BMBMC Kathina Day Celebration 2010

Wheel of Sun and Moon

"Why do you cry?" asked a man to a little boy. "I have a chariot but no wheels. My chariot is big and it need wheels of a Sun and a Moon, and I cannot get them for my chariot" replied the boy.
"It is very foolish of you to cry for these things as you will never be able to fulfill your wish. Oh! Foolish boy" said the man
"Is that so, old man? Then, let me asked you whether a person who cried for his son who had passed away will be more foolish than me who had cried for things that I can still see?" asked the boy
This conversation is actually between a man who had lost his son due to his stinginess with a boy who is actually his previous dead son and had been born as a deva in Tavamtimsa Heaven.
In tonight Dhamma talk by Venerable Sayadaw U Vimala, this story ends with the realisation of the man that his mourning of his son's passing away is a foolish act. However, this story also show that the son had been reborn as deva due his conviction of faith to the Buddha after seeing the rays of Buddha before his death.

Here Sayadaw emphasized that having faith or confidence in the Triple Gem is far more beneficial than having donate many meals without any act of confidence or understanding.
Buddhists should show their confidence in the Triple Gem by the act of respect. One simple act will be to switch off your mobile phone when you are listening to the Dhamma Talk.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Young to be bhikkhus

"Let's only becomes monk when we are old, for when we are young we can just do many good deeds", This is the thinking of most Chinese in Malaysia. This thinking is wrong said Sayadaw U Vimala in tonight Dhamma Talk at BMBMC.
Just like what Venerable Mahapala did in renouncing his household life to become a bhikkhus much to the opposition by his brother Subapala who thinks just like what Chinese Malaysian think.
Monastic life is better than ordinary layman life as there are less social life as a bhikkhus. Even though there are Ariyans who are laypersons but it is more difficult to achieve as a layperson compared to that of a bhikkhu.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Kusala Less Akusala Lots

"When you come to the centre, you are "forced" to do dana; "forced" to keep your precepts and "forced" to do bhavana" said Sayadaw U Vimala in today's Lunch Dana Dhamma Talk.

Most of us do a lot of Akusala Kamma in our daily activities. Example, when we are at home, we tend to spend a lot of our time watching television. We are doing Akusala Kamma, according to Sayadaw, because this type of activity is full of attachment.

We are not mindful about what we do. Be mindful is important. We have to listen to correct Dhamma Talk that had the essence that will lead us nearer to the Path and Fruition of Enlightenment and not the other way around.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

No body no self

:"Do we watch our Khandhas as self or belongs to our self?" This is the question posed to Venerable Khemaka by Venerable Dasaka as is found in the Khemaka Sutta

This sutta is very relevant to yogis especially those that participated in this 9-days Vipassana Retreat in Bukit Mertajam Buddhist Meditation Centre, said Sayadaw U Vimalacarabhivamsa.
Observing the 5 Khandhas not as self or belonging to self constitute the wrong views. Yogis always complain that their bodies, legs, hands and heads encounter pain. This is wrong observation because if you note it as the legs or hands or backs then you are observing the self.

We have to observe our Forms, Feelings, Perceptions, Consciousness and Mental formations, not as self or belong to self but as impermanent, suffering and nothingness. 

As the Sutta goes, Venerable Khemaka explain the Dhamma to the 60 Theras who had initially posed the question that is conveyed by Ven. Dasaka. As both the teacher and the listeners listen to the Dhamma they observe the words and practiced the Dhamma and eventually all of them attained Arahantship. Here, yogis should emulate the venerables when they listened to Dhamma from their teacher. We should listen and practice what we had just heard.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Amy's Retreat

Today, Amy joined yogis in the nine-days Vipassana Meditation Retreat under the guidance of Sayadaw U Vimalacarabhivamsa. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Patidana

Both Amy and I were at BMBMC today for the Patidana occasion..