Category: Tuesday class

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Bro Teoh’s 3rd July 2018 Tuesday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 3rd July 2018 Tuesday class recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes are as below:

Below are the edited outline short notes for our Tuesday class dated 3rd July 2018.

3rd July 2018 Tuesday Class Outline short notes

A. Reading and sharing of the below daily quotes from J. Krishnamurti :

  1. “Extraordinary Seeing”
  • direct seeing; alertness, attentiveness; just aware; seeing things as they are leading to direct knowledge and vision of the reality (Nanadassana).
  • an insight to be realised; coming upon it unknowingly, there is no effort, noseeking and no experience involved;
  • innate to the free mind which is still, e.g. the beating of our hearts (there is no active doing or ‘will’ behind its arising)
  • “without seeking” is the only way to find it.
  • this ‘extraordinary seeing’ is not something that can be practiced.
  • the mind is highly sharpened, highly awake, no longer dependent upon any experience to keep itself awake.

2. “The Active Still Mind” 

  • the mind can only be silent when it has understood the process of (psychological) time and that requires watchfulness/mindfulness/awareness
  • the really still mind that is astonishingly active, alive, potent in understandingphenomena and their flow; capable of “Extraordinary Seeing”
  • such a mind is verbally free; free from experience and knowledge; understands thefact, as it is, without translating, without condemning and without judging; andbeing free such a mind is an innocent mind.
  • It is only such a mind that can perceive that which is true, which is beyond time.

3.  Bro Teoh advised the class to attentively read through the outline Short notes dated  21st June 2018 (Thursday class) to develop the clear understanding of therather beautiful dhamma shared.

B. Discussion proper led by Sister PG  from the Reference book: The Buddha and His Teachings – Kamma (Chapter 18, Page 340)

  1. Nature’s law has its own selection
  • Kammic energy is needed for the production of the foetus
  • We (2 aspects of form and mind) are the heirs of our own kamma
  • Accumulated Kammic tendencies inherited, over the course of previous lives, could influence our physical features and mental characteristics, it could also nullify the potentiality of the parental cells and genes
  • The law of Kamma, important as it is, is only 1 of the 24 causal conditions (paccaya) as described in the Abhidhamma pitaka.
  • The law of kamma is very intricate and requires great wisdom borne of awareness from a silent mind to understand.
  • The enlightened pure mind is free, i.e. not afflicted due to non-grasping to the form and (mundane) mind (borne of wisdom).

2.  Sister Chwee’s questions on karma regarding Sakyamuni Buddha’s last meal, and about the other 23 causal conditions were discussed.

3. Bro Teoh’s sharing on the understanding and  workings of our mother Earth’s “planetary consciousness”

  • summation of all the beings’ consciousness on Earth give rise to the planetary consciousness.
  • to change the world, the individual must change; i.e. begin with ourselves.

(Outline prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class recording dated 26th June 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Tuesday class dated 26th June 2018 recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes are as below:

Outline short notes for last Tuesday (26th June 2018) talk presented by Sis PG Lim on Kamma – from pg 337 to 340 of the book ‘The Buddha n his teaching’

1. Our various actions impact our future lives e.g. mercilous killing causes short life, non-killing, compassion, kindness and love cause long life, Hurting and harming others cause one to be born with illnesses and disease, faith overcomes fear, etc. Thus these variouos karmic vipaka result in inequality in life.
2.Sis PG asked why Mongallana did not face retribution for parricide committed in his past life. Bro Teoh’s replied to her was very good. Please do listen to the sharing. Reason why Bro Teoh said ‘the Law of kamma is very complex and complicated and it can only be understood by a Sammasambuddha or a great cultivator’.
3. Sis Han shared that the very poor especially some of those in India where she saw are deprived of the 4 simple basic needs of life. She reflected on karma and understood that they were born under such conditions because they lack merits. 
 
4. Bro Teoh advise us to see through the danger of not taking care of karma via being heedless most of the time. We all should always be mindful of this law of karma so that we will constantly follow the advice of the Buddha to avoid all Evil (by keeping our precepts), hasten to do good deeds (preferrably unprompted) and purify our mind via meditation.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sister Hui Rong
Brother Teoh Tuesday Class on 26/06/2018 record :
or at:
www.dropbox.com
Shared with Dropbox
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 19th June 2018 recording

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Tuesday class dated 19th June 2018’s recording for sharing by all. The outline short notes as prepared by Sister Yoon Chun are as below:

Outline short notes for our Tuesday class dated 19th June 2018

  1. A discussion session on Law of kamma was held where the following topics were discussed :
  • Cause of Inequality in life resulting from the effects of kamma.
  • Even children or siblings or twins with similar DNA live different lifestyles and have different characters and personality.
  • Bro Fong asked: can kamma be created without intention? He sighted a Mahayana case of an incident that occured to Nagajuna as an example of indirect effect of kamma.
  • Sis Chwee commented on the wrongs committed by certain politicians who seems to have escaped the effect of Kamma vipaka.
  • Sis Alicia asked how can Buddhists avoid/overcome the kammic effect of killing ants and termites to prevent damage to property and for cleanliness. Bro Teoh gave 3 important and useful advices to overcome the above.
  • Direct and indirect kamma.

2. Bro Teoh explained the great complexities of Kamma and emphasized the importanceof acting with right and appropriate wholesome mental intention. The key to understanding the effect of kamma depends entirely on understanding one’s mental intention behind. Hence one’s mental intention is most important because according to the Buddha ‘it is mental volition or intention that he calls kamma’.

  • The following five conditions are necessary to complete the evil of killing :     i. there must be a living being, ii. knowledge that it is a living being, iii. intention of killing, iv. effort to kill, and v. consequent death.
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Sister Hui Rong
 
Brother Teoh Tuesday Class on 19/06/2018 record :
or at:
www.dropbox.com
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class sharing dated 12th June 2018

Dear All kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last night’s Tuesday class recording for sharing by all. The topic discussed  is on Karma. 

12 Jun 2018 Tuesday  Class outline short notes:

Ref. Book: The Buddha and His Teachings (Chapter 18, Page 333) – “Kamma”

  1. Discussion led by Sister PG  with reflection on the phrase “We are born of our karma, heir to our karma, condition and supported by our karma; we are what we are because of our karma” (5th of the5 daily contemplations as advice by Lord Buddha).
  2. Core subjects  of Buddhism that interest discussion starts with:
  • karma
  • Question on heredity referencing a quote from Theophile Pascal’s book “Reincarnation – A Study in Human Evolution”
  • Discussion on the Cause of Inequality and ones outlook on life

3. Sis PG shared about acceptance regarding her friend, during her recent               trip back to Penang for the GE14 election.

4. Sis Alicia’s sharing about her growing-up years and then juggling family                life with work. Advise to earn money the righteous way.

5. Bro Tune’s comment on genes and heredity as part of the 5 great nature laws,connecting back to karma.

6. Sis Padmasuri shared her  great   determination   and struggles to attend school and university lead to her good life later on. Even through tough times, things fall into place and problems get resolved. 7.  Bro Teoh spoke about karmic past and links, then continued to share about his own life since young, till after schooling years. His advice: Be sincere, do yourduties well, have faith, persevere  and   things   will always go your way and youwill have the good life.

8. Sis Yoon Chun share about having alot of freedom and being blessed in life, also interesting affinities to learn Buddhism and meditation.

(Above draft Outline – prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sister Hui Rung 
Brother teoh Tuesday Class on 12/06/2018 record :
or at:
www.dropbox.com
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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 5th June 2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last night’s Tuesday class recording for sharing by all.

Below is the edited short notes for sharing by all:

Jun 5 Tuesday  Class Outline short notes
  1. Bro Teoh review 6th Patriarch’s Platform Sutra short notes dated 27th May 2018…emphasis on the self nature or true nature, thru understanding, sati in daily living, tranquility of mind and cultivation of the Noble 8-fold path to realise Nibbana.
  2. Continued from pg 320 of the book Buddha’s Teaching by Narada.
  • The 4 Noble Truths..
  • All beings are subject to birth, decay, disease and death.
  • The composite body is a cause of suffering thru craving or attachment borne of self-delusion. They are eradicated by cultivating the middle way the Noble 8fold Path.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated 29th May 2018(Wesak Day)

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our Tuesday class dated 29th May 2018 recording for sharing by all.

The outline short notes is as below:

Outline notes for our 29th May 2018 Tuesday class sharing
  1. Wesak is a Thrice sacred Day to commemorate Buddha’s birth, enlightenment n parinibanna.
  2. Significance of Wesak. An auspicious day and an occasion for a lot of wholesomeness, generosity and joy by people all over the world.
  3. Chanted Dhammacakkappavattana sutta (1st Sermon of the Buddha).
  4. Significance of this sutta to set the Dhamma wheel in motion.
  5. Sharing by kalyanamittas on how they spend their Wesak Day.

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sister Hui Rung
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Bro Teoh’s 22nd May 2018 recording

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 22nd May 2018 Tuesday class recording for sharing by all. Also attached is outline short notes as blow for your further reference:

22nd May 2018 Tuesday Class outline short notes 

  1. Recap of 1st May 2018 Tuesday class short notes.
  2.  5 great universal laws of nature (2  scientific + 3  spiritual)
  • Physical order [Utu niyama]
  • Biological order [Bija niyama]
  • Law of karma [Karma niyama] (Do good begets good and do evil begets evil & you reap what you sow) 
  • Law of the mind [Citta niyama] (12 links / paticca samupada)
  • Law of truth / Dharma [Dhamma niyama] (4 noble truths, etc.)

3  Buddhism (Teaching of the Buddha) = Dhamma = Truth. The essence of the Buddha’s teaching is the Four Noble Truths. Noble Truths are truths that can make you noble ones or enlightened ones when you had understood (awakened to) them.

4 Bro Teoh’s sharing from the Book, “The Buddha and His Teachings” – Chapter 17 – The 4 Noble Truths, until page 321 ‘….Insatiate are all desires.’

4(a) The 3 Lokas (31 planes of existence) 

  • kama Loka (sensual world) – 6 realms of Devas, 1 human realm and 4 woeful states/realms.
  • rupa Loka (form world) – 16 Brahma realms.
  • arupa Loka (formless world) – 4 formless realms.

4(b) Why is your form and mind (the human being) so important?

  • It allows us to live and experience life to the fullest and we can also use it to cultivate the 4 foundations of mindfulness (kaya-, vedana-, citta- and dhammanupassana) to realize the enlightenment.
  • Everything you cling and grasp onto (including all sense pleasure) is a prelude to dukkha (suffering), as they are impermanent – arising and passing away following nature’s conditions. Hence not a permanent unchanging entity where you can cling onto and grasp onto.

4(c) The MISCONCEPTION of defining the 1st Noble Truth of dukkha as – “life is suffering”

  • The Buddha never say that. The Buddha proclaimed that there is a noble truth that explain to you clearly the prevalence of suffering when one confronts the 8 realities of life without the requisite wisdom.
  • The Buddha teaches instead the prevalence of suffering, how suffering comes to be due to delusion, the secret of life and suffering need not be if we understand his teaching.  The liberated mind can live life without being affected / afflicted.

4(d) 3 types of craving/tanha

  • Kama tanha (sensual craving)
  • Bhava tanha (craving to ‘be’ – becoming)
  • Vibhava tanha ( craving ‘not to be’)

4(e) Ambition is not a craving

  1. As Buddhist we can have ambition to realize our good and noble wishes via cultivating the Noble 8-Fold Path following the Dhamma way of no delusion.

(Outline prepared by Teoh Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sis Hui Rung 
Brother Teoh Tuesday Class on 22/05/2018 record :
or at:
www.dropbox.com
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Bro Teoh’s 15th May 2018 Tuesday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last night 15th May 2018 Tuesday class recording for sharing by all. The out line short notes are as below:

Outline notes of Bro Teoh’s Tuesday class dated May 15, 2018 

1)      Short talk by Bro Teoh on the recently concluded GE14 (9th May 2018):                                                                  Bro Teoh expressed his great respect for Tun Mahathir’s extraordinary feat and ability to pull off the greatest upset win despite his age of 92+. His great will-power, foresight and strategy had enabled him to lead the opposition front to break the incumbent government of 61 years to give new hope to the people of Malaysia – a new Malaysia is born. The fall of BN (Najib’s National Front) was expected because all the signs, causes and conditions were there. We can learn from this great event of true change for our beloved nation and we are all indeed very blessed and proud to be part of the change.  Kamma has taken place following dhammapada verses 119 and 120:                                                                                                                                verse 119: Even an evil person may still find happiness so long as his evil deed does not bear fruit; but when his evil deed does bear fruit he will meet with evil consequences.                                                                 Verse 120: Even a good person may still meet with suffering as long as his good deed does not bear fruit; but when it does bear fruit he will enjoy the benefits of his good deed.                                                                              2)      The Buddha and his Teachings (Chapter 16 page 306 – 318):                                                                      –        Buddhism is nothing mysterious nor is it mystical                                                                                             –        It is a religion of great wisdom for it gives love, wisdom and understanding to all beings struggling in the ocean of birth and death (samsara)                                      –        It reveals to living beings the secret of life so that they truly understand life                                                 –        The precepts are to be observed and they are not commandments but modes of discipline to be followed based on one’s understanding                                                         3)        Buddhism and Caste system                                                                                                                                 The Buddha do away with the caste system by saying:                                                                                           –          –            By birth is no one an outcaste; By birth is no one a Brahmin;                                                                                         –          By deeds is one an outcast; By deeds is one a Brahmin                                                                                                  In conclusion the Buddha commented – birth makes no Brahmin, nor non-Brahmin; it is life doing that makes a true Brahmin and their life moulds farmers, tradesmen, merchants and serfs or moulds robbers, soldiers, chaplains, kings, etc.

(Note: Above draft outline was prepared by Sister Quinni)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sis Hui Rung

Brother Teoh Tuesday Class on 15/05/2018 record :

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Teoh-Tue-180515.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dv9fj6g70sx39yo/2018-05-15.MP3?dl=0

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Bro Teoh’s Tuesday Class recording dated 01/05/2018

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our Brother Teoh’s Tuesday Class recording dated 01/05/2018 for sharing by all.

01 May 2018 Tues Class – Outline notes

  • Introduction for newcomers.
  • Benefits of performing devotional practice or Puja.

Bro Teoh’s sharing from the Book – “The Buddha and His Teachings” (Chapter 16, Page 298):

  1. Characteristics of Dhamma
  • Sandiṭṭhiko – this dhamma can be realised in the here and the now (no need to wait till death);
  • Akāliko – this dhamma is Beyond thought, beyond time (timeless);
  • Ehipassiko – this dhamma can stand up to investigation (inviting investigation);
  • Opanayiko – this dhamma leads inward into the heart leading to the realisation of Nibbana;
  • Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi ti – This dhamma can be realised or understood by the wise each for themselves.

2.     3 Universal Characteristics of life

  • ANATTA – within the conditional world, everything is dependent originating; only mighty nature rolling by hence empty (emptiness) – no ‘permanent-unchanging-entity’ for one to cling and hold onto.
  • ANICCA – impermanent nature of all condition arising entities (only arise when supporting conditions are there, when supporting conditions are no longer there, they cease to be).
  • DUKKHA – craving/clinging and grasping to impermanent entities of the phenomena world of consciousness via wanting things “your way” which is against nature’s way. This implies not able to get what one desires (through one’s habitual tendencies borne of self-delusion), brings about suffering. And mind made are they because upon contact the senses can give rise to sense door consciousness within our form and mind.

3.  Final summary of the 1st Noble truth: When you deludedly grasp onto the 5 aggregates of form and mind as “I” / “Me” and “Mine”, you will be afflicted and suffering will arise.

  • Bro Teoh made reference to the 4 signs (of an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a Samana) from the life of the Buddha and the 5 daily contemplations as taught by the Buddha to expand on its understanding.

4.   1st aspect of the 5 aggregates of form and mind (as a human being)

  • FORM – physical form.
  • MIND – its 4 aggregates of feeling, perception, content of consciousness (sankhara) and consciousness.

5.  2nd aspect of the 5 aggregates of form and mind (as a mental 5 aggregates)

  • FORM – external form brought into the mind (mental form) via the perception aggregate.
  • MIND – feeling, perception, content of consciousness (sankhara) and consciousness.

6. This so-called living being (5 aggregates of Form and Mind – 1st aspect) is just a karmically conditioned ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world to develop the cultivation and experience all of the pristine beauty and wonders of life. So, use it with wisdom to arise the appropriate right thoughts, right speeches and right actions to be a blessing to all and not to be deluded by it.

 

7.   5  DAILY CONTEMPLATION: Old age, Sickness/Disease, Death, Separation from loved ones and prized possessions; 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.

8.    4 NOBLE TRUTHS: Essence of the Buddha’s teaching – When you understand the Buddha of teaching (Dhamma), you understand the secret of life…

  • [MUNDANE ASPECT – 1st and 2nd Noble Truths]

1st Noble Truth – THE REALITIES OF LIFE AND EXISTENCE (the 8 realities)

2th Noble Truth – cause of suffering which is Craving borne of self-delusion

  • [SUPRA MUNDANE ASPECT – 3rd Noble Truth]

3th Noble Truth – Nibbana or ENLIGHTENMENT in the here and the now can be realised (is possible).

  • [MUNDANE CULTIVATION leading to the SUPRA MUNDANE Realisation – 4th Noble Truth]

4th Noble Truth – CULTIVATING THE NOBLE 8 FOLD PATH leading to the end of all suffering/Enlightenment (realisation of Nibbana).

9.  If there isn’t the unconditioned, then freedom from the conditioned world will be IMPOSSIBLE.

– Cessation of form and mind leading to the realisation of Nibbana liberates completely.

(Note: Above outline short notes are prepared by Teoh Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Sister Huol Rung
Brother Teoh Tuesday Class on 01/05/2018 record :
or at:
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.