Bro. Teoh's Kalyanamittas

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our last Thursday class (26th July 2018) recording for sharing by all. Also enclosed are the edited outline short notes for sharing by all.

Outline short notes for our Thursday talk ON 26th  JULY 2018

1.     Sister PG asked Bro Teoh to elaborate on Asalha Puja Day which falls on 27^th July 2018.

2.          Bro Teoh’s answers:

1. This is a full moon day to commemorate the Buddha’s proclamation of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (1^st Sermon) to the 5 ascetics.
2. According to Sister Padmasuri, since the time of the Buddha, monks has been observing this Asalha day as the 1^st day of Vassa or the rains retreat. During this 3-month vassa period, monks will reside in one particular place to develop their cultivation.
3. The Buddha had fixed the 3 months vassa (monks’ rains retreat) to coincide with the raining session. Under the Buddha’s training, the monks were supposed to travel out, go for pindapata, to receive alms food and spread the teaching after their rains retreat or vassa. It was meant to be a synergy between laity and monks. While the lay community developed wholesomeness through their supports and offerings, the monks could in return cultivate during that period so that they are worthy of such offerings and supports.  After Vassa, either a Kathina or a Papa would be held to mark the end of vassa.
4. Most holy days are associated with the full moon. This is the time when the gravitational pull of the moon has a more severe effect on our planet’s water masses thereby giving rise to tides causing certain nature’s movements, affecting the human consciousness.
5. Animals are more sensitive to these movements and vibration. Take for example during a tectonic plate’s movement, the amount of energy released can cause tsunami (giant waves) to arise. Before the tsunami actually hit the shores, the animals and fishes can show signs of their impending arrival.
6. As for humans, if we do not have the proper sensitivity of mind training, our moods and emotions can be affected by all these planetary movements and nature’s phenomena when they arise.
7. Besides nature’s 2 Scientific laws (physical and biological laws of utu niyama and bija niyama), there are three other spiritual laws of nature, namely karma niyama, citta niyama and dharma niyama. All these five universal laws of nature interact with one another and together they governs all of life and existence on this universe. It is very difficult for us to understand the correlation ship of all these five universal laws especially the three spiritual laws. We need wisdom to understand these universal laws.
8. Jhanas were widely practiced by devotees of the Hindu tradition at the time of the Buddha. They believed in self-mortification. They had this wrong view – thinking that by torturing this body long enough, they could become holy and enlightened. The Buddha knew this was not the way. He himself had tried such austere practices until his almost total abstinence from food reduced him to only bones and skeleton. Until he was too weak to cultivate. Finally, he decided to leave his teachers and practice on his own. He recalled when he was a young child, sitting under an apple tree, observing the harvesting festival while seated in meditation. His mind was calm and peaceful (with joy within) but He was not in absorption concentration (appana Samadhi). So there was clarity in his mind. He was healthy and relaxed. When he recalled this incident, he decided to avoid the 2 extremes of sensual desire and self-mortification and return to the intake of food again to sustain his bodily health needed for cultivation.
9. His paramis were such that everything fell into place. His enlightenment enabled him to inherit his past spiritual cultivations from his spiritual nature thereby giving rise to his spiritual body (Sambogaya Kaya). He then realized that this body and mind of his was just a vehicle and tool for him to come to this existential world. His physical body which is the nirmana kaya or functional body is for him to perform the function of the Buddha and together with the sambogaya kaya or spiritual body connected, it transformed him into a dharma kaya (a dharma body, the 3^rd body that speaks and teach the dharma).
10. After that He realized he had no more problems. He realized that the body was not him.  He had awakened to this profound truth thus he had no more problems with regards to old age, sickness and death.
11. Bro Teoh shared his own experience with near death encounters and how he overcome them and how he was `cured miraculously’ by Quan Yin and his own nature.
12. In the Dhammacakapavatana Sutra, the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths and its three turnings (giving rise to the 12 modes). He himself had to understand all these 3 turnings and its 12-modes in its entirety before his can call himself the Samma Sambuddha.
13. The Buddha also expounded to the monks that ‘whatever that is of the nature to arise, is of the nature to cease. Whatever that arises, there are causes and conditions behind and these are basically karma because according to the Buddha, ‘We are born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma’. So, our entire life is dependent on karma. If we do not take care of karma, we will encounter problems and suffering in life.
14. It is important that we see things as they are and not according to our views, opinions and conditioning. Reality has no words and concepts. When conditions are like this, things will be like that. Everything in nature (including our form and mind) is in a state of flux where the three universal characteristics of truth (impermanence, suffering state and non-self) are always prevalent. Only the wise can see this though this reality exists everywhere.
15. The conditioned world has its own reality (the 8 realities) and we will suffer if we confront this realities without wisdom. The cause behind is our craving borne of self-delusion. In short, it is the five grasping aggregates of form and mind that I called dukkha. Hence, we have to understand who we are and what we are? We will suffer when we attach and cling, to this body and mind thinking that it is real – clinging to it as the `me’ and the ‘I’.
16. When we can understand what suffering is and the cause behind their arising, we will know how to live our life well for everything is just the way it is. The world is the world and people are just the way they are. With this acceptance, we can be at peace at all time. How can we realize this? – Via the Buddha’s Four Noble Truth, which is the essence of his teaching.
17. With the proper understanding of what meditation is, we train the mind to be ever mindful to cultivate the Noble 8-fold Path (4^th Noble Truth) leading to heedfulness. The moment we are heedful, we are destined for enlightenment. This is what the Dhammacakapavatana Sutra is all about. There is no need to run here and there to seek for truth and shortcut methods of meditation. The only way to realized enlightenment is seek within the Four Noble Truths which encompasses the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Noble 8-fold Path, the Paticca Samupadda and all the other essential dharma. They are all inter-connected and inter-related. With understanding, our cultivation becomes very simple and direct and we won’t be swayed by what others tell us.
18. We will train our minds to be ever mindful to abstain from evil. To do that we must understand what constitutes evil (the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion), then we will not violate the precepts because only evil people break these precepts. And Precepts are also the source of spiritual joy, spiritual wealth and spiritual peacefulness of mind. We can then invoke power of merits too when we uphold the precepts. By not breaking precepts, we protect ourselves and others, we will have less problems; so there is more peace, calmness and well-being for us to develop the cultivation. So when we keep our precepts we are cultivating merits and we will have less problem in life hence less fears and worries and mind is no longer restless.
19. So just keeping precepts can bring about so many benefits. As we keep on doing so, we are purifying our karma leading to lesser and lesser negative karmic fruition. To take care of our karma, it is essential for us to follow the advice of the Buddha: to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind (Dhammapada verse 183: Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ kusalassa upasampadā, Sacittapariyodapanaṃ etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ).
20. When we keep the precepts, we are training ourselves to be more mindful as we constantly watching over our thoughts, speeches and actions. Our understanding deepens as we begin to see the correlation ship of the three spiritual laws of Karma, law of Mind and law of Dharma that govern all of life and existence.
21. These universal characteristics are everywhere – in the midst of life and nature. Nothing is static everything is always in a state of flux. So, the wise ones can be aware of the stillness within while in the midst of noise, vibration and activities to live life. It is not a theory anymore but has become an experiential understanding.

3.          3. 3. Question by Sister Tammy:

• Regarding precepts – the need to avoid evil; despite knowing it is bad for us, somehow we still want to do it. The temptation is so strong. Sometimes, it feels like we don’t have a choice. I would like to know why some beings can have that deep understanding after only a few attempts while others need repeated attempts before they can understand.

4.          Bro Teoh’s answers:
 

1. For those who approach it through knowledge, their so called ‘understanding’ is different. When we use thought-based practices to solve problems via knowledge, the outcome is very different from awareness and wisdom-based cultivation. Knowledge cannot free the mind. When the silent mind awakens it is immediate and it is not gradual. The nature within that is awakened will have the wisdom connected to the form and mind. The moment you understand you are free.
2. Bro Teoh gave the analogy that, if something is burning hot, burning and tormenting us when we touch it then we will never touch it again right? Especially so if we have experienced it with understanding. But suffering at the mental level is very different because in the case of mental there is no tactile pain or suffering involved. If we are not sensitive, we are not able to detect it. To detect suffering at mind or mental level we need a very strong and stable mindfulness and wisdom to tackle such problems. When we understand, we will never return to the old heedless ways again.
3. Bro Teoh also mentioned about Sister Alicia’s experience. Once she realized via wisdom and clear understanding, how she suffered via her own delusion in the past (16 over years of depression), those defilements till now cannot deceive her anymore. Hence, only wisdom frees the mind and not via the use of suppression and control of thoughts and emotions. It cannot work because suppression and control of thoughts are thought based knowledge (not wisdom) and it will not free us.

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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From: Bro Tune

Tonite’s Thursday class sharing by Bro. Teoh (26Jul2018) is ready for download:

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Teoh-Thu-180726.mp3

or at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ikalq0p4n79v290/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180726.MP3?dl=0

Teoh Thur Class 20180726.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• • • Trust (Trusting each other)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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From: Bro Tune

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

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

or at:

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

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

12 July 2018 Thursday class outline short notes

 

A.     A. Meditation

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

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

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

C.      C. Tammy’s Report / question

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

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

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

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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From: Bro Tune

12/07/2018 , Thursday class recording:

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

or at:

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

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

From: Bro. Tune

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

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

or at:

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

Dear Kalyanamittas,

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

8 Jul 2018 Sunday Class Outline short notes

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

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

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

3. Samadhi of One Mark

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

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

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

4. Samadhi of One Conduct

a. daily mindfulness

b. sincere (not deceiving)

c. uniformed (not bias)

d. unmoving bodhimandala (stable wayplace to cultivate wisdom)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Outline prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

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

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

or at:

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

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