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Buddhist Group Emphasis Wisdom, Compassion

Cheryl Bentley/SUNCOAST NEWS

Buddhist monk Kelsang Sanden prepares for meditation

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: December 28, 2007

Chaos begets peace. At least it does at the Parbawatiya Buddhist Center in Safety Harbor.

The noise of a new building's construction seems to be gently swallowed by its surroundings.

A stone Buddha sits in a tiny garden. Bougainvillea and bamboo grow around him. In spite of the hammering, all appears serene.

These days, members of the center are building a 940-square-foot environmentally friendly meditation hall on their property at Sixth Avenue South in Safety Harbor. They are also remodeling their present building.

The center's students and teachers appear tranquil even in the hustle and bustle of construction.

Peace is one of the things practicing Buddhism has given her, says Buddhism teacher Lucy James, who began studying it in 1981 when she was 18.

"I rarely have an unhappy day," she says.

James is English, speaking with crisp accents. She is friendly and direct and frequently laughs. Her Western-style clothes give no hint of the Eastern tradition she follows.

Named for the female Buddha of wisdom, the Parbawatiya Center is part of the Kadampa Buddhist tradition.

It is one of more than 1,000 worldwide Buddhist centers and groups founded by 77-year-old Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. His teachings, which have supporters and detractors within Buddhism, emphasize practicing wisdom and compassion.

A dog wanders into the little garden. James smiles, quietly watching the animal. "Buddha said, 'Anyone who deliberately harms another living being is no follower of mine.'

"He meant every living being, including animals."

This compassion for living things can be developed through familiarity with the mind, she explains.

"If you know what is going on in your own mind, you can change," she says. "Meditation is a means of learning about the mind."

This is not a familiar approach for most Westerners, who often look at life in terms of careers and families, says James.

"Most of our energy goes into changing externals," she says of humans. "Meditation puts energy into learning to change the inner world."

That brings peace of mind, James explains.

The center offers a variety of study opportunities to increase self-awareness from introductory classes to in-depth study. Both Buddhists and non-Buddhists can benefit from the classes, James notes.

Before a recent introductory class, Youngjin No explains she has been a student for four years and has been "touched profoundly" by the experience.

"I wanted to feel some happiness. Through giving and loving others you can feel that happiness."

Snowbird Ron Goodman, 66, has just started attending classes and plans on attending more. He has been practicing the meditation focusing on the breath taught at the center.

During the class, James gives a 90-minute lesson and guided meditation against a serene backdrop of Buddhas and Eastern art.

Her theme is generosity. "In miserliness we feel we have to buffer up our sense of self with things," she explains. ". . . Giving is based on the acknowledgment of the truth that we depend upon others for everything."

She leads the group in a guided meditation, asking the meditators to visualize all the ways in which their lives are limited by miserliness. She then gives them time to visualize ways of giving and to focus on the desire to become more generous.

James concludes the meditation by encouraging attendees to practice generosity during the coming week.

"Kadampa Buddhism is practical Buddhism putting into practice what we've learned," she says.

For more information visit the Meditation in Florida Web site or call 727-797-9770.

The Parbawatiya Buddhist Center of Safety harbor conducts Buddhist meditation class in West Pasco 7:15 - 8:30 p.m., each Monday, at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4125 U.S. 19, New Port Richey.

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