Archive for November, 2016

Not what you’d find in most Zen monasteries, but the Holy Vajrasana Temple served a more-or-less traditional vegetarian version of a Thanksgiving feast as an Oryoki  dinner during its recent month-long retreat–real mashed potatoes and onion gravy, pecan loaf and cornbread muffins, roasted Brussels sprouts, and–of course–cranberry relish. In the spirit of gratitude for all our many blessings and the gifts of so many, we reflect on the innumerable labors that brought us this food and whether our virtue and ...

The Xuanfa Five Vidyas Seminary offered its first thirty-Day Formal retreat starting November 15. This time it was entirely in Chinese with a local translator providing the interface between the Abbot and the participants. The day started with chanting the Morning Service, followed by an Oryoki Breakfast. Most mornings were devoted to Dharma practice including a special Retreat Practice that could be held in the Dharmapala Chapel, weather permitting. There can be no electricity, lights, or heat in this chapel. ...

The fourth Seven-Dharma Seminar on selected dharma discourses by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was held November 10-13 at the Holy Vajrasana Temple as part of a meditation retreat.  Zhaxi Zhuoma read preliminary translations of three discourses, while Chinese  students listened to the original discourses in Chinese. The group discussions were held together with the participants asking each other questions on the differences among the generation, completion, and transcendental stages of the Buddha-dharma and how one might respond ...