On the 22nd May 2022, BLIA NZ YAD organized the 2nd class for Buddhism College. Eight YAD members were guided by Abbess Manshin to prune and fertilize the garden as a way to cultivate merit. Abbess said that taking care of the Temple Garden is the best offering to the public who visit the Temple.
In the afternoon, the students learned Tai Chi exercises with Venerable Miao Yu to relieve the fatigue of gardening chores, and to calm the mind and feel the breath emanating from the body. The core of meditation is to cultivate mind, while the method of meditation is using the Noble Eightfold Path, with the practice of compassion, Loving-kindness, Joy and Equanimity. Through meditation, contemplation and tranquility, we can reduce our worries and disturbances, improve the quality of mind, and eventually become free from worries.
Meditation can be done at any time. As long as the mind is in a balanced state, we can obtain the joy of Chan in normal life and work. Venerable Miao Yu further shared that: When thoughts of greed, anxiety, anger arise, one should pay attention and observe the thoughts in order to deal with our emotions in a positive way. Through being mindful one can understand the nature of mind and get close to our body and mind.
The wonderful meditation course gave the participants a new understanding of being mindful. The students hope to achieve a state of meditation from work, study and life, and to better understand self.