One day retreat this Sunday the 8th in Courtenay

There is a one day retreat this Sunday the 8th in Courtenay 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And in either Vancouver or White Rock, at the end of August, another one day retreat will occur. Call Adrian to register.

"So, I think that's some background to Khandro Rinpoche's statement: "Anger is always a waste of time." I think we have to unpack the word "anger." It's not so much avoiding feeling of irritation and frustration--it's acting out on them. Maybe we should use the word "aggression." But then, you know, then there's the "but". That's what this woman had in mind when she said, "But what about things that are really terrible?"--like battery, or murder, or all kinds of very aggressive things that are done to people that we need to take issue with. And that's when Khandro Rinpoche said, "I didn't tell you to leave behind your critical intelligence."
.....from Meditating with Anger, Rita Gross, City Center, 22 July 1998..Spring 1999 in Windbell...Teachings from the San Francisco Zen Center 1968 to 2001, available in the Courtenay Public Library.

"Dr. Albert Sweitzer gave up fame as a musician to become a doctor in a small African village that was rife with disease. Without fear, he worked for many years among sick people, saving many lives without falling ill himself. Similarly, an enlightened person can mingle at all levels of society, able to help them without being influenced by them. There is a Chinese proverb: "If you find yourself on a pirate ship, it is best to become a pirate." The way of enlightened people is somewhat like this. Finding themselves on a pirate ship, they will become like pirates and gain their trust. Eventually they will turn those pirates into good people. That's a very difficult task."

...from The Fourth Evening Lecture...the ox mind is free from fetters...in The Method of No-Method by Chan Master Sheng Yen, and is available in the Courtenay Public Library

The places That Scare You...a guide to fearlessness in difficult times...by Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist Nun in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa, is a resident teaher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia: 4 CD's are available for loan.


To remind you, you can facebook Master Sheng Yen and you can Google Chan Community Canada to obtain sitting times in White Rock and one, three, and seven day meditation retreats. You might email Marie to be on her email list msabine@shaw.ca to find out about upcoming events in Vancouver.


See you this Thursday the 26th 7 pm at Salish House, Lewis Park Rec.