Category: Sunday class (WPCS)

Posted on

Bro Teoh’s 1st July 2018 Sunday class recording

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links with the outline short notes to our last Sunday class’s recording dated 1st July 2018 for sharing by all.

The 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra lesson 78 dated 1st July 2018 outline short notes              (Pg 394-395 Chapter X Final Instructions)

  1. Brother Teoh went through the J. Krishnamurti daily quote on Extraordinary seeing(same as direct seeing, i.e. to see things as they are without interference from past experiences and the thoughts).
  2. Brother Teoh did a detail review of the outline short notes for Thursday class dated 21 June 2018.
  3. When there is mental stirring, one cannot be aware.
  4. Whatever that is logical, may not always be the truth. Knowledge is not wisdom.
  5. Only wisdom or understanding frees one from suffering. If one merely tells oneself not to be angry when one is angry, this will not help as this is a form of suppressionnot wisdom because when similar issues or conditions crops up again, anger would still arise. However, if one understands via acceptance of the fact that things and peoples are just the way they are, then anger cannot arise. One will not react with anger to any other situation again after having those understanding. 
  6. Brother Teoh explained the difference between Path and Fruition enlightenment stages. Under the 7 stages of purification or satta visuddhi, there is a stage called ‘Purification by knowledge and vision of what is path and not-path (maggamagga-nanadassana-visuddhi). Path leads to wisdom and enlightenment whereas non-Path leads to delusion and deviant path. Path here means your cultivation is on the right path leading to enlightenment and when you are on the path your enlightenment factors will keep on arising. One must have already got a glimpse of Nibbana or the cessation of Form & Mind to be on the path. Fruition here means having reached the completion of cultivation of the Path leading to stability of understanding that can enable one to share and teach those understanding.
  7. If one is on the right Path, the 7 main factors of Enlightenment of: (1) Sati(Mindfulness),                            (2) Dhammavicaya (Investigation of Dharma), (3) Viriya (Spiritual Zeal), (4) Piti (Joy), (5) Passadhi (Tranquillity of the mind), (6) Samadhi (collected and unwavering mind) and (7) Upekkha (Equanimity borne of wisdom) will keep arising.
  8. All the four stages of sainthood enlightenment of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anāgāmi and Arahant have their own Path and Fruition. The 4 stages of sainthood enlightenment linking the 10 fetters that bind living beings to samsara were also explained.
  9. Brother Chin How asked whether he can contemplate while doing walking meditation after he has reached some point of calmness? Brother Teoh adviced Brother Chin How to find this out himself (meaning   investigate   into it) instead of waiting for his answer. The question should not be what one should be doing. If he wants to do the walking meditation to develop mindfulness then just go ahead and do. He should just walk naturally until the body and mind become one(without the thought saying that it wants to be mindful) as often advised by Brother Teoh. Once that happened then the form and mind that is in sati will know what sati is without words. If he wants to contemplate then just contemplate via a calm mind in creativity. Just do and the result will automatically arise if he has done them correctly with the appropriate faith, sincerity and understanding.
  10. Sister Tammy asked:  i) After doing the mind sweeping method cum metta meditation to de condition  the   heedless thinking the mind is calmer then I am is supposed to stabilise it via Anapanasati. But I am averse toward Anapanasati so is there other way to   stabilise  the mindfulness? Brother Teoh advice Tammy that any method (or skilful means) and technique that she is familiar and comfortable with, she can use them. There are no hard and fast rigid rules. It all depends on the individual’s preference. ii) If there is sloth and torpor during meditation what must I do? Brother Teoh: ‘what do you normally do?’ Tammy replied, I try to open my eyes? Brother Teoh: Does it help and are you able to stabilise your mindfulness?Tammy: Sometimes it helps to keep me awake but I still can’t stabilise my mindfulness. Brother Teoh: Can you remember what I used to advice you all when it comes to sloth and torpor? You are supposed to inquire! What is sloth and torpor? It is one of the 5 mental hindrances, right? So don’t try to suppress or fight it or do away with it via aversion or disliking it. In doing so you are creating another mental hindrance of aversion. This is delusion. Why can’t you develop the acceptance of it via understanding  that without the 5 spiritual faculties the mental hindrance will continue to arise; so don’t create the mental hindrance of aversionunnecessary? Understanding this, you can then apply the 5 ways to overcomeunwholesome thought as taught by the Buddha. 1st way is to think of the direct opposite wholesome thought or spiritual faculty of viriya to overcome it. If this is not effective then the 2nd way is to think of the consequence of allowing this mental hindrance of sloth and torpor to stay in your mind. It will hinder your mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and awareness, right? So you have to abandon it via the 3rd way which is the awareness way. Just be aware of the sloth and torpor or be with it via maintaining silence to be at peace with it (without arise any aversion). Without aversion there is no mental hindrance then sati will take over. When this happen all of a sudden there will be a shift inconsciousness that can result in great awareness in your mind leading to clarity and viriya then the sloth and torpor is totally gone. This cultivation is base on the 4th foundation of mindfulness (dhammanupassana), 1st category of practice on ‘mindfulness of the 5 mental hindrances’. When the mental hindrance of sloth and torpor is present you just aware – imply no aversion towards it. Just maintain awareness and be at peace with the sloth and torpor and when the shift of consciousness occurs you will know how the arisen mental hindrance of sloth and torpor cease to be. You will also come to know how the earlier haven’t arisenmental hindrance comes to be because before you meditate there is no sloth and torpor. So you will understand that sloth and torpor is dependent origination due to lack of viriya or your body too tired. Once you ‘see’ these in the meditation you will understand how to root out this sloth and torpor.(Above outline short notes was prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

Posted on

Bro Teoh’s Sunday class recording dated 24th June 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Sunday’s recording for sharing by all. Its outline notes are as follows:

Outline short notes for the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra dated 24th June 2018. (Page 386-395 Chapter X Final Instructions):

  1. Duality is created by the mundane mind via words. E.g. If you arise the concept of “darkness” (the cause), then the opposite which is “brightness” will arise (effect).
  2. Whatever that can be created, is false because it is dependent originating, a causal phenomenon hence it is impermanent.
  3. When there is wisdom, one sees things as they are. Without wisdom, one sees things through one’s views and opinions and one’s conditioning (false).
  4. When one does not understand, one will indulge in duality.
  5. Within movements, there is non-movement. This is the similar to those sayings, “in the midst of activities, there can be stillness (true mind) and ‘in the midst of sound and vibrations there can be silence (of mind).
  6. When one does not create via the mundane mind, there is silent.
  7. Bro Teoh shared his understanding on how one can deal with the death of someone close (can be one’s loved ones or one’s teacher):
  • Death is just a separation of the consciousness from the physical body of the form and mind. There is no reality behind the death process. There is no such thing as ‘my’ parents, Teacher, Buddha etc. in the ultimate sense.
  • But within the conditioned world, the segmented (form and mind) life does exist and it has its own ‘reality’ within the existential world. There is such a thing as Life even though it (the human being) is impermanence (dependent originating) and is subject to Karma.
  • They only become like ‘real’ when one gives meaning to this segmented life’s form and mind (the human being) via self-delusion borne of ignorant. The mundane mind via ignorant cling on to them then all these: “my parents, Teacher, Buddha etc.” exist and hence emotions can arise in one who is deluded.
  • What we can do is to expressed our gratitude (via wisdom) towards our deceased loved ones and teachers by recalling to mind all the blessing, protection, guidance, love and sacrifice etc. that they had given us. We can also share and invoke the power of merits for our loved ones to have a better life in the hereafter instead of lamenting.
  • How do you thank your Teacher? The best way to thank them is by cultivating diligently and sincerely. As per the Buddha’s advice ‘he who sees the dharma sees me’.
  • The form and mind is just a ‘tool’ for us to use but do not be deceived by them. When the causes and conditions for their arising have come to past, they will cease to be. So no amount of sorrow and lamentation will bring back the dead.

8. Formal meditation is mainly just to train the mind to be mindful until it is very stable(ever mindful) even in the midst of life.

9. Sis Padmasuri’s requested Bro Teoh to explain the meaning of the sentence “to use the mind but yet not be deceived by it”. Bro Teoh explained that this form and mind is karmically conditioned for us to come to this conditioned world for us to use but we should not be deceived by it (the thoughts and duality that the mundane mind creates). To live life, we need to arise the thought to perceive, arise concepts etc. but the user of thoughts is most important and it must have the wisdom connected to it to enable it to have the understanding to avoid all evils, develop right views, right thoughts etc. to free the mind via the 4 right efforts. Cultivating these noble 8-fold path factors is most important.

10. Wrong thoughts are thoughts that condition one’s evil roots, fear, worry, anxiety etc. We must be able to be aware of all these wrong thoughts that will make us evil as they arise within our mind states.

11. Right thoughts are thoughts that bring about love, compassion, sincerity, contentment, gentleness, pleasantness, kindness, generosity, understanding leading to harmony etc. – thoughts which are free of the 3 evil roots.

12. Wanting things your way = grasping and clinging.

13. Committing the Teachings to memory = knowledge, which is not the same as wisdom which is to be realized and awaken to.

14. Real Meditation only starts after mindfulness is established. Constantly reflect and contemplate on the essential dharma to understand clearly (pariyati) before one can cultivate the N8FP correctly to cease all suffering in the here and the now.

15. The objective of Mahayana chanting is to cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties of saddha, viriya, sati samadhi and panna to understand spiritual teaching.

(Above draft outline short notes are prepared by Sis. Mun Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

Posted on

Bro Teoh’s Sunday class dated 17th June 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Sunday 17th June 2018 recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes are as below:

Outline short notes for lesson 76 of the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra dated 17th June 2018 – Chapter X Final Instructions (Pages 383-385):

  1. Bro Teoh does a recap over the outline short notes dated 27th May 2018. Thisshort notes are very important because it summarizes to us all the understanding needed for cultivation.
  2. To understand meditation, one should start from the mind, i.e. investigate what this mind is. To understand the 2 aspects of mind, the silent/true mind and the mundane mind. The silent mind does not need sense data to function and isindependent of thoughts and conditions. The mundane mind is the opposite, it is dependent origination and it requires sense data and other related conditions to function.
  3. When the mundane mind is active, one cannot see the silent mind because one is lost in thoughts. When the mundane mind ceases, the silent mind will manifest.
  4. Mundane mind is the forerunner of all things. Through the mundane mind, wholesome and unwholesome thoughts arise, depending on one’s understanding and delusion.
  5. Consciousness and its content = Thoughts. Mental formation or activities (sankhara) that arise due to stirring of the mind clouds the silent mind.
  6. The N8FP cultivation is to develop right views (or wisdom) to remove all creationsof mind borne of wrong view to make the mind still so that one is always aware in the midst of life to arise the wisdom needed to realize the supra mundane mind (after the mundane mind ceases).
  7. Right view is very important because it leads to right understanding to enable one to cultivate correctly.
  8. Take care of Karma by avoiding all evils via keeping one’s precepts. Understand clearly what constitute evil then apply the 4 right efforts and cultivate mindfulness to constantly purify one’s mind.
  9. When the true mind arise, there is clarity and calmness. One is then able to see things as they are to awaken to the Truth without the interference of thoughts.
  10. When there is no duality, there is no creation of wholesome and unwholesome. Then there is no unwholesomeness to get rid of or any need to practice letting go or non-attachment.
  11. Duality: when this arise, that arise. When this ceases, that ceases.
  12. Observe to see clearly that everything within the condition world is dependent origination.
  13. When one attaches to words like non-duality, emptiness, practice letting go, non-attachment, etc. (which are viewed as wholesome), one will try to practice them to realize such states. This is wrong view borne of attachment to dharma and is not the way to cultivate. The proper way is to understand that duality is just a conceptcreated by the mundane mind and it exists within the mundane world. That is ‘duality is to be understood’ and only wisdom frees – nothing else.
  14. The ‘moment you understand you are free’ – no more need to practice non-attachment or letting go etc. The truth is there is no duality of wholesome and unwholesome when the mundane mind does not create. When this is understoodthen there is no need to try to get rid of unwholesomeness, no need to practice letting go etc. For understanding or wisdom cannot be practiced. It has to be awakened to.
  15. Understanding does not involve memory so don’t try to remember and retrieve Dharma from memory because ‘acting according to memory is not acting at all’. One should always act with wisdom and nothing else.
  16. Without wisdom, there is no real virtue.
  17. Do not refrain from thinking. The problem is not the thought. It is the user of thoughts which is more important. The user of thoughts must be wise to enable the arising of right thoughts. Thoughts are required in the conditioned world for one to live life.
  18. Use understanding to let the thinking or mundane mind settle down by itself. Do not force the mind to be still or quiet.
  19. Bro Song shares his recent experiences involving his cultivation. Bro Teoh rejoice with his good progress and advise him to remember to relax further into whatever mind states that arise, then maintain awareness or silence, leading to the 4thsupport of Trust throughout and always remember – ‘don’t try to know’ what is happening while meditating. The understanding will arise or unfold by itself.
  20. Sister Adeline’s question on whether contemplation and reflection are thought based cultivation. Bro Teoh’s reply it is ‘not’ because when the mind is heedful and peaceful with clarity within as a result of the stability of one’s daily mindfulness,one is calm and one can reflect, contemplate and inquire mindfully into all things clearly. Truth or dharma is everywhere – in the midst of life and nature so why can’t you see?
  21. Advise in a nutshell for true cultivators :

    – Cultivate the Bodhi mind with strong faith and sincerity until it is very stable.
    – Develop daily mindfulness until it is very stable and ‘don’t try to know’
    – Stabilize one’s formal meditation via the 4 supports of Relax, Aware (or mindful), 24 hours and Trust    until one can locate one’s gateway to one’s nature clearly.
    – After that learn to listen from the heart (stay at the heart with inner awareness within and remain silence at all time).
    – Reflect and contemplate all dharma until very clear (after coming out of formal meditation).
    – Experience all transformation with awareness and understanding from within.
    – Do not listen to questions from the thoughts/duality.
    – Have faith, sincerity and perseverance.

(Draft outline short notes was done by Sister Mun Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

Posted on

Bro Teoh’s 27th May 2018 Sunday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our Sunday  class dated 27th May 2018 recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes is as below:

Outline short notes for lesson 75 of the 6th Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra dated 27.5.2018

Continue from Page 382 Chapter X – Final Instructions:

1.       The Self Nature is the Oneness, source of everything. Originally, there is nothing, where can the dust alight?

2.       “Dust” here means defilement or unwholesome mind states. It arises because of duality created by the mundane mind via words, concept and idea. The mundane mind creates the “duality” of good and bad, wholesome and unwholesome, right and wrong, etc. It is impossible to then use the mundane mind to do away with such dualities because the mundane mind is fighting its own creation which always comes together as a pair; meaning if one does not create then things are just the way they are – no right, no wrong and no good and no bad.

3.       If the mundane mind does not create duality via delusion, then the true mind can see things as they are.

4.       We must learn to use the mundane mind and yet not deceived by it.

5.       Do not waste time on tainted merit. Instead, work towards awakening via the silent mind.

6.       Story of Bodhi dharma transmitting the dharma from India to China.

7.       Enlightenment is to awaken to the self-nature or true-nature. It is not about just sitting without understanding.

8.       Start from basic, i.e. understand that everything arises from the self-nature, including the mundane mind. ForMind is the forerunner of all things, when mind arises, everything arises. Whether something is wholesome or unwholesome (duality), they all arise from the mundane mind.

9.       There is a nature that is independent of thinking. All beings are connected to the self-nature which is never born, hence it doesn’t get sick, get old or die for this is the eternal nature.

10.   When one understands this, one will be able to cultivate and meditate accordingly. If one does not understand, then one is just following instructions blindly. Meditation is not about whether one is doing it right or wrong but one must understand what one is doing in the name of cultivation and meditation.

11.   The mundane mind needs to be trained via mindfulness to realize the true/silent mind.

12.   Not until there is mindfulness, there is no real meditation leading to wisdom.

13.   Just relax and be silent. Develop the 5 spiritual faculties to overcome the 5 mental hindrances first. If there is still thinking, it’s because sati is lacking and the untrained mind is heedless. Accept it and just be aware.

14.   Use the heart (awareness within) to be aware of external things (observe without views, opinions and thought)Learn to see things as they are. Be with the moment in silent awareness.

15.   Don’t be too eager to know about ones progress because that is a form of craving. If you have cultivated correctly then conditions will unfold by themselves naturally.

16.   In the midst of life, cultivate the daily mindfulness, i.e. learn to see the physical, mental and nature’s flow within nature. If there is mindfulness thoughts will not arise but when thoughts do arise just be aware and do not allow it to continue or proliferate into a chain of heedless thinking.

17.   Thinking ahead while doing our intended bodily actions or movements is not being mindful at all. Try doing one thing at a time with full awareness. Be with the moment in silent awareness more and more so that thisheedless thinking will be reduced. Learn to live life instead of always thinking, planning and worrying about life.

18.   Try not to accumulate via memorize so that the brain has space. Especially those psychological memories like your fear, worry, anxiety, phobias, scars of memories, insecurities, etc. Instead, jot them down so as to be free from the need to use memory. No thoughts mean no worries, fear, worry, anxiety etc.

19.   Tranquility, silence and clarity of mind leads us to see things as they are leading to wisdom.

20.   When there is awakening, wisdom that arise will be connected to the form and mind. The form and mind (or human being) is no longer deluded, one can say it has become enlightened. However, this form and mind is not you and it is still subject to the law of Karma. This must be understood so that one can cultivate correctly.

21.   Enlightenment has nothing to do with whether one has completely exhausted ones bad Karma or not?

22.   2 aspects of the Middle Path: i) To avoid the 2 extremes of self-mortification and sensual indulgence; and ii) totranscend duality via wisdom.  Duality is to be understood. Duality pertains to the conditioned world.

23.   Ignorance leads to heedless thinking (Avijja paccaya sankhara). Be aware of these mental activities via mindfulness to develop wisdom to straighten ones views so that one can weaken such heedless thinking.

24.   The real meditation will always bring one back to the cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path which is the meditation as taught by the Buddha. Always reflect and contemplate until the dharma is very clear.

25.   The 1st and 2nd Noble Truths are the mundane aspect of life.

26.   1st Noble Truth explains the reality of life and existence, i.e. the 8 realities leading to dukkha if one lack wisdom. The prevalence of suffering if one confronts them without proper understanding.

27.   2nd Noble Truth – the cause of suffering is craving borne of delusion.

28.   3rd noble truth – Suffering need not be. Nibbana can be realized in the here and the now.

29.   4th noble truth – cultivates the N8FP (mundane cultivation) leading to the realization of the supra mundane.

30.   Question by Sister Adeline: Can Bro Teoh explain how we can one overcome or transcend duality in cultivation?

31.   Question by Sister Eng Bee: According to Bro Teoh N8FP still have duality right? Reason why Bro Teoh said in the last Tuesday and Thursday classes that the 4th Noble Truth is about cultivating the N8FP (mundane cultivation) leading to the supra mundane which is the realization of Nibbana.  Can Bro Teoh explain this further?

32.   Question by Sister Lee: What does one need to do once the silent mind cultivation has been developed?

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh
Posted on

Re: Bro Teoh’s Sunday class dated 20th May 2018

Posted on

Bro Teoh’s WPCS Sunday class dated 6th May 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links  and outline short notes to our above 6th May 2018 Sunday class recording for sharing by all.

Outline pointers for 6th May 2018 Sunday class sharing

Chapter viii – Difficult questions Pages (369 – 370) and Chapter ix Proclamation were discussed:

  1. What are true merits?
  • True merits are pure merits performed without the ego/personality and the 3 evil roots.
  • Tainted merits are not pure merits. These merits are tainted with ‘self’ and ‘greed’.
  • Must one always sit in meditation to realize enlightenment (liberation of mind)?

2. Not necessary. Daily mindfulness to cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path in the midst of life is the way. The form and mind is not a permanent unchanging entity. The form and mind exist dependent on conditions. When one realizes this, there will be no more delusion to arise the grasping. When the Buddha realized this, he came to great awakening.      3. A real cultivator is not dependent on whether one is a monk or a layperson. Its sincerity, understanding and virtue that makes a person a true cultivator. It is the virtue and wisdom within our nature that counts, not the external appearance, status and title.

  1. With the Bodhisattva vows, the Bodhi mind will be there then even if the Sasana is not around, one will still have the conditions to encounter the Buddha’s Teachings when born as a human being.
  2. Rare is it to be born a human, even rarer is it to encounter the Teachings. Now that we are born human and have the Teachings and the sasana within our reach, do not forsake the great opportunity to cultivate.
  3. PG shared her recent 1 week Mahayana chanting retreat experience at Cameron Highlands.
  4. Sister Lee shared a story of a 100 year old lady who recently passed away recently. This lady who was illiterate cultivated via just chanting Kuan Yin’s name. She realized that cultivation is in the mind hence can be done anywhere and not at a specific place.
  5. Bro Teoh explained the 3 types of Dharma friends.

(Note: above outline draft is prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Ms Lee Siew Gaik

‪

[06/05, 21:37] Lee Siew Gaik:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/73-6th-Patriarch-6-May-2018.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a8m3i7xk7hlawu6/73%206th%20Patriarch%206%20May%202018.MP3?dl=0

73 6th Patriarch 6 May 2018.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox
Posted on

Bro Teoh’s 15th April 2018 Sunday class recording

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Sunday’s 15th April 2018 class recording for sharing by all.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

Posted on

Short notes for WPCS 4th March 2018 Sunday class and Short notes for talk on 1st March 2018

Short notes for WPCS 4th March 2018 Sunday class

  1. The form and mind goes the way of nature, i.e. they are impermanent and therefore it is empty. If one grasp and cling onto the form and mind, it will lead to suffering. The mundane mind is the mental aspect of the 5 aggregates of form and mind. Feeling changes all the time hence the mind’s fleeting nature.
  2. All sensual pleasure is a prelude to suffering. Sensual pleasure means pleasure or desire derived from the conditions arising world just like your wealth, title, reputation, loved ones, etc. which are all impermanent.
  3. The above sentence is true only when one perceives the world with the deluded mundane mind, i.e. with no understanding.
  4. The above sentence is no longer true if there is understanding because there will be no attachment to the condition world. Understanding will free your mind.
  5. From Karma point of view, one must understand that our form and mind is subject to karma hence it has its duty towards nature and you can love your loved ones whole heartedly but you must have no attachment towards them.
  6. Shen Hsiu’s incorrect teaching:
  • Dwell with the mind. (By dwelling you make the mundane mind active hence no more silent mind);
  • Contemplate stillness. (Implies attachment to the calm state of mind);
  • Sit up all the time without lying down. (Not natural and cannot be in a state of relax to develop the daily mindfulness)

The true mind (which is the silent mind in pure awareness) doesn’t dwell. The silent mind is obscured when thought and emotion arise. The conditioned or focus mind in concentration is not free. Mind in Samadhi is free, collected and unwavering.

  1. Hui Neng’s true teaching:
  • Realize the true mind. Work on the true nature, not the body and the mundane mind.
  • The true mind does not dwell.
  • Not necessary to sit still but be mindful of all actions, movements and anything that arise in the midst of life (daily mindfulness). When you force yourself to sit, it is a conditioned state and there is resistance to the sitting.

The mind dwells when it perceives and when thought focuses on something and input the content of consciousness. However, we need to use the mind to live life, just do not proliferate the arising thoughts. Realise that a lot of the thoughts are unnecessary. Know how to use thoughts with wisdom to arise only the right and wholesome thoughts. Always accord and flow with conditions and act with wisdom following Noble 8-fold path.

  1. When the mind is calm, it has clarity and it is peaceful and happy. When there is no more mental hindrances, the spiritual faculties of sati will take over and the mind can be in sati to detect the very subtle mind and physical movements.
  2. Endurance via understanding is non-resistance. Moving to make yourself comfortable is not endurance. Just relax.
  3. If the mind is silent, nothing will disturb it, not even in the midst of a storm. The mind will not be drawn into any phenomenon. It will not be affected or disturbed by any conditions.
  4. Factors of enlightenment are: Sati (mindfulness) → Dharmavicaya (Dharma investigation) → Viriya (spiritual zeal) → Piti
  5. Fantastic meditative experiences and special feelings or sights during meditation should not be mistaken as a sign of progress unless it can give rise to wisdom. Usually it is just nature’s blessings and something to help increase the faith.

Short notes for talk on 1st March 2018

  1. Today is Chap Goh Meh, the last day of the CNY 2018 celebration. The lunar calendar of the Chinese culture has evolved through careful observation and astronomy. Bro Teoh said, over the last thirty years or so, civilization has evolved and progressed very rapidly. With the understanding of dharma, life can become very meaningful and beautiful. Our present Sasana is also very unique because this is the golden era where the consciousness has evolved beautifully and many cultivators will progress very fast. Bro Teoh mentioned that while surfing the internet recently, he came across a lot of wise people having the ability to share the rather profound teaching of Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching). Nowadays, the consciousness is so developed that people can understand this great teaching. Bro Teoh shared a video on Master Hsu Yun. The Master mentioned that when you meditate, behave like a ‘dead’ person and continue to develop the silent mind. Even when thoughts arise, do not worry but relax and be at ease. This also explains the opening verse of the Heart Sutra: `观自在菩萨 …. When Bodhisattva at ease (Avalokiteshvara) was cultivating the profound prajna paramita, he illuminated the five skandhas and saw that they are all empty, and he crossed beyond all suffering and difficulty.’ So, the Bodhisattva is always at ease (自在菩萨). Real emptiness is to be awakened to. Technology has given us the opportunity to listen to such profound teachings.

 

  1. Bro Teoh emphasized the need to train the mundane mind so that we can use the trained mind state to develop the meditation in the midst of life and be aware every moment, every instant from within. Most human beings are not conscious of life but instead they are constantly lost in thought most of the time via thinking, reacting, planning and worrying about life. Without the dharma, we cannot cope with life. Most people focus and concentrate on what they want to achieve through hard work, striving diligently to be successful. This is the mundane way to develop success. However, the spiritual approach is to train the mind to see things clearly and act via wisdom instead of following what the mind tells us. Acting according to memory is not acting at all because our accumulated memories are either good or bad. When we react to life so often, these habitual tendencies will condition us to be heedless thus hindering the mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner calmness.

 

  1. Bro Eric apologized for turning up late for the class. He mentioned that he was very angry during driving leading him to take the wrong way thus arriving late for the class. Bro Teoh make use of Bro Eric’s experience as conditions to share the dharma. When you are angry or unhappy, the evil roots are present, creating conditions for other things to happen. Without clarity and understanding, we will make wrong decisions. The thinking mind reacts very fast bringing about negative mind states that condition negative karma to arise. Anger is a very negative emotion. Bro Eric continued to explain that he had not been listening to the dharma for quite some time. Bro Teoh further explained that the habitual tendencies will arise due to long periods of heedless thinking. This will further condition the mind to `chatter’ and get caught in a cocoon of thoughts. When we are mindful, we are sensitive and aware. So, all these cannot happen. It is important to tell yourself, `I will never allow these ‘evil roots’ to arise no matter what happens.’ Hence, if we are not mindful, the evil roots will take over. We should bear in mind how to apply the following right effort to abandon the wrong thoughts:
  2. a) Think of the direct opposite wholesome thought (anger is not you but condition-arising);
  3. b) Think of the consequence of holding on to those wrong thought;
  4. c) Silent the mind and maintain awareness (this is the meditative approach);
  5. d) Trace the origination factors and retrospectively reverse it (the wisdom approach);
  6. e) Finally, if all these fail, then with your teeth clenched and tongue against the palate, abandon the wrong thought (by sheer will-power).
  7. To prevent such wrong thoughts from arising, we should straighten our views through reflection and contemplation. When we do this, one day, we can awaken to this wisdom and the mind will not behave in the old way anymore. Then, a new way of life takes over. This becomes mindful living because even the slightest movement of the mind can be felt. We must be determined to have this mindfulness to be aware. Then, we can transform from a heedless way to a heedful way of living. Finally, Bro Teoh reminded us to ask questions because it is the fastest way to learn the dharma because it sets the conditions for dharma to unfold. All of life is dharma and nature is our best and greatest teacher. Nature has its own set of nature’s laws so if we know these laws we will know how to live life and we will not get entangled in life.
Posted on

Re: 69th lesson of the 6th Patriarch Platform sutra

Posted on

Re: WPCS Sunday class recording dated 25th Feb 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our recent Sunday’s WPCS Sunday class dharma recording for sharing by all. Please do listen to rather beautiful sharing given. Also attached are the short notes for this sharing.

Re: Short notes for our 25th Feb 2018 WPCS Sunday class

  • During meditation just relax body and mind and maintain silence and let the thoughts arise because the untrained mind is heedless and it thinks a lot. Do not worry about them as they will dissipate away if you don’t feed them with anymore thought energy. This does not mean we should ignore or be indifferent towards the thoughts that arise. We must understand that we are heedless because we have not trained this mundane mind which lacks the 5 spiritual faculties and having wrong views. Understand this and just let things be via not trying to fight or suppress or control the thoughts.
  • Wrong views (especially self-delusion) stir one’s mind to create dualities, i.e. good and bad, right and wrong etc. Self-delusion give rise to the ego to arise the possessiveness where one will then grasp and cling onto the phenomena world of consciousness believing that they are real. As a result when things do not go our way, we become unhappy. We then start to project our thoughts leading to all the fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation etc.
  • To train the mind to be heedful to arise the silent mind, we can first begin with the mind sweeping method and metta to de-condition the heedless thinking to arise the silent mind. Then stabilise it via Anapanasati leading to mindfulness and heedfulness. When we are just mindful of the in and out breath without thought we have Sati (i.e. awareness and the breath move as one, with no thoughts). Alternatively we must train the mind to cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties to overcome the 5 mental hindrances.
  • Just relax and silent (to maintain awareness). When we are just aware without thought, we will become calm leading to piti and sukha. Then continue to relax and maintain awareness until passadhi or tranquillity of mind arise. This is the silent mind, the meditative mind in sati that can awaken to realise the wisdom via the direct seeing.
  • Common mistakes of cultivators are:
  1. They try to suppress and control thoughts via method and techniques to focus and fix the mind so that thoughts cannot move or wonders off. But this is not a free mind, it is a conditioned focus mind in one-pointedness or samatha concentration leading to jhanas and energy fields. Instead of cultivating  Anapanasati (which is mindfulness of the in and out breath) they focus on the breath to develop the samatha concentration to stop or suppress the thinking;
  2. Another common mistake is verbalization via the noting method leading to thought-based meditation where the cultivator are also required to slow down all their actions and movements like walking, sitting, standing, turning, bending, etc. and are told that this is Vipassana or insight meditation. However, Vipassana is not a method or a technique but it is an understanding or an awakening that arise via insight into the 3 Universal True of impermanence, non-self and suffering via the direct seeing with the silent mind. Just be AWARE of all actions, movements and vibrations within the body and mind without verbalization.
  • Don’t stir the mind means not having likes and dislikes. Don’t arise dualities. The mind will then be still by itself. Likes and dislikes, are the first 2 mental hindrances of sensual desire and ill-will.
  • The highest meditation is to be aware of all moments and actions in the present moment which is the daily mindfulness cultivation or Mindfulness and clear comprehension cultivation in daily life.
  • Questions asked:   a) Is verbalisation the same as suppressing and controlling thoughts?  b) Do we ignore thoughts that arise in meditation and in daily mindfulness?   c) Do we meditate until there is no meditator?  d) Is the silent mind a prerequisite to meditation?                                                                            (Note: Draft Short notes prepared by Sister Mun Yuen)

With metta always,

Teoh

From: Sister Lee Siew Gaik

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/68-6th-Patriarch-25-Feb-2018.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/53d62f08z0j6bhe/68%206th%20Patriarch%2025%20Feb%202018.MP3?dl=0

68 6th Patriarch 25 Feb 2018.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox