tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356301532008-07-13T20:45:04.553-05:00Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-90502127405029119412008-07-12T12:13:00.012-05:002008-07-13T09:18:23.792-05:00

The scourge of widespread riverine flooding has hit the US Midwest region again. The weeks of torrential rains have tested the mighty Mississippi River and its many tributaries at its upstream end beyond their conveyance capacity (a jargon used in hydraulic engineering to denote the ability of a river cross-section to pass the upstream flow downstream without spilling its banks) such that the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-34214282883060304822008-06-29T09:50:00.008-05:002008-06-30T20:13:59.229-05:00

The fascinating topic of the Inner Consciousness, the cognitive and affective core of the human mind as Buddhism views it, was the chosen theme of the 16th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA) held on May 25, 2008 at its Pinellas Park venue. It was delivered by Bhante Upananda, by now a familiar Buddhist monk who has graced the MWBA Dharma sessions on numerous occasions.

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-46036252651503159092008-06-01T22:12:00.005-05:002008-06-01T22:50:42.781-05:00

That's the title of the Dharma talk delivered by Venerable Yung Han, Director of Fo Guang Shan Dallas Branch, at Guang Ming Temple on May 17, 2008. This was the second successive weekend that we were at the Temple, but this time with WT and CE, the previous one being on the occasion of Celebrating Buddha's Birthday and Mother's Day Festival on May 11, 2007. We arrived at about 1pm, just in time

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22847848375873146512008-05-27T12:57:00.023-05:002008-05-28T09:21:06.858-05:00

Yesterday was Memorial Day here in US, a day devoted to honoring all military veterans. To me, it's also a befitting day to hold in memoriam of a great Buddhist scholar-cum-practitioner whose single-minded quest for the universal truth has illuminated the path for those who come after him, especially those who wish to learn more about the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism relevant in the milieu of

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-6650686083800490642008-05-17T09:30:00.014-05:002008-05-18T13:39:22.727-05:00

The Month of May is a blessed month for Buddhists all over the world. It is in this month that Vesak Day is celebrated, commemorating the birth, the life, and passing of the Buddha. Hence, in May, Buddhist temples and centers the world over organize a rolling series of celebrations for local Buddhists and lay persons alike. As in past years, we participated in a couple, and will be attending

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-85248179020059674752008-05-11T20:12:00.009-05:002008-05-11T22:03:38.317-05:00

The third segment of the blissful day of April 19, 2008 (read here and here for the first and the second segments, respectively) comes in the form of our attendance at the 2008 Change Your Mind Day (CYMD) organized by the Tampa Bay Chapter of Buddhist Peace Fellowship held amidst the scenic setting of Phillippe Park, Safety Harbor. According to the organizers, "CYMD began in New York's Central

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-86246001207645226622008-05-03T13:51:00.007-05:002008-05-06T18:47:53.813-05:00

The Dependent Origination in Our Daily Life. That's the topic of the Dharma talk delivered by Venerable Chueh Fan from Guang Ming Temple, Orlando, on April 19, 2008 on the occasion of the 15th Dharma Session organized monthly by Middle Way Buddhist Association and held at its Pinellas Park venue. It was after our meditation session in the morning. Amidst our usual mutual introduction session,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-86768514686601261592008-04-27T10:48:00.007-05:002008-04-30T16:28:19.328-05:00

April 19 was the occasion of the 15th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA) held at its venue at Pinellas Park on a monthly basis. For the first time, we and all the attendees commenced the pre-Dharma talk meditation on our own, the absence of the guidance by the designated Dharma teacher of the day did not dampen the attendees' enthusiasm nor readiness. Also for the first time

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-51076967744858315112008-04-13T19:11:00.007-05:002008-04-14T05:01:01.240-05:00

Today (April 13, 2008)'s issue of PARADE, which is delivered every Sunday as a supplement to the St. Petersburg Times, carries a survey of how much American people earn (How does your salary stack up? by Lynn Brenner, pg. 3-17). This annual survey of a sample of wage levels spreading across the various occupations serve as a barometer on the state of the economy as well as a personal guide to

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-41009429564165859312008-04-05T10:25:00.014-05:002008-04-05T12:31:11.849-05:00

Taking a shower, or taking a bath as is more commonly spoken of from where I came from, is as natural as sleeping. The former is like a work-over for the body while the latter, the mind. So when we saw this movie title on the 4-in-1 DVD, the temptation to find out what the director can possibly cook up from this mundane aspect of life was too much to resist. And we watched it next, after the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-62003583219624022392008-03-30T11:19:00.008-05:002008-03-30T13:42:50.043-05:00

I'm usually attracted to action/thriller movie flicks when it comes to cinematic exploration. Seldom do I, or so I thought, have time or stomach for docudramas which I find to be slow moving. However, lately this notion of mine has undergone a paradigmatic shift as evidenced from some of the films in this genre that have been a revelation: Turtle Can Fly, A Bright Moon. This altered impression

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-36733292969492786272008-03-22T22:48:00.014-05:002008-03-24T19:46:45.185-05:00

We attended a tea gathering (the literally translated version of “party” sounds a wee bit convivial while “meeting”, on the other hand, borders on matter-of-fact. “Gathering” then reflects both congeniality and informality) organized by the Orlando Chapter of Tzu Chi Organization, a Buddhist Compassionate Relief based in Taiwan and founded by Master Cheng Yen in 1966, at a Tampa venue today. This

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-74566806408130856292008-03-21T23:26:00.011-05:002008-03-22T19:11:20.458-05:00

As part of our monthly routine, we drove to Pinellas Park last Saturday to attend the 14th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA), in a continuing series of Dharma discussion of Buddhist wisdom, this time on suffering and impermanence. The discussion was to be led, as usual, by Bhante Dhammawansha, the resident monk of Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS). However, we were

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-36420504698537883592008-03-09T11:57:00.014-05:002008-03-15T15:32:17.754-05:00

The attendees started to stream in before 4pm yesterday to our home. And at about 5 minutes before 4pm, while we were looking out into the carpark expectantly through the kitchen window, two Buddhist nuns in traditional Chinese monastic wear stepped into view. They were Venerables Chueh Yen and Chueh Fan from the Buddha Light Temple in Orlando. They were here to grace our home for the Propagating

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-40622625388296851582008-03-02T20:05:00.005-05:002008-03-03T20:28:45.025-05:00

One of the benchmarks used to gage a country's development status, other than economic indicators such as per capita income, is literacy rate. In simple terms, it's the percentage of the populace who can read and write, two of the three Rs (the third being aRithmetics). With increasing affluence and the advent of video games, it seems that the passion for reading is waning, being replaced by

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-53548486801298694082008-02-23T19:02:00.007-05:002008-02-23T22:06:42.028-05:00

I tried a new approach to meditation in today's session, it being the 13th of the now monthly Dharma session organized by Middle Way Buddhist Association and held at its Pinellas Park venue. Previously, I have been using the Breath method, concentrating on the inhaling and exhaling to focus the mind, with some success. Then I read in Daniel Goleman's The Meditative Mind (Putnam Book, 1988, pg.

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-26605461572524200902008-02-16T20:52:00.007-05:002008-02-16T21:25:36.133-05:00

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

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-71540594968267989812008-02-10T11:54:00.000-05:002008-02-10T12:37:34.597-05:00

Garma CC Chang is a name that we first came across in an email from a Buddhist friend, inviting us to attend a two-hour special program delivered by his wife, Mrs. Helena Chang. We were intrigued by the brief biographical sketch of Prof. Chang given therein: “He went to eastern Tibet to study Buddhism at age 16 and stayed there for 9 years. Master Chang was professor of Eastern Philosophy at

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-52494147910831098192008-01-26T22:08:00.000-05:002008-01-27T19:34:15.561-05:00

We attended the 2007 Year End Appreciation and Blessing Dinner (well, perhaps a misnomer of sort since the event was held in the afternoon) organized by Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation U.S.A, Orlando Chapter held at USF today. This is our second time, the first being in 2005, a dinner held in the evening. Themed Gratitude, Respect, and Love and Reverence to Heaven and Earth for

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66898969806020327992008-01-20T20:57:00.000-05:002008-01-20T21:53:05.857-05:00

One of the three unthinkable subjects in Buddhism (an assertion that Bhante Dhammawansha has repeatedly told in his Dharma talks that I have attended) relates to the immutable notion of Cause and Effect. Variously known as the Principle (some have used the more forceful term, Doctrine) of Causality, Conditioned Arising, Dependent Origination, Dependent Co-Arising, and the related widely popular

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66620006883424971152008-01-12T21:49:00.000-05:002008-01-13T09:20:54.565-05:00

The extension in the title would have alerted readers to the fact that this is not a blog about the moon that is hung way up there in the nightscape, though its physical presence there has spawned many folklores and poems. Rather, it's about the legendary life of a man, a real one, who switched from living in one world to another world, albeit physically occupying the same space, seemingly just

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-70469537134563305642007-12-25T10:54:00.000-05:002008-01-01T18:02:27.245-05:00

An Anthology on Middle Contemplation and Life, a Chinese Buddhist book by Mr. Huang Kuo Tat, printed by the Buddhist Association of the United States (2005) has been in wify's collection of Buddhist books for some time now. We could not recall how the book ended up there, but chances are we must have picked it up at an exchange service of free Buddhist books, which is an integral part of many

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-20944362941922539542007-12-23T15:49:00.000-05:002007-12-23T17:27:10.908-05:00

We drove to St. Pete yesterday morning to attend the Meditation Retreat for a Dialog with our Minds conducted by Bhante Upananda organized by Samadhi Buddhist Meditation Center and held at the Southwest Florida Buddhist Vihara. But we were there only for part of the time, staying to listen to the Dharma talk on How to move to Vipassana from Samatha. We have been to the Vihara several times

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-43399389815066705822007-12-19T23:14:00.000-05:002007-12-20T17:57:53.140-05:00

“ ... Love is nature's way of giving; a reason to be living ...” For those of us who belong to the so-called baby boomer generation, this is likely to be familiar lyrics; otherwise the tune itself, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, may also evoke a trip down the memory lane. Love can indeed move mountains. At the same time, love can be the source of untold misery too, when its twin brother, hate,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-81224733972363361322007-12-05T20:52:00.000-05:002007-12-05T21:38:39.516-05:00

Venerable Jiang Hu made a return visit to Middle Way Buddhist Association's venue at Pinellas Park at the occasion of its Tenth Dharma session to deliver the Dharma Talk entitled Buddhist Analysis of the Mind: Consciousness and the Self. As was the case during his first visit in July, the session was preceded by meditation at 7.00pm, and concluded with a Taking the Three Refuges ceremony at

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com