A student from the English Dharma Class at SBF (Singapore Buddhist Federation) asked me what practices Buddhists should be observing during this day or period.  Below are my thoughts on it.

Buddhists rightly speaking should spend Qing Ming recollecting the kindness of our forefathers, and honouring them by remembering how they may have lived a blameless life or have conducted themselves in a manner worth emulating.  One could then try emulating their good deeds or perform charity in their name!  Further, we can also emulate the holy ones who have come before us by observing the eight or five precepts.  With all the positive merits accrued, one can then make a sincere wish, dedicating merits to them, wishing them well and having good conditions to learn the Dharma!

In addition, we can and should reflect on how, while we depended on our parents and forefathers for helping in bringing us into human rebirth, they, including many others, have also in some ways helped us in our lifes and made it . . . → Read More: Remembering and honouring the departed during Qing Ming 清明节]]> Today is the official day for Qing Ming 清明节, a day (or period) where Chinese would traditionally remember their ancestors by visiting the cemetery and perform religious services for them.

A student from the English Dharma Class at SBF (Singapore Buddhist Federation) asked me what practices Buddhists should be observing during this day or period.  Below are my thoughts on it.

Buddhists rightly speaking should spend Qing Ming recollecting the kindness of our forefathers, and honouring them by remembering how they may have lived a blameless life or have conducted themselves in a manner worth emulating.  One could then try emulating their good deeds or perform charity in their name!  Further, we can also emulate the holy ones who have come before us by observing the eight or five precepts.  With all the positive merits accrued, one can then make a sincere wish, dedicating merits to them, wishing them well and having good conditions to learn the Dharma!

In addition, we can and should reflect on how, while we depended on our parents and forefathers for helping in bringing us into human rebirth, they, including many others, have also in some ways helped us in our lifes and made it possible.  Just consider how someone in modern society do not make any raw product themselves; we depend on many many faceless strangers to bring us the clothes we wear and food we eat daily.  We also live in houses and apartments that are more often than not built by foreign workers whom we would never get to meet in our life, and whom we depend our lifes on.  We can reflect on how our modern life is possible because of the contribution of hundreds, thousands and millions of people out there, working, ekking out a living.

But I paid for it, one may protest.  It is easy to think that once we pay for a service or product, we do not owe others anything.  While money is part of the equation, we often overlook how we owe it to the support and hardwork of the innumerable nameless and frequently faceless workers in order for our money to have any use or value at all.  To these people, we owe them their time, labour and youth making our life possible the way it is.  Our life is convenient as a result of their inconveniences.

Finally, we should also reflect on the Samyutta Nikaya 15.14-19 Mata sutta (Mother), where the Buddha shares his insight on how we have wandered on in samsara since beginningless times, and that it is not easy to find someone whom we have not been related to before.  Everyone is related to us in some way before!

In this way, we can reflect on how we are interdependent on each other so loosely, and yet so intimately.  From there, we can develop deep gratitude towards both people who are close to us, and those who once seemed to be complete strangers.  Within this deep gratitude, then the self-centric tendency may be gradually worn away and our hearts and mind may open up to others, and truly care for them.  In this way, we pay tribute and respect to all our forefathers from this life and the past, and repay their deep kindness meaningfully.

That is how we can all honour the departed during Qing Ming, whether as Buddhists or non-Buddhists.

So how did you spend Qing Ming this year?

Here’s the web site for the Singapore Buddhist Federation http://www.buddhist.org.sg/sbf/

A snippet here:

English Dharma Course (Info on Chinese Dharma Course is available at the site above)

Objective: To develop participants’ understanding in basic Buddhist teachings for life enrichment.

Contents: Lectures and panel discussions on the life of Buddha, a brief history Buddhism, Buddhist teachings, application of Buddhist teaching in daily life.

Entry Qualifications: Age above 16 and fluent in written and spoken English. Duration of Course: 3 years with 2 semesters per year. Date: Every Friday from 6th of March 2009 Time:8.00pm – 9.30pm Venue:Singapore Buddhist Federation 59 Lorong 24A Geylang, Singapore 398583 Tel: 6744 4635 Fax: 6747 3618

Registration Fee: Adult $50; Student $25 Certificate of Completion: Certificate of completion of the course will be issued to each participant who has satisfied the set criteria Registration: 1. Photocopy of NRIC or Passport; 2. One recent passport sizes photo. 3. Registration at: Buddhist Federation,59 Lorong 24A Geylang, Singapore 398583 Tel: 6744 4635 Fax: 6747 3618 Off hours: 0900 am to 5.00 pm Mon to Fri; 0900 am to 100 pm Sat

* Registration form is available for download at the above site.

Details after the jump … Talk: “The significance of Vesak Day” Date: 25 May 2007, Friday Time: 8.00am Venue: Maris Stella High School Participation: This is a private session with the school only. Organiser: Maris Stella High

Event: Harmony In Action (Vesak Celebration) Date: 25 ~ 26 May 2007 Time: Whole day Venue: Ngee Ann City

Participation: Public.http://www.vesakcelebrations.sg/ Organiser: Singapore Buddhist Federation

Event: NTU Buddhist Society Alumni Vesak Celebration Date: 27 May 2007 Time: 9:30am ~ 12:00pm (duration is about 2.5 hrs) Venue: Little Bodhi Student Care Centre Blk 159, Woodlands St. 13 #01-665 (Behind Marsiling MRT)

A short talk on Vesak will be given.

Participation: NTU Alumnus & friends. General public are also welcome. Organiser: NTU Buddhist Society

Talk: Little India Vesak Celebrations Date: 29 . . . → Read More: News: Upcoming talks and events]]> 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 …
Talk: “The significance of Vesak Day”
Date: 25 May 2007, Friday
Time: 8.00am
Venue: Maris Stella High School

Participation: This is a private session with the school only.
Organiser: Maris Stella High

Event: Harmony In Action (Vesak Celebration)
Date: 25 ~ 26 May 2007
Time: Whole day
Venue: Ngee Ann City

Participation: Public.http://www.vesakcelebrations.sg/
Organiser: Singapore Buddhist Federation

Event: NTU Buddhist Society Alumni Vesak Celebration
Date: 27 May 2007
Time: 9:30am ~ 12:00pm (duration is about 2.5 hrs)
Venue: Little Bodhi Student Care Centre
Blk 159, Woodlands St. 13
#01-665
(Behind Marsiling MRT)

A short talk on Vesak will be given.

Participation: NTU Alumnus & friends. General public are also welcome.
Organiser: NTU Buddhist Society

Talk: Little India Vesak Celebrations
Date: 29 May 2007
Time: 8.00pm (duration about 1 to 1.5 hrs)
Venue: Event premise is bounded by Serangoon Road, Burmah Road and Birch Road

Participation: Public.
Organiser: Little India Vesak Celebrations

Dharma Practice: Meditation
Date: 31 May 2007, Thursday (Vesak day)
Time: Session 1 – 10.00am ~ 10.45am
Session 2 – 03.00pm ~ 03.45pm
Venue: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Dharma Hall.

Participation: Public.
Organiser: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery