Category: Buddhism

Of Firefighters and Detectives

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Imagine this.  YOUR house is on fire.

You call the fire department and the firefighters arrive, setting up the hoses and readies to put out the fire.

Just then, the detectives who arrives at the scene, stops the firefighters from putting out the fire.

“Let us put out the fire before it spreads“, the firefighters pleaded.

“Hold your horses, no one is putting out any fire till we investigate and find out who set the fire!“, rebutted the detectives.

“But the hold house is going to burn down and the neighbouring houses are starting to smother“, you quipped.

“Well, burn down if it has to, we are going to get to the bottom of this all.  The Who, What, When, Where, Why, How of this case!“, stated the detectives in a matter-of-factly manner.

It would be a disaster if this happens in real life.  In real life, the police control the crowd to prevent looting or owners and bystanders from risking their lives while the firefighters do their job in putting out the fire.  If  not, it would be a disaster.

But what about us?  What happens when we are ‘burning’ with rage?  Seething with anger?  Torching green with jealousy?  We tend to not put out our ‘fire’ in our mind and heart.  Sometimes we even invite others to come and inspect the fire, burning them with a mark of communal anger.  Other times, when others try to calm us down or talk some sense into us, we find more evidence to be angry, we put more fuel into our inner flame.

I am right, he is wrong!  That’s why I am angry!!  Stop trying to defending him, can’t you see that he is the one at fault?

When we relook at the statement, it becomes really queer.  It is as though the person who is “right”, should be angry, should be upset.  But why should the person who is right have to suffer the consequences of anger?  We need to remind ourselves, “If we are right and
they are wrong, we should be happy”.  Or at least not angry.  If we can manage it, have compassion for those who are wrong.

If we find that we have anger or other negative emotions, we should learn to put out the fire first before trying to play detectives and find out “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How”.

Remember, “Put out the fire first!“.

Reference

In Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta “The shorter instructions to Malunkya”, when Ven. Malunkyaputta threatens to disrobe if he is not given an answer to a series of questions unconnected to the holy life, the Buddha gives a parable of a man, who while wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison, refuses treatment until the Who, What, When, Where, Why and Hows of the poison arrow is known.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.063.than.html

 

Credits

Photo of Shophouses on fire
Disclaimer: I have no link or affiliation with btinvest.com.sg.  The above link is provided to give due credit for the photo.

Talks @ Asian Civilisations Museum

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Asian Civilisations Museum is having a free weekend festival entitled “Enlightened Ways”.

Come on down for talks by Bhante B. Dhammaratana, Venerable Chang Qing and myself.

On 23rd March Sat

@ 2pm, Venerable Chang Qing will be having a Mandarin talk on “What is Buddhism?” “什麼是佛教”.

On 24th March Sun

@ 1pm,  I’ll be speaking on Sunday 1pm on “Essence of Early Buddhism” (and no, I do not have a doctorate even if the flyer has a ‘Dr’ in my salutation).

@ 3.30pm, Bhante B. Dhammaratana will be speaking on “Buddhist Practices”

See you all then!  Refer to the poster below and ACM for more information.

Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place

 

Of Mediums, Paper Money, Houses, Mobiles … …

Posted onAuthorShi ZhiXing2 Comments

A video on facebook caught my eye.  Actually, Ven. You Wei tagged me and a small discussion started around this video of a ‘priest’ of unknown religion performing a rites.  In the video, he is seen reciting various words that is not recognisable by myself, Ven. You Wei or Rev. Kwang Tong (a taoist priest friend of mine).

Below are my thoughts about such practices.

Ven You Wei, the irony is that when someone do this, devotees will believe in ignorant bliss.

Rev. Chung Kwang Tong, there is no medium practice in Buddhist teachings.  Only the oracle medium exist within the Tibetan tradition, and it is not a part of their Buddhist tradition, but more perhaps a part of their lineage tradition.

If Matreya Bodhisattva, or for that matter, any Bodhisattvas, ever appear through a trance, he should be able to explain the teachings of the Buddha!  Further, since they have 辯才無礙 they would probably not be speaking in tongues, but be able to speak in a language that we understand! 😉  I would be very keen to invite them to conduct retreats and Dharma classes and not ask about how to have fortune for the new year etc!

Rev. Kwang Tong, while mediums seem more common in Taoist temples, are they part of Taoist practices or are they in fact, like a few practices found in Taoist temple that you have clarified before, not Taoist in nature as well?

If mediums, burning of incense paper, paper houses, cars, mobiles, etc are not Buddhist nor Taoist in nature, then we should help devotees know so that they can practise their faith with wisdom and understanding.

Intention and Expression of Intention

Chinese New Year lunch at KMSPKS!

 

With respect to burning of incense paper, paper houses etc, I like to focus on two things:  1) Intention and 2) Expression of Intention

The Intention behind these burning is a wish to provide for the departed deceased and it can come from their Filial Piety.  We should encourage that.  The Expression of such filial piety is a different matter.  I prefer to encourage people to be filial while one’s parents are still around.  Spend time with them.  Listen to them.  Don’t burn them mobile phones or consult mediums only when they are gone if we don’t even bother to talk to them and listen to them when they were alive.

Go for walks with them.  Be their ‘servant’ and serve them.  Don’t wait till they are gone and only then, burn them paper servants.

Stay with them.  Don’t send them off to the old age homes only to burn them a paper house when they are gone.

Go with them to the mall, provide for them what they need (except if they want $$$ to go to the casino!!). 
Don’t burn them paper money only when they are gone.

If we really want to be filial to our parents [1], share with them 1) Faith and Confidence in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, 2) Guide them if they stray from good morality and behaviours 3) Encourage them to be kind and giving with others and 4) Share with them the Wisdom of the Buddha Dharma.

In this way, we benefit our parents in this life and in future ones!

Be Easy to Serve

And for parents, be happy with whichever child you are staying with.  Don’t pin for that one son or daughter who is not around and ignore the ones with whom you are staying with.

Accept food, gifts, assistance and support graciously.  Chinese are always 客氣 (polite?  stand on ceremony?) and don’t like to 麻煩人 (give others trouble).  It’s ok to say no.  But say it when you really mean it.  Saying ‘no’ out of courtesy only to bear a grudge later for not receiving service from your children or juniors is a way to our own misery.

We as juniors can also be more understanding of the difference in culture.  When elders say no, many times, it is out of courtesy.  We must insist up to three times!  And even when the elder say ‘no’, we should just get them food or provide our service out of devotion and love to them.

While it may seem queer to some, think of how a young man may pursue a girl relentlessly for her heart despite her rejection.  He does so to prove to her his determination and sometimes (I heard!) a girl may coyly reject just to see how serious and sincere he is.

The same kind of devotion, perseverance and love should apply to our parents and elders!

Out of compassion, elders should also go easy on juniors.  Be easy to serve. Don’t pick on how they don’t necessarily know how to serve you the way you want to be served.  Focus on how they are trying.  It’s ok to tell them what you need and want. 🙂

If we all stayed with our parents, provided for them, served them, listened to them, and practised Buddha’s teachings with them, when they are gone, we are assured that our parents are bound for a good rebirth.  For as sure as a tree that has grown leaning towards the east should fall towards the east when cut off, likewise a person who has practised the Noble Eightfold Path taught by the Buddha inclines towards True Happiness even while alive, and continues in that direction in future rebirths! [2]

References

Of Buddhas and Arahants

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Someone asked a question in facebook

Can someone enlighten me? Arhat in Theravada achieved almost to Buddhahood while in Mahayana they still need to take the route of the Boddhisatva to attain Buddhahood. Does attaining arhat in Mahayana be able for the arhat to have the option of not taking rebirth or reincarnation.

My reply below (corrected for grammar)

Buddhas and Arahants realises the same Truth and attains the same Nibbana, but they differ in terms of their ability.

Consider a swimmer and a swimming coach. Both a swimmer and a swimming coach can swim, but a coach also has the ability to teach others how to swim.

However, knowing that a person is a swimmer speaks nothing about his intention or ability to teach others to swim. A swimmer might well be a swimming coach as well!

An arahant is no longer subject to the cycle of birth and deaths driven by greed, hatred and delusion. This is true regardless of the “yana” or tradition.

Should a person such as an arahant be moved by compassion to guide and teach others, then such an arahant may take on whatever forms needed to teach. On the surface, it may appear like the arahant has taken rebirth like everyone else, but it differs in that, such reappearance is not driven by defilements but motivated by compassion!

Consider a prison with inmates. They are not there by choice, although in a way, they are there due to choices they have made. Then there are those who go to do prison counseling. They are there by choice and not through their misdeeds; they are there out of compassion to help counsel the inmates.

The inmates cannot choose when to leave while the counselors are free to move around the blocks and when their sessions are over, they leave the prison until there is opportunity to counsel again.

Samsara is like the prison, unenlightened ones the inmates, arahants are those who are free of the prison. Like the counselors, there are arahants who voluntarily go back to the prison to provide counsel.

In the Mahayana tradition, we honour these Arahants as Bodhisattvas (Awaken / Enlighten Sentient beings) for they themselves having awakened 覺(自)有情, are taking that step to 覺(他)有情 awaken others by teaching the Dhamma!

Truly, they 自利利他 are of welfare and benefit to themselves and others! They are indeed 大人 Mahasattvas Great Beings! _/|\_

 

So would you like to be totally free of stress, worry and suffering? Are ready to love and care for others with no strings attached?

Do something worthwhile in life, be a Buddha! 😀

Mindfulness of Breath Meditation Class

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The practise of Samatha and Vipassana is found in all major Buddhist tradition.  In this meditation class, learn how to meditate through The Six Wonderful Ways 六妙門.

The Six Wonderful Ways 六妙門*, an elaboration of anapanasati meditation (mindfulness of breath) by Tian Tai Master Zhi Zhe 天台智者大師, is a gradual development of samatha (concentration) and vipassana (insight) using six techniques of breathing meditation
found in the Buddhist tradition.

The class is based on the teachings given by my late teacher, Master Miu King (妙境老和尚), and will be conducted by myself in English.

Join us for 12 sessions starting in March, every Thursday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

* – 六妙門 literally means the six wonderful doors.  The word “門” or “door” refers to the techniques or ways to meditate.  Hence the translation “The Six Wonderful Ways”.