Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

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cooran
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

I had the good fortune to meet up with Ven. Huifeng at the Mitra Conference in Sydney this last weekend. Strange how things happen. A friend and I were taking the lift down in our hotel to have breakfast before going to the first day of the "Buddhism unplugged Conference" at another venue. The lift stopped, the doors opened, and a lone monk was standing there. A lone monk whom I recognised from his photo previously seen ... Ven. Huifeng (Paññāsikhara)! :namaste: We introduced ourselves and had a great discussion over breakfast that day, as well as this morning again before I straggled back north to the Sunshine State.

During the same meal on Saturday, when I went to make some toast, I turned around, and there was Ajahn Brahmavamso standing next to me. I made an anjali and he said "Aha! a Buddhist!" with a big smile. We had a brief friendly conversation and he was interested to hear that I was from Dhammagiri (~ the abbott Ven Dhammasiha spent many years with Ajahn Brahms and I promised to take his greetings back with me).

I found the presentation by Ven.Huifeng interesting and enjoyable - but I have to confess, not just as everyone else did because it was novel and thought-provoking, - but because I was one of the three volunteers in his experiment to show the way the Mind works (which I hope he will say more about here).... and ended up scoring two Mars bars ~ much to the envy of the other 100 + people in the Room. It was not a bribe!!!!

I hope Ven Huifeng will say a little more about his paper and the Conference in general. :popcorn:

Moggalana - the Mitra people sell the DVD of the main presenters for $20.

with metta
Chris

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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mikenz66
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by mikenz66 »

Thanks for the wonderful report Chris.

Looking forward to hear Venerable's report. Perhaps next time the prize will be:
Image

Metta
Mike
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zavk
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by zavk »

cooran wrote:Hello all,

I had the good fortune to meet up with Ven. Huifeng at the Mitra Conference in Sydney this last weekend. Strange how things happen. A friend and I were taking the lift down in our hotel to have breakfast before going to the first day of the "Buddhism unplugged Conference" at another venue. The lift stopped, the doors opened, and a lone monk was standing there. A lone monk whom I recognised from his photo previously seen ... Ven. Huifeng (Paññāsikhara)! :namaste: We introduced ourselves and had a great discussion over breakfast that day, as well as this morning again before I straggled back north to the Sunshine State.

During the same meal on Saturday, when I went to make some toast, I turned around, and there was Ajahn Brahmavamso standing next to me. I made an anjali and he said "Aha! a Buddhist!" with a big smile. We had a brief friendly conversation and he was interested to hear that I was from Dhammagiri (~ the abbott Ven Dhammasiha spent many years with Ajahn Brahms and I promised to take his greetings back with me).

I found the presentation by Ven.Huifeng interesting and enjoyable - but I have to confess, not just as everyone else did because it was novel and thought-provoking, - but because I was one of the three volunteers in his experiment to show the way the Mind works (which I hope he will say more about here).... and ended up scoring two Mars bars ~ much to the envy of the other 100 + people in the Room. It was not a bribe!!!!

I hope Ven Huifeng will say a little more about his paper and the Conference in general. :popcorn:

Moggalana - the Mitra people sell the DVD of the main presenters for $20.

with metta
Chris

with metta
Chris
DVD? Most excellent!!!!

Yes would be good to hear from Ven. Huifeng.

Speaking of which... I ought to get in touch with Bhante soon, Chris. :)
With metta,
zavk
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cooran
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by cooran »

Yes Ed ~ that was going to be my next question :tongue:
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
Paññāsikhara
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by Paññāsikhara »

Hi!

First of all, yes, it was great to meet Chris in person, during the conference, and just great in general to be in Aus, and feel part of the local Buddhist scene, at least for a couple of days. hhmmm, but I don't know what to say about the "world in a Mars Bar" talk, though. hehe. But definitely Thanks!, to Chris, for being my third volunteer from the audience. We also had a great range of speakers there, and I managed to spend some time with Ven Heng Sure, whom I have met before and long looked up to, and also Ven Thubten Chodron, as we talked about Madhyamaka in Tibet and China, over lunch.

After the conference finished, I headed down to Wollongong for a day and a night, staying at Nan Tien Temple down there, where I received my full and bodhisattva ordination some years ago. From there, it was off to Santi Forest Monastery, where I not only had the good fortune to meet up with and talk with Bhante Sujato, but Bhante Brahms was also staying there at the time, so spent an evening with the rest of the community as he spoke and we all talked, before mooching a lift with him to the air-port - he back to Perth, and me to HK.

A great week it was! :smile:
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Sydney MITRA Conf. 1/2 May

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings bhante,

Sounds like you had an excellent trip!
Paññāsikhara wrote:After the conference finished, I headed down to Wollongong for a day and a night, staying at Nan Tien Temple down there, where I received my full and bodhisattva ordination some years ago.
Sweet. I visited there last year for the first time and really enjoyed the visit. The cumquat tea is delicious. :D

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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