Kathina 2023: It is an offering to the Sangha Jewel

This year I made offerings consisting of the Sangha robes and alms bowl to the Sangha. On many levels, these 2 items have many meanings. For example, the Sangha robes represents the three bodies of the Buddha and the bowl represents the wealth of wisdom and compassion. On a mundane level, it’s planting the causes conditions for a healthy human body in the future life and having the necessary wealth and sustainable livelihood. Whoever thinks making offerings to the Sangha is a waste of money is hugely mistaken. Certainly not in the case of Kathina offerings!

This is a picture of the Sangha full set of robes and the alms bowl that I had offered to the Sangha. The full set of robes I had handed it to the Ven. Maha Nayaka Aungsi Sayadaw, whereas the alms bowl was handed to the Ven. Ashin Kumarra Sayadaw. 

The Kathina occasion is governed by procedures stated in the Vinaya. For example, it has to be held within one month from the end of the vassa period (rains retreat). During the rains retreat, the monks do not go outside the temple and mainly stay within to do their cultivation. Therefore, during these 3 months of intensive practice, the Sangha especially generated lots of merits from their practice. In fact, they may even gain some attainments during this period. Therefore, to offer the robes and other requisites to the Sangha after the rains retreat is especially wonderful and appropriate. The merits generated will be TREMENDOUS. Even though during the Kathina event, you will offer it to one particular monk, but according to the Vinaya rules, the Kathina offering is an offering to the entire Sangha as a whole. Therefore, it is an offering to the Sangha Jewel, representing the Triple Jewel. 

Due to this, if one has the intention of saving one's departed ones from the lower realms (as in the case of Venerable Monggalana's mother), then other than to offer Ullamabana Dana to the Sangha, one may offer the Kathina robes to the Sangha during the Kathina Day too! The merits generated is on par with that of the merits from Ullambana Sanghika Dana.

It is a pity that in the Mahayana tradition, they do not have this auspicious occasion. Even if they are located in a country where the rainy season does not happen, they can hold the winter retreat (for example). I understand that in some Zen temples, they do have the 3-months winter retreat. However, after the retreat ended, there is no offering of robes or requisites to the Sangha. It is such a pity that this practice of Kathina is done away with!  

Even though it is necessary to make donations to help our society and those who are less fortunate, we need to also contribute and generate karma to support our Dharma practice. Otherwise, we may have not enough merits to continue our Buddhist practice in future rebirths. Or, we may have the merits to continue our practice, but we will lack access to Dharma books, Dharma teachers, Buddhist temples may be located far away, etc etc. Remember this point. 

#kathina #Ullamabana #merits

Please refer this post, also on  https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-do-true-repentance.html Even after doing repentances, the karma created does not simply disappear. But it may ripen as a lesser (or more bearable) karma. Remember this word by the Buddha - KAMMASAKA. All beings experience the karma they have created themselves. I may talk more on this in future blog post. Most of us are careless creating unnecessary negative karma, but then fear bearing its consequences when it ripens. Okay, that's all for now. Please help share my blog to others, if you think it is beneficial. If you need to comment, please do so. I will read your comments later, if any. Happy reading. 

Be Careful - Scammers are trying to cheat!

There are many scams nowadays. People losing money through scam calls, scam sms, scam whatapps, scam bank links, scam bank hotlines, scam jobs/ vacancies, scam investments and many more. Victims lose money from very little to millions and millions. Many people think that victims of scams who lose their money are due to their own greed for lucrative offers, quick money, cheap sales, etc. But this is only partially true. It’s not true that people are scammed only by cheap ads or due to greed alone. I offer you some thoughts on this scam issue as below. 

1.There are ads in FB that sell watches, clothes, underwear, furniture and fittings, other household items that are not ready cheap. People go there to buy things. Before you make payment, all your enquiries will be answered, but once payment is done, the goods are not delivered and all subsequent enquiries will be ignored. All your payment data (including banking data) will be taken from there and your bank or card accounts will be at risk in future, even though the order for the goods is small amount.

2. There are also job vacancies in FB and other social media that are not genuine. People go here to find jobs but end up being scammed. Some of these jobs do not entice people with lucrative offers, but are nonetheless scams. You can know it’s scam when they don’t provide the job details, company name and merely ask the applicants to whatapps to a certain phone number to enquire.

3. It was recently reported of a person who was scammed from his investment in online shares. There was this ad in FB on bursa shares study group. Apparently you join it for share analysis and insights, which you can use for your own investments. The ad does not promise any profits or mention any investment platforms. What happened was he was given a investment platform to invest. He did make profits but when he wanted to sell it to withdraw his money, his account was frozen for no reason. It all turned out to be a scam. Read about it in this link - https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/29/kuching-man-loses-rm160000-to-online-investment-scam

4. Use mobile bank apps only to receive the OTP, but not for any transactions. Instead use a laptop or computer for the online banking transaction. This is much safer. I really do not agree with leaving the bank app on the phone, because if your phone is lost, your banking account will also be at risk of illegal access. It is easier to hack a phone than to hack on internet banking on a PC/Laptop. 

5. Delete all mobile bank apps and e-wallets from your phone if you hand it to a phone repairer for any services.

6. Be careful of your ATM card because it’s also a debit card whereby online purchases can be made, esp when your CCV is known to others (can be your so-called “trusted” relation or friends) that helps you to withdraw money. Debit cards are also risky since you can wave it at the payment counters (unless you disable this feature at the bank).  If lost, anyone who finds your card can use it immediately, subject to your daily limit. If the card becomes lost, quickly report to the bank to disable it.

7. I came to learn that scammers can even copy a person's voice and video of a person and talk to you as if the person is "live" (in the case of making a live video call). Sometimes you want to check if it is really the person who had messaged you to request you to make a money transfer to him/her, and so you make a video call to the person. During the call, you can see the person talking to you, and so you think it is really genuine. Thereafter you transfer your money to the person. Unfortunately, the voice and image are fake and had been done through sophisticated software (such as Deepfake and AI - artificial intelligent systems) and apps that can copy your images and videos from your various social media platforms, and create this "live" talking images of people you know to scam you. Be careful of unscrupulous people copying your photos and videos in your social medias. 

8. If possible, do not simply scan on QR codes unless absolutely no choice. This is because the security standards for QR codes are weak. I heard the codes can contain secret codes to illegally track your phone touch-screen. In other words, the scammer will know your passwords and pin numbers that you use on your phones. 

SOME SUGGESTIONS

FB and other social media or others often said that they are not able to verify if the advertisers are scammers or not. They cannot give this reason as excuse. They are things they are able to do. For example, they should receive all the relevant company or individual documents, including ICs, company registration document, details of their directors or shareholders, their bank accounts, phone contact numbers that are verified, etc. Make sure the advertisers know that these supporting documents will be handed to the authorities if there is any reports from the public and users of the social media or internet. They can also set up task force to check on these advertisements by pretending to be buyers or job seekers. Facebook earns revenue every time people click on the ads. So it is absolutely unacceptable that they earn revenue on scam advertisements! Victims lose money, but they earn?? Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Also I would urge the telcos to form a unified hotline for victims of scam or scam calls to notify these telcos. This is to enable them to immediately check which telco the phone number is registered under and the scammers can be immediately identified. The owners of the numbers can be handed over to the authorities. The numbers can be immediately blocked.

So, the above are a few things about scammers that people should watch out for. Be careful not to get cheated. They are the present-day armies of Mara. Ultimately, even if the authorities are unable to take any action, the scammers will be unable to escape from the terrifying karma that awaits them. There is NO ESCAPE for SCAMMERS!

#scammers #facebook #socialmedia

Read more about risk management here - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2011/01/importance-of-financial-governance-in.html