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Hello, friends!
This past May, we began to ramp up our outdoor activities. Our gardens have begun to look lush and fruitful. Life is very busy with groundskeeping as our grass is growing, along with the weeds. We always welcome help with maintaining our property, so if you are interested, please reach out - we greatly appreciate every contribution!
We also celebrated a very succesful Vesak Day here at MABA. A big thank you to all our volunteers who came out to help before, during, and after our ceremony! It was great to see faces both new and familiar. Especially thank you to our great photographers: Dan, Robert & Li Chi, Cory, and Grace. See photos here. Another big thanks to our volunteers who worked in the kitchen led by Katty and Chil!
We have lots of exciting events coming up, so stay in the loop with our event schedule.
It is important to us here at MABA that we give back to our community, so we are once again collecting food items to help stock the shelves of our Augusta Neighborhood Food Pantries. We invite you to bring some non-perishable items the next time you visit!
We hope to see you all soon. Stay safe!
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Photos from the Vesak's Preparation Day & Vesak Day
Click here to see more photos on our website.
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2025 Upcoming Events
2-Day Workshop on
Shaolin’s Bodhidharma Muscle-Tendon Transformation & Marrow-Cleansing Practices
(達摩易筋洗髓養身功法 Bodhidharma's Yijin Xisui Health-Cultivation Practice)
Dates: June 7th & 8th, 2025 (Saturday and Sunday)
Instructor: Venerable Yanzhu (Shaolin Monk)
Join us for a 2-day workshop on Bodhidharma’s ancient Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow-Cleansing practices, a cornerstone of Shaolin wellness traditions. Under the guidance of Ven. Yanzhu, you’ll learn techniques to:
• Strengthen and nourish internal organs,
• Boost immunity and vitality,
• Clear stagnant dampness and cold toxins from meridians,
leading to a more energetic and balanced body.
All are welcome to join and benefit from this rare opportunity. However, space is limited, so we would like to encourage you to register early. A refundable deposit is required upon registration (returned after full attendance of four sessions).
A vegetarian potluck lunch will be shared on both Saturday and Sunday. If you plan to attend, kindly bring a dish that serves approximately ten people.
Register now! We look forward to practicing together!
Click here to register.
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Two-Days Weekend Retreat
Date: June 27-28 (Saturday & Sunday)
Please join us for a weekend focused on the Three Higher Trainings of ethical conduct, concentration, and wisdom. These trainings are the backbone of all Buddhist practice. All are welcome, from beginners to the more experienced. Immerse yourself for the weekend in talks, discussions, and meditation within a peaceful community dedicated to personal and communal well-being.
Overnight accommodations are available, but commuters are also welcome.
Vegetarian meals included. Please reserve your place now, as spots are limited.
Register for the retreat here!
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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. | |
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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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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
MN 26 From Ariyapariyesanāsutta:
The Noble Search—Seeking the Unborn
“…Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, I too, being myself subject to birth, sought what was also subject to birth; being myself subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement, I sought what was also subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement. Then I considered thus: ‘Why, being myself subject to birth, do I seek what is also subject to birth? Why, being myself subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement, do I seek what is also subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement? Suppose that, being myself subject to birth, having understood the danger in what is subject to birth, I seek the unborn supreme security from bondage, Nibbāna. Suppose that, being myself subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement, having understood the danger in what is subject to ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, and defilement, I seek the unageing, unailing, deathless, sorrowless, and undefiled supreme security from bondage, Nibbāna.’
“Later, while still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, though my mother and father wished otherwise and wept with tearful faces, I shaved off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and went forth from the home life into homelessness.…”
Read the entire translation of Majjhima Nikāya 26 Pāsarāsisutta: The Noble Search by Bhikkhu Bodhi on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, DhammaTalks.org or Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or 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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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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