The Nawam  Poya day program and   Dhamma class will be held on on Sunday Feb 12, 2012, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara.  We invite you all to join the program.

MORNING PROGRAM

7:30am – 8:30am Observance of the eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana.

8:30am – 9:00am Tea & coffee break

9:00am – 11:00am Vipassana Meditation.

11:00am Buddha Puja

11:20am – 12 Noon Dana offering to the monks and those who observe eight precepts. For more information please feel free to contact the Vihara at 770-987-8442.)

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

12Noon – 1:00pm Luncheon

1:00 – 2:30pm Discussion will be base on Abhidhamma by Dr. Deepta Jayaratne

1:30-4:00pm  Dhamma Class

2:30 – 2:45pm Break.

3.00-5.00pm  Sutra Discussion; Ratha-vinita Sutta: Relay Chariots  (English)

5:30 pm  Termination of the Sil Gilanpasa Pujava

The Duruthu Poya day program will be held on on Sunday, Jan 08, 2012, from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara,  We invite you all, to join the program.

MORNING PROGRAM

7:30am – 8:30am Observance of the eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana.

8:30am – 9:00am Tea, & coffee break

9:00am – 11:00am Vipassana Meditation.

11:00am Buddha Puja

11:20am – 12 Noon Dana offering to the monks and those who observe eight precepts. For more information please feel free to contact the Vihara at 770-987-8442.)

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

12nn – 1:00pm Luncheon

1:00 – 2:30pm Discussion will be base on Abhidhamma by Dr. Deepta Jayaratne

2:30 – 2:45pm Break.

3.00-4.00 Dharmadeshanawa

4:00 – 5:30 Sutra Discussion;Vammikasutta : The Simile of the Ant Hill  (English, Sinhala)

5:30 pm  Termination of the Sil, Gilanpasa Pujava

• The Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka. (nine months after his Enlightenment, the Blessed One visited Mahiyangana, in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka. His mission was to restore peace, to create a state of freedom from war or violence.)
• The Gautama Buddha,  offered Deity Sumana, some locks of hair. He placed it in an urn as a valuable Relic in the Mahiyangana Stupa.
• the Buddha’s second visit was to Nagadipa, in the Jaffna District. The Awakened One, Buddha, visited Nagadipa, to settle a dispute between Mahodara and Chulodara, uncle and nephew respectively, who were about to wase war, to gain the ownership of a gem studded thrine. Buddha, saw this and arrived in Nagadipa, emphasizing the value of harmony and ill-effects of hatred and settled the dispute without blood-shed.

• The unique event of bringing the Bo-sapling of the sacred Jayasiri Maha Bodhi (under which our blessed one, the enlightened one, attained the supreme bliss of Buddhahood) from India to Anuradhapura by Sangha Miththa Maha Rahath Therani (Emperor Asoka’s  daughter, Arahat Mahinda thera’s sister,  young beautiful, charming, princess Sangamitta, who entered the Bhikkuni Sasana at the age of 18 years).  Sangamitta Therani arrived in Dambakolapatuna port in Jaffna (after seven days of sea journey) with a right branch of the Sri Maha Bodhi in India accompanied by a retinue of several others who joined her in this voyage.  This Bo-Sapling was planted in the “Mahamevuna Uyana”, the headquarters of Buddhism in ancient Sri Lanka. This event symbolises that Buddhism took deep root throughout the length and breadth of Sri Lanka.
• The second most important mission or the purpose of Sangamitta’s arrival, was the establishment of Bhikkuni Sasanaya or order of the Buddhist nuns. Queen Anula, was the first to be ordained. Later thousands of ladies from all walks of life entered the Buddhist order as Bhikkunis.

• It is the last Poya in the rainy season.
• The announcement of the future Buddhahood of Maitriya Bodhisatva.
• The first Buddhist Missionery activity by Sixty Arahaths.
• Jatila Brothers-Uruwela, Nadi, Gaya the Buddhist Order.
• Festival of “Devahaona” or Ascendency to Tavthisa.
• Acceptance of a Robe from the Future Buddha to be Maitriya, who was a disciple of Gautama Buddha,
• Pirinirvana of “Dharmasenapathi” one of the Chief Disiples Sariputta.

Annual Kathina Maha Pinkama 

Katina refers to the offering of  a special robe (katina civara) carefully prepared by  pious laity and presented by them to monks who have completed the three-month period of retreat called Vas in Sinhala and Vassana in Pali (literally, ‘the period of rain’).  Katina literally means ‘firm’ or ‘solid,’ as the offering of a Katina robe helps one to earn good, solid karma. The Katina Ceremony has a history spanning more than 2500 years.  A special element of the Katina robe offering   is that it is not offered to an individual monk, but to the entire community of Sangha; to all noble disciples of the Buddha —  and not only to enlightened ones, but also to those monks yet to be enlightened.  The Katina robe can be offered only during a specified period at the end of the rains retreat, between the full-moon day of October and the full-moon day of November. It is a monastic tradition long preserved and observed by Buddhists all over the world, and is highly revered as a unique, once-yearly opportunity to acquire merit. Georgia Buddhist Vihara will celebrate Kathina on October 22^nd 23^rd. ( below is the full program)This year Kathina Pinkama is sponsored by devout devotee; Mr and Mrs. Janaka and Nishani De Silva. You are invited to attend this meritorious Pinkama.

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOMBER- 22

7: 30 AM: Observance of the Eight Precepts (children and young adult welcome to observe Precepts)

8:15 am: Heel Dana

9: 15-11:00 am: Bhavana

11 am: Buddha Pujawa

1:00pm to 3: 00 pm: Abhidhamma lesson By Dr. Deeptha Jayaratne

3: oo pm: Break

3:15 pm to 4:30pm: Dharmadeshanawa

4: 30 pm to 5:30 Pm: Sutra Discussion (click here)

5:50 pm to 7:30 pm: Atavishi Buddha Pujawa, and Pirith chanting.

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SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOMBER -23

7:30 am: Buddha Pujawa, and Heel Dana

9: am to 10: am: Bhavana

10: 30 am: Pindapata

11: am: Buddha Pujawa

What should  you bring for the Dana Please click on this link {Click Here}

11: 30 am: Lunch (Dana) while monks are having Dana devotees will join into Kathina Robe procession.

12 noon: Offering of the Kathina robe by Mr. and Mrs. Janka and Nishani de silva.

Luncheon and Kathinanisansa Dharmadeshanawa.

2:30 to 3: pm: End of the program.

   I am writing on behalf of the Georgia Buddhist Vihara to invite you to the next meditation retreat and noble day of silence on Saturday, July 16 from 7am to 7pm.  This one-day vipassana/mindfulness meditation retreat will held at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara.  For this particular retreat session, all meditation instructions, sutta discussions, and Dhamma talks will be conducted in English.  

Below is a tentative schedule of the day’s events:

MORNING PROGRAM

7:30am – 8:00am: Observance of Refuge & the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja (“offerings”) and chanting.

8:00am – 8:30am: Breakfast (self-service)

8:30am – 10:00am: Meditation instructions and vipassana meditation

10:00am – 10:30am: Break (coffee/tea) & personal reflection/reading

10:30am – 11:00am: Metta (“Loving-Friendliness”) meditation 

3:00pm – 5:00pm: Sutta Discussion: Cula-dukkhakkhanda Sutta: The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Dukkha (Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness/Stress) – Majjhima-Nikaya #14 – What mental qualities must be abandoned in order to free oneself of greed, aversion, and delusion? Can painful austerities be used to purify oneself and burn away the karmic fruit of past misdeeds? Through question-and-answer dialogues with the lay follower Mahanama and with a group of Jain ascetics, the Buddha lays these questions to rest.  Please visit the following link, read the sutta, and print the sutta to bring to the discussion: {Please Click}

5:00pm – 7:00pm  Observance of the Five Precepts & Termination of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja, and chanting.

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PLEASE NOTE:

Participants will need to bring (1) a small breakfast food that would go along with oatmeal which will be provided (for example fruits, bagels, etc.) and (2) a lunch dish (preferably vegetarian) to share with the monks and the participants in the retreat as a form of dana (generosity).  It is also customary to bring flowers, candles (tea light), or incense to place on the shrine as an offering. It is also customary to wear white clothing when observing the Eight Precepts, though this is not a requirement.

During this special time, please consider making a monetary donation to the vihara as a form of dana (generosity) so that we can continue to support the monks and to keep the vihara open so that all people are able to practice and learn about the Dhamma (the Buddha’s teachings).

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, July 16 at the vihara.  To confirm that you are planning on attending the retreat or if you have questions about our program, please contact me either by email (justinhowell2112@gmail.com) or by phone at 404/375.0264. 

 You may also plan for future events at the vihara by accessing the retreat and event calendar on the vihara’s website.

I hope that you will be able to join us for this day of quiet contemplation and deepening our knowledge of the Dhamma.  May you, your friends, and family members be well, happy, and peaceful……

With metta…..

Justin Howell

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Justin Howell
Cell phone: 404.375.0264

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.”  -M. Gandhi

“You can’t lead the people if you don’t LOVE the people. You can’t save the people if you won’t SERVE the people.”  – Cornel West

Rajitha,Nuwan, Janith,Aeshka, Mathishka,Ranuka

Day 1:
When we started the retreat I had no idea that I would learn the amount I learned today. Meditating and sitting in one place sure was difficult but the valuable insight we got from the first day clearly outweighed the hardships. As the day progressed we meditated and discussed suttas. Through the entire day my favorite part was the Dhamma talk portion, because I loved hearing all of Bhante’s experiences as a monk. It was also the perfect time to get all my questions about Buddhism answered. Being a young adult born into Buddhism I have many questions regarding Buddhism as a whole and instead of following it because my parents told me to do so, I rather figure it out for myself. This program offered exactly what I needed to see and learn why Buddhism is so great. As we read the suttas about the Buddha’s life and his encounters, I was amazed by how he was able to answer all these puzzling questions nearly 2500 years ago. Throughout the day we had a guide, Justin, who would show us how to prepare the Buddha Puja, and the proper etiquette when being around the monks. Justin had a very interesting story about his life which I was surprised to hear. He said that he was raised in the South, and that he was a complete Christian American, but even as a child he was attracted to Buddhism and Asian cultures. He told me how his mother used to take him to the library and how he would check out books on Buddhism. Maybe in one of his past lives he was a devout Buddhist? After lunch we split up into groups and did chores around the house, Mathishka and I were sent to do garden work, which surprisingly was very enjoyable. Just listening to all the nature around you for once was a dramatic change in my busy school life and I absolutely enjoyed it. To end the day we went to bed at 9PM after having a milkshake that Bhante, so kindly prepared for us. I haven’t gone to bed that early since I was in middle school.
Day 2 :
Today was the start of our early morning meditation, and to my surprise waking up at 5 am wasn’t difficult at all; probably because we went to bed so early with not much to eat. When we woke up it was like everything in the world was still sleeping, the birds, the people and even the wind. We went to the shrine room and Bhante instructed us to sit down and we proceeded with the meditation session. There was no sunlight coming in through the windows as we sat down in the shrine room, everything was at a standstill. As the meditation began I felt my mind drifting, looking for things to be distracted to, but because everything was so quiet my mind was able to ease up and simply focus on my breathing. It was amazing, never have I ever felt that peaceful and content. As the meditation came to a close and our minds came drifting back into reality, I started hearing the birds chirping, I felt the sunlight on my body, and heard the cars zooming by… As if the entire world came back to life while we were calming our minds. After offering the Buddha Puja, we had breakfast and came back to the shrine room to talk about Satipattana Meditation, or Mindful Meditation. We discussed many things such as “Seeing the body as a body”, the nine type of feelings and even spiritual happiness/sadness. After lunch we all went to plant blue berry trees in the garden. Digging the holes was difficult but we managed to plant the two trees. It was good to be able to stretch our arms and legs and do some physical activity while on such a spiritual retreat. Later in the day we went to visit a Vietnamese temple. The temple was grand, with huge statues of the Buddha and other various forms which they believed in. They had an immense field for Buddhist celebrations filled with a stage, parking lot, and even peacocks. It was interesting to see that unlike us, the Vietnamese Buddhists also worshipped many other bodhisattvas, one being a female with the name “Kon yin”. Another interesting thing I observed was the mutual respect that the grand Vietnamese monk had with Bhante. Although two different sects of Buddhism, in the end it all was derived from one person, the Buddha, only to make ourselves better human beings.
Day 3:
Today was my last day on the retreat because I had to attend my university. Nuwan and I were assigned to prepared the Buddha Puja this morning which meant we had to get up a bit earlier than usual. After another soothing early morning meditation we had breakfast and then took part in the walking meditation which was very relaxing. We were told to walk anywhere we wanted but be mindful and observe the tips of your feet as they pressed on the various surfaces. After lunch we discussed the things that were essential to living, and Bhante also read us articles of well-known philosopher and their positive outlook on Buddhism. To see that our religion isn’t criticized by anybody and always spoken highly of is very motivating. After lunch we uprooted a tree and planted in a better location. The task was difficult and to my surprise even the monks assisted in this. Before everybody left to go on our daily temple visits, Bhante asked me to come to the shrine room to terminate my Das Sil. As I was terminating, I had a whole rush of feelings come towards me. I realized how peace at mind I was at the temple, meditating and focusing on my mindfulness. The retreat was an amazing adventure and opportunity for me and if I could I would do it again. I gained so much valuable knowledge about my religion that I can call myself a true Buddhist. I think this is a program that every Buddhist should experience at least once in their lives. The famous Buddhist quote “Come and see” would be the perfect way to explain this retreat.

Well over 2000 years ago the Buddha urged Ananda his constant companion and a faithful disciple to become a lamp unto himself, and not to be distressed by the fact that the Buddha in the very nature of things, would pass away.  Difficult as it was  Ven. Ananda took the advice and he and  his disciples of the Buddha saw the dharma as the  unfailing lamp which would guide us all to the bliss of Nirvana We the resident monks in the Georgia Buddhist Vihara decided to  cherish and revere the memory of the Buddha by commemorating the 2600 anniversary of the Buddha’s awakening and –specifically on May 28 till May 31st. Six youth participated together with one adult committed themselves to observe the ten precepts in our Vihara for a retreat which lasted  four days. For the duration of those four days in our collective spiritual imagination we were all for those moments in the beautiful valley of the Ganges made more than real by the sense of the presence of the great path finder (The Buddha) Metta, loving kindness, Dharma discussions, and the practice of meditation was witnessed by all. The spirit of the Dharma was in the air.The six young men were text book examples of metta , karuna, muditha, which affected the considerable amount of people who visited the Vihara. The young men followed a simple regimen of attending to their daily and hourly needs. They were consistently disciplined and were examples to all who chose to be present. From all that we observed it was clearly transforming spiritual encounter to the participants. If their serenity and visible loving kindness was any indication they were no doubt the principle beneficiaries of a truly   beautiful lingering experience.  We in the Georgia Buddhist Vihara took heart and inspiration from the success of the four  day retreat.  In reality it  became an inspiration to all who were present who no doubt were themselves transformed  by witnessing the event. We hope that our dayakayas who generously and spiritedly supported were made happy by what they saw. Our success inspires us to nobly strive  t o do better than what we did on all future occasions.  Soon the word would get around that it is in the Georgia Buddhist Vihara that one might see a fleeting glimpse of the shores of nirvana- where  we will all know the peace and serenity the surpasses all understanding.

Conclusion of the 4 Day retreat    Diary of a Dhamma Brother

By Ranuka Manamendra

I got to the temple around 7:30. Within me I felt a sort of confusion, because I had no idea what would take place. It felt weird to have my parents bow down to me and in all honesty, when Bhante asked how we felt after taking the dhasa-sil...more

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By Janith Wickramasuriya

We practiced group meditation for the first time today. It was a very calming time for us all. After this we had a lesson about a wealthy householder named Anathapindika. He had built a temple in India that was named Jetavanaramaya. We also learned of a very interesting…more

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By Nuwan Perera

Today was the beginning of our Dhamma immersion experience, and I am not sure what to expect. We did not follow the entire schedule because we took Das Sil at ten,..More

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By Rajitha Siyasena

When we started the retreat I had no idea that I would learn the amount I learned today. Meditating and sitting in one place sure was difficult but the valuable insight we got from the first day clearly outweighed the hardships. As the day progressed we meditated and discussed Suttas ….More

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Georgia Buddhist Vihara’s  Youth Retreat to Commemorated the 2,600^thAnniversary of the Buddha’s Awakening (May 28,29,30 & 31, 2011)

Diary of a Dhamma Brother

By Ranuka Manamendra

Day 1

I got to the temple around 7:30. Within me I felt a sort of confusion, because I had no idea what would take place. It felt weird to have my parents bow down to me and in all honesty, when Bhante asked how we felt after taking the dhasa-sil. I felt confused.

I found out today that sitting in the same position will be my biggest trouble. It was hard meditating in a criss-cross position though I did gain some spiritual value from it. I was slightly disappointed that I couldn’t eat after 12:00 noon.  The  work period was enjoyable because I helped Bhante reorganize the Buddha statues that were catching dust. Then we went to the Cambodian Temple. I learned  about the High Ordinance ceremony and learned what was culturally significant about the temple. It’s red color stands for luck. One aspect I noticed in all Buddhist temples was that vast variety of fruit trees were planted.

Day 2

I wish I could have waken up at 6:30 instead of 4:30. It was very stressful on my eyes but the early morning meditation helped ease this.Today I realized walking meditation was my forte. It helped me concentrate on the task at hand, which was to block out my defilements. Metta meditation, ( loving-kindness meditation) helped clear my mind.  For today’s work-period I helped Bhante plant a tree.  A tiring job, but I enjoyed using the ramrod to break up the dirt. For the personal reading time, I started reading You &Your Problems by Dr. K Sri Dhammaranda. A book explaining world-problems through a Buddhist perspective. We discussed about the different feelings humans experience as a result of our faculties. An example in Vedananau Passana (feelings) is sad  and happiness, neither sad nor happiness. When we have the object that we crave, we experience momentary pleasure, but since  all things in life are impermanent we will feel unhappiness as a result of it.

We visited the Vietnamese temple, today. It was by far, the most impressive temple I have seen. At the entrance is a huge lily pad pond, and a Laughing Buddha. Its amazing to see that a culture can transform a religion to fit there perspective. For an example the Buddha in the shrine room had oriental qualities to it. Something I noticed was that the Vietnamese temple kept the ashes of their dead in the temple. They also had a pen of peacocks in the yard. Something really peculiar they had was an albino peacock. A rare sight that my eyes don’t get to see. After that we helped setup the Atavisi Budhdha Puja. Our timing has certainly improved. It was lights out after that. I really I can get some sleep this time.

Day 3

Waking up at 5 was slightly relaxing. The early-meditation this time was much better. I was able to concentrate on my breathing technique, though I had to stretch out my legs every 7 minutes. During Vipassana Meditation Bhante taught us the core concepts of meditation. I had another successful walking meditation period again today.

After lunch we helped Bhante plant another tree. Our sutta discussion today was really interesting. It was a discussion about poverty (Ina Sutta). We visited the Thai temple today. This is our last temple visit. The Thai temple was a lavish, comfortable group of log cabins. I learned the Thai tradition where laitys became monks for brief periods of time. The impact of cultural assimilation where one ethnic group adopts the religion or culture with there own changes is still evident today when you visit different Buddhist temples.

The Dhamma talk today was enjoyable. We discussed about what different philosophers said about Buddhism. I was felt bad when I heard that non Buddhist preachers would use Buddhists teachings without crediting the Buddha. After the temple, we did the Atavisi Buddha Puja. It was done in record time today and we finished the schedule thirty minutes ahead of time. I enjoy this lifestyle, it is a pleasing one because it is so simple, but I doubt I could follow it due to the sleeping schedule (9:00 pm. To 4:00 am.). It’s hard to put in to words ,what I learned & felt .But for sure , now I have a much better perspective and a view regarding Buddhism. I don’t think I could effectively explain everything I learned these 3 days. It was a great deal of Dhamma knowledge. I found a new respect regarding all the bhantes who follow this hard schedule.

Day 4

Yesterday Bhante picked me and Mathishka to prepare breakfast, lunch and the Buddha puja. So I had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. I took a shower and my routine procedures. Then me and Mathishka helped set up the plates. We sadly didn’t do walking meditation today. It was an eventful day, because I did a lot of dish-washing and bathroom cleaning. After that we discussed suttas. We  finished the Dighajanu Sutta and the Sigalovvada Sutta. The Buddha’s advice in financial areas is invaluable even though he did not pursue a life of prosper and wealth. How Buddha acutely explained every small detail in each sutta, amazes me. I feel as if we packed three months of Sunday school in four days.

Final Conclusions about the 4 Day retreat

-After listening to Bhante for these four days my respect for him has increased.

-I am proud to call myself a Buddhist.

-I kind of understand what kind of happiness you can gain by living a simple life.