Activities - Dhamma Talk By Satyajit Bhikkhu

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Great Article On Anapanasatti

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ONLY ONE BREATH



By Unknown Author



This morning I was talking to Venerable Subbato and he was saying he
never has developed Anapanasati - mindfulness of the breath. So I said
, ' Can you be mindful of one inhalation ? ' And he said , ' Oh yes.'
' And of one exhalation ? ' And he said, ' Yes.' And I said, ' Got it
! '

There's nothing more to it than that. However, one tends to expect to
develop some special kind of ability to go into some special state.
And because we don't do that, then we think we can't do it.

But the way of the spiritual life is through renunciation ,
relinquishment , letting go not through attaining or acquiring. Even
the jhanas* are relinquishments rather than attainments. If we
relinquish more and more , letting go more and more , then the jhanic
states are natural.

The attitude is most important. To practise anapanasati , one brings
the attention onto one inhalation, being mindful from the beginning to
the end. One inhalation, that's it ; and then the same goes for the
exhalation. That's the perfect attainment of anapanasati. The
awareness of just that much is the result of concentration of the mind
through sustained attention on the breath - from the beginning to the
end of the inhalation , from the beginning to the end of the
exhalation. The attitude is always one of letting go , not attaching
to any ideas or feelings that arise from that , so that you're always
fresh with the next inhalation , the next exhalation , completely as
it is . You're not carrying over anything. So it's a way of
relinquishment, of letting go, rather than of attaining and achieving.

The dangers in meditation practice is the habit of grasping at things
, grasping at states ; so the concept that's most useful is the
concept of letting go , rather than of attaining and achieving. If you
say today that yesterday you had a really super meditation ,
absolutely fantastic , just what you've always dreamed of , and then
today you try to get the same wonderful experience as yesterday, but
you get more restless and more agitated than ever before - now why is
that ? Why can't we get what we want ? It's because we're trying to
attain something that we remember rather than really working with the
way things are , as they happen to be now. So the correct way is one
of mindfulness , of looking at the way it is now rather than
remembering yesterday and trying to get to that state again.

The first year I meditated I didn't have a teacher. I was in this
little kuti* in Nong Khai for about ten months , and I had all kinds
of blazing insights. Being alone for ten months , not having to talk ,
not having to go anywhere , everything calmed down after several
months, and then I thought I was a fully enlightened person, an
arahant. I was sure of it. I found out later that I wasn't.

I remember we went through a famine in Nong Khai that year and we
didn't get very much to eat. I had malnutrition, so I thought, ' Maybe
malnutrition's the answer. If I just starve myself...' I remember
being so weak with malnutrition at Nong Khai that my earlobes started
cracking open. On waking up , I'd have to pry my eyelids open ; they'd
be stuck shut with the stuff that comes out of your eyelids when
you're not feeling very well.

Then one day this Canadian monk brought me three cans of tinned milk.
In Asia they have tinned sweetened milk and it's very very delicious.
And he also brought me some instant coffee, and a flask of hot water.
So I made a cup of this : put in a bit of coffee , poured in some of
this milk , poured hot water and started drinking it. And I just went
crazy. It was so utterly delicious, the first time I had anything
sweet in weeks, or anything stimulating. And being malnourished and
being in a very dull tired apathetic state, this was like high-octane
petrol - whoomph ! Immediately I gulped that down - I couldn't stop
myself - and I managed to consume all three tins of milk and a good
portion of that coffee. And my mind went flying into outer space, or
it seemed like it, and I thought, ' Maybe that's the secret. If I can
just get somebody to buy me tinned milk.'

When I went to Wat Pah Pong the following year I kept thinking, ' Oh ,
I had all those wonderful experiences in Nong Khai. I had all those
beautiful visions, and all those fantastic floating experiences and
blazing insights , and it seemed like I understood everything. And you
even thought you were an arahant.' At Wat Pah Pong, that first year
there, I didn't have much of anything. I just kept trying to do all
the things I'd done in Nong Khai to get these things. But after a
while , even using strong cups of coffee didn't work any more. I
didn't seem to get those exhilarations , those fantastic highs and
blazing insights , that I had the first year. So after the first
Vassa* at Wat Pah Pong , I thought , 'This place is not for me. I
think I'll go and try to repeat what happened in Nong Khai.' And I
left Ajahn Chah and went to live on Pupek mountain in Sakorn Nakorn
province.

There , at last , I was in an idyllic spot. However, for the almsround
there you had to leave before dawn and go down the mountain , which
was quite a climb , and wait for the villagers to come. They'd bring
you food , and then you had to climb all the way back up and eat this
food before twelve noon. That was quite a problem.

I was with one other monk, a Thai monk , and I thought , ' He's really
very good ', and I was quite impressed with him. But when we were on
this mountain, he wanted me to teach him English ; so I got really
angry with him !

It was in an area where there was a lot of terrorists and communists,
in North-East Thailand. There were helicopters flying overhead
sometimes checking us out. Once they came and took me down to the
provincial town, wondering whether I was a communist spy.

Then I got violently ill , so ill that they had to carry me down the
mountain. I was stuck in a wretched place by a reservoir under a tin
roof in the hot season with insects buzzing in and out of my ears and
orifices. With horrible food  I nearly died , come to think of it . I
almost didn't make it.

But it was during that time in that tin-roof lean-to that a real
change took place. I was really despairing and sick and weak and
totally depressed , and my mind would fall into these hellish realms ,
with the terrible heat and discomfort. I felt like I was being cooked
; it was like torture.

Then a change came. Suddenly, I just stopped my mind ; I refused to
get caught in that negativity and I started to practise anapanasati. I
used the breath to concentrate my mind and things changed very
quickly. After that , I recovered my health and it was time to enter
the next Vassa , so I went back - I'd promised Ajahn Chah I'd go back
to Wat Pah Pong for the Vassa - and my robes were all tattered and
torn and patched. I looked terrible. When Ajahn Chah saw me, he just
burst out laughing. And I was so glad to get back after all that !

I had been trying to practice and what I had wanted were the memories
of these insights. I'd forgotten what the insights really were. I was
so attached to the idea of working in some kind of ascetic way, like I
did the first year, when asceticism really worked. At that time being
malnourished and being along had seemed to provide me with insight, so
that for the following several years I kept trying to create the
conditions where I would be able to have these fantastic insights.

But the following two or three years seemed to be years of just
getting by. Nothing much seemed to happen. I was six months on this
mountain before I returned to Wat Pah Pong, just deciding to stay on
and follow the insights I had. One of the insights the first year was
that I should find a teacher, and that I should learn how to live
under a discipline imposed on me by that teacher. So I did that. I
realised Ajahn Chah was a good teacher and had a good standard of
monastic discipline , so I stayed with him. Those insights that I had
were right, but I'd become attached to the memory.

Actually, insight is more and more a matter of living insightfully.
It's not just that you have insight sometimes, but more and more as
you reflect on Dhamma, then everything is insightful. You see
insightfully into life as it's happening to you . As soon as you think
you have to have special conditions for it, and you're not aware of
that , then you're going to create all sorts of complexities about
your practice.

So I developed letting go : to not concern myself with attaining or
achieving anything. I decided to make little achievements possible by
learning to be a little more patient , a little more humble , and a
little more generous. I decided to develop this rather than go out of
my way to control and manipulate the environment with the intention of
setting myself up in the hope of getting high. It became apparent ,
through reflection , that the attachment to the insights was the
problem. The insights were valid insights, but there was attachment to
the memory.

Then the insight came that you let go of all your insights. You don't
attach to them. You just keep letting go of all the insights you have
because otherwise they become memories, and then memories are
conditions of the mind and , if you attach to them , they can only
take you to despair.

In each moment it's as it is. With Ana-Pana-Sati , one inhalation , at
this moment , is this way. It's not like yesterday's inhalation was.
You're not thinking of yesterday's inhalation and yesterday's
exhalation while you're doing the one now. You're with it completely,
as it is ; so you establish that. The reflective ability is based on
establishing your awareness in the way it is now rather than having
some idea of what you'd like to get, and then trying to get it in the
here and now. Trying to get yesterday's blissful feeling in the here
and now means you're not aware of the way it is now. You're not with
it. Even with anapanasati, if you're doing it with the hope of getting
the result that you had yesterday, that will make it impossible for
that result to ever happen.

Last winter, Venerable Vipassi was meditating in the shrine room and
someone was making quite distracting noises. Talking to Venerable
Vipassi about it , I was quite impressed , because he said first he
felt annoyed and then he decided the noises would be part of the
practice. So, he opened his mind to the meditation hall with
everything in it - the noises, the silence, the whole thing. That's
wisdom, isn't it ? If the noise is something you can stop - like a
door banging in the wind - go close the door. If there's something you
have control over, you can do that.

But much of life you have no control over. You have no right to ask
everything to be silent for ' my ' meditation. When there is
reflectiveness , instead of having a little mind that has to have
total silence and special conditions , you have a big mind that can
contain the whole of it : the noises, the disruptions, the silence,
the bliss, the restlessness, the pain. The mind is all-embracing
rather than specialising on a certain refinement in consciousness.
Then you develop flexibility because you can concentrate your mind.

This is where wisdom is needed for real development. It's through
wisdom that we develop it, not through will-power or controlling or
manipulating environmental conditions ; getting rid of the things we
don't want and trying to set ourselves up so that we can follow this
desire to achieve and attain.

Desire is insidious. When we are aware that our intention is to attain
some state, that's a desire , isn't it ? So we let it go. If we are
sitting here, even with a desire to attain the first jhana , we
recognise that that desire is going to be the very thing that's going
to prevent the fulfilment. So we let go of the desire , which doesn't
mean not to do anapanasati , but to change the attitude to it.

So what can we do now ? Develop mindfulness of one inhalation. Most of
us can do that ; most human beings have enough concentration to be
concentrated from the beginning of an inhalation to the end of it. But
even if your concentration span is so weak you can't even make it to
the end, that's all right. At least you can get to the middle, maybe.
That's better than if you gave up totally or never tried at all, isn't
it ? Because at least you're composing the mind for one second, and
that's the beginning : to learn to compose and collect the mind around
one thing, like the breath , and sustain it just for the length of one
inhalation ; if not, then half an inhalation , or a quarter , or
whatever. At least you have started, and you must try to develop a
mind that's glad at just being able to do that much, rather than being
critical because you haven't attained the first jhana, or the fourth.

If meditation becomes another thing you have to do, and you feel
guilty if you don't live up to your resolutions , then you start
pushing yourself without an awareness of what you're doing. Then life
does get quite dreary and depressing. But if you are putting that
skilful kind of attention into your daily life, you'll find so much of
daily life very pleasant - which you may not notice if you are caught
in your compulsions and obsessions. If we act with compulsiveness it
becomes a burden , a grind. Then we drag ourselves around doing what
we have to do in a heedless and negative way. But being able to be in
the countryside - the tress, the fields, we have this time for a
retreat - we can sit and walk ; we don't have a lot to do. The morning
chanting, the evening chanting can be extremely pleasant for us, when
we're open to it. People are offering the food. The meal is quite a
lovely thing. People are eating mindfully and quietly. When we're
doing it out of habit and compulsion ! ! ! , then it gets to be a
drag. And a lot of things that are quite pleasant in themselves are no
longer pleasant. We can't enjoy them when we're coming from
compulsiveness, heedlessness, and ambition. Those are the kinds of
driving forces that destroy the joy and the wonder of our lives.

Sustaining your attention on the breathing really develops awareness
but when you get lost in thought or restlessness, that's all right
too. Don't drive yourself. Don't be a slave driver or beat yourself
with a whip and drive yourself in a nasty way. Lead, guide and train
yourself ; leading onward, guide yourself rather than driving and
forcing yourself.

Nibbana is a subtle realisation of non-grasping. You can't drive
yourself to Nibbana. That's the sure way of never realising it. It's
here and now, so if you're driving yourself to Nibbana, you're always
going far away from it, driving right over it.

It's pretty heavy, sometimes, to burn up attachments in our mind. The
Holy Life is a holocaust , a total burning, a burning up of self, of
ignorance. The purity that comes from the holocaust is like a diamond
; something that went through such fires that all that was left was
purity. And so in our life here there has to be this willingness to
burn away the self-views , the opinions , the desires , the
restlessness , the greed ; all of it , the whole of it , so that
there's nothing but purity remaining. Then when there is purity, there
is nobody, no thing , there's that , the 'suchness '.
And let go of that. More and more the path is just the simple being
here and now, being with the way things are. There's nowhere to go,
nothing to do, nothing to become, nothing to get rid of. Because of
the holocaust, there is no ignorance remaining ; there is purity,
clarity and intelligence.

A small "Mass Weddings” at KBC

One year into marriage registration service, Kajang Buddhist Center held its first small "Mass Weddings” with Bhante Kumara in attendance on Christmas Day 2008. There were four registrations on that day and Bhante Kumara graciously gives a sermon to the newly weds on Buddhism ways to a happy marriage.

The marriage registration service was setup to cater for the Buddhist Community in southern Klang Valley. Registration days are scheduled only on weekends to enable more relatives and friends to attend and witness the happy occasion. A beautifully decorated registration office with a pleasant environment is what awaits those who wish to have their marriage registered at Kajang Buddhist Center.

Obtaining and submission of completed form with Statutory Declaration done is accepted throughout the week. However, to ensure an effective service, KBC has adopted the method of service by appointment only.

At your service is Bro Ghim, our in-house Assistant Registrar of Marriages, to answer all your queries with regards to marriage registration. He can be contacted at 019-3257689.

New Year Message From Bhante Mahinda

Subject: NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM BHANTE MAHINDA_4

NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM BHANTE MAHINDA

As we approach the new calendar Year of 2009, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the New Year resolutions.

You must have heard people talking about it. But what are the resolutions to make and how to make them?

Before you make your resolution for the New Year, please recall to mind of the good things you've done throughout the year 2008.

When you recall an action or an event which is good or wholesome you'll feel some joy & happiness in your hearts. That's how you'll recognise a good or wholesome action.

Try to recall of at least 3 of such actions or events which you participated. The practice of contemplation of virtues or merits is called SILĀNUSSATI. This will help to establish in you a sense of confidence in cultivating good or wholesome qualities. When you develop this skill you will find it very useful, especially when you are feeling somewhat low and depressed. The contemplation of virtues or merits will help to uplift your spirits and get out of your negative state of mind.

For example, those of you who have been to Bodhgaya for the Novitiate Programme, just recall to mind of this event and the time you spent under the Bodhi tree or in the sacred shrine or the meditation garden, observe the joy/happiness that arise in your heart. Similarly when you recall of how you saved the life of a cat or dog, or performed some other charitable act, you can feel the joy of doing good. That's how you'll be motivated to do more good things.

That's when you're ready to think of a few good things that you'll do for this coming year. Then you make a firm resolution to carry them out.

The thought of avoiding or overcoming certain bad habits (in body, speech or mind) is a good thought.

Basically we should all try to resolve to avoid all evil, to do the good and to purify one's own mind. But merely repeating the words is not good enough. You need to identify at least one bad habit that you'll try to quit and get rid off and at least one good thing you'll do again and again (such as cultivating metta or loving kindness throughout one full day a week. Then increasing to everyday and in every direction whether standing, walking or moving around, sitting or lying down. The thought of purifying your own mind is a good one. Resolve to go for longer retreats next year.

Once you've made these resolutions and you're happy, and quite comfortable with them, then go to the Buddha – to a shrine or a quiet and sacred spot – and make the resolution again & again until you've sure that's what you really want to do. Seek the blessings, guidance and protection from the Triple Gem so that you'll be able to fulfil your aspirations and overcome whatever obstacles that may arise. The good things that you wish to do are the aspirations. The resolutions you make is your determination, the effort and perseverance to fulfil your aspirations.

If your aspirations is to attend a month long retreat to purify your mind and if you so resolve to do it, then that resolutions will give you the strength and courage to do so thus fulfilling your aspiration.

ADITTHANĀ or resolutions/determination is one of the 10 Paramita or Perfections.

If you wish to do something and do not have the resolutions or determination, your mind tend to waver. You get into the situation where you're undecided yes, no, yes, no. If you are really resolved and determined to do something then the wavering disappears.

Remember how the Buddha made his resolutions under the Bodhi tree. He declared to himself:

"Let my body wither away, let my blood dry up.

I will not get up from this seat until I realise the Truth."

Such was the strength of his determination. This gave him the power to confront and overcome whatever challenges and threats that Mara had plotted and carried out against the Buddha.

The next thing to consider is that when making your resolution/determination you need to weigh and consider the pros and cons of the situation that you are in. You need to be fairly confident that what you wish to carry out is feasible.

If you go to that Bodhi tree now and make the resolution which the Buddha made, then you are in for big trouble. So take time to weigh and consider things.

That's why you need a few days to prepare your resolutions. You may list out all the things that you wish to do for the year. Then prioritise them. Which one more urgent, which one needs greater attention.

When you've decided then go to your favourite shrine or a quiet and sacred spot and declare your resolutions for the New Year. It is good if you can do it on the New Year day itself. Because somehow Jan 1 tends to make some people feel new, i.e. time for a change, a change for the better (however for those with wisdom everyday can be a New Year).

Once you are clear with your resolutions, repeat iT again and again. During that time you may make some adjustments and even drop off some things that you're not so confident with or even add on something that has arisen in your mind.

If your faith and confidence in the Triple Gem is established then seek blessings, guidance and protection so that you'll be able to fulfil all your aspirations for the year. After you've made your aspiration you don't have to cling on to them, reciting them day in day out. What you need to do is to learn to connect with your heart. Day by day practice the Dhamma with right effort, create the necessary conditions for your aspirations to be fulfilled. That's how your resolution will be accomplished.

Wishing you and all other members of your family and friends, a peaceful and happy New Year.

P/S: Bhante wishes to thank all those who have done Bodhi puja and other prayer dedicated for his good health during the past few months. His health is now almost back to normal, but will be spending most of next year in self-retreat.


Hi,

New Year Greetings from Aloka Foundation office! May the New Year bring you lots of joy and happiness and may all your aspirations be fulfilled.



Our new address and contact details are as follow:

D8-9-G, Block 8
Pusat Perdagangan Dana 1
Jalan PJU1A/46
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 03-7842 7001
Fax: 03-7842 7003



--
Better than a thousand useless words
is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace. ~ Dhammapada 100

Free From Depression

Date : 29.3.2008

Title : Free from Depression

By : Ven Balacitta

Contributed by Stanley Chen

Sometimes people feel good, uplifted or are happy and sometimes not. When people feel bad, down or are unhappy but if they know how to take care of themselves, are calm and peaceful, then there are no problems. Feelings are impermanent and are subject to change. If they do not know how to take care of themselves, are calm and peaceful, then there are problems. However it will not be a problem if one meets the right person who is able to help or advise one to solve it.

Nowadays, people are exposed to many kinds of advertisements which try to tell people that life would be more wonderful, uplifting or happier when they use their products. When one is looking for help, it is important that one finds someone who really is capable to help, otherwise, no help is better. If a person goes to see a doctor for help because of a feeling of emptiness or unhappiness or they are feeling bad or down, then it is highly possible that the doctor will prescribe some anti-depressant drugs for him. Taking anti-depressant drugs is of course the easiest and quickest way to make oneself feel good again but that is only temporary. In order for us to solve any problem, it is important for us to solve the cause of the problem. If we try to solve any problem without knowing and taking care of the cause, we may only solve the problem superficially. The root cause will still remain to generate the problem again and again. But anyhow, if any of you are taking these anti-depressant drugs already, please do not discontinue it before you find a better solution, otherwise, the sudden termination of the usage of the drugs is known to give many kinds of problematic reactions to the user.

We human beings have a body and mind. The mind of an uninstructed worldly person will surely be adversely affected when encountering a highly unwanted situation like the loss of someone very dear. When the mind is affected, the body will also be affected. If one is unable to accept the reality that all conditions in life are all impermanent and subject to change, then one will be easily disturbed whenever something good changes to bad. A person who is too engrossed with the vicissitudes of life will always be busy running after gain, praise, honour or pleasurable sensations. Similarly, he will also be busy trying to run away from loss, blame, discredit or unpleasurable sensations. When he encounters the former, he will feel elated, and when he encounters the latter, he will feel dejected. One who is easily elated or dejected is also a person who can easily lose his mental balance.

Living in the world, it is inescapable for people to experience the vicissitudes of life. Sometimes we will experience the results of our good kamma and sometimes we will also experience the results of our bad kamma. It is easy for people to be able to take care of themselves, be mindful, be peaceful and calm when life is smooth and easy but when the extreme downside of life happens suddenly, many will loose their mental balance. There will be sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief or despair and very sadly, most will also start to neglect their health.

The Buddha has shown us the four Noble Truths. In the four Noble Truths, he has shown to us what is suffering, what is the cause of suffering, what is the freedom from suffering and what is the path towards the freedom from suffering. The path towards the freedom of suffering is, of course, the Noble Eightfold Path which can be categorized under morality, meditation and wisdom.

Nowadays, there are many meditation retreat centres where one can learn to develop this Noble Eightfold Path. If any of you always feel bad, down, empty or unhappy, I encourage you to go for meditation retreat.ⁱ I wish others who are presently feeling good, strong and happy, to protect yourself by cultivating a meditative way of life, who knows when the "U Turn" will come. Correct meditation practice with the right kind of supports (morality and wisdom) can help one to understand the true nature of the world better, which in turn, will help one to be able to maintain mental balance even when facing the extremities in the vicissitudes of life.

As a matter of fact, in order for us to be always 100% free from mental suffering, we have to reach the state of Arahantship (full-enlightenment) . To reach that state, we have to develop the Noble Eightfold path in full perfection and this is not an easy job to do. But anyhow, if one starts correctly in the development of the Noble Eightfold Path, one can be said to have entered the stream of the Noble Eightfold path, a Sotapana (Stream-enterer)- SN. 55.5 A Sotapana, although is not a person 100% free from mental sufferings like an Arahant, is nevertheless, much more free from mental suffering than the most fortunate ordinary person in the world. A Sotapana already has right view with regard to the true nature of the world, the five aggregates or the so called "self". He understands truly that whatever things that he has been identified with before as "mine", "I", or "myself" are actually impermanent, stressful and empty. He will never cling to it madly as before and it is impossible for him to fall into clinical depression like an uninstructed worldling again. A Sotapana might be depressed for a while when encountering the loss of someone dear but he knows the path to come out of it and he will come out of it. Just like venerable Ananda, when venerable Sariputta, venerable Mongallana and the Buddha were gone, he was depressed, down hearted and feeling empty. But it was only for a while because being a Sotapana, he knows the path to come out from suffering. If earlier, a person needs to depend on anti-depressant drugs for his superficial wellbeing, upon reaching the state of Sotapana, he can now throw away all of his anti-depressant drugs forever. Forever he is free.

Now, after talking about freedom from mental suffering, I would like to talk about our physical health. If one takes good care of his own physical health, he will enjoy at least 50%.of wellbeing, that is, bodily wellbeing. But If a person does not take good care of his bodily health and he is still an uninstructed worldling, he will suffer twice if he falls sick, that is, one part in body and the other part in the mind - for lamenting, complaining, worrying, ...

Earlier, I had said that when a person's mind is affected, his body will also be affected. But this does not mean that one who is totally free from mental suffering is also totally free from bodily sufferings. Although our mental wellbeing does influence our bodily wellbeing, this does not mean that all the causes of our bodily wellbeing is caused by our mind. I have found two places in the cannon that tell the causes that can affect our bodily wellbeing. One is from the Sutta and another from the Abhidhamma. They are as follows:

In the Sutta – SN. 36:21, it is mentioned that there are 8 causes that affect our feeling (bodily pain). They are:-

1. Disorders of the bile;

2. Disorders of the phlegm;

3. Disorders of the internal wind;

4. Imbalance of the combination of the bodily humors (bile, phlegm and wind);

5. Change of climate;

6. Uneven care of the body;

7. Harsh treatment (external forces); and

8. The result of kamma.

In the Abhidhamma, it is mentioned that there are only 4 causes but what I can see is that it is quite similar to the above except that it is presented in a different way and they are:-

1. The food that one consumes (the food one consumes could have effect on one or all of the bodily humors);

2. change of climate (environmental changes like electrical radio magnetic wave pollution, air pollution and any other type of pollution should also be included);

3. the mind (the capability of the mind in facing the vicissitudes of life); and

4. the fruition of past karma.

I will also like to bring to your knowledge some tips for health which I found mentioned by the Buddha in the Suttas:-

• "When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in the food he eats, his ailments then diminish; he ages slowly, guarding his life." - ( extracted from SN. 3:13)

• "...Come, bhikkhus,eat a single session (before noon) by so doing, you too will be free from illness and affliction, and you will enjoy health, strength, and a comfortable abiding."- (extracted from MN 65)

• ... your medicine of strong-smelling urine (puttimutta) will seem to you to be just like the various tonics of a householder or householder's son... As you live contented, it will serve for your delight, for a comfortable abiding, for non-agitation, & for alighting on Unbinding. (extracted from AN. VIII, 30)

• ... 'Good man, this repulsive urine (putimutta )is mixed with various medicines. Drink from it if you want; as you drink from it, its colour, smell and taste will not agree with you, but after drinking from it, you will be well...after drinking it, he became well.ⁱⁱ– ( extracted from MN.46)

• Monks, there are these five advantages of walking meditation (cankama) it hardens one for traveling; it is good for striving; it is healthy; tends to good digestion after one has eaten and drunk, munched and crunched; the concentration won from it, last long... (extracted from AN. III, 29)

With the above information, I hope that by now you will know, at least, what needs to be balanced, what needs to be avoided, what needs to be done for your own well being, for your own happiness.

That's all for today. By the power of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, may all of you be successful in finding real peace, real harmony, real happiness and be happy always.

i They are many meditation centers around in Malaysia and all of them are doing great job in strengthening the faith of the people in the teaching of the Buddha. But if a depressive person were to come to see me for advise, I will recommend him or her to attend at least a 10 days meditation course conducted by S.N. Goenka or his assistant teachers. Depressive people are weak in energy and self-discipline, they need constant encouragement. The simple meditation instruction coupled with the healthy atmospheric condition in the Goenka meditation centre, could help. These are there contact numbers: 012 339 0089 (Chinese speaking) and 016 341 4776 (English speaking)

ii If one is in poor health and all conventional treatment had failed, why not give urine therapy a try. Whose knows this simple therapy will work miracle. The book titled " The Water Of Life" by John W. Armstrong, is a very powerful book, it can change people perception in regard to urine. But if one do not have the gut to try urine even after reading so many cases of successful stories, then why not try Water Therapy. It can also work like miracle for curing many kinds illnesses. Very often, I will drink about 1.5 littles water first thing in the morning. After that, I could feel that my whole bodily cells become very happy. I felt refreshed, energized and good.

Four Wheels For A Good Life

Venue : Mr Gooi's house
By : Ven Aggacitta
Date : 14.07.07

Contributed by Stanley Chen

Today's talk will be based on Cakka Sutta (AN 4:31). "Cakka" is the Pali term for "wheel". A wheel is a structure that aids movement. In any mechanism, when the wheels are properly aligned and functioning, the entire structure moves smoothly. In the same way, if the following four 'wheels' in our lives are smoothly rotating, we will soon be steered to prosperity.

1) Staying in a suitable place

It is obvious, from the worldly perspective, that staying in a suitable place is one of the major factors required for one to make a successful living. For example, the chances of a business becoming successful will be greatly increased if it is situated in a place where there is a good and constant flow of its targeted customers. A hawker should be situated in a place where there is a mass of hungry consumers.

A monk on the other hand, needs a quiet and secluded place to practise, where he has a chance to associate with the wise and be in contact with the Triple Gem. But this spiritual need is not only confined to a monk.

Several decades ago when political and economic circumstances were unfavourable, many Asians emigrated to greener pastures, particularly in the West. They settled and prospered in their adoptive countries but often felt a sense of emptiness and alienation. As Buddhists by birth, they missed being in contact with the Sangha and places of worship such as monasteries and stupas, which are as common back home as the air they breathe in. As such, they often gathered together and pooled their resources to find suitable places of worship and to invite monks over so that they could come into active contact with the Triple Gem again. Eventually many Buddhist centres sprouted in western countries, serving not only the needs of the immigrants but also that of the increasing number of Westerners who were interested in Buddhist teachings.

SBS devotees in Taiping are fortunate because they have the chance to come into contact with the Sangha all the time and listen to Dhamma talks almost every week. This is not so for other places even within Malaysia and Singapore. During my annual tour of these places, many devotees often request that I come back to see them more often as they lack qualified monks to guide and lead them in their spiritual quests.

2) Association with the wise

When people associate with the virtuous and the wise, they have a better opportunity to practise cultivation of the body, speech and mind. Why? Because they are influenced by their 'good vibes': by their exemplary presence, moral and spiritual values and profound teachings. So they develop wholesome tendencies to keep the precepts well and lead a life of good conduct.

3) Having done merits in the past

There is a Burmese saying, "Because we were good in the past, now we are good; because we are good now, we shall be good in the future." In other words, our past good kamma resulted in our present good life, and our present good conduct will ensure a good future life.

Look around you. You can see many kinds of people—some are beautiful, clever and affluent while others are deformed, ugly, stupid and poor. We often hear stories of those who became prosperous later in life even though they started with humble beginnings. They may even be uneducated, whereas those who are supposed to succeed in life because they have all the advantages in their youth fail miserably. This is largely due to their past kamma.

Our present actions, too, will influence our future. Take a look at many middle-class and affluent families nowadays. Parents spoil their children because they have no time for them (common in dual income families) or because they led a deprived youth and want to spare their children a similar fate. So they pander to their children's whims and fancies, suffocating them with material luxuries, but neglecting to nurture them with moral and spiritual values. In terms of moral conduct and aptitude, these kids end up in a sorry state.

There is a story of Visakha who attained stream-entry (sotapatti, the first stage of enlightenment) at the age of seven. When she came of age she was married off (as was the Indian custom of that era) to a man from a rich Brahmin family. However, she continued with her usual practice of giving dana to monks. Her father-in-law, who did not believe in doing so, always remained in the kitchen eating his breakfast whenever the monks came. Desiring to lead him into the Dhamma, the wise Visakha said aloud that her respected father-in-law only knew how to eat leftovers but not fresh food. Of course, the old man heard it and demanded to know why Visakha said such a thing. She replied that even though he was wealthy now, he did not know how to ensure his continued prosperity in future lives as he was missing the excellent chance of doing merit by giving dana to those worthy of it. The old man was impressed by her cleverness and eventually became a pious Buddhist.

After death, we cannot bring our current wealth with us, but our good kamma is carried forth, like a good investment, into our future lives.

4) Set yourself in the right direction

An excellent guide in the right direction for us is the Noble Eightfold Path. All thoughts, speech and action arise from the mind. Where there is greed, hatred or delusion, all actions arising from this are unwholesome. Where there is generosity, metta or wisdom, all actions arising from this are wholesome.

Once a devotee from Pokok Assam brought an elderly lady to seek guidance from me. Apparently, she had led a good life because even though she was uneducated, she managed to bring up all her children well enough that they became professionals with fulfilling and prosperous lives of their own. However, she was prone to frequent compulsive worrying about nonsensical and illogical things. This is a situation where one creates unnecessary worry and unhappiness for oneself because one does not know how to restrain the mind.

We need to train our mind to stay still—just like the way a dog-handler trains his charge to sit and not to move unless a command is given. A well-cultivated mind is able to steer away from the unwholesome and follow what is wholesome. Meditation is the most excellent way to cultivate the mind. As such, all are welcome to join us up in SBS for our weekly Saturday night meditation sessions.

When all the 4 'wheels' are properly aligned in life, we will be steered to lead a prosperous and happy life.

Movie Sharing Session at KBC

Come join us at our movie sharing session at KBC!

Recently, the youth group of KBC has organized a movie sharing session. This movie sharing session will run through April, May and June with the following schedule at our very own Centre with an educational purpose. This movie sharing session is open to the public for all ages.

Time : 7.30pm to 10.30pm

Venue: Kajang Buddhist Center

(poster design by Bro. JW Tan)

APRIL SESSION – OUR EARTH OUR FUTURE

DATE	MOVIE	SHARING CANDIDATE
5th April	萤火虫,飞吧 Fireflies: River of the Light (Japan)	1.张秋菊
19th April	Fly Away Home (Canada)	3.庆芬老师
26th April	Our Earth, Our Home	Aloka Alert Team

MAY SESSION – BEAUTIFUL LIFE

DATE	MOVIE	SHARING CANDIDATE
3rd May	暖春Warm Spring(China)	1.Dr. Pang
10th May	I am Sam（US）	2.Bro. Tan Huat Chye
24th May	东京铁塔 Tokyo Tower (Japan）	3.Bro. Charlie Chia
31st May	Title Talk	Chosen Sharing Candidate

JUNE SESSION – THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

DATE	MOVIE	SHARING CANDIDATE
7th June	Beautiful Mind（US）	1.
14th June	Travelers and Magicians	2. Uncle Vijaya
21st June	天上人间（蒙古）	3. Brother Wong
28th June	Title Talk	Chosen Sharing Candidate

Any changes will be updated.

The admission is free and a light refreshment is provided.

For more information, please contact;

Bro. Loh Chiun Tai : 012-6229798
Bro. Eugene Pang : 016-2150192
Sis. Tan Kai Sin : 016-6822016

What It Takes to Register Your Marriage At KBC.

At KBC, the registration room is beautifully decorated with a teapot fountain to signify tranference of merits during this happy occasion, a flowery wedding arch with a plaque to record your wedding location and registration date and a garden backdrop for you to take lovely photographs with your partner and family members.

Apart from this, your marriage registration can be held on weekends (i.e. Saturdays or Sundays) whereby more relatives can attend.

Below is the requirements:-

Click on the above to enlarge.

If you need further explaination, kindly contact Bro Ghim at 019-3257689

Sample photographs of the registration room...

Chinese New Year Blessing Service 2008

Kajang Buddhist Center is organizing a Chinese New Year Blessing 2008 from Feb 16 (Sat) to Feb 17 (Sun). Activities planned out includes Chanting and Blessing by monks of various traditions such as Mahayana, Vijarana and Theravada. There will also be a Dhama Talk by the President of Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia Bro. Ang Choo Hong. Sunday vegetarian lunch will be served to devotees as well as general public. Are all welcome to participate in the activities.

Click on the above to enlarge

For further information please contact
Bro. Pang 016-3312637 and Sis Lye 019-3555878

Teenage Camp Kajang Buddhist Center

Teenage Camp - How it Started, contributed by Sis Lye

It all started in 2002, with a wish to share the Dhamma with young friends, to set up KBC youth group and with the consent and full support from the committee, we took our first step.

With the help of well known Dhamma speaker Brother Wong Tin Song, as the camp leader and adviser to Teenage Camp Kajang Buddhist Center. He taught and guided us all the way. He helped us to run and managed our first camp. Subsequently, young and energetic Brother Eugene Pang and Brother Loh Chiun Tai join our team.

Our first Teenage Camp theme was ‘don’t worry be happy’ attracted teens from around Kajang and other states. Then, our second camp theme was `how to live without fear and worry’, third camp theme was ‘Do it right’, fourth camp theme was ‘Right here, Right now’, fifth camp theme was ‘Love….’ and this year 2007, our sixth year, theme is ‘we do cos’ we care’. Number of participants increases over the years.

Teenage Camp T-Shirts 2002-2007

The main objective of organizing these Teenage Camp is to spread the Dhamma to our young friends in a fun and easy way. Our Program consists of Interactive games, Dhamma talks, hymns singing and Puja.

Many Dhamma speakers and Reverences were invited to give talk during the Teenage Camp. They were very supportive and have given us comments and lots of encouragement.

One of the very important resources of running the Teenage Camp is our facilitators. We are lucky to have students from nearby universities coming in to help us. Namely UM, UPM, UKM, Uniten, MMU and TAR college. Also not forgetting, former participants who were above 17 years old, had joint us as student facilitators, where they learn and help.

Teenage Camp past years participants

Kitchen Volunteers

Some of the kitchen volunteers for Teenage Camp, actually there are more apologies if picture of those not shown.

































Lastly, we have organized the 6th Teenage Camp from 13th - 16th December 2007. We would like to express our gratitude and heart felt thanks to those who have contributed during the camp in one way or another.












May the blessing of the Triple Gem be with you always.

View Album

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Click Play to view slide of recent Teenage Camp KBC 2007

To download photos click on lower left hand corner to view album and download photos.

Post your comments by clicking on the comment button below.

Teenage Camp 2007, 13 - 17 December

This an announcement to all those participants to our annual Teenage Camp from 13-17 December 2007 which recently concluded.

As our organizers are busy preparing to upload photos taken during the camp, approximately about 1500 photos were taken. After editing we will post it back here. So have patience.


rgds

KBC

Marriage Registration Service

In order to cater for the needs of growing Buddhist community in areas surrounding Kajang, KBC is pleased to annouce the availability of the above service.

If you like the idea of being married in a nostalgic location in Kajang, that is the old Sun Cinema in the heart of Kajang Town and now a Buddhist Center, we would like to welcome you.

Awaiting your queries is Bro Ghim at 019-3257689.

Kathina Ceremony And Planting of Bodhi Tree

Sunday, 4th November 2007
Kathina Ceremony and Planting of Bodhi Tree at Kajang Buddhist Center.

On Sunday, 4th November 2007 the offering of robes, requisites in the form of food stuffs, medicines, toiletries, food beverages and other items deemed appropriate, was offered to the members of the Sangha. Such ceremony is usually organized by Buddhist devotees after the members of the Sangha had completed their observation of Vassa in accordance with the Vinaya rules. Members of the Sangha are the protectors and disseminators of the Noble Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha and if diligently practiced will lead to final liberation. As such, lending support to the holy Sangha members will enable them to continue spreading the Noble Dhamma. This act of support and reverence is one of the highest meritorious deeds that you may accrue when you participate in this ceremony.

The rains retreat of the monks (vassana kala) ends on the full-moon day of October. During the Vassana retreat that lasted for three months, the monks have served the community of followers in various ways such as giving sermons, teaching Dhamma and meditation, counseling and serving in many other ways. The monks end the retreat, by performing a Monastic Disciplinary Act (vinaya kamma) called the Pavarana. After this the monks are free to leave the place where the retreat was held.

Before they leave, it is the custom of the devotees to hold a farewell ceremony for the monks. This is called the Kathina Ceremony. During this ceremony many gifts are offered to the monks as well as gifts for the upkeep of the monastery (Vihara).

A very important part of this ceremony is the offering of a special robe called the Kathina Civara, which is made in a special way, through the contributions of and collective effort of many devotees. This is also offered in a special way carrying the "Kathina Robe", in a "Parade" (pelahera) with beating of traditional drums.

A Tribute To Chief Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera

Dana and Caga

Dana & Caga. Is giving necessarily generosity?

By Ven Kumara Bhikkhu
An edited transcript of a talk given at Taiping Buddhist Society on 04-11-2006.

As most of you probably know, dana is a Pali word meaning 'giving' or 'gift'. Some extend it to mean 'generosity' as well. While this is somewhat commonly accepted, how safely can we assume that giving is necessarily an act of generosity? We should bear in mind that 'generosity' in Pali is not dana, but caga. Giving (or dana) per se can be done with or without generosity. Let me explain.

Non-generous Giving

While giving is generally regarded as a good deed, it can also be motivated by an unwholesome intention, which the doer may not be fully aware of. Here are four unwholesome states from which a motivation to give can arise.

1 Greed

A person may give with the hope of getting something in return. An example would be bribing to get a business deal or a government contract.

In the Buddhist world, greed-motivated giving happens too, though we may not see it as unethical. We can call it 'kammic investment', giving to gain merits for future benefit. Is that bad? No, it's not. It is just as it is: greed-motivated giving, which shall bear results accordingly.

I wish I could talk about this without making some people feel uncomfortable, but I really don't know how. At any rate, I think it's important to be aware of this.

This greed-motivated giving probably still has its merits nonetheless. Yet, we can't say that it's generous when it's motivated by greed. Whether we like to admit it or not, such giving is done out of the giver's desire to gain future enjoyment for oneself. Some people also believe that the merits of giving can bring about rebirth in heaven. But is that true? I'll get to that later.

One problem with such giving is that the giver's desire tends to blind him from considering the receiving end. Does the recipient want that gift? Is it suitable for the recipient? This desire can sometimes be so strong that the giver forces the recipient to accept the gift.

I once witnessed a monk insisting that an elder monk accept a pair of socks. After repeated attempts to decline politely, the elder monk gave in to the demand apparently just to avoid prolonging the spectacle. Another monk told me of an experience while collecting alms. When he saw a man coming with money in his hand, he quickly closed his bowl. So, what did the man do? He promptly pried the lid open and threw the money in!

In these cases, we can immediately recognise them as wrong, as there was resistance from the unwilling recipient. Oft times, the recipient simply resigns to the wish of the giver. Or else, he may be regarded as being 'choosy', 'uncompassionate', or simply 'not giving face'.

For example, people often give monks more robes than they can possibly wear, such as during a kathina ceremony. Are these acts of generosity? (This may not be motivated by greed though, as one may be simply following a tradition blindly. In that way, it's more of delusion.)

Why do we give things that others don't want, or that are unsuitable for them? What kammic results can be expected of such giving? Such questions are worth pondering upon.

2 Aversion

Can we give out of anger or aversion? Why not? Let's say, two parties fight over something. Then one gets really sick of it and gives up, saying, "Okay, you take it! Take it! I don't want it anymore!" Is that giving? It still is. But is it generosity? I wouldn't think so. It's more likely that it is done out of anger, isn't it?

Another example is when a smelly, dirty beggar comes to beg for alms while you're enjoying your meal with your partner at a hawker centre. You resent having your enjoyment interrupted and promptly give him some money to get rid of him as soon as possible. To give you another example, some parents give in to their children's pestering, even though what they ask for is mentally or physically unhealthy. Instead of doing the right thing, which is to educate or explain to the child, many parents often give in simply because they want to avoid feeling annoyed.

Are these acts of giving? Sure. Generosity? Not really. They are done out of aversion.

3 Delusion

Giving out of delusion mainly occurs among victims of swindlers, manipulators and exploiters.

You've probably heard of people who donate large sums of money with the aim of being empowered to gain great riches. I wonder how many of them got their wish. One may also be charmed into giving large sums of money to obtain 'magic stones' that are supposed to possess miraculous powers. More professional charmers don't even have to give anything in return. The victim is simply tricked into giving.

Then there are also temple gimmicks, such as having people throw money into alms-bowls labelled with words like "Prosperity", "Health" and "Love", or having them put money into donation boxes in the shape of alms bowls held by Buddha images. Of course, it is still possible to give out of generosity despite the delusive forms, but would it not be likely that many may be influenced to give out of delusion?

Please note that I'm not saying that such giving is not meritorious. Rather, I'd like to point out the underlying moral intentions, which is what kamma is about ultimately.

4 Fear

People also often give when they feel compelled to, out of fear that something bad will happen to them if they don't; for example, when threatened by an extortionist, or when they 'donate' to police officers to avoid being punished for doing something illegal.

Besides that, some Buddhists and followers of other faiths, particularly those involved in wrong livelihood, also give out of fear of being reborn in hell or other lower realms of existence. They hope that their giving to some religious person (preferably one who is believed to be an arahant with psychic powers), or for some religious project (like building a multi-million dollar tooth-relic temple), can somehow neutralize their immoral actions and thus prevent them from having to face the consequences they fear.

These acts of giving are not done out of generosity, but fear.

This brings us back to what I mentioned earlier on the belief that giving can bring about rebirth in heaven. Can dana or giving reward us with long life, beauty and great happiness in the human world or even among the heavens? Can we, so to speak, 'bribe' the law of kamma? (Think for a moment before you read on.)

The Buddha says yes. However, he adds that this is true "only for the virtuous, not for the unvirtuous; for it is due to his purity that the heart's desire of the virtuous succeeds." (Danupapatti Sutta, AN 8:35)

Giving is of course a good deed and can bring about good results. Depending on the nature of the gifts, giving can bring about long life, beauty, happiness, strength, good repute, intelligence, etc. (AN 5:31, 5:37) However if you wish for a happy rebirth, even if it's just in the human realm, it's your morality or virtue—rather than your giving—that can give rise to that.

So, remember that while giving, especially giving to virtuous people, is beneficial to you, it's even more important to be heedful of your virtue, the least being the Five Precepts though preferably more than that.

What happens then to those who give a lot—perhaps even to very virtuous people—but are heedless in virtue, committing all sorts of unwholesome deeds? In Janussoni Sutta (AN 10:177), the Buddha says that such a person may obtain the reward of being an animal that leads a comfortable life, such as a royal horse, or perhaps a billionaire's dog, which is a more common example in our modern day.

By pointing out this, I hope those who are going by that wrong idea would realise that they are on the wrong track. Giving is good, but to have a happier future, you also have to be good.

All that I've said to this point may be a bit depressing for some of you. If so, let me cheer you up a little.

Generous giving

The good news is that if we can give motivated by good states of mind, the benefit is so much greater than just plain giving. You've probably done this many times; such as the times when someone asked you for something and you gladly gave; or when you saw someone in need, you considered how you could help and you did, thereby uplifting his well-being.

When you gave with such pure intentions, how did you feel? Was there a sense of joy? Did you feel somewhat uplifted? That's what we get—immediately—when we give purely for the benefit of the recipient with a generous heart.

Moreover, according to SappurisaDana Sutta (AN 5:148), when one gives with a compassionate heart, meaning out of genuine desire for the recipient's welfare, then besides becoming wealthy when the giving bears results, excellent is the five cords of sense pleasures his mind is inclined to enjoy. In other words, when one gives without that good state of mind, one can still become rich, but would not be inclined to enjoy the wealth fully. Perhaps you know of certain people who are very wealthy, yet can't bring themselves to fully enjoy their wealth. Their family members might help them in that department though.So, instead of just doing plain dana, why not be accomplished in generosity (cagasampada)? This is one of the four accomplishments that the Buddha repeatedly spoke about to lay people:

What is being accomplished in generosity? Here, a family man dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delight in relinquishing, responsive to requests, delight in giving and sharing. This is called being accomplished in generosity. (AN 4:61, 8:49, 54, 76)

In simpler words, it means just being happy to give. This kind of giving is one that is motivated by pure intentions: no greed, no anger, no delusion, no fear. Therefore, it feels good, it feels light, it feels right. It's the best way to give. By being genuinely generous, by being accomplished in generosity, you can then be truly regarded as a master of giving (danapati).

While plain dana can be meritorious, dana that is motivated by caga (generosity) is so much greater. If you wish to do dana as a parami for the attainment of enlightenment and Nibbana, then this is the kind of dana that you want to do, because this is the kind of dana that relinquishes, and thus helpful to the attainment of Nibbana, the complete ending of suffering.

So basically there are two kinds of giving: one that binds you, and one that frees you. Which kind would you want to do?

Conclusion

Hope you see what I'm trying to point out, that is, giving is not necessarily an act of generosity. It's not even necessarily done out of good intentions. Having generosity however means that you are prompted to give for the benefit of the recipient, not your own; and that's the kind of giving that is truly beneficial to both the giver and the recipient.

May you be accomplished in generosity for the benefit of the many, including yourself, and so that it conduces to your ultimate freedom.

Video Introduction to Buddhism

Human Life - Last Dhama Talk by Chief Priest, Maha Vihara 7-7-2006

This is Ven Dhammananda very last dhamma talk at the Maha Vihara given on
the 7th July 2006 and he came as always when they rang the bell at 8.10pm into the PH Henry hall but this time in his wheel chair.


*Human Life ( last talk by Chief Priest , Maha
Vihara, 7.7.2006)*

"Dear devotees actually I never thought I would have
the chance to see and talk to you, half of my body
is dead, but my heart, my mind still has energy.
What is this diseased body, is it life ? Its not
life, it is the house, life is the energy, mental,
khammic and cosmic all joined together as "energy "
that is life .

Body is decayed and life goes away. Actually we must
be happy when time comes to depart without
suffering, to crave so much for the body, we spend
our whole life decorating it, looking after it ,
one day it decays and when energy and the elements
dissipate then mental energy will build another
house. Life started with mental energy and then
birth occurs. Every single child cries, none smiles
after birth. LIfe is suffering. We are using whole
amounts of energy to maintain this physical body,
but one day we have to depart. Then leaves solidity
and fluidity ~ 2 elements only, heat and motion has
gone .

Christians and Muslims are particular about the body
as they believe in resurrection, we do not believe
that there is anything in this physical body. Spend
thousands on funerals, but the departed never get
anything. Only way to support the departed, you must
know how to make use of this life, that is why
religion is needed to help us to cultivate
compassion, sympathy and kindness and supporting
others .

David Morris (*no idea who he is *) sent me a
letter, he said there are 2 reasons to be happy as
an old man, (1) he will be free from pain and
suffering. (2) Ever since he became a Buddhist he
has tried his best to maintain and uphold the 5
precepts, if there is another life it won't be an
unfortunate one as he departs with confidence .

In the end the dying man takes no solace in dancing
and singing , only through meritorious deeds will
you get confidence and this will support the khammic
energy in the rebirth. We must know how to handle
life, by doing service to others to help release
their suffering. Many die with fear and confusion in
mind, can't take rebirth in upper realm. Meditation
is important to maintain purity. Prince Siddharta,
when he was born, there were 5 astrologers invited
to predict his fate. 4 said that he would either
grow up to be a sage or universal monarch. Last one
said definitely a sage.

When craving and attachment is completely removed,
mind is then completely pure. This body is not life.
Its a house built by energy and 4 cosmic elements.
Unfortunately in the past 2500 years, Buddhists in
Asia have introduced a lot of rites and rituals,
never introduced by the Buddha. Just keep away from
evil by reducing anger, jealousy, enmity, try to do
meritorious deeds, try to develop the mind through
understanding. Try to purify the mind.

If you are cruel, hot tempered or stingy try your
best to take this out. If you pray to God to take
this out do you think God can do that? Buddha can't
also, but he can tell you how to do that. War is
declared by the human mind, peace also comes from
our minds, not from heaven nor from God.

In Buddhism, first by understanding without
believing, when you develop a right understanding,
then you can carry on a religious way of life. When
you doubt, you must think and investigate, then
accept or reject. Other religions say if there is
doubt, then God will punish you.

All over the world different schools have sprung up
and they follow their own traditions which they have
maintained for a long time. Buddha had rejected old
traditions, but it was introduced to the primitive
narrow minded people. People in Asian countries
don't study the dharma.

Next do Good. Reduce the anger and do something to
train the mind through right understanding. Change
the mind, through your own experience you can
understand what is right and wrong .

I have been in Malaysia for 53 years, used to have
even no room to sleep. The Chinese were the main
Buddhists here and through Buddhist societies we
made them understand what Buddhism is.

My mind mental and life energy is still active but I
am half way dead, you must know how to do this.
Although the end of my life is now near, I have no
fear. Arahants can disconnect mind from body to
experience nibbanic bliss and at that time you
cannot tell if they are dead or alive, their bodies
are still warm and their complexions will remain
ruddy. They can do that for 1 week at the most .

Remember there are 4 kinds of happiness :

(1) Happiness of Possession - In owing your own
property, your house, land, business, bank account.

(2) Happiness of Enjoyment - Using what you have
earned you can enjoy good food, nice house, nice
dress without abusing bluffing cheating others.

(3) Happiness of Debtlessness - Try best not to
borrow from others , spend within your own means ,
you gain self respect .

(4) Happiness of Blamelessness - Try to lead life
without doing harm to anybody .

These 4 kinds of happiness must be with you. Don't
be lazy do some work, do not neglect what you have
earned maintain and protect what you have earned,
then you can decide what to do including adopting a
Buddhist way of life up to becoming an arahant, know
how to adjust your way of life, how to associate
with others. Who are they? Associate with good
people, not harmful, wicked people. Support your
father and mother, look after your wife and
children. Don't neglect relatives, help them.
Develop your mind to the extent that you are not
shaken by the 8 winds of change ~ praise/blame,
fame/shame, gain/loss, pleasure/pain and treat all
the same. Then
at this stage nothing will affect you."

--
All meetings end in partings
That which rises must fall
That which is collected will be dispersed
Birth ends with death

"It is easy enough to be pleasant when life flows by like a song. But the
man worthwhile is one who will smile when everything goes dead wrong."
---Ella Wheeler Wilcox
--
Sabbe dhamma nalam abhinivesaya
All phenomena should NOT be clung to as "I", "My" or "Mine".

Question & Answer, Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda

Question: Why is incense offered to the Buddha?

Dear Master,

It has been great benefit and blessings to me to be able to buy most of the
books authored by you. I had taken the Triple Gems for almost 10 years now
but due to family commitment, was never able to find time to attend even a
single Dharma talk. I could only read from your books and gain much
knowledge from it. Your contributions that touch down in the hearts and
humble level understanding of laymen like me is truly highly commendable.

I would be grateful if you can tell me if this is one of the true and
amusing facts in the Buddha's life.

An ex-colleague's husband who was a Buddhist once undertook a recluse life
in one of the temples in Thailand for a month. Beside the Sangha life he
experienced as well as learning to chant and practice the code of conduct,
they were also taught about the Life of the Buddha. He told me that it is
actually not necessary to burn incense for the Buddha for it was a wrong
idea being brought down by folks during the Buddha's time.

The story goes like this. One day Buddha was residing under a tree doing
his meditation as usual. As the place was in bad condition, it was infested
with flies and mosquitoes everywhere. In order not to kill the insects one
of the 5 precepts - Do not kill) that hounded Him, he burnt some incense so
as to ward off the insects with its smoke. At that time, a few folks at the
nearby village was passing by and saw Buddha's actions at a distant and
from then, the thought of burning incense was passed down up till now.

I don't know how true this is but I find it really amusing and presume that
the folks actually didn't see clearly what the Buddha was trying to avoid.
I hope you would not feel offensive about it.

My apologies if my message has been intruding.

With Metta

XXXXXXXXX

Answer: 

Dear XXXXXXXXX, 

At the outset, greetings of peace, happiness, good health and long life to
your goodself and your family.

I am certainly amused by the story you just shared. The Buddha certainly did
not light incense to keep away insects. The practice of offering incense and
flowers is an ancient Indian practice to pay homage to great teachers. This
practice was adopted by Buddhists in ancient India as it is a good and
valuable practice.

The Buddha certainly did not need incense to keep the insects away as one
who has achieved Enlightenment can allow one's body to be subject to decay,
pain, etc but will not allow one's mind to disturbed by it. The Buddha went
forth fearlessly to tame the intoxicated elephant; Nalagiri, the bandit;
Angulimala, to mediate between two warring countries, etc. He certainly did
not need to be afraid of insects biting him.

This story related to you must have been misunderstood by the person who
related the story or the person who taught your friend's husband.

With the Blessings of the Noble Triple Gem.

Yours in the Dhamma,

Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda

Buddhist Musician in Appeal to Hostage Takers

The following was extracted from National Politics News (Korea English Version)

"The world is one. Why have to fight, why have to kill, make this heaven to hell? God! What he wants is peace of mankind."

"Song for Taliban" made by the Korean doctor and Buddhist musician Lee Jin-ho is spreading rapidly on the Internet with its message of peace for the captors of 21 Korean hostages in Afghanistan.

The video clip of the song, which first appeared on the Korean UCC site Pandora TV, features pictures of pastor Bae Hyung-kyu and Shim Sung-min, two hostages killed by the Taliban. It also features pictures of surviving hostages, with the caption, "Song about the invisible wall between us". Tranquil guitar music accompanies Lee's voice. The clip also includes the English lyrics on sheets of paper written by Lee and Korean subtitles.

This video was made by Lee's band, Yasodara. Lee is also a physician running a diet clinic in Seoul. “Greed and Desire in Holy disguise should not justify all the violence... Almost every war comes of religion, comes of faith," he sings.



A video clip of "Song for Taliban" written and sung by the physician and Buddhist musician Lee Jin-ho posted on YouTube(www.youtube.com).

Memorial Service - Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival

On 11th and 12th August, Kajang Buddhist Center (KBC) had organized a Memorial Service in conjunction with the 14th Day, 7 Month of the Lunar Calendar also known as "Hungry Ghost Festival"

The below is a extract according to Chinese Legend on how did this festival came about

Chinese legend has it that a long time ago, there lived a young man, Mu Lian and his widowed mother. His mother was a wicked woman. She often turned away beggars who came to her door asking for food. She liked to jeer at the working poor and their dirty clothes; in essence, the only person she cared about was herself.

Mu Lian on the other hand was a kind soul. He was a gentle person and always willing to help anybody who was in need. One day he decided to become a monk and this did not please his mother. She scowled at him for being such a useless son; she wanted him to go out and work to earn more money for her. Wealth and materialistic things meant more to her than anything else.

When she saw that she could not dissuade her son, a plan began to hatch in her mind. She decided to play a trick on the monks just to get back at them for taking away her son. Now it was the custom to offer food to the monks (this custom still exists to this very day), but only vegetarian food. Mu Lian’s mother thought that it was nonsensical that these monks did not eat meat, so one day she offered food to some monks and slipped in some non-vegetarian items According to one version of the story, the wicked woman was punished immediately and was sent to hell. Mu Lian wanted to save his mother’s soul because he knew her soul was suffering.

He set out and ventured deep into the bowels of hell. Soon he came upon his mother and he saw that she was sitting a bed of very sharp pointy stakes and was holding on to a basin of blood.

Mu Lian tried feeding her some food but the food would either turn into fire or blood. It was hopeless: he couldn’t do anything for her so he left. He returned home and started to pray.

It is said that Buddha heard Mu Lian’s prayers and was touched by Mu Lian’s compassion. Thus Buddha decreed that once a year, the gates of hell be opened so that the lost souls will be able to roam the earth and be fed. This is why every year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, the Chinese celebrate the festival of the hungry ghost. This is one of five major festivals in the Chinese culture.

Food and drink will be offered at night outside the gates of houses. This is so that the ghosts do not enter their houses and cause trouble. A traditional food made for this festival is steamed sweet bread. Lanterns are lit to help guide the ghosts to the feasts set out for them. Special paper money is also burned as offerings to these ghosts so that they can take it back to hell and spend it there. To make sure that these souls stay out of trouble, entertainment is set up round the clock, mainly Chinese operas performed on outdoor stages.

From the Theravada Buddhist practices there is some similarity with a monk Mogallana and his mother whereby on the advice of The Buddha on performing a meritorious deed, Mogallana could then transfer the merits to his mother who was suffering in hell.

Members and the public came to KBC to chant the Suttas led by 4 monks whereby transference of merits to the dearly departed are performed.

Monks leading the chanting of Suttas

Members Chanting the Suttas mindfully

Symbolic offering of food and lighting candles

The tying of blessed yellow string on the right hand which serves to remind us to observe the 5 precepts.

Lady from Shandong, China

My friend Yen Tien (Australia) send me this video and after viewing it. She is married with a family and she does her daily household chores. Whenever when we feel unhappy about our current conditions, we should remember about this story of a lady from Shangdong, China.

KBC- A place to find yourself

Why would anyone want to be in a Buddhist center? Or any other religious places? If such thoughts come to your mind, then, that would be "doubt", and this can lead to an endless train of thoughts that follows in your mind till you unknowingly engage yourself into other unknown thoughts or activities.
Here in the Kajang Buddhist Center, you can find 2000 dhamma books that can explain your purpose as a human being, or the least we could achieve is to get into the right path as taught by the Buddha.
Most of us are complete with 6 senses, and we usually do not get a break from the sense doors as long as we breathe. This ultimately lead us to being restlessly craving for an insatiable appetite of the senses door.
This term is what the Buddha discovered as DUKKHA or suffering....

Lets check on your interest from here.

stalc

Kajang Buddhist Center

Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia, Kajang Branch

The Kajang Buddhist Center was formed on May 22, 1999 with the aim to adhere to the objectives of the parent body founded some 40 years ago and guided by three basic principles:-

1. To develop right understanding of Buddhist way of life amongst members and to propagate the Buddha Dhamma.
2. To develop a Center for Buddhist Religious Activities, promote social welfare & charitable activities for the benefit of all members and devotees for them to accrue, share and transfer merits.
3. To encourage, foster & develop the qualities of truth, compassion, understanding, goodwill, co-operation and to practice the teaching of the Buddha.

Regular Activites

1. Children's Sunday Dhamma School.
2. PUJA services on Sunday mornings and on the night of every New & Full Moon.
3. Dhamma Talks (English & Mandarin).
4. Fellowship & Welfare Activities.
5. Group Meditation Practice.
6. Pali Chanting & Sutta Study.
7. Dhamma Activities & Camps.
8. Spiritual & Blessing Service.

Other Projects

• Chinese New Year Gathering (Jan-Feb)
• Wesak Celebration (May)
• Memorial Service For The Departed (7th Lunar Month)
• KSDS Family Day (July)
• Lantern Night celebration (8th Lunar Month)
• Kathina Ceremony (October)
• Blessing Service for Students (Examination - Sept-Oct)
• Pot Luck Gatherings - Quarterly
• KSDS Year End Camp (Nov)
• Teenage Camp (Dec)
• Meditation Retreats (Dec)