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Pennsylvania Adopt-A-Highway program.
Practice Buddhism, and To Provide Meditation Instruction and Community Service in a
Manner Consistent with the Teaching of the Buddha.
From the President: As we look back on our second full year of practice, we reflect
on the strength of group practice. Although the Buddha emphasized self-knowledge as
essential, he also stressed the importance of practice together as a Sangha. Those of
us who attend weekly have felt the benefit on our daily practice and in our workplace
and family. As we have learned more about the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma) through
our educational programs, we feel the accomplishments of the Buddha and aspire to
achieve greater understanding. It is appropriate that in the past year we have added
the ‘refuge’ prayer to our liturgy, which emphasizes the connection to Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha. We come together to gather and share the tools to make our community
and ourselves more harmonious.
The second prayer we added to our liturgy was the ‘Dedication of Merit’, which offers
any benefit we have achieved to all other beings in the world. In line with this prayer,
we have offered over 30 bags of food to local food banks. We have continued our adopt-
a-road project in Levittown, and we participated in the Peace Walk with Monk
Krishnuman from Nepal.
Several Buddhist teachers and representatives have inspired us this year. Jeff Shore
returned for a second full day retreat in August, clarifying the Zen practices of sitting
and insight into the mind. Dave Christy from the Shambhala Center of Philadelphia
discussed their Tibetan-inspired practice. Kathleen Murphy discussed the film Fierce
Grace, an inspiring biography of Ram Dass. Many members of BSBC visited teachers
throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond, inspiring each of us to learn more.
Of special significance this year is the growth of our discussion group after each
Monday sitting. If you haven’t been there, you’ve missed some spirited, humorous,
insightful and honest looks at Buddhism in our daily life.
We’re extremely grateful to Jay Dickinson for beginning a study of Stephen Levine’s
book ‘A Year To Live’ in October. The group will actually practice having a year to live
throughout 2004. Dan Lee provided a course in the ‘Four Immeasurables’ at his home,
emphasizing the how and why of compassion.
At our Annual Meeting this year, we thank our guest of honor Richard McKinney of the
Philadelphia Buddhist Association for his work in building area Buddhist practices.
Richard inspired our Board of Directors last year at one of our meetings with his vision
of the future of Buddhism locally. We are deeply grateful to Dale Shimizu and the
Yardley Friends Meeting for their support of our mission, and we thank them as our
first ‘Friends of the Dharma’.
Our challenges lie squarely in the areas of education and community service. If we are
moved by the Noble Truths, we glimpse a way out of suffering. To practice the way, we
must apply Right Understanding and Right View to our Speech, Action and Livelihood.
So we must learn more about the teachings of the Buddha but we must also take
action. How can we do that? Chogyam Trungpa asks us to look at the world from the
perspective of a grain of sand. Imagine how wide that view is! Let us use the love and
the tools of the Sangha to expand our view and to actively relieve suffering.
-James Reis, President
our Sangha again
for a full-day
retreat in the Zen
tradition
with Monk Krishnuman on
his Peace Walk
2003-2004 Board of Directors:
President: James Reis
Vice President: Dan Lee
Secretary: Judith Henderson
Assistant Secretary: Open
Treasurer: Jim Hild
Member-At-Large: Bill Regan
