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Bro Teoh’s 9 April  2019 Tuesday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 9 April  2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Enclose below is the edit outline short notes for sharing by all.
Brother Teoh’s Apr 9 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes

Book Reference: The Buddha and His Teachings –WHAT IS IT THAT IS REBORN?Chapter 29, Page 453 – 454)

  1. Apart from the 5 Aggregates or Mind & Matter, there is NO eternal Soul,or a permanent Unchanging Entity. Buddhism refutes the theory of an Almighty and all-powerful God. If that was so, we should be living in a Utopia, without all the nature’s disasters, diseases, problems, conflict, fighting, wars and suffering in this World. This was corroborated by a very famous and popular Physicist, Steven Hawkins too. His rationale is that if a Creator God did exist, then how did he come into existence and what was he doing before he created the World and Man?
  2. So, what is reborn? What dies and Who dies? Death is just the separationof the consciousness from the form (body) after the death consciousness has occurred. The physical form which consist of the 4 elements will disintegrates and go the way of nature at Death. The rebirth consciousness which immediately occur  after the death consciousnesswill seeks out another body (a new form and mind or segmented life) to start another life according to the law of karma. Technically, No one is reborn because the new form and mind is  dependent originating and it is not a permanent unchanging entity. It is connected to our karmic nature but it is not us. It is just a karmically conditioned form and mind (‘vehicle and tool’) for us to come to this existential world to live life. It is the craving force that binds the consciousness to a Form for life to exist.
  3. We should make our own investigations into such matters with our Silent Mind or with our True Nature. Through proper meditation we will gain understanding of the truth and come to realize who and what we are clearly.
    (The above draft short notes is prepared by Sister Hooi Yoon Chun).

Bye! with metta always,

Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 4 April  2019 Thursday class

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 4 April  2019 Thursday class for sharing by all.
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 10 April 2019 08:50
Subject: Re: Thursday class April 4th 2019 short notes

Dear Sister Angie and all,
Sadhu! to you for your below draft. Enclose herewith is the edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Outline Short Notes for Brother Teoh’s April 4th Thursday class

1.       Meditation is to train the mind to be heedful. When the 5 spiritual faculties are developed, you can just straight away meditate. Relax and be aware to realizethe silent mind (which is the meditative mind).

2.       First step towards wisdom is to be aware. The moment you are without thought you are already aware. When you are aware that you are heedless (no longer aware), at that moment, there is mindfulness and awareness. This is what sati is. Or in the words of J Krishnamurti, ‘the awareness of inattention is attention’.

3.       With this awareness, you can understand how you function as a human being and how you get lost in thought. It is through all this understanding that you can get to know what you are (the 5 aggregates of form and mind) and who you are. See that clearly: ‘When you are without wisdom, the 3 evil roots of greed hatred and delusion are actively conditioning the wrong thoughts to cause you problems in life’. Without the 5 spiritual faculties of saddha, viriya, sati, samadhi and panna, the opposite 5 mental hindrances will arise to hinder your mind from enter the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness.

4.       Mind that is collected and unwavering has samadhi and samadhi can prevents the mind from stirring. With sati and samadhi, you can see things as they areand awaken to the reality of the moment, before the conditioning, views and opinions from memory come in to intervene/interfere with our seeing. Wisdom arises. Without the spiritual faculties and the understanding of the dhamma, mental hindrances will arise causing the mind to react and stir. Pleasant and unpleasant sense experiences (which are the first 2 mental hindrances) will then arise within your mental states. Without viriya, you will feel lethargic to meditate. Without sati, Samadhi and wisdom, you will have restlessness of mind, hence your lack of peace.

5.       Real meditation can only starts when ones daily mindfulness is very stable. You need to be heedful and use the ever mindful state to cultivate the noble eightfold path. To progress you need to constantly meditate via having a good religious routine and a very stable daily mindfulness. At the same time constantly reflect and contemplate to straighten your view. Your life is your greatest teacher. The truth is within yourself.  You will then understand who you are, what you are and how you function as a human being via the wisdom developed. This is what meditation is all about.

6.       With awareness, you have space between thoughts i.e. clarity, silence and hence peaceful of mind. The moment you are aware of your negative thoughts and heedless thinking, the momentum of these negative thoughts to continue the habitual thinking breaks. When there is space between thoughts the conditioned mind can break free. Thus when you are constantly aware, the heedless thinking mind fails to have power over you.
7.       Because of heedlessness, human beings tend to react to situations due to their habitual tendencies borne of wrong views. The conditioned mundane mind pulls you into negativity and it is this deluded mundane mind that lives your life. As you realize the unreality of form and mind, you can then straighten your view to break free. 

8.       Meditation as taught by the Buddha: is to develop a stable sati to see things as they are to insight into the 3 universal characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta to develop the wisdom to free our mind. No more delusion or suffering. Relax into whatever mind states (whether pleasant or unpleasant) that arise. Know that this like and dislikes are due to your mundane mind’s conditioning and habitual tendencies. After having awaken to this understanding and wisdom, you can transform your life for the better. You will have morewholesome mind states that arise via your new heedful way of living which are so different from those of your past rather unwholesome mind states borne of heedless living. 

 

9.       The true mind is the tranquil and still mind in pure awareness without thought and such a mind – can awaken to the 3 universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering state and non-self or empty nature of existence.

10.   Without wisdom, maras may come and attack you, making you miserable. Most human beings merely existed through life because they are only conscious of life and they are hardly mindful and aware within. But when you are constantly aware, you truly live life.
11.   If you do not know who you are, what you are, then who is living your life? Thedeluded thought is living your life. Beforethoughts arise, our nature is just pure awareness, the true mind (or spacious awareness without a center). When you perceive something, a thought arise. From spacious awareness, you zoom into a limited space to perceive something to arise the thought. After you perceive, you input the content of consciousness following your views and opinions. Thought is pure awareness with its content of consciousness. That is how the 5 mental aggregates of form and mind arise.

12.   This thought is limited because after you focus, thought arise within this small limited space. This limited and egoic thought cannot see the whole and is incapable of awareness. This thought is not you but merely a dependent originating (or condition arising) thought entity.

13.   Upon contact of mind with the sense bases, you can become conscious of what you see, smell, taste, tactile feeling and think. With proper meditativeunderstanding you will understanding that this thought is not you. But when you think they are you, self-delusion sets in. Wrong thoughts cause your lack of peace. The 3 evil roots of greed, hatred, delusion, which comes from your accumulated memories of good and bad experiences are all embedded deep in your subconscious and unconscious. Most deluded people tend to hold onto their negative emotions thus creating more wrong thoughts and suffering. The main cause of suffering is attachment, clinging and craving borne of self-delusion. Thus if you do not know who you are, you can be deluded by these thoughts. These wrong thoughts then live your life.

14.   The 5 mental aggregates of body and mind (feeling, perception, mental states, mental form and consciousness) arise and pass away but you did not die. Hence they are not you. You are the pure awareness which is beyond the form and mind.

15.   Brother Danny, after our recent retreat at Cameron Highlands shared a book by Paul Ferrini. From John Bradshaw’s commentary on Paul Ferrini’s Heal Your Life books – it is mentioned that Paul Ferrini’s work is a must read for all people who are ready to take responsibility for their own healing. From Larry Dossey’s commentary on his work – Paul Ferrini is a modern day Kahlil Gibran, a poet, mystic, visionary, teller of truth.

16.   Excerpt from Paul Ferrini’s book: “Silence is the essence of the heart. You cannot be in the heart unless you are in forgiveness of yourself and others. You cannot be in the heart if you are worried or angry. You cannot be in the heart if your breathing is shallow or labored. When the breath is labored, thinking is driven by fear and anxiety. Your mind-states are rooted in the past or future. Unless you return to the heart, you cannot see with compassion. And one who does not see with compassion does not see accurately. All that is perceived is a fabrication, a hyperbole. It simply feeds your boredom or anxiety.”

17.   Brother Teoh further explained that when you forgive others you free yourselfbecause when you forgive others your hatred, envy and jealousy (evil roots)are gone (or rooted out) hence your heart is free. Brother Teoh also did not quite agree with Paul Ferrini’s statement on ‘silence is the essence of theheart’. To be more precise, it should be ‘silence is the essence of our nature or true mind’ – it has nothing to do with the heart. Instead the heart is where theconscience resides. There is also a gateway to our nature within our heart. The conscience comes from our nature. It can only arise when we are withoutthought. You need to be mindful enough to know it. When you are silent in your heart, you can be mindful and aware.

18.   Excerpt from Paul Ferrini’s book: “When you return to the heart, you abide in the silence from which all sound comes. Like a boat on the ocean you feel the waves swell beneath you. You move with the waves, but you know you are not the waves. Thoughts come and go, yet you know you are not the thoughts. You abide with the ebb and flow of the ride, moving in and out, feeling the contraction and expansion of thought. Beneath the thinking mind is a pure, non-judgmental awareness. When you discover the awareness, you fall into the heart. Then giving and receiving are effortless.” Meditation is effortless because the last support is truth and all true meditation is by the true mind which is without thought.

19.   As you understand who and what you are, it is essential to do the 5 daily contemplations (I am subject to aging; I am subject to illness; I am subject to death; I will separate from all that is dear and appealing to me; I am the owner of my actions. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir) as taught by the Buddha.

20.   You make use of this body and mind (as a vehicle and tool) for you to live life. Even when you know this is not you, you need to do your duty in life because this form and mind is subject to karma.

21.   The pure nature cannot come out and live life, but everything arises from there. Thus you can only truly live life when you are with the awareness and not when you are constantly lost in thought.

(Above draft short notes is by Sister Angie Chong)

Date: 4 April 2019

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Bro Teoh’s dhamma talks on You-tube and new dhamma videos 

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Thanks to Bro Chin How and those kalyanamittas who had helped him (especially  Sister Christy) to do up the above videos. These videos are taken mainly during our recent Cameron Highlands 9 days meditation retreat. Some are taken during our Thursday and Tuesday classes. Maha Sadhu! to them all.
I am pleased to forward herewith the You-tube link to his dhamma videos as below for sharing by all:
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 06 April 2019 03:29

Due to some unforeseen circumstance I am sorry to announce that *broteoh.com is temporary close for further maintenance* .  We hope we can reopen it in a week time.

Meanwhile Bro Teoh dharma talks on Youtube are not affected and new videos will publish to the group soon. Sadhu🙏. Below is the link to his Dhamma videos taken for sharing by all:

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Bro Teoh’s 2 April 2019 Tuesday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 2 April  2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 05 April 2019 15:36

Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Enclosed are the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s April 2 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes

 Book Reference: The Buddha and His Teachings – HOW REBIRTH TAKES PLACE    Chapter 28, Page 446 – 451)

 1. At the point of death, the good and bad deeds or thoughts that occurred during a person’s life time or immediately before his death (habitual actions) determines where he will be reborn. This is usually the case unless he has committed one of the 5 heavy kamma or the 5 heinous actions (Garuka Kamma) which are killing one’s parents, hurting a Buddha, causing schism in the sangha community. The very strong good action is being in Jhana. These 5 heavy kamma and such strong mind states override all other actions to determine rebirth destination.

 2. Signs/vision of habitual tools used like knife of surgeons or butchers or food for dana may appear to the dying person. These are Kamma Nimitta. He may also see symbols of destiny (Gati Nimitta) like fire, forest, mountains, mother’s womb or celestial mansions, etc.

3. Towards the end, his Bhavanga & mind door consciousness are interrupted & pass away, leaving 5 very weak thought moments to condition & regulate rebirth. After this last thought or death consciousness (Cuti Citta) death occurs. The Wind element of the Body dissipates first, then heat, water and lastly earth. The body finally turns into Dust. The remnant of consciousness then leaves the physical body immediately after the craving force that held it to the bodydissipates.

 4. The gender of the new being is determined by kamma.

5. Bro Teoh mused that women with higher average mortality age tend to live longer than men and asked for the possible reasons. The responses are women tend to have higher pain threshold and they experience less stress as they are usually housewife or simple career ladies.  They also like to express their displeasure more easily (to reduce their discomfort) because they are more emotional and they also takes less risks thus have fewer worries. They have more love because they can sacrifice for their loved ones.

 (Above short notes draft prepared by Sister Yoon Chun)

With metta always,
Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 28 March 2019 Thursday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Enclosed below are the audio and short notes links to our 28 March 2019 Thursday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 04 April 2019 05:59
To: Pheyyuen Chong
Subject: Re: Bro Teoh’s March 28th 2019 Thursday class 

Dear Angie Chong,
Below are the above 28 March 2019 Thursday class edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Short Notes for Brother Teoh 28 March 2019 Thursday class Talk

  1. Sister Tammy asked that in her daily life, she realized that even though her mind is relatively calm and mindful, there is still thoughts arising. She sometimes still gets involved in it. She is aware of her aversion or dislike when these thoughts arise. She is also aware when she has been distracted by the thoughts.
  2. Brother Teoh shared that when you are aware, the mind actually separates from this thoughts. There is aversion because you still perceivethose thoughts negatively. Meditation is to develop the ability to silentthe mind while in the meditative state to develop the wisdom and understanding needed for awakening. Whatever mind states that arises, you just relax into it first, regardless of whether you like it or don’t like it. These likes and dislikes are your habitual response due to your conditioning.
  3. As you stabilize your awareness, your mind becomes calm and it will startto experience piti leading to sukha. As you relax further into it, the mind will become very quiet and tranquil. If you continue to silent and relax your mind, you will finally develop passaddhi (the tranquility and stillness of mind).
  4. Those who go into adsorption and one pointedness samatha concentration also experience piti and sukha. Experiencing these jhanic factors, the energy field built up is strong, some use it for psychic powers. Some also use to radiate loving kindness and metta. Thought based energy is still within the field of thought, as such it cannot brings about wisdom and if you don’t know how to use, it can give rise to problem due to yin yang imbalance. Without wisdom they can be deceived by maras too.
  5. If you can relax and maintain your awareness, whatever that arise can give rise to understanding/wisdom. With understanding, you will know why you behave in such a way due to your views, opinions, belief system and conditioning. It is the accumulated views and opinions that cause your likes and dislikes. But with awareness, you will understand and you are able to break the pattern. Key word is relax and be aware. You will reach a point where you are aware naturally (mind enters sati).
  6. Life itself is our greatest teacher, all that arise within our own form and mind is our teacher for us to develop self-knowledge leading to wisdom. This is basically what meditation is all about.
  7. By straightening your views, you will understand and be aware when greed, hatred and delusion arise. As you cultivate more awareness, there is less stirring of mind, more sati, you are more peaceful and calmer. With strong daily mindfulness, there is heedful living.
  8. As you contemplate the truth, there is understanding.  The moment any thought arises, the yonisomanasikara (the initial wisdom developed after straightening your views), will come out and guide you. You see your thoughts and know whether you have been lost in thought or not. When you are aware that you are lost in thought, you must not develop the aversion but instead accept it via wisdom to relax into it. When you can do that the momentum of thinking breaks, you can then be free of its conditioning. So when you meditate just silent, relax and be aware.
  9. This awareness will slow down and follow your heartbeat, then as you continue to relax and silent, the mind becomes very quiet until there is no more movement. Mind is still. No observer at all but just awareness itself.
  10. With meditation, you hardly dream. If you dream, it is usually only thebalance of subconscious and unconscious releases. In the deep state of sleep, any hidden phobia or fear are released. After they are fully released, there is no such dreams anymore.
  11. When you are in your subconscious state, you may not know about the trapped phobias, thus believing your fears/thoughts. But the moment you understand, you can root them out. No need to fear or suppress it. They can be rooted out through wisdom. These phobias are released with wisdom while in the meditative state.
  12. Initial wisdom developed through hearing, contemplation and reflection (the 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom) is very important. When there is sati sampajanna (developed via a very stable daily mindfulness), there is morespace between thoughts and quietness and calmness of mind can be felt more frequently. Then the cultivator can break free from their thoughts conditioning. Space between thoughts is wisdom energy. This is the true mind. When wisdom increases, vibration becomes more refined. The Mundane mind will finally collapse when it is too gross to exist within that fine vibration environment. Your awareness will then just shines forth thereafter. It is the mundane mind that obscures your true mind. When you are lost in thoughts and preoccupied with the thinking and the emotions, you will become heedless and there is no chance for the awareness to shine forth.
  13. The book, ‘Understanding the Heart and the Mind’ explains the karmic force and the gateway to your nature.
  14. Your mind is like a garden, thus take good care of this garden by planting only the good seeds of wholesomeness (all the right thoughts of gratitude, generosity, goodness, gentleness, pleasantness, love, compassion and wisdom, virtue, kindness, contentment and respect, etc. instead of planting weeds (the unwholesome wrong thoughts of anger, hatred, envy, jealousy, enmity, vengeance, sorrow and lamentation, fear, worry and anxiety, etc.) to conditioned our suffering. The moment you are heedful, you will be ever mindful, then you can meditate and wisdom will unfold.
  15. When you know how to meditate, wisdom will be there. Withoutmindfulness, there is no heedfulness. Thus you must always be mindful to develop the spiritual faculties and the meditation. The moment you are relax and just aware (without thought), there is sati. You then stabilize itand use it to cultivate Noble Eightfold path (leading to heedfulness). Withwisdom developed you can straighten your views and all other essentialdhamma will then fall into place. There is understanding of who you are and what you are. You see clearly the evil roots of greed, hatred and delusion. You can then cultivate the 4 right efforts to constantly purifyyour thoughts, speech and actions leading to the 3 ways of right conducts. This is how the whole cultivation can be developed resulting in joy and transformation.
  16. The mundane mind will be a good tool for you to use. No more wrong thoughts controlling your life. Instead you are the master of your own thoughts. You use the 4 right efforts to root out the unwholesome thoughts. After that there is sense restraint leading to the 3 ways of right conducts and the cultivation of the 4 foundations of mindfulness. The 7 factors of enlightenment will keep arising.
  17. With sincerity you never deviate. Perseverance and faith drives you on to cultivate. You will then understand the whole cultivation and awakening processes. With faith and constant diligent contemplation & reflection the initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) follows suit resulting in sati sampajanna.

(Above short notes is by Sister Angie Chong)

With metta always,

Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 26 March 2019 Tuesday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio and short notes links to our 26 March 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
With metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 29 March 2019 02:41
Subject: Re: Tuesday Class 26 March 2019 outline short notes
Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Below is the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Brother Teoh’s  March 26 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes. Book Reference: The Buddha and His Teachings – PLANES OF EXISTENCE Chapter 27, Page 435 – 444)

1.      There are 31 planes of existence which beings manifest according to their moral and immoral kamma. Of these planes, 4 are states of unhappiness or Kama Dugati and they are:

Hell realm, with endless suffering,

Hungry ghosts (Peta) realm, dominated by greed. Can only receive merits transferred from their relatives (Tirokudda Sutta)

Animal realm, dominated by ignorant.

Asuras or demon realm, dominated by anger.

2.      The Happy planes (Kama Sugati) are:

Human Realm with both happiness and pain

6 heavenly realms – abode of devas

  (Together with the 4 unhappy planes, they are known as KAMALOKA, sensual realms or planes)

3.      Brahma Realms -16 realms of Rupaloka, resided by those who practise jhana      

4.      Arupaloka (formless) Realms

5.      Sis Padmasuri enquired which plane would those taking the Bodhisattva vows be reborn.

Bro Teoh replied that they can be reborn in any realm but they prefer mainly either the human, animal or deva realms.

 6.      Sis Han asked if it is easier to meditate without form. Logically there is no suffering without form. But devas enjoy life so much that they normally don’t have the conditions to think of cultivating.

  7.      Sis Adeline shared a little about her experiences during the recent Cameron Highlands Retreat. 
8.      Bro Teoh commented that the 5th patriarch taught that All Dhammas arise from Self Nature and we have to know how to use our mind (especially our mundane mind) but not be deceived or deluded by it.
(Above draft is by Sister Yoon Chun)

With metta always,
Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 12 March 2019 Tuesday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio and short notes links to our 12 March 2019 Tuesday class for sharing by all.
Bye! with metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Tues class 12 March 2019 outline short Notes

Dear Sister Yoon Chun and all,
Enclosed are the edited outline short notes for sharing by all.
Brother Teoh’s Mar 12 2019 Tuesday Class Short Notes

Book Reference: The Buddha and His Teachings – MODES OF BIRTH & DEATH     (Chapter 26, Page 432 – 434)

1.      Bro Teoh introduced a Mahayana teaching called Sutra on repayment of Kindness (Ullambana Sutra). This sutra relates to Maha Moggallana’s falial piety to rescue her mother who was born in the hunger ghost realm.

According to the Buddha there are 4 types of Kindness which are difficult to repay, viz. kindness by Father, Mother, the Buddha & Dhamma Teachers.

 2.      Sis Chwee enquired how authentic is this sutra since it is not recorded in the Theravada text. Bro Teoh explained that not all Buddha’s teachings were propagated under the Theravada texts. The Mahayana teachings were mainly from some great beings and Bodhisattvas who received them from other source.  One of it is from Tusita heaven when Sakyamuni Buddha was preaching the dhamma to his mother using his transformation body. Fortunately, some teaching were also brought into China by people like the 1st Patriarch of China (Master Bodhidharma) and Kumarajiva and other teachers.
3.      Sis Tammy covered this lesson on the modes of death, via: 
Reproductive Kamma having exhausted

Expiration of Life Term

Both of the above causes occurring simultaneously

Destructive kamma that causes Sudden Death.
                                                                                                                            4.      Modes of birth are either via egg, womb, water or spontaneous rebirth
(Above prepared by Sister Hooi Yoon Chun)

With metta

Teoh
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Bro Teoh’s 7 March 2019 Thursday class sharing

Dear Kalyanamittas,
Below are the audio and short notes links to our 7 March 2019 Thursday class for sharing by all:
Video on: The 4 Supports for awareness based meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=cbozlwbCMw0
Bye! and with metta always,
Teoh
From: Teoh Kian Koon <teohkiankoon@hotmail.com></teohkiankoon@hotmail.com>
Sent: 12 March 2019 03:15
To: Angie Ng
Subject: Re: Short notes for Thursday class MARCH 7 2019

Dear Angie and all,
Enclosed are the above edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Bro Teoh’s Thursday Meditation class March 7, 2019 Outline short notes

  1. Bro Teoh advised all Kalyanamittas to sincerely (with faith) cultivate the Buddha Dhamma to transform their life for the better and to use their dhamma understanding to live the good life for the benefits of all.
  1. Sis Angie shared that learning to relax is very profound and important in our meditation practice and has helped her see how her body and mind moved as one and has now experience much less tension. Bro Teoh rejoiced and confirmthat the first support for awareness based meditation to  always relax into every mind states that arise during meditation is very important, otherwise one may develop meditative concentration and energy build up, leading to stress, tension and headache. This concentrated and focused mind is a conditioned mind, is not a free mind and will not lead you to wisdom and understanding of who you are and what are you. Only the free mind can allow you to see things as they are to develop the wisdom i.e. having the direct knowledge and vision of the reality to understand the Truth (Nature’s laws that govern all of life and existence) as taught by the Buddha.
  1. Relax is the first of the 4 supports for awareness based meditation:
    • To relax into every mind state that arise. Be at ease so that there is no tension, no suppression, no concentration, no control and focusing of the mind. The relaxed mind is a free mind which is just aware and there is no thought to cloud the true mind and this will allow the mind to enter satiand samadhi (the collected and unwavering free mind).
    • Without thought, you are already aware and you don’t have to doanything to be aware. The natural state of your mind before your heedless thinking and stirring thought process, is actually stillness and tranquility. The reason why most people cannot realize that tranquil silent state of mind is that their thoughts are active throughout the day. Thoughts = mundane mind = thinking mind = conditioned arising or dependent originating mind. Understand this and your meditation will become easy. The mundane mind arises from your mental stirring borne of your own delusion.
    • Aware and silent the mind. Aware means relax and silent – no thinking. Don’t try to do anything. When you are silent, everything will slow downand cease and your original state of mind will return. This is real meditation. The moment you are without thought, your true mind is there. When there is mental activities (stirring of mind), thought arises, the mundane mind arises and there is delusion.
    • When you stabilize your true mind, you develop samadhi and your daily mindfulness will fall into place. Do not belief in what people say or what is shared here too, but inquire, reflect and investigate into all this and find out for yourself to see if this stand up to investigation. That is how you can develop the understanding to straighten our view.
    • 24 hours support means trying to maintain our awareness for as long as we can.
    • Trust your true nature
  1. Bro Teoh also shared the 3 hallmarks of Hui Neng’s teaching which lead directlyto the true mind having: No Thought, No Mark and No Dwelling.
  1. No thought = true mind. Without understanding the true mind, you cannot understand truth. You cannot realize your true mind if your spiritual faculties are not developed. Your mental hindrances prevent you from entering themeditative state of inner peace, inner calmness, well-being and awareness.
  2. The Buddha taught Anapanasati is to help you develop mindfulness of the in and out breath leading to heedfulness. With mindfulness (you are without thought), you will experience piti and joy. With Sati when you investigate the Dhamma(Dhammavicaya), Viriya will arise when the Dhamma stands up to investigation. Viriya will drive you to cultivate further and your Sati will stabilize, then Piti will arise. Then you are supposed to relax into all mind states and maintain awareness then Piti will become more and more refine until it cumulates into Sukha. Continue to relax and your mind will become very quiet and subtle, and the mind enters sati leading to Passaddhi (the tranquility and stillness of mind) which is still, aware and without thought with nothing within. Stabilize it further till the mind is in Samadhi. With Sati, Pasaddhi and Samadhi, you can see things as they are and you will awaken. Wisdom will be developed leading to the arising of the last enlightenment factor of upekkha.
  1. Having dhamma friends -> listening to the true dhamma -> faith in the Triple gem (Buddha and his teaching) -> Yoniso manasikara (initial wisdom) -> Sati Sampajjana (mindfulness and clear comprehension). Sati when stabilize leading to heedfulness. Heedfulness = ever mindful + constantly meditative (cultivating the N8FP). Heedfulness (sati sampajjana) -> develops sense restrain -> develops the 3 ways of right conduct -> cultivate the 4 foundation of mindfulness -> leading to the 7 factors of enlightenment -> true knowledge leading to enlightenment, will fulfil all the 10 steps as stated in the enlightenment cycle of the Avijja Sutta.
  1. The Buddha advice the Kalamas to investigate into all Truth told to them. If it is the truth it will stand up to investigation. It will also bring above more wholesomeness and be conducive for the good life.
  1. Take care of Karma and karma will take care of your life and you will have the good life. Realize the true mind and be awaken to the Truth.
  1. Without thought, you are just aware, and there is no fear, no worry, no anxiety, no sorrow, no lamentation and no problem. You are just calm, peaceful and at ease. This is wonderful living.
  1. Bro Joseph enquired when we are in Sati, is it ok for us to recall the positive and beautiful songs and enjoy them. Bro Teoh thank Joseph for the rather good question because it will give rise to causes and conditions for him to discuss this rather important topic concerning life especially how to live life which many do not understand. As long as you are mindful and you understand, you can listen to nice music and watch the video or any cinema show. You can also have good food if there is condition for you to have them. The only advice by the Buddha isnot to be attached, not to cling and not to have craving. When there is no condition to have them, just accept the reality of it and do not allow the cravingto make you miserable or unhappy.

Human beings problem is, when they recall through  memories their scars of memories, phobias, life’s problem etc. they develop the unnecessary fear,  worry and anxiety instead of resolving them amicably with wisdom and understanding borne of dhamma understanding.

Do not accumulate such psychological memories borne of wrong views. Treat memory like random access memory (RAM) as in a computer, only access them when need to use them. The memory can still be there (inside the brain) but we don’t go and hold onto or cling on to them all the time to arise the unnecessary fear, worry and anxiety. Just be aware and don’t get lost in it and don’t crave for it (if it is something pleasant that you desire/like).

(The above draft outline short notes is by Sister Angie)

With metta always,

Teoh
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Threefold Lotus (法華三部経 pinyin: fǎ huá sān bù jīng) – a very famous Mahayana sutra

Threefold Lotus Sutra

ThreefoldLotus Sutra

The Threefold Lotus Sutra (法華三部経 pinyin: fǎ huá sān bù jīng) is the composition of three complementary sutras that together form the “three-part Dharma flower sutra”:

1. The Innumerable Meanings Sutra (無量義經 Ch: Wú Liáng Yì Jīng), prologue to the Lotus Sutra.

2. The Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華經 Ch: Miào Fǎ Lián Huá Jīng) itself.

3. The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue/Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra (普賢經 Ch: Pǔ Xián Jīng), epilogue to the Lotus Sutra.

They have been known collectively as the Threefold Lotus Sutra in China and Japan since ancient times.

1.0 Innumerable Meanings Sutra The Innumerable Meanings Sutra[1][2] also known as the Infinite Meanings Sutra (Sanskrit: अनन्त निर्देश सूत्र, Ananta Nirdeśa Sūtra; traditional Chinese: 無量義經; ; pinyin: wúliáng yì jīng; Japanese: Muryōgi Kyō; Korean: Muryangeui Gyeong) is a Mahayana buddhist text.

According to tradition, it was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Dharmajātayaśas, an Indian monk, in 481,[3][4] however Buswell, Dolce and Muller describe it as an apocryphal Chinese text.[5][6][7]

It is part of the Threefold Lotus Sutra, along with the Lotus Sutra and the Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra. As such, many Mahayana Buddhists consider it the prologue to the Lotus Sutra, and Chapter one of the Lotus Sutra states that the Buddha taught the Infinite Meanings just before expounding the Lotus Sutra

Contents ·

1 Title ·

2 Outline of the Sutra

o 2.1 Virtues

o 2.2 Preaching

o 2.3 Ten Merits 1. Title [edit]

For Buddhists, the term ‘Innumerable Meanings’ or `Infinite Meanings’ is used in two senses. The first, used in the singular, refers to the true aspect of all things, the true nature of all forms in the universe. The second sense, used in the plural, refers to the countless appearances or phenomena of the physical, visible world. All of these countless appearances are brought forth by the one true, pure world – the true aspect of all things (the one true Dharma of non-form).

2.1 Virtue

This is the first chapter of the Innumerable Meanings Sūtra. It begins with the Buddha who is staying at the City of Royal Palaces on Vulture Peak, with a great assemblage of twelve thousand bhikṣus (monks), eighty thousand bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, as well as gods, dragons, yakṣas, spirits, and animals. Along with all these beings were bhikṣuṇīs (nuns), upāsakas (male laymen), upāsikās (female laymen), kings, princes, ministers, rich people, ordinary people, men and women alike. The Bodhisattvas are thus called mahāsattvas in the Threefold Lotus Sutra, because they have a great goal of obtaining supreme enlightenment (bodhi) and finally attaining Buddhahood by enlightening all beings. This chapter is called “Virtues” simply because all the beings in the assembly, no matter what “state” they were in, desired to praise the Buddha for his virtues (the precepts, meditation, wisdom, emancipation, and knowledge of emancipation) and excellence.[11] In doing so, they could sow their knowledge of the Buddha deep into their minds.

2.2 Preaching [edit]

In this chapter, the Buddha addresses the Great Adornment Bodhisattva and the other eighty thousand bodhisattvas in the assembly and explains to them that this sutra makes unawakened bodhisattvas accomplish perfect enlightenment “quickly”. If a bodhisattva wants to learn and master this doctrine of Innumerable Meanings, he “should observe that all [phenomena] were originally, will be, and are in themselves void in nature and form; they are neither great nor small, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither fixed nor movable, and neither advancing nor retreating; and they are non-dualistic, just emptiness.”[12]

In order to realize naturally what may emerge from all laws in the future, one must first penetrate and understand them deeply. By realizing this, one can realize that all laws remain settled for a vast number of eons, but even after a vast amount of time, they change.[13]

2.3 Ten Merits [edit]

The essence of this chapter is the urgent advice to master and practice the teaching of the sutra for the spiritual merit to be gained from it, the good life it leads to, and the usefulness to mankind and the world that it makes possible.[14] Mentioned earlier in this sutra, the teachings of the Buddha are the truth of the universe. It is no wonder and certainly no miracle, that if one lives according to the truth, his life works out well.[15]

Once again, Great Adornment Bodhisattva is present in the assembly and questions the Buddha about where the teaching comes from, its dwelling place, and what purpose it serves. The Buddha answered and said that the teaching originates in the innermost mind of all the buddhas; its purpose is to propel the minds of all man-kind to seek the wisdom of the buddhas; its dwelling place is in the performance of the Bodhisattva Path by all who seek perfect enlightenment.[16]

2.0 Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीक सूत्र Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, literally “Sūtra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma”[1]) is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras, and the basis on which the Tiantai, Tendai, Cheontae, and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. According to Paul Williams, “For many East Asian Buddhists since early times the Lotus Sutra contains the final teaching of the Buddha, complete and sufficient for salvation.”[2]