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Welcome to the DDMBA Rochester Chapter website!
We are a Buddhist practice group in the tradition
of the Venerable Master
Sheng-yen, whom we call "ShiFu", a respectful
salute in the traditions of Chinese Buddhism.
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ORGANIZATION & MISSION
Our purpose is to support traditional Buddhism learning
and organize practice. Our mission is to "uplift the character
of humanity and build a pureland on Earth." We are a sub-division
of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA) in
the United States. To know better about DDMBA, please visit
our global and American parental organization websites:
DDMBA
Global Information Website
DDMBA USA Website
HISTORY
Encouraged directly by Master Sheng-Yen, the local chapter
was established in 2000. Our initial group only had four
people; now we have about 40 members.
WHAT WE DO
Beginner's Chan Mediation Classes
Granted by Shifu, we conduct, in both Chinese and English,
Beginner's Meditation Classes, in which we teach the basic
methods and concepts of Chan. So far, six classes have been
held. We have had about fifty participants of both Chinese
and American origin. If you are interested, please check
our class schedule announcements, or fill out the registration
form and mail it to us. We will contact you when class is
scheduled.
Beginner's Chan Mediation Practice
One practice session at beginner's level is provided
for each month to give the students a chance to ask questions
and meet the other practitioners at the same level. This
helps the student finish Beginner's Chan, and furthers his
experiences with sitting meditation. In these practice sessions,
a student can share his experiences and receive encouragement
from fellow practitioners. A session usually consists of
two periods of sitting, each period being 25 minutes. After
sitting, students can participate in a sharing session.
We also view ShiFu's instruction books and audio tapes about
Chan practice. These sessions are conducted in both English
and Chinese.
Extensive Chan Practice & Chan Application
In each month, we offer one extensive Chan practice.
Although it is a half day program, we require each participant
to commit themselves to practice for one whole day. Mornings,
we do three to four forty minute periods of sitting meditation,
followed by chantings of the Heart Sutra and of the Four
Vows of the Bodhisattva. The participant should maintain
this energy and try to apply the method into his life by
keeping himself in a state of mindfulness in the afternoon.
Please contact us if you would like to try this out. We
also encourage you to try to reach DDMBA USA for their retreat
schedule.
Dharma Study
The dharma study sessions provide opportunities to learn
the concepts of Chan meditation and the methods of authentic
Buddhism practice. The materials which we use are mainly
books by ShiFu and other well known masters. Currently,
we are reading the book, "The Way to Buddhahood" by Ven.
Yinshun, which lays out a clear path of attainment of Buddhahood.
Study sessions are currently conducted in Chinese, but there
is also an English edition of the book which you can purchase
from your local Barnes and Noble.
Open House
Each year, we coordinate several get-together meetings
of the local Chinese community, which is really open to
everybody. The focus of these meetings is to encourage participants
to live healthily in both body and mind. Activities include:
interactive sessions on topics of common concern such as
medical care; vegetarian potlucks; Tai-Chi shows; and much,
much more. In these meetings, we advocate the importance
of contributing to society by incorporating the sprit of
Compassion and Wisdom into one's everyday life. This is
also a window of opportunity for the community to know us
and support us. If interested, please check out our schedule.
Trips
In observation of important days in Buddhism history
such as the birthday of the Buddha, we organize trips to
the Dharma Drum Association centers, and other Buddhist
temples in the US and Canada. Please check our schedule
for details.
OUR SCHEDULE
2005/1 - 2005/6
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Activities
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Date & Time |
Location |
| Beginner's Chan Meditation Class |
3/12 ,5/21(Saturdays)
10:00 am - 12:30 pm |
Maywood |
| Beginner's Chan Meditation |
1/8,2/5,3/5,4/2,5/7,6/4
(Saturdays)
10:00 am -12:30pm
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Maywood |
| Extensive Chan Practice / Mindfulness
Day |
1/29,2/26,3/26,4/23,
5/28,6/25
9:00 am -5:00 pm
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Maywood/Family/Parks |
| Dharma Study |
1/21, 2/18, 3/18, 4/15
5/20,6/17
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
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Maywood |
| Open House Activities |
1/23, 3/20 Sundays
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Brighton Town Park |
| Teaching & Lectures by GuoChian Fashi
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4/30,5/1
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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Brighton Town Park |
Documents Download
Contact Us
Address:
170 Maywood Drive
Rochester, NY 14618
Telephone:
585-242-9096
E-mail:
mailto:ddmbarochny@hotmail.com
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