Buddhism Sans Faith

The Buddhist Maha Vihara is hosting a series of Evening Discourses with experienced and learned Dhamma speakers in conjunction with its 34th Novitiate Programme. The talks will be held in the PH Hendry Hall from 6 to 19 December, 2009 @ 8.00pm. The schedule of talks is as follows:

6/12 Sun •How the five precepts produce responsible citizens to the world
by Bhikkhuni Kusuma

7/12 Mon •Social and personal awareness through the discourse of Blessing
by Bro Charlie Chia

8/12 Tue •Minimize mental stress and maximize human happiness through Buddhist techniques
by Dr Phang Cheng Kar

9/12 Wed •Should we ignore the compassion? The way Buddhist approach to the four immeasurable
by Dr Chan Kah Yein

10/12 Thu •Working with aging parents
by Bro Poh Joo Meng

11/12 Fri •Our responsibility in becoming successful in life
by Datuk Dr Victor Wee

12/12 Sat •Buddhism and Science – Friends or Adversaries?
by Bro Tan Siang Chye

13/12 Sun •Helping others is helping ourselves
by Venerable Chief K Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera

14/12 Mon •Buddhist Symbols
by Mr Vijaya Samarawickrama

15/12 Tue •Are we responsible of the downturn and rising in our lives?
by Bro Charlie Chia

16/12 Wed •Dealing with the loss of beloved ones and coping with grief
by Bro Lau Kai Kong

17/12 Thu •How to be a responsible spouse in family life?
by Dr Chan Kah Yein

18/12 Fri •Parents as role models to their children within a Buddhist family
by Dr Chan Kah Yein

19/12 Sat •Does science support or dispute Buddha’s teaching?
by Ven Dr Punnaji

The Buddhist Gem Fellowship is organizing several creative writing workshops. Here’s their write up on it:

Calling All Aspiring Writers!

* Have you secretly nursed the wish to be a great writer one day?

* Have you written something but kept it in your drawer for a long time and never let it see the light of day?

* Do you wish you can write a good essay in your studies; a brochure, a report, or a project and funding proposal at your work place or organisation?

*  Are you a Sunday school teacher and wish to help your students write a good sketch for a concert?

*  Do you want to learn the ropes of the trade to help you get started in your writing and to handle challenges better?

*  Do you wish to earn some income by doing part time writing?

* Do you have some expertise and challenging experiences that you wish to share with your fellow writers?

If your answer is “yes” to some of these questions, then we would like to invite you to join us or assist in this workshop which we are organising.

To download full details, click here.

Ajahn Chah

For those of you who are fans of Ajahn Brahm or Ajahn Sumedho, here is a chance to remember and celebrate the life of their wise teacher, Ajahn Chah.

Ajahn Sumedho (Ajahn Chah’s most senior western disciple) will be giving some Dhamma talks in Malaysia next year. The first will be held during the “Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day” at the HGH Convention Centre, Sentul Kuala Lumpur. The second one will be at Uttama Bodhi Vihara (Bandar Utama Buddhist Society, Selangor). Both these events are being held to commemorate Ajahn Chah’s 18th year of passing away on 16, Jan 1992.

Other disciples of Ajahn Chah who will be visiting Malaysia are
a)       Ajahn Nyanadhammo (former abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat Thailand)
b)       Ajahn Cattamalo (abbot of Muttodaya Monastery, Nuremberg, Germany)
c)       Ajahn Chandako (abbot of Vimutti Buddhist Monastery Auckland, New Zealand)
d)       Ajahn Siri Panno (abbot of Dhao Dham Monastery, located in National Forest Reserve near Thai-Myanmar border)
e)       Ajahn Jotipalo
f)        Venerable Tan Cagino

Here are details of the talks:

Event 1 – Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day
Theme: Gratitude to Teacher
Date: Saturday 16 Jan, 2010
Time: 7.30am – 9.30pm
Venue: HGH Convention Centre, Jalan Sentul Kuala Lumpur
For more information & location map, please visit www.ajahnchahrd.com or call 010-2668231 (10am – 5pm)
Download the program here

Event 2 – Buddha Rupa Installation & Dhamma Teaching at Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
Date: Sunday 17 Jan, 2010
Time: 8.00am – 9.45pm
Venue: Uttama Bodhi Vihara, No.3 Jalan BU3/1, Bandar Utama, 47800 PJ Selangor
(behind SJKC Puay Chai 2 school & next to Kompleks Sukan MBPJ Bandar Utama)
Google Maps Keyword: Uttama Bodhi Vihara
Contact: Bro TK Teoh 012-3292368 / Sis YY Kow 012-3453829
Website: www.bubsoc.org
Download the program here

Brief Profile of Ajahn Chah & Ajahn Sumedho
Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhaddo (Chao Khun Bodhinyana Thera) (Thai: ชาสุภัทโท, alternatively spelled Achaan Chah, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra; 17 June 1918 – 16 January 1992) was an influential teacher of the Buddhadharma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition.

Respected and loved in his own country as a man of great wisdom, he was also instrumental in establishing Theravada Buddhism in the West. Beginning in 1979 with the founding of Cittaviveka (commonly known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery) in the United Kingdom, the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah has spread throughout Europe, the United States and the British Commonwealth. The dhamma talks of Ajahn Chah have been recorded, transcribed and translated into several languages. More than one million people, including the Thai royal family, attended Ajahn Chah’s funeral in 1992. He left behind a legacy of dhamma talks, students, and monasteries. For more details about Ajahn Chah, click here.

Luang Por Ajahn Sumedho (Thai: อาจารย์สุเมโธ) (born Robert Jackman, July 27, 1934, Seattle USA) is the most senior Western representative of the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism. The word “Ajahn” is not a proper name, but a title which means “Teacher” in Thai. He is also affectionately known among his students as “หลวงพ่อ” (Luang Por) which means “Venerable Father” in Thai. He has been an ordained bhikkhu for 40 years and a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddhadhamma to the West. He is currently the abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the United Kingdom. For more details about Ajahn Sumedho, click here.

The Nalanda Buddhist Society new centre will be officially launched December 11, 2009. But yesterday, I got a sneak preview. I’ve created a slideshow on Flickr but somehow am not able to embed it on this posting.

So, here’s the link instead.

Nalanda Centre is the leading Buddhist educational institute in the country. It will be officially launched Dec 11.

Here are some links that are relevant for those of you who might be keen:

Blog

Courses on offer

Information about the centre

Information about the school

Pictorial update of new building

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

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.

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.