Guanyin Bodhisattva's Renunciation Day

Today is Guanyin Bodhisattva's Renunciation Day. As a Buddhist, I will spend the day meditating and reading the Heart Sutra. Most will just eat vegetarian food. Whenever I feel sad or needs clarity, I will go to Singapore popular Kuan Imm Temple at Waterloo Street to pray and I feel better. Sadly due to Covid19, the temple is now closed to the public. I haven't visit the temple for quite some time now. So now I spend more time reading Buddhist books and Buddha's teaching.  

Do I understand all of Heart Sutra? Not really but it is helpful to me. Just understanding one of the verses like 照见五蕴皆空，渡一切苦厄 - (Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas ( form, feeling, conception, volition and consciousness) and transcended all suffering.) helps me not to cling to sadness for too long.  

Most of the time, I just see things from another perspective, upset for a while, reflect and then let go of unhappiness. Since all give aggregates are empty in nature and dependent on causes and conditions, why cling to unhappiness for long. Just let go. If it's meant to be, it will happen.  By accepting that all the five aggregates are empty, we are able to embrace difficulties bravely and therefore will reduce our suffering.

Three Important Days Related to Guanyin Bodhisattva

From Dharma Drum here 

In Buddhist classics, Avalokiteśvara, or Guanyin Bodhisattva, is described as a great Bodhisattva with compassion and wisdom, because she vowed to alleviate suffering, respond to any prayers, and deliver sentient beings anywhere in the Saha World. Through The Stories of Guanyin's Efficacious Responses and her biography published centuries ago, Guanyin has been integrated into Chinese folk beliefs and has become a well-known Bodhisattva.

In the lunar calendar, there are three important dates celebrating Guanyin's Birthday, Enlightenment Day, and Renunciation Day, which take place on February 19th, June 19th, and September 19th respectively. Guanyin is widely accepted and worshipped. Therefore, not only would Buddhist temples hold assemblies for dharma services, but also Daoist temples make offerings with vegetarian meals or provide a vegetarian feast inviting devotees to celebrate these special dates, also known as the "vegetarian days" in Chinese folk religion.

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How Not To Be Angry- Buddha and the Angry Man

I like this story about how Buddha interacted with an angry man and was not affected by his insulting words. From my workplace, I see a lot of angry outburst because people are easily affected by what others say and thus they kept thinking about the unhappy thoughts. I be affected for a while but will just let go since I don't accept what they said after learning from this story. 

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, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.”

Detaching from both emptiness and existence

I enjoy listening Dharma talk by Venerable Master Sheng Yen whenever I have doubts or feel sad. After listening, I feel much better. By understandings that all the five aggregates are empty, dependent on causes and conditions, one will not cling to feelings and irrational thoughts. All good and bad things will pass.

照见五蕴皆空，渡一切苦厄

Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas ( form, feeling, conception, volition and consciousness) and transcended all suffering. 

 By accepting that all the five aggregates are empty, we are able to embrace difficulties bravely and therefore will reduce our suffering.