Happy Vesakha!

A simple wish to all....

Sabbe Satta Bhavantu Sarva Mangalam! May all be well and happy... on this auspicious day where we celebrate the Birth, Attainment of Nirvana and the PariNirvana of our Tathagata, Shakyamuni Buddha!

Bankei's 'Song of the Mind' verse 12 - 14

I came across this verse from 'Buddha Space', I would like to thank G for posting this. Thought for the day: analyze this verse. 

“Your longing for the one you love

Is for the present time alone

It only exists by reason of

The past before she'd come along

To recall someone

Means you can't forget

Not to recall them

That you never had forgot

Thinking back over the past

You find it was an evening's dream

Realize that, and you'll see

Everything is just a lie”

Transcending yin and yang

In Buddhism, I have learned and experience that suffering comes in many form. This is an enduring world, hence it is called 'Samsara', As we endure, so we experience happiness too. Positive emotions like Joy, Gladness, Happiness, Comfort, Contentment these are also deemed as suffering! Why is this so? I tried to examine this on a deeper level, Happiness is a kind of mental state, So is anger, sorrow, spite, and other negative emotions. Notice how I term these emotional states as positive or negative. Why do I put a label on it?

I have come to understand that these are just labels we put to make these states some kind of meaning to me. If I take out these labels, symbols, what does these states means? it means nothing... it is just a phenomena... Does that make sense? I think so... So, if I can understand this, this means that what ever I experience through the 5 faculties are just experiences and I should try my best to see it as just experience, not to label it. If I want to be happy, I will do or create an action to make the end result, a happy state.

But as I am here for reasons only known when I have attained some kind of wisdom to perceive and understand, so I have to endure in this samsara world and do my best to practice the Dharma at any given opportunities...

Can I transcend the two states of 'Positive' and 'Negative'? I am not sure if I can achieve it in this lifetime, perhaps... perhaps not. It is up to me...

I do hope this short entry will inspire you to investigate further... I used be a follower that does not question, Now, I not only follow, I also question and investigate...

Another wesak coming up...

Again, Wesak is around the corner. To a lot of Buddhists, Wesak is the day to remember 3 important mile stone in the history of Buddhism, the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. As usual, a lot of Buddhist around the globe will do the celebrations with a lot of devotions, prayers and charitable deeds.

No matter how they celebrate it, it is a day to do something with good intentions. As for me, I plan to do my special 'puja' in an extradordinary way. I used to go to a lot of Buddhist temples, do participate in the rituals and merit making, to get blessings and holy water from the monks, to recite the scriptures and mantras during the ceremonies, etc, etc. This time around, I just plan to do a simple 'Puja' at home, I have a shrine at home, my home is also my own temple.. So it is much easier to be in an environment I am most comfortable to perform pujas and meditation.

And the other day, I had a very brief but wonderful short text message with a friend about the meaning of doing dana or merit. Do you need money to do dana? Some people would answer yes, we do need money to do dana, so the money can be use to build temples, buy offerings, donation as part of temple maintenance and buying kathina robes for the sangha community. What if a very poor person wld want to do dana but can't afford to?  There is a story from the Buddhist scriptures and it was written that there was once a very poor old woman who begged for alms from kind samaritans. The old beggar heard from the people in the streets that a great wise teacher is coming to their town and will be giving teachings. And so the town folks begin to organize a drive to buy oil lamps, garlands of flowers and food to be given as offerings to the Buddha and His retinue of monks and nuns. The old women had this beautiful intention of offering light to the Buddha, but as she could only afford very tiny oil lamp burner, she bought with the money she had that she begged for the day and went to buy the wick, oil and burner. As she turned up at the sanctuary where the Buddha and the Sangha was residing and she placed her offering amongst the hundreds of light offerings the size of bull cart wheels. She made a simple but sincere prayer. Although these lamps shone brightly, but none shone more brighter than her offering. Everyone was puzzled, Someone asked  the Buddha and the Buddha answered:

"The donor of this lamp was very sincere and was moved by good intentions when performing this offering", Hence the Buddhas asked the donor to step forward, the audience was shocked to see an old beggar coming forth and prostrated in front of the Buddha, The woman asked: 'O Holy One, why is that so?" The Buddha replied "As your intention for this offering is pure and not evil, your lamp shines brilliantly like a bright stars amongs the dim twinkles of the rest"

It is a simple story that teaches that what ever we do, our intentions must be pure and to benefit others.

Another wonderful story was a story of a poor farmer who was working really hard tilling his land, He came to know that the Bhagavan was in town and he too would like to see Him and make an offering, but he was too poor and he couldn't afford to buy any kind of offering as the money he has worked very hard is to feed his family and his cows. Distraught and saddened, he felt he couldn't make any kind of offering. The Buddhas at that moment was walking past his field along with his attendant, The farmer has not personally met the Buddha before sensed someone very holy was near by and he searched for Him, the farmer found the Buddha and asked the Buddha what would be the best solution for his predicament: The Buddha revealed himself and the Farmer was so happy and yet so sad, he knelt down and told Him that he couldn't afford to offer the Buddha some offering. The Buddha looked around and saw some pile of stones, he pointed to the farmer and said, get me some stones. The farmer did so and asked what did the Buddha wanted, The Buddhas said: "You can offer these stones to me as an offering". The farmer was stunned, "But what good can these stones do for you, Venerable One?" The Buddha replied, "As long as your intention to offer is pure and not evil, I can accept this offering". With that, the farmer was over joyed with tears and he respectfully carved the Buddhas name onto the rock and offered it to the Buddha.

When we offer our good conduct, intentions and actions as an offering to the Triple Gem, it is as worthy as offering diamonds and gold. With our palms joined we bow to the triple Gem, that is an offering as well.

When I heard of these two stories, my perception of dana has changed tremendously. Doing dana has now given me a new depth in the Dharma.

As I share this with you, I do hope you can share this with everyone and may all be well, happy and free from suffering.

Kâyena vâcâ cittena - Pamâdena mayâ katam
If by deeds, speech or thought heedlessly, I have done anything wrong,
Accayam khama me bhante - Bhûri-paññâ Tathâgata
forgive me O Master! O Teacher, Great Wise!


Kâyena vâcâ cittena - Pamâdena mayâ katam
If by deeds, speech or thought heedlessly, I have done anything wrong,
Accayam khama me Dhamma - Sanditthika akalika
forgive me O Dhamma! Immediately seen and timeless!

Kâyena vâcâ cittena - Pamâdena mayâ katam
If by deeds, speech or thought heedlessly, I have done anything wrong,
Accayam khama me Sangha - Supatipanna anuttara
forgive me O Sangha! Nobles Ones who have taken the right path, unparallel!

Idam te natinam hotu sukhi hontu natayo

When things are meant to be...

There are times when you feel you are pushing your self to the limit, the very limit, you thought you will snap... and then.. you heard a 'snap'...

What do you do?

Sit back and think about what had happened? What made you snap?....

I am learning to sit back and think what happened....

Ullambana

Today marks the day of Ullambana. It is a day where monks return from their retreats. It is also the day where the laity will make offerings on behalf of their departed ones to the Sangha assembly to generate merits and this will benefit their dearly beloved.

Happy Ullambana or in chinese, known as Buddha's happy day!

May all merits generated by all good deeds, words and actions be shared to all sentient beings...

Saaaddhu!

Healing....myself and my Dad...

My dad is diagnosed recently with liver cancer. Yes, it's very heart wrenching to hear the news, and even more painful to see my father growing skinny day by day... As a son, I felt I am helpless to do something to help alleviate his physical suffering. A tremendous guilt enveloped inside me. I hated myself for not able to take care of his material needs.

I seek many opinions from friends who are in the medical profession and went along with him to see specialists, the results were quite dim...

So I asked a friend who does S.R.T and he helped... I knew my Dad has a lot of personal issues about failure and having all his negative feelings, all bottled up. So in a way, this cancer has actually grown inside him without him knowing for a long time. Seems that the mutated cell feeds on his negative energy and as such, it has developed into a cluster of tumors (that are still benign)... so I hope with the S.R.T therapy and suggestions, like affirmation and learning to let go of his negative emotional imbalances can help reduce the pain and the anguish...

I understood that the cycle of Life is like that, all things born will die when the time comes.. Again, a reminder of th Dharma teachings of Grand Master... I've learnt to deal with my guilt and now, although it's inevitable that my father will pass on but I want to make sure the remaining days of his life I want to spend as much time I can with him and let him know that I'm all grown up and am able to take care of myself...

Anatta... Anicca... Dukkha... These words from the Lord still rings very loudly now as in the past and will be in the future....

Sadhu!

Fleeting moments...

World Honored One (Buddha) at one time posed a question to his disciples and followers at a Dharma assembly, He asked 'How long is a human's life span?'

Some answered, as long as the day, some say as long as the night. Some say around 70 years, some say around 80 years, some say it depends on karmic forces, some say it depends on how one conditions one's health and eating habits.

The Buddha answered by pointing his finger to his nose, "The length of a human's life span is in his breath..."

Life is but a collection of fleeting moments of the six kinds of sensations. Inhale, Exhale... Dreaming.... when will I wake up?

The day to do something extraordinary...

Tomorrow is Wesak day or Vesakha day. The day where Buddhist (Theravada & Mahayana) celebrate the birthday, leaving of secular life, enlightenment and parinirvana of our Noble teacher, Shakyamuni or Siddharta Gautama Buddha. It is a day to do something out of this world...

And what is it you might ask? It is the day for you to stop what you're doing and reflect, sit down, free yourself and focus your mind into your own being. That's why it is an extraordinary day. In Malaysia, the Wesak is a public holiday, this is done, so all Buddhist can go and perform their prayer and listen to the Dharma. Buddhist way places in Malaysia will be a busy place with devotees and disciples coming to renew their vows, their precepts, to refrain from wrong action, wrong speech, wrong awareness and change your bad habits.

I am taking this opportunity to wish all disciples of the Buddha, a happy Vesakha,

Om ah hum....

Tadyatha Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Svaha!

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhasa.

Now is the time...

Although this is a Thai insurance commercial, but the message is strong... Live now to appreciate what you have.... nothing else matters....

And it's a reflection to me as well, especially how important it is, to spend time with family...

Sadhu...