Good Morning, welcome back to the Saturday meditation with us. The time right now to sit down, make sure you feel comfortable with the position you body can sit down. We are now going to begin.

Na Mo Shakyamuni, May all sentient beings be free of suffering and receive compassion and wisdom energy from all the buddhas from the ten directions.

Let’s put the right hand on top of the left hand. For all. The way we practice meditation in maintaining our cultivation to keep connecting with all the Buddhas to receive this special motivation energy that could help us to stand up for ourselves to be independent.

So, when we do the mindfulness practice meditation breathing we all connect with the Buddha through the two mantras we have been practicing. First is compassion mantra Mu A Mu Sa, the second one is Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng which just means wisdom. Wisdom to know all about the impermanence suffering and no I. But every second that we practice we all connect with the buddha and receive the great energy which our body physically is filled with. The energy will create the vibration flowing around. For us we just watch it, and let it flow. We observe it and allow it to be one with us.

So now we are going directly to the practice. If this is the first time you are here with us, just follow. If you need more information, contact me later. But now just follow.

Breathe in, expanding your belly, hold it there for three seconds, concentrate on the heaven gate point. Breathe out, sunken your belly, chanting the mantra:

Mu A Mu Sa    Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng (7x)

You are just maintaining doing the breathing technique in a silent way. Just relax. Mindfulness breathing techniques is wonderful for us to calm the body and the mind. To connect it with the spirit, to enrich our, freedom power within to return to the nature and also to engage with all Buddhas with a special integration to connect with all of them to receive with a very humble mind. What we are talking about today, like what Buddha has been teaching for many thousand so years even though is physical body no longer exists. By receiving the energy. Reading Sutra, he is always encouraging us to stand up from the fall.

In life everyone falls, by our own mistakes, or by some difficult conditions from out that that causes our life in relation to the Karma which has been created for many many years.  We all know there is some time we fall down; it is too hard for us to stand up even though it had happened a long time ago. It could be a year ago. But it still comes and causes a lot of suffering and sadness for us. Sometimes it brings us down. It pushes us down for days and days. The negative energy, all that is natural. But at least we know the very good news from the Buddha saying that we can control those kinds of energies. We can convert it to be better. Don’t need to be there for ay in and day out to suffer just because what had done. We don’t dig into blame about those kinds of mistakes that make us fall by ourselves or by someone else. But we know It has already happened. We acknowledge it, we take note, we practice to be calm, to investigate, to know the truth and forgive. And also holding the hand of the Buddha to stand up strong and keep moving forward. Buddha says stand up from the fall. Like a mother talking to their children saying mom will always be at your side. Stand up. Stand up. No one is perfect, but we could make our life better and perfect it by waling through the mistakes.

What we practice today is to understand about the method we practice. It really heals us. It helps us to be stronger. Life is up and down. Just yesterday, I met a new member who came to the temple. This is the first time I met her while I was walking the dog outside. She was approaching me and talking to me. I learned that her life is totally miserable because things are changing unexpectedly. Broke down her family that they need to be separated. It is sad for me to hear that story. It is hurtful and painful. But she is very connected to the spiritual world since she was young for many  years. She wants to step us and connect deeper to practice. But her partner never let her do so until lately when the family broke down. Too much pressure, too much pressure. It made her get deep into depression. She has been going to the doctor for many months.  Could not find anything wrong with her at all. But she is really down. I want to look deep into her eyes and her face I could see a very negative energy. But I know deep inside her eyes there is the light of the spirit that really wants to get out from the box. Raise up from the dead very strongly. I just told her here is the Buddhist Temple. We practice healing. For us to stand up from the fall. We all fall, but we shouldn’t just lay down there. We have to stand up. There is a good master, good friends, which is the Buddha always at our side to provide us with good energy to start up. Once again, I looked in her eyes I see hope there. This is the real hope because she knows she could be a good friend with someone here. I told her there were others her who can reach out to be friends.

I talk about that to all to know that there is something we cannot control. It just happens, and we don’t know. Because we cannot control it, and we don’t know, we suffer more every day. We are very lucky that we know Buddha. He knows what causes those problems. He knows that we can control it by ourselves and he shows us the way to control and shows us the way to investigate to know the truth. Causing that kind of suffering. He also showed us how to heal ourselves to no longer suffer because of anything, but to be stronger, to be better. Just like exercise, we need to practice every day. A while ago Eileen shared with me that her daughter practiced for months to go to a special competition. So, she had to take on the practice. He body is so firm, so strong. Her goal is to go to win, not to loose. Even though she knows that she will compete against others who practice very hard too. At the moment she competes, win or loose is no matter. At least she wins for herself. That means she already stands up for herself. The title given to her with the group of people who are better or not does not matter. She has already won. She practices for herself. She feels much better.

The same is true, this mountain is high, other mountains are higher. That is what we say. We don’t practice to compete with others. Buddha teaches us to know ourselves, control and take charge. We always be in a win/win because we don’t compete with others. We know ourselves much better. To get ourselves on the right track, and keep moving on smoothly.

Look back to our life, we all sometime in the past fell ourselves. It is ok. It is ok. The compassion energy through the practice is what we have been doing with the mantra Mu A Mu Sa helps us to connect with the Buddha and receive with greater energy which really heals us. Helps our minds to see things clearer. Help to expand our capacity of love, forgiveness, especially lighting up our wisdom through the second Mantra: Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng. The light of the awakened through all the Buddhas helps us see through all are own darkness to understand ourselves and empower our positive energy. We get lost very often and feel lonely. We get into the thought that no one cares when we are ourselves. That is very human nature. But as long as you practice, maintain a good positive energy through the compassion and wisdom. It could help you to feel you are not lonely. Inner peace, always within. Good friends are always around especially the teacher always connects with you in the spirit to provide the special encouraging energy for you to connect with you to all the Buddhas to directly receive. Sometimes we have to go beyond the meaning of the word to connect deep with the mind, the spirit to know the truth. The only way is through practice.  Practice is really important. We all have fallen ourselves. By many conditions outside, or inside. There is no need to make a judgement and blame others. It is good for us to look back and know, yes, I fell. But I am not surrendering at all. I have good friends, teachers. Friends around, especially I have a good master, the Buddha. Through my teacher and good friends, my good community, sangha and temple I will connect with the Buddha to receive a good energy to stand up again from all the falls I have had myself, or from the others that have pushed me down. I stand up right. Our practice really helps you to stand up. To find yourself in a positive way and then to reach out to help each other.

Now it is December already. You can feel Christmas, you can sense that Christmas and new years is coming. In our deep memory, good or bad, will arise. Let’s make this Christmas special because we are well prepared by practice. By transforming ourselves. By tapping into a great source of energy from all Buddhas. We can reach out to all our loved ones, friends, teacher, Sangha and community, and keep our beautiful smile. We could sing the jingle bell song much differently this year because we have not made any judgements about the differences. We are all equal within the Buddha’s enlightened eyes. I always pray for all of you and would like to connect with all of you physically, mentally and spiritually to maintain a connection with the Buddha, we need good energy to stand up from the fall. There is something broken after we fall that falls so deep, but yes, we could heal ourselves once again to be strong. Let’s get together. Let’s practice. Let’s stand up. We practice once a week with the energy, but you can also practice every day. You can re-watch this video, or you can listen daily in Vietnamese. WE practice with the energy which comes from the Buddha. It is everlasting. It is wonderful.

Let’s receive the energy again with the mindfulness breathing technique. With the compassion mantra and wisdom mantra.

Now, thinking about your family, your parents, your husband, wife, children, friends, community, sangha. Thinking about all, connect with them with a very peaceful mind and thought. Know that the Buddha will always be with us. The Buddha is the awakened one. He will awaken us.  He will wake us up by many different ways. But for now, we ask to connect with him to receive a good energy. By receiving the energy from the awakened one. The compassion and wisdom energy together we pray for our parents, for all our friends, especially our families for this holiday season. May all no longer suffer and always be together and forgive. Hold hands and stand up after all the falls and move on. Breathe in, expanding your belly. Hold it there for three seconds. Concentrate on the heaven gate point. Breathe out, sunken your belly chanting the mantra:

Mu A Mu Sa    Na Mo Ta Mo Ta Mo Da Ra Houng.(7x)

The two mantras we practiced are the very special key for us to open up and connect with the Buddha. Yes, it will provide us with a very good energy for everyday activities. It is very good. You will notice through the practice for yourself. Practice to know the truth. That is always the truth. I don’t promise you anything. But if you practice your will connect with the Buddha and receive a good energy. You can be in touch with me at the temple our members welcome you. On the screen on the bottom is the website. Or you can contact me directly 301-792-1095. Once again. Thank you very much and have a good weekend with all your friends and family. Buddha blesses you all. Thank you.