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Swiss woman dies after attempting to live on sunlight; Woman gave up food and water on spiritual journey
Documentary film 'In the Beginning, There Was Light' gave her the idea Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reports that a woman starved to death after embarking on a spiritual diet that required her to stop eating or drinking and live off sunlight alone. It is saddening to see such a news. Sad on two counts. 1. That this woman lost her live because she adopted an inappropriate practice that would seem to be unsuitable for human beings. 2. While many hundreds and thousands around the world go hungry or starve, they don't go on the news. Eat and drink in moderation 於食知量 The Buddha taught the way to True Happiness by the Middle Way, the Noble Eightfold Path. With respect to food and drinks, he advocated moderation as well. In the Aparihani Sutta (AN4.37 [1]), the Buddha advised thus: "And how does a monk know moderation in eating? There is the case where a monk, considering it appropriately, takes his food not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification, but simply for the survival & continuance . . . → Read More: Eat and drink in moderation 於食知量 There was once two friends, a Little Moth and a Candle. They were not exactly the most likely pair, but somehow they were drawn towards each other. Little Moth would fly long distances to see the brilliance of the Candle. Together, they would dance on and on. Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes turn to hours. Hours turn to days. Days turn to years. Time ceased. It was Magical. But it was not to last. Over time, Candle found that Little Moth was becoming weaker and unwell. Little Moth was burning itself up in the Candle's flame slowly. Candle decided that something must be done. He called a good friend, Water, for help. "Your flame and brilliance will be gone Candle!" Water said. "I know. Please my friend. Please help me. This is the only way. " Candle pleaded.
The next morning, Little Moth danced happily to find Candle to play. When Little Moth arrived, all there was … was a cold extinguished candle. No brilliance nor sparkle nor warmth. Little Moth settled over the candle mound and cried. Cried for days and nights. But the candle was no more. "He told me to tell you something" Water said. . . . → Read More: The Little Moth and the Candle
Hey everyone, this year at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, as part of the annual Vesak celebration, there will be a special video showcasing the various activities in KMSPKS and … wait for it … the activities of various Buddhist temples, monasteries and centres from across the island! You see, when hundreds and thousands of Buddhists come to KMSPKS to participate in the annual Vesak celebration such as the Buddha-Bathing practice, Three-Step-One-Bow practice, Dharma talks etc, many come from all over the island. While many may stay near to KMSPKS, many others may stay relatively far from the monastery. Instead of just sharing the Dharma activities found in KMSPKS, we thought, why not share with everyone the exciting lineup of Dharma activities found throughout the island? This way, my friend, we hope to link you up with the Dharma activities nearest to your home, so that everyone may be able to learn and practise the Dharma wherever we are! Send me a message today for more information on this special project and more! Coming Soon
. . . → Read More: Island-wide Dharma Activities! Much appreciation to Tenzin's queries into the story of Queen Mallika's rebirth that I share in class, it got me piqued and first thing when I got to the library, I checked up on the section from the text "Great Disciples of the Buddha", page 262 – 263. I made a mistake in missing out the part that Queen Mallika's rebirth in hell was due to a "twofold transgression", "1) her sexual contact with the dog and 2) her mendacious attempt to free herself from blame", and not merely due to bestiality. My sincere apologies for the forgetful omission. See picture below for reference. May this clarify and lead to right understanding. Sabbe satta sukhita hontu!
References Great Disciples of the Buddha in Amazon.com Reference of this incident found in the Dhammapad. Search for "Queen Mallikā" in the link below. http://blogs.cf.ac.uk/birthstories/entry/birth_stories_in_the_dhammapada Below is an interesting clip of a social experiment that illustrates how easy a regular guy can become a "celebrity" with a few staged people. Enjoi! From clip info: Last Saturday we went to a popular mall in Virginia and conducted a bit of a social experiment. Using his real first and middle name, and with the help of just a few staged people, tons of people believed Thomas was a famous actor, including mall security. The mall assigned us a security detail who escorted us everywhere and helped close stores for the supposed celebrity. They also took us through private corridors to avoid the frenzy. Our cameras were quickly shut down, and most of our footage was captured with a single iphone. The following is just a taste of all the autographs, pictures, and people who wanted get close to all the commotion. Do something fun today. Someone ask me whether interfaith harmony is truly feasible, if some religion continue to hold the thinking that the conversion of others is right n holy. I think it's like saying the two persons can be good friends while the person is actively pursuing one's beau or spouse! Update – 10 April 2012 After reading some comments and having a discussion with a Dharma friend, here are some thoughts to share. Consider a few scenarios below: Scenario #1 Two person, A & B are married. Third party C tries to pursue B. Under C's pursuit, C falls for B and decides to have a divorce. They go into a relationship and later got married.
Scenario #2 Two person, A & B are married. B over time decides that the marriage is not working out and seeks a divorce. B meet other friends, dates and finally find C. They fall in love and goes into a relationship and later got married.
Scenario #3 Two person, A & B are married. Third party C tries to convince B that A is evil and bad, that another person D is a better choice. B over time . . . → Read More: Is interfaith harmony feasible with ingrained conversion efforts? Based on original post Remembering and honouring the departed during Qing Ming Video on YouTube Remembering and honouring the departed during Qing Ming 清明节 from KMSPKSMEDIA on Vimeo. The teaching on "No-self", anatta, is uniquely found in the Buddha's teaching. The Buddha discovered that in the midst of our lives, there is no "I" that exist. But yet, our conventional language and our own experience says otherwise. If there is no-self, then who is reading this very line? The talk and sharing will focus on two aspects: What is "No-self" and how it is evident in our life. The impact or implication of this in our life. In the discussion that ensues, we will also explore together how our usual "self-ful" mode of relating to people around us has shaped our lives so far. This Dharma talk will require attendees to talk as well. So come learn and share together. Poh Ming Tse : 1930hrs ~ 2130hrs Saturday : 31 March 2012
By Driving: 1A. From West, exit PIE into Eng Neo Avenue, then turn LEFT into Dunearn Road. 1B. From East, exit PIE into Adam Road, then turn RIGHT into Bukit Timah Road. After Duchess Road, keep RIGHT. When near Hwa Chong Junior College, U-turn into Dunearn Road. 2. Along Dunearn Road, keep LEFT. After . . . → Read More: Dharma talk: No-self in Buddhism and our Daily Lives @ PMT.1930~2130.Sat 31 Mar 2012 |
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