Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class dated 4th Jan 2018 recording for sharing by all. This talk is very good and *Highly recommended* by Bro. Swee Aun. To preview the talk some useful short notes are listed as below:
Short Notes for Bro. Teoh’s Thursday class Dharma sharing dated 4th January, 2018:
- Sister Yoon Chun’s friends (a couple) from Canada shared their experience of having studied the Dharma for over twenty years thinking they have understood the Dharma – but after reading my transcript books they finally realized that they still didn’t really understand the true teaching;
- They were happy that Bro. Teoh was able to express the dharma so clearly to them that their faith has been greatly strengthened;
- Bro Teoh realized that not only this couple, in fact many so-called Buddhists also lack the real understanding hence the reason why the following very useful topics were discussed that night: I) Why do we seek religion or the teaching of the Buddha? ii) How can we put the dharma into practice to develop the cultivation?
- What must we do to qualify as true Buddhists or to be a worth disciple/devotee of the Buddha? We must at least heed his advice to avoid all evil; do good and purify our mind hence the religious label claiming to be a Buddhist is not important at all.
- Benefits of being a Buddhist – Dharma can help transform and improve our life for the better; arise inner peace and clarity leading to wisdom; can allow us to live the noble life; take care of our karma and to develop more karmic wholesomeness; to have a better understanding of life; to enable us to confront the 8 realities of Life and Existence with understanding and ease.
- The dharma is very scientific – no need to believe anything because it is based on nature’s law.
- Understanding the importance of cultivating the 3 phases of Dharma – Pariyati (learning of the teaching), Patipati (putting the teaching into cultivation) and Pativedha (to live the Noble life via reaping the fruit of one’s hard work).
- Importance of training of mind to be mindful to develop the silent mind leading to inner peace and inner clarity ‘to see things as they are’ and to awaken via insight into the universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering-state and non-self to liberate the mind.
- Bro. Swee Aun’s friend, Bro. Eric (a newcomer) – his reason for attending the class – is to be happy.
- Bro Teoh asked is there any other reasons why one seeks religion? Answers from kalyanamittas: I) to be happy, ii) to have peace of mind, iii) to understand life and its meaning, iv) to help overcome one’s problems of Life, v) to end all mental and physical suffering, vi) to seek enlightenment (wisdom).
- The Realities of Life and Existence that can cause suffering are: relationship failure; financial, health and career related problems; Disease; Death; separation from our loved ones and things that we hold on to dearly like our prized possessions, wealth, properties etc. When our expectations in life are not met, when we cannot get what we want, when things don’t go your way; fear of dying and fear of the unknown.
- The essence of the Buddha’s teaching is the 4 Noble Truth which is like the secret of life because it can summarize to us all of life (both the mundane and supramundane) into just this Four Noble Truth.
- Importance of meditating to investigate and find out `Who am I? What am I? And what is this human being all about?
- Importance of doing the 5 daily contemplations.
- Importance of understanding the right view with regards to Law of Karma.
- When things do not go our away – you always have two choices – I) react to it and project your wrong thoughts to arise the suffering and misery or ii) to follow the Noble 8-fold Path to resolve issues amicably. (Note: Above original draft was prepared by Puan Chee)
Sadhu! x3
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Bro. Swee Aun
*If you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Jan4, you can download at :
or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vqhmx6igvjxm2bg/Teoh%20class%20180104.MP3?dl=0 … *Highly recommended*
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