...Taking Refuge and receiving the Precepts was a major event in so many ways. Not only did I have the feeling of being a "cool kid" but I also felt an even closer affinity with my Dharma Friends than before. In Ch'an it is said that when one resolves to practice the Dharma, one is taking up the 'family business', i.e. the family of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The period after taking refuge was also when I got my first real exposure to retreat practice. The first retreat I went on was conducted by Fo Guang Shan (佛光山) at the Deer Park Monastery in Upstate New York. A very pretty place and the "beginner's retreat" theme was a good first experience. I also attended a few retreats at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush. My first retreat there was the "College Zen Retreat" conducted by Ven. Guo Yuan. This was before the ritzy dorms were built and the arrangement was for the girls to sleep in the guest house and the guys to sleep in the Buddha Hall. Waking up in a Buddha Hall is not an experience I'll soon forget.
The summer of 2003 was a fun time in my Dharma exploration. On weekends I'd usually be at the Ch'an Meditation Center and furthering my practice of Ch'an by reading a lot of books, especially by Shifu Sheng Yen. "The Hoofprint of the Ox" remains for me the best treatment of the serious study and practice of Ch'an/Zen out there.
Because I couldn't find a summer job, I took up a volunteer position at food pantry run by Saint Raymond's church up in the Bronx, where I was living at the time. The position was part time though, which left me with lots of time for Dharma study. It was at this time that I learned about a Sri Lankan temple in Queens called the New York Buddhist Vihara. I was really excited because it would be my first "real world exposure" to Theravada Buddhism (which I still practice).
Going to and from the Vihara was an epic journey, 2 trains and a bus with an average travel time each way of 2 hours. It was in the same spirit as the great Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, except I didn't encounter warring tribes, or tigers, or inhospitable deserts. No, I had only to contend with the perpetual weirdness of after midnight subway rides.
The period after taking refuge was also when I got my first real exposure to retreat practice. The first retreat I went on was conducted by Fo Guang Shan (佛光山) at the Deer Park Monastery in Upstate New York. A very pretty place and the "beginner's retreat" theme was a good first experience. I also attended a few retreats at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush. My first retreat there was the "College Zen Retreat" conducted by Ven. Guo Yuan. This was before the ritzy dorms were built and the arrangement was for the girls to sleep in the guest house and the guys to sleep in the Buddha Hall. Waking up in a Buddha Hall is not an experience I'll soon forget.
The summer of 2003 was a fun time in my Dharma exploration. On weekends I'd usually be at the Ch'an Meditation Center and furthering my practice of Ch'an by reading a lot of books, especially by Shifu Sheng Yen. "The Hoofprint of the Ox" remains for me the best treatment of the serious study and practice of Ch'an/Zen out there.
Because I couldn't find a summer job, I took up a volunteer position at food pantry run by Saint Raymond's church up in the Bronx, where I was living at the time. The position was part time though, which left me with lots of time for Dharma study. It was at this time that I learned about a Sri Lankan temple in Queens called the New York Buddhist Vihara. I was really excited because it would be my first "real world exposure" to Theravada Buddhism (which I still practice).
Going to and from the Vihara was an epic journey, 2 trains and a bus with an average travel time each way of 2 hours. It was in the same spirit as the great Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, except I didn't encounter warring tribes, or tigers, or inhospitable deserts. No, I had only to contend with the perpetual weirdness of after midnight subway rides.
The head monk of the Vihara, Ven. Kurunegoda Piyatissa, while quite old, was still sharp and the program was a good mix of meditation and Dhamma discussion on verses from the Dhammapada. Occaisionally, there would be guest teachers. The first guest teacher I would meet was someone whose writings were very familiar to me. I showed up Wednesday night as usual and normally, the group was around 15-20 people. On this night however, it seemed the entire Theravada Buddhist population of NYC was at the Vihara. What the hell was going on? I could barely move about and finally I asked an old Sri Lankan fellow what all the fuss was about.
"Wener-able Bhikkhu Bodhi ees giwing Dhamma tuk dees ewening" he said. I was completely star struck. "Wait, Bhikkhu Bodhi...the Pali translator?!", I asked in disbelief. Uncle-ji's response: "Vy yes! Dere ees unlee vun Bhikkhu Bodhi uh!"
Only one Bhikkhu Bodhi indeed. After the talk I introduced myself in my "official capacity" as president of the Stony Brook Buddhism Study and Practice Group and extended an invitation to come out and give a talk. Previously, we had invited him but he was unable to make it on account of his health. Although quite some time would pass before he came out, his first lecture was super-smash mega hit and was the beginning of a number of talks he would give. Meeting Bhikkhu Bodhi was the beginning of an invaluable friendship and I can feel nothing but great gratitude at being able to call him teacher.
Another "big star" I had the great fortune to meet was Ven. Henepola Gunaratana (conveniently referred to as Bhante G), the author of the classic, Mindfulness in Plain English. His meditation instruction was, as you might imagine, jam packed and yet during the sitting, the only sounds to be heard where the cars passing by outside. "All we must know is that when we breathe in, we breathe in and when we breathe out, we breathe out. When we know this, truly know this, we will be free".
No mention of Buddhist teachers could be complete without mentioning the most famous one of the all: His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I saw him when he gave a free talk at Central Park in the Fall of 2003 and it was a really awesome experience. Just like a rock concert...except without the loud noise, drugs, wild sex acts, alcohol, arrests, etc. Its always interesting to see the kinds of people that turn out for an event like this. The speech he gave touched on a number of points, the most memorable of which is the idea that war is not only outdated in the interconnected, global age but is also just legalized violence. Powerful words from a great man.
During my "Dharma travels" I was fortunate enough to meet with many teachers, all of whom shaped my practice in various ways. I'd like to take this opportunity to put my palms together for them and express my sincerest thanks. These teachers are:
Ven. Madeline Ko-I Bastis, Ven. Guo Yuan, Ven. Chang Wu, Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, Lama Nicholas Vreeland, Geshe Lobsang Jamspal, Ven. Kurunegoda Piyatissa, Ven. Kottawe Nanda, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Shifu Sheng-Yen, Shifu Jen-Chun and the nuns at the Temple of Enlightenment who were more than happy to fill up my up duffel bags with Dharma books. To all of you, I bow.
My junior and especially senior years of college were quite intense with long hours in the lab, hard, studying and juggling my personal feelings. I realized that I had really reached a point in my life where I needed to be around palm trees. That's right, I was California dreamin' all the way and my decision to apply to almost all West Coast programs for grad school would mark the beginning of a new phase in my practice...
During my "Dharma travels" I was fortunate enough to meet with many teachers, all of whom shaped my practice in various ways. I'd like to take this opportunity to put my palms together for them and express my sincerest thanks. These teachers are:
Ven. Madeline Ko-I Bastis, Ven. Guo Yuan, Ven. Chang Wu, Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, Lama Nicholas Vreeland, Geshe Lobsang Jamspal, Ven. Kurunegoda Piyatissa, Ven. Kottawe Nanda, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Shifu Sheng-Yen, Shifu Jen-Chun and the nuns at the Temple of Enlightenment who were more than happy to fill up my up duffel bags with Dharma books. To all of you, I bow.
My junior and especially senior years of college were quite intense with long hours in the lab, hard, studying and juggling my personal feelings. I realized that I had really reached a point in my life where I needed to be around palm trees. That's right, I was California dreamin' all the way and my decision to apply to almost all West Coast programs for grad school would mark the beginning of a new phase in my practice...
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