Urban Zen Retreat

There is an ancient saying that “Zen and Tea are One Flavour”. Without the understanding of one, there is no mastery of the other. Zen refers to the meditative mind itself, and as such, Zen is non-sectarian as all of us have access to the meditative mind.

In our first Urban Zen Retreat, we will dive deeply into the practice of meditation from guided, walking and sitting meditation (zazen), the connection between Tea and Zen as ceremony, and the experiential learning of Siddham script calligraphy.

You will begin to explore how daily living can be approached as a moving meditation and receive the tools to cultivate a routine and deepen in a self-practice. This offering will include a set lunch from Sakti Elixir.

We encourage the majority of this retreat period to be held in noble silence and technology free.

Facilitated by: Resham Daswani, Crystal Goh, Steve Cheung and Chan Hon Chuen

Urban Zen Retreat (9am - 5pm)

Guest General Admission | Early-Bird 10% Savings: (HK$720 p.p.)

Friend of Fivelements | Early-Bird 20% Savings: (HK$640 p.p.)

Guest General Admission: (HK$800 p.p.)

Friend of Fivelements: 10% Savings (HK$720 p.p.)

*Early-Bird until Saturday, 1 August, 2020

Photo Credit: Global Tea Hut

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The scheduled classes include:

1. Zen & Tea with Resham Daswani

This session is an exploration of the deep roots connecting Zen and Tea. From the beginning when the shamans and aboriginals in China were communing with this plant medicine as spirit and connection, to zen monks being the first to domesticate tea. We will share bowls of tea and explore the "Dao" of Cha Dao a little deeper. Including the significance of how this plant is a bridge towards self-cultivation and the equanimous mind, to opening space for awareness through daily practice to experience how this ordinary life living here and now already is Zen.

Resham Daswani is the Tea Curator at Fivelements Habitat. She is committed to conscious evolution. Born in Hong Kong with a Hindu upbringing, she has always been connected to rituals and ceremonies of the East. Her deep reverence for nature and passion for the workings of the universe sparked her interest in yoga and meditation at a young age. She began studies of scriptures which guided her towards the lineage and tradition of 'Cha Dao' taught by her teacher Wu De, in Taiwan. She has since returned to Hong Kong with a dedication to share an awakening of harmony through Tea Ceremonies and to educate others on clean and living teas.

2. Meditation with Crystal Goh, PhD

-Guided Zen Meditation: We will practice Zen (Ch’an, dhyana or jhana) meditation in the Chogye and Linji lineages. This grounding form of meditation allows us to access a deeper form of awareness that penetrates beyond words and thoughts. Practitioners will experience focus, vitality and harmony.

-Guided Metta Meditation: We will practice metta (loving-kindness) meditation in the Vipassana tradition. This form of meditation is a wonderful practice for cultivating compassion, loving-kindness and gratitude towards self and others.

Crystal Goh, PhD, is a neuroscientist, Zen practitioner and a certified Mindfulness teacher with 6000+ hours of formal meditation training across Asia and US. She is also a teacher for WiseHeart, China’s largest mindfulness platform, having worked alongside teachers such as Jack Kornfield and Jon Kabat Zin. She has led meditation retreats, workshops and classes in China and US for participants of all ages and backgrounds, from tech giants like Google and Alibaba to patients in hospitals to children and adults interested in meditation. Crystal is currently the founder of Insight Science, a scientific consultancy bridging contemplative science with mind-body practices to deliver evidence-based programs.

Crystal Goh, PhD 元海老师

Crystal是一位脑神经科学家，热衷于将科学与身心疗愈相结合。她是CognitiveLeap的前任科学总监，也曾在多个使用人工智能开发解决方案的心理健康技术公司中担任高级职务。目前，Crystal为心智科学咨询公司InsightScience的创始人，与保健行业合作提供身心医疗健康计划。

Crystal也是一位专业的正念老师，在美国和亚洲地区拥有超过15年的实践和教学经验，为Google和阿里巴巴等技术巨头以及不同的临床人群和大众提供领先的课程，静修营和讲习班。她继续为中国最大的正念平台和CognitiveLeap的子公司「睿心」授课。

3. Siddham Seed Text* with Xuán Shí Ajari Buddhist teacher (Mr Steve Cheung) and Xuan Shuo Ajari Buddhist teacher (Mr. Chan Hon Chuen)

*Mainly taught in Cantonese with basic English translation.

Through this workshop, the participants are allowed to enter the mysterious world of the Secret Word of “Siddham Seed text”. The course will includes a brief introduction to the calligraphy, chanting, and meaning of the zhēnyán (mantra) seeds text, as well as allowing participants to experience the miraculously joy of writing the “Siddham bija script”

透過此活動，讓參加者進入密教「悉曇種子字」的神秘世界。内容包括簡單介紹真言種子字的書寫法、讀法和當中的意思，及讓參加者親身體驗書寫悉曇種子字的妙趣。

During the period of Buddhism in China, the Buddhist scriptures are based on the note writing. For example, during the period of the three great masters of the Kaiyuan era, Śubhakarasiṃha (Zenmui-Sanzō 善無畏三蔵), Vajrabodhi (Kongōchi-Sanzō 金剛智三蔵) and Amoghavajra (Fukūkongō-Sanzō 不空金剛三蔵) introduce the classics of pure esotericism such as “Mahavairocana Tantra” and “Vajraśekhara Tantra”, which became the classics of Buddhism scripture and the practice of Siddham can be divided into two simple usages. The first style is the written style, that is, the Sanskrit characters derived from the Sanskrit literatures. The second is semantic understanding, that is, language with a certain meaning. According to the esoteric teachings, the seed word is not just a written word, but also the appearance and posture of a Buddha, because each word represents a deity.

佛教傳入中國的時期，所依據的佛經原典主要以悉曇書寫，例如: 在開元三大士時期由善無畏三藏、金剛智三藏和不空三藏等傳入之正純密教之經典《大日經》和《金剛頂經》等。 而悉曇梵文，簡單的可分為二種用法。第一種為書體悉曇，即由梵書衍生的梵字，第二種為語義悉曇，即含有某一意義的語言。在密教的見解來説，種子字不單純是書寫文字，還是佛的樣子、姿態，因每一字都是代表著一位本尊。

Mr Steve Cheung or Ajari Xuán Shí has over 20 years of exposure to the Dharma, having first practiced Zen Buddhism and learned the essence of Buddhist classics such as the "The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch" and "Diamond Sutra". It is believed that the method of Zen refers directly to the human heart, and uses the state of "mind" to enlighten one's wisdom, this purity of insight has established a solid foundation for Dharma practice: directly showing that we are, the true nature of the Buddha's nature, and seeing is the Buddha.

He became the “Ajari” of the Hong Kong Branch of the “Chinese Buddhist Shingon Buddhism Universal Brightness Sect" founded by Master Wu Gang, vowing to carry forward Shingon Buddhism ’s true spirit of oneness after being carefully instructed by Master Shih Che-hung.

He teaches the Sanskrit seed text study and mantra learning courses to promote the spirit of altruistic altruism. Currently, he is one of the mentors of the "HKUSPACE Siddham Calligraphy for Mantras and Sutras in Sanskrit" course, and aims to promote the idea of esoteric teaching and the culture of the Siddham seed script (bija/ Seed syllable) and organize various activities to benefit the community and achieve the purpose of benefiting others to express the Buddhist's universal love and light shine through more people.

玄蒔 阿闍黎 （張少強先生）

接觸佛法二十多年，先修習禅法，並學得「六祖壇經」和「金剛經」等佛教經典的要旨，深受體會。 認為禪宗之法門直指人心，以處理''心"的狀態來使人開悟智慧，直示我人即佛性之真諦，見性即成佛。 其見地之精純，確立了佛法修行之堅固基礎。

後在「悟光」金剛上師所創立之「中國佛教真言宗光明流」修習秘密佛乘，經十數載，從未間斷。 其間得「中國佛教真言宗光明王寺香港分院」之院主「釋徹鴻」法師悉心指導，以正純密教之三摩地法，去修行和體驗即身成佛之境地，成為「中國佛教真言宗光明王寺香港分院」之「阿闍黎」， 並立誓弘揚真言密教之全一之真精神。

對於修禪之「見性成佛」，以及真言密法之「事相」和「教相」的旨趣，經多年修行和探討後，體驗到真言之誦讀和禅密修持的真實意義，及其對人生之影響。

現為「HKUSPACE 種子字研習班」之導師之一，並以發揚密教思想和悉曇種子字文化為目標，舉辦各類活動，造福社群，達至利已及人之目的， 望能將佛教之大愛和光明照遍更多有緣人。

Mr. Chan Hon Chuen or Xuan Shuo Ajari is a freelance art creator. Hong Kong's premier professional creative advertising photographer. His works have won many awards and awards in Hong Kong, Asia Pacific and international competitions.In a chance meeting of Teacher Xuanjue. Later, he followed Teacher Xuanjue (Dajindou -Doctrines Buddhist teacher) and studied Vajrayāna buddism. Encouraged by his teacher, he converted to "Chinese Mantra Zong Guangliu", and followed Master Che Hong . He received the kanjō ritual and became a veritable secret Buddhist Dharma teacher (Ajari).In May 2019, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, an exhibition of Buddhist art works sponsored by the Chinese Institute of Intelligent Management, which displayed his works of Mandala, Siddham seed words in the"Diamond Realm" and “Womb Realm”, which attracted much attention.

While practicing the esoteric Buddhist method, Xuan Shuo Ajari come across the mysterious “Siddham bija script”. These special symbols, Siddham text, contain different meanings and history. So deeply attracted by it. As one continues to dig deeper, one would finally experienced the incredible spirit and its application in the practice of cultivation.For the for prosperity of 'Siddham bija script', Xuan Shuo Ajari is currently teaching the “Siddham Seed Text Workshop" at the School of Professional and Continuing Education, The University of Hong Kong.

玄朔 阿闍梨（陳漢全先生)

陳漢全，自由藝術創作者。本港首屈一指的專業廣告創意攝影師。作品在香港、亞太區及國際比賽中獲取多項殊榮及獎項。

機緣巧合下，接觸到覺慧老師。後更跟隨覺慧老師（玄覺大精都），學業密法。並在老師鼓勵下皈依「中國真言宗光明流」徹鴻金剛上師，獲得授明灌頂，成為一位名副其實的秘密佛法導師（阿闍梨）。

在修密法的同時，接觸到神秘的「種子字」。這些特别的符號，悉曇文字，當中包含著不同的意思及歷史。故深深地被它吸引著。隨著自己不斷深入鑽研，終於體驗到其中不可思議的精神及其在修法上的應用。

二零一九年五月，在香港文化中心，由中華智慧管理學會主辦的佛教藝術作品展，其中展出他的金剛界和胎藏界種子字《曼荼羅》作品甚為矚目。

為推廣＂種子字＂現時在香港大學專業進修學院教授《種子字研習班》。

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Fivelements Habitat

Level 13A, Tower One, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

Website: fivelements.com

Instagram: @fivelementshabitats

Enquiries: Wellness Concierge +852 3106 2112 / wellnessts@fivelements.com