Ramblings of a Monk

Announcement

May this msg find you well n happy. Good opportunity to meetup and spend a meaningful last few hours of 2007 together at the Spiritual Countdown 2007 – FaithAspirationPractice @ Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery on the 31 Dec.

Door Price S$15 (Inclusive of entry fee, evening temple tour and an exclusive spiritual journal!)

For more details: http://www.kmspks.org/youth/countdown.htm#

Do drop me note if i can help you with any ticket reservations

Hope to see you there!
Cell. Tono of NBAS: New Buddhists @ Singapore

Facebook event link

PS: Reposting for Cell on this blog.

So today I was invited to Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society by Ven. S. Dhammika for a book launch. The book is interesting, and so is the author and the introduction of him given by Ven. Dhammika, but this blog entry is not about that. It’s about the seemingly impeccable ability for things to mess up whenever I’m visiting BDMS or Ven. Dhammika.

In this episode of Amicable Conflict, we look at how a simple affair of arranging for transport for a venerable (me in this case) to a place to attend a book launch can end up in a misunderstanding and ultimately a delayed book launch. And oh, did I mention an unhappy upassaka who refused to give transport thereafter “because he had to send in the car for servicing the next day”.

If this interest you, read on. Read the rest of this entry »

In-Brief

1. The significance of Vesak Day @ 25 May 2007 (Private talk, Maris Stella High School)
2. Million Lotus Celebrations @25 ~ 26 May 2007 (Public, Ngee Ann City)
3. NTU Buddhist Society Alumni Vesak Celebration @ 27 May 2007 (Alumnus & friends, Venue TBC)
4. Dharma talk for Little India Vesak Celebration @ 29 May 2007 (Public, See below for venue)
5. Meditation Practice @ 31 May 2007 (Public, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery)

Details after the jump …
Read the rest of this entry »

There will be an “Om Mani Padme Hum” 12hr chanting day on 6th April, 2007 at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Singapore.

Location:

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
88 Bright Hill Road
Singapore 574117

Participation fee: Sincerity and kindness

Date & Time: 6th April 9:00am ~ 9:00pm

Details:

The chanting day will be split into 6 continuous sessions of 2hrs each.

• Session 1: 9:00am ~ 11:00am
• Session 2: 11:00am ~ 1:00pm
• Session 3: 1:00am ~ 3:00pm
• Session 4: 3:00am ~ 5:00pm
• Session 5: 5:00am ~ 7:00pm
• Session 6: 7:00am ~ 9:00pm

Each session will have:

1. Homage to the Buddha
2. Triple Refuge
3. Mantra chanting
4. Dedication of Merits

Guiding Monastic:

Chuanguan bhikkhu

Please contact KMSPKS Youth Ministry, Billy @ youth@kmspks.org or 6849 5346 or sms: 9765 4322 for participation slots.

This is just another placeholder for future entry …

1st December, 2006

Some of the folks who come across my desk may wonder why a toothbrush is on my desk and not in the toilet where it belongs. Most people either miss it or are too polite to ask, so I shared with the Youth Ministry in Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery during their YMers retreat.

You see, sometimes in the day, I would find a piece of food stuck in my teeth, or find my teeth too grimy for myself, and no amount of rinsing or flossing ( … talking about flossing, they are there on my desk too! ) will cleanse it. I’m sure we have that once a while … or maybe we don’t notice.

Read the rest of this entry »

If there’s such a thing as writer’s block, this is it. I inserted this entry like weeks ago in the hope of pushing myself to pen down my thoughts about emptiness via the illustration of a bowl of delicious laksa, and yet as I sat here weeks later, there is just no impetus to write anything. hmmm ….

I think I’ll just write down what I explained during my workshop about the laksa, instead of making it into a proper article.

So back in August and October, I conducted two four-day workshops on the Heart Sutra. It was mooted by the Youth Ministry of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery during one of the informal “Dharma discussions”. While the heart sutra is famous for its “form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form” verse, apparently many books on this sutra were incorrect or misguided to say the least. Consequently, many people also had a somewhat tinted idea of what this sutra is about. Hence the Heart Sutra workshop.

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