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BSPG News and Meeting (No. 236) 
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Edited by Stony Brook Buddhism Study and Practice Group 

words from editor:

Happy lunar new year!

Meeting:
There is no meeting over break.

News:
1.Beginners' Dharma Classes: 
Friday, (Jan. 23, 30, /Feb. 6) & (Mar. 12, 19, 26). 
From 7pm to 9pm. Please call at 718-592-6593 to enroll. 
Free of charge. This is a six-hour course, offered in 
3 two-hour classes. It will cover basic concepts of 
Buddhism and discuss concepts such as suffering,
impermanence, emptiness and others.

For more information regarding any of these activities, 
please visit:

http://www.chan1.org/activities.html

2.Beginners' Meditation Classes: 
Saturday, Jan. 17 & 31 / Feb. 28 & Mar. 6. Classes in 
English from 9am to 12 noon, classes in Chinese from 
2pm to 5pm. $50 for two classes. Please call at 
718-592-6593 to enroll. Please send a check payable to 
CMC. Two three-hour classes on Buddhist meditation 
include instruction on methods of sitting, breathing, 
walking, sleeping, yoga exercises, self-massage,
theories and obstacles in meditation, and progressive 
stages of meditation. Please call Chan Meditation Center 
for enrollment first. Please arrive at Chan Meditation 
Center at 8:45am.  

For more information regarding any of these activities, 
please visit:

http://www.chan1.org/activities.html

3rd floor. 41-17 main street,
flushing, NY, 11355.

3.The Buddhist Project is a series of currently 
ongoing exhibits which feature the Buddhist 
spirit in contemporary art in addition to exploring 
the many and varied relationships of Buddhism 
and the arts in contemporary American culture. 
Exhibitions, public forums, installations and 
literary events are taking place in the all over 
the New York City area and will run through 
March 2004. For specific details go to:

http://www.buddhismproject.org/


Words from the Suttas/Sutras:

Learned Audience, to take refuge in a true Buddha 
is to take refuge in our own Essence of Mind. He 
who does so should remove from his Essence of Mind
the evil mind, the jealous mind, the flattering 
and crooked mind, egotism, deceit and falsehood, 
contemptuousness, snobbishness, fallacious views,
arrogance, and all other evils that may arise
at any time.

----"Platform Sutra" on repentance

Quote of the Week:

Generally speaking, even if money brings us happiness, 
it tends to be the kind which money can buy: material 
things and sensory experiences. And these, we discover, 
become a source of suffering themselves. As far as 
actual possessions are concerned, we must admit that 
they often cause us more, not less, difficulty in 
life. The car breaks down, we lose our money, our most 
precious belongings are stolen, our house is damaged 
by fire. Or we worry about these things happening.

----His Holiness the Dalai Lama