Category: Dhamma audio file

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Bro Teoh’s 13 August 2019 Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the above audio and short notes links of our 13 August 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Bro Teoh
Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Brother Teoh’s Aug 13th 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes

Book Review: The BUDDHA & his TEACHINGS

Chapter 38: The way to realize Nibbana   Page 543

  1. Transient and Sorrowful are all Conditioned Things

             Soulless are both the Conditioned and the Un-conditioned.

  • Impermanence is a Universal Characteristic of Nature that is to be realised. Non-Self (Anatta) means it is not a permanent unchanging Entity. It also implies Empty Nature of Existence.
  • Both the conditioned and unconditioned Dhamma must be understood to enable one to Truly understand life.

1.      Jhana (Jhanic state) only suppresses and inhibits the mental hindrances temporarily. Hence Evil tendencies can still surface anytime in the future when there is condition. Only Insight born of Vipassana meditation can wholly eradicate them with Wisdom (Panna) after realising the 3 Universal Characteristics of Impermanence, Unsatisfactoriness and Non-Self.

2.      Our present existence is due to past causes of Ignorance (Avijja), Craving (tanha), Grasping (Upadana), Kamma and Physical food of Present Life, etc.

3.      Everything is in a state of constant flux within the conditioned arising and dependent originating world.

4.      Eventually, when one realises cessation (a glimpse of Nibbana) for the first time, one becomes a Sotapanna or a Stream Enterer. With this change of Lineage one becomes an Ariya (a Noble One). One has eradicated the first 3 Fetters of the 10 fetters that bind living beings to samsara. They are:

  1. Sakkayadithi, – Wrong understanding (self-delusion) that believes in a permanent unchanging Self.
  2. Doubt with regards to the existence of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, Disciplinary Rules, Past and Future and the law of Dependent Origination.
  3. Adherence to Wrongful Rites and Rituals

A Sotapanna will not violate any of the 5 Precepts and will have a maximum of 7 more lives to live in the sensual Realms till it becomes an Arahant.

5.      With further cultivation he will progress to a Sakadagami (a Once-Returner) stage by weakening 2 more Fetters, Sense Desire and Ill will. He may still show occasional signs of subtle anger and craving. He will be born in the Human Realm only once before realising Anagami leading to Arahantship.

6.      The third stage of sainthood is an Anagami (a Non-returner). He would have uprooted the next 2 fetters of the previous stage entirely with the balance of the last 5 fetters of minor conceit or Pride (Mana), Restlessness (uddhacca), Ignorance (Avija), attachment to Form Realms and Formless Realms remaining. After death, he is reborn in the Pure Abodes to complete his cultivation.

7.      Those in the first 3 Stages of Sainthood are term Sekhas as they still require training. However, an Arahant do not need any more training and is known as an Asekha (beyond training). He is not subject to rebirth as he does not have any more avijja.

8.      The Anagmis and Arahants can go through uninterrupted Nibbanic Cessation for 7 days or longer. In this cessation (which is the unconditioned) his mental activities (including the pure awareness) all ceased. His stream of life force consciousness also temporarily ceases to flow, but the body’s vitality and faculties are still intact. He appears to be dead with no respiration, no heart beat (pulse) and perception, but his life force will return to his body eventually.

9.      Bro Teoh reviewed the outline short notes of August 8 2019 Thursday class regarding awareness, daily mindfulness and how to develop the requisite wisdom to see and accept things as they are. 

(Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sister Yoon Chun)

  With metta always,

Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s Thursday class dated 8 August 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the above audio and short notes links of our 6 August 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.

short notes link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-190808.pdf

 
With metta always,
Bro Teoh

Dearest Soo Yee and all,
Sadhu! and enclose is the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s 8 Aug 2019 Thursday Class outline Short Notes

  1. Sis Angie shares that there is more clarity in her practice. More awareness. Whenever the mind wanders off, she is able to bring it back.
  2. Bro Teoh: The moment you are aware that you are not aware; that is sati. The moment you realise that you are not paying attention, that is attention. Attention of inattention, is attention.
  3. To develop daily mindfulness, we must start by constantly reminding our self of the need to be constantly aware. We must determine to be aware throughout the day (ever-mindful/constantly aware). After developing the daily mindfulness, until it is very stable, our seeing will become very different. It is like suddenly, we can see all the external sense data and our internal mental movements (emotions/mental intentions/etc.) very clearly. It will dawn upon us that before we understand the dharma, all these are habitual heedless thinking borne of our mental stirring caused by avijja. Without wrong views or avijja (ignorant) there will be no mental stirring or reaction to sense experience. Why does one reacts to sense experience? – Because their mind lack wisdom and it is restless due to its inability to understand and accept the realities of the moment for ‘things are just the way they truly are’.
  4. When there is wisdom to accept the reality of the moment (to understand the causes and conditions behind every phenomena), there will be peace within the mind and one can be peaceful from moment to moment (having true ability to make peace with all that transpires) while in the midst of living life.
  5. This is learning to see things as they truly are because ‘people are just the way they are’ (deluded people do deluded things, etc.) and the ‘world is the world’ (when conditions are such things will be such).  This is right view.
  6. However, the untrained mind has strong habitual tendencies (borne of habitual reactions to what we see, hear, recall from memory, etc.) when we lack the 5 spiritual faculties. And because of that, their untrained mind becomes agitated and heedless very fast. Ever so quick to form opinions, argue, take sides and fall into the duality trap of right/wrong, good/bad, kind/cruel, clean/dirty, fragrant/foul, pleasant/unpleasant, wholesome/unwholesome etc.
  7. Once we have the stability of Sati, we will have the understanding to see things differently, without the mental reaction and stirring like before. Our mind becomes calmer, more peaceful and quieter. There is more understanding, leading to more equanimity of mind, then there is more joy and happiness in our heart. This is heedful living. No longer easily agitated, panicky, fearful and unhappy, which is heedless living.

  8. Stability of daily mindfulness allows us to understand the form and mind clearly. (How one input the content of consciousness and cause the mundane mind to stir and arise.)

  9. The Mundane mind goes the way of nature, i.e. it is impermanent, it comes and it goes, arises and passes away. If we are deluded, it has power over us. It can conditions us to stir/react to sense experiences and create the evil roots of greed, hatred, delusion (especially selfishness and sakayaditthi or self-delusion).
  10. As long as thoughts are active, the egoic mind borne of wrong view is still there.
  11. The real meditation only starts, when our daily mindfulness has stabilised.

  12. Sis Angie has made some progress but she should continue to stabilise her daily mindfulness. When her daily mindfulness has stabilized, she will be different because by then “everything she do” she will be aware and her awareness will be very stable. It’s like, the phenomenon and her awareness moves as one. This is specific-phenomena awareness. With this specific-phenomena awareness, the mind no longer interferes (with its views, opinions, memories and conditioning). Should you choose to understand what it is, you may perceive it through the memory lens, then it stops (no further proliferation of thoughts and emotions, etc.)
  13. Having a good religious routine is crucial, to cultivate daily mindfulness, throughout the day.

  14. As a revision, the class did a review of their previous Thursday’s 1 August 2019 outline short notes.

  15. With the daily mindfulness, one become more aware and more attentive. There is also more clarity and the mind is more sensitive. Then through constant contemplation and reflection the 2nd turning wisdom of cintamaya panna will arise. This is followed by the direct seeing, then the wisdom (bhavanamaya panna) that arise is no longer just at the knowledge and contemplative level, but at a more penetrative insight level.

  16. When mindfulness stabilized, the awareness within becomes so sensitive that even the slightest movement within, before the “like/dislike” arises, can be clearly felt. We can feel that the stirring is about to begin. And since we have contemplated deep enough to know that this stirring will lead to suffering, then the initial wisdom (yoniso manasikara) already developed will prompt us, at the moment of sense experience, to cause the mundane mind not to stir like before. With yoniso manasikara, avijja becomes attenuated/weakened, hence weakening sankhara
    leading to less and less heedless thinking within our mind.

     

  17. With that understanding, we can develop sense restraint, leading to more calmness, and less sankhara (or stirring of mind). Being more present and aware, the space between thoughts start to lengthen, resulting in more peace, clarity, stillness and tranquillity of mind.

  18. The meditative mind must be a “free mind” which is silent, collected and unwavering (in Samadhi) but not in concentration so that the mental hindrances are not suppressed. So that it can see things as they are clearly to develop the wisdom via the direct seeing.

  19. Cultivation following the 10 steps of the Avijja sutta’s enlightenment sequence was re emphasis by Bro Teoh.

  20. Reading the “PAEON OF JOY” (recited by the Buddha after his enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree) from page 11 of our Chanting book.

    UDĀNA GĀTHĀ PAEON OF JOY

    Aneka jāti saṃsāraṃ, Sandhāvissaṃ anibbisaṃ, Gaha kārakaṃ gavesanto, dukkhā jāti punappunaṃ, Gaha kāraka diṭṭhosi puna gehaṃ na kāhasi, Sabbā te phāsukā bhaggā gaha kūtaṃ visaṅkhitaṃ, Visaṅkhāra gataṃ cittaṃ taṇhānaṃ khaya majjhagā ti

    Through many a birth I wandered in this saṃsāra (endless cycle of births and deaths), seeking but not finding, the builder of the house. Sorrowful is repeated birth. O house builder! You are seen. You shall build no house again. All your rafters are broken. Your ridge-pole is shattered. My mind has attained the unconditioned. Achieved is the end of craving.

  21. Reading of “Pancasatavipassakabhikkhu Vatthu” from Dhammapada Verse 170:

    

    Yatha pubbulakam passe, yatha passe maracikam, evam lokam avekkhantam, maccuraja na passati.

    If a man looks at the world (i.e., the five khandhas) in the same way as one looks at a bubble or a mirage forming during a heavy rain, the King of Death will not find him.

(Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

With metta always,

Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 6th August 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the above audio and short notes links of our 6 August 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Bro Teoh
Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Enclosed below is the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s   6 August 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes

Book Review: The BUDDHA & his TEACHINGS

Chapter 36: THE WAY TO  NIBBANA through Meditation Page 530

1.      There are 40 objects of Samatha meditation (kammathana) are:-

10 kasina; 10 impurities (Asubha or corpses), 10 Reflections or Anussati

4 illimitable (4 Brahmavihara), 1 loathsomeness of Material Food

  1. Analysis of 4 Elements, 4 Arupa Jhanas.

               Above meditation leads to concentration of mind and energy field. They are thought based in nature. Not awareness based type of mindfulness meditation.

2.      (a) The 10 Kasina are:

  • earth (paṭhavī kasiṇa),
  • water (āpo kasiṇa),
  • fire (tejo kasiṇa),
  • air, wind (vāyo kasiṇa),
  • blue, green (nīla kasiṇa),
  • yellow (pīta kasiṇa),
  • red (lohita kasiṇa),
  • white (odāta kasiṇa),
  • enclosed space, hole, aperture (ākāsa kasiṇa),
  • bright light (āloka kasiṇa)

    (b) The 10 Anussati are: 

  • Buddhanusatti- reflection on the Virtues of the Buddha
  • Dhammanusatti – Reflection of Buddha’s teaching/ doctrine
  • Sanghanussati- Reflection on the virtues of its Pure disciples
  • Silanussati – Reflection on ones’ Virtues
  • Caganussati – Reflection on one’s own charitable nature
  • Devatanussati – Reflection on Faith and Virtues with Deities as Witnesses
  • Upsamanussati – Reflection on the attributes of Nibbana-Cessation of Suffering
  • Masrananussati – Reflection on Death, fleeting Nature of Life. (This practice makes one realise the urgency to cultivate, especially when we exceed 70 years of age).
  • Kayagatasati -Reflection on the 32 Impure Body Parts. Leads to Dispassion
  • Anapanasati -Mindfulness on respiration and the 4 postures.

3.      The 4 Brahmavihara (Sublime states) are:

Metta (Loving kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic Joy) and Upekkha (Equanimity).

(With Universal Love, the heart opens to radiate love to all beings. This pure metta energy flows out soothingly from the heart. It goes beyond boundaries. Even animals and non-humans     can feel the metta/love).

4.      Through samatha bhavana or meditation one can develop the following 5 Supernormal Powers (Abhinna):

  1. magical powers (iddhi-vidha),
  2. divine ear (dibba-sota),
  3. penetration of the minds of others (ceto-pariya-ñāna),
  4. remembrance of former existences (pubbe-nivāsānussati),
  5. Divine eye (dibba-cakkhu).

But the above supernormal powers does not lead to enlightenment. To realize enlightenment one must release their jhana concentration out to normal awareness to cultivate insight meditation.

5. Many people can attain Arahantship without developing Jhana. Instead they cultivate vipassana insights leading to the real abhinna of extinction of all cankers (āsavakkhaya).

       6. The 8 Worldly conditions are:  

  • Gain & Loss,
  • Pain and Happiness,
  • Fame & Ill-fame,
  • Praise and Blame.

These dualities are the worldly phenomena of life. Cultivators must learn to transcend them with wisdom. Don’t attach and cling to them, otherwise suffering will be the result.

7.      Panca Nivarana (5 mental Hindrances) – they are: Sensual Desire, Ill-will, Sloth & Torpor, Restlessness & Worry and Doubt or Indecision. These mind states hinders our mind from entering the meditative states of inner peace, calmness and awareness to develop the meditation.

8.      Need Wisdom to root out these mental hindrances via cultivating the opposite 5 Spiritual Faculties to counter them.

  • The spiritual faculty of Faith in the Buddha and Dhamma will help overcome the mental hindrances of Restlessness and Doubt,
  • The spiritual faculty of Viriya (or Zeal) will help us overcomes the mental hindrance of Sloth & Torpor; drives one to cultivate Sati.
  • The spiritual faculty of Sati (which is the silent mind in tranquillity) can help us overcome the mental hindrances of sensual desire and ill-will.
  • When we stabilise Sati, our mind will be composed, collected and unwavering, leading to Samadhi. At this stage, we can see things as they are and the reality as it is, understand how we function as a Human being, via seeing clearly the 12 links of the Paticca samuppada.
  • With sati and Samadhi, wisdom or the panna spiritual faculty will arise. With wisdom all the 5 mental hindrances will cease and the mind will be in the meditative state all the time because no more mental hindrances.

(Above draft outline short notes prepared by Sister Yoon Chun)

With metta always,
Teoh
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Sister Alicia & Brother Freddy’s House Dana dated 28 July 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the above audio, video and short notes links of our 28 July 2019 Sunday house dana for sharing by all.

Short notes link:https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/190728-House-Dana-Alicia-Freddy-Outline-Short-Notes.pdf

With metta always,
Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 18 August 2019 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the above video, audio and short notes links for sharing by all.
Complete audio of the talk can be downloaded : https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-190718.mp3 Short Notes pdf : https://broteoh.com/wp-content/up…
youtu.be
With metta always,
Bro Teoh
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SJBA Sunday 18 August 2019 Dhamma talk on the 3 turnings of the 4 Noble Truth by Bro Teoh Kian Koon

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Enclosed below are the video, audio and short note links to my above Sunday 18 August 2019 Dhamma talk on the 3 Turnings of the 4 Noble Truth at Subang Jaya Buddhist society (SJBA) for sharing by all.

Video link: https://youtu.be/cHd59b3UF3E  *Bro Teoh’s @ SJBA yesterday*🙏 

Audio link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-SJBA-190818-The-3-Turnings-of-the-Four-Noble-Truths.mp3 

Outline short notes link: Outline short notes for Bro Teoh’s 18 August 2019 Dharma talk at SJBA

For more information please access to:  https://broteoh.com

With metta always,

Bro Teoh