Facets April 2017 Issue Interview for "Women of Faith"

Here is the early issue from Facets April 2017, a series of articles "Women of Faith"

I am one of the interviewees.  Please enjoy. 

Calm Clarity Temple updated name

Calm Clarity Temple now has a simpler Chinese name.  安定寺 An Ding Si.  Of course it may change to something else, but since this is a simpler translation and an easier way for non Chinese to pronounce it, it may just be the permanent name in Chinese.

安定
āndìng- stable / quiet / settled / stabilize / maintain / stabilized / calm and orderly


ān安
peaceful, tranquil, quiet

dìng定
decide, settle, fix



寺

sì - Buddhist temple, temple, mosque, government office (old)

This photo is from our Sangha gathering in Sacramental  CA at the City of Dharma Realm in 2011.  This is a Chinese nunnery founded by the late founding master Ven. Hsuan Hua and the monastics of the Sagely City of 10,000 Buddhas.

Americans and residents around the world all are Sangha, the flavor of Calm Clarity will reflect the tolerance of various traditions but our foundation is firmly set upon our ancestral heritage based in Chinese Buddhism.  To honor this we will follow Chinese services, style, robes, decor, and food but English will remain the core of communication and dharma talks, all services will be in English with some alternate Chinese services if requested.

Ames had the joy of hosting 6 Tibetan monks and their supporters at ISU

Calm Clarity Temple Named in Iowa

The quest for a temple name has been settled here in Iowa.  Calm Clarity Temple is the name for the temporary location here in Ames at my apartment with use of my community room for large events.  The reason I chose this name after asking for input is that it is quite overwhelming to be the one to pick a name that will live on long after I'm gone and to be honest it has to sound good over the phone to the public.

Calm Clarity these are attributes that I myself have been told that I have.  These are desirable attributes for living a quality life.  In fact these are the attributes you need to progress and train with Buddhist methods if you want to achieve nirvana.  These 2 attributes "calm" and "clarity" will serve future Sangha residents and members who attend the temple as guiding principles.

安 an - content, calm, still, quiet, safe, secure, in good health, to find a place for, to install, to fix, to fit, to bring a charge against sb, to pacify, security, safety, peace, ampere.
靜 jing - still, calm, quiet, not moving
安定 anding - stable, quiet, settled, stabilized, calm and orderly
安寧anning - peaceful, tranquil, calm, composed, free from worry
心静xinjing - tranquil, calm
安静anjing - quiet, peaceful, calm

明 鏡 mingjing - mirror (as in a metaphor for sth beautiful, bright and flat - such as a lake or sth that provides clarity and insight)
明晰 mingxi - clarity/lucid
智 zhi - knowledge, wisdom

To pick a Chinese name using these attributes I would pick 安明鏡寺 An Minjing Si  Calm Mirror Temple.
It's the closest to my intended meaning in terms of function of the temple.

This temple will be dedicated to translation of the Buddha dharma to English.  My present project is the Mahayana Tripitaka Collection from the Taisho Edition.This collection is unique in that it has all the extent schools included including an esoteric division which I was intrigued to learn that esoteric practices originated in India and were carried into China when Buddhism spread it's influence there, this collection has many of the masters including commentaries; it also contains the complete Pala Tipitaka, the 4 abhidharma collections as well as Mahayana collections, the Vinaya collection is inclusive of all the schools.

It's been rarely touched and translations exist in scholars treatises and to my knowledge none of their works are online and free to read.  I hope that changes with this temple.

Buddhafolk Blog has more on this with more about the mission statement and goals

Following a brief discussion on Facebook, I've gone back to my first choice for the Chinese name of the temple, 安定寺  Anding it has various supportive meanings and it exists already overseas in various countries.  Since Iowa is known for stability, calm, and peace as a state environment that is good for living and families, this is a worthy link to the natural environment.  A very auspicious trait too.

Defending Dharma in Social Media a Sangha warning

Bhikshuni page on Facebook original posting 7/30/12
Defending dharma while in social media. 
A recent posting by a Buddhist who left the path left many shocked at a nude picture of two women and further insult the FB member decided to label it "Buddha field 2012".  This defamation of the Triple Jewel did cause Ven. Hong Yang to take notice and request it to be privated or removed as the Facebook member had only posted dharma material and appropriate content before that time. The request was not well received and what issued is what I now understand is flaming. What abhorrent behavior for someone claiming to be Buddhist to afflict upon a Sangha member! Since it wasn't privated Ven. Hong Yang decided to report it to Facebook as it was nude photo showing everything and she has friended many youth relatives and young Buddhists around the world. Thank you Facebook for your speedy response!

Sangha members are defenders of the Buddha dharma, it is our duty to correct Buddhists and non Buddhists who post inappropriate content here on Facebook and elsewhere in internet and social media. 

• Befriending Sangha members and being friended by Sangha members entails a certain amount of responsibility for content in excess of FB guidelines meaning that you are not exempt from the temple that guides you concerning social media content, nor from the precepts you have taken and you must observe the 8 fold path guidelines while on social media, nor from abandoning your practices while on FB and elsewhere, in fact dubious content is a reason for admonishment by Sangha that you friend. 
• You should take it with appropriate appreciation and grace being respectful and learn something from your mistake. Nobody is asking you for unreasonable actions beyond Facebook policy like privating posts that are offensive and show nudity and graphic violence to those who know you and like that sort of crap.

It is sad that not one other Sangha member became involved beyond the FB members own previously affiliation with a non-Vinaya order of Buddhists well known for their efforts in dharma talks and upholding their precepts.

A warning to all Sangha who are active in public places and in social media:

Sangha with my deepest respects to you all and to all elders on my friends list and in community, you need to get on the ball! Start speaking out! Just because you're on Facebook for any reason and I don't care what for does not exempt you from teaching, upholding and admonishing while on this public platform!

It is just pitiful that you stayed silent on matters that you know are wrong view regarding Buddha dharma and by your lack of involvement allow a situation specifically regarding Triple Jewels or any part of it like something so new to me as flaming a Sangha member to go on even for a day!

I know you all saw those posts and conversations... soo from now on get more involved, please, otherwise by your silence you do approve and that results in mis-leading information and a deterioration of public images of Sangha in media such as this one and affects so many Sangha and laity here even many more non Buddhists viewing our news feed and profiles.

From now on instead of being silent speak out, that is your right as Sangha members and it's a duty you should not ignore anymore.

捍衛佛法而在社交媒體。

離開該路徑的佛教最近張貼留下許多震驚于兩個女人的裸體圖片，並進一步侮辱 FB 成員決定它貼上標籤"佛場 2012"。此誹謗的三重珠寶並造成的通風條件香港楊，特此通知，要求它必須民營化，或刪除隨著 Facebook 會員只發了佛法材料和適當的內容在該時間之前。不好收到請求，併發出什麼我現在明白燃燒。有人自稱佛教僧隊員折磨什麼令人憎惡的行為 ！因為它不是民營化的通風條件香港楊決定向 Facebook 報告，這是裸體照片顯示一切都和她有好友許多青年親屬和世界各地的青年佛教徒。感謝您您迅速反應 Facebook ！

僧成員是佛佛法的捍衛者，這是我們正確的佛教徒與非佛教徒張貼在這裡不合適的內容，在 Facebook 上和其他地區互聯網和社交媒體的責任。

認識僧成員和被好友僧成員需要一定數量的超過 FB 指引意義你不豁免從殿，將指導您關於社交媒體內容，也沒有從你採取的訓詞，雖然對社交媒體，也沒有放棄您的做法，雖然 FB 和其他地方，你必須遵守的 8 折路徑指引的內容負責、 可疑內容其實是有原因的訓誡的僧你的朋友。

你應該隨身攜帶的適當升值恩典被尊重和從你的錯誤中學習的東西。沒有人要求你的 Facebook 政策之外的不合理行動像是進攻性的 privating 個職位和顯示裸體和圖形暴力到那些知道你和喜歡那樣的廢話。

這是可悲的沒有一個其他僧成員成為涉及超越 FB 成員自己以前的佛教徒非毗尼順序與隸屬關係眾所周知在佛法會談和維護其戒律的努力。

對那些處於活動狀態，在公眾地方和社交媒體的所有僧的警告：

用我最深的敬意，向你都和我的朋友清單和在社區中的所有長者的僧，您需要得到球 ！開始說出來吧 ！只是因為你在 Facebook 上因任何理由，我不在乎什麼並不免除您從教學、 堅持與諫雖然對此公共的平臺 ！

這是你呆沉默你知道是佛佛法的錯了意見，並由你缺乏參與允許三珠寶或其任何部分它喜歡一樣東西對我作為燃燒僧成員繼續下去，甚至為一天的新的具體情況的事宜，只是少得可憐 ！

我知道你們都看到了所以從今以後更多參與，請這些職位和交談 ... ...，否則為您做批准由你的沉默，在 mis-leading 的資訊和公眾中的形象僧的媒體，如這一惡化的結果和影響這麼多僧及平信徒在這裡查看我們的新聞和設定檔的更多更多非佛教徒。

從今以後不再是沉默說出來，這是你的權利為僧成員和你再也不應忽視的天職就是。

Ven. Hong Yang Bhikshuni 釋宏揚，比丘尼

Cause.com Birthday wish

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Stop Tibetan Sangha suicides ACT Now

http://www.change.org/petitions/sangha-in-tibet-stop-suicides

10 away from completing this petition please sign or share it!

Appeal to the Tibetan Sangha the Maha Sangha within Tibet to take very public steps to end this crime! Stop the needless deaths! Stop the abuse by Tibetans who are clearly not interested in the Triple Jewel by recruiting, harming, killing and encouraging the disintegration and degradation of the Tibetan Sangha! It is very unusual for a country known for their history of Buddhist adepts and advanced practitioners to be silent on this matter! In any other country this would generate a very quick and public response by the Maha Sangha. It's hypocritical for Tibetan Buddhists to support this when they are all about compassion and promoting the well-being of all living beings even worms in a construction site! So how come the silence, in our Sangha meetings silence is approval, does this mean the Tibetan Sangha in Tibet approves by it silence? Amituofo! I can't believe that it would! So let me print out this petition soon. See more awful stories by a pro-suicide site.

More at dossiertibet.it