Abhidhamma Course in English at Mahindarama

Dear fellow dhammafarers,

Sukhi hontu to all of you. There will be an Abhidhamma Course Part 1 conducted by Dr Mehm Tin Mon, B. Sc. Hons (Yangon), M. Sc., Ph. D (USA), Saddhamma Jotakadhaja, who has graciously devoted his selfless time and compassion for the welfare of all beings. Below is a brief introduction of Dr Mehm Tin Mon (See attached photo)

Dr. Mehm Tin Mon was born in Kanawat village, Mudon township, Mon State,Union of Myanmar in 1934. He was always a top scorer in school and joined the University of Yangon in 1951 and passed with B. Sc. Hons in Chemistry and had won 3 distinguished university gold medals for outstanding achievements.

In 1957, he went to USA to study at University of Illinois on a state scholarship and gained his Master of Science degree in 1958 and Doctorate degree in 1960. He also won membership to Phi Lambaa Upsilon Society and Sigma Xi Society.

He served his own country for 36 years as a lecturer, Head of Department of Chemistry and finally as Professor of Chemistry in the University of Mawlamyine. He retired from Professorship on December 1, 1992.

Dr. Mehm Tin Mon also excelled in religious examinations. He stood first in the Abhidhamma Examination for Ordinary Level in 1981 and Honours Level in 1983. Again in 1984, he stood first in the Visuddhi Magga Examination. He has written over 30 books on education as well as on Buddhism. He has conducted over 200 Abhidhamma courses in Myanmar, USA, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. He has also delivered many lectures on Buddhism and meditation.

His clear thinking, delightful teaching and simple, clear style of writing have won the admiration of many listeners and readers. He was awarded the title "Saddhamma Jotakadhaja" by the Government of Union of Myanmar in 1994 for his outstanding contribution in the propagation of Buddhism.

So fellow dhammafarers, grab this golden opportunity to make yourself available to learn from a very learned, delicated, humble and simple master. A living example by his conduct.
Please pass the message around to all your friends and relatives. (Note : For non-Muslims only) and tell them not to miss this rare opportunity.

Course : ABHIDHAMMA COURSE PART 1 (conducted in English)
Conducted by : Dr. Mehm Tin Mon, B. Sc. Hons, M. Sc, Ph. D, Saddhamma Jotakadhaja
Venue : Mahindarama Buddhist Temple, Lecture Hall,
No. 2, Kampar Road, Penang. (Opposite Methodist Boys' School)
Date : 13 th ~ 22nd November 2007
Time : Monday ~ Friday (8.00 pm to 10.00 pm)
Saturday & Sunday ( 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm)
Contact Person : Chng Gim Teik
Email : gtchng@yahoo.co.uk and HP : 019-4446561
For registration : Email or sms your name and contact no.

The course is free of charge.

All are most welcome. For those who cannot attend the full course, can also join in whenever you are free but please be on time so as not to disrupt the class.

By the blessings of the Triple Gem, may all beings be well and happy. Strive on with diligence. Sadhu ! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Is giving necessarily generosity?

Dana & Caga: Is giving necessarily generosity?

By Ven Kumara Bhikkhu
An edited transcript of a talk given at Taiping Buddhist Society on 04-11-2006.

As most of you probably know, dana is a Pali word meaning 'giving' or 'gift'. Some extend it to mean 'generosity' as well. While this is somewhat commonly accepted, how safely can we assume that giving is necessarily an act of generosity? We should bear in mind that 'generosity' in Pali is not dana, but caga. Giving (or dana) per se can be done with or without generosity. Let me explain.

Non-generous Giving

While giving is generally regarded as a good deed, it can also be motivated by an unwholesome intention, which the doer may not be fully aware of. Here are four unwholesome states from which a motivation to give can arise.

1 Greed

A person may give with the hope of getting something in return. An example would be bribing to get a business deal or a government contract.

In the Buddhist world, greed-motivated giving happens too, though we may not see it as unethical. We can call it 'kammic investment', giving to gain merits for future benefit. Is that bad? No, it's not. It is just as it is: greed-motivated giving, which shall bear results accordingly.

I wish I could talk about this without making some people feel uncomfortable, but I really don't know how. At any rate, I think it's important to be aware of this.

This greed-motivated giving probably still has its merits nonetheless. Yet, we can't say that it's generous when it's motivated by greed. Whether we like to admit it or not, such giving is done out of the giver's desire to gain future enjoyment for oneself. Some people also believe that the merits of giving can bring about rebirth in heaven. But is that true? I'll get to that later.

One problem with such giving is that the giver's desire tends to blind him from considering the receiving end. Does the recipient want that gift? Is it suitable for the recipient? This desire can sometimes be so strong that the giver forces the recipient to accept the gift.

I once witnessed a monk insisting that an elder monk accept a pair of socks. After repeated attempts to decline politely, the elder monk gave in to the demand apparently just to avoid prolonging the spectacle. Another monk told me of an experience while collecting alms. When he saw a man coming with money in his hand, he quickly closed his bowl. So, what did the man do? He promptly pried the lid open and threw the money in!

In these cases, we can immediately recognise them as wrong, as there was resistance from the unwilling recipient. Oft times, the recipient simply resigns to the wish of the giver. Or else, he may be regarded as being 'choosy', 'uncompassionate' , or simply 'not giving face'.

For example, people often give monks more robes than they can possibly wear, such as during a kathina ceremony. Are these acts of generosity? (This may not be motivated by greed though, as one may be simply following a tradition blindly. In that way, it's more of delusion.)

Why do we give things that others don't want, or that are unsuitable for them? What kammic results can be expected of such giving? Such questions are worth pondering upon.

2 Aversion

Can we give out of anger or aversion? Why not? Let's say, two parties fight over something. Then one gets really sick of it and gives up, saying, "Okay, you take it! Take it! I don't want it anymore!" Is that giving? It still is. But is it generosity? I wouldn't think so. It's more likely that it is done out of anger, isn't it?

Another example is when a smelly, dirty beggar comes to beg for alms while you're enjoying your meal with your partner at a hawker centre. You resent having your enjoyment interrupted and promptly give him some money to get rid of him as soon as possible. To give you another example, some parents give in to their children's pestering, even though what they ask for is mentally or physically unhealthy. Instead of doing the right thing, which is to educate or explain to the child, many parents often give in simply because they want to avoid feeling annoyed.

Are these acts of giving? Sure. Generosity? Not really. They are done out of aversion.

3 Delusion

Giving out of delusion mainly occurs among victims of swindlers, manipulators and exploiters.

You've probably heard of people who donate large sums of money with the aim of being empowered to gain great riches. I wonder how many of them got their wish. One may also be charmed into giving large sums of money to obtain 'magic stones' that are supposed to possess miraculous powers. More professional charmers don't even have to give anything in return. The victim is simply tricked into giving.

Then there are also temple gimmicks, such as having people throw money into alms-bowls labelled with words like "Prosperity" , "Health" and "Love", or having them put money into donation boxes in the shape of alms bowls held by Buddha images. Of course, it is still possible to give out of generosity despite the delusive forms, but would it not be likely that many may be influenced to give out of delusion?

Please note that I'm not saying that such giving is not meritorious. Rather, I'd like to point out the underlying moral intentions, which is what kamma is about ultimately.

4 Fear

People also often give when they feel compelled to, out of fear that something bad will happen to them if they don't; for example, when threatened by an extortionist, or when they 'donate' to police officers to avoid being punished for doing something illegal.

Besides that, some Buddhists and followers of other faiths, particularly those involved in wrong livelihood, also give out of fear of being reborn in hell or other lower realms of existence. They hope that their giving to some religious person (preferably one who is believed to be an arahant with psychic powers), or for some religious project (like building a multi-million dollar tooth-relic temple), can somehow neutralize their immoral actions and thus prevent them from having to face the consequences they fear.

These acts of giving are not done out of generosity, but fear.

This brings us back to what I mentioned earlier on the belief that giving can bring about rebirth in heaven. Can dana or giving reward us with long life, beauty and great happiness in the human world or even among the heavens? Can we, so to speak, 'bribe' the law of kamma? (Think for a moment before you read on.)

The Buddha says yes. However, he adds that this is true "only for the virtuous, not for the unvirtuous; for it is due to his purity that the heart's desire of the virtuous succeeds." (Danupapatti Sutta, AN 8:35)

Giving is of course a good deed and can bring about good results. Depending on the nature of the gifts, giving can bring about long life, beauty, happiness, strength, good repute, intelligence, etc. (AN 5:31, 5:37) However if you wish for a happy rebirth, even if it's just in the human realm, it's your morality or virtue—rather than your giving—that can give rise to that.

So, remember that while giving, especially giving to virtuous people, is beneficial to you, it's even more important to be heedful of your virtue, the least being the Five Precepts though preferably more than that.

What happens then to those who give a lot—perhaps even to very virtuous people—but are heedless in virtue, committing all sorts of unwholesome deeds? In Janussoni Sutta (AN 10:177), the Buddha says that such a person may obtain the reward of being an animal that leads a comfortable life, such as a royal horse, or perhaps a billionaire' s dog, which is a more common example in our modern day.

By pointing out this, I hope those who are going by that wrong idea would realise that they are on the wrong track. Giving is good, but to have a happier future, you also have to be good.

All that I've said to this point may be a bit depressing for some of you. If so, let me cheer you up a little.

Generous giving

The good news is that if we can give motivated by good states of mind, the benefit is so much greater than just plain giving. You've probably done this many times; such as the times when someone asked you for something and you gladly gave; or when you saw someone in need, you considered how you could help and you did, thereby uplifting his well-being.

When you gave with such pure intentions, how did you feel? Was there a sense of joy? Did you feel somewhat uplifted? That's what we get—immediately—when we give purely for the benefit of the recipient with a generous heart.

Moreover, according to SappurisaDana Sutta (AN 5:148), when one gives with a compassionate heart, meaning out of genuine desire for the recipient's welfare, then besides becoming wealthy when the giving bears results, excellent is the five cords of sense pleasures his mind is inclined to enjoy. In other words, when one gives without that good state of mind, one can still become rich, but would not be inclined to enjoy the wealth fully. Perhaps you know of certain people who are very wealthy, yet can't bring themselves to fully enjoy their wealth. Their family members might help them in that department though.So, instead of just doing plain dana, why not be accomplished in generosity (cagasampada)? This is one of the four accomplishments that the Buddha repeatedly spoke about to lay people:

What is being accomplished in generosity? Here, a family man dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delight in relinquishing, responsive to requests, delight in giving and sharing. This is called being accomplished in generosity. (AN 4:61, 8:49, 54, 76)

In simpler words, it means just being happy to give. This kind of giving is one that is motivated by pure intentions: no greed, no anger, no delusion, no fear. Therefore, it feels good, it feels light, it feels right. It's the best way to give. By being genuinely generous, by being accomplished in generosity, you can then be truly regarded as a master of giving (danapati).

While plain dana can be meritorious, dana that is motivated by caga (generosity) is so much greater. If you wish to do dana as a parami for the attainment of enlightenment and Nibbana, then this is the kind of dana that you want to do, because this is the kind of dana that relinquishes, and thus helpful to the attainment of Nibbana, the complete ending of suffering.

So basically there are two kinds of giving: one that binds you, and one that frees you. Which kind would you want to do?

Conclusion

Hope you see what I'm trying to point out, that is, giving is not necessarily an act of generosity. It's not even necessarily done out of good intentions. Having generosity however means that you are prompted to give for the benefit of the recipient, not your own; and that's the kind of giving that is truly beneficial to both the giver and the recipient.

May you be accomplished in generosity for the benefit of the many, including yourself, and so that it conduces to your ultimate freedom.

Upcoming Event : Malaysia Festival of the Mind 2007

The Malaysia Festival of the Mind 2007 is around the corner!

Venue: University Tunku Abdul Rahman, 13 Jln 13/6, 46200 PJ

Date: 25-28 Oct 2007

Officiated by:YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah b Haji Ahamd Badawi (PM)

More info: http://www.utar. edu.my/contentPa ge1.jsp?contenti d=536&catid=9

Schedule of public talks: http://www.utar. edu.my/media/ FOTM/schedule. htm, including: Master Your Life Through the Power of Your Mind; Thinking Out of The Box; Creative Mind in Management etc

Exhibitions: http://www.utar. edu.my/media/ FOTM/USM% 20BRAINetwork. pdf or see pdf attachment

And most importantly: Admission is FREE!

The public talk titles are very attractive! I'm trying to attend as many as I can after work.

Bcoz the Power of the Mind is our Greatest Gift.

Upcoming Event : Echoes of Buddhism 3 Concert

CONTENTMENT

Have you ever, at any one time, had the feeling that life is bad, real bad,
and you wish you were in another situation?

You find life make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks,
everything seems to go wrong...

Read the following story... it may change your views about life:
After a conversation with one of my friends, he told me despite taking
2 jobs, he brings back barely above 1K per month, he is happy as he
is.

I wonder how he can be as happy as he is considering he has to skimp
his life with the low pay to support a pair of old parents, in-laws, a
wife, 2 daughters and the many bills of a household.

He explained that it was through one incident that he saw in India
that happened a few years ago when he was really feeling low and
touring India  after a major setback.

He said that right in front of his very eyes he saw an Indian mother
chop off her child's right hand with a chopper. The helplessness in
the mother's eyes, the scream of pain from the innocent 4-year-old
child haunted him until today.

You may ask why did the mother do so; had the child been naughty, had
the child's hand been infected?? No, it was done for two simple words-
- -TO BEG!

The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped
so that the child could go out to the streets to beg.

Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a piece of bread he was eating
half-way. And almost instantly, a flock 5 or 6 children swamped
towards this small piece of bread which was covered with sand, robbing
bits from one another. The natural reaction of hunger.

Stricken by the happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to
the nearest bakery. He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single
loaf of bread he found in the bakeries. The owner was dumbfounded but
willingly sold everything. He spent less than $100 to obtain about 400
loaves of bread (this is less than $0..25 per loaf) and spent another
$100 to get daily necessities.

Off he went in the truck full of bread into the streets. As he
distributed the bread and necessities to the children (mostly
handicapped) and a few adults, he received cheers and bows from these
unfortunate. For the first time in his life he wondered how people can
give up their dignity for a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25.

He began to tell himself how fortunate he is. How fortunate he is to be
able to have a complete body, have a job! , have a family, have the
chance to complain what food is nice and what isn't nice, have the
chance to be clothed, have the many things that these people in front
of him are deprived of...

Now I begin to think and feel it, too! Was my life really that bad?
Perhaps... no, I should not feel bad at all... What about you? Maybe
the next time you think you are, think about the child who lost one
hand to beg on the streets.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the
realization of how much you already have."

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we
look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has
been opened for us.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's
also true that! we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past,you
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.

Please send this message to those people who mean something to you, to
those who have touched your life in one way or another, to those who
make you smile when you really need it, to those that make you see the
brighter side of things when you are really down, to those who you
want to let them know that you appreciate their friendship.

And if you don't, don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you, you
will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with
this message.

Past Life Recllections in Malaysia

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Dhamma,

In line with research by Professor Dr. Ian Stevenson, a psychiatrist and pioneer scientific researcher on the phenomena of ‘Reincarnation’ , I’m planning to do a simple study and eventually write a book entitled, “Cases of Past Life Recall in Malaysia ”.

During my Dhamma talks and association with Dhamma friends, I have come across a significant number of people who seem to be able to remember their past lives through various means - hypnotic regression, meditation, dream, spontaneous recall etc. Some became more 'awakened', happy and peaceful after the recall but some had more conflicts and ended up with depression. All of them seem to have a common issue - they are reluctant to relate their past-life recall experience as they are afraid that people may not belief them and may even label them as 'crazy'.

Therefore, I'm making the effort to compile the past-life recall experiences with the following objectives:

1. To provide an opportunity for those with past-life recall to relate their experience.
2. To enable more people to learn from the experience of those with past-life recall.
3, To enhance people's confidence in the doctrine of Rebirth as taught by the Budhha.

If you have any past life recall experience, either confirmed or probable, you are invited to participate in the study. Kindly download the questionnaire and answer the questions for the study. Your personal identity will NOT be reviewed and your case story will be used ONLY for education and discussion purpose.

If you don't have any past life recall experience. I would appreciate if you could circulate this email to your circle of friends (Buddhist or non-Buddhist whom you think may have a past-life recall) to contribute to this study. May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you and SUKHIHOTU!

WE LEARN, WE PRACTICE & WE SHARE!

Mudita,
Dr. Phang Cheng Kar (MD)
016 396 9080

Seeking Acceptance

When Sarika was forced to bow out of She's My Son because of her second sister's protests, she was furious.

"I'm really mad (at my sister's reaction)," said Sarika when I met her in July.

"She's scared that my relatives will look down on her because of me, that's the main reason," she said, her voice tight with anger.

We met at Akademia Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan campus in Kuala Lumpur in July. She was there to film segments for She's My Son in one of the theatres.

Yes, despite her sister's objections, Sarika decided to go ahead and be involved with the documentary anyway. However, this time, as it's narrator.

"I'm not afraid of anyone. Anyway, my boyfriend encourages me and says that he's very proud I'm doing this," she said with a smile.

"I'm happy that there's a chance for me to talk about the transgendered in Malaysia. I want to show people that they're accepted by their families."

For Sarika, she knew that she was a girl in a boy's body by the time she was eight.

"I didn't mix with the boys, I was always with the girls," she said.

After finishing her studies in human resource management at a local college, Sarika, at the age of 20, had her sex change operation in Thailand in 2004 which cost her about RM10,000.

It was one of the best moments in her life, as it was her greatest desire to have a sex change operation.

"I must thank God that my mother accepts me and shares everything she has with me, such as sarees, jewellery and especially make-up," she said with a laugh.

Her other siblings (except her second sister) accepted her decision too, but her father was a more difficult case.

"He was a very serious person. We are high caste Indians, he's Ceylonese, and he didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the relatives. Also I'm his only son, "she said ruefully.

But two months before his death, Sarika's father accepted her for who she is.

However, it is rare for other people to do the same.

"Some people look at me as if I'm an animal. They ask me, 'Why do you want to be this?'

"I'm lucky that when I was in college, and at my workplace, people accepted me," she said. But she said that she gets teased almost every day when she walks down the streets.

Most of her transsexual friends are not as lucky. Four years ago, one of Sarika's good friends, Amu, a transsexual, committed suicide. She was 21.

"Her boyfriend made use of her, swindled her of her money, forced her to use drugs and didn't allow her to go anywhere. She was such a beautiful and talented person. If her family had accepted her, it wouldn't have happened. I still can't believe that she's gone," she said blinking away with tears.

In contrast, one of Samsed's happiest moment was when her son Suganya had a sex change operation.

"Finally, she can live a fully feminine life," she told Indrani Kopal, the filmmaker behind She's My Son.

Suganya had her sex change operation early this year in Thailand. She works in a factory and has a fiance.

Samsed, a mother of eight children, had never considered abandoning Suganya, who is her second child.

"Many children are born handicapped, do we dump them? We'll still make sure that they live as normal a life as possible. This is the same thing I'm trying to do.

"I want to make sure Suganya lives a meaningful life no matter who she becomes," she said.

Samsed's husband abandoned the family when Suganya was 13 and she raised her family by running a vegetable stall in the morning and a food stall at night.

 To her, there is nothing wrong with transsexual; the problem is with the society.

"No one cares! Relatives, society, the Government, everyone is trying to deny their rights to live anormal life. By denying them of their rights, society is alienating them," said Samsed.

Sarika wants the Government to give them the right to change their gender on their identity card to overcome the problems they face when looking for jobs, travelling, etc.

She tried to change her name on her identity card once, but was refused.

"The officer told me, 'History cannot be changed'," she said.

"Many transgender people are well-educated and talented. Yet, all my friends who are well-educated are prostitutes. Why? Because of their IC.

"Four of them used to be lawyers, achitects and engineers. But when they decided to 'come out', they lost their jobs and now they're prostitutes. They didn't want to pretend anymore. How long can you pretend anyway? We should be who we are."

Adapted from StarMag 9 September 2007

He's my daughter

Appalled by how transsexuals are generally mistreated by society and even their families, the third winner of FreedomFilmFest07 hopes to change mindsets by showing how a mother's love and acceptance can make all the difference.

It was an assignment that seemed straight-forward enough: do a video clip on transsexuals in Malaysia for a news website. But after meeting and interviewing transsexuals and learning about their lives, Indrani Kopal, 28, could not get them out of her mind.

The Cambridge International Dictionary of English defines a transsexual as a person who feels that they should have been born the opposite sex, and therefore behaves and dresses like a member of that sex, or a person who has had a medical operation to change their sex.

In real life, that's much harder to do. The transsexuals Indrani met told her stories of how they were harrassed and abused by strangers when they walked down the street. Some were turned out by their loved ones. As a result, many become sex workers because they could not fend for themselves as no one was willing to employ them. And this led to the arrests by the police.

Indrani quickly realised that her short video clip for Malaysiakini was not enough. She kept in touch with many transsexuals she had come to know and looked for the chance to tell their stories in a bigger and more profound way.

She first thought of highlighting the injustices faced by transsexuals, because "in the Asian region, our country is the worst for transsexuals to live in," but that angle did not feel right nor new to Indrani.

Then, she got to know Sarika Samalakrishnan, 23, a university graduate who works in a human resource department of a company.

After hearing numerous tales of how transsexuals were turned away by their families, she was astounded to find out that Sarika's family accepted her for who she was.

"Her mum went to the extend of buying her clothes and cosmetics! I was amazed, and thought, 'Wow, that's a cool mother!' And I thought, why not document it?" saud Indrani.

Indrani knew that she had found the perfect angle for the documentary.

And when the FreedomFilmFest judges received her documentary proposal, they thought the same and Indrani became one of the three winners who were awarded a RM5000 grant.

Her documentary is called She's My Son. It wasn't easy to juggle her busy work as a video journalist and find time to film and direct her project as well.

But nothing prepared her for the crisis that hit the production. Three weeks after pre-production in April, one of Sarika's sisters feared that the documentary would make Sarika's "issue" public and thus harm the chances of their younger sister getting married.

Sarika had to withdraw from the documentary.

"It was a moment of complete panic for me," said Indrani, shuddering at the memory.

For two weeks, Indrani frantically searched for a new talent. Then Sarika introduced her to Suganya, 30.

"I wasn't so sure about her at first. Then, at a party held by transsexuals, Suganya came to me and said, 'Don't worry, you will love my mother.' And when I met Suganya's mother Samsed, I realised that she was godsend. Everything I had in mind, she just laid it out. She was so expressive, confident, and cooperative," said Indrani.

The relationship between Suganya and Samsed, 49, was just beautiful, she added.

When Suganya went through a sex change operation recently, the whole family celebrated it.

"It was a huge ceremony for them and they invited their relatives to the party," said Indrani.

One thing you will not find in her documentary is religious debate because Indrani feels that the focus should be on families instead.

"The root of the problem is the family. If the family respects a transgendered child, then they will educate society (into accepting transsexuals). Why do you want to blame authorities when you can educate the family? And who can educate the family? The media."

The real star of the documentary, she said, is Samsed.

"I want peopleto know that there are mothers who accept their transsexual children, " she explained. "When I was young, I didn't give them any attention. I thought they were normal, but I wasn't aware of what was happening to them in society."

Society needs to realise that transsexuals have the right to live, to have shelter, to earn money and have an education, she added.

"Even if only one person changes after the documentary, I think I've completed my objective," she said.

Adapted from StarMag on September 9, 07

Hungry Ghost

Our next EDSG dharma talk wil be on the

Date: Sept 12, 2007

Time: 7.45 pm - 10.30 pm

Venue: BSK 2

Topic: Hungry Ghost

Speaker: Bro. Justin

The schedule is as below:

7.45 pm - 8.00 pm Puja

8.00 pm - 9.30 pm Talk

9.30 pm - 10.00 pm Q n A

10.00 pm - 10.30 pm Singing Session

10.30 pm Drinks

The Hungry Ghost realm (also known as the Preta realm) is based on possessiveness and desire.

The sentient beings in this realm are known as "hungry ghosts" because of their inability to enjoy food or drink. In Tibetan versions of the Bhavacakra they are drawn with narrow necks to represent that condition.

adapted from http://buddhism.2be.net/Six_realms

You are curious about ghost? Do they really exist? How can we see them?

Please post any question you wanna on Hungry Ghost. Thanks!!

EDSG Talk 2

Our next EDSG dharma talk wil be on the

Date: Aug 29, 2007

Time: 7.45 pm - 10.30 pm

Venue: BSK 2

Topic: The Challenge of Finding, Having & Loosing A Life Partner

Speaker: Bro. Leonard

The schedule is as below:

7.45 pm - 8.00 pm Puja

8.00 pm - 9.30 pm Talk

9.30 pm - 10.00 pm Q n A

10.00 pm - 10.30 pm Singing Session

10.30 pm Drinks

Description on the topic:
The Challenge Of Finding, Having & Loosing A Life Partner

• Who is “Life Partner”?
• Why do we need one?
• Part 1: Looking for a life partner.
  • Understanding the processes.
    • No process
    • Arrange Marriage.
    • Follow how the mind work process. ( 5 Aggregates : Matter +Mind )
  • Be Mindful on what are we doing. Cause what ever we feed our mind, it will hurt later on if we are not careful.
  • When We Win? Is that the end?
  • When We Loose? What to do? How to meant a broken heart?
  • Premarital sex, is that ok? Will that break my precepts?
  • Homosexuality issue. ( I'll just touch a bit, as this has been covered by Sis Surya last time)
• Part 2: Having a life partner.
  • Is this the end of the story of part 1?
  • When you marry him or her, you will have her/his family too.
  • What should we do?
  • Having a family? A big commitment?
• Part 3: Loosing a life partner.
• Why is it so painful?
• How to loose this pain? What should we do?
• A peaceful separation.
• Our responsibility to our children.

Everyone are welcome to attend the EDSG. See u guys !!
Sadhu ! Sadhu ! Sadhu !

Upcoming Dharma Talks

Dear all,
Talks for August from the K Sri Dhammananda Memorial Series...

mettena cittena


DHAMMA TALKS BY VEN DR. SEELAWIMALA NAYAKA MAHA THERA
Venerable Dr Seelawimala Nayaka Maha Thera was ordained at the age of 10 
years old in Sri Lanka and pursued various fields of Buddhist studies 
including Philosophy. Since 1976, Bhante was invited by the Buddhist 
Churches of America to the US where he has been actively involved in 
Dhammadutta work including teaching the Dhamma and setting up, heading and 
advisor to several Sri Lankan, Thai, Laotian and Cambodian Buddhist temples 
and groups.

Bhante teaches Buddhist Philosophy at the Graduate Theological Union which 
is affiliated to the University of California, Berkeley in the USA. Bhante 
is currently in Malaysia at the invitation of the Buddhist Maha Vihara, 
Brickfields for a Dhammadutta mission as part of the K Sri Dhammananda 
Memorial Lecture series.

19 Aug (Sun)    8.00pm         Mahindarama Buddhist Temple, Penang
                Sub: Knowing Oneself
                Contact: Sis Pin Pin (019-3222136)

20 Aug (Mon)    8.00pm         Mahindarama Buddhist Temple, Penang
                Sub: Why Buddhists Are Happy?
                Contact: Sis Pin Pin (019-3222136)

21 Aug (Tues)    8.00pm         Mahindarama Buddhist Temple, Penang
                Sub: Our precious Human Life
                Contact: Sis Pin Pin (019-3222136)

Buddhism & Homosexuality Q&A

Question : Is a Buddhist homosexual breaking the precept on "avoiding sexual misconduct?"

Answer :

What do we mean by "sexual misconduct?" Here we are referring specifically to behaviour that harms the person who performs the act, or the other party - not all sexual conduct. Sex is prohibited to those who choose to be celibate e.g. monks or nuns. These persons have voluntarily chosen to abstain from sex to better concentrate on their spiritual progress. In a sexual relationship, if the two parties are consenting adults, not under-aged, not “attached” (legally or otherwise) to someone else, there is no harm done.
In Buddhism, we do not consider any action "sinful" in the sense that we transgress a divine commandment. We act wrongly because of avijja (ignorance) and therefore we commit an akusala kamma (unskillful/bad action) that delays or interferes with our spiritual progress. In our ignorance about the real nature of things (in this case, our body) we act in ways that are detrimental to us from a spiritual point of view. Understanding and wisdom will help us refrain from harmful actions, both mental and physical.
In this connection, Buddhism does not recognise that marriage is a divinely ordained institution that suddenly makes sex permissible. Sex is a human activity that has nothing to do with heaven and hell. You will notice that sexual restraint is one of the Five Precepts observed by practising Buddhists. Killing is far more serious because you can hurt another being more viciously. Sex is a craving, just like craving for food, liquor, drugs, wealth, power, etc. Attachment to any of these constitutes akusala kamma because, if we really understand the nature of our bodies and how craving works against us, we will not indulge in it. Buddhism discourages any of these forms of craving because they will tie us down more firmly to samsara. Also, indulgence in sex can lead to other evils like anger, jealousy, remorse and guilt.

Question : If two members of the same gender fall in love with each other, are they wrong?

Answer :

You may see from the foregoing that Buddhism does not see homosexuality as wrong and heterosexuality as right. Both are sexual activities using the body, both are strong expressions of lust which increase desire for life and therefore trap us longer in samsara. When a couple (whether a man and a woman, two men or two women) fall in love, it arises out of the same human limitation of not seeing the body as empty of any ultimate reality.

Question: Does Buddhism condemn homosexuals/homosexuality?

Answer

Buddhism does not condemn homosexuals in the same way as it does not condemn any wrongdoing. We act through ignorance of the true nature of things. Therefore, we are only guilty of akusala kamma. We have no right to condemn others. Our duty is to help others see that they are acting out of ignorance, to show how real happiness can be gained. We have no right to condemn those who think or act differently from us, especially when we ourselves are slaves of sensual pleasure in other forms. We know that when we point one finger at others, the other three fingers are pointing at us.
In summary, homosexuality, like heterosexuality, arises from ignorance. All forms of sex increase lust, craving and attachment to the body. With wisdom, we learn to grow out of these attachments. We do not condemn homosexuality as wrong and sinful, but we do not condone it either, simply because it, like other forms of sex, delays our deliverance from samsara.

Question : As a homosexual, I have suffered much. What should I do?


I am a homosexual and I am suffering for it. I would be most grateful if you could advise me what should I do about it.

Answer:

You say you 'suffer' from being a homosexual. But have you asked yourself why you suffer? Is it because homosexuality itself brings suffering like AIDS or cancer or do you suffer from feelings of guilt because your sexual choice does not conform with what society has deemed as deviant behaviour?
You suffer because of what others think of you. This distinction is important because you must realise you are allowing external forces to determine your happiness or unhappiness. The Buddhist view of all sexual behavior is contained in the Third Precept: “I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.”
Sexual activity is based on the use of the body to gain pleasure. Sex in itself is not sinful. What is wrong is the use of sex to exploit others - young children, the economically deprived and so on. It does not matter if this pleasure is obtained through heterosexual or homosexual behavior.
Buddhism sees little difference between a homosexual who exploits others and a heterosexual who does the same, although public opinion seems to make heroes of the latter, calling them macho. We need to ask ourselves whether the sexual excesses of some public figures like footballers and film stars actually deserve so much publicity.
Sex is sex, regardless of how we derive pleasure from it! What we have to guard against is attachment to the body and the pleasure derived from it - gluttony and alcoholism can be just as harmful. The more we indulge in sex the more we become attached to our gross bodies and the more we are doomed to suffer in samsara thinking that our bodies are real. Sensible self-restraint of the body in all matters leads to freedom and spiritual development, free from guilt.
We must train ourselves not be attracted to our bodies (although we must treat them with due respect) and to see our bodies, and those of others, as nothing more than receptacles for pus, urine, blood, saliva. We must not waste unnecessary time on useless guilt. Use your effort and energy to develop positive states of mind. As you see your body for what it really is, you will be able to transcend all your different desires. But you have to be patient and diligent. These things take time.

Question : Does Buddhism condemn homosexuals/homosexuality?

Answer :

Buddhism does not condemn homosexuals in the same way as it does not condemn any wrongdoing. We act through ignorance of the true nature of things. Therefore, we are only guilty of akusala kamma. We have no right to condemn others. Our duty is to help others see that they are acting out of ignorance, to show how real happiness can be gained. We have no right to condemn those who think or act differently from us, especially when we ourselves are slaves of sensual pleasure in other forms. We know that when we point one finger at others, the other three fingers are pointing at us.
In summary, homosexuality, like heterosexuality, arises from ignorance. All forms of sex increase lust, craving and attachment to the body. With wisdom, we learn to grow out of these attachments. We do not condemn homosexuality as wrong and sinful, but we do not condone it either, simply because it, like other forms of sex, delays our deliverance from samsara. With the Blessings of the Noble Triple Gem,


Question : As a homosexual, I have suffered much. What should I do?


I am a homosexual and I am suffering for it. I would be most grateful if you could advise me what should I do about it.

Answer :


You say you 'suffer' from being a homosexual. But have you asked yourself why you suffer? Is it because homosexuality itself brings suffering like AIDS or cancer or do you suffer from feelings of guilt because your sexual choice does not conform with what society has deemed as deviant behaviour?
You suffer because of what others think of you. This distinction is important because you must realise you are allowing external forces to determine your happiness or unhappiness. The Buddhist view of all sexual behavior is contained in the Third Precept: “I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.”
Sexual activity is based on the use of the body to gain pleasure. Sex in itself is not sinful. What is wrong is the use of sex to exploit others - young children, the economically deprived and so on. It does not matter if this pleasure is obtained through heterosexual or homosexual behavior.
Buddhism sees little difference between a homosexual who exploits others and a heterosexual who does the same, although public opinion seems to make heroes of the latter, calling them macho. We need to ask ourselves whether the sexual excesses of some public figures like footballers and film stars actually deserve so much publicity.
Sex is sex, regardless of how we derive pleasure from it! What we have to guard against is attachment to the body and the pleasure derived from it - gluttony and alcoholism can be just as harmful. The more we indulge in sex the more we become attached to our gross bodies and the more we are doomed to suffer in samsara thinking that our bodies are real. Sensible self-restraint of the body in all matters leads to freedom and spiritual development, free from guilt.
We must train ourselves not be attracted to our bodies (although we must treat them with due respect) and to see our bodies, and those of others, as nothing more than receptacles for pus, urine, blood, saliva. We must not waste unnecessary time on useless guilt. Use your effort and energy to develop positive states of mind. As you see your body for what it really is, you will be able to transcend all your different desires. But you have to be patient and diligent. These things take time.

Touching Lives with Dhamma,

Surya