You’ve done well to contact us here at Buu Hung Monastery.  Reaching out is perhaps the biggest step and the most important.  Well done!  Here are some thoughts on where to go from here:

Monthly Offerings

Buu Hung Monastery offers a meditation service & Dharma talk once a month.  It’s on the 4th Sunday of each month, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.  Some months vary from this, so please check our calendar to confirm. https://buuhung.com/events/  We begin with a short seated (in a chair) meditation for 10-15 minutes.  This is led by Venerable Hue Huong, the head of Buu Hung Monastery. After this, she will give a short Dharma talk (a talk about the Buddha’s teachings) followed by a short talk by Rev. Scott See (Minh Tự) who is a teacher from a temple closely aligned with Buu Hung Monastery, Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple.  These monthly services are geared to people new to Buddhism, so if you don’t know a thing about Buddhism, this is for you.  If you’re a seasoned meditator and/or Buddhist practitioner, you’ll also enjoy these meetings.

And More…

Sadly, a Buddhist practice is not a quick fix.  While monthly services are better than nothing, engaging with Buddhist practice more frequently is highly recommended.  The aforementioned Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple offers many Zoom meetings throughout the week.  The format of these are as follows: the meeting begins with an optional check-in.  We all take a minute to share what’s going on in our life. This is optional, and it’s perfectly acceptable to pass if you’re new.  Then we sit quietly for 30 minutes.  We offer guidance on how to meditate for newcomers.  On Saturday mornings, there’s a formal Dharma talk by one of the half dozen or so teachers. This all sounds very serious, but rest assured, there’s always much laughter and newcomers are welcomed with open arms.  You’ll find the schedule of these meditation services at https://mtadamsbuddhisttemple.org/  In total, there are nine such meetings each week, so hopefully many of these will fit into your schedule.

We’re also prepared a tri-fold pamphlet for ideas how to incorporate a Buddhist practice in your daily life.  You’ll find this here:  Daily Practice  This can be as simple as just sitting quietly for a brief period each day or taking three deep, mindful breaths when you feel the heaviness of the world on your shoulders.

The Good News

The good news is that if you’re reading this, you’ve taken the first step.  The best advice we can offer is to just stick with it. If you stick with it long enough, you will notices small changes in your life–perhaps you just don’t react as strongly to adverse situations as you used to, perhaps you don’t experience anger like you used to, perhaps your stress level has decreased a bit.  Everyone who sticks with it has a story of how a Buddhist practice has changed their life.

Questions

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Rev. Scott (Minh Tự) at 203-433-2296 or scott@nothingtoattain.com.  He will be delighted to help you along your way.

Can't I just read a book?

Reading about the Buddha’s teachings is an important part of the Buddhist practice, but it’s no substitute for a Sangha or a group working together to develop their practice.  The collective wisdom of a group is very powerful.  The mutual support of a group is very powerful.  Going to these meditation services brings you in contact with a Sangha that will make your journey more fruitful and fun.

You’ll hear about taking on a teacher to help you along your path.  This is a fantastic idea.  A teacher is always there for you if you have any questions or encounter any challenges in your practice.  If you find a teacher that inspires you, yes, do ask them if they’ll take you on as a student.  This can be extremely helpful, and some even say crucial. For now, find yourself a Sangha (group of like minded practitioners) and become active with them either in person of via Zoom.  You may find a teacher along the way.

The more highly recommended book is “Old Path White Clouds” by Thich Nhat Hanh https://g.co/kgs/5oN9rwt  This is an easy read that tells the story of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who we generally refer to as simply the Buddha.  Story though it may be, Thich Nhat Hanh skillfully weaves Buddhist teachings into the book.  You will get a great feel for the heart of Buddhism from this book.  The audiobook is also wonderful.