Happy Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta

As the year comes to a close, so does my blog for year. This shall be the last post for 2021. 

As I venture deeper into Satipathana, the mindfulness of rising and falling, coming and going, appearing and disappearing, etc..... all these make the awareness of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta seems to become clearer. Some people may think this is very negative. But not me. Not negative at all. On the contrary, it enables me to understand and perceive the nature of phenomena around and within me in a stark clarity. The Tibetan teachers like to use these 2 words - "naked awareness". 

When things are going well for you, reflect on Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. When things are not going well for you, rest them in Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. These are, in fact, the true Equaliser that the law of nature provides for us. When we have realised Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta, defilements are kept at bay and eventually eliminated. By being sincere in our practice, putting in the 7 factors of Enlightenment, the paths and fruitions will not be too far away from us. If you do not know your 7 factors, you better find out. Perhaps I will post on these in another time. Our lives will not be in vain then. Do not hope for faith and devotion alone to liberate you! In and by itself, it won't liberate. We know that only by the wisdom realising the true nature of self and phenomena can liberation be gained (Vipasyana). And in order to reach that point, tranquil concentration is necessary (Samatha). So, work on these two meditations.  

In ending 2021, here's wishing you "A HAPPY ANICCA, DUKKHA AND ANATTA" and "HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022". I shall leave these 3 words untranslated, lest the English translated words may take its unique meaning away.  

#Anicca #Dukkha #Anatta #Satipathana #mindfulness

If you like this post, try read this one - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2012/01/be-careful-with-feng-shui.html

An Arahant monk dies in sitting posture

I thought this video must definitely be shared. It shows a monk in meditation sitting posture suddenly dies after giving a short dharma talk. His head dropped all of a sudden. He is supposedly an Arahant! I wish I know his name. Anyone who does, please drop in the comment section. Thank you. 

If you like this video, check out this post - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-need-to-be-burned-in-good-way.html

#Theravada #Arahant #dying Thaimonk

Covid-19: Side benefit of incense offerings and smoke pujas

After more than a year, and 99%+ vaccinated for adults population, the so-called herd immunity that everyone was saying it is the "saviour" is still no where in sight. In fact, most people have abandoned it and seems like a fallacy. Now we realise that was never achievable with Covid-19 in the first place. Why? Because we have a coronavirus that keeps mutating and coming out with new variants. This virus is so different from other viruses that it is suspected to be man-made, i.e. in a lab. Seriously, the medical scientists MUST investigate the origins of this Covid-19. 

What I want to share here is how I keep my home... at least the air within my living space free from the coronavirus. Whatever virus that's trapped in any moisture floating in the air, will be hard to survive if there is smoke. So, I do find making incense offerings or smoke pujas very helping in "cleansing" the air. Besides being an offering to the Buddhas and Ariya Beings, it also cleanses the air of potential coronaviruses that may be floating around. But of course, do not overdo it until your house becomes a fire hazard. While I don't have any scientific evidence that the heat from the smoke will kill the viruses, it is the nature of fire to burn. Furthermore, some people may prefer this method than spraying alcohol or chemical based substances all over the house. When the alcohol or chemical substance touches on certain type of surface, it could erode or spoilt the element. 

If you find this helpful, try reading other posts, such as this one - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2011/08/pain-is-emptiness-emptiness-is-pain.html

#covid19 #smokepuja #incense 

Ajahn Keng's deceased disciple returned in a heavenly chariot

Recently I watched this video teaching by Ajahn Keng. I believe he is a Singaporean. He was relating about one of his disciples before she passed away. She was dying from cancer and he had helped her just before her last moments. Apparently she was in a state of delirium and she regained her peace after the Venerable Ajahn Keng shouted back into her ears the word "Buddho". Shortly after that she passed away. After a few months later, Ajahn was somewhere in a forest monastery in Chiangmai, Thailand. It was evening time. Suddenly there a bright light and he saw a heavenly chariot/ carriage. In it was a goddess from the Chatumaharajika Heaven (note: this is the lowest heaven in the Buddhist cosmology). The goddess informed Ajahn that she was the former disciple of Ajahn and related to him who she was. She had come to thank him for what he did just prior to her death. After the brief meeting, the goddess disappeared and it was darkness again in the forest. The bright chariot was gone! 

Anyway, when I heard the story, immediately I remembered a dream I had sometime after my late grandmother passed away many years ago. At that time I was still a young kid. In the dream, she had been reborn in the heavens (although I do not know which heaven) and had returned to her former home outside the gates in a brightly lit chariot. So, in this sense, my dream collaborated or supported what Ajahn Keng said about the existence of heavenly chariot. I am not surprised at all of my late granny's heavenly rebirth. When she was alive, she was diligent in reciting Bodhisattva Kuan Yin's Name as well as the Great Compassion Mantra. It was she who first taught me on Kuan Yin Pu Sa's Name and the mantra. But mine was just a dream, whereas Ajahn Keng claimed an actual visit by the heavenly goddess. 

Please watch Ven. Ajahn Keng's video above. If you explore further, you will realise Ajahn's dharma talks often contains "interesting stories". But I leave that to you to believe or not. As far as the chariot is concerend, ...well... at least I have dreamt of it before. 

You may want to explore the other posts, such as this - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2013/01/dream-of-dakini-with-snakes.html

#heavenlydream #AjahnKeng  #death 

Lesson on Patience: What Superman Had to Endure

I watched the "Man of Steel" last week and I thought Superman could really teach us something about the practice of patience. He may not be practicing to perfect his paramitas but nevertheless, we could apply the inner strength with which he applied patience in facing the people that bullies him. He could not retaliate against those bullies. If he had wanted to, those bullies could not stand a chance against him. I realise that it is not only his physical strength here, but more of his inner strength. As a kid, he faced a lot of problems, particularly his adopted parents trying to hide his identify from the public. Even as a grown up, hestill had to hide his true identity. From a young age, Jonathan and Martha Kent had trained Clark Kent the values of humanity, in the hope that when he grow up, these virtues will have imbued in him to enable him to help all sentient beings. In the world of comic superheros, this is equivalent to a bodhisattva in training. I see the comparison with Buddhadharma in this way. I think we all could be comforted that our inner strength is actually complete and we can fight against our adversaries if we had wanted to. But we choose NOT to, instead exercise restrain and adopt patience and compassion. 

This is what I mentioned in my previous post on whether we are being bullied due to our compassion/ patience. Refer this post. https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2021/09/life-will-not-always-be-smooth.html

Even though for me Superman will always be Christopher Reeves, but this actor (Henry Cavill) is not too bad. It is a Warner Brothers production. I think the movie was shown in 2013. Superman is a DC comics superhero character. 

#Superman #Man of Steel #HenryCavill #patience #clarkkent