Rev. Danny Fisher

I’ve had a lot going on in my little corner of the world lately, and I haven’t said too much about it here.  This is mostly because it has all kept me rather busy, but also because I was sick with a bad cold recently as well.  (I think I was hit hard by the cold because I managed to keep it at bay for so long–specifically, until all of the events I’m going to tell you about had finally passed.)  I will attempt to catch you up today, though, with a post that highlights some of these events with photographs. 

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First, I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings at the Long Beach Convention Center from September 25-26th.  His Holiness taught on the Four Noble Truths, gave refuge and bodhisattva vows, and offered the Amitabha Buddha Initiation and Medicine Buddha Initiation.

It was wonderful to be able to receive teachings from His Holiness again–it has been a long time since I was last able.  His teachings were lucid, affecting, and inspirational–I felt my practice reinvigorated by the events.

Sponsored by the Geden Shoeling Tibetan Manjushri Buddhist Center of Westminster, CA, the event drew around 13,000 people.  I went with a small group from UWest, including several venerables and my old friend and colleague Miroj Shakya. 

Photographs were not allowed, but the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration posted some shots here.  I did snap one funny picture with my cell phone of our carload early in the a.m. on the 25th, though…

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As I blogged recently, the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at UWest was extremely honored and happy to host Gary Gach, the American Book Award-winning author and Zen teacher, on campus for a week.

Gary is an American author, editor, and teacher.  A student of Dainin Katagiri Roshi, he practices today in the Very Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing.  He leads mindfulness meditation at the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco, and serves on the International Advisory Panel of The Buddhist Channel. He writes the blog “Where Buddha Meets Freud” for Psychology Today, and leads the Haiku Corner for the Tricycle Community’s Poetry Club.  In addition, Gary is a prolific author, translator, and editor.  His many books include the American Book Award-winning What Book!?:  Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop (Parallax Press, 1998); translations of Ko Un’s Ten Thousand Lives (Green Integer, 2005), Songs for Tomorrow: A Collection of Poems 1960-2002 (Green Integer, 2009), and Flowers of a Moment (Green Integer, 2006), for which he won the Northern California Book Award; and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism (Alpha Press, 2009), the bestselling guidebook which just last month went into his third printing.

Among other things, Gary guest lectured in classes on campus, offered a public talk on the subject “Free Nirvana:  Buddhist Wisdom in Uncertain Times,” led morning meditations, and gave a dharma talk to BudaWest–the student Buddhist group on campus.

We were honored and delighted to have Gary in residence with us for a few days, and I feel like a made a new and good friend.  Gary’s the best!

Gary at his public talk.

Gary reads poetry to BudaWest.

Gary reads more poetry at the BudaWest event.

Walking meditation with Gary.

Gary and me.  Photo by Ven. Hyun Gak.

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I then headed north, to California’s San Francisco Bay area.  I was there to attend the Fifth Annual Buddhist Chaplaincy Symposium in Redwood City, but also to get a little R&R with my wonderful, wonderful friends Katy and Phil.  The Symposium was a terrific opportunity to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and also share a little bit about UWest’s program.  (I was fortunate to be able to do a break-out group on educating Buddhist chaplains along with Maia Duerr of the Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy Program and Daijaku Judith Kinst of the Institute of Buddhist Studies).  The picture below was taken at one of those lovely moments when you’re so surrounded by great friends that it’s overwhelming–in a good way.

From left to right:  Somya Malasri, Beth Goldring, Helen Hobart, the author, Lori Hefner, Adrean Louise Dills, and Nathaniel Vose.

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Lastly, my “Chaplaincy Roles and Competencies” class has been blessed to have a couple of guest speakers recently.  First, we were visited by Bryan Ferry, a practitioner in the Very Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing and a Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) supervisor in training at Children’s Hospital-Los Angeles.  Bryan talked to the students about C.P.E., as well as the day-to-day work of a hospital chaplain.

Second, we were visited this week by the Ven. Dr. Phramahachanya Khongchinda, Ph.D.  A Thai Buddhist monk educated at the famed Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University in Bangkok, where he also served as a dean, he has lectured and taught widely in the United States.  The venerable is also active in prison chaplaincy in Los Angeles.  He spoke to the students about his work as a volunteer, and offered lots of useful insights and perspectives on an especially challenging variety of chaplaincy.

Bryan talks with one of the students in “Chaplaincy Roles and Competencies.”

Bryan with genuine UWest schwag!

The Ven. Dr. Phramahachanya Khongchinda, Ph.D., lectures the “Chaplaincy Roles and Competencies” class.