Heart Sutra 心经

Various Hong Kong celebrities like Jacky Cheung, Jacky Chan and Aaron Kwok and many others sang the Heart Sutra in Cantonese in 1999 to raise funds for Taiwan earthquake. 

Diamond Sutra(Updated) 金刚经

In this post, I translated meaningful part of this drama on the life of the 6^th Patriarch of Chan, the Venerable Huineng as I find that Venerable Huineng explanation of Diamond Sutra is helpful. I find that after reading Buddha's teaching, I don't worry as why waste time worrying over something that is illusion in this transient life in this temporary body? Once you know your true mind, you don't get attached to external transient things. Just let go and your mind is at ease. 

Please highlight to me if there is error in translating. 

Venerable Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (February 27, 638 – August 28, 713) was said to attain awakening when he heard a verse from the Diamond Sutra 应无所住而生其心. Without abiding anything, give rise to the pure mind. In my understanding, not abiding, means not attaching or thinking about it. Just let go of things that bother you. 

 

When the Fifth Patriarch of Chan Venerable Hong Ren explained to him the Diamond sutra. Venerable Hui Neng was "suddenly and completely enlightened, and he understood that all things exist in self-nature.

凡所有相，皆为虚妄

因为一切形相 都是因缘和合而成

随缘而生，随缘而灭

菩提本无相， 相乃人心中之物

心中有相，就可以将菩提本性遮蔽

All appearances are illusion

Because all forms are formed by the combination of cause and effect

Arises with fate, extinguishes with fate

Bodhi has no form, and form is in the human mind

If the mind has form, one can conceal the nature of Bodhi

 

应无所住而生其心，Without abiding anything, give rise to the pure true mind 

云何应住，云何降伏其心 When does the cloud abide, how does the cloud calm the mind

佛说应无所住而生其心 Buddha said without abiding in forms, arises the mind

即是说心即是佛,佛即是心 Meaning Pure Mind is Buddha and Buddha is Pure Mind. 

他做了一首偈子Venerable Huineng came up with the following stanza when he understood the verse. I think true mind, is our consciousness. 

何其自性本自清净！What is true mind, it is intrinsically pure (not perturbed)

何其自性本不生灭！What is true mind, it is neither born nor extinguish 

何其自性本自具足！What is true mind, it is self-sufficient

何其自性能生万法！What is true mind, it can produces immeasurable dharma/ideas

 

From the Diamond Sutra

Subhuti, all great bodhisattvas should give rise to purity of mind in this way: they should not give rise to a mind that abides in form; they should not give rise to a mind that abides in sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. They should give rise to a mind that does not abide in anything. 

Subhuti, a bodhisattva should turn away from all notions, and initiate the mind of anuttara samyaksambodhi. He should not give rise to a mind abiding in form, and he should not give rise to a mind abiding in sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. He should give rise to a mind that does not abide in anything. 

When we contemplate the following verses from the Diamond Sutra, your mind should not be affected by forms which are transient, dependent on causes and conditions. 

一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，应作如是观

“All conditioned phenomena
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, Like dew and lightning.
One should contemplate them in this way. “

All phenomena appear in the world is a combination of causes and conditions that is temporary by nature. It will pass. There is no permanent nature to form which is subjected to change due to causes and conditions, thus it is illusory. Thus why be sad over something that is illusory. Just let it go and not be attached to it.

A lot of suffering comes from the mind which is influenced by forms like sight, hearing, touch, taste or perception. When someone criticised us, we get upset, when someone own something we don’t have, we want it. We are always influenced by the three poison, greed, anger and delusion. 

From the book, Miracles Happen: The Transformational Healing by Dr Brian Weiss, “ Chinese philosopher Hui-neng (6^thpatriarch of Chan Buddhism/Zen) wrote, “When we are free from attachment to all outer objects, the mind will be in peace. Our essence of mind is intrinsically pure, and the reason why we are perturbed is because we allow ourselves to be carried by the circumstances we are in. He who is able to keep his mind unperturbed (calm), irrespective of circumstances has attained enlightenment. “ 

 

A woman who went through a near-death experience shared,” I realized that life is like a dream”. She wrote, “ When you are born, you wake up into mortality in this physical body. When your physical body dies, you return to immortality.” 

I realised what is 无我 no-self as our consciousness or mind changes identity in various body forms in our many reincarnations. Thus there is no permanent self-identity. Do not cling to anger and just let go.

Episode 8, From 18:30, the Sixth Patriarch Hui met Fifth Patriarch Hong Ren. 

           From Miracles Happen: The Transformational Healing by Dr Brian Weiss,

Diamond Sutra Part 1 is here

Episode 3: From 35:30, when Venerable Huineng heard a monk reciting the Diamond Sutra. 

The Diamond Sutra 金刚经 

Venerable Thubten Damcho

I came across this interesting conversation of two Singaporeans Chade Meng Tan, a former Google employee and also known as Jolly Good Fellow and Venerable Thubten Damcho who graduated from Princeton University. 

What is true happiness? If what you are doing is in line with your values and you live authentically, then you certainly have true happiness. 

Do watch this interesting conversation.  Amitofo. 阿弥陀佛。  

Dendrobium Buddha Tooth Orchid at Singapore Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Happy Vesak Day! Today Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shaykyamun Buddha.

Did you know that at the rooftop garden at Singapore Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Chinatown, there is a unique hybrid bright lime green orchid purplish pink lip which is a cross between Dendrobium Burana Jade and Dendrobium Palolo Sunshine?

The national flower of Singapore is orchid and you can say that creating orchid hydrid is our forte. Let's take a look at the Dendrobium Buddha Tooth orchid. 

Nearest MRT station: Maxwell MRT station

  Dendrobium Buddha Tooth orchid

Video of Singapore Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. Like and subscribe my Youtube channel.

Singapore Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Prayer wheel at the rooftop garden

Happy Vesak Day 2025!

Happy Vesak Day! Last week, I visited the Buddha Tooth Relic temple at Chinatown to thank the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for safe trip and also to pray before Vesak Day.  I was surprised to see many tourists visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic temple last weekday. It is a popular attraction. Do take note to dress appropriately. If you wear shorts or short skirt, you be offered a wrap cloth to cover. 

On Vesak day,  Buddhists commemorate  the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha. The compassionate and kind Buddha spent 49 years teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path to end samsara. Buddhism or Buddha's teaching is not about pessimism. There is a way to end suffering and that is to follow the Noble Eightfold path which helps to end rebirth. 

Buddha is compassionate to all sentient beings. I try to practise too. Sometimes when I see ants on my cup (when I didn’t wash throughly),  I just move it and the ants will scramble away, trying to live. Looking at the small ants, I  told them to go away quickly, going back to where they came from and they really scurried off, reminding me that they value their lives too. All sentient beings want to live, so please don't hurt living beings when possible. What goes around, comes around. 

因果真实不虚。有果必有因。

At Level 3, you can explore the museum where you can find out more about the Buddha and his relics in the relic chamber. No photography is allowed in the Relic Chamber.

At Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, there is relic museum. Beautiful relics also known as Sarira that looks like pearl or crystal-like beads are commonly found in the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. 

From Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum website here

"Sariras, the Sanskrit name for relics, refers to the remains of a body part usually after cremation. In Buddhist context, sariras refers to the crystallization of solid remains of especially Buddha Sakyamuni after His cremation. Henceforth, relics are also broadly defined to include solid remains of other Buddhist practitioners, regardless of Sangha and secular disciples.

The emergence of relics signifies that the spiritual energy of Buddha or the spiritual practitioner during their lifetime is constant and serene, untainted by nature’s forces yet elevated due to persevering religious practices. Hence, this energy is converted to physical forms to what we known as relics. Relics are the essence of wisdom, the fruit of spiritual labour, which are free of lust, greed and wrath."

My colleague shared with me his Buddhist friend who practised meditation was found to have relics when his relatives collected his cremated ashes. 

Venerable Chao Khun Keng explained that the mind is like a laser beam. Due to the purity of the mind, for some of the monks, their hair can turn to relics. Pure mind that doesn't have greed, hatred and delusion. Pure energy that channel go to the body. 

Before enlightenment, Buddha spent 6 long years practicing asceticism and long fasting, causing his body to be weakened and he almost lost his life. While meditating one day, he heard someone playing a string instrument and came to the realisation that the Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind. 

"Cultivation is like playing a musical string instrument. The string will snap if it is too tight, or not make any sound if it is too loose. Indulgence in sensual pleasure or extreme penance are attachments. The Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind." 

After attaining enlightenment after 7 days of deep meditation, Buddha had compassionately taught sentients being the Four Noble Truths. Buddha reminded us to think and investigate his and others' teaching before accepting it.

The Four Noble Truths are

1) The truth of suffering. Like it or not, both the rich and poor go through suffering. The suffering of old age, not getting what you want, separation, sickness. 

2) The truth of the  cause of suffering (craving, anger and delusion) 

3) The truth of the end of suffering. (There is a way to end suffering) 

4) The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold paths.

The Noble Eightfold paths which helps to develop Sila (ethical conduct), samadhi (mental discipline or meditation) and panna (wisdom) 戒定慧 are as follows

1) Right Thought (be aware of your thinking with good intention. Eliminate greed, anger and delusion)

2) Right View (understanding of cause and effect, 12 links of dependent origination)

3) Right Speech (Refrain from lying, gossip, idle, harsh speech. If one has nothing helpful to say, be silent) Hmm, this is something I might need to work on it but hey I'm just stating the truth and my intention is to warn people. 

4) Right action (moral, honorable and peaceful conduct). Hmm sometimes I'm quite mischievous. 

5) Right livelihood (Honest living, Refrain from making a living that harm others like selling weapons, intoxicating drinks, and toxins) This is why I don't support people making use of Buddhism  to make money especially in places like night clubs that sell alcohol. Buddha warned his disciples not to drink alcohol as it might cause them to be careless in their action and thus create bad karma. If that dj wants to perform, don't wear monk robe as real monks and strict Buddhists don't drink alcohol. Not drinking alcohol is one of the five precepts for lay Buddhists. 

6) Right effort (prevent unwholesome state of mind)

7) Right mindfulness (be aware and mindful of one's thoughts and feelings

8) Right concentration (meditation)

On Vesak Day, this is the day for me to remember Buddha's teaching and to remind me to be mindful. There were some days when I was not mindful and I reacted.

I like this story about how Buddha interacted with an angry man and was not affected by his insulting words. 

In this story, as Buddha was walking in a village, a very angry man insulted the Buddha and said that he had no right to teach others. Buddha was calm and serene as usual and he asked the man,  “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The young man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy.  All you have done is hurt yourself.” 

 

 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is located in Chinatown. It is just next to Maxwell MRT station.

 Monks and lay Buddhist practitioners chanting at the main hall in the morning.

You can read more about Dendrobium Buddha Tooth orchid here.

 

At the roof garden

Sariras, relics (image from Google)

Chao Khun Keng explaining about relics 1:29:00.  The monk when they meditate, they focus on the body.  The mind is like a laser beam They use the mindfulness to scan the body. Due to the purity of the mind, the body can turn to relics. Due to the pure mind, the mind that does not have greed, hatred and delusion. It has the pure energy to channel into the body and clean up the body, it can also use pure energy to cure the sickness. In a way, meditation can enhance your health.

Rooftop Orchid Garden At Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Singapore

 I finally visited Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Chinatown Singapore this Monday. I decided to pray and also to see Buddha's relic at the Sacred Relics museum. Also I wanted to try the vegetarian food at Lian Xin Vegetarian restaurant at basement 1 and explore the rooftop Orchid Garden at level 5. 

The Orchid garden also features ginger plant and various orchids like dancing-lady orchid and also a hybrid bright lime green orchid known as Dendrobium Buddha Tooth. You can read more information from NParks here. There is also a praying wheel at the garden.

At level 3 there is a Buddha museum where you can read the history of Buddha and see Buddha's relics and the tooth relic at level 4. 

I revere the compassionate Buddha and his selfless teaching for 45 years to both humans and heavenly beings on how to end suffering. He also taught us not to accept anything at face value but to question and investigate and relate it to our own experience. May all sentient beings be enlightened and end samsara.  

Namo Buddhaya Amitofo🙏

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple 

https://www.buddhatoothrelictemple.org.sg/

Nearest MRT station: Maxwell MRT station

If you like to look at flowers, you can visit another blog on flowers here https://bloomingflowersnarts.blogspot.com/ 

You can read previous post on the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple first published in 2019 June here. 

There is a Vairocana Buddha prayer wheel at the rooftop garden. 

A serene orchid garden at the rooftop.

Buddhas of the World museum at level 3

Video tour of the garden.Like and subscribe the channel if you like flowers.

                                              Dendrobium Buddha Tooth orchids

                                                        Red Ginger flower 

                                            Dancing-lady orchids

                                                      Orchids

The temple architecture is inspired by Tang dynasty (618 to 907) architecture. 

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore

I finally visited Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Chinatown Singapore this Monday. I decided to pray and also to see Buddha's relic. Also I wanted to try the vegetarian food at the temple basement 1. To my shock, there were many people eating during lunch time on weekday.

At level 3 there is a Buddha museum where you can read the history of Buddha and see Buddha's relics and the tooth relic at level 4. Some tourists tried to take photo of the relic despite the sign indicating No photography. Some tried to take photo of people meditating at level 4 and they had to be stopped by the security guard.

I revere the compassionate Buddha and his selfless teaching for 45 years to both humans and heavenly beings on how to end suffering. He also taught us not to accept anything at face value but to question and investigate and relate it to our own experience. May all sentient beings be enlightened and end samsara.  

Namo Buddhaya Amitofo🙏

 

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple 

https://www.buddhatoothrelictemple.org.sg/

Nearest MRT station: Maxwell MRT station

Did you know that there is Orchid garden at level 5? I will blog about it on my Blooming Flowers and Arts blog here https://bloomingflowersnarts.blogspot.com/  .

You can read previous post on the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple first published in 2019 June here. 

                       I like the crispy fried spring roll. Quite palatable.

We like this blueberry bun.