Green Island Sangha: Buddhist Films in NYC

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Buddhist Films in NYC

We received the following announcement at our email address:

Join us for this rare event graciously offered by Asia Society to the New York Sangha in their beautiful theater. It also includes free admission to the new Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art exhibition prior to the screening beginning at 6 pm.

http://www.journeyintobuddhism.com/trilogy.html

Asia Society presents the acclaimed film trilogy:
Journey Into Buddhism

John Bush, Director

Yatra is the sanskrit word for pilgrimage or sacred journey. These visually stunning documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java and Central Tibet. Journey into the living traditions, and vanished civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures.

The living presence of place is the primary focus of these three lyrical films which are meditations themselves. Their deliberate pacing, unobtrusive narration, and inspired sounds are created to induce an inner journey while traveling to these legendary places.The trilogy features an expansive soundtrack of classical Asian sacred music, leading world musicians and singers and an original harmonic chant score by David Hykes.

Dharma River Journey of a Thousand Buddhas
Friday April 23 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Dharma is the Sanskrit word for universal law. Essential to Buddhist understanding, dharma is the natural order, a living truth, and a force for awakening. Dharma River is a lyrical and exquisite sensory journey through Southeast Asia’s great spiritual and cultural treasures. Visiting the legendary vanished civilizations and living wisdom traditions of Laos, Thailand, and Burma, Dharma River powerfully conveys their continuing
relevance for contemporary audiences. Ancient temples, mystical landscapes, and wondrous shrines—many of them UNESCO world heritage sites—provide a rich visual tapestry. With a score of rare classical Southeast Asian music, this visual voyage masterfully illuminates artistic and devotional traditions. From the canals of Bangkok
to the mountains of Laos, from the golden pagodas of Burma to the Mekong River, the film is a unique experience of sacred space.

Prajna Earth Journey into Sacred Nature
Friday April 30 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Filmed entirely on location in Southeast Asia, the second film of the Yatra Trilogy is a stunning cinematic journey to the legendary temples of Angkor in Cambodia, the spiritual sites of Bali, and finally the marvel of Buddhist Borobudur in Java. Prajna Earth is a pilgrimage to sacred intersections where Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions merge with the animist worship of nature. Monks and nuns travel on foot for days to reach a full moon gathering
near Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world. The dance of the Devatas celebrates the rebirth of this classic art form within the cultural healing of war torn Cambodia. As the journey moves to Bali, gamelan music, Ramayana dance, and lively street processions echo through the hill town of Ubud. In Java, a night of animist trance dance and
spirit possession is followed by a golden dawn and ascent of the startling seven-level stupa of Borobudur. Narrated by Sharon Stone

Vajra Sky Over Tibet
Friday May 7 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Vajra is the thunderbolt of awakening that cuts through delusion. It is the indestructible power of truth at the heart of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. Filmed in Central Tibet, Vajra Sky is a cinematic pilgrimage offering a direct experience of some of the most revered temples, monasteries, and festivals still surviving. The vastness of snow mountains, rushing rivers, and turquoise lakes leads the journey westward to the holy sites of Shigatse and Gyantse.
Returning to Lhasa, the luminous faces of pilgrims in front of the legendary Jokhang Temple glow in the flicker of butter lamp offerings. The empty windows and doors of the traditional homes of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the Potala and Norbulinka, signal his painful absence. Yet the exuberant blossoms of the Summer Palace hold the promise of natural cycles of return. During the colorful Drepung Monastery festival, a giant scroll painting of the Buddha covers
a mountain as spiritually famished Chinese join with the multitude of Tibetan pilgrims.
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Asia Society & Museum 725 Park Avenue at 70th St. New York NY

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Green Island Sangha

The Green Island Sangha is inspired by the teachings and practice of Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh; we belong to the international Sangha which he founded: the Order of Interbeing, a "fourfold community" of lay women and men, nuns and monks. We are a grassroots Sangha, beginners and more experienced practitioners learning from and supporting one other on the path of awakening. We are also a part of The Community of Mindfulness New York Metro.

Our aspiration is to bring mindfulness, concentration, and insight to daily living. During our sessions, we apply the practice of conscious breathing to sitting and walking, as well as communicating with compassionate listening and loving speech. Our gatherings also reflect the values of openness. For example, many members continue to participate within other religious or ethical traditions. We are a Sangha of practitioners from the entire length and breath of Long Island and consider ourselves to be part of a world wide Sangha. Beginners are welcome.

Sitting & Walking Meditation

Sitting Meditation

"Sit or lie down in a way that allows your body to rest. Sitting, your head and spine form a straight line. Relax all your muscles. Find a way of sitting that allows you to sit for at least 20 minutes without becoming too stiff or tired. As soon as you sit down, pay attention to your breath. Then notice your posture, a little bit everywhere. Relax the muscles in your face. If you are angry or worried, those muscles will be tense. Smile lightly, and you will relax hundreds of muscles in your face. Then notice your shoulders, and let go of the tension there. Don’t try too hard. Just breathe mindfully, and scan your whole body."

Thich Nhat Hanh, The Mindfulness Bell, Issue 23, pages 1,4.

Walking Meditation

"Walk more slowly than you usually do, but not too slowly, while breathing normally. Do not try to control your breathing. Walk along this way for a few minutes. Then notice how many steps you take as your lungs fill and how many steps you take as they empty. In this way, your attention includes both breath and steps. You are mindful of both.... Your half-smile brings calmness and delight to your steps and your breath.... After a few hours of serious practice, you will find that the four of them — the breath, the counting, the steps, and the half-smile — blend together in a marvelous balance of mindfulness. This is equanimity, created by the practice of walking meditation. The four elements of breathing, counting, stepping, and the half-smile become one."

Thich Nhat Hanh, A Guide to Walking Meditation.

Five Mindfulness Trainings

Five Mindfulness Trainings

The Five Mindfulness Trainings were developed during the time of the Buddha to be the foundation of practice for the entire practice community, including monastic and lay members. The basis for the trainings is mindfulness.All Sangha members and guests are requested to observe these trainings to support our practice of mindfulness and living harmoniously together. No smoking, no drinking and no sexual misconduct constitute part of the Five Mindfulness Trainings to be observed at a practice center. The Five Mindfulness Trainings protect our freedom and make life beautiful. As guidelines for our daily lives they are the basis of happiness for individuals, couples, families and society.
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Reverence For Life

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.

True Happiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of global warming.

True Love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

Loving Speech and Deep Listening

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

Nourishment and Healing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

Green Island Sangha

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Buddhist Films in NYC

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Thich Nhat Hanh