A Spiritual Dinner

This evening we participated in the International Dinner and FundRaiser for the benefit of Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS) to realize its aim of expanding its meditation hall. The event was held at the Unity Church of Clearwater, located just next to the DWMS venue, which also serves as the residence of Bhante Dhammawansha, the resident monk of DWMS.

Wify prepared two dishes for the occasion, and we promptly brought them to the cafe area of Unity Church to be arranged along with numerous dishes from other volunteers. A brief ceremony was first held in the sanctuary, started off by the host, Rev. Leddy Hammock, the minister of Unity Church.

She first spoke of peace, succinctly contained in the following seven points:

1)War and violence do not work, and are counter-productive to the wellbeing of the human race.
2) Our worldview must change as treaties do not guarantee peace.
3) To do that, we have to change the human thought, our consciousness.
4) And we have to change our thoughts individually.
5) Love is the only thing that works.
6) One filled with love can overcome anger.
7) And when anger is released, we feel peaceful.

She then led the attendees through a peace prayer session. Bhante Dhammawansha next talked on self love, it being the remedy for everything. Self love comes from within, and its cultivation brings unity. He enumerated the following ways through which self love can be cultivated:

1) Cultivate the mind to avoid unwholesome thoughts and deeds.
2) Have a sense of humor, as it infuses one with self love.
3) Be humble and let go of your ego.
4) Appreciate your human life, one that's endowed with so many good qualities.
5) Cultivate non-violence.
6) Do others' duties.
7) See the suffering in the world.

In the words of the Buddha, “No harm to anybody because of me.”

He then invited his fellow Sangha members in attendance on to the stage to deliver a joint blessing in Pali. Thus blessed, all were invited to a spiritual dinner hosted at the cafe area.

The start of the vegetarian dinner. We were feted to music entertainment courtesy of the organist who was shielded from view by the waiting line to the right.

Bhante Dhammawansha (second from left) were seated at the library area just next to the cafe area with his fellow Sangha members, and they were having their own spiritual dinner indeed.

The dinner was a vegetarian fare, which we partook of mindfully. Thus ended a blessed evening, for a noble cause, spiritually fulfilled.

Oh yes, we each took a fortune cookie. And mine read: You will be pleasantly surprised soon. But I'm already.