Posted by: Oon Yeoh on: June 23, 2009
A brahmin (Indian holy man) asked the Buddha:
“Are you a god?”
No, said the Buddha
“A saint?”
No, said the Buddha
“A sorcerer?”
No, said the Buddha
“What are you then?”
I am awake
Posted by: Oon Yeoh on: June 21, 2009
One of the most basic teachings of Buddhism is that clinging or attachment leads to suffering.
If you think about it, we are all susceptible to attachment. We all like to cling on to things that feel good, that we enjoy, that are beautiful. At the same time, we also cling onto negative things like bitterness, hatred, jealousy. We are creatures of attachment.
When we lose the things we like, we suffer. When we are not able to let go of the things that make us feel bad, we also suffer. See how attachment leads to suffering?
The solution is no detachment but non-attachment, which is to view things for what they are and to not put more weight on them than they deserve (be they positive or negative things).
Don’t base your happiness on being able to get what you want or being able to get rid of what you don’t like. If you do that, you will forever suffer. Learn to let go.
Ajahn Chah once advised:
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.
Posted by: Oon Yeoh on: June 13, 2009
The Kalama people, who lived in a small village, were baffled by the variety of teachings and could not decide which one to believe.
When the Buddha arrived in the village, the Kalama people asked him, “With so many holy men stopping by our village and saying their teachings are the best and the others are nonsense, we don’t know which one to follow, what should we do?”
The Buddha said, “Neither believe nor reject anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been handed down for generations. Do not believe something just because it’s written in religious books. Do not believe something just because it superficially seems to be true. Do not believe anything merely by authority of your teachers and elders. Even if I tell you something, do not simply believe it.”
Then, what do we believe? the Kalamas asked.
The Buddha replied, “When you know for yourself that a thing leads to harm for yourself and others, do not follow it. When you know for yourself that a thing is good and leads to benefits and happiness, follow it.
The above advice, one of the most basic principles of Buddhism, is known as the Kalama Sutta. It encourages you to examine and experience something before believing it to be true. Only when you can verify a teaching by your own direct experience – by seeing the positive results in yourself – then should you believe the teaching to be true. The Buddha wanted people to use their intelligence and wisdom.
