Finding The
Buddha Within
The
Manhattan Won Buddhist Temple
Who are we?
The Manhattan
Won Buddhist Temple has served, for the last ten years, as a spiritual home for
New Yorkers. It is a place of peace and restoration, a place of friendship and
community, and a place to learn and practice Won Buddhism. Our Sangha
(membership) is comprised of Americans (1/2), Koreans (1/4), and other
nationalities (1/4).
What is Buddhism?
The Buddha
was born as Siddhartha Gautama in India in 566 BC. He taught the precepts, influenced
by Hinduism, which came to be known as Buddhism, which later spread to China,
and then throughout Asia. Today there are about 500 million Buddhists
throughout the world. There are many schools of Buddhism with some different
beliefs, just as for Christianity. However, at it¡¯s core, Buddhism is a
uniquely practical religion with a small body of basic tenets. Among the core
beliefs are:
¡¤
All
living beings are interconnected and interdependent.
¡¤
Everyone
endures suffering. The cause of suffering is attachments to worldly things and
concerns; happiness can be had by removing these attachments. The way to remove
attachments is through mental discipline, wisdom, and morality.
¡¤
Meditation
is an essential way to calm our restless minds, to live in the present moment,
to become awakened to the truth.
¡¤
We
can be enlightened to the truth that each of us is a potential Buddha, perfect
and complete, right at this very moment.
The Buddha
was a man, a teacher who ¡°awakened¡± to the truth. Buddhism is centered around a
teacher, not a divine being. There are many sacred texts (sutras) but no one
text akin to the Torah, Bible, or Koran. Buddhism teaches rather than commands.
What is Won Buddhism?
Won Buddhism
is a school of Mahayana Buddhism, one of the two major traditions of
Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism can be
seen as ¡°reformed¡± Buddhism, as it brought the Buddha¡¯s teaching to the
masses. Won Buddhism, founded in
Korea early last century, has built on and developed Mahayana Buddhism with the
following tenets:
¡¤
Materialism
is a fact, we cannot avoid it; however, as contemporary society becomes
increasingly materialistic, technologically advanced, and globally integrated,
it is critical to develop our spirituality in equal measure.
¡¤
Won
Buddhism aims to revitalize and modernize Buddhism, to bring ancient Buddhist
truth to contemporary society, and to use Buddhist teachings for practical and
useful purposes.
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The rights and opportunities
of women have too often been ignored by Buddhism as well as other religions.
Women are prominent in the leadership and ministry of our Temple.
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We
embrace and accept those of other faiths and seek to learn from other religions
When and Where?
Manhattan Won Buddhist
Temple
431 East 57th Street (1st
Ave. and Sutton Pl.)
New York, NY 10022
Sunday Dharma Service
11:00am – 12:15pm
In addition to meditation, chanting, and singing,
the service includes a Dharma talk (a type of sermon) on Buddhist philosophy
and practice and how they relate to daily life. After each service, all are welcome to stay, have tea, and
meet and chat with other members.
Introductory Meditation
Class
10:00am – 10:50am, Second Sunday of each month
The class will explore meditation techniques such
as breathing, posture, and basic theory, followed by Q&A. This is especially appropriate for
those who have an interest in Buddhist ideas but are just beginning to explore
and learn.
Group Discussion
12:30pm – 1:00pm, Every Sunday
Discussion and sharing period based on Won
Buddhist Scriptures
Additional information
History, philosophy, programs, people, and an
archive of past Dharma talks are available on our web site at:
www.wonbuddhist.org.
Or contact us by telephone: 212-750-2773, or e-mail: info@wonbuddhist.org.