Happy Vesak Day!

Today is Vesak Day, a public holiday in Singapore. Vesak Day is a day to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha, the awakened one.

Buddha is a great enlightened teacher who selflessly shared what he knew to all, regardless of caste and gender. He was far ahead in his times. Today his teachings on rebirths are validated by many who went through near-death experiences or deep meditation. Buddha spent 45 years of his life teaching on the path to nirvana. 

He encouraged us to be deep thinkers; to question and verify even his teaching before accepting his teaching. Even though I was born in a Buddhist/Taoist family, I only throughly accept his teachings last year after reading from other sources like the near-death experience website and books written by Anita Moojani.  What they shared was already revealed by the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. We are the heirs of our karma. Buddha could only show the path, but it is only through practice that one could end endless samsara cycle.

Buddha said that with desire and craving, we went through endless cycles of rebirths in one of the six realms: hell, hungry ghost, animals, human beings, asura and heavenly realms. 

From Wikipedia
Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how Buddhists are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.

The Triple Gem (https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pathmaps.htm)

1. The Buddha — The self awakened one. The original nature of the Heart;
2. The Dhamma — The Teaching. The nature of reality;
3. The Sangha — a. The Awakened Community. b. Any harmonious assembly. c. All Beings.
The Four Noble Truths

1. The Noble Truth of Dukkha (Suffering) - stress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering;
2. The Noble Truth of the causal arising of Dukkha, which is grasping, clinging and wanting;
3. The Noble Truth of Nirvana, The ending of Dukkha. Awakening, Enlightenment. "Mind like fire unbound";
4. The Noble Truth of the Path leading to Nirvana or Awakening. 

All Buddhist teachings flow from the Four Noble Truths.

The Eight Fold-Path
Right, Integral, Complete, Perfected.
1. Right View, Understanding;
2. Right Attitude, Thought or Emotion;
3. Right Speech;
4. Right Action;5. Right livelihood;6. Right Effort, Energy, and Vitality;7. Right Mindfulness or Awareness;8. Right Samadhi "concentration", one-pointedness. Integration of, or establishment in, various levels of consciousness.

Buddha (Drama from India)

Vesak Day public holiday is on next Tuesday. I'll spend the day to watch Buddha drama. If you are lazy to read, this is a good drama on Buddha's path to enlightenment and Buddha's teaching. There are some error in this drama. Buddha's birthplace is at Nepal, Lumbini. I hope to go to Nepal Lumbini one day. 

How to be free from attachment, but principled

Recently I was wondering if I should pursue a matter or just let it go as what many of my acquaintances asked me to. 

After watching this video, I know the decision I made is right as it is the right thing to do. 

What is the difference between attachment and adhering to our principles. 

Attachment means you can't let go of how someone treat you or self-centred concern. Adhering to principles mean doing the right thing, righting the wrong.

Adhering to one's principles is not the same as attachment. Adhering to our principles amidst temptations and difficulties is a positive force for improvement. Attachment is self-centered concern about fame and gain, which keeps us bogged in delusion.

How to eliminate the three hindrances

The Dharma is beneficial and important to our life, but many are unable to accept it or practice well due to the hindrances of afflictions, work, or karmic retributions. We should strive to overcome them. Only after removing these obstacles can one practice smoothly.

How to Untie the Six Knots

Thus ‚Ananda and the assembly listened to the compassionate Buddha's unsurpassed sermon and gatha whose profound meanings were so enlightening and penetrating, that their mental eyes were opened; they praised what they had never seen before. Ananda then brought his palms together, prostrated and said: "I have today listened to the Buddha's
compassionate teaching which revealed the pure, subtle and permanent Reality of the (self-) nature, but I am still not clear about how to untie the (six) knots one after the other and
what you meant by when the six knots are undone the one also vanishes. Will you again take pity on this assembly and future generations and teach us in order to wash our defilements away?"

The Buddha who was on his lion-seat, adjusted his inner garments and outer robe and took from the teapoy a piece of beautiful cloth which the Yama deva had given Him. Then in the presence of the assembly, He tied a knot and showed it to Ananda, asking: "What is this? Ananda and the others replied: "It is a knot." The Buddha then tied another knot and asked: "What is this?"They all replied: This also is a knot.The Buddha tied four more knots, showing each to ‚Ananda and asking: "What is this?" They all replied that each was a knot.

The Buddha said to Ananda: ëWhen I first tied this cloth, you called it a knot. There is only one piece of cloth but why did you call the second and third ties also knots? Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, although there is only one piece of cloth, if you tie it once, there will be a knot and if you tie it a hundred times, there will be a hundred knots. But this cloth has only six knots because you only tied it six times. 

Why do you agree to my calling the first tie a knot and disagree to the second and third ones also being called knots,"
The Buddha said: Ananda, originally there was only one piece of cloth but when I tied it six times, there were six knots. As you see it, the length of cloth was the same before but is now different with its six knots. The first knot I tied was called the first one and altogether I tied six of them, do you think that the sixth one can be called the first knot?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, so long as there are six knots, the last one is the sixth and cannot be called the first. Even if I discuss this for the rest of my life, how can I number these six knots in the wrong order?"

The Buddha said: "It is so; these six knots are different but come from one length of cloth and you cannot reverse their order. It is the same with your six sense organs which, though coming from the same (source), are manifestly different. ‚Ananda, clearly you object to the six knots and prefer one (piece of cloth) but how can you obtain it?", Ananda replied: "If these six knots remain, concepts of right and wrong will arise in great confusion, with (such things as) this knot is not that one and that knot is not this one. World Honoured One, if all the knots were untied, there would remain nothing, with complete elimination of thisness and thatness: then in the absence of even one, how can there be six?"

The Buddha said: "Likewise, when the six knots are untied, the one also vanishes. It is because of confusion in your mad mind since the time without beginning that your intellect gives rise to illusions, the unceasing creation of which disturbs your seeing and causes it to perceive objects in the same way that troubled eyes see dancing flowers. Hence in the clear and bright (Reality) arise without any cause all worldly phenomena such as mountains, rivers, the great earth, samsara and nirvana which are but dancing flowers (created by) confusion, trouble (passions) and inversion."

Ananda asked: "How can one untie these knots created by trouble and confusion
Then the Buddha held (up) the piece of cloth, pulled its left end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha then pulled the right end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha said: "I have pulled both ends of the cloth but have been unable to untie the knots. What will you do now?" Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, (each) knot should be untied in its center (heart)." The Buddha said: "Correct, Ananda, correct. A knot should be untied from its heart. Ananda, the Buddha Dharma which I expound manifests due to causes and is beyond those coarse forms that come from worldly (concepts of) mixtures and unions. When the Buddha re-veals the mundane and supramundane, He knows their chief causes and concurrent conditions. He is even clear about the number of drops of rain in a place as many miles away from here as there are sand grains in the Ganges, as well as why pine trees arc straight and brambles crooked, geese white and crows black. Therefore, Ananda, choose one organ from the six, and if its knot is untied, all objects of sense will vanish of themselves. When all illusions disappear, if this is not Reality, what more do you expect? Ananda, tell me now if the six knots of this cloth can be untied simultaneously."
Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, because they were originally tied one after the other and should be untied in the same order. Although they are in the same

piece of cloth, they were not tied simultaneously; how can they now be untied all at once?í
The Buddha said: "Your six organs should be disengaged in the same way. When you begin to disentangle them, you will realize that the ego is void. When this voidness is perfectly clear, you will realize that all dharma (phenomena) are void. When you are disengaged from dharma, the voidness (of ego and dharma) will vanish. This is called the Patient Endurance of the Uncreate achieved by means of Samadhi in the Bodhisattva stage."
After ‚Ananda and the assembly had heard the Buddhaís teaching, their understanding was clear and free from doubt and suspicion. ‚Ananda brought his palms together, prostrated himself and said: "Today our bodies and minds are clear, at ease and unhindered. Though I have under- stood what you mean by the disappearance of (both) one and six, I am still unable to perfect my sense organs. World Honoured One, I am like a lonely wanderer and a hapless or- phan. How fortunate have I been to meet the Buddha and to be His relative, like a hungry baby who suddenly meets its suckling mother. This gives me a chance to attain the holy goal, but although I have listened to His profound words, I am still unawakened as if I had not heard them. Will you please reveal to me the Ultimate Approach (by means of the appropriate organ)?

After saying this, he prostrated himself and concentrated on his inner potentiality to receive the profound instruction.

Thereat the World Honoured One said to the great Bodhisattvas and chief Arhats in the assembly: "I want to ask you, Bodhisattvas and Arhats who have practised my Dharma and have reached the state beyond study, this question: "When you developed your minds to awaken to the eighteen fields of sense, which one did you regard as the best means of perfection and by what methods did you enter the state of Samadhi?" 

Monkey King 3

Recently I watched the hilarious movie Monkey King 3 which is the story of how Master Xuan Tsang faced a dilemma. He fell in love with the leader of Womanland and was wavering in his quest to the Western to seek Buddhist scriptures to deliver all sentient beings. He had to choose his love for one woman or the love of all sentient beings. 

So far I really enjoy all the Journey to the West movies as they are hilarious like comedy movies but at the same time educational and share Buddhist teachings which I like. 

I'm looking forward to the next Journey to the West movie. 

From Wikipedia
The Monkey King 3 is a 2018 Chinese fantasy film based on the classic novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en 1505–1580. This novel is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

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.