Category: Dhamma video

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Bro Teoh’s 26 May 2019 Sunday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links for our 26 May 2019 Sunday class for sharing by all.

With metta always,

Teoh

From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 03 June 2019 04:16

Dearest Soo Yee and all,
Enclose herewith is the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s 26 May 2019 Sunday Class outline Short Notes

Book Reference: Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way (14th Lesson), Page 96-102

1.       Without wisdom, you will not have true renunciation and compassion.
When there is wisdom, renunciation and compassion manifests automatically.

    1. Without love, compassion and wisdom, the egoic mind/self-centredness will escalate and suffering will keep increasing and spreading.

       

2.       This Buddha sasana of Sakyamuni, is the best window to break free and to establish one’s nature firmly on the path of dhamma.  Through this window, we can also develop the understanding and faith to walk this Bodhisattva way firmlywith ease.

    1. We should constantly ask: “Which stage of bodhi mind development are we at?”
    2. We should aspire with utmost sincerity, faith and understanding to plant the seed of Bodhi deep into our nature to walk the Bodhisattva way by taking the 4 basic vows and all the other special aspirations and additional vows as given by Bro Teoh via his special printed format/notes to us. 


      These vows and aspirations are very important because: 

      “These are the Dharma understanding I need to have.”
      “These are the Right Views I need to understand.” 

      “I’m going all out to plant this seed of Bodhi to take this Bodhisattva vows sincerely, so as not to miss this window of opportunity, so that every life when this nature comes (whether choose to come or has to come), it will have these right  dharma understanding and vows to go this way.”

    3. Renew your vows every day, until it is instilled in your heart (may take about 3 months): 
  • Read through your Bodhisattva vows’ notes with a sincere mind to reaffirm your vows and aspirations. 
  • To renew your Four Great basic Vows and all your other aspirations and affirmations with understanding to stabilize and remember them firmly until you can recite them without having to refer to the notes anymore. 

3.       The seed of Bodhi will grow – nourished through wisdom and compassion to arisethe bright Bodhi mind.
Your aspirations and vows will bring forth the way.

 

4.       Strive on to be Spiritually Alive (free mind that understands – i.e. can settles downand becomes still on its own),
Spiritually Luminous (clarity of mind – no clinging to self or non-self) and
Spiritually Potent (overflowing with wisdom)

5.       Silent Illumination is the experience of Boundless Spaciousness (awareness without a centre)
(meditative mind that is fully aware and very sensitive to the slightest internal stirring/movements  as well as external stimuli or sense data impringing.)

    1. We cannot experience the mind as infinitely vast, if our mind is swamped with discursive thinking (preoccupied with narrow-minded views and heedless thinking – no longer aware)

    2. We cannot experience the environment as infinitely vast, if our mind constantly discriminate among sense objects (swayed by discriminative thoughts, implies lacking in equanimity)
    3. If your meditation does not give rise to wisdom, then you are missing the point entirely because only wisdom can shapes a person’s understanding and character to make them more noble in every aspect of their life. They will be humble, kind, sincere, honest, patient, forgiving, exude wholesomeness, etc. They will also have contentment, respect and gratitude and are veryresponsible (having right duties).

    4. Awareness based Meditation has nothing to do with concentration and absorption. Silent without illumination is Samatha meditation. Illumination is awareness.
    5. Signs of progress – a good check is: “Have I become more peaceful, calm and happy or have I become more egoic? Do I still have theevil roots of like and dislike, anger, frustration, unhappiness anddiscrimination?”

6.       The topic on confronting old age, sickness and death as shared by Sister Mun Yuen in her whatsApp was discussed.  Sis Chwee commented that such similar messages have been widely circulated in the social media and that there is nothing new in this.   

7.        Bro Teoh then asks “Without the Dhamma, would you be able to overcome suchlife’s challenges?” 

8.       Sis Chwee replied: ‘for someone who has a strong attachment to the “self” (atta), he or she would not be able to accept aging as a reality and may likely suffer unless they have no choice but to finally accept such reality; however such acceptance by them is very different from those who have the dhamma. When we understand (that there is no real identity of a “self”), then there is no more need to justify such acceptance and we can even act with true compassion and understanding to help others (when conditions allow).  

9.       Bro Teoh shared some experiences from people confronting death, including a Kalyanamittas who had to confront disease and death when she was at the prime of her career. (For details please listen to the recorded sharing.)

10.   Sis Chwee urge everyone (the old as well as the young) to cultivate the understanding of the 4 noble truths early, as death may come knocking anytime, unexpectedly.

11.   Without the Dhamma, you cannot understand life, and you won’t know how to live life. Worst of all, you may not know how to die, as you do not understandwhat death is, and you will fear it. Also who die and what die?

12.   When there is condition for you to encounter the Buddha Dhamma, you should go deep into it and develop all the understanding. Otherwise it is a waste, not being able to make use of it to help yourself, help your loved ones, and others with affinity, so that you may be a blessing to all and you can do your duties towards nature, fellow living beings, the world and the universal consciousness.

13.   Sis Padmasuri shares that at first she thought she had understood the 4 noble truths, until she was recently tested by a very personal life’s challenge again. She finally reacted towards the additional responsibilities piled upon her when condition was rather harsh.

14.   Sis Chwee applauds Sis Padmasuri for facing her challenge with courage andhonesty. She adds that every age has its own challenges, and as we overcome each challenge, we learn and grow to be better versions of ourselves.

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

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Bro Teoh 23 May 2019 Thursday class

Dear kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our Thursday class dated 23 May 2019 for sharing by all.

Video link 2: https://youtu.be/lRATrIbuROs

Short notes link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-190523.pdf

With metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Dear Sister Phey Yuen and all,
Below is the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s Thursday class dated 23rd May 2019 outline Short Notes

A.      1st session – Meditation 

1.       When you understand the Buddha’s teaching, you will have strong faith in him. This spiritual faculty of Saddha will arise the viriya (spiritual zeal) to drive you to cultivate sati. When the resulting Sati is stabilized it cumulates into Samadhi(a collected and unwavering free mind). This, will enable you to see things as they are leading to wisdom. These 5 spiritual faculties can help you overcomethe 5 mental hindrances (of sensual desire, ill will, restlessness, sloth/torpor and doubt) to enable you to meditate. Without the mental hindrances the mind will settle down into the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness easily.

2.       With the 5 spiritual faculties established, you can easily relax and maintain silent inner awareness to develop the meditation. Sati will be established leading to Samadhi right away. There is awareness of your heartbeat, mental activities as well as the contact of body and mind. You can see dependent origination clearly. Due to ignorance, sankhara (mental thinking) arises therebycreating contact with the brain to trigger off the mental consciousness with itscontent arise from memories, to condition your like/dislikes and emotional negativity.

3.       For those without the 5 spiritual faculties to establish mindfulness, you need todecondition the heedless thinking by using the mind-sweeping methodcombine with metta. Then stabilize the sati with anapanasati.

B.      2nd session – Discussion topic: Understanding Life, Its purpose and meaning

4.       If you don’t understand life you cannot live life and you cannot discuss its purpose and meaning. So understanding life is very important.

5.       All of us need to confront the challenges of life especially the 1st Noble truth’s8 realities of confronting old age, sickness, death and separation from loved ones etc. with wisdom. We also need to have self-knowledge to know who are you and what are you? If you don’t even know who are you and what are youthen who is living your life? It you are deluded and heedless without awareness then the thoughts are living your life most of the time. It is important for us to understand life to live life well.

6.       As Buddhists we are indeed very blessed to have Shakyamuni Buddha’steachings to explain to us the deep meaning of life. The essence of his teaching is the 4 noble truths and this 4 noble truths, summary to us all of life (both the mundane and supra mundane). It also reveal to us the secret of life.

7.       The 1st noble truth explains to us the prevalence of dukkha or suffering and it highlight to us the 8 realities of life and existence. All of your suffering, sorrow and misery come from confronting these 8 realities without the requisitewisdom. The 8 realities are: 1) Birth; 2) Old age; 3) Sickness; 4) Death; 5) Separation from loved ones or our prized possession, 6) When you’re with people whom you don’t like; 7) When things don’t go your way, when your expectation in life are not met and when you cannot get what you want; and lastly 8) the 5 grasping aggregates (conditioned by one’s self-delusion) are dukkha. When you meditate with the silent mind, you will understand that this 5 aggregates of form and mind is dependent originating and impermanenthence it is not you. This body and mind is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicleand tool’ for us to come to this existential world to live and experience life. With this understanding you can live life with good understanding.

8.       When you grasp and attach to your physical body you suffer because you will worry about it getting old, sick and one day die. If you cling to feeling, whether pleasant or unpleasant feelings, you will also suffer because feeling is dependent originating hence it is impermanent and not a permanent unchanging entity which you can cling onto and grasp onto as the ‘I’ and the ‘Me’. The same goes with all your perception, sankhara (activities of mind) and consciousness.  Reason why the Buddha said, ‘the 5 grasping aggregates are suffering’.

9.       The 2nd noble truth explains the cause of arising of suffering.  It is self-delusion that conditions craving that cause you to grasp and cling. Investigate further: If I grasp, cling and attach to form and feeling, all that I perceive and my mind states, views and opinions, do I suffer? Without dharma wisdom, you definitely suffer.

10.   The 3rd noble truth explains that suffering need not be if you have with good understanding of Buddha’s teaching. Enlightenment in the here and now is possible. You know how to live life and are free from the 1st noble truth’s 8 realities. You cannot be deceived by the phenomenal world and the 5 aggregates of form and mind anymore. Instead you can live life to the fullest, with joy, understanding and love as an enlightened being.

11.   The 4th noble truth explains that if you cultivate this noble eightfold path, it will lead to the end of all suffering i.e. enlightenment in the here and now.

12.   Utu Niyama (nature’s physical order), Bija Niyama (nature’s biological order), Kamma Niyama (law of Kamma/Moral causation), Citta Niyama and Dhamma Niyama are the 5 nature’s universal orders that governs all of life and existence. The first 2 are scientific laws of nature and the last 3 are spiritual laws of nature. Understanding these laws constituent right views leading to wisdom. This will enable us to understand life.

13.   Life is our greatest teacher. Nature has great compassion. We learn from lifethrough observing nature. The nature’s law of karma says, you reap what you sow and if you plant the seed of wholesomeness, you will reap the fruit of wholesomeness. Master Hsuen Hua also said, whatever causes you plant will give rise to its fruition when there are conditions for their arising. He thus warned, ‘please do not plant the wrong seed and reap the wrong fruit’. So to have the good life we have to take care of karma via following the advice of the Buddha.

14.   From the spiritual point of view, your sole purpose in life is to develop such understanding via following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do goodand purify your mind, to live the good life with wisdom and to always plant wholesome conditions.

15.   You must have Dutiful conduct – do your duty in accordance with these laws of nature especially the law of karma. Be responsible in life. As spouse, as children, as siblings, as parents, as employee/employer, do your duties well. Even towards the environment. If you neglect your duties, in future you will reap what you sow. Right duty is right dhamma. You must also have Right conduct,good conduct and wise conduct after following the advice of the Buddha to cultivate wholesomeness to build up your karmic nature, so that when you choose to come or have come to, you will have the good Karmic support. Develop wisdom, you won’t suffer, life becomes meaningful and beautiful.  Live the noble life of an enlightened being who is free of fear and suffering.  You are always peaceful, happy and tranquil. Heart Sutra – ‘true emptiness is wonderful existence.

16.   In the year 1971, Brother Teoh (17 years old) reflected on these questions, “Who Am I?” in this vast universe and why am I here? What is the purpose of life? He received the answer from deep within his nature – ‘that he cannot understand all these unless he meditated’. This probe was due to his past vowsand cultivation.

17.   The Meaning and purpose of life can be established after you understand life.You must also understand who are you? What the 5 aggregates of form and mind is? Is it really you? If not, then who are you? It is important to understand who you are? In order to know who is living your life. Usually it is your thought that is living your life. The thought is egoic, deluded and full of craving. Thisdeluded thought cannot live life. You need to contemplate and develop understanding of your true mind, to be aware, to see clearly who you are? Investigate into what the Buddha says. That the 5 aggregates is impermanentand if you cling onto it, you suffer. As it is impermanent, you cannot cling on to it, to say this is ‘me’ and all these are ‘mine’. As you break free from self-delusion, your attachment to form and mind loses its grip and is relinquished.You understand the body and mind is NOT you but is related to you karma wise. To use the form and mind and yet not be deceived by it is wisdom. To realize the unconditioned dharma to develop the wisdom to live life is very important.

18.   Conditioned dharma has its own reality. It recognizes relationship, right duty, wholesomeness and unwholesomeness and the 4 noble truths etc. But in true emptiness (the unconditioned), there is no old age, sickness, death, no 4 noble truths, no suffering, no attainment, etc. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. The Conditioned and Unconditioned dharma exist side by side. You need to understand both of them to live the good life.

19.   To be able to apply Buddha’s teaching is most important. Develop the dharma understanding and cultivate to transform both your karmic and spiritualnatures. To become a beautiful living being (personality and character wise) and be a blessing to all. Be determined to cultivate it, take vow, plant the Bodhi seed, nurtures it beautifully so that this Bodhi mind will continue to arise life after life to support your cultivation.

20.   Karmic nature surely brings you to the world i.e. karma decides. Regarding thespiritual nature you have to connect to your true nature first before you can inherit from it. Thus it is important to have the vows and aspirations to enable you to connect with your true nature and the Bodhi mind to propel you forward to receive the teaching so that you are always on the right track. Faith in the dharma is vital.

21.   When Brother Teoh’s nature comes to this world, he just accords and flows with understanding, to allow conditions to arise by itself. Brother Teoh shared that by attending his dharma classes, the merits and parami accrued can be very immense and powerful. It is rare indeed to have the condition to listen to thetrue dharma thus cherish and treasure it. In that sense you all are very blessedto be part of the kalyanamitta family. You all must have your past cultivationsand affinity.

22.   After straightening your views with initial wisdom, you are less reactive, more aware and mindful. There is more space between thoughts. You are calm, peaceful and your mind seldom stirs. This is sati sampajanna. Once you hit this, you are home. With this sati sampajanna cultivated only you can have sense restraint to enable you to cultivate the 4 right efforts, keep precepts and arise the 3 way of right conducts. By then you are at least a Sotapanna or a skadagami. You can then cultivate the 4 foundation of mindfulness. Then the 7 factors of enlightenment keeps on arising, you are on the right path – enlightenment in the here and the now (Nibanna) can happen. All these 10 cultivation steps as stated in the Avijja sutta is not difficult. The path and fruition keeps on arising. When connected to your true nature, you can breeze through the cultivation very fast, continuing from your past life cultivation after that.

(Above outline short notes draft is by Sister Angie Chong)

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Bro Teoh’s 21 May 2019 Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links for our May 21 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Whiteboard link: 
Regards,
Teoh
Posted on

Bro Teoh’s 14 May 2019 Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links for our 14 May 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Teoh
Posted on

Re: Bro Teoh’s Thursday class video dated 30 May 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below dharma video on ‘Understanding Enlightenment/the Essential Dhamma (especially on the 3 Evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion) for sharing by all. Please do view it attentively.
Dear Bro Chin How – Maha Sadhu! for the below video recording which you had so nicely video.
Whiteboard link:  to be viewed with the video.
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
Subject: Re: Bro Teoh’s Thursday class video dated 30 May 2019

[01/06, 10:18] Chin How Video Link: https://youtu.be/2wazDo-98pU  🙏

Audio link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-190530.mp3
[01/06, 11:40] teohkiankoon: 🙏🙏🙏👍 Thank u so much Chin How. Last Thursday class (30 May 2019) video above was very well done.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
Posted by: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 14 May 2019 video clip

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Tuesday class Dharma video for sharing by all:

https://youtu.be/_tE6a14b6s0    Last Tuesday class (14.5.2019) talk on *Understanding the 5 Aggregate of Form & Mind*  A very good and clear explanation was given by Bro Teoh Kian Koon.

Audio link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Tue-190514.mp3

Whiteboard link:

Posted on

Re: Recent March 2019 Cameron Highlands Dharma video clips.

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are some of the very importance Cameron Highlands recent March 2019 Meditation retreat dharma video clips for sharing by all:
[16/05, 20:07] teohkiankoon: https://youtu.be/0AcK_bA2rFk

[16/05, 20:07] teohkiankoon: https://youtu.be/lRergOFevfw

[16/05, 20:07] teohkiankoon: Another *profound sharing* from Bro Teoh at Cameron retreat on Understanding the 5 aggregates of Form and Mind for real transformation. 🙏🙏🙏 https://youtu.be/xV8G5NBj7HU

Published on Apr 7, 2019

Complete audio of the talk can be downloaded from https://broteoh.com/wp-content/upload…

Cameron Retreat 2019 : https://broteoh.com/cameron-highlands…

Book reference for the above talk : Heart Sutra Appendix 3 page 144

For more information please click on this website: https://broteoh.com

https://youtu.be/_tE6a14b6s0     Yesterday Tuesday class (14.5.2019) talk on *Understanding the 5 Aggregate of Form & Mind*  A very good and clear explanation was given by Bro Teoh Kian Koon.
Posted on

Dharma video Tuesday class dated 14 May 2019

Dear Kalyanamittas – below dharma video on understanding the 5 Aggregates of Form and Mind (or who are you?) for sharing by all.
Dear Bro Chin How – Maha Sadhu! for the below video recording which you had so nicely video.
https://youtu.be/_tE6a14b6s0    Yesterday Tuesday (14.5.2019) class talk on *Understanding the 5 Aggregate of Form & Mind*   A very good video for sharing by all.

With metta always,

Bro Teoh
Posted on

Re: 10 March and 7 April 2019 Sunday classes

Dear Kalyanamittas,
A. Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 10 March  2019 Sunday class for sharing by all.
Law of attraction Video link: https://youtu.be/n9wJnrttj4U
Cetasika video link: https://youtu.be/0AcK_bA2rFk

Cetasika chart: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Cetasika-Chart-190310.pdf

B. Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 7 April  2019 Sunday class for sharing by all.

Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 05 May 2019 05:57

Dear Mun Yuen and all,
Below are the above edit outlines short notes for sharing by all.

A. Outline short notes for Bro Teoh’s Sunday class dated 10th March 2019

Brother Teoh’s transcript book: Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way, pages 55-62

1. Karmic fruitions can trigger karmic obstructions and they can be very powerful obstructions.

2. To clear karmic obstructions, one need to sincerely ask for forgiveness from the Triple Gem and all beings and vow not to repeat all these karmic negativities via following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, cultivates wholesomeness and meditates to purify one’s mind. Then invoke power of merits for turn around and recovery.

3. The 10 Perfections cultivation are generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, spiritual zeal, patience endurance, truthfulness, determination/aspiration, loving kindness and equanimity.

4. Dharma is not just theory. It has to be cultivated while in the midst of life because it is a living dharma, not theory or knowledge which is not the true dharma. Investigate the Dharma in our daily life activities. When the Dharma stands up to investigation, there will be understanding and faith.

5. Only Bodhisattvas have precepts to break because Bodhisattvas have very extensive vows and work to do.

6. It is very important to understand what constitute evil so that they can be recognised and abandoned.

7. Strive on with heedfulness to connect to our true nature early in every life. Learn the Dharma fast so that the Bodhi mind or seed can be activated early to perfect our karmic nature until it cannot fall back any more.

8. Long or short period of cultivation time is of no significance for a Bodhisattva who had realized the Enlightenment.

9. Question from Sister Tammy: Is Adhitthana and Law of Attraction the same?

10. Brother Teoh explained that the Law of Attraction does not give the whole perspective of things as it does not take into account the law of karma. Even though the thoughts are positive and motivating but with evil roots, negative karma will arise. Then, those positive thoughts (with evil roots) may only work for a while in the beginning until the negative karmic fruition kicks in. (Do view and listen attentively to the video recording which is very clear and complete to understand this topic better. This video recording is available in our broteoh.com website under recording of classes.)

11. Question from Sister Soo: What is cetasika? How can cetasika help in our cultivation?

12. Brother Teoh explained that cetasikas are just mental concomitants/states/content of consciousness which we must be aware of while cultivating our daily mindfulness. (Do view and listen attentively to the video recording which is very clear and complete to understand this topic better. This video recording is available in our broteoh.com website under recording of classes.)

13. Brother Song shares his cultivation experience, where he experienced heightened awareness and understanding of the Dharma. His consciousness experience bright lights and was aware of even the birds flying high above his head but he was not distracted by such experiences. He continues to relax and maintain awareness until he can be aware of his very subtle greed, resentment and dislike including all the very fine mental movements and mind states within his mind.

14. Brother Teoh rejoiced with Brother Song’s rather good progress and understanding and cautioned others against attaching to the manifestation of bright light (consciousness very bright) which is one of the 10 defilements of insight because it is just a conditioned state. Clinging will block progress. Silent the mind until the mind enters sati. Stabilize the daily mindfulness until one can develop the direct seeing from their pure nature. (Must listen attentively to the audio recording from the 2hr 7 minutes onward to develop the clear and deep understanding of the actual cultivation.)

15. At the moment of sense experience and feeling, if there is the initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) the mind will not stir and one will then have sense restraint and more moments of silent awareness.

16. Sister Soo asked why for a period she can have no feeling and thoughts during her recent spiritual trip to India. She also asked why at one stage she at the same time also has so much dislike or aversion towards those beggars that harass her and causing her to cringe. Later she can also see other people’s suffering, desire and greed for blessings and fame. She then decides to reverse the light and look within or inwards to see her own defilements.

17. Brother Teoh explained that her faith and conditioned mind brings about the initial calm state of mind that conditioned her to associate every encounter with equanimity. If she is mindful with a free mind it will not be

the same. If she had relaxed into it and maintain awareness, it will change into a free mind. Regarding the beggars, there must be understanding to overcome or root out the aversion. The last part she did – to reverse the light and see within was good. Actual cultivation is usually the opposite way. One must reverse the light and look within to see our own defilements and how these defilements condition us via our own self-delusion to stir and project our thoughts leading to all the fear, worry anxiety and suffering borne of wrong thoughts. Through understanding ourselves we will be able to understand others. (Must listen attentively to the audio recording from 2hr 26 minutes onward to develop the clear and deep understanding of this cultivation.)

18. Bro Teoh introduced and shared the 3-Fold Lotus Sutra (Fa Hua San Bu Jing) with kalyanamittas.

B. Outline short notes for Bro Teoh’s Sunday class dated 7th April 2019

Brother Teoh’s transcript book: Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way, page 62 to 65

1. We are all connected in existence. Everything within the conditioned world is interdependent. All our natures contribute to what the universe is today. Reason why it is often said, ‘one is all and all is one’.

2. The egoic mind that separates us from the Whole causes us suffering. Enlightened Beings can see clearly this truth or reality of life, i.e. no mark of a self, living being and life and also all phenomena are conditions arising and dependent originating following nature’s laws.

3. Explanation by Bro Teoh on – the importance of the 5 Daily Contemplations as advised by the Buddha.

4. Accept the law of karma. Don’t react to karmic fruition with negativity. Develop the right view. Follow the Noble Eightfold Path to resolve all issues and so called problem amicably. When one can understands this, one’s mind can be liberated. If this is not understood, one will suffer and become miserable. With the Dharma, life is beautiful and wonderful.

5. We cannot just want to help everyone that is suffering because there are so many suffering beings in the world and it is beyond our means. When there is no condition, nothing will be done. When there is condition developed via wisdom, help can be offered. A true cultivator must learn to differentiate between the desire to help (which is a craving) and true wisdom.

6. Relationship is considered important only for the form and mind which is subject to the law of karma.

7. Buddha hood is realized upon the completion of the cultivation of the Bodhisattva way.

8. Cultivate and investigate the Dharma to have the understanding to live life. To cultivate repentance to break karmic obstructions.

9. Do no continue to gullibly play the game of suffering, i.e. to indulge and cocoon oneself in wrong thoughts via holding on to one’s negative thoughts of previous experiences like fear, worry, phobia, insecurity, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation, etc. which impacted so much suffering on them. Re-playing all these negative memories again and again through wrong thoughts can lead to depression. Need to be aware of all these and abandon all these wrong thoughts which has become so habitual and so harmful via applying the 4 right efforts.

10. Whenever we are not happy and not peaceful, the evil roots and wrong thoughts have arisen. There are defilements. When one is caught in a cocoon of wrong thoughts one will be severely afflicted.

11. Question from Sister PG: How to establish affinity with Great Beings besides invoking power of merits?

12. Brother Teoh explained that we can pay respect to them and chant names of the Great Beings with faith.

13. Brother Teoh went through the Q&A section of an ealier Klang talk on understanding meditation where Sister Jeanne’s son asked whether anapanasati as taught by the Buddha is a technique or a meditation.

14. Meditation is to train the mind to be heedful to cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path (N8FP).

15. Heedfulness is to be ever mindful and constantly meditative of the N8FP.

16. The cultivation of the 4 Foundation of Mindfulness (after overcoming covetousness and grief) is the only way for the purification of beings, for overcoming of sorrow and lamentation and to realise enlightenment:

(1) First foundation – Kayanupassana or mindfulness of the physical body:

· The Buddha recommends us to start with anapanasati which is just a method and technique that serve as an initial skilful means to train the mind to be mindful so that it does not wander off and be lost in thoughts.

· After anapanasati is developed, do not continue to do it without understanding. Use it to develop Passaddhi (the silent mind in stillness) until the mind enters sati.

· Then move on to cultivate the mindfulness of the 4 postures followed by mindfulness of all the movements between the 4 postures leading to the sati sampajanna practices. This daily mindfulness cultivation must reach the stability of mindfulness that can enable one to see one’s own mental intentions and mental defilements clearly (starting with the gross tending towards the subtle ones) to understand the spiritual teachings as taught by the Buddha clearly.

(2) Second foundation – vedananupassana or mindfulness of feelings

(3) Third foundation – cittanupassana or mindfulness of the content of consciousness

(4) Fourth foundation – dhammanupassana or mindfulness of the following essential dhamma:

  •  Mindfulness of 5 mental hindrances
  •  Mindfulness of 5 aggregates of form and mind
  •  Mindfulness of 6 internal sense bases and 6 external sense bases
  •  Mindfulness of the 7 factors of enlightenment
  •  Mindfulness of the 4 Noble Truths (N8FP is the last Noble Truth)

(Above draft short notes were developed by sister Mun Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh