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Young People's Chan Retreat
"A Degree in Relaxation"
| Teacher: | Chang Wen Fashi |
| Begins: | Friday, November 6th, 2009 check-in 4-6:00pm |
| Ends: | Sunday, November 8th, 2009 5:00pm |
| Student Fee: | $45 |
| Regular Fee: | $160 |
| Age Range: | 18 - 35 (both beginners and experienced practitioners welcomed) |
As young people in a modern world, whether in school or at work, we may often experience a lot of stress and anxiety. With so much happening around us, we are faced with a constant influx of media and information. Often these things demand our immediate response, making us feel mentally scattered. When thinking about our future, we may be unsure about what direction we are going, and sense a lack of purpose in life. Also, our society presents us with conflicting ideas and behaviors from a multiplicity of cultures. We may feel that we don't know who we are or where we belong. On top of that, we become exhausted by the fast-paced movement of our busy lives.
On a Chan retreat, we take time to recharge our mental and physical batteries. We practice relaxing and being present with ourselves and the natural world around us. It is a chance to temporarily put aside all of life's distracting conditions and shine the light inwards on our mind. With Chan practice, we can learn how to use our mind more skillfully, and be at ease in the midst of stillness or commotion.
After retreat, we return to our everyday life with a fresh perspective, able to see things with greater clarity. In our daily activity we continue to cultivate the same calm and clarity of silent meditation. With this calmness and clarity, we come to know who we are, where we fit in this world, and are able to handle our affairs with confidence and purpose.
Retreat Program
The retreat program consists of meditation practice for beginners, as well as experienced meditators. Instructions will be given on topics related to meditation and Chan practice in daily life. You will be taught to relax your body and clear your mind through Chan meditation: just sitting, standing, walking, moving, eating, working, sleeping… with full awareness.
Chang Wen Fashi
A native New Yorker and resident of the Dharma Drum Retreat Center, Chang Wen Fashi is a western monastic disciple of Chan Master Sheng Yen. For his training, in addition to being of service to the Chan Meditation Center, in Queens, NY, and attending numerous retreats with Master Sheng Yen at DDRC, he also lived in Taiwan, at the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education, receiving a monastic education at the Sangha University. After graduating, he received full ordination in 2006, and then continued to serve the Seminary as the counselor for the male students of the Chan Meditation Department. Over this period of training, he attended and assisted with numerous intensive meditation retreats in the Chan Hall and abroad, as well as served as the leader for DDM's International Meditation Group in Taipei. Chang Wen Fashi holds a Bachelor's Degree of Science from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He is fluent in both English and Mandarin.
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