Tag: meditation

IMPORTANT UPDATE – SMG Book Study 2024

Published on by BHS

Dear Friends, we made short-notice changes to SMG’s new book study for 2024. Instead of starting the year reading Bhikkhu Bodhi’s “In the Buddha’s Words,” we will study his latest book “Noble Truths, Noble Path: The Heart Essence of the Buddha’s Original Teachings.” The book received a lot of praise from readers.

A hard copy can be purchased from various retailers; the paperback will be available on January 9. To give everyone time to order their copy, we are moving our start date to Saturday, January 20.

Some of you might be ordering books on Amazon.com. Another option is the non-profit Wisdom Publication, a leading publisher of books and online courses on contemporary and classic Buddhism, mindfulness, and meditation. One of our SMG members just placed his order with them for $24.62, including shipping. You can order your copy here.

If you are not already a member of SMG (SMG is short for Satellite Meditation Group; currently virtual only, hence at times referred to as vSMG) and would like to participate, contact Barbara and Rick at vsmg.mgr@gmail.com to be added to the group’s mailing list. We meet on Saturdays at 10am for a gently guided group meditation and start at 10:30am reading and studying our chosen book, infused with lively discussions to further apply the content to our practice, no matter everyone’s level of experience.

Weekly (Sunday)Dharma Talks

Published on by BHS

Every Sunday, the Jade Buddha Temple (Kwan Yin Hall), has weekly Dharma talks. Some of the talks are given in person (at Kwan Yin Hall) and others are given/seen remotely via Zoom (seen via projector in Kwan Yin Hall).

See calendar icon, or image, in the footer, to find out who will be delivering the Dharma talk and if the talk will be in person (at Kwan Yin Hall) or remotely via Zoom (seen via projector in Kwan Yin Hall). But, regardless, please join us every Sunday and participate in these Dharma talks.

Timelines:
10:00 AM – 10:30AM: (Central time) Guided meditation.
10:30 AM – 11:30AM: Dharma talk provided by monks, nuns, and lay persons.

Also, you can sign up for the weekly newsletter (bottom of this page) to receive information about these weekly Darma talks.

The Saving Grace of a Spiritual Community-Josten Ma

Published on by BH

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!”

Deconstructing Mindfulness: Embracing a Complex Simplicity

Published on by BH

lesly-juarez-307974-unsplashDr. David L. Collins looks at the noticeable increase in studies of mindfulness and meditation in recent years and provides a compact overview on the history of mindfulness. Read on.

Collins wraps up his critical look by recognizing that “a particularly beneficial effect of mindfulness practice is the way it can help us to remember that we don’t know everything.” He brings his blog to a close by sharing a thought provoking koan:

The 10th century Chinese Zen student Fayan was on his pilgrimage. During a rainstorm he put up at the temple of a Zen priest named Dizang. The next morning, as he was getting ready to leave and continue his pilgrimage, Dizang asked him, “What’s the purpose of pilgrimage?” Fayan paused and answered, “I don’t know.” Dizang said, “Not knowing is closest to it.” Fayan had an awakening.
(cf. The Book of Equanimity, koan case 20)

 

The Science Behind Mindfulness

Published on by BH

The practice of mindfulness is everywhere. What is mindfulness? Can it really improve your mental state? What does the research have to say about it?

mindset-743163_960_720Business leaders, professional athletes, mental health professionals, and, of course, your neighbor down the street are all discussing how being mindful can improve our mental state and general well-being. Mindfulness is used as an approach for treating pain, depression, anxiety, OCD, addiction, chronic diseases, and HIV treatment side effects, as well as an aid in weight loss and in being more productive. So what is mindfulness? And what does the research have to say about its ability to better our lives? Read on for a brief look at the evidence-backed benefits of participating in a mindfulness program? By Sabrina Stierwalt, PhD.