Account of my third retreat of the year

It has been a week since I came back from my self-organised 2-day retreat at BMBMC.
I had decided to go for a retreat (here meant not just to take the 8 precepts but to spent all my time, trying to meditate).

After going to a one-day retreat organised by Inward Path under Sister Gavesini, I find that I do like the programme as I do not find it that taxing as my first one before.

So, I arrived at BM Buddhist Meditation Center on the 13th of December (Sunday) at 5 pm. Uncle Lim was kind enough allow me to stay in a kuti as I requested for it.
After cleaning up the kuti, I then proceed with my meditation (one-hour period of alternating walking and sitting meditation).

Sunday night meditation was good, except for the mosquitoes that decided to help themselves as I was alone in the sitting hall.

However, as usual, the first night I could not get any sleep, mainly because the kuti was hot (real hot, no fans and with the weather surprisingly on that day was hot). So I had a "sauna-like" bath sleeping in the kuti.

Fortunately, I managed to get some shut-eyes and passed the night with some rest.

Woke up at 5:00 am, tired but not really that bad. I managed to do some walking meditation and then it is breakfast time.Try to take some food as the time is about 6:30 am and in about 4 hours, lunch will be served.
In BMBMC, food is abundant, so I try to watch the sensual pleasure that may take over my purpose of that day.

Morning part meditation is good (good here is to my standard, meaning I can sit for one hour without being "bothered" by the pain). Walking meditation helped to elevate my drowsiness (due to the lack of sleep)

Lunch time in BMBMC had many kinds of food offered, very difficult to be mindful, with members offering delicious food. But remember, Sister Gin said to take only one-tenth of what we normally do. So I controlled myself (hope that those aunties and uncles were not disappointed)

Afternoon meditation is good too, although some members of BMBMC decided to stay back for some chit-chatting. I now able to tolerate some talking when meditating.

After dusk, again the mosquitoes attacked. However, meditation becomes bad. Pain is experienced at the lower part of body namely at the lower back. Cannot sit for more than 20 minutes. Mindfullness gone probably I am tired. Walking medititaion still can be completed for one hour, but I was worried (one of the five hindrances) that if I do too long of a time in walking, tomorrow I will not be able to do sitting and walking.
So decided to go to sleep. This time, mindfulness is gone, although I try to make sure that I keep some.
Sleep at 9 pm but wake up at 12 midnight. Too hot, even though it rains for a that 3 hour period.
Took my blanket and pillow and straight went into the back room at the center and managed to get a 5 hour sleep (with fan on).

I thought the second day I will not be able to sit. So told myself, if I cannot sit for an hour in the morning, I quit.Fortunately, I still can have the hourly sitting and walking meditation until lunch.

In the afternoon, walking meditation is good, managed to observe only one stray thought in a 20 paces walk. But sitting deteriorate as the afternoon wears off.
Until 5 pm, the pain at the back becomes the hindrance, for I can only do most a 20 minutes sitting and then I had to end the session.

Gone back home at 6 pm but still holding the 8 precepts.
Did an hour of sitting meditation at home, surprisingly no pain (maybe, the energy comes back)

These 2 day meditation retreat is a good experience as I had never gone more than a day period. Originally planned for 3 days, maybe I will be brave for the next one (next year?). Still had thoughts during the sitting session, but can watch the rising and falling clearly (sometimes).

A big Sadhu to members of BMBMC (especially Uncle Lim and those that provide me with the meals).

Listen to Talk

It is wonderful to see many of you today in this hall for the Dhamma talk this morning," said Venerable Sayadaw U Vimala.

There are 5 advantages in listening to Dhamma talks, namely

1. Able to hear new subjects one had yet to hear
2. To have better understanding of the subjects that we heard before
3. Remove our doubts in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma-Vipaka
4. To right our view regarding the Dhamma
5. Cleanse our mind of confusion - thus make us calm and joy

It is many times more beneficial for one to listen to the Dhamma than just doing dana without any understanding of the Dhamma

Our Dana, Sila and Bhavana will lead us to Magga Phala Nibbanna only if we had listen to the Dhamma. By listening to the Dhamma, one can then inclined his practices towards Nibbana. Sayadaw pointed out that Muslims, Christians and Hindus too had their dana, sila and bhavana but they do not lead them toward Nibbana as they did not listen to the Buddha's Teaching.

One must always aspire to attain Magga-phala Nibbana in his daily practices.

This talk is taken from the Dhammasuvana Sutta.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Everything is Impermanence

"Observe everything as impermanence," said Sayadaw U Vimala. I know that all things are impermanent but this is not meditation.

In tonight talk which is based on the Maha-salayatanika Sutta, Sayadaw U Vimala relate how the Buddha advices us to observe impermanence so that wrong views can be abandon.

Observed impermanence in one of these five things when we see. Which five? The eye sensitivity, the visual object, the eye consciousness, the eye contact and the feeling that arises from the eye contact.

The same goes to hearing, tasting, touching and smelling.

Therefore, Sayadaw said there is no excuse that we had no time to meditate. We have time to see, hear, taste, touch and smell. We only had to observe this as impermanence.

Most of the time, beginners in vipassana meditation are more exposed to kayanupassana more than the other vedananupassana, cittanupassana, or dhammanupassana. Maybe when one had practiced to an advanced stage, one will be more readily able to practice dhammanupassana.

Nevertheless, tonight Sayadaw had reminded us about the four fields of mindfulness that one had to practice in Vipassana Meditation.

Saddhu, sadhu, sadhu.

Respect the respected

Ven. Sayadaw is in Singapore so today we had invited Ajahn Santi for lunch. Ajahn Santi gives a short talk on respect or homage. Ajahn said, one should practice respect to the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha) and also to our parents.

At the time of the Buddha, a man and his wife brought their son to give dana to a Bhikkhu. The Bhikkhu blessed the two adults but not their son. When asked, the Bhikkhu foresees that the boy is going to die in 7 days.

Shocked and frightened, the parent and the son went to see the Buddha. The Lord Buddha also blessed the parent and not the son as the Buddha also said that the son will die in 7 days.
Pleaded with metta, the parent requested the Buddha to save their son and the Buddha decided to do so.

Together with a large retinue of bhikkhus (arahants and senior monks), Lord Buddha proceed to their house.
After placing the boy on a platform, the Buddha and the monks seated around the boy and chants were offered for 7 days and 7 nights.

The presence of the Buddha, Arahants and celestial beings (Devas and Brahmas) distanced the petas and asuras from the boy. After the 7th day, the boy is still alive.
Years passed by and the boy grew up. When asked why did the boy still alive, the Buddha said that it is through the respect to the Triple Gem that the boy is saved from the evil ones.

This lesson from Ajahn Santi today showed that a simple act of paying respect had high effect on our lives.
Sadhu, Sadhu and sadhu.

My Jati Day

The late Bhante Suvanno once said celebrating birthday is celebrating one more year less to your deathday, so do good now.

Heeding this wonderful advice, Amy and I perform our usual dana at BMBMC in conjunction to my birthday today. I am fortunate to be able to perform dana to Sayadaw even though Sayadaw U Vimala is away to Singqpore.

Hair of the Buddha

I had heard that there are Buddha's hair relics and also seen some Buddha rupa (images) that showed Buddha having hair on His head.

The Bhikkhus are all bald shaven, are the creators of the Buddha images making a mistake?

Thus, I asked Sayadaw U Vimala before yesterday's lunch dana. Sayadaw said the Buddha had hair on His head and not bald shaven as with the other the 32 greater and 80 lesser marks.

This clarify a nagging feeling that I had when I observed my Buddha rupa in my house.

Pindacara at Kota Permai Market

This morning Amy and I decided to get up early (around 6:30) to go to Kota Permai Market which is about 4 km away from our house. We reached the market about 8 am and waited for the Sayadaws and samaneras who finally arrived at 8.30 am.

A number of devotees arrived soon after and Sayadaws and samaneras lined themselves up at the entrance of the market.

Today there are more people giving food, probably because this is the last day of this year novitiate programme.

In Malaysia, especially in Penang, Buddhists here are very generous when it comes to religious activities. They do not mind donating food, money and other kinds of offering to the temples, bhikkhus and others. Most of the time we have excess of food and money donated by the devotees and with these excess food and money we in turn donated it to other charitable societies.

A big Sadhu to all.