Sunnyvale Zen Center Chinese New Year
Feb. 5th, 2012 01:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowanfToday I had the privilege of attending a celebration of the Chinese New Year at the Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale. It is their custom to invite interfaith and civic figures to share in their ceremony for New Years and for Buddha's Birthday. City Councilmember Dave Cortese and his wife attended as did several other civic representatives. Along with Dr. Riley and myself and other members of the SiVIC board, and various representatives from things like the Alzheimer's Association and other local nonprofits.
The Buddha Hall was opened to us (Zen Center members and monks had been chanting for Quan Yin most of the morning) and we offered flowers and listened to a dharma lecture by the Abbot Jian Ying Shifu. The saying for this particular year of the Dragon is "Harmony Brings Out the Splendor in Life" and we received bookmarks of posters of this saying in the calligraphy of the Master of the order in Taiwan. The Dharma lecture talked about where harmony comes from. First you need Wisdom to see what must be done, then Compassion to allow you to work with others which brings Harmony and a just society. I loved the idea that wisdom is solitary and needs compassion in order to be brought into the world. It is not enough to have a great idea, you have to figure out how to engage others. Yes!
Then a huge bell was wheeled into the Buddha Hall which we each rang. This bell rings between all the worlds and relieves suffering, even of the "hellbeings". It was a lovely way to end the ceremony, spreading our participation in the teaching to all who can hear.
May this act, and all acts, be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere pervading space and time, so mote it be!
Happy New Year!
The Buddha Hall was opened to us (Zen Center members and monks had been chanting for Quan Yin most of the morning) and we offered flowers and listened to a dharma lecture by the Abbot Jian Ying Shifu. The saying for this particular year of the Dragon is "Harmony Brings Out the Splendor in Life" and we received bookmarks of posters of this saying in the calligraphy of the Master of the order in Taiwan. The Dharma lecture talked about where harmony comes from. First you need Wisdom to see what must be done, then Compassion to allow you to work with others which brings Harmony and a just society. I loved the idea that wisdom is solitary and needs compassion in order to be brought into the world. It is not enough to have a great idea, you have to figure out how to engage others. Yes!
Then a huge bell was wheeled into the Buddha Hall which we each rang. This bell rings between all the worlds and relieves suffering, even of the "hellbeings". It was a lovely way to end the ceremony, spreading our participation in the teaching to all who can hear.
May this act, and all acts, be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere pervading space and time, so mote it be!
Happy New Year!
