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April, 1999
The cost of the workshop is $139 for students and members, and $169 for the public if you register before March 31st. Prices are $30 higher after that so don't wait. Serious students of these arts anywhere in the world gladly travel and pay a lot more for training of this caliber. We are so fortunate that this training opportunity comes to us in the person of our revered Grandmaster. Additional information is available at The Peaceful Dragon or on our website under Special Events.
SAVE ON FOODS, HERBS, TEAS & MORE! The Peaceful Dragon is establishing the region's first tea-of-the-month club. Each month, club members can buy limited quantities of rare and exotic teas not normally available either from The Peaceful Dragon or other tea sellers. Some of these teas usually require minimum orders of one pound at a cost of over $100 per pound, putting them out of reach for many people who would otherwise try them. With the buying power of a tea club, the cost of ordering these teas can be reasonably reduced for each member. Teas of this caliber make very special gifts. In addition, there will be lectures, tea tastings and monthly meetings where club members can share information - and their love of tea! Want to join? Simply sign up at the counter. There is no fee for club membership, and the cost of the monthly tea is only $9.99 - an absolute bargain! The amount of tea you get for this price each month will depend on the grade and expense of the particular tea. Remember that fine teas can be re-brewed two or three or more times, and a small amount goes a long way. The Peaceful Dragon is ordering for students and members, your choice of wholesome breads, scones and more from Nova Bakery. Place your pre-paid order by any Friday, and get your oven-fresh bakery items on Monday. You can take advantage of 20% OFF RETAIL for every item you order, and it will be fresher than you can get it anywhere else (except Nova, of course, where you have to pay full retail price). A complete list of bakery goods is available at the counter, and includes organic and natural grain breads, cranberry bread, French breads, scones, pizza breads, and more in a variety of sizes. Just think how wonderful a loaf of fresh bread on the table would be right now! Herbs, spices, barley green powder, herb teas and other health foods are typically marked up three or four times at health food stores and herb shops. Peaceful Dragon members can order the best quality products from the extensive San Francisco Herb Company catalog each month and pay only 50% above wholesale! Pre-paid orders are placed on the last day of each month - you can order any time as long as you pre-pay by then - and your items will arrive within 7 - 10 days. As if this weren't enough of a deal already, The Peaceful Dragon will pay all the shipping costs! Your order will be held for you to pick up. Come in and browse the catalogäyou'll be so glad you did!
The new HSING-I CLASS on Fridays nights has turned out to be immensely popular. The class is larger than expected, and many students have already expressed their positive reactions to this exciting internal martial art. This is an ongoing class, open to everyone regardless of age, condition or experience. If you want to join, please see our cultural center manager, Wes Adams. As a result of the overwhelming response to this new class, we have had to cancel the Friday night tai chi class. If you were coming to Friday night tai chi, consider joining the Hsing-I or come to any of our other dozen weekly tai chi classes.
A special MEDICAL CHI KUNG workshop is going to be conducted in Minneapolis from March 5th - 14th. Sifu Eric Sbarge is attending this 11-day event, accompanied by Michael Ballantyne. The series of classes on Medical and Taoist chi kung is being led by Master Liang Shou-yu, an internationally renowned expert in chi kung and internal martial arts. Sifu Sbarge intends to make any new methods or valuable information gained from this trip available to Peaceful Dragon students through special workshops and seminars in the near future. In his absence, Sifu urges all students to train hard under the guidance of those senior students who will be running classes.
The MONTHLY BOOK REVIEW has not taken off. Nobody bought the book Sifu recommended last month, and he has concluded that his recommendations are not needed, so the book review has been shelved. All students are encouraged to explore the bookshelves on their own.
PAKUA WORKSHOP led by Master Park Bok Nam. On Saturday, July 31st, Master Park, one of the world's leading experts on the Chinese internal martial art of Pakua Chang, and author of The Fundamentals of Pakua Vols. I and II, will lead an all-day workshop on Pakua chi kung and self-defense principles. The workshop is open to the public, beginners and advanced alike. This intensive workshop will run from 11am - 5pm at The Peaceful Dragon. Mark you calendar, Saturday, July 31st. The cost for everyone is $100 pre-paid, or $120 at the door. Sifu highly recommends this workshop to everyone, so register now at the counter.
JOIN OUR WOMEN'S SELF-DEFENSE CLASS! Learn to save yourself or someone else. Take our special 8-week women's self-defense class, beginning March 20th and consecutive Saturdays from 4 - 6pm. Instructor Lynn Adams leads the class, and will share proven strategies to avoid assault, rape and confrontations with an emphasis on practical hands-on techniques. If you care for your mother, sister, wife or girlfriend, this class is for them. Space is limited. If you want this class, sign up now at the tea house counter. The cost is a mere $99 for Peaceful Dragon students, $129 for members, and $149 for the public.
A MOUNTAIN RETREAT! The First Annual Peaceful Dragon Tai Chi Retreat is set to go! Scheduled for Friday, September 10th - Monday, September 13th, it will be held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. This vacation is guaranteed to rejuvenate your spirit! Register before March 31st and save $30. Peaceful Dragon students pay only $269; the cost to members is $369, and for the public $469. After March 31st, add $30. For additional information, look on our website under Special Events, or stop by The Peaceful Dragon. By the way, these prices include food and lodging.
My mission, as director and head instructor of The Peaceful Dragon, is to provide the highest possible quality programs in Asian health and cultural arts to as many people as possible. I am encouraged by the positive steps we are taking to fulfill this mission. One highlight of this effort is our recognition by Alternative Healthcare Options as their provider for tai chi, chi king and related Asian health classes. AHO is the Carolina's first and only alternative health insurance provider, so this is an important opportunity for us. Then, this month we have begun working with Mecklenburg Park and Recreation to make our programs more accessible throughout the community. And finally, we have just started a volunteer group of knowledgeable students willing to offer free lectures and demonstrations anywhere in the community on topics offered at The Peaceful Dragon. Helen Gassen and Corey Becker are coordinators for this new group. If you want an opportunity to share with others the knowledge and expertise you've acquired at The Peaceful Dragon, please see Helen or Corey. I am also pleased by our success in bringing the highest caliber of experts to The Peaceful Dragon for seminars, workshops, and our free lecture series. Most especially, I'm delighted to have arranged for Grandmaster DeMaria to share his 45 years of martial arts experience with us in a three-day workshop, and for Master Park Bok Nam to offer his rare expertise in an all-day Pakua kungfu workshop. Take advantage of these exceptional opportunities, and join us in our quest to give the opportunity to others in our community to discover and share in the wonders of Asia's health and cultural arts.
The NEW YEAR DINNER CELEBRATION was a rousing success! Sifu Sbarge and The Peaceful Dragon staff extend a special thanks for the great job our volunteers did to make this year's celebration so enjoyable. The decorations were beautiful, the service was impeccable, the caterers didn't miss a beatäand neither did the dancers who partied late! During the festivities, several students received their certificates marking the completion of one year of dedicated training, and several awards were also presented. If you were not at the dinner but have been promoted to ACCS student, you can pick up your certificate from Wes Adams. And try not to miss next year's dinner - you missed a really great party, and the chance to see Sifu dance!
We're proud to announce our alliance with Mecklenburg Park and Recreation in a working relationship that will offer our Asian cultural and fitness programs to a more diverse audience within the county. They will promote our classes and events to their membership and we will provide customized programs to them as opportunities arise. The Peaceful Dragon is honored to have been chosen to work with this essential county resource.
ARE YOU A PHOTOGRAPHER? We need lots of good quality pictures for news releases, other publicity, our web site, and the newsletter. Pictures of classes, Sifu, the tea house, the lion dance, lectures and special events are all needed. If you or someone you know can help, please contact Sifu or Kathy Crowe: 704-338-9855. Thanks.
The tea house and studios have been cleaned, painted and improved, thanks to our volunteers! A special thanks to everybody who came out on Sundays, February 21st and 28th to clean, paint and refurbish The Peaceful Dragon. Everything looks great because of your time, dedication & toil.
Kickboxing Corner Congratulations Lynn! Lynn Adams recently spent two days shooting a kickboxing commercial for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. She was selected from a large field of kickboxing experts.
WORDS TO LIGHT YOUR PATH Religious conversation or truthfulness alone is not right speech. Abstinence from unwholesome speech is the essence of right speech. It should be noted that when occasion arises for one to speak falsely, to slander, to use abusive language, or chatter uselessly, if one restrains oneself from doing so, one is establishing the practice of right speech. Indeed, one who refrains from false speech will engage only in speech which is truthful, gentle, and beneficial and will promote harmony. The essential point is that one who abstains from wrong speech establishes the moral foundation of the path.
-Dr. Rewata Dhamma,
GENUINE BUDDHIST TANKAS AVAILABLE
The tankas are painted in the Central Tibetan style, with delicate, vibrant colors and touches of gold leaf. The artist is Zopa Tharchin Lama, who lives in Katmandu, Nepal, where he was trained by a master tanka painter. Of the many images available, two are being held in Charlotte for Peaceful Dragon students and members. Both depict Buddha Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, seated on a lotus throne, holding a begging bowl, and surrounded by a gold and blue aura. Supporting the throne are two lions symbolizing fearlessness. Also depicted are wish-fulfilling jewels, shells, dharma chakra, lotus flowers (all auspicious symbols) as well as elephant tusks, flowers, and clouds. According to Venerable Geshe Dakpa Topgyal, who will be speaking at The Peaceful Dragon in April, a tanka is used as an aid in meditation. It must be painted based on Buddha's own instructions, using precise mathematical formulas. One of the characteristics of these original tankas is that they is precisely based on these instructions. The tankas, 23 1/8 inches high and 16 1/2 inches wide, are waterproof and long lasting. They are unframed. When framed, they are ready to be blessed (activated). Geshe Dakpa can do the consecration ceremony for you when he comes to the tea house in April. Gehse Dakpa says that after consecration, the tanka becomes a sacred object, and must be treated with respect, since it becomes a living representation of the Buddha (or whatever deity is depicted). If you are interested in seeing one of the reserved tankas, or discussing a tanka depicting another subject, contact Kathy or David Crowe, 704-338-9855, dkcrowe@aol.com. Special orders can be completed and delivered in two months. Following is a rendering of one of the tankas.
Tibetan Meditation Workshop
Workshop topics include meditation in general, physical postures, ways to withdraw mental focus from the external and bring it inward, calming the mind, and then retaining pure awareness. There will also be periods of meditation and time for questions. Geshe Dakap Topgyal is a graduate of the great Drepung Loseling Monastery, and teacher in residence at Geshe Dakap Topgyal is a graduate of the great Drepung Loseling Monastery, and teacher in residence of Charleston Tibetan Society. The cost for students and members is $39, and for the public, just $49. This is your opportunity to gain a new tool for your spiritual growth.
To contact The Peaceful Dragon: Call: (704)-544-1012
Write: The Peaceful Dragon E-mail: comments and suggestions to staff@thepeacefuldragon.com |
Grandmaster Frank DeMaria (Ma For Ren, left) is coming to The Peaceful Dragon to lead an intensive three-day workshop of Chinese martial arts that will include tai chi, Shaolin kungfu, hsing-I, pakua and more. The workshop will run from Friday, May 28th - Sunday, May 30th, 1999 and it is open to Peaceful Dragon students, members, and the public - from inexperienced beginners to advanced practitioners alike.
On Sunday, April 25th at 1pm, Geshe Dakpa Topgyal, a Tibetan Buddhist Monk, will discuss the practice of Shamatha meditation. The purpose of this meditation is to achieve deeper levels of understanding and wisdom, and help free the mind from disturbing emotions so as to foster inner peace, harmony and balance.