March 2025 eNEWSLETTER

Chán Hall after the Icy Snow Storm

Hello, friends!

The winter retreat has been peaceful and quiet. We enjoyed the winter weather and the snow. However, we are excited to ramp up our activities schedule as the temperature rises and our retreat comes to an end.

We want to thank our volunteers who have assisted around the campus these past few months with shoveling and other maintenance tasks. Your help is always greatly appreciated! If you would like to volunteer, Vesak Day is on May 18, and we need volunteers to help set up the day before, as well as assistance in the kitchens. Please get in touch with us if you are interested.

The first weekly Dharma talk will resume on the first Sunday of March, featuring talks from our teachers and Master Ji Ru. This year, we are also introducing after-lunch Dharma discussions on Sundays. If you plan on attending the discussions, please fill out this form for the Dharma discussion topics & sign up for the updates.)

Many events are coming up, including a beginners' retreat. Make sure to stay updated so you don't miss anything! We look forward to seeing everyone this coming year. However, please note that in the event of inclement weather, we will cancel any events or services scheduled for that day.

We hope to see you all soon, and stay safe!

**All services are closed in the event of bad weather.**

Please check our website, and local news channels, or call our office to find out if our Sunday morning service has been canceled!

Our Online Buddhist Studies Program

The DBS program is a great opportunity for new and experinced people alike to grow thier knowledge of Buddhism and apply it to your everyday lives. If you are interested in applying, the 2025-2027 academic year is now open!

Visit our website to learn more about the DBS program and other flexible options available to you. Whether you prefer a structured curriculum or explore Buddhism at your own pace, we have the perfect options for you.

Click here to Learn more

Sunday Morning

We hope to see you at MABA! Whether you're seeking spiritual growth or community engagement, we invite you to join us on Sunday mornings or for our various service opportunities.

**All services are closed in the event of bad weather.**

Please check our website, and local news channels, or call our office to find out if our Sunday Morning has been canceled!

Dharma Discussion topics after Sunday lunch include:

Huayan Sutra (Flower Ornament Sutra)
Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Teaching of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
Five Aggregates
Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom)
How to use The Four Foundations in Meditation

For more details or to sign up for the discussion, please visit our website or scan the barcode above.

You are also welcome to bring your personal questions about Dharma and practice to the discussion session.

2025 Upcoming Events

March 8th (Saturday): Socially Engaged Buddhism at the Thai Buddhist Temple, organized by the Buddhist Council of Greater St. Louis

April 13th (Sunday): Qing Ming Blessing Ceremony at the Mausoleum, MABA.

May 18th (Sunday): Vesak Day Celebration at MABA, organized by the Buddhist Council of Greater St. Louis

Annual Engaged Buddhism Event at the Thai Buddhist Buddhist Temple

organized by The Buddhist Council of Greater St. Louis

Qingming Blessing Ceremony

Click here to download the Lantern Form

Volunteer Work

We would love to give a big shout-out to our volunteers Vladimir and his son, Dennis for helping to shovel snow!

If you are interested in volunteering too, reach out to us and ask about an upcoming opportunity. We would love to have you!

https://maba-usa.org/contact-us

Buddha's Teaching of the Month

Dhp 112–115 From… Sahassavagga: The Thousands

"Better to live a single day energetic and strong,

than to live a hundred years lazy and lacking energy.

Better to live a single day seeing rise and fall

than to live a hundred years blind to rise and fall.

Better to live a single day seeing the state free of death

than to live a hundred years blind to the state free of death.

Better to live a single day seeing the supreme teaching

than to live a hundred years blind to the supreme teaching."

Readings:

Right View Quarterly

Daily Sutta Reading

Suttas (Buddha's Teachings)

Videos of the Month

The Ten Stages of Trust has just been published! This is Xiankuan Don’s third book on Buddhism. The Ten Stages of Trust is for Bodhisattvas and those interested in the Bodhisattva Path. This is the first commentary in English on the beginning of the Bodhisattva’s 52 Stages.

To acquire books:

All proceeds go to MABA. If you are local to St. Louis, you can arrange to stop by Xiankuan Don's office on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and get a copy. Please contact Don's office to reserve a time.

If you are not local to St. Louis, you can acquire this book through our website: (https://maba-usa.org/dharma-books ) or through the author.

All $40 goes to MABA ($34 for book, $6 for shipping). Amazon has the book also, but MABA only gets 10%.

Further Description:

The Ten Stages of Trust should interest Chan, Zen, Huayan, and Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. This text can be especially useful for those who have taken the Bodhisattva Vows or are considering this step. The 350 pages include translations of selected passages from the original sutras, commentaries on the essential meanings, as well as commentaries on verses from the Map of the Ten Buffalo (Zen Ox Pictures), Sengcan’s Trust in Mind Inscription, and Farong’s Mind Inscription. At the end of each chapter, there is a suggested meditation for each stage.

DONATE HERE

Dana

is the virtue of giving. The monastic community is fully dependent on the lay community's support. For now MABA relies almost fully on the support of traditional Asian community. It is very important for us to help the Western community develop the six paramitas (perfections), the first of which is the virtue of giving. The importance of practicing Dana is known through its benefit for overcoming lower fetters, such as greed and ignorance, and as the way to accumulate merits that will support the practice of meditation. Without preliminary effort to establish virtuous actions, the practice of meditation often becomes fruitless. Do not hesitate to seize any opportunity to develop this virtue.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Interfaith

MABA accepts invitations from schools, educational institutes and other religious organizations to introduce Buddhism and mindfulness practice, as well as to join interfaith dialogues that promote mutual understanding between practices.

Learn more

Lanterns

For our Dharma friends and supporters who wish to make a dedicated lantern offering. We will engave a tablet in your name (or any name you wish) and place it at the Guanyin Pavilion.

Lantern offerings

Funeral Services

Reservation of the niches, ordering the urns, placing the urns, relocating the urns, chanting services, placement of name tablet of ancestors, and visiting dying patients.

Request a service

MABA Website: https://maba-usa.org