2011-03-06 【Share to Friend】 【Print Friendly】
 
Carlos Chavez/Special to the Star; Gayle McKenna, Michelle Clark and Alan Hart take part in the opening of the Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center in Westlake Village during open house Saturday.
 
Carlos Chavez/Special to the Star; Debbie Haig looks around in the bookstore of the Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center in Westlake Village Saturday.
About 75 people gathered in the large gompa, or meditation room, of Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center's new location at 910 Hampshire Road in Westlake Village for a free meditation class Saturday morning, prior to the center's open house.
There was such great attendance, around 30 people actually had to be turned away.
Rebecca Gauthier, the resident teacher, is very excited that the new facility is twice the size of their former space, as it will enable the center to offer an expanded schedule of classes, workshops and retreats.
 
The classes we offer are to help others cultivate inner peace from within which produces happiness so people can learn a very powerful and effective method to remove stress and tension from their lives, said Gauthier, 37, who has been teaching for 18 years. They will learn how to deal with difficulties more effectively and constructively and improve their relationships, so they live happier, more fulfilling lives.
 
Michele MacKellar of Newbury Park happened to be exploring Buddhism on the Internet a couple of weeks ago.
 
I thought, 'This is really interesting, I wish we had a place out here.' And when I saw an ad for this, I said, 'Here it is!' I took the meditation class this morning and I loved it, MacKellar said.
 
A friend of mine took me to the class for meditation over at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center and I found it to be an excellent way to find relaxation and calmness, said Joan Helmer from Agoura Hills.
 
Linda Roberts of Westlake Village recently saw a PBS special on Buddhism and it piqued her interest enough to bring her into the center.
 
It resonated with me. I've read a little on it and every time I dabble in it, I feel really good. Lo and behold, I saw an ad for this and thought, 'Really? Here in Westlake Village?' And I felt really neat just walking in the front door here. I think this is something I'm going to explore, she said.
 
I practice Yoga and meditation in private. I was always interested in the development of the inner being, said Moorpark's Rocky Josho. There had never been anything in this area, so I thought this was a good opportunity. I was a little surprised because I am from Japan. I did a pilgrimage and visited a lot of temples and even though I am not a Buddhist, this is quite different. I never heard it so easy to understand like today. It was quite a pleasant surprise. I was expecting to see some kind of monastery setting. This is very easy to get into.
 
Mark Merriman, 53, from Dos Vientos, has been a student for three years and loves the new facility. You walk in and the energy is so great. You don't want to leave.
Camarillo resident Jim Ladin, 46, who has been a student for two years, said Buddhism has changed his life completely. I don't look at problems the same way anymore. They're not problems. They're just learning tools.
 
One of the center's classes on Sundays is Prayers for World Peace. The function behind that class is, through cultivating inner peace within our own mind, we can help accomplish world peace, said Gauthier. We think globally, but we act locally. If we want to help make the world a better place, we need to start with ourselves.
The kid's program is also on Sundays. The kids learn how to be respectful of their parents, how to cherish others, how to share, how to remove distractions and improve their concentration, Gauthier said.
 
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays there is a general program class with the basic principles of Buddhism. All the classes are open to anyone. The center has four teachers, one of which is specifically for the youth.
 
For more information on these classes and others, check out www.meditateinthousandoaks.org

캐나다- 75명의 불자들이 웨스트 레이크 빌리지의 새로 지은 투시타 카담파 불교센터 선방에 모여 개원을 앞두고 참선을 했다. 참가자가 많아서 30명은 돌아가야 했다. 지도자인 레베카 고티어는 “새로운 시설이 예전보다 두 배의 공간이어서 수업, 강연, 집중수행 등을 더 많이 진행할 수 있다”면서 흥분을 감추지 못했다. 센터에서 진행되는 수업은 내면의 행복을 키우게 하고 일상생활에서 오는 긴장과 스트레스를 효과적이고도 힘차게 제압하는 방법을 가르쳐준다고 18년 경력의 고티어가 말했다. 수강생들은 어려움에 더 효과적이고 건설적으로 대처하며, 인간 관계의 개선으로 더 행복하고 만족스러운 삶을 살 것이다. 마이클 맥켈러는 몇 주 전 우연히 인터넷에서 불교를 발견하게 되었다. "정말 흥미로운걸, 우리도 이런 곳이 있으면 좋겠다."고 생각했는데 광고를 보았고 오늘 아침 참선수업도 듣게 되었다고 기뻐했다. 린다 로버츠는 최근 PBS방송에서 불교특집 프로그램을 보고 흥미를 느껴 센터에 왔다고 했다. 참선에 대해 좀 읽거나 잠깐 해볼 때마다 무엇인가 마음에 울림이 있었고 기분이 좋았다. 그런데 광고를 보고 생각했다. '정말, 웨스트 마을 바로 여기에?' 그리면서 센터에 들어서는데 느낌이 산뜻했다. 참선은 내가 탐구해 나갈 그 무엇으로 생각한다고 그녀가 말했다. 카마리로에 거주하는 짐 라딘(46)은 2년 동안 이 선방을 다녔는데 불교가 자신의 인생을 완전히 바꿨고 문제가 발생했을 때 전과는 달리 문제가 아닌 배움의 경계로 인식하게 되었다고 말했다.  

일요일 수업 중 하나는 세계평화에 대한 기도이다. 목적은 우리들 마다 내면의 평화를 길러, 세계평화의 성취를 돕는 것이라고 고티어가 말했다. 우리는 전 지구적으로 생각하고 지역적으로도 행동한다. 세상을 살기 좋은 곳으로 만들길 원한다면 우리 자신으로부터 시작해야 한다고 했다. 또한, 일요일 어린이 프로그램을 통해서 아이들은 부모를 공경하는 법, 타인을 존중하고 함께 나누며, 산만함을 줄이고 집중력을 높이는 법을 배운다. 월·수·목요일에는 불교 기초교리에 대한 수업이 있다. 4명의 선생님이 있는데 한 명은 전적으로 청소년을 담당하는 선생님이다.