Twenty Years Old- A Reflection

Twenty Years Old-  A Reflection

Today I am twenty, and tomorrow I will be 40, the day after I will be 60, the day after 80, then probably dead.  I have lived about one fourth of my life.  With every breath we are dying.  20 years went by so fast; the rest of my life will be the same way.  The Buddha said that life is as long as a single breath.  And it makes sense to me, because all around me I see the phases of life.  Little kids with not a care in the world, teens hating the world, college students like myself just experiencing the world, middle aged people scared of change, and old people set in habits and scared of death.  Then there are the monks and nuns in my school.  They radiate a sense of happiness with simplicity.  They live every day fully, every breath, mindful, thankful.  They are a true inspiration to me, because they accept life, and death.  They are fearless hero’s who barely speak with their mouths, but speak volumes with their actions.  
So for me, what do I do?  In my opinion, life is about service.  A catholic Bishop (I think) once said in regards to the question “What is the essential purpose of religion?”  His response was “service”.  I would expand and say “selfless service to all beings” (animals included).  This may be his idea too, I don’t know.  I think at 20 years old, now is the time to repent of misdeeds, and reform my bad habits so I can become a truly good and virtuous person.  If I can do that, then I can really be of service.  Life is about changing our own faults, and never discussing the faults of others.  Who has time to worry about whether or not someone else is good or bad?  I have enough to do; I should not care about such trivial things.  If I could just start seeing others faults really as my own, then no matter what someone did to me I would remain unmoved.  In this way, I can then help, or be of service to someone who needs it.  This takes practice and patience.  Forgive me if this post was unclear and rambling, I just typed and posted.    

I took this picture on accident, i was trying to tape the abott's lecture with the camera, and the flash went off and I got a pic instead. The abbot is in the middle. He is truly incredible to witness. He came up to me and said he liked my paper on filiality. I pretty much couldnt speak. But i said thanks, and that it is my biggest lesson that I am working on. Filial Respect- Is just being humble, and happily taking care of, and venerating your parents, and elders. When one can do that 100%, Filial Respect then extends outward to all people. One regards all elders as parents, all people of the same age as brothers and sisters, and all people younger as sons and daughters. This way one has a mind of equanimity and holds no affliction towards anyone, only compassion. 

The assembly entering the main dining hall for lunch. 

"To Your Health" Vegetarian Resturant- And a relly big redwood. 

Who doesnt love peacocks? They have yet to show me all thier feathers, so when they do i'll post it. 

The guest house where my orientation was. 

Behind the main Buddha hall, they set this area up for ceremonies when thousands of people come. 

One must Stop, in order to Start-An Essay-

Kenny Cannata
Essay # 3
DRBU
7/7/05
     
     
My Essay on How to Stop Oneself from
            Being Greedy, Angry and Deluded
     
In order to stop oneself from being greedy, angry and deluded (the 3 poisons), one should first recognize these things and want to change them.  One tames the body, mouth and mind by using precepts, concentration, and wisdom.  If one becomes pure in precepts, then concentration arises naturally.  According to Buddhism, there are five precepts for the layperson pertaining to abstaining.  They are simply; not killing (any living being), not stealing, not engaging in lust, not lying (any false speech), and no taking of any intoxicants.  After the foundation in precepts is established, then one practices concentration, and wisdom flourishes naturally.  However, everyone follows by starting with the basics, which is making the choice to change faults and habits, then following the rules or precepts.  These lead to purity in mouth, body, and mind.  Which lessen our greed, anger, and delusion slowly but surely.
     The Buddha taught us to do everything that is good, do nothing that is bad, and purify the mind of the three poisons.  So at the very basic level the student must make a decision of whether or not they want to change for the better.  After, they remorsefully remind themselves that everything is a matter of choice.  They would choose to think before acting and speaking.  If they casually let their bodies and mouths go, then they can never start cultivating.  This is the meaning of the saying, “one must STOP in order to start.”  What must one stop?  One must stop the entertaining of false thoughts, which are greedy, hateful, or deluded thoughts.  Of course at the beginning it is very hard to not have false thoughts, but it is only because of the indulgence in the false thoughts that we get into trouble.  Also, one obediently stops doubting parents and teachers.  Doubt is really just your ego wanting to be number one.  Good and wise knowing advisors are here to help cultivators, so with an open mind one does not doubt them to the point where one starts to think one is always right.  The cultivator must have a sense of humility in regards to his parents and teachers.  Without these prerequisites, one cannot start to lessen the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance.
     Precepts, as spoken by the Buddha, are to be taken as our teacher after the Buddha entered Nirvana.  Everyone whether they are old or young, man or woman, Christian or Buddhist, learns to start by building from the basic rules for being a true person.  Precepts are the foundation from which we can build a better world.  This is because included in precepts are also doing the things which should be done, thus completing the practice of morality.  By doing everything that is good, nothing that is bad, and purifying the mind one can lessen the greed, hatred, and ignorance in our own minds.  Following these teachings anyone is sure to develop properly into a true cultivator of the way.  

Dharma Forest: Pope Benedict XVI's Buddhist Encounter

Dharma Forest: Pope Benedict XVI's Buddhist Encounter: "Pope Benedict XVI's Buddhist Encounter
On Feb. 13, 1999, then Cardinal Ratzinger, the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit to St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, to deliver a message to US Catholic educators. Fr. P. Gerard O'Rourke invited me to attend as an interfaith observor. After the Cardinal's address Fr. Gerry led me downstairs to the reception and there introduced me to Cardinal Ratzinger.
The irony of our brief meeting was that only minutes before, Natonal Catholic Reporter's journalist (and now Vatican bureau chief) John Allen, Jr. had asked me for my reponse to the then-Cardinal's published comments that 'Buddhism was an 'autoerotic spirituality' that seeks 'transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations.' He asked me to comment on Cardinal Ratzinger's assertion that 'Buddhism would replace Marxism as the church's biggest foe by 2000.'
My answers to John Allen's questions were reported in the NCR (Vol. 35, No. 17, Feb. 27, 1999). The article is posted below.




The portion of the text of the article ran as follows:
'Representatives of other religions in San Francisco�s highly-diverse population were in Ratzinger�s audience. The Rev. Heng Sure, a Buddhist, told NCR he had come to �explore the possibilities for dialogue.�

In 1997, Ratzinger riled Buddhists when he called the religion an �autoerotic spirituality� that seeks �transcendence without imposing concrete religious obligations.� He also suggested that Buddhism would replace Marxism as the churche�s biggest foe by 2000.

Despite this background, Sure was ready to be gracious. �I think maybe he hasn�t met that many Buddhists. Face to face it�s a very positive thing and "

Dharma Forest: Dharma Music Sound Files!

Dharma Forest: Dharma Music Sound Files!

I just posted some pics

I just posted some pics, I hope you all enjoy them.  I will be posting more CTTB pics when I get back on Saturday.  This is a nice little vacation before I enter Buddhist boot camp.  

All is well here in Mendocino city.  We went into Ft. Bragg today, and we realized, pretty much every shop, in every town we have been into close around 5:00 PM.  Californians must like to have their evenings to themselves…lazy hippies (just kidding).  If you want to talk to me e-mail me these next couple of days.  Also, please write comments, questions and suggestions!
~Amitofo~

Kenny

If you like seals then you can just jump in the ocean. I almost did, but i dont like seals as much as some do.
 

If you like pictures of rocks then you will probably like this one.

This is my teacher, Heng Liang Fa Shr. She is on the board of directors for DRBU. My whole family got a very good impression upon speaking with Dharma Master Liang. Can you tell? Well i cant either from the picture, but they told me so thats how i know. 

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas front gate. Teaching and protecting all nations. 

Here we all are eating at the excellent vegetarian resturant on site at CTTB. Only my dad and i really ate. I mean come on, who doesnt LOVE TOFU??? Thats what i thought. 

The entrance to the main Buddha hall at CTTB. This is where most of the ceremonies take place on campus. 

The Chan hall near my quarters. Whoooo are you? Who? Who?--Who? Who? I really wanna know. (thats a song by someone)

I wrote that because when one practices Chan (zen) meditation, one asks the question WHO? Who, is reciting the Buddhas name, who, is being mindful. This practice is for breaking attachments to self, others, and Dharmas (practices), basically all attachments one has, essentially. From Chan practice comes Samadhi, or deep concentration. Masters can enter this concentration and sit for an extended period of time. Sometimes hundreds of days without moving.

If you like flowers you will like this photo, if not, again you may not want to enlarge it. Im trying to please everyone. Can you even do that? 

My dorm room! Its quaint, and comes equipped with spiders. If you know me you know Im not cool with that, oh well, maybe they aren't cool with me. Im sure we'll get along fine. 

If you like deer then you will like this picture, if not, well then dont enlarge it. 

My Dad and I about to go running on a trail that lead us into the areas water source. It was really nice, and as usual the 20 year old couldnt keep up with the 46 year old marathon runner. I'll get him when he's 80, maybe not...  

My Aunt Linda and Big Ken at her apartment in Millbrae, outside San Fran. 

Here's me (red shirt) and the fellas (Hui Shao, Al, and Hui Lai left to right) right before I left for Cali. We are really funny...And really tough. If you dont think so you may be right. 

The lotus flower grows out of the mud but is not tainted by the mud (the
Buddha although originally a sentient being, is undefiled by this world of suffering.) Also: Buddhism has its roots in the Truth of suffering, but transcends suffering. The lotus is moreover the only plant in which
flower and fruit co-exist simultaneously (Cause and Effect exist simultaneously
in all things, according to Buddhist teachings). I really like this picture, and the above quote from a buddhist glossary explains accurately why buddhists use this for inspiration.
 

This is the Buddha of Infinite Life and Light. If one wholeheartedly recites the name of this Buddha one can realize great compassion and wisdom. If you go to most Chinese Buddhist temples the world over you will hear most everyone say this instead of or in addition to "hello" and "thank you" "goodbye" etc. A Mi To Fo!

This is my extended family from Buffalo. We are all brothers and sisters, teachers and students, future Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I am the one in the brown sash, going to the left is Sara, Al, T, Hui Xiu (Scott), Hui Ling (our Gung-fu Master), Hui Lai (Ryan) and the monk in the middle is our master, Dharma Master Shan Guang (Wholesome Light). This picture is in front of the 30 ft statue of the Buddha in The Ten Thousand Buddhas World Peace Sarira Stupa located in Niagara Falls ONT. We are all from Buffalo NY. Our temple is the heartbeat of the Proper Dharma in the East, as The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is in the West.

First things first--in Mendocino

To everyone who reads this: most likely my family and friends, but i hope eventually others will too.

I just posted some pictures to start out, and just to give an idea of where I am coming from if you dont already know (a very cold place...Buffalo.) At the moment I am at Romance By the Sea (my Aunt booked us at a couples suite!?) in Mendocino City (Mendocino County CA) with my Mom, Dad, and Aunt. I will post some pics soon, this little city is strange. Beautiful... but strange, lots of hippie artists and country folk. But the scenery as you will all see is unbelievable. This is the first i have seen of the Pacific ocean. I have about three days here before the trip back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I hope to go horseback riding, jogging and exploring. I will probably write more tomorrow and work on other aspects of my BLOG. Its all starting, post comments and make this interactive! A Mi To Fo!