Buddha

Buddha was born in Lumbini Nepal. This Indian drama production is a good summary of the Buddha's life from birth to parinirvana. Few months ago, I could watch the drama with Chinese subtitles. Sadly, the videos are blocked by youtube on copyright grounds in Singapore and I'm can't watch it.

Quotes from Buddha

Happiness and sorrows are the two sides of the same coin. 

When the desire for happiness comes to an end, the fear of sorrow comes to an end.

I've found out that happiness and sorrow, days and. night, good and bad are game of mind and attachment. But there's a centre point in them. And that's the source of life. And it is in the consciousness of every human being, not anywhere outside.

Awakening (from Wikipedia) 

According to the early Buddhist texts,^[115] after realising that meditative dhyana was the right path to awakening, but that extreme asceticism didn't work, Gautama discovered what Buddhists know as being, the Middle Way^[115]—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, or the Noble Eightfold Path, as described in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which is regarded as the first discourse of the Buddha.^[115] In a famous incident, after becoming starved and weakened, he is said to have accepted milk and rice pudding from a village girl named Sujata.^[116] Such was his emaciated appearance that she wrongly believed him to be a spirit that had granted her a wish.^[116]

Following this incident, Gautama was famously seated under a pipal tree—now known as the Bodhi tree—in Bodh Gaya, India, when he vowed never to arise until he had found the truth.^[117] Kaundinya and four other companions, believing that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined, ceased to stay with him, and went to somewhere else. After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to have attained Enlightenment,^[117][118] and became known as the Buddha or "Awakened One" ("Buddha" is also sometimes translated as "The Enlightened One").

According to some sutras of the Pali canon, at the time of his awakening he realised complete insight into the Four Noble Truths, thereby attaining liberation from samsara, the endless cycle of rebirth, suffering and dying again.^{[119][120][121]} According to scholars, this story of the awakening and the stress on "liberating insight" is a later development in the Buddhist tradition, where the Buddha may have regarded the practice of dhyana as leading to nirvana and moksha.^{[122][123][119][note 13]}

Nirvana is the extinguishing of the "fires" of desire, hatred, and ignorance, that keep the cycle of suffering and rebirth going.^[124] Nirvana is also regarded as the "end of the world", in that no personal identity or boundaries of the mind remain.^{[citation needed]} In such a state, a being is said to possess the Ten Characteristics, belonging to every Buddha.^{[citation needed]}

According to a story in the Āyācana Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya VI.1)—a scripture found in the Pāliand other canons—immediately after his awakening, the Buddha debated whether or not he should teach the Dharma to others. He was concerned that humans were so overpowered by ignorance, greed and hatred that they could never recognise the path, which is subtle, deep and hard to grasp. However, in the story, Brahmā Sahampati convinced him, arguing that at least some will understand it. The Buddha relented, and agreed to teach.

Master Sheng Yen: The Purpose of Life is to Contribute

I enjoy learning from Venerable Master Sheng Yen on Buddha's teaching. He dedicated his life to propagate the Dharma. Thanks to technology, even though I never met him in life, I learnt so much from his sharing of the Dharma taught by Buddha more than 2500 years ago.

There are many beautiful quotes by him and I agreed with him. 

The purpose of life is to contribute which makes your life more meaningful. 

Even in death, he wanted to contribute by requesting that his ashes be used as fertiliser for plants.

Last year, I took about a year off and travelled solo and read books that I wanted to read but I didn't feel immensely happy. Time flew by very fast when you just spend the time to do what you want and just spending the time for yourself. I felt emptiness and I asked myself what is the purpose of my life. Why didn't I feel happy when I have all the time to do what I always wanted to do which was to travel and eat? 

After the break, I have a better idea of what is happiness. Happiness is to help others whenever you can with your abilities and talents.

Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

面对它，接受它，处理它，放下它

I follow four dictates: face it, accept it, deal with it, then let it go.

Remember Buddha's Teaching

When I saw an online poster showing that Lu Jun Hong will be in Singapore on 4 November 2018 for an event. I feel uncomfortable as he is misguiding others on Buddhism. I am curious why Singapore government is allowing him to plan an event in Singapore when various Buddhist federations/associations from Malaysia, Hong Kong and even Singapore already denounced his teaching. It is important that Buddha's teaching is not distorted and used for personal agenda. 

Buddha did not teach others to burn paper houses and was strict with his disciples who showcased their supernatural power. There was once a man who put up a bowl on top of a pole to test if Buddha's disciples has supernatural power. The man said that whosoever could get the bowl can keep it. One monk  who could levitate manage to get the bowl. Buddha was not impressed and admonished the monk.

Even though Buddha has supernatural power, he did not use it to impress others. He spent more than 45 years on teaching the Dharma. Through education, one can change his attitude and by changing attitude and perception, you can change your life. 

Buddha had taught the monks that those who seek the path should strive for enlightenment and break the cycle of endless samsara and not for miracles and supernatural power. Although meditating can lead to a person attaining supernatural power like recalling past lives and knowing what others think, it is the unintended fruit of meditation. 

If you are not sure what is Buddha's teaching about, its good to know the basic teaching by Buddha first. 

The Four Noble Truths

1. The Truth of Suffering

2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering

3) The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

4. The Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering is the Noble Eight-fold Path

The Noble Eight-fold Path
1. Right Views
2. Right Thoughts
3. Right Speech
4. Right Conduct
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Meditation



Saw the following in a forum. Thought it be good to share.
Question: You have probably heard of ‘Xin Lin Fa Men’ (观音心灵法门) by ‘Guanyin Citta Dharma Door’ Master Lu Jun Hong (卢军宏 or 卢台长). In his practice, after reciting Dabeizhou (Great Compassion Mantra) for karmic creditors, we are taught to burn ‘little house’ papers. Is it really necessary to do so? (This question is not linked to the picture.)

Answer: Lu’s group is a cult riding upon so-called ‘Buddhism’. Please do not follow his teachings. It is not true Buddhism as he teaches corrupted teachings. For instance, the practice of burning was never taught by the Buddha or any orthodox Buddhist teacher in history. It is an ecologically harmful and pointless new superstition. Many orthodox Buddhist organisations worldwide have spoken collectively against him. You must read these extremely important articles carefully, so as to not make the mistake of following such cults:

Singapore Buddhist Federation Denouncing Lu Jun Hong's Teaching

Enlightened Nuns

More than 2500 years ago, Buddha accepted women to join the Sanga after much persuasion from Ananda. Many nuns became Arahant bhikkhunis or enlightened Buddhist nuns. 
You can read more about the Arahant bhikkhunis written by Susan Elbaum Jootla in the following link at http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/inspire-nuns6.pdf. It is very well-written and made me want to continue reading it. 

The actual poems compose by the nuns exhibit a wide range in tone and subject matter. They were almost all spoken after the author had realized that rebirth and all its associated suffering had been brought to an end by the perfection of insight and total elimination of defilements. So virtually all the poems contain some form of “lion’s roar,” an exclamation that the author has become awakened.

"Causes and effects work themselves out and keep the life process going through samsara. So long as the mind is attached to anything at all, we will engage in volitional actions, make new kamma, and will have to experience their results. Cultivating good kamma will save one from much suffering and prepare the mind for the most powerful wholesome kamma of all, that born of wisdom, which can eliminate all kammic creation."

"Ubbiri greatly mourned the death of her infant daughter until the Buddha pointed out to her that right in the same charnel ground where she had left this baby’s body, she had similarly parted with thousands of children to whom she had given birth in previous lives. Because she had acquired strong merit in the past, this brief personalized discourse was enough to turn Ubbiri from a lamenting mother into an arahant on the spot. 

With the quenching of ignorance and craving, nothing remains but a pure mind, inherently peaceful. Ubbiri had a pliable, well-prepared mind, and thus she understood, through the Buddha’s instructions, that the source of all her suffering had been craving. After countless millions of lifetimes spent rolling in samsara, Ubbiri realized how her deep motherly attachment to her children had always caused her much anguish; for sons and daughters, like everything else, are subject to the law of impermanence. We cannot make our loved ones live beyond the span set by their own kamma. 

This was an insight so powerful for her that no object at all seemed worthy of interest any longer because of the potential pain permeating them all. us all tendency to cling was broken, never to reappear."