Sunday, October 30, 2011

BUILDING THE DREAM PATH


We can look at dreams in a number of ways. Firstly, dreams may be con­sidered as fantasies or imaginations of a mind that is ever seeking to escape from a cruel, mundane, lonely world. These illusory concoctions, though relieving for some, can also lead one very far away from reality.

Dreams, in psychology have often been looked upon as a language with which the deeper parts of the mind (which are beyond the reach of the normal conscious awareness) com­muni­cate with the conscious mind. In the East, they are also often regarded as the means by which man communicates with the spirit world. These aspects of communication require more study and research. Dreams, at a more conscious level, are tangible hopes from which may arise in the future what is beneficial, profitable and happy.

It is realism and effort that will determine whether the dream is a hope or a fantasy. And for realism and effort to be present, there must also be a lot of faith that the hope can be realised and mindfulness of real situations ... not to mention courage.

This book is dedicated to those who dare to make ‘the dream’ their hope — ‘the dream’ which is wholly and truly spiritual; the peace eternal, the utter liberation from suffering!!

First published on 18th October 1981 in conjunction with the Kathina celebration of the Malaysian Buddhist Meditation Centre in Penang, the author, Ven. Sujivo (now known as Sujiva), was then the resident monk at the centre. Today, he is one of the Buddhist teachers, who are responsible for developing a keen interest in vipassana (insight) meditation in many western countries.



After 30 years, Anne Lee Saw Ean who had rendered her assistance in the first publication, has a desire to have it reprinted with a new layout and design. She and her family have sponsored this reprint in conjunction with the 2011 Kathina Celebration of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur (see above photo).

Anne Lee and family, being also the main sponsors for the Kathina, invite everybody to rejoice and share in the merits accruing from these wholesome deeds.

Those who are interested for a free copy can visit the temple or go to our website (for oversea order):


They also thank Ven. Sujiva for giving his permission for the reprint of this book.

Inward Path, the publisher for this edition, would also like to thank Anne Lee and family, Ven. Sujiva, and all concerned, for making this book available for free distribution.

May the Good Dhamma
last long for the welfare and
happiness of all beings!


About the Author

Veneable Sujiva, the founder of Santisukharama, is a Malaysian Theravadin Buddhist monk. He is a well known and respected vipassana meditation teacher who has dedicated his life to the teaching and propagation of vipassana meditation. He ordained as a Theravadin monk shortly after graduating from University of Malaya in 1975 with an honours degree in Agricultural Science. During his monastic training he learnt and practiced under many teachers in Malaysia, Thailand, and Burma (Myanmar), including, notably, Ven. Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa at the esteemed Mahasi Meditation Centre in Rangoon, Burma.


He started teaching meditation at Santisukharama in 1982 and held countless retreats both at the centre and throughout Malaysia, inspiring, at the same time, the setting up of various meditation centres by various meditation groups throughout the country. In 1995 the Venerable started conducting vipassana retreat abroad. He had since taught in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, USA and several countries in Europe. Presently, he spend most of his time teaching particular in Eastern Europe where is based.
He is a well-respected vipassaná meditation master and is much sought after by vipassana yogis both in Malaysia and abroad, for his sharp discernment, skillful guidance and profound understanding of not only vipassana, but also samatha practices as well as Buddhist philosophy in general.

The Venerable has also authored a number of books on vipassana and metta meditation, as well as several collection of poems. The following are some of his books:
•    Essentials of Insight Meditation Practice
•    For the Stilling of Volcanoes
•    Loving Kindness Meditation
•    The Tree of Wisdom, the River of No Return
•    Wind in the Forest

Sunday, October 23, 2011

WHY THIS HAPPEN TO ME? WHAT IS THE REASON?


All About Karma - Discovering Buddhism
Dhamma Video presented by Dharma Vision


KAMMA / KARMA
(from The Buddha & His Teaching 
by Venerable Narada Mahathera)

The Cause of Inequality

Perplexed by the seemingly inexplicable, apparent disparity that exists amongst humanity, a young truth-seeker named Subha approached the Buddha and questioned him regarding it.

“What is the reason, 
what is the cause, O Lord, 
that we find amongst mankind 
the short-lived (appāyukā) and 
the long-lived (dīghāyuka),
the diseased (bavhābādhā) and 
the healthy (appābādhā), 
the ugly (dubbannā) and 
the beautiful (vannavantā), 
the powerless (appesakkā) and 
the powerful (mahesakkā),
the poor (appabhogā) and 
the rich (mahābhogā), 
the low-born (nīcakulinā) and 
the high-born (uccakulinā), 
the ignorant (duppaññā) and 
the wise (paññavantā)?

The Buddha’s reply was:
“All living beings 
have actions (Kamma) 
as their own,
 their inheritance, 
their congenital cause, 
their kinsman, 
their refuge. 
It is Kamma that 
differentiates beings into 
low and high states.”


Everything is Not Due to Kamma

Although Buddhism attributes this variation to the law of Kamma, as the chief cause amongst a variety, it does not however assert that everything is due to Kamma. The law of Kamma, important as it is, is only one of the twenty-four causal conditions (paccaya), described in Buddhist Philosophy.

Refuting the erroneous view that “Whatsoever weal or woe or neutral feeling is experienced, 
is all due to some previous action (pubbekatahetu),” the Buddha states:
“So, then, owing to previous action, 
men will become murderers, thieves, 
unchaste, liars, slanderers, 
babblers, covetous, malicious, 
and perverse in view. 
Thus for those who fall back on 
the former deeds as the essential reason, 
there is neither the desire to do, 
nor effort to do, 
nor necessity to do this deed or 
abstain from that deed.”

This important text contradicts the belief that all physical circumstances and mental attitudes spring solely from past Kamma. If the present life is totally conditioned or wholly controlled by our past actions, then Kamma is certainly tantamount to fatalism or pre-determination or pre-destination. One will not be free to mould one’s present and future. If this were true, freewill would be an absurdity. Life would be purely mechanical, not much different from a machine. Whether we are created by an Almighty God who controls our destinies and fore-ordains our future, or are produced by an irresistible past Kamma that completely determines our fate and controls our life’s course, independent of any free action on our part, is essentially the same. The only difference then lies in the two words God and Kamma. One could easily be substituted for the other, because the ultimate operation of both forces would be identical. Such a fatalistic doctrine is NOT the Buddhist law of Kamma.


The Five Niyāmas

According to Buddhism there are five orders or processes (Niyāmas) which operate in the physical and mental realms. They are:

1) Utu Niyāma, physical inorganic order; e.g., seasonal phenomena of winds and rains, the unerring order of seasons, characteristic seasonal changes and events, causes of wind and rains, nature of heat, etc. belong to this group.

2) Bīja Niyāma, order of germs and seeds (physical organic order); e.g., rice produced from rice seed, sugary taste from sugar-cane or honey, and peculiar characteristics of certain fruits. The scientific theory of cells and genes and the physical similarity of twins may be ascribed to this order.

3) Kamma Niyāma, order of act and result; e.g., desirable and undesirable acts produce corresponding good and bad results.

As surely as water seeks its own level, so does Kamma, given opportunity, produce its inevitable result, — not in the form of a reward or punishment but as an innate sequence. This sequence of deed and effect is as natural and necessary as the way of the sun and the moon, and is the retributive principle of Kamma.

Inherent in Kamma is also the continuative principle.
Manifold experiences, personal characteristics, accumulated knowledge, and so forth are all indelibly recorded in the palimpsest-like mind. All these experiences and characters transmigrate from life to life. Through lapse of time they may be forgotten as in the case of our experiences of our childhood. Infant prodigies and wonderful children, who speak in different languages without receiving any instruction, are noteworthy examples of the continuative principle of Kamma.
4) Dhamma Niyāma, order of the norm; e.g., the natural phenomena occurring at the birth of a Bodhisatta in his last birth. Gravitation and other similar laws of nature, the reason for being good, etc. may be included in this group.

5) Citta Niyāma, order of mind or psychic law; e.g., processes of consciousness, constituents of consciousness, power of mind, including telepathy, telesthesia, retrocognition premonition, clair-voyance, clair-audience, thought-reading, and such other psychic phenomena, which are inexplicable to modern science.

Every mental or physical phenomenon could be explained by these all-embracing five orders or processes which are laws in themselves. Kamma as such is only one of these five orders. Like all other natural laws, they demand no lawgiver. 

Of these five, the physical inorganic order, the physical organic order and the order of the norm are more or less of the mechanical type though they can be controlled to some extent by human ingenuity and the power of mind. For example, fire normally burns, and extreme cold freezes, but man has walked unscathed over fire and meditated naked on Himalayan snows; horticulturists have worked marvels with flowers and fruits; and Yogis have performed levitation. Psychic law is equally mechanical, but Buddhist training aims at control of mind, which is possible by right understanding and skilful volition. Kamma law operates quite automatically and, when the Kamma is powerful, man cannot interfere with its inexorable result though he may desire to do so; but here also right understanding and skilful volition can accomplish much and mould the future. Good Kamma, persisted in, can thwart the reaping of bad. Kamma is certainly an intricate law whose working is fully comprehended only by a Buddha. The Buddhist aims at the final destruction of all Kamma. 

Kamma-Vipaka (fruit of action) is one of 
the four unthinkables (acinteyya), 
states the Buddha in 
the Anguttara Nikāya.

“According to the seed that’s sown,
So is the fruit ye reap therefrom
Doer of good (will gather) good.
Doer of evil, evil (reaps).
Sown is the seed, and planted well.
Thou shalt enjoy the fruit thereof.”
~ Samyutta Nikāya

“By self is evil done,
By self is one defiled,
By self is no evil done,
By self is one purified.
Both defilement and 

purity depend on oneself.
No one is purified by another.”
~ Dhammapada verse 165


佛 陀 与 佛 法
THE BUDDHA and 
HIS TEACHING
by NARADA MAHATHERA
(in Simplified Chinese)

This Gift of Dhamma is published in 
conjunction of
Kathina Celebration
on 26th October 2011 at
Buddhist Hermitage Lunas
Lot 297 Kampung Seberang Sungai
09600 Lunas, Kedah
Malaysia


This book will be distribute for FREE during
the celebration of Kathina on 26th October 2011.

Special Thanks to 
Bro. Kang Phee Ho & family and
Committee Members of BHL
for making this book available for free distribution.
 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Launching of New Audio CD by Gee Bees, ABHAYA GATHA

In conjunction of 
Kathina Celebration 2011 
and 
Gee Bees's 30th Anniversary,

Mahindarama Buddhist Temple 
released new audio CD
for free distribution.








You can contain this Audio CD for FREE @
Mahindarama Buddhist Temple
No. 2 Kampar Road, 10460 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-282 5944

or go to our website @

 www.inwardpath.org

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Photo Exhibition by Ajahn Cagino


Inspiring photos of practicing Thai forest monks taken by Ajahn Cagino.