Calgary Buddhist Temple Blog

Nirvana Day Service

Sunday, January 21, 2018
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A special Nirvana Day Service will be held on Sunday, February 11 marks our traditional Parinirvana Day Service (Buddha’s passing) and this year we will have guests from many of the other schools of Buddhism participating in our service.

As a founding member of the International Buddhist Foundation of Canada, our temple will host visiting monks and members of the Laotian, Khmer, Sri Lankan, Mon, Burmese, Tibetan, Bangladeshi and Korean communities.

A vegetarian lunch will be served following the service, so please plan on attending!

** The Calgary Buddhist Temple will be hosting the lunch for Nirvana Day & the International Buddhist Foundation Guests. If you can help with set up, serving and clean up, or can bring a VEGETARIAN dish or other specific food for this occasion, please sign up via http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050e44aeaf2ba31-luncheon – your help would be greatly appreciated!

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Ikebana

Thursday, January 18, 2018
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or Japanese Flower Arrangement classes are being offered by Rika Saruwatari, who trained under Ms.Takato Yokoyama. Rika became a certified Shihan (teacher) in 2012.

Five classes will be held Saturday mornings 10:00am – 12:30pm on April 14, May 12 and 26, June 16 and 30 at the temple. Cost is $175 included tax.

Students must supply their own containers (please ask Rika for suitable size and shape), scissors and kenzan (frog). Ask Rika if you need help selecting your items but these are not supplied as part of the lesson. Rika can be reached at rikaandshiro@gmail.com.

Sorry, no refunds for missed lessons. Class size is limited so register early!

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Casino Volunteers Needed

Monday, December 11, 2017
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Sunday, March 4 and Monday March 5 208 – Cash Casino 4040 Blackfoot Trail SE

If you can volunteer for this very important Temple fundraiser, please contact me or sign up online. Support of these casinos are so important to maintaining our beautifully renovated temple and also help to “keep the lights on”.

We need 36 volunteers for the 2 days. All volunteer jobs are simple and straightforward, and there is expert assistance available at all times. Volunteers are provided with dinner and snacks at the casino. This is an opportunity to socialize with new and existing friends of the temple.

Please feel free to use the online volunteer signup page: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4EADAA28A46-casino2

 

Event, Local, Temple Renovations | 2 Comments

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Monday, December 11, 2017
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December 31 – New Year’s Eve

Join us for a fun family night that is warm and safe.

We begin with an old Japanese tradition, a dish of noodles. Long noodles are thought to bring us long life so the longer your noodles the better!

Following the dinner, we will proceed upstairs for a short service. We then celebrate the end of 2017 and welcome in 2018 by ringing the Kansho bell. (the large hanging bell) The Kansho bell is rung 108 times. The ceremony is said to have originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) as a Chinese custom and was then taken over to Japan later.

Why 108? Some doctrine suggests that there are 108 imperfections that humans must overcome before attaining complete awakening. Each ring represents one of these 108 earthly temptations. The number 108 is created by a matrix of the multiple of:

  1. The 6 senses – smell, touch, taste, sight, sound and mind
  2. The 3 differentiators – pleasant reaction, neutral or unpleasant reaction
  3. The 2 possible outcomes of the causes and conditions – wholesome or unwholesome
  4. The 3 time periods – past life, present life, future life

Everyone who wishes can have a turn ringing the bell.

Start time 6:00 pm until usually around 8:00 pm. That still leaves time to take in the fun and fireworks at Olympic Plaza or head over to the Zoo and enjoy the lights!

 

January 1 – New Year’s Day Service

Welcome in the New Year with the Sangha/community by attending the service at 2:30pm

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Temple Refuge Circle

Monday, December 11, 2017
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This Tuesday group is a small meditation- & awareness-focused Practice ‘circuit’ meant for people who have been exploring Buddhism but wish to improve in: Meditation (25mins),Loving-Kindness, Equanimity, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Deep Listening, & Gratitude.

We will get to know each other while we deepen our Practice in a safe and caring environment. Members will have the opportunity to run a weekly of session (voluntary).

This is a different form: that of a Circle, with each member contributing and learning from each other.

To join, I am asking interested people to have a commitment to this Circle for a ‘season’. This is much the same as if you were to join a sports team. You can certainly miss a weekly session, but I ask that you are committed to being there for yourself and each other as if you were on a team.

This ‘Season’ Practice will run Tuesday evenings from Jan 23rd through Apr 10th, starting at 7pm, at the Temple (IE: 12 weeks). We usually finish about ~8:30pm, then a little shared cleanup of teacups that we used etc.

You can come on Tuesday Jan 16th to try it out before the ‘committed’ Season starts.

It is a gentle group, led by it’s members. Membership is limited.

Dana to the temple: $25/person, speak to me if you cannot afford that, it should not be an impediment to attending.

In Gassho,

Ken,

Assistant – Calgary Buddhist Temple

Please contact me here if interested or if you have questions. Feel free to pass along to interested persons.

refuge_circle

 

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