Chinese Culture is shining in the History of Oklahoma

The report of Buddha Mind Monastery to the Chinese Exhibition in Oklahoma History Center

History is the record of human activities, while culture is the spiritual connection of people. Recently, the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) and the Oklahoma Chinese Culture Foundation (OCCF) opened a one-year long exhibition, “A Scissor Tail Return – The Chinese Experience in Oklahoma” to show the lives of Chinese people in Oklahoma.

The Buddha Mind Monastery (BMM) is the first monastery of the Chan School in Oklahoma. Knowing that a lot of Chinese people are very sincere to Buddhism, Ms. Tinny Chang, the Director of OCCF, especially invited the following; Mr. Michael Bell, the Curator of General Collections of Oklahoma Museum of History (GCOMH), Mr. Rodger Harris, the Oral Historian of Research Division of GCOMH, and Ms. Susan De Quevedo, the Assistant Curator of GCOMH, to visit the Buddha Mind Monastery.

In order to support the Chinese Exhibition and let people have a chance to understand the history, culture, and art in Buddhism, Ven. Jian Tai, Abbess of BMM, provided a New Year Blessing scroll “Xiu Shan Ji Fu”, meaning “To practice good deeds and cultivate merits” by the Grand Master Wei-chueh of Chung Tai Chan Monastery, to their guests. Ven. Jian Tai also donated her old collections: one hundred and eight phoenix-eye chanting beads, a hand bell and a wooden fish to the Oklahoma History Center.

Phoenix-eye bead trees grow in India; every bead has an eye like a phoenix-eye. Beads are very hard and after chanting for a long time, the beads will become shinny and their color will turn darker. “We used to connect one hundred and eight beads together, which means to cut off one hundred and eight vexations and attain one hundred and eight Samadhi” said Ven. Jian Tai.

The hand bell is a percussion instrument used at a Buddhist monastery. It is made of copper and its shape is like a bowl, with a diameter of seven centimeters. The copper bowl is put on top of a 35 centimeter long wooden stem. People use a long copper stick to strike the bell.

There are two fish images in the wooden fish. We all know that fish don’t have eyelids and their eyes are open during sleep. This phenomenon is used to encourage Buddhists to practice diligently. Sometimes people carved a wooden fish with a dragon shape to show that normal people can turn into sages and saints.

Good results rely on wonderful causes and conditions. Through great planning and long term preparation, the exhibition was opened on Sep 21, 2007. Ms. Tinny Chang invited the Shifus and the lay people of BMM to join the opening ceremony. Ven. Jian Tai was also invited to cut the red ribbon. In order to celebrate this Chinese exhibition, the Dharma Support Association of BMM sent a basket of fresh flowers to OHC. Mr. Michael Bell, the Curator of GCOMH, represented the OHC and received the flowers.

There were more than three hundred people who joined the opening ceremony. Every one had high expectations for this exhibition.

There where many samples of Chinese clothing, food, festivals, literature and spirituality in the exhibition. The calligraphy “Xiu Shan Ji Fu” of Grand Master Wei-chueh attracted everyone’s attention. The photos of the Buddha Mind Monastery, and its Grand Opening Purification and Consecration Ceremony showed that Buddhism is propagating prosperously in Oklahoma. All the donation offerings displayed in the cabinets where a wonderful site to behold, proof of the great support by the local communities.

Though there are few Chinese people living in Oklahoma, their diligence and hard work has been affecting Oklahoma communities greatly. In 2004, the Shifus of the Buddha Mind Monastery started to propagate Buddhism and introduce meditation and Chinese culture to local people. For the first time, people who love Chinese history and art have a great opportunity to get to know the Buddha Mind Monastery and enjoy the art that is in Buddhism. We truly appreciate the efforts and time spent by the Oklahoma History Center’s, Ms. Tinny Chang and many volunteers. As a result of the effort and time spent by many people, the Chinese Exhibition is a shinning addition to Oklahoma’s history and proves that the Chinese people are contributing to the culture of this state.

華人文化放光輝，奧州歷史開新頁

--佛心寺受邀奧州歷史博物館展覽記實--

歷史，是人與人活動的記錄；文化，是人和人精神之傳遞。美國奧克拉荷馬州歷史博物館（Oklahoma History Center）與奧華文教中心合作，舉辦「歸來燕，中國人在奧州的經歷（A Scissortail Returns：The Chinese Experience in Oklahoma）」展覽，為期一整年。將華人在奧克拉荷馬州生活之經歷，透過歷史的角度來呈現。

佛心寺為奧克拉荷馬州第一座大乘禪宗道場。奧華文教中心主任梁遵燕居士了知佛法在中國人的心目中，占有崇高地位。特邀奧州歷史博物館Mr. Michael Bell（Curator of General Collections ofOklahoma Museum of History）, Mr. Rodger Harris（Oral Historian, Research Division）及Ms.Susan de Quevedo（Assistant Curator of General Collections）來佛心寺參訪與交流。

為了成就此次展覽，並讓大眾更能了解佛教歷史文化與藝術，佛心寺住持釋見太法師與來訪的貴賓結緣^上惟^下覺大和尚書寫的「修善積福」新春賀聯及中台山文宣。並將自己收藏多年的古物：一百零八顆鳳眼菩提念珠、引磬及木魚各一組，捐贈給奧州歷史博物館。

鳳眼菩提子產於印度，每一顆的芽眼如鳳眼，因此得名。由於質地十分堅硬，經持誦後顏色轉深，且愈來愈具光澤。而一百零八顆念珠之意義，則是修行人為求證百八三昧而斷除一百零八種煩惱。

引磬為寺院中使用的打擊樂器，又稱手磬。銅質碗形，直徑約七厘米，隆起的頂端有鈕，置於一根木柄上端，木柄長約三十五厘米，用細長銅棍敲擊。

木魚刻有首尾相接的魚形。魚本身沒有眼瞼，睡覺時眼睛張開，以此現象勉勵修行者精進用功。而龍形木魚的樣式則取乎「魚化成龍」，表示「轉凡成聖」之意。

任何事情之成就，皆需殊勝的因緣才能達成。歷經長時間的籌備，今年九月二十一日，展覽正式剪綵開幕，梁遵燕主任特邀佛心寺法師及居士參加，並請住持法師剪綵。為了表達祝賀之意，佛心寺護法會致贈鮮花一籃給歷史博物館，由Mr. Michael Bell（Curator of General Collections ofOklahoma Museum of History）代表接受。

當天到場之中外嘉賓共有三百多人，每位參與者都對此次展覽抱持高度的期許。

展覽場地設有服飾、文教、節慶、飲食等區，並闢有「精神教化」區（Spirituality），於此區內，中台禪寺開山方丈^上惟^下覺大和尚書寫的「修善積福」四字，印在朱紅的牆面上，吸引眾人之目光。佛心寺開光灑淨法會及建築照片，讓與會來賓看到佛法在異國興盛的氣象，而展示櫃內則陳列各方捐贈給博物館的精品。

華人團體在奧克拉荷馬州的數目雖然不算多，但勤奮認真，對地方逐漸顯現出影響力。佛心寺從2004年 開始弘法度眾，接引中外人士認識佛法、學習禪修、了解中華文化。並藉由奧州歷史博物館展覽之因緣，讓愛好歷史文化藝術的人士，有機會和三寶結緣，擴展生活 視野，體會佛教藝術之美。在此要感謝主辦單位，梁遵燕主任及為此展覽付出的所有人員，由於大眾的發心，過去點點滴滴的努力，在這次中西文化之交會中，閃耀 出璀璨的光芒，也為華人在奧州之貢獻，作了最佳見証。

Meditation Class: Reflection

--Reflection--

I don’t have to come; yet I feel drawn.
Others in the dim light were also drawn.
We each pursue the Way.
Shifus guide us; incense holds us in its palms.
Compassion and peace fill the air between us
One weeps with compassion; one floats; I hear one swallow.
We all take refuge in this peace and beauty.

Believing and Practicing: So You Think You Are Good Enough?

by Yin Hwee (Chuan Yin)

One winter, I woke up early in the morning to do my daily routine of cleaning the shrine in my room. As I examined the Medicine Buddha crystal pagoda, I thought, “This looks pretty clean to me. Seems like I don’t need to spend much time on it!” Then I had another thought. “Well, I have plenty of time to spare today. Why don’t I just clean it thoroughly till it sparkles?”

As I took the pagoda to wipe it, a ray of sunshine shone through the window, making the house brighter. I was surprised to see that the “clean” crystal pagoda was actually covered with dust. I imagined that if it had been a summer morning, I would have seen dust flying all around my house very clearly.

This was a “light bulb” moment for me. I realized that sunshine is like the light of the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha reveals to us the root of mental disturbances and sufferings (the dust), and showed us the way to liberate ourselves (the cleaning). His teachings are a brighter, clearer, more complete view of life and the nature of the universe.

Under the dim light (lay person’s eyes), many people understand that there are consequences for committing bad actions. They think that as long as they do positive things and have a good heart, having faith in any religion is unimportant. Some people say, “It’s sufficient to believe in Buddha, there is no need to cling to becoming a vegetarian.” I once saw this kind of comment as a personal preference, and I would respect other people’s choices. But after attending meditation classes at the Buddha Mind Monastery, and reading the Sutra of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I realize that practicing Buddhism in addition to faith makes a huge difference.

Buddhism empowers us with the ability and strength to understand, train, and control our minds. By taking control of our minds with practice, we take control of our actions, too. Every thought in our minds counts. Every thought may be crucial to bring us closer to heaven or cost us a trillion years of suffering in hell. Therefore, we need to train ourselves to be the masters of our minds and be able to differentiate between the good thoughts and the bad thoughts that arise from moment to moment to bring about positive actions and prevent negative ones.

Simply abiding by the precepts is not enough. We should go deeper and understand why we should not have bad thoughts that would lead to bad actions in the first place. Although we might all appear to be good people under the dim light, we all still have room to improve under the Buddha’s light. This is why Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s vow to liberate all sentient beings is never ending. The sentient beings’ minds alternate between good and bad very fast, and cause them to go back and forth between the good realms and the lowly realms just as fast.

The Chung Tai Chan Monastery and all its meditation centers have the common goal with the Bodhisattvas to transfer the Buddha’s teachings to everyone within reach, using many methods that are convenient and acceptable to the lay people. Their compassionate wish is for us to be able to understand and take control of our own mind, and have a pure mind like the Buddha.

If we do not believe in the Buddha and our Buddha nature, our world is in darkness. If we only believe in the Buddha and do not practice, our mind will still be in darkness, which will be a disappointment to our Dharma teachers. If we rely on our own understanding to practice Buddhism, we might get lost on our path and deviate from the truth. We should all accept the Buddhist monks and nuns’ teachings with humbleness and utmost respect, and practice diligently at the same time. We should be thankful that there is someone with higher wisdom here to help us live a better life. I am confident that following in their footsteps will lead us to a brighter, broader life, and ensure that we never get lost in the dark anymore.

Believing and Practicing: 信佛與學佛

傳穎

在冬天的一個早晨，我在清掃家中的小佛桌。這時太陽剛升起，我也沒有開燈，單單靠著佛桌上的小蓮花燈的燈光，便開始擦著佛桌上供奉的藥師佛水晶塔。可是我 個子矮，佛桌比較高，小蓮花燈的燈光又偏暗，所以也沒看出些什麼灰塵。心想：＂這藥師塔還算滿乾淨，不需要怎麼擦嘛！＂但回頭又想：＂反正有時間，就給祂 徹底清一下吧！＂我就伸手把藥師塔端下來。我就這樣一隻手端著，一隻手擦著佛塔。這時天已經開始亮，微微的冬天的陽光從視窗照射進屋裏。清澈透明的藥師塔 在陽光之下就顯得佈滿了灰塵。我心想如果今天是個夏天的大太陽，我可能還能看得見屋裏的灰塵在空中亂飄，一些可能會落在傢俱上，一些還可能會被吸進鼻子裏 呢！

頓然一想：這陽光不就像佛光一樣嗎？在佛陀慈悲的教化之下，我們才能看清楚人生中的煩惱與痛苦（灰塵）從哪裡來，從而知道如何去轉煩惱成菩提。很多人往往 只像在微光下（世俗的人事物）隱隱約約知道殺人放火的事不能幹，要坐牢的，或者會毀了家庭和前途的。又或者覺得心好就可以，有沒有信教都不重要。有人還曾 經對我說過: “ 心中有佛就好啦， 吃不吃素無所謂!”　 多年來我都認為這些只是各人的看法和喜好，只要不做壞事，信不信佛或有沒有學佛的親友都應該給予尊重。但是當我親近中台禪寺分院佛心寺的法師們，誦讀了地 藏經之後，漸漸地發現其實它的差別可大了。這個差別在於我們如何去瞭解，鍛煉及掌控這顆心，如何去掌握自己的命運。要知道我們的起心動念是非常微細的，其 因果報應是絲毫不爽的。我們對自己的起心動念必須清清楚楚明明白白。對於為什麼這惡事，惡念不能有，也一樣要清清楚楚明明白白。在微光之下，一個人看起來 是個好人，但在佛光之下，這個人一定還有改進的地方。地藏菩薩之所以從長久遠劫以來都還在精進地度化眾生，不也因為眾生的心常常旋轉在善與惡之間，無法完 全清淨，而隨業流轉，一時生往善道，旋而又墮到三途去。可悲又可怕！

“靈泉之光， 中台之光， 自性之光， 光光相照， 共成菩提。” 佛菩薩及法師們開種種方便，循循善誘，為的是讓我們都可以來認清人生宇宙的事實真相，都可以像佛陀一樣有一顆清淨無染的心。他們的心是慈悲的，是廣大的。 人不信佛，心中一片黑暗。人單單信佛，不夠積極，白費佛菩薩及法師們的一片苦心，心中仍是一片黑暗。人單靠自己的智慧去修行，可能走偏了，乖離了佛道而親 近外道。所以我們應該以一顆感恩的心，恭恭敬敬，認認真真地去接受與實踐　老和尚的教誨，追隨佛陀的腳步，一步一腳印，總有一天會走出一條屬於自性的光明 道路，不再迷失在黑暗中。

To Be Continued

In grave illness, the precepts are fine medicine.