Category: Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class recording dated 19th July 2018 for sharing by all. Also enclosed below are the outline short notes (draft prepared by Sister Keat Hoo) for sharing by all.

Outline of Brother’s Teoh Thursday class dated 19/7/2018 

A) Bro Teoh explained the importance of reporting one’s meditation to him so that there will be conditions for dharma to arise thereby enabling them to develop theunderstanding of the cultivation and practices through proper sharing and group discussion. 

B) Brother Teoh shared on the importance of understanding of the Dharma before we confront the 1^st   Noble Truth’s realities. 

C) Sister Keat Hoon asked about the 4th precept on frivolous talks – what is considered as frivolous talks.  Brother Teoh make use of the question’s condition to go through (as a revision) the understanding of the 5 precepts:

1)      1^st precept – to undertake the training rule to abstain from killing and causing harm to fellow living beings. So keeping precept involve exercises of mindfulness and heedfulness.        

2)      2^nd precept – to undertake the training rule to abstain from stealing or taking thingsthat do not belong to us. The deeper meaning includes the intentions to cheat and deceive people. This itself is already the violation of the 2^nd precept.

3)      3^rd precept – Abstain from sexual misconduct (this is for lay people)

• Is sex before marriage a misconduct – if sex is consensual (with mutual consent) then it is not a misconduct).  To be strict sex is preferred after marriage.
• The meaning of misconduct – when sex is being conducted with coercion, in a deceiving way and one is not sincere.
• What is a relationship? – Relationship can take many forms.  Relationship is very important in our life. 
• A short comparison on the great difference in the way “dates and relationships” are being conducted during the olden days of the 60s and 70s and nowadays.
• What is marriage?  What is a marriage contract?  It is a binding Legal contract involving 2 persons.

• What does it take for a marriage relationship to work well and flourish – how should one approach it?  The Dharma does not teach this – but through understanding the dharma we can come out with the criteria needed for a good and meaningful marriage relationship?
  • • Sincerity

This is the most important criteria because it is an expression of true unconditional love.  It is a full commitment towards this sincere relationship because if both are sincere then we can trusteach other.  With this sincerity and trust, the relationship will be beautiful hence there will be no suspicion, envy, jealousy anddeception leading to worry and fear.  Therefore, there is peace of mind, true love, meaning and joy in the relationship.  But this fundamental trust must not be breached for this Marriage contract (synergy) to work.

• • • Trust (Trusting each other)

Sincerity will lead to Trust. Trusting each other – without being suspicious of each other, both are free to move and do things base on mutual trust.  Understanding with develop and flourish between two individuals.

• • • Understanding (between both of them) – Wisdom-wiseUnderstanding that you are no longer living your life alone. Learn to give and take and learn to compromise and resolve issues amicablywith understanding. Have mutual respect for each other. Your money, your career and your parent’s family affairs and matters etc. you decide; duty as a spouse is to only advice and help and vice versa. Approach life together. Having two persons to resolve things and issues is always better than alone. With understanding the relationship will flourish and there will be no more problems.  This understanding will allow the relationship to grow beautifully.  This is achieved through mutual trust and sincerity and understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. 

• Importance of doing a SWOT analysis to determine ones Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat. To understand each other’s strength and your weaknesses so that you all are able to allocate your worldly duties appropriately. To overcome temptations and fear – your Dharma and Noble 8 fold path cultivationare your strength.  To seize upon opportunities that arise one will have to cultivate good blessings and good karma to give us the support. Then, when life presents its threat it is no longer a problem because you can confront them with good understanding (wisdom).  With wisdom you will have no problem.  You will have the good life.
• Cultivate Noble 8-fold path (which is the advice of all Buddhas) to avoid all evil, do good and purify one’s mind.  This will help us improve and turn around our life for the better via having right views leading to the right thought, right conduct (action) and right Communication (speech, correspondences and messaging), good virtue, love, compassion, gentleness, pleasantness, kindness, contentment, generosity, etc. to take care of karma. 

4)      4^th precept – to undertake the training rules to abstain from Lying and arising the following 4 types of wrong speeches:

• • Actual Lying
  • Harsh speech
  • Back Biting
  • Frivolous speech

4.1 How to avoid frivolous speech (Sweet nothing)? How to break the ice among the young people?

• • • To develop good communication skills via cultivating the Noble 8fold path.
    • Ask relevant general questions of interest. Example, “Where are you from? Are you a local? You looks good and great. May I get to know you? Have we meet before? …”
    • Frivolous speech – you may think it is a joke or you simply say things which you think is not important such as a gossip, etc.  However, your speech may hurt another without you being aware.
    • Frivolous speeches are mainly gossips or when one gets carry away and says something stupid (not tactful) and this may cause sensitivities to others.

 

(Note: This above draft outline short notes are prepared by Sister Keat Hoon)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Tune

Bro. Teoh’s Thursday class sharing (19Jul2018) is ready for download:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180719.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6o669yfxyaqptjn/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180719.MP3?dl=0

Teoh Thur Class 20180719.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 12th July 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all. Also enclosed below are the outline short notes for sharing by all:

12 July 2018 Thursday class outline short notes

 

A.     A. Meditation

• If 5 spiritual faculties are stable, the mundane mind will be in the meditative stateof inner peace and inner awareness within a short period of time. Otherwise, mental hindrances will be present then one will need to develop a skilful means to train the mind until a stable Sati arise.
• 4 supports for mindfulness or awareness base meditation are: Relax, Aware, 24 hours maintenance and Trust.

B.      B. Additional pointers to the 21^st June 2018 Thursday class outline short notes

1. Due to lack understanding of the fundamental teaching, ‘meditator’ felt troubledby defilement, either before or after they arise for defilements are never real and they are never you. They are not inherent in one’s nature, they come after the stirring of the mind, through wrong view. If one attached, cling and grasp, one will suffer, because they are impermanent, not a permanent unchanging entity that one can hold on to and cling on to and say this is me, this is I, and therefore all these can be mine. One can’t own, can’t possess it, as it is not real and empty, for they come and they go dependent on causes and conditions. This are the 3 universal characteristics of nature (Suffering, Impermanence and Non-self).
2. Bro Teoh gave a detailed review of the 21s June 2018 outline short notes. Please do listen to the recording attentively and then re-read through the 21^st June 2018 outline short notes which are very important to develop the clear understanding of the rather profound dharma shared.

C.      C. Tammy’s Report / question

1. She reported that her mind is in craving mode and can’t settle down. So, she read a passage from a book of a Zen master with the title “why are you so busy”. The Zen master explained that if one understands that things outside are just the way they are, the mind will be tranquil because it can accept the reality of the outside phenomena as something occurring naturally following nature’s law of dependentorigination hence the mind can be at ease. After reading that short passage, she felt her hearing sense enhanced for a short moment. Bro Teoh agreed and added that the mind can be silent and still even while in the midst of activities when one understands. ‘If inside okay outside no problem.’ In Tammy’s case, the sentence “why are you so busy” helps her to be aware of her constant wanting and craving. She wants to meditate and sit but she cannot because her mind is restless. Similarly wanting to be peaceful, wanting to be enlighten, etc. makes her more restless. She then use her thoughts and dharma knowledge to rationalize not knowing that her craving mode which is a sensual desire creates the mental hindrance. When her view is straightening, the mental hindrance ceased. Besides that, to overcome the mental hindrance, Bro. Teoh added, one just need to relax, and let the craving arise and let the thought do whatever it wants, one just stays with it, maintain silence then one will come to realize that all the mental hindrances will cease on their own when the cultivator is not feeding it withanymore thought (or craving) energy, because they are dependent originating, condition arising, they come and they go. Mind can then return to its original state of stillness and silence before the stirring. This is the true mind that can be realized by the cultivator.
2. Habitual tendencies of likes and dislikes (borne of heedless living) constantly arise during one’s daily life’s activities when one lacks the 5 spiritual faculties because the mental hindrances (that hinder one’s mind from entering the meditative state) will arise and made one heedless. But if you don’t react or get angry or unhappy over what happened, and instead just allow it to be, via accepting it with understanding (wisdom), then just be with the mental hindrances, especially sloth and torpor or pain (but without labelling it) then a shift in consciousness with occur.  One doesn’t have to do anything for without the mental hindrance, Sati has taken over; then when the hindrance is gone mind returns to its original state and becomes bright and clear with a lot of viriya and sati. The moment one realized this, one will understand clearly that all these mind states (especially anger, fear, worry, anxiety, restlessness of mind, various emotions, etc.) are all not you.  They are dependent originating, hence impermanent, leading to suffering when we want things our way which is not nature’s way, all are empty and non-self.                                                                                          
3. Tammy also noticed that her mind love to tell stories, and projects into the future. Then she suddenly realizes that it is just a thought. Bro. Teoh explained: thoughts are response to memory due to one’s attachment. When we give meaning to something that happened, we accumulate them as memory and that is what attachment is all about. When one lack mindfulness, all these attachments are accumulated in the memory without one knowing it. If one is aware, one can then just perceive without proliferating it, one can then just move on, without conditioning habitual tendencies (via thought proliferation) to arise like normal heedless people.  This is heedful living borne of wisdom. There is no need for accumulation of psychological memory. Mechanical memory is okay because there is no clinging involved. When there is a need or condition for it to arise again, it will arise like RAM (random access memory) as in the computer – for us to access them randomly when needed. One will no longer cling or give meaning to them, and thus not conditioning the cause of suffering to arise again. No more unresolved issues, no more perceiving a situation with negativity. One is then able to accept any situation as it is for it is just the way things are, and one is always at peace. Furthermore, if one is sensitive and mindful in the midst of life, one will feel for others and one is no longer selfish.  One will act with wisdom following the noble eight fold path. The world is the world, people are just the way they are, understanding this deeply then there is no more delusion, no more craving or desire to do things following our way, as acceptance via wisdom frees the mind.
4. The difference between objective seeing and subjective seeing. Objective means no subject involve, no person behind; subjective seeing means there is a subject,like I see. Objective seeing means the pure direct perception without the egoic mind, just like the Buddha’s saying, ‘in the seeing, it is just the seeing consciousness, just that consciousness’ and there is no one to see or involve in the seeing. Objective seeing is ‘seeing things as they are’, no word involved. However, when subject is present, it become I see, this is sakkaya ditthi, – it become a subjective seeing, one perceives through memory and recall through words. J. Krishnamurti said, ‘the word is not the thing’. The direct seeing or the pure perception is verypristine, no words involve, like everything is new, seeing the whole thing as it is – its pristine beauty, even a dead tree is beautiful. However, human being is so condition and hardly aware, always lost in thoughts. It is as if without thought they can’t live life.  Most human being can’t understand a type of heedful living that doesn’t needmuch thought.  Most of the time they are just aware, mindful, heedful, quiet andsilent. Their mind states are stillness, tranquility and the unconditioned mind (which is beyond thought) most of the time. When one is mindful, aware, observant, attentive, and able to accept the reality of the moment more and more, one will grow in wisdom and one’s meditation will progress.

D.     D. Additional pointers to the 6^th Patriarch’s 1 July 2018 class outline short notes

1. Whatever arise there are causes and condition for its arising and when conditions are like that things will be like that, cannot be otherwise. So, one need to accept this fact with wisdom, then only act with wisdom accordingly, not the other way round which is reacting or stirring of the mundane deluded mind (before the arising of wisdom). As for the latter, one will get into trouble straight away.
2. A glimpse of the unconditioned or cessation of the form and mind is enough, as understanding does not involve the memory. The form and mind will understand depending on which stage of enlightenment. For those that are on the path, they can’t teach as yet but for those that had taste the fruit and went through the fruition, they had stabilized the understanding and thus able to share and teach others the teaching up to that path.

(Above outline short notes draft were prepared by Sister Tammy)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Tune

12/07/2018 , Thursday class recording:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180712.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i0my1igne645g9o/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180712.MP3?dl=0

Teoh Thur Class 20180712.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 5th July 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes are also as below:

Below are the edited outline short notes for 5th July 2018 Thursday class for sharing by all.

Outline short notes of Bro Teoh’s talk dated Thursday  5th  JULY 2018

1. Bro Teoh said: questions asked by Bro Chin How and Sis Tammy (at last Sunday talk dated 1^st July 2018) gave rise to causes and conditions for those beautiful dharma to unfold.
2. Brother Teoh explained that the Buddha taught nanadassana (direct knowledge and vision of the reality or seeing things as they are to realize the wisdom). This is similar to J. Krishnamurthi’s quote on `extraordinary seeing’.
3. Extraordinary seeing (by J. Krishnamurti)

• So we are asking, as at the beginning, can the mind come to that extraordinary seeing, not from the periphery, the outside, the boundary, but come upon it without any seeking?  [Comment by Bro Teoh – there is no craving involved.]
• And to come upon it without seeking is the only way to find it. Because in coming upon it unknowingly, there is no effort, no seeking, and no experience; and there is the total denial of all the normal practices to come into that center, to that flowering. So the mind is highly sharpened, highly awake, and is no longer dependent upon any experience to keep itself awake. [Bro Teoh’s comment – so this mind is aware, ever mindful, very sharp,and sensitive. When there is the slightest movement within, it will know and understand.]
• When one asks oneself, one may ask verbally; for most people, naturally, it must be verbal. [Bro Teoh’s comment – Every time we want to understand something, most of you tend to use the word first. This is the problem with living beings because words have become more important. We have been so conditioned by our education system and by our society. We give so much meaning to words, concept, and ideas and we even commit them to memory. This is knowledge and not wisdom.]
• And one has to realize that the word is not the thing—like the word “tree,” is not the tree, is not the actual fact. [Bro Teoh’s comment – the moment we perceive something, we do not perceive the actual thing. Through our conditioning, the word has given the meaning so we never really see via the direct perception or seeing. The pure perception orawareness of the thing cannot be explained through words.. Hence, if we are not silent to perceive it via the direct seeing, we will cling to the words to give meaning to what we see. It becomes knowledge making one clever and smart but not wise. Memory cannot give rise to wisdom.]
• The actual fact is when one touches it, not through the word but when one actually comes into contact with it. Then it is an actuality—which means the word has lost its power to mesmerize people. [Bro Teoh’s comment – Pure awareness before the knowing allows us to see things as they are without the word and the concept.  We rely on words for communication and for practical purposes but not for the arising of wisdom. Awareness does not involve any thought process. There is clarity and one can even recall or recollect what one has perceived if there is a need to. But most people are habitually heedless (hardly aware) – this is the  reason why they cannot recall where they have place certain things or items earlier on. There are two types of awareness :  spacious and specific phenomena   awareness. When one is observant and not lost in thought, one is sensitive due to the mindfulness.

• For example, the word God is so loaded and it has mesmerized people so much that they will accept or deny, and function like a squirrel in a cage! So the word and the symbol must be set aside.

4. Bro Teoh said the direct seeing cannot come about through practice. It can only happen when our understanding and daily mindfulness are very stable.  The mind that seeks (has craving) is a thought hence it cannot see things as they are to realize the dharma which is beyond thought and beyond time. We need to understand this clearly. We should be ever mindful, constantly meditative for such penetrative understanding to arise. Otherwise, it becomes mere theory and knowledge.

5. Just as when a very skilful player plays a game of badminton, his moves are executed without any thinking involved. His strokes are spontaneous because he has acquired the skills and understanding. Cultivating mindfulness is analogous to the developing of skills by a skilful player. When you are skilful your movements and strokes are very graceful (body and mind moves as one without thought).

6. Lee Chong Wei can execute his smashes so fast (at almost 300 km per hour and spontaneously). Of course, to be a good player one must plan how to strategize before and during the game by observing both our opponent’s and our own strength and weaknesses then work on improving one self’s weaknesses and skill.

7. Similarly, if you are a wise cultivator, you will observe your `opponents’ which are your defilements. How they delude and deceive you and condition you into negativity and constantly stir your mind. Hence, if you are mindful and observant of your own mental states, just like a skilful player, you will know how you get yourself into trouble. After that, you can correct yourself like a skilful player via straightening your views.

8. So, meditation is quite the same as playing a game of badminton.  Through meditation, we observe ourselves and develop the wisdom to understand why our minds stirred via delusion. Then we will know how to liberate our mind via wisdom or right views. We can become so skilful until the `opponents’ (our defilements) have no power over us.

9. Even his opponent (Kento Momota) who lost to Lee Chong Wei (LCW) commented that LCW has the stamina and agility of a man much younger than his age because LCW said he don’t feel he is old even though he was 12 years older than Kento Momota.

10. When we truly understand life, we can have so much joy, love and compassion.  We can also see the importance of having wisdom and virtue despite age catching up with us. We will know how to apply the dharma to live life and to develop the wisdom via the silent mind in careful and attentiveness observation without interpretation, judgment or condemnation. We can perceive without the conditioning.

11. A cultivator must not look down on others. The Mahayana approach is best because they dare not offend any living being, course if they do so, they may be offending a potential Buddha because everybody has the Buddha nature within. It is told that Manjusri Bodhisattva always likes to come as a beggar. So, if we have prejudices, we may miss the chance to meet such great beings. Even if we meet them, chances are we do not have the sensitivity of mindfulness to know who they really are.

12. Bro Teoh shared his experience on how he came to understand that the `word’ that described the thing is not the thing. After the transformation happened in 1989, he came to realize that his `seeing’ was so different and things looked so fresh, pristine and beautiful. It was the direct seeing without words. The silent mind could just observe and perceive without the word and the concept via seeing things as they are.

13. Those temple monks who sat in meditation with Bodhidharma, they did so without understanding what meditation was. It was only after Bodhidharma’s wise analogy (of trying to grind the glaze ware to become a mirror) that they realized their folly. So, meditation has to done with understanding. (To wait for the lesson 75 of the 6^th Patriarch Platform sutra’s transcript book which is to be printed soon to have the full description of the said dharma sharing.)

14. The Buddha is the Buddha because of his perfections of wisdom and virtue. It is not abouthow he sits, walks, and meditates or what he does during his time. These are all form dharma not wisdom dharma.

15. Bro Teoh encouraged fellow Kalyanamittas to cultivate diligently and with understanding.When we cultivate with the correct understanding, not only do our characters change for the better, our lives change too. By following the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind, the transformation of mind will happen to make us wise so that we can become a blessing not only to ourselves but to the planetary consciousness as well.

16. If we have love, compassion, sincerity, kindness, gentleness, pleasantness, gratitude, contentment, respect, etc. (and the list of wholesome thoughts goes on) we will have great virtues and blessings which can help us in our cultivation.

17. The silent mind will lead the form and mind to gain insights via the direct seeing or extraordinary seeing as explained by J. Krishnamurti. Eventually, every dharma becomes so clear that one can go through the different stages of path and fruition. These paths and fruition happen very fast for the Great Beings who inherit their past cultivations.

18. Bro Teoh encouraged us to ask questions so that it can give rise to causes and conditions for dharma to flow just like what had happened when Bro Chin How and Sis Tammy asked their questions during the 1^st July 2018 talk.

19. Again, Bro Teoh reminded us to cultivate with understanding. Do not be gullible to follow the old ways. Inquire into what has happened and ask ourselves what we are doing in the name of meditation. Hence, the key words are `understand what we are doing in thename of meditation’. Do not follow what others are doing without understanding. It is good to bear in mind that no amount of sitting can free us from delusion if we do not understand why we sit and that only wisdom frees nothing else.

20. It is crucial that we bear in mind the 4 supports of relax, aware, 24 hours and trust for awareness based meditation. These are pointers that will keep us on the right track.

21. When awareness becomes very stable, we can see how our mental stirring is caused by our wrong views and mental conditioning. The understanding will lead one to the direct seeingvia the silent mind to realize that everything is impermanent, dependent originating and empty.

22. If we don’t understand the true intent of meditation, we may end up just enjoy sitting blissfully with the beautiful mind states. Then when things happen in the midst of life, the mind will stir again. Thus meditation is to be done with understanding. Otherwise, we would just be like the four monks who sat ignorantly during Bodhidharma’s time.

23. All meditation should lead us back to the cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path.

24. Whatever situations that arise, always perceive it with wholesomeness and resolve issues amicably with right understanding. It is never worthwhile to perceive a situation with negativity or wrong view leading to transgression of karma..

(Above outline short notes were prepared by Puan Chee.)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro. Tune

Tonite’s Thursday class (5July2018) sharing by Bro. Teoh is ready for download:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180705.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/293q39nwlk67kno/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180705.MP3?dl=0

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Sunday class recording for sharing by all. Also enclosed below are the outline short notes.

8 Jul 2018 Sunday Class Outline short notes

1. Recap of short notes from 1st Jul 2018 Sunday Class – regarding path and fruition, mindful investigation, and overcoming sloth and torpor, mental hindrance.

2. Recap of short notes from 28th Jun 2018 Thursday Class – regarding developing daily mindfulness.

[ Starting lesson proper, 79th lesson of 6th Patriach Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, pg 395 ]

3. Samadhi of One Mark

a. like a lotus flower rising above the lotus pond’s surface

b. while in the midst of marks, do not cling and be deluded by Mark/Duality

c. instead, remain tranquil / calm, accord and flow with the conditions that arises and ceases

4. Samadhi of One Conduct

a. daily mindfulness

b. sincere (not deceiving)

c. uniformed (not bias)

d. unmoving bodhimandala (stable wayplace to cultivate wisdom)

5. Sister Tammy’s sharing about office work where she concentrates alot, and is experiencing busy mental activities even after working hours, e.g. during the evening meditation classes.

6. True “Samadhi” borne of wisdom is beyond thought, which is very different from… “Appana samadhi” which is a conditioned state with the 5 Jhanic factors of vitaka (applied thought), vicara (sustained thought), piti (spiritual calmness), suka (blissfulness of mind), ekagata (one pointedness of mind).

a. Many people get trapped in this type of thought based samatha meditation; i.e. going into one-pointedness or absorption of mind type of meditation. Such thought based meditation cannot lead to the real meditative silent mind (which is a truly free mind).

b. “seemingly no thought” borne of focusing; i.e. a conditioned state borne of one-pointedness concentration (Not a natural state, Not a free mind)

c. Still within the field of thought; No thought is still a thought because who says that there is no thought? It is the thought (i.e. thought thinking there is “no thought”). This is Not awareness / mindfulness.

d. The other type is the absorption meditation borne of very strong continuous mindfulness absorption meditation where the mind is fully absorbed into a very still state of appana samadhi. The body is like a statue unmoving and it is not a free mind in pure awareness hence it does not develop wisdom/understanding; without wisdom, defilements still have power over you. This type of meditation does not lead to the cultivation of the Noble 8-fold path. The 5 spiritual faculties, 7 factors of enlightenment and the 4 Noble Truths understanding are not there.

7. Sister Karen shares her joyful experiences of getting to take part in the recent 14 days Samaneri novitiate program and how the renunciation training helped to reduce her heedless thinking and thereby making her mind calm.

8. Bro Teoh emphasizes importance of maintaining the cultivation of a very stable daily mindfulness by having a good daily spiritual/religious routine in the midst of fulfilling our daily duties.

9. Sister Padmasuri’s sharing on gratitude towards Kalyanamittas for helping out in the shaving ceremony, and her reflection on the reality of the physical body and the hair and how it can becomes a burden to others.

10. Bro Teoh sharing on how to develop the proper contemplation on the form and mind linking it to the 5 daily contemplations as taught by the Buddha.

11. Sister Alicia’s sharing of her recent trip to Seoul, Korea.

(Outline prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

---

From: Sister Lee Siew Gaik.   To listen to 8th July 2018 audio file:

https://broteoh.com/79-6th-patriarch-8-july-2018/

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xpd9durceru4wsy/79%206th%20Patriarch%208%20July%202018.MP3?dl=0

79 6th Patriarch 8 July 2018.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last night’s Thursday class  dated 28th June 2018 recording for sharing by all. The sharing is very good and highly recommended by Bro Swee Aun so please do listen to it attentively. Also enclose below are the outline short notes:

Outline short notes for our Thursday talk dated 28th JUNE 2018

1. Bro Teoh read through the 21^st June 2018 Thursday class outline short notes and explained certain key points as he reads them. One of the key point is on: Anger, fear, phobias, greed and other emotions were never you because they were not present before the stirring of the mundane mind. These emotions were not inherent within your true They are actually conditioned arising mind states, dependent-originating following the 12 links or paticca samuppada as taught by the Buddha. With this understanding, one can just allow such mind states to settle down on their own to enable one to realize that natural state of inner peace, stillness and tranquility before the stirring.
2. Bro Teoh pointed out that a common mistake among cultivators is to ask such questions (when they want to learn meditation): ‘what meditation do you teach? Is it vipassana?’ Bro Teoh reiterated that vipassana cannot be practice because it is an insight or ‘Vi’ means the 3 universal characteristics of nature and ‘passana’ means to insight into. Hence, ‘vipassana is an insight and not a practice. Such questions comes from the thought that doesn’t understand. For vipassana is an awakening, an insight wisdom that arises when the mind is silent and just aware to insight into phenomena. The awareness will be aware of what is going on within the mind. There is no thought, mind or knowledge involved in this realization. It is just an insight into truth when the mind becomes so quiet, sensitive and mindful. Most meditations are thought-based which use thoughts to come up with methods and techniques to meditate. Then who meditates? The thought meditates via following the series of instructions given not knowing that these methods and techniques are just skilful means to anchor and train the mind. Without this basic understanding, one will think that one is `practicing the so-called meditation’ or doing vipassana.
3. According to the Buddha, meditation is very simple when you understand. It is just developing heedfulness. Just train the mind to be ever mindful and use this trained mind to cultivate the Noble 8-fold Path. As we progress with more right views, avijja (ignorance) is weakened, then the next link which is sankhara (mental activities) will be less so there is more awareness and less heedless habitual thinking. Without the habitual thinking, one is aware most of the time. With the further straightening of one’s views to weaken the avijja further, the stillness of mind will grow more and more until one day, when avijja is no more the awakening happens.
4. Some people have their past cultivations to support them. People like Sariputra, Kondanna and the five ascetics were able to awaken through listening or reflecting on the Buddha’s words via Suttamaya panna and Cintamaya panna (the 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom). But most normal cultivators will need to stabilize their 2^nd turning wisdom to realize the silent mind to awaken to the three universal characteristics. Hence, whether awakening is via Suttamaya panna, Cintamaya panna or Bhavanamaya panna depends very much on the individual’s past cultivations.
5. When one’s spiritual faculties are developed, the minute we sit, awareness is already present. One only needs to stabilize it. The determination to be ever mindful to cultivate the Noble 8-fold Path will keep cultivators on track leading to the awakening when the conditions are met.
6. However, if the spiritual faculties are not present, then one cannot meditate unless one uses a skilful means or technique to overcome the five mental hindrances The five mental hindrances hinder one from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness. Then the question arises why one has the mental hindrances. The reason is due to the habitual thinking mind creating thoughts through avijja. The mind-sweeping method is an effective tool because it can help decondition the heedless thinking mind. There are no thoughts involved.  As thinking reduces, the mind becomes quieter but this state is still not stable. This is why a skilful mean or an object of meditation is needed to stabilize this mind. The Buddha recommended anapanasatti. Eventually, the mind becomes more and more quiet leading to passadhi and eventually stillness of mind. This is the meditative mind which can make one mindful while in the midst of life.
7. Once the mind enters sati, there is no need to use any object of meditation anymore. Many people are so fearful when they experience no breath. This is actually a sign of good progress. Bro Teoh mentioned that his nature gained this understanding through his own past cultivation even though he had no prior knowledge of meditation at that time. He went into absorption the first time he did that. But later, another Thai monk cum teacher Phra Ajahn Yantra taught him the highest meditation via developing the daily mindfulness and this made him realize that his mind was still in a conditioned state of appana samadhi. Bro Teoh decided to release the concentrated mind state energy he was in and use the silent mind to meditate via the daily mindfulness while in the midst of life. His sati was so stable that even the most subtle movement of mind could be detected. He was fully aware throughout the day. At every moment of sense door consciousness and perception, he was in sati. The awareness and phenomena moved as one and there was no thinking at all. There was just pure awareness in every moment of sense perception.
8. Human beings can only do one thing at a time. We are either silent without thought or busy caught up with the thought-process. We react very fast to our sense perceptions due to our habitual tendencies and self-delusion. Instead of using the mind to live life and think only when necessary, we have given thought so much meaning that it has dominated our life to think, stir and react every time we come into contact with sense experience. Through our daily constant stirring of the mind via likes and dislikes (as these are mental hindrances) they will prevent us from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness, thereby making us
9. Mental suppression, concentration, noting, verbalization etc. will cause the thought to be even more active. Bro Teoh used the analogy of swimming with a float to explain how one should meditate. Applying Archimedes’ Principle to swimming, the weight of the water displaced by our body is equal to the up thrust (buoyancy force) created. If we just relax and do not struggle, this up thrust which is equivalent to the mass of water displaced by our body will push the body up because the natural state of the body is buoyancy i.e. the body is lighter than water. (Similarly the natural state of the mind is tranquility, stillness and aware). If we know how to relax, we can swim easily. Similarly, meditation becomes very easy if we just relax and silent (i.e. do not struggle or try to ‘meditate’ via verbalization). The moment we are without thought, we are already aware. So, there is no need to try and be aware.
10. The float is useful to assist us to swim at first. Similarly, methods and techniques in meditation are skilful means like the float. Initially, one may need them but eventually, we have to give them up. As long as we don’t give up all these methods and techniques or any object of meditation, we will never understand how to meditate. Once the mind has enters sati, there is no need for a meditation object to anchor the mind anymore. It is already aware naturally.
11. Master Hui Neng’s approach takes us directly to the true mind. Without thought, we are already aware and that is your true mind. Then one can see clearly with mindfulness how avijja (mainly self-delusion) cause one to react and stir one’s mind thereby creating the mental hindrances. These mental hindrances are the source of evil roots. Avijja arises due to our wrong views. So, Bro Teoh advised us to straighten our views first. When sankharas cease, we can then insight into phenomena. Most of you have been taught the traditional thought based meditation until you are so It makes you belief that meditation must involves the thought not knowing that it is this thinking or chattering mind that you use to meditate is the one creating more sankharas to delude you.
12. In the field of meditation and spirituality, thinking is not needed. What is needed is Thinking is only necessary for us to use it to live life, to develop skill and knowledge and perform certain mechanical tasks in life. Thought is a tool for us to use hence the user of thought is very important. If the user of thoughts is wisdom then thoughts become right thoughts.
13. Bro Teoh mentioned the sad case of a college student who shot himself in the toilet recently. Such cases happen due to avijja (lack of understanding) and this shows the power of thought which can delude and deceive us into acting out foolishly. It is not about being rich or poor. A lot of such cases are due to karmic consequences from the past.
14. It is important for cultivators to understand that no amount of practice can free us. It is only understanding or wisdom that can free and liberate one’s mind.

(Above draft was prepared by Puan Chee.)

From: Bro Swee Aun

*if you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Jun28, you can download below, highly recommended*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Teoh-Thu-180628.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz16nnj8wqiayr7/Teoh%20class%20180628.MP3?dl=0  🙏🙏🙏

Teoh class 180628.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last night’s Thursday class (21st June 2018) recording for sharing by all. According to Bro Swee Aun it is  *Highly recommended,  a good summary on what is meditation?* Also attach is the outline short notes as below:

OUTLINE SHORT NOTES for Thursday class dated 21 JUNE 2018

A. INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE MEDITATION

1. According to Bro Teoh, it is very important that we understand what is meditation and what is it that we are doing in the name of meditation? Essentially Meditation consists of two parts:

• If we still need to train the mind to be mindful, then train it using the mind-sweeping method followed by metta to decondition the heedless thinking
• If the mind is already trained, we can meditate straight The key points in meditation are to relax into every mind state that arises, then maintain silence and awareness within to develop the wisdom. The wisdom or understanding will unfold naturally when one is HEEDFUL  2.The mind’s original state before the stirring and reactions of mind, is already stillness, silent and aware. So, just let every mind state that arise settle down on its own. There is no need to do anything (such as focusing, noting, concentrating etc.) but just maintain awareness within. If an object of meditation is needed to anchor the mind, one can use Anapanasati (mindfulness of the in and out breath). Very soon, the mind will calm down and return to its original state of silent inner awareness. When one does not give any mental energy to the thought or mundane mind, the silent mind will develop on its own and one’s meditation will progress naturally leading to sati and The silent mind can meditate on its own. One will then experience piti, sukha and passadhi which is tranquility or stillness of mind (the silent or meditative mind). When passadhi stabilizes the mind will enter sati, then one can be ever mindful in the midst of life and activities to cultivate the daily mindfulness.

B. INSTRUCTIONS AFTER MEDITATION

3. Bro Teoh advised fellow Kalyanamittas not to be gullible by following meditation instructions blindly. We have to understand what we are doing in the name of meditation. Without heedfulness, we cannot All meditation starts off with the training of the mind to be heedful as per dhammapada verses 21, 22 and 23.
4. One needs to understand how to cultivate heedfulness. First, train the mind to be mindful and then stabilize it to be ever mindful. Next, use this trained mind to cultivate the Noble 8-fold Path in the midst of life.
5. To be ever mindful and constantly meditative are essential qualities of mind states for one to realize the supreme born-free Nibbana as stated by the Buddha via his dhammapada verse 23.
6. If the mental hindrances are still present, the cultivator must develop the opposite five spiritual faculties to counter them. Puja can help cultivators develop them. Faith in the Buddha and his teaching will arise when we reflect on how wonderful and unique a being, the Buddha is. This will encourage us to have the viriya to strive on diligently to train the mind to be mindful and then stabilize it to arise the Samadhi, leading to the wisdom.
7. The Buddha emphasized the importance of heedfulness via his dhammapada verse 21.
8. When the mind settles down, it becomes so quiet that it will enter sati. When that happens, the mind in sati is not only aware but ever mindful. One can then use this trained mind state to meditate via the daily mindfulness while in the midst of life. There is no need to train the mind anymore because this trained mind in sati can be heedful in the midst of life on its own already. This stable mindfulness coupled with the silent mind can enable one to insight into the three universal characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta.
9. Hence, the word vipassana which means to insight into or awaken to the three universal characteristics is not a practice but an understanding. One cannot practice vipassana to reach enlightenment because it is not a doing. Practice is a repetitive doing via following a series of instructions to do things – which is mechanical in nature.
10. However, most people have been taught to meditate using thought-based methods and techniques to realize the so-called awakening. These are all samatha and energy field practices involving focusing, concentration and suppression, resulting in jhanic states, absorption of mind and fantastic meditative mind states and experiences.
11. According to Bro Teoh, there is no need to focus or force the mind into any form of practice. One only needs to relax into every mind state that arises and maintain awareness to realize the silent (true) mind. The moment one is without thought, one is already aware. So, there is no need to try to practice to be aware. Any form of doing or practice is by the thought and by doing so thoughts make the mind active again so sati which is awareness before the knowing cannot be developed via such thought-based practices. Sati is to be understood.
12. We tend to give meaning to almost everything we perceive hence we accumulate them via memory through our conditioned thinking and attachment. Thought is response to memory so the mind via delusion reacts, stirs, grasps, clings and attaches to everything thoughts create causing one to be heedless most of the time.
13. Once we see all these happening in our meditation, we will then understand the need to straighten our views via understanding the Buddha proclaimed of: ‘Sabbe sankhara aniccam, sabbe sankhara dukkham and Sabbe dhamma anatta’. That is: all off sankhara (mental states and activities) are impermanent, lead to suffering when we want things our way and understands that even this body and mind also does not belong to us, then the mind with such understanding will starts to behave differently. It will relinquish the grasping and clinging borne of delusion.
14. One cannot practice to be wise neither can one practice letting go or to have non-attachment because only wisdom frees. Without wisdom one will hold, cling and attached. Who practice? The thought which is egoic practice. Who need to let go? Only the one who holds right? When there is wisdom one will not hold so is there any need to let go? Only deluded people practice letting go!
15. Similarly, meditation is not about practice. It is about training the mind to become silent so that it can insight into phenomena. But, most people are so gullible that they are impressed by words and flowery dharma to the extent that they meditate without knowing exactly what they are doing.
16. The four supports for awareness based meditation are: relax, aware, maintain awareness 24/7 (during waking and sleeping moments) and trust. Initially, it is difficult to be aware during sleeping moments. But as one’s mindfulness becomes so stable, it is possible to carry that state into the sleeping states.
17. Bro Teoh cautioned on the dangers of doing thought based energy-field meditation because though it can make one’s mind very powerful, but it cannot liberate one from suffering. One can be drawn into the psychic field of psychic powers thereby conditioning more craving and delusion leading to suffering later on.
18. Question by Bro Pan – Why is it important for cultivators to locate the gateway to our self-nature?

Bro Teoh’s answer:

• This is only necessary for those who wish to walk the Bodhisattva way. The first three supports for awareness based meditation are sufficient for those who wish to walk the sainthood way while the fourth support is for those who wish to walk the Bodhisattva way.
• The gateway leads to one’s nature and it is a very unique point because whatever energy that one has accumulated or developed will be neutralized once it goes through the gateway before being turned into pure energy. It is a beautiful outlet for trapped energy. The pure energy will on its own activate the chakras and nadis, making one feel fresh, still and energized from within. Transformation of consciousness will occur and even the cultivator’s health will improve greatly because the pure energy has the potential to heal one of all diseases and discomfort during that time. However, the body which goes the way of nature will eventually get sick, grow old and die over time. This again shows the nature of impermanence.
• Master Hui Neng’s teaching takes us direct to the true mind. Enlightenment is beyond thought and mind so when people lack the understanding that there are two minds, they become gullible, cultivating with the mundane mind – doing thought-based meditation which are still within the field of thought.
• Bro Teoh advised Bro Pan not to think too much about the question he had asked because when one’s mindfulness is still not stable, one cannot understand what this is all about. Even to see the dependent origination is so difficult because everything happens so fast. When contact arises, it is not just feeling that arises but is accompanied by the 7 universal mental factors (or cetasikas) which arise simultaneously. It is not a single-dimensional event but multi-dimensional. Only a trained mind that is still (having a very stable sati) can detect and understand all these. It becomes so sensitive that even the slightest very subtle mental stirring or movement can be detected straight away. The form and mind which is connected to the true nature will understand what is happening, thus giving rise to the wisdom which is connected to the form and mind. Eventually because of this wisdom connected, the phenomenal world loses its power to deceive the form and mind (or ‘cultivator’) who has realized the enlightenment.
• Without this training, one can only understand through theory and knowledge. The true mind is clouded by the thinking (sankhara) which are your emotions and thoughts, etc. Through the meditative silence, one can understand how the condition-arising mind has been deceived by avijja again and again. As one keeps on straightening one’s views regarding kamma niyama, citta niyama and dharma niyama, one’s form and mind becomes wise. With this wisdom, it will understand that this form and mind is not me and not real. It is subject to karma and goes the way of nature (anicca, dukkha, anatta).
• It is important to plant the seed of Bodhi (Bodhi mind) deep within our nature so that life after life when we have to come or choose to come, we can inherit our past spiritual cultivation. Unlike the karmic nature which follows us life after life immediately after birth, the spiritual nature can only be inherited after the body and mind is connected to the true nature through the silent mind via meditation.
• Trust is most important for one who walks the Bodhisattva path. Through trust, one can connect to the true nature and inherit ones past spiritual cultivations just like what has happened to Bro Song many years ago. When that happens, he can understand a lot of things especially those profound teachings and dharma which he did not understand before, even after reading through them many times.
• Bro Teoh emphasized the need to understand the basic essential dharma of the Buddha. Otherwise we will be wasting our time going into meditation (just like what happened to the four monks during Bodhidharma’s time who sat in meditation not understanding what they are doing in the name of meditation).                                                                    17.  No amount of sitting can transform us if we lack the wisdom. So, it is not the posture that matters but one’s wisdom which enables one to break free from one’s delusion and suffering. As long as we do not understand that we have two minds and we keep on cultivating using the mundane mind, we are wasting our time.                                       18. All dharmas arise from the self-nature. Wholesome and unwholesome and all forms of duality arise from this nature. If we cannot understand this basic teaching, we can forget about meditation. All forms of thought-based meditation will not lead us to the true awakening.                 19. All the essential dhammas spin off from the Four Noble Truths. So, it is important that we understand the basic essential dharma of the Buddha which have so often been emphasized by Bro Teoh in all his talks. Especially the 3 right views of kamma niyama, citta niyama and dharma niyama.                                                                           20.Finally, this talk is a like a revision for everyone to reinforce their understanding so that your understanding can go deep into their nature. We should continue to aspire, invoke vows and affirmations via power of merits to have the causes and conditions to have these right understanding life after life so that you can still cultivate accordingly with understanding even when the sasana is not around because it is very difficult for this form and mind to encounter the genuine Buddha dhamma to cultivate. Planting the bodhi seed deep within our minds will also create conditions for us to be reborn with this kind of understanding so that we can continue to perfect our nature life after life without having to fear getting lost again during the periods devoid of the Buddha sasana.

(Above draft outline notes were prepared by Sister Puan Chee.)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

*if you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Jun21, you can download at :

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Teoh-Thu-180621.mp3

or at:

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/1rwk7o4v9fg6zgn/Teoh%20class%20180621.MP3?dl=0

Teoh class 180621.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear all Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class recording dated 14th June 2018 for sharing by all. The sharing is very good and *Highly recommended* 👍 by Bro Swee Aun, so please do listen to the recording attentively to develop the clear understanding of the cultivation. The outline short notes are as below:

Outline of Brother’s Teoh Thursday class dated 14/6/2018

A) There were a few new people joining the class that night and among them there was one aunty from Penang who doesn’t understand English so Bro Teoh need to initially shared the dharma in hokkien with her first.

B) Then later on Bro Teoh decides to share the ‘Gist of Buddha’s teaching’ as a general topic in English that night via explaining the following:

1) What is the significance of Buddhist Puja?

o Puja is the Pali word for devotion practice

o All the offerings on the altar to the Buddha has important Dharma significance

o The Buddha recommended these pre and post puja practices to his followers to help them develop wholesomeness and cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties (or 5 spiritual mental states) needed for them to understand his spiritual teaching. They are:-

* saddhā – faith or confidence in the Buddha and his teaching

* viriya – Spiritual zeal or tenacity to go this way

* sati – mindfulness or awareness before the knowing or arising of thoughts

* samādhi – collected and unwavering mind

* pañña – wisdom or understanding borne of direct seeing

2) The Law of Karma or moral causation is fundamental to Buddhism

· The whole of humanity revolves around this law of Karma

3) The 5 aggregates of form and mind (the 2 aspects):

* 1st aspect as a human mind we have the physical body (1st form aggregate) and a mind (4 other aggregates of mind which are feeling, perception, sankhara and consciousness)

* 2nd aspect as the 5 mental aggregates of form and mind where the external mental form enters the mind via the mental aggregate of perception or sanna

[Note: What does the physical body consist of? Just the 4 elements (earth, water, wind and heat element) hence no knowing and they are empty and they cannot be ‘you’]

4) The True Mind and the Mundane mind?

· Memory = accumulation of experiences of good and bad. Most of us accumulate a lot of negative psychological memories. Why bad memories? It is because we cling or hold on to them thinking that they are our problem – it generates fear, worry and anxiety, etc.

· Accumulation via memories is clinging, grasping & attachment – they become wrong thoughts. They condition fear, worry, anxiety, phobia, lamentation and sufferings, etc.

· Thoughts are response to memories. So No memories = no thought.

· So to overcome these negative thoughts, the teaching teaches us to meditate to straighten our views to arise the right thoughts.

· The mundane mind is also called the thinking mind or condition arising mind.

· When mundane mind or thinking stopped the true mind will arise (can be realised).

5) Explanation of the four(4) Noble Truths:

* The Noble truth of suffering (Dukkha)

* The Noble truth of the origin or cause of suffering (Samudāya)

* The Noble truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)

* The Noble truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering (Magga)

6) Explanation of the 8 Realities of life and existence (1st Noble Truth):

· Birth

· Old age/Ageing

· Sickness/Disease

· Death

· Separation from your love ones or from ones possessions/property, etc.

· When you are with people whom you do not like or association with difficult people

· Expectations in life are not met or not able to get what one desire or when things don’t go your way

· Final summary – Attachments via clinging and grasping to the five(5) aggregates of form and mind

7) The 4 supports for awareness based meditation:

· Relax

· Aware or mindful

· 24 hours

· Trust

8) Thinking does not resolve your problem completely or permanently. Only wisdom frees completely.

· Only Right views borne of wisdom (or the direct seeing) can help condition the right thoughts, right speech and right action leading to right living.

· To think the ‘right thought’ you need to have wisdom or right views.

· The “thought” is just a tool for us to use so the user of thought is most important. Use the “thought” wisely to arise only the right thoughts (borne of right views).

· To develop the wisdom we need to meditate to realise it via the direct seeing.

· What are “Right Thoughts?” – Kind, gentle, appropriate, good and virtuous Thoughts that bring about harmony, understanding, joy, peacefulness, happiness, love and compassion, respect, contentment, gratitude, etc. Basically it is to have virtue and goodness.

· What are virtues? Virtues are your goodness, kindness, gentleness, pleasantness, respect, contentment and other wholesome actions and speeches borne of wisdom.

· Learn to arise more and more of the virtuous thought such as love or metta, compassion, gratitude, respect, kindness, gentleness, goodness, sincerity, contentment, honesty, humility and all the other appropriate right thoughts while living life.

9) Buddha’s Teachings is simple when you understand. Basically they are just the advice of all Buddha:

· To avoid all evils

· Do good and

· To purify one’s mind via meditation to understand the two (2) aspect of minds to develop wisdom

(Note: This draft outline short notes are prepared by sister Keat Hoon)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Swee Aun. *Highly recommended* 👍

*If you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Jun14, you can download at :*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Teoh-Thu-180614.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/aykbxp4mgvj748n/Teoh%20class%20180614.MP3?dl=0

Teoh class 180614.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

*If you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class May31, you can download at:*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Teoh-Thu-180531.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h7ek9yoo5ti1kbi/Teoh%20class%20180531.MP3?dl=0

Teoh class 180531.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

*Highly recommended, must listen*👍👍👍

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Swee Aun

*if you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class May24, you can download at*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180524.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/paucsif5xt6laxb/Teoh%20class%20180524.MP3?dl=0

Teoh class 180524.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 3rd May 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all. Below are the short notes for the above talk:

SHORT NOTES OF TALK ON 3 MAY

1. Sharing by Sis Adeline

• During her recent retreat at Cameron Highlands with a few Kalyanamittas (Mahayana Retreat), there was a lot of chanting. It was a struggle for her on the first day, but on the second day, her faith and mindfulness was so strong that her mind settled down and became one with the chanting. The five mental hindrances ceased and were replaced with the five spiritual faculties. 2.  Sharing by Sister Padmasuri
• She explained the wordings and meaning of the chanting done during the recent Mahayana retreat. It will help a lot if one can chant them with understanding because their meanings are very profound. If one has strong faith in Kuan Yin, during times of danger and difficulties, Kuan Yin’s nature via its vows can appear to help bless, protect and guide one.

1. Bro Teoh’s answer
2. When doing repentance, do it with sincerity and understanding from the heart.
3. Asking for forgiveness has a slight difference as compared with repentance. Repentance is more effective and powerful because there is a strong determination not to repeat this karmic negativity anymore.
4. If one is a true cultivator, never allow one to break the precepts and commit karmic negativity that will give rise to negative karmic fruition.
5. One should really repent and vow never to repeat the old ways. Instead, determine to change to a new way of living life via following the advice of the Buddha.
6. As one goes deeper into the practice or cultivation, one’s understanding of the dharma deepens in stages.
7. If one has cultivated before in past lives, it will be much easier to connect to the true mind.
8. The real cultivation begins when the mind is just aware and silent within (without thought).
9. When the stability of the silent mind is strong, one can awaken to the 3 characteristics.
10. Understanding path and fruition in cultivation. For some, they can bypass certain stages if they have cultivated before in the past.
11. One should not be impatient with one’s cultivation. If one uses the mundane mind to give rise to doubts, this becomes a mental hindrance. Instead, one should understand the nature’s laws. Only when there are causes and conditions, things will unfold accordingly.
12. We too have to go through the stages of cultivation unless we have our past. If we have not cultivated before in the past, we should put in more faith and diligence this life as well as learn to make aspirations for causes and conditions for us to progress along the path of dharma. It is not easy for these teachings to come about.
13. Whatever we do in the name of cultivation or meditation, if it doesn’t bring us back to develop the 5 spiritual faculties leading to heedfulness to cultivate the Noble 8fold path, then it is not the meditation as taught by the Buddha.
14. Before the transformation happens, we cannot understand many things, so don’t worry but just proceed on with faith and sincerity to cultivate accordingly because after the transformation, the understanding will unfold naturally. The key thing is: `train your mind to be heedful.’
15. Hence, don’t be gullible and be influenced by what others tell you. Bro Teoh advised us to constantly check ourselves with these questions – i) am I training my mind to be heedful?   ii) Are my 5 spiritual faculties developed? iii) Am I cultivating the Noble 8-Fold path?
16. It is essential that we see the importance of returning to daily mindfulness training via bowing and chanting etc. Also to develop the spiritual faculties, cultivating mindfulness of the 4 postures and sati sampajanna leading to the silent mind. If the spiritual faculties are still not developed as yet then to use the mind sweeping method & metta to de-condition the heedless thinking first, before stabilizing the silent mind with anapanasati leading to a stable mindfulness. When the mind becomes so quiet and still with hardly any movement until the mind enters sati and to bring this trained mind state into daily life so that throughout the day, you are mindful and heedful with awareness and clarity within.
17. Coupled with the Noble 8-Fold path cultivation, we can reflect or contemplate on all the essential dharma as taught by the Buddha. Even if one manages to have a glimpse of Nibbana, there is still the need to constantly reflect and contemplate all dharma to develop the stability and more penetrative understanding.
18. As one gains more insights, wisdom grows leading to further straightening of one’s views. One begins to see how all the essential dharmas are connected. One also starts to see things as they are without the grasping or clinging. The wisdom that arises will help one deal with the reality as they are (without the memory or conditioning coming in to interfere and distort ones seeing. The sensual desires and ill-will cease because most of the time, one is aware and peaceful within due to one’s wisdom.
19. The transformed mind has less sankhara and it becomes more and more quiet/silent. Eventually, one reaches the silent mind state of passadhi leading to Samadhi to arise the direct seeing and then wisdom keeps on arising. The views will also keep on being straightened out.
20. As one’s views continue to be straightened, one is peaceful and aware most of the time. The world of duality doesn’t delude us anymore because of the ability to see things as they are. The world is the world so it cannot be otherwise. Problem only arises when we perceive the phenomena with negativity. Everything is dependent origination and condition arising, – mind made are they. One will then realize that the phenomenal world is a world of consciousness. The form and mind is for us to use without the need for us to worry about it from growing old, getting sick or die. We can then accord and flow with whatever that manifests then Life becomes meaningful, beautiful and wonderful.

3. Sharing by Sister Adeline continued

• After a few days of chanting during the Mahayana retreat, her sati developed. She felt very light and her sitting became very easy. There was no more pain and she could get into the silent mind state straightaway. Her consciousness need not stay at the brain area anymore and she could stay at the heart to listen from her heart most of the time. She felt very relaxed and mindful most of the time. There were no more sankhara to disturb her. Her brain was always clear and light. She could just walk mindfully in a very relaxed and natural manner.

1. Bro Teoh explained the importance of making aspirations and cultivating the spiritual faculties. Sister Adeline’s determination to be mindful most of the time bore fruit during her retreat in Rayong, Thailand. And this has helped her to progress further. She has strong faith and sincerity in her cultivation.

4. Sharing by Bro. Song:

• He shared his experience before the March 2018 Cameron Highlands retreat. During puja in one of the Tuesday classes, the chanting came from his heart.
• During the retreat, he hardly sat or lay down. Instead, he helped out at the kitchen area and did not participate in the morning chanting.
• He just walked in a relaxed but mindful manner most of the time.
• On the 4^th day of the retreat, he was doing sitting meditation at the Shrine Hall. He experienced his form disappearing leaving only the breath which was very clear, long and slow. He was very calm and everything dropped to his heart. He could hear his heartbeat very clearly and the sound of the motorbike though it was a distance away.
• His heart’s vibrations slowed down and there was deep silence within. After 20 plus minutes, his consciousness started to appear. He returned to normal consciousness and then went to help out in the kitchen.
• When he was listening to the dharma (shared by Bro Teoh), he didn’t feel the need to listen.
• On the eighth day, while talking to Sister Alicia, he saw his mind arise from the heart. He realized the meaning of being ever mindful to cultivate the Noble 8fold Path.
• His understanding came from his experience and not from thoughts. When he went back to work in his office, the minute he heard the Heart Sutra on his computer, the heart area started to vibrate. When he was told about the Kuan Yin Retreat at Cameron Highlands, he immediately felt like going though later, he asked himself why he needed to go. He finally decided to follow his first instinct to attend the Mahayana Retreat. However during the retreat, he did not chant but remained silent. On the third day, he continued reciting his Bodhisattva vows and realized his mind state was different. His heart kept vibrating and he could feel his whole body vibrating. When he joined the Mahayana chanting and walking meditation of going round the Bodhisattvas, he felt his movements becoming awkward if he had kept to their walking paces. Initially, he wanted to correct his movements to keep up with their paces but the realization came that there was no need to do so. Again, he gained new insights by doing so.
• Kuan Yin Bodhisattva has served 10,000 billion Samma Sambuddhas and her vows are deeper than the oceans.
• After his recent Cameron Mahayana retreat, he realized he does not have the chattering mind anymore. His faith and understanding by following Bro Teoh’s advice has helped him move from one level of cultivation to another.

1. Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. If one’s faith is strong, our aspirations or vows can manifest.
2. Bro Teoh explained how the Heart Sutra book was published. It has helped many people learn very fast.
3. For this year’s retreat, the Penang group has benefited greatly because their understanding of the dharma has deepened. They have attended many dharma talks before in the past but they still did not have a clear understanding of the dharma and how to apply it in their lives as so clearly explained by Bro Teoh.
4. Bro Teoh emphasized the need to be heedful and ever mindful to cultivate the meditation as taught by the Buddha (which is the Noble 8-Fold path)..
5. If one takes the Sainthood way, the mind can still arise though there is wisdom.
6. However, if one goes the Bodhisattva way, even when things happen, one doesn’t use the brain but straightaway go to the heart. One acts through understanding (wisdom) and accepts the reality of the moment so that there is peace within always.
7. With wise-attention or yoniso manasikara at the moment of sense experience, questions of why and how do not arise anymore. There is the understanding to accept things as they are as well as accord and flow with the conditions that unfold.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

Bro. Teoh’s Thursday class sharing (3 May 2018) is ready for download:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Teoh-Thu-180503.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sdm8eiu7y6beob1/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180503.MP3?dl=0