Xuanfa Utah Dharma Center

10/19/2021

At last Sunday's class, we reviewed some basic teachings of the Buddha. Most basic of all is karma. We live in a cause and effect world. Every cause that we plant will inevitably ripen to produce an effect at some point in time. With our thoughts, words and deeds we plant causes and like shadows following forms, retributions arrive. There is no escaping the law of karma. Good deeds, good causes reap retributions that benefit us. Bad deeds, bad causes reap retributions that harm us. Effects also become causes of new effects. Our Buddhist practice, in a nutshell, is for guiding and guarding our thoughts, words and deeds so we can move positively forward in our pursuit of greater wisdom, greater compassion and greater ability to help living beings. When we realize that every harm we receive is an effect of our karma, and that we are the one to have set the effect into motion, we become a better guardian of our thoughts, words and deeds.
One of the points we considered during class was an important Principle of Quantum Physics -- the fact that no information can be lost in the universe. (Doesn’t that sound a lot like karma? The information around causes is not lost?) This principle is so essential to the theory that when Einstein introduced his work on black holes, some Quantum Physicists questioned its validity. Because a black hole is so dense and swallows up energy and matter, allowing no escape, it would be mean that information lost to black hole would be lost to the universe, which defied the theory. Later Stephen Hawking offered a solution when he proposed that black holes did emit blackbody radiation that could reintroduce information to the universe. The Buddha understood karma 2500 years ago and karma was among His first teachings.

08/30/2021

Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche's new book, Thus Have I Seen.

07/27/2021

One of the topics we talked about at our last Sunday morning class was the importance of having body, speech and mind in correspondence. This is very important when we’re doing our daily dharma practice, whether it’s sitting meditation, or chanting a Buddha’s name, or a ta***ic yidam practice. In order to get any effect from the practice, body speech, and mind must be in alignment with each other and in alignment with the whatever dharma practice we’re doing. When we are truly in correspondence, we can produce that single-minded focus we need to advance in the practice. This means, depending on the kind of practice, that our body (postures or mudras), our vocalizations (mantras or silence) and mind consciousness (counting breaths or visualizations or emptying the mind) must all be performed with unity. If your voice is chanting mantras while you’re thinking about something else, there will be no effect.
Having body speech and mind (the three karmas) in correspondence is not only important for daily dharma practice, it’s something to maintain throughout the day. I’m not saying it’s so easy, but boy does it make a difference. Being present and focused brings also sorts of gifts to daily life: more efficiency, better observation skills, better listening, and these bring enormous payoffs in our relationships and our workplaces.

07/20/2021

We talked quite a bit about Impermanence during our Sunday July 18th class. Impermanence is the inherent, relentless and unending change in all things, both sentient and insentient. In every moment, there is arising, abiding, deteriorating and ending. If we take the example of a human body, some cells are coming into being through cell mitosis, some are abiding and performing their function, some are deteriorating, some are already dead or dying. All of these stages are going on at once. And the overall trajectory of the body is only toward old age and death. We don’t like to think about death, but doing so can help us come terms with reality and wonder what the next act will be when this life is over. Is there reincarnation? In class, I showed an MRI scan (magnetic Resonance Image) that clearly shows the magnetic trace of the consciousness (life force) of a person who has had a crown opening. The MRI machine picked up the magnetic signature of her consciousness hovering in the space above her skull. It is very great evidence that our consciousness will go on after our bodies die. Consciousness is not something our bodies make. Consciousness is different than the four elements that make up material form. Our consciousness will reincarnate in another form according to causality, i.e., according to the choices and actions we have made in our lives. The Buddha teaches us that we must be always planting good causes and also that we can attain control over birth and death if we sincerely practice the Buddha’s Way.

07/13/2021

One of the topics discussed in our Sunday July 11th Dharma class was not selling ourselves short. Most of us have no idea how great we can become. We don’t really know who we are. The extent of our potential accomplishment given our true essential nature, our Buddha Nature, is so great that it is inconceivable. Yet, we underestimate our potential and tend to keep our aspirations too low, too small. Why do we do this to ourselves? We don’t even know who we have been in past lives or what we have accomplished. Our karmic history is opaque to us. So why limit our goals? Maybe just around the corner is greater accomplishment if we sincerely pursue our cultivation and Dharma practice.
Join us for our next Dharma Get Together on July 18th.

07/13/2021

Reading "Imparting the Absolute Truth Through the Heart Sutra" by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III at the Holy Vajrasana Temple in Sanger California during the Fourth of July retreat 2021.

06/12/2021

After more than a year of holding online zoom gatherings on Sunday morning, we are finally opening up for in person events on Sunday, June 13th at 10:30 AM. Come on by. Everyone is welcome to our class at 755 E. 600 S. in Downtown Salt Lake City.

05/30/2020

Even though H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III lives in America, China's Education Television Service put together this informative film about His work and teachings. Most of these scenes are from places in California. It's in Chinese with English subtitles. Have a look.

Discovering the Root of Buddhism, Propagating True Buddha Dharma （H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) 中國國際教育電視台播出節目: 《探其根本, 弘揚正法》附英文字幕 Link: https://www.youtube.com...

04/06/2020

Have you subscribed to "Thus Have I Seen and Heard". It's an excellent blog on Buddhist topics created by Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche. We highly recommend it for learning more about Buddhism. http://www.zhaxizhuoma.org/

02/18/2020

Great Buddhist teachings engender great abilities. Here's a story about high level disciples of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III showing beyond ordinary strength in weight lifting ability, including an 88 year-old-man.

“Lifting the Pestle onto the Platform” Reported by Numerous News Media Please click the following news links. Introduction: According to the teachings imparted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, to learn from Buddha to cultivate oneself, one must practice in accordance with the Xiaman Most Excellen...