Dear Friends,

When the purpose is bigger than you, anything is possible. Nothing truly stands in the way.

Lived this personally, for ten years, inside an old, cold cow and hay barn. There was no running water, no electricity, no heat. Yet that humble space became the groundwork of pre- Xa Loi Temple, Maryland.

Those years were marked by countless exposure to tests, discomfort, to challenges, uncertainty, to natures full force, and events to face, to experience and dissolve into light.

Families came. Lovely children came. You brought your kindness, your stories of losses, your joys, your struggles. To witness and listen, to share the Dharma with you as I served, has been the greatest honor in this life.

On a lighter note, I recall standing on the ground level, having to find a place to relocate stink bugs, grouped into small packed colonies along the barn walls, seeking refuge for the winter. I would ask them to trust the process and accept my request to move them into a shed instead. Some resisted, afraid, releasing their pungent, defensive odor, until eventually calm would return. In this small encounters, I learned something profound: fear exists in all beings. Whether human or insect, we cling when we feel threatened. We defend when we do not understand. Compassion begins when we recognize that shared instinct.

Winters were fierce then, white, cold, winds sweeping down from north. Snowstorms sometimes reached a meter or more.

The long, winding entrance wasn’t accessible. Access required patience. As the snow melted, it turned into pure mud. You could rinse your boots, walking through the shallow creek to get them muddied again as you returned back to the barn.

One would have to wait for the snow to melt, to have access in. And that meant, alms or food offerings from devotees would have to wait as well. Instant noodles were the plat du jour, for days, the simple daily meal, water heated over camping gaz.

And yet, few compassionate families would carefully make their way in. Always grateful to all of them for sharing merit. It is for them and those who came after, that a temple was underway.

Looking back I see those incredible years as a state of deep cultivation in which love transmutes everything into endurance, gratitude, discernement, courage and strength, flowing and self generating beautifully, cultivated in and by the Boddhisatva way of life. No abstract, but lived the practice, in mud, snow, joy, simplicity and shared humanity.

The future of humanity depends on our disposition to give and share. To give with an open heart. To receive with gratitude. To stand steady when conditions are harsh. To serve when it would be easier not to.

With reverence to the Buddhas of the past, to the Buddhas of the present, to the Buddhas of the future

I bow.

May all beings live free from suffering,

May all beings be happy and at ease.

With gratitude always,

Thanks you for walking this path together.

~ Ven. Bao Co

NEW OFFERING: “THE EXHALE, Men’s Lab”:

Monday mornings 8:00AM EST.

This is not a class. It is a lab.

Clear the noise.

Clear the mental heaviness. 

    Align your being to the clarity of your inner signature, as we create together a sacred field where peace becomes your default.

Click HERE

SIGN UP SHEET: GO TO THE HOME PAGE, CLICK ON MEDITATION TAB

WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS:

Weekly group sessions are offered Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9:00AM EST

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PRIVATE SESSIONS: PLAN AHEAD SEND EMAIL to: tsbaoco@yahoo.com TO SCHEDULE YOUR ONE ON ONE

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NEW OFFERING “THE EXALE:” MEN’s Lab

Monday mornings at 8:00AM EST. Clear the noise and the mental heaviness. Align your entire being to your personal blue print, where peace is always available but revealed in this new state of being.

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NEW STUDENT INTRODUCTION SESSION is available for new students ready to explore the path to self transformation, inner peace, healing and growth.

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Inspiration & Resources

The Inspiration Page includes Ven. Bao Co writing and photography. The Resources Page includes Dharma Tools for practice.

SIGN UP FOR YOUR MEDITATION: Click HERE

GROUP SESSIONS: $25

PRIVATE SESSIONS: $145

Plan ahead: email tsbaoco@yahoo.com for your one- on- one session.

INTRODUCTION SESSION: NEW STUDENT: $40

Plan ahead: email tsbaoco@yahoo.com for your intro. session

Prepay your session via Zelle at: tsbaoco@yahoo.com no later than 48Hours. In the Message Section, specifie the date of your session.

A Zoom link will be sent 5mn before the scheduled time. It is a personal link and cannot be shared.

Refrain from taking food or drink 60 minutes before the session. Wear loose, comfortable, cotton clothing.

Position your device so your body is seen in full. Check sound. You have reserved this moment for your personal cultivation, be sure the place is free of distractions.

GLOBAL FREE FULL MOON MEDITATION

GATHERING MONTHLY at 8:00PM

MARCH, 3rd WORM MOON

YOUR LOCAL TIME - IN YOUR OWN PLACE - IN FULL AWARENESS