Audrey Lin

Audrey once heard this parable: An old man set out to change the world. He found that he wasn’t making much progress, so he tried to change his country. This was also too difficult, so he tried to change his neighborhood. When he didn’t have success there, he tried to change his family. Even that was easier said than done, so he tried to change himself. Then an interesting thing happened. When he had changed himself, his family changed. And when his family changed, his neighborhood changed. When his neighborhood changed, his country changed. And when his country changed, the world changed.

At one point, not too long ago, Audrey wanted to change the world. Then she realized that real, deep-rooted and lasting change comes from within. That is where she is now.

These are some reflections along the way.

Renounce and Enjoy

The Mind  |  The Monastery   |   Audrey Lin  |   March 27, 2011, 11:40 pm

A few weekends ago, I left the monastery for the first time. The shock wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. In fact, the differences I noticed were mostly in myself, and subtly in the environment around me. Some distinctions were obvious. Like sound. Driving through the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) gate [...]

One Freedom

The Mind  |  The Monastery   |   Audrey Lin  |   March 17, 2011, 4:30 pm

The more I settle into life here, the more I become aware of my inner patterns—my fluctuating thoughts, emotions, and reactions. Living at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), I’ve become much more aware of how my perceptions of my surroundings are a reflection of my mental state at the time. Living in a [...]

Spring Guan Yin Practice Retreat, March 19 to 27, 2011

The University   |   Audrey Lin  |   March 8, 2011, 3:24 pm

As a newcomer to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), it’s pretty humbling to realize the endless depths of Buddhism– all the various concepts, practices, sutras, liturgies, people, and stories that have unfurled over centuries. In a couple weeks, the entire city will pause to spend an entire week cultivating compassion as emulated by [...]

The Perks of Being Invisible

The Monastery  |  The Tribe   |   Audrey Lin  |   March 2, 2011, 1:00 pm

When I was a kid, I loved to hide. Playing in my bedroom, I’d sneakily dive under the covers and sit there, a smiling, smug child, thinking I was invisible. “Audrey’s hiding again,” my older sister would proclaim, in a rolling-her-eyes type tone. “That’s okay. Let her hide,” my mother would respond, allowing me to [...]

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