Bodhisattva Way of Life

Teaching by Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1996,at Dong Guk University.

Buddhist Centres should make people feel welcomed

Buddhist Centres should always try to make people feel welcomed. Ask them - "How are you?", "How is everything?", "Is there anything we can do to help?", etc. Show some genuine concern. But some Buddhist centres, especially the more senior members, the moment they see you, they ask "Why have you not been coming to the centre for so long?" It's like a confrontation. "Why are you absent?" It's so un-Buddhistic. So different from what they are supposed to have been taught.

I am writing this so that people can ponder. Make people feel welcomed. Reach out to people. Don't wait for people to come. Go to them! Buddhists learn and talk so much about Bodhicitta, but often they show very little of it in their actions.

Namo Amitabha!