The Mantra of Padma Sambhava

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Buddhist Sangha

The Mantra of Padma Sambhava

Padma Sambhava, often called “the second Buddha”, brought the buddhadharma to Tibet in the 8th century CE. He is also called Vajra Guru, which can translate as the Diamond Guru. His mantra is:

OM AH HUNG BENSAR GURU PAYMA SIDDHEE HUNG

It begins with OM AH HUNG, which are the seed syllables that represent body, speech and mind.

VAJRA (BENSAR or BASRA in Tibetan)  means diamond, or thunderbolt, and represents the energy of the enlightened mind. The implication is that the diamond/thunderbolt can cut through anything.

GURU means wise teacher. Padmasambhava is so highly regarded in Tibetan Buddhism that he is often referred to as the second Buddha.

PADME (PAYMA or PAHME in Tibetan) signifies the radiant awareness of the enlightened mind. It calls to mind the purity of the lotus flower, which is unstained though its roots are deep in the mud.

All the perfections and  accomplishments—SIDDHI—are said to be  obtained through the power of this prayer.

HUNG is the heart syllable, the seed syllable of Padmasambhava.  Hung is the primordial union of emptiness and form, and of Refuge and Boddhichitta. Chanting HUNG! also means “May they be bestowed upon my mindstream, this very instant!”

Posted in Home | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Mantra of Padma Sambhava

Audio of Special Guest Speakers

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Buddhist Sangha

Some days we record special guests like Lama Gursam or John Wentz. Access the latest recordings on SoundCloud and the rest are available for download on DropBox (You don’t need an account to download)

Posted in Home | Tagged , | Comments Off on Audio of Special Guest Speakers

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Buddhist Sangha

 The Mission of the Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County is: To Present, Teach and Practice Buddhism, and To Provide Meditation Instruction and Community Service in a Manner Consistent with the Teaching of the Buddha.

From the President: “Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day”    -Zen ProverThis Zen proverb addresses the first part of our Sangha’s mission, “to present, teach and practice Buddhism” and serves to capture the learning that many of us experienced this last year.   During this last year, we have not only studied new areas of the Buddha’s teachings, but several Buddhist traditions interpreting those teachings. We have explored Shantideva’s poem “A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA’S WAY OF LIFE, fundamentals of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths, Karma and compassion, the Four Boundless States, the “Prayer to recognize my own faults and keep in mind the objects of refuge”, and the fundamentals of meditation.

We also were blessed to have several visits and teachings from our Tibetan teacher, Lama Gursam, several visits and teachings from Anam Thrubten and Beverly Sanford from the Princeton Buddhist Meditation Group, a weekend retreat from John Orr from the New Hope Sangha, Durham, NC, the return of Jeanne Dillon who led us on several retreats, and our bi-monthly visits from John Wenz, who has been leading us in discussions of Shantideva’s poem.

Of special note this year, we held a thank you and goodbye party for James Reis and his wife Jeanne Dillon who have moved to the Boston Mass area.  James is the founder of our Sangha.  We miss them both and enjoy it when they can visit with us.

We have added to our outreach to the community this year by committing to participate in the Family Promise program which works with the homeless and low-income families to achieve sustainable independence.  We have continued to participate in Pennsylvania’s road clean-up program, collecting trash along our designated highway in Levittown, Pa.  We have reached out to several community organizations to bring awareness of Buddhist teachings.  We hosted a very successful interfaith gathering with the local interfaith group.

This year we have replaced our original singing bowl with a new, larger bell, added to our number of cushions with the purchase of 4 cushions, and added a simple but effective PA system to help members and visitors better hear our service leaders and guest speakers.

We are grateful to board members Susan Harrison and Eugene Pevzner for upgrading our communications and social media presence which include a weekly BSBC e-newsletter listing coming events and special short articles, our website, and facebook page.  Louise Wile, our Librarian, has updated our lending library that provides many Buddhist books, periodicals, DVDs, tapes and audio books.  Marilyn Picciotti coordinates our outreach to protective shelters for families and animals, and Rika Barrett hosts the road clean-up events.Financially, we began the year (Nov 2013) with a total of $ 3,497.97 and ended the year (Oct 2014) with a total of $ 4,080.50 as shown in Figure 1.  Our total income for the year was $ 8,336.50 (this total does not included the balance forward from fiscal year 2013. Our total expenses were equal to $ 7753,97. These expenses included $ 4,680 for our rent for the year was based on $ 90 per Monday evening.

We look to the coming year to growing our Sangha, experiencing mindfulness and welcoming speakers to further our understanding of Buddhist teachings and helping individual practices of our members and visitors.

Namaste,

Jim Hild, President 2014

Posted in Home | Tagged , | Comments Off on ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Life Is….

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Buddhist Sangha

Life is a meditation. Be a meditator. Know how to meditate and meditate. Study dharma and know the suttras. Each gatha is profound. Love the Sangha – give and support it. Respect and love your Guru. Obey the teachings your Guru gives. Do all these things and more; do a thousand life times of these things. Apply all of these noble pursuits and throw them out. Throw them out along with self. Thinning the mind to self by Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha is the springboard to liberation. It isn’t about all the sutras nor years of meditation or the times of circumambulation of a stupa. These are great but not the culmination. What they can help to do is to thin the sense of self that holds one in samsara. Knowing the truths that are in their content and becoming those truths is the achievement beyond the need for any of them. Buddha’s words are true – no heart, no mind, no words, no eyes, no ears, no voice, no dharma, and no Buddha. None has value; all have value. None has merit; all have merit. Do what is meritorious. Do everything. Do nothing. Do the path and let go of any outcome. Do everything; do nothing. Doing everything is doing nothing and doing nothing is doing everything. by Jeff McNair

Posted in Home | Tagged | Comments Off on Life Is….

What is Buddhism

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Buddhist Sangha

WHAT IS BUDDHISM?

 

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality.

 

Around 650 BCE, the Buddha became aware through his own practice that there is suffering in life.  He then discovered a path to its release or freedom from suffering (nibbana), through concentration, insight and compassion. At the root of this suffering is craving. We cling to what we believe is pleasurable, avoid what we believe is not pleasurable and ignore what is neither pleasurable nor unpleasant.

The Buddha went on to outline a path of practice and spiritual development leading to a deepening understanding of the true nature of our minds, our bodies and our moment-to-moment experience, all of which is every changing and mostly not within our control. Buddhist practices, such as ethical living, service and meditation, are a means of developing awareness, kindness, and wisdom, qualities that lead to a happier, more peaceful mind. With such a mind, we find ourselves more naturally inclined to offering compassion to ourselves and others. When we see more clearly the ways in which our actions lead to suffering or to happiness, we can then live in greater harmony with the world around us. Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged | Comments Off on What is Buddhism

Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Shantideva

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Buddhist Sangha

John Wenz is currently leading us in an exploration of Shantideva’s “Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”. Stephen Bachelor’s translation of the text is shared freely online, follow this link –  Bodhisattva’s Way of Life

Posted in Home | Tagged | Comments Off on Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Shantideva

Refuge; A Few Teachings

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Buddhist Sangha

Refuge, A Few Teachings

Gathered Together and Offered by John Wenz  for The Buddhist Sangha of Buck’s County, August 1st, 2011

Precious Refuge Points

By His Eminence the 12th Nubpa Rinpoche at New York City, June 11th, 2011

After reviewing the 4 common preliminaries, with practice we develop true renunciation in our minds. Once we have true renunciation, we look for a leader to show us to a path. We look for what is the best way to get refuge. Buddha shows a path, his teachings, and we need a companion, sangha, so we take refuge in the Three Jewels. This starts us on the first of the Three Uncommon Preliminaries.

Many, many years ago, religious faith was not well developed. People were terrified by natural disasters. They normally sought protection from huge trees or mountains. They sought outer protection. Then they sought protection from other human beings, but this was still not ultimate protection. People found these sources of protection were not always reliable. Individuals were trying to find reliable protection. This was available – the Buddha.

Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Refuge; A Few Teachings

Refuge

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Buddhist Sangha

Lama Gursam kindly shared teachings on Refuge during our retreat this past April. Our friend John Wenz from Milarepa Meditation will present further teachings throughout the year on the first Monday of the month.

An Introduction to Refuge by John Wenz

June 6, 2011

As His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche says:

“We take refuge in Buddha, our own transcendent awareness, our mindful awareness, and

our compassion. The root of all Buddha’s teachings is Bodhicitta – Love and Compassion. It is all contained

in The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas:

1. Do no harm (do not act in anger about any sentient being, benefit sentient beings, help them in any way you can)

2. Practice virtue

3. Tame your own mind

If from the depths of our hearts develop the motivation: “May I purify my mind for the sake of all sentient beings”, then that mind will attain enlightenment.”

From Garchen Rinpoche, Refuge Teachings on 3-19-2011, You Tube: 20110320 PM 0405

Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Refuge

Four Ways of Turning the Mind: Sufferings of Samsara

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Buddhist Sangha

“In the three lower realms and even in the three higher ones there is not an instant of absolute happiness. I will avoid the root cause of my samsaric existence and practice the excellent path of peace to Enlightenment.”  From The Preliminary Practices of the Incomparable Drikung Kagyu                 

“To all holy Lamas, I bow down! These days, I don’t care for riches. I’m not into acquisitions,

So I’m not miserable trying to get things at first, And I’m not stressed out trying to protect things in the middle, And I’m not wretched trying to hold on to things in the end.

Ownership is no fun: I’m happy without!

These days, I don’t care for relations. I’m not into emotional games,

So I’m not miserable with possession at first, And I’m not stressed out by arguments in the middle, And I’m not wretched from separation in the end,

Emotional games are no fun: I’m happy without!

These days, I don’t care for pride. I’m not into celebrity,

So I’m not miserable trying to get famous at first, And I’m not stressed out trying to keep in the spotlight in the middle, And I’m not wretched from fear of losing the attention in the end.

Celebrity is no fun: I’m happy without.

These days, I don’t care for countries. I’m not attached to one place over another,

So I’m not miserable with narrow chauvinism at first, And I’m not stressed out with patriotic fever in the middle, And I’m not wretched from defending the homeland in the end.

Attachment is no fun: I’m happy without!

 From “What’s a King?” Milarepa, Songs on the Spot, p.81-82 Translated by Nicole Riggs, Dharma Cloud, Eugene, Oregon, 2003

“So we need to discuss suffering, but human nature is not to want to talk about it. But, spiritually we have to discuss what suffering is. The first noble truth talks about suffering. Until we understand clearly the nature of suffering, we don’t see that we can’t be free from suffering no matter how much we wish. So there is something here to study and meditate on… Humans have the opportunity to think about suffering and its causes and conditions.  So there is a small chance to become free of suffering “             

Yogi Lama Gursam, “Compassion” August, 2007 Susquehanna Yoga Center,Talks online at lamagursam.org

Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged | Comments Off on Four Ways of Turning the Mind: Sufferings of Samsara

Four Ways of Turning the Mind : Karma

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Buddhist Sangha

Enjoy this guide to the Four Ways of Turning the Mind  provided to us by our friend John Wenz from Milarepa Meditation from an ongoing series of  teachings inspired by our retreats with Lama Gursam.

3. Karma

“The fruit of one’s positive karma is happiness; suffering is the fruit of negative karma. The inexorable karmic causation is the mode of abiding of all dharmas. Henceforth, practice the Dharma by distinguishing between what should be practiced and what should be given up.”   From The Preliminary Practices of the Incomparable Drikung Kagyu

“Buddhism teaches about karma. All karma is created from mental intention. These intentions are expressed as emotions.”   Yogi Lama Gursam, “Love Your Enemy” August 11, 2006 Susquehanna Yoga Center,Talks Online at LamaGursam.org

Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged | Comments Off on Four Ways of Turning the Mind : Karma