法鼓山之行

All thanks to fellow Dharma friend and thus get to venture into Dharma Drum Mountain! It is their 心六伦 carnival. If not wrong since beginning this year, I get to know about these movement and it was a very influential and successful campaign in Taiwan. I would say a good move to integrate buddhism into daily life.

I suppose its also one of a kind that manage to get help from various celebrities and social figures. Not knowing what I need to do, I was sent to become a mobile ticket seller! What a wonderful position where I get to mingle with people and find out more about the event myself. Later to find that 1st comer of event was not the minority :)

Whole place was decorated with the stars' poster but with a very good intention i feel. The posters was filled with the instructions of each 六伦. Practically no wall is left untouched! One of the game is to hold a glass bowl fully filled with water and the player suppose to walk through some ups and downs pavements without spilling over. Now I suppose its a great test of concentration!

Like I was saying, I suppose my greatest gains of the day was to get to know alot of new buddhist friends! All rendering service in different temples and came together to help out with the carnival.

My short interactions with the temple was rather comfortable. A strong motive of bringing buddhism more "mundane" yet never fails to promote cultivations especially of meditation. Really hope they could soon have their more permanent foothold in Singapore :)

A close and personal with Ajahn Brahm :)

Not really up close and personal with his reverence sir but with the projector screen :) Down to Singapore Buddhist Lodge with a friend to hear his teaching of "Decision Making" and indeed gained a great deal from his wisdom.

He starts by sharing a joke on a particular shipping magazine inviting him to do a column of shipping strategies and he was rather puzzled since his is well verse in the Dharma but never on shipping. And strange enough the magazine became best-selling and major shipping market players were praising how Venerable was giving such insightful input on current shipping fundamentals.

Ajahn Brahm then go on to share factors to be mindful of when making decision. It should not be selfish, having ill-will, should be wise and not out of fear. I suppose the current economic crisis is due to decision makers' decision that based of personal gratifications, that even goes into making others less well off as long as the bank or own pocket has been taken care of, usually a closed and framed sight of market factors and monetary goal orientation, and lastly when there is a slight notion of economic breakdown, all investors fleed the market resulted in inadequate fundings and cash iliquidity.

How about person decisions? People tends to expect monetary gains instead of what they could do for the company even at the onset of interview. With such greed in mind, potentially it does not do the firm and the employee well. The emotional contract between the employee and the employer is only temporary stablized by the $ sign!

Another humorous story shared by the venerable is something on crisis. A guy was chased by a hungry tiger, decided to jump into a perceived dry well. Upon jumping in found out that its dry and has a giant snake waiting to strike. So he decided to balance himself by climbing on a vine, then comes to find that there is 2 mice chewing on the vine. Now he faced with a tiger waiting up there trying to reach him. A snake strking him below and a mice chewing on his only life line. Because of the tiger's movement, a beehive starts to drip honey down the well. Ajahn brahm then commented, just pull out his tongue to enjoy the honey! We often worry too much and miss the honey. In the end, Ajahn Brahm ends the story by saying the tiger lost his balance and fell into the well killing the snake! Haha!

I suppose any decision based on the guidelines suggested by the Tathagata is well thought off and will definitely profits anyone in the context of the decision!

I really went home feeling so delighted by Ajahn Brahm humorous yet wise sharing! Already anticipating when is the next session! haha

Strolling and being mindfulness of the restless mind

How should the way be opened for a practioner when advancing thy own paths might also be lossing some great companions along the way. For him, both is as important but less on companionship but striving oneself in his path in hope to spread the Dharma to his dear friends.

Pondering the episode on how Skayamuni Buddha going forth to the homelessness, letting go of kinship and his usual familar social circle in search of the truth with compassion being his motivations.

With a mind full of defilements so restless and unwise, yet the drive for him is the pursue of the practise that has never left his eyes. Maybe only by earnestly studying the discourses of the Buddha could he rest his mind and frees his endless worries.

Maybe the only witness to his way is the lessening of greed, hatred and delusions.

Throdding the mundane path with a spirtual mind and believes that there should be no barriers between the two is the way to go for him.

Well worked out for the body and the mind

Had a great run this morning with 6000+ . And most of all meeting up with friends and their friends :) Its always good to have some work outs with ppl that likes to sweat it all out! The sun and wind seems to inject energy to this weak body of mine suffering from frequent flu attacks recently.

The legs seems to have did their job well with no cramps and little aches. But the stomache muscles were in pain all along from stitches. Felt not very well needing to walk at some of the journey and the body just wears off faster. Yet finishing was not my goal but rather the thought of needing to rush to the next appointment!! Completed the race in just about an hour! I think its a not bad result for me! with all the walks and stuff!

Noon was well spent with spirtual involvement and had great chat with a great spirtual friend of mine. I would say I sort of iron out the priorites of my practise. Sad also to found that I had really left my practise for some time :( But advancing might also mean letting go and changing some current situations of mine. Not letting some friends down is the only thing that holds me back . . . . . .

参与

参与在于理，理在于信，信在于把信心健在哪里。

健在友情，人聚人散；
健在爱情，爱会变质；
健在兴趣，会倦会变；
健在功德，功德在无为；
健在道场，道场无处；
健在所托，生冤生悔；

从苦，空，无我了解诸法无常。
要信心放在无常法，不实有变。
信心薄弱，参与根本无理建立。

接受无常，面对不顺，了解诸现象只是过程。
生生灭灭，坦然面对，欢喜接受放下。
参与无为，功德无量。

维摩诘经 - 菩萨品第四

维摩诘经 - 菩萨品第四

光严童子 ：居士从何而来？
维摩诘 ：吾从道场来。
光严童子 ：道场者何所是？

维摩诘 ：真心是道场，无虚假故；
发行是道场，能办事故；
深心是道场，增益功德故；
菩提心是道场，无错谬故；
布施是道场，不望报故；
持戒是道场，得愿具故；
忍辱是道场，于众生心无碍故；
精进是道场，不懈怠故；
禅定是道场，心调柔故；
智慧是道场，现见诸法故；
慈是道场，等众生故；
悲是道场，忍疲苦故；
喜是道场，悦乐法故；
舍是道场，憎爱断故；
神通是道场，成就六通故；
解脱是道场，能背舍故；
方便是道场，教化众生故；
四摄是道场，摄众生故；
多闻是道场，如闻行故；
伏心是道场，正观诸法故；
三十七道品是道场，舍有为法故；
四谛是道场，不诳世间故；
缘起是道场，无明乃至老死皆无尽故；
诸烦恼是道场，知如实故；
众生是道场，知无我故；
一切法是道场，知诸法空故；
降魔是道场，不倾勤故；
三界是道场，无所趣故；
狮子吼是道场，无所畏故；
不共法是道场，无诸过故；
三明是道场，无余碍故；
一念知一切法是道场，成就一切智故。

This Sutra is interesting as in how it consolidate disciplines from various Sutra, yet provide consistency in teachings. In this little verse extracted from one of its chapters, it breaks the notion of having a fixed physical place as a place of worship.

Having a lasting object or a tangible and physical place as a place of worship does not set well into the concept of impermanence. As there has been many instances where religious people cut each others throat due to "holy place" or self-motivated ideas of what's considered sacred and secular. And through archeological findings and history, a once religious site could only become remnants of destruction through time.

Even sticking one self to a particular place of worship or monastery confines growth of wisdom and experience in certain degree. But that does not mean hopping around just to experience new things. That might just display a restless mind.

One could physically be in a particular place but the passion to learn should not be residing in our own comfort zone. That is definitely detrimental in learning. Phenomena of a dead sea happens when nothing flows in and nothing flows out. That is also true in gaining knowledge and wisdom.

My personal driving force in learning is, there are always more things to learn. Even if its on a same topic, different sages view and explain it differently. One of their ideas will definitely sink in better for me.

Being mindful of the different doctrines, one will definitely be mindful of their various bodily actions and thoughts. That is something indestructible through time, even more lasting than scientific discovery. But still I am saying it as "more lasting" . . . . . . .

Mind

"The Mind is very hard to check

and swift, it falls on what it wants.

The training of the mind is good,

a mind so tamed brings happiness."

- Dhammapada (Verse 35)

Often then not, we hear people commented that thinking too much cause a troubled mind, slow processes and we are not leading a carefree life; tamming the mind is too unnatural and restraining; who cares what other thinks; and the list goes on and on . . . . . .

But having a well tamed mind, we see things as it actually is. Its more systematic and efficiency. And happiness is more readily availabe. Reason is we have gained the ownership of our mind. With control, our mind does not stray easily and at all time we are in constant observation of the mind.

A well-guarded mind is just like a well-guarded fortess, leave the defilements and ill wills at the gates never for once letting them set root in the mind. The mind is also the king governing the fortress giving out orders to the senses guards. A thousand years of kingdom can be doomed by a corrupted rule.

Having said that, one should practise mindfulness and embracing the rapid changes of the mind. Having a well trained mind one stands tall to adversities.