Dear All,
Below are the audio links to our Bro. Teoh’s WPCS Sunday class dated 21st Jan 2018 recording for sharing by all. It is a very Highly Recommended talk. Please do listen to it attentively to develop the clear understanding of the beautiful dharma shared. The short notes to the talk are also included below for your easy reference to help u understand better:
Short notes for WPCS Sunday class dated 21 Jan 2018
- The human being consists of the 5 aggregates of form and mind, i.e. the physical body(1st aggregate of form) and mind (which has 4 more aggregates of mind). The ‘form and mind’ come into being as a result of Karma, i.e. it is dependent originating – arise due to causes and conditions. The ‘form and mind’ (which is the human being) exists but it is not a permanent unchanging entity hence not you.
- When we meditate via the silent mind (without any interference from our views, opinions, scars of memories, conditionings, traditions and belief systems etc.) to see things as they are, we will be able to insight into the 3 universal characteristics of nature to realise that this ‘form and mind’ is not us (self).
- In cultivation, we should allow thoughts to arise and pass away naturally and not to suppress, control or resist them. When we try to control, resist and suppress thoughts, unwittingly we are actually using another thought to resist or stop these thoughts. When we do this we are using thought to meditate leading to ‘thought-based meditation’. Who meditates, who note? The thought! So whenever there is a ‘meditator’, there is no meditation because thought cannot realise the enlightenment which is beyond thought and beyond time. Before one is enlightened thought is always egoic.
- Dhammapada verses 21, 22 & 23 confirm the importance of Heedfulness in meditation and since Heedfulness = ever mindful + constantly meditative (cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path); first we need to train the mind to be mindful then stabilise it to be ever mindful. After that use it to meditate via following the below steps:
(a) Train the MUNDANE mind to be quiet and mindful via the mind sweeping method and metta.
(b) Then stabilise this quiet mind via Anapanasati to be ever mindful in the midst of life to cultivate the Noble 8-Fold path via the daily mindfulness. Meditation is to be constantly aware via the silent mind to observe, understand and insight into phenomena to develop the wisdom.
(c) Why Anapanasati? Because the breath is always in the present moment hence when we are mindful of the in and out breath we cannot think, we are always aware. Then relax into every mind state that arise to realize the piti, sukha, passadhi (or tranquillity of mind), and the silent mind (which is the meditative mind or mind in sati). When mind has entered sati the daily mindfulness will arise naturally because by then all of sense experiences like seeing, hearing etc will be in sati all the time.
- Mind is the forerunner of all things. When mind arise all of the phenomenal world and the myriad creation will also arise. The mundane mind then via its own self-delusion clings and grasps onto the ‘form and mind’ and phenomenal world thereby causing the human being to go through endless circles of births and deaths (samsara).
- PG shared her experience of having disturbing thoughts and how she overcame them by just observing them via the silent non-reactive mind. When she started to observe these thoughts silently, there was no more mental energy channelled to feed the arisen thoughts. There was no more ill-will (or aversion) towards those thoughts or desire to stop those thoughts. The thoughts then slowed down and finally ceased or stopped by themselves via returning to their original state before the stirring.
- People think the mind must be quiet when in meditation but this is not the correct understanding because meditation means to silent your mind to observe and understand with the true mind (without thought) to develop the wisdom. Observe the chattering mundane mind with your silent mind. Do not use another thought to do away with the chattering mundane mind. The thoughts will stop by themselves because they are condition arising (not you) and they are also not intrinsic to the true mind.
- If you meditate using a focus mind in concentration or absorption, it will lead to energy fields or psychic ability and you cannot handle your daily life well because the anusaya or latent tendencies (or the ‘pain body’ as Eckhart Tolle calls them) are all not rooted out as yet; instead they are all being suppressed under those mind states. They will surface when there are conditions then we will react and be afflicted when faced with situations we dislike or don’t understand because there is no wisdom to liberate the mind.
- If it is a free mind with understanding and wisdom our mind will not stir under any conditions in daily life. We will not react and become afflicted.
- Thoughts are just harmless consciousness that arise and pass away then cease; how come they can have such power to make you so miserable? Because via self-delusion you cling on to them and you will be afflicted.
- Always remember ‘the awareness of inattention is attention’ and only wisdom frees the mind.
- Why doubt? Give yourself a chance to try it out, to investigate. Change the way you do things to improve your life and change for the better. Always, have an open mind.
- To be born as a human being is very rare. To encounter the Buddha’s teachings is even more rare. So don’t be heedless anymore. Don’t waste your time anymore for this window of opportunity is very rare therefore do Strive on with Heedfulness!
(Note: About draft short notes was prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)
From: Sister Lee Siew Gaik
or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oo8y6kb5nh2vd4g/67%206th%20Patriarch%2021%20Jan%202018.MP3?dl=0 . Highly Recommended!
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67 6th Patriarch 21 Jan 2018.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox |
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh