General

After the Mid-Autumn Festival in September, the autumn breeze has gradually begun to cool us down, bringing comfort to both body and mind. This is the perfect time to venture outdoors and explore nature through walking meditation and hiking. Additionally, as many of us are doing, it is an ideal moment to plan travels and gatherings to reconnect with family and friends over the next two months, especially with the festive season in December approaching. Furthermore, let us gently remind ourselves to carve out some time to reflect on our experiences in 2024. This is an opportunity to pause, consider our journey so far, and plan for a more mindful year in 2025. Past Event Recap Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration Reflecting the themes of harmony and unity inherent in the Mid-Autumn Festival, we gathered for a heartfelt reunion with our friends and monastics at the serene Lotus Pond Temple on the evening of September 17. Bathed in lambent moonlight, we shared a joyful moment of walking meditation with lanterns and indulged in mooncakes to celebrate the festival together. “Youthfulness and Happiness”, the Day of Mindfulness for Wake Uppers “Youthfulness and Happiness” was a mindfulness day event exclusively for the Wake Uppers—the young friends of Wake Up Hong Kong, aged 18 to 40. On the serene Saturday of September 28, participants gathered to engage in walking meditation, sitting meditation, and singing meditation, while also gaining insights from a Dharma Talk. Set in the ancient and spiritual practice venue in Luk Wu on Lantau Island, they connected with nature outdoors and convened indoors to cultivate inner peace and happiness in the hope of fostering a healthier, more compassionate society. 2024 Mind-body Wellbeing Retreat In our last retreat in 2024, we gathered for five days at the Lotus Pond Temple from October 23 to October 27 to foster deeper self-understanding and connection as a way of navigating loneliness. Together, we engaged in Dharma talks […]

This summer has been eventful. We are grateful to have retreats and ceremonies to allow us to stay mindful and gain insights on inner peace and the upcoming challenges together. When we are about to welcome September, let us pause and ponder to get ourselves prepared for another new academic year as well as the remaining months of 2024. Past Event Recap Educators Retreat 2024 With the theme “The Way Out is In”, Educators Retreat 2024 was conducted from July 31 to August 4 for participants in the field of teaching and training. The Retreat brought us together to revisit the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and guide us to look deeply into our body, feelings, emotions and thoughts for untangling the challenges ahead. Through indoor and outdoor meditations, Dharma talks, group-sharing, exercises, and activities, the Retreat led us to regain peace and happiness within ourselves while embracing the tranquil ambience and the beautiful nature around Lotus Pond Temple. Rose Festival (Sunday Day of Mindfulness) The Rose Ceremony began in Plum Village by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the tradition of wearing roses to remember the kindness and love of our parents and expressing our gratitude to them. Every year, as part of the Plum Village tradition, we celebrate the Rose Ceremony together with the Ullambana Festival, which is an occasion to commemorate Venerable Maudgalyayana for his expression of filial love – rescuing his Mother from the Hell realm, and to honor our ancestors. This year, we organized the Rose Ceremony on August 18 to reflect on and appreciate the good seeds nurtured by our parents. Families and individuals got together to practice meditation and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Please click below to enjoy videos that are parts of the singing mediation in the Ceremony. Pavarana Ceremony (Rain Retreat Closing Ceremony) To mark the conclusion of the 3-month Rain Retreat, we had Pavarana Ceremony on August […]

The hot summer in Hong Kong is showing us its full strength, with the Observatory issuing Very Hot Weather Warning in consecutive days. Meanwhile, numerous floods had occurred on the mainland, reminding us of global climate change due to human activities and prompting us to take good care of Mother Earth. While practicing mindfulness, let us also be more conscious of the effect of our activities and consumption on the environment and empathize with those who still need to work under the sun these days. Past Event Recap 2024 Summer Retreat AIAB Summer Retreat was held from July 17th to 24th. We had over sixty participants coming over to Lotus Pond Temple. We have a chance to get close to the nature while quieting down ourselves, look deeply within us, and cultivate mindfulness, stability, and insight. — Be there for each other, Listen to each other Upcoming Events Educator Retreat 2024 Educator Retreat will be held from July 31st to August 4th. The theme this time is The Way Out Is In. This retreat is open to those who are involved in teaching and training, including teachers, school counsellors, trainers and staff of formal or informal educational and trainings organizations. Theme: The Way Out is In Venue: Lotus Pond Temple, Ngong Ping Date & Time: Jul 31 (Wed) 16:00 – Aug 04 (Sun) 14:00 Details & Registration Here Sunday Day of Mindfulness Sunday Day of Mindfulness is led by AIAB monastics to integrate mindfulness into daily life. Every Sunday, through a series of mindfulness practice activities, we can enjoy the happiness of being present in the moment. In addition, practicing together as a sangha is an enjoyable experience and strengthens our practice. More details and the schedule are here. Participants please register on the website. Schedule: Every Sunday 9:30 – 16:00 (except on Aug 4th due to the retreat event) Venue: Lantau Island, Lotus Pond Temple. See here for transportation options. […]

It is summer season now in Hong Kong, with its blend of intermittent rain and frequent sunshine. While this is a good time for outdoor activity, remember to keep yourself hydrated and protected from the sun. May you and your family have a calm and joyful heart during the summer time.

As time comes to early summer, we gathered together and had the Vesak Ceremony. It reminded us to nurture the Buddha inside us. Let us continue to put our mindfulness practices into our daily lives. Past Events Vesak Celebration Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism had the Vesak Ceremony at Lotus Pond Temple on May 19, 2024. There were around 200 friends joined the happy moment. Old friends, new friends, and parents with children were there. The weather, breeze with no rain, was perfect for an outdoor activity with such a large crowd. Thanks for the collective energy during the walking meditation we began our Day of Mindfulness. We then gathered in the Meditation Hall for a silent sitting. Thẩy Pháp Khâm, our senior Brother in Hong Kong, gave a short Dharma Talk on the Vesak Day. He shared the story about Vesak, on why there is a Vesak, and how to practice mindfulness. Bathing the Baby Buddha Today we bathe the Tathagata. Deep wisdom and clarity bring great happiness. May all living beings, who are overwhelmed by sufferings, see the Dharmakaya in this world. We then walked to the Bamboo Forest Monastery to bathe the baby Buddha, the Bodhicitta within us. After the bathing ceremony, Thẩy Pháp Khâm reminded us to practice with the sangha to renew our Bodhicitta. After bathing the Baby Buddha, we had picnic lunch and catches up with our friends. source: Plum Village HK Fb Upcoming Events Sunday Day of Mindfulness Sunday Day of Mindfulness is led by AIAB monastics to integrate mindfulness into daily life. Every Sunday, through a series of mindfulness practice activities, we can enjoy the happiness of being present in the moment. In addition, practicing together as a sangha is an enjoyable experience and strengthens our practice. More details and the schedule are here. Participants please register on the website. Schedule: Every Sunday at 9:30am Venue: Lantau Island, Lotus Pond Temple. See […]

As summer approaches, the weather in Hong Kong begins to shift perceptibly. The gentle breezes and stirring winds herald the onset of seasonal storms. May everyone find their own tranquility through our mindfulness practices, regardless of the tempestuous weather that lies ahead. Past Events March Retreat Lotus Pond Temple Friends receiving the Five Mindfulness Training We had our first Spring Retreat in 2024 from Mar 28 to Apr 1st. Same as our previous retreats, it was a full house. The theme of the retreat was Dhammapada: Chapter on Auspicious Signs. We were glad to have Sr. Trang Nghiem, Sr. Si Nghiem, one of the first Hong Kong Sister ordained under Plum Village tradition, and Thay Phap Kham, the Director of the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, explaining the Sutra and elaborating on how we can put it into daily practices. On the morning of the last day, we had the Five Mindfulness Trainings transmission ceremony. More than 20 friends received the Training and vowed to follow it as their lifestyle. If you are interested to join our future retreats, here is the upcoming retreat schedule. src: Fb post Upcoming Events Sunday Day of Mindfulness Sunday Day of Mindfulness is led by AIAB monastics to integrate mindfulness into daily life. Every Sunday, through a series of mindfulness practice activities, we can enjoy the happiness of being present in the moment. In addition, practicing together as a sangha is an enjoyable experience and strengthens our practice. More details and the schedule are here. Participants please register on the website. Schedule: Every Sunday at 9:30am Venue: Lantau Island, Lotus Pond Temple. See here for transportation options. Friday Night Practices Friday Night Practice is a “lite” mindful practice in town. We will have singing meditation, sitting meditation, walking meditation, passage reading, and dharma sharing. Through the evening practice we will generate a collective energy that bring healing and transformation in ourselves and the world […]