Sound and Tea Meditation Planned at University

The Asian Studies Program will host “Sound and Tea Meditation” Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center.
The Asian Studies Program at The University of Scranton will host “Sound and Tea Meditation” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The event is free of charge and open to the public, however reservations are required to attend due to seating limitations. Seen here is a photo of Zen calligraphy art.
The Asian Studies Program at The University of Scranton will host “Sound and Tea Meditation” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The event is free of charge and open to the public, however reservations are required to attend due to seating limitations. Seen here is a photo of Zen calligraphy art.

Owing to tremendous positive reviews by participants of “The Asian Art of Tea: Zen and Tea” two years ago, the Asian Studies Program at The University of Scranton will host “Sound and Tea Meditation” on Oct. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The meditation event will be guided by Buddhist teachers from the Dharma Drum Retreat Center located in Pine Bush, New York.

A reception will follow immediately to provide opportunity for participants to converse with the two teachers. The event is free and open to the public, however reservations are required to attend due to seating limitations. Reservations can be made on line or by calling 570-941-7643. 

The Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC) was founded by the renowned scholar and teacher of Chan/Zen Buddhism, Master Sheng Yen. Born in China in 1930 to a farming family in a village near Shanghai, China, he entered the Guang Jiao Monastery at age thirteen.  In 1969, he was admitted to Rissho University, Japan, and earned a doctorate in Buddhist literature in 1975. Master Sheng Yen received Dharma transmission in two major branches of Chan Buddhism, the Linji (Japanese: Rinzai), and the Caodong (Japanese: Soto)

Chan is the school of Chinese Buddhism popularly known as “Zen” in Japanese. Ultimately, Chan means direct awakening to both interconnectedness and impermanence, and the consequent arising of wisdom and compassion. This awakening experience is inexpressible in words and inaccessible to the dualism of language and concepts. It is a state of awareness and mindfulness free of the ego-self. We can cultivate peace and clarity of mind through Chan/Zen practice.

Abbot Venerable Guo Yuan, one of Chan Master Sheng Yen’s Dharma heirs and a Buddhist monk, will guide the sound meditation. For more than 20 years, he accompanied and became translator to Master Sheng Yen in various Chan meditation retreats in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Mexico. He studied Theravada Buddhism for a year in Thailand in 1991. Upon returning from Thailand, venerable Guo Yuan was elected abbot of both the Chan Meditation Center in Queens and the DDRC. His responsibilities included attending interfaith services, teaching meditation, and giving lectures on Buddhism. Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnamese and English, he leads Chan retreat in many countries around the world.

Venerable Chang-Hu, acting director of DDRC, ordained in 2006, will guide the tea meditation. Since 2006, venerable Chang Hu has been involved in over 160 intensive Chan retreats, conducting individual interviews and amassing rich experience in overall retreat organization. He has studied and taught meditation in Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Singapore and Malaysia. Venerable Chang Hu has a deep interest in areas such as incense-meditation, tea-meditation, Buddhist arts, photography, botany and contemplation of artistic renditions based on Buddhist scriptures.

For further information, contact Ann A. Pang-White, Ph.D., director of the Asian Studies program at the University at 570-941-6312 or by email at ann.pang-white@scranton.edu

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