English Dhamma Talk and Meditation 2023

 

Giving Back

I believe what you give, you will get it back (karma). Good action leads to good results and vice versa. Thus, now I like to donate to Buddhist temples for dharma material printing. When I was a student with not much money, I used to take free Buddhist books and it helped to clarify my doubts.  It has helped me to overcome some challenges in life and I learnt to let go and not be so affected. Though I might be angry for a while but then I will let go after some time. Even though I forgive, I will never forget the lesson and will take necessary precaution.

Hopefully other people can benefit from these free books distribution. Every people have different ways of resolving problems. For me I like to read from the wise.  If you are upset, you can talk to someone and release your unhappiness. 

One must learn to ignore noise like people who spread false information or gossip. Treat them like noise. If not, do seek professional help.     

Life is a gift. All those unhappiness is also impermanent and temporary.  Redirect your attention that brings you joy. 

If you wish to donate to Buddhist temples, you can indicate the purpose for donating. For me, I indicate printing of dharma material to pay back what I took when I was just a student. I need to focus on practice with meditation after reading. Hopefully it can help people who find it useful and has affinity with Buddha's teaching.

Beyond Life and Death

I'm very happy with my new book purchase at Orchard Road today by Jet Li LianJie, Beyond Life and Death, Jet Li looking for Jet Li. Jet Li is a Chinese-born Singaporean who is successful actor, former 5-time Wushu champion.  I hope there is a book signing event in Singapore. Even though this book is in traditional Chinese and has to be read from right to left instead of the usual left to right and Simplified Chinese, I decided to buy as I wanted to read immediately and the bookstore staff are not sure when the Simplified Chinese version will arrive in Singapore. Anyway, I can recognise the traditional Chinese characters which have more strokes. 

In this book,  Jet Li shared his quest for the truth and happiness. Like him, we have affinity with Buddha's teaching (佛缘). We find Buddha's teaching helpful in solving personal problems and clarifying many questions I had. I really enjoy listening and reading the dhamma.  Why are some people so talented in certain field? In education, we talk about prior knowledge.  Perhaps their consciousness still retain  prior knowledge they acquired in their past lives. Our bodies are like hardware like mobile phone and it will break down and our consciousness are like the software or data that retain contents like knowledge and karma of previous hardware.  It reminds me of the Heart Sutra verse, no birth no death, just transformation in states

Shakyamuni Buddha was born a prince with great wealth and power but he realised power and wealth can't end universal suffering of aging, sickness and death. He spent 7 years searching for the truth and end to suffering and he found it-the Noble Eightfold Path ( Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration) to end suffering and he spent 49 years teaching people using differentiated teaching to people of various abilities from the poor to the royalty. Buddha taught people not to believe him or supposedly  by him but to investigate and find out if it relate to your experience. He only taught and shared his discovery on how to end suffering and anyone can also achieve if they practise what he shared.  

Jet Li pondered why his billionaire friends are still so upset despite their wealth? No matter how rich a person is, he or she can't escape death. You only own the wealth temporarily. Poor and rich people still have worries and suffering. Poor people worry about 3 to 4 figures and the rich people worry about millions or billions of dollars. A rich person still strive to earn more and this 'greed' or insecurity make them even want more which lead to more craving and greed. There is also 无常 or impermanence as there is always change. Day by day, we change with age. Understanding this, I appreciate this moment. I'm currently younger than the next moment. 

I know I have to go beyond the book knowledge. For now I meditate at home. I have to go for meditation retreat at a temple hopefully by next year. 

I totally agree with him.

Interesting insight from the monk. Why didn't I think of that?  I need to focus more on practice. Hopefully next year, I can go to meditation retreat in temple. I do hope to visit China Mount Putuo or Taiwan Fo guang shan.

Great interview and I hope it can inspire you

Heart Sutra : Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form 色即是空, 空即是色

I would like to share with you one of the verses from the Heart Sutra, "Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form 色即是空, 空即是色". I find that it is helpful to me in the daily life. At least you don't feel angry or sad for long. I like listening to Buddha's teaching on the truth and universe especially after it has been verified by survivors who saw their past lives and scientists who discovered the vast universe.

The body is the aggregates of eye, nose, ears, tongue, body and mind. How your mind reacts to the environment. The eye, nose, ears, tongue, body and mind are conditional causation. How do you react when you hear something nice or bad? Do you react and create bad or good action? Some things to contemplate about it. 

Once you can perceive the five skandhas are empty, you are free from suffering. Or at least you won't be so affected by the environment for example gossips or what you see and comparing with others on who can afford the most expensive thing. Only then will you be truly free and not be affected by  what you hear, see and many more.

Our bodies are just like hardwares. We are existing in this body for at most 100 years. This is temporary identity and not the real you. The real you is pure consciousness free of all the temporary dust or worries that affect you in the current body. Body is like hardware that play the movie of your life and your spirit or soul is the software that went through different hardwares. We have been through many past lives. With the advance of technology especially in healthcare, many people who died and returned back to life shared that they saw their many past lives during their near death experience. You can read the sharing by Anita Moojani on Dying to be Me and real life accounts by people from this near death experience here. 

We are here for at most 100 years, so do good as what you give our you will get back. If you are lucky, you pay back the karma debt in the current life else you have to go through rebirth again to pay back karma debt. Just be kind and do good if you don't have any religion. 

Lecture 20 by Venerable Guan Cheng

I highly recommend Anita Moojani's book on Dying to be Me. She struggled with cancer for four years and miraculously survived after she chose to be back to live fearlessly.

Singapore Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

Yesterday was the first day of Chinese lunar month of  August. I decided to go to Kwan Im temple at Waterloo street to pray since I haven't visit the temple for many months. Luckily the temple opening hours is from 7am to 6.30 pm and I managed to pray at the temple after work. 

This temple started in 1884 and was last renovated in 1983.

From Wikipedia, "The temple's main worship is Cundi, a manifestation of Kuan Yin. It also worship Damo and Hua Tuo. A statue of Tathagata Buddha is also placed behind Kuan Yin. On top of the altar there is also the Four Heavenly Kings."

Alms Round at Tampines

My friend shared with me that Buddhist monks from the Palelai Temple will go to Tampines Blk 823 Tampines Market for alms round on every Monday morning from 8.15 am to 8.45 am. This alms round practice started during Shakyamuni Buddha time, more than 2500 years ago. It is to teach the monks to be humble and also provide opportunity for people to learn about Buddha's teaching and make merit by giving. 

So during the June holidays, I brought some rice packets, a bottle of cooking oil to offer to the monks at Tampines market with my friend. I couldn't explain it but I felt light-hearted and joyful after offering the requisites to the monks. Please take note that real Buddhist monks don't accept money in the street. They accept cooked or/and uncooked food. 

 

When giving, you practise generosity. There are also different form of giving like giving advice, effort, or providing a listening ear. 

I believe and strive to follow Buddha's teaching on Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold paths, rebirths and karma .Some people say Buddhism only talk about suffering which is not true. Buddha shared solution too and that is the path out of suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold paths, one of which is Right or Skilfull Action which also include 5 precepts for lay Buddhists. One of the five precepts is no sexual misconduct. So if you follow the precept, by not committing  extramarital affair, you are not causing unnecessary suffering to your spouse and children. 

 

Buddha advised not to blindly believe. Investigate and see if it is true first. I realised the truth of Buddha's teaching after reading books like Dr Raymond Moody, Life after Life, Dr Brian Weiss, Many Lives, Many Masters and Near-death experiences website here, shared by those survivors who shared about their past lives. From the book, some shared how their current body moles were related to past life injuries which I read in some Buddhism books. I think I have affinity with Buddha (与佛有缘） as I enjoy listening to dharma talks. Also I can relate to the dharma teaching. I enjoy listening to dharma talks by Ajahn Keng and Venerable Sheng Yen.

Back to the alms round. If you want to offer requisites to the monks during their alms round, you can visit Palelai temple website here. https://palelaibuddhisttemple.org/visiting-palelai/#weekly-activities 

Monks went for alms round at Tampines Blk 823 on every Monday, 8.15 am to 8.45 am. Image from here. Please be respectful to monks. Real monks don't accept money. They accept food. 

You can find out more about Buddhism from Buddhist monk.

10 Daily Reminders For a Better Life

My friend Mr T shared with me this informative vide on 10 daily reminders by a practising Theravada monk. I find it helpful so I'm sharing with you all. Below is a short summary of what venerable Nick Keomahavong shared. I hope you find the video below helpful to improve your habits and life. 

1. Reminder 1 - How was our thoughts, speech and action?

We must pay attention to our thoughts, speech and action. The way we think, speak and our behaviours, these actions create karma. There are consequences and effects.

Reminder 2 - Not being choosy and using essentials with care and consideration

Don't be wasteful and careless and mindless. Have a sense of gratitude for the food and supplies you have available and also make use to care for it. Use it wisely. Be considerate of the resources we have and not be wasteful. 

Reminder 3 - What can we do to improve our conduct, what bad habits to give up, and what good habits to develop?

Everyday look at the bad habits you have and then try ways to improve it. Reflect on the habits that need changing. What can you do to change your behaviour? Increase your mindfulness. 

Reminder 4 - How well did we observe the precepts?

Thervada Buddhist monks need to observe 227 precepts to keep them on track in developing their mind, to hold up to standard and training. For lay Buddhists, we just observe the 5 precepts as follow:

1- No harming of life

2- No stealing

3- No false speech

4- No sexual misconduct

5- No intoxicants - will not lead to carelessness

If you hold the 5 precepts, it limits the worries. There is no outside interference and you are more worry free.

Reminder 5 - What would the Buddha say about our conduct and observance of precepts?

The Buddha was a regular person who attained enlightenment in our human realm. What would Buddha think of our behaviour. Reflect on our day. What do we need to improve our life?

Reminder 6 - Remind ourselves that we are bound to be parted from all.

Everything we do, we tend to cling to it, hold on to it to be attached to it be it relationship or thing. When the time comes to depart, you will all depart from these things. Use this to ground yourself. All the money, possession that you have, you can't take it with you when you depart. When you understand the above, then it start to change and structure how you function in your daily life. 

Reminder 7 - Remind ourselves that we all live under the Law of Kamma

We must continuously remind ourselves that we all live under the law of kamma, therefore we must choose to do only virtuous things in thought, speech and action. Regardless of what traditions or religions you are from, there is the law of kamma. That with every action, there is a reaction. It is important to remind ourselves with this universal truth. When you do good, it has positive fruit and vice versa. Use this to guide your action moving forward. 

Reminder 8 - What good have we done today to purify our mind?

Need to remind ourselves that time is passing. What good have we done today to purify our mind? If you have the opportunity to do good, do it now. This lifetime is very short. Don't take it for granted. 

Reminder 9 - Have peace and quiet – physically and mentally – and to set aside time for meditation. 

Take the time to just settle down and meditate.

Reminder 10 - How well did you meditate?

Main focus is to train the mind. To see reality as it is. You can use journal to keep track of meditation experience. What was your mindset like?

10 Daily Reminders For a Better Life  A Monk’s Approach