tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356301532024-03-20T10:51:52.330-05:00Going GlobalSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54935204791197788832020-10-18T17:52:00.001-05:002020-10-18T17:52:03.968-05:00受持觀世音菩薩名號,得無量無邊福德之利。 Boundless blessings are found in upholding and reciting often the name of Guan Yin, Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara. - Master Sheng YenSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-75029687480292016122019-10-14T17:25:00.000-05:002019-10-14T17:25:10.630-05:00不論何時何地,不傷害人、不妨礙人,就是保護自己 ,也保護他人。 Under all circumstances, if we do not harm and obstruct others, then this protects us and others. - Master Sheng YenSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-56662388920191397392019-04-02T17:50:00.001-05:002019-04-02T17:50:18.170-05:00星星之火足以燎原,小小善願能救世界。 A single spark can start a prairie fire, a tiny bit of good intention can save the world. - Master Sheng YenSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-11762392208243231942018-06-22T18:07:00.001-05:002018-06-22T18:07:02.119-05:00世俗境:身如玉樹臨風,心如平湖秋月。 What characterizes an ordinary person: The body is a tree swaying in the wind, the mind a placid lake with the reflection of the autumn moon. - Master Sheng YenSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-730198590422382022013-01-21T19:34:00.000-05:002013-01-21T19:34:11.675-05:00ProsperitySay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22675795192031697472012-01-07T20:24:00.001-05:002012-01-07T20:27:45.967-05:00Enjoy the momentSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54624983413347958242011-03-25T20:28:00.000-05:002011-03-25T20:30:09.843-05:00Better TomorrowSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-43544742322244667222011-02-22T19:48:00.000-05:002011-02-22T19:49:53.976-05:00Good morning!Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-14942615789904027672010-11-04T18:47:00.002-05:002010-11-04T18:49:35.320-05:00Coming togetherSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-55507927080651935952010-08-21T23:03:00.004-05:002010-08-22T08:04:57.042-05:00Learning the Basics of Buddha's TeachingsThe Tampa Fo Guang Shan Dharma discussion group was formed several months ago with the tireless organizational effort of Sister Yu Tze and under the able leadership of Venerables Chueh Fan and Yung Kang, who later became the group's instructor, both from the Guang Ming Temple in Orlando. The group, comprising Buddhist followers and practitioners from the Tampa area, has decided to use the Fo Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54823204261450683632010-03-07T15:39:00.011-05:002010-03-07T18:15:35.798-05:00Illuminating the World in PeaceWe first read about the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace in the March 5 edition of the St. Pete Times. It reported that the Jade Buddha, a 10 ft high Buddha statue weighing 10 tons is coming to the Town N' Country area of Tampa. Reading on, we note that the Statue was sculptured by expert craftsmen in Thailand over a two-year period from a monolithic gem-quality jade found in Canada. The global Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-77744505818454295822010-03-06T20:01:00.007-05:002010-03-07T08:40:37.767-05:00Appreciating Buddhist Arts and Cultivating Buddhist PracticesSince the start of this year, we have already visited the Fo Guang Shan Guang Ming Temple of Orlando twice. The first was on January 31, for the Lamp Offering Completion Dharma Service, the very first full Dharma service that I have ever attended. Until then, I had only accompanied Wify to these Dharma services but usually stayed in the library to catch up on my reading. However, since I have Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-16590818243887759742010-02-07T14:24:00.011-05:002010-02-07T18:45:23.662-05:00I have registeredAs a life-long student that is, in the Buddhist school of inner peace, of serenity of thought, of compassion, of giving, of letting go, and of spiritual enlightenment, by undergoing the Taking of the Three Refuges ceremony.Hitherto I was auditing the Buddhist course so to speak, driving Wify to various venues of Dharma sessions, and mostly listening in along the way. Then on January 9, 2010, I Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22961778615712685992010-02-06T19:46:00.010-05:002010-02-06T21:39:17.305-05:00Spritual RenaissanceDomestic Violence. Wife battery. Those were the initial thoughts occupying Venerable Chang-Hwa's mind one day when she was attending to a lady devotee who seemed visibly shaken at the Buddhist Temple she was stationed, not long after her ordainment as a Buddhist nun under the late Venerable Grand Master Sheng Yen. “What did Shi Fu teach us under this circumstance?”She continued to stall for time Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-2480110778031659472009-09-07T12:28:00.018-05:002009-09-07T16:02:19.812-05:00From Releasing Life to Following a Vegetarian Diet: A multitide of goodnessThe two pillars of Buddhist teachings are compassion and equality. And to attain a compassionate and non-discriminating mind, one must refrain from killing, help all living beings, and maintain a vegetarian diet. A compassionate mind is a Buddha mind that augments blessings and cultivates virtuous conditions. (The image to the right, the work of Wify, may seem familiar after a while).Releasing Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-11545552936988942772009-02-17T21:52:00.007-05:002009-02-19T07:07:58.450-05:00A memorable event at the Memorial Service for the Late Master Sheng YenLast Sunday, we sped along I-4 in the afternoon, hovering tantalizingly close around the speed limit. A minivan load of seven, me at the helm, was then making its way to Orlando to attend the memorial service for the late Master Sheng Yen. In my rush, I turned into the opposite lane at 408, necessitating a detour and a U-turn to head back to the correct direction, arriving at our destination, theSay Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-76369389051214589952008-12-21T12:12:00.012-05:002008-12-21T18:38:34.070-05:00Learning at a Tzu Chi Training CampWe have participated in several local donation drives organized by the Orlando Chapter of Tzu Chi Organization, a world-wide Buddhist Compassion Relief headquartered in Taiwan, in the past years, as well as their roving tea gatherings in the homes of Tampa-based Tzu Chi volunteers. But this is our very first trip to their training camp focusing on the responsibilities and duties of Tzu Chi Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-71819129861932911072008-12-06T14:12:00.008-05:002008-12-06T14:58:38.678-05:00The 19th Dharma Session of MWBA (Oct 18, 2008): The Buddhist View on GhostsThe notion of ghosts has always been around in most cultures. While ghosts may be scary to kids, and make for excellent cautionary tales for the young, they are the subject of celebration too. For example, Halloween is a popular day of festivity in US while the Chinese have their own version of the Ghost Festival. In some religions, ghosts are not sacrilegious, but may have a different moniker Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-959583510690362322008-11-27T13:06:00.007-05:002008-11-27T13:35:51.809-05:00Differentiating Among the Four Urges to HaveContinuing from my previous post on Calming the Mind from Master Sheng Yen's book, I Send You My Blessings, this post deals with the Four Urges to Have as he further dissected the social psyche that has muddled our value system despite the advances we have made on the technology front. The flourish of materialism and the rapid upheavals in social structures result in our poor understanding, Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-92009220224462403692008-11-26T18:44:00.008-05:002008-11-26T19:19:57.170-05:00Calming the MindWe often use the dichotomy between the haves and have-nots to illustrate the chasm dividing the affluence and the destitute present in our society, even internationally. The underlying simmer of the malcontent is all but waiting to flare up given the slightest provocation. Thus, concepts such as spreading the wealth, prospering thy neighbor, affirmative action have emerged to correct such Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-70980299958410179932008-11-22T15:35:00.006-05:002008-11-22T16:08:17.081-05:00Kathina: A Robe Offering CelebrationWe attended the robe offering celebration organized by Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS) at Clearwater on the morning of Nov 8, 2008. Unlike the previous year when the event was held outdoor under a makeshift tent, this time it was held in the premises of Unity Church located next door, thanks to Leddy Hammock, Spiritual Leader and her congregation.In his opening speech, Bhante Dhammawansha,Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-75496901969608955922008-09-28T10:47:00.005-05:002008-09-28T15:15:40.466-05:00Living RightDue to the schedule conflict of our Dharma teacher, the monthly Dharma session organized by Middle Way Buddhist Association for September has to be canceled, leaving a kind of momentary void in my journey on the Buddhist path. Fortunately, I have started reciting the Heart Sutra, a highly condensed version of 260 Chinese characters that captures the essence of Buddhism, every morning. For now, I Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66792851500246668032008-09-13T12:19:00.007-05:002008-09-13T15:20:30.968-05:00The Atom SmasherMany people are familiar with the manifestation of physical principles at work, the simplest example being perhaps gravity that enables us to stand firmly on ground. But we may only have a hazy idea when it comes to the theory underlying the principle, let alone being able to explain how it works. In fact, the surest way to kill a conversation is to invoke physics in a social setting, unless one Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-83866673488459053542008-08-31T13:19:00.006-05:002008-10-16T18:51:02.919-05:00The 18th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association: KarmaThe 18th Dharma session under the aegis of Middle Way Buddhist Association started off on Aug 18, 2008 as usual with meditation. The Dharma teacher of the day was again Bhante Upananda, who instructed the attendees to breathe in joy and to breathe out pent-up emotions as a release, letting go of worldly attachments.The ensuing Dharma talk focused on Karma, a popular and yet confusing and poorly Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-7037844498362370522008-08-09T12:25:00.015-05:002008-08-09T22:25:16.113-05:00One World One DreamYesterday morning, after much ado about nothing (NBC, which purportedly paid $900 millions for the exclusive broadcasting rights of the 29th Olympiad in US, decided to delay the televised opening ceremony by 12 hours), we resigned to waiting for the delayed telecast by trying to occupy ourselves with other gainful pursuits to pass the intervening hours. For example, both Wify and I blogged about Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com9