Happy Birthday Human Beings Ren Ri 人日

Today is the 7th day of Chinese lunar new year which is known as  Ren Ri 人日. Based on Chinese custom, it is said that it is the day human beings were created. 

Buddha said that among the six realms of rebirth , Human being is the most precious and it is rare to be reborn as a human being, rarer to be reborn in countries where you can hear the dhamma. Therefore we should not waste this human life. Use this human life to end samsara. 

Life is a gift and to be born as a human is very rare. Just look at the billions of animals around us from the sea, land to the sky in this planet earth alone. 

Buddha was a skilful teacher who was able to teach others with parables (I think he was the first teacher using differentiated teaching). To help his disciples to understand the rareness of being born as a human, he said that to be born as a human is like a sea turtle that comes up to the surface once every hundred years and the sea turtle's head passed through a small hole of a wooden plank floating in the vast ocean. 

According to Buddha, there are 31 planes of existence which include the lower realms like hell, ghost and animals and higher realms like human and other heavenly realms which include sensuous and immaterial world (form or formless).

Being born as a human besides being rare is also precious. It is the only realm where you  can do good deeds and cultivate merit. Only a human can attain enlightenment as a Buddha. Thus we should use this opportunity to do good deeds and help others. It is said that to be born as a human being, it must also be your past life good karma as you have cultivated many merit in past lives.

Thus we should use the opportunity to do more good, follow the five precepts or eight precepts set by the Buddha for lay Buddhists and hopefully be enlightened in this life.  

From Access to Insight here.

Scattered throughout the suttas are references to as many as thirty-one distinct "planes" or "realms" of existence into which beings can be reborn during their long wandering through samsara. These range from the extraordinarily grim and painful hell realms all the way up to the most exquisitely refined and blissful heaven realms. Existence in every realm is temporary; in Buddhist cosmology there is no eternal heaven or hell. Beings are born into a particular realm according to their past kamma. When they pass away, they take rebirth once again elsewhere according to the quality of their kamma: wholesome actions bring about a favorable rebirth, while unwholesome actions lead to an unfavorable one. And so the wearisome cycle continues.

Image from Fo Guang Shan website here

 Image from Access to Insight, The Thirty-one Planes of Existence

The practice of contemplating the five aggregates as empty: "Perception" for example

From the Heart Sutra, 照见五蕴皆空，渡一切苦厄. Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas (Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental formation, Consciousness)   And transcended all suffering. 

This "me" is changing constantly".“Perception” means notions, reflections and thoughts. It changes over time and space. Therefore, there is no need to be attached to it. When there is no attachment to impermanence, you let go of suffering.   

The True Meaning of Happiness by Master Sheng Yen

From  Master Sheng Yen

Whether one can live in peace and happiness has mainly to do with one's state of mind. Happiness is to be content and always joyful; happiness is to live fully in the present moment, to be mindful of our conduct and actions, and to face our own conscience truthfully; happiness is to count our karmic blessings and cultivate merit at all times.

Why Buddhist Monks Must Beg For Food (Alms round - Not Money) On The Street Daily? Ajahn Keng

Theravada monks follow the tradition of going for alms-round for food since Buddha's time 2500 years ago. Even though Buddha was a prince, he gave up his life of luxury to search for the truth of life. After his enlightenment, he lead the monks for alms round for food as it taught them to be humble, not to be greedy and give opportunity for laypeople to give dana and practise generosity. 

Do take note that monks only accept food and not money. 

If you wish to offer dana to the monks, you can find out more information from Singapore Palelai Buddhist Temple. 

Alms-round (Pindapata) (From Palelai Temple) https://palelaibuddhisttemple.org/visiting-palelai/#daily-schedule)

The daily alms-round, where monks (bhikkhus) gather alms-food in their alms-bowls while barefooted, is practised by the resident bhikkhus of Palelai Buddhist Temple. This practice allows the public to learn about the Theravada Buddhist tradition's monastic way of living and the mutual support between monastics and lay supporters. 

Anyone is welcome to offer only consumable and/or uncooked food requisites into the bhikkhus’ alms-bowls. The bhikkhus are accompanied by our volunteers to the alms-round that takes place at 8:15am to 8:45am at the following locations:

Monday           -       Blk 823 Tampines Market

Tuesday           -       Blk 85 Bedok North Street 4 Food Centre

Wednesday     -       Blk 216 Bedok North Street 1 Food Centre

Thursday         -       Blk 18 Bedok South, in front of Blk 16 Bedok South Market & Food Centre

Friday               -        Blk 511 Bedok North Street 3 Food Centre

Saturday          -       Blk 538 Bedok North Food Centre

Sunday             -       Blk 58 Upper Changi Road

Upon returning to the monastery, volunteers will re-offer the cooked food to the bhikkhus during the meal offerings of the same day. All uncooked food requisites will be utilised responsibly by the Kitchen to prepare the subsequent days’ meals