Bro. Teoh's Kalyanamittas

Dear Kalyanamittas,

Below are the audio links to our 2nd August 2018 Thursday class recording for sharing by all. Also enclosed are the outline short notes to help you all to develop the understanding better.

OUTLINE SHORT NOTES OF THURSDAY CLASS DATED 2ND AUGUST 2018

A.     Instructions before meditation

• Just maintain awareness and eventually the silent mind will return to its original state of inner peace, calmness and mindfulness. Stabilize it to arise theunderstanding.
• There is no need to do anything. When we are silent within, we will be sensitiveand aware. The understanding will eventually arise for us to understand how we function as human beings. We will also be able to understand all the teachings that the Buddha taught and see them in our own form and mind.
• We will understand Paticca Samupadda via our meditation; how dependent onignorance, sankhara or mental activities arises and how due to delusion we get ourselves entangled when mental activities arise. Upon contact, the 7 universalswill arise simultaneously and feeling will not remain as pure feeling if we lackwisdom and because of that feeling will be conditioned into craving straight awayleading to grasping, becoming and birth hence triggering off the whole mass of suffering.
• There are two types of births in dependent origination – mental and physical. Physical birth only happens once in a life time. However, mental birth takes placeevery moment when there is ignorance, leading to craving, grasping andbecoming via our wrong views and mental conditioning.
• If we are sensitive and mindful enough, we will understand how the contents of consciousness is inputted (based on our views and mental conditioning) to cause the arising of wrong thoughts when we act according to memory instead of acting according to wisdom following Noble 8-fold path.
• The evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion are so strong yet living beings cannot see them because they lack mindfulness which is the sensitivity of mind in awareness.
• With the 5 spiritual faculties in place the opposite 5 mental hindrances will beovercome then our cultivation will eventually lead to the realization of the true mind (which is always there). This happens when the mundane mind ceases then the true mind’s original state of inner peace, inner calmness and inner awareness will be revealed. We should always bear in mind the 4 key supports for awareness based meditation of relax, aware, 24hour and Trust to guide us in our cultivation.

B.      Questions & Answers (Q&A) after Meditation

• Sister Tammy asked Bro Teoh why some people say we should practice the four Brahma Viharas when it is the mind doing it. She has experienced that it is not a practice but those qualities can just arise naturally via understanding.

   Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. People who do not understand will use verbalization and parroting when they do it.
2. When we understand, we will do it differently. We should reflect and contemplateon the qualities of these 4 Brahma Viharas mind states of metta, karuna, muditaand upekkha.
3. When we cultivate correctly, metta becomes universal love, then metta does not turn into anger or hatred when things don’t go our way. Regardless of the outcome, the love towards all is always there when there is understanding. The true cultivator will always have love and is incapable of negativity despite whatever circumstances he is in. These qualities are radiated out from the heart regardless of whether the one receiving it is a friend or an enemy. There is no prejudice orpreference as to who the recipient is.
4. Many people hold a misperception about vegetarianism. It is not what we eat that makes us pure or compassionate. If one’s level of cultivation is not at that level ofrefinement yet, then becoming a vegetarian has not much meaning because theirbasic defilements (evil roots) are still very gross and strong.
5. However, if one has the understanding after reaching a certain level of cultivationthat is a different matter. For such a person, it is good because by then he can’t even harm or kill small insects like ants, flies etc. So compassion has to come about via true understanding.
6.  Bro Teoh shared with fellow Kalyanamittas how he had such an experience when he was at his second last teacher’s house. He saw many ants when he opened up the storeroom of the house. He tried his very best not to cause any harm or fear to the tiny insects when he swept them out slowly. He could see and feel the ants scurrying around in fear in the process.
7. Bro Teoh’s nature was so sensitive that he could feel the fear among the ants. Immediately, he asked for forgiveness. He experienced another incident subsequently which he knew was karmic in nature. He was bitten by ants at another place when he accidentally stepped on them (their nest) unknowingly. Again, he asked for forgiveness. Since then, he had no more of such encounters with ants.
8. It is understanding that will allow us to act in such a way so as not to cause fear to others. There is no more mental intention (cetana) to harm or to kill.
9. During the Buddha’s time, Devadatta tried to cause a schism in the order by asking the Buddha to implement the prohibition of taking meat within the monk’s community.
10. The Buddha understood how important it was to have the proper synergy between the lay people and the monk’s community. The laity offered food to the practicing monks who are worthy of offering, thus helping to sustain their monastic life while receiving merits in return.
11. If the Buddha had imposed strict vegetarianism, it would have caused a lot ofunnecessary difficulty to the lay people. Hence, he refused to do so.
12. Bro Teoh emphasized the need to understand what we do in the name of meditation. We need to find out and investigate into the truth taught by the Buddha before following his advice to develop our cultivation.
13. Bro Teoh shared one of his experience during the early days of his cultivation – when he suddenly (for no apparent reason) started to abstain from eating meat for a period of time after his cultivation had reached certain level of refinement. However, his body became weaker. He then realized that vegetarian meals were not suitable for his this life’s body. It was as if the DNA that came with this birth was not suitable for vegetarian food. Then during one of his meditation, he came to therealization that his nature (in the past) had taken a special vow ‘to take across all living beings that manifest as food for him to eat’. From that understanding, he reverted to take his food as normal again basing on what the body need.
14. There was this lady (Bro Teoh’s dharma friend who lived in Australia) who became a vegetarian for a long time after recovering from a brain tumor operation in Australia. Then many years later she contracted cancer, and she decided to go for the chemo treatment. But she felt very weak both physically and mentally after the chemo treatment so she sought the advice of Bro Teoh. Brother Teoh explained to her that her immune system was weak because this chemo drugs kills all cells (good and bad) and it also will affect her mental emotions severely thereby making her weak, tired, miserable and sickly (often accompany by suicidal thoughts). So she need to be mentally strong to take care of her mind states and physical health. In that sense, if she need to eat non-vegetarian good and appropriate nutritious food she must. Eventually, she understand and was mentally prepared then she returned to consume nutritious and healthy food (with understanding) and managed to recover beautifully. This was more than 6 years ago.
15. Again, Bro Teoh emphasized that it is not what we eat that makes us pure. It isheedfulness leading to wisdom and understanding that is more important to makeus virtuous and wise thereby enabling us to live the good life.

• Sister Tammy expressed her curiosity as to why people say we have to do this or that when everything becomes so natural if wisdom is present.

  Bro Teoh’s answer:

1. Bro Teoh shared about his experience when his mother asked him to hold on tightly to the chicken which would be slaughtered. He let go of it when he saw the knife which his mother was holding. He was not capable of supporting what her mother was about to do.
2. We should always inquire, investigate and find out first before accepting any advice, so that we are not gullible to follow blindly what others preach to us.
3. We cannot just imitate what the Buddha did – like how he walk (bare footed), sit, eat, etc. hoping to become a Buddha like Him one day because the Buddha is theembodiment of his wisdom and perfection of virtues. By following what he did physically will not make you a Buddha because all these are form dharma that hasnothing to do with his cultivation of wisdom and virtue.
4. Bro Teoh advised Kalyanamittas to read through the recently printed book (75^thlesson of the Sixth Patriarch Platform sutra) and gain insights from the transcript book. Bro Teoh read through pages 14, 15 and 16 of the book to highlight the ‘importance of understanding what one is doing in the name of meditation instead of just following instructions to meditate blindly’.
5. It is important that we develop our daily mindfulness and stabilize it to live life so that most of the time, we are mindful and without thought to cultivate the Noble 8-fold path.

   C.      Other sharing by Brother Teoh:

• Bro Teoh shared with us a few emails from the United States Dhammasukha site. They touched on consciousness: mundane and supra mundane, the four elements, enlightenment and the law of dependent origination etc. This site is hosted by Bhante Vimalaramsi who teaches the 6Rs technique of meditation in the States.

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

Bye! and with metta always,

Teoh

---

From: Bro Tune

Tonite’s Thursday Class sharing by Bro. Teoh (2 August 2018):

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Teoh-Thu-180802.mp3

or at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yi4lzui4az09e25/Teoh%20Thur%20Class%2020180802.MP3?dl=0

Teoh Thur Class 20180802.MP3 www.dropbox.com Shared with Dropbox

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

---

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