Buddhism for Beginner

If you want to learn more about Buddhism, you can click this really informative book here. 

Buddhism for Beginners is a book that was used in Singapore schools in the mid 1980s and early 1990s and taught as a curriculum. It covers the basics of Buddhism like the Life & Teaching of the Buddha, Buddhism in Practice etc.

The Dialogue with the Buddha (Page 74 to 76 from Buddhism for Beginners)

Concerned about the welfare of his son, King Shuddhodana wanted to know how He could lead the life of a monk after being brought up as a prince, so he asked, “When you were young, you wore beautiful woollen slippers and walked on carpets, with an umbrella over your head. Now, you walk bare-footed in the open; are your feet not hurt?”

“I have renounced everything and destroyed craving. I feel no pain,” the Buddha replied.

“When you were in the palace, you bathed in cool water scented by sandalwood. Now you roam about in cold nights in the forest. How do you bathe and refresh yourself when you are weary?” asked the king.

“Now, I bathe in the stream of virtues. The Dharma is the pool of virtues. It is pure and is always praised by man,” answered the Buddha.

“When staying in the palace, you wore garments made of the finest quality cloth. Now you wear a robe, coarse and plain. It is strange that you can bear it.”

“A Buddha does not pay attention to the beauty of His clothes, the comfort of His bed, or the taste of His food. He does not pay heed to sense pleasures.”

“Formerly, you slept on soft cushions of silk strewn with owers. Now, you sleep on the grass in the field, or on the hard ground. Does not your body ache?”

“My life is without grief and sorrow now, for craving is destroyed. I sleep well and happily.”

“Formerly, in the palace, you were protected by armed guards. Now, in the forest, you are unprotected. Are you not afraid?”

“I have overcome fear. I am not moved by blame or praise. Like a lion, I am not frightened by noises. Can a conqueror, a leader of men, be afraid?”

“ The whole earth would be your kingdom if you had not renounced the world.”

“ The whole earth is still my kingdom. Thousands are my disciples!” the Buddha replied.

Greatly impressed by the answers given by the Buddha, the king exclaimed,“Your renunciation of family and kingdom has not been in vain. Your struggle for Enlightenment has been fruitful.”

The next day, as He had not been invited to the palace for His meal, the Buddha and His disciples went into Kapilavastu for alms. Yashodhara, who witnessed this scene, quickly reported it to the king. Immediately, the king went out to meet the Buddha and asked, “Son, why do you disgrace our royal lineage by seeking alms?”

“Seeking alms is the custom of my lineage,” replied the Buddha.

“Is it the custom of our royal lineage to earn a living by seeking alms?”

“My lineage is that of the Buddha’s,” He answered.

Then the Buddha and His disciples were invited to the palace for a meal. When the meal was over, the Buddha said to the Shakyans:

"One should practise the Dharma well,

One should not do evil.

He who practises the Dharma well, rests in bliss Both in this world and in the next.”

On hearing this verse, King Shuddhodana and Prajapati gained faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Awaken Magazine

I realised that a lot of suffering arises from the mind. If you understand the root cause of suffering and understand and observe how the five skandhas are affecting you, your mind will no longer be afflicted by it. Just let go and focus or redirect your thoughts 

I came across this free magazine, Awaken published by Singapore temple Kong Meng San Chor Kar See Monastery. I like this inspiring magazine. In this issue, there are articles by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Jack Kornfield and lay Buddhists. There are also vegetarian recipes and restaurants in Singapore. 

You can read this free magazine via the link here awaken__50_eng_issuu_2.

I used to be tight-fist with my money as being single, money gives me a sense of security. But now I think it is more useful to donate money to temples to share this wonderful Dharma taught by our most revered and compassionate teacher, the Buddha as what he taught will help many people overcome suffering due to greed, ignorance and hatred with the Noble Eightfold path: 

Right view

Right resolve

Right speech

Right conduct

Rght livelihood

Right effort

Right mindfulness

Right samadhi 

A reminder for me from the Heart Sutra.

When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara practised the deep Prajnaparamita, he saw that the five skandhas were empty; thus he overcame all ills and suffering. 

"HE PERCEIVED THAT ALL FIVE SKANDHAS ARE EMPTY"

The five skandhas, namely form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness continually provide five occasions for craving and clinging. Two types of craving and clinging characterize the human mind: 1) Craving and clinging to form and 2) Craving and clinging to mind. Clinging to form is the domain of the form skandha; the remaining four skandhas constitute the domain of the mind and the clinging to mind is generated in those four realms. All our grasping, manifested in our attachments and aversions, is generated and developed due to the activity of these four skandhas. Craving and clinging emerge at birth, and the Buddhadharma aims to sever them.

Sadhu For The Music 2019 Live Recording Premiere

If you like Imee Ooi, you will like  Sadhu For The Music - Dharma Music Unity Concert 2019 lead by Ms Imee Ooi. It is shared in Youtube today for the Vesak 2021 Special. 

I like the Heart Sutra sang by Imee Ooi as she has really smooth sweet voice like a heavenly Devi. I went to her Heart Sutra concert in Singapore last year and it was a really great experience listening to her singing live. I do hope after the pandemic, she will be able to come to Singapore for another Dharma music concert.

Dharma Talk By Ajahn Keng on Vesak Day 2021

On Vesak Day today to commemorate Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana, I practise meditation and listen o Dharma talk by Ajahn Keng and also Master Sheng Yen. I like to listen to Ajahn Keng because I learn something new and his talk is quite interesting. 

As usual, Ajahn Keng reminds us that if we want to have happiness, we have to observe the precepts. Your mind is calm and not remorse and it gives you inner peace.

Ajahn Keng talk is from 39 mins to 1 h 25 mins.

Happy Vesak Day! Buddha's Enlightenment

Happy Vesak Day! Tomorrow Buddhists around the world will commemorate the birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana of Gautama Buddha. I will stay at home meditating and listen to Dharma talks by Ajahn Keng and Master Sheng Yen to remember and reflect on Buddha's teaching.

We are indeed lucky to be able to still learn the teaching of Buddha even though

Buddha has entered parinirvana 2500 years ago. Remember 戒定慧 Precepts, Meditation 

and Wisdom, the Noble Eightfold path to the path of awakening, Buddha told his

disciples before parinirvana. 

Below is a video on the night that Buddha who sat under the Bodhi tree became

enlightened/awaken.

After victory over Mara, the Bodhisattva mind was firm, focused and concentrated. At dusk, the Bodhisattva began to develop meditative insight attaining to the first knowledge: The ability to recollect his past lives.

In the silence of the late night, he attained the second knowledge; Knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings according to the results of their actions.

Close to dawn, the Bodhisattva attained to the third knowledge; knowledge of the destruction of mental defilements, complete liberation and freedom from suffering. He thus came to be known as the fully self awakened Buddha. 

" Craving with you I've been born again and again. But now you are revealed and your power redundant."

From Thus Have I Heard 

Running on Karma (一念天堂，一念地獄)

Sometimes people wonder why evildoer escapes from their evil deeds and go unpunished in this lifetime and why good people suffer. Sometimes karma manifests in this lifetime, sometimes karma will just happen in next life or the next next life.  Just like seed, some fruit takes few months to ripen and some seeds take years to ripen.The movie Running on Karma is a film on Buddhist concept about Karma. Karma is simply cause and effect. 

This is the reason why the compassionate Shakyamuni Buddha spent 49 years of his life teaching people to avoid evil by following the Noble Eightfold paths: Right Speech, Right Action, Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. 

The protagonist is a Buddhist monk who acquired supernatural power of seeing a person's past life 天眼通 when he meditated for several days after his friend passed away. He could see what will happen to the person due to the person past life as he could see changing images on a person's face.  He gave up monkhood and went to work as a stripper after he realised he could not stop what will happen. He helped the police woman escaped death twice or thrice but later realised that it was the police woman who saved herself by her kindness. However in the end, the police woman who was a Japanese soldier in her past life who killed many people was killed in the forest as she wanted to help the monk. 

In another scene, the monk stopped an angry police sergeant who was beating the murderer by saying to him, "One thought Heaven, One thought Hell"(一念天堂，一念地獄). I recalled in a Dharma talk by Venerable Chao Khun Keng who shared that our mind is very powerful and we needs to be  aware of it. Therefore, we always have to be mindful of our thoughts as our actions are driven by our thoughts 一念之间，但下种的因。

Recently, I read a book Miracles Happen by Dr Brian Weiss. He shared a case of a lady who can see a person's past life when she 'see' people's faces change, and sometimes entire scene play out around them. What she saw is similar to what the monk in the movie see. Maybe, some people are born with the gift of spiritual eyes who can see other people's past lives while others who through meditation, acquire psychic eye. 

Dr Brian Weiss's sharing has further provided evidence that Buddha's teaching that there is reincarnation and how your action in past life will affect your present life and how your present life will affect your future life. Therefore we have to be mindful and observe the Noble Eightfold path which includes Right Thought and right action. 

Running on Karma 

This excerpt is from the book Miracles Happen: The Transformational Healing Power of Past-Life Memories by Dr Brian Weiss.

How prajna-wisdom helps us in our daily life

Sometimes when I face unhappy situation, I applied Buddha's teaching to let go of anger. Everything is temporary. There is no point in holding on to anger. Just let go and you feel at peace. 

Spiritual practice lies in applying the Dharma in every minute and aspect of our daily life.