Next week, on 7th October 2011, we will be learning how to chant the basic Pali Chanting. On the same time, 8 o'clock in the evening at our centre here: no. 14 Phuah Hin Leong Road, off Burma Road, Georgetown. All are welcome to join us.
Friday, September 30, 2011
PALI CHANTING: What, Why & How
Next week, on 7th October 2011, we will be learning how to chant the basic Pali Chanting. On the same time, 8 o'clock in the evening at our centre here: no. 14 Phuah Hin Leong Road, off Burma Road, Georgetown. All are welcome to join us.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
DHAMMA TALKS @ House of Inward Journey
STORIES OF THE ROAD
Friday
22nd July 2011
8:00 evening
12 LINKS OF
DEPENDENT ORIGINATION
VS
THE VARIOUS PATHS
OF PRACTICE
Saturday
23rd July 2011
8:00 evening
by Phra Mick Ratanapanyo Bhikkhu
Phra Mick Ratanapanyo Bhikkhu is a Thai-born Australian monk who currently resides in Bangkok Province, Thailand. He has been the man of the Theravadan robe since July 2003, originally ordaining short period for his mother back in Sydney, Australia.
Phra Mick spent the first two years of his practice reflecting on his past negative actions... from anger, greed, pride, ego, fear to self. Arriving at conclusions that “All of our enemies are in our minds”. Masters then guided him towards the Five Aggregates... The never-ending prison of information from eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch, thought, memory & feeling. How one is thrown into the next moment, reborning through attachments of information. So called “The Meaning of Life”, or in more modern term... “The Matrix has you.” Traveling to Thailand in 2007, he found teachers who guided him further into Right Mindfulness and Concentration, as well as Astrology & Balance of Universe. Now get ready and fasten your seat belt, Penang because Phra Mick is invading Malaysia... Again!
Monday, July 4, 2011
To be Buddhist is to See Beyond Buddhism
"The Buddha teaches us firstly to notice
how noisy our minds can be,
and how cluttered our hearts have become.
The noise and clutter are our own
reactivity to those of others
when we are unwilling or unable to feel
what others are saying or doing.
To “feel” here means to see beyond
our immediate perceptions,
and to learn from
what is unspoken and silent.
To feel is to see the whole picture,
and become a healing or joyful part of it.
Buddhism,
Buddhism,
as taught by the Buddha,
is a reminder that there are moments
when we need to forget ourselves,
to let go even of our Buddhisms,
to see beyond religion itself,
before we can truly see ourselves.
When we have even a glimpse of our true self,
it is easier then for us to see
the minds and hearts of others.
People can be full of precious surprises,
and it is always a joy to be surprised
by their goodness and joy.
by their goodness and joy.
To allow joyful surprises into our lives,
we must first remove what prevents us
from being surprised in the first place.
from being surprised in the first place.
This, you must uncover for yourself.
You must yourself rise beyond
and free yourself from this.
Surprise yourself."
An Extract from
Piya Tan's Reflection
(22nd June 2011)
The Minding Centre, Singapore
Thursday, June 23, 2011
D A N A
( offering of food to monks )
on WEDNESDAY
29th JUNE 2011
10:30am
GIVING (DANA) by Visu**
DANA is a Pali word that can be translated as giving, generosity, charity, and liberality.
It occupies an important part in the Buddha's teaching, which is often formulated under three headings — dana, sila, bhavana (giving, morality, meditation or mental cultivation). That dana is one heading underscores its importance. Buddhists should take heed and cultivate a good spirit of dana.
It is a first step towards eliminating the defilement of greed, hatred and delusion (lobha, dosa, moha), for every act of giving is an act of non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. When you give you have loving-kindness (metta) and compassion (karuna) in your heart. So at that time greed, hatred or ill-will, and delusion would be absent.
"Giving" is a word that has very wide connotations. It does not mean that you give only to monks. It does not mean that you give only expensive things. And it does not mean that you give only material things that cost money.
For you can give many immaterial things which may count even more than material things. What I mean is that when we are kind to each other, we are giving kindness, gentleness, comfort, peace, happiness, etc. So we can give by being kind. For example, we can lend a sympathetic ear to a troubled person, listen to him (or her) with compassion and give him comfort and encouragement.
"Giving" is a word that has very wide connotations. It does not mean that you give only to monks. It does not mean that you give only expensive things. And it does not mean that you give only material things that cost money.
For you can give many immaterial things which may count even more than material things. What I mean is that when we are kind to each other, we are giving kindness, gentleness, comfort, peace, happiness, etc. So we can give by being kind. For example, we can lend a sympathetic ear to a troubled person, listen to him (or her) with compassion and give him comfort and encouragement.
To the troubled person, your giving time to listen to him is more important than if he were to receive a material gift. So when we are living in a community, we should cultivate care and concern for each other, reaching out to help whenever we can. Then we give more kindness by speaking gently, soothingly, not harshly or angrily. This can bring much cheer to people, as the following poem shows:
Loving words will cost but little
Journeying up the hill of life
But they make the weak and weary
Stronger, braver for the strife
So, as up life's hill we journey
Let us scatter all the way
Kindly words, to be as sunshine
In the dark and cloudy day.
Journeying up the hill of life
But they make the weak and weary
Stronger, braver for the strife
So, as up life's hill we journey
Let us scatter all the way
Kindly words, to be as sunshine
In the dark and cloudy day.
When we bring happiness into the lives of others, we are giving in a very meaningful way. In this context, giving would mean more than just giving material things. The attitude involved is also important.
** Visu (shortened from his full Pali name Visuddhacara) has been practising the Dhamma and meditation since 1982. He was born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1953. He was a journalist for 12 years and a Buddhist monk for 17 years before he returned to the lay life in 2003. He has studied with several meditation masters, notably Sayadaw U Pandita, Sayadaw U Lakkhana, Sayadaw U Jatila and Ven Sujiva. He is married and has led retreats in Asia, Australia and Europe. He is the author of several books including “Curbing Anger Spreading Love,” “Drinking Tea Living Life: Applying Mindfulness in Everyday Life and Critical Times”, “Loving and Dying”, “Hello with Love and other Meditations” and "Metta Meditation & Positive Attitudes"
Visu’s emphasis in his teaching is on the integration of the Dhamma in everyday life while striving for the ultimate release of Nibbana. He stresses the importance of cultivating lovingkindness, joy and happiness in the present moment while on our journey towards Enlightenment.
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Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A BUDDHAMAS CAROL
or
(composed by Bhante Yogavacara Rahula)
Silent Night, Peaceful Night,
All is calm, Stars are bright,
Round the hall Yogis sitting still,
Keeping their backs straight, exerting will,
Enduring pain without any ill-will,
Pervading Metta all throughout space,
Wishing Good-will to the whole human race.
Silent Mind, Peaceful Mind,
Thoughts are few, Pain is slight,
Focusing mind at the tip of the nose,
Knowing each breath as it comes and it goes,
Perceiving the light that steadily glows,
Feeling the Rapture from head to the toes.
Sitting in rapturous joy, Sitting in rapturous joy.
Silent Mind, Tranquil Mind,
Thoughts are stilled, Body feels light,
All the Five Hindrances have died down,
The Ego no longer is spinning around,
Mind is one-pointed not moving a bit,
Enjoying at long last the Jhanic Bliss,
Sitting in blissful peace, Sitting in blissful peace.
Silent Mind, focused Mind,
Awareness is strong, Mind is bright,
The Spiritual Faculties are prepared,
Vipassana-Insight has Mara scared,
Scanning the body from head to the toes,
Anicca, Anicca, each moment goes,
Anicca, Anicca, Impermanence flows,
The Five Aggregates appear empty as foam,
The Truth of No-Self is easily shown,
Sitting in insightful joy, Sitting in insightful joy.
Silent Mind, equanimous Mind,
Awareness is clear, Wisdom shines,
The six sense-impingements arise and pass,
No desire, no clinging, no ego to grasp,
No holding to present, future or past,
Mara has vanished he took his last gasp,
This body-mind house is empty at last,
Sitting and walking the whole night through,
Greeting the dawn completely anew.
Silent Mind, Wisdom Mind,
Now is the time, Conditions are prime,
The Enlightenment Factors are developed well.
The Four Noble Truths become clear as a bell,
The Eye of Dhamma is opened wide,
The three lower fetters are broken in stride,
Tonight the Yogi enters the Stream,
Tomorrow Nibbana no longer a Dream.
Please click the url below and then the second link
that appears if you'd like to listen to the song
About Bhante Yogavacara
Born in Southern California as Scott Joseph DuPrez in 1948. Ordained as a Novice Buddhist monk in 1975 at Gothama Thapovanaya, Kalupaluwawa, Sri Lanka. Upasampada ordaination at Wat Thai Los Angeles, May 1979. Lived at the Bhavana Society Forest Monastery, West Virginia, USA from 1986 until 2010. Now on indefinite travel/teaching tour.
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