On July 12 and 13 the European Fo Guang Shan tea ceremony will arrive in Amsterdam (FGS Temple) and on July 16 in The Hague (Library). You can register by printing and filling out this application form, and sent it back to us.

Programma: DE ROEPING (30 min)

Zat 23 Dec 2006 14:25 Nederland 2

Zat 30 Dec 2006 09:25 Nederland 2

Regie: Wen-jie Qin

Al twintig jaar wordt Siu, een Chinese vrouw uit Haarlem, geplaagd door een innerlijk conflict; de keuze tussen haar spirituele roeping en de verantwoordelijkheid voor haar gezin. Siu heeft een liefhebbende Nederlandse man, twee schatten van kinderen en een mooi huis. Toch droomt Siu ervan om het klooster in te gaan.

Op een intieme manier schetst deze film de innerlijke reis van een vrouw die luistert naar haar roeping, en zo ontstaat een portret van een klassiek dilemma dat door vele beoefenaars van het Boeddhisme al ervaren is. Waar ligt de Middenweg, zoals die geleerd wordt door de Boeddha; tussen het pad van de familie en die van het klooster? Siu’s verhaal laat zien dat het pad van het hart het pad naar de Middenweg is.

THE CALLING

An inner conflict between spiritual calling and family responsibility has been afflicting Siu, a Chinese woman living in Haarlem, for the past two decades. Siu has a loving Dutch husband, two wonderful children and a beautiful house, and plays a key role in the Chinese Buddhist community in Amsterdam. Yet, Siu dreams of going to a monastery to find her true home. In an intimate style, this film delineates the inner journey of a woman who listens to and eventually answers the calling from deep inside. Combining documentary footage and dramatic reenactment scenes, the film portrays a classic dilemma experienced by many practitioners on the Buddhist path. Between the way of family and the way of monastery, where is the Middle Way taught by the Buddha? The way to the Middle Way, as the story of Siu shows, is a way of the heart.

This program can still be viewed on the internet, through the archive of the BOS. (http://www.buddhistmedia.com/)

Grand Master Hsing Yun has been invited to present the awards for natural energy sources during an official meeting on November 10th 2004, in the Capital of Austria, Vienna. At our invitation he will bring a short visit to the He Hua Temple in Amsterdam, on November 1st 2004 from 15:00 to 17:00 hrs.

During the past 50 years Grand Master Hsing Yun has spread Humanistic Buddhism worldwide and propagated Buddhist culture and education, among other things by writing about them. Until now his work consists of more than 80 books that have been translated in 17 languages; in Europe for example in German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Russian.

Grand Master aspires to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. In recent years he often called on the faithful to practise the Dharma and to live life according to it. Regardless of being a monastic or lay person, one should try to live on the level of the Buddha and to practise like a Buddha. In a spiritual sense this is a great opportunity for anyone to meet Grand Master Hsing Yun.

4--21 December 2003, 12:00 - 17:00
Photo exhibition-50 years of Dharma-propagation by Venerable Hsing Yun

Star and Cloud
By Hsing Yun
I love the starry sky at nighttime,
I adore the fluttering clouds during daytime.
No matter what kind of night we see,
There will always be stars in the sky,
No matter what kind of day we face,
There will always be clouds in the sky.
Sparks of starlight extend the boundaries of life,
Masses of cloud symbolize freedom in life;
Beautiful flowers cannot remain blooming forever,
The shiny moon cannot be full all the time.
Only stars! They will be glittering and shining forever bright.
Blue skies cannot appear clear all the time,
The sun that generates warmth will never leave its orbit.
Only clouds! They will never be intercepted but float freely up high.
At nighttime, there are glittering stars,
And at daytime, there will be floating clouds.