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Dhamma Activities for October 2008October 6th, 2008Apart from our regular activities, we have also some additional dhamma-based activities slotted for the month of October 2008. All are welcome. Click here for the full list of dhamma activities in October 2008. Significance of KatinaOctober 6th, 2008Being the rainy season now, it is the right time to talk about the Buddhist practice of katina (kathina). Here is an article by Gamini Jayasinghe on this topic. This source was contributed by Nancy Poh. According to the Buddhist literature, monks in the past did not have permanent homes. They made ‘Pallankans’ or bedsteads under the shade of trees, sat there and meditated. They had to go from door to door with a bowl to beg for food. The food thus received in the bowl is called ‘Pindapatha’. However, during the rainy season a monk remained with a house holder. Whilst there, it is usual for him to give religious instructions to the inmates and others who attend on him. Dwelling in this manner is known as ‘Vas Viseema’. The word “Vas” means the rains; “Viseema” means the dwelling. Therefore, Vas Viseema means to sojourn during the rainy season. Vassana Kala, or the rainy season of three-months starts from the Esala Full Moon Day and ends on Vap Full Moon Day. The monks end or give up Vas on Vap Full Moon Day. This is called Vas Pavaranaya. From Vap Full Moon Day, Buddhists commence a series of special religious events. Vap Pinkama is performed during the period from Vap Full Moon Day to Il Full Moon Day. The most important event is the Katina Pinkama, or offering of robes to the Maha Sangha. Buddha set an example to his followers by observing Vas himself. The seventh Vas period after attaining Buddhahood is of special significance because it was during that season that Buddha dwelled in the divine world ‘Thausitha’ or ‘Thautisa’. Buddha decided to dwell in ‘Thautisa’ during this Vas season to be of assistance to the mother god. Queen Mahamaya died seven days after giving birth to prince Siddhartha and was born as a mighty god in the divine world ‘Thausitha’. Buddha gave religious instructions to the mother god and other divine beings. Mother god attained ‘Sowan’ or the first of the four stages or steps leading to Nirvana. During this Vas period Buddha delivered ‘Abhidharma’ or transcendent doctrine to gods. He accomplished twin or double miracle - a power said to have been possessed by Buddha to cause a stream of fire to emanate from one pore of his body and a stream of water from another, simultaneously. Buddha used this power exclusively for the purpose of clearing the doubts of celestial beings and not to entice them through miracles. He taught his followers that no one should be charmed or enticed through miracles but that they should be made to understand the reality. Buddha did not exhibit supernatural powers but made his followers to realize the truth. He accomplished miracles only on three other occasions where it was the only way to subdue arrogant persons. Once it was to overcome the pride or arrogance of the relatives. The other two occasions were to subdue non-Buddhist heretical monks and ascetics known as ‘Jatilas’. He taught the four noble truths, i.e. that existence involves suffering, the cause of suffering, the extinction of suffering or Nirvana and the way to the extinction of suffering. The way to Nirvana is eight fold, i.e. ‘Samma Ditti,’ right view (orthodoxy); ‘Samma Sankappa’, right volition or determination; ‘Samma Vacha,’ right speech; ‘Samma Kammantha’, right action; ‘Samma Ajeeewa’, right living or livelihood; ‘Samma Vayama,’ right effort; ‘Samma Sathi,’ right remembrance or contemplation of past and ‘Samma Samadhi,’ right meditation. After completing the seventh Vas season in ‘Thawatisa’, Buddha returned to this world on the Vap Full Moon Day attended by Devas and Brahmas. According to Buddhist literature, Buddha decended from ‘Thawatisa’ to this world down a ladder made of ‘Sath Ruwan’ or seven precious things i.e. gold, silver, pearls, gems, cat’s eyes, gems, diamonds and coral. ‘Shad Varna’ i.e. an aggregate of six colours – Blue, Yellow, Crimson, White, Red and the colour formed by their combined radiance emanated from His body and formed into a halo around him. Thousands of Devas and Brahmas including the king of gods, Sakra stood beside the ladder to pay their honour to the Buddha. Sahampathi, Maha Brahma held the ‘Chathra’ parasol and god Suyama (Chief god of the divine world Yama) fanned Buddha with a ‘Vijinapatha’ or ‘Vatapotha’. Panchasikha played the Veena. When Buddha descended, followed by Sakra Brahma and Suyama, the people were overcome with “Buddhalambana Preethiya” or the pleasure connected with Buddha. People who could not make offerings to Buddha during a period of three months were happy about His return to the world of men and with that ‘Buddhalambana Preethiya’ they made it a religious festive season. Amongst the religious activities, the most important event is the ‘Katina Puja’. In the words of Buddha, this is the noblest religious activity for Buddhists in which limitless merit is accumulated. ‘Katina Cheewara’ are sacrificed or offered to monks. ‘Katinaya’ is a web of cloth made in a day and night and presented to a Buddhist priest. ‘Katina Cheewaraya’ is a robe made of thick cloth to be worn during the oncoming wet and cold season. September Dhamma Talk by Uncle VijayaSeptember 2nd, 2008Sukhihotu! Some details on our September celebration :
As for the pot luck dinner, we are proposing the theme “Make your own burger”. The food to prepare are as follows : 1. Buns/bread Please feel free to contribute your ideas to make the event more enjoyable. Please contact me or Alicia regarding the types of food you’d like to bring. PUBLICITY : All (please lah..tell your friends to come and listen to dhamm talk by a wonderful speaker and join us for the meaningful and fun filled fellowship event) With metta, Celebrating Mooncake Festival and doing Dana tooAugust 27th, 2008If you are looking for some good and tasty mooncakes to buy for the Mooncake Festival and want to benefit the destitute at the same time, why not buy from the Maha Karuna Compassionate Home? They are selling mooncake to raise funds to run their home. Maha Karuna Compassionate Home is a home for the destitute that was formed under the guidance of Ven. Saranankara Maha Thera of the Sri Lanka Temple and is situated in Taman Midah. It is a home that is opened to all, regardless of race, religions or creeds.
Click here for the mooncake price list and order form Enjoy your mooncake festival and do a good deed! Housekeeping Checklist for CentreAugust 18th, 2008Everyone who uses the centre should share the responsibility in keeping the centre clean and tidy. This includes not just the committee members but also ordinary members, guests, tenants, students, children and adults. This is one way to cultivate responsibility and pride in our centre. Furthermore, it would be too much to expect only the committee members to do this as they are already contributing a lot of their time and effort in running the dhamma-based activities in the society. By sharing the responsibility of keeping the centre clean, we make it easier for everyone. 1. Throw out all rubbish after each activity 2. Make sure toilets are flushed and cleaned 3. Make sure basins are cleaned and emptied of all things 4. Do not leave any unfinished food and drink in the fridge unless it is to be consumed in a day or two 5. Sweep and mop the floor after use 6. Check the walls. Clean and remove all stains and scribbles 7. Make sure all lights and air-conditioners are switched off before locking up 8. Check box in kitchen for stuff you have left behind 9. Wash your own cup/plates/fork/spoon after use 10. Return items to their original places after use…this includes things in the kitchen and stationary eg. marker pens, etc. 11. Clean altar table and change the water for the flowers or discard the faded flowers 12. Put up notices in their proper noticeboards. Use magnets for whiteboard. Remove notices after their events. Ulumbala with Ajahn MahayanoAugust 6th, 2008The Dhammaduta committee has invited Ajahn Mahayano of the Thai forest tradition this weekend in conjunction with Ulumbalan. Here are the details: 9 Aug 2008 Sat. 8pm - Dhamma Talk/Dhamma discussion with Ajanh Mahayano 10 Aug 2008 Sun
9am -12 noon - Ulumbala
Programme : Chanting
Offering of oil lamp
Dhamma Talk/Discussion
Dana
All are welcome. Please grab this golden opportunity to listen to an enlightening dhamma talk as well as to get blessings from the Triple Gem.
4 Good Reasons to ForgiveJuly 29th, 2008Much has been said about the virtues of forgiveness, yet many today who need to forgive are unable or unwilling to do so. This is mainly due to the wrong understanding of what forgiveness is. Most people, when given a clearer understanding of what forgiveness is, become more willing to do so. Here are some good reasons why you should forgive: 1. Forgiveness is about YOU Many people are of the opinion that forgiving a perpetrator allows the perpetrator to escape punishment. They think that forgiveness is about giving the perpetrator a second chance at the expense of the injured party. The truth is forgiveness is all about the injured and is for the benefits of the injured. The focus of forgiveness is for the injured to finally be able to let go of the pain that has continued to hurt him or her even long after the initial assault. It is to help the injured find peace within so that he or she can move on in life without having to continuously carry the pain of the injury. Forgiveness does not mean condoning the act or absolving the perpetrator of his or her responsibility for the action. It does not mean that the injured will tolerate being inflicted with the same injury again and again. It does not mean reconciliation although reconciliation may happen if the injured wishes. Forgiveness means standing up for your rights and your self worth. It means drawing a boundary about what you will accept as OK and what is not OK. It means having the courage to assert your rights and responsibilities. 2. Forgiveness is the best revenge People who have been badly hurt by an intimate person such as a spouse, partner, parent, sibling or close friend sometimes erroneously believe that by staying in the hurt, they are somehow indirectly punishing the perpetrator. They see it as their way of getting back at the perpetrator. This logic does not hold water because very often the perpetrator does not really care about you in the first place or else he or she would not have cause the injury. In addition, continue to wallow in the pain only prolonged the injury long after it has happened. If it was the intention of the perpetrator to hurt you, clinging on to the pain only multiplies his or her success at hurting you. In fact, the best revenge of the injured is to live a good and happy life after the injury. This is the surest way to foil the perpetrator’s “success”. 3. Forgiveness improves your health Studies have shown that an unforgiving heart suffers increased risk of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred, jealousy, ill will, sadness and insomnia. In addition, an unforgiving heart also risks high blood pressure, heart attack, skin eruptions, arthritis, backache, stomach ulcer, migraine, frequent cold and perhaps even risk of malignancy. Genuine forgiveness, on the other hand, can have the opposite effects. There is reduced stress, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred, jealousy, ill will, sadness and insomnia as well as a reduction in physical ailments. On top of that, studies have also shown that those who are forgiving tend to grow old with more peace and satisfaction, and less afraid to face death. So, a forgiving person benefits from improved health in all areas, i.e. physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. 4. Forgiveness makes you a better and stronger person Another myth about forgiveness is that only the weak forgives. The truth is that only the strong can forgive. That is because forgiveness requires the courage to truly face the emotional pain and injuries, to embrace them and then to eventually let them go. This task is so difficult and painful that many are not able to face it but it is a necessary initial step towards forgiveness. So, only the strong can forgive. The good news is that once the injured is able to go through the process of forgiveness, he or she will grow to become stronger. There will be a change in his or her fundamental belief systems as well as a renewed purpose and meaning to life. Life will be re-invigorated once again when the old hurt can be left behind without becoming a burden. So, if you have been hurt before and find it hard to forgive, seriously consider all these good reasons why you should forgive and start to learn how to forgive. It’s going to do you a world of good. I promise. Rebirth and its relevance to modern lifeJuly 29th, 2008For the month of August, we have our usual birthday-cum-dhamma talk on the first Saturday of the month. Topic: Rebirth and its relevance to modern life Speaker: Uncle Vijaya Date: 2 August Programme: 6pm - Puja, 6:30pm - Potluck dinner, 8pm - dhamma talk All are welcome! Holiday Trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant SanctuaryJuly 15th, 2008Our society is organising a holiday trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary and Deerland Park on 30 August 2008. This trip is opened to everyone - members and children - and promised to be filled with fun and adventure for everyone, especially the children. We will leave from Bandar Sungai Long at 7 a.m and expect to be back by 5 p.m. The fee is only RM50 per pax, which is inclusive of transportation, entrance fee, breakfast and lunch. If you are interested, please fill in the application form and submit it by 20 July. Right click here to download the full details and the application form. Bird Park and Ti-Ratana Orphanage TripJuly 15th, 2008We are pleased to announce that our Sunday Dhamma School is organising a trip to Ti-Ratana Orphanage as part of their lessons in cultivating friendship. The trip will be on 3 August 2008, which will begin with a trip to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park in the morning and then followed by the visit to Ti-Ratana Orphanage in the afternoon. There will be games for the children. As part of the trip, we are also helping Ti-Ratana Orphanage to get their wish list fulfilled. Below is their wish list. Ti-Ratana Wish List
1. Children 1.1. School White Socks (free size) 1.2. Children Underwear (ages 3 – 12 years old) 1.3. Teenagers Underwear for Male & Female (sizes S,M,L,XL,XXL) 1.4. Sponsor traditional costume for children performance (any size from ages 3 to 9 years old) 1.5. BUNCHO Water Colour 1.6. Baby Cots (25 units) 1.7. A4 Photostat Paper 1.8. Ball Pen (Red/Blue/Black) 1.9. Camisole (sizes S,M,L,XL)
2. Medication 2.1. Mefenemic Acid 500mg 2.2. Kutu Medicine
3. Miscellaneous 3.1. Dust Bin (big size) 3.2. Dust Pan 3.3. Brooms 3.4. Industrial Garbage Bag 3.5. Mops 3.6. Dettol 3.7. Plastic Cabinet (4 or 5 drawers) 3.8. Bed Line & Pillows (single mattress) 3.9. Hair Shampoo 3.10. Shower Gel/Liquid 3.11. Toothpaste 3.12. Dishwash Liquid 3.13. Dish Washing Water Taps 3.14. Clorox Bleach 3.15. Pad Locks 3.16. Washing Powder (for machine wash) 3.17. Baby Wet Wipes 3.18. Paper Cup 3.19. Paper Plate
4. Food 4.1. Cooking Oil 4.2. Red Bean (canned) 4.3. Red Dates
For more information and the confirmation & approval slip, click here (right-click to download). Closing date is 20 July 2008.
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