Miao Fa – Wondrous Dharma
Miao Fa Centre for Meditation and Chan Buddhism is a Buddhist Centre in the Chinese Chan tradition. The abbess of the Centre is Shifu Simplicity, a German Buddhist nun.
The Centre offers free meditation classes combined with lectures about Buddhism, regular meditation sessions, sutra studies, mindfulness training, one-day meditation retreats, life coaching, monk chats (Q&A about Buddhism), outdoor walking meditation and other activities.
The Centre is open to anyone who is interested in Buddhism and meditation. Friends of the Centre can contribute in various ways.
Shifu Simplicity also offers seminars or talks at other locations on request.
Shifu Simplicity also founded the Watermonn Chan Monastery near the Polish border www.kloster-wassermond.de where longer retreats and other activites are offered.
At the Miao Fa Center, there are very good Buddhist books available for free distribution.
Here you can find Shifu’s YouTube Channel.
All activities in the Miao fa centre as well as in Watermonn monastery are completely funded by the donations of the participants.
Shifu
About Shifu Simplicity
- Student of Medicine and Sinology in Göttingen
- Study of Chinese Medicine, teaching trips to Taiwan, visits to Chung Tai Monastery
- Practical year as a doctor in Wales, completion with the 3rd state examination
- Two years working as a surgeon
- 1998 Ordination as a nun under Master Thích Nhất Hạnh
- in total six years living in the monastery in Plum Village, France
- 2001 Bhiksuni-ordination
- Monastic life, simultaneous translation of the master’s lectures (languages: German, English, French, Vietnamese)
- 2004 moved to Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan to study under Chan Master Wei Chueh
- A total of 14 years living in monasteries of the Chung Tai community in Taiwan
- Six years of studies in Chinese at the Buddhist Institute of Chung Tai Chan Monastery
- 2005 Triple Platform Ordination with Bodhisattva Vows
- various activities in daily monastery life
- Simultaneous translation of lectures given by the Chan Master and other monks and nuns (Languages: German, Chinese, English)
- Member of the Buddhist Sutra Translation Committee in Chung Tai
- Teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy to English-speaking visitors
- One-month solitary meditation retreat in the high mountains of Taiwan
- Since 2018 abbess of the Miao Fa Centre, Berlin, as an independant nun
- Since 2021 abbess of Watermonn Chan Monastery near Guben, Germany – www.kloster-wassermond.de
- President of the German Sangha Association DBO – www.buddhistische-ordensgemeinschaft.de
The way to Buddhism, or Why would a German doctor become a Buddhist nun?
“Relieving suffering”
During her time as a medical student and a doctor Shifu Simplicity saw a lot of suffering. “My job gave me a great deal of pleasure, relieving suffering was my goal.” Soon she realized “As a doctor, I can only relieve suffering to a limited extent. Often the suffering is not in the body but in the mind.
“Becoming a doctor of the mind”
Becoming a doctor of the mind was clearly the best way. Shifu Simplicity’s initial contact with Buddhism came from the books of ancient Chinese Chan Masters. She was fascinated that the Chan masters had found a truth beyond logic, beyond psychological or emotional explanations. She studied Sinology and Traditional Chinese Medicine and travelled to Taiwan several times.
“Becoming a doctor of the mind”
During her travels she also visited the monastery of Lingquan near Taipei and immediately felt that she belonged there. Her first visit coincided with a retreat, giving her a sense of inner peace, and as a result of this she started to meditate regularly. During her second visit, which lasted two months, she took part in monastic life, and thereafter became officially a Buddhist.
“Slowly maturing True wishes”
The desire to devote herself completely to Buddhist practice slowly matured over the years. Shifu Simplicity knew that to be able to help others requires an intensive study of one’s own mind. The truth of life appears only if you let go of all the familiar patterns and open yourself up to a new life. She decided to leave everything behind and devote herself completely to the spiritual life.
“Do not meditate alone”
Shifu Simplicity knew that she needed an experienced guide. You cannot learn to meditate by yourself, and the best Buddhist teachers are monks or nuns. She found her first spiritual home in the monastery at Plum Village, France, and it was there that she was ordained as a nun by Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. During her six years at Plum Village https://plumvillage.org/ she got to know the practice of the monastic community. The main lessons of that time were the importance of communication, reconciliation, compassion and mindfulness. She learned how everyday life can be improved through Buddhist practice.
“Learning from the source – studying the tradition”
Because she wanted to study the sources in Asia and to penetrate the Dharma more deeply, Shiffu’s path led her to Chan Master Wei Chueh in Chung Tai Chan Monastery, Taiwan ( https://www.ctworld.org ). The guiding idea behind her search was: who knows the tradition understands the present. In Taiwan, she studied the writings of the ancient Chan masters and the Buddhist sutras in Chinese, seeking the truth, on the path to Enlightenment.
“Bringing the wisdom back to the West”
After fourteen years in the monasteries of Chung Tai and Lingquan, the time came to bring her findings back to the West. As the abbess of the Miao Fa Centre, Shifu Simplicity is now using her experience to help people who are searching for answers.
“Monastery founding”
During her work as a Dharma teacher in Berlin, various needs or requests were brought to her attention: 1. People would like to do multi-day retreats that are financially possible for everyone. 2. People asked where they can do a monastery stay. 3. Wo gibt es ein Kloster für Nonnen, wo Frauen ordinieren können? 3. Where is there a monastery for nuns where women can be ordained?
“Together on the Path”
There are very few German-speaking ordained women, and all of them are pioneers who do not have it easy. Shifu greatly values the contact and mutual support between monks and nuns As chairwoman of the DBO (Deutsche Buddhistische Ordensgemeinschaft, German Buddhist Monastic Community), she gets to know the diversity of the Buddhist monastic paths and advocates for the ordained members.