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:-

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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.

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