Texas

Allan Turner (Houston Chronicle): Hung. Or gyen yul gyi nub jang tsam.

Barefooted, eyes closed in reverie, bodies folded into lotus position, the men in white chanted the ancient Seven Line Supplication to Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century.

As their voices swelled, their leader, Galveston artist Terry Conrad, swayed with the cadence. Pe ma gey sar dong pol la. Yam Tsen chog gi ngo drub nyey

This could have been a scene from a 1960’s love-in, with college-age acolytes – decked out in exotic garb – paying fervid homage to the wisdom of the East. But these men were not students, and…

Study: Buddhist meditation promotes rational thinking

August 11, 2011

Michael Haederle: It’s no secret that humans are not entirely rational when it comes to weighing rewards. For example, we might be perfectly happy with how much money we’re making — until we find out how much more the guy in the next cubicle is being paid.

But a new study suggests that people who regularly practice Buddhist meditation actually process these common social situations differently — and the researchers have the brain scans to prove it.

Ulrich Kirk and collaborators at Baylor Medical College in Houston had 40 control subjects and 26 longtime meditators participate in a well-known experiment called the Ultimatum Game. It goes like this…

Meditation “flash mob” convenes at Austin capitol building

March 1, 2011

The Statesman reports on a Meditation Flash Mob, that converged on the State Capital grounds in Austin to promote a message of peace and harmony.

People convened at the Capitol on Sunday afternoon for the first Austin flash mob meditation. They meditated all over the capitol grounds from noon to 1 p.m. using their meditation power to bring positive intentions to the state. Then they moved inside the Capitol and formed a circle in the rotunda and chanted OM for about 20 minutes.

This was the second such event in Austin, and the organizers said in a press release that they would be joined simultaneously by eight other cities around the nation including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cincinnati, OH, Boulder, CO, Asheville, NC, and Phoenix, AZ.

The organizers had predicted that 1,000 people would attend the Austin event. Judging by the photograph above the numbers were much smaller, but this sounds like an excellent event and one that should be emulated elsewhere.

Rothko Chapel issues a meditation challenge, with prizes on the line

January 16, 2011

Look in the mirror. You have changed, haven’t you? Look around. Do you recognize the world that you live in?

In an era where Facebook and Twitter have infiltrated our vernacular and in some ways taken over certain routine activities, it is no wonder that sometimes we reject the land of hyper-information in favor of a much simpler existence.

The way we communicate has changed. The way we relate to each other has changed. The intricacies of everyday life, from the banal to the unique, have the potential to consume our attention.

A brilliant friend explained that we live in a time ruled by the remote control. When our attention span gives up, we simply click off and away we go. We are used to this contemporary convenience.

And then there are our overactive brains. Sleepless nights rule when overcrowded inward conversations fail to quiet into what we hope transitions into sublime bliss.

Can we challenge you to turn it all off? If only for a little while?

It was during a highly stressful time in my life that I discovered the solace of the Rothko Chapel. I participated in their meditation series, incorporating the practice from diverse entry points.

Laughter yoga exercises left me elated, high on life, surprisingly calm and ready to conquer anything that came my way. The Buddhist chanting meditation’s open sonorities — chanting in open fifths is quite a reverberant experience — left a perpetual calming resonance between my temples. The walking meditation focused me spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Although I should work on making meditation, in any form, a common practice, as a part of its 40-year anniversary celebration, the Rothko Chapel issues you — yes you — a challenge.

Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to meditate 40 minutes everyday for 40 days.

Starting Monday through Feb. 25, spiritual and religious leaders from diverse faith traditions will lead 40-minute silent meditations as a way to renew the Chapel’s mission while fostering contemplation, interfaith dialogue and understanding.

“Over the years, spiritual leaders from the world’s faith traditions have blessed the Chapel with their presence and invited people to reconnect with the healing and transformative power of silence, prayer, and meditation,” Emilee Dawn Whitehurst, executive director, explains. “We invite the public to sit in silence for 40 minutes daily starting at noon and to allow the quietude of the Chapel to inform their daily lives.”

In Dominique de Menil’s words:

It is a place where a great artist, turned towards the Absolute, had the courage to paint almost nothing — and did it masterfully. It is a place blessed by the many people who gather there to meditate, to find themselves and to go beyond themselves. It is a place that was solemnly dedicated to love, to God, to the absolute truth you are after

Aside from the self-implied benefits and perks of such a practice, our friends at Rothko sweeten the pot.

Those who complete the cycle receive the following package, valued at $750:

Member Benefits for Life
10 percent discount in Chapel store
Subscription to Members newsletter
Invitation to annual Members’ program and reception
Copy of The Rothko Chapel – An Act of Faith by Susan Barnes
Copy of The Artist’s Reality by Mark Rothko, edited by his son, Christopher Rothko

Are you up to it?

[Joel Luks, CultureMap, Houston, Texas]

Not your everyday worship: the legend of the labyrinth

December 23, 2010

Contrary to popular belief, labyrinths are not used to get one lost and confused – rather, their purpose is to find answers and to meditate on religious issues. Two of the 109’s churches, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church and the University Christian Church, use labyrinths as methods of worship.

That fact is, according to Mark Scott of St. Stephen, the labyrinth is an extremely ancient form of meditation that has roots in paganism and is used as a form of worship in many historically aware churches. The design of labyrinths at St. Stephen and the University Church can both be traced back to the famous Notre Dame Chapel in Chartres, France.

Scott, St, Stephen’s minister of music and organist, is a fierce proponent of labyrinth. He says its ability to help sort out one’s life problems and commune with the God is a type of therapy and worship that would benefit everyone, Christian or not.

“It’s symbolic along the path of life and reminiscent of the times and trials in one’s life. It’s a visual reminder of the non-visual,” Scott said.

The winding paths of the labyrinth are meant to be walked quadrant by quadrant. Participants meditate on any issues they are experiencing in life and offer these up to God. After walking the main section or quadrants, the meditator or questioner stands or kneels at the center or main floret or rose of the labyrinth and then exits.

“It’s supposed to be a journey,” Scott said. “It makes you slow down and think. You’re supposed to take your time walking. It’s a very esoteric, ecumenical type of thing.”

St. Stephen has two labyrinths — one indoor, one outdoor.

The outdoor labyrinth is in the form of a garden path and is flanked by benches and a vista of downtown Fort Worth. Scott says it was funded by a church member and like the indoor labyrinth, was a gift given in memory of a loved one.

The indoor labyrinth is an 11-circuit Chartres-style labyrinth actually painted on an enormous piece of canvas fabric and is rolled out on various holiday occasions and when led in a labyrinth worship facilitation by church member and trained labyrinth facilitator and clinical psychologist, Carol Stalcup.

Stalcup visited Grace Cathedral in San Francisco to be trained by Lauren Artress, the woman charged with starting the revival of labyrinth worship in the early ‘90s. According to the training Stalcup received, there appear to be three stages during one’s walking of the labyrinth: the releasing of cares and distractions, the receiving of enlightenment or encouragement, and returning to the world in union with God.

Stalcup says facilitators are trained to deal with people’s differing reactions to the labyrinth and also sometimes encourage people to journal about their experiences to better understand them.

“Some people are deeply moved and there are tears, they have a profound experience and come out lighter, happy, and thoughtful. For others, it’s simply another form of prayer and not as dramatic. It’s different for everyone and the labyrinth is not meant for everyone.”

Constantly making turns and twists in connection with the direction of the labyrinth is something that Stalcup says is currently being scientifically tested to determine whether it helps tap into the left and right hemispheres of the brain. She says it could be a scientifically proven neurological calming process.

Stalcup is a believer in what she terms embodied spirituality: that humans can disconnect their bodies from their emotional and spiritual lives. She believes the labyrinth is the perfect conduit for doing so. She calls walking the labyrinth a form of “body prayer” and emphasizes the positive connection between body movement and one’s ability to connect with a deeper part of oneself.

Stalcup said she wishes all could experience the benefits of walking the labyrinth. She says she is such a devoted follower of labyrinth worship because each experience is different and unique, and she loves the diversity.

“I have walked with different communities of friends and with groups of strangers, I have walked solo walks and lingered a long time. I’ve danced the path, sung, prayed, created body prayers, listened to music, smiled, laughed, been surprised by tears, felt deep awe, felt lonely, felt reassured, solved a problem,” Stalcup said.

It is her favorite form of worship because of the various forms of spiritual experiences one can have.

“I have experienced what I believe to be profound spiritual experiences, but am always caught by surprise,” she said. “Somehow, though a walk may not move me to tears or bring me to dance, I always feel as if the time I spent on the labyrinth was a special moment outside of linear time, outside of my usual way of being.”

Stalcup said being a regular walker of the labyrinth has “directly impacted my discernment of God’s presence in my life, in others, in the world. Those discernments stay with me, sustaining, encouraging, nourishing and leading me to more gratitude, wonder and connection with all of creation.”

For those with difficulty walking or without access to a full-size labyrinth, there are finger or stylus labyrinths, which one can follow with a finger or pen-like utensil and employ the same meditation/worship philosophy.

The UCC’s website for its labyrinth ministry describes using the labyrinth as a way “to enhance spiritual growth, experience transformation, enter into an intimate and inspiring relationship with God and one another, and share the path in the spirit of love, reverence and respect for each one’s personal journey.”

UCC’s labyrinth is also a hand-painted, roll-out canvas. They were bought from the same company and are the same traditional Chartres design.

The labyrinth of Chartres is famous for its location, age and size. It was inlaid in the Chartres Cathedral floor in 1205 and contains only one pathway, which is 954 feet in length. The center of the labyrinth purportedly once had a metal plate with figures of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur, figures from the classical Greek mythology of the labyrinth on Minos.

The Chartres-style labyrinth employed by both churches has a circular pattern with a rose or floret design in the center. According to Stalcup, the rose symbolically can stand for human love, enlightenment, Christ, and God’s love for the world. The rose traditionally has six petals which represent the six days of creation; Stalcup encourages her “walkers” to step into each petal and as they leave the central rose, to imagine themselves returning to the world in union with God.

While many churches utilize the practice of worship with the help of labyrinths, the practice is actually an ancient one the church may have borrowed from pagan or nature-based religions.

“Christians were kind of the late kids to the party,” Scott says with a laugh. “Even down to the holidays, Christmas was made Christmas because of the winter solstice. Easter coincides with the spring equinox.”

Above all, Scott says, he wishes all to know St. Stephen’s outdoor labyrinth is intended for the entire community, religious or not.

“Sure, it’s a labyrinth with a Christian take, but anyone can come use it. With the benches all around, the beautiful garden, the glorious view — we want anyone and everyone to be able to use and enjoy it.”

A Texas starting place on Buddhism’s path

August 3, 2009

Houston Chronicle: Teryl Pittman labored to settle cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Slowly, she tucked one foot under the other and straightened her back, her eyes closed and hands joined in her lap, palms facing up.

Following the direction of a soft-spoken monk, Pittman and a handful of others swayed slightly before becoming still and settling into gentle and deep breathing.

But her discomfort grew, and 15 minutes later she moved to a bench. A little later, Diana Johns joined her.

The sight brought a smile to the Rev. Katapunna, who conducts Saturday sessions at the American Bodhi Center, which the Texas Buddhist Association opened in May near Hempstead in Waller County.

“It’s encouraging. Our efforts are starting to pay off,” said Katapunna, known to followers as Yuan Fu.

The small group of followers is among the first promising signs of what the association hopes to accomplish at this retreat: to integrate Buddhism into mainstream American life.

“We want more Americans to benefit from Buddha’s teaching,” said the Rev. Hung I, the visionary behind the project and abbot of Jade Buddha Temple, the association’s Houston headquarters.

One of the largest Buddhist developments in the nation, the Bodhi Center sits on 515 wooded acres, the first phase completed with meditation hall, dormitories and log houses.

The center breaks tradition in many ways: Its simple and neutral designs are devoid of ornate, classic Chinese architecture. Campsites, playgrounds, lakes and trails meandering amid pines and oaks little resemble a religious site. In the meditation hall, a guided contemplative routine allows both seated and walking meditation.

Association leaders hope the retreat reverses a perception of Buddhism as a mysterious, ritual-heavy religion and reveal a buoyant and accessible philosophy practical in everyday life.

“Buddhism must adapt itself to the needs of Americans today in a social and cultural environment different from where we came from,” said Hung I, who was born in China, spent his monastic childhood in Burma and received advanced training in Taiwan before moving to America in 1978.

Hung I has seen his congregation grow to 1,500 families. The American Bodhi Center project was sought partly because Jade Buddha Temple had long reached its capacity with its bustling activities.

On a recent weekend the center welcomed some 90 youths for a camp that included Buddhist sermons and meditation, a lecture on new energy technology, singing and hip-hop dance, games and kite-making. Johns, who lives two miles away, brought three horses for the children to ride.

Pittman, raised Catholic, said she “instantly felt at home” at the retreat, where the teaching and practice are not dogmatic.

“You don’t have to sit cross-legged if it’s hard. The reverend would even say, ‘Go lay down if you’re tired. Just don’t fall asleep,’” she said.

The Buddhist central philosophy of “dependent arising” — that everything happens due to preceding conditions in an unbroken chain of cause and effect, thus calling for mindfulness in all deeds — appeals to her, she said.

“I’m 50 years old, but I feel I am having a new life, never more peaceful and happy,” she said.

Local officials also welcomed the retreat as a cultural asset for the community. Waller County Judge Owen Ralston said the facility offers an “opportunity for us to learn” about Buddhism. “They tried very hard to fit in and built something that everybody here can use,” he said.

The retreat also has drawn non-Buddhist groups. The Houston branch of Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Hindu group, will bring 300 people for a two-day August convention here.

“The natural and peaceful surrounding is in sync with what we want to do,” said branch leader Subroto Gangopadhyay, a Sugar Land cardiologist.

Opening the facility to anyone is a way to help people learn about Buddhism and not proselytize them, Hung I said. The only restriction that’s placed on visitors is to practice vegetarianism on site.

The association does grapple with what many Buddhist organizations across the nation face: the lack of English-speaking clergy and the challenge to promote an Eastern religion in a predominantly Christian land.

“Buddhists are such a small group in America. They’re not a big proselytizer,” said Helen Ebaugh, a University of Houston sociologist who has studied immigrant religious communities here.

However, Ann Klein, a Rice University religion professor and an association member who also runs Down Mountain, a Houston Tibetan temple, said Buddhism’s coexistence with other religions can be “enriching for everyone concerned.”

When the Rev. Jan Hai, a Chinese Buddhist scholar, founded the Texas Buddhist Association in Houston in 1978, he adopted a Christian church-style congregational form to place this Eastern religion in a cultural context that Westerners could understand.

In the East, incense burners, altars with Buddha statues, tablets for offerings and meditation cushions are staples of a temple where pews, the piano and choirs are unlikely associations. There, traditional followers frown upon music as a pursuit of sensory pleasure hindering spiritual growth. And monks or nuns run the ministry as well as handle administrative duties.

In contrast, the Houston temple’s grand hall holds rows of pews that fill on Sunday mornings. A piano sits near the altar while a choir sings for participants. A board of trustees comprising volunteer lay people governs the financial and organizational business.

To lead a sermon and meditation program that draws an increasing number of English-speaking participants, Hung I has become proficient in English over the past two decades.

“The completion of the first phase of the American Bodhi Center allows us to promote Buddhism in ways that transcend the confines of a traditional temple,” Hung I said. “Now we need to focus more on translation of Buddhist literature into English and designing appropriate protocol and services geared toward Americans.”

Substance abuse treated with yoga and acupuncture (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas)

August 18, 2004

Caren Penland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas: Four days a week, Lori McLaughlin waits patiently in a small room, five needles sticking in each ear. Within five minutes, her fidgeting stops and she smiles. “It doesn’t hurt,” she said. “I sleep better. I can relax. And I don’t feel like I have to find $10 so I can go out and buy drugs. Not anymore.” McLaughlin is a regular at acupuncture drug treatment, or acu-detox, sessions offered by the nonprofit Tarrant Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse. She also participates in a new, complementary program, yoga for beginners.

Original rticle no longer available

Meditating teens: This is your brain on vacation (Dallas News, Texas)

June 1, 2004