Welcome
Every Wednesday
Weekly Meditation Services (WMS) are on Wednesday evenings. They begin at 6 PM with a discussion or talk (see below for this month's discussion topics). At about 7 PM there is a meditation service followed at 8 PM by a potluck dinner. All of Wednesday evening's events are open to the public. There is no fee and reservations are not required.
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May Wednesday Meditations and Discussions
1 Third Noble Truth – Cessation of Dukkha - The most important of the Four Noble Truths because there is an assurance that true happiness and contentment are possible.
8 Kshanti - patience, forgiveness and forbearance. One of the Six Perfections, it is essential to living a Buddhist life.
15 Buddhism and Scientific Rationalism - An exploration of a topic that we revisit in order to better understand the relevance of a 2,500 year old tradition in a post-modern world.
22 Q&A – Stump the Sensei – Do you have any questions about the Buddhadharma about which you have not found a satisfactory answer? Write down the question and bring it with you. There are no 'too simple' or involved questions. Sensei will do his best to answer in a way that at least sheds light on the issue.
29 Five Buddha Families - archetypes in Buddhist symbolism – are distinctive means of representing necessary qualities related to teachings, philosophy and life. We will examine their meaning and relevance to contemporary practice.
Other events in May:
4 Sutra Class and Morning Service, 8:30 – 10:30 AM - Vajrachedika Prajnaparamita Sutra (The Diamond Sutra). It is one of the earliest Mahayana sutras and is considered by many scholars as foundational to subsequent Mahayana thought. Don't miss this informative and fun class. The book used for this class is The Diamond Sutra: transforming the way we perceive the world, by Mu Soeng; Wisdom Publications (2000).
14 Buddhist Film Night – 5:00 – 7:30 PM The Funeral - was the writing and directing debut of Itami Juzo, and was an enormous success in Japan. It won five Japanese Academy Awards in 1985, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Tsutomu Yamazaki. The film shows the preparations for a traditional Japanese Buddhist funeral. It mixes grief at the loss of a husband and father with wry observations of the various characters as they interact during the three days of preparation. The film is sub-titled in English, 108 min.
Notes and Announcements
Lay Leadership Training
We are developing a program for members of all Tendai sangha in North America. The training is intended for people who have been members of a sangha for at least two years, and wish to serve as assistants to the sangha. This is not training to be a priest and does not result in ordination.
The first training period is this summer from July 18th to the 21st. There are a number of other requirements. Several people from each sangha may participate. The charge will be similar to a retreat. If you are interested please send an e-mail to Monshin sensei for further information and the application. Information regarding this program will be sent to people who request more information.
Food Pantry at Jiunzan Tendai-ji - The need is much greater than the resources of the local food pantries, especially at this time of year. Please bring non-perishable food items to the Tendai Buddhist Institute on Wednesdays. We contribute these items to the Chatham Silent Food Pantry
