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.

Momentum To Do Good

"We need momentum to do good deeds",said Sayadaw U Vimala in tonight's Dhamma talk - the first talk in this year's Vasa.

During the time of the Buddha, there are 30 friends; all of them are good looking and also had good momentum to do good. However at the time of the Buddha these men had forgotten how to do good. One night, these men took their wives to the forest for drinks and other enjoyments. One of the men brought a courtesan. After their merriments, they fell a sleep and the courtesan steals their things. When they wake up and realized that their things had been stolen they go looking for the thieving woman. They met the Buddha and asked the Buddha whether the Buddha had seen the woman.

The Buddha replied by asking them back with the question. Which I'd better to seek the woman or to seek your own self? The 30 men and their spouses replied that seeking oneself is better.

Lord Buddha then gave them a Dhamma Talk about the topics of Dana, Sila, of deva, about Magga, about bad results and five senses and about freedom from samsara and nibbana.

In Dana we must do as much as we can. Doing good deeds may enable us to be not poor if we are poor we cannot even approach the monks because we are shy or busy taking care of ourselves. Therefore, Sayadaw advises us to do lots of Dana. Giving food to the monks, to the people and also to the animals. Besides that when one gives or do Dana then one can develop metta or karuna. Doing Dana is seeking good for ourselves.

Next, we must have morality, said Sayadaw. This is because without Sila, one cannot gains Magga phala nibbana even though they practice meditation. They have healthy and long life.

In short, the other 4 topics can be surmarised to these: we must reduce the five senses, aspiring to be reborn in the deva world that is good as these places give us peace from hunger, disease and less suffering. Lastly, we must practice meditation.

These topics are always found in the Buddha's Teaching. We have to note t these and understand them. The 20 men gained Ariya States after listening. to the Buddha.

Buddha Rupa Installation Ceremony

Today Amy and I attended the Buddha Rupa Installation Ceremony at BMBMC.

The new Buddha Rupa (donated by Sayadaw U Sumana)

A simple but yet meaningful ceremony was conducted to mark this auspicious event.

Bhante U Kovida gave a Dhamma Talk followed by chanting of Udana verses by six Bhikkhus.
A Sanghikadana was held after the chanting of the verses.

Amy performing dana

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Vesakha Day

Today, both Amy and I arrived at BMBMC at 9:30 am. We did not participate in the pindapata held in the Sungai Rambai Market.

Bhante Javana gave a Dhamma talk at 10:00

By 10:30, we could see many members and devotees had seated in the main hall and outside of it listening to the Dhamma talk

Lunch dana starts at 11:00 and this year we are fortunate to have 2 Bhikkhus to receive our offering of food and robes.

Tonight there will be a Dhamma talk by Brother Foong (actually a continuance of the previous Saturday talk titled the Significance of Wesak Day).

Bhante Suvanno's 5th Memorial Service

Today, Amy and I attended Bhante Suvanno's Memorial Service (5th) at BMBMC. We arrived at 8:35 am. There were many people there and Amy helped in the robes counter.
At 9:20 am, pindapata begins with 5 Bhikkhus.
A simple ceremony was held at the Bhante Suvanno's Library after the pindapata.
Sayadaw U Sumana gave a Dhamma talk at 10:20 am
This is then followed by a Lunch Sanghikadana.

Add caption

Turning the bowl upside down

Before we are sick and aged, we have to do good deeds.

picture taken from http://t1.gstatic.com

In tonight's talk, Sayadaw U Vimala shared the Pattanikkujjana Sutta (Patta litterally means alms bowl and nikkujjana means upside down therefore pattanikkujjana meant the boycott). A group of six monks who only want have easy lives and didn't practice well but they are closed to a King. Once there was a great Dana. These monks were assigned by a senior monk to go to a rich man' s house for food. 

However when the rich man knew who his guests were going to be, he left his house and command his maid to only offer inferior food. When the monks arrived after taking laxatives (in order to eat a lot) they were disappointed. 

When these monks went back to the monastery, the king can to see the monks. After paying respect to the monks the King speak to the monks but the monks refuses to speak to the King. After much persistence, the monks blamed the King for ignoring them and did not admonish the senior monk. The six monks asked the King to lie to the Buddha by saying the senior monk had seduced the King's wife. 

The King said this to the Buddha The Buddha then called the senior monk and the six monks for questioning. The senior monk at first replied evasively but when the Buddha requested him to answered directly this senior monk replied that he did not even had sexual activities with any ladies even in his dream. This is true as this senior monk is an Arahant. the Buddha then said that if the monks were to encounter any person be it devotee or monks who has the eight fetters then they should turned their bowls upside down or must not accept any thing from them 

What are these 8 fetters? 

1. He asks people not to offer anything to the Sangha 
2. He harms the monk physically 
3. He expels the monk from the monk' s dwelling 
4. He abuses the monk 
5. He causes schism among the monk 
6. He slanders about the Buddha 
7. He says bad things about the Dhamma 
8. He blames the Sangha 

The Buddha ruled that if a person has these 8 fetters, the Sangha must then boycotted him.

Water pouring ceremony

Amy performing water-pouring ceremony today after offering food to Sayadaw and Bhante.

Vipassana Meditation

Picture from http://farm5.static.flickr.com

"Can a person who is doing Vipassana meditation actually doing Samatha meditation?", I asked during a Dhamma-cum-Question & Answer Session tonight at BMBMC.

Insight meditation means training the mind to gain wisdom. That is to see the ultimate truth of things namely the characteristics of dukkha, anicca, and anatta.

"Most of the time, yogis practice concentration and if you are a beginner you has yet to achieve insight.
That is normally what it would be. Not many people can gain insight easily. It is difficult, but with the right effort and depending on one's paramis, we may achieve this goal of gaining insight," explained Sayadaw U Vimala

I appreciate what had been explained. I had always been wondering why Samma Samadhi comes after Samma Sati. Tonight I understand that one has to mindful on the object  of meditation and develop Right Concentration. This Right Concentration enable one to know the ultimate truth of dukkha, anicca and anatta leading to Right Understanding and Right Thought.

A very good and relevant article on this matter can be read from this link.


Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Kumbhakāra-Jātaka

Continued from Paniya Jataka which Sayadaw U Vimala had shared with us last week, tonight talk is about Kumhakara Jataka.

In this story there was a king who had taken a bunch of mango from a mango tree. After eating some, the king who had left the rest of the mangos to his retinue. Here, Sayadaw said that this behavior should be followed by Buddhists. If we have leftovers, we should give it to other people or animals. When we see a hungry animal such as a cat, we should not hurt it by not giving it any food. Instead by giving food to the cat when it is hungry we are performing dana too.

Picture from http://www.kriyayoga.com

Back to the story, later in the evening as the king was going back to his palace, the mango tree that was beautiful in the morning is now looked ugly. This is because all its fruits had been taken and the tree had been abused. Compare to another tree nearby that is barren of fruit, the  barren tree was saved from calamities.

Reflecting on this the king thought of himself who has lots of things and therefore will face a lot of worries as everyone will want to take things from him.

Contemplating on the matter of the tree, he reflects on the three characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta. Then contemplating simila to himself internally as matter with anicca, dukkha and anatta, the king attain Pacceka Buddha

Faith

"Before we are old and sick, we must gain good merits," said Sayadaw U Vimala in tonight Dhamma talk at Bukit Mertajam Buddhist Meditation Centre.

Picture from http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Listening to real Dhamma is difficult and we must try to listen to real Dhamma. Only by listening to real Dhamma does one can improve oneself.

Faith or Sadha is one of the five Bala or power. Faith in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma-vipaka is important. It is by having Saddha doe one able to have sotapattinanna.

Every Buddhist should try to become an Ariya person be it a Sotapana, Sakadagami, Anagami or Arahat. No one can claim that one is an Ariya person. Only the Buddha can do it. However, if one wants to attain Sotapana, one had to go and find a good teacher. Here a good teacher means an Arahat or Anagami or Sakadagami or Sotapanna. If one cannot find such teachers then one has to find a person well-versed in the Tipitaka.

We should strive to gain good merits and attain a least the stage of Stream-winner in this life as human.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

The Signs of Dying Devas

"Devas must be respected by Buddhists," said Sayadaw U Vimalabhivamsa, in tonight's Dhamma talk titled Pancapubbhanimmitta Sutta at Bukit Mertajam Buddhist Meditation Centre.
Devas possesses many beautiful things or properties. Human properties are like dewdrops on the grasses. Such is the comparison of the amount of properties that the devas had.

Taken from http://www.dailymail.co.uk

To be born in the deva realms, one has to have good past Kamma. So, as devas, these beings do enjoy their life as devas not only have many beautiful things to see, hear, smell and touch, they also have healthy and long life.
Devas do not need to see doctors all their lives as they are always healthy. They live a very long life depending on the deva realms they are in but they do not aged like human. However, when time is ripe, devas do died.
When the devas are dying, there are signs or nimittas of dying. These signs are

1. the flowers that the devas wear on their garment or body will fade
2. sweat exude from their armpits
3. their clothes are soiled and no longer shines
4. their bodies too no longer shines and becomes dull
5. the devas no longer delights in his own deva-seat

When these signs appeared, the dying deva will not be happy. Usually their deva friends will noticed these signs and will encouraged their dying deva friend to do three things that are

1.  To be reborn at Sukkhati
2. To get labbha
   

Here, Sayadaw said that to be reborn at Sukkhati means to be reborn in the human realm where as a human, one can choose to be able to perform and perfect his Parami.

A beautiful picture of the Buddha taken from http://dharmaprabattan.blogspot.com/

To gain the greatest labbha is to have strong saddha. Saddha here means that to have strong believe in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma-Vipaka. Only when one had attained the Ariya states (Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahat) that one can be guarantee to have strong believe in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma-Vipaka.


Learning from this Sutta suggest that we as a human should not forget to practice doing good Kamma. As human, we had the chance and opportunity to perform good kamma. When we are born as a deva, we had so much pleasurable things that we forgot to perform good kamma. Rich people sometimes forgot this too as they are like the devas.


To have Labbha with strong saddha, one had to strive as much as one can to attain the very least the stage of Sotapanna. Only then can we be sure of not falling back into becoming people with michaditthi.


Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Good Relations to the Society

Sayadaw preparing to give a talk

Sayadaw give a talk

"We have to know what is kusala? and what is akusala?" said Sayadaw U Vimala in tonight's Dhamma Talk after the group meditation session and also incidentally the Vassa Entry ceremony.
Sometimes we do kusala kamma either individually or in a group of same wishes. But when we are in a group there may arises problems and to avoid these problems from affecting the group members, we should remember what had been taught by the Buddha in Saraniya Sutta.




There are things that we should remember when we are in a society. And to remember them there are six ways.

1. Kayakama Metta or loving kindness in action  
• Actions like respecting the monks, bowing down to the monks, respecting your parents are considered as doing things in loving kindness. Even sweeping the floors of the temple shows that one has metta towards members of the society. Occasionally things may not be in right order due to the ignorance of some members of the society. One must then helps to clean up the mess and do it with no anger. This will create a harmony environment in the society
2. Vacikama metta or kind words or speech
• Greet one another whenever we meet some one is a form of vacikama metta
• Use sweet words and avoid harsh words as all people do not like to listen to harsh and rough words
• Otherwise we will quarrel or fight among each other
• Another form of vacikama metta is chanting of the Suttas such as Karaniya Metta Sutta or Ratana Sutta
3. Manokama metta or kind thoughts
• Radiating metta to all beings without saying any words is an example of manokama metta
4. Sharing things with other people or Pativipata bodhi 
• Doing dana or share things with others 
5. Have precepts or morality
6. Have right views and understanding 
• Having the views that
1. There are good and bad kamma
2. There are results of these Kamma
3. The present is due to the past Kamma and the future is the result of the previous kamma
4. There are devas and Brahmas
5. There are Arahats and Buddha and these Noble persons exist due to their practice

These six ways should be remembered so that we can avoid problems in the society and create harmonious condition for the practice of good kamma.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Vassa Entry for 2011

Sayadaw reciting the Vassa entry formula

Completion of the ceremony. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu

Tonight we are fortunate to be able to attend the Vassa Entry ceremony for this year at BMBMC. Sayadaw U Vimalabhivamsa is entering his 34th Vassa this year. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Gratitude

Bhante Jinadata given the Dhamma talk

"To cultivate gratitude is a must in every Buddhists," Bhante Jinadata advises our BMBMC members in his short Dhamma talk during lunch dana.

Gratitude allows us to prevent the spiritual numbness from developing in ourselves. Our Lord Buddha had shown us by example when the Buddha Himself express His gratitude to the Bodhi tree just after His Enlightenment.

Laymen and monks should remember to show gratitude to each other. This will in turn create a healthy and happy relationship between the community especially in a Buddhist centre.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!