With an invitation from Richard Hall Community Mental Health Center, and as a part of our Educational Outreach, So Shim Sa was invited to give an interactive presentation at Richard Hall on September 27. Richard Hall is a "Comprehensive community mental health center dedicated to the prevention, early detection and treatment of mental illness and serious emotional and behavioral problems." Ven. Myong-Ahn's talk entitled "Happiness Here and Now" was followed by a meditation session led by Ven. Mooh-Sang. The presentation concluded with a wonderful Q&A session with a very interactive and receptive audience of over 30 participants.We hope to foster an ongoing relationship with Richard Hall Center and So Shim Sa's 1000 Hands Outreach.
On Monday, June 22 nd Soshima Zen Center presented “Life, Death, Bardo, Next... a Meditative Journey Cloaked in Music”, a dramatic representation of the universal human journey as reflected in Mahayana Buddhist teachings. Attendees entered a darkened room to encounter a circle of cushions surrounded by a ring of electric candles. As they lay supine in the silent hall, the reverberation of the meditation bell signaled the beginning of the journey. Then, a dramatic narration began, accompanied by musical selections chosen to inspire the listener to imagine each stage of the process. The narrative told the story of a person transitioning from living mundane everyday life, unmindful of death, through sudden diagnosis of serious illness, struggle with disease, gradual acceptance of death, passing away of the body, the migration of the spirit, wandering in the bardo, liberation from the wheel of samsara, and the attainment of the Bodhisattva ideal. The conclusion of the prog...
