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I try so hard to listen to many dhamma talks, join retreats, only to feel increasingly frustrated that I cannot quite get it. Even though my body is telling me I am so anxious and stressed, I ignore the signals of tight shoulders, back pain, and continue to drive myself harder; thinking only If I try harder, I might get it--my goal that I am trying hard to achieve--peace and ease, contentment and happiness. Maybe there is no need to try so hard. Maybe it is alr...
Young People English Book Club—Chang Ji Fashi Talk Reflection
Over the past few weeks, I have had the great pleasure to partake in DDVC’s Young People English Book Club, where we are learning about Master Sheng Yen’s childhood and road to building DDMBA. Last week, when Chang Ji Fashi joined our book club to share her first-hand experiences, I was very excited to hear what she had to say about her work with Master Sheng Yen. I didn’t know what to expect, but was not disappointed in the least. The main message of...
How to benefit living beings?
On April 02, 2022, Dr. Rebecca Li, a sociology professor at The College of New Jersey, delivered a talk around benefiting living beings at the Vancouver Chan Meditation Centre. At the beginning of the talk, Professor Li pointed out that as a Buddhist practitioner on the path to enlightenment, one must use compassion to liberate sentient beings from suffering and one must use wisdom to dissolve oneself. During this process, one would experience no-self and in turn benefit others as well as one...
Effortless Living - Feedback from a Participant of the One Day Retreat Led by David Listen
I am learning to focus on the task at hand with undivided attention. My habit is doing dishes and listening to Dharma Talks, driving and listening to the radio. When I am in the temple, I can just focus on the task at hand; it could be doing dishes, sweeping floors, or pulling weeds without any distractions. But when I am alone at home, although sometimes my mind is settled, a lot of times, my mind is scattered, making me feel uneasy and anxious. I have to play the dharma talks, hoping the ca...
Chinese New Year Celebration Special Chanting Ceremony and Dharma Talk
On Sunday, January 29, 2022, Chan Meditation Center hosted online a special chanting ceremony and Dharma talk in celebration of Chinese New Year. Before the ceremony, Ven. Chang Hwa, Director of CMC, greeted the audience with wishes for a happy and healthy new year and explained the significance of the chanting ceremony. According to Venerable, at Chinese Buddhist monasteries, on the first day of the Chinese New Year, there is a ceremony for general repentance through the recitati...
Connecting Heart to Heart: Deep Listening and Communication - Speech by David Listen
I have always wanted to find a way to contribute to our DDM community and to people around me. When Covid hit us and the centre was closed, I was feeling down because all in-person volunteering events got paused; however, Dharma Drum Vancouver has been really dedicated to provide its members support and care during this difficult time by continuing their events online. Therefore, I was provided with this great opportunity to interpret for David Listen's speech on Dec 04, 2021. &n...
Chan Meditation Center English Sunday Dharma Talk - Reflecting the Diamond Sutra -3 Talk By Gilbert Gutierrez
The material presented here is deep and potentially confounding. However, Gilbert presents it in a way that is clear and deeply human. His presentation encourages us to delve into the mystery and investigate it for ourselves, becoming inspired by the complexity as opposed to intimidated by it. He begins the lecture by discussing and clarifying Emptiness as a foundation for the Diamond Sutra. He describes how we should approach studying Emptiness and how we can understa...
Chan Meditation Center English Sunday Dharma Talk - Reflecting the Diamond Sutra -1 Talk By Gilbert Gutierrez
This lecture is an introduction to the Diamond Sutra, and is the first of 4 lectures in the Reflecting the Diamond Sutra series. The Sanskrit name for the Diamond Sutra is Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra. Vajra is a weapon, but can also be translated as diamond or thunderbolt. The sutra is so named because diamond can cut through illusions to get to the ultimate reality. The Diamond Sutra is one of the most powerful Buddhist sutras that is also one of the most difficult to talk about. This...
Chan Meditation Center English Sunday Dharma Talk - The Heart of Chan: Exploring Mind via Mahaprajna Paramita -3 Talk By Gilbert Gutierrez
On October 4, 2020, Gilbert presented an omnibus view on Buddha dharma. Gilbert did not just give us a little flavor of different things. He explicated many extremely important and esoteric concepts of Mahayana in one and a half hours. He showed us the key to the door of realization(s). After a thorough study of this lecture, I feel as though I have been awarded the three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. I learned that proper contemplation leads one’s mind to ...
Chan Meditation Center English Sunday Dharma Talk - The Heart of Chan: Exploring Mind via Mahaprajna Paramita -2 Talk By Gilbert Gutierrez
What I am attracted to in the lecture is the sincere and clear style. I feel the spirit and wisdom coupled with the compassion that shows the power of the teacher who can see through things and phenomena. It is the esoteric experience of the heart. We all have buddha nature inside us. From the lecture, I am learning to harmonize with the environment. see things as they are, what is real. Turn the mind's eye inward, look inside. Try to allow all notion...