DDM Silicon Valley Center Hosts Meditation Lecture: Ven. Chang Chii Guides Participants in Experiencing “Freedom in Movement and Stillness”

On July 10, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Silicon Valley Center invited Ven. Chang Chii (常啟法師), Dean of Academic Affairs at Dharma Drum Sangha University, to deliver a special lecture entitled "Freedom in Movement and Stillness: Meditative Absorption, Chan Practice, and Applying Chan in Daily Life (動靜皆自在——禪定、禪修與禪的日用)." The lecture explored how to integrate Chan meditation into a busy modern lifestyle.

Ven. Chang Chii began the lecture by asking, "Why do modern people need meditation? What causes the most stress in daily life?" Sharing two humorous anecdotes from his own experiences entering the U.S., he highlighted the importance of meditation. Ven. Chang Chii explained that people often blame others and want to correct others when facing challenges due to desire, fear, and preconceived notions. If one can learn meditative concentration, constantly be aware of changes in the external environment, and contemplate one’s inner feelings, one will be able to handle the present moment with a relaxed and focused mind.

After explaining "What is Chan?" in several languages, Ven. Chang Chiipointed out directly that to meditate is to "do one thing at a time and live in the present moment." He then guided the audience through a one-minute meditation—first closing their eyes to observe their breath, then extending their hands to count fingers. When Ven. Chang Chiiasked everyone, "Do you remember your breath observation just now?", most shook their heads—demonstrating that when they focused on the fingers, they forgot what happened just a minute before.

Ven. Chang Chii indicated that this simple meditation experienceexplained the key points of meditation: be clearly aware of bodily sensations, focus on one task at a time, and make skillful use of the five senses. Ven. Chang Chii proceeded to teach the basic method of Chan practice, that is, "experience the body and learn to relax," which involves observing physical sensations, letting go of discomfort, maintaining clear awareness without emotional attachment, and scanning the whole body from top to toe—releasing tension whether one feels relaxed or not—to allow the mind to settle into stillness.

The two-hour lecture concluded with a guided meditation session led by Ven. Chang Chii, leaving participants eager for more. Many expressed anticipation for the next lecture, "Spiritual Practice Amid Worldly Delusions: Applying the Vimalakīrti Sutra’s Method of Non-Duality (突破迷障的紅塵修行—活用《維摩詰經》不二法門),” and made plans to attend weekend group meditation sessions at the Silicon Valley Center. By presenting deep meditation concepts in an accessible way, the lecture offered practical methods for mental and physical well-being to the busy Chinese-speaking community in Silicon Valley.

◎Original text in Chinese: 王淑青(Shu-Ching Wang)
◎Photo: Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center
◎ Translaton: Patricia Yang 
◎ Editing: Keith Brown