Want to learn more about meditation?
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- October
- 29
Doesn’t it seem like everyone is meditating these days?
Churches and synagogues host all sorts of meditation groups, and community-based meditation (and yoga) centers are opening all over.
I guess it’s no surprise given our stressed-out, racing-for-time, recession-weary culture.
A few years ago, I wrote about an in-depth, three-year class in Buddhism for meditators who want to go deeper in the traditions and beliefs behind…sitting (that’s what meditators call it). It was a terrific program offered at the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel.
I recently heard that the monastery has started a new three-year cycle, and I bet there are a lot of suburbanites out there who would love it.
The website explains:
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The program is designed to give students an in-depth understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist practice in the three major traditions—Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
The first year of the program provides a broad overview of Buddhism. The second year focuses on Buddhist sutras. The third year focuses on Buddhist philosophy and applications such as science, psychology, and psychotherapy.
New students may enter the program in any of the three years and, having completed all three years in any order, are awarded a certificate. An optional fourth year (by invitation of the teacher) prepares students to become lay Dharma teachers. Those who complete the fourth year satisfactorily may be ordained in the Dharma Teacher Order.
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If you have questions, there are a bunch of answers on the website.
The teacher is The Ven. Dr. Thich Tri Hoang, who was ordained in Vietnam at the age of 24. He is a terrific sense of humor and seems to genuinely enjoy teaching Americans from diverse backgrounds.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 12:36 pm by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
