First, I want to express my deep gratitude to Thay and the XGVT organizers for your love, generosity, dedication, creativity, and wisdom in creating the XGVT program. I am grateful and happy to have had the opportunity to be a part in this wonderful and to be a
part in this wonderful and profound program. I hope that all conditions are right so I can attend my 3rd XGVT this year.
Some of you may know that the impetus for my becoming a temporary nun of the 2019 XGVT sangha in Koyasan, Japan was to pray for our grandson Wesley to be able to walk normally and for my husband Jim to recover fully from his mild strokes. Thankfully they both are doing quite well. I am so grateful to have my family support. In 2019, my daughter Lynn and her family came from New York to be with my husband for me to go to Japan which was one in a lifetime cultivation trip for me and many other members of the sangha.
At the closing ceremony to end my time as a temporary nun, I vowed to attend the XGVT program every year. I believe making this vow helped me make it a reality. I want to encourage everyone to make vows to attend the XGVT program if that is what you want to do.
With deep gratitude, peace, joy, and hope, I truly appreciated the right conditions for me to attend the XGVT in 2021. Again, this year I greatly appreciate the support of my husband, our daughter Ann and our niece Trang who will again come from Portland to keep my husband company while I will be at the XGVT. Planning to attend the annual XGVT also helps me to dedicate my time and effort to practice more diligently with Thay and CSS members during the year. The grandeur of the Mandala design as part of the XGVT in 2021 was breathtaking. I hope you can see it for yourself in 2022.
Thanks to Thay’s encouragement, these are my vows after the 2021 XGVT:
- I vow to become the force of goodness, of healing, and of transformation for self and others.
- I vow to become the Bodhicitta energy manifesting in all beings’ consciousness.
- I vow to participate in XGVT every year. I vow to be of service in the Bodhisattva path.
- I vow to bow 100 bows daily.
- I vow to meditate at least 100 hours on the 4 lotuses during the year of 2022 before the next Mandala.
With deep appreciation to Thầy and to all dharma brothers and sisters in CSS.
Châu Yoder