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Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Pureland in the Here and Now


The Pureland in the Here and Now

A retreat led by Plum Village Monastic in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
 
In the Sukhavati-Vyuha Sutra (The Smaller Sukhavati Sutra, Taisho Revised Tripitaka 366) Shakyamuni Buddha speaks to Sariputra about Amitabha Buddha and the Land of Great Happiness. The Pure Land (The Land of Great Happiness, The Land of Bliss) of the West is the realm that Amitabha Buddha (Buddha of Infinite Light) or Amitayus Buddha (Buddha of Infinite Life) resides.  Shakyamuni Bhudda talks about the great vows of Amitabha Budddha to bring all sentient beings to the Pure Land, just by their repetitive recitation of the name Amitabha Buddha, wholeheartedly and attentively. In the Pure Land, things are very beautiful, people have time to listen to the Dharma talks, doing walking meditation after midday meal. The birds sing the teachings of the Buddha such as the Five Powers, The Noble-Eight Fold Path, The Seven Factors of Awakening … Listening to the birds’ singing, residences of the Pure Land practice mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. In the Sutra, Amitabha Buddha also praises Shakyamuni Buddha for being able to transform defilements and live in happiness right in the Saha world, the world of Suffering and Confusion. 
 
In this retreat, we will study this sutra from the perspective of mindfulness meditation. We will see how the practice of mindfulness can bring us to The Pure Land in the Here and Now.  By going back to our mindful breaths, being aware of what’s happening inside and around us, in the present moment, we can realize wonderful things around us. We will see how the practices of walking meditation, sitting meditation, dharma discussion, listening to the Dharma talks that we are doing in the retreat, are like those practiced in the Pure Land. We will see that Nien-Fo (by reciting  Namo Omito-Fo) is actually a mindfulness practice, which has its roots from the word Buddhanusmrti meaning Mindfulness of the Buddha.

The Pureland in the Here and Now
Date: 4 – 8 Jun 2014 (Wed-Sun)
Retreat Offering:
- $150 per person,
- $70 for full time student* / senior citizen*
(*document for verification required)(Note: This retreat is for age 16 and above)
Closing Date: 25 May 2014 (or when registration is full)
Registration: Reception Office | 9am – 4.30pm
Registration Details: Retreat FAQs and Application
Tel: 6849 5300 | Email: sem@kmspks.org | [poster]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QabZDyzhtek

http://www.kmspks.org/events/featured/the-pureland-in-the-here-and-now/