Bite-sized Dharma on the go!
基礎靜坐班 Basic Meditation class
(in Mandarin)
感受、心情在現代人而言是非常之重視，但在先進的新加坡都市卻很少提倡它們的認識及掌控。我們的人生是隨着心情與感受走，還是由智慧引導心情、感受與人生呢？
讓我們一起來學習認識感受、心情及內心世界。一起來學習佛陀所教授的禪修方法。
课程
十堂課 10 classes
每逢星期日Every Sunday 7:30 pm ~ 9:30 pm
九月十九日開課 Starting 19 September 2010
指导法師： 釋傳觀
报名 Registration
慈光福利协会 Metta Welfare Association
Please call Ms Doris Koh at 6580 4631
www.metta.org.sg
Cultivating non-attachment does not mean a careless detached attitude, instead it is a very active concerned
care and love for others. By non-attachment, we remove, or at least initially reduce, our strong emotional upheavals, moving our focus and attention from ourselves to others.
Attachment leads to much emotional baggages in us that does not help us or our loved ones; they mostly create the friction between us!
Dear friends,
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
May everyone have a joyful, peaceful and blissful day and new year ahead!!
I received an email from someone asking for advice. Agatha (not the real name!) ask why she is never content with what she has and keep looking for more. She further asks what happiness is. She feels weak and tired in the mind and heart.
I wrote her:
Congratulations ###! You have observed that you are discontent with what you have and keep looking for more! ^_^
Further, you rightly observe how this leads the mind and heart to be weak and tired. Well done!
As to why you do that? We all know the answer deep within. It is that we don’t know any better. As in, we don’t know any other way to be happy or to pursue happines (if happiness can be pursued externally at all!).
If your heart-mind is tired, let it rest for a while. When it leaps outward at the world, know that it is leaping, but try to just watch it but not go with it. Kinda like when you are in a movie and your phone goes buzzing silently and you know it is buzzing but don’t go check it.
Do this first and let me know what happens.
Suki hontu!
So dear friends, why don’t you try this today? Try watching your mind* and see if you can observe but not follow the impulses that arises. Try and see if you can do it like you know the phone buzz without necessarily checking the phone. See if you can watch the mind bouncing without going along with it.
Pre-requisite:
The Dharma is described as the Truth, not because we want to stake claim to be the Truth bearers or wish to disclaim others. The Dharma is described as the Truth because its principles were observed directly by the Buddha and applies whether you believe it or not. Just as the Law of Gravity applies whether you subscribe to it or even know it or not, you are accelerating at a rate of 9.8m/s2 (g ~ 9.80665 m/s2 ).
In a similar way, the Buddha’s teaching describes the Truth of our existence. So, come and see for yourself. Ehi passiko.
* For a more thorough discourse on observing and being mindful of the mind, see Digha-nikaya 22: Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference.
** This is not a rationalisation for Buddhists to stop being Buddhists and pretending to practise. :p If you already subscribe to the teachings internally, why not commit to it externally as well?
Reference
About a week ago, an article appeared on StraitsTimes about Nirvana Memorial, a columbarium in Singapore that offers a final resting place in style — for those who can afford it.
The article featured two monks in its cover photo with the Buddha’s image shining forth multi-colored lightings. If the paper was a multi-media device, you would also hear the full-featured melody and announcement made through the hi-tech audio system. The two monks is non other than Bhante Dhammaratna, founder and Chief monk of the Buddhist Library in Singapore, and myself. Elizabeth, the reporter who penned the article invited me for comments and since I had no idea about Nirvana memorial at all, she kindly offered a tour of the premise so we can have an idea of the place.
The tour brought us to the main hall where prayers would be offered, the various niche rooms where the ash remains and tablets will be placed, and one of the building houses different types of niches. In all, the whole tour was rather pleasant, though one of the building reminded me more of a hotel interior than anything. Perhaps that is their whole point and such a layout and interior design may appeal to some people, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Since the article appear in the papers, Buddhists have pointed out to me that they saw Bhante and me in the article while some even joke about how we have gone to Nirvana and back! After the excitement, they would then comment about the exorbitant prices that the columbarium offered its services for storing ash niches. It is indeed expensive to spend $30k for a niche, and it is really a personal choice whether you should use their services or somewhere more affordable.
People will complain about how this is too commercialised, but Nirvana Memorial is a commercial entity, so we should keep our expectations in check. When Elizabeth asked me for comments, I
mentioned that while Nirvana Memorial is a profit-making business entity, and should be treated as such. However, by offering columbarium services, they can be helpful in promoting gratitude and filial piety in the family of the departed. If they can further help promote other Buddhist values and teachings such as Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha, it would be even more ideal!
Today, a student even emailed me, commenting
There is a price to be in Nirvana – exorbitant. And much more to be near the Buddha. Hmmm … another one of those commercial enterprises that makes use of Buddhism for profitable gain.
To which I replied:
There is indeed a price to pay! If you pay in worldly currency, you get to go to the worldly Nirvana. If you ‘pay’ in spiritual currency (cultivation), you attain the Supramundane Nirvana! 😉
Thing is, while people complain about expensive columbarium or funeral services, when I ask people to pay in spiritual currency (cultivation), they run away even faster than you can read this article! Between the two forms of ‘payment’, most would take the easy way out and make worldly payment.
Held on Singapore National Day, 9 August 2010 (Monday), 8 am to 6.30 pm at the Buddhist Library.
Session will be conducted by Bhante B Dhammaratana.
@The Buddhist Library – 2, Lorong 24A Geylang
FREE! But registration required. Please call Buddhist Library counter staff at 6746 8435 to register. Library opening hours:
Tues to Sat: 12:00 noon – 9:00pm
Sun: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Closed on Mondays.
Open on Public Holidays