tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15701831872253896082024-02-19T00:44:49.037-08:00Goodwill 101A Lousy Buddhist's Blogkhengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-6178860510234783442009-07-07T01:15:00.000-07:002009-07-07T00:00:11.879-07:00American Buddhism – my experience<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The </span><st1:country-region style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States of America</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> is largely a Judeo-Christian society, but Buddhism is doing pretty well there. During my brief stay in </span><st1:state style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" st="on"><st1:place st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> I visited a number of Buddhist temples and monasteries. Here are some of them…</span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Rosemead</st1:city><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Buddhist Monastery</span>, in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Rosemead</st1:place></st1:city>…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxvTg9dblNXtploZuDRkIQ4mmERIrmOzRIj5hbyD9SGIv9aIqD-E36KrV62oz5z5bv_MZ0uU1RTncqE0v7rdD5Z1BSg4sRHVcmpfGDlChF0kGFLp9euXQAFTjcDA0n5GGXVFP4ISb6hDo/s1600-h/rosemead.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxvTg9dblNXtploZuDRkIQ4mmERIrmOzRIj5hbyD9SGIv9aIqD-E36KrV62oz5z5bv_MZ0uU1RTncqE0v7rdD5Z1BSg4sRHVcmpfGDlChF0kGFLp9euXQAFTjcDA0n5GGXVFP4ISb6hDo/s400/rosemead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348176513251640434" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hsi </span><st1:placename style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Lai</st1:placename><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><st1:placetype style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Temple</st1:placetype>, in <st1:place st="on">Hacienda Heights</st1:place>. This is the branch <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">temple</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Taiwan</st1:placename></st1:place>’s Foguangshan…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJcVbLRvDmh-S495zsGXP4Rhsyxrdndvl8OMRcMR9z7pO3LTqlMBJP-AE-TU-aXf_ykMQeUL82Lzd8fovP5JXt5VfQhMR9nLP4V8vUYEHCCunxGpfngVjkXvu4lnJX2vHsMNgt1ry_1Zp/s1600-h/hsi-lai.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJcVbLRvDmh-S495zsGXP4Rhsyxrdndvl8OMRcMR9z7pO3LTqlMBJP-AE-TU-aXf_ykMQeUL82Lzd8fovP5JXt5VfQhMR9nLP4V8vUYEHCCunxGpfngVjkXvu4lnJX2vHsMNgt1ry_1Zp/s400/hsi-lai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348176879852322690" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Morning alms round in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Metta Forest Monastery</span> a.k.a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wat Metta</span>, in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>. The first monk is Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Ajahn Geoff)…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0Lj4-MWuNLvlR7INE5WQFkcJWq1CiWXCyn58VyRBrtZa1pb3YAjaKTC9CS3H0IJeDuKZ7-VqAUBHBwhivF01yZOAFKCEcZQgCAv3wKypmEhE6HgUWVt4fWfVxK9VQ4Rt69Hf-TksNCWg/s1600-h/metta_01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0Lj4-MWuNLvlR7INE5WQFkcJWq1CiWXCyn58VyRBrtZa1pb3YAjaKTC9CS3H0IJeDuKZ7-VqAUBHBwhivF01yZOAFKCEcZQgCAv3wKypmEhE6HgUWVt4fWfVxK9VQ4Rt69Hf-TksNCWg/s400/metta_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348177013838928530" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Main hall (sala) of Wat Metta…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW-qT6O-9bwg_o8UVU7W7cDRTXhmIL3YBWcKb0cCcW1WUdlg9ETPu78n3HLhtbNX3SvkS1PqY0evSCkJrVTrORPIo7bPuNH8yOu1p1z9Hpg-jXBHwmhHbV6L92jVeeHRAarqkYxYe8GdS/s1600-h/metta_02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW-qT6O-9bwg_o8UVU7W7cDRTXhmIL3YBWcKb0cCcW1WUdlg9ETPu78n3HLhtbNX3SvkS1PqY0evSCkJrVTrORPIo7bPuNH8yOu1p1z9Hpg-jXBHwmhHbV6L92jVeeHRAarqkYxYe8GdS/s400/metta_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348177153588501282" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is me (left) with two other guys in Wat Metta. I think the one on the right has been ordained. (<a href="http://thebuddhadiaries.blogspot.com/">Peter</a>, can you please confirm?)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUSsC2q_ZNpuDg85DWbp8Bv3m084V7BSbe-467y56wLK1VP2F2CxEuuT6GSydJw9a1DLFMjqip7vgVSmpQJiXo_XceKCPpKYzsZj25RKyhIpfhpLgB_C7Xr9faxOZkKacYhhiiHbaJUpD/s1600-h/metta_03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUSsC2q_ZNpuDg85DWbp8Bv3m084V7BSbe-467y56wLK1VP2F2CxEuuT6GSydJw9a1DLFMjqip7vgVSmpQJiXo_XceKCPpKYzsZj25RKyhIpfhpLgB_C7Xr9faxOZkKacYhhiiHbaJUpD/s400/metta_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348177306980593090" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">Related posts in another blog:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2point8.blogspot.com/2009/06/down-memory-lane-1.html">Down the <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Memory Lane</st1:address></st1:street> (1)</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2point8.blogspot.com/2009/07/down-memory-lane-2.html">Down the Memory Lane (2)</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-62361794822545142822008-12-31T17:48:00.000-08:002008-12-31T17:48:08.180-08:00Ajahn Brahm’s Joke<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Ajahn Brahmavamso, the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in </span><st1:state style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Western Australia</st1:place></st1:state><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">, is a monk who likes to joke. Here is one from him:</span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In 2005, it was reported that US interrogators in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Guantanamo</st1:place></st1:city> flushed a Quran down the toilet, causing uproar in Islamic world. After the incident, Australian journalists interviewed Ajahn Brahm. They asked him, “What is your reaction if someone flushes Buddhist holy books down the toilet?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Guess what is Ajahn Brahm’s answer?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);" class="MsoNormal">“I’ll call the plumber.” <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff190/khengsiong/icons/biggrin.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 20px; height: 20px;" src="http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff190/khengsiong/icons/biggrin.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-50223610839255856232008-12-23T01:38:00.000-08:002008-12-23T01:38:01.357-08:00Right Stillness<i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Samma samadhi</i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">, one of the factors in the Noble Eightfold Path, is usually translated as “right concentration”.</span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ajahn Brahmavamso, the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in <st1:state st="on">Western Australia</st1:state>, visited <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region></st1:place> recently. He mentioned that he no longer referred to Samadhi as “concentration”, but preferred the term <b style="">stillness</b>. Concentration, according to him, gave us an impression that one has to put in a lot of efforts, which was not so accurate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now this is my personal opinion:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Concentration” may also imply focusing one’s attention to <b style="">one point</b>. Many meditators don’t focus on a single point, but instead mentally note whatever which arise in their mind. As such, “stillness” may really be a better term in this context too.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMLSh1HFjuAebfsIkRBRO8mXO8D6cnAO81x7-F3Kwefu5c1lJ5Uw1x0OICPSlCVvxIULVgXPXVLjC98vXDia1V-PBwoq5lHG-90i4eYgP5OCsJmf3-wOVDyqQ_EUoh2cwoMjYpOGbRWnY/s1600-h/meditate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMLSh1HFjuAebfsIkRBRO8mXO8D6cnAO81x7-F3Kwefu5c1lJ5Uw1x0OICPSlCVvxIULVgXPXVLjC98vXDia1V-PBwoq5lHG-90i4eYgP5OCsJmf3-wOVDyqQ_EUoh2cwoMjYpOGbRWnY/s400/meditate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282517121158507186" border="0" /></a></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-77118869087170022702008-12-16T00:20:00.000-08:002008-12-16T00:53:36.834-08:00Happiness is Contagious<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Several years ago, I had a retreat in Metta Forest Monastery in </span><st1:place style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" st="on">Southern California</st1:place><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. It lasted just three days, which was quite short. Retreat in Metta was also pretty relaxed. Nonetheless, I felt very peaceful and happy.</span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, some people would tell me, “You were mindful, therefore you were happy.” This is certainy true, but I still think that there was something else. I believe observing the Eight Precepts helped too. On top of that, I was associating with happy people…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Scientists from <st1:placename st="on">Harvard</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> and <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">California</st1:placename>, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">San Diego</st1:place></st1:city>, conducted a study on 5,000 people and concluded that the happiness spreads through social networks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />The study found that:</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Knowing someone who is happy makes you 15.3% more likely to be happy yourself. A happy friend of a friend increases your odds of happiness by 9.8%, and even your neighbor's sister's friend can give you a 5.6% boost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Read the story <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/05/science/sci-happy5">here</a>.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back to my retreat at Metta: The monks were happy. The Thais/Lao who offered food to the Sangha were happy. So were the other yogis. No wonder I was happy too.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwZiY5g5icETmDyguXGhekpWUgUEZXj0AmOU5Db6m6cwuqKdvRd2r3_MaEwltjQJgmXJvRPDCfFel8lUZMqcQT1uM-1iuPGOg47rcnG7qxVsN07z3VNqAYNhsjuioJQjTPZWWQK0-djtS/s1600-h/smiley-violet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwZiY5g5icETmDyguXGhekpWUgUEZXj0AmOU5Db6m6cwuqKdvRd2r3_MaEwltjQJgmXJvRPDCfFel8lUZMqcQT1uM-1iuPGOg47rcnG7qxVsN07z3VNqAYNhsjuioJQjTPZWWQK0-djtS/s320/smiley-violet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280302320877646114" border="0" /></a></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-16619751205970646802008-05-21T19:05:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:40.981-08:00Images of Wesak<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_423X39TAtYo2pfqPXnBS3C7YRLjGIxga_WyWY73cbRUQyPPF7-7i-xK78Pg_g8t2A4_SIaBdBkYqgW5p5Q2sluwyBn7ZWBs7-up0NNZyY2P3l7WS4P6RjfKzYDWKK7snoEBidOemVW99/s1600-h/wesak08_02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_423X39TAtYo2pfqPXnBS3C7YRLjGIxga_WyWY73cbRUQyPPF7-7i-xK78Pg_g8t2A4_SIaBdBkYqgW5p5Q2sluwyBn7ZWBs7-up0NNZyY2P3l7WS4P6RjfKzYDWKK7snoEBidOemVW99/s400/wesak08_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203018288805831234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHIuXl9s3fxYnmqr8fOY7BQ1T_L07JEKwkoJXOZuhAbK0xyF7CMzphrpz-X1eGuDvz2UC72Rb_r_SyBvR8e3RbikW-t2bwcDCg6HKyMSbANVQ2bt6PJywxoaRZXbIUjLiULUp-ztM_Rd_/s1600-h/wesak08_06.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHIuXl9s3fxYnmqr8fOY7BQ1T_L07JEKwkoJXOZuhAbK0xyF7CMzphrpz-X1eGuDvz2UC72Rb_r_SyBvR8e3RbikW-t2bwcDCg6HKyMSbANVQ2bt6PJywxoaRZXbIUjLiULUp-ztM_Rd_/s400/wesak08_06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203053348623868514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioas23y5YgJjrd5tmriBTwZ-ycJxIrRo1LwfIlmCGKfmq8StqV5RTcrEl_VMbczQGvq6v9uap2UtUAiZ6bGyTpIRtq6ru9LCXHCG23cGsOnPlP5GPBLOioGpukXJPqQLpmy7V-7_412QWa/s1600-h/wesak08_07.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioas23y5YgJjrd5tmriBTwZ-ycJxIrRo1LwfIlmCGKfmq8StqV5RTcrEl_VMbczQGvq6v9uap2UtUAiZ6bGyTpIRtq6ru9LCXHCG23cGsOnPlP5GPBLOioGpukXJPqQLpmy7V-7_412QWa/s400/wesak08_07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203053520422560370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg9jcCewFiVS3PFFZpASHJAqnfn8DZi-ve1MUF50_QbwHShhkAlK1fc9wl6DLO9oYPb2KdQtGjIcT2NEG-wakZgoJmlz-FwlaObQjDooVafJidPzEo0zb1ftVFkg0Uss5u84kTBN2eTQ9/s1600-h/wesak08_10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg9jcCewFiVS3PFFZpASHJAqnfn8DZi-ve1MUF50_QbwHShhkAlK1fc9wl6DLO9oYPb2KdQtGjIcT2NEG-wakZgoJmlz-FwlaObQjDooVafJidPzEo0zb1ftVFkg0Uss5u84kTBN2eTQ9/s400/wesak08_10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203054117423014530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGfdcC-dvzivbl6_vOXX9aWkaif6vHvPQY-N24mgIqhvfIvVnb4pOr4Kjx70lwqNU5pMpro-_mZDQTp0ggr6CqNko30vSOrwUNywX3I_BrHNF_L7kDC7NH5hsWMIYcWzDMENPMeM7A-zN/s1600-h/wesak08_05.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGfdcC-dvzivbl6_vOXX9aWkaif6vHvPQY-N24mgIqhvfIvVnb4pOr4Kjx70lwqNU5pMpro-_mZDQTp0ggr6CqNko30vSOrwUNywX3I_BrHNF_L7kDC7NH5hsWMIYcWzDMENPMeM7A-zN/s400/wesak08_05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203054654293926546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcWZStu_i9d2BbE9Vqv8V4gYODNyniX0WQNeCIM42DIQGf_uSkAscl3-vb4Z8I6GahVjtiDzisrgMNLoSOM44LxH7vvczuT7iIARZTmu6_xNnMA1HipsV1CLBs_0uD6nxd3X4NlZAnv38/s1600-h/wesak08_17.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcWZStu_i9d2BbE9Vqv8V4gYODNyniX0WQNeCIM42DIQGf_uSkAscl3-vb4Z8I6GahVjtiDzisrgMNLoSOM44LxH7vvczuT7iIARZTmu6_xNnMA1HipsV1CLBs_0uD6nxd3X4NlZAnv38/s400/wesak08_17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203056097402938018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) 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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-wmGupeDvsnJs7XKmFgQJoYnuP9hVIjEkIj1ojEUVXjrFZnRhDATZ2Yh8XjGVq5nLFvYPe9yZJ7VDUjZbI32nJPWaVP77vz2OVFDYnDwAfBeUBIWzzvBOnoQkwxmsVfD9uNxKaKQvCNI/s400/wesak08_11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203115007174370018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xvT5556cS000X4qVKz5QceznkEjXLfev6_1xc2Y6b9tV5HFLxL_qCT_pD6CCx5Wy7uaUjZhcbQANo5kQ9qzLqxibJOxsreh_8Ltb41yJ3U_KWQxgYrSSuz4g5jAcRgAXbPuPCNiR1zZ-/s1600-h/wesak08_12.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xvT5556cS000X4qVKz5QceznkEjXLfev6_1xc2Y6b9tV5HFLxL_qCT_pD6CCx5Wy7uaUjZhcbQANo5kQ9qzLqxibJOxsreh_8Ltb41yJ3U_KWQxgYrSSuz4g5jAcRgAXbPuPCNiR1zZ-/s400/wesak08_12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203115273462342386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfXiAKU6blWW9R890EYwqaox7GDXYlqs3GvvX7jTAIBwQ2PrZ4QycNXBHhNVpuXRX4rJ6ZeXflXcLf6ULWpYYmlaMZSiPONI2s82a_Y2iRHZCpcfIIxCogNOTMmOkwGcTN4Mw9el5JOAn/s1600-h/wesak08_22.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfXiAKU6blWW9R890EYwqaox7GDXYlqs3GvvX7jTAIBwQ2PrZ4QycNXBHhNVpuXRX4rJ6ZeXflXcLf6ULWpYYmlaMZSiPONI2s82a_Y2iRHZCpcfIIxCogNOTMmOkwGcTN4Mw9el5JOAn/s400/wesak08_22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203370132526719746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More photos can be found <a href="http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff190/khengsiong/wesak/">here</a>.khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-90378388223446654012008-05-07T23:58:00.000-07:002008-05-08T00:14:02.246-07:00Sutta for Mother's DayAnd Father's Day...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">~~~~~~~~<br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); line-height: 1.5;">I tell you, monks, there are two people who are not easy to repay. Which two? Your mother & father. Even if you were to carry your mother on one shoulder & your father on the other shoulder for 100 years, and were to look after them by anointing, massaging, bathing, & rubbing their limbs, and they were to defecate & urinate right there [on your shoulders], you would not in that way pay or repay your parents. If you were to establish your mother & father in absolute sovereignty over this great earth, abounding in the seven treasures, you would not in that way pay or repay your parents. Why is that? Mother & father do much for their children. They care for them, they nourish them, they introduce them to this world. But anyone who rouses his unbelieving mother & father, settles & establishes them in conviction; rouses his unvirtuous mother & father, settles & establishes them in virtue; rouses his stingy mother & father, settles & establishes them in generosity; rouses his foolish mother & father, settles & establishes them in discernment: To this extent one pays & repays one's mother & father.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">~~~~~~~~<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"></span><br />From: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an02/an02.031.than.html">Anguttara Nikaya - Kataññu Sutta</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"></span></div></div>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-46547489728315021092008-04-11T19:32:00.000-07:002008-04-11T19:33:27.558-07:00Food Crisis – can Buddhists help?<p class="MsoNormal">Buddhists who follow Theravada tradition often fast on <i style="">Uposatha</i> Days (full moon, new moon, half moon), or when they are having a retreat in monasteries.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The world is facing a food shortage problem, as a result of poor harvest and the use of biofuels to replace crude oil. Perhaps Buddhists should fast more often now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, we can only slightly reduce our food consumption if we fast a few days a month, but we can raise awareness in wider society. Many people have been too wasteful during good times.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please also read a <a href="http://2point8.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-crisis.html">related post</a> in my other blog.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-69503364063513639892008-03-23T18:17:00.001-07:002008-03-23T18:17:53.141-07:00Noble Silence<p class="MsoNormal">In Vipassana meditation centers, we often come across signs which read, “Noble Silence”. We are told that we should avoid talking whenever possible when we are in a retreat. If we talk, we lose mindfulness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, a meditation instructor and a Dhamma friend of mine interpret the phrase in a different way. According to him, Noble Silence doesn’t mean “shut up”. Instead, it means “no mental chattering”.</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-40408649443399022912008-02-27T19:52:00.000-08:002008-02-28T00:15:57.940-08:00American Buddhists<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.pewforum.org/">The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life</a> recently conducted a “religious landscape survey”. Here are some interested facts about American Buddhists:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Percentage of Americans who identified themselves as Buddhists: 0.7%</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> has a population of slightly more than 300 million. That translates into about 2.1 million Buddhists.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Racial composition of American Buddhists: 53% White (non-Hispanic), 32% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 4% Black, 5% other/mixed.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is tempting to think that most American Buddhists are Asian immigrants or their children. This survey result suggests otherwise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Percentage of American Buddhists with tertiary education: 22% with college degrees, 26% with post-graduate degrees.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Only Hindus and Jews have higher percentage of postgraduates. National average is 11%<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Marital status of American Buddhists: 45% married, 12% divorced or separated, 31% never married, 8% living with partners, 4% widowed.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unlike many other religions, marriage is neither sacred nor a duty in Buddhism. No wonder only 45% of Buddhists are married. (National average is 54%.)</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-50102970368481239102008-01-29T18:49:00.000-08:002008-01-29T18:52:46.299-08:00Commercialization of Shaolin Temple<p class="MsoNormal">On Aug 23, 2007, I wrote a post, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://goodwill-101.blogspot.com/2007/08/shaolin-monks.html">Shaolin Monks</a>, in which I asked a question: Should Shaolin monks practice deadly martial arts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Jan 29, 2008, I came across an article on <a href="http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/">www.buddhistchannel.tv</a> which scrutinizes commercialization of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Shaolin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. Excerpt:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);" class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Many believe the Shaolin have abandoned their monastic traditions of leaving the world and severing worldly desires and pursuits, and have become a tourist recreation center obsessed with money and reputation.</blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Full article is <a href="http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=46,5821,0,0,1,0">here</a>.</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-36815980730583818832008-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:002008-01-14T16:36:04.539-08:00Cross – religious symbol or fashion statement?<p class="MsoNormal">We all know that <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region> is a predominantly Buddhist country. More than 90% of Thais are Buddhists. About 3-4% of the population are Muslims. Less than 1% of them are Christians.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet in my recent trip to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I saw many young Bangkokians wear crosses, including one who prayed at the famous Erawan Shrine.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is cross a religious symbol or a fashion statement? Do Thais understand the religious significance of it? Do missionaries purposely mislead Thais into believing that Christianity is trendy???</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-6868132279771243012008-01-02T19:51:00.000-08:002008-01-02T00:58:03.570-08:00You never own your children<p class="MsoNormal">I came across the tagline of Swiss watch Patek Philippe, which reads, “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the <i style="">next</i> generation.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I am thinking of something else:</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">You never really own your children. You merely look after them until they can be independent.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There have been many tragedies whereby depressed women killed their children before committing suicide. They probably thought that they owned their children, and therefore have the right to ‘destroy’ them. What surprise me is that, these tragedies, also known as filicide-suicide, happen not just in <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place> but in Western countries as well. (Read, for example, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291696,00.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/content/full/33/4/496">here</a>.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">The fool worries, thinking, “I have sons, I have wealth.” Indeed, when he himself is not his own, whence are sons, whence is wealth?</p><p class="MsoNormal">- Dhammapada verse 62</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-74828046660693821542007-12-21T07:17:00.000-08:002007-12-20T17:56:59.022-08:00Fear<p class="MsoNormal">I was overwhelmed with anxiety and depression when I heard the dreaded "C" word – my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I realized that, even after years of meditation, I still couldn’t cope with fear, the fear of losing my loved ones.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It also shows that the practice of meditation <span style="font-style: italic;">alone</span> is insufficient. We still need to have <span style="font-style: italic;">Right Understanding</span>, the understanding of <i style="">anicca</i> (impermanence) and <i style="">dukkha</i> (unsatisfactory).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, my mom was diagnosed at the early stage of cancer, and she is recovering after undergoing a surgery to remove the tumor.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-35904103920799107852007-12-03T07:16:00.000-08:002007-12-02T19:48:27.508-08:00Some Questions on Metta Meditation<p class="MsoNormal">Metta Meditation, as many of us already know, is a practice commonly used to develop loving-kindness and compassion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In practicing Metta, we first direct loving-kindness to ourselves; as we are at peace with ourselves, we proceed to extend the goodwill to others – not just people, but all living beings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rev Sujiva of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region> suggested that we develop metta in the following stages, by directing loving-kindness to these people:</p> <ol style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><li>oneself</li><li>lovable person (e.g. parents, teachers)</li><li>intimate person (e.g. family members)</li><li>neutral person</li><li>repulsive person</li><li>inimical person</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Reference: Sujiva, <i style="">Divine Abodes – Meditation on Loving Kindness and Other <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Sublime</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">States</st1:placetype></st1:place></i>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Traditionally, we are told that lovable person cannot someone of <b style="">opposite sex</b>. This is to avoid turning goodwill into lust. While we can, and are supposed to, direct our goodwill to all people in the subsequent stages, we should never do so to a person of opposite sex in Stage 2.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I always have one doubt: can’t a man select his mother to be that lovable person? Or, can’t a woman direct her loving-kindness to her father at Stage 2?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How about gay men and lesbians who practice Metta Meditation? Should they actually direct loving-kindness to a person of opposite sex???</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-78784001006813522952007-11-18T07:11:00.000-08:002008-12-08T16:40:41.852-08:00Wat Chetawan<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Wat Chetawan is a Thai temple located at Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Here are some photos taken there...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnfObREUyoXQYlisDdfSYa32YCSnn8ruh6mgVLFy576QNGxOo5w6fuLHrrIIJYMDGZHXvXVLxUNLPl-7ZwxOP1bO7_iRB2wXYwgx3RgrrceO1RPGFYzMqI2vMAmHusxxBYvdiXa6XaSkQ/s1600-h/chetawan_01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnfObREUyoXQYlisDdfSYa32YCSnn8ruh6mgVLFy576QNGxOo5w6fuLHrrIIJYMDGZHXvXVLxUNLPl-7ZwxOP1bO7_iRB2wXYwgx3RgrrceO1RPGFYzMqI2vMAmHusxxBYvdiXa6XaSkQ/s400/chetawan_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134353353046412370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ma5a9LmUpQIz5pWXO1XWRjK0Fv5XY975ZXeJUoxrEpoy8ZtqrCttmakBlt9LZPlLI5RUtO-yZwE16LohBNez4hRACOWTZoSVR7P7IhzDseyCULFBEghlGhlgNmA1Rr437c2tx3zmXb1X/s1600-h/chetawan_02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ma5a9LmUpQIz5pWXO1XWRjK0Fv5XY975ZXeJUoxrEpoy8ZtqrCttmakBlt9LZPlLI5RUtO-yZwE16LohBNez4hRACOWTZoSVR7P7IhzDseyCULFBEghlGhlgNmA1Rr437c2tx3zmXb1X/s400/chetawan_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134353872737455202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FEHmg-PGzZP6ED6oWfO-Fh5THK0LUMx2tRqI1ZHjV6BD1Zj4_qBzDjTCpzsFzBU7lElHFqQ-ubGpE2cR4rYgkYx6yyAgFT8xP_kXJzePXmygG1dJccT-ePt0UAP9DxUiKzsS6xVI-PqG/s1600-h/chetawan_03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FEHmg-PGzZP6ED6oWfO-Fh5THK0LUMx2tRqI1ZHjV6BD1Zj4_qBzDjTCpzsFzBU7lElHFqQ-ubGpE2cR4rYgkYx6yyAgFT8xP_kXJzePXmygG1dJccT-ePt0UAP9DxUiKzsS6xVI-PqG/s400/chetawan_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134354267874446450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRbtHmfuU_GykyPuQ9VIfT8nOu53qZxD47Neksejs35z1HYBm6MLJDBpZBfiaV_VEhE9OjiU1VB641B_NngrP15kf_Ieby4HWilL7dQk49dBcxX5AEFySrAXD8XLhg4MGUhPJHEoqHGDW/s1600-h/chetawan_04.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRbtHmfuU_GykyPuQ9VIfT8nOu53qZxD47Neksejs35z1HYBm6MLJDBpZBfiaV_VEhE9OjiU1VB641B_NngrP15kf_Ieby4HWilL7dQk49dBcxX5AEFySrAXD8XLhg4MGUhPJHEoqHGDW/s400/chetawan_04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134354478327843970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCt4whXVHZOHyjXq3YrCwHS3ihQOAY4vRLsGndkNFYKH3xzxQ0QbDmM2Xfl2spCpFrKgmApWVAzub0JtxpUygwR7RPavnrNr_I_GdkuZ1482TvWXZuzQr8BjZSbajtrALjfeL67_YSLt7/s1600-h/chetawan_05.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCt4whXVHZOHyjXq3YrCwHS3ihQOAY4vRLsGndkNFYKH3xzxQ0QbDmM2Xfl2spCpFrKgmApWVAzub0JtxpUygwR7RPavnrNr_I_GdkuZ1482TvWXZuzQr8BjZSbajtrALjfeL67_YSLt7/s400/chetawan_05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134354615766797458" border="0" /></a>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-83204251752441163952007-10-30T19:25:00.000-07:002007-10-30T02:02:51.505-07:00What is Metta<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Metta</i> is a Pali word which means loving-kindness, or good will. Its Sanskrit equivalent is maitre. Metta is one of the <i style="">Four Divine Abodes</i> which Buddhists are expected to practice. <span style=""> </span>The other three are karuna (compassion), mudita (appreciative joy) and upekkha (equanimity).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buddhist meditation masters have conceived of a method to cultivate loving-kindness. It is called Metta Meditation or Loving-kindness Meditation. In practicing Loving-kindness Meditation, we repeatedly recite, in the mind, these verses:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">May [someone] be free from enmity and danger<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">May you be free from mental sufferings<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">May you be free from physical sufferings<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">May you be well and happy<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Note: there are many variations of these formulae.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A teacher told us to add an additional step at the beginning of meditation:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If we have done something that has upset another person, mentally say, “Please forgive me.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I can’t help but wonder: Wouldn’t it be better to <i style="">actually</i> apologize to that person, rather than doing it silently?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I notice that many Buddhist meditators have come to equate metta to Loving-kindness Meditation. This misconception is more evident following the anti-junta demonstration led by monks in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Burma</st1:place></st1:country-region> recently.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some Buddhist teachers in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region></st1:place> believe that the monks should not confront the junta, but should, instead, <i style="">send metta</i> to the generals. They also advised us to <i style="">send metta</i> to the demonstrators. In other words, we should recite the four loving-kindness formulae and do nothing else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It looks like metta is all about <i style="">right thoughts</i>. But do we need <i style="">right actions</i>?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-17015348777567816582007-10-17T18:24:00.000-07:002007-10-16T21:04:08.084-07:00Who Inspired Me<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">[This post is a response to PeterAtLarge’s question: <a href="http://thebuddhadiaries.blogspot.com/2007/10/teaching-part-ii.html">Who inspired you?</a> I only touch on spiritual side here, even though Peter allows a broader scope.]</span><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Who inspired me? That's a tough question to answer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Chinese traditionally practiced a religion which combined Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. I knew a little bit about Buddhism when I was young. When I was studying in the university, I learned that the Buddhist Society organized a meditation retreat, and I grabbed the opportunity. The rest was history.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One teacher whom I respect very much is Rev Sujiva – a Malaysian monk who was trained in Mahasi Sayadaw tradition, and founded the Santisukharama Hermitage. He told us not to fear the pain when we sat. “If you cannot bear the pain in meditation, how can you bear the pain when you are dying?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then, I had a chance to work as a contract engineer in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>. I went to Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s Metta Forest Monastery a couple of times. Thanissaro Bhikkhu, more commonly known as Ajahn Geoff, was a Theravada monk whose works can be found in <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/">Access To Insight</a>. While he taught meditation, he also regularly stressed the importance of discipline and letting go. One influence he had on me was that I started to think beyond Vipassana.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now I am back to my home country.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Since my university days I mostly associate with Theravada groups, or, more specifically, Vipassana groups. One shortcoming I feel is that we are not so close to the teachers. To the average practitioners, interview in a retreat is about the only time we can have dialogue with them, and the topic is strictly on meditation only. I can’t tell them my career is at a cross-road. I can’t tell them I had relationship problems… I know some of the advanced meditators will dismissed these issues as trivial, but I am a slow learner.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes I do wish that we have the kind of teacher-student relation so common in Tibetan Buddhism...</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-14799665801748431442007-10-08T18:33:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:44.155-08:00Dongzen Temple<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Dongzen is a branch temple of the Taiwan-based Buddha Light International Association (BLIA). It is located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /><br />Entrance to the temple...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNusfYNgbVQRqxXpcaOHvwvxUoSS_pJZnVqV8OJz0WiTgfHwxCzwRnIk8lVXW6FR2TDrFF4c4JLZpNsQnJiMX-ATvfHfhmuowhllVWT8_h_00D_DVck6SS3coFJSBdI75dqNxrBA_lWjc_/s1600-h/dongzen_01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNusfYNgbVQRqxXpcaOHvwvxUoSS_pJZnVqV8OJz0WiTgfHwxCzwRnIk8lVXW6FR2TDrFF4c4JLZpNsQnJiMX-ATvfHfhmuowhllVWT8_h_00D_DVck6SS3coFJSBdI75dqNxrBA_lWjc_/s400/dongzen_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116184170870394898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The Hall of Mahavira. Mahavira was actually the founder of Jainism. For some unknown reasons, Chinese Buddhists mistook him for the Buddha, and the name stuck...</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhqDuThYlCs_SFNScdOlXRR52zEc5Gj3c3LDl041i56gUsszprR1sacETTRHeF2y2vBrsmVPMPTcmBzgKowsOjXrEwXCzBGK5Ar_Qx8EgFIEbEHLF7bCF1BPWEhrWwEYQhsbNB8WgIem2/s1600-h/dongzen_02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhqDuThYlCs_SFNScdOlXRR52zEc5Gj3c3LDl041i56gUsszprR1sacETTRHeF2y2vBrsmVPMPTcmBzgKowsOjXrEwXCzBGK5Ar_Qx8EgFIEbEHLF7bCF1BPWEhrWwEYQhsbNB8WgIem2/s400/dongzen_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116184016251572226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Inside the Hall of Mahavira is a statue of the Buddha...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKudKYr8yQ3B2gxftLJTJ_C8LjoVpQ8F_2ZoaLxUGP3-GBRHnKe3IG2aBaevMPXaCD26YRo61svIJWeWJLEUYeJ4Xv_RayHqASmeWhtAW2Pqo3AxK7b5CE0izKUvlL3HLU8I6dv5GtLrDR/s1600-h/dongzen_03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKudKYr8yQ3B2gxftLJTJ_C8LjoVpQ8F_2ZoaLxUGP3-GBRHnKe3IG2aBaevMPXaCD26YRo61svIJWeWJLEUYeJ4Xv_RayHqASmeWhtAW2Pqo3AxK7b5CE0izKUvlL3HLU8I6dv5GtLrDR/s400/dongzen_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116183857337782258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">University students attending a Dharma class guided by a nun...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ogChkTPfGAbYROXNgVmCw6YEAzYVJWpuzEIPyLHz2YRXer0XRq1XMZLQ0GDNGzMAHmOoqpeDrm9eaJfoD0TW9YO3KvKfjc9pVIcArIB0eXehtIZnRHLBKBBbLd_DhbdDNymu8M-suNVf/s1600-h/dongzen_04.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ogChkTPfGAbYROXNgVmCw6YEAzYVJWpuzEIPyLHz2YRXer0XRq1XMZLQ0GDNGzMAHmOoqpeDrm9eaJfoD0TW9YO3KvKfjc9pVIcArIB0eXehtIZnRHLBKBBbLd_DhbdDNymu8M-suNVf/s400/dongzen_04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116183715603861474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZetRq8E0rxA4w2unA2EBAJf1HZYZLezuH0uAwf1HPzoet__7oCsVLfV7ts_h0L2y2NUvqWW_HzrA3ONj1AwIIxFKPHGgI407zBwE0uxBw3qY9IPrWm6YsJOaogLNfHHqPPOWiZVieywex/s1600-h/dongzen_05.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZetRq8E0rxA4w2unA2EBAJf1HZYZLezuH0uAwf1HPzoet__7oCsVLfV7ts_h0L2y2NUvqWW_HzrA3ONj1AwIIxFKPHGgI407zBwE0uxBw3qY9IPrWm6YsJOaogLNfHHqPPOWiZVieywex/s400/dongzen_05.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116183500855496658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Some interesting statues...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJrp0exuW83s7us7aNSA3nuLWmPHsu7JGY_EQ9RrlhlE0SAylMSFjLBsNNEdC39TuOKveMFFGIV1NiLuAiWtmLjvwVIwrjWQX8eNQ83mNqA2yiqOpMYjHib1AOsC73kTfQSpcmRjS6GYG/s1600-h/dongzen_06.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJrp0exuW83s7us7aNSA3nuLWmPHsu7JGY_EQ9RrlhlE0SAylMSFjLBsNNEdC39TuOKveMFFGIV1NiLuAiWtmLjvwVIwrjWQX8eNQ83mNqA2yiqOpMYjHib1AOsC73kTfQSpcmRjS6GYG/s400/dongzen_06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116183311876935618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNNnkxaZv4qpQPBASruE4WsqnXXyGE9sYPQWLA6MYRYXPxKW4PDY0ZSQ-MF6Ont41AoIF1zIq8YEt9xuKpEMsySMhJFqawEgQ15rZOhO3wiZ4CwSEvT-eqGu11NVeZyWq2kh9_EiOhDF-/s1600-h/dongzen_07.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNNnkxaZv4qpQPBASruE4WsqnXXyGE9sYPQWLA6MYRYXPxKW4PDY0ZSQ-MF6Ont41AoIF1zIq8YEt9xuKpEMsySMhJFqawEgQ15rZOhO3wiZ4CwSEvT-eqGu11NVeZyWq2kh9_EiOhDF-/s400/dongzen_07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116183101423538098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirA7G4Z-2Ome7Xz-5PS0W6YIXbrUz_sqYGtuOY12qfwcWGJCsWaUzncqAamSJVgprGlNXDdp43auaJAV74_LQuh1s1ALcxLxYfscdMOnFl7baZJ-x3IupBiQK__K14Qw_DYh9uUf4_eq2j/s1600-h/dongzen_08.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirA7G4Z-2Ome7Xz-5PS0W6YIXbrUz_sqYGtuOY12qfwcWGJCsWaUzncqAamSJVgprGlNXDdp43auaJAV74_LQuh1s1ALcxLxYfscdMOnFl7baZJ-x3IupBiQK__K14Qw_DYh9uUf4_eq2j/s400/dongzen_08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182925329878946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6dFkJtmz72slvISPXVOamP-KidxVfzBtf-GLAbf3rKDEDMGrbC_mAnbFOviSHGzlT3ENA47fn15WwVUyI43aCCY0UVKr1RV8O_RoRKFoHppwv2f8tWw79Myf61A-267HuwwjfNx5eojB/s1600-h/dongzen_09.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6dFkJtmz72slvISPXVOamP-KidxVfzBtf-GLAbf3rKDEDMGrbC_mAnbFOviSHGzlT3ENA47fn15WwVUyI43aCCY0UVKr1RV8O_RoRKFoHppwv2f8tWw79Myf61A-267HuwwjfNx5eojB/s400/dongzen_09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182753531187090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HGCa4VpZ0pOMEHROhEfrISSNmgxOz3Abe89u-tIrfWKGK48JIgtRipjIvmFmmn9Rzm1pGMWIfifa5lD2NnUBVfYZ81BMqIkb6vYA3k7fuO4hrPMULlU3-gvHeNGURo1pJWb0YCFvL603/s1600-h/dongzen_10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HGCa4VpZ0pOMEHROhEfrISSNmgxOz3Abe89u-tIrfWKGK48JIgtRipjIvmFmmn9Rzm1pGMWIfifa5lD2NnUBVfYZ81BMqIkb6vYA3k7fuO4hrPMULlU3-gvHeNGURo1pJWb0YCFvL603/s400/dongzen_10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182577437527938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg040tt0oKyJkFJUrKI2oT7uxteHcF0TLhYKH_iTcDBZ2DIz4wC0GFNeo_IzvT14YGorS_sdxnKwpVUm-14CagPdeDaKR2zcIcYvelJbyBQVkm9CACRzBg8jUD-uy_M_gs4dGZX3jn00a-c/s1600-h/dongzen_11.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg040tt0oKyJkFJUrKI2oT7uxteHcF0TLhYKH_iTcDBZ2DIz4wC0GFNeo_IzvT14YGorS_sdxnKwpVUm-14CagPdeDaKR2zcIcYvelJbyBQVkm9CACRzBg8jUD-uy_M_gs4dGZX3jn00a-c/s400/dongzen_11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182439998574450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A picturesque garden...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoWzr_9sc5NT_AUm1uw1IfHYVTv07nqvh7skacQSVX4HNH_vlAuOKi-3gmxZSSDiKVn35GsO2tJK5H-7KF1cGq55EEcEpkN-vAQB8clQD8tE1MkQp0ZVDtekSj-xC5uPWYuEB6Bw72EM6/s1600-h/dongzen_12.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoWzr_9sc5NT_AUm1uw1IfHYVTv07nqvh7skacQSVX4HNH_vlAuOKi-3gmxZSSDiKVn35GsO2tJK5H-7KF1cGq55EEcEpkN-vAQB8clQD8tE1MkQp0ZVDtekSj-xC5uPWYuEB6Bw72EM6/s400/dongzen_12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182268199882594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The Chinese character reads </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Chan</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> (Zen). The signature reads Hsing Yun, i.e. founder of BLIA.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRx6RyM4OtwXh-2AytOhemLEvGS6etW-u9flDgTIlAS20So7-NuGrDsiEBHk9bjo0lSsr4ZsT634IcOqHVfMIB3yUSs1lIifp0anG0kGxBEHtSoVBboaSP7QN9BQx7mIW88KHph3EnnJyy/s1600-h/dongzen_13.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRx6RyM4OtwXh-2AytOhemLEvGS6etW-u9flDgTIlAS20So7-NuGrDsiEBHk9bjo0lSsr4ZsT634IcOqHVfMIB3yUSs1lIifp0anG0kGxBEHtSoVBboaSP7QN9BQx7mIW88KHph3EnnJyy/s400/dongzen_13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116182087811256146" border="0" /></a>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-69820396670266531172007-09-30T01:17:00.000-07:002007-09-30T01:26:42.604-07:00Monks’ Protest – Right or Wrong?<p class="MsoNormal">Anti-junta demonstration led by Buddhist monks in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Burma</st1:place></st1:country-region> recently has caught the attention of the world. From Asia to <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>, people wore red shirt to show their support. In my country, <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, it turns out that some of the people least concerned with the plight of Burmese are Buddhists.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know how this could happen. Perhaps they thought monks should not be involved in politics. Perhaps they thought that was the <i style="">karma</i> of the Burmese. A respected teacher told us that democracy might not be good for the Burmese. But the unrest in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Burma</st1:place></st1:country-region> was not about democracy. It’s about <b style="">human rights</b>!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on">Hong Kong</st1:place> did not have democracy before 1997, but Hong Kongers generally were happy with the British-installed governors. In <st1:country-region st="on">Bhutan</st1:country-region>, the ex-king called for election in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Himalayan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, but his subjects loved him so much that they actually preferred <i style="">absolute monarchy</i>! Unfortunately, I don’t think many Burmese would tell you that they love General Than Shwe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thai monks also took to the street a few months ago when they demanded an official religion status for Buddhism. I do NOT agree with them. The protest in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Burma</st1:place></st1:country-region>, on the other hand, was not for Buddhism or Buddhist monks. It was for the general public. It was also, in principle, a peaceful one, even thought it ended up in violence after the police crack-down. The Burmese monks also did not set themselves in fire, like what a Vietnamese monk did in <st1:place st="on">Saigon</st1:place> back in 1960s.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>, King Bhumibol keeps a watchful eye on the junta that ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Burma</st1:place></st1:country-region> does not have a monarchy. If the monks don’t defy the junta, who else can???</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-89295954873982482562007-09-26T18:12:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:44.330-08:00Moral Support for Myanmar's Anti-Junta March<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8LdTn3Q_E4lqtr-odUcvnvbJUHMrVay9SAMNIXuKPBxo2BmNs2zfR0k8O8Ysltm4b0gGbCpOBIENOMwi0sjuKSIkjxZjk18gX7mj6ADeJEmQhLUlFnerilWRYzzrLYA-F0Rb9cOJMmo4/s1600-h/myanmar2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8LdTn3Q_E4lqtr-odUcvnvbJUHMrVay9SAMNIXuKPBxo2BmNs2zfR0k8O8Ysltm4b0gGbCpOBIENOMwi0sjuKSIkjxZjk18gX7mj6ADeJEmQhLUlFnerilWRYzzrLYA-F0Rb9cOJMmo4/s400/myanmar2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114438374038753026" border="0" /></a><br />Picture taken from <a href="http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/">Ko Htike's Prosaic Collection</a>.khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-81626596013293651602007-09-19T07:57:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:45.320-08:00Temples in ThailandWat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJYiqSN8IPxOZffOXxB103eTb4DIReeOH3PBYW5Wvg8Fw-6DonlklsqJCVI97MzXMWfB1efix7v5EL_DYxt5deBQ17QZy4MY_pmCYXpYEnzGkO5-1XOxekPsxsxKDI64H1PHGqGna98KP/s1600-h/thai_wat_01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJYiqSN8IPxOZffOXxB103eTb4DIReeOH3PBYW5Wvg8Fw-6DonlklsqJCVI97MzXMWfB1efix7v5EL_DYxt5deBQ17QZy4MY_pmCYXpYEnzGkO5-1XOxekPsxsxKDI64H1PHGqGna98KP/s400/thai_wat_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109982632566756562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wat Santikiri, Mae Salong...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P4H5M18TRC-jukGgYc6FecYURPBKPUFgK9MbvnS1Hoz4SU3Nk-1QZGOZc9yJsT8PQKVW-2YB4SZU7iSTpDN96A_py3CyhrYK44arQ_CGUiAc56ekbgVuSfGRg2Hwd8vMgIpgzESXvgJW/s1600-h/thai_wat_02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9P4H5M18TRC-jukGgYc6FecYURPBKPUFgK9MbvnS1Hoz4SU3Nk-1QZGOZc9yJsT8PQKVW-2YB4SZU7iSTpDN96A_py3CyhrYK44arQ_CGUiAc56ekbgVuSfGRg2Hwd8vMgIpgzESXvgJW/s400/thai_wat_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109982392048587970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-_zk24KdDmtOq5wDA2o1aVmx9kIEE8pLf-SY-P7Dhe9TWjnP5c7fhh8vVy3Ef1liMmd8xSybjCznlBgUkt6cluH_sp-UZfr1ilJiI9Gras-5__XaScGTzLOZ3v5ZhJGZj-BdS4tSEAgl/s1600-h/thai_wat_03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-_zk24KdDmtOq5wDA2o1aVmx9kIEE8pLf-SY-P7Dhe9TWjnP5c7fhh8vVy3Ef1liMmd8xSybjCznlBgUkt6cluH_sp-UZfr1ilJiI9Gras-5__XaScGTzLOZ3v5ZhJGZj-BdS4tSEAgl/s400/thai_wat_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109981494400423090" border="0" /></a>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-66297990250874630862007-09-11T07:26:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:45.528-08:00Anti-meditation in Buddhism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bNFSGfE9VBB8QbGm6yPSaE9cWehUOZ_LkHECXYAxWhzyVoptYNpvk8JkO1dcRTqB8I8q4_TN8JTlyNWrtYmukd01xWzIDaqA8PFjIfIuSGP_JsmGA2OtdgFaz0ulBeBcG3_syVIB6mG4/s1600-h/maitreya.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bNFSGfE9VBB8QbGm6yPSaE9cWehUOZ_LkHECXYAxWhzyVoptYNpvk8JkO1dcRTqB8I8q4_TN8JTlyNWrtYmukd01xWzIDaqA8PFjIfIuSGP_JsmGA2OtdgFaz0ulBeBcG3_syVIB6mG4/s400/maitreya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101361418257159874" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The above picture shows the statue of Bodhisattva Maitreya, the future Buddha. Have you ever wondered why Bodhisattva Maitreya is usually depicted as sitting on chair rather than sitting cross-legged?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a Mahayanist Sutra – which I don’t trust – we are told that the future Buddha “doesn’t practice meditation; doesn’t want to end suffering.”<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family:SimSun;"> (不修禅定,不断烦恼。) </span>I guess that explains the posture of Bodhisattva Maitreya.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the West, Buddhism is synonymous to meditation. In <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place>, however, a small number of Buddhists actually think meditation is a selfish act! These misguided people, rather than striving for awakening, vow to “suffer together with all beings in the universe”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have seen many Chinese monks and nuns, while compassionate, lack the wisdom I had expected. They want to help the people, but often it is like blind leading the blinds. </p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-36597204497765536602007-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:45.668-08:00Standing Meditation<p class="MsoNormal">According to Buddhist scripture, meditation can be practiced in 4 postures: sitting, walking, standing and lying.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sitting posture is most common. Traditionally yogis sat cross-legged. Today many sit on chairs. Walking meditation is popular among some traditions. Standing posture is less common because it is tough. Lying posture is also seldom used because one can fall asleep easily. The Japanese, of course, added the kneeling posture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One year ago, I started to practice standing meditation regularly. I had not been very healthy. I hope that, by meditating in standing posture, I would be fitter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today, I don’t fall sick as often as I did a year ago. But I am still not sure if it is a result of standing meditation, or the healthy supplements I take.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I will continue to do standing meditation.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOkXGnYWgusMI3U4lamGmWCOh2syExqu5HD1jDSlS02JD0zQlyCRijE6rdvjSzWzL4o7v87Ch4K-QP5Rw2qwlzTnpzByPQiMObkcRLGAMPuhqkclv3uuhgQdlo6Polg7idQr0mXCLZ4La/s1600-h/j0396364.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOkXGnYWgusMI3U4lamGmWCOh2syExqu5HD1jDSlS02JD0zQlyCRijE6rdvjSzWzL4o7v87Ch4K-QP5Rw2qwlzTnpzByPQiMObkcRLGAMPuhqkclv3uuhgQdlo6Polg7idQr0mXCLZ4La/s400/j0396364.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098072968083858690" border="0" /></a></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-59284986433147908422007-08-23T18:23:00.000-07:002008-12-08T16:40:45.946-08:00Shaolin Monks<p class="MsoNormal">To the Buddhists, Shaolin Monastery in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> is known as the birth place of <i style="">Chan</i> (Zen) Buddhism. To non-Buddhists, it is famous for its Kungfu monks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPIPZ0Qt7TFdDsHItKlh9c-BAQt5MZnj0Fy_dnjDPIjDguC-A_e_1AxbXYDFmvl2Gd0qYczn35iPrIn4lqnBlhApJJaB5liIlzB6Ht87oCdtU-vSvs_GSIucJe4JOtVy4n6c9j0jwgPBv/s1600-h/ShaolinMonk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPIPZ0Qt7TFdDsHItKlh9c-BAQt5MZnj0Fy_dnjDPIjDguC-A_e_1AxbXYDFmvl2Gd0qYczn35iPrIn4lqnBlhApJJaB5liIlzB6Ht87oCdtU-vSvs_GSIucJe4JOtVy4n6c9j0jwgPBv/s400/ShaolinMonk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100711203158218322" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A Shaolin monk can break pieces of bricks with a single chop of his palm. He can withstand the attack of a spear without getting injured. The question is: monks are supposed to be peace-loving people. Should they practice martial art?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To be sure, martial art of Shaolin Monastery isn’t of the ‘soft’ type, like Taiji or Aikido. Rather, it belongs to the ‘hard’ type. A kick by a Shaolin monk can be <b style="">fatal</b>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And I am never so sure if they are genuine monks in the first place. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> has been ruled by the Communists since 1949 and majority of Chinese are atheists. Perhaps these ‘monks’ are just Kungfu-loving youths who, in order to learn the art, don the robes reluctantly. Outside the monastery or affiliated martial art academies, they may live a life that bring disgrace to the Buddhist community.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570183187225389608.post-29479381703585507932007-08-20T07:24:00.000-07:002007-08-19T19:59:27.145-07:00Dharma, not italicized<p class="MsoNormal">I came across an article on <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/">BusinessWeek</a> with the title ‘<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/aug2007/gb20070815_732456.htm?chan=globalbiz_asia+index+page_top+stories">In <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>, Dharma Confronts the Dollar</a>’.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While this article describes commercialization of Buddhism in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I found the title interesting. It seems to suggest that ‘Dharma’ is no longer an alien word in English.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Heck, I still remember a sitcom called ‘Dharma and Greg’. And, as I am typing, Microsoft Word hasn’t drawn a red curvy line below the word which means ‘teaching of the Buddha’ or ‘the Law’.</p>khengsionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388168568808671784noreply@blogger.com0