The month of November is always a special time of the year for our Sangha.

First, this is the month of the year in which we celebrate our Original Order’s anniversary. The Zen Buddhist Order of HsuYun, was founded on November 8 1997 by Great Master WeiMiao JyDin Shakya and ChuanYuan MingZhen Shakya with ChuanZhi Shakya has its first Western Abbot. This was also the day of our Chan Order first ordination ceremony.

Secondly, this is the month were we celebrate the Ancestors and Ghosts Ceremony, some our our local groups perform the ceremony at Halloween. It is a special time to remember those who have left and to dedicate the merit of our practice to all beings, material and imaterial who need the Dharma.

Thirdly, it is during this month that we remember our dear teacher, ChuanYuan MingZhen Shakya (Emma Barrows) who passed into Nirvana on November 19 2016. We are grateful for her wonderful teachings and the light of loving presence still shines in our community.

Fourthly, November, is also the month of the year were we like to ordain new clerics and do great announcements.

This year, we are happy to share that brother QianMing Shakya (Daniel Scharpenburg) has been elected to the office of Sub-Prior of the Dharma Winds Zen Sangha to assist our Prior in his duties. He will be the second Sub-Prior of the Sangha, the first one being QianMen Shakya, leader of our French Sangha (who is preparing to become a Transmitted Head Priest in the coming months).

Brother QianMing Shakya is developing an unique Dharma turned on serving the lay Sangha in a practical way. We hope that he will continue to help our Prior in his office and serve the community in his own personal way.

Fifthly, we are happy to share that our Prior, YaoXin Shakya, in addition to his other Dharma activities, also has the pleasure to study Vietnamese and Korean Zen as a Formal Student of Venerable Wonji Dharma (Thich Duc Hien). Founder of the Five Mountain Zen Order, Venerable Wonji was ordained as a teacher and Bodhisattva Priest in the Korean Zen lineage of Master SeungSahn and as a teacher and Monk in the Vietnamese LamTe (ch.Linji, jp. Rinzai) Lineage of Master Thich Thien An. Today, Wonji is a close student of Great Master Thich An Giao and a dedicated Zen Teacher under his authority.

And as a natural following of this Teacher-Student relation, since November 2019 YaoXin’s Dharma Winds Zen Hermitage/group in Belgium is affiliated with the Five Mountain Zen Order founded by Wonji Dharma.

Nothing good, nothing bad … Just Taste It Fully!

May all beings realize enlightenment!

Amituofo !
Amituofo !
Amituofo !