The brothers and sisters from IBS grounded us in the foundational and preliminary practices first and then, slowly, over the years have introduced more advanced methods. We always return, however, to the foundational work and this has proved to be of most benefit to the new meditators as well as those of us with a little more experience. After all, we would not be in prison if we had remained firm in our foundation.
Many of us have been privileged to take Refuge and Five Precepts vows before Venerable Hueiguang. I can not express the gratitude we feel to have an international recognized Buddhist and lineage holder come tot his remote place to visit prisoners that most people would rather not think about. This is true compassion – this is the work of a bodhisattva!!
The second time that I met Venerable Master Hueiguang, my grandmother had just died the day before and I felt that a whole piece of me was missing. He could feel my sadness before I really even said anything. He reached out and wrapped me in his robes and I felt as if I were being nurtured by the whole universe. I felt so safe and love ad protected. He led a short funeral service for her (I guess it was really for me) and I was able let her go with a sense of gratitude for her life. This is true compassion – this is the work of a bodhisattva!!
When I met Venerable Xian Zhong, I was transfixed. I felt as if I already knew him and his smile was just so infectious. His glance was one of encouragement and somehow an acknowledgement that I already had the qualities of Buddha nature inside my heart and mind. He can say so much with no words at all and we all love him for this. He makes each and every brother feel welcome and included. And when he leads the Metta Meditation, one knows beyond a doubt that the loving kindness that we are sending out is very, very real!!
When Venerable Master Hueiguang taught our Sangha, Venerable Xian Zhong sat at his feet – this was for well over an hour. He had such a look of utter devotion on his face that my heart melted. This monk was the very embodiment of devotion and it re-inspired me to deeper devotion as well. I was also inspired to hand copy Lama Tsongkhapa’s text on the “foundation of all good qualities…”
It is difficult to truly express all that our beloved brothers and sisters of IBS have done for us because it has not been so much in the doing as in the being. Yes, they have given us kindness, compassion, wisdom, teachings and everything that a good Buddhist should give- but they have given us a family to be a part of…a Sangha to belong to, to love and nurture and cultivate. How can one express one’s feelings for one’s family? It just is….
