Buddhism As Education

Anitya, the field of opportunity

2012-02-06T23:17:00.002+08:00

It is in this contexts that we have to grasp the truth of Anitya (Impermanence). The world in which we live, move and have our being is in a state of constant flux. It is always under process of a change.

There is naught in it which is changeless. We have to take note of this central fact and avail ourselves of the opportunity that is ours in so shaping the scheme of things in this ever changing world that the change may prove not only to our good and happiness but also promote the good and happiness of others.

If a change was impossible in the condition of our existence, our lot would have been worse than that of animals. We would be living in this world like prisoners with no will and no chance of improvement that would have been open to us.

Fortunately, however, we live in a world which changes and we have been endowed with faculties through which we can bring about rapid and far reaching changes in around us and ourselves as well. The opportunities and possibilities for a change are in fact limitless, far beyond even the most extravagant dreams of the boldest of our thinkers.

All changes for the better are for ultimate good, the values that they create are eternal and abiding. It is really difficult to gauge and correctly assess the extent of the changes that have been wrought in this world of ours, through man's efforts and man's will to affect changes. The changes that are in the offing are even more daring.

The Utilitarian's Argument

2012-02-06T22:29:00.002+08:00

The utilitarians will naturally enquire about the fate that would overtake the domestic animals when they get relieved from some of the difficult tasks which at present, are imposed onto them. The only correct and bold answer to this query would be that firstly nature has its own methods to adjusts its balances.

Further, sufficient scientific knowledge is now available through which the population of the domestic animals can be planned in such a way that it does not outstrip their actual requirements. Lastly, that with his advanced scientific knowledge man is now in a position to share his plenty with domestic animals and be content with only taking light work from them.

Humanitarian work

We have no hesitation in expressing the view that the use of machinery in replace of animal power, for tasks which are difficult and entail hard work and it is the bounden duty of every sincere Buddhist to make increasing use of machinery for such tasks.

The use of machinery is also a progressive effort in the emancipation of man and for providing him with leisure for higher pursuits. The cooperative commonwealth cannot be established unless an era of plenty is ushered and the era of plenty without the use of machinery is an idle dream and a mirage, say whatever we may to the contrary.

We can, however always opt for ways and means and a policy of graduation can always followed, if after a careful survey, we feel convinced that the switch over from manual to animal labour and then to machine in certain industries, need to be gradual, in the larger interest of a particular nation. There can be no objection also to reserve certain industries for the field of cottage industries, if the same can be run with almost equal efficiency and economy wit the assistance of small equipment.

The problem of industrialization in backward nations, which have a teeming population and which have so far subsisted on a predominantly agricultural economy is really difficult and we have need to be careful in handling such challenges.

Our Cruelties Towards Animals

2012-02-06T22:27:00.001+08:00

The Buddha's approach to the use of domestic animals for hard toil is also very clear from description that has come down to us in our texts of His inner reactions, when he saw the poor creatures groaning under the yoke that man has placed on them for his own benefit.

For long has man treated the domestic animal purely as an object of utility. These animals yield to man the maximum benefit in hard toil, in milk and wool as well as eggs, etc, but when this service has been rendered, they are without compunction offered on the sacrificial altars or killed to provide man with meat, hide, bones and sinews.

With the dawn of the machine age, man has entered into a new heritage. He easily can if he is progressive, wise, intelligent and truly humanitarian, make use of machinery where manual labour or animal power is being utilized. He can relieve the animals from unremitting hard toil and use them only for light work.

The sight of the oxen, that are yoked for breaking land, during summer heat, panting for breath, prodded with sharp goads, receiving beating with kicks, fists and whip as well as abused foully, all through their period of toil, by a no less harassed peasant is not at all an edifying sight, for a truly sensitive man.

The same pitiable lot is of the lone bullock, who is yoked blindfold to an oil ghanny. It cannot but arouse deep compassion in the heart of a kind inclined man.

Is it now necessary?

For long have we continued these cruel practices but the time has now come when man has to ask himself whether with his greater scientific knowledge is it at all necessary for man's existence that the domestic animals should be put to its present unremitting hard toil when without much difficulty all this toil can easily be transferred to machinery.

There is however no harm, if the domestic animals are used for lighter jobs as it will keep them fit and give them joy of living.

Visit to Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan

2012-01-24T12:04:00.011+08:00

We made a brief visit to the Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan on November 2011 last year via a tour group. A very big monastery and it is like a city by itself with everything whatever a city needs are available.

During our visit, we managed to catch a glimpse on some major locations which we came across. Time is rushing and it is also raining heavily there, therefore our movement were limited to only certain areas of interests.

The Lessons of a Gay Festival

2012-01-21T22:43:00.002+08:00

Another incident of the Lord Buddha's early youth clearly indicates that He had sincerely wished and desired that as humanity progresses on its upward part, it should relieve the domestic animals, from the present grinding burden of the hard physical toil that has been imposed on them by mankind for its own benefit.

It is narrated that when the Blessed One was growing into a youth, He was taken by the king to witness the royal ploughing festival in which the king and his ministers and nobles participated with the common man in ploughing the green fields amidst great rejoicing.

The Buddha was still too young to actively participate in this colourful event and was therefore left in the care of some attendants under the shade of a rose apple tree.

This was perhaps the Buddha's first opportunity at that time to witness a vast congregation of His people who were busy in their toil and grim struggle for existence. The opportunity also came at a time when He was fast growing into wisdom. He was gripped with the spectacle of colour, noise and movement but His quick mind and keen penetrating insight soon discovered that much avoidable pain, sorrow, suffering and cruelty lay hidden beneath the apparent gaiety and colour of a popular festival.

He discovered that the struggle for existence for mankind and specially those that who were poor, backward and weak, in a competitive social order, was as cruel and selfish as it was in the animal kingdom. He also noticed that domestic animals carried much of the burden of man's own toil on their back. In fact these creatures were actually being ground under this burden.

His kind heart sympathized with the down-trodden serf and the labourer and He pitied the lot of the kine which carried the cruel yoke on their shoulders and toiled without respite for the benefit of man.

The Teachings on Ahimsa

2012-01-21T22:18:00.004+08:00

Ahimsa means non-harmfulness, which represents the first precept.

The following sutra gives a clear exposition of the Buddha's views:-

"Creatures without feet have my love and likewise those that have two feet and those that have four feet I love, and those too have many feet".

A true and sincere Buddhist therefore cannot but cultivate boundless love and compassion for all creatures. Any other attitude is incompatible with the meditation of Maitri which all Buddhist need to cultivate.

A Buddhist therefore cannot offer an animal for sacrifice, he cannot kill one for sport or for meat. Nor can he take meat diet, even though it has been offered to him as a gift as this would indirectly encourage the act of killing.

He also cannot participate in war, for that is even a greater sin or crime. The Buddha's teaching on this point, a few of which are reproduced here, admit of no doubt or compromise on this most important issue: "Thou shall not kill, nor shall ye injure".

The adherent of the teaching does not kill or cause to be killed of any living thing, neither does he approve of killing in others. He refuses to hurt or harm any creature whatsoever, those that are strong as well as those that are weak.

Whoso belongs to the Order of the Buddha being a member thereof, will avoid taking the life of any creature, were it only an ant or a worm. It is abundantly clear from the Buddha's teachings that he exhorted humanity to recognize its kinship as an elder brother to lover animals. Nothing could be more emphatic than the following:

"As I am so are these. As these are so am I. Thus identifying himself with others the wise man neither kills nor causes to be killed".

Way Without Extremes

2012-01-09T21:13:00.005+08:00

It is not that the Buddha dislikes the idea of us living a happy life by telling us not to enjoy ourselves in sensual pleasures. On contrary, he himself led the happiest of live in nekkhamma sukha (happiness in renunciation).

He only advises us to abandon kama sukha, to abandon the desire for and attachment to desirable objects, not the things themselves. Remember that for 29 years as a layman, he had lived very luxuriously. But had he remained a prince, he would never have realized the Dhamma.

Being completely free from all attachment, the Buddha himself was always in a state of freedom. Seeing a desirable or undesirable object, he had neither attachment nor aversion. Yet, he could appreciate beauty as beauty. A deity Pancasikha once sang and played the harp beautifully for the Buddha. He praised the deity but he did not ask to listen more of it.

All indulgence in one's sensual desires can only end in bad result and is thus not beneficial. At the same time the Buddha realized that the other extreme in the austere practice of self-torture was futile. after six years of trying it out for himself, he could not even walk, only mental strength was left at the end. He began having doubts.

Thinking there must be another more correct way for enlightenment, he then changed to anapanassati. Within two weeks ending on the full moon day of Wesak, he attained enlightenment

It is the Buddha's systematic way of teaching to first point out of harmful, then the beneficial: the former being more important due to the harm it causes. First what not to do and next what should be done. In this way, the two extremes of self-indulgence and self torture are dealth wi first before he introduces his method of the Middle Path.

This begins of course with right seeing in contrast to the usual deluded way of looking at things. How do we get the means of this right seeing as a start? By learning and listening to the Dhamma and by meditation.

The later by itself isn't enough. Without learning we wouldn't know the way, like travelling in unknown territory without a road map.

However, right vision needs the help of other factors - the seven others of the Noble Eightfold Path. One is right thought. Wrong thought would only lead to wrong understanding. And to have right thought, we need to have morality. If not, in breaking the precepts, we can only have evil thoughts.

So, we need right speech, right action together with right livelihood. If these three factors aren't right, all thoughts would be wrong. For right seeing too, we need right mindfulness to see things as they really are because they are mutually related.

At the same time, to be mindful, we need right effort to keep the mind from being scattered, thus attaining right concentration. Thus all are necessary and mutually linked.

Study and practice are indispensable to remove two problematic roots of ignorance (avijja) and craving (tanha).

As avijja conceals truth, that is its nature, that is where tanha is strong and flourishes. As we practice to realize the nature of sense objects, finding their faults through mindfulness (samma sati) meditation, the link between feeling and the resultant craving can be cut.

Thus, through mindfulness we can lose our attachment. In removing our craving for desirable objects, we are much like a couple who after their divorce are no longer attached to each other.

Therefore, through practice reinforced by learning the Dhamma, we can lead a peaceful life, be detached from any object, and be rid of worries. That is the purpose of Dhamma practice.

Truth About Dukkha

2012-01-01T13:09:00.007+08:00

Impermanence is a keynote in the Buddha's teachings. Down to the smallest dust speck, nothing is permanent. If it was't so, the Buddha had said, then there is nothing to practice for. Everything is conditioned, due to cause and condition joining together to create an effect, different combinations of different conditions giving rise to different effects.

In many of His suttas, He tell us to reflect on our condition: Subject to parents who have died or will die one day, how could we ourselves then be permanent?? We therefore cannot progress any further in right understanding without first understanding the first of the Four Noble Truth: The Truth of suffering.

The Buddha never used words casually. In this case His choice of the word dukkha had a purpose to show the cause of life. Here it means not so much the suffering of aches and pains but "du" (to be disgusting) + "kkha" (nothing, empty): that is what we assume to be doesn't exist. What we take to be a person, as self-existing, permanent entity, is actually only mind-and-matter.

What we had tought to be an "I" are only mental states and material qualities acting together to produce energy so that we think, talk and act. We are only phenomena and energy in the guise of a compact living being we think ourselves to be. For instance, we think we are sitting in a chair reading, apparently solid and still, yet our mental and material processes are running and ceasing all the time, like a river current flowing non-stop.

What arises and falls constantly as a conditioned thing or samkhara = sam (joining together) + khara (work) can only be reliable. It is disturbing and unsatisfactory because what we wish for cannot be realized.

Seeing things in this way, seeing thing as they really are, can we remain satisfied anymore?? Right vision may not be a cause for enjoyment, yet it leads to cessation of suffering, once we penetrate the truth of suffering to clear away all doubt and wrong views about the Dhamma for good.

Everyone likes happiness and dislikes unhappiness. It is a bad situation to search for something - especially if it is just a feeling that is only momentary. If we want to have more of this feeling of happiness, this can lead to more craving. Unhappiness too leads ro craving, if we want more to be rid of our unhappiness. What is the cause of problems and dissatisfaction in our life? It is the desire or attachment that brings them about. Without cause, no attachment can arise.

Craving and ignorance of the Dhamma are the two roots of cyclic existence. They firmly root and fortify our tree of unwholesomeness and mental defilement. and it all begins with feeling. People exclaim "Oh, how delightful, I am so happy", on seeing a nice and desirable object and that certainly leads to craving.

Craving has the aspect of enjoyment or taking delight in. All tanhas are alike in this respect. That is its nature, like heat is the nature of fire. So wherever it appears, tanha enjoys here, there anywhere. IT joins mind and its object together like two sheets of paper with tanha glue sticking over us.

So, if we see something desirable, our mind starts wanting to see it again and again. This attachment like glue or a cord binds us together with the object. Even people who take on awesome, dangerous task (like climbing the Mount Everest for an example) - when they could easily stay in comfort and safety at home - are led by tanha.

Three forms of tanha can be distinguished:

sensual pleasure given our five senses thus craving for nice sight, sound, smell, taste and touching,
craving to be reborn and so to always remain in the cycle of rebirth. Those with this usually hold the view of eternalism,
craving to end life in the belief of annihilation.

What can be done with desire and craving giving rise to dukkha? If there is dukkha, the Buddha said, there must certainly be its end as all conditioned thing cease at Nibbana.

It is like us wanting to drive somewhere, we first need to know how to drive. We need not actually need to know about the car's mechanism and how it runs. In the same way, if we want to end suffering, we must first know at least how to walk to the path as taught by the Buddha.

Path to Freedom - Right Vision

2012-01-01T12:46:00.004+08:00

Problems in life start when we are born. Otherwise, if we had not been born, would we be subjected to aging, sickness and death? Instead of seeing life's unsatisfactorily, many of us see its problems as something good, even desirable. Many people and even monks during the Buddha's time saw no fault in enjoying sensual pleasures as much as possible.

Such indulgence in one's desires is very easy to practice, even animals can have their enjoyment too. By choosing to ignore such problems, they only look to fulfill their happiness. But their apparent happiness is just an illusory, a cover for a host of unpleasantness such as worry, anxiety, boredom, jealousy, anger, grief and depression that permeate their daily life and relationships around them. This way like a millipede walking around and round along the hoop, we will not be able to find an end to life's problem in the cycle of rebirth, which is never ending.

Ignorance is the problem that is the starting point of the problem of existence itself. For those of us who realize problems arising as problems, some are deluded enough to search for external solutions i.e. praying, propitiating gods and deities, or consulting astrologers. That is why right understanding is crucial as a start, otherwise, we would not be able to further uncovering what the Buddha had taught us.

Right Vision is the first factor to understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering as taught by the Buddha. It is the keynote of seeing things as they really are - there really are big problems confronting us - like the impermanence, loss and decay, as well as dying.

For instance, in walking along a road we have to use our eyes to see where to go, which part to tread on. This is different from using the eye of knowledge, which does not depend on our opinions and biases, likes or dislikes, but rather what is right according to the Dhamma - law of Nature which is self-existent, not the property of anyone nor any one religion, being neither religious belief nor prayer.

We always see it wrongly and that is why we can't arrive at the right solution to the problems of existence which the Buddha had found for Himself in search for the end to suffering, as encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths. Indeed the Buddha Himself at one point after His enlightenment thought it would be a waste of time to teach anybody.

In the first place, we hold such a strong illusion and view which are hard to remove - of ourselves as a permanent entity. Equally hard to remove is our attachment and clinging to this being we identify as "I", "Myself" and "Mine" since from birth. So much that it blinds us to the Buddha's truth of suffering: seeing what is impermanent as permanent, although everything and even our body is changing from one moment to another.

Whoever maintains this wrong view cannot be call a true Buddhist. And until we can call ourselves as one, we have to practice to see things as they really are.

Actually, We Are All Innocent, at Heart!

2011-12-28T22:37:00.004+08:00

Let us go back to the teaching of Dependent Origination. The first link on the chain is ignorance. This is not a culpable ignorance. For example, the driver who pleads that he did not know he wasn't supposed to drive through a red light. He ought to have known it. But if a child sets fire to a house, it would be hard for the court to convict him for an arson. Perhaps a better word is nescience, simply "not knowing".

Nescience is the state of not knowing that we all begin life with. What does the fetus or the new born child know? The development of that knowing is the flourishing of our pure awareness and intuitive intelligence. These are the 2 qualities of the enlightened mind, the Buddha within, which develops both gradually and in quantum leaps.

An obvious stage when we enter into a different level of awareness, a different way of relating to the world, is that passed by most 7 year-old kids. Although the child steadily grows in understanding, all of a sudden at 7, there are questions about Father Christmas coming down to a chimney. Imagination is a reality test. What is more as told in the myth of the Garden of Eden, we eat off the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Morality enters our lives.

Another stage is the introduction of sexual relationships in adolescence. A well known one is the mid-life crisis that can turn our world upside down. Each time there can be a sea of change in the way we experience ourselves, the world and ourselves in the world.

The Buddha's teaching is concerned to continue this process of transforming our understanding of ourselves and of ourselves in this world. That means, we need to go back to the root of the problem, from where it began. This, he identified as a mistake that the intuitive awareness makes at the very outset. It believes it is what it experiences. Eventually, this turns out to be the body and the psyche, our emotional and thought life. This is our essential delusion. We believe ourselves to be this psycho-physical organism.

Through the process of insight meditation, this psycho-physical organism is objectified in the same way that a new born child begins to learn that there is a world beyond itself. As the body and psyche are experienced not as part of a self but simply as a psycho-physiological process, the intuitive awareness comes to realize it is itself not that very same body or personality.

The belief of the intuitive awareness that it is the body and personality is the essential delusion. This leads into a dualism of relationship with the world. It experiences the world either as a heavenly real, or a pit of hell, though most of the time, somewhere in between. To feel safe, it needs to collect things. The more it has, the safer it feels, whether it be riches, fame, power or access to any pleasure. This is greed in it widest meaning of accumulation. Unfortunately, every hoard has to be defended against loss, whether through nature or predator. Defense mechanism are developed and when this fail, escape mechanisms. Hence, the fight-flight syndrome - which is called the aversion.

Although there are social norms of acquisition and protection of property, the fear of loss lies underneath our apparent safety. Hence, the huge insurance industry. Worse still that neurotic need we have to feel safe in a world that at the end of the day offers sickness, growing old and there comes death, can lead us to venal behaviour and even into criminality.

This growing intuitive awareness at some point comprehends that but for this mistake and an unblame worthy mistake it is for it did not know any better - it would never have done any harm. It sees clearly that it is therefore, at root, innocent.

Yet, paradoxically, it cannot divest itself of the responsibility of putting right that which, because of its delusion, it has done wrong. For it is responsible even tough not blame worthy. It cannot escape consequences of past unskillful actions, both within the body and heart mind and in the world.

That is why intuitive awareness can now forgo the need to be forgiven by another for it recognizes its own purity and of course, other do not need our forgiveness to achieve their purity of heart.

When We Can't Forgive Someone and Ourselves

2011-12-28T22:00:00.005+08:00

This is another of those points that we need to look at. First, we need to distinguish between can't when it means I am unable and can't when it means won't. Parents know when their child means won't rather than can't - such as when they can't sleep because they want to stay up.

If they are honest with ourselves and if we have come to truly understand that the hurt inside us is created by us, then it is never a case of can't but always a case of won't forgive.

We then need to change the internal dialogue and open up a chink of possibility: "Maybe I can forgive......"

What is happening when we can't forgive ourselves? For most of us, this is the hardest thing to do. On a television programme about the "bag people", a late middle aged woman was interviewed. She had taken to the streets and began compulsive collection of rubbish, mainly papers.

When asked why, she replied wistfully that she had been involved in the death of a child. First, we must distinguish conscience from the "judge". Conscience is that simple ability to know what is right from wrong. It is a wisdom based on the knowledge of what causes harm.

The judge within us is that part of the self that hates and condemns the self, that wishes to punish it. So, it is with the self as judge that we must deal.

This is where the understanding of Dependent Origination can be so helpful. The aversion that arises towards ourselves because we do harm is concretized into a voice that condemns us. It is being able to listen to the voice and not to believe it that undermines its power over us.

Once we can distance ourselves from the voice, we can feel the underlying aversion towards ourselves the better. Then we need to remind ourselves that this also is just another mental state, arising and passing away which "I" don't have to own.

In this way, we stop indulging self-hatred and in time it will to die away.

Birthday of Amitabha Buddha

2011-12-10T22:50:00.004+08:00

Tomorrow 11 December 2011 is the 17th day of the Eleventh Lunar Month is the Birthday of Amitabha Buddha.

Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Light. One of his great vows was to establish a Pure Land known as Sukhavati, the Western Paradise. One who is able to call on Amitabha's name with "an undivided mind" will be reborn there, and never have to endure rebirths in the cyclic suffering of samsara.

The Maha Twin Lotus Ponds, the siddhi (fruition) of the True Buddha School Dharma, are an extension of the Western Paradise.

Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss

This is the Buddha Land of Amitabha Buddha. In Amitabha Sutra, there is full description about this Pure Land. This is the world of utmost joy without suffering. With the spiritual power of Amitabha Buddha, all beings in this world will understand Buddhism easily and practise diligently, and attain enlightenment eventually.

Therefore by reciting Amitabha Buddha's name, Buddhist followers hope that they will be born in this Pure Land after their lives on earth.

Praise To Amitabha Buddha

Amitabha Buddha's body is the colour gold.
The splendour of his brilliant light is beyond mind.
The light of his brows illuminates a hundred worlds.
His eyes are pure brilliant light, limitless like the oceans.
In Amitabha's realm of infinite light, all beings are transformed
And Enlightened into countless Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.
His Forty Eight Vows ensure our liberation
In Nine Lotus Stages we reach the ultimate shore of Enlightenment.
Homage to the Buddha of the Pure Land,
Compassionate Amitabha Buddha.

NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA!
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA!
NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA!

Animal Liberation with Master Hai Tao

2011-12-04T20:53:00.004+08:00

By Lama Zopa Rinpoche
1st December 2011

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this teaching on animal liberation at Shakyamuni Center, Taichung, Taiwan on March 4, 2007. Transcribed by Thubten Munsel and edited by Ven. Ailsa Cameron.

Master Hai Tao first gave a 35-minute Dharma talk in Chinese. This was followed by a group recitation of manis until Rinpoche began his talk.

Good morning to everyone. I would also like to offer my respect and greetings to Master Hai Tao and to everyone else, my brothers and sisters.

I think that the activities that Master Hai Tao has been doing in this world up to now, liberating many millions of animals, are really incomparable holy deeds. There’s no one else in this world who could do this. His incomparable holy deeds are of incredible benefit to the most precious, kind sentient beings, the animals. Liberating animals is one of the best means to bring peace in this world, not only peace to the animals but also peace to the human beings, with thousands of human beings engaging every time in this incredible, virtuous activity of saving the lives of others, of those who are suffering.

In Singapore, the students of Amitabha Buddhist Centre have been liberating animals for the last quite a number of years. Up to now, they have liberated more than 60 or 70 million animals, [it is now well over 100 million] I think. People who have cancer or some other sickness, even those who are far away in the West, send their names and a donation to Amitabha Buddhist Centre. In the West there is not much opportunity to do this practice; it’s not commonly done. There have been quite a number of people who recovered from cancer by participating in liberating animals. When you create good karma by helping others to have long life, the natural karmic result is that it causes you to have a long life. There’s no doubt about this. Even people with cancer and other life-threatening cancers have recovered in this way.

This practice creates incredible merit, or good karma. It’s one of the sources of good luck. It says in Sutra Requested by [Lodro] Gyatso, “Even if they explained for eons, all the numberless past, present and future buddhas could never finish explaining the benefits of generating bodhicitta and compassion for others, saving the lives of others and practicing Dharma.”

Saving the lives of others is one way to practice compassion for others. So, Master Hai Tao has been unbelievably kind in giving all of you this opportunity, and we are unbelievably fortunate to have been able to engage in generating compassion for others and saving their lives, especially together as a group, which has more power.

Lama Atisha was the great pandit, the great holy being, who brought Buddhadharma to Tibet and made the Buddhism in Tibet pure. The Buddha taught 84,000 teachings, remedies for the 84,000 delusions. At one time in Tibet, there was a problem with misunderstanding of Buddhism, with people who were practicing tantra thinking that they couldn’t practice sutra and those who were practicing sutra thinking that they couldn’t practice tantra. People saw tantra and sutra as separate, like hot and cold. They didn’t think that one person could practice the entire teaching of Buddha.

So, the Dharma King of Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö sent many offerings of gold and invited Lama Atisha from India to Tibet to give teachings and eliminate the misunderstandings. At that time Lama Atisha didn’t come. Lha Lama Yeshe Ö then again went to look for gold to make offering to Lama Atisha and invite him to Tibet.

The irreligious king of one area put the Dharma King, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö, in prison. Lha Lama Yeshe Ö’s nephew, Jangchub Ö, then went to see the irreligious king and offered him all the gold the Dharma king had found. When the gold was piled up, it reached the level of the king’s neck, but the irreligious king then said, “Still I need gold the size of the king’s head.”

When his nephew went to the prison and told the king this, the king said, “Don’t give him even one handful of gold. You must send all this gold to India. Offer it to Lama Atisha and invite Lama Atisha to spread Dharma in Tibet and make the teaching pure.”

Ngatso Lotsawa, a translator, want to India, to Nalanda, with all the gold offerings to invite Lama Atisha to Tibet. At that time there were no roads, nothing. For many months they had to go by foot through the forests and over the mountains. It took a long time.

The Dharma King, Lha Lama Yeshe Ö, sent a message to his nephew, saying, “I will give up my life to spread Dharma to the sentient beings in Tibet. Pass this message to Lama Atisha, ‘May I be able to meet you in my future lives.’” The king then passed away in prison.

The translator Ngatso Lotsawa finally reached Nalanda, the great monastic university in India, where there were many hundreds of great pandit scholars, highly attained beings. Chandrakirti, Shantideva and many other great scholars and highly attained beings had studied at Nalanda.

The translator finally met Lama Atisha and explained all the difficulties the king had experienced in going to look for gold to make offering to Lama Atisha and how the king had passed away in prison. He also explained the misunderstanding about the teachings in Tibet, how people thought that if one practiced sutra one couldn’t practice tantra and that if one practiced tantra one couldn’t practice sutra.

Lama Atisha listened to everything and said that he understood the situation. He then checked with Tara (who is like this Kuan Yin), the embodiment of all the buddhas’ holy actions. Lama Atisha always checked with Tara before he made any important decision. He asked Tara, “If I go to Tibet, will it be beneficial or not?”

Tara said, “You will be highly beneficial in Tibet, but your life will be seven years shorter.”

Lama Atisha then said, “I don’t care about that. Even if my life becomes shorter, if it’s beneficial, I will go to Tibet.”

Lama Atisha was very much needed by Nalanda University and generally by the people in India. He was like the crown jewel of the great scholars of Nalanda. If the abbot of Nalanda had known what was happening, he wouldn’t have let Lama Atisha go. Lama Atisha was very skillful. He showed the aspect of going on pilgrimage in Nepal, then went through Nepal into Tibet.

When Lama Atisha reached Tibet, the nephew of the king came to receive him and requested him, “Since we Tibetans are very ignorant, please give us the teachings on refuge and the karma.” He didn’t ask for high teachings such as tantric teachings or teachings on emptiness or for initiations. His asking for the fundamental teachings on karma and refuge made Lama Atisha very happy.

Because of all the misunderstandings, Lama Atisha then wrote Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment. The 84,000 teachings of Dharma taught by Buddha include the Lesser Vehicle, or Hinayana, teachings, the path to achieve liberation for the self; the Paramitayana, or Mahayana sutra, teachings; and the Mahayana tantric teachings. Lama Atisha integrated all these teachings into this lam-rim, the stages of the path to enlightenment. In a few pages and making it simple, Lama Atisha arranged all the teachings as one person’s graduated practice to achieve enlightenment. Among all the different teachings that Buddha taught, nothing was contradictory to one person’s graduated practice to achieve enlightenment.

The term lam-rim, or stages of the path to enlightenment, happened after Lama Atisha wrote Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment. The lam-rim, which is a very condensed teaching, is like the Bible.

After Lama Atisha wrote this text, all the doubts and misunderstandings were completely eliminated, and the teaching in Tibet was made very pure. In Tibet and in other countries, so many beings then learned and practiced it and actualized the path. By actualizing bodhicitta, so many beings became bodhisattvas, and so many beings became enlightened, up to now. This text made it so easy to know how to go about enlightenment. By learning Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment, you learn the heart of the entire Buddhadharma.

Lama Atisha had 157 gurus, but his root guru was Lama Serlingpa. The Kadampa tradition started from Lama Atisha; his followers are called Kadampa geshes. There are three groups of Kadampa geshes: the Lamrimpa, the Man-ngag-pa and the Zhung-pa-wa. The Lamrimpa are the Kadampa geshes who achieved enlightenment by studying the essential teachings of Buddha, the steps of the path to enlightenment. The Kadampa geshes who achieved enlightenment by studying and putting into practice the teachings orally taught by their masters are called the Man-ngag-pa. The group of Kadampa geshes who achieved enlightenment by studying the extensive scriptures are called the Zhung-pa-wa.

So, the Kadampa geshes, the followers of Lama Atisha, say in the teachings that there’s a difference between praying alone in your room and praying with a group of people. Doing prayers together with a group has so much more power. Whether it’s with 100 or 1,000 people, praying with a group has so much power.

Here today and at all the other times, since many people come together to save the lives of others, your good karma is so much more powerful. It’s unbelievably powerful. So, it is also by the kindness of Master Hai Tao that so many sentient beings, including us, have the incredible opportunity to engage in this inconceivable good karma.

Saving the lives of others is one of the incredible holy deeds of a bodhisattva, and this practice is done not just from time to time but all the time. This gives many thousands and thousands of people the opportunity to engage in this virtuous action that has inconceivable benefits, as mentioned in the Sutra Requested by [Lodro] Gyatso.

Now here I would like to mention something about the importance of this practice. We are liberating thousands of fish, chickens and other creatures. Now, for every one of us here, every single one of these creatures is the source of all our past, present and future happiness. All the happiness we have experienced numberless times in the past, during our beginningless samsara, has been received by their kindness. It is the same with all our present happiness and comfort, even the comfort we feel when cool air passes over us when we are hot or the comfort of a pleasant dream. We receive all our present happiness by the kindness of all these sentient beings. And we will receive all our future happiness by their kindness. So, they are the most precious, most kind beings.

On top of all the happiness of samsara and all the future happiness, we receive the ultimate happiness of liberation from samsara by the kindness of all these creatures that we’re liberating today. By this, these sentient beings now become even more kind, more precious, to us.

On top of that, we achieve enlightenment, or great liberation, the state of completion of all the qualities of cessation and of completion of all realizations by the kindness of each and every single one of these sentient beings. For us, they are now even more precious and unbelievably kind.

I need to explain the logic behind how we receive every single happiness—all our past, present and future happiness; liberation; and enlightenment—by their kindness.

All your happiness comes from your virtuous action, your virtuous thought. Every single happiness, whether temporary happiness or the ultimate happiness of enlightenment, comes from your mind, from your virtuous thought and virtuous action. So, your virtuous thought or virtuous action is the action of buddha. There are two actions of a buddha: one is within us sentient beings and the other is possessed by the buddhas themselves.

Now, one’s own good karma, one’s own virtuous thought or action, came from Buddha. Since this is Buddha’s action, it came from Buddha. Buddha came from bodhisattva; bodhisattva came from bodhicitta; bodhicitta came from great compassion; and great compassion is generated in dependence upon the existence of obscured, suffering sentient beings. So, great compassion is generated in dependence upon the kindness of each and every single one of the numberless obscured, suffering sentient beings. Great compassion is generated in dependence upon each and every single obscured, suffering sentient being.

Therefore, you can now see that every one of us receives all the past happiness we have experienced during beginningless rebirths, all our present happiness and all our future happiness, including the ultimate happiness of liberation from samsara and full enlightenment, by the kindness of each and every single obscured, suffering sentient being.

Therefore, every one of us here receives all our past, present and future happiness up to enlightenment, including every realization of the path, by the kindness of each and every single one of these creatures. We have received everything from each chicken, each fish or each of the other animals. We can now see that they are the most precious, most kind ones in our life; they are the root of our happiness.

I would like everyone to now meditate a little bit on what I’ve just described. You have received all your numberless past happiness during beginningless samsaric rebirths from all the sentient beings. Therefore, it came from these sentient beings that we’re liberating. All your present happiness is received by their kindness. And all your future samsaric happiness is received by their kindness. On top of that, the ultimate happiness of liberation from samsara, which you’ll achieve in the future, depends on their kindness; you have to receive it by their kindness. The great liberation, or enlightenment, that we will attain also comes from them, by their kindness.

So, we will meditate on this, reflecting on how they’re so precious and so kind, for just a minute.

[There is a long pause for meditation.]

We will now extend this kindness of others to all sentient beings in the same way. We receive all our past, present and future happiness from all sentient beings: from all the numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, asuras, suras and intermediate state beings. We also receive liberation from samsara and full enlightenment by their kindness. So, everyone is so precious.

Include the person whom you hate or who hates, criticizes, harms or is angry with you. Especially include them. Remember that person in your heart, and especially think, “From this person I have received all my numberless past happiness and all my present happiness, and I will receive all my future happiness from this person. I will receive the ultimate, everlasting happiness of liberation from samsara by this person’s kindness, as well as the peerless happiness of enlightenment. So, this person is the most precious, most kind one in my life.”

Here, you have a totally positive view of this person in your life. Before, you had a negative view. You put a negative label on this person, and you looked at them as negative. To you they had a negative appearance. You were relating just to what this person did to you now in this life: “This person is angry with me,” “This person treated me badly,” “This person disrespected me” or “This person criticized me.” You related to the present situation, to this life.

Your mind then interpreted the situation as negative, as bad, because what the person does harms your attachment or your ego, your self-cherishing thought. You think it’s bad that this person is angry with you, criticizes you or treats you badly because you’re a friend of attachment, you’re a friend of ego, or self-cherishing thought. While you’re a friend of attachment and self-cherishing, you see this person being angry with, disrespecting or criticizing you as bad because it hurts your attachment, it hurts your self-cherishing. Because you’re not against them but friends with them, it’s like you’ve joined a party that thinks other groups are bad. Here you do the same thing. Since you yourself are a friend of attachment and self-cherishing thought, because what the person does hurts your attachment and self-cherishing thought, you then interpret that as bad and put a negative label on it. It then appears to you to be bad, and you then see it as bad. You see that person as your enemy.

So, that’s according to the view of attachment and self-cherishing thought. It’s not like that if you’re a friend of bodhicitta, the thought cherishing other sentient beings or if you’re a friend of compassion or if you’re a friend of contentment, or renunciation, with is the opposite to attachment. These pure minds wouldn’t label, “This is negative.” From their point of view, this person is not an enemy. As there’s no negative label, you wouldn’t see this person as bad. Also, in the view of the wisdom seeing emptiness, you don’t see that person as an enemy, as bad.

So, in the view of your positive minds you don’t see this person as bad, as your enemy. It is only in the view of attachment and self-cherishing thought that you would see this person is bad. It depends on what the person is now doing: if the person is helping you, you see them as good; if the person is criticizing you or angry with you, you see them as bad, especially while you are following attachment and self-cherishing thought.

Now here there are skies of reasons for seeing this person in a positive way. “I have received all my past and present happiness from this person, and I will receive all my future samsaric happiness from this person. On top of that, and even more important and precious, I will receive liberation from samsara from this person. And even more precious, I will receive full enlightenment this person.”

Since the kindness of this person is as vast as the sky, you now see them as only most positive, most pure.

Next I would like to request that you do this meditation of discovering the kindness of others, of how they are most precious and most kind, in relation not only to these creatures here today, but to all the people you meet in your daily life. Feel this with your family at home and with the people in your office or in the street. When you’re in a restaurant, feel the depthless kindness of all the people in the restaurant. Think, “I receive all my happiness of the three times by their kindness.” Feel the same way with the people, animals, such as cats, dogs and birds, and insects that you see in the road. See everybody as the most precious, most kind one in your life, and think, “I receive all my happiness from them.” In this way feel the kindness of all sentient beings in your daily life. Using the reasons I explained before, think especially of the kindness of the person you call your enemy.

I think this will bring so much peace and happiness in your life, and your heart will be open to everybody, to your family, to the people in your office. Wherever you are, east or west, your heart will be open to everybody, to human beings and non-human beings—even to snakes and mosquitoes and other insects. Everybody, including insects, will become your family. As you feel with your family, you will feel everybody is very close to you, and everybody will also feel that you’re very close to them. Here you now extend that feeling to the rest of the sentient beings, so that everybody becomes part of one big family. There is then unbelievable peace and happiness. When you feel that they’re close to your heart, they will also feel that you are close to them. There’s no gap between you and them; you’re all one family. You include all the people that live on this earth in one big family, as His Holiness the Dalai Lama often talks about.

In this way, in your everyday life, day and night your mind will be very happy.

Now, for you, everyone is most precious and most kind. In regard to kindness, sentient beings are kinder than Buddha, kinder than Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Sentient beings are more precious not in regard to qualities, as Buddha has the highest qualities, but in regard to kindness. Why? Because in regard to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, Buddha came from sentient beings. As I already explained before, Buddha came from bodhisattva; bodhisattva came from bodhicitta; bodhicitta came from great compassion; and great compassion is generated in dependence upon each and every single obscured, suffering sentient being. It’s very clear that Buddha came from each and every single sentient being. So, Dharma came from Buddha, who came from sentient beings; and Sangha came from Buddha, which means it also came from sentient beings. We take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha every day. As Mahayana practitioners, before we do any practice, we begin with taking refuge and generating bodhicitta. Since this Buddha, Dharma and Sangha came from sentient beings, sentient beings are kinder.

The Kadampa geshes explain that ordinary people in the world regard Buddha, Dharma and Sangha as more precious than sentient beings, but that as Dharma practitioners we should regard sentient beings as more precious than Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Ordinary people in the world also cherish the I more than others, but Dharma practitioners must cherish others more than the self. Ordinary people in the world seek the happiness of this life rather than the happiness of future lives; they think the happiness of this life is more important. But Dharma practitioners should seek the happiness of future lives, seeing the happiness of future lives as more important than this life’s happiness. So, the Kadampa geshes gave this most effective advice, and this is what they practiced.

Therefore, there is no way we can harm sentient beings. It is impossible to get angry with them; it is impossible to criticize them; it is impossible to harm them in any way. There is no way we can do anything to harm them. We’re incredibly lucky if we’re able to offer sentient beings even some small pleasure, some small comfort. It’s so precious. Being able to serve sentient beings, even one sentient being, in some small way is something that makes our life the most happy.

A bodhisattva feels about sentient beings the way a mother feels about her beloved child. She cherishes her child more than her life. She gives the best of everything to her child. If somebody criticizes her child, she gets very hurt. If somebody praises her child with a few sweet words, it makes her unbelievably happy.

A bodhisattva cherishes sentient beings most, doing everything for sentient beings. Therefore, this mosquito or this person who is angry with you is most cherished by a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva does everything, including attaining the path to enlightenment, for this sentient being.

Since there are numberless bodhisattvas who cherish this mosquito or this person, a small harm to this mosquito or this person harms the bodhisattvas. And if you’re able to give some small comfort, some small happiness, to this insect or this person, that’s what makes the bodhisattvas happiest.

Now, it is the same with the buddhas. What a buddha cherishes most is sentient beings. A buddha achieves enlightenment only for the sake of sentient beings. Therefore, even a small harm to sentient beings harms the buddhas. And bringing even a small pleasure or comfort to sentient beings is the best offering to the numberless buddhas. This is what we have to remember every day. Therefore, saving the lives of others becomes an unbelievable service to them. Besides benefiting sentient beings, this is the best offering to the numberless bodhisattvas, the numberless buddhas, to all the holy beings.

So, thank you very much.

I have brought a stupa tsa-tsa made by Lama Tsongkhapa as his daily practice. Here is also a tsa-tsa of Namgyalma, the long-life deity, made by Lama Atisha with his own hands. There are also relics of Nagarjuna and Buddha, given by His Holiness. I will put them here for circumambulation.

Again I would like to thank Master Hai Tao very much from the bottom of my heart for the skies of benefit he brings sentient beings.

Understanding Forgiveness

2011-11-28T16:58:00.004+08:00

Forgiveness is a change of heart,

a radical transformation of our relationship

towards people whom we have harmed,

towards people whom have harmed us and

towards ourselves, away from hatred and revenge;

guilt and shame; self-hatred and self-punishing.

To forgive is to stop justifying and indulging the emotions of hurt, anger, guilt, shame associated with the incident which evoked pain. When we have forgiven fully, we remember the incident and feel only compassion for ourselves and the other party for all the suffering and pain evoked and expressed in the incident.

To forgive is not to brush an incident aside and forget it. Pushing it out of mind is a suppressive measure and the grudge works underground and sabotages our lives in ways of which we are unaware. For instance, it may be that we have been hurt by an unfaithful partner. If we fail to work through hurt towards forgiveness, that hurt stays within us and prevents us from forming a new relationship out of fear of further hurt. It turns us into cowards.

To forgive is not to excuse. Often when we forgive someone we try to find an excuse for them. In our liberal society, we rightly point out that the unsocial behaviour of some youths is due to poor parenting, but still the youth must come of age and start to take responsibility for their actions. To accept mitigating circumstances may make it easier for us to forgive, but if excusing them is not genuine, but simply the way of avoiding trouble and demanding justice, then it will not dissolve the hurt we feel. Again, it makes cowards of us.

To forgive is not to condone. Just because we can forgive in our hearts the person who has us wrong, it does not mean we cannot ask for just compensation. To receive reparation should not affect the quality of our forgiveness, but what it does is to allow us to trust that person again. And in making the offering, the wrongdoer regains not only your respect, but their own self-respect. Similarly, if we have done wrong, then making such an offering can restore our own self-respect and respect in the eyes of the other.

Furthermore, if we confuse forgiving with condoning, we can feel that when we forgive someone, we are letting them off. This is often because we wish to punish the person. But punishment is not the same as justice. There is just recompense for any harm or damage done, but punishment suggest retribution and the nasty gratification of vengeance fulfilled.

There is also always the possibility of vendettas. A Chinese saying suggests that those who seek revenge should prepare two graves. The rationale underpinning punishment is that the suffering imposed will be such as to make the wrongdoer think twice before doing such thing again.

Therefore, punishment is not concerned with recompense or justice. It is concerned with frightening the wrongdoer. Hence, there is no punishment that fits the crime, only the punishing pain that will stop the wrongdoing. So, the suffering inflicted must be more than the crime is worth.

That is why punishments such as cutting off a hand for stealing actually work. The crime simply isn't worth the risk. The question then is, are we prepared to inflict such suffering on an individual not as justice but as deterrent for the sake of an orderly society?

In the United States, the family of victims are allowed in some states to be present at the criminal's execution. Their sense of justice is not fulfilled which illustrates the problem with fear and hatred, they simply cannot be assuaged by revenge. A system of justice based on punishment will do nothing to alleviate our own hurt.

So to forgive is rather to transform our attitude from hurt and revenge towards harmlessness and compassion. Once this is our normal response to those who harm us, paradoxically, it takes away the need for us to forgive them. We can train ourselves that with the hurt, forgiveness arises spontaneously, even to the point no hurt is felt.

This is when the last vestiges of "me" have disappeared. For when that sense of "self" has gone, who is there to hurt?

Consider the story of a parrot seized by a bird of prey. The bird drops the parrot. Those around ask the parrot what it was like. It replies, "Just one bag of bones picking up another bag of bones".

Our training can take us towards the end of forgiveness.

Visit to Karma Norbuling Buddhist Centre in Bukit Mertajam

2011-11-06T21:07:00.006+08:00

With Khedup Rinpoche, Khenpo Rinpoche, my mum and brother
Khenpo Rinpoche, my mum and my brother
With Khenpo Rinpoche, my dad and mum
Khenpo Rinpoche with me

Today, my family and I had made a courtesy visit to Karma Norbuling Buddhist Centre (KNBC) which is situated at Jalan Rozhan, Alma, Bukit Mertajam.

We were greeted by Venerable Lama Khedup Rinpoche (KNBC resident master) and visiting Khenpo Menlha Rinpoche who is from Dolpo Buddha Service Centre, Jorpati-Kathmandu, Nepal.

During our visit we exchange views, current Buddhist issues and opinions with both Rinpoches. Khenpo Menlha Rinpoche is due to leave soon for Penang and Sabah.

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks and gratefulness to both Khedup Rinpoche and Khenpo Rinpoche for their hospitality and lessons.

Hurt, Shame, Guilt and Remorse

2011-11-05T21:35:00.004+08:00

Hurting another?

What happens when we hurt someone? The reason for wanting to harm someone are many: envy and jealousy; revenge; spite; sheer cruelty. They are so many reasons as there are malevolent intentions. And when we achieve our goal of hurting someone, there arises a satisfaction, a joy in someone's suffering. This is cruelty.

This is hard for us to accept because for the most part, we think we act from good motives. We justify and rationalize our behaviour: Eye for an eye; I just wanted to put them in their place and so on. the results is a hardening of the heart and distancing of it from its own emotions making it impervious to another's suffering.

But when we empathise with the victim, then we feel shades of shame, guilt and remorse. How should we understand these qualities?

Feeling shame

We feel shame when our self-esteem is punctured. We lose face. We thought we were good but now we realize we can behave in petty or malicious ways. Our self-image is bruised and we feel bad about ourselves. It undermines our self-respect and increases our self-hatred.

As an attitude proper to our spiritual life, however, it is a part of our integrity. We know how bad we feel about ourselves if we breach our own ethical standards. so as soon as any unwholesome thought, word or deed arises, there also arises the warning of shame. This stops us from acting unskillfully thereby strengthening our self-respect and self-worth.

The Guilt

Guilt arise when we know we have acted against the moral code (This is not the same as "existential guilt" which is defined below). This is the role of our conscience, the judge within us. It is that which has moral understanding, knowing the difference between wholesome and unwholesome actions. It may be plain wrong in its understanding or too severe, or it may be too lax in its judgments.

Only through wise reflection and talking to wise people can we develop a balanced conscience. Furthermore, by acknowledging and bearing with feelings of guilt through insight meditation, we learn not to react on them. Because we are no longer supporting these conditioning, they will begin to fade away.

Once we are guilty of doing something unskillful, the consequences is some measure of dread. We fear the consequences of our actions, especially how others will behave towards us. We feel uncomfortable with other, fear and anxiety levels grow. Paradoxically, this fear and anxiety of others makes us hate them.

However, when such fear of consequences arises even at the suspicion of an unwholesome thought, word or deed, it prevents us from contemplating such an action. This allow us to live free of guilt. when this is also accompanied by the acknowledgement of the suffering that may arise in another because of our unskillful actions, this is compassion and leads us to respect and protect the very one we wished to hurt. The relationship between guilt and compassion is intimate.

If shame and guilt are absent, a person can commit unskillful actions without feeling of remorse. These are the sociopaths and psychopaths among us. But when finely tuned, shame and guilt act as sharp warning signals that stop us from doing harm. For as soon as an unwholesome desire arises, it is immediately followed by the knowledge of the personal suffering involved and consequences it may lead us to. when shame and guilt function in this way, the Buddha refers to them as "guardians of society".

Feeling Remorse

Remorse on the other hand is the genuine feeling of regret at pain caused to another and leads us to seek for reconciliation. It is painful to the heart. For just as we have come to understand that tough others do not directly cause us to suffer, they can purposefully create the conditions that press our buttons, so we realize how our cruelty is catalyst for evoking suffering in others.

We simply do not want to behave like that again and this compassion attitude towards ourselves and others guards us against similar behaviour. It strengthens the resolve behind our determination to change our habits for the good.

And in so doing our sense of self worth and self-esteem is enhance and our relationship to others become more harmonious.

Kathina At Nandaka Vihara

2011-10-19T22:22:00.004+08:00

Nandaka Vihara will be holding its annual Kathina Robes Offering ceremony on this Sunday 23rd October 2011.

Nandaka Vihara is a forest monastery situated in Bukit Mertajam near to the Cherok Tokun Recreational Forest. Surrounded by orchards and forest reserve land, the quiet environment makes it suitable for meditation practice.

The forest monastery is established to encourage the practice of meditation not only to monastic but also laymen and laywomen. Laypeople also come to participate in other activities such as Dhamma talks, Dana (charity, offering of food to monks), Dhamma discussions, Pali chanting class and Sunday Dhamma class for children as well.

For this year's Vassa period, Nandaka Vihara is honoured to have 7 Venereble monks residing in the monastery in conjunction of the rains retreat.

The programme for the Kathina Day shall be as follows:

8.00 am - Pindapata (Alms round)

8.30 am - Food Stalls Open for Devotees

10.30 am - Sanghikadana (Food Offerings)

12.00 pm - Kathina Robes Offering, Dhamma Talk, Parita Chanting, Sharing of Merits

12.30 pm - End of Event

All devotees, families, relatives and friends are invited to attend and participate in this annual meritorious event.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Kathina: A Golden Opportunity To Accumulate Exceptional Merit

2011-10-11T21:41:00.002+08:00

The rains retreat of the monks (Vassana Kala) ends on the full moon day of October. During the Vassana retreat that lasted for three months, the monks served the community of followers and devotees in various ways such as preaching of Dhamma, meditation, counselling and serving in many other ways.

The monks end the retreat by performing a Monastic Disciplinary Act (Vinaya Kamma) called the Pavarana. After this, the monks are free to leave the place where the retreat was held. Before they leave, it is the custom for the devotees to hold a farewell ceremony for the monks which is called the Kathina ceremony.

During this ceremony, many gifts are offered to the monks as well as gifts for the upkeep of the monastery (Vihara). A very important part of this ceremony is the offering of a special robe called the Kathina Civara, which is made in a special way, through contributions and collective effort by many devotees. This is also offered in a special way by carrying the "Kathina Robe" in a parade (perahera).

To participate in this ceremony is considered to be a great spiritual benefit to everyone. This is one of the highest deeds among the "eight great kusala kamma".

Candle Light Procession at Nandaka Vihara

2011-10-09T21:11:00.003+08:00

A Candle Light Procession will be held at Nandaka Vihara, Cherok To'kun on 12th October 2011 at 8.00 pm to mark the end of the Vassa Period (Annual Rains Retreat) of the Sangha.

After the procession, the Sangha shall lead the Buddha Puja ceremony to mark the same. All Buddhist devotees, relatives and friends are therefore invited to this meritorious event.

Kathina At Mahindarama Buddhist Temple

2011-10-09T20:57:00.003+08:00

The Kathina at Mahindarama Buddhist Temple in Kampar Road, Penang will be held on 16th October 2011, next Sunday corresponding to the 20th day of the 9th Lunar Month.

The Kathina ceremony in Mahindarama will commence at 7.00 am with the procession around the Main Shrine Hall three times carrying along the Kathina Cloth and other offerings, follow by the Offering of Kathina Robes to the Sangha and offering of other requisites as well.

Upon the offering of the Kathina Robes and other requisites, the ceremony shall continue with the Buddha Puja (Offering to the Buddha) and Sanghikadana (Offering of Alms to the Sangha.

Co-Sponsors: RM500, while Ordinary Sponsors will be RM120. Every Co-Sponsors and Ordinary Sponsors shall be given a tray of requisites to be offered to the Sangha.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

Significance of Kathina

2011-10-09T20:11:00.003+08:00

In Pali, Kathina literally means unshakable or immovable. The merits accrued in offering this kind of rob is unshakable by the other small demerits. Whenever the donors of Kathina Robe enjoy the results of these meritorious deeds in Samsara, the other small demerits - except the Five Weighty Karmas cannot interrupt or cannot shake its effect just like the great Earth or Mount Meru cannot be shaken by the wind. Therefore, it is called "Kathina".

In Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, the annual offering of Kathina Robes has assumed a great auspicious significance and this religious function receives even the Royal Patronage and favour. As such, devotees for this important annual occasion with great enthusiasm to take part in the celebration.

Kathina Robe cannot be accepted by all monks. Only monks who had received Higher Ordination and observe the Vassa or Rains Retreat for three months can accept the Kathina Robe. Those who are novices, those who have broken the Vassa and those who have ignored the observance of Vassa are not eligible to receive this Kathina Robe.

The Kathina Robe also cannot be accepted by an individual monk himself. The donors offer the Robe to the Sangha - the Community of Monks. Therefore, according to the Vinaya - Disciplinary Rules, there must be at least five Higher Ordained monks to receive the Kathina Robe.

Upon receiving the Robe, the Sangha will assemble in a Sima (Chapter House for Reciting Vinaya Rules) and unanimously choose an appropriate monk to receive this precious Robe.

A Bhikkhu who is bound by the numerous disciplinary rules in his life time is also entitled to get a little relaxation or remission from minor rules, only for a few months after receiving the Kathina Robe. The donors of the Kathina Robe shall receive an immeasurable merit which will lead him to attain the Final Emancipation after enjoying the heavenly and human bliss in Samsara i.e. the Cycle of Birth and Death.

Unlike the other meritorious deeds, the offering of Kathina Robe cannot be performed at any time, but only within 30 days that is, from the Full Moon Day of October to the Full Moon Day of November, can this offering be carried out.

Even on the same day and only in one place, one Kathina Robe can be offered. Therefore, the offering of Kathina Robe is a very rare significance and golden opportunity for devotees to accumulate a great merit.

Medicine Buddha Puja

2011-10-01T20:40:00.001+08:00

Please share with all our families, relatives and friends.

Medicine Buddha Lotus Lighting Puja

2011-10-01T20:15:00.003+08:00

Heong San See Temple in Tanjung Tokong Lama, Penang will be organizing the Lotus Lighting in conjunction of the Medicine Buddha Repentance Puja tomorrow 2nd October 2011 for good fortune and elimination of obstacles from 8.00am to 12.00pm.

Lotus Lighting for individual will be RM10.00 while for family will be RM20.00. Those who are interested, kindly contact the temple at the following:

428 Jalan Tanjung Tokong Lama, 10470 Penang,

Tel: 04-8999067, 8999629

Mantra of the Medicine Buddha

Namo Bhagavate Bhaisajya Guru Vaidurya Prabha, Rajaya Tathagataya Arhate Samyak Sambuddhaya Tadyatha Om Bhaisajye Bhaisajye Bhaisajya Samudgate Svaha.

Being hurt by another

2011-09-04T20:46:00.002+08:00

What happens when we are hurt by another's behaviour? Let's take the first occasion of an insult. The word arrives at the ear. "You idiot!" We perceive with the ear not just the sound of the word but also the tone of anger.

We perceive with the eye the signs of anger on the face and in the body language. We can also sense at the heart level the emotion. For instance, we can sense the tension in a room where there has just been an argument. All this is the point of contact. after this the process is internal, dependent on our inner dispositions.

It is recognized and is then labelled as unlikable. This is the point of feeling which is determined by our past experience of insults and how we are reacted to them. Some people will be slightly hurt, others incensed. When this happens, the heart has reacted upon the hearing. It feels hurt.

Immediately there rises the craving to be rid of the hurt and the normal desire is be rid of the person who hurts us and respond to the person in kind. Or if the threat is too great, the unpalatable desire to swallow our pride and retire. These cravings are possessed by the self. This is called grasping. It is on at this point that we actually identify with the process. Only now does the idea of me arise.

Once the sense of I has grasped the craving, this craving is empowered and a reaction is willed. A karma, an action of thought, speech or body, is performed. This is the moment of becoming. We become the reaction. We start shouting. All this, of course happens in milliseconds. The sound of the word strikes the eardrum. It is recognized and a feeling of dislike arises. A reaction of don't want. The concept of me grasps it: I don't want. The reaction is empowered. I do something.

Everything from the reception of the word at the ear door and the feeling or touch door has been an internal process dependent on our own inner conditioning. In this case, we have reinforced a conditioning of angry response, which causes mental turbulence. And so, we cause ourselves to suffer.

Even if we swallow the insult and did not respond, it festers. The tiny quip in the morning is relived tirelessly. It is inflated through fantasy throughout the day until the heart is so inflamed with its desire for revenge, we cannot sleep nor eat. In that virtual reality of the mind, we have punished the person a thousand fold, even to the point of murder. And all this mental anguish is of our own making.

But what about a physical assault? Is that any different in its psychology? Just as in the previous example, the sound strikes the eardrum, so the blow to the nose strikes the sense door of touch. The process from now on is exactly as the above. It is recognized as thoroughly unlikable and so not wanted. We react perhaps with a blow aimed at the offender's own nose or we retire hurt and brood over our revenge. And again, all this mental anguish is of our own making.

This process is true of any pain based on the senses. Through careful investigation of the way this psycho physical organism works, we come to realize that no one can cause us psychological pain. If this is fully realized, we will also discover that there's no need to blame anyone - parents, spouse, children, colleagues, politicians, society and so on - for our psychological distress.

Destiny can be changed, do not let it control you!

2011-09-01T18:20:00.007+08:00

Almost 500 years ago in China, a father sat down to write to his son. He wanted his son to know what had transpired in his life. Many years before, when he was very young, he went to a temple and met a very distinguished person. He naturally paid his respects to this man who in turn asked him: "You are supposed to pass the imperial examination next year, why are you not studying?"

Mr Liao Fan, then asked the man for his name, where he was from and how he was able to know what Mr Liao Fan was supposed to do. The man introduced himself as Mr Kong and he told Liao Fan that he knew how to predict what was going to happen and that he was supposed to teach this art to him.

Liao Fan went home and told his mother everything what happened earlier. His mother then told him to invite Mr Kong to their house to test him to be certain that what Mr Kong is telling is the truth.

They then invited Mr Kong to their home and then asked him to predict for the immediate future and everything that Mr Kong predicted turn out exactly as he said it would and so Liao Fan asked Mr Kong to predict his entire lifetime.

And after making a few calculations, Mr Kong then inform Liao Fan that he will pass such and such an examination on a such and such a day and also attain a certain position, he will not have a son and finally he will die at the age of 53 on the 14th day of the eight lunar month between 1 to 3 o'clock in the morning.

Many years later Mr Liao Fan was up for promotion, Mr Kong then predicted that he will not be given a promotion until he receive what would be equivalent in today's measurement system, to about 9150 liters of rice, but when Liao Fan only received about 700 liters of rice, his name was placed for a promotion and although everything has turned out as Mr Kong's prediction, Liao Fan began to doubt some of Kong's predictions. But then, due to a change of personnel, the promotion was turned down and it took few more years until Liao Fan was promoted. From then on, he finally understood everything is destined and he stopped worrying about many things.

A few years later, Liao Fan when to a mountain to meditate with a Zen master. Both of them sat there for 3 days and 3 nights without sleep, food or water. After meditating, the master then said to Liao Fan that he was surprise to see such a young man to have accomplished this level of meditation and asked how did he managed to do it.

Liao Fan then honestly explained to the master that he already knew everything that was destined and so there was nothing for him to worry of anymore. The Zen master then began to laugh and said that he thought Liao Fan was someone extraordinary but actually he is only an ordinary person after all.

The master then asked Liao Fan if he had done anything to change his destiny and Liao Fan replied that he was not aware that destiny could be changed. The master then explained to him that destiny could not bind those who cultivate great kindness or those who are thinking only of others and who have given up thoughts of selfishness.

Next, the master then informed Liao Fan that he needed to correct his faults and to seek from within, then also told him that all fiends of merit are within one's own heart. If one seeks from the true mind within, one can be in touch with all that one wishes for.

The master, Venerable Yun Gu then asked Liao Fan to tell him exactly what has been predicted on him and Liao Fan told the master everything that Mr Kong had predicted before that, which include that he will not have any son or receive an imperial appointment.

Venerable Yun Gu then asked Liao Fan why did he feel that he does not deserve a son nor an imperial appointment and he replied that he was very quick-tempered, very impatient, unkind and he was overly critical of others. Asides, he said he was also harsh in his speech, hurt others in his words and carelessly hurt others and he does not care about others at all.

Venerable Yun Gu then explained to Liao Fan that such faults were the cause of why he was not getting what he wanted all this while and why his life was so difficult. The master then taught Liao Fan about the cause and effect (karma) which is the basic underlying principle to changing our destiny.

The master also taught Liao Fan that he needed to regret all his faults and begin changing his thoughts and behavior. Breaking away from our lifetime bad habits are not easy, it will take some time before we complete the change. The most important thing is we should begin now.

Liao Fan did as what the master has taught him to do and follow diligently all the teachings and advice of the master. Asides, Venerable Yun Gu also taught Liao Fan on paying homage to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Liao Fan also wrote down on a paper his wish to pass the imperial examinations and his pledge to perform 3000 virtuous deeds.

Passing the examination was not part of his destiny, the master taught him in addition to practicing kindness and good deeds, he also need to chant a mantra which is the most suitable method for him to practice. He also has to seek purity of mind and stop having wandering wishful thoughts in process.

Liao Fan followed exactly what Venerable Yun Gu had taught him and the following year he took his imperial examination and upon release of the results, his placement was better than had been destined. He had already started to change his destiny. He was able to see the results so fast as he was practicing so diligently based on the teachings of the master. He watched his every single faults and kept track on all his merits but it still took him 10 years to complete his vow of 3000 good deeds.

As he did all his good deeds, he always dedicated his merits to others and one day he made his second wish to have a son and again pledged to complete another 3000 meritorious deeds. He was destined not to have a son. After a few years his wife gave birth to a son.

With this, Liao Fan work even harder to accomplish as many meritorious deeds as possible in order to enable him to further improve his destiny. His wife also helped and joined in to perform more good deeds.

As the result of he and his wife's continuous good deeds, Liao Fan made it to the higher level of the imperial examination and he was soon appointed to a position of high authority and he again vowed to complete another 10,000 more meritorious deeds.

However, his wife was worried that since her husband has been promoted to a higher position and is now residing in a government residence it would be impossible for them to complete the 10,000 meritorious deeds as they would not be able to see as many people as before.

And this made Liao Fan worried as well. One night when he was asleep, he had a dream in which a heavenly being came to him assuring him that his 10,000 deeds has been accomplished. Liao Fan woke up in the next morning wondered how could he had accomplished that number of deeds and couldn't understand it.

Shortly after that when another Zen master was passing through the city, Liao Fan invited him to his official residence and posed this question and the dream to the master who then explained that if one does a good deed with a true sincere heart without any expectation of rewards, then by just one deed can be worth of 10,000 deeds.

Then the master again asked Liao Fan if he has done anything recently which regards to the people. He then replied to the master that he had recently approve the reduction of taxes on the people. The visiting master then explained that by reducing the taxes had indeed enabled him to accomplish his 10,000 meritorious deeds in a matter of time.

That means, we will be able to attain everything when we are sincerely trying to help others and this is what had Venerable Yun Gu has been trying to explain to Liao Fan previously.

Therefore, as explained above in this story, we should not abide by our destiny because our destiny can be changed provided that we regret our faults and made all necessary reforms possible as well as to perform as many meritorious deeds as possible in order to improve our destiny. Besides, we must also practice diligently in the Buddha and mantra recitation everyday in order to help purify one's mind.

The key to this practice is regularity and any disruption of this practice will eventually reduce its effectiveness. Without interruption, we will soon feel an increase in our purity and wisdom.

Diligent practice, together with unwavering belief and vows can assure fulfillment of our wish to reach the Western Pure Land of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. We hope everyone of us will practice accordingly.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

Vassa Dana at Nandaka Vihara

2011-08-30T17:36:00.012+08:00

Samaneras (trainee monks) listening attentively to the guidance of the Venerable Sir

A Senior Venerable chanting the suttas in the presence of other venerable sirs

The Venerable Sanghas acknowledging the offerings of monks' requisites from devotees

Venerable Sanghas acknowledging the offerings of daily requisites from devotees

Our Venerable Sanghas began the chanting of suttas for the samaneras and devotees

Samaneras and devotees following attentively to the chanting of suttas

Sanghas and samaneras led by Abbot Ven.Dhammasubho began accepting various offerings of food and drinks

Other Sanghas and samaneras began to receive the food offerings served on the hall

Various kinds of food offerings delivered over by the devotees

Devotees and well-wishers began to take the food after the Sanghas and samaneras were offered

In conjunction of the Vassa period (rain retreat - monks go into intensive practice), a number of activities and programs were organized by Nandaka Vihara in order for devotees and well-wishers to gain merit and encourage them to perform meritorious deeds, such as performing dana (giving of food and donations), offerings of monks' and daily requisites.

Besides, a novitiate program was also organized to encourage interested and well informed devotees to experience the monastic life for a week which had commenced on last Saturday until the end of this week. The novitiate program received outstanding response from devotees from as far as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Other activities included in the program are chanting of suttas, meditation practice and Dharma talk by Venerables.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

A visit to Nandaka Vihara's Kutis and Sima Building

2011-08-30T16:20:00.009+08:00

A view of the Sima Building from the main shrine. Have yet to go up there to see the internal part of the building (keeping everyone guessing). This is one of the kutis (monks' quarters) situated in one upper part of the hill. No entry, so have to take the view only from outside.This kuti is situated in one corner of the road leading upwards. Look at the very strong foundation planted at the bottom of the kuti in order to preserve the nature and environmental impact.

This is the first kuti situated at the down hillside viewed from the top. The prayer and meditation mini hall is also situated on top of the kuti.

This is the side view of the first kuti situated on the down hillside. Currently, two visiting Sanghas from Sri Lanka are residing in this kuti for the whole of this Vassa period.

This is a very beautiful fish pond situated near the first hillside kuti which was recently constructed. It beautifies the area there and enhanced the natural habitat over the compound. Sadhu to those who initiated this project.

These are some of the pictures that I had taken today, when making my way up the hill. Looking forward to reach up to the Sima Building very soon (the top one).

Besides, I am also applauded with the way the vihara's committee in managing and preserving the nature and environmental aspects of the hill side. Each site which houses a kuti were also given a preservation of the very natural landscaping with trees, flowers and plants being planted around the compound, of which I truly admired.

More pictures on these kutis would come soon after my exploration.

Upcoming Buddhist Symposium

2011-08-28T21:51:00.004+08:00

The upcoming symposium on the History of Buddhism will be held in Gurun and Sungai Petani, Kedah respectively from 16th to 17th September 2011.

The symposium will bring you deeper into the history of Buddhism, the rise and fall of the previous Srivijaya and Langkasuka kingdoms as well as the Buddhism during that era.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Enlightenment Day

2011-08-28T11:01:00.002+08:00

Today is Ksitigarbha (Earth Store) Bodhisattva's Enlightenment Day in accordance to the 30th day of the 7th lunar month.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vowed that as long as there was still one suffering soul in hell, he would not attain buddhahood. Since there are always many souls in hell, Ksitigarbha has a lot of work to do! However, because of his great compassion, the bodhisattva still vowed to save them all.

He does not want to see people being punished in hell and then committing still more crimes in their next lives. In addition to suffering souls in hell, the bodhisattva also helps living beings in other realms: humans, celestial beings, asuras, hungry ghosts, and animals and insects.

He hopes that by teaching all these creatures, he will be able to stop them from committing more crimes, and thus help them to end their constant suffering.

Ksitigabha Bodhisattva Mantra for Eradicating Fixed Karma : Om Pra Ma Ni Da Ni So Ha

Novitiate Programme in Nandaka Vihara

2011-08-27T21:01:00.009+08:00

Ven. Dhammasubho explaining the Vinaya rules and the programme highlights to the would-be Samaneras

The Venerable Sanghas of Nandaka administering the precepts and ordination

Ven. Dhammasubho giving his explanation on the novitiate programme

Ven. Khemasiri shaving the head of one of the participants

The Nandaka Vihara in Cherok To'kun, Bukit Mertajam at Seberang Perai Tengah had today officiated its Annual Novitiate Programme with about more than 20 participants taking part in both as Samaneras and Preceptors.

This is a one week programme held in conjunction of the Vassa (Rain Retreat) which is observed every year. Participants from as far as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor also traveled a long way to Nandaka to participare in this meritorious programme.

The programme was graced by the Nandaka Vihara's Abbot Venerable Dhammasubho with the ordination and administering of precepts for all the participants.

Congratulations and Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

Why ghosts get hungry?

2011-08-14T14:45:00.003+08:00

By Stanley Koh

Nowadays, if you speak about wandering hungry spirits, you are more than likely to elicit some condescending remark about your superstitious nature.
But spiritual beings do exist, although the question of whether they experience hunger is an open one.

In his book, “What Buddhists Believe”, the renowned Buddhist scholar K Sri Dhammananda wrote: “There are visible and invisible beings or spirits in the same way as there are visible and invisible lights. One cannot deny the existence of such spirits just because one is unable to see them with one’s naked eyes.”
Various other scholars representing different religious traditions have made similar assertions.

Of course, to the modernist mind, these pious utterances do not prove anything.
Nevertheless, the fact is that millions of Asians faithfully observe what is commonly known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Zhong Huan in Mandarin.
Malaysian Chinese, like many other Chinese communities around the world, celebrate Zhong Yuan celebrated throughout the month of August, although the traditional Day of the Hungry Ghosts is the fifteenth day of the seventh moon of the Chinese lunar calendar.

In the Taoist tradition, it is believed that hungry spirits can arise from humans whose deaths have been violent or unhappy.

Hell money

Another Taoist belief—and one that Buddhists share—is that the dead become unhappy and restless when their living families neglect or desert them. It was this belief that gave rise to the popular notion of unhappy spirits roaming the earth in search of food and entertainment

According to Chinese tradition, the families of these hungry spirits can appease them by offering prayers and burning “hell money” so that they can live comfortably in the afterlife.

Today, families burn more than just fake money. They also make bonfires with paper models of computers, handphones, LCD TVs and other consumer goods.

Business communities often jointly celebrate the festival with operas and other forms of stage entertainment. Usually, they also set up an altar where prayers are offered.

In all these, there is a message of compassion to those spirits wandering around because they do not have homes where they can be happy. Believers pray for them, offer them food and give them cultural entertainment in the hope that they would appreciate the gesture and decide against intruding into their lives and bringing them misfortune.

Most of us have heard of such intrusions and harming in what we call “ghost” stories—of spirits in the guise of beautiful women seducing the living, or ugly hags terrorizing some unfortunate person or any of those cases of a living persons being possessed by unknown spirits.

However, from the sociological and anthropological point of view, Zhong Yuan is a festival that fits into a culture that practises ancestor worship. It fulfils the need to uphold filial piety.

Ancestor worship is the oldest religious ritual in the world and is found in both eastern and western traditions. Indeed, the tragedy of Hamlet was that he procrastinated in showing filial piety to his dead father, who appeared in spirit form to command him to avenge his murder.

Yes, the gates of hell have been thrown open and hungry spirits are wandering about. So don’t forget your duties to the dead.

May all beings be well and happy.

Grand Sad Dharma Pundarika and Water Repentance Puja

2011-08-06T19:05:00.008+08:00

In conjunction of the 7th Lunar Month, Palme Gon Buddhist Society in Bagan Lallang, Butterworth had performed series of Puja with the aim of promoting Filial Piety, praying for World Peace as well as transference of merits to the deceased, thus releasing them from various sufferings and be reborn in a better realm.

Lamp lighting, release of lotus candles into the river and offerings of various kind of food were also incorporated into the Puja event.

Ven. Monlam Rinpoche in Butterworth

2011-08-06T18:50:00.009+08:00

Monlam Rinpoche leading the prayer session

The Rinpoche and his Lamas chanting the mantras and prayers

Various offerings were prepared on the altar

The Rinpoche conducting the prayers for liberation

The fish were prepared for liberation

Fire puja and offering

Venerable Monlam Rinpoche and his Lama followers were invited to conduct a mass prayer session in Palme Gon Buddhist Society in Bagan Lallang, Butterworth from 31 July 2011 to 2 August 2011 recently in conjunction of the 7th Lunar month in order to release the sufferings of those wondering souls and spirits and lead them for reborn into better realms.

During the prayer, various activites were performed, among them were the liberation of fish and crickets, performing a fire puja and transference of merits to the departed ones.

The sami who rescued the ants

2011-07-17T14:39:00.004+08:00

A little monk who is not old enough to become ordained is called a "sami".

Once, there is a little sami who studied Buddhism with a very wise Teacher. He was a very good student. He was respectful, sincere and obedient and had learned very quickly in his daily Buddhist studies.

The Teacher was so wise that he could foretell the future, where he knew from the beginning that this little student could not live very long. One day he counted and realized that the little student had only seven days left to live. He felt very sad upon his findings.

He later called the little sami and said to him, "little same, you haven't seen your mother for long time. I think you need a vacation. You run on home and visit your mother and come back eight days from now". He did this so at least the little sami could die in his own parents' house.

When the little sami left for home, the Teacher was very sad. He thought he would never again see his little student.

Eight days later, the little sami suddenly show up and his Teacher was so delighted but he was also puzzled because this little student looked wonderful. He didn't look like someone who had been about to die.

Finally, the Teacher decided to find out what had happened. He told the boy that he had foretold the future many times but had never being wrong. "I send you home because you are doomed to die within seven days but the seven days had already passed, not only you are still alive, but you also looked great. The death image has left you. How did you do this?" asked the Teacher.

The little sami was so shock upon hearing this from his Teacher and he didn't have any idea how to answer his Teacher. So, the Teacher entered the settled state of meditation. Before long, he understood.

The Teacher then began to ask, "son, on the way home did you save some ants?" The little monk answered, "yes, Teacher, on the way home I saw a whole bunch of ants trapped by some water. They were about to drown, so I managed to get a piece of wood and rescued them all".

"That's it then. Your kind heart has earned you a long life". The wise old man said, "saving one life earns more merit than building a temple, a pagoda of seven stories, you had save hundreds of lives, therefore you will live a very long time".

"You have earned a good fortune, but you still have to keep working hard to save living creatures. Spread the message of the Buddha, teach all people to be compassionate, tell everyone not to kill living creatures. Let all animals live in peace", the Teacher added.

The little sami never forgot his Teacher's words and advice. He worked very hard and later became a great respected monk. He lived for a very long time.

The Giving of Fearlessness

2011-07-16T21:08:00.003+08:00

Another way we can give is to relieve the worries and fears of others. A friend told me of an incident that had occurred in her home. A caring woman with an excellent sense of humor, she does draw the lone at some things. Upon walking into her bathroom, she saw a large python on the floor. Having good reflexes, she drew the line and firmly closed the door.

Knowing that she was not at risk, her immediate thought was for her elderly cat that could no longer move quickly. Jenny, who is a Buddhist by practice called her husband Rob, who is a Buddhist at heart. Rob look into the phone book and locate a snake catcher.

However, before the snake catcher was allowed to leave the premises with his catch, Rob thoughtfully queried the man: Was the snake okay? How would it be released and where? Would it be safe or would it subject to any risk? The snake catcher patiently explained that he would take it a considerable distance away before he would release it in a safer and more natural environment.

My two caring friends watched while the snake catcher carefully checked the python, then assured them that it had not suffered any from its capture and that it would be fine in a safer habitat.

How many of us would have taken the time, made the effort and gone to the expense that was involved in catching and saving the snake? This was a case of the giving of safety and of caring for the welfare of others, even when the other six-foot python. this is an ideal example of helping other beings feel safe around us because this offering of fearlessness and safety was not given to one being, the cat but also to all beings involved, including to that snake.

Every thought we have is instantly felt by all others throughout the universe, for we are all one, we are all inter-related. we just do not yet realize this because we have not experienced this oneness. In the above example of the sake, the thought was to protect one life without harming the other. That thought, of compassion and loving kindness was felt by all beings whether they were in the house with the snake or on the other side of the universe.

Many people who find themselves in this situation probably would have thought, "To protect my cat, I will have to kill the snake". But Jenny and Rob's thoughts did not come from the attachment to their cat or from their desire to protect what was theirs. Rather their thoughts arose spontaneously from the reverence held equally for all forms of life and their wish to provide security and safety.

When we too begin to give with compassion and understanding, we will gradually feel a sense of contentment and happiness. In time, we will be able to look at a treasured possession without feeling attached to it and think, " I know who would really like this". And in time, as our giving becomes more natural, we will find that more and more, our spontaneous giving is accompanied by fewer thoughts of what we have just done.

The Giving of Teaching

2011-07-10T21:22:00.005+08:00

We can also give by teaching. We may not have many objects to give. But most people are good at doing things that others are not, or may know things that others do not know. We can impart to others whatever skills and knowledge we have.

We do not need to have exceptional skills or special knowledge. We just teach others who wish to learn so that they too will acquire those skills or understanding.

when we see someone who is in need, perhaps of food or other basic necessities, we can first give them what they need to meet their immediate needs but then we can go a step further by finding ways to teach them what they need to know to become self-sufficient. This Way, they can also care for those they love and are responsible for.

In our teaching, however, we should not withhold any information, but continue teaching all that web know, as long as the person wishes to learn. If due to our selfishness, we decide not to teach the other to the best of our ability by sharing all that we know or perhaps due to self-interest, we decide that we have done enough and that the other person can figure out the rest himself, then we are not sincerely teaching.

Sincerity is the key. We may not know a lot but as long as we know something that others do not know, then we should openly and honestly share our skills and knowledge with them.

Even if we do not have possessions or knowledge to give, we can still be kind. We can still be respectful to others. We can still be considerate of all beings around us. We can help others to feel safe around us.

The Giving of One's Self and Possessions

2011-07-04T21:33:00.005+08:00

To counter react our craving, we can practice generosity. Think again of giving away that treasured possession. Do you think that you might miss it and wish that you had not given it away?

Ideally, when we give something to others, we want to do so without a lengthy analysis, including such thoughts as to whether or not we like the receivers of the gift or whether they may or may not deserve getting it. Upon seeing somebody needing an object that we have, we can simply offer the object to the person.

Genuine generosity is to spontaneously and unconditionally offer what we have when we believe that it will make the recipient happy. We do it without having a second or remorseful thoughts. After such giving, we strive to let go of the thought that we had given and that of the object given.

When we practice generosity, we can start out with something that is not a favorite item and from that we continue giving. We live in an affluent world and many of us have more than we need. We only need a modest amount of clothes to keep us comfortable and to protect us from inclement weather.

We only need a reasonable size of home. We can live very healthily on simple, wholesome foods, we really do not need a lot. Instead of clinging to every item that we have, we can practice generosity.

Initially, if we find generosity difficult, start by giving something that you have not used for a while, say a year or two. Doing so, most people will realize they do not have any regrets or feel sense of loss. On contrary, most of us will instead feel god because we have helped another person. We have given away an article of not much use to us and in doing so, helped someone else.

Eventually, we will unconditionally and spontaneously offer the things that we do use and treasure when we feel that the other persons needs it more than we do. Afterwards, if we happen to think about the object, we will still feel happy and glad that we had given it to another.

Even if the recipient use the item for only a short while, we will gradually accept that we have practiced genuine generosity and had made an offering of happiness. From the giving we can be contented. And even if they never use it again or pass it to another, we can remain happy knowing that we have begun to reduce our clinging, that we are one tiny step closer to severing all of our attachments, one tiny step closer to awakening to the innate goodness within each of us.

What about those who are unable to give possessions because they have very little? For those who may just have enough to provide food, shelter and basic necessities for their families, what can they do if there is nothing extra to give to others?

Not having excess material resources does not preclude us from giving, for we can also give our abilities and time. All forms of giving allow us to counteract our craving - this is just another way to do so. How many times has somebody asked us for help to do something? And how many times have we excused ourselves by saying that we were very tired, but in reality, we just wanted to stay home and relax, or maybe watch television?

And what if we had helped? How many of us had thought, "I wonder how soon I can leave. This work is very difficult and when I am finally finished, I am going to be exhausted and won't have time for myself. I wish I had stayed home".

This is a form of greed. This is the thinking that this body - our body is important, that keeping our body comfortable is important, perhaps more important than helping someone else.

To counteract this kind of greed, we can practice generosity, We all probably know excellent examples of people who do this, people whom we admire and whom we wish e were like. Upon seeing that somebody needs assistance, these people automatically help the other person. It just seems so natural for them to do so, an effortless act.

When we spend some time to think about it, we will realize this kind of person was probably even more than we did or wanted to and seemingly without getting tired or disgruntled. They looked happy doing exactly what they are doing, which was helping someone else. This is genuine generosity.

We too will be overcoming our greed when we can help others spontaneously. If we persevere, the day will arrive when we will be able to help people without waiting to be asked to do so, when we will just do it without any second thought. This practice takes time to develop, but gradually we will improve.

We can also practice giving when upon seeing somebody who is upset, we walk up and simply smile at them or say a few thoughtful words. Doing so, we instinctively provide them with what they need to feel better. And it might be at a moment when we ourselves, very honestly might not have felt smiling or being insightful and perhaps even felt like we were the ones needing a smile or kind words. but frankly, helping others will be more beneficial than being helped - always.

When we are able to give in this way, when we learn to give as caring and generous people give, we no longer feel tired. And even if we feel tired will no longer feel tired. And even if we feel tired when we begin helping, after a while we will find that giving makes us feel more alert, happy and energetic. We will no longer be worried by what had been troubling us before.

By concentrating on helping others, we will no longer be upset by negative feelings that seem to be constantly bombarding us. This is the result of sincerely giving to others.

Happiness follows the doer of good

2011-06-19T20:49:00.004+08:00

While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Mattakundali, a young Brahmin.

Mattakundali was a young Brahmin, whose father, Adinnapubbaka was very misery and never gave anything in charity. Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by himself to save payment for the workmanship.

When his son fell ill one day, no physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on the veranda, so that people coming into his house would not see his possessions.

On that morning, the Buddha arising from his deep meditation of compassion, saw in his Net of knowledge, Mattakundali lying on the veranda. So when entering Savatthi for alms-food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the Brahmin Adinnapubbaka.

The Buddha send forth a ray of light to attact attention of the youth, who was facing the interior of the house. The young man saw the Buddha and he was very weak where he could only Profess His Faith Mentally, but that was not enough.

When he passed away, his Heart in Devotion To the Buddha, he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial heavenly world.

From his celestial abode, the young Mattakundali upon seeing his father mourning over his death at the cemetery, appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his rebirth in Tavatimsa heavenly world and also urged him to approach and invite the Buddha to a meal.

At the house of Adinnapubbaka, the question of whether one could or could not be reborn in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the moral precepts, was brought up.

So the Buddha invited Mattakundali to appear in person; Mattakundali then appeared in his celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa realm. Only then, the listeners became convinced that the son of Brahmin Adinnapubbaka, by Simply Devoting His Mind To the Buddha had attained much glory.

Fruits of Attainment

2011-06-16T21:15:00.003+08:00

Buddhism exists and aims for the Enlightenment of one and all. Therefore, Buddhahood or Supreme Enlightenment is the ultimate goal of a Buddhist. Simply put, it is the achievement of True Happiness.

Very broadly summarized, the level of spiritual attainment as stages towards Supreme Enlightenment include the following.

Arahanthood

One can aspire to attain Arahanthood (Arahantship), becoming an Arahant (Arahat). An Arahant is one who has attained the bliss and enlightenment of Nirvana, achieving Freedom from Craving, Aversion and Ignorance (which cause all suffering), ending the cycle of birth and death for oneself.

Bodhisattvahood

An Arahant can also progress to attain Bodhisattvahood, becoming a Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is one who resolves, out of Compassion, to help all other living beings, along with oneself, to progress towards Supreme Enlightenment.

Though Bodhisattvas vow not to enter the bliss of Supreme Enlightenment before all others are released from suffering, they realize that only Buddhas, being supremely Enlightened have the perfect Compassion and Wisdom to best help others.

Thus they seek to attain Supreme Enlightenment but they do not remain in their own blissful state and forget about others. They manifest into various forms to skillfully guide others towards Enlightenment.

It is possible to begin the path towards Enlightenment by first having the Bodhisattva ideal instead of the Arahant ideal.

Buddhahood

With the perfection of Bodhisattvahood, one attains the Buddhahood, becoming a Buddha. A Buddha is the one who has attained Supreme Enlightenment, possessing perfect Wisdom and Compassion.

When a Buddha "passed away", He leaves His body and enters the perfect timeless bliss of Parinirvana. Out of Compassion, He can remanifest Himself indefinitely as Bodhisattavas or Buddhas to help others to realize Supreme Enlightenment.

Three Steps One Bow Ceremony

2011-06-11T21:22:00.003+08:00

In this ceremony, devotees usually line up before sunrise to meditatively cirumambulate the perimeter of the temple, bowing once every three steps, while chanting mantras or the name of the Buddha in praise of Him. Upon every prostration, the Buddha can be visualized standing upon one's open palms to receive the Buddha.

The open palms symbolize lotuses that denote blossoming of purity IThough the Lotus flower's roots are in the "mud of defilements", it blossoms pure and untainted from it). Every prostration is thus the paying respects to the Buddha (or the countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas).

This practice helps to purify the Mind, humble the ego and lessen obstacles along the spiritual path as one repents past misdeeds and aspires towards spiritual improvement. With mindfulness of one's body, speech and Mind during practice, concentration and calmness can be attained.

As the ceremony is long, it reminds one of the long and difficult journey towards Enlightenment but it also serves to remind us that as long as we are determined, all difficulties can be overcome.

Perseverance in completing the practice despite its difficulties also helps to strengthen our faith in the Buddha and His Teaching to lead us towards Enlightenment. The break of dawn at the end of the ceremony represents the light of Wisdom dispelling the darkness of Ignorance as one advances on the journey towards Enlightenment.

Light Transference Ceremony

2011-06-11T20:57:00.003+08:00

In this ceremony, devotees hold a lit candle after sunset as they pave around the perimeter of a temple, holy object or monument in walking meditation as they chant mantras or the Buddha's name in praise of Him.

The ceremony represents the passing of the light of wisdom (sharing of the Truth) to every direction of the world to dispel the darkness if Ignorance. On personal level, it has the significance of lighting up one's inner lamp of Wisdom.

The indefinite passing on of the light to countless others without one's own flame dying illustrates that Wisdom can be shared without loss on one's part. The burning of the wick with the melting of the candle reminds us of the impermanence and transience of all conditional things, including our own lives.

Reflecting so helps us to treasure every moment alive without attachment. Mindfulness is practiced in not letting the flame be extinguished. This is symbolic of the constant guarding of the Mind against negative factors detrimental to the spiritual life.

In this ceremony, it is most inspiring to see a single flame illuminate a sea of darkness into an ocean of lights that bring brightness to each other.

Other Buddhist Prayer Days and Events

2011-06-11T20:32:00.003+08:00

Upavasatha Days

On Upavasatha or new and full Moon days (the first and fifteen days of the lunar month), many Buddhist assemble in temples to meditate, make offerings, recite sermons and perform acts of veneration to the Triple Gem.

Many also take vegetarian meals on these days as they observe the Eight Precepts.

Ullambana Day

Ullambana is an expression of Buddhists' respect for their ancestors and their Compassion for all beings suffering in the realms of misery. The observance of Ullambana on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is based on the incident of Venerable Mogallana, a disciple of the Buddha who discovered through his meditative powers that his mother had been reborn in one of the realms of misery.

Distressed, he approached the Buddha for help, who then advised him to make offerings to the Sangha, as their merit of doing so would help to relieve the suffering of his mother and that of other beings in the realms of misery.

Making offerings to relieve the sufferings of departed and other beings in the realms of misery thus became a popular communal of observance.

Ullambana is observed by making offerings of necessities to the Order, reciting sermons and performing acts of charity. The merit from these deeds is then shared with all beings.

Wesak Day

2011-06-11T16:15:00.002+08:00

Wesak Day is the most important event of the year for the Buddhist community. It commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and Final Nirvana of the Buddha on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month.

This occasion is observed by millions of Buddhist throughout the world. It is a festival for rejoice and goodwill to all. It is also an occasion for reflection of our own personal spiritual development.

For some Buddhist, the observance of Wesak begins early in the morning when they assemble at temples to observe the Eight Precepts. Others may join the communal observances by going through the ceremony of taking the Threefold Refuge, observing the Five Precepts, making offerings at shrines and chanting. They may also participate in processions and circumambulation and listen to sermons of the Buddha's Teachings.

In some temples or centres, Buddhist take part in ceremonial bathing of an image of baby Prince Siddhartha (The Buddha when he was a Prince), place in a basin of perfumed water strewn with flowers. The perfumed water is scooped with a ladle and poured over the statue. This symbolizes the purification of one's unwholesome deeds with wholesome deeds.

Many Buddhist are also taking vegetarian meals on this day as they recall the teaching of the universal Compassion. On this day, temples and centres are colourfully decorated with Buddhist flags and lights and shrines are filled with flowers, fruits and other offerings.

Mantra recitation and paying homage

2011-06-11T15:54:00.002+08:00

Mantras are short sacred phrases or syllables that symbolizes certain teachings or qualities like the six-syllabled mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" which symbolizes Compassion, representing Truth in its various aspects may be recited.

Chanting mantras helps to bring the Mind to Peace and Calmness while purifying it. Each specific mantra can help bring about certain positive characteristics in the Mind such as Compassion, Wisdom and Courage.

Homage to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

Homage to the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas e.g. Namo amituofo or Homage to Amitabha Buddha and Namo Daci Dabei Guanshiyin Pusa or Homage to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, can be chanted single mindedly to recall and invoke in oneself the virtues and qualities they personify.

Doing so helps to remind us that we too can attain perfection in various qualities like them.

Chanting

2011-06-04T22:38:00.002+08:00

Chanting or Puja is a melodious way of reading as one reflects upon the Buddha's teachings. Besides aiding memorization, chanting in a soothing tune has a calming effect on both the reciter and the hearer.

Chanting should be done solemnly with mindfulness and energy. Like meditation, chanting helps one to concentrate and develop a peaceful state of Mind.

Words of the Buddha may also be recited in mindfulness of the Triple Gem in times of fear or disturbance, whether arising from external source or from oneself, so that such disturbances can be overcome.

This is possible as the Triple Gem is free from all kinds of defilements and hindrances such as craving, aversion and ignorance. Chanting can be done in any language. Popular languages include Pali, Sanskrit (languages used during the Buddha's time), Chinese, Tibetan, Thai, English, etc.

Lay Buddhists often chant once in the morning and once in the evening. The purpose of Morning Puja is to remind oneself to be mindful of the chanted teachings throughout the day. The purpose of the Evening Puja is to reflect whether one had upheld during the day what one had resolved to in the morning.

Though the choice of what is chanted varies from tradition to tradition, some of the general contents include: Going for Refuge, the Five Precepts, Praise to the Triple Gem, Sutras, Mantras, Homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Confession of Faults, Rejoicing in Merit and Sharing of Merits.

Various Kinds of Offerings

2011-06-04T22:07:00.006+08:00

Offering of Lights

The offering of light reminds us of the illuminating brightness of Wisdom which dispels the darkness of Ignorance on the path towards Enlightenment. This urges us to seek the light of ultimate Wisdom.

Reverencing the Buddha, we offer candles and lamps:

To Him, who is the light, we offer light.

From His great lamp, a lamp we light within us:

The lamp of Bodhi (awakening) shining within our hearts.

Offering of Flowers

The offering of fresh and beautiful flowers which soon becomes withered, scentless and discoloured serves as a reminder of the impermanence of all things, including our very lives. This urges us to treasure every moment of our life while not becoming attached to it.

Reverencing the Buddha, we offer flowers:

Flowers that today are fresh and sweetly blooming,

Flowers that tomorrow are faded and fallen.

Our bodies too, like flowers will also pass away.

Offering of Incense

The offering of fragrant burning incense which fills the air symbolizes the virtue and purifying effect of wholesome conduct. This urges us to cease all evil and to cultivate all of the good.

Reverencing the Buddha, we offer incense:

Incense whose fragrance pervades the air.

The fragrance of the perfect life, sweeter than incense,

Spreads in all directions throughout the world.

Offering of Water

The offering of water symbolizes Purity, Clarity and Calmness. This urges us to cultivate our body, speech and Mind to attain these qualities.

Offering of Fruits

Fruits symbolizes the fruits of spiritual attainment that lead towards the ultimate fruit of Enlightenment, which is the goal of all Buddhists. This urges us to strive towards the Enlightenment for one and all of us.

Dharma Talk on "Karma or Cause and Effect"

2011-06-03T22:07:00.004+08:00

Sunday, June 5 · 8:30pm - 10:30pm
Venue: NGEDON TENGYE LING BUDDHIST SOCIETY at 39 Persiaran Medan Bercham 3, Pusat Bandar Baru Bercham, 31400, Ipoh, Perak.

About the Dharma Master

Khenpo Yeshi was born into a noble family in Kham, East Tibet in 1969. From early childhood, he showed a deep interest in the study of Dharma. Tibetan Dzogchen master, H.E. Lungdok Rinpoche, as well as H.E. Khenpo Könchok Gyaltsen took a personal interest in guiding young Yeshi and, at the age of thirteen, he was granted empowerments, transmissions and oral instructions in the cycle of sNying thig.

Arriving in South India at nineteen, Khenpo Yeshi went to Sera Monastery. He continued to excel in his academic studies, ascending to the top of his Shedra classes. Later, he entered Dzogchen Monastery in order to complete his studies in both the Sutra and Tantra trainings.

Over the years, Khenpo Yeshi studied closely with more than two dozen eminent Khenpos, including H.E. Khenchen Meiwa Tubten Rinpoche and H.E. Khenchen Pema Tsewang Rinpoche. Moreover, he received empowerments, transmissions, and oral instructions of both kama and terma of the Nyingma tradition from such renowned high Lamas as His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, H.E. Dodrupchen Rinpoche, H.E. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche and H.H. Khathok Moktsa Rinpoche.

In 1992 Khenpo Yeshi traveled to Changchub Ling at Dera Dun, India, where he received teachings, transmissions, and empowerments of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage from His Holness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang Rinpoche, Khenchen Könchok Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Togden Rinpoche and many other great teachers and masters of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage.

At the completion of his academic Buddhist studies, Khenpo Yeshi traveled to Nepal to undertake an intensive three-year meditative retreat under the guidance of the renowned Dzogchen master, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. At that time, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche granted Khenpo Yeshi special dzogchen teachings and personal instructions, placing him in retreat at Asura Cave Retreat Center in Pharping, south of Kathmandu.

Upon completion of his retreat in 1997, H.E. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche invited Khenpo Yeshi to teach at the monastery's Shedra (program of advanced Buddhist studies). In 1989, Khenpo Yeshi received teachings and empowerments from H.E. Garchen Rinpoche in Nepal. In 2001, Khenpo Yeshi participated in his 45-day Yamataka Retreat in Arizona's Garchen Institute. While in America, Khenpo Yeshi received further personal teachings from H.E. Garchen Rinpoche.

In December 2001, Khenpo Yeshi arrived in the United States. Since that time, he has participated in retreats at Lama Tharchin's Dharma center, Pema Oser Ling, in Santa Cruz, California and at Garchen Rinpoche's summer retreats held in Arizona. He continues to instruct students both from Asia and America and currently attends university classes, studying English grammar and composition. He currently resides at Gyatrul Rinpoche's Dharma center, Orgyen Dorje Den, in Alameda, California.

Buddhist Rituals

2011-06-03T21:30:00.007+08:00

Buddhism in practice is more colourful than just learning about the Buddha's life and his teachings. It includes many observances, some of which are common to all Buddhist while the other characteristic of a particular culture or country.

As we are beings of both reason and emotion, devotional rituals are important in helping us emotionally connect to the Buddha and his teachings. Rituals can bring meaningful solemnity into practice, helping us to focus and attain calmness.

These should be done out of sincere faith, not fear or superstition.

Shrine

The shrine found in Buddhist homes or temples is a focal point of Buddhist observance dedicated to the Triple Gem. The Buddha image in the center of the shrine represents and remind us of the Buddha and the ideal of Enlightenment and its perfect qualities of Wisdom and Compassion among many others.

It helps to inspire us as we recall the greatness of the Buddha and his teachings. The shrine may also include other objects such as volume of Buddhist scriptures to represent the Dharma. Some shrines may include pictures or photographs of Buddhist monks and nuns to represent the Sangha.

When a Buddhist stands before the shrine, the objects he sees on it help him to recall the qualities that are found in the Triple Gem. This inspires him to work towards cultivating these qualities in himself.

Bowing

Prostration before an image of the Buddha is not idol-worshiping, it is an expression of deep veneration. It acknowledges that the Buddha has attained perfect and supreme enlightenment. Such an act helps one to overcome egoistic feelings to become more ready to learn from the Buddha.

Placing Palms Together

Placing one's palms together at chest level is a traditional gesture to express reverence to the Triple Gem. When Buddhists greet one another, they hold their palms together like a budding Lotus flower, bow slightly and say silently "A Lotus (the symbol of purity in Buddhism) for you, a Buddha to be."

This greeting acknowledges the seed of awakening or Buddhahood within the other person as we wish him well-being and happiness. Placing the palms together also has a focusing and calming effect on the mind.

Circumambulation

Circumambulation is the act of going round an object of veneration, such as a stupa (a monument in structure which houses holy relics of the Buddha or renowned Sangha masters), a Bodhi tree (the tree that the Buddha sat under for shelter when he attained enlightenment) or a Buddha image for three or more time as a gesture of respect.

It is done by walking meditatively in a clockwise direction, keeping one's right towards the object of veneration.

Offerings

Making shrine offerings is an act of devotion which expresses appreciation and veneration to the Triple Gem. Each item of offering has its significance.

Ven. Theg Chog Rinpoche in Butterworth

2011-05-29T22:04:00.011+08:00

Venerable Theg Chog Rinpoche was in Palme Gon Buddhist Society in Bagan Lallang, Butterworth from 28th to 29 May 2011 to conduct series of rituals, fire offerings, mantra chanting and animal liberation.

Wesak Day in Shah Alam Buddhist Society, Selangor

2011-05-19T21:27:00.008+08:00

During the recent Wesak Day celebration on 17 May 2011, I had visited the Shah Alam Buddhist Society in Bukit Rimau, Shah Alam, Selangor to pay homage to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

During my visit at the Shah Alam Buddhist Society, many Buddhist devotees and well-wishers came over on that day to pay homage to the Buddha in conjunction of the Wesak Day. Numerous activities were organize such as bathing the Buddha, floral offerings, candle lighting and offering, free distribution of Buddhist books, magazines and booklets.

The Magic of Emptiness

2011-05-11T21:06:00.002+08:00

Things are entirely what they appear to be and behind them... there is nothing.

Before us is everything but behind everything is nothing substantial (as all is constant change). But everything here is indeed here! And the "nothing" that is behind them is here at the same place and time too.

Everything is same in the sense that all are equally empty. However, everything is distinctly different as they manifest in countless forms. "Everything" also refers to all of one's possession, family, health, wealth, fame, etc.

As in the river analogy, the river is both here and not here in the same place and time. This applies to everything. The whole wide world that we know is "real yet unreal" at the same time. It is the ultimate "magic trick" that the unenlightened fails to see and be amazed at.

Benefits of Realizing Emptiness

Our ignorance is seeing the illusory as being too real where we see the constantly changing as unchanging and become attached to the unsubstantial. Ignorance of not seeing the unreality of the self creates suffering, centering around our false sense of self.

There is no hint of a fixed self in anything physical or mental. There is no "I, you, my, yours..." When self is realized to be empty and unreal, all opposing differences disappear - all are seen just as they are in their naked reality without empty labels, judgments or prejudice.

Being able to apply emptiness in daily life brings unlimited ease and happiness as one becomes free of burden of attachment. Realizing emptiness is to attain the wisdom of selflessness (to see he non-self of everything).

The functioning of selflessness is compassion. Thus, true wisdom is compassionate and true compassion is wise - they are interdependently connected. Both perfection of wisdom and compassion form the twin peaks of spiritual cultivation or enlightenment.

As we familiarize ourselves with emptiness, we gradually open our minds and free ourselves from the bonds of ignorance that misconceives reality. In time, we will eliminate all ignorance, agent, attachment, pride, jealousy and other disturbing attitudes from our mind.

By doing so, we cease to create destructive action motivated by them and we will thus be freed from all problems. In other words, realizing emptiness brings true happiness.

As a summary, a practical application of Emptiness in everyday life would be:

To Treasure Everything (in this moment) as All is Transient,

To Be Unattached to Everything (in this moment) as All is Transient.

Emptiness is not nothingness

2011-05-11T20:57:00.002+08:00

Emptiness does not mean physical or mental nothingness - it is the law of total openness and infinite possibilities. Emptiness is like the vast clear sky that allows clouds, birds, planes, etc to come in and go by, allowing infinite phenomena to occur within it.

Emptiness is this infinitely more than everything that the unenlightened can perceive. It is because of emptiness that everything including ourselves can continually change for the better. Anything can transform into something else when the right combination of causes and conditions is present.

Similarly, anyone can become enlightened if one cultivates spiritually. Emptiness is thus teaching full of hope.

Emptiness of Mind and Matter

Emptiness applies to all physical entities. Much more subtly, it applies to all mental entities (mindstates).

All physical entities upon closer inspection are unceasing fluctuations of molecules, of atoms, of electrons, neutrons and protons, of particles, of sub-atomic particles of ... energy. All is only infinite manifestation of energy.

All mental entities upon closer inspection are only processes that change subtly all of the time. For example, we know we have thoughts, but how subtly each thought flows to another and another is most unnoticeable to the untrained mind.

Methods for facing affliction

2011-04-24T21:06:00.003+08:00

How can we face our problems? We must tell ourselves that everything happens does so for a reason. We don't need to delve exhaustively into the reasons. There's no time for that. Facing and improving the situation is most direct and most important.

Many people say, "I am a good person. Why do I suffer so many hardships?" We need to be aware that with a material body comes karmic retribution and with that comes obstacles. If there is earth with its land, mountains and rivers, there will be sky with its winds, rains, clouds and fog.

Even great practitioners suffer karmic retributions. For instance, the Buddha's toe was struck and hurt by a large rock and he encountered serious illness. However, karmic retribution and obstacles do not necessarily have to lead to affliction. This is where the difference between ordinary people and great practitioners lies.

When ordinary people suffer due to the things they encounter, they lose faith and given up hope. Great practitioners can let go of the self and remain unobstructed by affliction. We follow the Buddha's path in order to emulate his wisdom. In this way, we can discern the causes of affliction and face them, accept them, deal with them and let them go.

Karma must manifest in accordance with conditions. In any circumstances, if you can improve the situation, then do so. If you cannot, then face and accept it. Do not avoid it but strive to improve it. Avoiding responsibility, avoiding karmic retribution is not worth the cost. Trying to improve the situation is the smartest thing to do.

The things you have planned are not necessarily always reliable. Unintended things will occur and when this happens, accept it and then try to find way to deal with it, for this is just the way conditions are.

So, if problems occur in the course of you plans, there is no need to become sad or disappointed. Continue to work diligently to bring conditions to fruition, for the opportunities for success are still there.

If after careful consideration, you decide that the conditions cannot possibly reach fruition, then the only thing to do is to let it go. This is clearly different from giving up without making an effort.

Is it within my ability? Is it proper?

2011-03-19T22:45:00.002+08:00

Ability means that, within the scope of your ability, you may work hard to obtain things you need, but if your ability is not sufficient, you should yield to those whose ability is and not insist.

There are many things in life that lead people to feel strong envy and craving, including fame, fortune, power, status and love. When you wish to obtain them, however, you must think carefully. Are my abilities and contributions sufficient to make me deserving of them? Are the conditions such that it can be obtained readily or is it forced?

If your contributions and abilities are insufficient and the conditions are not ripe, yet you still hope to gain it, this is craving things you do not deserve. This will only increase your pain and the harm done to you.

Turning to propriety, if we look at it based on the phrase popular with young people today, if it feels good, do it!, then we will not be able to distinguish between what is and is not proper to desire.

Most people's desires are endless. They like and want so many things. They should ask themselves: should I like these things? Should I try to obtain them? For instance, everyone likes fame, status, wealth and power, but undeserved fame is only facade, undeserved wealth is simply ill-gotten gains, undeserved status is just an act. It is improper to pursue such things. Of course if one is deserving, then obtaining it is not only blameworthy, it encourages one to make oneself still more deserving.

Actually, in our daily lives, the things we need are not many, yet the things we want are many indeed. The things we need are proper to desire. The things we merely want are unimportant.

Our starting point should be protecting the spiritual environment. On the one side, we should protect our mind from being polluted by environment and increase our immunity to such pollution. On the other hand, we should not give rise to negative states of mind such as jealousy, anger, suspicion and selfishness, which make the environment even worse.

By becoming aware of each subtle movement of our own mind, we become clearly aware of our needs and can resolve our our wants. If we all clearly understand these four criteria of for dealing with desire in the course of our life, then we will have a clear sense of direction and be able to lie peacefully.

Our needs are few, our desires are too many

2011-03-19T16:59:00.002+08:00

What is need? It is the things that you cannot live without, such as sunlight, air, moisture, a minimum of food, cloths to fend off the cold, a house to shelter you from the wind and the rain. In our time, basic transportation, computers and telephones have become needs too. Having these necessities is not indulgence.

What is indulgence? It is those luxuries and adornments beyond what is necessary. It is things that only serve to satisfy your vanity or to keep up appearances. Nevertheless, in certain situations and in accordance one's position, one must have a certain level of elegance in order to suit the occasion. That can be counted as a need, but one must have a sense of propriety.

The things we truly need in life are really quite few. From subjective perspective, however, one might really feel that without a certain thing, his life will be empty, forlorn and meaningless. This is a personal value judgment.

So, looking solely at need, we find that the definition is very hazy. When we are considering the difference between need and want, we should do so from a subjective standpoint as well as from an overall, objective standpoint.

Cultivating Peaceful Activity lies in being Honest and Upright

2011-03-19T14:44:00.002+08:00

When most people think of cultivating peaceful activity, they probably think of their professional activity, their job and its stability and security.

However, if we take purity and diligence of all three types of activity mental, verbal and physical as the scope of activity, then both personal and professional activity are included.

We should pay attention to our behavior and be moderate in our deeds, words and thoughts. We should not act rashly or blindly be without standards, talk foolishly or say whatever comes to mind. We also should not be indecisive or change our mind constantly. This is a kind of cultivation we have to maintain in our daily lives.

It is a platitude that one should work diligently and harmoniously, yet it is not easily done. Even if normally you do everything successfully and just as you would wish, one day when you encounter some setback, dilemma or difficult problems you may have doubts regarding your work, who is it you are working so hard for anyway? If these sorts of thoughts arise, you are no longer working diligently and harmoniously.

Working diligently means taking one's work responsibilities seriously. Diligence is working hard without cease and throwing oneself wholeheartedly in one's work. If you have an attitude of holding back on your abilities or your mental and physical energy, then you are not working diligently.

In taking any action, one should consider the action based on the principle of benefiting others benefits oneself. Do not pursue your own benefit but rather work diligently for the benefit of others, giving thought and consideration to both their long-term and immediate benefit.

Whether at home, at work or in any other context, if you can look at things with this attitude, we believe that you will have good relations with others and enjoy their support.

Ven Hai Tao's Dharma Programme in Butterworth

2011-03-18T21:22:00.005+08:00

Ven Hai Tao conducting the prayer ceremony

Ven Chuen Hei joined Ven Hao Tao on the prayer ceremony

Ven Chuen Hei gave his Dharma talk to the devotees

Offerings on the prayer altar

Fire Puja in the afternoon

Fire Puja at night

Ven Hai Tao and Ven Chuen Hei conduct the final prayer ceremony

Venerables Hai Tao and Chuen Hei were invited by the Palme Gon Buddhist Society on 17 March 2011 to conduct a mass prayer ceremony in conjunction of upcoming Ching Ming Festival at Jalan Bagan Lallang, Butterworth.

Numerous activities were organized in the programme on that day which includes Lighting and Offering of Long Life Lamps; Changchog Prayers for the deceased parents, ancestors, wondering spirits, Karmic debtors, Animal Liberation and Food Offerings.

Hundreds of devotees from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sungai Petani participated in the one day event.

A word of thanks to both Venerable Hai Tao and Chuen Hei for their continuous meritorious service to our people and our departed relatives.

Cultivating a peaceful family lies in love and respect

2011-03-05T21:17:00.004+08:00

The family's warmth lies in loving and respecting one another. Its preciousness lies in helping one another. Helping one another means making sure those who need help receive it.

When helping someone, you shouldn't become swollen with pride and think that you are some benefactor that the person you have helped should thank.

Instead, you should feel grateful and thank the person you have helped for the opportunity to contribute and grow through serving others. The essence of a peaceful home is respecting one another, learning from one another and being understanding of one another.

It is caring for each other, being grateful to each other and giving to each other. Simply making arrangements for your family on the material level does not count as cultivating a peaceful family.

To truly cultivate a peaceful family is to enable each member of the family to reach his or her potential and play his or her part.

Cultivating Peace: Mind and Body

2011-02-26T17:29:00.003+08:00

Cultivating a Peaceful Mind lies in Having Few Desires.

Having few desires and knowing contentment means to have no intense desire or insatiable greed and thus be able to cultivate a peaceful mind. Bringing peace to the minds of others is the activity and compassionate vow of a bodhisattva.

One should make a compassionate vow to benefit others and work for their welfare and not just stop at having few desires and feeling contentment. Otherwise, it is not only insufficiently active and positive, it may even become negative and passive.

Superior people cultivate a peaceful mind through the path. They give rise to bodhi mind and cultivate the bodhisattva path. Middling people cultivate a peaceful mind through activity. If given an appropriate amount of work to keep them busy, they won't go looking for trouble or make trouble for others.

Inferior people seek peace of mind through the pursuit of fame, fortune and material desires. We hope that everyone can at least cultivate peace of mind through activity and not be the inferior type who seeks it in fame and fortune.

Cultivating a Peaceful Body lies in Hard Work and Thrift.

People should work, but work is not all there is to life. Life is not just working for material wealth, still less for laboring for satisfaction of material desires. One should work for the sake of one's mental and physical health and opportunity to render services gratefully to others.

Besides a healthy body and peaceful mind, diligence and hard work usually also bring material remuneration. After receiving remuneration, however one should use it in moderation, lest in seeking to satisfy material desires one should engage in mentally and physical unhealthy actions.

Put another way, after hard work ought to come thrift. The principles of hard work and thrift are the key to physical health. Thrift will also result in many benefits that you can pas on to others.

If you do so, you will become someone that everyone likes and admires.

Meaning of the Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance

2011-02-26T16:28:00.002+08:00

Actually, the methods of Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance are not new. They have been around even during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. When the Buddha manifested in the world to preach Dharma, his primary audience were human beings.

His aim was ti imbed te Darma widely in people's lives, allowing them to awaken from ignorance and thus resolve their predicaments and uncover the original radiance of the mind ground-to-innate wisdom or powers of the mind.

By applying the Dharma in their lives, people could moderate and subdue their afflictions and habits and ceaselessly build within their mind a clear and cool pure land.

Spiritual refers to the mind and ideas. The Buddhadharma is a teaching of the mind. The mind itself is a kind of wisdom. In part of this wisdom is innate; in part, acquired. Put another way, the preconditions are innate and to them nurturing and development are added.

If people have difficulty accepting nurturing and development, it is because they are unwilling to change.

People's views are formed slowly beginning when they are very young. In their childhood years, people gradually establish their own ways of thinking about the world but these ways of thinking are not yet mature.

After reaching adulthood, they gradually form mature views, which become individual opinions and ideas. The views that a person already has are not unchangeable. This is particularly true when a person has encountered some suffering, dilemma, or disaster that they cannot resolve.

In such a situation, if someone tells him about idea that helps him to solve his problem, he may change his previous views and accept the new idea. Counseling from psychologist, guidance from religious teachers and spiritual conversation with family or friends can all have its function of helping people to find methods of adapting to their environment and interacting harmoniously with others.

Emptiness and the Middle Way

2011-01-17T21:15:00.004+08:00

The above two aspects of Emptiness should be realized together as they balance to show the Middle Way beyond all extremes.

Realizing the first aspect of Emptiness without the second can lead one to be greedy and selfish-falsely, believing that all pleasures and material things are "real" and lasting. Realizing the second aspect without the first can lead one to be pessimistic, passive or immoral, falsely believing that nothing is worth striving for as everything is hollow and meaningless.

It is therefore very important to see both of these aspects together in order to function with Wisdom in a balanced way in everyday life. One should learn to perceive everything as they are while knowing the true nature of their existence.

One who realizes Emptiness is able to live positively with great ease and freedom, treasuring everything without attachment.

Emptiness is not Nothingness

Emptiness does not mean physically or mentally nothing or nothingness - it is the law of total openness and infinite possibilities. Emptiness, is like the vast clear sky that allows clouds, birds, planes, etc to come in and go by, allowing infinite phenomena to occur within it.

Emptiness is thus infinitely more than everything that the unenlightened can perceive. It is because Emptiness that everything, including ourselves, can continually change for the better.

Anything can transform into something else when the right combination of causes and conditions are present. Similarly, anyone can become Enlightened if one cultivates spiritually. Emptiness is thus a teaching full of hope.

Emptiness

2011-01-17T18:16:00.004+08:00

Emptiness (Sunyata in Sanskrit) being one of the most profound truth in Buddhism, is often misunderstood. Sunyata is at best, though not ideally translated in English, as Emptiness. Though this might seem vague it is a very practical truth helpful to us in everyday life.

Examples of Emptiness

An analogy to explain Sunyata is a river. A river does not truly exist on its own as it consists of many streams of water coming and going, that make up its substance. Each of these streams is just unsubstantial, each consisting of smaller and smaller streams within it as substance.

There is not substantial or real river - there is only the flowing. We say that the river is empty of a real fixed nature - exhibiting Emptiness. Everything in the Universe (all physical and mental phenomena) exhibits characteristics of Emptiness.

Another example is a waterfall. A waterfall seen from a distance appears like a shiny solid sheet in one complete piece. But upon closer inspection, we see clearly that the piece is only a continuous flowing stream of water.

There is essentially no fixed waterfall - there is only water falling.

The Two Sides of Emptiness

Here is a useful maxim to remember the core concept of Sunyata by:

Sunyata Affirms the Existence of Existence Sunyata Negates the Sel-nature of Existence

This means that Emptiness does not deny existence of each and every thing but it denies the existence of a fixed unchanging self behind each and every thing.

Using the river again as an example, we can say that river (made up of many small streams) exist dependently or conditionally on the streams - this illustrates the first aspect of the above maxim.

Because the river flows on and on (keeps changing), we say that the river does not exist independently or unconditionally (as it has no unchanging identity or self) - this illustrates the second aspect of the maxim.

Dependent Origination and Relativity

2011-01-17T17:52:00.002+08:00

The Law of Dependent Origination is a realistic way of understanding the Universe. The fact that everything is nothing more than a set of complex relations is consistent with modern scientific views (such as Einstein's Theory of Relativity and the Quantum Theory).

Since everything is conditioned, relative and interdependent, there is nothing in this world which can be regarded as permanent entity with a permanent identity. Things are what they are and only in relation to other things.

For example, one is not independently or by nature a father - he becomes a father because of his relation to his son. A man who is a father to this son is also a son to his father. His identity is relative and depends upon his relation to another person.

Terms like long and short, high and low, father and son, etc are relative and only make sense in relation to other things. Relativity means that because each thing does not exist independently, it does not have an unchanging nature of its own with any inherent meaning.

The world is built on a set of interlinking relations but normally, we create false pictures of its permanency in our minds because of our ignorance and craving. For example, it is almost natural or desirable and to reject what is ugly and undesirable.

Being subjected to the forces of craving (greed) and aversion (hatred), we are misled by ignorance. We do not realize that it is in reality unreal. It is like a ball of fire, which when whirled around rapidly, can for a time, create the illusion of solid circle of light.

Dependent Origination

2011-01-17T17:20:00.003+08:00

The Buddha often teaches in terms of Dependent Origination. Through the understanding of Dependent Origination, the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

He said "Deep indeed Dependent Origination. It is by not realizing this principle that all have become entangled like a ball of thread, unable to stop suffering and rebirth."

The Law of Dependent Origination

The basis of Dependent Origination is that life and the world is built on sets of relations, in which the arising and cessation of factors depend on some other factors which condition them:

When this is, that is This arising, that arises When this is not, that is not This ceasing, that ceases

"This" + Certain Causes + Certain Conditions = "That"

On this principle of interdependence and relativity rest the arising, continuity and cessation of existence. This is called the Law of Dependent Origination. It emphasizes that all phenomena in the Universe are relatively conditioned states and do not arise independently of supportive conditions.

A phenomena arises because combination of conditions are present to support its arising. And the phenomenon will cease when the conditions and components supporting its arising change and no longer sustain it.

The presence of these supportive conditions, in turn depends on other factors for their arising, sustenance, disappearance and possible re-arising. In this sense, all things are empty (have the characteristics of Emptiness) of an independent self-nature.

This law also explain how Rebirth occurs.

An example of Dependent Origination

To illustrate the nature of Dependent Origination of the things around us, consider an oil lamp. The flame in an oil lamp burns dependent upon the air, oil, heat and wick.

When all these are present, the flame burns. If one of these elements is absent, the flame will cease to burn. Thus, all phenomena arise dependently upon a number of causal factors and not independently.

This is the principle of Dependent Origination.

Equanimity

2011-01-09T21:22:00.003+08:00

Equanimity is the attitude of regarding all sentient beings as equals, irrespective or their present relationship of oneself. While equanimity counters clinging (craving) and aversion, it is not cold or indifferent - it is love that is impartial and without prejudice.

When a grown up son settles down with his own family, he begins to lead an independent life with responsibilities of his own. Although his mother still has her feelings of loving-kindness, compassion and appreciative joy towards him, they are now combined with a new feeling of Equanimity. She recognizes his new independent and responsible position in life and does not cling to him.

To become a sublime state of mind, the attitude of Equanimity has to be extended to all sentient beings. In order to do this, one needs to remember that one's relationship with one's relatives, friends and even enemies are the results of previous Karma.

Thus, one should not cling to relatives and friends while regarding others with indifference and hatred. Moreover, one's relatives and friends in this life may have been one's enemies in a past life and may again become enemies in the future, while one's enemies in this life may well have been one's relatives and friends in the past and may again become one's relatives and friends in the future.

Compassion and Appreciative Joy

2011-01-09T21:08:00.003+08:00

Compassion is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering. It is the intention and capacity to relieve and transform suffering and lighten sorrows while countering cruelty. When a mother, for example, sees her son seriously ill, she will naturally moved by compassion and earnestly wish and act such that he may be free from suffering and sickness.

In the same way, most people have experienced the feeling of compassion upon seeing the suffering of a relative, a schoolmate or even a pet. To become a sublime state of mind, compassion has to reach beyond the limited group of individuals or beings whom one loves or cares for.

Compassion has to be extended to all sentient beings in all the realms of existence before it becomes an immeasurable.

Appreciative Joy is the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings. It counters jealousy and makes people less self-centred.

Appreciative Joy may be experienced by a mother's joy at her son's success and happiness in life, in the same way, almost everyone will have at one time or another, experienced the feeling of joy at the good fortune of a friend. These are commonly experienced forms of Appreciative Joy.

When one meditates on Appreciative Joy and extends it to all sentient beings and not just to loved ones. Only then does one experiences Appreciative Joy as a sublime state of mind and as an immeasurable.

Loving-Kindness

2011-01-05T22:53:00.002+08:00

Loving-kindness is the wish that all sentient beings, without any exception, be happy. Loving-kindness counters ill will (aversion). The attitude of loving-kindness is like the feeling which a mother has for her newborn son or daughter. She wishes that he or she may enjoy good health, have good friends, be intelligent and successful in all that he or she attempts.

One may have the same attitude of loving-kindness for a particular friend or for others in one's class, companion, community or country.

The extent of loving-kindness in the instances mentioned above is limited to those for whom one has some attachment or concern. The meditation on loving-kindness, however, requires one to extend loving-kindness not only towards those whom one feels close to, but also to others whom one may know only slightly or not know at all.

Finally, one's loving-kindness is extended to all sentient beings in all the realms of existence. Then only does the ordinary wholesome attitude of loving-kindness found in daily life reach the state of sublime or the immeasurable.

Fortune Prayer of Prosperity God Mahakala

2010-12-07T20:17:00.003+08:00

The Association of Pureland Amitabha Buddhist, Ipoh will be holding an annual Fortune Prayer of Prosperity God Mahakala from 25 December to 26 December 2010 (Saturday and Sunday) from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm.

The event would be carried out at the association's premises situated at Taman Saikat, Ipoh, Perak and the two days prayer would also be personally hosted by Venerable Master Fa Xuan.

Event Programme:

9.00 am : Arrival of Participants

9.30 am to 4.00 pm :
1) Commencement of Assembly
2) Incantation, Purification Ceremony
3) Lamp Lighting Ceremony
4) Dharma Talk (in Cantonese)

4.00 pm to 4.30 pm : Fortune Prayer

4.30 pm : Lucky Draw (only on 26 Dec)

5.00 pm : End

For more information, and those who are interested to participate, please do not hesitate to contact the association's office telephone: 053113213, fax: 05-3113214.

Patti Dana (Sharing of Merit)

2010-11-18T18:25:00.004+08:00

Sharing of benefits of your good deeds to others is known as patti dana (patti - what you had gained and dana - sharing your merit). A donor with no doubt enjoy the benefits of his dana. The desire to share with others the merits gained is indeed magnanimous.

We all, ater doing a good deed, should proclaim, "all those who can hear me, come and share my merits. May you all gain as much benefits as I do," and share the benevolence gained. This is patti dana, which in itself is a separate good deed.

Caution: Some donors just verbally say, "come and share my merits" but have no sincere wish to do so. Such perfunctory sharing does not qualify as patti dana.

Once upon a time, a donor invited many people to his son's novitiation and gave lavish feast. The contributions (from invitees) did not cover the expenses of the feast, so he was left in debt. After the ceremony came the time to share merits. At that time, he was mentally calculating how much he would owe.

Somebody beside him reminded him to share merits. Oppressed by the thought of a heavy debt, he said, "I am dead broke," very loudly instead of saying, "come and share my merits."

Sharing merit does not lessen your due

When you have done a wholesome deed and share the merit gained, you might reason that your benefits will lessen. We must remember that merits are gained in accord with your cetana. When we give charity with a true goodwill, we have already done a good deed and for that we have already gain due merit.

So, when we share the merits gained to others, you gain additional benefit for your magnanimity. There is no reason your merits will be lessened.

The sharing of merit is like kindling oil lamps with a lighted lamp. The first oil lamp is of course lighted by striking a match. But this first lamp can be used to kindle many other lamps; the luminosity of the first lamp will in no way be diminished regardless of how many more lamps are kindled.

The combined brightness of all the lamps will be many times more radiant. sharing merits gained from sila kusala and bhavana kusala are also patti dana.

We cannot do without Dana

2010-11-17T23:13:00.005+08:00

One must not assume that what is said covers all the benefits of dana. To enumerate all benefits of dana would indeed require a separate treatise in itself. If a person discard dana according to the belief of some malicious quarters, sociable relations would cease and metta (loving kindness) will disappear.

The rich will no more be charitable to the destitute. They will cultivate and attitude of disregard and say "oh let them die" or "who cares?" Humanity without dana will in fact be very much uncivilized. And of course, uncivility of mind eventually leads to savagery in physical action.

The Bodhisatta attained Self-Enlightenment and became Tathagata after renouncing wealth, power and glory of the crown only with the help and support of numerous donors offering him alms food, etc. He was then able to preach his noble Dhamma and establish the holy Holy Order of Sangha to propagate his Sasana with the support of wealthy devotees like Anathapidika, Visakha, King Bimbisara and others.

If there had been no such generous donors, there never would have been the Buddha, let alone his Sasana. Not only our Gotama Buddha, but also countless previous Buddhas. The Buddhas would not have attained Omniscience if the world were void of dana.

It is not feasible to list completely the benefits you get by generosity, by giving charity. Had there be no dana, there also would be no Buddhas to show us the way to Nibbana. Bear in mind that the cream of the society, the luxurious celestial beings, all of them are attributable to their charity; the poor and the destitute are those without generosity.

Should you earnestly wish to escape from samsara, resort to dana.

Does Dana prolong samsara?

2010-11-13T22:13:00.004+08:00

Some have the wrong belied that dana prolongs samsara (cycle of rebirths). In the story of the two friends, we have seen that the one who gave charity was not late in attaining nibbana. Therefore, it is illogical to assert that dana prolongs samsara. In fact, the impurity of the mind of the donor responsible for the round of rebirths. One's lustful greed to enjoy the luxuries of humans and devas for the dana given causes one to linger in the cycle of samsara.

Some erroneously say that Buddha himself has to struggle loger in samsara because he cherishes dana in every existence. This is absolutely untrue. Due to dana parami (perfection of charity) an infinite number of Buddhas have attained supreme enlightenment while we all are still swimming along the stream of death and rebirths.

Can we attribute this to our danas which far exceed those of the Buddhas? The Bodhisatta Vessantara who gave charity in an unprecedented magnitude attained Buddhahood after only two existence. Therefore it is quite obvious that dana is not the cause of long sufferings in samsara.

We have now seen that dana does not lengthen samsara. Its is only our consciousness soiled with tanha (lust) that plays a great influence upon us and prolong the samsara. All Bodhisattas strive only for Sabbannuta Nana (Omniscient Wisdom) and they have to wander around in samsara until all essential paramis requisite for are being fulfilled.

They have to accumulate the wisdom deserving of a Buddha. An apt analogy would be a mango fruit. It will not ripen until and unless it is mature.

The Benefits of Dana

2010-11-10T22:48:00.003+08:00

The benefits of Dana need no elaboration. The good deed of feeding a small animal just once brings about long life, beauty, prosperity, strength and wisdom for the next one hundred existences. When reborn in human or deva world, due to his dana in this life, he outshines other beings.

In the time of Kassapa Buddha, there were two monks who were good friends. One of them was a generous donor while the other was not. Since both observed sila (precepts), they were reborn as human and deva up to the time of Gotama Buddha.

In each and every existence, the generous always excelled the other in status. In their final existence, they were both reborn as humans in the court of King Kosala.

The generous donor became a prince while the other became a son of a minister. While the prince slept in a golden cradle under the regal white umbrella, the other slept in a wooden cradle.

Although both attained Nibbana ultimately, the benefits they enjoyed in each existence were quite different.

Offerings to the Buddha

2010-11-07T21:32:00.003+08:00

During the time of Gotama Buddha, devotees were privileged to offer alms to the Buddha in person. But today, the Buddha is no more with us in person. So we have to learn from the text how to offer alms in devotion to the Buddha.

First you must prepare alms food enough for one bhikkhu and place it in front of a statue of the Buddha. If there happens to be no statue nearby, you can through reverence create a mental image of the Buddha and offer alms to that image. Then you must dedicate your cetana to the Buddha in person.

After such offering, the alms food may be given to a devotee who does voluntary service in keeping the pagoda precinct clean and tidy, whether he is lay or a bhikkhu. A voluntary worker who keeps uposatha sila (eight precepts) can eat the alms food before doing any service if the noon time is drawing near.

At the time of great ceremonious charity if one wishes to offer alms food to the Sangha led by the Buddha, the same procedure should be adopted to make offering of alms food to the Buddha.

In offering robes in devotion to the Buddha, the same attitude should be maintained. Monks who give voluntary service to pagodas are entitled to attire themselves in such robes. Care should be taken that offering of flowers, incense or joss sticks, bouquets and water at the pagoda should not become a mess in front of statues and images.

Your dana must be given in tidiness and you will get good results in this life and hereafter. Your future existences will also be clean and flawless.

How good results differ according to dana?

2010-11-07T21:21:00.004+08:00

Even if you offer alms to one, two or more bhikkhus, if you select them in personal terms, the dana becomes puggalika dana (charity meant for individuals). And if you do so, eventhough you offer alms to a thousand bhikkhus, you are only doing puggalika dana.

Except dana specially offered to Buddha and Paccekabuddhas, Sanghika Dana excels all other forms of dana. When we talk of Sanghika Dana, the Arahats are also included. In the case of puggalika dana, Arahats may or may not be included.

So, we can safely deduce that Sanghika Dana amounts to offering alms to the holiest bhikkhus whereas puggalika dana needs careful selection of the recipient bhikkhu.

It is quite logical to conclude that Sanghika Dana is much more powerful and much more beneficial than puggalika dana.

A golden opportunity to accumulate merit as it arrives only once a year

2010-10-19T21:36:00.003+08:00

The rain retreat of the monks (Vassa Kala) ends on the full moon day of October. During the Vassa retreat that lasted for three months, the monks serve the community of followers in various ways such as teaching the Dhamma and meditation, counselling and serving in many other ways.

The monks end the retreat by performing a Monastic Disciplinary Act (Vinaya Kamma) called the Pavarana. After this, the monks are free to leave the place where the retreat was held. Before they leave, it is the customs of the devotees to hold a farewell ceremony for the monks. This is called the Kathina ceremony.

During this ceremony, many gifts are offered to the monks as well as gifts for the upkeep of the monastery (Vihara). A very essential part of this ceremony is the offering of a special robe called the Kathina Civara, which is made in a special way through the contribution and collective effort of many devotees. This is also offered in a special way by carrying the Kathina Robe in a parade (Perahera).

Buddhist devotees recognize that the very presence of the Maha Sangha is a great blessing where they provide us the opportunities to make merit by offering gifts to them. The Maha Sangha after all, depends on the devotees for subsistence. The Maha Sangha is the vehicle that carries the Dhamma to the world and into the future from generations to generations and from century to century. This Dhamma is carried not only by precepts but also by example.

There are three conditions fulfilled that makes a gift to the Maha Sangha. These conditions are especially fulfilled on this occasion, for this is a time when the minds of the contributor are extremely pure and the minds of the recipient monks are also very pure, whilst the gifts given on this occasion are also of special value.

Therefore, to participate in this ceremony is considered to be of great spiritual benefit to everyone. This is one of the highest meritorious deeds among the "eight great kusala kamma".

Mental attitude while offering alms-food

2010-10-13T22:43:00.002+08:00

The virtuous devotee, endowed with great faith in the Buddha, wishing to promote long endurance of his teaching and emergence of succession of good, dutiful Sangha who would maintain the prosperity and purity of the Sasana, should support the Sangha organization by offering regular alms-food to its members.

But when alms-food has been prepared ready for offering, the devotee must remove any attachment as "this is my Sayadaw", "this is the monk that I had helped ordained", "this is my favourite monk" and so on.

Instead, he must incline his mind to the whole Sangha while making the offering uttering at the same time "I offer this to the Sangha, Samgassa demi". When the dana performance is made daily in such a manner, the offering becomes a true Sanghika Dana.

The invited meal can become a Sanghika Dana

Going to a nearby monastery, the invitation must be offered to the responsible head monk. "Reverend Sir, I wish to make an offering of alms-food at my house tomorrow at 6 am, be kind enough to send me one or more monks to partake of the meal". One should not mention including yourself or the head monk in making the invitation.

And while making preparation for the morrow's offering of meals, one's mind should be directed to the whole Sangha, not to any particular monk of a particular monastery and repeating "Samghassa Demi".

When the monk arrives the next morning for meal, one must not feel let down or disappointed if the recipient monks happens to be of the lower rank or junior in status. One should remind oneself "the offering is not made to him or them in particular, but it is meant for the entire Sangha" and make the meal offering with genuine respect and due devotion.

If the monk who comes to receive the offering should be the head monk himself, the devotee should not feel exultant either, he or she should remind himself that the offering is being made not just to the head monk only but to the entire Sangha order of which he is a member.

"Thus, when one can incline towards the whole Sangha, the offering made to a monk appointed by the Sangha can be counted as Sanghika Dana", offering made to the whole Sangha community.

Sanghika Dana (Charity meant for the order of the Sangha)

2010-10-13T22:02:00.005+08:00

The Pali word of Sanghika Dana means offering alms and other requisites to the Order of the Sangha. Supposed you donate one dollar to an association, all members rich or poor are entitled to that one dollar.

Similarly, if a bowl of alms food or a set of robes is offered to the Sangha, then all members of the order are entitled to those offertories. You need not go around the world to give alms to the Sangha Order.

An offer to any member of the Sangha in general will automatically amount to Sanghika Dana. All members are entitled to such offertories. They can share it between them.

How to project one's goodwill?

In offering Sanghika Dana, a donor's mind must be directed to the Order of the Sangha in general. Even though you utter Samghassa demi, I offer it to the Order of Sangha, if you have in mind a particular monk or a particular monastery, your charity cannot be Sanghika Dana.

Offering alms food to any monk on daily alms-round or to a certain monk designated by the Order of the Sangha can only be classified as true Sanghika Dana, when only the donor's mind is truly directed to the whole Order of Sangha.

Vegetarian Food Fair at Heong Sun See Temple, Penang

2010-09-25T21:02:00.003+08:00

The Medicine Buddha

Heong Sun See Temple, Penang will be organizing a Vegetarian Food Fair in conjunction with the Nine Emperor Gods' Birthday. The food fair organized in aid of the temple's building fund shall commence from 30th day of the 8th Lunar Month (7/10/2010) to the 9th day of the 9th Lunar Month (16/10/2010) from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm at the temple premises.

Vegetarian food available are: economy rice, noodles (both fried and soup), western food i.e. vegetarian burgers, hot-dogs and chicken chops. Local specialties such as nasi lemak, chicken rice, nyonya kuih, deserts, beverages, etc.

The lighting of Medicines Buddha's Lotus Lamp for good fortune and elimination of obstacles will be incorporated in the Medicine Buddha Repentance Puja on the 3rd and 8th days of the 9th Lunar Month (10/10/2010 & 15 /10/2010) from 8.00 am to 12.00 pm. RM10.00 for individual and RM20.00 for family.

Coupons for the food fair can be obtained from the temple. Contribution in case or in kind will be greatly appreciated.

For more information, kindly contact the temple at No. 428 Jalan Tanjung Tokong Lama, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Tel: 04-8999067 or 04-8995070.

Looking forward for your generous support.

May You Be Well and Happy.

The Dana recipient also determines the result

2010-09-12T21:38:00.003+08:00

In Peta Vatthu Pali Text it is mentioned that recipients of dana are like fields where the seeds are sown. Farmlands in general are of three grades; the very fertile, the mediocre and the poor.

Likewise, dana recipients are also of different grades. Just as farms free weeds and grass are highly productive, so also if dana recipients are void of greed, hatred and ignorance, the donors enjoy benefits all the more.

Just as farms will yield a plentiful harvest hen they are rich in manure and fertilizers, so also good results will be accrued by donors when the recipients are persons of virtue and wisdom.

Charity is analogous to sowing seeds

2010-09-12T14:33:00.004+08:00

Recipients are the fields,

Donors are the farmers,

Offertories are the seeds sown,

Benefits are the fruits.

In the Peta Vatthu Pali Text, it said "The recipient of the charity is like the hand; the donor i.e. the farmer, the offertories are the seeds sown. The benefits accrued later through out samsara are the fruits that are borne from the plants". Let us elaborate:

In agriculture, the type of soil whether good or bad determines the yield. Similarly, the integrity and nobility of the recipient determine the nature of beneficial results.
Just as the vitality of the seeds sown determines the growth and productivity of the plants; purity of offerings, gifts, whether they are procured through rightful livelihood or not and the quantity, determine the nature of beneficial results.
Just as farmers will reap harvest in conformity with their skill in farming and efforts, so also donors will enjoy the results depending on their level of intelligence, appreciative joy and their sincere effort in giving dana.
Farmers have to prepare to till and plough their fields properly, before sowing the seds so as to ensure good yield. Likewise donors must have pubba cetana (pre-charity goodwill) before giving dana. Result would depend on the intensity of their pubbacetana.
Farmers need to weed and water their fields; only then the plants will flourish, in the same way donors need to recall their charity and feel satisfaction for the meritorious deeds. This apara cetana (post charity volition) of the donor determines the nature of beneficial results.
If farmers, through folly, destroy their sprouts and seedlings they cannot enjoy the product of their labour. Similarly if donors feel that they shouldn't have done the alms giving and regret for it afterwards, then they fail to enjoy the good results due to their feeble apara cetana.
Even thought the land the seeds are all in good condition, the sowing should be done in the right season, the right time so as to get a healthy crop. In the same way, one should give alms to the needy, at the suitable time and place. Such charity brings about best results.

There are such valuable lesson and guidance regarding dana in Peta Vatthu Pali Text. Therefore, in giving charity, the correct choice of recipient, the appropriateness of the time and place are very important.

The dana must be done with a blissful mind and cheerful volition. moreover, one should not do dana with a view to getting wordly wealth because such a wish is associated with greed and craving.

Your cetana should be as pure as possible.

Today's Vassa Dana at Nandaka Vihara, Bukit Mertajam

2010-09-11T15:59:00.014+08:00

Today's Vassa Dana at Nandaka Vihara in Cherok To'kun, Bukit Mertajam was very grand. About more than a hundred devotees attended the meritorious event. Many devotees took the advantage of the Raya holidays to come to the vihara to perform dana and make some offerings to the Sangha.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

Lavish Dana but meagre Cetana

2010-09-10T22:28:00.003+08:00

Some donors offer almsfood, buildings, clothes, ritually or perfunctorily. If so even though dana may be lavish and grand, their cetana is no match to it; they do not feel appreciative joy because the good deed was done with little volition.

Therefore, quantity or quality alone cannot determine the generosity of a donor. When King Dutthagamani Abaya was on his death bed, he did not feel much joy in his merit of building the great Maha Cedi Pagoda, instead he felt great joy in recalling his small merit of offering one meal to a monk in the forest.

Due to this great cetana he was reborn in the celestial abode of Tusita devas. Therefore keep in mond that cetana only will determine your destiny not the quantity or value of gifts you have offered. Cetana is more inportant than the lavishness of your charity.

Offertories and recipient promote keen cetana

2010-09-09T23:18:00.003+08:00

Although offertories such as alms-food and recipients of offertories cannot follow the donor to the next life and bring benevolence, they certainly help to promote a keen cetana in the donors.

For example, offering specially prepared alms-food to the Sangha incites a vigorous cetana whilst offering alms-food incites somewhat feeable cetana. Again, charity given to worthy recipients incite strong cetana whereas charity given to nominal recipients incite a frail cetana.

In this way, offertories donated and the persons receiving the charity help promote a keen cetana in the mind of the donors.

The quality of offertories

The respective efforts exerted to offer different amount of offertories may differ accordingly. For the zealous efforts in procuring a large quantity of offertories there will arise a strong cetana. Procuring only a small quantity of offertories will naturally call for less efforts and the corresponding cetana will be relatively less.

In preparing for a large amount of offertories the pubba cetana (prior volition) will accordingly be immense and vice versa. Therefore, dana of large and small quantity differ effects because of the duration of cetana in each case.

If the dana be grand and lavish so also is the cetana. During the time of dana, the muncha cetana (the prevailing volition) will also be in proportion to the dana. After the charity has been made, apara cetana (the post-charity cetana) will also be of equal scale whenever you think of this dana again and again.

Such states of mind are of common occurrence.

Dana (Charity)

2010-09-09T23:01:00.002+08:00

Dana means giving charity. There are two types of dana, namely (i) cetana dana and (ii) vatthu dana.

Offerings of goods, robes, monasteries, etc are classified as vatthu (material) dana, while the goodwill in these charitable acts is called cetana (volition). It is this cetana that produces beneficial results here and in the next existences, not the material things that are offered.

This mental attitude which is projected onto offertories determines the good results in future existences. If the offertories are good and noble, so also in the cetana.

If during an offering of alms-food to the Sangha, a donor has his object of awareness the food he offers and the Sangha he is offering to; then a continuous stream of cetana (volition) occurs incessantly in his mind-continuum.

That cetana arises and disappears in very rapid succession but does not disappear totally. The forces created by the cetanas just lie dormant to produce corresponding results later.

taking into consideration that more than one trillion units of consciousness can occur and disappear within the snap of fingers, one might imagine the magnitude of cetana that occurred during an alms-giving rite which last, say, three hours.

Meaning of Kathina

2010-08-29T18:29:00.003+08:00

In the commentary to the Kathinakkhandaka (Section on Kathina) of the Vinaya Pitaka, kathina is defined as a concept of conglomeration which means bringing things together. It is a concept that arises because of certain things that come together. For example:

A Bhikkhu/s (Buddhist monk/s) who has/have spent the first vassa;
A Sangha (Community of Bhikkhus) comprising at least five bhikkhus;
Robe season (the Kathina month) - first month after the end of the first vassa i.e. final month of the rainy season;
A rightfully acquired robe - the robe to be donated must not be requested by a member of the Sangha, nor must any hint be given for the robe to be offered, rather the robe must be offered spontaneously by the donor.

These are some criterias that come together for the concept of kathina to arise.

In fact, two meanings of kathina are given in the Vinaya Commentaries:

A frame used during the Buddha's time for sewing double layered robes together. The edges of one robe were fixed to the sides of the frame, while another piece of robe was sewn on top of it. It probably looks like a giant silk screen frame. But that is not the kathina we are talking about. There is another meaning of the word kathina;
In our present context, it means firmness, stability and durability because it has the power of providing the five privileges mentioned above, i.e. making these five privileges, firm and stable for a relatively long time for the eligible monks.

SPREADING THE KATHINA

For the kathina ceremony to be a success, the Sangha must spread the kathina. Though many may be familiar with the kathina ceremony where the offering of robes are made to the Sangha, they may not be familiar with the phrase "to spread the kathina". What does this mean?

When we say to "spread the kathina". it does not mean that we take the kathina cloth and spread it on the floor. Further illustration: When you take a mat and spread it on the floor, you are sharing the benefit of the mat with other people, so that they can also make use of it, isn't it so?

In the same way, when the Sangha "spreads the kathina", it means that the monk who spreads the kathina is sharing these five privileges with the other eligible bhikkus participating in the kathina ceremony, making the privileges available, firm and stable for an extended period of time.

Nandaka Vihara Kathina Day

2010-08-29T17:55:00.003+08:00

Nandaka Vihara in Cherok Tokun, Bukit Mertajam will be having its Kathina Day (Annual Offering of Robes) on 31 October 2010 (Sunday) from 8.00 am to 12.30 pm.

The Kathina programme for that day are as follows:-

8.00 am - Pindapata (Almsround) - Rice only
8.30 am - Food Stalls Open for Devotees
10.30 am - Sanghikadana (Food Offerings to the Sangha)
12.00 pm - Kathina Robes Offering; Dhamma Talk, Paritta Chanting; Sharing of Merits
12.30 pm - Adjournment

All are devotees and friends are welcome. May the Sasana remain forever.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

Origin of Kathina Ceremony

2010-08-28T23:18:00.003+08:00

How the kathina ceremony came about is recorded in the Mahavagga, the third book of the Vinaya Pitaka (Vin III. 351 ff). The following is a summary of the account.

At one time monks of Pava were on the way to see the Lord who was staying at Savatthi in Jetavana, Anathapindika's monastery. They were all forest dwellers, all alms men, all wearers of rag robes, all wearers of the three robes. As vassa was approaching, they were unable to reach Savatthi in time, so they entered vassa on the way at Saketa.

They spent the vassa in a state of longing, thinking: "the Lord is staying close to us, six yojanas (about 60 kilometers) from here, but we are not getting the chance to see the Lord".

Ten after the vassa, the monks continued on their journey to Jetavana, Savatthi where the Lord was staying. It was raining and the waters were gathering, while swamps were forming. By the time the monks arrived at their destination, their robes were drenched and they were all exhausted. Having greeted the Lord, they all sat down at a respectful distance.

Now it is the customs for the Buddha to exchange friendly greetings with incoming monks. So the Lord said to these monks: "How are you keeping, monks? Did you have enough to support life? Did you spend a comfortable vassa in unity, being on friendly terms and harmonious? Did you have any difficulty during alms food?"

"Things did go well with us, Lord. We had enough to support life, Lord. We spent our vassa in unity, being on friendly terms and harmonious, Lord. And we did not have any difficulty during alms food", answered the monks. They then related what had happened to them when they were on their way to ee the Buddha ince the beginning of the vassa.

Then the Lord on this occasion having given Dhamma talk, addressed the monks saying: "Monks, I allow monks who have completed the vassa to spread the kathina. Five (privileges), monks will be allowable to you who have spread the kathina:

1. Going (to visit families before noon) without having inform another monk (freedom of movement before noon in spite of having accepted an invitation for a meal);

2. Going around without taking (the full set of three robes - freedom to stay apart from one's set of three robes at the break of dawn;

3. A group meal;

4. As many robes as you require (without having to determine or assign them according to Vinaya regulation);

5. Exclusive right to Sanghika robes given at one's vassa monastery.

These five (privileges), monks, will be allowable to you who have spread the kathina. And thus, monks should the kathina be spread.

Vassa (Rains Retreat)

2010-08-22T00:40:00.003+08:00

The full moon day of Asahla (Vassa) is an auspicious day for Buddhist devotees. On this day, meritorious deeds are done specially due to the following reasons:-

1) It was on this day that the Bodhisatta was conceived in Queen Maya's womb;
2) It was on this day that the Bodhisatta renounced the world to seek Enlightenment;
3) It was on this day that the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta or the Discourse on the Turning Wheel of the Dhamma.

Thus, the Bodhisatta came into the human world, renounced his worldly pleasures and left the mundane world and delivered the first sermon. Because of these three great events, this day has a special significance for all Buddhist.

When the Bodhisatta was about to pass away from the Tusita deva realm after enjoying the luxuries of a deva and Brahmas entreated, "it is time to be a Buddha in the human world". Thus, the Bodhisatta was conceived in the royal mother Queen Maha Maya's womb on the Full Moon Day of Asahla, Thursday - the year (67) of Maha Era.

Therefore, one who will save himself and all beings from samsara has come to the human world on this day, the Full Moon Day of Asahla, which is a most auspicious event in the Buddhist calender. Buddhist devotees performed dana, observe sila, practice samatha and vipassana meditation and perform special meritorious deeds with great reverence on this day.

The Bodhisatta enjoyed the luxuries as a young prince for sixteen years and as a monarch for thirteen years. In the year of Maha Era 97 on the Full Moon Day of Asahla, after seeing the four great signs - the old, the sick, the dead and the recluse, he then resolved to seek the Dhamma by which he would be free from old age, sickness and death. Thus, he renounced the kingdom and riding on a horse, when forth into the homeless life.

On this day, for his own salvation and to save all beings from all kinds of samsara sufferings and to practice self-tormenting practices which he underwent for six years, he left the luxury of the palace in search of the Dhamma. Thus, on the Full Moon Day of Asahla, Buddhist devotees consider it as sacred, observe sila and practice samatha and vipassana meditation.

Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to the "Band of Five Disciples" on the Full Moon Day of Vassa (Asahla). Lord Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths which are:-

1) The Noble Truth of Suffering;
2) The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering;
3) The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering;
4) The Noble Truth of the Path which leads to the Cessation of Suffering.

On that day, the Sangha entered on the rains (Rains Retreat).

Nandaka Vihara, Bukit Mertajam in Seberang Perai Tengah

2010-08-18T22:14:00.012+08:00

Ven. Dhammasubho, the Abbot of Nandaka Vihara at his seat

The guest sanghas taking their seat in preparation for the Dana

The chanting of suttas commenced

The newly constructed sangha quarters (also known as Kuti in Pali)

Another two Kutis nearby

The vihara's garden

Construction in progress, expected to be ready in a month's time

Nandaka Vihara is situated in Cherok To' Kun, Bukit Mertajam in Seberang Perai Tengah. To go to Nandaka, you may drive into the road leading towards the To' Kun Hill and you will see a signboard on the right side before reaching the To' Kun hillside.

After turning to your right, you will past a Chinese temple and proceed straight via single lane road which will lead you right to the vihara.

The vihara is a very nice and environmentally friendly in nature and man made. Its landscape was made and designed to ensure its foundation remain as strong as possible.

Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche's fire puja ceremony

2010-08-16T20:58:00.007+08:00

15 August 2010, 7 pm - His Eminence Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche accompanied by Supha Rinpoche and the other lamas last night conducted another chanting session and a final fire puja ceremony in order to ease the sufferings of the wondering spirits, the departed ones and other ghosts.

Prior to this Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche also officiated the release of lotus candle lights into the river in order to lead the wondering spirits, departed ones and the ghost out of the suffering realms.

On completion of these event, Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche and Supha Rinpoche blessed all the devotees who were present.

Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche's Dharma discourse in Butterworth

2010-08-15T17:45:00.009+08:00

His Eminence Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche accompanied by Supha Rinpoche and the other lamas today conduct another session of Dharma discourse at Palme Gon Buddhist Society in Jalan Bagan Lallang, Butterworth.

In today's Dharma discourse Gyabra Rinpoche explained the significance of Om Mane Padme Hung and its meaning to the devotees and informed us on the importance and effectiveness on reciting Om Mane Padme Hung regularly.

After the explanation, Gyabra Rinpoche led his group to chant various mantras and sutras based on the Concise Sandhana of Chenrezig.

Prayer and chanting session by Ven Sek Chin Seng

2010-08-14T22:28:00.003+08:00

14 August 2010, 7 pm - After the liberation completed, Venerable Sek Chin Seng continued with another session of prayers and chanting for the memorial service held in conjunction of the 7th Lunar month where merits were passed to the departed ones as well as the wondering spirits and ghosts in order to ease their sufferings and lead them to a better realm.

Ven Sek Chin Seng conducts prayers for Liberation - 14 August 2010

2010-08-14T22:16:00.008+08:00

Venerable Sek Chin Seng blessing all the fish, birds and tortoise during the prayers for liberation of these animals into the riverside. Devotees who are present also participated in the meritorious event which lasted for about an hour plus.

Ven Sek Chin Seng blessing all the fish prior to the liberation

Devotees participating in the liberation by releasing the fish and tortoise

"Yahoo! I'm free. I'm free"

"Me too, we are all free"

His Eminence Gyabra Tritsab Rinpoche will be in Butterworth on 15 August 2010

2010-08-14T14:30:00.003+08:00

His Eminence Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche will be at Palme Gon Buddhist Society, Jalan Bagan Lallang, Butterworth on tomorrow 15 August 2010 to conduct a mass prayer and offering ceremony in conjunction of the 7th Lunar Month.

During this event Gyabra Rinpoche will lead devotees in mantra recitation, chanting, fire offering and liberation of animals to dedicate our merits to the departed and our love ones.

The prayer session for the day shall commence at 9.00 am. All are most welcomed.

Special Thanks to Ven Hai Tao and Supha Rinpoche for their service

2010-08-14T13:06:00.007+08:00

Venerable Hai Tao

Supha Rinpoche

Our sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude to both Venerable Hai Tao and Supha Rinpoche for their great meritorious Dhamrma service - mass prayers and chanting session, mass liberation, blessing services, passing of merits for the benefit of all devotees, our community, our departed parents, departed grandparents, relatives and the unborn, the wondering spirits, ghosts and for cleansing our karmic debts.

Namo Amitabha. Om Mane Padme Hung.

Ven. Sek Chin Seng Prayer Service in Butterworth - 13 August 2010

2010-08-14T12:57:00.006+08:00

Venerable Sek Chin Seng conducted the prayer ceremony and offering service to the departed ones on 13 August 2010 night. Later, he also lead devotees to light up the lotus candles for the purpose of offering merits to the spirits and ghost to ease their sufferings and pain.