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.

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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