Documentary of Master Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage

Master Xuanzang, a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar and translator, bravely took the perilous pilgrimage to India with the goal to learn Buddhism. I am grateful to Master Xuanzang who spent 19 years of his life translating the Sankrist Buddhist scriptures to Chinese after 19 years of pilgrimage.

Master Xuanzang spent 19 years of his life translating more than a thousand of scriptures to Chinese.

If you want to know more about this great monk, you can watch this documentary of Master Xuanzang. 

Master XuanZang-Journey to the West Movie

This is a movie on Master Xuanzang, an eminent monk  who spent seventeen-year arduous journey to India for the Buddhist scriptures. The current Chinese Heart Sutra was translated by Master Xuanzang. He recorded his journey to India in the classic Chinese text Great Tang Records on the Western Regions which is an inspiration to Ming dynasty Journey to the West by Wu Cheng en. I'm inspired to read the book Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.  观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。舍利子，色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色，受想行识，亦复如是。舍利子，是诸法空相，不生不灭，不垢不净，不增不减。是故空中无色，无受想行识，无眼耳鼻舌身意，无色声香味触法，无眼界，乃至无意识界，无无明，亦无无明尽，乃至无老死，亦无老死尽。无苦集灭道，无智亦无得。以无所得故。菩提萨埵，依般若波罗蜜多故，心无挂碍。无挂碍故，无有恐怖，远离颠倒梦想，究竟涅槃。三世诸佛，依般若波罗蜜多故，得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。故知般若波罗蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是无上咒，是无等等咒，能除一切苦，真实不虚。故说般若波罗蜜多咒，即说咒曰：揭谛揭谛，波罗揭谛，波罗僧揭谛，菩提萨婆诃。 The Heart Sutra by Faye Wong Master Xuanzang

How Does Buddhism View the Practice of Fortune-telling?

I enjoy reading and learning about Buddhism and also Chinese art of fortune-telling like Bazi (8 characters of hour, day, month and year stem and branches) and Zi Wei Dou Shu. Sometimes I analyse charts of my acquaintance and it correlate with their characters. 

What can one do if they realised their destiny chart is not so good? What is Buddhism view on fortune-telling? What can we do if we are born with a less than rosy chart? 

There is a saying that our birth chart bazi reveals our past karma. However we can do something and improve our lives and not be bound by the chart. In the video below which is based on Ming Dynasty Liao Fan real's story of changing his destiny by doing more good deeds and improving his life, it shows that we don't have to be bound by our destiny chart but we have the freewill to improve our destiny and it requires effort. 

Venerable Master Sheng Yen's said that the mind is the most important. We humans are related to this mind of ours. If you transform your mind, then your fortune will change as well. If someone's mind does not change, then his fate is basically set. If there is a change of concept of mind, the person's principles and direction in life will change and so will that person's future. 

Click here to read Liao Fan's Four Lessons 

Liao Fan's Four Lesson movie in English

Liao Fan's Four Lesson movie in Mandarin

 Master Sheng Yen on Fortune-telling: Fortune telling and fengshui may have their validity and usefulness, but people can actually change their fate through psychological transformation and good deeds. What matters is the mind.

How Prajna-wisdom Helps Us In Our Daily Life

This video is on how Prajna Wisdom helps us in our daliy life by Venerable Master Sheng Yen.

Learning the Dharma requires us to apply it to daily life. 

Most people misunderstand the true meaning of spiritual practise. They think it requires one to leave behind family and livelihood and practise in the mountains or monastery. 

After reading Buddhist books and listen to the Dharma, one should reflect our own life and our mindset, to see whether we are treating people and things in line with the Dharma. This is called practice. 

Buddhism is to be practised at any time and in any aspect of our daily life Practice doesn't mean going to the temples or the mountains.

As long as you discover, recognise and are alert that you are troubled, this is the function of wisdom. When you feel resentful, you reflect. Is it worth it? Is this what I should be doing? 

Shakyamuni Buddha taught us to look at our mind and thought to be aware of what wrong speech was spoken and wrong action done and wrong thoughts we labour and then to correct and adjust ourselves immediately. This is practice. 

Indeed there are so many things we have to learn in our daily life at the workplace and at home. Sometimes I just let go of anger as the person is immature or maybe he or she is facing other issues. There is really no point getting angry. Just let go and redirect your thoughts to other meaningful things like reading the Dharma.

The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dharma Sutta

Today is known as the Dhamma Day when the Buddha gave the first discourse: The Four Noble Truth to his former associates, the five ascetics. In the first sermon is known as the setting in motion of the wheel of the Dhamma, the Buddha shared on the The Four Noble Truth after his enlightenment as follows:

1) There is suffering (dukkha)

2)  Suffering is caused by craving (tanha)

3) There is a state (nibbana) beyond suffering and craving

4) The way to nirvana is via the eightfold path. 

Supporting Buddhist Temples

I am grateful for Buddha's teaching and I think the two temples namely Palelai Buddhist Temple and Kong Meng San Chor Kar See Monastery are doing a great job reaching and teaching the Buddhists the Dharma. Thus to support the sangha, I like to donate money to support the temples. 

If you would like to donate to Buddhist temples in Singapore you can donate to the following temples:

Palelai Buddhist Temple- Click here 

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery-Click here

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Mani Padme Hum mantra is by Imee Ooi. 

I'm glad I attended the Heart Sutra concert in Singapore early this year by Imee Ooi and the JSJG.