Good Morning. Time for us to do meditation together on Saturday. It is very early, but it is good. Sit down in the position you feel comfortable. Let us begin.
Namo Shakyamuni. May all Sentient beings be free of suffering and may all receive compassion and wisdom energy from all Buddhas from ten directions. Peace, happiness, joyfulness be with all. Let’s put the right hand on top of the left hand. The way we practice our meditation is to connect with all the Buddhas from ten directions. With all the enlightened ones. That we could use the compassion and the wisdom energy which is offered to us from all Buddhas. To awaken us, to activate our energy, to open our minds to live right so every second we breathe in and out. Our mindfulness breathing technique helps us to let go of everything that keeps us busy during the week. Now turn back to the emptiness to enjoy the moment and receive the energy that we could share and offer to all our loved ones.
Stay focused and reach out inside your mind to all your family and may all of them together with this moment also receive the energy.
Breathe in, expanding the belly. Hold it right there for three seconds, concentrate on the heaven gate point. Breathe out, sunken the belly, and chanting the mantra:
Mu A Mu Sa Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng (7x)
We just relax. Keep breathing in and out. Allow the mind to be calm, connecting with all your friends, family, your loved ones. This is very special because this holiday season, Christmas, and new year. Every year we usually hurry and go buy something to give to our loved ones. But this year I ask all of you to spend more time connecting with the Buddha receiving good energy. Together with whatever you are going to give with your loved one. It should connect with the good energy to be healthier and happier.
What we are trying to talk about today is the true view. Every one of us have totally different views about all kinds of things, about the nature, forest, trees, land, people, jobs. Everything we do, the way we dress, the way we think, eat, drink, we associate, we go shopping or get along with our friends. We all have different views of how to do, how to reach out, how to live. But if we always attach to our own view that we think our view is absolutely right and good, then you know we create a lot of conflict between each other. The nature of all humans is never try to give up their own view. But their view is the most important others are wrong, need to be correct. That is why we spend most of our time correcting other peoples views, but we never spend time to be very friendly and get along to understand our friends view of life. It is very had to get along, then you know we do not have much time to enjoy. Most is just digging in to see the difference. Those kinds of differences make us feel uncomfortable. Often we have that kind of thinking. The true view is not mean that our own view or somebody’s view, but the true view according to Buddhas’s teaching is the view from the wisdom and compassion. That allows us to no longer to bury our head into our own view. But expanding unlimited view to see ten different directions. That our view and all people view are still under, within the universe of love and compassion.
We will be able to see 360 degrees around. With open mind and open eyes to see to share to understand and to help each other to reach up from their own view, with no attachment, with no feeling like “Oh my God!” something like that. Very peaceful. I still remember every Christmas long ago I used to offer gifts to all my nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters in law. There were times when I thought I bought the best gift, but when they unwrapped it, I could see the reaction on their face. After that I found out it did not meet up with their own expectations. So, after that I started giving them money or gift cards for them to purchase whatever they want. Or I offer them some kind of special program. I just offer them what I think is best. Some companies allow return and exchanges. Flexible.
But then finally, I don’t have much time to go out, and to be truthful I don’t have money, slowly in the temple. I stopped giving people Christmas gifts from many years long time already. I still offer them a great energy by practicing. Not just waiting for Christmas and new year’s. Every Day you see me sitting here and Eileen in the back, and sometimes Su Co and others. We come very early, fully awake sitting here in the meditation hall here in Frederick, Buckeystown, Maryland, USA. Just to be with our breath breathing in and out, mindful with that, connecting with all Buddhas in ten directions. Connecting with all our loved ones, parents, husband, wife, friends, Sangha, community. We offer our good merit energy we receive from the Buddha to all. This Christmas we do the same with the true view we see this. All will benefit from receiving the compassion and wisdom energy from all Buddhas in the ten directions. The true view is compassion and wisdom, no attachment, no individual view. The view we can turn around 360 degrees to see all. The view we don’t pick on others, we get along. We connect with people with sympathy, with love with care. The view that we no longer fight for what is right for us. But we release those to transform and expand our view to be fully within of all.
That is why every morning me and Eileen are sitting here very happy, even though only Saturday for 30 minutes, I speak in English and try my best. But most other days I am speaking in Vietnamese. I believe she doesn’t understand at all through all kinds of language I talk. Yes, she recites some of the Buddha Sutra in Vietnamese. But Yes, most when I talk it is very hard. But all the difference about all the language doesn’t stop her from receiving the good energy. Energy is the universal language. Not just the human, animals, trees, all kinds of animals understand the energy language. We all know it is good. That is why every day she is still very patient to be here connecting with the true view with no attachment. No roadblocks, with a very open mind. Calm and relaxed.
You know in this lifetime there are so many unusual and unpredictable things happen. Especially now you see the pandemic, covid, the sense of Christmas comes around, but the fear of covid is still here. The truth is always true. The true view helps us to release our fears. It helps us to stay strong and stable. An unshakable mind. This week all of our family members are going to arrive home. Mom and Dad are going to be busy, dad busy talking to the children. Year after year we do the same thing. This year we see our children with compassion and wisdom. With the true view we get together and share and might have a little fight because of different views about politics, economics. Sometimes there are some years that doesn’t feel good at all because we fight. This year we learn to step back to create the universe that is bigger in the family. We listen with love because our wisdom is lighting up, the source of love flows within.
With the meditation Mu A Mu Sa, the sound of the compassion, especially helps you to forgive to all what is wrong no matter where it comes from. You expand your love to be unlimited love. Love is always the best energy for all. We light up the wisdom because we receive a good energy from all Buddhas in ten directions. You know that we need it now a days to transform all difficult times that we face from this year and the year before to be ready to create and build a good foundation for the year to come. This year we need to ring the jingle bell with love and care, and really true that we are seeing each other by the true view. Let the true love by the true view connect to everybody to activate the inner peace to all. Let’s be always happy and enjoy life. Let all the fighting transform to be love, to become good to all. Let the mother earth one more time healing all. Let’s open our arms to all our loved ones, even those who come to our life who we don’t really know. Always step back to look back and look up at the sky and see how it is big. Step back to have a better vision and to have a good time to share our best moment with Christmas and new year’s. Let mom be busy and cook with peacefulness energy, with passion, love, wisdom. The Christmas meal this year is going to be different because the taste of the food the mother or father prepares for them will be the most important to transform all the children in the families fear. Let’s regain our confidence of life. Let lighting up the light of wisdom. Let’s share our compassion and love. Let’s be happy. Let no fear interrupt our life.
You know sometimes you think something is wrong or write. No one plants things in the winter. Me and Eileen and Su Co, we plant in the winter our Bamboo. Eileen ordered some very big Bamboo. 7 inches in diameter. 50 feet tall. Another member arrived and brought some Bamboo. After lunch, me and Eileen are going to plant the bamboo in the forest. We are calling the bamboo forest Hu Khong, which means unlimited love and care. We still plant because we see things with the true view. The view for the future now and in the past. All connect together. The view of love, of wisdom and compassion. We see no difference from the four seasons because we love all. WE learn that from the Buddha, we learn that from practicing consistently. We never give up. I sit here every day, even when I travel. I still carry my phone with the stick, put it down and share practice with you.
Eileen does the same things, sometimes she is busy, she comes back, accepts the energy with no question and no doubt. That is the true view. The view of compassion and wisdom. Dear all my friends, let’s make this Christmas and new years different to heal the family, society and universe.
The universe will be healed with everyone sitting down together. To practice offering together. Fear will be gone; confidence will be regained. Merry Christmas and Happy new year. Let us connect together and share our merit energy to all.
At this moment we all connect with the Buddha with the compassion Mu A Mu Sa and the wisdom Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng. May all sentient being be free of suffering, and may all be peaceful, happy and enjoy life. May all fear transform into a good confidence to regain our life. Breathe in, expanding the belly, hold it there for three seconds. Concentrate on the heaven gate point. Breathe out, sunken the belly, chanting the mantra:
Mu A Mu Sa Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng (7x)
Thank you. That is all we do every Saturday, but fully we all receive a good energy. Thank you for practicing together with me and Eileen every Saturday. You are welcome to come here at the mediation hall, or practice together online in English every Saturday, and Vietnamese every day. Once again, Thank you.