
Upcoming Meeting Schedule
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Buddha House is closed for preparations for Chinese New Year celebrations on Sunday.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Chinese New Year celebration at Buddha House at 10:30 am. We have been kindly invited by Thay Phap An and the Vietnamese community to join them in celebrating the New Year.
Saturday, February 8, 2014 (10 am - noon)
Special teaching with Lama Mark Webber - see below for information.
Saturday, February 15, 2014 (10 am - noon)
TBA
Saturday, February 22, 2014 (10 am - noon)
TBA
Special EventsThe Path of the Vajrayana Clearly Explained - A Public Talk by Lama Mark Webber In a brief session together, Lama Mark Webber will help us understand, maybe even taste, the depth and profundity of the Vajrayana. "The why, the how, the what, the where; but not the when. The when has already occurred for all of us…it has always been present. It never comes, it never goes and it's certainly not an it! The Path is how to uncover, recognize and then cultivate the natural unity of wisdom and compassion to complete ripening" LM
Saturday February 8th, 10am - 12 noon
Chua Hai An Vietnamese Buddha house,
home of the Nanaimo Buddhist Meditation Group
587 Seventh Street, Nanaimo, B.C
Please arrive by 9:50 to be seated before the teaching. There is no need to register.
Contact person for Saturday teaching
Josephine Chong
yangilhamo@gmail.com
250-756-2127.
Our resident teacher Dr. Cheryl Fraser has invited one of her root teachers, Lama Mark Webber, to share the Dharma with us. Lama Mark’s style of teaching is humorous, deeply spiritual, non-sectarian, universalist in nature, classically founded and well integrated with science, art and nature. Don’t miss a rare opportunity to experience the true heart and mind of a master!
Chenresig Wongkur - Bestowed by Lama Mark Webber Saturday February 8th, 7pm
at 6657 Chisholm Trail Duncan B.C (Maple Bay)
Four Armed Chenresig This Empowerment (an authorization) is open for all to attend. It is a profound empowerment for ripening the development of Compassion and Wisdom, Merit and all good qualities. The Empowerment will be followed by a Tsok feast.
Please contact Cheryl at drcheryl@shaw.ca or (250) 210-5683 if you would like to attend the Empowerment.
Workshops and RetreatsSave the dates! Dr. Cheryl will be teaching several meditation retreats this year. Currently the Nanaimo Buddhist Meditation group is organizing a weekend retreat at the Bethlehem Retreat Centre - March 2014, specific dates TBA.
Dr. Cheryl will also be teaching on Denman Island at the Hermitage this summer. There will be a weekend retreat May 23rd - 25th.
DATE CHANGE FOR SUMMER WEEK LONG RETREAT: July 17th - 23rd "Cultivating the awake, compassionate mind". These silent retreats will include meditation practice, Dharma teachings, interviews, and yoga. Watch for registration details in upcoming newsletters.
Group trip to Chan Nguyen Temple You are welcome to join the Nanaimo Buddhist Meditation Group for a visit to Chan Nguyen temple. For anyone ready to take Refuge in the Three jewels and the Five precepts, Thay Vien Giac has offered the ceremony for us. Everyone is invited. It is always a wonderful experience to visit with Thay Vien Giac and the monastic community, and experience a small taste of what monastic life is like.
Date: February 8 and February 9, 2014
Location: Chan Nguyen Temple, 1210-200 Street, Langley
February 8: Depart aboard the 7:45am ferry from Duke Point
Meet at Duke Point Ticketing Agent’s station by 7:30 am to meet ticket cut-off time
Bring: • Two passport size photos for the Precept Certificate (For those taking refuge) Note: the photographer might remind you not to smile for your passport photos but for the Precept photo you are encouraged to smile.
• Sleeping Bag
• Mat for your sleeping bag - optional
• Meditation cushion - optional
• Dana (donation) for the temple
Meals: Vegetarian meals will be provided during your stay at the temple
Trip Sign Up: Contact Sunny at 250-754-6322
It is mandatory that you call Sunny by February 1, 2014 to register as the information is needed to organize transportation for pick up at Tsawwassen and preparation for the Precept Ceremony.
Sherab Chamma Ling Annual Spring Weekend Teaching Retreat April 4th, 5th, & 6th, 2014
Discover, Explore, & Develop Your Own Buddha Nature
DZOGCHEN VIEW, MEDITATION & ACTION
Teachers: Geshe YongDong & Geshe Chaphur
For registration, please go to their website www.sherabchammaling.com, and on the home page scroll down to the highlighted text box for the Spring retreat, click on it and you will be taken to the info pages with the registration instructions and pay pal button.
Sangha NotesYou can listen to free dharma talks online at dharmaseed.org
Please be mindful about parking when you come to Buddha House. Park across the street and not in front of the homes of our neighbours.
You may want to bring a meditation shawl and warm socks to meditation practice during the cooler winter months.
Opportunities are available for Sangha members to contribute some time to the following weekly duties within our community:
Housekeeping - approximately 30 min. after meditation plus one load of laundry per week.
Please let one of the leaders know if you are interested in volunteering.
In keeping with our respect of the meditation hall, we request that you follow the following BUDDHA HOUSE ETIQUETTE:
Please…
Practice silence in the Meditation Hall
Wear modest attire
Turn off cell phones
Remove shoes and hats
Do not step over Dharma books and images
Do not place prayer books or Dharma images on the floor
Do not point the bottom of your feet toward the altar or teacher
Thank you for respecting these traditions.
www.nanaimobuddhistmeditationgroup.org