Category: Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

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

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

(Above draft was prepared by Puan Chee.)

From: Bro Swee Aun

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

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

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

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

OUTLINE SHORT NOTES for Thursday class dated 21 JUNE 2018

A. INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE MEDITATION

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

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

B. INSTRUCTIONS AFTER MEDITATION

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

Bro Teoh’s answer:

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

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

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

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

or at:

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

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

Dear all Kalyanamittas,

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

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

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

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

1) What is the significance of Buddhist Puja?

o Puja is the Pali word for devotion practice

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

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

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

* viriya – Spiritual zeal or tenacity to go this way

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

* samādhi – collected and unwavering mind

* pañña – wisdom or understanding borne of direct seeing

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

· The whole of humanity revolves around this law of Karma

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

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

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

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

4) The True Mind and the Mundane mind?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* The Noble truth of suffering (Dukkha)

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

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

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

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

· Birth

· Old age/Ageing

· Sickness/Disease

· Death

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

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

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

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

7) The 4 supports for awareness based meditation:

· Relax

· Aware or mindful

· 24 hours

· Trust

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

· To avoid all evils

· Do good and

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

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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From: Bro Swee Aun. *Highly recommended* 👍

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

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

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

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

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

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

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

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

*Highly recommended, must listen*👍👍👍

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Swee Aun

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

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

or at:

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

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

SHORT NOTES OF TALK ON 3 MAY

1. Sharing by Sis Adeline

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

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

3. Sharing by Sister Adeline continued

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

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

4. Sharing by Bro. Song:

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

1. Bro Teoh’s answer:

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro Swee Aun

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

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

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

Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class (12th April 2018) recording

for sharing by all. The following were shared:

Bro Teoh’s talk on 12^th April

1. Bro Eric’s question:
   1. I can see my own ‘Ego’. Is Ego good or bad? Isn’t Ego useful?
   2. Does having no ego mean we let others do what they like to us?

      Bro Teoh’s answers to question 1(a):

2. Many Buddhists will say Ego is bad. But what they don’t understand is Ego is part of the mundane mind borne of self-delusion (Sakayaditti).  So Ego needs to be understood. When there is understanding, your mind can be freed and this is very important. So, it isnot about whether the Ego is good or bad. Ego is just like money and thought – neither good nor bad for it depends on its user.  The user of thought is more important. Whenthere is wisdom you can see your own Egoic form and mind, which is a good thing. The Ego then loses its power when you understand how via self-delusion you get entangled. The true mind can then awaken the form and mind via wisdom. With wisdom connectedto the form and mind, this form and mind is no longer deluded. It will then be able to live the third phase of dharma, Pativedha. One can then get to enjoy the fruition of one’s hard work to live the life of a noble being.
3. Bro Teoh said, ‘If you seek security, you will end up becoming miserable’. Do you agree with this statement? Security is a myth. For when you take cares of mind, mind takes care of karma, karma takes care of your life, and then everything is taken care off so there is no need for Security. True ‘Security’ comes about through this type of understanding (or wisdom) but not through the craving mind that wants and craves forSecurity. For the lack of Security (which is Insecurity) brings about fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation caused by the 8 realities of the First Noble Truth. By taking care of karma via following the Noble Eightfold Path, you are confident of how life will unfold. Peace, clarity, tranquility and stillness of mind arises through this understanding.
4. Always remember not to accumulate psychological memory through self-delusion. Self-delusion arises due to the belief that one exist as a human being. Memory includes the accumulation of all our experiences, good and bad. Thought is response to memorythat is accumulated. Negative habitual tendencies arise wrong thoughts. So, we shouldlearn how to use thoughts to live life appropriately and wisely.  It is foolish to use thought negatively to harm ourselves and hit out at others. Wrong thoughts arise throughself-delusion.
5. Striving to realize one’s ambition with understanding is a good thing. However, if one violates the karmic laws to realize that ambition then there will be Karmic consequences. Some people become gullible and trusted fortune tellers, mediums and feng shui masters, etc. All these will not work because this is done via not understanding the root of the problem. The Buddha said, `we are born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma.’ So, if we don’t take our karma, then our life will be affected and suffering will be the result.
6. Without wisdom, the Egoic mind is heedless. So, meditation is essentially to train theheedless thinking mind (which is clouded by thoughts of fear, emotions and negativity, etc.) to develop the inner peace, the inner awareness and calmness, stillness and heedfulness within to insight into truth to arise the wisdom. Bro Eric’s amazing transformation as explained by Bro Teoh in his sharing is a very good testimony for after having those understanding he felt free for the first time in his life after so many years in depression.
7. Bro Eric’s second question 1 (b) – How can understanding Ego help? Does it mean that when people hit at you or abuse you, you don’t do anything?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. Without the understanding, you believe you exist as an entity (name given to you). So, what happens when others hit out at you or abuse you? You will start to react with yourusual habitual tendencies conditioned by your wrong thoughts. But when you reallyunderstand that this so-called human being or personality is just a karmically-conditioned form and mind for us to come to this world, then there is no more problem. The reality is, you have a true nature within and what causes suffering is your mundane mind that is deluded. Who is there to fear, who is there to seek security? It’s themundane mind, the Egoic mind. When this is understood via the direct seeing with thetrue mind then wisdom will arise to liberate the mundane mind. Then there is justawareness, peacefulness, calmness, clarity, tranquility and stillness within. When you understand that Ego arises due to self-delusion, then this so-called entity cannot be deceived into suffering anymore.
2. Answer to Bro Eric’s question on, not reacting when people hit at you:

   Bro Teoh explained that it is not possible to do that because this question arises from the thought. The real understanding lies in straightening one’s view to see things as they as via accepting them for what they are. Then you may smile at him because you havecompassion for him. Through ignorance, he behaves that way because he doesn’t understand the karmic law.  Your smile and metta towards him has to be sincere. Without the ego, the so-called entity (the 5 aggregates of form and mind) will be beautiful. However, this does not mean Ego is bad. We have a functional body so use it but do not be deluded by it. We exist in this world with this body and mind, so the Ego (or mundane mind) and the physical or functional body has its place in life.

3. Why did, the Buddha left the palace when he saw the four signs? When he saw the first three signs, he realized he has real problems will regards to old age, sickness and death. Under the Bodhi tree, He came to great liberation when He realize that the body and mind was not real (because it is condition arising/dependent originating) hence not apermanent unchanging entity, not Him.
4. The five aggregates of form and mind, even though it is not you, but it is very useful. The reason being, you need it to develop the understanding via the cultivation. Then, youcan experience the pristine beauty and wonders of life. Life then becomes very meaningful. With this understanding, you can still achieve success, have ambition andbecome a blessing to all while at the same time, live the life of a noble one. Without the five aggregates, you cannot arise in this world neither can you connect to your true nature. So, do not be deluded by what others tell you, – `Ego is bad, thought is bad. Just let go of them’. Who let go? It’s the thought that wants to let go. So, the advices given are wrong. Without understanding, you will try to practice letting go. But, when you understand, you will not hold. If you don’t hold, what is there to let go? People are just the way they are. So, how can we dislike them just because they give us problems? It is because the ego is so strong. Without understanding, we cling to words, concepts and ideology.
5. It is important for us to meditate to understand what this human being is all about. With this understanding we can use it appropriately. When the user of thought is wise, the thoughts are pure and non-grasping (they are right thoughts without the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion).

1. Sis Keat Hoon’s question – How can we change the past?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. The past is already gone hence not a reality anymore. We need to inquire – What is life? To live life, one has to go through existence. So Life can be equated to Existence. Then what is existence? It is time-related, right? There are three periods of time – past, present and future. So to understand life, we have to understand time.
2. Past is already gone, no more a reality. Why must you carry it in your memory and project it causing you all the psychological misery? What is future? It has yet to come, also not a reality. The present moment is the only reality in Life. So what must we do? It’s only in the present moment that we can cultivate wisely to arise the appropriate right conditions to prevent the negative conditions from arising to condition our negative karmic fruition. If we cannot change the past then why do you still pay fortune tellers to change the past?

1. Sis Keat Hoon – What are past parami? What do they mean?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. If you have cultivated before, you will have past parami (your good merits and perfections) to protect you.

1. Sis Keat Hoon – What do we need to do to ensure that we can have better parami in this life?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. The present moment is the only reality in life. Moment to moment, life passes by what are you doing? All heedless people are too busy thinking, planning and worrying about their life. Instead one should develop the cultivation to be heedful and aware to avoid all evil via following the Buddha’s advice to keep one’s precepts, cultivate virtues and purify one’s mind. This is how you can avoid arising anymore new negative karma to take care of your life from that moment onwards. Then, with heedfulness you can cultivate the Noble 8-Fold Path to develop your parami. Thus, avoiding condition for negative karma from the past to ripen too. This is what is meant by `you take care of mind, mind takes care of karma then karma take care of your life.’ The trained mind that has clarity can bring about the transformation via wisdom.
2. When we take care of karma, there is no condition for bad karma to arise. Even if bad karma were to arise, wisdom will enable you to act without negativity. You will know how to take the necessary appropriate actions like asking for forgiveness, repentance, cultivate wholesomeness to invoke power of merits for turnaround etc. and not to react negatively like before.
3. With clarity of mind, tangible solutions can be taken without projection of thoughts to arise the fear, worry and anxiety.

1. Sis Keat Hoon’s question – What is karma?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. 1. Karma is moral causation. It involves mental intention (wholesome or unwholesome). In Pali, it is called cetana. Your mental intention will condition the thought to have karmic effect. Moral causation is different from Newton’s physical Law of cause and effect (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction).

• The Buddha said, `you reap what you sow. Do Good begets good, do evil begets evil.’ Through self-delusion, the Egoic mind makes us selfish and possessive and when we grasp and cling through our wrong views, conditioning etc. suffering will be the result. 

1. Sis. Keat Hoon’s question – Is there karma when a thought arises?

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. When your view is wrong, your thoughts will be wrong for it is cetana or mental intention that I call karma.
2. When the mental defilements are there, there is karma already even though it is only at the thought level.
3. In the Buddha’s time, there is a Jataka story about a man who changed gender due to a lustful wrong thought. (Extracted from the Internet: This is the tale of a householder name Soreyya. The story goes that, on seeing the beautiful skin colour of a bhikkhuMahakaccayana, Soreyya had the wish to have him as his wife or else that his wife might have a similar bodily hue. This impure lustful thought caused him to change into a woman right on the spot. The tale continues, with his experiences as a woman until at some point she has the condition to offers a dana meal to Mahakaccayana and asks to be forgiven, whereupon she gain back his male gender.)
4. Thought is very powerful so do not simply thinks the wrong thought.
5. Jataka story of Devadatta described by Bro Teoh (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seri-Vanija_Jathaka_Katha, http://www. Palikanon .com/english/pali_names/d/devadatta.htm) also involve very strong negative thought.
6. According to the Buddha, karma is a very complex subject and cannot be understood by normal beings unless one’s mind has attained to a very high level of understandingbecause it involves understanding a lot of conditions. Only a Bodhisattva who has gone through all the 31 planes of existence will be able to have that understanding.
7. We are born of our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma. So what are we waiting for if our entire life is dependent on karma? There is no one who can escape this powerful law. So, it is never worthwhile to violate this law.

1. Sis. Mee Fong shared the importance of cultivating more goodness to overcome tough conditions borne of karmic negativity’s fruition.                           Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. When a thought is created, there are seventeen thought moments within that thought.
2. When the mind is not receiving any sense stimuli, it is in a state of bhavanga. There isno awareness. When you are in a bhavanga state, you need strong sense stimuli to impinge upon the mind stream to become conscious.
3. If it is the first Javana cetana, karma can only ripen this life if there are conditions. Otherwise, it ceases.
4. If it is the last Javana cetana, karma will carry on to the next life. Without the conditions, it ceases too.
5. But most people create the second to the sixth cetana, then karma will follow them to eternity (even for Arahants). This happened to Angulimala when the Buddha encouraged him to endure and take it in that life rather than having to experience it in hell where the suffering and misery is worst and may last much longer.
6. If you cultivate only nominal goodness but have committed so much negative karma, it is equivalent to having a lot of salt in a small glass of water. When one avoid all evil and do good there is only pure water and no more salt because the pure water is your good karma so that no more salt is added thereby diluting the earlier water.
7. With wisdom, karma ceases to affect you. However, without wisdom, it will continue to torment you.

1. Sis. Mee Fong shared about the five type of heavy karma – matricide, patricide, causing a schism in the Sangha, wounding a Buddha, killing an Arahant.

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. If one commits any of these heavy karma, there is no escape from the effect of such karma.

1. Sis. Keat Hoon’s sharing – I always thought karma was fatalistic. But after listening to Bro Teoh’s sharing, it is not. We can still do something about it.

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. Sir Francis Light, a famous philosopher who studied Buddhism said, `the past may condition us but it does not dominate over us.’ The reason being, moment to moment we can still do something to improve our karma.
2. When we have wisdom, karma does not have power over you because karma will reverse itself once it can’t torment you anymore.
3. Most Buddhist books explanation of the dhamma have not done proper justice to the real teaching.
4. The Buddha was able to summarize all of Life (both the mundane and the supra mundane) into just the Four Noble Truth which is the essence of his teaching.
5. The Buddha has penetrated the fields of consciousness and even understood the Unconditioned.

1. Sis. Keat Hoon’s question – We talk about Right View but we are so diverse in our wayof looking at things. So, my view may differ from your view.
   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. The Buddha’s Right View is not about your views and my views. This are the individual’s views or belief systems. Right View here refers to the universal spiritual laws of nature: Law of Karma, Law of Mind and Law of Dhamma.
2. This teaching is beyond thought and beyond mind.
3. The dharma can only be realized by the wise.

1. Bro Teoh mentioned that the mind of the enlightened ones is non-grasping.
2. Bro Teoh complimented Sis. Keat Hoon on a good job done for the short notes of the previous Thursday’s class.
3. Above draft was prepared by: Puan Chee.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro. Swee Aun

*if you missed Bro Teoh’s Thurs class Apr12, you can download at:*

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Teoh-Thu-180412.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ftljwcwqcxxwhx0/Teoh%20class%20180412.MP3?dl=0

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.