NEWS FROM THE DHARMA REALM

THE INFANT LIVES

In mid-March during the Kuan Yin Bodhisattva Recitation Session, Wong Kuo-chun and his family came to Gold Mountain Monastery to pay respects to the Venerable Master. The following day, Upasaka Wong; his wife and daughters, who were on their first visit to the United States', and T'an Kuo-shih, who hosted the Wongs during their stay in the Bay Area, returned to Gold Mountain to celebrate the birthday of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva by joining the great assembly in Universal Bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the special high meal offering which marked the new moon. After partaking of a vegetarian feast. Upasaka Wong joined the assembly for the afternoon of recitation and meditation.

Upasaka Wong, who had not had the opportunity to visit Gold Mountain for the past year and a half, was particularly happy to see the Master and re-express his gratitude. What was the reason for this special feeling of gratitude he had? Some months earlier, when his second daughter was born in Hong Kong, she weighed six pounds at birth but she had a sickness. The sickness caused her to be unable to digest and as a result her weight dropped to five pounds two ounces during the first month of her life. Deeply concerned for his daughter's welfare and alarmed about her gradual decline Upasaka Wong telephoned the Venerable Abbot of Gold Mountain in San Francisco and asked for his help in healing the infant.

The Master, who was planning a trip to Asia, said, "Wait until I come to Hong Kong and I will look at your daughter and then I will know if she can be cured or not." When the Master visited Hong Kong he saw the child and she and her mother and sister took refuge with the Triple Jewel and bowed to the Master as their teacher. After that the infant began to be able to digest her food and her little body, "about the size of half a loaf of bread," as the Abbot put it, began to grow stronger and stronger day by day. She is now a happy, healthy child whom, many people noticed during her recent visit to Gold Mountain, appears to be particularly alert and intelligent.

Members of Gold Mountain’s Great Assembly accompanied the Wong family to San Francisco International Airport on the day they departed.

PURE LAND TALKS AT BUDDHA ROOT FARM. Instruction in the most widely used Buddhist meditation method: recitation of the name of the Buddha Amitabha of the Western Pure Land. Buddhists consider this the easiest and most certain path to enlightenment. In down-to-earth talks by the Venerable Master Hua, Abbot of Gold Mountain Monastery, this book tells you how. The talks were given during a seven day session held on Buddha Root Farm on the Smith River near Reedsport, Oregon, paperback, 70pp., $3.00. NOW AVAILABLE!

As part of the bilingual program English reading skills are strongly encouraged along with the importance of learning to express oneself both verbally and in written compositions. Mandarin is taught and gradually introduced into the subjects taught in the classroom. Both languages are used in daily interaction.

Dharma Master Heng Yin starts the day with a song and soon many young voices join in.

The school is housed in the International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts at 3636 Washington Street in Pacific Heights, San Francisco.  The children have a classroom and other play areas of their own but also at times use other facilities in the Institute. The school day runs from 8:30 am to 3:30 p.m. with provisions for daycare until 5:30. Arrangements can be made for part time students.

Applications are now being accepted for the fall of 1976. Requests for applications and more detailed information should be directed to:
Elementary School
3636 Washington Street
San Francisco, California 94118
Telephone: 921-9570 or 621-5202

THE CULMINATION OF A RECITATION WEEK

On the last day of the week long session of reciting the name of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva held in early March, 1976, several people took refuge with the Triple Jewel and bowed to the Venerable Master as their teacher. Some people received five precepts and some received the eight lay precepts. The eight precepts are traditionally held only one day and one night out of every month, but several people who took these precepts expressed their intention to constantly maintain these precepts every day of their lives.

Those seeking refuge join the Venerable Master in requesting the Buddhas of the Ten Directions to come to the Bodhimanda to certify the ceremony.

SUMMER AND AUTUMN 1976

FIVE PRIMARY PATHS TO ENLIGHTENMENT

1. The Ch'an Path—a seven-day meditation intensive. Walking & sitting meditation from 3 am to 12 midnight. Instructional talks. June 19-26.

2. The Path of Knowledge—A two-week study of Great Vehicle scriptures & commentaries concentrating on the Avatamsaka Sutra. Meditation Instruction. June 27-July 9

3. The Pure Land Path—Seven days meditation on the mantric syllables of the name Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Instruction in contemplation. July 10-17

4. The Path of Discipline—Three weeks of study & practice of the Vinaya & Rules of Deportment. July 18-August 8

5. The Ch'an Path—same as 1. August 9-15

6. The Secret Path—Three weeks of study & practice of the methods-of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, one of the most important figures in Buddhism's esoteric lore. August 16-September 8

7. The Path of Discipline—A five week, five day study of the Bodhisattva Precepts. Also Sutra study & meditation. September 8-October 19

8. World Wide Dharma Propagation Tour—Open to all serious adepts. Countries will probably include Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, India, Ceylon, & Europe. Group leaves late October. Costs must be borne by individual participants.

PROGRAMS WILL BE HELD BOTH AT GOLD MOUNTAIN MONASTERY AND AT WONDERFUL ENLIGHTENMENT MONASTERY