Activities

Ongoing activities at Chan Meditation Center

 

Retreats at CMC and DDRC: 

 

Special Events

 


Sunday Open House:

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.

  • 10:00 - 11:00am   Group Meditation
  • 11:00 - 12:30pm   Dharma talk**
  • 12:30 - 1:00pm     Lunch Offering & Announcements
  • 1:00   - 1:45pm     Vegetarian Lunch ($3 donation requested)
  • 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.


Retreats at CMC

Apply directly to CMC:
Visit website: www.chancenter.org  or  www.ddmusa.org or
E-Mail: ddmbaus@yahoo.com or 
Contact CMC, Queens NY at (718)-592-6593.


1-Day Chan Meditation Retreat

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.

For information, click www.ddyp.org or
e-Mail: wemeditate@gmail.com.
Please download and send in 3-day College Chan Camp Retreat application form to CMC directly no later than August 1st.
Please arrive at DDRC before 6:00 pm.


Recitation Retreat

Intensive practice in recitation, prostration, sitting, chanting gatha in praise of Buddha, and dedications of merit.
Please arrive at DDRC 6:00 pm.

7-Day Recitation Retreat

Jun. 28 - Jul. 5 (Sat. 6:00 pm to Sat. 10:00 am)

For more information, please visit our website: www.chancenter.org or www.ddmusa.org
e-Mail: ddmbaus@yahoo.com
Please arrive at DDRC before 6:00 pm.

Intensive Chan Retreats

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.

For more information, please visit our website or email us:
website: http://www.dharmadrumretreat.org
email: ddrc@dharmadrumretreat.org

5-Day Western Zen Retreat

Oct. 17 - 22 (Fri. 6:00 pm - Wed. 10:00 am)
Please arrive at DDRC 6:00 pm.

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.

10-Day Huatou Retreat

Jul. 18 - Jul. 27 (Fri. 5:00 pm - Sun. 10:00 am)

Dec. 26 - Jan. 4, 2009 (Fri. 5:00 pm - Sun. 10:00 am)

Please arrive at DDRC 5:00 pm.

10-Day Silent Illumination Retreat

Feb. 29 - Mar. 9 (Fri. 3:00 pm - Sun. 10:00 am)

May 23 - June 1 (Fri. 5:00 pm - Sun. 10:00 am)

Nov. 28 - Dec. 7 (Fri. 5:00 pm - Sun. 10:00 am)

Please arrive at DDRC 5:00 pm.


Special Events


Lunar New Year Celebration

Sunday, Feb. 10 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

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.


 

 
Copyright © 2008
Dharma Drum Mountain