On Conversations (or Spring News, 2015)
Happy Spring. I hope people are enjoying the warmer weather. For those of us who live in Toronto, April may appear to be the cruellest month with the cold dampness but Spring is here.
On to some news. We will be running a session by Master Tam, the lineage master of our centre. It will likely take place every Saturday in September/October for four to six weeks.
In the past, we have offered guidance to blue sky meditation / seven point posture. The idea is not that it is the single best thing to do. But rather, through the technique, possibilities open up, especially in times of difficulty, physical, psychological or other matters in our day-to-day reality.
Many of us come from immigrant background. We came to Canada because it is known to be peaceful and scenic and inclusive. A paradise for many. But lately, on the news, there are lots of disputes on the right thing to do, locally or internationally. Strike or no strike? Raise taxes or not? The one right thing that people (or politicians) chase after seems to leave no room for anything else. But aren’t we a multicultural, multi-faceted society? Doesn’t that mean there are always room for other things?
The meditation instruction begins with the self. It’s a bit like having a conversation with someone. In order to have a dialogue, it means that each party brings something a little different to the table. Otherwise, why bother communicating if you are exactly the same?
Say in a conversation you disagree with someone, before you disagree, what you first notice is that you are different from the other person. This difference is not pre-meditated. And it is certainly not from analysis. It just is. Even if you disagree, you also clearly see how this person differs from you. You see your own point of view and you see the other person differs from you — your scope has the capacity for both. But we all know, we can also become more small-minded when the boundary of e.g., right and wrong, becomes inflexible.
The basis of Buddhism rest upon that the mind is like a wide open stage to begin with. You may not feel that way. Even this not-so-positive feeling can be an entrance to this openness!
We will have more details as we are closer to the summer months. In the meantime, while we have no immediate plans for a class, please email me if you are interested in the September class or a general meditation class.
Obviously, questions and comments are welcome. Email me at
vivian DOT tsang AT vbatoronto DOT org.
Vajrayana Buddhism Association (VBA) was founded by Nyingma master Tam Shek-Wing (Dorje Jigdral, b. 1935), with branches in Toronto, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Hawaii. Tam became a disciple of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche in 1972 and was ordained Vajra Archarya by His Holiness in 1984, shouldering the responsibility to present Buddhism to the Western audience.
