January 2007 Issue No: 18 Voice Of Wisdom Monthly Newsletter of The Triple Gem Of The North New Home Triple Gem of the North celebrated its first permanent location with a housewarming on Sunday afternoon, January 7 th. Christened The Buddhist Meditation Center, members and guests came from all over Minnesota and Iowa to celebrate the new center at 311 East Elm Street in Mankato. Founder and resident Buddhist Monk, Bhante Sathi, was joined by fellow monk, Magama Dhammajeewa of Pasadena, California; and Pema Tsultim, a nun from Chanhassen Minnesota. Bhante Sathi and Bhante Dhamma led a chanting and blessing for the new meditation center, and for the life, mind and journey of all those present. The center, which will become Bhante s permanent home, was made possible by the efforts and donations of many TGN members. I m very pleased about starting a permanent center, said Bhante. This new center will provide space for meditation and retreats, and the study of teachings of the Buddha. He also sees it as an important step in providing a valuable addition to the community. Future events include teaching various types of meditation, yoga classes, chanting, and a full moon retreat. More information about the new Buddhist Meditation Center, and an events calendar are available at www.triplegem.org or telephone:507 933 4421, 612-216-4854. -Reported by Alixa Doom -
Page 2 You are Your Own Savior A good friend invited me to lunch on Christmas Day. While sitting down at the table, another guest sitting next to me asked, Do Buddhists pray? Sensing a challenge, I pressed forward. No, we don t. My answer stopped her dead in her tracks. Really? Buddhists don t pray? Where do you find comfort and guidance in trying times? Her response was both incredulous and slightly troubled as she batted the question back to me a second time. Why didn t she understand me? First, let me say---prayer is a valuable resource to many who find comfort, peace and solace in its practice. There are two types of prayer: to God or some other greater power; and mantras, practiced by Hindus (who use it to get closer to God or deities) and Tibetan Buddhists (who use it as a form of meditation.) Other Buddhist sects use mantras at times, but none pray to the Buddha for guidance. Most often, people pray to God in times of need when human capacity can no longer help. To Buddhists, we work at understanding our mind to understand the situation of seeking power that can help us. Long ago, farmers would pray to a rain god when a drought or a flood materialized, or a sun god when there was not enough or too much sun. Certain tribes would also pray to snake gods and the like when their people were killed or injured by dangerous creatures. It was believed that certain animals held a godlike power of life and death. These rituals grew to become a part of the culture. However, fear is the root of this practice. Buddha said, attai attno natho or You are your own savior. He also said, Dhammo have rakkathi dhammachari which is, One who follows the dhamma will be protected by the dhamma. When something bad happens to us or someone we love we become sad and unhappy. Our mind becomes clouded and restless with emotion sometimes to the point where we lose sleep as we try to find a way out of our predicament. We crave for help from someone or a miracle from a higher being. We can t see reality clearly. If a situation, such as a terminal illness, is unchangeable we keep wishing that it will improve. Hopelessness sets in. Even if we do overcome our trouble, we pray that it never returns. What if this happened to someone we didn t know well --where emotion is not part of the equation? Equanimity allows us to see the problem and its solution clearly. Through meditation, the Buddhist is training the mind to see reality clearly. A well-trained mind will not be shaken and will find perfect answers to troubling situations. This is why we don t pray. Our strength is our practice. Cultivating the mind, and watching our physical and verbal actions achieve this discipline. This is the practice of self-observation. The second way that Buddhists cultivate themselves is through practicing dana (the practice of generosity), loving-kindness, compassion, equanimity, and sympathetic joy. Practicing the Buddha s lessons (dhamma) will help us maintain inner peace regardless of the problem in front of us, and to avoid mistakes we could easily make. In this way one is already protected. One who does this will realize that a well-trained mind is the best savior. Bhante Sathi
Weekly Meditation Mankato Monday Night 7.00 PM to 8.30 PM Unitarian Universality Fellowship 937 Charles Ave. Mankato, MN 56001 Call Tricia 507-524 -3245 St Peter Tuesday Night 7.00 PM to 8.00 PM Gustavus Adolphus College In Linner Lounge Call Asitha 641 420 7708 Minneapolis Friday Night First Unitarian Society 7.00 PM to 8.30 PM 900 Mount Curve Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403 Call Ray@ 612-760-3996 Chanhassen -Saturday Morning 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM Chanhassen Library 7711 Kerber Drive Chanhassen, MN Call Ralph@ 952-934-9727 Biweekly Meditation Northfield Thursday Night Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center 6.30 PM to 7.45 PM 313 1/2 Division Street, Suite 201 Northfield, MN 55057 At Carlton 8.30mpm to 9.30 Carlton College- Chapel Lounge One North College Street Northfield, MN Experienced meditators & Beginners are welcome Page 3 Living and Dying I will never forget my mother s hands. They were thick, soft, and warm, cherished for their deftness across a stretch of piano keys, their precision in creating perfect sewing seams, but most of all for their gentle touch. They embroidered smiling faces on dolls for her daughters and stitched on a tag: Made With Love By Mommy. They were always ready to offer comfort and appreciation. They were my last link to whatever energy I could relate to as Mom after her brain death. Holding her hand, I struggled to think of all the places she could go, the freedom of leaving this body that had been slowed down by Multiple Sclerosis over the past 23 years. I always knew that she had been diagnosed with MS two years before I was born, but the realization of her sacrifice never hit me until she had gone. Upon diagnosis she was overwhelmed and frightened that her busy life and many commitments could become detrimental to her health. Yet, she desired to give life one more time, though the job of being a mother is the most taxing of all. Still, she never complained and she always gave more of herself. Death came suddenly and I never had a chance to tell her how much I appreciated her. I could only hope she already knew. There is no chance to take back the grumpy remark on a bad day, unnecessary moodiness or a pointless accusation. I want to remember everything about her; to appreciate all the work she did in the world that made her unique. But there is a kind of emptiness there because I can know longer show that appreciation to the one that matters most. Listening to the blend of melodies of my mom s church choir at her funeral--- singing a song the way she directed it---i felt as though I was hearing it for the first time. I had heard that music so often as a child, but I took it for granted. It was just there, as my mother was, and always would be. It did not seem possible that something constant in my life would disappear. I wish everyone to appreciate their mother and father and recognize that every person we meet is someone s parent or child, precious in their heart. Enjoy each moment together for it could end at anytime. By Melissa Lorentz
Q: How many types of meditation are there? A: The Buddha taught many different types of meditation; each designed to overcome a particular problem or to develop a particular psychological state. But the two most common and useful types of meditation are Mindfulness of Breathing and Loving- Kindness Meditation. Page 4 Q: What about Loving-Kindness Meditation? How is that practiced? A: Once you are familiar with Mindfulness of Breathing and are practicing it regularly you can start practicing Loving Kindness Meditation. It should be done two or three times a week after you have done Mindfulness of Breathing. First, you turn your attention to yourself and say to yourself words like, May I be well and happy. May I be peaceful and calm. May I be protected from danger. May my mind be free from hatred. May my heart be filled with love. May I be well and happy. Then one by one you think of a loved person, a neutral person that is neither loved nor disliked, and finally a disliked person, wishing each of them well as you do so. Worse than a Clown Q: What is the benefit of doing this type of meditation? A: If you do Loving-Kindness Meditation regularly, and with the right attitude, you may notice very positive changes within yourself. You may find that you are more accepting and forgiving towards yourself. You will find that your feelings for your loved ones increase. You will find yourself making friends with people you used to be indifferent and uncaring towards, and you will find the ill-will or resentment you have towards some people will lessen and eventually be dissolved. Sometimes, if you know of someone who is sick, unhappy, or encountering difficulties, you can include them in your meditation and very often you will find their situation improving. There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma. Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he kept laughing. The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing. The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next three days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of three days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt. When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do you know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!" The monk was shocked to hear that, "Venerable Sir, how can you say such a thing?! How can I be worse than a clown?" The master explained, "A clown enjoys seeing people laugh. You? You feel disturbed because another person laughed. Tell me, are u not worse than a clown?" When the monk heard this, he began to laugh. He was enlightened.
Beginning the New Year by Beginning Again On January 1 I started a new job and it s given me a wonderful opportunity to practice the simple but universal spiritual practice---beginning again. The Zen tradition has given it a name: shoshin, or beginner s mind. In the classic book, Zen Mind, Beginner s Mind, teacher Shunryu Suzuki described it as an attitude of openness to the present, to approach any subject as a beginner would, even if one was an acknowledged master in the discipline. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few, Suzuki wrote. He continues in explaining how the constriction process works: "As soon as you see something, you already start to intellectualize it. As soon as you intellectualize something, it is no longer what you saw." A beginner s mind, he concluded, sees things as they really are. The Theravada tradition stresses the practice of beginning again, especially in meditation. Sharon Salzberg, the meditation teacher, describes beginning again as the means by which one gathers the energy needed to concentrate and steady the mind. In the Buddhist tradition, concentration is considered both the path to power and the path to healing, Salzberg writes. Power comes from having energy available, rather than lost to us by being habitually scattered. Healing comes from the wholeness we experience when our energy is gathered rather than fragmented. Concentration means steadiness of mind. Steadiness of mind---my goodness, do I need that right now! As I write this, it is the end of the second day of my new job, and my head is swimming with new information, new faces, new names, new responsibilities, obligations and deadlines. Deep down I feel a bit helpless and overwhelmed. All day long, I ask for help: How do I use the speaker phone? Can somebody fix my computer? Where is the men s room? My goal is to know the way things are right now---and that goal has never seemed more distant. It is not only taking a lot of concentration, but also a lot of compassion for myself, to face what seems like my endless ignorance of my new surroundings and situation. The idea of beginner s mind is keeping me steady. By facing each moment with an open and non-judgmental mind--- and by keeping my cherished preconceptions well in check--- will I come close to understanding my reality. If I start intellectualizing, I ll stop listening, learning, and understanding. Right now, the practical value of beginner s mind is very obvious to me. I am trying to use this experience to recognize inner qualities that, along with the frustrations, is arising. One of those qualities is compassion. It s so easy to be hard on myself when everything seems odd, new, and undeciphered. Suzuki warned, Sitting with one s ignorance is hard, but necessary to see reality. Compassion allows me to sit with my ignorance. In daily meditation practice I ve learned to recognize how compassion seems to flow like a fountain from that moment of discomfort, and provides strength to begin again. Therefore, I can rest with ease in this moment. Along with the dharma, I think often of my dharma friends and my sangha, who I meditate with weekly. I also think of the Buddha, ever calm and serene. All three the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha--- possess a wisdom that I lack. By giving me refuge they give me the courage to forgive myself, breathe deeply, and to open myself to begin again. Doug McGill
A Drop From the Golden Voice The Abusive Brothers This is a story about a Brahmin whose wife loved to praise and speak kindly of the Buddha. He did not mind it at first, but soon his wife s increased fondness for the Buddha caused him to become jealous. One day he went to visit the Buddha armed with a question he thought would leave the Buddha baffled and humiliated. In that way, he thought his wife would realize how misplaced her admiration for the Buddha was. The husband asked the Buddha, What do we have to kill to be able to live happily and peacefully? The Buddha s reply was simple but one that left the angry man appeased and inspired. To be able to live happily and peacefully, he said. One has to kill anger for anger itself kills happiness and peace. The man reflected on the Buddha s answer and decided to become a bhikku, then eventually an arahant. When the younger brother heard that his elder brother had become a monk he became very angry. He confronted the Buddha and accused him of proselytizing. When he had finished his string of abusive words the Buddha asked him, If you offered food to a house guest and the guest left without eating, who would the food belong to? It would belong to me, he replied. The Buddha then said, In the same way, I do not wish to accept your abuse, so the abuse belongs to you. The man realized his mistake and felt great respect for the Buddha because of the lesson he had taught him. He also became a bhikkhu and later also attained arahatship. The bhikkhus remarked how wonderful it was that the Buddha could make those who came to abuse him realize the Dhamma and take refuge in him. The Buddha replied, Because I do not answer wrong with wrong, many have come to take refuge in me. He who without anger endures abuse, beating, and punishment, and whose power of patience is like the strength of am army, him do I call a holy man. Chasing Two Rabbits A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you, I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What do you think of this idea?" "The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither one."
Weekly Events at Mankato Meditation Center Round Table Discussion: Contemporary topics will be selected by the group each week for a philosophical and spiritual discussion the following week. Thursdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Sunday service --- Open Meditation: Group sitting meditation. --- Open to all. Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. followed by Chanting Yoga: A form of exercise to cultivate peace of mind and physical health. Tuesdays 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Insight meditation: Open to all, this class consists of short guided meditation followed by a discussion. Please arrive before the class starts. Wednesdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm This meditation class is led by Bhante Sathi, beginners should come 15 minutes in advance. Silent Meditation: An opportunity for those who want to practice deeply. Saturdays 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm Youth meditation: Open to teenagers and young adults. An opportunity for younger practitioners to learn guided meditation, relaxation techniques and to cultivate the self. Wednesdays 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Yogananda Group : An open event for Yogananda devotees and beginners. Based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi. Thursdays 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sutra Studies: Sutras are the recorded essence of Buddha s teachings. We will study one Sutra each session. Saturdays 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Chanting: Mindful practice of Pali chanting guided by Buddhist Monks as a form of meditation. Includes chanting of Metta Sutra in English. Refreshments will follow. Sundays 10:00 am to 11:00 am Om Meditation: Dean Muesing will lead a sound meditation on the vibration of Om to calm the body and mind. Christian Buddha One of master Gasan's monks visited the university in Tokyo. When he returned, he asked the master if he had ever read the Christian Bible. "No," Gasan replied, "Please read some of it to me." The monk opened the Bible to the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew, and began reading. After reading Christ's words about the lilies in the field, he paused. Master Gasan was silent for a long time. "Yes," he finally said, "Whoever uttered these words is an enlightened being. What you have read to me is the essence of everything I have been trying to teach you here!"
Venerable Sujatha Guest Speaker ( Blue Lotus Buddhist temple ) Life and Dhamma Mankato MN Date: February 3rd Time: 6.00 PM to 8.00PM At Buddhist Meditation Center 311 East Elm Street Mankato Call Center 507 933 4421 Chanhassen, MN Date: February 3rd Time: 10.30 am to 11.30 am (After Meditation) At Chanhassen Library 7711 Kerber Drive Chanhassen, MN Call Ralph@ 952-934-9727 more info send us a e-mail info@triplegem.org visit www.triplegem.org. Voice Of Wisdom Triple Gem Of The North PO Box 323 St Peter, MN 56082 Email: info@triplegem.org. Phone: 612-216-4854 Fax: 952-314-4863 Web: www.triplegem.org To add you to our mailing list send your information via E-mail or feel free call us. Film Night Sunday, January 21 st 6:00 p.m. What the Bleep Do We Know!? A documentary on Quantum Physics that will blow away your conceptions of reality. Explore your self with this questions. How do we think?, What are thoughts? Why do we have thoughts?, Does these thoughts comes from in side. or from outside. What is an emotions?, where is this emotion coming from?... Who are we? What we are doing here? Why are we born? What is the reality.. Triple Gem of the North Is a 501 (C) 3 approved tax-deductible Non profit organization based in state of Minnesota. We operate in Minneapolis, St Paul, Chanhassen, St Peter and Mankato. Your tax-deductible contribution will assist in our endeavor to serve the community through weekly meditation classes, day long retreats and the assistance in building a permanent retreat center. Triple Gem is also heavily involved in various disaster relief efforts such as Tsunami relief in Sri Lanka, and Hurricane Katrina. This is done in the spirit of the teachings of the Buddha.