On Saturday July 11^th The Practice Life Sangha of Virginia Beach (www.meetup.com/practicelife) enjoyed a special visit to the Dong Hung Temple.  For many of the guests, this was their first experience at a Buddhist temple and were happy to have such a welcome and warm feeling upon arrival.

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Everyone brought a vegetarian dish or dessert to share.  We all ate in the dining room as both old and new members got to know each other as well as our host, Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh.  The food was as generous as it was delicious!

Following lunch, Chuc Thanh led us in a walking meditation while we listened to the chant, “Nam mo A Di Da Phat.”  We then settled in the main room for sitting meditation for 10 minutes. Chuc Thanh gave a brief instruction for those that were new to meditation. Many people commented after the event how wonderful the sounds of the singing bowl were.

After meditation we shared green tea and had Dharma talk with Chuc Thanh. The topic for discussion was how to practice the dharma in our daily lives.  He spoke about the 4 Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path as well as the concept of the 5 aggregates.  He taught us that, through practice, we can become more patient and mindful.  When we fall we can get back up…and keep practicing!

We closed with a prayer: “May all beings be well, may all beings be happy, may all beings be peaceful!”

Everyone agreed that it was an uplifting, joyful, informative, and welcoming experience. The Practice Life Sangha looks forward to doing this again soon.

Kathy Manzella
The Practice Life Sangha

 Here are the comments I have received so far. I will share more with you as they come in:

“I found the visit to be very uplifting. I had previous experience with meditation classes but had never received first hand instruction on the Buddhist religion. I found Chuc Thanh to be very informative, welcoming and has very kind eyes. I found Kathy to be very welcoming and made everyone feel at home. I will definitely be interested in learning more about Buddhism and look forward to future meets.”

- Nell

“The trip to the temple yesterday was really wonderful.  The temple is a great resource for anyone interested in Buddhism both as a place to study, listen and learn and as a place of spiritual growth. In his teaching,  Chuc Than truly strives to make the concepts of Buddhism accessible to everyone. I look forward for the opportunity to return to the temple soon.”
- Katie
“Awesome afternoon! Thanks, again Kathy for organizing the event.”
- William

“Thanks Kathy and Chuc Thanh and all the monks at the temple for a wonderful time. It really was a great meet up and so glad to see so many faces there...good for all of us!!!”
- Cynthia

I had a wonderful time visiting the Dong Hung Buddhist Education Center this past Saturday. Chuc Thanh, welcomed us warmly and was a most gracious host. The Dharma talk was informative and the meditation / ceremony was wonderful.

-       William