Thursday class Archives - Page 22 of 27 - Bro. Teoh's Kalyanamittas

1 This Avijjā sutta (AN 10.61) explained clearly the importance of having true noble friends as Kalyāṇamittas to realise the enlightenment. According to the Buddha, having noble friends as our Kalyāṇamitta is one of the pre-requisite to become an ariya or an enlightened being. It also talks about factors that will influence Ignorance.To be free from ignorance is one of the main tasks in …

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

October 25, 2018

Bro Teoh’s 18th Oct 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 18th Oct 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all.

*If you missed Bro Teoh’s class Oct18, you can download at:*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-181018.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o6bf8517aucm6nf/Teoh%20class%20181018.MP3?dl=0

*Highly recommended, discussion on the video by Anita Moorjani*

Outline short notes link: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-181018.pdf

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

October 19, 2018

11th Oct 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 11th Oct 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-181011.mp3

or at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ol91ogzsxcpzr2/Teoh%20class%20181011.MP3?dl=0

The outline short notes link:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-181011.pdf

Outline Short notes of Thursday class talk dated 11^th October 2018

1. Sister Keat Hoon asked three questions as below:

A) How to prepare for a loved one’s death? – From a Buddhist perspective.

B) According to the Buddhist teaching – what is the concept of death? What is death? Who dies and what dies?

C) As a Buddhist, how do one conduct a funeral ritual?

2. Brother Teoh continued with his sharing of the 27^th September Thursday class outline short notes regarding heart and mind before addressing the questions above.

3. The concept of death – Death is separation of Consciousness from the physical Form. Three things sustaining life are: a functioning physical body, Consciousness (all the accumulated memories i.e., accumulation of views, opinion, experiences and conditioning) trapped in the physical form and the Karmic or Life force from our karmic nature.

4. When you are brain dead, you lose your life entity of who you are. When one has stroke, one loses brain function depending on which side of the brain is affected, leading to inability to function or remember. Thus the human being is not real in that sense and also because it is impermanent, dependent originating. To arise thought consciousness, the brain is needed because the brain is where the memory is leading to arising of thoughts via response to memory.

5. The rebirth consciousness is just one simple consciousness. That is why when a baby is conceived, and later its sense bases and organs are formed, then the heart starts to pump when the rebirth consciousness goes in. When rebirth consciousness goes in, this is just a simple rebirth consciousness only. Then over the years of conditioning and accumulation of experiences, views and opinion etc. the consciousness evolved into what it is nowadays.

6. What is death consciousness? When you are about to die usually you are no longer conscious and karmic conditioning has taken over unless you are a cultivator with very stable mindfulness and understanding. You are no longer yourself in this state. If the dying person had committed one of the five heinous crimes (garuka kamma) such as parricide etc. or developed the jhánas (ecstasies), he would experience such a kamma before his death. These are so powerful that they totally eclipse all other actions and appear very vividly before the mind’s eye. If he had done no such weighty action, he may take for his object of the dying thought-process a kamma done immediately before death (ásanna kamma); which may be called a “death proximate kamma.” In the absence of a “death proximate kamma” a habitual good or bad act (ációóa kamma) is presented, such as the healing of the sick in the case of a good physician, or the teaching of the Dhamma in the case of a pious teacher, or stealing in the case of a thief. Failing all these, some casual trivial good or bad act (katattá kamma) becomes the object of the dying thought–process. (Most of the time the Death proximity karma will take over especially the habitual thing one constantly do, good or bad, e.g. if you’re good at torturing people through wrong livelihood, you will behave like those creatures that you harmed or killed. If you do harm to others, when close proximity karma takes over, your consciousness will develop the same fear you do onto others. E.g. if you kill chickens, you will behave like them – the fear they have before they die would be on you too. Similarly if you have constantly done good things and wholesome actions like listening to the dharma, doing dana and kathina, rejoicing, etc. then your Death proximity karmic consciousness will be related to such wholesomeness signifying a good rebirth. This type of habitual karmic consciousness will take over. A good example is that of our late Aunty Tan (Dana Queen), wife of ex-BMS president, who had done a lot dana/Kathina and wholesomeness – when her consciousness change or when she are not herself anymore she kept telling the devotees at the hospital that she was having kathina and doing dana here and there. As her parami was very good, on that day a lot of devotees and monks were praying for her recovery, people also shared and transferred merits and performed Bodhi Puja for her at Brickfield Buddhist temple. Brother Teoh who was also there doing the Bodhi puja, felt something very strong and powerful at his heart area and he can sense she would recover. True enough, after the puja, she regained consciousness and survived for another 20 over years.

7. There must be conditions for things to arise. The dharma is such, it can only happen when all appropriate conditions fall into place, or else things won’t happen. Malaysians are so blessed with such good parami to have such a good PM at this time of need. Without Tun Mahathir, change leading to downfall of the 61 year old ruling party of our country can’t happen. Brother Teoh shared that Tun Mahathir has very strong mind (will-power) and he will survive long enough to do the work he wants to do. It is not easy to be PM at his age (94), but with his willpower, he is definitely no ordinary being but a great being with a mission – to lead the world and our country to bring about the higher consciousness and a New Malaysia.

8. When death proximity consciousness takes over, you are no longer in control. Then “trying to think of good thoughts before you die to have a better rebirth” won’t be possible or that easy anymore. The only thing that can help avoid this condition of the Karmic death proximity consciousness from taking over is to meditate to develop a very stable mindfulness. When you are heedful and aware, you won’t have such thing coming to take over your consciousness because your awareness which is beyond thought will be there to protect and guide you.

9. When Brother Teoh was 9 years old, he actually died. His consciousness came out and could not go back to take control of his body, like it’s not his body. But because he was determined to get back into his body so he gave it a push (he did not know what makes him do that but somehow he just know what to do) and he went back into his body. His awareness was there although at that time, he still did not know what meditation was or anything regarding the dharma as yet. Yet he was able to be fully aware of his own craving force dissipating thereby freeing his consciousness from his body. He also witness how his full consciousness came out of his body.

10. The first thing he wanted to check and confirm was what he saw when his consciousness was up there (above his body). His brother walked into the room, said something and went out. As he was entering the room, Brother Teoh called out to him but his brother could not hear him. It was the same as the brother walked out. Brother Teoh then realized his body was down there. Thus he wanted to go back to his body. Once he went back into the body, he was not able to take control of his body at first. But once he gave it a push and regained consciousness and took control of his body again, he straight away ran after his brother to ask if he did what he did while in the room. His brother answered yes and asked how come Brother Teoh could know as he was sleeping like a log.

11. Brother Teoh was in that state because he was too tired after playing the whole day and his energy was almost completely drained. He just collapsed on the bed. As he rested, his craving force starts to dissipate – the craving force that binds the consciousness to the body loses its grip on his body. Then a while later, suddenly the three areas of consciousness came back to one and reside at the heart area before coming out.

12. Most people experience only the astral body going out, and in such cases they can come back anytime. There is an energy line (the silver cord) linking the consciousness to the body. This cord will bring you back. This is astral traveling. It is the astral mind that goes out.

13. If you have awareness, the close proximity karma won’t happen. You will know how to die. Brother Teoh knew that because if he can do it when he was young (before even knowing the dharma), after cultivating the dharma, it would be a lot easier for him to do it.

14. Six years ago, Brother Teoh experienced a heart attack. Three months before, a message came from his nature advising him to go for a medical checkup concerning his heart and arteries condition. He then said, if there are signs then he will self-admit himself to the hospital. The signs came 3 months later. He felt something not right and knew he had to see the doctor. After being checked, true enough he actually had a heart attack, an Angina. But because he was aware, he did not feel any pain but just an eerie feeling. The ECG shows an abnormal elevation. After that they jab him and he was admitted for 5 days. After this incident, his consciousness experiences some changes. But with the dhamma, Brother Teoh knew what was happening and how he can best overcome it. Although mentally he was strong, but physically he was pretty weak during and after the surgery because of the lack of food due to his fasting since the night before until the next day about 5pm. After an energy drink of milo, his consciousness was more stable. Or else he would have gone into the meditative state and sleep to rest. He was still fully aware then. He was aware how his body was fully exhausted and went through a peculiar phase, and he knew that anytime the form and mind could separate because it lack physical energy at that time.

15. A full consciousness has 17 thought moments. In between there are 7 determining thought moments that decide the type of karma. For Death consciousness it is shorter, there are only 5 javanas instead of the usual 7. Immediately after the death consciousness (cuti citta), Avijja (ignorance) conditions rebirth consciousness. Rebirth consciousness is just a simple consciousness, born of ignorance. Immediately this consciousness inherits its karmic past from his karmic nature. This consciousness starts to develop inside the fetus. It receives the food and nutrient from mother through the umbilical cord and grows. When it is born, it will be subject to conditioning by those who care for them. The brain starts to develop. Then as they go to school, their education curriculum together with the social media, and their belief system and family culture, etc. conditioned and molded them accordingly. But Karma has a great influence on all these, consciousness then develops into a bundle of memory with its views and opinions, conditioning, belief system, accumulation of fear, insecurities, and scars of memory, phobias etc. – and this is what you are. This sophisticated consciousness is trapped in the physical form till death. Heartbeat/pulse of life is needed to arise consciousness. If no life force, you cannot function as a human being. The moment the heart pumps, it sends the consciousness into the blood which goes around to nourish the entire body. That’s how you can be aware of any location within you; where there is blood, you can have the ability to be aware there.

16. This pulse of life/the life force, apart from sending blood to your body, can also be used to arise consciousness, for us to be conscious of things. It is like a power bank or energy source. When you know how to meditate, this whole life force can be switched off at the heart base and channeled into our nature via the gateway to our nature. Once it goes in, it activates the internal movements via trust. During that time, Brother Teoh’s nature transformed and he progressed very fast. Most human beings do not know how to use this life force or pulse of life. Instead they use it to arise thoughts and emotions (like sorrow, lamentation, anger, envy, jealousy, fear etc.) leading to stress and high blood pressure. They don’t know how to calm themselves down and are not sensitive enough to feel all these emotions. They don’t know how to develop the ability to be aware, stay calm and peaceful to experience the tranquility and stillness and quietness of mind. When it pumps, instead they use it to arise thought and emotions. Hence a lot of this energy is being wasted in the heedless thinking and emotions. This life force energy is not properly and wisely utilized.

17. This life force energy should be used for meditation, to develop our nature. Most people just let it arise and then disappear because they use it mostly for thinking to condition their emotions like fear, phobia etc. This takes away a lot of your life force energy. When you think a lot, or feel stressed, unhappy and anxious, you are very tired and completely drained. However if you use it appropriately, you are most of the time in the meditative state; you recuperate and recharge yourself very fast. You feel calm, peaceful and aware most of the time. You are always fresh and have clarity of mind. This is what the pure consciousness is all about. When it is not properly used because of delusion then its consciousness becomes complicated and deluded, – this remnant of consciousness is the one that comes out upon death, i.e., separation of consciousness (the bundle of memories with its conditioning, etc.), from the physical form. This remnant of consciousness has to come out because the form cannot support it anymore.

18. When there is no more life force, your heart beat stops; Consciousness cannot stay inside because brain dead, and the blood cannot nourish the vital organs. Then when your heart fails to pump, all organs will fail. There is no use for the consciousness to stay inside as it cannot give life or allow the body to function as a human being again. When vital organs within the physical body is/are destroyed, consciousness has to leave too. The moment any of the remaining 2 vital conditions that supports life is no longer there, the trapped consciousness has to leave the body.

19. For non-cultivator, you cannot decide what happens before you die. In the Tibetan tradition they teaches you POWA, a technique on how to die, and a chance to get enlightened in that dying state. For Brother Teoh, this type of practice is of not much use because most importantly is to prepare yourself via meditation long before death actually take place. Cultivate strong mindfulness to develop the ability to understand clearly what death is? When you have mindfulness and awareness, you will know how to die. This death proximity karmic consciousness won’t come and disturb you. This is because the awareness nature is beyond the mundane mind. It will know this is not real. The remnant of consciousness will just come out. And when it does, it can see and hear everything except that it doesn’t have a physical body. Everything that others say, this remnant consciousness can know and hear. This remnant consciousness can even call out to you but you can’t hear it. Out of anger, they could even create eerie feeling in you and the surrounding. Brother Teoh shared that if the decease holds onto any of their religious belief, upon death, the visions they see will manifest according to their conditioning and fear. Although rebirth consciousness is already gone, but because the remnant of consciousness (which is still deluded), are still attached to this world, so they will stay around just like those non-humans or hungry ghosts, spirits, etc. (in the other realm of existence) for such time till it disperse (when there is no more conscious energy to support its existence).

21. When there is self-delusion, you will think you have lose your loved one and this is attachment. The remnant of consciousness is not you nor your loved one. When there is no longer any attachment, this remnant of consciousness will then disperse, and be gone completely. This remnant of consciousness is in another realm which can only communicate with the other remnant of consciousness in the same realm. But if you are mindful, you can feel them, when they are around.

22. Death is separation of consciousness from the form, no reality because the form and mind is dependent originating, condition arising hence impermanent and not you, it goes the way of nature. When you understand this, you mind can be freed.

23. From the Buddhist perspective, the best way to repay your loved ones (especially your parents) is to thank them, take care of them via loving them, express your gratitude towards them, honor them and teach them the dhamma while they are still alive. But more often than not, most people prepare for their death just outwardly as a formality, to feel good so that they will have no remorse.

24. Those 3 questions are usually asked by non-Buddhist. As a Buddhist you will understand in actual fact, no one dies. It is just nature’s law manifesting because death is a reality and no one can escape death, so why worry? But there is such a thing as filial piety and to be able to express our love and gratitude towards our loved ones while they are still alive is important. After they pass away, you just do what you have to do, for the Buddha said, ‘no amount of sorrow and lamentation can bring back the dead’, so no need to cry. As for the ritual, no need to spend too much money on the coffin and ceremony thinking it can give you more merits. But if there is a necessity to do the wake properly to inform others on their passing, then just go through it following the Buddhist way which does not cost much. As for the ashes, they are just elements because their consciousness already left. You can either keep them in an urn or dispose it off into the lake or river or sea. Finally the understanding is ‘Hey no you and hey no me’. If the decease is a cultivator then you may collect its relics and keep them.

25. If you want to develop filial piety, you can put the ash inside the urn and place it either at home or at a location with proper Buddhist chanting. Make offering in their name is also a good practice. For Buddhist, just understand what death is. Understand there is this law of karma which recognizes relationship, so we need to do our duty towards our loved ones. Duty means our responsibility to care for them, provide for them and do what is proper, no selfishness, no evil root nor negativity. When it comes to death, there is no reality. Acceptance of what is, if you need to talk to them, do so. This remnant of consciousness is no longer the real entity. Even when it is trapped inside, it is also not them for it is dependent originating. Finally this remnant of consciousness will disperse. But you can always talk to your loved one, telling them that they have passed over to another realm. It is not them anymore, and if they want to roam about with it, they can. But ultimately it is not real and they can’t do much without the physical form. They can listen to dharma and rejoice though.

26. The best is to have awareness and mindfulness, then you will know how to die and you can die well as this consciousness can be used for wondrous things. Just without the physical body. Brother Teoh further said he can’t tell if it can go to another body or not unless one has that ability because it involves the karmic law which is very complex.

27. In Tirokudda Sutta, it explains further regarding loved ones after they die. We must think of them and express our gratitude towards them. Then their remnant of consciousness will be at peace because they will be happy knowing what you have done. But if you say negative things, they can be angry with you.

28. For near death experience (NDE), the astral mind or consciousness can still come back to the body because the silver cord is still connected and the full consciousness did not leaves the body.

29. When a loved one dies, you can still send metta to them and make them peaceful. Ask them to listen to dharma, and develop the joy. Brother Teoh shared that he may use his remnant of consciousness (connected to his nature) to explore the universe if there is condition for his nature to do so. Even though it is not him anymore, but it is the tool for his nature to use before it finally disperse. Brother Teoh also shared that, one of his mission in this life is, when his consciousness comes out, it will use it to explore the universe and find out things that scientists still cannot understand. It will go to the star, the sun and explore the universe. This consciousness with the nature’s awareness, can be used for such studies. But whether it can after that come back through another body, he can’t tell.

30. If there is any unfinished business, this remnant of consciousness of unenlightened being can still linger around for quite a long time without dispersing. That’s why you can sense eerie feeling if they are angry and around. You can radiate metta towards them, express gratitude instead of being fearful. This makes them feel good and at peace. Recall to mind all the good things they have done. These are all stated in the Tirokudda Sutta which will be shared in the next sharing.

31. While loved one is alive, be loving towards them. When they are gone, no need to do complicated or expensive rituals. Also we need to respect our other family members’ wish. You do your part, share merits, transfer merits etc. Some people use the Pak Kim received from well-wishers for donation to charitable organizations and do something wholesome with the money instead of spending more on the funeral rituals. To do something wholesome in the name of the deceased is a lot better. If you put the urn in a special place it is good too. If the consciousness is still around, let them listen to the music and chanting which are more conducive for them instead of roam about without understanding. Buddhist understanding simplifies everything. Simplest way is to cremate and put ashes in the urn or disperse it into the river. Some cultivators will keep the relics which can give rise to good vibration/energy.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

October 19, 2018April 29, 2019

4th October 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 4th Oct 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-181004.mp3 or at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbgt1eznbyq7d8u/Teoh%20class%20181004.MP3?dl=0

Also enclose is the link for the outline short notes: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-WPCS-180107-1.pdf

Teoh class 181004.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

October 3, 2018October 12, 2018

Bro Teoh’s 27th Sept 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 27th Sept 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all.

From: Bro Swee Aun:

*If you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Sept27, you can download at audio links:*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180927.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0yfl7ufh3fbtyr1/teoh%20class%20180927.MP3?dl=0*highly recommended, must listen* 👍👍👍

Also enclosed and attach are the outline short notes link for sharing by all: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-180927.pdf

Brother Teoh’s 27th September 2018 Thursday Talk outline Short Notes

What is Heart and what is Mind? According to brother Teoh this is a very difficult topicand very few people can truly comprehend. In Mandarin, the same word 心 (xin) is being used for both (the Heart and the Mind). Mahayana tradition teaches two types of minds – the Mundane (or Thinking) mind and the True mind.
Sincerity is related to the conscience (no evil roots or cunningness). The Heart as an organis special as it is related to the conscience. Reason why true cultivator always said, ‘follow your heart and not your deluded thoughts (mundane mind).’ The heart is where the seat of consciousness resides. The karmic force triggers off the life force and cause the heart to beat giving rise to the pulse of life that pumps our blood to nourish our entire body. Thebrain is where the memories are and as thoughts (mundane mind) are response tomemories hence the mundane or thinking mind is closely related to the brain. The consciousness since birth is trapped within this physical body that has the 5 physical sense bases and the brain. Upon contact of mind with the sense bases, sense door consciousness (like seeing consciousness, hearing consciousness and thought consciousness, etc.) can manifest. You need to understand all these to penetrate the Mind and the Heart and to understand who you are?

Life force or karmic force comes from our karmic nature. When destructive karma hits,heart beat stops. Form and mind separates because brain dead and we call this death. Thelife force energy can be used to pump the heart, to make us conscious, to sustain life and give rise to consciousness, thoughts and emotions. It can also be use to access the gatewayto one’s nature to bring about the internal transformation (of consciousness) via trustingour nature to meditate without the interference of thought.
The 3 things that sustain human life are: – consciousness, the physical body and the life force. A functioning physical body is needed to sustain life. But when some vital bodily organs are damaged, then consciousness can’t stay on. Body and consciousness need to harmonize just like the analogy of the car and the driver. If car is not in proper conditionthe driver also can’t drive it. Just like candle light’s analogy – it can only lights up with these 3 important conditions sustaining it: Wax (equivalent to the physical body), wick and the candlelight.
One needs wisdom to be able to live life well. To understand oneself one needs to understand the consciousness, the physical body and the life force.
Mind is linked to the brain because brain is memory and thoughts are response to memory. Thought consciousness comes about when mind consciousness makes contactswith the brain. Before one develops the wisdom via meditation, this (the brain) is hellbecause one will acts according to memory (which are the accumulations of all our goodand bad experiences, views and opinions, belief systems, and delusion, etc.), which is Not acting at all. Most of the time, the accumulated experiences are your negativepsychological memories (i.e. you scars of memories, fears, worries, anxiety, phobias, sorrow and lamentation and insecurities, etc. Human beings want to be secure and safe in life (the wanting is a craving) which is all part of their delusion. Nowadays, the world seems to be less safe, human beings seek safety/security hence their insecurity is the root cause of their own fear, worry and anxiety. One should instead act according to wisdom following Noble 8-Fold Path.
According to the Buddha, the highest security or only safe refuge is taking refuge in theTriple Gem. The Buddha is perfect in virtue and wisdom, thus he has the dharma. The Dharma is his teaching. The Sangha are his enlightened disciples and thus have the dharma as well. With the Dharma, one knows how to cultivate following the advice of the Buddhato avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind. One must thus takes care of karma and develops wisdom. Hence the highest security is virtue and virtue is your highest protection. If you want to have the good and happy life, do not break the precepts for do Good begets good and do evil begets evil. Without fear, your mind states are peaceful,calm and secure. There are no worries or insecurities as you have faith in your own nature(both karmic and spiritual).
Virtue is the highest and best protection. If you take care of karma, karma will take care of your life. There is nothing to fear. Whatever that happens, there are causes and conditions behind, hence what happens is the reality of the moment – cannot be otherwise. When you act according to memory (which are your accumulation of wrong views, traditions, belief systems, conditionings and the 3 evil roots), you are in fact acting according to yourfears, worries, anxieties, insecurity, selfishness, etc. Instead, you should act according towisdom and understanding. With right view, you can act following Noble 8-Fold Pathwhich is the path that leads to the end of all suffering.
Law of karma – ‘We are borne of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma’. So whatever that arise there are causes and conditions linked to karma behind. Therefore Act with wisdom via not blaming others or yourself and not getting angry or fearful as one knows it is all karma related. No point being miserable over what happened. Accept the reality of the moment, as most likely you have done these to others in the past, and now with conditions, you have to go through it. Thus you are at peace, have clarity of mind to understand what has happened then you can act to resolve things amicably the dharma way and move on.
To resolve something amicably we need to apply the Noble Eightfold path; right view leading to the arising of right thought, right speech, right action, etc. following advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind. Develop wisdom throughcomprehending the law of dependant origination (12 links) to understand how you function as a human being, how this mind functions. And the other essential dharma orteaching of the Buddha (4 noble truth, its 3 turnings, other related essential dharma that spin off from there). You will know how to act because you will know what dukkha is? Thecause of its suffering, knowing that suffering need not be because cessation of suffering which is realizing the enlightened state of Nibbana in the here and the now is possible; and the path to realize it is through cultivating the Noble 8-Fold path.
There are 2 types of mind, mundane mind and true mind:  True mind = silent or meditative mind (your nature).       Mundane mind = thinking mind, condition arising/dependant originating mind, monkey mind which is heedless.12. Meditation is to get one to realize one’s true mind. Master Hui Neng’s teaching is tobring one directly to the true mind. When you silent your mind, your true mind in pure awareness will be able to see how the mundane mind functions and operates and insight into phenomena to realize the 3 universal characteristics of nature.
13. Due to ignorance (avijja), thinking (or sankhara activity) starts causing the mundane mind to arise. To cease avijja, one needs the dharma, the right view or wisdom tostraighten one’s views. Without self-delusion (sakkayaditthi), one will understand that the form and mind is impermanent, dependent originating hence not you. Then the 3 evil rootsof greed, hatred, and delusion cannot arise.

14. These evil roots arise due to one’s self-delusion – believing that this form and mind is you and real (or exist) causing the “I”, the Ego or Personality to arise. With the deluded Egowanting to own, possess and control things, grasping and clinging arise, giving rise to thisevil root of Greed (selfishness and greediness). As you think you exist, you can also becomeemotional, angry, jealous (evil root of Hatred) and insecure and fearful (evil root ofDelusion). 15. When you can see that they are all condition arising, dependant originating and causal phenomena that arise when the supporting conditions are there then you willawaken to or insight into the 3 universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering and non-self (anatta) which are inherent in all things within the conditioned world. Then you will understand clearly why this body and mind is not you, but merely a karmically conditioned vehicle and tool for you to come to this existential world of ours.

16. Thus, contemplate daily that this body of ours is of the nature to grow old, get sick, and die. No amount of sorrow and lamentation can bring back the dead. Nothing actually dies. Hey no you, hey no me. No mark of a self cultivating, no mark of others and no mark of even dharma, existence and life. This penetrative understanding from the Diamond Sutraand Heart Sutra will bring forth the wisdom needed to live life beautifully within this existential world. When you understand all these, you become very different.

17. Human beings tend to follow their thought (mundane mind) instead of their heart (conscience). Thought is neither good nor bad. It depends on the user of thought. Thus one must know how to use it. With dharma, thoughts become right thoughts which are rather beautiful. Without wisdom, these thoughts come from memories which are filled with fear, greed and delusion hence no conscience, sincerity nor virtue. On the other hand, with conscience, sincerity and virtue, one cannot harm others. But for human beings withoutwisdom, the cunning, deluded mundane mind takes over, not knowing there is a true mind. But when you understand all these, your mind is beautiful.

18. How can the heart, an organ have a conscience? The life force pumps the heart, that’s how your heart area receives the karmic or life force. The final link is: for one to come to this existential world, one needs a form and mind (vehicle and tool) to come. The Karmic force and mind that comes due to karma resides within the heart. The gateway to yourtrue nature is also within your heart area. That’s the reason why when you are in yournatural state of silence (without thought) your true nature or conscience around your heart area is sensitive and can truly feel with pure awareness. But very fast your mundane mind takes over and causes you to doubt. When one meditates with understanding, one will come into contact with one’s true mind. Then when you continue to relax into all mindstates and silent everything, your nature will be able to detect the gateway and ‘melt’ orflow soothingly into it. The true mind is also your conscience, no evil, no ego, thus anatta. This true or silent mind (which is connected to the form and mind) can meditate and cause one to insight into or awaken to truth, reality and all nature’s law. This wisdom which is then connected to this form and mind can cause the form and mind to be enlightened. But this – your this life’s segmented form and mind of your nature is not you because it is anatta.

19. Every living being has this true mind i.e. the conscience (inborn) which won’t do any evil. However, most human beings don’t understand what that is and they tend to overwrite it via their thoughts (mundane mind). The heart is the conscience. The gateway is inside the heart. Hence the famous quote: “follow your heart”. For example, when one goes looking for property, your nature knows – if you feel comfortable and good with the place, before any thought comes to delude you then you can buy the property. Only when you feel good, you buy. With Dharma cultivated, everyday is an auspicious day. Without the dharma, an auspicious day could also turn into an inauspicious day. Your heart or conscience comes from your nature’s understanding and wisdom. For those unenlightened, they can hardly perceive their conscience. Even if it arises it can only guide them for awhile before their thought (mundane mind) comes in and takes over.

20. Brother Teoh was able to explain all these are because his nature understands and all these sharing from him are not from any book or other source. Today’s sharing is a true gem, covering the whole understanding of life and the cultivation. To understand thisdharma cultivate, Pariyatti – the learning of the teaching (1^st phase of dharma) is not that difficult but to realize it via putting it into practice – Patipatti (2^nd phase of dharma) is more difficult and takes time. When one awakens then one get to realize Pativedha (the 3^rdphase of dharma), to live the noble life of an ariya (an enlightened being), and one gets to enjoy the fruition of one’s practice.

21. What makes the world turns or goes round? It is love. Here love is not Universal love. It is craving, attachment, possessiveness, emotions, lust and passion. When you have craving, your thought will develop craving to own and have things, leading to strong will power to plot, scheme, deceive and violence – by hook or by crook you need to have it. But with dharma, you can’t do all those things those normal deluded living beings like to do e.g.you are not greedy for money; you are not violent; you don’t take advantage of others; you can’t cheat, deceive, kill or harm others; you can’t do highly excitable and crazy worldly things, etc. With dharma, you can still be part of life, but the inside is already so different. You won’t be so excitable like normal people, as there is clarity, heedfulness and understanding (wisdom) that enable you to understand that all these are not real or what you think. When you have this wisdom, your mind and your brain is different and you arevery sensitive because you can sense and feel many things. You will come to understand why living beings are really living beings and they are rather deluded because of their ignorant inherited from their karmic past, and there is nothing to be pitiful about. Becausethey are deluded, they would do foolish things. People are just the way they are. Foolish people do foolish things, deluded people do deluded things and crazy people do crazy things. Wonderful people do wonderful things. With this understanding, you can become a blessing to all, you are so different, so ‘beautiful’ and you are always at peace, have such beautiful mind and understanding, always heedful, joyful and contented.

22. Brother Teoh shared, it is because he went through life, and he understands deeplywhat fear, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation are like. He saw how people suffer and hewitnesses a lot of suffering during his young days. He contemplated deep into life when he was young because he was unique and different. He has a strong conscience to not harmany living beings. And when he did try to drown a mouse, he got his ‘payback karma’ very fast, getting sinuses. He further shared, things we do due to ignorance in the past will come back to haunt us when there is condition (karma). And with wisdom, one can’t do any harm to anyone. But before you connect to your true nature, you can still make mistakes. But because of your unique spiritual and karmic nature, when you come, your karmic nature, vows and your understandings will prepare you because you are different;you will know you are different and you will understand somehow. When Brother Teoh was young, he too has this very strong feeling to sense that he was different but at that time he can’t understand what it is (the full picture) until later. But as he grows older, hewitnessed how things unfolding so beautifully and naturally. In the year 1986 via aspecial message from one of the great beings (Quan Yin Bodhisattva) brother Teohstarted his cultivation sincerely and diligently. Then when his form and mind connect in the year 1989, everything became very clear. During those 3 years (1986 till 1989) the teachers come, the guide comes, the books come, messages come and his understandingsand transformations kept unfolding. Since 1989, His nature and his nature’s understanding have become so ‘strong’ and life was so meaningful and wonderful. Just like what is stated in the Heart sutra: “True emptiness is wonderful existence”.

23. All these understanding of the Karmic and spiritual Natures and other Natures’ lawespecially the law of karma that brother Teoh had shared with us all, are not documented in any book or anywhere. Most cultivators also cannot understand unless they have that type of cultivation and Nature. Brother Teoh shared that karma is only ‘stored’ and linked to our karmic nature, and when his present segmented life’s form and mind came to this world it can sense and see all the unique signs and happenings occurring when he was young and that was the reason why he knew he was different. Later on as he grew up andwhen he has developed the condition to receive and inherit all his past cultivation then he saw how all these unique things unfolding very naturally, like it is meant to be (as if everything has been planned and taken care off already). It is as if my nature doesn’t haveto do anything apart from just accord and flow with nature’s conditions as they unfold so beautifully. Speaking from his own experience, brother Teoh shared that once his meditation enables him to connect to his true nature, these wisdom and understandingkeep arising.  The karmic nature starts operating upon conception of the being (our 5 aggregates of form and mind) but for the spiritual nature it is different because before you connect to your true nature you cannot inherit anything. But the moment you connect, you will progress very fast because you will start to inherits from your spiritual nature immediately after that. One progresses very fast from then on and can reach back to theirprevious cultivation level from their past lives very fast. Once connected back the cultivator will continue his cultivation from where he/she stopped in this lifetime. When you have touched your true mind and realize your true nature you will be able to access the gateway to your nature. The only way to do that is via cultivating the Bodhisattva way. The sainthood way is still very elementary (not as complete) – equating it to a handful of leaves verse those leaves in the whole of the forest. The sainthood way is only a handful of leaves i.e. mainly the 4 noble truths and its 3 turnings teaching. The Bodhisattva way is much more comprehensive because it involves the cultivations of the 10 perfectionsover long periods of time; especially the parami on – perfection of wisdom. The Bodhisattva way is therefore definitely not easy but is rewarding and very wonderful.

24. Sister PG shared what happened to her this afternoon while at work. When negative mind states come into play, she was aware and mindful of it. She was trying to key into her waze the address to her destination somewhere in Puchong but it could not be done and time was running out. She can see her impatient building up because of her wrong thoughts conditioning. As she was driving, she reminded herself to be heedful and mindfuland not let any negative mind states set in. She was very careful when driving. As she wasvery mindful, it helped her to brake on time as another vehicle swerve into her lane suddenly. Everyone in the car froze. Brother Teoh further shared that when one is mindful, one is able to avoid conditions which could lead to negative karma to arise.

25. When you take care of karma, karma will take of your life. Nothing protects other than your virtues, kindness and wisdom. When one cultivates the dharma correctly, one can see the changes happening for the better in one’s life – personality-wise, character-wise, and understanding-wise. The way one lives one’s life, is very important. After all our wrong views (especially self-delusion) have been rooted out, sensual desire and ill-will will also dissipate. When one is heedful with the 5 spiritual faculties developed, the opposite 5 mental hindrances would not arise anymore. People are just the way they are, the world is the world, so just let things be – this is right view. Whatever happens in life, do not panic,do not arise the fear, worry and anxiety to stir your mind to arise the mental hindrances of mind that will hinders your mind from entering the meditative states of inner peace and inner awareness. And also don’t be reactive or emotional for these activities will only creates negative condition for negative karma to arise/ripen. Without this understanding,when things don’t go your way, you will become angry and agitated because your thoughtvia your wrong view will tell you to react with negativity. What needs to be done is to not believe those thoughts, calm your-self down then with clarity of mind do the needy toresolve issues amicably via the dharma way (Noble 8-Fold Path).

26. Brother Teoh shared that whenever he is in a situation, he will never perceive it with negativity but instead accept it as a life reality with right view and then take it as a blessing in disguise for him to learn from it. He will use his understanding and at times his common sense to finally resolve the issue at hand amicably via the dharma way. Then you can laugh over it after that.

27. After the mundane mind has collapsed, he shared that the cultivator will have to learn how to use that Supra–mundane mind which is so fine (like No mind), and you hardly feel anything and like there is no movement. This mind is so different from the mundane mind which is very gross with a lot of images. It is much easier to train the mundane mind to bemindful or aware because it is grosser. But after it has collapsed, there is like nothing at all and no mind to train, so like nothing to do. You need to know how to handle such situation via wisdom or you will end up having unnecessary ‘problem’ again.

28. Brother Teoh shared that there is a tendency for most cultivators who have progressedto be deceived by the thought again after a period of cultivation. Don’t listen to thethought because this is the mundane mind that has duality! Instead, silent your mind andgo back to your nature to develop the understanding. Only the nature or silent mind can see things as they are to awaken. But thought is useful when there is wisdom. Whenwisdom is already a part of you and it has stabilized, you can then share your understanding with others, and then thought becomes beautiful. Everything is beautiful. Today’s dharma sharing is due to condition from Brother Swee Aun’s question and thehigher consciousness among some kalyanamittas, who can understand what brother Teoh shared.

29. Progress in dharma cultivation, lead to more understanding, then one is able to use it in real life. Dharma understanding and virtue can protects those like Sister PG. She was able to avoid the conditions for negative karma to arise. With dharma, one feels blessed. With one’s virtues developed via correct cultivation, one is protected, giving rise to favorable conditions to avoid any severe karmic conditions/fruition. If you don’t take care of karma and you are heedless, you get entangled in situations and problems, leading to suffering and misery. But if you cultivate sincerely you will find your life changing for the better. This is for the individual cultivator to find out. When this happens, your faith in triple gem will be unshakable especially their faith in the Buddha and his teaching. This free teaching is a true gem!  Do cherish it! Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu.

(Above draft is prepared by sister Phey Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

September 26, 2018

Bro Teoh’s 20th September 2018 Thursday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links and outline short notes link to our 20th September 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all:

Audio links: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180920.mp3

or at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yz0uip82c5cu1fi/teoh%20class%20180920.MP3?dl=0

Outline short notes link:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-180920.pdf

teoh class 180920.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Brother Teoh’s 20th September 2018 Thursday Talk outline Short Notes

Dear Phey Yuen and all,

Enclosed are the edited 20th Sept 2018 Thursday class outline short notes for sharing by all:

Brother Teoh’s 20th September 2018 Thursday Talk outline Short Notes

1. Sister Tammy shared that her family dog of 10 years passed away in the morning. She did not know what to do and asked Brother Teoh for advice. Brother Teoh shared the story of other kalyanamittas who also had dogs and had over time developed attachment to their dogs. They loved their dogs a lot, and there were memories of many happy moments with their dogs. These animals come to you due to conditions and affinity from the past. When you care for them while they are alive, they are happy and are grateful to you. Dogs can also sense when the owner is not happy. They are more reliable than humans hence the reason why most ladies love having dogs as pets. They are good companions and can have good bonds with humans. Brother Teoh further shared about his mum having a dog in the house at night to protect their house. He fed and cared for the dog during the early years. The dog was fierce and would bark at anyone passing by our shop at night, but not when Brother Teoh came back after being away studying in UM for 3 months. It shows the dog’s ability to sense and recognise Bro Teoh with joy even from far. Brother Teoh advised Sister Tammy on what she can do: She can share merits with the deceased dog; she can also make dana offering in the name of the deceased dog; she can also think of their good moments and rejoice then invoke power of merit to wish the dog a better future in whatever realm it is reborn in. Just like our parents who had given us life; provide for us; taken good care of us; sacrifice and protected us, etc. and in return we need to have gratitude and filial piety towards them. The best is to repay them when they are still aliveand according to the Buddha the best way to repay your parents is to teach them the Dharma. If you love and provide wholesomeness towards them and others, the merits accrued will become your blessing and parami or come back to your karmic nature as your inheritance. Law of karma recognizes relationship i.e., you and your dog; you and your parents.
2. Karma means: when you take care of karma, karma will takes care of you. When you doyour duty well e.g. you take good care and support your parents and dog, love them and provide for them. If you have done your duty well towards them, in future you would have parents and other owner who would take good care of you, and you will become that good person’s pet. But if you mistreat the dog, you would meet with those owners who will also mistreat you because karma is : ‘you reap what you sow’

Radiate metta to the deceased dog. Make offerings on behalf (in the name of the dog). Share merits and transfer merits to the dog. Invoke power of merits for its well-being. If you do these for your pet, in future others would do for you too. Do good begets good, do evil begets evil.

1. Brother Teoh shared about the first noble truth of realities – birth, old age, sickness and death. Every living being needs to confront these realities. So what is death? When you understand, nothing dies. For under ultimate truth there is No mark of a self, no mark of living beings, and no mark of others including no mark of existence. This is wisdom borne of understanding the unconditioned dharma. But when you live in the conditioned world,there is such a thing as the law of karma which recognizes relationship. Thus you need to do your duty well as this form and mind is subject to this law of karma.
2. When condition manifests, things will happen. Thus no need to be sorrowful or ‘pity’ anyone. When you have the dharma, you would not lament. When loved ones are around, love them and do your duty well. When they are gone, do what you need to do (base on your dharma understanding/wisdom) to bring about wholesomeness – like radiating metta, transfer and share merits, do good and perform dana in their name, expression of gratitude and thanks, invoke power of merits for their wellbeing, etc.
3. According to the unconditioned dharma, all these are not real. As all conditioned dharmas are impermanent (not a permanent entity where you can cling on to and say ‘this is ‘Me’ and this is ‘I’, therefore all these are mine) hence it is non-self and empty (anatta). All conditioned dharma are dependant origination, conditioned arising, and a phenomena world of consciousness borne of delusion. The only reality in life within the conditioned world is the present moment. Moment to moment life passes by what are you doing? As real as it can be, the present moment – split second it is dead and gone. Hence the unreality of the existential world. Thus the reason why the Buddha said, ‘mind is the forerunner of all things, mind is chief, when mind arise, everything (the phenomena world of consciousness) arise, when mind cease, all ceases’. But there is a nature behind that is beyond all this. When you know deeply the conditioned and unconditioned, you will have the wisdom to live life beautifully. By now you should be able to understand how a simple question regarding a dog can also give rise to good condition for such beautiful Dharma to flow and arise.
4. Question: Brother Swee Aun read out a question by one of his friend, ‘‘if I complain I am happy; if I don’t complain I am not happy.’
  Answer: This question brings about condition for Brother Teoh to share this very important dharma discussion topic regarding ‘Application of Dharma to help resolve all worldly issues or so called problems’.
  
  According to Brother Teoh, with wisdom, one can looks at the question differently.
  
  The way we perceive life is very important. If we don’t complain, or perceived a life situation or an issue with negativity we don’t have problem then we can be at peace and we are always happy. Applying Dharma to go beyond duality is very important but we must also understand that duality does exist within the existential world. The moment the mundane mind arises, discrimination follows suit. Human beings are so-conditioned as they have their own opinions and views of things. Most of the time, they do not agree with one another, leading to dualities of – right and wrong, good and bad, happy and unhappy. One needs to develop wisdom to understand both the conditioned and the unconditioned. Within the conditioned world, when there is no understanding, argument and difference of opinion tend to arise. This happens because within the condition world there are 3 ways of seeing the same mountain. I.e. Mundane seeing; supra mundane or direct seeing and the ultimate seeing (seeing thing as they are with ultimate wisdom).
5. When one complains because of selfish motives, there are karmic implications. When there is condition in the future, others may complain about you in a similar manner. It is not about doing something to feel good when others are suffering, nor is it to create issue or drama. Instead, be righteous and sincere is the way because you dare to speak out for the good of the many via the dharma way (Noble 8-fold path) to resolve issues amicably.
6. A kalyanamitta rented out her condo which was fully furnished at a much higher rentalthan other unit. It was rented out to a Dato’ who later did not pay his rent for a few months. Agent too can’t find the Dato’ and finally refused to even answer calls from the kalyanamitta. No rental payments for 5 months. The kalyanamitta was upset and went to consult Brother Teoh. Brother Teoh told her, you have 2 choices: she can either continue to worry and complain and be miserable over it like before or the other way is to understand the law kamma via having right view with regards to this law of karma (very likely during her karmic past she might have done similar thing to others, and this life, condition arise, she got the same treatment from this tenant) to resolve this issue amicably following the dharma way. Thus she should ask for forgiveness, act with wisdom and understanding following the noble eightfold path, invoke power of merits for turn around to resolve it amicably. Eventually she managed to resolve it amicably and beautifully.

Complain usually won’t help you solve your problem. Do not get emotional, upset or angry about it. The world is the world, people are just they are, so accept them for what they are. Be at peace, have clarity of mind to act wisely and take care of karma via having virtues. But if you act with wisdom following Noble 8-fold path (dhamma way) to resolve it amicably then you can resolve it. This is how you can resolve any issues at hand. Brother Teoh further shares that in a company, the culture should be to resolve every issue amicably as a team within one organisation. Teamwork, working towards organisation objectives to resolve issues amicably instead of arguing, pointing fingers, indulging in office politics and blaming, etc.

According to Brother Teoh, technically there is no such thing as a problem in this world. Brother Teoh defined problem as: ‘it is only a problem when one perceives it with negativity – fear, worry and anxiety’. Knowing how to apply the living dharma to resolve life issues amicably is very important. Living beings tend to perceive a situation with negativity because they don’t have dharma understanding (wisdom). Wisdom allows one to see things as they are, to accept the reality of the moment, thus no problem. When causes and conditions are like that, things would be like that accordingly. According to the Buddha, ‘we are all born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma’ and ‘whatever that arise there are causes and conditions behind’ . So whatever happens is definitely related to karma (99.99%). Also we reap what we sow, the world is just the world, and people are just the way they are. Thus we can be at peace (knowing this as right view), accepting the reality of the moment with no negativity, no more reacting/projecting our thoughts to arise the fear and the worry/blaming others, etc. This is ‘what IS’ – the reality. If whatever that happened or arise is a reality then it is no more a problem and we only need to understand it and resolve it amicably with understanding.

1. The ego (sakkayaditthi or self-delusion) needs to be realized. Because of ego, three evil roots come to be – Greed, Hatred and Delusion. Ego or the personality separates one from others, leading to selfishness, causes one to be possessive, hence manifestation of Greed. The evil root of Greed includes desire and lust, craving, possessiveness and authority. As the “I” thinks it exist, it can become emotional, angry, violent and fearful. If there is wise attention (yonisomanasikara) at the moment of sense experience then it is hey no “you”, and hey no “me”; then who is there to be right or wrong? No reality, no mark of self and others. There is only the form and mind with its wrong view and its conditioning. Form and mind arguing or interacting with form and mind. As they are impermanent, if you grasp or cling on to them, they will leads to suffering. It is not a permanent unchanging entity you can cling on to as the “me” and the ‘I’ and the “mine”.

When you meditate, you can see that this form and mind are dependant originating, conditions arising, nothing to do with your nature, hence no reality. But the form and mindwhich is subject to the law of karma exist in the conditioned world because it is karmically conditioned and related to our karmic nature. Although it is not “you”, but it is connectedto your karmic nature hence it is subject to karma. Without this rather important Dharma understanding, you will entangle yourself in your daily life as you will lack theunderstanding of having the right duty to live life accordingly. Reflect, contemplate, cultivate the 5 ways to overcome unwholesome thoughts – trace the origination factors(4^th way) and then retrospectively reverse it through right view to seeing things as they are; to accept them for what they are. This contemplation and reflection can make you realize that the ego is false; there is no atta within form and mind. The 5 aggregate of form and mind is impermanent, lead to suffering, and empty (non-self and anatta).

Heart sutra – the 5 aggregates are empty, not what you think. Feeling is never “you”, form is never “you”, consciousness is never “you”, and its content of consciousness is never “you”. Nobody is there to be right or wrong. What is the point of arguing? The form and mind is just a tool and a vehicle for you to come to this existential world so use it wisely. Use it to take care of karma via doing your duty well while in this world. One needs to stabilize this understanding and most importantly, able to LIVE it.

If one can still be upset by what others say, then there is still a mark of a self. You still cling to your ego. Whatever people say, so be it. With understanding of the 3 level of clear seeing, (mountain is mountain, mountain is not mountain, and mountain is still mountain), you can still agree, accord and flow with life.
One hand can’t clap, it takes two to clap. It takes two parties to react to argue. Best is to just smile and keep quiet. Brother Teoh shared about Socrates whose wife nags him a lot while he was in jail. But with wisdom, upon being asked, he replied that his wife is his best teacher, she enables him to cultivate true patience. Brother Teoh further shared that, if you perceive all things and situations with wholesomeness, things and situations would turn around. Not resorting to hatred or negative emotions but with open eyes and ears to see and listen, yet no reaction (always at peace).
You hold the key to your life destiny, to be happy or miserable is entirely your choice so choose to be happy but why are most people not happy? It is because they don’t have such dharma understanding. Develop heedfulness to awaken via the direct seeing to see things as they are. When inside is good or okay (with wisdom), outside always no problem; i.e. always able to have the dharma understanding or wisdom to accept the reality of the moment.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

September 26, 2018April 29, 2019

Bro Teoh’s 13th Sept 2018 Thursday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links and outline short notes link to our 13th Sept 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all:

Audio links:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-180913.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/txo3tqdd68h0qze/Teoh%20class%20180913.MP3?dl=0

Outline short notes link:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-180913.pdf

Teoh class 180913.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

Subject: Re: Outline short notes of 13th september 2018 talk

Dear Puan Chee and ALL,

Below are the edited outline short notes for sharing by all:

SHORT NOTES OF TALK ON 13^TH SEPTEMBER 2018

A. INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE MEDITATION

1. Bro Teoh gave some simple instructions before meditation. First, relax body and mind. Then, maintain silent awareness within. If there is a need to train the mind, go ahead, otherwise, just relax and maintain silent and let the mind settle down on its own to arise the heedful mind that is just aware within. (Note: When we are without attachments or thinking, the mind will return naturally to its original state of inner awareness and stillness before the stirring.)

2. Meditation is very simple when one understands. Keeping precepts is very importantbecause it is the source of spiritual joy (Silena sugatim yanti), spiritual wealth (Silena bhogasampadam) and spiritual peacefulness of mind (Silena nibbutim yanti). Reason why Meditation must always start with Sila or morality following the prescribedformat of Sila, Samadhi and Panna).

3. Remember the 4 supports for awareness-based meditation: they are Relax, Aware, 24 hours and Trust. First, relax (1^st support) into every mind state that arises and let things be. When the mind has settled down and returned to its original state of quietness and calmness, awareness (2^nd support) will arise then maintain awareness for as long as you can (24 hours awareness or 3^rd support). The meditative mind is the silent mind without thought. It is just the essence of mind within. We need this mindto arise the wisdom needed for awakening. When we have this understanding, we will not create unnecessary thought during meditation or use thoughts to do thought-based meditation. Thought-based meditation will not lead to heedfulness and awakening.

4. Without realizing the true mind, we cannot have the state of no thought. Then, we cannot develop the 4^th support of Trust to develop the ultimate meditation. Trust means allowing the nature to move or meditate by itself without the interference of thought. Just relax, aware and silent.

B. Questions & Answers AFTER MEDITATION

5. The problem with most Buddhists is they don’t know how to apply the dharma in real life to truly live life. Last night Bro Swee Aun brought a lady (with certain 1^st noble truth problem) to see/consult me to get my advice. The lady came with a friend from SJBA. This lady was having some serious personal problems and she was sufferingvery badly and she found life to be very difficult. She finds it so difficult to even confront life’s 1^st noble truth realities of pending separation form loved ones and when she is with people whom she doesn’t like she becomes miserable. Bro Teoh agrees with her comment that if one doesn’t understand life, then life can be pretty difficult (really not easy). But when one understands, then life can becomes beautiful, wonderful and rather meaningful. When we have the Buddha Dhammacultivated, there is joy and understanding within. This Dhamma understanding cantransform a person completely into a very wise and virtuous human being with great character and personality to become a blessing to all. There is no more need to go through suffering anymore and one can then live life to the fullest. One only needs to understand the Buddha’s teaching or dhamma deeply.

6. The lady left with much better understanding of the Buddha Dhamma after talking to Bro Teoh for about two hours. She became more calm, confident and peaceful. She felt much better. Bro Teoh just explained to her the Law of Karma & the 4 Noble Truths to let her understand her present problem and situation and how she can apply the Buddha’s teaching to help her overcome her problem and life situation; to do what she needs to do to turn her life around. Bro Teoh also explained to her that she is not the only one who suffers this way for every human being who lives long enough will also have to confront the eight 1^st noble truth realities and they will also suffer if they don’t have this understanding. Some suffer less and some suffer more – it all depends on their karmic past. How life can become so miserable for some people. The application of dharma is very important because when we understand that we hold the key to our life’s destiny and to be happy or miserable is entirely our choice then we will know how to come out of this predicament.

7. Bro Teoh told her – there is so much more to life than just worrying and going through such misery via allowing people to mentally torment you. If we cling on to all these wrong or unhappy thoughts as memory and problem then we will definitely suffering. It is better to forget the whole thing and let it pass via resolving such issuesamicably with understanding and then move on with our new life which is much more meaningful instead of holding on and clinging to such wrong thoughts/memory. Life had so much more to offer. We can choose to be happy and live life to the fullest with love and understanding. We can travel and do the things we like to do.

8. Memory is necessary for us to store important things but not to store psychological memories of fears, phobias, insecurity and scars of memories, etc. that brings about suffering and make us miserable. The commonly used words, letting go is a fallacy or myth because: ‘who wants to let go? The one who holds, right? So how can the person who is still holding and clinging, let go?’ If we don’t understand that those wrong thoughts are tormenting us and making us miserable, then we will continue to hold via worrying about them. We must see this with understanding to break freefrom the recurring wrong thoughts that always come up with ideas and words to tell us things which are very negative and not the reality. Hence our problem can’t be resolved amicably with understanding because of the way we react to such situation via the evil roots of selfishness, anger, emotion and delusion.

9. When we can see clearly how our wrong thoughts with the 3 evil roots are causing us so much suffering through our reaction to sense experiences and life, we will wake up straight away. Understanding the Law of Karma and the Buddha’s essential dhamma/teachings can help us break free from our deluded habitual thinking patternwhich has been deluding us all these while. However, many Buddhists cannot seethis, and that is the main reason why they don’t know how to apply the Buddha’s teaching to help them live life.

10. When we take care of karma via avoiding all evil, doing good and purifying the mind, our life changes. There is no point believing in feng shui and fortune tellers because the main thing that matters most in life is karma and nothing else. Whatever that happens to us at any one time has its causes and conditions behind and these causes and conditions are mainly due to karma because according to the Buddha, ‘we are all born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma. The 1^st Noble truth 8 realities of life and existence that afflict us are also mainly due to karma. We have to accept these realities because our life misery is not caused by somebody else.

11. Most people think karma is just: – Do good begets good, do evil begets evil; you reap what you sow; but, is that what karma is really all about? This is only a very small part of the real understanding.

12. Karma is not like what people think, only cause and effect. Whatever causes that arises due to karmic volition will give rise to karmic potential. Its effect is not immediate most of the time. Whether good or bad, it will create the karmic potential which is stored in one’s karmic nature. Within one complete thought process, there are usually seventeen thought moments. The seven determining thought moments during volition are called javana. If it occur on the first javana then if there is not condition for it to ripen in this life, it will cease. If it is on the seventh javana, then its karmic potential will only be active until the next life. If there is no condition for it to ripen, it will also cease. The second to the sixth javana will follow us for eternity.

13. The past is already gone and we cannot change our past karma. So how do we deal with life? Understanding that we need conditions for karmic potential to ripen. Otherwise, they will not happen or cease to take effect if the karmic potential is already over. With this understanding, we are in a better position to understand how karma can ripen or cease. If we can avoid the conditions for evil karma from ripeningvia following the advice of the Buddha then we can have better life conditions. Which means when things don’t go our way or when we are confronted with the 1^st noble truth’s 8 realities, we should via right views (wisdom) with regards to this law of karma remain calm and peaceful without reacting to stir our mind to become emotional via self-delusion. If we can do this then there is not evil roots to condition our karmic negativities; then we will not create the conditions for the negative karmic potential of ours to have a chance to ripen. That’s how wisdom frees. Karma is such, when there is no more condition to afflict one then the karmic effect will reverseitself. In order to have this ability we must not create karmic negativity when confronted with the 1^st noble truth realities (which most human beings don’t understand). Most people when hit with the first noble truth realities will react with anger, violence and fear, etc., thus arising the karmic negativities with the evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. These will arise the very conducive conditions for negative karmic potential to ripen. This is the reason why most human being sufferswhen they do that via ignorant.

14. Bro Teoh himself went through the tests many years ago. So, karma is not something cast in stone. If we don’t give rise to the conditions, we can avoid the karmic potential or consequence from arising.

15. Knowing how to apply the dhamma in life is very important. Many people don’t understand how this can be done. The lady whom Bro Swee Aun brought to see Bro Teoh kept saying that, ‘this guy had done so much wrong yet nothing bad had happened to him’. Bro Teoh explained, when the karmic potential hasn’t ripened yet (because there is no condition) then it will appear that way but when there are conditions, karma will take its effect. This is just like the politicians in our country who may be powerful at one time but recently after 9^th May 2018 when conditions change, their karma will ripen accordingly because of the dawn of a New Malaysia.

16. Causes and conditions from the past can give rise to karmic potential in the future. Bro Teoh mentioned the case of Moggallana (one of the Buddha’s chief disciple) who finally succumbed to his karmic repercussions from the past and was clobbered to death though he had psychic powers.

17. Understanding the Law of Karma and the other essential dhammas enables one to have the understanding to apply the Buddha dharma to life thus transforming oneself to become a blessing to all. With this understanding, one will have the ability to share this understanding to help others.

18. In the Diamond sutra, these four lines stanza are very potent and powerful : –

All are conditioned dharmas within the conditioned world;

They are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows,

Like the morning dew and a lightning flash;

One should contemplate them thus.

19. This poem can bring about wisdom to help us break free from delusion from the existential world.

20. Dhammapada verses 1 and 2 also highlight the importance of right thought : –

Dh Verse 1 – All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain or suffering will follows him, as the wheel follows the hoof print of the ox that draws the carriage.
Dh Verse 2 – All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

21. Everything within the conditioned world is in a state of flux so we cannot cling and attach. But within the conditioned world there is such a thing as the law of karmaand our 5 aggregates of form and mind (the human being) is subject to this law of karma. That is the reason why right duty is very important within the conditioned world as explained by the Law of Karma because the law of karma recognizes relationships and not everything is non-self and empty within the conditioned world.

22. `Right duty is right dharma,’ as advised by Bro Teoh’s teacher Phra Ajahn Yantra to him in the late 80s. But, this understanding is seldom or hardly taught among Buddhists. Reason for the lack of understanding to live life.

23. It is important that we cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path which can leads to the end of all suffering. When one becomes enlightened, one will have the embodiments of all the Noble Eightfold Path’s path factors of right view with regards to the three spiritual laws (Law of Karma, Law of Mind and Law of Dharma), right thoughts, speech, and action, etc.

24. Without this right view, one cannot start to live one’s life. Right view will condition the right thought because one won’t violate the Law of Karma but instead will use the 4 right efforts to purify one’s thoughts leading to right speech and action. Yoniso manisakara or wisdom at the moment of sense experience is able to help check one’s thoughts. Eventually, we still have to cultivate the right thoughts, speech and action that are still not in us. With this understanding, life itself is the meditation/cultivation and meditation is never apart from life.

25. Based on the above right view the Buddha always advised us to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind. But, if we don’t understand how all these are inter-related, we will not be able to apply the dharma in life.

26. Byron Katie uses her 4 lines of questioning to help people overcome their problems via questioning their thoughts : –

Is it true? (Yes or no. If no, move to 3.)
Can you absolutely know that it’s true? (Yes or no.)
How do you react or what happens, when you believe those wrong thought?
Who would you be without those wrong thought?

27. We can abandon the wrong thought using the third way or the meditative way of awareness as taught by the Buddha. Just relax and silent your mind and be aware to realize that thoughts and emotions like anger, hatred and fear, etc. are dependent originating hence impermanent and not you. Without wrong view, we won’t reactand stir our mind. But, a lot of meditators even after having gone in and out of retreats still cannot transforming their minds because they failed to develop the meditation correctly to realize this truth. If we are trapped in duality created by the mundane mind just like Shen Xiu who was practicing at the thought level, it is very difficult to break free.

28. Instead, allow whatever mind states that arise to cease on its own. Then using the fourth way to trace the origination factors via mindfulness of the six internal and six external sense bases to develop the wisdom to straighten our views. Without wisdom we tend to act according to memory (which are our views and opinions, our culture and traditions borne of our conditioning; our belief system, fear, insecurities and phobias etc.) to react to situations via our wrong thoughts. Eventually, when we have cultivated and developed the wisdom and understanding, we can then accept the world as what it is; for the world is the world and people are just the way they are.When conditions are like that, things will be like that. We can then accept the reality of the moment which is ‘What IS!’ – The IS-ness of things. We can then act with wisdom following the Noble 8-fold path; the dhamma way.

29. With this wisdom, there is no need to suppress the anger or use the charms and amulets to ward off fear anymore.

30. The dhamma must be learned and understood via phase 1 of dhamma (Pariyati) then put into practice in daily life via phase 2 (Patipatti). When we awaken, we will receive the fruit of our hard work to live the noble life which is 3^rd phase of dhamma (Pativedha).

31. Sometimes if there are karmic obstructions, we need to ask for forgiveness(repentance) and vow never to repeat all these negativities again. Since according to the Buddha whatever that arises in life, there are causes and conditions behind hence there is no need to lament. Instead, ask for forgiveness and determine to change via following the Buddha’s teachings to avoid all evil, cultivate wholesomeness and develop wisdom to improve our life and transform our self for the better. When we repent, grow in virtues, meditate and develop wisdom via this cultivation, we can then invoke the power of such merits for our life situations to improve. But if we continue to have the wrong mind states, we are just arising the conditions for the bad karmic potential and repercussions to ripen.

32. When one has faith and asks for forgiveness, Mother Nature will response accordingly regardless of whichever religion one is having.

33. Do it for at least for 3 months to see the result and change in you and your life situation. Then invoke power of merits for turn around. This is not psychic or magic but only an understanding of how nature’s law function via the dhamma way.

(Above outline short notes draft is by Puan Chee)

Bye! and with metta always,Teoh

From: guityeng <guityeng@gmail.com>
Sent: 15 September 2018 08:26
To: Teoh Kian Koon; chin how teh; Pheyyuen Chong; TanKeatHoon@imu.edu.my
Subject: short notes of 13th september talk

Dear Bro Teoh,

Attached are the short notes for the talk below (13 Sept 2018) as well as an audio file which I have resized (cut and shrunk for easy sharing through whatsapp). Hope it is useful.

With deep gratitude and metta always,

chee

Link to the 13th September talk : –

https://www.dropbox.com/s/txo3tqdd68h0qze/Teoh%20class%20180913.MP3?dl=0

September 20, 2018April 29, 2019

Bro Teoh’s 6th Sept 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the outline short notes and audio links to our last Thursday class (6th Sept 2018) recording for sharing by all.

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-180906.pdf

Dearest Soo Yee,

Thanks for the rather good suggestions and I had revised them as per attachment.

Brother Teoh’s 6 September 2018 Thursday Talk outline Short Notes

The Application of the 4 Noble Truths (as taught by the Buddha) to help resolve all our Lives situations and ‘problems’ amicably with wisdom:

Meditation is not apart from life. To be able to be at peace at all times requires wisdom and understanding of the way things are or how they unfolding according to nature’s conditions.

– With wisdom and understanding, we can avoid the mental conditions that bring about suffering.

2. Master Hsu Yun finally came to understand that the true cultivation of the Buddha Dharma is to be developed via mindfulness to realize the true mind – via 明心见性(míng xīn jiàn xìng) leading to the understanding that dharma is not apart from life and it should finally lead one to the cultivation of virtues and wisdom via mindfulness. For virtues strengthen our karmic nature and wisdom liberates our mind from all suffering. These will enable us to live the noble life of an enlightened being with the following 4 great conducts as taught by the Buddha: I) of good conduct; ii) of upright conduct; iii) of wisdom conduct and iv) of dutiful conduct is the order of the noble disciples of the Buddha.

3. Master Hsu Yun’s initial cultivation has good conduct and upright conduct but he lack wise and dutiful conducts hence the reason why he had initially neglected his worldly duty (of his form and mind) by not having the understanding to take care of his age old parent and 2 wives that he married. He failed to understand that the form and mind is subject to karma hence the need to fulfil his life responsibilities first. His life’s story tells about his this initial neglect. He initially deviated from his cultivation via focusing just on concentration (or samatha) meditation – leaning more towards meditative absorption and one-pointedness of mind states that lead him to experience great calmness and peacefulness of mind with psychic ability (while meditating in seclusion for 6 years in the mountain caves) and not insight via a silent mind which is free; that is he didn’t develop the daily mindfulness to cultivate the 4 foundation of mindfulness (Satipatthana practices) leading to wisdom and awakening. – Until finally, he realize his karmic repercussions of his behaviour and wrong practices after meeting up with a wise noble (enlightened) being who advice him accordingly. He then realized the importance of having right duty, right speech, right action, and right livelihood and that the real Dharma is in the midst of life and society. That was the reason why after that he determined to endure the strenuous pilgrimage journey of doing the ‘3 steps one bow’ to walk from Mount Puto (Putosan) to Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) to fulfil his deep and arduous vow to repay the debt to his parents. “According to records, he decided to go on a “three steps, one bow” style of pilgrimage, partly to repay the debt to his parents. He started off from the island Putuo Shan near the city of Ningbo and went to Wutai Shan, near the city of Datong. Reciting the name of the bodhisattva Manjushri with each prostration as he went, it took him three long years. After that, he walked across China and into Tibet, India and Burma, before returning to China in 1890.

4. “Without wisdom, if you touch psychic… – It will NOT lead to peace and insight, instead..

– It will bring about deviation, possible harm, misery, more conflict and suffering – leading the cultivator astray.

5. Sis Tammy asked questions about human behaviour; citing a recent rift in relationship with her office colleague.

6. Brother Teoh advise her to apply the4 noble truthsteaching (which is liken to the understanding of the secret of life) to solve her problem amicably via the dharma way.

– Being with people you dislike and not having things your way are explained in the first noble truth, as being part of the harsh realities every living being will inevitably experience (and consequently having to choose how to respond to these situations) if they live long enough. When you are confronted with these realities,contemplate and reflect on the 5 aggregates of form and mind (final summary of the first noble truth). This will unravel the root cause of suffering which is craving borne of delusion within yourself (2nd Noble Truth); allowing you to finally understand your mind and realize or ‘see’ your self-nature. Realize that suffering need not be when there is wisdom (3rd Noble Truth), then through the application of the Noble 8 Fold Path (4th Noble Truth); Example through right view leading to right thoughts, right communication (or speeches) and right actions etc. to resolve situations amicably.

Whatever thought that does not give rise to karmic negativities like fear, worry, anxiety and sadness, sorrow and lamentation etc. are all right thought. Thoughts that bring about love, wholesomeness, goodness, kindness, gentleness, understanding, harmony, contentment; generosity and respect etc. are all right thoughts.
Wrong thoughts are thoughts that conditioned the evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion leading to negativities of karma and suffering. Thoughts that conditioned yourfear, worries and anxiety, sorrow and lamentation, etc. (when you recall your phobias, scars of memories, fearful experiences, lustful thoughts, etc.)
Brother Teoh developed the below flow chart pointers to help Sister Tammy understand how to apply the Noble 8-fold path to help her resolve her problem amicably:

Human relationship —> I) Right Communication –> ii) Human Behaviours —-> iii) Any karmic implication (or how it is going to manifest in terms of karma) —> iv) How to apply the Dharma in such situation to resolve issues amicably via noble 8-fold path instead of reacting and arguments. For more details please do listen to the recording.

7. Human beings are just the way they are, and the world is the world and when conditions are such things will be such or the way it isso we need wisdom to accept all these truths via understanding to stay peaceful otherwise if we wants things our way which is not nature’s way then suffering will arise. That is we cannot be rigid in our ways of treating others and we need to understand their habitual tendencies and behaviours borne of the 3 evil roots. (Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sister Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

If you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Sept 6, you can download at :*
https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Teoh-Thu-180906.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/is5w6q7ri70u92h/Teoh%20class%20180906.MP3?dl=0

Teoh class 180906.MP3

www.dropbox.com

Shared with Dropbox

August 27, 2018

Bro Teoh’s 23rd August 2018 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class (23rd August 2018) recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes link are also given as below:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Short-Notes-Teoh-Thu-180823.pdf

Brother Teoh’s 23^rd August 2018 Thursday Talk Outline Short Notes

Sister PG shares her recent China spiritual trip experiences. It was a very good but tough trip for her because of her health condition. As she was prone to car sicknesswhile travelling on winding mountainroads, she purged and vomited for quite a while when travelling on the bus on such roads and it took a toll on her physically and mentally. Initially she had difficulty walking up to the temple at the summit. One important lesson she learnt during the whole trip is Mindfulness and patient endurance. She then walked up the steps, feeling light and like only the feet touching the steps. It was easier to walk up with mindfulness and patient endurance.
Brother Teoh explained that mindful and patient endurancedo help. When there is thinking, it stirs up memoriesas sister PG is prone to motion sickness. The road was much more winding than the road up Cameron Highlands. The second day, she could mindfully walk up the steps by silencing her mind. Brother Teoh further explained that when the mind is not involved to remind her of her problem, the problem does not exist. She could even recover and feel good. All in all, the long stretches of mountain climbing were physically draining. On the way going down to another temple from the summit, luckily the tour guide used a short cut to link us back to the cable car; differing from the way going back up then down again otherwise it was not easy for the body. Mindfulness, awareness, faith and patient endurance were important.
For Brother Teoh, the fatigue pain in his feet only came on the third daybecause of age. However he persevered with understanding. Quinny too persevered with a walking stick at the age of 70.
Sister PG continued her sharing – saying for every step she took, she repeated the mantra ‘love and gratitude’to persevere while keeping her faith.
Brother Teoh stressed the importance of cultivating Khanti (patient endurance) with wisdomand understanding thenperfecting this virtue via having love, vows, faith and compassion. When there is Viriya (spiritual zeal) and saddha (faith), one is able to endurewith understanding. Endurance without understanding only leads to suppression.
Venerable Master Xu Yunin his biography book endured a lot of hardship. The temples he tried to rebuild were robbed. He had to gather people to help rebuild these temples. Disciples who have faith in him came to help and the restored templeslater flourished.Brother Teoh and kalyanamittas visited these temples at and around Ji Zu mountain of Dali and they were beautiful. There was one where 11 of the past emperors of China had renounced to become Buddhist monks there.
First two days, they visited Dugu Lake and Shangri La where many minority China tribal groupswho were mainly of Tibetan descendants live. These people cling onto a lot of rites and ritualsthat came about due to their more primitive civilization. They believe by having their own ideology and tradition will makes them different. But it also leads to a lot of problems too as it make them rigid. The reason they need this ideology and tradition is because they don’t have a guiding principle to live life. One peculiar tradition they have is two men would marry one lady, as they have this belief that it is easier for the two men to support one family. These are rites and rituals that come out of tradition. The second fetters that bind living beings to this world, according to the Buddha is attachment to rites and rituals. So if one do not follow their tradition and marry another lady from another tribe or tradition, this person would end up as an outcast, hated uponby their own tribe. That is why they can’t have harmony and peace. The Buddha never taught ideology. He taught instead the Dhamma, the Truth. With these truths, you don’t need to follow any ideology or tradition because you will understand the nature’s laws(the 5 panca niyamas) that govern all of life and existence and you will know how to live life accordingly.
Truth is something that can explain the way things are and how things come about so no need to have rites and rituals or superstitions etc. which are delusions that arise out of fear and ignorant. When you have truth, you do not need ideology or tradition to guide you to live life. That is why during the early years, Brother Teoh discouraged his mother from continuing with her Chinese traditional practice of slaughtering chicken as offering to the deities then negotiating with them to gain back some favor and blessings from them – this is not proper because first it involve killing the chicken then secondly this is not the dhamma way. But when you have the Dhamma, the understanding of the truth will enable you to live the noble life beautifully via following the advice of the Buddha to do good, avoid all evil and to purify the mind. This is a good enough – a very good guiding principle to live your life well. These advices will enable you to take care of your Karma and develop wisdom to free our mind. With wisdom developed you will come to know who you are. What you are? And you will be able to avoid and overcome all problems and conflicts because you will not be deceived or deluded by the phenomena world anymore. That is how you break free. You will also understand that there is no mark of a self and no mark of others and life but this form and mind of ours is subject to karma. Your children have their own life; they have their own karma so let them decide how they want to live their life; your duty as parent is to provide for their basic needs, support, guide and advice them accordingly. This is dhamma.
Form and mind is subject to karma. Each and every individual form and mind must have this understanding to take care of their own karma. Otherwise it will lead to downfall and the karmic repercussion and negativity will hit back leading to suffering for this from and mind, regardless of where you are born. Then take the Bodhisattva vowsfollowing my blue transcript book (Cultivating the Bodhisattva way). This understanding will protects you not only this life but also all of your subsequent births and lives. Your karmic naturewill become beautiful, and then you can cultivate your spiritual nature. As you develop more understanding andwisdom leading to more virtues, you become a truly beautiful being. You then become a blessing to all and a noble one (that is an enlightened being with the noble eightfold path qualities in you). That is what you need for life NOT ideology.
Ideology comes from thought,from the word “Idea” created by thought to start a tradition or a belief system to divide humanity. In every country, ideology differs. It is all part of civilization and the evolution of consciousness.
Sister PG was able to maintain mindfulness throughout the day. She could feel beings were different at different locality and she seek their forgiveness. She finds that from this trip, her affinity is still with Quan Yin Bodhisattva. On two occasions, her feelings arose strongly showing her the affinity with Quan Yin Bodhisattva.
To ask for forgivenessis a good practiceso that you can overcome any misunderstanding or suffering caused by you (whether knowingly or unknowingly) to others. Sometimes your negative thoughts could trigger conditions for these non-humans to be weary of your visit to their territory. Non-humans can read your mind and know what you are thinking. You also have to understand that at different places, beings are different, tradition or ideologies are different, religions are different too. Thus you need to be sensitive. The best is to radiate love and metta, to ask for forgiveness if you have caused any misunderstandings or inconvenience, and to wish them well-being and happiness. If you go to a hotel and can’t sleep at night as things are disturbing you, sit quietly and radiate love and metta and talk to the non-humans to seek their kind understanding. After that you’d be able to sleep better.
Sister Elsie shared that she was glad to have joined the trip. Overall it was very beautiful andmeaningful. Everything unfolds beautifully, the weathers were very kindto us even though it was the rainy season there. Was also told by the China tour guide that Dali was raining ‘cats and dogs’ for 7 to 8 days before we arrived and the moment we arrived the weather became so beautiful – no rain and very good weather all the way till the last day of our trip. Foods were good. Thanks to Sister Padmasuri who recommended those good eatery places. When she walked up the temple, she walked mindfully. She also found that her body was very light, not too much problem for her to walk up the mountains. She was happy during this entire spiritual trip especially so on seeing how it all unfolds so beautifully. The tiger leaping gorge with waterfall flowing from on top of the mountain down to the gorge was also very beautiful. She used to have fear towards waterfall’s roaring water. However this time, she was very calm. Could even meditate at the waterfall and gorge despite the roaring and gushing water ahead. She enjoyed the still energy and strong vibration there. Weather was cooling too. She just followed the flow of the whole tour and it was very smooth sailing and she was not tired. Dhamma discussions for the first few nights were good – able to develop better understanding of attachment to rites and rituals as a fetter. Although there were a lot of very beautiful dhamma sharing on cultivation on the first night, but they were not recorded as there was no microphone. We intend to buy 2 sets of portable microphones so that we could be better equipped in the future.
There was a nunnery Jiu Lian Si (9 Lotus monastery) with very meticulously craftedBuddha and Bodhisattva rupas in their shrines. Its works reflects their founder’s virtue andbeautiful mind states and understanding. That is they have the virtues, patience, understandingand dhamma to do all these so meticulously. The Abbess was also very warm, kind, understanding and friendly towards us. We sincerely expressed our profound gratitude and special thanks towards the Abbess and temple committee for allowing us to visit and use their way place to have our meditation and dhamma session. They also treated all of us to a delicious vegetarian meal. In return we make a special donation to express our gratitude and thanks and at the same time establish affinity with them.
Most tourists going to temples are to pray and make offering of cash donation only (Pai Pai Fo) whereas Brother Teoh’s spiritual trip isdifferentbecause we kalyanamittas went with dhamma understanding. When they were at the nunnery, they pay theirrespects to all the great beings natures, meditate, have dhamma session and chanting, etc. Because of the chanting, the nuns and people there could feel that this group was different. Although facing earlier rejection upon their first request to use their hall, the abbess nun finally agreed for them to use the hall after talking to one of the local guide (Mr. Er) and hearing about their earlier Emei shan, Pu To Sun and 6^th Patriarch spiritual trips. The nun knew from the chanting that this group was following the Theravada tradition. However, most of the kalyanamittas also have great affinity with the Mahayana’s Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Before returning home, the nuns offered all the kalyanamittas, our guides and bus driver their blessed chains and pendants which have been chanted (Shuragama mantra) upon.
There are now more and more good monasteries in China due to their country’s recent evolutionof consciousness. Even our Malaysian PM praised that China is so different now. He believes that China can be a great trading partner. They are very innovativewith good technology advancement and we can learn from them.
Of the 1.3 billion Chinese, 950 million do nothave religion due to the Cultural Revolution of the 60s. Only 350 million have religion – of this 60% is Buddhist, 20% Taoist, Islam is third and Christianity is fourth. The rest comprises minority groups with primitive religion (Animism) praying to rocks, trees, thunder etc.
Back then, if you were born in China, you would be said to have bad karmaas there was much suffering then. Unlike these days, if you are born in China, you are considered to have good karma with goodfinancial means to travel out of the country. With the recent affluent the temples in China received much more cash donation from their local tourists.
Dhamma enables one to accept others and the world for what they are via understanding.The Buddha said, ‘mind is forerunner of all things, mind is chief, when mind arise, everything arise. If you don’t train your mind (or develop heedfulness) you will act, think and speak with a heedless mind, then suffering would follow suit.’ This is the universal truth and it is evergreen. The only wayto be free of suffering is to follow the advice of the Buddha, to avoid Dhammapada verse 1 and cultivate heedfulness. When you are heedful, with a well trained mind, you will act speak and think with a heedful mind, free of evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion then happiness will follow you like the shadow that never leaves you. That’s how you should approach life and live life. With this understanding you would not be influenced by what people do or say. You will have your own understanding of what virtue is, what constitutes evil and how it leads to negativity of karma, downfall, suffering and misery. Whatever you do, you cannot go against or violate the nature’s law of karma.
A true story in Taiwan told by a monk called Hai Tao:

There was an old man with a dog. This dog was a female pregnant dog. Whenever the man leaves his house, the dog will chase up. But this time, the dog could not chase after him all the way as she was pregnant. It eventually stopped half way and gave birth to 7 puppies along the way. But the old man was not around to feed her. The dog went to seek for food and found a family making offering to the deceased. When they went off to have their rest, the hungry dog ate one of the chickens and then fed her puppies with her milk. The people came back and found that the chicken was missing. Angry, they made another offering and waited there. When they saw the female dog taking the chicken, they killed it. Without the female dog the 7 puppies all also died. The karmic fruition caused the family to be in trouble. The children died one by one until the final one. He went to enquire desperately why this happened to his family. The wise one told him that out of anger, hatred and delusion, he killed that one dog which caused all the 7 puppies to perish from hunger. To reverse the karmic effect, he has to gather all the bones of the dead dogs and do some prayer otherwise his youngest son also will die. He did as told and everything went on well after that. The message here is not to toy with karma. That is why during war, when people are killed, the karmic can be very severe.

(Above draft outline short notes was prepared by Angelica Chong Phey Yuen)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro Tune

Tonite’s Thursday class sharing (23Aug2018) ready for download:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Teoh-Thu-180823.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ufcilepcq75gocs/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180823.MP3?dl=0

Teoh Thur Class 20180823.MP3

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