Category: Dhamma Note

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Bro Teoh’s Thursday class dated 26 September 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio, video and short notes links to our above 26 September 2019 Thursday class for sharing by all:

With metta always,
Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 24 September 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the various video, audio and short notes links of our 24 September 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all:
With metta always,
Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s Dharma video dated 10 October 2019 (Thursday class)

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below is our 10 Oct 2019 Thursday class dharma video and audio links for sharing by all.
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Bro Teoh’s 22 September 2019 Sunday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed are the relevant links to our above 22 September 2019 Sunday class for sharing by all.
With metta,
Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 19 September 2019 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below the relevant links to our above 19th September 2019 Thursday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 17 September Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed are the relevant links for the above 17 September 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.

Audio link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Tue-190917.mp3

With metta,
Bro Teoh

Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Enclosed is the above edit outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s Sep 17th 2019 Tuesday Class Outline Short Notes

Reporting of retreat experience by yogis who attended the 10-day retreat at Wat Marp Jam, Rayong, Thailand

1.      Bro Song has finished his sharing in the previous week. So have Chin How, Adeline and PG on the previous Sunday class. Sister Yoon Chun gave a brief account of their stay there, which differed from her previous visits, as this time around there are various English-speaking monastics around to share their experiences and Mae chee Amy was there to facilitate & make their daily chores more interesting, especially for the ladies.

2.      During the stay there, Ajahm Anan advised his monks why he wants them to do their daily chores mindfully and with understanding. It is for them to develop sati sampajanna while in the midst of life.

Bro Teoh concurred with his advice and added as follows: Chores can develop real meditation if done with understanding. Right duty is Right Dharma.  We have a duty towards the Law of Nature. We should perform our duties with right understanding, wholesomeness and mindfulness. In this way we can be ever mindful and constantly meditative leading to heedfulness. When we no longer complain, the 3 Evil Roots can be rooted out. Otherwise our mundane mind will give arise to comparison, leading to duality and cause division leading to un necessary conflict, misunderstanding and argument.

 3.      Reporting on her practice, she said, on one occasion she was disturbed by a negative unwholesome thought until she resolved the matter. This thought interfered with her meditation and she was affected by it. She can’t meditate because this is a clinging thought that conditioned her unhappiness and anxiety. She clings to her this unresolved problem.

Bro Teoh advised that the thought surfaced due to her un-mindfulness and lack of initial wisdom

when the matter arose.  Her inquiry should be why this thought? She should just Silent your mind to

find out, to see clearly the birth and formation of such thought. To understand how Grasping and

Clinging had occurred leading to the arising of such thought. She should have immediately reflected

And contemplated on the cause of this thought appearing, not others, to realize the attachment borne  of wrong view via not able to accept the reality of the  moment (or what happened within the moment).     Reflect and inquire via the second turning of the 4 Noble Truths to arise the wisdom and understanding to free the mind with wisdom.

4.      Once there is Clinging and Grasping, the so called problem (or accumulated phobia) will be difficult to remove unless with wisdom or temporarily through a dream (via subconscious release).

As quoted by J. Krishnamurthi: The mind must have Order. Otherwise the trapped or accumulated phobias, fear and anxiety (borne of attachment) will cause disorder in the brain. A dream cannot permanently dislodge it altogether as without wisdom the same dream will recur. Attachment is holding it inside with unhappiness borne of fear, worry and anxiety. Eventually, it can cause depression with suicidal thought tendencies. When the mind is silent, it will see the birth and formation of such thoughts due to attachment and then with this understanding (borne of the 2nd turning contemplation), develop the understanding ‘to accept the reality of the moment via seeing things as they are’ as taught by the Buddha to release them. Then the dreams will not appear.  According to the 2nd Noble Truth Craving leading to Clinging and grasping will entail suffering.

5.      Next, Han reported that she was able to experience stillness and calmness during her stay there. She could feel the oneness with Nature and could easily switch between her chores and sitting meditation.

6.      Bro Teoh cautioned her to check and make sure her above ability is developed via a Free Mind and not a conditioned state of calmness borne of Samatha meditation because she used to have that tendency in the past. The free Mind (with understanding) can quieten down and be completely relaxed, tranquil and still with no thoughts. This mind state does not rely on Samatha concentration to develop it.  In this state, the mind is always aware with specific phenomenon awareness and have no Dwelling. Then wisdom can arise via seeing things as they are, to give rise to Equanimity or the upekkha enlightenment factor which is borne of wisdom. Mindfulness and the Silence, must be very stable to see them.

7.      Bro Teoh further advised that we should maintain continuity of whatever mindfulness and inner awareness, we have developed in the retreat until the mind enters sati.  We must determine to be aware throughout the day. Also develop Yoniso Manasikara via the 1st and 2nd turning wisdom (through constantly listening,reflection, contemplation and inquiry into dharma). Then our minds will not stir with likes and dislikes. Having no more mental chattering and verbalization the mind will become very quiet and still (on its on borne of wisdom). This free mind state (borne of wisdom) will help us realise passaddhi (the tranquillity and stillness of mind) leading to our ability to realise truth/reality via the direct seeing (to see things as they are). When our mind enters sati all our seeing, hearing, etc. will be in sati. Then all our movements (physical and mental) and nature’s phenomena will appear to be like flowing in slow motion (like in a continuous flow). Everything is connected and like magnified. Then we will transform.

8.      Tammy requested for Bro Teoh’s further elaboration on the 2 aspects of the 5 Aggregates of form and mind.  

Bro Teoh: The 1st aspect is as a human being and the 2nd aspect is as the 5 Mental aggregates of form and mind which arises when the Perception aggregate brings the external form into the mind. Bro Teoh further explained that the 4th link of the 12 Links of paticca samuppada which is the Nama Rupa (the thought) link, is the 2nd aspect of the 5 aggregates of form and mind. It is the Mental consciousness (pure consciousness with its content) which arises upon contact of mind with the 6 respective Sense Organs. Contact conditions feelings to arise then without wisdom (yoniso manasikara) it will condition or causes craving (followed by the other links of grasping/clinging, becoming and birth leading to the whole mass of suffering) to arise. All these links can be clearly seen or observed when we have the stability of Sati (daily mindfulness) in pure awareness. With this understanding and sensitivity and stability of mindfulness, the link will stop at Feeling, and feeling will remain as pure feeling without conditioning craving. Hence no more stirring of mind with likes and dislikes to arise the mental hindrances of sensual desire and ill-will. Without attaining this quality of mind and understanding, most people went through all the links to experience Birth (transgression) leading to suffering without seeing the links in between. These movements are so fast, without the requisite wisdom and a very stable sati one cannot cope with sense experiences arising in daily life.

(Draft for above short notes was prepared by sister Yoon Chun) 

With metta always,

Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 12 September 2019 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the relevant links to our above 12 September Thursday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 10 September 2019 Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed are the relevant links to our above 10 September Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Whiteboard link: 
With metta always,
Bro Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 8 September Sunday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed are the  relevant links to our above Sunday class dated 8 September 2019, for sharing by all.
 
With metta
Bro Teoh
Dear Sister Mun Yuen and all,
Enclose herewith the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Outline short notes for Bro Teoh’s Sunday class dated 8 September  2019                                                                                  Lesson 1: ‘The Path to Truth for the Modern-day Bodhisattva Practitioner’ by Master Shih Cheng Yen.                                                                  

  1. Brother Teoh introduced and explained the reason  and significance for using the above new reference book. It is mainly to develop the understanding of  how the various Buddhist traditions with their unique specialty of understanding had contributed to world peace and help transformedour world for the better. To do this work, we need to train more Bodhisattvas with the proper understanding to do this work. These are Modern-day Bodhisattvas who live among fellow living beings and integrate with society to be a blessing to all.
  2. Blessings that we received are not due to luck but mainly due to our virtues borne of wisdom because without wisdom, there is no real virtue.
  3. Our Taiwan spiritual trip in 2014 led by Brother Teoh visited 4 great Buddhist traditions/organizations, each with their own specialty of understanding. Fo Guang Shan excels in Buddhist education, Tzu Chi emphasizes compassion in action, Fa Gu Shan focuses on meditation and Zhong Tai Chan Shi advocates planting the seed of Bodhi to walk the Bodhisattva way.
  4. Each and every Bodhisattva is different and they have their own ways. Brother Teoh’s mission this life is to share the special unique Truth that his nature had understood to help Bodhisattvas progress faster along the path of dharma.
  5. We need to aspire to have certain understanding of some of the important essential Dharma whenever we choose to come or have to come to this world, if not we will be wasting a lot of our time trying to develop such understanding every time we come to this mundane world.
  6. Whatever we had cultivated will be stored up in our spiritual and karmic Natures. The wisdom, merits and blessings that we have cultivated, can help us in our cultivation if we know how to make use of them through invoking the power of merits and blessing for us to progress successfully along the path of dharma.
  7. Among all the different schools of Buddhism, the common ground is the Four Noble Truths, although the emphasis is different. All subsequent teachings originate from this Four Noble Truths.
  8. There is a discussion on “Why all Samma SamBuddha choose to realize Buddhahood in the human realm?” (Please refer to the audio/video recording for the details).
  9. A good and virtuous mind is enough to do wholesomeness. There is no need to insist on having money to do or perform wholesomeness. When we radiate love (metta), have wholesome thoughts, cultivate the four right efforts, meditate, being mindful and heedful, we can perform all the 10 meritorious deeds, including rejoicing and providing service etc. to help promote dharma activities and cultivation; these are wholesomeness that can be done without having to spend any money.
  10. Sharing by Kalynamittas who return from their recent 10-days retreat at Ajahn Anan’s forest monastery (WMJ) in Rayong, Thailand:
    1. Brother Chin How shared his experience  of how his nature let him understand the deep meaning of  不求 (bu jiu) – not seeking  and 无求 (wu jiu) – no seeking, leading to the realization of peace when the mind is no longer seeking. He also shared how he understand conditions to do wholesomeness (the feeding the fish experience). When there is no craving or expectation to do it, then something unexpected can just happen. When we have the dharma and the parami, things will fall into place naturally and if they are meant to be it will manifest beautifully.
    2. Sister Adeline shared her experience on the importance of having this constant reflection and contemplation of dharma with a stable daily mindfulness to be sensitive to enable her to realize that she was suffering due to her complaining mind on the duties that yogis have to perform versus her wish to have more time to meditate. These are wrong thoughts as taught by Bro Teoh: ‘whenever you are not peaceful and unhappy, the evil roots are there’. She also shared her experience of how she was able to develop deeper understanding of the cultivation through refinement or fine-tuning of her cultivation while there.  
    3. Sister PG shared her experience of adjusting to meal times and having expectation while at the Guan Yin hall due to stories she heard previously. She also share how she was able to have very peaceful and good sleep (without thought) while there, despite being there for the first time. Normally she can’t sleep well at new places.

      (Please listen to the audio/video recording for details).

  1. Brother Teoh explained that all their above sharing have a common root cause. That is, when you seek, that seeking is a form of craving. Actually, there is no need to seek (wanting things our way and feels frustrated when it does not turn out in our favour). If things are meant to be, they will happen according to our parami. When we change the way we live life for the better (following the dharma way which is the righteous way), our karmic nature will change for the better too to improve our life.
  2. We need to be able to see clearly the root cause of our sufferings so that we can free ourselves and be at peace. Enquire deeply on: “Who is unhappy? Who is complaining?” It is the egoic mind with the self-delusion.  When we understand, we can just accord and flow with conditions to be at peace at all time.
  3. When we feel negativities, we have self-delusion. Wrong thoughts are thoughts that condition our greed, craving, anger, hatred, fear, worry and anxiety, etc. and these thoughts with the evil roots made us evil. This is how we can check our cultivation. We must have mindfulness and understanding when these wrong thoughts arise. We must also understand what constitute evil. Because of these negative wrong thoughts, the ego complains.
  4. Signs of progress are, when we don’t react and complain anymore. When we can have more love, peace within, joy and happiness through our own understanding of the dharma (the essential dharma) as taught by the Buddha. No more seeking.

    (Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)

With metta always,

Teoh