Breathe, Smile Now Meditation Retreat

I've mentioned in my Sexy Nomad blog that the month of September is a magical month for me because of a series of events which are perfectly unfolding according to my needs and wants. Just to summarize, I've been wanting a new kind of lifestyle, an upgrade from the current one I have been enjoying since I retired from government service in Dec. 2007. By upgrade, I do not mean material things, prestige, or wealth per se (though these things will naturally happen should I stay true to my chosen path). I just want a change of routine, greater responsibilities and bigger venue for learning and growth. I want to be the best Jen Adams I can be and use my potential to the fullest. Hence, my September has been a very busy one and it still is.  And with everything I am doing, I am very much in need of respite for the month of October so I can recharge and better prepare myself for bigger things to come.

So on October 16-19, God-willing, I am attending the Breathe Smile Now 4-day Mindfulness Retreat. I remember in 2012, when I attended the two-week Meditation Retreat and International Youth Seminar in Taiwan, I came back much more rejuvenated and ready to accept more blessings which was why I have been traveling non-stop for two years. I asked the universe for more travel opportunities and through the help of the meditation retreat I attended, I became more calm and centered and aligned with the universe that I became an automatic recipient of the things I wanted. This is because meditation can help a person become attuned to his/her subconscious which is where inspired ideas come from and from there, dreams can start materializing.

This 4-day mindfulness retreat will happen on October 16-19, 2014. Venue is in Mariapolis Center in Tagaytay. Weekend-only participation also possible. For more details and to register go to http://bit.ly/1oaP151

For more information about the retreat like the schedule, who will be conducting and other benefits you will get, please head to this link:
http://plumvillageasia.org/index.php/list-of-events/icalrepeat.detail/2014/10/16/100/-/philippines-breathe-smile-now-a-4-day-retreat

If you are a busy person like me, or someone who just wants to relax or someone in need of  inner peace once again it's about time that we experience and enjoy mindfulness, meditation, and our collective loving and nurturing energy.

This is our appointment with life: "Breathe, Smile, Now" :)

Discover the Treasure Within with Most Venerable Hsin Ting

Most Venerable Hsin Ting, widely respected Buddhist Monk and meditation teacher, will again visit Manila, this time to hold a series of activities that can help people discover the treasure within them and tap a spring of happiness and wealth. 

Most Venerable Hsin Ting will hold a talk on Meditative Concentration: The Source of Developing One's Wisdom on October 25, 2012 at 7:30PM. It will be a perfect introduction to the practice of meditation, regardless of one's religion or background. Experienced meditators will also gain insights to further their practice by attending this talk.

On October 26, 2012 also at 7:30PM, the beloved spiritual teacher will talk on The Way to Happiness. The lecture will be a great opportunity for everyone to hear with clarity the 2,500-year-old teachings of the Buddha that will surely bring hope and happiness. Both events will be held at Mabuhay Temple located at 656 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate Manila right across Century Park Hotel.

All talks by Most Venerable Hsin Ting will be anchored on the Diamond Sutra, an essential Mahayana Buddhist scripture, often said to contain the key to authentic transformation. The sutra is regarded by many devotees as a source of wisdom and good fortune, thus, most of them read and recites it in a regular basis.

Most Venerable Hsin Ting will also personally preside over a Triple Gem and Five Precepts Ceremony on October 27, 2012 at Mabuhay Temple. Taking refuge in the Triple Gem simply means abiding and seeking support from the Buddha, his teachings and his community of followers. It is a very important step for anyone who is serious in studying and practicing Buddhism. In addition to taking refuge in the Triple Gem, an individual can also commit to observe the Five Precepts or guides that encourage good conduct, namely, to refrain from killing, stealing, committing sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants.

After taking part in the Triple Gem Refuge and Five Precepts Ceremony, an individual can still follow the practices of other religions and faiths as long as they promote goodness and guide them on the right track. It is not even required for an individual to become a vegetarian after agreeing to uphold the Five Precepts. 

Most Venerable Hsin Ting was the sixth abbot and director of Taiwan-based Fo Guang Shan monastery from 1997-2005. He renounced under Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, in 1968 and is a forty-ninth lineage holder of the Linji Chan School. He graduated from the Eastern Buddhist College and the India Research Institute of the Chinese Cultural University. He further received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Fo Guang Shan-affiliated University of the West in Rosemead, California in 1998.

Expected to succeed Venerable Master Hsing Yun as the head teacher of Fo Guang Shan, Most Venerable Hsin Ting now travels around the world to share the joys of the Dharma through lectures, instruction in Ch'an (Zen) meditation, Buddhist ceremonies, chants, books, educational and humanitarian projects.

For more information, please go to www.mabuhaytemple.com/treasure-within or call 0917-8124424.

Sexy Nomad's Monastic Diaries (Entry # 1): Hogwarts is that you?

To see the prologue or to have a better idea where my Monastic diary entries came from, please head to these links:

Spot the Filipino Harry Potter Look-Alike and Some Thoughts for the Coming Days

2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an

*This meditation retreat is an option the participants at the youth seminar can take on the 2nd week. There were 1,500 participants during the one-week 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Only 200 were admitted to the Meditation Retreat  the following week, including me.*

~~~oOo~~

July 28, 2012 Saturday | On my bunk bed | Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

I sometimes feel like I'm in Hogwarts (Kung Fu Panda version) with the long monastic robes all 200 of us are wearing, the huge expanse of land which houses various Buddha temples and contemplation sites, the sound of the birds chirping all day long, the ringing of the bells and gongs every hour or so signalling the time for prayers, chanting meditation and meals. It's Hogwarts alright but without the magic and mystical creatures.

However, unlike Hogwarts, this meditation retreat that I'm attending is boring in nature. There are no classes per se nor seminars unlike last week's international youth seminar. We are not even allowed to speak to each other or to anyone. The monks had us surrender our cellphones, laptops, iPods, iPads and other gadgets. In fact, according to the manual, we are also not allowed to write. Strictly speaking, any form of communication is not allowed during this 5-day retreat! My God! I'm going to die! So I'm hiding here in my bed writing these things down on my little pink notebook before I go crazy in this 5-day  meditation retreat with a vow of silence to boot plus vegetarian meals and manual chores in between which I deposited $100 for. It's going to be refunded back to me if I last the whole week. IF I LAST THE WHOLE WEEK!