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"The bodhisattvas dread the cause. Mundane beings dread the retribution. We should be true and down to earth in all our undertakings. Ask only how much we cultivate, not how much we shall harvest. Work diligently on the right causes, and then you will surely succeed. Conversely, success is unlikely if you aim too high but overlook the groundwork."
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On April 26 at 9:30a.m., Buddha Gate Monastery will host the annual ceremony of Bathing the Buddha and celebrate Buddha’s birthday.
In following with the tradition, an outdoor altar will be arranged as a flower garden, representing the Garden of Lumbini, where Buddha was born. The Abbess will use a special ladle to pour fragrant herb water over the infant Buddha statue. The congregation will then be invited to do the same. |
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Bathing the Buddha signifies inner purification. By cleansing away our vexations, defilements and deluded minds, we bring forward our Buddha nature and become enlightened.
We invite you to join us and be awakened.
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Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. On Saturday, May 16 from 9:00am to 1:00pm, Buddha Gate Monastery will host a blood drive. Please help save lives by giving blood. Call or e-mail and sign up today!
五月十六日，星期六
捐血一袋，救人一命。基於佛法慈悲濟世的精神，廣修布施，廣結善緣。捐血救人是內財布施，你我
都可以做得到。
April, May and June classes and events schedule are now available. |
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Venerable Master Jian Deng arrived in the Bay Area on March 13, 2009 and was welcomed at the airport by many members of both Buddha Gate Monastery and Zen Center of Sunnyvale. (view article and photos)
On Saturday March 14, Venerable Master Jian Deng gave a dharma talk titled Karma, Causality and Destiny. (view article and photos) [ ]
The following day, on Sunday March 15th, the Abbot traveled to the Zen Center of Sunnyvale to give a Dharma talk on One Truth, Many Paths. Afterwards, Master Jian Deng presided over the Three Refuges and The Five Precepts ceremony. It was a day of solemn commitment and dedication and also great joy and celebration. Those who attended were moved by and honored to have such precious opportunity in this lifetime.(view reflections and photos). |
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Prince Siddhartha was born more than three thousand years ago. At his birth, a wise man, Asita predicted that the prince would either grow up to be a great king, or leave the palace to become an enlightened one, a savior of all sentient beings... continue.
You can learn more about the Buddha’s teachings at Buddha Gate Monastery. Classes in Meditation and Buddhism are free, ongoing and open to the public. |
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Last month we started an interview with Dr. Francis Wang and Mrs. Julia Wang, President and Vice President of the Dharma Support Society at Buddha Gate Monastery. They have both retired from professional careers at the University of California Lawrence Livermore Lab to devote their time to supporting Buddha Gate Monastery and the goals of spreading Buddhism. To read part II of their journey into Buddhism and the story of Buddha Gate Monastery in Lafayette, click here. |
Opening the hand
Opening the mind
Opening the heart
In Buddhism, Dana is the act of
giving. Dana takes many different
forms.
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We practice Dana when we support the
Sangha with gifts of material wealth,
and with gifts of time and talent.
Dana is also the gift of the Dharma,
as we receive it from our teachers,
and as we model the Bodhisattva
Way for the world. We practice Dana when we care for our
elders, and when we comfort the
sick, and aid the depressed and the
troubled. We can practice Dana to the
world by feeding the hungry, by
working for justice, and even by
becoming an organ donor.
In the spiritual realm, we practice Dana
when we make offerings to the
Buddhas and to all he saints and
sages. When we make offerings with
a respectful mind, we create
affinities with the Three Jewels and
the saints and sages, increasing our
blessings and merits.
As we give, we must cultivate a
mind of respect, compassion, and
purity. To give without any notion of
the giver, the receiver, or the gift is
to achieve the “Triple Emptiness,”
which is the true perfection of
charity.
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Volunteer service at the monastery, called Meritorious Helping Out, is a part of the Buddhist practice. It is a wonderful way to form a habit of giving, sharing, learning, practicing charity and building good connections with people as well as an opportunity to support the monastery in propagating Buddhism and helping people to understand the true self.
Members are able to share their time, efforts and talents by helping Buddha Gate in a |
variety of ways. Volunteer bodhisattvas help in the kitchen, preparing the vegetarian meals or receiving the visitors and students in the reception area, devoting their talents to publication projects, sharing their green thumbs by working in the garden or preparing the Chan Hall for monthly ceremonies and special events . Tasks are as varied as cleaning, laying red carpeting, preparing the walls for tablets, arranging flowers, and decorating the altars. These tasks require the diligence and hard work of many. Volunteers also make critical infrastructure projects possible: recently a team spent two weekends digging trenches and laying tubing to create an excellent drainage system that will prevent erosion in the future.
Many thanks to all our enthusiastic volunteers. We deeply appreciate their diligence and generosity in giving of their time and effort. Through their sincerity, respect, kindness, and purity of mind, they cultivate the field of blessings and merits. (View photos.)
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Arhats are enlightened 'saints' or sages who have fully realized the Buddha’s teachings. Their minds are free from greed, anger and ignorance, and they have attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In some texts the Buddha is described as being accompanied by 500 Arhats. Here at Buddha Gate we have 18 Arhats statues. Numerous stories are told about each to inspire all people.
This month’s theme is ‘Dana’ which can mean Giving. The act of giving can be material giving, the gift of solace, and giving of the Dharma. Dana also means to renounce.
Cudapanthaka was slow-witted, and unable to learn even a single verse. But the Buddha, using skillful means, taught him to sweep the floor (in some versions, to wipe) while repeating a simple verse: "Sweeping the ground, sweeping the ground, sweeping the ground of the mind" to focus his mind. He swept away his greed, |
anger and ignorance. After the dust of his minds’ delusions were swept away, he was able to give others a clean environment in true Bodhisattva fashion. This simple and direct method led him to enlightenment. Bodhisattvas practice “Dana”, by giving help to others they give away the delusion and attachment. |
Being a vegetarian does not mean that you must sacrifice taste and food textures. Try this Vegetable Medley and other recipes by Dharma Master Jian Zhou. You will be amazed at how nutritious and delicious vegetarian cuisine can be. For a list of local grocery stores that sell vegetarian items, click here. |
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