faith communities and cultural organizations attended the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at the Chapel focused on the theme of “Building Relationships.” This was a very timely opportunity to be immersed in the prayers and meditations of various faith traditions and to lift up the diversity and unity found in our region.

Venerable Katapunno chanted passages from the metta sutta while Barbara Homann shared a reflection on the importance of loving-kindness (metta) as an antidote to ill-will and animosity by cultivating understanding, love, and compassion.

“We have the freedom in ourselves to choose love, dignity and respect. In every circumstance, we want to express respect and cultivate compassion for all. Let yourself become a beacon of this mindset and shine with courage and trust. Plant seeds of goodness in whatever form of action you feel is appropriate, water them everywhere and stand up for them. Then blessings will grow for yourself and for all.”

Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation

May I be filled with loving kindness

May I be well in body and mind

May I be safe from inner and outer danger

May I be happy, truly happy

May I be free.

Images of raw photo/audio/video footage by Ben Doyle, Runaway Productions at Rothko Chapel.

Rothko Chapel Website:

http://rothkochapel.org/experience/events/event/houston-interfaith-thanksgiving-service-3/

When we examine our own minds we will inevitably encounter the root forces of greed, fear, prejudice, hatred, and desire, which create so much sorrow in the world. They raise a central question for anyone who undertakes a spiritual life. Can we live with these forces constructively and wisely? Follow Jack Kornfield as he describes how to make the five hindrances part of the path.

Obstacles Are Part of the Path

Jack Kornfield provides the reader with an understanding and instruction to metta – loving kindness meditation.

May I be filled with loving-kindness “I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.” – Walt Whitman. More…

Opening the heart begins by opening to a lifetime’s accumulation of unacknowledged sorrow, both our personal sorrows and the universal sorrows of warfare, hunger, old age, illness, and death. At times we may experience this sorrow physically, as contractions and barriers around our heart, but more often we feel the depth of our wounds, our abandonment, our pain, as unshed tears. The Buddhists describe this as an ocean of human tears larger than the four great oceans.

As we develop a meditative attention, the heart presents itself naturally for healing. The grief we have carried for so long, from pains and dashed expectations and hopes, arises. We grieve for our past traumas and present fears, for all of the feelings we never dared experience consciously. Whatever shame or unworthiness we have within us arises—much of our early childhood pain is stored in the heart. READ MORE…