Adages of Wisdom by Master Sheng Yen

I learned a lot from Master Sheng Yen, a Chan Buddhist monk from Taiwan last year via youtube videos. I realised I actually took a small booklet titled 108 adages of wisdom in 2013 at Taiwan Taoyuan airport but at that time I didn't know about him.  I still have this small booklet. It's good to remind me not to be arrogant. I need to be more humble and be mindful before I talk. The following quotes by Master Sheng Yen stuck a chord with me. 

The four steps in dealing with any problem: face it, accept it, deal with it, let it go. 
面对它， 接受它， 处理它，放下它。

Face whatever is in front of you, act with wisdom, treat people with compassion; forget benefit, harm, gain, and loss, and vexations will diminish. 

A bright person is not necessarily wise; a dull person not necessarily foolish. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge; it lies in how you treat others and handle yourself.

Life's ups and downs are the stuff of growth and development.

Compassion has no enemies; wisdom, no vexations. 

Let the measure of your heart be great; the size of your ego, small. 

Accomplish your own ends by honoring others; reconcile hostility with respect to others; increase harmony with praise of others.

 The essence of possession and giving is love , but, one benefits the self, the second benefits others. Possession is self craving; giving stems from a great love that is selfless, joyful, and equanimous. 

The meaning of life lies in constant learning and dedication; helping others leads to self-growth.

Diamond Sutra 应无所住，而生其心

"Without abiding anywhere, give rise to the mind" 应无所住，而生其心。The Sixth Patriarch, the Great Master Huineng, heard that sentence and awakened to the Way. “Any dwelling of the heart is no dwelling." Therefore the Larger Chapters say, “If one dwells in dharmas, he does not dwell in prajnà pàramità. If one does not dwell in dharmas, he dwells in prajnà pàramità." That is why every one of the Great Prajà assemblies begins with an explanation of “not dwelling."

Master Hsuan Tsang: Journey to The West

Almost every Chinese New Year, there will be a new Journey to the West (西游记)  movie launch. This year, it features one of Hong Kong popular actor/singer Aaron Kwok as the Monkey King who together with Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing and a white horse (dragon prince), escorted Master Hsuan Tsang on his journey from China to India for Buddhist Scriptures. Since young, I enjoy watching mainland production Journey to the West drama/movies. In the show, I learned many values and Buddha's teaching and how they overcame the many trials and tribulations to achieve the Buddhist scriptures.

The truth is Master Hsuan Tsang (602- 664) did spend seventeen-year to India for the Buddhist scriptures during the Tang Dynasty which is recorded in detail in the classic Chinese text Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.The Chinese novel Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng'en during the Ming dynasty, around nine hundred years after Hsuan Tsang's death. This novel has 100 chapters so there are still many movies possibilities. 

Tripiñaka Master Hsuan Tsang, translated many Buddhist sutras from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty at Ta Hsing Shan Monastery with the aid of more than one thousand bhikùus and over two thousand laymen. Ta Hsing Shan was not a small place. From the Abbot’s room to the front gate was a distance of over three miles and the monk in charge of opening and shutting the front gate usually rode a horse in order to cover the distance in a reasonable length of time. Being so large, the monastery easily accommodated the three to four thousand people involved in the work of translation. (from http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/prajparagen2.pdf)

During the year the Great Prajnà Sutra was translated, the peach trees blossomed six times. That auspicious occurrence testified to the importance of the Prajnà Sutra. It is also widely known that the flower spirits and the grass and tree spirits all came to protect the wonderful Dharma assembly

To read more, you can click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West.

                                   Master Hsuan Tsang (602- 664) Tang Dynasty

7

Journey to the West. Mandarin version.

                                    

Buddha's Teaching

The following are the Buddha's teachings I learned from watching the animation, Thus I have Heard. 

Each of these views are based on grasping and clinging to the notion of a self. Remaining attached, one continues to grasp the feeling as they arise. Whoever should reflect on such feelings as impermanent phenomena, conditionally arising, existing and passing away will come to grow weary of condition of phenomena. This weariness leads to the fading of lust. With the fading of lust, comes freedom from attachment. 

When the heart is free from attachment, one knows the heart has been freed. 

Letting go of grasping and clinging, his heart is released. 

~ The Last Message of the Buddha ~

Saw this from a Facebook post by Compassion Life Society.

'When I am gone, my Teaching shall
be your Master and Guide.'

Three months before His passing
away the Buddha addressed His
disciples and said: 'I have delivered
sermons to you during these forty-
five years. You must learn them
well and treasure them. You must
practise them and teach them to
others. This will be of great use for
the welfare of the living and for the
welfare of those who come after
you'.

'My years are now full ripe; the life
span left is short. I will soon have
to leave you. You must be earnest.
O monks, be mindful and of pure
virtue! Whoever untiringly pursues
the Teaching, will go beyond the
cycle of birth and death and will
man an end of Suffering.'

When Ananda asked the Buddha
what would become of the Order
after He pass away, the Buddha
replied, 'What does the Order
expect of me, Ananda? I have
preached the Truth without any
distinction; for in regard to the
Truth, there is no clenched hand in
the Teachings of the Buddha‚. It
may be, Ananda, that to some
among you, the thought will come
'The Master's words will soon end;
soon we will no longer have a
master.' But do not think like this,
Ananda. When I am gone, my
Teaching and the disciplinary code
shall be your Master.'

The Buddha further explained: 'If
there is anyone who thinks, 'It is I
who will lead the brotherhood', or
'The Order is dependent on me, it is
I who should give instructions', the
Buddha does not think that He
should lead the order or that the
Order is dependent on Him. I have
reached the end of my days. Just as
a worn-out cart can only be made to
move with much additional care, so
my body can be kept going only
with much additional care.

Therefore, Ananda, be a lamp and
refuge unto yourselves. Look for no
other refuge. Let the Truth be your
lamp and your refuge. Seek no
refuge elsewhere.'

At the age of eighty, on His
birthday, He passed away without
showing any worldly supernatural
powers. He showed the real nature
of component things even in His
own life.

When the Buddha passed away into
Nibbana, one of His disciples
remarked, 'All must depart---all
beings that have life must shed
their compounded forms. Yes, even
a Master such as He, a peerless
being, powerful in Wisdom and
Enlightenment, even He must pass
away.'

The parting words of the Buddha:

'Appamadena Sampadetha Vaya
Dhamma Sankhara'.

'Work diligently.
Component things are impermanent.'

Thus Have I Heard

This animation of Buddha story is about 4 hours and 48 minutes. There are many invaluable teaching from the Buddha.  Below are some of the teaching by Buddha.

Craving, with you I've been born again and again. But now you're reviewed and your power redundant. 

It is the nature of all conditioned to arise, persist for a while and then pass away. Investigate the impermanence of all conditioned phenomenon. For the tears of beings wandering through the samsara are beyond measure. One who is still attached to form, sound, taste, smell and physical sensation cannot find liberation from this world.

Some people have the views that all thing are disagreeable to them. Some have the view that all things are agreeable to them, and others have the view that something are agreeable and something disagreeable to them. 

Each of these views are based on grasping and clinging to the notion of self. Remaining attached, one continues to grasp the feeling as they arise. Whoever should reflect on such feelings as impermanent phenomena, conditionally arising, existing and passing away will come to grow weary of condition of phenomena.(2:03:00) 
This weariness leads to the fading of lust. With the fading of lust, comes freedom from attachment.  When the heart is free from attachment, one knows the heart had been freed. 

To refrain from all evil. To do good to one's utmost and to purify one's mind. This practice is the fundamental principle of Buddhism. 

When Rahula requested inheritance from Buddha
External treasures bind one to the round of birth and rebirth on the wheel of samsara.  Better to give the noble treasure that is the most excellent internal treasure into the worldly wealth.

The power and pleasures in this Brahma realm are very long lasting. They encourage you to think  that all things are permanent. In fact all phenomena have the nature to arise, persist for sometime and then pass away. All things exist in dependent on causes and conditions. 
All beings are born of their actions, heirs to their actions, are related to their actions, have action as their refuge, are owner of their action. Whatever actions are performed, good or bad, we must receive the result. 

Kuan Im Thong Hoo Cho Temple in Singapore

Located at Waterloo street in Singapore, Kuan Im Thong Hoo Cho Temple is one of the most popular temples in Singapore. On special days like the Enlightenment day of  Kuan Im bodhisattva (观世音菩萨), Chinese New Year, on the 1st or 15th day of lunar month, the temple would be filled to the brim and you literally need to squeeze through the crowd. On the eve of Chinese New Year, many devotees would queue up early so that they could be the first person to offer incense sticks. It is widely believe that the first person to offer the incense on the first day of Chinese New Year would be lucky and be blessed for the year.   

The popular temple has existed since 1884 and was spared from destruction when Japanese planes attacked its vicinity. Many buildings near the temple was damage yet the temple miraculously remained intact. It is also a popular tourist attraction now but the tourists always have to be reminded not to take photo in the temple.

Kuan Im 观音 (Avalokitesvara) literally means contemplating the sound. The compassionate Avalokitesvara bodhisattva listens to the plea from people and help them.The reason for the popularity for this temple is because  many devotees who pleaded for help had their wishes come true. Those who had their wishes fulfilled would return to thank Avalokitesvara bodhisattva with flowers or fruits for helping them.

Yesterday I went to the temple early to avoid lunch hours crowd. As it was the 15th day of the lunar month, the temple staff distributed small packets of rice and sweet to devotees. I was happy to receive one small packet of rice and some sweet for my family. 

After studying Buddhist sutra, I realised the purpose of following Buddha's teaching is to end suffering, be liberated from the endless cyclic rebirth in the six realms depending on your action/karma (hell, hungry ghost, animals, asuras, human and heaven) and ultimately reach Enlightenment. I still have a long way to go to Enlightenment. But I will continue to follow Buddha's teaching. 

Nearest MRT stations: Bugis, Rochor and Bras Basah MRT (about 10 minutes walk)

From Wikipedia

 The main hall then contained three altars, the central one for the Kuan Yin and one each for Bodhidharma (the founder of Zen Buddhism) and Hua Tuo, a Chinese patron saint of medicine and healing on the flanking altars. An image of Sakyamuni Buddha was kept in the rear hall and various ancillary rooms on either side. During the second World War, the temple was spared of destruction when all the other buildings in the area were severely damaged. It provided refuge for the sick, the wounded and the homeless.^[2]

In 1982, the temple was extensively rebuilt as it needed to increase its capacity due to the high number of worshipers at the temple. All deities were enshrined on a single altar in the prayer hall with the elevated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha placed behind Kuan Yin.

 Kuan Im Thong Hoo Temple (观世音菩萨), or Avalokitesvara bodhisattva

Outside the temple, Renci hospital set up a stall to distribute free books and bookmarks on Buddhism. But I appreciate if they do not put up gory photos of the deceased, causing discomfort to others. I took some bookmarks and books and donated money in the acrylic box. I hope people do not use Buddhism to interfere in politics or other country's affair. Buddha taught the Middle way to realise Enlightenment, not extreme practise, self- mortification or interfering in politics.

For six long years, Siddhartha endured many form of ascetic practices, until he finally realized that The Middle Path was the answer.

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

I like these cute bookmarks. 

This is a great book! I was thinking of writing of the Heart Sutra. This book came at the right time as I can write the Heart Sutra. 

There are many Heart sutra in this book. You can write over the lightly-printed Chinese characters of the Heart sutra.