Every Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (Except Feb. 10 for Lunar New Year Celebration, Apr. 13 and Aug. 10 for Earthstore Bodhisattva Recitation, May
4 for Buddha's Birthday Celebration, and May 18 for CMC 30th
Anniversary)
The Center set up this open house so that families, friends, and neighbors can explore and join our various
programs. Everyone is welcome to participate. Please call in advance or visit our website for information about
the topics and speaker for the Sunday lectures.
2:00 - 3:00pm Devotional chanting of Guanyin (Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara) and Second Sunday of
every month is devoted to the chanting of the Great Compassion Dharani.
3:30 - 5:00pm Chinese Class,
Cafeteria
4:00 - 6:00pm Choir
**Dharma talks:
Master Sheng Yen on "Surangama Sutra"
**Resident monastics:
Guo Ming Fashi: "Platform Sutra"
Guo Chian Fashi: "Vimalakirti Sutra"
Monday Night Chanting:
Every Monday 7:30 - 9:15 pm.
Free of charge. Devotional chanting of Amitabha Buddha.
88-Buddha Repentance on last Monday of each month.
Tuesday Night Sitting:
Every Tuesday. 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Free of charge. All who have previous experience in meditation are welcome. Activities include
sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga exercise, chanting of the Heart Sutra,
and group discussion of Chan Master Sheng Yen's books.
Thursday Night Tai Ji Quan Classes:
Thursday from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, All levels are welcome.
$80 (16 classes in total) or
$25 per month (4 weeks as a month).
First Thursday of the month is free for newcomers.
Translated literally the Chinese word Tai means great; Ji means
origin; and Quan, exercise or boxing with the hands. Tai Ji Quan is a gentle
and relaxing form of exercise using the hands. It has absorbed all the best
qualities of Chinese traditional therapeutic exercise. Instructor: David Ngo.
Saturday Sittings:
Every Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Free of charge. Open to all who have previous experience in meditation. Each period is half an hour
with yoga or walking meditation in between the sittings. Participants can join and leave
the sittings between periods and sit for as many periods as they wish.
Meditation Classes
The classes on Buddhist meditation include instruction on methods of sitting, breathing,
walking, sleeping, yoga exercises, self-massage, theories and obstacles in meditation, and
stages of meditation. Total 10 hours, 2 beginner and 1 intermediate sessions.
2 Saturday Classes: 9:30 am to 12 noon (Beginner); 9:30 am to 3:00 pm (Intermediate)
Beginner ($40): Feb. 02 & 09 (Led by Dave Slaymaker); Apr. 19 & 26 (Led by Rebecca Li);
Intermediate ($40): Mar. 8 (Led by Nancy Bonardi); May 3 (Led by Rebecca Li); Classes open upon sufficient interest. Please call CMC (718)-592-6593 and sign up.
Dharma Classes
Beginner's: Friday, Mar. 7, 14, 21. Led by: Bill Wright From 7 to 9pm. This course will include discussion of Buddhism concepts such as suffering,
impermanence, emptiness, dependent origination, liberation, and others.
Dharma 101: Friday, May 23, 30, June 6. Led by: Bill Wright From 7 to 9pm. This series of discussions are focused on the Four Noble Truth.
Please call us at 718-592-6593 to enroll.
Saturday, Feb. 16 (Led by Nancy Bonardi); May 10 (Led by Rebecca Li)
From 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Please arrive before 9:00 am.
An opportunity for serious practitioners to sustain their practice and receive guidance from the resident teachers.
This retreat is open to people who have taken the Beginner's Meditation Classes or already have an established
meditation practice. Pre-registration is required. $25 donation.
1-Day Recitation Retreat
Saturday, Jan. 26
(Led by Guo Ming Fashi) From 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Please arrive before 9:00 am. Intensive practice in recitation, prostration, sitting, chanting gatha in praise
of Buddha, and dedications.
3-Day Recitation Retreat
Friday - Sunday, Mar. 28 - 30 (Led by Guo Ming Fashi) From 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Please arrive before 9:00 am.
Intensive practice in recitation, prostration, sitting, chanting gatha in praise
of Buddha, and dedications. Pre-registration is required. $75 donation.
Retreats at DDRC
Please call, write or download form from DDRC website for application and apply
at least three months in advance. A letter of acceptance will be sent out one month prior to the retreats.
http://www.dharmadrumretreat.org/
Email: ddrc@dharmadrumretreat.org
Tel.: (845)-744-8114 Fax: (845)-744-8483
College Zen Camp
If you are new to meditation, or have never participated in a retreat, the Three-Day College Chan Retreat is an ideal introduction
to the retreat experience. Workshops in sitting meditation and other mindfulness practices will be offered, and the flexible daily
schedule allows you to determine the "intensity" of your retreat.
For practitioners who already have a regular practice (or who are trying to have a regular practice!), the retreat is an excellent
opportunity to re-energize your daily sitting and mindfulness practices.
The daily schedule includes periods of sitting and chanting meditation, yoga, mindful work practice, and Dharma talks.
Optional activities include: The Art of Sitting, The Art of Walking, The Art of Questioning, The Art of Self-Massage, The Art of
Perception, and The Art of Listening.
College Chan
Camp
Aug. 13 - 16 (Wed. 7:00 pm - Sat. 4:00 pm)
The Chan camp is $40 for college students and $150 for young professionals.
College Chan
Retreat
Jan. 10 - 13 (Thur. 8:30 pm - Sun. 5:00 pm)
Aug. 16 - 19 (Sat. 7:00 pm - Tue. 4:00 pm)
The Chan retreat is $40 for college students and $150 for young professionals.
An opportunity to deepen our practice, enhance self-reflection and look into the meaning of our lives. Intensive retreats
ranging from 5 days, 7 days, 10days and long terms. These retreats are open to practitioners who have taken a formal meditation
class and have subsequently practiced for at least one year. The retreats will be held at DDRC in upstate New York. Call or write to request an application form, or download
an application form directly from our website.
This retreat is led by both Dr. Simon Child and Ms. Hilary Richards.
Open equally to beginners and established trainees. This simple retreat designed for Westerners enables the practitioner to face the major paradox - Who am I? - The
question is investigated within a framework of silent Chan sitting, alternated with a tested Communication Exercise in which people work in pairs to explore this
fundamental Koan. This western Chan method is not psychotherapy or psychology. It simply makes use of words to go beyond words and thereby enter the main gate of Chan.
The retreat has been developed within the Western Chan Fellowship (UK) through a blending of the Western Zen Retreat (WZR) with a Hua tou retreat and a new focus on
Koan stories. The system has been found to be effective in some six presentations so far in Europe. We are happy to bring it to New York as a fresh way of promoting Chan
among Western educated people.
The retreat will be led by Chan Dharma heirs John Crook and Simon Child who started bringing the WZR to Pine Bush some years ago. The article by John on "Life Koans
and Retreat Experience" (available on DDRC website) discusses some issues that arise in the presentation of these retreats.
Special Retreat by Dr. John Crook, Dharma Heir of Chan Master Sheng Yen
7-Day Koan Retreat
Mar. 15 - 22 (Sat. 6:00pm to Sat. 10:00am)
This retreat is led by both Dr. John Crook, a dharma heir of Ven. Master Sheng Yen, and
Dr. Simon Child.
In this retreat, we are exploring new ways of investigating koans that are appropriate for Westerners attempting
to uncover their enlightenment potential. Many Westerners have exceptionally busy, highly educated and
technique-oriented minds that need to be drained of excessive intellection before an opening in meditation can occur.
We allow this to happen by asking the practitioner to ponder Koan stories in typical Western style, thinking as to
their meaning, before transferring to intuitive mindfulness as thought become blocked in the awareness of paradox.
A selection of koan stories is provided from which each participant is asked to choose one for the retreat. As this
is a personal choice it will normally relate to the basic "life koan" of each individual. The story thus becomes of
profound personal significance. Placing the koan within zazen, the natural Western tendency to analyse meanings is
worn away and profound meditative concern arises. As the 'Great Doubt' appears, the possibility of deep insight
into the Dharma also become possible in the time honoured manner.
The chanting in praise of 88 Buddhas, a lecture by Guo Ming Fashi in the morning,
followed by vegetarian feast; entertainment and performance in the afternoon. Families and friends are welcome.
Admission is free.
Dharma Gathering
Friday, February 22, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm This will be the special occasion to welcome Ven. Guo Xing and Chang Wen, DDRC's new resident monks, and Ven Guo Guang
and Chang Hwa, visiting nuns from DDM Taiwan at Chan Meditation Center. We will begin the night with a reception from 6pm
to 7pm, followed by dharma sharing from the four venerables with their personal stories and experience. It is an opportunity
to interact with monastics about how to apply Chan teaching and meditation principles to everyday life, and to meet and
mingle with fellow practitioners. Please RSVP by February 15.
Buddha's Birthday
Celebration
Sunday, May 4, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The day's program includes Dharma talk by Master Jen Chun, bathing of the baby Buddha
statue, a vegetarian feast, and entertainment. All are welcome. Admission is free. Click here to view poster.
30th Anniversary Celebration of Chan in America
Sunday, May 18.
The Chan Meditation Center (CMC) was founded in 1978 by The Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen with a simple purpose
of sharing Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism with the western world. The center was launched with a simple program of
beginner’s meditation classes, and, now expanded its programs to offer various types of classes, services, meditation,
workshops, outreach activities and a weekly TV program that has been broadcasting in the tri-state area for almost a
decade. In 30 years, it has evolved from a handful of local members under a guiding teacher to a multi-cultural community,
made up of monastic members and lay followers, engaging in Buddhist practice not only to bring real change to our minds,
but its resulting genuine change in action through communal practice, peace building work and interfaith dialogues.
2008 marks an important milestone for the Center. The theme of this milestone celebration is “Rising Compassion.”
The Buddha said, "Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It alleviates the
pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed."
Master Sheng Yen also said, when you see the vexation and suffering that torment others, and through helping them resolve
their problems and end their suffering, you become less self-centered and less vexed with your own problems. Throughout
the process, our innate compassion and wisdom gradually develop. With great compassion, we can treat and care for our
family, friends, society and all ethnic groups equitably. If we can achieve this, the world will be at peace.
In this whole day event, we would like to use an innovative approach -World Café: Conversations that Matter, to aid us
in building the center’s future together. World Café is a process that applies a focused use of dialogue to foster productive
relationships, collaborative learning, and collective insight. Rather than playing the role of a spectator, everyone participates
and contributes in an open and sincere way through deep listening and exploring questions that matter. As we engage in small
group conversations, we draw closer to each other and a sense of heartfelt connection will emerge. This connection become
more solid as different views are accepted and interwoven into a meaningful whole. In this dynamic and interactive process, a
momentum will build up to bring forth a strong group spirit and coherence. We hope this activity will breathe new life and hope
to the center and continue to honor the spirit of Master Sheng Yen’s teachings and vision. Drawing from this synergy of
collective creativity, we can shape the future of CMC together.
Moreover, we would like this celebration to be an earnest invitation to everyone, who shares our vision, to join us in the
cultivation of inner peace and bringing harmony to the world.
Click here to download poster
Great Compassion Dharani Repentance Service at CMC
Jan. 13 / Mar. 9 / June 8 / July 13 / Sep. 14 / Oct. 12 / Nov. 9 / Dec. 14.
Second Sunday of every month from 2:00 to 4:00 pm Recitation of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvaras Dharani and Vows of compassion.
We invite you to join us to bring about the joy and hope of beginning anew.
Earthstore Bodhisattva Sutra Recitation
Sunday Apr. 13, from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Sunday Aug. 10, from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Recitation of The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Vows.
Merits are transferred to the deceased and blessings for the living.
Please arrive at CMC before 9:15 am. Click here for application form.
Family Zen Camp at DDRC
July 10 - 13 (Thur. 6:00 pm to Sun. 3:00 pm)
Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York. This weekend's program includes bonfire, outdoor meditation, Buddhist-related
stories, family workshop, and more.
Applications are accepted in June. Contact Chan Meditation Center, (718)-592-6593.
Please download application form and send to CMC directly.
Chan Master Sheng Yen's T.V. Program
"Zen & Inner Peace"
Sunday 7:00 to 8:00 am at WNYE(C-25) TV station. Please contact CMC for more information.
Praying Service for the Deceased
Chan Master Sheng Yen said "Praying Service for the Deceased is an adorned Buddhism Ceremony" The purpose of forming the praying group is to care our members and their families and friends, and
to advocate the Buddhist Service for the Deceased. We welcome and encourage all of our members to join this group.
Activities
