Ramblings of a Monk – Page 106 – Bite-sized Dharma on the go!

Eight Schools of Thought ~ A Dharma Teaching Series by Venerable Fa Guang @ pmt

Posted on17 May , 20125 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing

Eight Schools of Thought ~ A Dharma Teaching Series by Venerable Fa Guang @ Poh Ming Tse

6 June ~ 27 June Every Wednesday.

A brief overview of the 8 schools of thought based on the reading of “The Essentials Of The Eight Traditions" by Gyonen

The Essentials of the Eight Schools gives a concise account of the history and doctrines of the eight principal Buddhist schools in existence in Japan at the time of the author, i.e. the six schools which were introduced to Japan during the Nara Period and the two schools introduced by Saicho and Kukai during the Heian Period. This work may thus be described as an introduction to Japanese Buddhism.

The eight traditions / schools

Kusha
Jojitsu
Ritsu
Hosso
Sanron
Tendai
Kegon
Singon (Main study of the class)
Zen
Jodo

You will bring back with you some Japanese languages and terms at the end of the class.

About Venerable Shi Fa Guang

Venerable Fa Guang was born in Malacca. He is ordained under Master Miao Hua and trained under him in the Chinese Mahayana tradition for many years. Presently, he is residing in Minato-ku, Tokyo and is pursuing his PhD in Buddhism (focusing on the Brahmanet Bodhisattva vows) at Komazawa University.

When he returns to Malaysia and Singapore, he shares his Dharma experience with the Buddhist communities through insightful talks, rousing their inquisitive minds.

He is well-versed in many languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, Teochew, Hokkien etc.). Venerable is able to present the profound Buddha's teachings in ways which people of all walks of life can easily relate to.

Wild Elephants Gather to Mourn Death of Elephant Whisperer

Posted on16 May , 20125 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

In Buddhism, we see that all sentient beings are capable of thought and emotions. In some faiths and religion, they believe that only human beings have a soul. Buddhists do not share such a belief in a soul that is persisting, unchanging and has an independent existence, whether in human beings or in animals.

In Buddhism, we use the word “有情” for sentient beings, literally “with feelings / emotions”. All sentient beings have feelings, fear pain and want happiness. In this life, we may be born as a human being with greater intellect, in other lives, we may be born in other states or realms. Amidst the facade, we all have Buddha Nature, the potential to become totally free, free of defilements, free of worries, stress, anxieties and suffering. Free of limitations and boundaries to truly love, care and help others.

Recognising this potential in every sentient beings, it drives our outlook and mindset in life. It shapes our attitude towards fellow sentient beings.

Time and again, animals have proven to have emotions and exhibited loyalty and devotion to each other, and in the following case, to a human being.

http://delightmakers.com/news-bleat/wild-elephants-gather-inexplicably-mourn-death-of-elephant-whisperer/

For 12 hours, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of late author Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist who saved their lives.The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, were rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the bush and was known as the “Elephant Whisperer.”

While animals do not have the facial expression to express emotions the way we humans do, it does not mean that they do not have emotions or that they do not feel. Read on in the link above to find out how these herds of wild elephants and a man has an exchange of ‘words’ from the heart.

Creativity … in Singapore!

Posted on15 May , 20125 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

Below is an interesting article by a Swedish writer, an author on creativity, about how Singapore is the best place in the world to be creative.

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120514-0000008/The-best-place-in-the-world-to-be-creative

But the main reason I live in Singapore is because this city-state, to me, is the one place on earth where it is the easiest to have a globally-creative mindset.

Some people say Singapore is “Asia for beginners”. I do not agree. I think Singapore is “globalisation for beginners”, or rather, “globalisation for early adopters”.

With a diverse mix of races, religions and nationalities, Singapore not only represents the cross-section of the world, it is also a time capsule of what the world will look like in the future.

And I love that.

Personally, I agree with most of the points he has made. I’ve met many friends and seen many Singaporeans who are very creative. Singaporeans are very creative when it comes to circumventing the rules. ^.^

In this respect, I find that in many cases, Singaporean’s creativity is borne more out of need than simply a desire to create, to build, to explore.

The downside of the former type of creativity is that when the environment is too comfortable or too protective, then the fuel for creativity may also dies off. In contrast, the latter has a curiosity about the world, the desire to explore and create, and so may not be so easily affected by the environment.

Lightning strikes during the eruption of the huge Galunggung volcano, West Java, in 1982. [1]

Another aspect is culture. Is our culture conducive for and encouraging creativity?

Openness to change
Non-aversion to failure
Curiosity of the world

Openness to change – If an organisation or a society becomes complacent with status quo and becomes too vested in existing ways, then it may not be open to changes. Stability in a group or society is often seen in contrast to change. But if we look at nature, the natural world goes through cycles of changes to maintain balance and stability.

There is no unchanging stability, only stability in changes.

“Sabbe sankara aniccati – All formations are impermanent” ~ Buddha.

Non-aversion to failure – No one wants pain or harm, but if the fear of it is disproportionately high, then one lives safely in fear of danger. Extreme aversion to failure can immobilise us to adopt a “多做多錯” “The more one does, the more errors one (may) make”, leading us to have a “少做少錯” “The less one does, the less errors one (may) make” attitude, concluding in refusal to move altogether “不做不錯” “If one does nothing, then he makes no errors”.

Our attitude and response towards “failure” shapes how we and others may attempt to try things that we have never tried before. How we define “failure” and deal with it affects our willingness to try.

Humans did not evolve and survive as a species simply by not doing anything or sticking to eating ‘safe’ food. We explore and tried out unsafe and sometimes potentially dangerous and fatal endeavours to reach where we are.

The Buddha left the safety net of the royal palace and kingdom to find the Truth, so that a Cessation of Suffering may be found. And he did … not from the confines and shelter of the palace walls, but by venturing out and TRY!

Curiosity for the World – In a way, this should be the primary driving force of creativity, but without the earlier two, one’s curiosity for the world may either be hampered or dulled down. I once read or heard someone comment that

“The role of a teacher is not simply to teach,
but to inspire the students to learn.”

Teaching is hardest when there is no interest to learn. And this interest must come from within. Inspiring students to learn is to spark that interest within the students, and then to give the students the space and tools to explore the world.

With this curiosity for the world, creative can spring forth.

Bachalpsee in the Swiss Alps [1]

Footnote

I sometimes wonder if the brightest minds such as Issac Newton and Einstein will still be as creative if they had to study through all their own discoveries before they are allowed to explore the world and discover. :p

References

[1] Pictures from “Nature” in wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature

Happy Mothers Day!

Posted on13 May , 20125 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

Happy Mothers Day dear friend!

Today, people all over the world shower their mother with love, cards and flowers to express their love and affection for them. Tomorrow, please remember the cards, the flowers and affection you expressed. Remember to love your mother by being considerate to her, being appreciative of her, be loving to her.

The Buddha described our mother and father as “Brahma”, as “early teachers” and “those worthy of veneration” [1].

“Living with Brahma are those families where, within the home, mother and father are respected by their children. Living with the early devas are those families where, within the home, mother and father are respected by their children. Living with the early teachers are those families where, within the home, mother and father are respected by their children. Living with those worthy of adoration are those families where, within the home, mother and father are respected by their children. ‘Brahma,’ bhikkhus, is a term for mother and father. ‘Early devas’ and ‘early teachers’ and ‘those worthy of veneration’ are terms for mother and father. For what reason? Because mother and father are very helpful to their children, they take care of them and bring them up and teach them about the world.”

Mother and father are called
“Brahma,” “early teachers”
And “worthy of veneration,”
Being compassionate towards
Their family of children.

Thus the wise should venerate them,
Pay them due honor,
Provide them with food and drink,
Give them clothing and a bed,
Anoint and bathe them
And also wash their feet.

When he performs such service
For his mother and his father,

nThey praise that wise person even here
And hereafter he rejoices in heaven

Care for her. Pour her a glass of water. Accompany her when she goes to the market. Spend time with her. Listen. Look at your mother in her eyes, and listen with your eyes and your heart.

Do it today. Do it tomorrow. Do it everyday. Do it for as long as you love your mother.

Happy Mothers Day!