Back from Balik Pulau #1

What a tiring day! A 12-hour meditation exercise (with 2 free meals) was tiring but interesting. Together with about another 30 yogis under the guardance of Sister Gavesini, Amy and I managed to complete our second retreat of the year. Both of us agreed that we had a better experience from this retreat due to regular daily practices prior to this retreat. I can even managed to do each of the sitting and walking meditation sessions for a full one hour-period (even though the five nirvaranas starts to their attack after lunch). A very big Maha Sadhu to Sis. Gin, Bro Kean Beng (where is my KFC), Sis Hong Bian and Bro Sunanda Lim of House of Inward Journey (for hosting this course) and not forgetting all the Dhamma dayakas (who sponsored and ensured that meals are provided for us during the retreat). Another retreat? Heeeheee

Vipassana Meditation Retreat at Santarama

Today, Amy and I will be staying at Santarama, Balik Pulau for 2-days-1-night vipassana meditation retreat as part of the meditation course that both of us joined for the past two months. This couse is conducted by a very experienced lay-teacher Sister Gavesini at House of Inward Journey. It must be a good year for me this year for having the opportunity of attending not one but two retreats for a year (after many many years of not attending any since the 1980s). Expectation none, as Bhante Suvanno had said, it not our mind that we can decide, just take it as it come. Let's see....

The Naked Truth

We do not understand about the concept of non-self, we thought we know but actually we do not know. It is wonderful to be able to hear tonight talk about Acela Sutta from Sayadaw U Vimala at BMBMC.

Most of us have either the eternalist or annihilationist views about self. We think of us as permanent even though we know that The Buddha taught us that there is anatta. Learning from this Sutta, Sayadaw said that if we think that we are the same person, for example, we think that if we perform dana now and later we will be born in heavenly realm; the 'we' is the same person then we have the eternalist wrong view. On the other hand, if we then think that the 'we' is different, then we have the annihilationist wrong views. Actually there is no 'we'.

Oh! Oh! Here goes the understanding in most of us. But then, in satipatthana meditation we had always been advised to watch the five aggregates namely nama (made out of 4 aggregates) and rupa (1 aggregate).

In a moment, the combination of the five aggregates is unique but then will changed in the next moment. So we cannot said that there is no person in that moment in the conventional truth as there are the five aggregates coming together, but in the next moment that the person that exist is not of the same aggregrates. Confusing isn't it.

The importance of Pattica Samuppada is also shown in this Sutta. Sayadaw said that every Buddha will have to contemplate on the Dependent Origination before becoming Enlightened. Reflecting on the Dependent Origination, The Buddha knows and understands suffering, it's cause, it's cessation and how to cause its cessation.
Mind our views - that's the gist of tonight talk.

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.

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A Dozen Dangers

Do you understands the Paticca Samuppada well? Ananda once told Lord Buddha that Paticca Samupada is easy to understand. The Buddha said that many beings do not yet understand Paticca Samupada. In tonight talk, Sayadaw U Vimala hope that BMBMC members can try to understand the Pattica Samupada as this talk is based on Mahnidna Sutta.

Why is it that we do not understand the Paticca Samuppada? Sayadaw asked, "It is because most of us tends to take things as pleasurable"

Tanha (craving) is the cause that will lead to Upadana. Tanha arises because of upadaniya (object of tanha) that we always take as pleasurable. Once upadana (clinging) arises, then bhava (becoming) follows.

Bhava (becoming) leads to Kamma (action). Sayadaw pointed out that Kamma will be present all the time (only absent when we sleep). Even when we meditate, there is Kamma performed.
Then bhava causes jati (birth) to arise. When we have jati, then we will expect to have jara, maranam, soka, parideva, dukkha, domanassa and upayasa.

Sayadaw said that our samsara is long because we tends to take things as pleasurable. When we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, we observe their objects as pleasurable.

In Vipassana, Sayadaw said we have to observe things as unpleasant or danger or disadvantage. This is how we should practise. By doing this, we will eradicate tanha and if tanha is eradicate, then upadana, bhava, jati and jara-maranam-soka-parideva-dukkha-domanasa-upayasa will be eradicate. Then one will attained Nibbana.

Personally, I think it is not easy for one to maintain or even observe things as unpleasant. That is why we need to do vipassana bhavana. Bhavana will help one to observe these things as unpleasant.

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.

Graphics taken from these sites
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BMBMC Kathina Day Celebration 2009

Yesterday, Amy and I participated in the BMBMC Kathina Day Celebration. We arrived at the centre at about 7:30 am and there were already many people there.
Amy is in charged of the free-books distribution stall in which various titles of Dhamma books were distributed free. Some of the books were given to me by Inward Path Publisher which is a prominent Dhamma Books publisher in Penang.

For the second time, the Kathina Celebration commenced with a pindapatta session. This year we are fortunate to be able to invite 12 bhikkhus for the Kathina Day Celebration including our two residing Sayadaws.

Most of us at BMBMC were a little bit worried as the sky decided to open up just after 8.00 am. Probably due to the blessing and good intentions of the members of BMBMC, the rain stopped just before the pindapatta session is about to start.

A total number of 300 members lined up along the road leading away from the centre; each member was given a packet of rice (Amy brought hers from home) given free by the centre.

Led by Sayadaws, the sight of 12 bhikkhus, walking mindfully and patiently waiting for us to put our scoops of rice in the bowl was indeed an experience worth remembering.

After the pindapatta session, Sayadaw U Vimala gave a Dhamma talk. Unfortunately, I was unable to mindfully listen to it as a result of being given the responsibility of taking care of the robes offering ceremony.

With Amy able to man the book stall, I am fortunate this year to be able to help in the food offering ceremony. This year, the bhikkhus took their food from the buffet-long table as compared to being presented in trays as previously done.

While the bhikkhus were having their meal, our members and guests were also invited to help themselves with various types of food and fruits. This year, the quantity of food exceeds the consumption rate and most of the helpers managed to have their fill before the robes offering ceremony.

The robes-presentation ceremony went on smoothly.

After repacking and clearing up, about 20 of us went to Lunas Buddhist Hermitage sima hall to witness the proclaimation of the Kathina robe.

Purposely purpose

Why are you here today? asked Bhante Jinnadata. You must have a purpose to be here today for dana, said Bhante, But most of us feel funny about having a purpose to do good as it is culturally thought to be bad. In contrary, we must have an aim or motivation or cause in what ever we do, even the Buddha's former name has the word 'attha'.
So in performing any deeds, it is good for us to have aims that can be classified to be of

1. benefit for one self
2. benefit for others
3. benefit for both oneself and others

Now here, what degree of benefits should one aim for? Bhante Jinnadata pointed out that there are three types of benefit, namely

1. Benefit gained in this very life
2. Benefit gained in the next life
3. Benefit of Final good/excellence

Unfortunately, most of us have not encountered the benefit of the final good and thus, we keep on seeking the first two benefits. And we keep on seeking worldly things that we hope to be of permanence but they are impermanence (kaliko).

Why is it not permanence? Bhante said that what we seek had itself immersed in a temporal dimension. Time causes things to change, from past to present to future. This is continuous e.g today one may be good but in the future be bad, yesterday was mooncake festival, today if we were to celebrate mooncake festival it will be of no meaning as it had past its time.
So, only things not subjected to time is permanent and one and only one thing not subjected to time is NIBBANA.

Therefore, Bhante advised us to seek for the bliss of Nibbana by practising what our teacher, the Buddha had taught us. Seeking things that will changed will not give as any benefits. Our aim or goal should be to gain benefit of Final good that is 'akaliko'
Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.

Happy, Happy, Happy

Be happy why worry! So be happy is what most of us want, and in fact we had been trying to be happy. We think that we will be happy if we have big cars or houses, or have more money and so on, as mentioned by Sayadaw U Vimala in a pre-dana session talk this morning.

There are three types of happiness, namely, happiness of human, happiness of deva and happiness of Nibbana.

Sayadaw further explained that while we had been trying to obtain material things in our quest for happiness, many of us tend to forget that our Kamma does play an important factor here. For example, if one's Kamma enable one to be beautiful, one does not have to do much to beautify oneself.

However, for one who are not that fortunate due to Kammic forces, he/she will be disappointed if beauty is the criteria set for his/her happiness.
Sayadaw U Vimala further said that when one performs Dana with correct understanding, then in the future, one may gain the happiness of the deva. Moreover, if one were to cultivate one's mind to the fullest, one may gain Nibbanic happiness or bliss which is the ultimate happiness for one.

Happiness comes with harmony, and in a community, harmony among its member will ensure that the people in the community will be happy. This advice was given by Sayadaw as a guidance before our Kathina celebration committee/devotee meeting begins. A timely advice indeed.

Sayadaw further elaborates that there are two types of people not easily encountered, that are, namely (1) people with similar desires and (2) grateful people.

Two people cannot have similar desires, said Sayadaw. Even husband and wife ofter quarreled because of dissimilar or conflicting desires. In a temple committee with so many people, it is virtually impossible for everybody to have similar desires.

Then how can we be harmony? By trying to be the second type of people, said Sayadaw. We had to try to be grateful for the help rendered to us. For example, Sayadaw said that in BMBMC, the chairman had be very helpful to the secretary and hence, the secretary must be grateful to the chairman.

This is true also in reverse. By doing that, we can then create a harmonious environment with each other, seeing other in a loving-kindness eye. Happiness can then be achieved by us.

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.