Hello, Dharma friends! I’d like to announce that this Sunday, October 6th, at 2 pm Seon Master Songdam will preside over the Dharma Assembly of the Bestowal of the Hwadu Buddhist Names and the Mahayana Ten Good Precepts at my home temple, Yonghwasa, in Incheon. This is the annual ceremony where Buddhist name applicants receive their new names and the precepts or ethical guidelines which they are expected to try to follow as Buddhist meditators, Songdam Sunim’s students, and members of the Yonghwasa community. Quite a few of you have applied for names and I distributed them last Sunday. If possible, please try to attend this Dharma Assembly in order to commemorate this milestone in our personal growth and spiritual evolution. Directions to Yonghwasa are attached below. College student Ji-eun Lee has kindly offered to act as guide to newcomers to Yonghwasa. Those interested in attending should gather in the parking lot of Yonghwasa at 12:50 pm. (You must arrive early to get seats in the Dharma Hall. Even coming an hour early is cutting it a bit close.) At exactly 1 pm Ji-eun will guide you to our Dharma Hall. A word about the ceremony itself: After explaining the significance of the precepts, Seon Master Songdam will lead the assembly in the mantra of repentance in which all participants repent all of their misdeeds in both the present and all past lives. This is an opportunity for a fresh start in life as we let go of all of our regrets, guilt, and shame as well as any lingering resentment or vindictiveness against others. During the recitation of the repentance mantra, participants will kneel with straightened backs and hands in prayer position. Sunims will pass by and when you extend one forearm with palm pointed down, the sunim will dab your forearm with the tip of a lit incense to symbolize the burning away of all negative karma and sin. Don’t worry, it won’t burn you, you’ll just feel a quick, light sting. When the mantra is completed, everyone will sit down again and Seon Master Songdam will continue his Dharma speech. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to meet with you because I’ll be in my other role as personal attendant to Songdam Sunim. However, if you stick around after the Dharma Assembly in the main courtyard in front of the Dharma Hall steps, you will be able to see all of the sunims, including Songdam Sunim, pose for our retreat photo. Even if you haven’t applied for a Buddhist name, I encourage you to come and experience a bit of traditional Korean Buddhist culture. I hope to see your faces in the crowd. Take care and have a great week! May we all attain the Buddha! Palms together, Hwansan Sunim Yonghwasa Seon Buddhist Monastery (용화선원) Date: Sunday, October 6 Gathering Time: 12:50 pm in the parking lot Dharma Assembly Time: 2:00 pm Subway: Take the #1 Blue Line (Incheon- or DongIncheon-Bound) and get off at Ju-an Train Station (주안역) - Go down the exit stairs - After the turnstiles, go straight through the glass doors, and turn left in the underground market walkway (지하상가) - Go straight, then up the stairs to street level - Cross the street, turn right, and go straight to the end of the block - Turn left and go straight to the large intersection with traffic lights - Cross the intersection and keep going straight for several blocks - The large traditional gateway of Yonghwasa will be visible on the left - The parking lot is right inside.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 02:21:07 +0000
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