Desert Zen Center - Chùa Thiên Ân

Fundraising at the Swap Meet

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:40:52 +0000

March 9th and May 25th

(Note that the first newsletter sent out for February 2013 had an incorrect date)

Quynh Nguyen and Dawn Tran have banded together on a fundraising campaign to gather funds in support of constructing a women’s residence cabin at Desert Zen Center.

Golden West College SWAP MEET
15744 Goldenwest St. Huntington Beach, CA 92647.

Need Info? contact Quynh Nguyen at 714/768-8483

Still seeking donations in good condition:

anything that isn’t breathing or used to breathe!

Rescheduling…

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:13:36 +0000

Our March Day at the Temple has been rescheduled to April 13th.

H.T. Thich An Giao’s Dharma talk on the Lotus Sutra at IBEC, White Lotus Dharma Center in Garden Grove, for April 7th, has been canceled and will be rescheduled. As soon as we have a new date, we will post it here and on the calendar.

Hannamatsuri/Buddha’s Birthday – April 7th, 2013

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:00:23 +0000

Click here for your very own invitation to our Hannamatsuri celebration on April 7th
(in English and Vietnamese). Hannamatsuri is the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, when they celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. We will also be ordaining a Novice monk (Sa di).

Dharma Talk: Paramitas of the Bodhisattva

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:23:36 +0000

From February 17, 2013: Venerable Thich Minh Nhat considers the Paramitas of following the Path of the Bodhisattva (aka “Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance) as specified by Dogen Zenji.

Click on the Play button below and the mp3 file should begin to play. To download it right-click here and select “Save target as…”. You can then select where to store the file on your local computer.

Download audio file (DT-N-DogenParamitas.mp3)

Dharma Talk: All One Vehicle

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:47:09 +0000

Roshi talks about what his Vietnamese Master, the Most Venerable H.T. Thich Thien An called the “Buddhayana,” the Buddha Vehicle.

Download audio file (DT-R-AllOneVehicle.mp3)

Dharma Talk: Lunar New Year 2013

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:42:43 +0000

On the occasion of the 2013 Year of the Snake, Roshi talks about the Lunar New Year, practice and custom.

(NOTE: Su Co was properly overwhelmed by the flurry of red envelopes. Profound thanks (with great joy))

Download audio file (DT-R-2013LunarNewYear.mp3)

Dharma Talk: What is a Dharma Talk?

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:34:19 +0000

Venerable Thich Minh Nhat considers the form known as the “Dharma Talk.”

Download audio file (DT-N-WhatIsDharmaTalk.mp3)

Dharma Talk: Just Do It

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:30:47 +0000

Roshi calls this talk, “Just Do It.”
Don’t think about it.
Just listen.

Download audio file (DT-R-JustDoIt.mp3)

Dharma Talk: Is That So?

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:21:04 +0000

A Dharma Talk on the great Master Hakuin Ekaku, who revitalized the Rinzai School of Japan.

From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, edited by Paul Reps:

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near Hakuin. One day, without any warning, her parents discovered she was pregnant. This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master. “Is that so?” was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the child needed.
A year later the girl could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.

Hakuin willingly yielded the child, saying only: “Is that so?”

Download audio file (DT-R-HakuinIsThatSo.mp3)

Dharma Talk: Stories

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:01:52 +0000

Su Co Thich Nu Tam Huong returns the theme of Right Speech via the stories we tell each other (and ourselves).

Download audio file (DT-SC-Stories.mp3)