TBA IMG
Insight Meditation Group of Houston

Ten Day Year End Meditation  Texas Buddhist Association (TBA) Insight Meditation Group (IMG) has our last retreat of the year from Dec 7th to Dec 16th 2013.  Venerable Katapunno lead the retreat in spite of the bitter cold and his sickness.  He continue the study of the book "In This Very Life" by Sayadaw U Pandita .  In addition, this time we welcomed three yogis from California participating in the retreat.  Let's hope that this trend continue, since one of the primary purpose of the American Bodhi Center is provide a place for everyone to conduct retreats.  You are welcome to contact the center if you are interested. In addition to the rigorous schedule of walking, standing and sitting meditation.  There were two things that everyone appreciated and benefited a lot from are: the Dhamma talk by Venerable Katapunno and the every other day personal interviews by him.  Bhante spent hours, sometimes staying up till late hours (I know...

A lot of people enjoy the 3-day long weekend going on vacations and visiting friends. More than thirty of us die-hard and newbies got to gather at the American Bodhi Center (ABC) to work on our meditation practices. We had students from TAMU College Station and we had new friends who had not been to ABC before. You may say fate brought us together and others will tell you that it is our karma that does the job. Orientation was conducted during the first evening, in order to explain and introduce the important guidelines. "Noble Silence" started that evening. The practice of noble silence extend not only to essential verbal communication, it also include all actions for the three days. By making each action slowly with clear awareness, produced the desired results and benefits for meditation. Each meditation session is an hour long and the Venerable did gave each yogi, especially for the benefit of beginners, the flexibilities to mindfully change postures.  Venerable Kat...

" Unwavering Commitment - factor leading to the development of the controlling faculties is the quality of mind that keeps you walking straight to the end of the path without becoming sidetracked, without giving up your task."  these were the words from the Book "In This Vert Life" by Sayādaw U Pandita. About thirty yogis spent the Memorial Holidays under the guidance of Venerable Katapunno experienced the meditation life of monastics.  Woke up 5AM in the morning and have nine sessions of meditation.  At the end of each sitting meditation we heard the inspiring Pali chant from Dhammapada Verses 277, 278 and 279 of our teacher ... "Sabbe sankhara anicca ti yada pannaya1 passati atha nibbindati dukkhe esa maggo visuddhiya. Sabbe sankhara dukkha ti yada pannaya passati atha nibbindati dukkhe esa maggo visuddhiya. Sabbe sankhara anatta ti yada pannaya passati atha nibbindati dukkhe esa maggo visuddhiya."   "All conditioned phenomena are imper...

VenK has to teach the Basic Buddhism class at Jade Buddha Temple Sat 4/27 starting at 10AM, therefore we will not have the IMG 1-day meditation.  Pictures taken during Basic Buddhism class past Saturday 4/20. Do not forget to sign up for the May Memorial Holiday weekend 3-day meditation retreat from May 25 to May 27 ( http://www.jadebuddha.org/en/ abc/upcoming/2013/0525/ ). 

1-Day Meditation Retreat March 23rd, 2013 Beautiful day at the American Bodhi Center (ABC), with more than 20 yogis practiced meditation under the guidance of Ven. Katapunno started 9:00am.  The day ended with a Dharma talk based on the book "In This Very Life" by Sayādaw U Pandita and Metta Sutta chant. One of the many lessons from Sayādaw U Pandita's book is about happiness in letting go or simply living a simple contented life. The story: " ... of a man who worked as a basket weaver. He was a simple man who enjoyed weaving his baskets. He whistled and sang and passed the day happily as he worked. At night he retired to his little hut and slept well. One day a wealthy man passed by and saw this poor wretched basket weaver. He was filled with compassion and gave him a thousand dollars. “Take this,” he said, and go enjoy yourself.” The basket weaver took the money with much appreciation. He had never seen a thousand dollars in his life. He took i...

A beautiful morning arriving at the American Bodhi Center and saw Ven K already waiting to greet us with his faithful companion, "Lai Mew".  For the next hour before people arrived we set around preparing and organizing the meditation hall and the computer projections for the afternoon class. Yogi started arriving and more than 30 yogi came and practice meditation and listen to the teaching January 2013.  It is a strong showing for the beginning of the New Year.  May all be well and happy. CULTIVATING THE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO ENLIGHTENMENT The sixth way of sharpening the controlling faculties is cultivating the factors of enlightenment: mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture or joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. These qualifies of mind, or mental factors, are actually the causes which bring about enlightenment. When they are present and alive in one’s mind, the moment of enlightenment is being encouraged, and may be said ...

Happy New Year and yes it's time to renew the pursuit "Happiness". Come join us for the first meditation retreat at the American Bodhi Center (ABC) Saturday January 26th starting at 9AM. No this is not and ad to entice you buy more stuff or go to see the world. These are all external stimuli that keeps us entertained but never completely satisfied. Because they not not last. I saw a poster and it tell of a man asking the Buddha "I want happiness" and the Buddha's answer is to take away the "I" that is ego and remove the "want" that is desire. Then we are left with "Happiness". TED video on "The habits of happiness" by Matthieu Ricard ( http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html ) To arrange for car pool we have two locations: - SW (near the temple) contact Judy Jeng and - NW contact Josten. No charge and donation welcome. RSVP required for lunch,