Marky Maligmat

Category: Cebu

  • Clear Your Thursday: Attend a Meditation Session at Chu Un Temple, Cebu

    Clear Your Thursday: Attend a Meditation Session at Chu Un Temple, Cebu

    If you are in Cebu and looking for a traditional Zen Buddhist meditation (Vipassana) practice to ground yourself, Cebu Meditation is the right group for you.

    Why join?

    • They are not sectarian, every faith is welcome (most practitioners are not Buddhist).
    • Good community: you will meet like-minded people in a peaceful environment.
    • They serve quality tea for the practitioners to enjoy during the session.
    • It’s a great place if you want to explore different philosophies and approaches to life.

    How to get to Chu Un Temple?

    The temple is located in V. Rama Avenue, Cebu City. Depending on your preference, there are two easy ways to get there:

    You can use Jeepneys or services like Maxim, Move-it, or Grab.

    For a Jeepney, this is a bit tricky, and you need to be at least familiar with the routing system, but here’s the no-brainer guide:

    • Use your Google Maps app, then type “Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple.”
    • Then click direction
    • Select the transit/jeep icon.
    • The app will automatically show you the exact jeepney route codes (e.g., 06H, 06B, etc.) you need to take based on your current location.

    See the image below:

    Google Maps directions for public transport from Cebu Provincial Capitol to JY Square Mall, showing different bus routes and estimated travel times ranging from 29 to 37 minutes.

    For the ride-hailing apps like Maxim, Move-it, or Grab simply type “Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple.”

    FAQ:

    What time do they usually start?

    • They start at 8PM, but if this is your first time, please arrive before 7:30PM to join the orientation.

    I don’t know how to meditate. Can I still go?

    • Yes! If you arrive before 7:30 PM, the host (Regel) conducts a thorough orientation for newcomers to guide you through the practice.

    What should I wear?

    • Dress modestly out of respect for the temple. Avoid revealing clothing, short skirts, or shorts—think of what you would wear to a church or a formal community space. Comfortable, loose-fitting pants are ideal for sitting.

    What’s the flow of the event?

    • Orientation for the newcomers (highly encourage to be there before 7:30PM)
    • Walking Meditation (less than 5 minutes)
    • 20 minutes meditation
    • Q&A for this part, feel free to ask any questions (they usually entertain at least a total of 5 or more questions from the attendees before they will start the topic of the night).
    • Discussion that will last until 10PM
    • End of the event

    Is there anything else I should know?

    • Please avoid bringing meat inside the perimeter of the temple as a sign of respect for the place.
  • Want To Express But Too Afraid To Make A Mistake?

    Want To Express But Too Afraid To Make A Mistake?

    I’m personally writing this for myself, but I’m also hoping that this piece touches the hearts of anyone who finds it.

    For many years, it’s been my desire to express myself in every possible ways; it could be in the form of producing a video, photography, or writing a blog.

    I have no problem expressing myself in a blog because I know that only a handful of people may stumble upon this website, but expressing on my personal social media account? That’s an obvious no-no for me.

    • I’m afraid that I might offend people
    • I don’t want to look foolish in public eye, especially for the audience that personally know me
    • It’s cringy

    When I think hard enough of why I really want to express myself and share a piece of me with the world. I asked myself, what do I really want from this? Do I want the potential money or fame out of it?
    I suddenly answered my question back. What I need is the community of enthusiast to something and influence in some way.

    So, now that I’ve got my answer. Here are the things I did and will continue to do and expand to have a number of community that I want to belong:

    • Be helpful: If you help, people will tend to help back or at least get inspired by you. They will also sometimes follow you, your advice, or maybe hear your point of view. If you are helpful and always deliver, you deserve a follow because people wants to know the way you take care of things.
    • Checking on events: I usually check events on Facebook and find interesting things to attend too, and I also met some amazing people in the past events I attended. What I like about Facebook events is that they are localized and serve as a go-to platform for everything in the Philippines; however, you can also use other platforms like Meetup and Eventbrite.
    • Creating a brand new social media account: This one is on my to-do list and I want to try it on instagram, threads, and substack. Having a brand new social media and not following you know is another way to express freely.
    • Cold Email: Reaching out to blogs that I genuinely follow and thank them for writing and creating their blog, maybe, exchange ideas.

    My ending thoughts
    There are many ways to express and it doesn’t need to be loud, it can be chill, subtle, and messy. Because of that, I will plan to expand and update this post in the future or maybe, extend it to another post as I test and experiment along the way.