We know there are plenty of things wrong in the world, but due to the natural laws of yin and yang we know there must be plenty right in the world, too. Thanksgiving arrives this month so it¼s a good time to reflect and be thankful for all that is right. I wish to just express a few of my own thanks.

I'm thankful we hit the lottery and won the prize of living in America in a time of peace and prosperity. I'm thankful many Americans are concerned enough to make the effort to help others in the world who don't enjoy peace and prosperity. I'm thankful that the laws of nature are immutable so we don't need to play guessing games about what is right and natural.

I'm thankful the ancient Taoists patiently observed and learned many of the laws of nature and passed these observations down to us. I'm thankful to have had a good family and such a good teacher in Grandmaster Frank DeMaria to inspire me to follow a life that is right and natural. I'm thankful that when I sometimes fail to do things that are right and natural the laws of nature usually give me warnings and a reprimand before really serious punishment.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have many wonderful students whom I can hopefully inspire to follow the Tao. I'm thankful that my students, nearly all of whom are Americans enjoying peace and prosperity, don't seem to be mistaking these temporal conditions of peace and prosperity for the more meaningful and lasting achievement of self-illumination.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Welcoming ceremony and banquet to honor Venerable Shi Guolin
Please join us for a special ceremony, and banquet dinner that have been arranged to welcome the Shaolin monk, Venerable Shi Guolin. The welcoming ceremony will take place at The Peaceful Dragon on Friday, November 3rd at 5:30 PM. This will include a traditional lion dance following by a tai chi and martial arts demonstration. We hope all students and members can come out and greet and welcome Guolin.

This ceremony will be followed by a banquet style dinner at Wan Fu restaurant, just up the street from The Peaceful Dragon. The dinner is open to everyone, though seating is limited so it may sell out. Dinner is $25 for adults, $15 for under 10 years of age. Dinner reservations must be made ahead of time at The Peaceful Dragon.

There is still limited space available for Shi Guolin's workshop on Saturday and Sunday, November 4th and 5th. Don't miss this rare opportunity to train with the 34th generation lineage disciple and successor to the abbot of the Shaolin Temple. You will discover that Guolin is a warm, compassionate and loving monk and an astonishingly accomplished martial artist and qigong expert. Whether beginner or advanced, this workshop is a must for any dedicated Peaceful Dragon students and members. Lunch tickets for the workshop are on sale at the counter: $6 each (Saturday and Sunday). If you can't make the workshop, come to the FREE lecture Saturday evening at 7:30PM. PLEASE NOTE THAT FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY CLASSES ARE CANCELLED due to this workshop.

CACMA Tournament Nov. 18th
The Carolinas Association of Chinese Martial Arts is holding its tournament on Saturday, November 18th in Mooresville. We hope all students can come out and support The Peaceful Dragon, either as participants or spectators. Divisions include tai chi and kungfu forms, weapons, push hands and sparring. Children through senior citizens can participate - all divisions are broken down by age and level of experience. Details are available at the front counter.

Dinner served nightly again
Thanks to the good work of our two most recent staff acquisitions, Lilly and Ozzy, The Peaceful Dragon is able to again serve our full menu for dinners nightly. Enjoy!

Closed Thanksgiving & Christmas
The Peaceful Dragon will be closed for Thanksgiving day and for the entire week from Christmas day through New Years day. Students, as you enjoy your holidays please remember to practice!

Holiday gift shopping at The Peaceful Dragon
We hope you all enjoy the classes, FREE lectures, special workshops and other events offered by The Peaceful Dragon. We also want to remind you that what makes it economically viable to continue these programs, is the business we do in the tea house. Please don't forget about The Peaceful Dragon when it comes time to doing your holiday shopping. We've got lots of new items in stock including an expanded selection of books and CDs. Give people meaningful gifts that they'll love, and help support your cultural center while you're at it!

Student discussion group to resume
Up until last year we held monthly student discussion groups on various topics, and we've missed them so we decided to resume them. These informal discussions provide a great opportunity for you to learn more about topics related to the arts taught here, plus contribute your knowledge to others. The discussions will be held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM, beginning December 5th. This necessitates the canceling of one tai chi class each month, but the benefits of the discussions should make it worth this sacrifice. The topics for the next year are as follows:

Dec. - Chinese philosophies and religions
Jan. - Wu de
Feb. - Diet and nutrition
Mar. - Optimize your daily training routine
Apr. - Following nature's cycles
May - Fine-tune your yoga practice
June - Comparing martial arts styles
July - Living in accord with the Tao
Aug. - Books and resources for further study
Sep. - Meditation
Oct. - Fasting and cleansing
Nov. - Cultivating chi
Dec. - Essential herbs and teas

Student Meeting Monday, Nov. 19th at 6:30PM All Peaceful Dragon students are asked to attend an important meeting with Sifu at 6:30 PM Monday, Nov. 19th.

The topic of the meeting is the future of The Peaceful Dragon. The meeting may be short enough to hold a condensed tai chi class afterward, so tai chi students come prepared if you like just in case. If you are unable to attend the meeting we will have minutes of the meeting available at the counter. Please be sure to pick them up.

JOURNEY TO CHINA Time - April 2001 Price -- $2500 including air fare Five Star hotel and food Please contact Lili Sang-Wright 803.831.1837 (Young Dragon's Mom)

The Peaceful Dragon is pleased to announce that Hank Kadel is now enthusiastically teaching the Saturday afternoon Young Dragons classes. Hank, the father of two teenaged boys, is a disciple candidate who has trained in kungfu, yoga and tai chi at The Peaceful Dragon for five years. He has over 20 years of martial arts experience as both a student and a teacher of tae kwon do.

The 1PM and 2PM Saturday afternoon Young Dragons classes have been merged together and will be held from 1PM to 1:50PM. All young dragons aged 7 and up can participate in Saturday classes.

Distribute Fliers
We still have many brochure display-boxes waiting to be taken by you and put at some busy location where people will see them. Please ask for one and help promote The Peaceful Dragon.

Phra Mana, talking about the meaning of the Millennium and Chinese Astrology, said that the Year of the Dragon was going to be a tumultuous year during which there would be much potential for great gain - or loss. And so it has proven to be.

I recently caught myself bemoaning the increased demands of my job, having traded the dubious reward of professional accomplishment for less time in class and at home. I regretted my knee injury, and the slow painful recovery that hampered my practice, and I pondered my fight to overcome the depression and fear that had given me an excuse not to try so hard. And then, I suddenly realized the weakness of my petty concern.

During this amazing year, the Koreas have begun the process of normalization. Beloved monks have suffered truly serious injuries yet continued to do good works, and The Peaceful Dragon has struggled yet continued to provide unique opportunities for so many, and I suddenly became aware of how right the Dao is, and how right my place in it.

As the dragon folds its wings, I wish to hang on to my glimpse of truth and hold myself open to what will come.

To contact The Peaceful Dragon:

Call: (704)-544-1012

Write: The Peaceful Dragon
8324 Pineville-Matthews Road No.509
McMullen Creek Market
Charlotte, NC 28226

E-mail: comments and suggestions to staff@thepeacefuldragon.com