Activities & Events
Dancing in the storm - accessing the power of our minds
Dancing in the storm - accessing the power of our minds
From meeting deadlines to choosing a career path to global crises, everything can cause stress. Our reaction to these stress triggers, if not channeled properly, can distract us from our daily lives. Mental resilience refers to the ability to “bounce back” to day-to-day functioning even in the presence of stress triggers. With a stronger mind, we can foster mental stability to lessen the impact of external stress triggers on us. Everyone has the potential to build mental resilience. It doesn’t matter what your current mindset is, the power lies in your hand to start today.
Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre would like to invite you to a live conversation with our speaker, David Listen, a life mentor, professional mental health counselor, lecturer, and a former Chan/Zen Buddhist monk, who has helped many develop resilience through Chan/Zen Mindfulness.
This lecture will take place on July 30th. In the face of uncertainties, it aims to help us build our mental resilience and improve emotional stability through mindfulness techniques.
We would like to collect any questions you have! Submit them here to have them addressed in the lecture!
Date：July 30th, 2022
Time：2-4pm PST
Speaker：David Listen
Register here
David Listen
Born in Long Island, New York, David Listen was one of the few western monastic disciples of Chan Master Sheng Yen, practicing under his community’s guidance for eleven years, starting in 2004. After graduating from the Dharma Drum Sangha University in 2006, he served as the counselor for the male students of the Chan Meditation Studies Department. From 2009 to 2014, he was stationed as the Director of the Dharma Drum Retreat Center, New York, to mentor and instruct hundreds of volunteers, visitors, and practitioners. In addition, he attended, assisted, and led numerous intensive meditation retreats and lectured on Buddhism throughout the U.S., East Asia, and Europe.
Since returning to lay life in 2015, David Listen resides in New York City, has his own Life Mentoring practice, and works as a counselor at a non-profit organization, helping people suffering from severe mental illness. He has a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Hunter College, NYC, which has broadened his understanding of Western psychology and deepened his experience in mentoring and counseling. He continues to lead meditation retreats as well as lecture on Buddhist teachings and way of life. He is fluent in Mandarin and is currently translating classical and modern Chinese Buddhist texts into simple, accessible English.