On Sunday Feb 2, DDM Toronto Centre hosted a special event at the William Doo Auditorium at U of T’s New College, entitled “Returning to a Gentle Pace”. The event attracted many participants from various walks of life, ages, educational backgrounds, and levels of experience in Buddhism. The venue, a comfortable lecture hall with a series of cascading steps flowing into an open space, was skilfully transformed by dedicated DDM Toronto volunteers into a peaceful and serene tea hall. The set up of individual tables with tea equipment allowed all the participants to take part in a tea ceremony, followed by a delicious vegetarian lunch in the foyer, as well as the afternoon activities of a powerful drum performance and sound meditation, “Laugh, Breathe Guided Relaxation” ,and an inspiring talk by visiting DDM monastic, Venerable Chang Xing.
The tea ceremony was one highlight of this event, which was superbly guided by a DDM volunteer, along with many other DDM Toronto volunteers especially trained by two experienced tea Chan teachers to set up, prepare and serve the tea. The ceremony started with a guided body scan exercise which encouraged participants to settle their minds and relax the body. Each part of the ceremony encouraged participants to open all their senses: hearing the sound of the pouring water, seeing the careful and intentional movements of the tea servers, and even smelling the tea before sipping it slowly. The tea ceremony was followed by snacks and a sharing at each table.
The afternoon session started with a rousing drum performance. This drumming style was a hypnotic blend of sound and coordinated arm movements. It was easy to feel the sincerity and presence of the drummers, who were presenting both an inner practice of the mind and an outward offering to the audience. It was amazing how the team worked together so well to complement each other. Venerable Chang Yuan later demonstrated the method of sound meditation, using several different drums and bowls to create varying tones which resonated with each other. During the “Laugh, Breathe, Guided Meditation” session, the participants were introduced to several methods of mindfulness practice, including a period of short sitting meditation, mindfully eating the raisin, and connecting with a stone.
In the final activity of the day, Venerable Chang Xing presented a Dharma Talk which nicely rounded out the theme of “Returning to a Gentle Pace”. How do we slow down in a fast paced world of instant messaging, online shopping, and celebrity gossip? As Venerable Chang Xing explained, one major reason why we aren’t able to return to a slower pace of life that people may have enjoyed in the past, is that there is a disconnect between our thoughts and the body. For instance, technologies such as the washing machine have made our lives so convenient that we don’t have the opportunity to slow down and observe and sense the body when hand washing our clothes. This results in what Venerable aptly referred to as “missing moments that matter”, or lacking the ability to tend to one thing at a time with single mindedness. When we become more aware of what we are doing, we naturally synchronize our heart with our body, and we can better appreciate what’s happening in this moment.
Venerable Chang Xing recommended several practical approaches that people can adopt to return to a gentler pace in life. One is to relax the constant need to be in control of our lives. An apt analogy that Venerable Chang Xing used to describe this attitude is that of the “leaf in the wind”. When a leaf blows in the wind, it doesn’t do so out of a sense of preference or will; it simply moves according to the causes and conditions. Similarly, when facing uncertainty or difficulties, we can take a more detached view of the outcomes, recognizing that even when our expectations aren’t met, we can still find positive meaning in the outcomes while relinquishing our grasp on desired outcomes. Another approach is to let go of the past. Venerable Chang Xing describes how the Buddha compared dwelling on a painful moment to a “second arrow” that follows the first. While we feel the pain of the first arrow, we continue to create a second arrow by bringing up the painful experience from our memories. Similarly, rather than viewing the inevitable sufferings of life with equanimity, we continue to dwell on things that happened a long time ago, which adds a lot of unnecessary grief.
Venerable Chang Xing also reminded us to approach life’s difficulties with an attitude of simplicity and flexibility. Just as the bamboo derives its power from being flexible to the forces of the wind, so also we can accept contradictory forces of our lives without insisting on having our way or sticking with a rigid plan or rule. The analogy of the bamboo can also extend to the workplace, where we find ourselves becoming tense as we struggle to meet deadlines or exceed targets. Rather than working under the distractions of fears, doubts and desires, Venerable Chang Xing suggested that we can simply apply ourselves to our work with an efficient yet relaxed sense of focus that is not attached to any outcomes.
Finally, Venerable Chang Xing reminded us of the importance of applying compassion to our daily relations with others. He introduced a Metta practice which started with wishing oneself wellness, protection and liberation from suffering, followed by loved ones, those to whom we are neutral, and those with whom we have challenges or difficulties, then finally to all sentient beings. Venerable Chang Xing suggested that practitioners not jump to “all sentient beings” right away, since “all sentient beings” may seem too abstract for beginners, and we need to build up a sense of genuine compassion by reflecting on our closest loved ones first.
During the Q and A period after the talk, one participant questioned why, on the one hand, Buddhism often exhorts people to “live in the present”, while in other instances, Buddhism suggests that there is no past, present or future mind that can be grasped. Venerable Chang Xing explained that the attitude of living in the present is not about grasping at a concept of present moment, but instead entails going with the flow of emerging thoughts without a grasping mindset that projects into the future or dwells on the past. Another participant had asked whether “going with the flow” means letting go of expectations or a sense of purpose and future planning in life. Venerable Chang Xing clarified that this concept of going with the flow means to plan ahead given the causes and conditions of the moment, but also to wholeheartedly embrace the outcome. Even though the future is not all within one’s control, this doesn’t mean that we can’t plan, but rather that we should try to accept whatever arises from our wholehearted efforts, whether positive or negative.
As the day ended, volunteers worked together to ensure the smooth packing of items. Participants meanwhile gathered outside the auditorium to share what they learned as well as to enjoy the delicious snacks and coffee prepared courtesy of DDM Toronto volunteers. As I moved through the crowd, I felt blessed by everyone’s efforts, and how the team harmonized when planning this event. I even reminded myself that whenever I feel alone or afraid in this world, I have a family at DDM. This is my refuge, and allows me to slow down when my mind struggles.
Thank you so much to DDM Toronto volunteers, participants, and to Venerable Chang Xing and Venerable Chang Yuan for their teaching and practice.
KB- Feb 15, 2025
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