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Hello, friends!
July is here, and so is the warm weather. This month will primarily focus on outdoor work and grounds maintenance. We invite anyone interested in volunteering to join us! You can find more information below.
In June, we successfully hosted a two-day workshop focused on Shaolin's Bodhidharma Muscle-Tendon Transformation and Marrow-Cleansing Practices, as well as a Two-Day Weekend Retreat. During the retreat, participants gained valuable insights from the teachings and presentations by the teachers about the Three Highest Trainings: Morality, Meditation, and Wisdom. They practiced Mindfulness Meditation and engaged in discussions about these principles. After the weekend retreat, Master Jì Rú conferred the Three Refuges and Five Precepts. It was a fruitful retreat that fostered peace and joy through the teachings of the Dharma. We plan to continue organizing retreats similar to this, so keep up to date with our schedule if you are interested!
Our DBS program is making good progress, and we wish our current students the best of luck on their final exams from last month. You can check it out on our RMTA's new website to register for the upcoming new semester and Buddhist Studies.
As the outdoor temperatures rise, we hope you are staying cool and hydrated.
Wishing you a wonderfully happy and peaceful July 4th! We hope you have a great time celebrating. Take care and stay cool!
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“Thank you for everything. Taking refuge was an amazing experience, and I even feel physically different. My Dhamma name is also very special to me and means a lot. I am just very grateful I found the Sangha this year. Thank you and thank you to Master for this weekend. ” ~ Xiǎn Mài Theo 顯勱
"I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and support I received from the monastics and lay teachers at MABA. For me, taking the precepts and refuges is a personal commitment to continue to develop and strengthen my meditation practice and spiritual journey." ~ Xiǎn Zào Jesse 顯慥
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Our Online Buddhist Studies Program
Deepen Your Buddhist Knowledge with Our Online Buddhist Studies Program
The Diploma in Buddhist Studies (DBS) Program offers a wonderful opportunity, whether you're new to Buddhism or looking to deepen your understanding, to explore the Buddhist teachings and apply them in daily life.
Now Accepting Applications for 2025–2027!
Interested? Visit our website to learn more about the DBS program and other flexible study options. Whether you thrive in a structured curriculum or prefer to learn at your own pace, we have a path that suits you.
| This photo catptures our students during one of their online learning sessions. | | |
Sunday Morning
We hope to see you at MABA! Whether you are seeking spiritual growth or opportunities for community engagement, we invite you to join us on Sunday mornings or to participate in our various service activities. We welcome any vegetarian contributions for our Sunday lunch. If you would like to bring a dish, please let our office know what you will be bringing.
| | All are welcome to join us for a Dharma Discussion after Sunday lunch. You are welcome to bring your questions about Dharma and practice to the discussion session. | | |
We want you to be part of our team! If you'd like to make a difference, please reach out to us about some exciting upcoming opportunities to volunteer. We’re gearing up for gardening, grounds cleanup and we need enthusiastic volunteers like you! There are many ways to get involved, from setting up tents and parking signs to assisting in the kitchen. Join us for a rewarding experience where you'll meet new people and impact our community!
Volunteer Work Opportunities at MABA
You are welcome to volunteer any day and at any time from Monday to Saturday during the following hours:
- 9:30 AM to 11:20 AM
- 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Master Jì Rú will offer half an hour of meditation instruction whenever he is available at MABA.
Volunteer tasks include:
- Garden and ground maintenance
- Mowing
- Weed trimming
- Cleaning the porch of the Chan Hall
- Reorganizing the garden around the Standing Buddha
- Paint MABA's signboard
- Kitchen assistance
and other works as needed.
Sign Up Here to Volunteer!
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Buddha's Teaching of the Month
AN 10.83 Puṇṇiyasutta: With Puṇṇiya
Then Venerable Puṇṇiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes the Realized One feels inspired to teach, and other times not?”
“Puṇṇiya, when a mendicant has faith but doesn’t approach, the Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach. But when a mendicant has faith and approaches, the Realized One feels inspired to teach.
When a mendicant has faith and approaches, but doesn’t pay homage … they pay homage, but don’t ask questions … they ask questions, but don’t lend an ear … they lend an ear, but don’t remember the teaching they’ve heard … they remember the teaching they’ve heard, but don’t reflect on the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered … they reflect on the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered, but, having understood the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice accordingly … they practice accordingly, but they’re not a good speaker. Their voice is not polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning … They’re a good speaker, but they don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. The Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.
But when a mendicant
- has faith,
- approaches,
- pays homage,
- asks questions,
- lends an ear,
- remembers the teachings,
- reflects on the meaning,
- Practices accordingly,
- has a good voice, and
- encourages their spiritual companions,
The Realized One feels inspired to teach. When someone has these ten qualities, the Realized One feels totally inspired to teach.”
Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.83 Puṇṇiyasutta: With Puṇṇiya by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.
Readings:
Right View Quarterly
Daily Sutta Reading
Suttas (Buddha's Teachings)
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The Ten Stages of Trust has just been published! This is Xiankuan Don’s third book on Buddhism. The Ten Stages of Trust is for Bodhisattvas and those interested in the Bodhisattva Path. This is the first commentary in English on the beginning of the Bodhisattva’s 52 Stages.
To acquire books:
All proceeds go to MABA. If you are local to St. Louis, you can arrange to stop by Xiankuan Don's office on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and get a copy. Please contact Don's office to reserve a time.
If you are not local to St. Louis, you can acquire this book through our website: (https://maba-usa.org/dharma-books ) or through the author.
All $40 goes to MABA ($34 for book, $6 for shipping). Amazon has the book also, but MABA only gets 10%.
Further Description:
The Ten Stages of Trust should interest Chan, Zen, Huayan, and Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. This text can be especially useful for those who have taken the Bodhisattva Vows or are considering this step. The 350 pages include translations of selected passages from the original sutras, commentaries on the essential meanings, as well as commentaries on verses from the Map of the Ten Buffalo (Zen Ox Pictures), Sengcan’s Trust in Mind Inscription, and Farong’s Mind Inscription. At the end of each chapter, there is a suggested meditation for each stage.
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Myanmar Earthquake
We are deeply saddened by the immense damage and suffering occurring in Myanmar due to the earthquake. The destruction is profound, and help is needed right now. Jìrú Shífù hopes we can all put our compassion into action by aiding our friends in Myanmar. Please give as generously as you can to emergency aid services such as the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders.
MABA is collecting funds for future use in Myanmar to help them rebuild their temples and monasteries. Thousands of their cultural and religious sites have been destroyed. Temples and monasteries will be rebuilt once the emergency has ended. Please aid in rebuilding the places to study and practice the Dharma in Myanmar at the link to the left. Select "Relief Fund" under Paypal donations.
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Dana
Dana signifies the virtue of giving. The monastic community relies heavily on the support of the lay community. Currently, MABA depends almost entirely on the support of the traditional Asian community. It is very important for us to assist the Western community in developing the six paramitas (perfections), the first of which is the virtue of giving. The significance of practicing Dana lies in its ability to help overcome lower fetters, such as greed and ignorance, as well as in its role in accumulating merits that support meditation practice. Without making preliminary efforts to establish virtuous actions, meditation can often become fruitless. We encourage everyone to seize any opportunity to develop this virtue.
At MABA, we have greatly integrated the use of the internet into our routines. This technology allows us to host online teachings and create presentations for our Sunday services. However, our internet provider is discontinuing their unlimited business plans, and transitioning to a usage-based plan will increase our rate from $599.95 per month to $799.95 per month.
We are asking our community for help to bridge this gap! If you can, please support our cause. Every contribution counts! To donate, click the button to the left. Under "General Donation," select "Donate." This will redirect you to the donation page; once there, use the dropdown menu to select "Internet Upgrade Expenses."
Thank you for your ongoing support!
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Interfaith
MABA accepts invitations from schools, educational institutes and other religious organizations to introduce Buddhism and mindfulness practice, as well as to join interfaith dialogues that promote mutual understanding between practices.
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Lanterns
For our Dharma friends and supporters who wish to make a dedicated lantern offering. We will engave a tablet in your name (or any name you wish) and place it at the Guanyin Pavilion.
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Funeral Services
Reservation of the niches, ordering the urns, placing the urns, relocating the urns, chanting services, placement of name tablet of ancestors, and visiting dying patients.
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MABA Website: https://maba-usa.org | |
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