Mandarin, Meditation, Dharma with Dinner:Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center

Every 4th Friday evening is Dinner With Dharma at the Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center at 950 Massachusetts Avenue, between Central and Harvard Squares, Cambridge.

There's a cholesterol-free vegan buffet there that lets us maintain our trim healthy figures and enjoy the delicious food with our neighbors and new-found friends.

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As SOON as we arrive in this multicultural Buddhist context, we have opportunity to speak Mandarin (or to TEST OUT our Mandarin). The simplest suggestion is: look for the Chinese folks there and begin speaking ONLY in Mandarin. Then chat with others - use the Mandarin you know.

http://www.GBBC.net (http://www.gbbc.net/) - IF you speak and read Mandarin - This Chinese language site has a security warning, but it's known to be SAFE to visit and study.

http://bit.ly/GBBCC-Intro-Mandarin - Mandarin language intro to Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center in Cambridge, MA

Every 4th Friday evening is Dinner With Dharma at the Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center at 950 Massachusetts Avenue, between Central and Harvard Squares, Cambridge.

6:30 p.m. Meditation (Sitting and Breathing, led by a Buddhist nun or a leader in training)

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7:00 p.m. Meditative Collective Reading (half English; half Mandarin)

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Dinner follows immediately (totally vegetarian - or vegan)
Cost (Include vegan buffet dinner) PLEASE BRING CASH ONLY.
THEY are unable to accept Credit Cards!!

$10 if you register in advance - $12 if you do NOT register in advance

Adult Non-student registered in advanced with Marjorie AND this Meetup: $10

Student with ID Registered in advance with Marjorie AND thisMeetup: $5 (student ID required for the $5 half price)

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7:45 p.m. Dharma Talk and Discussion (scheduled to finish around 9:00 pm)

Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA

Title: xxx (TBA) - Friday, xxxxx, "Dharmatalk"

Blurb on the Dharmatalk:
( to be filled in a few days before the event, as announced)

Program organized by Marjorie Jacobs (Buddhist ordinand and a BU psychotherapist of note).

They will provide Buddhist (a) perspectives affirming the importance of cultivating and (b) insights relating to issues in modern living.

If you have any questions, please call Ven. Miao Wei at the temple.

Take the T to Central Square, http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/trip_planner/
Walk in TOWARDS Harvard Square until you see 950 Mass Ave on the left (south) side of the street.

Please invite friends and family. If you have any questions, please call the GBBCC.

Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center - Omitofo for the event at GBBCC
950 Massachusetts Avenue (#1 bus, between Red Line stops at Central Square and Harvard Square)
Cambridge, MA
617-547-6670

PHOTOS of the Buddhist Tea House interior
http://www.yelp.com/biz/greater-boston-buddhist-cultural-center-cambridge

For driving directions please check here
http://bit.ly/dByxK8 - Google Maps of the Area with GBBCC
http://pluralism.org/profiles/view/74842 - HDS Pluralism Project Profile-Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center (GBBCC) - includes history and statistics

We look forward to seeing you there! We'll be there from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, maybe 10 pm, if we like the talk(s).

For more info. for this place, please check GBBCC photo site and Maynard's pictures of the place http://pluralism.org/photosets/view/189 and http://bit.ly/GBBCC-Photos

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Pre-Vegan Dinner Meditation/Prayer Recited Before Eating

May palms be joined together in every world expressing kindness, compassion, joy, and giving.

May all beings find security in friendship, peace, and loving care.

May calm and mindful practice seed patience and deep equanimity.

May we give rise to spacious hearts and humble thoughts of gratitude.

We say this and we say it in translation?

Ci bei xi she bian fa jie.
Xi fu jie yuan li ren tian.
Chan jing jie heng ping deng ren.
Chan quei gan an da yuan xi.

I would like a clear English translation of the Chinese, which I think is Simplified Chinese.
Chinese Cha'an Buddhist nuns run GBBCC.

Some machine translations say:
慈悲喜舍遍法界. - Ci Beixi homes over the Dharma Realm.

吸附解原理人天. - May one day, the solution be adsorbed or taken up together.

肠镜界横屏灯人.- Colonoscopy industry landscape lightsman.

产区诶甘安大院西. - Gan security compound west areas, eh?

Surely that CANNOT be a clean, clear, and correct translation.

When we get a GOOD translation, we can remove this from the page and put here a more correct English translation of the Mandarin.