Thursday, December 30, 2010

Happy New Year 2011 greeting message

[kajangbuddhistcenter] Happy New Year 2011
...
From:
Chook Ka Joo
...
View Contact
To:


Beautiful Thought by
Lord Buddha

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."

[]

The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"

So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."

After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.

The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.

After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.

This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water.

Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless."

Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS

EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU

NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NICE

BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE

for you can change the world


When your inner world change

SO WILL THE OUTSIDE WORLD


MAKE THIS A BETTER WORLD


FOR YOU CAN .


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011


MAY YOU & ALL YOUR LOVE ONES


ALWAYS BE BLESS & GUIDE BY


THE TRIPLE GEM


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What is the Highest Blessing?

Fwd: [UM-dhammafarers] Fwd: What_Buddha_Said 1174: The Highest Blessing...‏
From: yokeleen chen (yokeleen@gmail.com)
Sent: Wednesday, 12 May, 2010 11: 36 AM
To:



Friends:

What is the Highest Blessing?

Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Exalted One was dwelling at the
monastery of Anathapindika, in Jeta’s grove, near Savatthi. Now when the
night was far spent a certain deity, whose surpassing radiance illuminated
the entire Jeta Grove, came to the presence of the Exalted One. After
drawing near, he respectfully saluted Him and stood at one side. Standing
thus, he addressed the Exalted One in verse:
Many deities and men wishing to know what is good, have pondered on the
blessings and auspicious signs of luck. Tell me what is the highest blessing?
What is the best protection?



The Blessed Buddha responded:
Not to associate with fools, but only with the wise. To honour only those who
are worthy of honour. This is the highest blessing & also the best protection.

To live in a suitable place, to have done merits in the past, and to set oneself
on the right path. This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Great learning, good skills, a highly trained discipline, and a pleasant speech.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

The support of father and mother, the cherishing of wife and children, and
a peaceful job. This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Generosity, pure morality, the helping of relatives, and blameless behaviour.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

To avoid all evil action, to abstain from intoxicants, and firmness in virtue.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude & hearing the Dhamma in time.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Patience, respect, sight of calm recluses and suitable conversation in time.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Self-control, living the Noble life, realising the Noble Truths and Nibbāna.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

The be unmoved by the 8 worldly conditions # sorrowless, stainless, & safe.
This is the highest blessing and also the best protection.

Having fulfilled all these requirements, everywhere they are undefeated,
everywhere they go in safety, fearing nothing, cooled, calmed and serene...

These are the highest blessings and also the best protections!

#: Gain and loss, fame and disrespect, praise and blame, happiness & sorrow.

Source: Sutta Nipāta Sn 258-269 in BPS Wheel no 54 (Edited Excerpt):

The Mirror of the Dhamma. A Manual of Buddhist Devotional Texts.
By Nārada Thera and Bhikkhu Kassapa. Revised By Bhikkhu Khantipālo:
http://www.bps.lk/wh054-u.html

Have a nice & noble day!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Emotional Literacy workshop for children

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Ong
Date: 9 May 2010 18:25
Subject: [buddhistcommunitya lliance] Emotional Literacy workshop for children
To: buddhistcommunityal liance@yahoogrou ps.com




Hi everyone,

Children of all ages sometimes need help to understand and manage their emotions. The skills to identify and to cope with basic emotions such as anger, fear, grief and loss, and aloneness are learned as they mature. Usually circumstances are their teachers, and the outcomes are dependent on their level of maturity. Research shows that when children are taught coping skills they handle most aspects of life better, resulting in a positive self-image and higher self-esteem.


This workshop is designed to teach the techniques to manage those emotions and to transform them into peace, safety, joy and connectedness through expressive activities using sound, colours, gestures, clay and sensing. The workshop will be held over two sessions in groups of a maximum of 15 participants.


Healing emotions, rather than emotions being denied, repressed or excluded, is essential for inner peace. Give your child a chance to learn the techniques from a trained and experienced facilitator.


About the facilitator:

Thang Mee Yuen is a certified practitioner of therapeutic play accredited by Play Therapy International (PTI) after completing over 100 hours of clinically supervised work and meeting the required standards by the Canterbury Christ Church University, UK and the IBECPT.


PTI is an international society for play and creative arts therapies based in the UK while IBECPT (The International Board of Examiners of Certified Child and Play Therapists) is the professional body governing play therapy certification on an international basis.


She is also a certified emotional literacy trainer accredited by Sophia College, Western Australia.


Open to all children aged 7 years to 12 years


Workshop details:


Dates: 19th and 26th June, 2010


Time: 1.30pm – 5.30pm


Venue: Sungai Long Buddhist Society

7-2, Jalan SL1/3

Bandar Sungai Long

43000 Kajang


Fees: RM150/participant (materials and light refreshment) - 30% of net profit will go to Sungai Long Buddhist Society


Contact: Mee Yuen (meythang@hotmail. com or 013-3612755)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Nibbana

Submitted
Fwd: [SBS] DT: Nibbàna by Bhante Balacitta; 26-12-2009‏
From: yokeleen chen (yokeleen@gmail.com)




Nibbàna



by Bhante Balacitta



26-12-2009; Hokkien Cemetery Columbarium, Taiping, Malaysia



Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammà sambuddhasa

(Homage to the fully enlightened Samma Sambuddha)





There are two types of teachings found in the Buddha Dhamma. One of the teachings is for making life easier while one is still in samsara. Another one is for gaining permanent supreme peace, supreme happiness - Nibbàna.



To make life easier for one still in samsara, the Buddha talked about kamma. One must be charitable and practise harmlessness by having good moral conduct. This, I believe, is being preached by almost all great religions: Good begets good and bad begets bad. It is that simple.



But the teaching for gaining permanent supreme peace, supreme happiness - Nibbàna, is the domain of a Samma Sambuddha. The teaching can only come from Him or from his noble disciples or from someone who has learned from them. At this present age, our lord Sakkyamurni Gotama is the latest samma sambuddha who lived more than 2500 years ago.



The way to the supreme peace, supreme happiness - Nibbàna, as shown by the Buddha, is by way of the Noble Eightfold Path which he rediscovered after it was lost to the world for a long, long time. The paths are: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right samadhi.



Nowadays, there are many people practising Buddhist meditation. This is good. But in order to gain the real benefit in Buddhist meditation practice, right view has to come first. Without it, one is unable to develop one’s thought, effort, mindfulness and samadhi correctly. (But one cannot go wrong developing right speech, right action and right livelihood). (ref. MN 117 and MN 149)



Right view, under the Noble Eightfold Path means understanding clearly the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths in Pali are:- 1. dukkha, 2. dukkhasamudaya, 3. dukkhanirodha and, 4. dukkhanirodhagāminī patipada, which translated means: the problem, the origination of the problem, the cessation of the problem, the path leading to the cessation of the problem,.



The main goal of Buddhist meditation practice is to end the round of rebirth – samsara. This ends the chain of further becoming of the five clinging aggregates.



Samsara is dukkha. It is an illness. Because of it, a lot of other dukkha exist. When one can understand this truth, one understands dukkha. Then one will take up Buddhist meditation with the purpose of attaining the true goal; that is the ending of samsara, the ending of all problems.



Whatever that comes to exist, do so depending on conditioning. Whatever that arises depending on conditioning are all impermanent because the conditions themselves are impermanent. Likewise, the five aggregates come to exist because of conditioning and are therefore also impermanent (refer to SN.36.8).



Not knowing this, unenlightened people crave for the five aggregates. This leads to clinging. Such clinging leads to craving for becoming.When people are happy, they crave for becoming. When unhappy, they reject becoming. When they are bored they crave for sensual pleasure. Thus, craving for the five aggregates conditions clinging. Clinging conditions becoming which in turn conditions birth. Birth then conditions old age, sickness, death - the whole mass of dukkha.



On the other hand, when one understands the above mentioned fact, the nature of the five aggregates would not be seen in the same way as before; clung to like before as "this is mine", "I am this" or "this is myself". And thus, mental proliferation and craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming will also cease to be achieved like before. One understands the third noble truth. [ii]



When one understands how dukkha comes to be and how dukkha comes to cease, this means one already understands the law of dependent origination- patticcasamupada.



After this stage, one’s view is already right and so too is one’s thought, effort, mindfulness and samadhi. One only needs to practise more diligently to end all the latent mental defilement, to end all the problems, to end samsara. And there will be no more depression; no more sorrow; no more lamentation; pain; grief and despair; no more whatsoever problems, but only supreme peace, supreme happiness that is..NIBBANA. Thank you. [iii]



__________________________


i When a puthujana having a sense contact, let’s say, he sees a form with his eye, feeling then appears. Thinking that they are independent permanant entity that is controllable, his thought proliferates and craving for sensual pleasure or craving for becoming or craving for non-becoming, come to be.
If he is still not mindful of the process that is taking place, which is of dependent origin, then it will lead to more mental proliferation and more tanha. And thus, when there is more tanha, clinging comes to be; when there is clinging, becoming comes to be.
At this stage, if he is still alive, he will become a person with such habits or temperament, dependent on his mental reaction towards the object he is clinging to. But if that is his last thought moment before his death, actual birth will take place. It could take birth spontaneously in heaven or hell, or from a mother’s womb or from an egg or from moisture. And thus, when there is birth, aging, sickness and death also come to be. And this is how I figured out.

ii When one with right view has a sense contact, for example, eye contact, feeling then appears. Knowing and being aware of the fact that the origin of the feeling that he is experiencing depends on eye contact, and therefore, it is impermanent and uncontrollable, the thought ceases to proliferate and craving doesn't come to be, that is - craving for sensual pleasure or craving for becoming or craving for non-becoming, doesn't come to be.

iii For those who can understand Mandarin or Cantonese, I recommend the recorded Dhamma talk of Venerable Bhikkhu Vupasama about the connectedness between The Four Noble Truths and The Patticcasamupada. The recorded talk can be downloaded from the internet.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

World Buddhist Conference 2010

LIVING IN HARMONY When Things Fall Apart


Life is far from the perfection we want it to be. We should see life in its proper perspective. Even if misfortunes or calamities were to affect us, we should not lose hope or adopt a pessimistic and fatalistic view of life.

The Buddha had taught us that we can indeed remain happy in the midst of misfortunes or “when things fall apart” if we understand how our mind works and apply techniques to calm it.


Join us in the World Buddhist Conference 2010 this coming September! You will learn how Buddhism teaches us to live our lives in peace and harmony with ourselves, with our friends, and with nature.


Speakers

This Conference will be graced by the presence of the world-renown Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author, poet, and peace activist Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. Considered as one of the most influential Buddhist teachers in the world today, Venerable has written well over 85 titles of accessible poems, prose, and prayers, with more than 40 in English. He will speak on the theme of the Conference which is Living in Harmony: When Things Fall Apart.

The line-up of speakers includes Venerable Wei Wu, Venerable Tenzin Zopa, Dr Joan Halifaz, Venerable Tejadhamma, Dr David Loy, Venerable Thubten Chodron, Dr Tan Eng Kong and Anchalee Kurutach.


The registration has started! Catch the Early Bird Offer now!

For further details visit our website @ www.wbc.my

Registration & payment via online at: www.bgf.org.my/donation/index.html


For more enquiries:

Secretariat: +603 7804 9154 / +603 7804 9157 (during office hours).

Email: wbc@ybam.org.my

With regards and metta,
Mak Lai Cheng
Organizing Secretary
WBC 2010