Kathina 2013

This year only I attended BMBMC's Kathina Day as it was drizzling and we did not want to take Cynthia there.
So Ah Teik, Teng Teng and I reached BMBMC at about 11:20 am. Sanghikadana had already on, so we start the preparation for the distributing of robes.
At 12:00 the three of us including some members of BMBMC help to distribute the robes.
The ceremony ends at about 1:20 pm.
Sadhu! Sadhu!!! Sadhu! to Teik and Teng for attending this  year's Kathina. Hopefully, next year, Amy and Cynthia can attend.

Kathina celebration

Taking Refuge in Triple Gems

Buddhists are people who believes in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma-vipaka.
We need to try to become real Buddhist by having faith in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma & Kamma-vipaka.
We must strengthened our Saddha. One of the way is to take the triple Gem everyday. We can take the triple gem at home but it is better we take our triple from the Sangha. This way will make us remember the Sangha.
Anathapindika a staunch supporter of the Buddha. He encouraged a lot of his friends to go to the temple. However when the Buddha left the temple, some devotees also left their faith of the Buddha.
By praying to the Buddha one cannot be free from dangers can avoid physical and mental dangers.

Buddho I Should Say

It is for the Buddha to appear in this world.
To meet the time of Buddha's appearance is difficult. But we are lucky to be able to hear the Buddha's teaching. If we can understand this we can get the benefits, said Sayadaw Vimala in today's Dhamma Talk at BMBMC.

The world cycles are very long. This world will last a long time. So, it is going to difficult to be born during the Buddha's time. It is not even easy to hear the word Buddha. So is to say the word Buddha is also very difficult. For example the Thai people repeated tr word Buddho almost every day even in meditation as this habitual repetition is beneficial.

Even to be born as a human being is rare.

I believe what Sayadaw intends to teach us is that we have to strengthen our faith in the Triple Gem. We tend to be lazy to follow the Buddha's teaching as our tanha is great.

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

Repeated Encouragement to Do Good

I heard Sayadaw U Vimala talked about doing good deeds. We are very lazy to do good deeds.
To do one good deeds is very difficult. For example, pouring water during Dana is found by Sayadaw to be difficult to do by the devotees.
There are many examples of good deeds that people will not do even though Sayadaw mentioned the good deeds for many many times.
Every one has their own duty to do. So we must do our duty. For e g if we are monks we must have qualities and characteristics. the same with the laypersons. For example, one of the duty of the layperson is to take care if the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha most of the time the layperson will give the excuse of being busy when doing good deeds. Sayadaw said this shows that we are lack of saddha to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
We should learn about the Buddha's saddha and duties.
The Buddha do 5 duties a day that are morning, afternoon, first watch night , middle watch night and last watch night duties. The Buddha only sleeps 2 hours a day.
Sadhu sadhu sadhu

Right Thought

Believing in bdskv is important because according to Sayasaq U Vimala this will shape your character or behavior. We must practice morality Sila as we take the precepts.
By practicing Sila, we do not caused harm to other people. For example stealing will happens when one does not practice sila.
Having Right Thought forms the basis of our behavior or action.
For example when we come to this centre we must have right thought in the BDSKV.
If we think doing Dana is good then w had thought about Kamma. Then we have think about getting good results later, we are thinking about Kamma Vipaka. Right Thought must be cultivated every moments.
By chanting virtues of the Buddha. We are free from internal and external enemies.

Patidana

For this patidana we are fortunate to have 4 bhikkhus.
Sayadaw U Vimala give a Dhamma talk followed by the Dana.
Chinese people believe that ghosts came from hell.
Buddha's teaching said there are no ghosts in hell. The ghosts live in this world.
The beings in the hall suffered I the hell. These beings cannot came to our world.
We do Dana and share merits with our departed beings who may be petas or hungry ghosts.
The petas are unhappy beings because they do not have food, shelter, clothing and other things. They also drink our spit or eating our phlegm.
Even they come to our house they cannot live with people who has strong morals.
But if we do not have good Kamma the petas that enter their house can harm them, causing sickness or unhappiness.
If they harm us then we have to chant special Sutta. Otherwise we cannot look for the answer to our unhappiness.
This is the way of the Buddha's teaching.
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

Wandering Female Ascetic

The jealousy and worry of a group of heretics towards the Buddha causes the heretics to ask Ascetic Sundari, a female ascetic and a supporter of the heretics to accuse the Buddha of wrongdoing.
After she had accused the Buddha, the evil heretics ordered her to be killled. Then the heretics accused the Buddha and disciples of wrongdoing and murdered Sundari.
The Buddha said. Those who lie or commit evil deeds will end up in hell
By listening to these two stanzas, many people become Noble persons. Why? Sayadaw said that this is because these people had practiced enough meditation and had fulfilled their Paramis.
Observing Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta, one can then attains Enlightenment
As the story goes the king knows the truth and the heretics are caught and punished by telling people the truth.
Buddha was also accused if wrongdoings. So even we do good now we can encounter bad things because we had done bad deeds on the past. Buddha to be did accuse a Pacekka Buddha of wring doing in the past.