2019

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh Cameron (Malaysia) March 2020 Annual Retreat Introduction & Application

How to develop Daily Mindfulness, link it to Noble Eightfold Path to develop Wisdom

(Short Notes pdf)

Understanding the Real Meditation (Awareness based Meditation)

(Short Notes pdf)

The Art of Listening & Learning with an Open Mind

A Good daily Religious Routine is Crucial in developing a Stable Daily Mindfulness (Sati Sampajanna)

You maybe Conscious of Life but you may not be Aware Within

(Short Notes pdf)

(Short Notes pdf)

“Is there a way of observing thought without any control, without giving it continuity, but observe so that it ends? If thought continues, your mind is not quiet. Only when the mind is completely quiet, is there the possibility of true perception.” (True perception means the direct seeing, the pure seeing, the pure perception.)

This J Krishnamurti’s daily quote (on meditation) is indeed very profound, the reason why it is very difficult for most people to have the understanding of it. The ability to live it is even more difficult and is very rare. To understand it, is already so difficult, so to live it, you must have the wisdom, the understanding and the awakening, otherwise you cannot live it. There is no way. I will therefore go through this quote with you all slowly tonight.

The question is, ‘Is there a way of observing thought without any control.” The most important word is control. Normally when you observe something, the thought is involved. But are you able to observe without any control? Can you see it in your meditation, ‘Who is the controller?’ The controller is still the thought, right? So the thought, which is the observer, try to control. Control what? Control thought, because you want to meditate. You are not peaceful, so what do you do? You realize you think a lot, very restless, so you want to control your thoughts. Do you know how they try to control their thoughts? They try to focus and concentrate, or they try to use method and technique to anchor the mind so that it does not wanders off.  At times, some may use chanting to do it. If you do that what happened? You are trying to control, and the controller is the thought. So when thought is actively doing all these in the name of meditation, how can you be quiet, do you understand? Meditation is to develop the silent mind. The mind must be very quiet and still, will no thought. That is the meditative mind. But whenever there is a controller, the mind cannot be quiet, because this control is the act of the controller, which is the thought, and when the thought is active, you cannot be silent, you cannot be aware. This one (which is the thought) becomes the meditator, the controller. So the controller is also the meditator.

Initially when J. Krishnamurti say, ‘whenever there is a meditator, there is no meditation’, so how does he reconcile his above statement? I.e. whenever there is a meditator, there is no meditation. Actually he didn’t contradict himself, because there is nobody meditating. If there is a meditator doing all this, like trying to focus, concentrate, suppress, and control the thought, that itself is the thought doing, do you understand? So when thought is active, the mind cannot be in the meditative state of silent inner awareness. That is the reason why, if you look at the 5 spiritual faculties, all of them are without thought. That is also the reason why, when you have these 5 spiritual faculties, Saddha, Viriya, Sati, Samadhi, and Panna, the opposite 5 mental hindrances that hinders your mind from entering the meditative state will all cease.

The first spiritual faculty is faith, Saddha. When you have faith in the Buddha and his teachings, you are very calm, and your mind very composed. Your mind state is very good, because you have confidence, you have faith. So when your mind is calm and composed, what happened? You will have no more doubt and restlessness of mind. True or not? Then when you have viriya, which is the spiritual zeal, via knowing whom the Buddha is, how unique and beautiful his teaching is, it can make you enlightened, free you from all suffering, that is why you will go all out and cultivate it. This is the spiritual zeal. This is not an effort, but a spiritual tenacity that drives you because of those understanding. So when you have viriya, you cannot be sleepy, sloth and torpor will not arise. Regarding sensual desire and ill-will, these are the first and second mental hindrances that arise when you stir your mind and react to sense experiences. When you see something you like, you develop the sense desire. When you see something you don’t like, you tend to reject it through a negativity of mind state. That’s how like and dislike, pleasant and unpleasant sense experiences come to be. So these two are the duality of the evil roots of greed and hatred. This sensual desire and ill-will, they will constantly manifest while in the midst of your daily life, if you don’t have mindfulness and the wisdom. If you are not heedful and when you lack wisdom, you will react to sense experience. So when you develop Sati (mindfulness), the third spiritual faculty you become different. This one is just aware, without thought. When it is without thought, it cannot have like and dislike. The mind cannot stir. That’s why without thought, there is no fear, no worry, no anxiety, no sorrow, no lamentation, no like, no dislike, no pleasant, no unpleasant. It is just aware, finish.

Then when there is Samadhi, the mind is not only aware, it’s collected and unwavering. At the moment of sense experience, when you see something, hear something, your mind is not wavering. It’s collected, and it’s in the state of Samadhi. With that Samadhi, it can prevent that mind from stirring and wavering. It’s not only collected but it also doesn’t waver. That’s the reason why you can see things as they are. It will not cause you to react with like and dislike, pleasant and unpleasant sense experiences. Sati and Samadhi will allow you to be in a state of clarity while in the midst of life. When you see something, hear, smell, taste, tactilely feel and thinking of something, your mind is always Equanimeous, collected and unwavering, it does not stir and become heedless as before. That’s why you can see things as they are, the reality, the truth. Not according to what your brain, your memory, your conditioning tells you. That’s why once your views, opinions and conditioning from memory come in, it will condition you into like and dislike mode, pleasant and unpleasant, because you have your own craving, your own desire and preferences. So understanding and developing these 5 spiritual faculties can enable you to counter this opposite 5 mental hindrances, then your mind can observe following J Krishnamurti’s above daily quote. That is, is there a way of observing (not necessary only thought, it can be anything); you can observe whatever you want to observe, human being, a piece of art, the moving car, all of nature’s phenomena, physical phenomena, mental phenomena, or whatever activity that is going on. Can you observe with a silent mind, without any control, means without any thought? So this one, sati you can replace with the silent mind.

When the mind does not think, effectively, there is no controller because there is no thought involved. So the question is, ‘Is there a way of observing thought or anything in life without movement of thought?’ Yes, isn’t it? With the silent mind, which is the meditative mind in Sati. So this one, the silent mind is the same as the mind in Sati. When your mind is just aware in Sati, there is no thought. Can you follow? So this is what observation is. Then he continued. Not only without any control, without giving it continuity also. Here continuity means without any further proliferation of thought. You must be very careful, not to suppress thought and don’t want to let it think. Otherwise it is not a free mind. The free mind must not think. Just like he add, “but observe so that it ends”. This one is the most important. That is the real direct seeing, the meditative mind throughout the day observing, listening, seeing, hearing, smell, taste, tactile, this is the real silent mind that can meditate. That’s what I told you just now, it is already very difficult to understand. If you can understand, it is already very good. But to do it, you can’t, unless you have awakened.

That’s why for those who understand, all of meditation is to train oneself to develop the silent mind. This silent mind is the awareness or Sati, without thought. The silent mind, is your true mind, your true nature, and you have to stabilize it. So do you see the similarity? But people cannot understand J Krishnamurti. They said, very difficult for them to develop the understanding. Then the next sentence he says, “if thought move, your mind is not quiet”, this is very true isn’t it? Because without giving it continuity means the thought doesn’t move. And you just continue to observe, not trying to do anything. Until, ‘so that it ends’. That is the real awakening. If you can do this, the moment this one (the thought or emotion) ends, you will awaken. Because this is the realization, the enlightenment. The natural state of mind that is naturally aware, without movement, without thought, that is your true mind. Then when you have developed enough wisdom, when thought ends, you will understand that state, which is beyond thought, beyond mind, the unconditioned, and that one, you cannot describe, and that one, you cannot be look for it. You cannot search for it, you cannot crave for it, and you cannot want to have it.

So this part is the most important. This whole quote, when you understand, it becomes meditation. It becomes very beautiful. Then the last sentence is: ‘Only when the mind is completely quiet, is there a possibility of true perception’. This means, unless your free mind is absolutely and completely quiet, is there a possibility of this pure perception, or the true perception, the awareness itself which is capable of awakening. That is what meditation is. That is the direct seeing, the pure seeing, the pure perception and the true perception. So this part is it clear? Any question so far? This is not easy, but don’t worry, slowly, and you might have to go through it again, and listen to this sharing again and again. This is because this quote, very few people can understand. But when you can understand, it is very beautiful. It will teach you how to meditate. That’s why before I start, I said if you can understand this quote, then meditation is very easy. If you don’t understand, meditation can be very complicated. Because you do all sorts of things in the name of meditation, and who is doing the meditation? Who is doing the noting, labelling, focusing, etc. And who is the meditator, the controller? The thought, etc.? So if the controller is the thought, then the thought is doing the meditation; how then can the thought realize an enlightenment, which is beyond thought? This is the reason why thought-based meditation is doomed to fail.

If this thought is the one doing the meditation, then how can it realize the state that is beyond thought? Thought must cease. The enlightened one will understand that the Dhamma is Akaliko, timeless, beyond thought, beyond time. So this part, for people who don’t have the understanding, they will continue to do thought-based meditation. Do you know what is thought-based meditation? It means you are actively using the thought to meditate. You note with the thought. You focus and concentrate with the thought. You do all sorts of things with the thought. All methods and techniques comes from what? Your meditation instructions, methods and techniques on how to meditate, come from what? It is the thought that analyze everything and come out with the method and techniques to ask you to note, ask you to focus, ask you to concentrate, ask you to develop them through words, and all these doing by the thoughts cannot give rise to enlightenment, which is beyond thought, beyond mind. So this aspect of understanding to develop the real meditation is most important. When you understand this, then meditation is very easy isn’t it?

What must you do, when you meditate? Relax, and maintain awareness to realize the silent mind and don’t do anything. Don’t even try to know. Who is trying to know? The thought is trying to know; do you understand? That’s why when you want to know whether you are doing it correctly or not, it is again the thought appearing. Or your thought may ask, ‘Am I following the teacher’s instructions?’ This is again thought. Or is this what the Buddha meant, is this annicam, is this dukkham, is this annata, non-self, these verbalizations while in the meditation itself is not meditation at all, because this meditator, which is the thought is active. So the real understanding is, when you understand that the meditator must not be there, then you just relax, aware, and maintain silence. Aware here means silence, the silent mind. The moment you are without thought, you are already aware. You don’t have to learn to be mindful. You don’t have to try to be aware or mindful. The moment you are without thought, you are already aware. So just silent everything, relax and maintain awareness then let the mind settle down on its own naturally. Until the thought ends, can you understand? That is what I have been teaching you all, all this while. I.e. don’t do anything, just relax, maintain awareness, then just let it be to realize the silent mind.

And to be able to do this one needs wisdom. Without wisdom, the egoist thought very quickly can become active again. And when the thought is active, it cannot stop, it cannot end. It will continue to think. That’s why it is important, throughout the day, to ask yourself, ‘what are you doing, every moment, every instant, while you are living life? If you are mindful (aware), you will come to realize that most of you are too busy thinking, planning and worrying about life; so much so you never live life. For you are seldom or never with the moment in silent awareness to experience all of the pristine beauty and wonders of life. How many of you attended my last Sunday dhamma talk at SJBA on the topic ‘Understanding life, its meaning and purpose’? Those who attended, they will understand, and there is a video on it too. As shared by me, the only reality, which is the highest in life is just the present moment because the past is already gone and future yet to come, so both are not reality anymore. The present moment is the only reality, and is the highest in life, that’s why people talk about the “Power of Now’, present moment awareness. When you are in the present moment awareness, you cannot think isn’t it? You only think when you project your thought into the future. Or when you recollect the unhappy past through memories. They are not reality, and yet you go and project and recall them, to arise the unnecessary fear, worry and anxiety before anything happen. This is delusion. The thought may tell you, eh, what will happen if your wife comes to know, if the police come to know, if you commit CBT and your company come to know, etc. Before anything happen, your thought already project, worry here, worry there. Then your scars of memory, things that happen in the past, or when you are young, you might have experience phobia, fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow, lamentation, things that are very bitter and hurtful; these will become your scars of memory, your accumulated psychological memory that can trigger off the unhappy thoughts (wrong thoughts) when you recall them. As thoughts are response to memory it will trigger of your wrong thoughts when you recall them to make you fearful, sad, unhappy, miserable, then you may get angry, sometimes with yourself, sometimes with others. Then when you see somebody who reminds you of your unhappy past, you become fearful etc. You should learn to mindfully see all these clearly to develop the wisdom needed to understand how your wrong thoughts borne of self-delusion created all these unnecessary suffering. See how the movement of thoughts borne of fear, worry and anxiety etc. is due to your self-delusion, Sakkaya Ditthi, that condition you to grasp, cling, and hold onto all these memories and wrong thoughts that conditioned your sufferings. And how when you recall your unhappy past, project your thought into the future to arise your fear and worry, you create your own unnecessary suffering, for you fail to see that these are not reality, these are illusion and they cannot help solve your problems. Instead they will weaken and paralyze you. And when you attach, cling, through self-delusion thinking that you are real, these things are real and really happening to you, that’s how you suffer.

So if we can understand all this, then we can understand life, like what I explained during last Sunday’s dhamma talk. The present moment is the only reality, the highest in life. So what are we doing? This question or inquiry is very important. Moment-to-moment, life passes by and that is the only reality. What are you doing? If you are too busy thinking, planning, and worrying about life, then are you living life? You are not living life isn’t it? To live Life is not to worry about our life, do you understand? When you live, you really live life. You are always within the moment, in full awareness, without thought, to experience life to the fullest. That’s why drinking a cup of Chinese tea, the Zen master said, “is Zazen or Zen meditation”, because when he drinks, he is mindful, aware, without thought. Without thought there is no fear, no worry, no anxiety, no problem, only peace and tranquility. Then in that full awareness, he tasted that tea with his full awareness, without any movement of thought to distract him. When you taste, you should really taste, but are you doing it? When you drink or eat, you think a lot, do you realized that? You chatter a lot; you are not really drinking/eating. Your thought is drinking/eating. So if you are not careful, if you are not mindful, or not heedful, you cannot understand all these. That’s why when you have the meditative training with the 5 spiritual faculties developed, especially Sati and Samadhi, you can be with the moment without thought, just aware. And when you drink anything or eat anything, within that moment, you can experience the pristine beauty and wonders of life within the moment, and everything is so pristine, so beautiful, so wonderful, then life become meaningful.

No need to worry or fear while living life because no amount of fear, worry and anxiety can be of help to you. These negativity of mind states borne of delusion will weaken you then you cannot solve your so called life ‘problem’. Moreover, the only reality is in the here and the now, and when you look at the present moment, you ask yourself this question, ‘the present moment is the only reality in life, but how stable is the present moment? The moment I speak, it’s gone, dead and gone, do you realize? Split second is gone, split second is gone, and that is the highest in life, the only reality’. So how real can life be? It’s only a thought. They come and they go. And who, through self-delusion, gave thought such power to make you so miserable? That’s why the Buddha’s teaching is very wonderful. You must develop wisdom, right view, to arise the right thought, not to arise the wrong thought. When you don’t have wisdom, you will arise wrong thoughts, and what are wrong thoughts? I have written them here. Wrong thoughts are thoughts that condition your fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow, lamentation, lack of peace, lack of faith, insecurity, phobias, emotional negativity of mind states, scars of memories, selfishness, etc. These are wrong thoughts, because they have the three evil roots of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion. That’s why it can triggers off all this, because thought is respond to memory. So if you carry all these psychological memories that is so negative via delusion, it will continue to create wrong thoughts in you. That’s why from here (self-delusion and memories), it creates wrong thoughts to trigger off all these suffering.

Understanding all this is meditation; when you see these happening in yourself, and in all other living beings, you will awaken. Then, may I ask you one very important question, ‘Your life, you hold the key to your own life destiny. To be happy or to be unhappy is your own choice, what will you do?’ You will choose to be happy and peaceful isn’t it? But then why are most living beings unhappy and not peaceful? Do you mean they don’t know how to choose? No! it is because they don’t understand this teaching. You have to wake up to this understanding.

If you understand that this (wrong thoughts) are tormenting you, torturing you, and giving you the lack of peace, tranquility, stillness of mind and the silent mind to be aware, to be heedful, to truly live life, then don’t hold and cling on to the wrong thoughts anymore. Instead use the 5 ways (especially the 3^rd and the 4^th ways) as taught by the Buddha to diligently abandon them or prevent them from arising in the future. You have to wake to this understanding and change immediately. Determine not to be heedless anymore for the heedless are as if dead, spiritually. 

Who are the heedless? The Heedless, are people who don’t care about their life. Who couldn’t care less. That’s why they are very heedless. They don’t care. They just do what they like, through ignorance, delusions, the evil roots. But if you are heedful, what does it means? It means you want to change your life for the better and you want to train your mind not to be heedless anymore. That’s why you cultivate mindfulness, you cultivate the Dhamma, to understand what constitute evil, so that you can apply the four right efforts to begin the cultivation.

What are the four right efforts? First right effort is to abandon the wrong thought, action and speech that has arisen. Are you doing it? To understand wrong thought is very simple. Check for yourself: whenever you are not peaceful, not happy, and have fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow and lamentation, insecurity, phobia, etc. – all these are all wrong thought. Wrong thoughts are thought with the three evil roots that condition all these negativity of mind states. So the moment you are aware, you can see them (the 3 evil roots). These are evil roots; they are the root of all evil. Wrong thought cause me suffering, make me miserable, so what must I do? I must train my mind to develop the meditative state so that I can be free of all this. And how to train that mind? Develop the 5 spiritual faculties. When the spiritual faculties are there, the mental hindrances cease, all this negativity of mind state cease. Then your mind is always calm, composed, aware with viriya (spiritual zeal) and Samadhi, then silent your mind, just maintain awareness and remain collected and unwavering. Such a mind is peaceful, tranquil, still, happy, with clarity, and such a mind can arise right view leading to wisdom and right thought.

What are right thought? Thought that are free of the evil roots of greed, hatred, and delusion. And what are they? Thought of generosity, is a right thought because when you are generous, there is no evil root, no selfishness, nothing. Thoughts of contentment, respect and gratitude. When you appreciate life, appreciate what your spouse have done for you, that is also a virtue right thought. Similarly, the four Brahma Vihara mind states: The first one is Metta (loving kindness), also has no negativity, no greed or hatred or delusion. Then the second one is compassionate (Karuna), that is also a right thought. Then when you rejoice (Mudita), like just now during our Puja offering. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! means you rejoice with the generosity and wholesomeness of those who bring the puja offerings. You can also rejoice with the wholesomeness of those cultivators who understand that by attending such Dhamma class, they get to do all the 10 meritorious actions such as offering (Dana), keeping of our precepts (Sila), we chant, then we pay our respect and reverential salutation to Triple Gems, we listen to Dhamma, straighten our view, these are all meritorious actions.  Later on, we share merits, transfer merits and provide our services to serve the dhamma community and to help out. To do whatever that is beneficial to the world, to be a blessing to all. All these are meritorious actions including the gift of the truth and the sharing of the Dhamma. Cultivating all these, will make you a real cultivator, a real Buddhist.

Then you can invoke the power of merits, for causes and condition for you to avoid the foolish, the heedless, meet up with the wise and enlightened one, so the enlightenment can be realized soonest possible. All this are the teaching of the Buddha and they are so beautiful. When we constantly listen to the true dhamma, we straighten our views to develop the inner wisdom. Then we follow the Buddha’s advice to avoid all evil via keeping our 5 precepts and cultivate the four right efforts, leading to all the right thoughts to cultivate wholesomeness. The first right effort is to abandon those wrong thought that has arisen. Second right effort is to prevent it (the wrong thought, action and speech) from arising. This cultivation needs wisdom. To do this, you have to constantly listen to Dhamma to straighten your views via developing the first and second turnings wisdom of Suttamaya panna and Cintamaya panna. When you have this initial wisdom (Yoniso-Manasikara) developed, you will know how to deal with the arising defilement seen at the moment of sense experience. With awareness (sati/mindfulness) developed, this mind is aware when it is about stir and react to something you sense at the moment of sense experience. That is, there is an awareness within, and there is also this initial wisdom. This initial wisdom will come out and prompt you, to tell you, these are evil roots, roots of all evil, can make you evil, so don’t arise them. That’s how, straight away it (the wrong or unwholesome thought) will subside thereby preventing it from arising. This initial wisdom (Yoniso-manasikara) can prompt you, then you cannot do it, that’s how you can keep your precept, and that’s how sense restrain comes to be. When you have Sati sampajanna developed, you are so mindful and so sensitive, then none of this can move to stir your mind. Before it can stir or react, you are already aware with the initial wisdom, so how can it move? And through the initial wisdom Dhamma, you can understand all these. These are wrong thoughts, evil roots, causes your karmic downfall. That’s how you cultivate. That’s how you awaken.

Ok, Sister Angie, you want to ask something? Please use the mic to assist us in the recording.

Sis Angie: Bro Teoh, about the arising of the four right efforts to promote the right thoughts, sometimes there is a very fine line – because the thought may be thinking this is the right thought and instead of having all these thoughts, why not we just do the action (the right action), so that there is the abandonment of thought totally, is that possible?

Bro Teoh: I think I know what your question is, but you don’t know how to phrase it. Don’t worry, Sadhu to you and we thank you for your good question.

Your question is, ‘how do we really cultivate right thought, right?’ A lot of people who don’t have the understanding or the wisdom, they may say, ‘I have right thought’. But they never question, ‘Right according to who?’ To them, when they scold their children, they will say, ‘boy, when I ask you to study Engineering, this is good for you because it is a very prestigious profession with high pay.’  That is right according to the parent but when you are aware, the actual selfish reason behind is the parent is ‘kiasu’ (afraid of losing) and they never consider their children’s preferred option. When their kids are young, the parent may insist they attend piano and ballet classes, etc. The boy cannot take it already, but his parent insists by saying no, this is good for you. Is this really Good for the boy? But the boy is miserable. So it’s not good for him. It is because the parents didn’t see, that this is their own selfish craving and desire. They want their children to stand out, do you understand? What we called, Peer pressure. They want their children to do well, so that they can be proud of their children. Is there anything wrong with this type of thinking? If you understand karma, then you will know, it’s terribly wrong, do you understand? If you do that to your children, do you know what may happen to you in the future? You will have parents that will do the same to you, also ‘kiasu’, like you. And you cannot do what you want to do in life.

Just like at that Sunday dhamma talk which I shared. I said, ‘as parents, our duty is to support them, to care and provide for them when they are young. But their life, let them live, do you understand?’ You have to be mindful and sensitive to silently observe, what they want and their behavior. What are their talented? From their past, it will show up, and you must know how to guide them accordingly. Then they will have the good and happy life. Then if they really want to have a good education, if you have the means, you should support them. Then in future, chances are you will also have parents that have the means to support you. How you deal with your kids will be the karmic inheritance, that you receive. Then in future, you will have parents who will treat or provide you with the same. If you treat them with selfishness, all these ‘kiasu’ things, end of the day, don’t blame others for what happen to your life via complaining, ‘why are my parents like that? How come other’s parents, they are so understanding, they provide for all their needs and they give them so much freedom. Why is my parents otherwise?’ But last time (previous lives) when you whacked your children and treat them that way, you didn’t ask those questions, do you understand? This is Karma.

So coming back to Angie’s question, it’s not about right and wrong. Dhamma is about understanding what constitute right thoughts. Just like how you understand, what constitute evil, because right according to you has no meaning. Right according to them also no meaning. Right according to the law of karma, that one is most important. So what is the law of Karma? You reap what you sow. Do good begets good, do evil begets evil. That’s why the Buddha said, ‘we are all born of our Karma, heir to our Karma, conditioned and supported by our Karma, and we are what we are because of our Karma.’ So in the teaching, the Buddha taught a lot of very important essential Dhamma. He said, understand what constitute evil. Whatever that have the evil roots of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion constitute evil. They are termed evil roots because they are the root of all evil, and if you have them in your heart, they will make you evil.

Let’s take the precepts as example. First precept, what is it? ‘I undertake the training rule to abstain from killing or causing harm to fellow living being.’ You never inquire why did the Buddha said this precept is very important. Who will violate this precept? Who kill? Who harm? They are Heedless people, violent people, and deluded people, with the three evil roots. When you violate this first precept, it constitutes major evil. It causes Karmic negativity. And according to this law of Karma, you reap what you sow, therefore in future, people will kill you and harm you, and do back the same thing to you. That time you become the victim; when you are the victim, you may ask those stupid questions, like ‘why are they like that? Why is god so unfair? How can these people act and treat me this way? They are so cruel and so unreasonable.’ Because these are your karmic fruition. In the past, when you did all these nonsense, you are not aware of the consequence. You think you are very powerful, very authoritative. That’s how you become heedless because you do what you like. That’s why heedfulness is very important. You must train yourself not to be heedless. Not to arise all these wrong action, wrong speech, wrong thought and wrong livelihood. That’s why Noble Eightfold path cultivation starts with Right views, leading to right thought, right speech, right action and right livelihood, etc. Cultivate them. This is meditation, not to just sit in meditation without understanding and use the thought to meditate. That is thought-based meditation. If you do that, you are wasting your time. You can do this at the retreat for umpteen years. As long as you don’t understand the above J Krishnamurti quote and the Buddhist teaching, you are wasting your time, because that type of meditation will not bring forth the understanding. Without mindfulness leading to heedfulness, you cannot understand his teaching. Without the spiritual faculties, you also cannot understand his teachings. Unless you understand his teaching, you won’t know how to cultivate. What is the first right view that the Buddha wants us to understand? Yes! The law of karma, and from there, the advice of the Buddha arises.

He said (under the five daily contemplation, the last contemplation), ‘we are all born to our karma, heir to our karma, condition and supported by our karma, and we are what we are because of our karma.’ If karma play such a great role in our life, what must you do? You have to take care of karma, isn’t it? Otherwise your life will be miserable. You will have a lot of problems. So how do we take care of karma? According to the advice of the Buddha, you have to avoid all evil, and how do you avoid all evil? Keep the precept, because violating the precepts cause major evils. Any of them, you can check. Just now I shared with you the first precept, similarly you can check the second, third, fourth, and fifth precepts. They are all major evils. That’s the reason why, you have to avoid all major evils by keeping precepts. Do you think the Buddha wants to make life difficult for you? For those who don’t understand, they may complain, Ma Kau Fan (Troublesome) in Cantonese, – to keep all these precepts, especially not to lie. Everything is so restrictive. It is out of love and compassion for you that the Buddha advises you to keep them, otherwise when you receive the fruitions of your negative actions, don’t complain, and regret by saying, ‘I should have followed the advice of the Buddha (Dhammapada verse 183)’. And the advice of the Buddha is not just avoiding evil. He said, ‘sabba papassa-akaranan’. What is sabba? All. What is papassa? Evil. Akaranan, try to avoid. You have to avoid all evil, not just avoid evil. Then whatever wholesomeness do, Kusalassa upasampadā; kusala is wholesomeness. Whenever there is condition for you to develop wholesomeness, you should do, said the Buddha. This is to bring forth the condition for good life, good merits, good blessing and good Parami. That is what a Buddhist should do. Then after that he said, ‘Sacitta pariyō dapanan’ (purify your mind), means you have to meditate, following what J Krishnamurti and the Buddha said, ‘do not use thought, instead use Sati, awareness to develop Sati-Sampajanna (Mindfulness and clear comprehension) then cultivate four foundation of mindfulness. Then follow the Avijja Sutta’s ten Steps cultivation. This is how you cultivate.

So with right view, straight away you can start your cultivation. First, I have to keep the minimum 5 precepts then cultivate following Noble Eightfold Path. Which is to cultivate right views leading to right thoughts, right speeches and right actions, etc. Then I will ask myself, what constitute right thought? I don’t want to believe the book; I don’t want to believe what others tell me. I will find out on my own (with my own form and mind). In life, I can investigate all these by putting the teaching to test. I will investigate, what constitute right and wholesome thoughts. The book always tells us, only the four Bhrama-Vihara mind states are right thoughts. No! They are just one small aspect of right thoughts. In fact, there are a lot of other virtuous thoughts which are also right thoughts. Your kindness, your gentleness, your pleasant demeanor, they are all right thoughts. When you have right thought, you will be very virtuous and very different.

When you know how to resolve issues amicably, it means you have the right understanding to deal with people and situation appropriately via bringing forth the right speech and the right action to create harmony within the community and your family unit. So whatever you do, arise the appropriate gentle, pleasant and good speeches to brings about love, harmony and understanding to resolve issues amicably is very important. The 3^rd and 4^th right efforts to cultivate Love, compassion, respect, contentment, kindness, gratitude, gentleness and pleasantness, leading to all the right thoughts, right speech and right action are very important cultivation. And this is how you cultivate Noble Eightfold Path (N8FP).

If you are in the service industry, the way you answer your phone calls is very important. How you apply N8FP to carry out that duty is equally important, because the other person on the line, need your service, and advice, do you understand? If you are so crude, rude and so harsh, that other guy on the line may get angry and scold you back. But if you are very pleasant, kind and very gentle (following N8FP) in your approach, you become very beautiful, and when you do that, people will feel good and they will like you. Then everywhere you go, whether government department or private sector, people will be happy to serve you nicely and appropriately because of your good karma, do you understand? Then when you have the good demeanor and understanding, from the way you act, they will know, this person is very nice, very pleasant and different so they will be more than happy to serve you. That’s why, when I go to bank or to any government department, they will talk to me and serve me very nicely. We just renewed our international passports recently, and very fast we got it back. The young Malay gentleman, he was very friendly and nice. He said uncle, how are you? I said, ‘good, thank you so much for helping me.’ He said, ‘you are most welcome.’ Then later on, he said, you are so understanding and friendly, then when he passes to me my passport, he said, ‘uncle, not everybody is like you, so understanding and friendly.’ A lot of people still complain that our service is very bad, but instead you some more thank me and you talk to me so nicely, I feel good. People’s mood, depend on way we attend to them. If their mood is destroyed while in office, when they go home, the wife will be on the receiving end, do you understand? The children will be affected also. But if they are happy, their life become better, isn’t it? And all this has it karmic consequences. So, being sensitive and having the right understanding is very important. The moment you understand; you can apply Noble Eightfold Path easily.

That’s why, I wrote here (pointing to the whiteboard), ‘Acting according to memory is not acting at all,’ do you understand? What is memory? All of your views, opinions and conditionings, your fear, your anxiety, your selfishness, your scars of memories, insecurities, etc.  And if you act from all this rubbish (psychological memories that have the evil roots), you are not acting at all. How can you act from your memory, when your views and opinions (including your selfishness, your desire, your craving and your deceitfulness) are so strong? All these are inside your memory. You have also seen how people cheat you, and how you cheat people. That’s why, you will have insecurity. You want to protect yourself. Then there is fear, before you act; there is fear of what is this guy up to? Is he trying to scam me, or is he trying to get something out of me? You don’t trust people anymore; do you understand? So there are a lot of thing in life, if you don’t have the understanding, you can’t apply all these teaching. But when you understand, the teaching is so simple and so beautiful. So N8FP is very important.

If you don’t act according to memory, then can I ask you, ‘how should you act?’

Most of you, act according to memory most of the time, isn’t it? You normally check and recall from memory, before you act isn’t it? True or not? So, according to the Buddha, you shouldn’t act that way. You should act with wisdom and understanding. When you understand, you don’t fear, you don’t worry about all this because you know, when you take care of karma, karma will take care of your life. You will meet good and understanding people. So acting according to memory is not acting at all. Instead you should act according to understanding or wisdom, and this is true action.

What is understanding? Understanding here means, you have the embodiment of the Noble Eightfold Path factors as taught by the Buddha. That is the meditation as taught by the Buddha because when you cultivate this N8FP, it will lead to the end of all suffering. That, N8FP is the meditation. It will free your mind. With right view, you act. That is, you don’t cheat, you don’t deceive and you keep your precepts, because you are mindful of this law of karma. So based on this law of karma, you should act following Noble Eightfold Path. I.e. with right view, you will not do wrong thing. Then you constantly arise the right thought, right speech, right action, and speak to people gently, pleasantly and nicely. That’s why, enlightened ones are called noble ones because they are very noble in all aspect of life. They are very noble in the way they conduct themselves, communicate with others and in the way they understand life. That’s why they have right view, with regards to law of karma, with regards to how they function as a human being, how their mind function, following the law of dependent origination (Paticca Samuppada). Then they also have right view with regards to all the essential Dhamma and other nature’s law, Dhamma-niyama. When they have this right views, they have wisdom. They understand life, they will know how to live life. With right views, they will arise the appropriate right thought, right speech, right action, etc. They are also very noble in the way they conduct themselves, in the way they communicate with others, in the way they act, and in the way they live their life. That’ why they are called noble ones. Noble in all aspect of life. They are always ever mindful, heedful, and constantly meditative. They always have Sati and Samadhi as their spiritual faculties. That is what a true cultivator and an enlightened being will have.

Deluded ones may think, by sitting in meditation regularly to experience magical or fantastic meditative experiences and mind states is a sign of achievement and enlightenment, then thinking they are already enlightened. When you come out of the meditation, you can check, whether you have developed any of the N8FP factors or not. If you don’t have, that is not the enlightenment as taught by the Buddha. If you really awaken, you will have the embodiment of all the N8FP factors. That’s why I have always caution cultivators: ‘whatever you do in the name of meditation, if it doesn’t bring you back to the cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truth and its 3 turnings, that is not the meditation as taught by the Buddha, that is some other people’s meditation. Only Noble Eightfold Path can enable you to have the wisdom to act. When you act following Noble Eightfold Path, there is no evil root, isn’t it? True or not? Right View is wisdom. Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action is without negativity, no evil root. Right Living is all the right ways to live a noble life. You don’t sell drug, don’t sell weapon, and don’t go and kill or deceive people, etc. Without selfish intention, your livelihood is very noble. Then you can become a blessing to all. So Noble Eightfold Path is the teaching, is the meditation, you need to cultivate to develop the wisdom and use it to act.

Coming back to your question of right thought, it is very easy. Whatever virtuous thought, that are without the evil root is right thought. If I speak gently, pleasantly, brings about understanding and harmony, no more conflict, no more argument, no more wanting to be right, that is right speech, right action and right thought isn’t it? You are very noble in your thought process. You care for people, you have love and metta, and you are very compassionate. You don’t have any negativity of mind state. You are incapable of evil. That’s how a cultivator cultivates Noble Eightfold Path. With this understanding, you will know why the Buddha under his opening twin verses (Dhammapadda verses 1 and 2), cautioned living beings to avoid verse one and follow verse 2. He said, ‘our mind is the forerunner of all things. Mind is chief. When mind (the mundane mind) arise, all things arise….’ When you understand that this mind is so powerful and so important, what must you do? You must train your mind, isn’t it? ‘…so that you will act, speak, and think with a wholesome mind that is free of the evil roots of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion then happiness will follow you, like your shadow that never leaves you.’ This is how you should live your life following this verse 2. That’s why be heedful, train your mind to be ever mindful. If you are heedless then verse 1 –  ‘…. suffering will follow you….’  will take its course.

When you are heedful and your mind states are free of the evil roots, you are automatically good. You don’t have to try to be good. That’s why J Krishnamurti says, ‘the absence of evil is good’, now you understand. When I don’t have the evil roots of Greed, Hatred, or Delusion, how can I be a bad person, true or not? That’s why the Buddha said if you can avoid all evil, you are naturally good. The key is avoiding all evil. Absence of evil is automatically good. Now you see, how your doubt comes about. It is because you know there is a duality, that good is a relative thing, a conventional truth. Good according to who? That’s why you are scared, you may cultivate wrongly. That’s why I said, ‘you don’t know how to phrase your question’, but it is a good question, so don’t worry, and I will explain further. Hopefully by now you can understand, why you have to act following Noble Eightfold Path. Following Noble Eightfold Path is following the dhamma way, the wisdom way. Right View leading to Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood, the Four Right Efforts followed by Right Mindfulness and Right Samadhi. The enlightened beings, they have all these Noble Eightfold Path qualities, they hold the embodiment of the Noble Eightfold Path factors. That’s how you act.

Just now the regarding Four Right Efforts, I didn’t finish. Cultivating these 4 right efforts is very important. The second right effort, I haven’t gone into it. When you have developed mindfulness, there is sensitivity of mind, then you can see the defilements. You then develop the initial wisdom by constantly listening to the Dhamma, then reflect, contemplate and inquire into them to stabilize your understanding then straighten your views. This initial wisdom is very important. Once you have that, it will come out and prompt you at the moment of sense experience. When you see something, hear something, or when you want to react and stir your mind, this initial wisdom will come out and prompt you. ‘No, that is wrong action. It will lead to wrong thought, wrong speech and wrong action for things are just the way they are’. The moment you understand, it straight away subsides. That’s how you can have the right effort to prevent it (the wrong thought/action) from arising. You can prevent the wrong thought, wrong speech and wrong action from arising because you have the mindfulness and understanding and you are sensitive. Before it arises, you will be aware and it’s very clear to you, then you cannot do it. Like killing a mosquito, you cannot do it anymore. Do you know how difficult it is to kill a mosquito? For some of you, it maybe automatic or habitual, without pause and it is so mechanical. But when you are mindful, do you know what happened? This is why, having mindfulness is so special. When you hear the buzzing sound or when you can see the mosquito flying, if you have the aversion towards it, you are aware straight away. Your mindfulness is aware, because it’s sensitive. Then after that, the evil root of anger/aversion arise already, but if you are not mindful you are not able to see it, then what happened? The intention to kill is like so automatic (or spontaneous). And as a Buddhist you are supposed to keep your precepts. That intention to kill also you cannot see then what will it condition? Action isn’t it? And to perform that action of killing, your hand must move, right? And you are supposed to be aware of that kaya movement. If you cannot see all these, it means you lack mindfulness.

Under Kayanupassana, when your hand move, you supposed to be awareness. But you are not. You chant the 1^st precept, “Panatipata Veramani Sikkapadam Samadiyami” almost every day, yet you kill. The aversion that condition you to smash the mosquito, also you are not aware. This is really heedless. It is so difficult to kill when you are mindful.  That’s why the Sotapan, the first stage of sainthood, they cannot break their five precepts. Do you know why? It is because of their mindfulness and wisdom. That’s why right understanding and mindfulness are very important. This is how you should train yourself.

Then the third Right Effort is to cultivate whatever virtue (Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action) that are still not in you. You should write them down, what constitute Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action? All the things that I shared, write them down, and check whether you have cultivated them or not? If you have, then the 4^th Right Effort to refine upon and perfect all these Right Thought, Right Action and Right Speech that you have developed is very easy. You then hold the embodiment of the Noble Eightfold Path’s first 6 path factors. When you have cultivated the Four Right Efforts, you are at least a Sotapan. You should then cultivate following the Avijja Sutta’s 10 steps. First step is to have Dhamma friend. All of you have this first step. Second step is to have the opportune time to listen to true Dhamma, which you all also have. Then when you listen to true Dhamma, your faith in Triple Gem strengthened and this is step three. When you have faith in the Buddha and his teaching, it will drive you to listen and contemplate more to develop the first and second turnings wisdom leading to the fourth step which is the initial wisdom (Yoniso-Manasikara). Then when you have that, it is very easy to cultivate daily mindfulness (Sati-Sampajanna) which is step five. When you have the initial wisdom, you will not react to sense experience like before. You will have Right View and right understanding, after having straightened your views. You will understand, things are just the way they are. The world is the world and People are just the way they are. Then you can accept the reality of the moment. You will not argue with others. You will not want to be right. You will have the beautiful understanding to just resolve everything amicably and move on; help people whenever there is condition.

That’s the reason why when you have this fourth step, the initial wisdom developed, your mind can become collected and unwavering and at peaceful, at the moment of sense experience. You will not stir your mind like before because of this initial wisdom. Then your mind can be in the state J Krishnamurthi described in his quote. That is, you can observe, not only thought, but anything that is within your field of sense experience. You can observe them without any control. Why must you control? These are all governed by nature’s laws especially the Law of karma. You reap what you sow. No matter what you do, it will come back to you. So you dare to do it or not? You will not do it, because you can accept them for what they are. Deluded people do deluded things, angry people do angry things, selfish people do selfish things. They are just the way they are, no right, no wrong. If I can accept them for what they are and be at peace with them, I don’t get angry with them anymore; I don’t want to argue with them. Whatever happens to the world, I can accept the reality of the moment because, ‘condition like that, things will be like that’, just like what the Buddha says. Whatever that arise, there are causes and condition behind, because this is a conditioned world; all phenomena are depending originating, condition arising causal phenomena.

Our 5 aggregate of form and mind is also the same. They are also dependent originating phenomena. But because some of you didn’t meditate correctly and never silent your mind, so you never see all these things. You never observe without any control. You are very ‘kepoh’ (busybody), everything also you want to know and have authority or control over it. This one cannot, that one also cannot, this is wrong and you cannot do this. So all this are your conditioning, your views, your opinion and your belief system. You may think you are acting from a Buddhist point-of-view but you don’t know the real Buddha-Dhamma. Then some may act from their Christian point of view. They like to use that word, GOD. So belief system and religion, actually divide people and create more conflict, misunderstanding and argument. That’s why, because of race, religion, and belief systems, the whole world has so much problem. But Dhamma is different for Dhamma is truth. Actually, the Buddha never teach Buddhism. He teaches the Dhamma, which is truth. So when you understand his teaching as truth, then no need to divide, no need to argue. No need to say I am Buddhist, you are Hindu, you are Christian or whatever. We are basically human beings developing wisdom to understand Truth. Truth is that which can explain the way things are. With this, we can move on. So when you understand how to act, then you will be able to observe without the mundane mind coming in to try to be right, to control, etc. to fix thing. No need for Thing is just the way it is. So, let things be. But by this it doesn’t mean you don’t do anything. Because some Kalyanamitta, they quote me, without the true understanding. They quote me via saying, “Brother Teoh said, ‘let things be’, then why must you be so ‘kepoh’ (Busybody). Everything also they don’t want to do. This is wrong understanding. Let things be means, at the initial stage, i.e. accept them for what they are first, that’s all. It doesn’t mean you condone what they do, do you understand? What they do is wrong, because out of anger, they behave like that. Or due to selfishness, they do all those things. They are just the way they are, I never said they are right, do you understand? If they want to argue, then I said “Yah, you are right”. By that, did I lie? I didn’t lie isn’t it? You are right according to you isn’t it? That’s why I will tell them yah, you are right, don’t worry. Sometimes it may be a car accident and you said, ‘yah, never mind, I think you are right. You can claim my insurance’. Then, no need to argue isn’t it? If you raise your voice, and you said you are right and he is wrong. What will happen? Chances are, conflict and argument can arise. If you meet a violent guy, he may go to his car, take something out and whack you. You then get yourself into unnecessary trouble because you don’t know how to resolve it amicably. Why do you want to be right? Right and wrong is relative. Is convention truth, is not ultimate truth, is not the reality. So don’t try to be right. Be wise, accept the world for what they are and resolve issues amicably.

When you can accept the reality of the moment, then there is no need for control, true or not? There is no need for movement of thought. Why must I go and think some more? Thing is just the way it is. When I accept, I am at peace, isn’t it? I don’t get angry anymore. I don’t react anymore. Then what happened? There is clarity of mind and you are at peace. There is understanding. Then I ask myself what happened and how can I resolve this amicably and move on? That should be the way to act; act according to wisdom following Noble Eightfold Path: Right View leading to Right Thought, etc. as per my last Sunday dhamma talk at SJBA.

When I was a student, I had a motorbike accident, the Volvo owner who knocked my bike was so nice. He said, “Are you hurt?”. I said “No, but my motorbike is hurt”. “Oh, don’t worry”, he said. “This one small matter”. He gives me his name card and he said “You go and repair your bike, then call me. I will go and settle the bill”. This is because of my good karma. In the past, I must have helped others before. Then now, I met this kind owner who helped me back. So karma is like that. Don’t go and complain. Resolve it amicably then move on. If you have the means, don’t be petty.

When you accept the reality of the moment it doesn’t mean you agree with what has happened. You still proceed to act to resolve things amicably. If you know he is violent, do you dare to say all those thing in front him? If you are like the cat with nine lives, then you can try. My advice is accepting him for what he is, then apologies to him to resolve it amicably.

I will teach you one more wisdom understanding. To me, there is no such thing as having a problem in life. You surely can’t agree with me, true or not? Where got such thing as no problem in life. My boss used to tell me this, ‘in a construction site how can there be no problem’. Usually, at construction site, problem is everywhere. Everyday also has problem. But you should inquire, what is a problem? It only becomes a problem if you have perceived it with negativity. When you think this is going to give you trouble. But if I were to perceive it with understanding and wholesomeness, then it is different, the so called problem is not more. I can tell myself this is a reality which may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.  Conditioned like that, things will be like that. Not only I have to confront it, others with similar situation also has to confront it. When you know that this is a common reality like aging, sickness, health problem, etc. then what happen? Everybody who live long enough one day will get sick, get old and die. And when you get sick, no need to panic, because this is a common reality. The Buddha say this body of ours is of the nature to grow old, get sick, and die one day, so why worry? Because this body is not you. This one is makeup of the four elements that go the way of nature. It is impermanent, hence Anatta, non-self, dependent originating, condition arising and not real or empty. If you grasp, cling, and hold, it leads to suffering. When you worry about it getting old, getting sick and die, you suffer isn’t it? Because this is self-delusion. You think this body is you. But this body is never you. How can it be you? The body is made of elements, with no knowing, so how can it be you?  That’s why the Dhamma is very beautiful, very profound. When you reflect and contemplate, the wisdom arises. That’s the reason why the Buddha left the palace before he become enlightened due to the four signs he saw, remember? The 4 signs are: an old man, a sick man, a dead man and the holy man. Then when the attendant said, ‘everybody will have to grow old, get sick, and die one day,’ then he said, ‘I have a problem’. It means all the happiness that he had earlier on, given by the father, the four palaces etc. all these have no more meaning, because end of the day, I cannot escape from old age, sickness and death. That’s why he went forth to search for the truth, and for six years he went through all sorts of tough training. Finally, do you know what happened? He doesn’t agree with the two teachers (Alara and Uddaka) that taught him up till the seventh Jhana and the eight Jhana. He left them and went on with his own search, and finally he realized enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree when he connects back to his true nature and become the fully enlightened SammaSamBuddha. He then realized, the answer is so simple. This body was never him. The consciousness and the mundane mind is also never him, but instead just a karmically conditioned vehicle and tool for him to come to this world to live life and do his duty; to do his work, to experience life. Then he realized, this old age, sickness and death pertain to this physical body which is impermanent and not him. Whereas the true nature that he had realized, is the unconditioned which was never born, hence never die. That’s why when he realized that, he awakened. Then he smiled and there was joy because no more delusion and suffering. That is enlightenment. That’s what you can realize too. No more problem with life. You can truly live life to the fullest. Then you can really experience life, which is so beautiful, wonderful and meaningful. You can also get to live the beautiful life of an enlightened being, a noble one. And you can get to experience all the pristine beauty and wonders of life. Every moment is so pristine, so beautiful, with full awareness and wisdom. There is always joy, happiness, tranquility, stillness and peace within, for everything is just the way it is. No more agitation and restlessness of mind, no more reaction of mind for you can accept the reality of the moment because thing is just the way it is, and everything is so pristine, so beautiful. That is life. Then what are you waiting for? Many of you are still complaining and worrying about life. This one not done yet, that one not done yet. Then worry about your health, worry about your property, possessions, business and loved ones. Worry about your children not wanting to inherit your money. Really true because today I met someone and we spoke on the phone. The gist of the story is; she is already quite elderly. I think seventy plus. Then her husband passed away some time ago. She is a Buddhist. But her children are quite successful staying in Singapore. Already a Singapore citizen. So she says, ‘Brother Teoh, I must tell you something which I am very frightened of.’ I don’t know what to do with my money and wealth, she said (laugh). I want to give to my daughter, but she doesn’t want my money and property. Do you all have such children? The children tell her, I don’t want your money, I don’t want your shares, I don’t want your property. And the daughter is not a Buddhist. Maybe that is the reason why she lacks compassion and understanding. You should have gratitude towards your parents. Whether you want their inheritance or not is not important. If it is an inheritance, you can use to do good in their names. You can do Dana Parami on behalf of your parents then you need not keep the money isn’t it? If you want to spend them on useful things you still can. To help people, then transfer merit, share merit. But because she doesn’t understand all this, that’s why to them it is like, they are already successful, they don’t need their money. To them, maybe they look down upon the value of the inheritance, – yours are in Malaysia Ringgit, mine Sing Dollar is three times more. How much do you have, especially parents who didn’t work for so long. But what they don’t understand is, certain parents, when they don’t work, they make more money than when working. That type of parents you have to be careful. They are not ordinary parents. Ordinary parents, normally after they retire, they tend to use up their saving and EPF money, then down grade to sustain their modest life style. But there are certain parents when they don’t work, they do make more money because the know how to invest and grow their money.

Do you know Warren Buffet? What is his famous advice to people? ‘If you cannot make money while you are asleep, you will be poor.’ Do you agree? – ‘If you cannot make money while you are asleep, you will be poor.’ It means you should have investment to make money for you while you are asleep, do you understand? You don’t have to physically work to make money. So his advice is, if you don’t know how to invest, you will be poor because he is a value investor. He buys into value; he doesn’t buy into cheap thing. He buys into value, and he has a lot of very good life philosophy to share although he is not a Buddhist. A lot of people like to listen to his company’s annual speech. Do you know how expensive is his company’s share, Berkshire Hathaway? One share only, how much? Two hundred over thousand US dollar! One share only, not one lot of a thousand shares. Two hundred and sixty over thousand US dollar is about a million plus RM. That was not the latest, that was a few months back. Now I don’t know how much. So if you hold one thousand shares or one lot, do you know how much is that? You add three more zero, two hundred over thousand become Two hundred over million USD, or RM1 billion.

Swee Aun just check, it seems now it is Three hundred and twenty-six thousand US dollar per share, and people still buy his share, despite the fact that he never pays dividend. He never gives bonus; he never rewards you with bonus issues. If you want to cash out, sell it to the market, because there are other investor waiting to buy his share. Why did we talk about share? We are supposed to discuss Noble Eightfold Path, isn’t it? Yes, Angie, you have another question? You all don’t mind, spending a bit more time for Angie to ask her question? I need to ask because personally, I don’t feel good when I take extra of your time unless it is with your consent.

Sis Angie: Brother Teoh, so does it mean that, people can accept the law of karma, but they don’t have to declare themselves as Buddhist?

Bro Teoh: Yes! No need.

Sis Angie: Ya, which means they are already like a Buddhist right? Thank you.

Bro Teoh: Why do you need that religious label? What is a religious label?  Do you know that, a religious label will not make you a Buddhist? Even if you call or label yourself a Christian, it is just a label. Do you know, to be a true Christian, to be worthy of that label, what must you do? You must at least follow the advice of Jesus, isn’t it? And what is the advice of Jesus? His embodiment of Love and compassion and the Ten Commandments. If you can follow that, then you are a true religious person and you are not much different from the true Buddhist. To the Buddhist, Five Precepts is enough, no need to have Ten Commandments. Love and compassion is part of our Four Brahma Vihara mind states. They have two and we have four wholesome mind states. So it is how you understand religious label because that label never defines you, always remember that.

That’s why I never say I’m a Buddhist. I always said, I started off with Buddhism. Why should you label yourself a Buddhist or whatever? Unless the situation warrants it, otherwise no need. You can call yourself a freethinker too, no problem, just a human being. As long as you understand truth, you understand Dhamma – that is the teaching of the Buddha. His teaching is Dhamma, Truth. That’s why the essence of his teaching is the Four Noble Truths. So the religious label is not important, never use that label via saying, ‘I am a Buddhist, you know? What about you? Are you a Christian? Then, very likely conflict may start because we have started to divide using the religious labels and by doing so, we appear different, isn’t it? That is how religious label divide and make you different. Then with your views, opinions, and conditionings, – everything you do, you never follow your religious teacher’s advice. Yet you said, ‘I am a Buddhist, you know?’ But you always argue with people of other religious faith. You never follow the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good, and purify your mind. You never cultivate Noble Eightfold Path, but instead you like to argue with others because you want to glorify your religious label by claiming – Mine religion is the only truth or more superior than yours.

It is already quite late, we better end our sharing now and thank you so much. Good night.

(Above notes’ draft were prepared by brother Adam Ooi)

Belief Systems vs Right Dhamma

How to deal with Depression

(Short Notes pdf)

(Short Notes pdf)

The Wisdom Path & Recognizing Our True Nature, the Noumenon

What is the cause of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) & Depression? How to resolve it?

Will Energy field Meditation lead one astray? ( 走火入魔 )

Bro Adam shares that during meditation, he inquired into the tactile sensations and reactions he has towards his perceived surroundings/environment.

Bro Teoh advised him, to refrain from triggering such thoughts of contemplation (using knowledge) during formal meditation. When the mind is actively seeking, then one is no longer meditating (because you are no longer aware).

To meditate, just relax and maintain awareness. Let the stillness (silent mind/true nature) arise. After coming out of the meditation, only then should one contemplate.

Difference between knowledge and understanding (wisdom)

• Only wisdom frees – I. e. only the understanding that arise from the true nature liberates the mind. Knowledge binds – whatever you come to know is your knowledge from memory. Wisdom is an understanding which is not a knowledge.
• That’s why when you meditate, initially, do not try to know or actively reflect/contemplate during formal meditation.
• Unless, after some period of cultivation, when you are already very skilful and have developed the understanding, then it is different. E.g. In the midst of formal meditation, certain things can happen – like an epiphany. Within the moment when it happens, the awareness will develop a natural understanding (awakening). Straightaway, the nature within will have the understanding to reflect and contemplate (using wisdom), and you will see the true universal characteristics of all phenomena unfolding/unravelling.
• Most of the time, people assume they have to use the mind, which is the thought process, to look for experiences to conform with their Dhamma knowledge. Using the mundane mind (through knowledge to look for dhamma), is thought-based meditation. When a person becomes heedless, his thought process is active, then he tries to link his meditative experiences to the Dhamma knowledge, resulting in being caught within the rigidity of concepts, words and knowledge, instead of developing the true understanding (wisdom) borne of the direct seeing, to see things as they truly are with the silent mind which is just an awareness before the knowing.

Just relax, maintain awareness and let things be. The mind will settle down, becomes very quiet and you will finally experience the tranquillity and stillness of mind. That tranquillity and stillness of mind is your true mind, the silent mind which is also your meditative mind. This mind is unique to everyone and thus you will have to experience it and go through it to develop the true understanding of what that awareness nature is (as everyone is different).

The 5 spiritual faculties leading to a very stable daily mindfulness are very important practices for getting real progress in meditation. Then follow the Avijja sutta’s steps 1 and 2 to develop the 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom borne of constant listening to dhamma, contemplation, reflection and inquiry (with understanding) of the essential dhamma. Opportune time to constantly listen to Dhamma is step 2 of the Avijja Sutta.

When step 2 is developed and dhamma stands up to investigation, this will give rise to step 3 (which is faith in the Buddha and his teaching) followed by step 4 (wise attention/yoniso manasikara) at the moment of sense experience borne of the 1^st and 2^nd turnings wisdom. Step 4 will enable one to easily develop the stability of daily mindfulness leading to step 5 which is sati sampajanna (mindfulness and clear comprehension in daily life). Step 5 will lead to step 6 (sense restraint). This is possible because by then, your awareness is already very stable and clear to see the defilements, leading to your ability to listen attentively (the art of listening). Upon straightening of one’s views, arises the initial wisdom to act according to wisdom following Noble 8-Fold path (right views leading to right thoughts, speeches, action and livelihood, 4 right efforts, etc).

Only the true mind can meditate and understand all this, the thought cannot. Separate these 2, then you will understand and progress accordingly, following the Avijja Sutta’s 10 steps guidelines.

When your daily mindfulness had stabilized, cultivate the 4 types of clear comprehensions leading to step 5 (Sati Sampajanna). Then with the 4 type of clear comprehension, you won’t deviate/go astray. At the moment of sense experience, you’re no longer heedless, your mind will no longer stir with likes/dislikes, pleasant/unpleasant sense experiences (it has understanding, to let things be and it understands clearly, ‘things are just the way they are’; the reality of the moment and ‘What Is’).

When your mind enters Sati, everything that happens within your form and mind becomes very clear (even the slightest movement), seem magnified. Even when you come out of the formal meditation, everything you do is in Sati. The bodily/physical activities are one with your awareness, same with seeing, hearing, etc. The mind and sense doors will operate differently, and you can be at the moment of consciousness, contact, feeling, arising of sankhara activities any phenomena or movement, etc.

Step 5 requires both yoniso manasikara and sati. The stability of daily mindfulness depends on your initial wisdom (borne of 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom) and your mind must enter sati so that your mind has the ability and sensitivity to see the very subtle defilements that the normal mind cannot see.

While in the midst of your daily life, when encountering situations which really disturb and stir your emotions (e.g. when there is severe fear or anger), that is the best time to cultivate. Straightaway silent your mind completely and let your awareness stay with that emotion. Awareness and fear/anger as one (be with it). The anger/fear may take a while, to dissipate and fade away. When the awareness and the emotion are as one, you are no longer feeding the mundane mind with anymore thought energy to proliferate, and you will be able to see the emotion dissipating. Then you will come to a very profound understanding, that these emotions (fear and anger) are not you, not intrinsic within your true mind.

These are dependent originating and condition arising mind states, causal phenomena. They are not real. They don’t belong to you. Anger was never you. Fear was never you. They arise due to delusion/wrong view/lack of wisdom and understanding – that’s why your mind stirs/reacts/lash-out so heedlessly and uncontrollably. Since they are dependent originating, hence impermanent, non- self and empty (not so real).

When the emotion cease, you will realise – whatever that is the nature to arise, is of the nature to cease. Depending on causes it arise. If you silent your mind and don’t do anything, then because there is no more sustaining condition, it will cease.

Our true mind is able to access the oneness/awareness nature, which is a noumenon (the unconditioned which is beyond thought, beyond time), not a phenomenon. Not perceivable by the mundane mind. E.g. – the silence of nature, there is no sense data/vibration, so the regular senses (hearing consciousness, etc.) cannot pick it up. Then what is it that is aware of that silence? What is that awareness nature? Who is aware of stillness? There is nobody because that nature of yours is not a being and it cannot come out and live life because it is the unconditioned. That one, very few can understand. Unless you are an ariya, you cannot understand.

The true nature (awareness nature) is of higher intelligence than thought, and reason why it can be aware of thought, aware of the condition arising phenomena world of consciousness. But thought cannot see awareness and it is incapable of accessing or touching that true nature.

The true nature can insight into phenomena and see things as they are, and awaken (without words), the nature just understands. It can develop the understanding, and when this understanding arises, it is connected to the form and mind. Because only through that form and mind, can one locate the gateway to their true nature, and you have to use this nature within to meditate. That’s why when it awakens, the form and mind will have the understanding, hence transforming the form and mind – which is no longer deluded, becomes enlightened. Though enlightened, this form and mind is still impermanent, goes the way of nature, not you because it is not a permanent unchanging entity.

To meditate, is to realise the true mind and your true nature. When thoughts cease, the nature manifests. Actually, the nature is there all the time, but it is clouded by sankhara activities (thoughts and emotions) – that is the reason why you are incapable of realizing it. You are most of the time lost in thought, deluded and deceived by the continuous and heedless thoughts proliferation, conditioned by your deluded mundane mind). Our natural state of mind is awareness. There is no need to try or to practice to be aware, just relax (don’t exert any thought energy), maintain awareness/silent).

Kilesa – normal defilements (e.g. ill-will, sensual desire, sloth and torpor, restlessness and doubt)
Anusaya – latent/dormant defilements (e.g. negativity that surfaces upon moments of weakness when there is condition)
Asava – strong defilements, perpetually at brink of eruption (e.g. violent disposition, always snapping at others)

Sister Keat Hoon asked whether Asava is exhibited in people as a type of personality disorder, like bipolar disease where they can’t help behaving in such a manner?

Brother Teoh clarifies that such behaviours like those with OCD (Obsessive, Compulsive Disorder) or people with depression are mainly due to karmic conditioning. Hence, their thoughts become out of control (obsessive, compulsive and intrusive thoughts). These people need Dhamma to free their mind. Reference to 2 Bro Teoh’s transcript books for useful reading regarding this matter:

Importance of mindfulness and heedfulness to cope with life’s problems and suffering

Knowing and Seeing

Sister Keat Hoon asks whether there are dangers to meditation.

Bro Teoh reiterate that the purpose of meditation is to develop wisdom (just relax and not to focus to develop psychic ability), with this understanding and way of cultivation there will be no troubles in this type of meditation. However, if a person does not understand this purpose of meditation and instead focus/concentrate/tamper with chakras, energy field, then that would be inviting troubles (problem waiting to happen).

(Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sis Soo Yee)

(Short Notes pdf)

When you silent your mind, you can be aware of the reality, within the moment. Whatever happens within your form and mind that awareness has the ability to be aware of them.

To meditate is to be with the silent mind to develop the understanding of what is going on within your form and mind. To understand how you function as a human being.

If one is not relaxed, sankhara activities will arise and habitual tendencies will take over. The labelling of the unpleasant feeling is a mental hindrance.

Let things be, is not a suppression, it is accepting the reality of the moment, which means whatever sensation that arise (Itchiness, pain etc.) just relax into it, then maintain awareness. Don’t react and label the sensation. When there are no mental hindrances of likes and dislikes, Sati will take over and one will enter the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness. This Sati spiritual faculties will arise when there is no mental hindrance. One should continue to allow that silent mind to arise the understanding. When one is able to relax and maintain awareness, until that silent inner awareness is very stable, then one can meditate. True meditation only begins after that.

When the mind is silent and aware, one will understand how one’s mind function following to the law of dependent origination. One can witness how itchiness from tactile consciousness arise, followed by how one inputs the content of consciousness leading to labeling it, itchiness, then the desire to scratch, to overcome the unpleasant sensation, etc.

Before wisdom arise, the mind which is deluded (with wrong view) will cause the mind to be uncalm leading to restlessness of mind, suffering and misery.

When one awakens to the law of dependent origination, one will not cling to the 5 aggregates of form and mind. Then there is no more suffering. Having right views with regard to Karma Niyama, Dharma Niyama and Citta Niyama, one is able to see sankhara as they are with understanding, thereby unperturbed by their ever-changing illusion, not deceive by the thoughts and the phenomena world of consciousness. This is how, one can be free from suffering.

When the mind stirs and reacts to sense experience, one is already lost in thoughts condition by defilements borne of wrong view. A very stable daily mindfulness is required to arise the wisdom. With wisdom, one will stay equanimous at the moment of sense experience and feeling will remain as pure feeling and will not condition craving or other emotion. One will act according to wisdom to accord and flow with conditions base on understanding.

The true nature is just an awareness nature within. When one awakens to this nature, one will develop the wisdom (borne of the direct seeing). The wisdom is then connected to the form and mind thereby making it enlightened. But this form and mind is non-self, hence not you.

Even though this form and mind is not you, but you can use it to live life to the fullest because it is related to your karmic nature. With this understanding, the form and mind will no longer suffer. One will experience the 3^rd phase of Dharma (pativedha) and get to live a life of an enlighten being. This is main purpose of all Buddhist meditation.

Meditation is not to experience the fantastic mind states, but it is for one to insight into the 3 universal characteristics of nature after awakening to one’s self-nature.

There are 2 types of mind: one is the mundane mind that can allow one to live life and the 2^nd one is the true mind that arise when the mundane mind does not interfere or cease. Meditation is to relax and silent one’s mind and maintain awareness so that the thoughts end. The mundane mind, which is the thinking mind will slow down and cease when you do not feed it with anymore thought energy. It ceases following the law of dependent origination, when there is no more ignorant to condition sankhara, thinking will not continue and it ends by itself. Every moment you are either aware (without thought) or you are lost in thoughts, preoccupied with what you are thinking. If you are just aware then you will have the ability to see things as they are, to see the truth and the reality arising within the moment. When thought ceases, that is the beginning of meditation. However, it must be a free mind and not a conditioned mind in concentration or jhana.

1^st noble truth consists of understanding the 8 realities of life a proclaimed by Lord Buddha. In order to understand the Buddha Dharma, one must constantly listen to dharma, investigate the Dharma, reflection, contemplate and inquiry, to develop the 2^nd turning wisdom. Then develop mindfulness to constantly check one’s own action, speech and thought processes; i.e. how one reacts and give meaning to things (may it be a phenomenon or a life situation), and how the craving and clinging lead to suffering etc. Must see them very clearly.

2^nd Noble Truth, the cause behind all suffering is craving borne of self-delusion. The 5 aggregates of form and mind are impermanent, hence not you. But it is subject to the law of karma and it is part of you because it is related to your karmic nature. Understanding this, will enable you to have the understanding to live life through wisdom to take care of karma.

Bro Teoh advise that it is helpful to assume, one is ‘dead’ while in the meditative state. Only then can sankhara slowly cease (loses its power to stir one’s mind) and finally only the Pure awareness is left. When one lacks understanding, they tend to identify with the thought, and reacts to sense experiences, becoming emotional, conditioning the evil roots to arise thereby causing suffering.

Do not be gullible. Understand that, you are the host and not the guest of the mind (defilements that comes and goes). The host is the true mind, which is always around. The host is your self-nature which is constantly aware and meditative. One must be ever mindful from within as that is where one’s wisdom arise. The wisdom that arise is connected to your form and mind and it will prevent your form and mind from being deluded.

Feeling and emotion come and go, following to the law of dependent origination. “Just be with it, do not do anything” as per Bro Kok Loon’s understanding. By not doing anything the emotion of fear, anger, hatred etc. will cease to be, then one will realize via one’s the true mind (silent mind) that all these emotions are impermanent and not us. They are dependent originating phenomena.

Sis Eng Bee shared that in the early days of her cultivation, she had misunderstood, thinking that meditation requires one to always sit with close eyes, cross legged, note, focus and be in a quiet place to experience the calm and beautiful meditative states of mind. But she now understands it differently – that is the real meditation is daily mindfulness (awareness in daily life), aware of all phenomena, all actions and movements within the present moment to understand clearly and insight into phenomena to realize the awakening/wisdom. Only wisdom frees. If one is in ever mindful and constantly meditative (heedfulness) there is nothing to stop them from awakening following Dhammapada verse 23.

Bro Teoh explained that the reason for one to sit in a quiet place, is to initially train the heedless thinking mind so that it is in sati. This is normally done through anapanasati. Only those whose 5 spiritual faculties are not developed need such training.

In cultivating the 4 foundation of mindfulness, what we really need is a very stable Sati. Under kayanupassanna, the 1^st category of training is anapanasati, followed by mindfulness of the 4 postures, then daily mindfulness and clear comprehension of all actions and movements in the present moment. However, a lot of people still do not have such understanding.

Eng Bee added that when her Sati was very stable while in daily life, she can be aware of all her actions and movements including her bending, stretching, turning and blinking of her eyes, etc. Bro. Teoh rejoiced and explained: because of that Eng Bee was able to develop the wisdom and sensitivity of mind earlier on, to be at peace with the reality of the moment, while holidaying in Paris last year.

Heedless thinking, fear, stress and negative emotions can really drain your mental energy and lower your immune system. For enlightened beings, their minds are most of the time at peace, quiet and tranquil and they only think when there a need to. For puthujjana, due to their habitual tendencies and weak spiritual faculties, mental hindrances will take over to condition their heedless thinking. Bro Teoh suggest to use mind sweeping method coupled with metta to decondition their heedless thinking. Alternatively cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties to counter the 5 mental hindrances.

Last year Ms. Lee and some kalyanamitta presented to Bro Teoh with his saying: “To meditate is to Relax, silent the mind, maintain awareness and let things be so that the mind returns to its original state of stillness and tranquility, then you will realise your true mind and self-nature.” Its message is very good. It means when you just let things be and do not do anything, thoughts losses its power, slows down and cease. That is how awareness can take over. When one is aware, the momentum of heedless thinking breaks. Then to restart the heedless thinking, you need more energy.

Anagami still can have restlessness of mind. Once you go beyond Arahantship, all this restlessness cease. When one understands clearly, the form and mind is not you, but only a karmically conditioned, vehicle and tool for us to come to this existential world of ours, wisdom will arise. We must see them in the awareness based-meditation. Otherwise, most people will continue with their thought-based meditation. Please do read page 15 onwards of Bro Teoh’s Tran scripted book: lesson 75 of the 6^th patriarch platform sutta, to develop the full understanding.

To meditate we must start from basic with clear understanding of mind, 心为根本. Understand that there are 2 types of minds and Meditation is not about focusing the mundane mind to develop the jhanic states, but instead it is a journey of self-realization via the true mind in pure awareness.

Sati is awareness before the knowing, before the perception and with no words, just aware. It is not about noting this and that with the thought. The word mindfulness might confuse you because it implies a mind is involved. Whereas the true sati is awareness before the arising of the thought. It should be the mind in full awareness. I.e. Fully aware, without thought.

Nevertheless, the awareness and the thought are very close because sankhara arises very fast. There is only a very thin and fine line separating stillness and creation by the mundane mind. Without wisdom, sankhara will be active. You may think you are still meditating but the moment you “try” to be aware or mindful or verbalize you are no longer aware. Thought has become active. You are lost in thought, preoccupied with your thinking.

When there is anger, fear, pain just be with it. Silent your mind and stay with it without thinking (awareness and the sensation as one), you need to go through this at least once to understand.

Use the mundane mind but not be deluded by it. Meditate with the true mind, while mundane mind is for living life. The true nature has no sankhara activities, no words and no thoughts.

Dhamma can only arise from the silent mind. Thought-based meditation only give rise to dhamma knowledge not real awakening. Thought cannot realize the dharma that is beyond thought. When one has awakened, the salutation to the Dhamma can be chanted with great joy and understanding.

The ariyan sangha has these 4 right conducts: Of Good conduct, Righteous conduct, Wise conduct and Dutiful conduct. Wise conduct will lead to dutiful conduct. The ‘form and mind’ is not you, it is impermanent, non-self and empty but it has its duty because it is subject to law of karma.

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

Meditation guidance for the serious cultivator YouTube

How to deal with sensations (like pain, itchiness, etc) that arise when sitting in meditation YouTube

Applying the 4 Noble Truths in Daily life to solve Human Problems YouTube

(Short Notes pdf)

Adam shared, that during his last Thursday’s meditation he felt itchiness on his ears and nose, and he inquire: what should he do. Brother Teoh advice Adam to investigate into it to develop the understanding as per his earlier advice to him – to just let things be and do not label the sensation as itchy or pain. I.e. just relax into it and maintain awareness via the awareness based meditation to develop the understanding. This allows for acceptance of the reality within the moment instead of suppressing the sensation through not wanting to react to that tactile sensation. Do not allow the wrong thought (borne of habitual tendency) to condition your mundane mind to label the sensation as pain to arise the mental hindrance of ill-will to hinder your mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness. Then sati will take over leading to a shift in consciousness to cause the so called itchy sensation to become normal and peaceful again. The mind will then become peaceful, quiet and still. This is the meditative mind. Use this mind to meditate. To be aware of how the ‘tactile sensation’ condition you to stir your mind via your habitual tendency to label it as itchiness. To see clearly how you (the form and mind) function following nature’s laws.

Whenever you are unhappy and not peaceful, for sure the 3 evil roots are present in your mind. Sati is needed for us to have the sensitivity to be aware of such lack of peace so that we are not further drawn into such negative emotions. When you do not have the right view, you get caught in sankhara activities. On the other hand, when you are in the meditative state, you are peaceful and free from the evil roots. You can trace the origination factors for such unhappiness and see for yourself the working of the 4 noble truths.

The Silent inner awareness can enable you to see how the tactile sensation via thoughts condition you to label it as itchy, then condition you to scratch it. The thought is not you, why let the thought condition you to do things? From your inner awareness (or self-nature), as the host, you can decide not to follow the thought’s conditioning to scratch. The thought is supposed to serve you because you are the ‘host’ and not the slave. You cannot scratch if your body is dead, right? So assume you are dead then find out what happen. Awareness will understand all these. Relax into whatever sensation that arise, it will finally cease to be because the chi will flow when there is no mental resistance. Then there will be the shift of consciousness, leading to peace and stillness when sati takes over. You will come to understand that sensation is condition arising, a casual phenomenon following the law of dependent origination. You can contemplate all these after you come out of the formal meditation. If you are a beginner and you need to scratch, you can, but do it mindfully.

Awareness can see things as they are to develop the understanding of what causes your mundane mind to stir, to label, to do things, get emotional and becomes unhappy. Sati allows you to see all these clearly. How your ‘Form and mind’ interact with the world following Paticca samuppada (12-links or the law of dependent origination). Due to ignorance of the reality, sankhara (mental activities) arise. Wanting to know, you start to think. But thinking does not develop wisdom. However when you are silent without thought, understanding can come about. Develop wisdom so that you know how to use thought appropriately. The user of thought is most important.

Mundane mind is needed for living life. But for meditation, use the true mind. The true mind is needed for witnessing the arising and passing away of phenomena. This true mind is not a being but just a nature within.

Be aware of how feeling has been stirred due to wrong views, leading to sensual desire and ill will (mental hindrances). That is the reason why you should not label the feeling. Just relax into any mind states that arise, maintain awareness and let things be, so that sankhara won’t proliferate. Sati will then take over, and you will become quiet, peaceful and still. The 5 spiritual faculties are needed for this to be possible.

Just like the pool of water analogy. Bullock cart passes by, the pool of water is churned, and thus the water will become milky. But as time passes by, with no bullock cart pass by, sediments will settled down, and without stirring, the water will become clear. Same with the mind. The evil roots will only arise when the mind is stirred due to wrong views.

Meditation must be done with understanding. Thus having right view is vital. This saves you from wasting your time on unnecessary training. With understanding you progress faster. You can learn from life and dharma friends through true sharing so that all can benefit.

In the Satipatthana sutta, everything is about mindfulness. The 4 foundation of mindfulness cultivation is also about sati or mindfulness. No more thought involve.

Anapanasati is the initial training of mind to be mindful. This mindfulness (sati) is an Enlightenment factor that can be used to investigate dharma. When dharma stands up to investigation, faith is developed leading to viriya. Sati then stabilized, leading to piti (spiritual joy). When you relax into it, piti becomes more refine leading to sukha and passaddhi.  Passaddhi is tranquility and stillness of mind, the silent mind (meditative mind) which can really meditate. Passaddhi is the beginning of true meditation. Passaddhi is to be stabilized until mind enters sati leading to Samadhi (upacara Samadhi). This mind is unwavering and collected. This upacara Samadhi is important for living life. At the moment of sense experience, mind will not stir, this will enable you to see ‘things as they are’ or to see reality (truth). The reason mind wavers or stir is due to one’s habitual tendencies borne of one’s conditioning and not having right view.

The egoic mind arise because of strong self-delusion, hence it is usually difficult for most people to deal with people whom they dislike due to their perceived wrong views and opinions. Their attachment to their loved ones and priced possessions are also very strong.

How to apply the 4 Noble truths in real life?

Sister Tammy chooses the example on relationship issues relating to girlfriend and boyfriend. Brother Teoh reminds Kalyanamitta to always remember that they are the ‘host’. So stay with the true mind (your true nature). There are two minds – true mind and mundane mind. True mind is where wisdom arises and when this wisdom is connected to the ‘form and mind’, this ‘form and mind’ is no longer deluded. Whereas without wisdom this mundane mind stirs and reacts as it is deluded. When relationship fails, the mundane mind stirs causing one to be emotional, jealousy and angry. I.e. it conditions sankhara activities (wrong thoughts) leading to all the mental suffering borne of craving, grasping and clinging. (1^st and 2^nd noble truth’s reality). For more details please do listen to the 17 October 2019 Thursday class’s audio and video recording.

Silent your mind and feel. Who is feeling all these (negative) emotions? Whatever emotions that arise, just be with it and don’t think, eventually the mind will become still and quiet. The true mind is none of all these emotions or sankhara aggregate. All mind states are condition arising, causal phenomenal, not real, not you. 14. Your true mind is just aware, tranquil, peaceful and still. You get entangled because you don’t understand the true mind and the 4 noble truth’s 3 turnings wisdom. You get entangle through clinging to the mundane mind, thinking it is real and it is you, through your self-delusion.

Only true Dharma can free your mind. The mundane mind is not you. True nature is still and peaceful at all time. It is the unborn. Do you choose to be with the mundane mind or with the true mind?

Since Mind is the forerunner of all things, mind is chief, when mind arise, all things arise. Thus wisdom is needed to use this mundane mind wisely or else suffering will follow you as you live life heedlessly, instead of following the dharma way guided by the noble eightfold path.

Determine to be heedful. The wise one intents on heedfulness and they rejoice in the realm of the ariyas. That is why their mind are always peaceful, tranquil and still. All the sankhara activities has nothing to do with ‘the host’.

2^nd noble truth – cause of suffering is craving. It is self-delusion which conditions craving, grasping and clinging to give meaning to everything that arise, leading to fear of the unknown like death, ghosts, etc. If the egoic mind makes you think you exist, this personality view, will make you selfish, angry, emotional and fearful. Constantly listen to dharma and contemplate to develop 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom to understand that there is no one to crave. Who craves? It is this mundane mind which craves.

Why did the angry thoughts keep coming up? Because you cling to the relationship, believing it is real, this is the cause of suffering. How to reverse it? This craving is to be abandoned. Understanding is important to abandon this craving. Through the Buddha’s meditative ways develop the wisdom (right views) to free.

With right view, mundane mind will not stir or react. You are at peace. There is clarity to reflect on things. With clarity of mind, you can move on to resolve all issues amicably following noble eightfold path so as not to create more misunderstanding and karmic negativity. These are very useful dharma understanding.

3^rd noble truth, – suffering need not be. Enlightenment or Nibbana can be realize in the here and now. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You should thus go all out to cultivate it and to realize it.

The 4^th noble truth being this noble eightfold path is to be cultivated.  When you have the embodiment of the noble eightfold path factors, then you can say you are enlightened. The application part is more important especially in daily life. You have to apply all the 3 turnings of the 4 noble truths in daily life. When you have questions relating to the cultivation you should ask in class, then Brother Teoh can share from his nature. What his nature understands is much more than what he has shared, thus it has to depend on the appropriate conditions for him to share more. It has been beautiful over the past 15 years, as there have been valuable sharing among the kalyanamittas. After you connect to your true nature, you will come to know your true nature better. This sasana is very special as the consciousness now is still very conducive and the true dharma are still available and present.

(Above draft outline short notes was prepared by Sister Angie Chong Phey Yuen)

Daily Mindfulness & Understanding Cultivation Part 4 Revision YouTube

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh went through the 3^rd October 2019 last Thursday class outline short notes. He reminded cultivators about the importance of understanding the 2 types of minds, namely the true mind and mundane mind. The true mind is inherent in everyone but most of us are not aware of it. It cannot come out to live life because it is not a being. It is just a nature within, which is beyond thought and beyond mind. It is the awareness nature or suchness nature within. It is from this nature that everything arises leading to the creation by the mundane mind.

When one awakens to this True nature, one can understand what life is all about, who you are and how you function as a living being. Meditation will lead one to the understanding of how creation arises via the mundane mind or ‘mano’. Everything is mind-made because the ‘mano’ is the dependent-originating mundane mind. Without memory, ‘mano’ cannot arise. But to awaken, we need to meditate using the true mind. Thoughts cannot lead us to that realization of the unconditioned dharma which is beyond thought and beyond time. Hence, all thought-based meditation cannot lead to the awakening of such truth. The true mind is without words and concepts. Once the silent (meditating) mind realizes the true mind and awaken, the wisdom which is connected to this form and mind will enable the mundane mind to have the wisdom. The mundane mind will then be able to see things as they are and not be deceived by the phenomena world of consciousness.

Hence, unenlightened normal people or puthujanas are heedless most of the time due to their ignorant that deceive them to act heedlessly (according to their memory (which is mainly thought and knowledge based) instead of wisdom. This is the only way they know how to act to live life not knowing that there is another self-nature within them which is beyond thought. That nature is able to insight into phenomena via the direct seeing to awaken to the truth.

This was what Master Hui Neng realized when he heard the Diamond Sutra expounded by the 5^th Patriarch. When he came to the passage, `… to use the mind yet be free from any attachment.…’ immediately, he came to great awakening – that all dharma are inseparable from the self-nature and He then exclaimed, `How amazing that the self-nature is originally pure and inherently complete by itself! How amazing that the self-nature is the unborn and undying! How amazing that the self-nature neither moves nor stays! How amazing that all dharma come from this self-nature.’

One day, Master Hongren (the 5^th Patriarch) announced, ‘the question of incessant rebirth is a momentous one. Day after day, instead of trying to free yourselves from this bitter sea of life and death, you seem to go after tainted merits only (i.e. merits which will cause rebirth). Yet merits will be of no help if your Essence of Mind is obscured. Go and seek Prajna (wisdom) in your own mind and then write me a stanza (gatha) about it. He who understands what the Essence of Mind is will be given the robe (the insignia of the Patriarch ship) and the dharma (the ultimate teaching of the Chán school), and I shall make him the Sixth Patriarch. Go away quickly. Delay not in writing the stanza, as deliberation is quite unnecessary and of no use. The man who has realized the Essence of Mind can speak of it at once, as soon as he is spoken to about it; and he cannot lose sight of it, even when engaged in battle’.

All creation starts from this self-nature. How is thought created? From the true nature, the awareness nature, the spacious awareness shrinks into a tiny space to perceive something. With the input of memory (content of consciousness), it becomes a thought.  But the spacious awareness or the oneness nature is so immense. With this understanding, one can understand why thought is limited and how to meditate easily and correctly to realize the true mind.

To answer Sister Angie’s question, whether we can use thought to live life, Bro Teoh explained that the form and mind is just a ‘vehicle and tool’ for us to come to this existential world. But, before the form and mind become enlightened, the mundane mind is deluded. Hence, one needs to meditate using the true mind whereby with the direct seeing, one can insight into the three universal characteristics of nature to awaken. The wisdom or understanding that arises will enable one to realize that the form and mind (both the 2 aspects) are not real. They are dependent-originating. Not a permanent unchanging entity. Hence we cannot cling and hold onto anything, thinking we can own or possess it.

This wisdom will arise when one connects to the true nature to see clearly how the mundane mind has been deceiving us to crave, grasp and cling all this while; thinking everything is so real. Acting according to memory, is not acting at all. It is only true action when one acts with wisdom. The reason being, memories are our accumulated experiences (both good and bad). Especially our Psychological memories comprising our phobias, fears, insecurities, scars of memory, all forms of negative emotions, craving, lust, selfishness and insecurity, etc. This is the source of all our wrong thoughts that conditions us to arise the evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion when we act with our memory, leading to suffering.

Technically, without wisdom, there is no way one can act appropriately. Wisdom can be develop through constantly listening to the true dharma to arise the 1^st turning wisdom of suttamaya panna. This is the initial wisdom. To stabilize it, one needs to reflect and inquire deep into the dharma as proclaimed by the Buddha to arise the 2^nd turning wisdom of cittamaya panna. When the understanding is stabilized, it can then be assimilated into one’s nature. With awareness (mindfulness), one can see how the mundane mind is responsible for everything following Dhammapada verses 1 and 2. `Mind is the forerunner of all things. If one acts or thinks or thinks with an impure mind, sorrow will follow one just like the wheel that follows the hoof of the ox. Mind is the forerunner of all things. If one thinks or acts with a pure mind, happiness will follow one just like the shadow that never leaves.’

It is only when one awakens to the true mind that one can live life well and use the mundane mind wisely in following the Noble Eightfold Path. Otherwise, our action springs most of the time from self-delusion leading to wrong thoughts. Strangely, Bro Teoh has been expounding the same dharma for more than ten years and it has been repeated so often yet many still cannot get it. It has taken so long for most to understand this message. So there is a need to really see the urgency to understand it. Otherwise, no amount of meditation (without this proper understanding) can help you. Without the correct understanding, one will be wasting a lot of time cultivating thought-based, superficial dharma.

It is crucial to reflect on the host and guests analogy. The host nature is always there, whether one is aware of it or not. Without the stability of mindfulness (sati), one is not able to be with the true mind. What happens is, one who is heedless, is always being deceived by the guests that come in and go out. The guests symbolize our 6 external sense data. But if one is aware of the guests’ movements, one can stay as the host (the pure awareness nature) and not be deceived by the guests or arising phenomena. Wisdom will keep one grounded instead of being distracted and deluded by them. When one knows, one is the host, one doesn’t get involved via self-delusion. Instead, one just does one’s duty with understanding following one’s right view with regards to the law of karma.

Eventually, we will understand that nobody suffers and Hey no ‘You’ and Hey no ‘Me’. The user of thought with the wisdom within will act wisely and appropriately. Yet, the host is also not you because it is not a being. Instead, you are that eternal nature which is the unconditioned. When one awakens to that understanding, how can there be fear of the unknown and any suffering? That nature never dies, so life becomes so beautiful, meaningful and wonderful when this whole understanding of dharma has been established. This understanding is so different and it is not like what other people used to tell you because it is a realization borne of an awakening through the silent mind.

To understand meditation, you must understand mind which I have mentioned before. This is basic understanding.  The two types of mind are: the mundane mind and the true mind. Very few people can realize the true mind. ‘Meditation is to silent the mind to be aware of the truth and reality within the moment’. The true nature is connected to the form and mind. True Meditation has nothing to do with techniques and methods of meditation as these are just skilful means to train the mind initially to develop awareness. However, without this understanding, one will be wasting one’s time going round and round (cultivating superficial dharma). The egoic mind will keep on deceiving you. Without a stable daily mindfulness develop, one does not stand a chance at all.

Everybody is interested in dharma but the true dharma is the unconditioned which is akaliko (beyond thought and words). After awakening, one can then use words to share with others.

With wisdom, one can act free of the evil roots. It is important to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind. It is therefore very important for cultivator to develop the first and second turning wisdom before using one’s thought. But that doesn’t mean that you do not think. At least, have some basic understanding of what constitute right thoughts and understand what constitutes evil. Keeping the five precepts is just as important. Having dharma friends, constantly listening to the dharma, arising faith, arising the initial wisdom, cultivating daily mindfulness and meditating with the silent mind are key factors to help us progress along the path of dharma.

Without the above understanding and training, it is very difficult for the restless mundane mind to settle down. When one violates nature’s laws, the mental hindrances will keep on arising to prevent one from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness within.

Cultivating with right view supported by the four right efforts as well as having the five spiritual faculties are just as important. With the initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) and daily mindfulness (sati sampajanna) developed as support, sense restraint becomes automatic.

We are what we are because of our karma and things are just the way they are. With this understanding, one does not need to react when things happen. We can be at peace with the moment and reflect with clarity to act following Noble Eightfold Path, to resolve the situation amicably with wisdom.

The realization of one’s true mind is the beginning of true meditation. It is only from here that the real meditation starts. As long as one is not heedful while in the midst of life, the real meditation has not started.

Bro Teoh mentioned about a lady who wrote to him regarding her experience when eating. She could see many things and how her pleasant feelings arise. As she watched and contemplated, she said she saw that feeling was impermanent, so it was suffering and non-self. However, Bro Teoh said that she was using thought and knowledge to analyze her experience. When the thought is active (trying to be the meditator), she failed to understand what is going on because she lack awareness or mindfulness to see things as they are. Noting with the thought is not mindfulness. True sati or mindfulness (awareness) is without thought. Awareness and phenomenon moves as one.

It is only through this silent inner awareness that one can awaken to the three universal characteristics of nature, without words and concepts. Awareness has no word. Understanding will arise and then one can link back to what has happened. Hence, it is essential to develop the silent mind to be aware of the reality within the moment.

The realization of the unconditioned cannot be expressed through words. In true emptiness, there is no one to attain (as stated in the Heart sutra). In the conditioned-arising world, living beings do get sick and die. But in reality, there is neither existence nor death.

Memory is a tool for us to use. But if we cling onto it, it binds us and becomes an obstruction. As quoted by J. Krishnamurti, the most dangerous person in this world is the one who says ‘I knows.’ All knowing comes from thoughts via memory. Perception of form is consciousness and its non-perception is wisdom. All of knowing is knowledge borne of memory. When one says he already knows, he cannot learn anymore.

(Above short notes draft is by Puan Chee)

Daily Mindfulness & Understanding Cultivation Part 4 Youtube

(Short Notes pdf)

One needs to develop meditation with some basic understanding of mind. We must understand that we have two minds, namely the mundane mind and the true mind. To live life we use the mundane mind which is responsible for all arising of mind. Without wisdom this mundane mind will become heedless and evil, to arise the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion. Then suffering will be the result following Dhammapada verse 1. With wisdom borne of right views, this mundane mind will arise all the right thoughts, right speeches and right actions, then happiness will follow us like the shadow that never leaves us following Dhammapada verse 2.

It is important to understand who you are, what are you and what that self-nature is all about. And that all things arise from self nature via the mundane mind’s creation.

Understanding the two types of the mind is essential. First type, is the mundane mind/thinking mind; second type is supra mundane mind/true mind/self nature/Buddha nature/silent mind/meditative mind. The reason why most people don’t know how to meditate is because they only know the mundane mind. This mundane mind is dependent originating, arises depending on conditions. However, when you are able to realize your true mind through meditation, you will come to understand that, this one is different because it is beyond thought and beyond mind and this self-nature is inherent in all beings. Without thought, there is only the awareness nature within. It is just a suchness ‘nature’ within (not a being), so it cannot come out and live life because it is not you nor is it a being. But this is the nature that can awakens, understands truth and realizes enlightenment. From this self-nature, everything arises through the mundane mind’s creation.

It is important to reflect on ‘the host and guests’ analogy. The host (which is the awareness nature within) is always there, the guests are the six external sense data, whereby upon contact with mind, all their respective sense door consciousness arises. The guests come and go whereas the host always stay (does not come nor go). Remember you are the host. You are aware of all the guest’s movements, and with awareness and wisdom, you can make use of them and stay above them because your wisdom will prevent you from being deluded or deceived by them. But without this understanding that you are the host, you can be deceived by all the guests and their complaints etc. and get sucked into the whole chaotic situation. However, when you understand that you are the host, you do not get involved. Similarly, when sense data comes in, upon contact what happens (following dependent origination), you will understand for you can see them clearly. Then you will not become entangled in it. On the other hand, if you do not understand, that you are just this true nature within, which is just being aware, not a being, then your egoic mind will arise to delude you. When you are just silent (without thought), the true nature can insight into phenomena to awaken.

Thus meditation is just the silent mind being aware of what is going on within our form and mind, to see the truth of dependent origination clearly via seeing things as they are.

Mundane mind before enlightenment is deluded, thus it creates a lot of wrong speech, wrong thoughts and wrong actions. All wholesomeness or unwholesomeness arise via the mundane mind’s creation.  Reason why the Buddha under Dhammapada verses 1 and 2 says, ‘mind is the forerunner of things, mind is chief, when mind arise all good and bad arises dependent on the user of such mind’. If you act with a heedless mind borne of delusion (i.e. with greed, hatred and delusion), suffering will follow you like the wheel which follows the hoof of the cart. Therefore wisdom is needed to use this mundane mind appropriately. When you are heedful with wisdom to use this mind, you will train it to develop awareness and understanding, and you will then act according to wisdom with a wholesome mind (free of the evil roots), then happiness will follow you like the shadow that never leaves you.

Therefore it is important to avoid all evil, do good and purify your mind as advised by the Buddha. Act with wisdom following the noble eightfold path, to be free of suffering. USER of thought is very important.

The 5 precepts are vital, violating them constitute committing major evil. With mindfulness and yoniso manasikara developed, there can be sense restraint to enable us not to violate the precepts.

We should enquire who actually harm and kill. They are violent, selfish and deluded people with the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion. This will lead to karmic down fall and this is also the reason why keeping precepts or Sila is vital. Then you will have good conditions, good mind states and karmic support to support your meditation. With Sila comes Samadhi leading to Panna. (To refer to the brown transcript book on ‘Essential dhamma as taught by Buddha’ for more detail explanation).

The 5 aggregates of form and mind also has two aspects. 1^st aspect is as a living being. 2^nd aspect is as a mental 5 aggregates of form and mind or thought. This 5 aggregates of form and mind is subject to karma. Even though it is a karmically conditioned living being, but it is not a permanent unchanging entity that you can cling onto and grasp onto as the ‘I’ and the ‘Me’, thus it is non- self, but it does exists.

To develop wisdom, you need to meditate with the true mind to awaken.

In short, the whole of cultivation can be summarize as follows:

• Avoid all evil, cultivate wholesomeness and purify mind following advice of all Buddha.
• Cultivate and act following Noble Eightfold path. (Right view to cultivate right speech, right action, right thought and the 4 right efforts).
• Cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties of Saddha, Viriya, Sati, Samadhi and Panna.
• Constantly listen to dharma, inquire and contemplate the dharma with a relatively quiet mind (i.e. a creative mind) to arise the 1^st and 2^nd turning initial wisdom (Yonisomanasikara).
• Meditate is to realize the true mind (until mind enters sati).
• Cultivate daily mindfulness and clear comprehension leading to sense restraint.

To understand that things are just the way they are. We are all born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we are what we are because of our karma. There are causes and conditions behind all that happen. Thus when things happen, you must not react, blame or get angry, then you can be at peace with the reality of the moment, with a clear mind. Then you can contemplate on what happened to resolve things amicably so that you can move on and not suffer. Noble eightfold path is the way to end all suffering. When you act with right view, you will know how to utilize the mundane mind.

The realization of one’s true mind is the beginning of true meditation.

There was an email question by a lady on: cultivating daily mindfulness. She described how while eating, she is aware of her mental intentions to hold the chopstick, take the vegetable, open her mouth, put the vegetable into her mouth, start chewing’ etc.

Bro Teoh: The above is okay but the more important aspect of the training is when your hand moves to hold the chopstick you must be fully aware of that action and hand movement, that is body and mind moves as one (without thought) – that is sati (mindfulness). Similarly for the other activities and actions (like the taking of vegetables, opening of your mouth, putting it into your mouth and chewing etc.) – Just do, until you are just aware and most of the time without thoughts, then your mental chattering and verbalization will be greatly reduced and you will become more and more quiet and just mindful or aware. When mindfulness is more          and more continuous, it will stabilized then your mind is extra ordinary sensitive and you can see many things which you never see before to develop the understanding of the essential dharma as taught by the Buddha and the understanding of who you are and what you are? How you function as a human being, etc.
When u said,    ‘Then pleasant feelings arise. So I watch the feelings & contemplate it in mind, this feeling is impermanent, suffering & non-self. It is the same for all other feelings. All these awareness is very fast. So I try to do it for everyday activities’.

The above is what you are normally taught to do (it that way) but the real contemplation is very different. This is mainly doing it via dharma knowledge. What you should be doing is just silent your mind and maintain awareness (don’t try to know). The awareness will develop the understanding to awaken to the 3 universal characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta by itself without words, knowledge or concept. After this training is developed then only contemplate to stabilize the understanding – not before, otherwise it will become just dharma knowledge based contemplation which may not be effective. (While chewing food, she notes the pleasant sensation, then uses dharma knowledge to relate why this is impermanent and non-self. This is not the way to cultivate. When aware there is no word, understanding will thus come, and then you can link back to knowledge).

Develop the silent mind and just be aware, understanding will come by itself without you doing anything. After this, you can contemplate with the silent mind. Through your mindfulness you can awaken, not through your knowledge nor thought or memory.

Brother Teoh’s daughter did her cultivation differently i.e. when chewing, she enquired: – How do I recognize this as a pleasant feeling? What does pleasant mean to me? How did I learn this concept of pleasant?

She traced it to her conditioning borne of memory. Her these style of questioning had helped her to discover and understand more deeply how she experiences the world while living life. The thing she now understand is very different from the knowledge she uses to have. In doing so, she becomes more aware of her life and her thought’s conditioning.

It is important to develop the silent, meditative mind until it is very stable and sensitive, so that you are aware when there is any intention to or any stirring of mind via likes or dislikes borne of habitual tendencies. Yoniso manasikara will prompt you that this is attachment for thing is just the way it is. When there is condition for good food, you can have it. But when there is no condition, there is no suffering because there is understanding.

Brother Teoh encourages kalyanamitta to ask questions to create conditions for him to share. Don’t be shy, shyness is by the thought. Not you. .

Realization of the unconditioned cannot be expressed in words. It is beyond words and beyond thought. Words and concept are needed to express the dharma within the conditioned world. Hence in heart sutra, it is stated that, ‘in true emptiness, there is no Four noble truths, no one born, no one dies or gets sick or grows old and no one attains because it is the unconditioned. But in the condition arising world, all such thing exist, example there are living beings, getting old, sick and die.

The ariyan disciples of the Buddha have 4 unique qualities and conducts: Of good conduct, right conduct, wise conduct and dutiful conduct.

The one who knows does not speak or talk frivolously. They only speak with understanding and wisdom when there is condition to speak.

To come to this existential world you need a karmically conditioned 5 aggregates of form and mind. This is the ‘vehicle and tool’ for you to come. Only with this form and mind, can you realize your self-nature (true nature). All being has this self-nature. The mundane mind is the consciousness trapped inside the physical body. It is for you to use to live life. Within this form and mind (near the heart area), there is a ‘gateway’ to your self-nature. This nature cannot come out and live life. This nature is not a being and is non-self because it is not a permanent unchanging entity. This self-nature can develop wisdom, understanding and awaken. When you realize the self- nature and awaken, you will know, the form and mind is not you. It is just a causal phenomenon.

The karmic force, rebirth consciousness and physical body – when these 3 conditions come together it will animate into a human being. Then when heart is formed, comes heartbeat and the karmic force. This then becomes a fully developed form and mind with all the senses while in the womb before being born into the world.

(The draft for this short notes were prepared by Sister Chong Phey Yuen.)

Understanding Dharma Cultivation and Meditation Youtube

(Short Notes pdf)

The Awareness nature is suchness (it is just a nature within) and there is nobody to be aware. This nature within is not a being and it cannot come out and live life.  The moment one starts to perceive from this awareness nature, the mundane mind arises because perception is an aggregate of the mundane mind. But with 1^st and 2^nd turning initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) borne of constant listening and contemplative reflection of the dharma, it will prompt you to have the requisite wisdom at the moment of sense experience to act wisely. Thus preventing your mind from stirring and reacting via delusion. Things are as they are, due to their conditions behind their arising. Therefore you can accept the reality of the moment. Whatever that arise within this existential world there are causes and conditions behind. So when you want things your way which is against nature’s law, you suffer. This is in line with the 1st noble truth reality of ‘not getting what you want’ is dukkha.

You must understand the nature’s laws that governs life and existence especially the law of karma. Venerable Assaji told Sariputta (who then became a sotapanna) that his teacher said, ‘whatever that arise, there are causes and conditions behind, and these causes and conditions have been explained by my teacher (the Buddha) through his 5 daily contemplations: 1) This body is of the nature to grow old for it has not gone beyond old age; 2) This body is of the nature to get sick because it has not gone beyond sickness and diseases; 3) This body is of the nature to die for it has not gone beyond death, it is not a permanent unchanging entity, hence not you; 4) All that you own and hold on to dearly will one day separate from you; 5) We are all born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma, we are what we are due to our karma.

Law of karma – whenever happen in life the causes and conditions for their arising are mainly due to karma from the past. Thus you should accept the reality of the moment and not stir your thought unnecessarily so that there is no fear or anxiety, no blaming others and your mind is quiet, leading to clarity of mind. With this you can resolve the problem amicably via following N8FP and move on with your life smoothly.

Do what you need to do via wisdom. That is, need to repent and seek for forgiveness from all beings and Triple Gem, do it via reciting, ‘whomsoever from the distant past until now, whether knowingly or unknowingly that this nature of mine has caused them any karmic negativity, misery, suffering or mislead, I would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness. May my sincere request for forgiveness, be accepted by all’. I vow to repent via following the advice of the Buddha: to avoid all evil, do good and purify my mind through cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path. Radiate love and metta. With this, karmic obstruction can be overcome. Then Vow not to repeat all these evil, through keeping the 5 precepts. To purify mind one need to constantly listen to and contemplate the dharma and cultivate sincerely to straighten one’s views. After that, invoke power of merits (develop via your wholesome acts, thoughts and speech) for turn around and for other type of blessings like, ‘to always avoid the foolish/heedless, meet with the wise and enlightened ones, until Nibbana is realized soonest possible.

You can also modify the above to suite your need. For example, ‘by the power of whatever wholesomeness, that this nature of mine has cultivated since I know the dharma, may it arise causes and conditions for me (or my loved one’s) to recover to good health soonest possible. This is the dharma way that can help you improve your life and with this spiritual understanding you can also use it to help others as well.

With understanding, cultivate the 5 spiritual faculties to develop the meditation. With the 5 spiritual faculties developed, the mental hindrances are gone so there is no need to train or anchor the mind using skillful means (or object of meditation) to make the mind calm, peaceful and aware within. Just relax, maintain awareness, and the mind will be silent immediately. When your mind enters sati, you are very sensitive and all your seeing and hearing etc. will be in sati. You are able to see your bodily movements, nature’s phenomena and mental flows, all in sati, all in a continuous flow. Thus no more heedless thinking (lost in thought).

Ignorance will condition wrong thoughts (thoughts with the evil roots) to condition your fear, worry and anxiety. On the other hand when there is yoniso manasikara (wisdom at the moment of sense experience), you are aware and able to act according to wisdom.

The moment there is avijja (ignorance), thinking continues. For the wise, they only use the thinking mind to contemplate, reflect and arise the right thoughts. The mind is aware when contemplating. But for those with too much knowledge they tend to use a lot of their memory to act, and that is the reason why they cannot reflect or contemplate correctly. According to J. Krishnamurti, beware of the one who says ‘I know’ because there is nothing to know. All knowing borne of your views, opinions and conditioned thoughts are just knowledge.

Dhamma is akaliko, beyond thought beyond mind. Therefore ‘whenever there is a meditator, there is no meditation’. The meditator here is the egoic mind, the thought. Hence the thought cannot be in state of sati or awareness. Either you are aware or lost in thought. To meditate, you must understand and use your true mind but to live life you must understand and use your mundane mind.

Moment to moment, life passes by, what are you doing? Most people are too busy thinking, planning and worrying about life, not being in the moment, silently aware to truly living life. This is heedless living. But with the meditative mind, you are mindful, aware and silent within. This is heedful living.  Brother Teoh shared that although he is currently sharing dharma in this class, but inside (his nature) is still and empty; his ‘nature’ shares naturally (straight from the heart that has the wisdom connected to it). Once awaken, the wisdom is connected to the form and mind hence making it different (wise). It is different from the one who uses memory and knowledge to act.

Silent mind is able to see the birth and formation of thought. Stability of mindfulness is needed. There is an inner awareness within. Observe without the observer (objective seeing), for the ‘observer’ is the observed! – Here the observer is the thought that perceives with an egoic mind (Subjective seeing). Thus the objective seeing is the pure seeing and the Buddha explained it using this words: ‘in the seeing there is only the seeing consciousness, no one to see as yet’. With this, one stays with the true mind, in pure awareness, to see things as they are and to awaken without the need for words. That is to see things as they are before the perception and without the observer, this is wisdom seeing. (‘The observer is the observed’ stated above is a J. krishnamurti’s quote).

Buddha merely shows the way. Unless you cultivate yourself and awaken, you cannot understand. You will be more confused if you use the mundane mind to understand.

There are 3 types of seeing as taught in the Mahayana teaching: 1) mundane seeing: ‘see mountain as mountain’. 2) The direct or wisdom seeing via the silent mind, to see thing as it is, with the pure awareness/perception (without the words): thus See Mountain as not mountain 3) Suchness seeing with true wisdom: ‘Seeing Mountain as mountain again’ – as one blends into life within the existential world of convention, one must have the wisdom to accord and flow with conditions and go beyond duality (right and wrong).

In the Surangama sutta, it is said, ‘perception of form is consciousness, whereas its non-perception is wisdom’. When no mundane mind is involved, there is direct seeing via the silent mind, to see things as they are without words and concept borne of perception, and that is wisdom and understanding. But when you perceive form under mundane seeing (i.e. without the wisdom), the mundane mind (with delusion) arises, then one label what one see with words and concept and that is knowledge borne of mundane consciousness.

A very stable daily mindfulness (sati) is needed to see the birth and creation of thought. The pure vinnana (or pure awareness/perception) is the one that can allow one’s nature to see things as they are (seeing truth). With sati and initial wisdom, at the moment of sense experience (the pure consciousness before content input), feeling can remains as pure feeling. It does not lead to craving. This comes with understanding because the unwavering mind is borne of wisdom. But as your mind stirs with likes and dislikes, borne of mental hindrances conditioned by self-delusion, this mental hindrances will hinder your mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness.

The mandarin saying 心为根本 (xin wei ken pen), means you have to start your cultivation from basic, meaning start from mind (xin wei ken pen) and you must understand what this mind is all about (its 2 aspects) so that you can understand clearly who you are and what you are? If you can’t even understand that you have a self-nature and everything arises from that self-nature via creation by the mundane mind (which is dependent originating and condition arising) then you are being superficial in your cultivation and you are wasting your time. Whether wholesome, unwholesome, evil and non-evil, etc. they all arise from here, this is basic understanding.” This basic understanding of the self-nature and the mundane mind is also the reason why Sakyamuni Buddha, said “Mind is the fore-runner of all things. Mind is chief, when mind arises everything arises.” Hence Good and bad, wholesome and unwholesome, etc. – they all arise via the mundane mind’s creation. And Bodhidharma said, ‘if this basic teaching also you don’t understand, then how can you meditate? Do you follow? This basic understanding teaches you, that your mind via words and thoughts creates duality of good and bad, wholesome and unwholesome, etc. and that is why you have to start from there. Brother Teoh urges kalyanamitta to read the transcript book, lesson 75 of his 6^th Patriarch platform sutra, page 13 onwards to develop the better understanding.

Question on how to transcend duality and the middle path is also clearly explained from Page 24 onward of the same book.

The zen story of Bodhidharma, states that all cultivation starts from understanding the mundane mind which creates everything is very important. It is similar to Sakyamuni’s Dhamapada sayings verses 1 and 2: ‘Mind is the forerunner of all things, mind is chief, when mind arises, everything arise. When you are heedless, you will act with delusion thus causing suffering. But when you are heedful, your mind is beautiful and happiness will follow you like the shadow that never leaves you.’ Since you hold the key to your own life destiny. To be happy or unhappy is entirely your own choice. Therefore it is important for you to choose wisely. People suffer due to their lack of understanding because they are not taught such dharma teaching.

Both mundane and supra mundane aspects of life are summarized in the 4 noble truths. With this understanding one will understand the secret of life, then one can live life beautifully and meaningfully. This 4 noble truths is so complete and unique that when Brother Teoh came to know this teaching when he was young (1971), he never turned back and cultivated it all the way through. The 4 noble truths are:

• 1^st Noble truth: concerning mundane realities of life and existence: There is this noble truth of dukkha explaining the prevalence of suffering and the realities of life and existence. All mundane happenings are part of by the 8 realities of birth, old age, sickness and death, separation from loved ones & one’s prized possessions, being with people you don’t like, when things don’t go your way, your expectation is life are not fulfilled, when you cannot get what you want and finally, ‘in short it is due to your self-delusion which conditions you to grasp and cling onto the 5 aggregate of form and mind, thinking that is you, is the cause of
• 2^nd Noble Truth: Cause of arising of suffering which is craving borne of self-delusion, conditioned by
• 3^rd Noble Truth: Enlightenment in the here and now is possible and suffering need not be when you have the wisdom. (Supra mundane aspect).
• 4^th Noble Truth: How to end suffering through cultivating the noble 8-fold path to live the noble life of an enlightened being. This is the supra mundane aspect of life.

(The draft for this short notes were prepared by Sister Chong Phey Yuen.)

Daily Mindfulness & Understanding Cultivation Part 3 (Without Thought that is your True Mind) Youtube

(Short Notes pdf)

Your original state of mind (without the thought) is your true nature. This is your meditative mind. With this understanding, to meditate is very easy, just Relax, aware, and silent (or let things be). When you are silent within, you can see how thoughts actually arise, due to conditions and it is dependent originating. There is no ‘thinker’ behind the thought, hence it is non-self (anatta). Thought is respond to memory. If your daily mindfulness and silent mind is very stable, you can also see the birth and formation of thought and this thought (namarupa) is the 2^nd aspect of the 5 aggregate of form and mind. Initially it is just the pure vinanam (pure consciousness) before the content of consciousness goes in to form the thought (namarupa).

How does thought arise? Why is thought limited? You are initially the spacious awareness without a center. When you shrink your spacious awareness into a small space to perceive something, thought becomes limited. Initially this is just pure awareness before the content of consciousness goes in. That is ‘in the seeing, there is only seeing consciousness’ no one to see as yet. But with your views, opinions and mental conditioning, the wrong content of consciousness are inputted through perception and memory, and this cause the pure awareness/pure consciousness to become an egoic thought. This happens very fast (when you lack a stable daily mindfulness and the initial wisdom or yoniso manasikara) borne of the 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom. Reason why there is grasping to the 5 aggregates of form and mind due to ignorance, leading to dukkha.

In the 12 links (Paticca samuppada) or Dependent Origination teaching the Buddha said, ‘avijja paccaya sankhara; sankhara paccaya vinnanam; vinnana paccaya nama rupam; …….’. That is ‘Dependent on ignorance (ignorant of truth), mental activities or thinking arise. When thinking arise, mind makes contact with brain, then just like the physics experiment, upon contact the light bulb lights up. The lighting up is vinnanam i.e. the pure ‘thought’ consciousness before the input of its content. In Satipatthana sutta, Buddha used the term citta, meaning the pure vinnanam with its content. Thus the Buddha instructed the monks as follows: when the content of consciousness has delusion or lust (greed) or hatred, you must be aware.

To meditate is not to create more thoughts. Instead you need sati (the silent mind) to see the essential dharma, to know who you are and how you function as a human being, and to know clearly the Paticca samuppada (the Law of Dependent Origination) links and teaching clearly.

The following Mahayana Dharma saying by Master Bo Yuen Chang Lau of WPCS are very important: –

• 心静 (xin jing) – Still or silent mind, the meditative mind;
• 无 念 是 真 心 (wu nian shi zhen xin) – without thought that is the true mind;
• 动 念 即 无 明 (dong nian ji wu ming) – stirring of the thought is delusion.

When you think a lot, it means there is ignorance. You lack wisdom and you are heedless. (Instead the enlightened ones only think when they need to, or else they are most of the time silent within).

For your meditative mind to arise, you need to have the initial wisdom, the 5 spiritual faculties, and the daily mindfulness developed.  The reason being, our mind can only do one thing at a time; i.e. it is either aware (within the moment) borne of wisdom or it is loss in thought (preoccupied with the thinking due to avijja or ignorant). When it is aware it is with the true mind (without thought). Whereas when you are loss in thoughts, it is with the mundane mind heedlessly thinking and proliferating.

For those who can’t have the meditative mind developed, they cannot meditate. Reason why they need an object of meditation or a skillful means to anchor and train the mind. Most of them focus their mind to do Samatha meditation via the 40 objects of meditation so that their mind is not heedless (think a lot) and restless. One can only be mindful when the 5 spiritual faculties are there, otherwise the mental hindrances will be there to hinder their mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness. The object of meditation is only their initial skillful means to help suppress their obsessive thoughts. This is suppression via a conditioned state of focusing (concentration)! Not borne of wisdom. Reason why their defilements borne of ignorant cannot be rooted out because they are all suppressed by the concentration or energy field. 

The 5 spiritual faculties make one calm, composed and ever mindful and it can enable one to understand spiritual teachings easily. The 5 spiritual faculties are:

• Faith/Saddha – your faith deepens by knowing clearly who the Buddha is? He is not only enlightened but fully He is perfect in wisdom and virtue, he understands life completely and his rather unique and beautiful teaching can liberate the mind of living beings from all suffering.
• Spiritual zeal/Viriya – the spiritual tenacity to cultivate (borne of seeing the importance of such cultivation), to make you awake. You need a good daily religious routine to train your mind to be ever mindful in midst of life. When you do the formal meditation, it is to train your mind enter sati and to realize passaddhi.
• Sati/mindfulness – awareness (without thought), before the input of the content of consciousness. When you are in sati there is no thought hence there is no negativity of mind states.
• Samadhi – mind that is collected and unwavering. (because of Samadhi, when you see something, your mundane mind does not stir. Then you can see things as they are, and you will not stir your mind to act according to memory (which is not acting at all) through inputting the content of consciousness according to your memory’s accumulated views, opinions and mental conditioning which leads to evil roots and wrong thoughts.
• Wisdom/panna – will arise when I can see things as they are with Samadhi leading to the last enlightenment factor of upekkha (equanimity borne of wisdom).

Thus it is important to train your mind to be ever mindful (without thought) by cultivating the 5 spiritual faculties and the daily mindfulness. You need this because once you enter life, your 6 sense doors are fully engaged so if you cannot be in this meditative state when you are in the formal meditation then it will be near to impossible for you to be mindful while you are fully engaged in life.

It is important to be mindful of your 6 internal and 6 external sense bases to understand how you function as a human being, because you interact with the world through your sense bases. When you are aware of all these, you will know how you become lustful, fearful, emotional, angry etc. You are able to see them all in your meditation – all the essential dharma as taught by the Buddha: the 5 spiritual faculties, 5 mental hindrances, 5 aggregates of form and mind, 4 noble truths, 7 factors of enlightenment, 10 steps of the avijja sutta, 3 turning of the 4 Noble truth wisdom, etc.

The Dharma is akaliko (beyond time and beyond thought) i.e. timeless. Thus you cannot use thought to meditate to realize the dharma which is beyond thought. You need sati to realize this true dharma.

Thought is matter, thought is trapped energy (E=mc2). Thought can see form; form cannot see thought. Thus thought is of higher intelligence than form. From 0 comes 1 (the 1^st thought of ignorant) then from 1 comes infinity. When we meditate, awareness can see thought but thought cannot see awareness. Thus awareness has higher intelligence. Thought arises from your true nature. From this oneness nature, all things come about.

When you walk this path of dharma, you develop wisdom leading to virtues, naturally. Without wisdom, there is no genuine virtues. True Virtues must be accompanied with wisdom otherwise it is virtue according to oneself.

Human beings have two minds: the mundane mind and the supra mundane mind. Supra mundane mind will realize that the 5 aggregates are empty (empty nature of existence) thus non-self and impermanent.

In our daily cultivation, we start from understanding the mundane mind via comprehending Dhammapada verses 1 and 2. According to the Buddha, Verse 1: ‘Mind is the forerunner of all things; when mind arises, all things arises. If you act, speak and think with the unwholesome or evil mind that has the 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion, then suffering will follow you as the wheels that follow the hoof print of the ox that draws the cart. Whereas Verse 2: if you speak, act and think with a pure mind (free of the 3 evil roots), happiness will follow you like a shadow that never leaves you. Thus you need to train the mundane mind to be heedful.

Your life, you hold the key to your own life’s destiny. To be happy or unhappy is entirely your choice. So choose to be happy, choose to develop wholesomeness, to train your mind to be heedful and constantly meditative always via following the advice of the Buddha to Do good, avoid all evil and purify the mind.

But when it comes to meditation, we start with understanding the true mind. Meditate to realize and connect to our true nature. Wisdom that arise via the direct seeing is connected to your 5 aggregate of form and mind and thus the form and mind (or human being) is enlightened, but it is not you because the 5 aggregate of form and mind is not a permanent unchanging entity. As this 5 aggregate is no longer deluded, thus there is no more suffering. This is how awakening happens.

If you plant the seed of wholesomeness, you will reap the fruit of goodness. On the other hand, evil begets evil. Thus it is important to keep the minimum 5 precepts. This will enable you to avoid all the major evils. If you violate these precepts, karmic fruition will surely hit back. Out of love and compassion for human beings, Buddha taught the 5 precepts. Then cultivate wholesomeness, and develop mindfulness and wisdom to purify mind to have the good life. To live the 3^rd phase of dharma –Pativedha dharma (life of an enlightened being).

In avijja sutta, sense restraint is vital. With sense restraint you can’t break your precepts. This comes about after having listening to the true dharma and then investigated (via constant reflection, contemplation and inquiry) into them to develop the faith and the initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) borne of 1^st and 2^nd turning wisdom. Real meditation only begins when sati sampajanna (mindfulness and clear comprehension) has stabilized. With this, one can keep to precepts naturally, as one knows the consequence from not doing so.

With wisdom, thought may arise but no more proliferation due to wrong view and self-delusion. You are aware and mindful at the moment of sense experience most of the time and this yonisomanasikara will prompt and guide you, on how to act according to wisdom, following Noble 8-fold path. When you perceive something, wisdom sees it just ‘as it is’.  Suchness.

Qi Xin Dong Nian” (起心动念) – the arising of mind, creates thinking hence stirring of the mind comes to be! Or in Theravāda term it is “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” – “Ignorance conditions activities of mind” (the first two links of the paṭicca-samuppāda)

Originally before the stirring, the true mind is already in the meditative state of inner peace, silence and still awareness within. So the stirring of the mundane mind comes about only when we do not have the wisdom and understanding of this fundamental principle. Through our own ignorance, we cause our mundane mind to arise via our reactions to sense experiences at the moment of sense experience. Train the mind to have the silent inner awareness and clarity to see all these clearly then there is no more delusion and we can just “let things be” then no more suffering or problem and tranquility will return by not trying to do anything via the thought to suppress or control. I.e. just be patient to maintain the ‘silent mind’ with clear inner awareness within, to let everything return to its original state before its stirring. Always remember; when there is no delusion or ignorance there is no stirring of the mind because “only wisdom frees the mind”. i.e. the moment you have wisdom, your mind will not stir and you are free, so no need to do anything after that because things are just the way they are! – Suchness or Tathatā.

(The draft for this short notes were prepared by Sister Chong Phey Yuen.)

Daily Mindfulness & Understanding Cultivation Part 2 (The Three Bodies of the Buddha) Youtube

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh continued his sharing from his transcript book, `the 75^th lesson of the Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra.’ He explained again that the Mahayana chanting is to be done with awareness and understanding until the chanting develops the spiritual faculties of Saddha, Viriya, Sati, Samadhi and Panna.

Having a good daily religious routine covering morning and evening formal meditation, chanting, paying respect to triple gem and continuous mindfulness training throughout the day will help develop the 5 spiritual faculties. Bro Teoh mentioned the case of Sis Adeline who benefited a lot because of her faith and consistent effort leading to her ability to develop a very stable daily mindfulness to help her progress.

The mind has to be trained to be heedful in the midst of life following Dhammapada Verse 21 (Heedfulness is the path to the deathless, heedlessness is the path to death. The heedful do not die, the heedless are as if dead.)

He stressed again the importance of training the mind. When one understands, just do the necessary and don’t try to know. It’s not about right or wrong but more of whether we understand what we are doing in the name of meditation. If the spiritual faculties are not there, train until they arise. Once they are there, there is no need to do anything. If they are not there, continue to train the mind until mind enters sati.

At every moment of sense experience, when one is in sati, there is clarity, sensitivity and understanding. Then, develop clear comprehension (sampajanna) to avoid deviation during cultivation leading to wrong mindfulness.

Who wants to know? It is the thought, the ego which manifests without you knowing it. So it is about whether one understands what one is doing in the name of meditation.

Instead of waiting for the teacher to praise us, understand what we are doing. The real meditation is not only the formal practice but it includes the cultivation of the daily mindfulness while in the midst of life. It is therefore necessary that we have a good daily religious routine and be mindful throughout the day. Pay respect to Triple Gem mindfully, doing daily chores mindfully, and maintain mindfulness of all actions and movements in the present moment. As there is a tendency for us to use the brain to think a lot, it is advisable to bring attention to the heart area and develop inner awareness from there. Whenever we lapse into heedlessness, bring attention back to the heart area and be aware of the outside from this area of inner awareness.

Meditation is a full time job. But we do not need to retire from any job to develop the meditation. If we attend retreats because of mind having problems, this will not be effective if we attend a retreat just to feel good, more peaceful and calm, only to lose the calmness when our minds get agitated again while in the midst of life. The real meditation is cultivating the initial wisdom leading to sati sampajanna. Cultivation must be supported by wisdom, mindfulness and clear comprehension to enable one to awaken to the truth.

The three bodies of the Buddha are: – the functional body (nirmanakaya) which performs the function of the Buddha, the spiritual body (sambogayakaya, where all the virtue, wisdom and understanding the Buddha had perfected in the past is stored) and finally the Dharma body (dharmakaya) which enables the Buddha to share the dharma with the world.

His functional body (even though dependent-originating) will enable the Buddha to perform his function as a Buddha to teach the dharma to the world but it is not him, for  it goes the way of nature. It is subjected to old age, sickness and death.

The Buddha inherited his spiritual understanding and perfections through the Sambogayakaya. Hence, when the Buddha finally attained Buddhahood, He uttered The Paean of Joy (Dhammapada Verses 153, 154).

PAEAN OF JOY

Through many a birth I wandered in this saṃsāra (endless cycle of births and deaths),

Seeking but not finding, the builder of this house. Sorrowful is repeated birth.

O house builder! You are seen. You shall build no house again All your rafters are broken.

Your ridge-pole shattered. My mind has attained the unconditioned. Achieved is the end of craving.

Bro Teoh explained the difference between beings who are reborn with and without the Bodhisattva vows. For the former, it is via their karma and their Bodhisattva vows that conditioned their rebirth via a pure mind (without avijja) borne of love and compassion for the limitless living beings which they vowed to take across. For the latter (non-Bodhisattva), it is via normal karma that conditions their rebirth with avijja.

Not everyone is able to inherit their spiritual nature’s perfections unless they can connect to their true nature due to their Bodhisattva vows taken from earlier lives. For Bro Teoh’s case, he was able to inherit his past cultivations from his spiritual nature because of his past cultivation and vows. His unique past cultivation and understanding, enable him to have the conditions to meet the right teachers, guides and great being’s nature to connect to his true nature early. Not long after that, his mundane mind collapsed and his nature shine forth and became very different. He also mentioned that we will not be able to comprehend all this until later.

Bro Teoh explained what he meant by ‘meditation is a full-time job’. It doesn’t mean, we have to retire from our job. Because mindfulness can be develop in all postures while working and living life, regardless of whether we are working or retired. It only involves the understanding of the domain of meditation. We do what we have to do via following the 10 steps as listed in the enlightenment sequence of the avijja sutta. One need to attend dharma classes, cultivate and heed the advice of the Buddha. Live a life following the dharma way. The dharma way is the righteous way. To take care of karma via keeping precepts and to cultivate all virtues and blessings.

Most people only come to listen to the dharma when they face problems. But once their problems are resolved, they forget what they should do. They have not understood the real meaning of the Four Noble Truth. Hence, suffering will arise again and again when the conditions are there.

Cultivation can be equated to learning cooking. If one only reads the recipe but never tries it out, then it is just book knowledge. The same applies to understanding the dharma. As long as one does not know how to apply what has been learnt, it will only be knowledge. Understanding is not rigid. There is no short cut to cultivation. The dharma learnt has to be put into practice, leading to awakening for it to be useful.

The swimming analogy is very good. Initially, we use a float to keep us afloat. For meditation, we use a skilful means such as anapanasati or any object of meditation to anchor the mind. Knowing that our body’s natural state is buoyancy (as it is lighter than water), then we can let go of the float to swim. We don’t have to learn to float. Similarly, when we understand that, without thought (during meditation), one is already aware. So there is no need to hold onto the skilful means or learn how to be aware to meditate anymore. Hence, just as swimming is to be develop with understanding, meditation uses the same principle.

When the mind is quiet and mindful in the midst of life, we can see clearly how we are caught up in the vicious cycle of seeking, wanting to know, too eager to progress, etc. which arises more craving in the mind. With this understanding, we only need to cultivate sincerely and diligently for the appropriate conditions to unfold. Once the mind enters sati, we can see the subtle defilements clearly and how they condition us to think, speak and react to sense experience.

For Bro Teoh when his mundane mind collapsed, the 3 universal characteristics were so apparent to him every moment, every instant. However, without the direct seeing borne of a silent mind, it is very difficult for us to understand this truth. It is important to train our mind until it enters sati while in the formal practice.  Otherwise, while in the midst of life, you don’t stand a chance to have such mind state because the six sense doors are fully engaged while living life.

Initial wisdom is very important. As mentioned in the Avijja Sutta: associating with dharma friends, listening and contemplating the dharma (to develop the first and second turning wisdom), faith in the Triple Gem, yoniso manasikara, daily mindfulness with clear comprehension, sense restraint, the 3 ways of right conduct and cultivating 4 foundations of mindfulness are important steps leading to the arising of the 7 factors of enlightenment. As they keep on arising, this will lead to the enlightenment in the here and the now.

Bro Teoh kept reminding fellow Kalyanamittas to constantly listen to the true dharma again and again and cultivate following the 10 steps as listed in the Avijja Sutta. To write it down and practice seriously which is what most of us lack. Without the initial wisdom our mind cannot enters sati so how can the daily mindfulness be developed? If there is this understanding, one will have the urgency to do all these during this sasana, one will be determined to cultivate sincerely and seriously from now onwards.

(Above draft short notes was prepared by Puan Chee)

Daily Mindfulness & Understanding Cultivation

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh discussed his transcript book: 75^th lesson of Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra (page 37 onwards). Miss Lee’s question gave rise to conditions for Bro Teoh to explain further on the topic ‘Daily mindfulness and understanding cultivation’. Miss Lee asked, ‘according to Bro Teoh meditation began only when one had the silent mind but if the self-nature and the true mind is already in pure seeing, do we still need to meditate from the silent mind?’

Bro Teoh replied, the way she asked her question showed that she haven’t really understood what Bro Teoh had taught her. Her first question should be, ‘is it true that unless you meditate until you can realize your silent mind, the real meditation hasn’t started?’ That is what I said all these while; not until your daily mindfulness is very stable, you cannot have (or realize) the silent mind. If one is caught in book knowledge and not coming from understanding, such questions will arise. Her 2^nd question is, ‘if the mind is already quiet, does one have to stay with the silent mind?’ The silent mind is the meditative mind so why is there any need to stay there? Whatever that arises, the silent mind in pure awareness (which is without thought) can be aware of it clearly. This silent observation can give rise to wisdom and understanding.

It is only the thought that asks such question. If it is through an understanding, one will know what to do. One just has to keep on developing the training of the mind to be mindful first. Then, stabilize it until it is ever mindful. The stabilizing of mind may take a while unless the five spiritual faculties are already strongly established. So, one just needs to continue with the training. If one still wants to meditate before the spiritual faculties are established, then use the mind-sweeping method coupled with metta to train the mind. To decondition the heedless thinking initially. Then use anapanasati to stabilize the sati.

The heedless mind needs to be trained until it can enter the meditative state. One can also use anapanasati or any method or technique to anchor the mind. When the mind becomes quiet until even the subtle breathing stops, then the mind can just be aware without any thought. That is the silent mind.

Whatever technique that is used to stabilize the mind is only an initial skillful mean. Once the mind is trained the awareness will be there, then maintaining this awareness for as long as you can, until the mind enters sati. As long as one has not trained the mind to go into that state during the formal meditation, chances are, it will be very difficult for one to develop the ability to be aware (or ever mindful) in the midst of life.

When the mind has been trained to be aware without thought, whatever that arises through the six sense doors can be picked up through the stirring of the mundane mind. Awareness can observe all that is arising in the mind and understand how sankhara is being created via one’s views and opinions.

Bro Teoh asked Miss Lee whether she had trained her mind to be silent and still. If she had not done so, then she must stabilize it first because dharma knowledge and theory cannot help one to arrive at that state. If she had to train her mind or work on the spiritual faculties to stabilize sati, then she had to do it first.

Even if one does bowing as a skillful means, one must bow until mindfulness sets in. Until the awareness and kaya (the bodily movements) move as one in perfect harmony.

The mind has to be trained until it is ever mindful and constantly meditative. Not only during formal meditation sessions but also while in the midst of life with sati and all the other spiritual faculties present. However, most meditators can only do that when they slow everything down during the formal practice under retreat condition. Hence, the moment they come out of the retreat they can’t maintain those calm states (heedful state) and realize that they have lost it again and become heedless again while in the midst of life. This shows that most cultivators do not understand what the real meditation is. The ever mindful, constantly meditative (cultivating the Noble 8-fold Path) and steadfast one will realize the unconditioned state of Nibbana.

Sister Angie asked what happens, if while one is in the constantly meditative mode practicing the Noble 8fold Path but at times, there are lapses in awareness.

Bro Teoh answered that it is alright and it is not a problem. It does happen especially in the initial stages of cultivation.

Be aware of these lapses in awareness and return to heedfulness as soon as possible. Bro Teoh mentioned that when he was cultivating in the early years, he was able to be fully aware throughout the day, constantly contemplating, reflecting and meditating. Then later he shifted his contemplation and cultivation away from the essential dharma to focus on the cultivation of the Noble 8-fold Path. He had to start reflecting on the 1^st path factor of right view with regards to the three spiritual laws of law of karma, law of mind and the law of dharma. (For more detail please do listen to the audio file from 1:01:08 onwards)

It is important for one to understand the Law of Karma through understanding what constitutes evil and then follow up with the practice of avoiding all evil, cultivating wholesomeness, virtue and meditation. That is the beginning of cultivation. Then cultivate the three turnings of the Four Noble Truths to develop the 3 types of corresponding wisdoms of suttamaya panna, cintamaya panna and bhavanamaya panna. Develop the initial wisdom borne of the 1^st and 2^nd turnings through constantly listening to the true dharma and constantly contemplating, reflecting and inquiring into them to straighten our views. Then cultivate sati sampajanna (mindfulness and clear comprehension) in daily life until one is ever mindful and constantly meditative. When one can see how the mind reacting, stirring and oscillating between the dualities of sensual desires and ill-will, due to wrong view leading to habitual tendencies, then wisdom will keep on arising. Sati sampajanna will enable the mind to see clearly what is happening at every moment of sense experience. Witnessing all the essential dharma arising and passing away according to the Buddha’s teaching will enable one to understanding the 3 universal characteristics of nature clearly.

Mindfulness with clear comprehension will protect the mind from going astray and being deceived by the phenomenal world of consciousness. Sense restraint will be possible and one cannot break the precepts anymore because the mind does not react through self-delusion anymore. When that happens, one’s thoughts, speech and action are in accordance with Noble 8-fold Path leading to one’s ability to arise the 3 ways of right conduct.

Right thought is very important. They are all your virtuous thoughts that include the four Brahma Viharas mind states and the accompanying ennoblers of precepts (ennobler of anger is love, ennobler of stealing is generosity, ennobler of lust is contentment, etc.) Such virtuous thoughts can only arise when one has developed some level of wisdom. As the cultivation progresses, one moves from the contemplation of the essential dharma to the contemplation on how to cultivate the Noble 8-fold Path. Wisdom will then keep on arising and the mind will become non-grasping later. When that happens, the egoic mind borne of self-delusion can be rooted out.

Our karmic nature follows us immediately life after life the moment we are born but for us to inherit from our spiritual nature one has to connect to our true nature first. Otherwise, it is not possible to inherit from the spiritual nature. Bro Teoh was able to do that in the year 1989 when he connects to his true nature to inherit all his past cultivation. Bro Teoh also shared with us that he is now able to share all these higher understandings with us because the kalyanamitta’s consciousness has evolved and many of us can now understand such profound teachings.

On Page 40 of the 75^th lesson of the 6^th Patriarch Platform Sutra transcript book, it was mentioned that all experiences acquired (by those who cultivate thought-based meditation) during retreats are conditioned mind states and they won’t bring about true transformation because they are using thought to meditate. The dharma is akaliko (beyond thought and beyond time) so how can the thoughts realize reality or the dharma? Only Awareness or mindfulness which is beyond thought can realize the dharma.

Even the Jhanas are thought based (one-pointedness) energy field related cultivation that can cause cultivators to keep on chasing for better and better mind/psychic states. The Buddha taught us to realize wisdom to liberate mind which has nothing to do with fantastic meditative mind states. These are defilements of insight causing one to attach and cling leading to suffering. It is more important to cultivate correctly, the wisdom to awaken so that one is not deceived by our sense perceptions and the phenomenal world.

Back to Miss Lee’s question (in the book), Bro Teoh mentioned that the question of ‘shall we stay with the silent mind?’ was a wrong question coming from the thought (non-understanding). The silent mind is the meditative mind that can insight into phenomena to awaken and understand reality. One has to cultivate until that silent awareness becomes a part of our nature so that it is always with us (ever mindful). We can then use it to cultivate, live life and awaken. One must not stay with it because it is just a nature, our true mind, a background awareness for us to develop the pure perception and the direct seeing to awaken.

Most people are so gullible as to think, those objects of meditation, methods and techniques of meditation are the meditation itself. Instead they are only skillful means for one to anchor and train their mind before moving on to further contemplation and cultivation. They are only a means to an end. The real meditation is heedfulness as defined by dhammapada verse 23. Heedfulness = Constantly meditative + ever mindful.

Bro Teoh mentioned that, in January 2017, when he was asked to do a write up for his new dharma website, he came across the Avijja Sutta which he had never heard before. It was strange indeed because that Sutta appeared to him on his computer screen when he was googling for some appropriate dharma to be included in the write-up. When he clicks on this Avijja sutta and saw the two cycles (ignorant cycle and enlightenment cycle) stated in the sutta, he immediately understood what they are and he decided to put it on the website because they are so beautiful and useful. He came to realize that was how he had cultivated his meditation following exactly the 10 steps as stated in the enlightenment sequence of the Avijja sutta. Bro Teoh belief many could not understand this Sutta because this sutta is very profound. Without a good understanding of this Sutta, one cannot root out or break free from ignorance.

Initially, one has to use words to explain the Dharma. But, words can be misleading if they are not properly understood. Just as some Thai tradition’s books which use the translated word `knower’, like stay with the ‘knower’. Since it is anatta, there is no ‘knower’. The correct understanding should be stay with the ‘awareness’ nature. Hence, one needs some wisdom so as not to be so gullible by following blindly without investigating what has been taught.

We cannot try to be aware. The trying is by the thought. The moment we do that; we are using another thought to look for mindfulness or to become mindful. When thought is active, how can you be aware? Instead we need to understand, the moment we are without thought, the awareness is already there. So just relax and don’t do anything, allow the thought to slow down and cease then the awareness is manifested. Then you will understand why the Buddha said, ‘in the seeing, initially there is just the seeing consciousness, the pure perception with no one to see as yet’.

One cannot be silent because the wanting to know is by the thought. This is obvious from the first two links of Paticca Samupada – Avijja pacaya sankhara. Bro Teoh emphasized the importance of asking for clarification if you are not clear about the cultivation. Otherwise, you will be practicing wrongly. Whatever we do in the name of meditation, it is important for us to do it with understanding.

Bro Teoh shared the dharma of an old monk, the late 广 钦 老 和 尚 (Guang Qing Lao He Shang) from China. He was an illiterate, but he was very wise. His dharma verse on, `过去心不可得 (The mind of the past which is already gone is not a reality), 未来心不可得 (the mind of the future, has yet to come, is also not a reality), and 现在心也不可得 (the present moment mind is also not a reality). So, there is nothing that we can hold onto, not even the present moment. But Bro Teoh cautioned us to be careful. We need the present moment mind in pure awareness to cultivate. For the ultimate realization, to transcend life, one has to transcend even the present moment leading to the cessation of form and mind which is the unconditioned. The present moment may be the highest in life but it is still within life.

Bro Teoh mentioned comparisons between the Mahayana and Theravada approaches. The Mahayana teachings cover a wider scope of the Buddha’s teachings but lack a strong foundation of the essential dharma. The Theravada approach has the essentials laid out very clearly but it has not gone deep into the other aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. So when both can be integrated, the teaching becomes beautiful. This is what Bro Teoh has been doing in his classes. The Mahayana teaching is a spin off from the Theravada. If one has fixated ideas and views, one’s understanding will be very limited.

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

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh advised Tammy to forget about her various thoughts – thought behind a thought telling her this and that because this is not mindfulness.  When thought is active how can you be mindful? When she thinks she is mindful, actually it is the thought that is telling her what the previous thoughts are. But if you are aware, it is different. That is, when you have developed the ability to be aware, it is just silently aware. The awareness that is aware of the whole thing has no words, no verbalisation, completely quiet. While the thought has a lot of words, concepts, ideas and verbalisations. The background awareness which is quiet is aware of the arising thought.

If she has developed the initial wisdom she will be very different. She will be able to understand what is going on in her mind. But most people don’t have this ability. This initial wisdom is very powerful. Without this initial wisdom, the egoic thought will have power to deceive you.

Is there is a thinker behind the thought? You have to silent your mind completely, in order to develop the ability to be aware. Then you will come to understand that thoughts are response to memory. Without memory there is no thought. That is the reason why a new born child with no memory and conditioning has no thought. Thought arise when we stir our mind due to our views opinions and conditioning. With mindfulness (awareness) we can see this movements clearly.

Everything the mind can do is Sankhara. The content of consciousness is Sankhara, which means the aggregates of feeling and perception are part of Sankhara. That is why they have to use so many English words to translate it. Karmic volition is one of the words. Volition is intention. Mental activities like thinking, planning and scheming, etc. is another word. Mental states or mind states is another word. Our mind can experience all the various mind states like peaceful, silence, tranquillity, sadness, anger, restlessness, fear, worry, anxiety, sorrow and lamentations, etc. Some are wholesome and some are unwholesome. The good mind states are piti, sukha, tranquillity and stillness of mind, peacefulness and calmness. Mental formation is another word. . Mind can form pictures – mental images. These are all part of Sankhara. But Sankhara is a complete word while the English translation requires so many words to express its meaning. Reason why the Buddha only uses this one word Sankhara under his teaching when he frequently mentioned, ‘Sabbe sankhara annica, Sabbe Sankhara dukkha and Sabbe dhamma anatta’.

All these Sankhara activities, be it mental states, mental intentions, mental formations, mental activities, etc. they arise and pass away very fast.  Reason why the Buddha said, ‘All of Sankhara is impermanent’. If you give meaning, attach and cling on to them via self-delusion, suffering or dukkha will arise. And because it is impermanent, it is not a permanent unchanging entity, hence its anatta or non-self nature.

Pure feeling is before the emotion. There are 3 types of feeling – pleasant, unpleasant and neutral. What is pleasant feeling? It is a positive craving (sensual desire), a movement away from the pure feeling. A pure feeling is neither pleasant nor unpleasant. When the mind stirred because you like that good or pleasant feeling, it becomes a sensual desire (a mental hindrance). But pain and numbness are mental states that you dislike, so you label it negatively as unpleasant feeling which you dislike (also a mental hindrance). The neutral feeling can be due to indifference, you are neither happy nor unhappy because it has nothing to do with you or doesn’t concern you. So the egoic mind is not stirred, you just feel normal. But the 2^nd type of neutral feeling which is Equanimity is different. It is borne of wisdom and because of that the mind states is always in the state of equanimity because it has the wisdom to understand. When it understands, it is neither positive nor negative. It does not stir but it is also not something you resist or suppress or don’t want to arise. Bro Teoh cited Sister Soo’s earlier sharing on her India pilgrimage trip as an example. Her thought was so still, as if no thought, neither happy nor unhappy but when she was mobbed and surrounded by beggars, she cringed and reacted with fear.  In her case, she suppressed and willed her intention to be in such conditioned state, which is not a free mind. The true equanimity enlightenment factor is borne of wisdom. The wisdom and understanding will have the ability to accept things as they are, to allow you to see things as they are, to be with the moment, to experience everything the way it is. You are always be at peace. The mind will not complain. You will understand and not be agitated or become affected by what happen. You can maintain the peace within at all time. Then your daily mindfulness can stabilize. That’s the meaning of upekkha, the enlightenment factor of equanimity, borne of wisdom that prevents you from reacting to sense experience while in the midst of daily life. You can have more moments of silence, stillness and space between thoughts. Then specific phenomena awareness and spacious awareness (without a centre) keep on arising.

Bro Teoh urged us to develop the contemplative (2^nd turning) and the meditative (3^rd turning) wisdom/understanding of Sankhara.  Inquire deeply, what is Sankhara? What the Buddha mean by Sankhara? The texts give many vague explanations, which is too wide a topic. Difficult for most people. Nobody can really explain it clearly. But as you meditate you can develop the deep understanding. Bro Teoh saw them in his meditation and understand the deep meaning of Sankhara. Sankhara as defined by the Buddha is, ‘everything the mind can do including feeling and perception’. These two aggregates of feeling and perception are separated out because they are important aggregates of mind. Feeling is stated in his teaching, under the 2nd foundation of mindfulness on feelings (Vedananupassana). When feeling has moved to pleasant or unpleasant, you must be aware. It has already stirred or reacted. The mind has already developed the first two mental hindrances of sensual desires and ill-will. Pleasant feeling is sensual desire and unpleasant feeling is ill-will. If you understand this, next is to develop the 5 opposite spiritual faculties to counter it and the meditative understanding to root it out via straightening our views with wisdom. Perception brings the external form or rupa into the mind.

Train the mind to develop the 5 spiritual faculties (Saddha, Viriya, Sati, Samadhi and Panna). The unshakeable faith in the Buddha’s teaching will allow you to understand the spiritual teaching and drive you to cultivate sati and Samadhi when you see the importance of this cultivation.

Bro Teoh explained further to Tammy that once you have realise the true mind, this question of yours will be self-answered.  These are all thought based mind states not the real sati or awareness. When you are fully aware to experience the silent, the stillness, the tranquillity, etc. (especially when you go through the cessation, which is the enlightenment, even one glimpse is enough), the wisdom that arise will enable you to understand clearly straight away. Even the wisdom of a sotapan or a sakadagami – will enable them to know that there is: “hey no you, hey no me!” There is nobody inside. Non-self is not no self and it is also not nothingness. There is a form and mind but this form and mind is not you. This is not a permanent unchanging entity. There is no thinker behind the thought. (For more details please refer to the 18 August 2019 SJBA video Dharma Talk delivered by Bro Teoh on the topic: ‘The 3 Turnings of the 4 Noble Truths’ which is highly recommended to listen to, especially to the beautiful answers to the 2 questions on, the glimpse of  Nibbana (4 Noble Truth), its cessation and the egoic mind towards the end.

Sis Tammy further shared about her thoughts arising and passing away moment to moment, anger comes and goes but when she grasps it, gives it meaning, it proliferates and deceive her into karmic negativity.  She contemplated that she just needs to be aware and let it be. No need to proliferate it.

Bro Teoh reply, when you understand, ‘Sabbe sankhara anicca, Sabbe sankhara dukkha, I.e. all Sankhara are impermanent and leads to suffering, then you will not think unless you want to reflect and contemplate to develop the wisdom and understanding or arise to help people. The three ways of right conduct – right thought, right speech and right action will be there if you have developed the cultivation appropriately. You will know how to arise them.

Sis Tammy recalled the topic on cultivating virtues as taught by Bro Teoh in their previous class and with that understanding, when her unwholesome thoughts appeared, she was able to be aware.

Bro Teoh reply, virtues like gratitude, respect, kindness, gentleness, pleasantness, contentment, sincerity, etc. and wholesome thoughts will arise naturally when one has the Dharma. Without Dharma, all are still thought-based because the trying to arise the right thoughts, to do good or be good, is still by the egoic mind which has self-delusion. How can, the egoic mind arise the right thoughts? Only after having the Dharma understanding, the love and compassion can be sincere and genuine. Before that Dharma understanding, it is a make-believe good according to one’s egoic mind. When understanding unfolds, virtues become natural. You are incapable of evil. Everything that you arise is for the good of many without the evil roots.  Virtue is not according to you or who but according to nature’s law. Whatever that is without the evil roots is virtue. J Krishnamurti says, ‘the absence of evil is good’. If you are incapable of evil, as advised by the Buddha says, “Sabba pappasa akaranam” (avoid all evil); naturally you will become good as you are incapable of evil.  Mind without evil and ignorance, is naturally good. With the above understanding, Tammy can progress further.

Develop mindfulness, heedfulness and understand what constitute evil.  Initially when you still have wrong views (self-delusion), unwholesome thoughts will arise first. You need to think of ways to abandon it via cultivating the 4 right efforts and the 5 ways to abandon the unwholesome thoughts as taught by Lord Buddha.

5 ways to abandon unwholesome thoughts, speeches and actions as taught by Lord Buddha:

• Think of the direct opposite wholesome thoughts;
• Think of the consequences of holding on to those wrong evil thoughts which is the root of all evil that can cause your karmic nature to fall. Is that what you want?
• Meditative way – just relax and maintain awareness of whatever mind state that arise. Whatever emotions like fear, anger, lust etc. if you can be with it without thoughts, just aware, and then the emotion without new energy to fuel it will slow down and cease to be. No need to do anything because they are dependent originating mind states, not intrinsic in our nature.
• Trace the originating factors via mindfulness and reverse it retrospectively through right view and the right understanding developed. Through wrong views, the Buddha says, you stir your mind because you cannot see things as they are, cannot accept them for what they are, and cannot accept the world for what it is. And you fail to understand, whatever that arises in this universe there are causes and conditions behind (mainly attributed and connected to our past karma). If due to karma, then we have to accept it for we are all born of our karma, heir to our karma, conditioned and supported by our karma and we reap what we sow. This is how we develop the understanding of the Law of Karma, Law of mind or Dependent Origination and the law of truth or dharma to accept whatever happened. All phenomena are Conditions Arising, causal phenomenal.  Even our 5 aggregates of form and mind are not what living beings think!  Hey no you, hey no me! Everything is just a phenomena world of consciousness; dependent originating, not so real. Then you will understand why the Buddha says, we must to learn ‘to see things as they are’ through the direct seeing, through the silent mind to awaken to the truth. When you can see things as they are without the words and concept, then there is nothing, because initially before the delusion sets in, there is only the seeing consciousness, no one to see as yet. The ego (atta) is not involved as yet, for ‘things are just the way they are’. J Krishnamurti called it ‘What IS’ – the Suchness of things. Living beings are deceived by phenomenal world. The moment you realize this, the whole of phenomenal world collapsed in front of you and then the phenomenal world will have no power over you.
• If all above fails, the last resort is through will power to determine strongly to abandon it via tongue against palate!

Adam’s 1^st question: His mind has this thought, to be compassionate and he wants to help a suffering cat. On the other hand, he realized, so much effort is involved in caring a cat.  He is troubled by the thought – to help or not to help?

Bro Teoh reply: Who is trying to help? It is the thought. Don’t try to be a hero!  There are millions of people suffering in this world. How many can you help? This is not help. The thought is telling you. I want to be compassionate. I want to help and be a blessing to all. The ego wants! When you don’t have the understanding of the Dharma, and you are in no capacity to help, Bro Teoh advice is not to touch it unless there is condition to do something. Helping is very noble but without Dharma, one can still get themselves entangled with karmic consequences. (Do refer to Master Hsuan Hua case of our previous session for more understanding).

However, if you have the conditions, passion and love to do it and you are gifted from your past, then you can do it, the healing to help people. But you must have the Dharma because the Dharma way is to teach them the Dharma. If they understand, they will know how to help themselves. Bro Teoh advice, not to interfere through doing it for them.  No point because it is their life, they better decide how they want to live their life. Unless there is condition, Bro Teoh will not help. Conditions mean in the past they have past karmic affinity and had done certain goodness, they have helped people before and these people recovered. In this life, they got into trouble. Therefore, in summary without conditions, don’t get involved unless you are gifted in the past and you wanted to do that.

Adam’s 2^nd question: Related to his personal problem. He tried to advise people and people took it negatively and proliferated their unwholesome comments which he heard.

Bro Teoh reply: When they don’t want you to help, don’t interfere and be a ‘kaypoh’ or a busybody in the hokkien dialect. You will get those unpleasant comments. Not everybody is what you think. Your thoughts will tell you all sorts of things. Always remember, unless you have the Dharma and you are ready, otherwise what you can do to help is always very limited.

The form and mind even though not you but it is subject to karma so it still has to abide by its duty towards this law of karma. If you can understand this, you can develop the wisdom to make use of it to live the noble life, to truly live life to the fullest – to experience the 3^rd phase of Dharma, Pativedha ( to live the noble life of an ariya, an enlightened being).

Bro Teoh reviewed 15 Aug 2019 outline short notes as a revision with the class.

 (Above outline short notes draft was prepared by Sis Poh Cheng)

How to cultivate the Ten Paramitas Youtube

(Short Notes pdf)

Bro Teoh explained to a newcomer the importance of having the five spiritual faculties of mind needed to overcome the opposite 5 mental hindrances of mind, which hinder the mind from entering the meditative state of inner peace and inner awareness. During the meditation session, Bro Teoh guided those who were new on how to train their mind to develop the meditation. This mind sweeping method is a skillful mean, used to decondition the heedless thinking mind to calm it down. Then develop anapanasati to stabilize their sati.

After meditation, Bro Teoh went through the outline short notes of his 18^th August 2019, SJBA Sunday dharma talk on the topic: ‘The 3 turnings of the 4 Noble Truths as taught by Lord Buddha’. This dharma talk was very comprehensive, clear and good and one can view it at this YouTube  video link : https://youtu.be/cHd59b3UF3E

As long as living beings do not have the Dharma understanding, the egoic mind (borne of self-delusion) is always active. But this self-delusion (sakayaditti) will be rooted out when one becomes an Ariya. Without wisdom, everything we do, there is always the sense of a self (an atta) to condition our selfish intention (for me or not for me). It is this personality (the Ego) that give rise to the evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion.

The ego desires things, gets angry and is hurt because of self-delusion. This causes one to stir and react to sense experiences. But with the dharma, one becomes different because the dharma can transform living beings via wisdom. Life then becomes meaningful and one can have so much joy, gratitude, respect and love for the Buddha.

The Buddha’s teaching is priceless because it can lead one to awakening. Only great beings with loving kindness can offer the dharma for free to the world. Most will think of making money first. It is rare to find people with genuine love and compassion, who can freely contribute to the world (without any selfish intention). So, we are indeed very blessed to have received the Buddha’s teaching for free.

Without wisdom, we cannot resolve our afflictions. If one cannot resolve suffering, then calling oneself a sotapan does not make sense. Without planting wholesomeness and blessing, how can one be blessed with good life? To be blessed with good life, we have to keep cultivating merits and virtues.

Bro Teoh related, how blessed his family was.  All these are possible was because of their past life cultivation and dharma understanding.

By taking the Bodhisattva vows, we strengthen our faith in The Triple Gem through planting the Bodhi seed deep within our hearts (nature) to arise the causes and conditions for our segmented life to keep on receiving such beautiful teaching of Lord Buddha life after life. Bro Teoh advised fellow Kalyanamittas to read through his transcript blue book, ‘Cultivating the Bodhisattva way’ again and again so as not to miss out on this window of opportunity make possible by the present Buddha Sasana.  Reaffirming the vows with great faith and sincerity will keep us firmly on the Bodhisattva path.

When one walks the Bodhisattva path, the cultivation is very much more rewarding. Not only can one realize the cessation within one’s nature, one can also perfect the vows to become a Samma Sambuddha.

The vows taken by Amitabha Buddha can turn existence into pure land. Whenever Bro Teoh heard the recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name (‘A mi to fo, A mi to fo, …’), there was strong mindfulness and much joy in Bro Teoh’s heart.

Starting on the 8^th September, 2019, our Sunday class will use a new book: `The Path to Truth for the Modern-day Bodhisattva Practitioner’ as cultivated by Bodhisattvas. It will be a very beautiful sharing. The next new book for our Tuesday class is the ‘Sutra of Innumerable Meanings’. This sutra is the first book of the Threefold Lotus Sutra or fǎ huá sān bù jīng (法 華 三 部 経). There is a whole chapter’s teaching covering ‘Virtue’ as cultivated by great beings (Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas) within that sutra.

As we go through the books, we can develop deeper understanding of the teaching and the cultivation leading to fast progress and further evolution.

Sister Angie asked the question, `As practitioners, when can we start the perfection of the ten paramattas?’

Bro Teoh answered that initially, most cultivators do not have a clear picture of this cultivation. It is advisable to read through his blue transcript book on ‘Cultivating the Bodhisattva way’ first, to develop the full understanding. By taking the four basic vows, we have started the cultivation of these ten perfections, which are basically cultivating all the appropriate virtue. But it is only when wisdom has been developed can one develop real virtues. Therefore these virtues or perfections and vows can only be perfected when wisdom has been perfected. There is no true virtue without wisdom. Without wisdom, the evil roots will be very strong.

Wisdom has many levels too. The sainthood way is relatively much simpler. But people feel offended when this is mentioned. The perfection of the Bodhisattva way is very extensive as such it is incomparable. As one progresses, wisdom keeps on arising.

The thought tells us that the Bodhisattva path is very long. One should instead strive on to cultivate following the 3 hallmarks of Master Hui Neng’s teaching (of no thought, no marks and no dwelling) which is similar to the four famous dharma stanzas as stated in The Diamond Sutra to speed up one’s cultivation. The famous 4 stanzas are :

一 切 有 爲 法,         (All are conditioned dharma or phenomena);

如 夢 幻 泡 影,         (They are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows);

如 露 亦 如 電,    (Like dew and like lightning flash);

應 作 如 是 觀. (One should contemplate them thus).

If one can understand and teach the above 4 stanzas, one’s merits are immeasurable. When one reaches the cultivation stage of no thought, it means that one has realized one’s true mind. By then the three universal characteristics of impermanence, non-self and suffering state will become very clear.

The five stages of Bodhi mind developments start with the planting the Bodhi seed deep within our nature when we take the Bodhisattva vows.

Many people misunderstand the deep meaning of the perfection of renunciation. They think renunciation only means to renounce the world to become a monk or a nun. The true meaning of renunciation is very deep. It includes renouncing all things within the phenomenon world of consciousness. This perfection of renunciation has to be perfected for one to fulfil the 2^nd vow of the Bodhisattva to endure and severe all suffering.

One has to complete the cultivation of Love and Compassion to cultivate the 1^st Bodhisattva vow.

Once one had completed the fulfilment of the third vow of the Bodhisattva, the fourth vow of perfecting the ten perfections to become a Samma Sambuddha will become fairly easy.

Bro Teoh mentioned that, all of us are so blessed to be born in this ‘golden era or age’ where Science and technology has enable us to experience such great civilization advancement which our parents and grandparents were not able to witness. With this high tech revolution of ours giving rise to great information technologies and AI advancement, our world and civilization had advanced so fast. The world of sights and sounds, high level of sensuality, travels, sports, foods, tickets to indulgence, beautiful homes, hotel and resorts, etc. are so convenience nowadays for those who have the means. One can truly live life to the fullest and one can also experience all the pristine beauties and wonders of life.

According to J. Krishnamurti, for the planetary consciousness to transform for the better, the individual must change and transform for the better. If at least 1% of the world’s population has the spiritual understanding, then we can really have a civilization which will be really beautiful. Human Beings would evolve to another level to become super humans. Even if our planet gets destroyed, it would not be a problem anymore. Because by then, one can even travel faster than the speed of light to stay at other places.

But scientists have yet to explore the field of consciousness which is capable of bringing mankind to such an evolved level. One needs meditative wisdom to go into this field. Scientists still use thought to come up with inventions such as AI.

Bro Teoh emphasized the importance of spiritual understanding to go hand in hand with the fast-paced technological advancement. Otherwise, problems will arise and the planet is at risk of being self-destruction, due to human greed, divisions, conflicts, arguments and wars, etc.

Bro Teoh cracked a joke when PG mentioned, she may not be around to witness the evolved human species of this golden age. Bro Teoh said that, one just needs to go to broteoh.com website and cultivate following his blue transcript blue (‘Cultivating the Bodhisattva way’) to learn how to come back to this Buddha sasana again. As one explores this possibility, one will come to realize that the information given in the book is like so familiar. But during that time, it would be a new segmented form and mind with a new body and a different gender because PG vows to be born as a male in future.

At the end of this sharing, Bro Teoh lead all Kalyanamittas to share their merits with Bro Siah Wen Chiang (Bro Siah Chee Way’s son) for his quick recovery to good health from his recent surgery.

(The above draft outline short notes was prepared by Puan Chee)

(Short Notes pdf)

The key to successful meditation are the 4 supports for awareness based meditation: Relax, Aware, 24Hours and Trust. You may listen to the recording for more instructions on preparation before meditation.

Sis Angie’s question: When she is relaxed, she can be mindful of her breathing very clearly and she can also see the 3 universal characteristics of impermanence, non-self and Dukkha. Hope Bro. Teoh could guide her further.

Bro. Teoh replied: Can you explain how you are able to see the 3 universal characteristics?

Angie replied by saying, when she just let things be, the mind settled down and becomes very peaceful and quiet but when she clings on to it, the thinking or sankhara activities will perpetuate and proliferate and it is as if, when you keep chasing after the thinking, you make it into a big issue. This was how she gets entangle.

Bro Teoh: You may maintain meditative silent, without thought to observe and develop the contemplative understanding via relating what you observed to the essential dharma. This observation and contemplation can give you some initial 2^nd turning wisdom’s understanding and this 2^nd turning wisdom can be stabilized if one continue to contemplate after the formal meditation to develop the clearer understanding.

Bro. Teoh added that, it will be better if the understanding can come about via the direct seeing when you are in a meditative state of deeper silence. This type of wisdom is more penetrative. After that, when one reflected into it, the understanding become very different, it is very penetrative and more stable. However, this state is rather difficult to realize. The 1^st and 2^nd turnings wisdom, which is easier, can lead to the arising of the initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) needed to stabilize your daily mindfulness leading to step 5 of the avijja sutta, which is sati sampajanna.

All sankhara are of the nature to arise and pass away. If you give meaning and follow the sankhara without the requisite understanding, you will get yourself entangled with the clinging and suffering. Sabba sankhara anicca, so it is not a permanent unchanging entity, not ‘I’ and not ‘Me’. One must reflect until this understanding becomes very clear within one’s daily mindfulness contemplation.

How do we cultivate this contemplation? We can do it when we are alone, in a quiet setting or on a silent morning when others are still asleep. We can sit in a quiet place or walk or pace up and down slowly, reflecting via inquiry on the dharma that Lord Buddha had taught us. Through contemplation and reflection, clear understanding and joy will arise as the beautiful dharma unfold. After that whenever we encounter similar sense experiences or situations, our understanding (yonisomanasikara) will prompt us not to react via telling us that all phenomena exhibit the 3 universal characteristics of nature.

This straightening of view will liberate one’s mind. One will understand, there is nobody inside this form and mind to cling, grasp and hold. The dharma on: Sabba sankhara anicca, Sabba sankhara dukkha and Sabba dhamma anatta will be very clear and there will be no more intention to be right or to argue with others. Unless there are conditions for it to bring about wholesomeness to help out in the situation, one will not do anything inappropriate. One will only arise the understanding to act appropriately with wisdom following N8FP. With this understanding, one is able to apply this living dharma to live our daily life. Wisdom (yonisomanasikara) at the moment of sense experience will prompt us to act according to wisdom and understanding, that ‘things are the way they are; can’t be otherwise’. The mind will be at peace and have the understanding to act and resolving all life issues and situations amicably with right speech, thought and action.

The 4 right efforts are important cultivation needed to develop sense restraint leading to the right thought, speech and action. The first 2 right efforts are to deal with defilements first. The 1^st right effort is to abandon the wrong thought, speech and action that had arisen. To do that one must understand what constitute evil? And one must also have a very stable daily mindfulness to see those defilements. The 3 evil roots of Greed, Hatred and Delusion are the root of all evil. One therefore need to expand on the 3 evil roots until it is very clear (for more details please do listen to the recording). The 5 ways to abandon the wrong thought as taught by the Buddha must be cultivated. This is the beginning of cultivation.

The Buddha taught 5 ways to ABANDON unwholesome thoughts, speech and action are:

• 1^st way: To think of the direct opposite wholesome thought, (like hatred with love, lust with contentment etc.)
• 2^nd way: To think of the consequences of holding on to that wrong thought. (However, both 1^st and 2^nd ways are still thought based and not the meditative way.)
• 3^rd way: Just aware (this is the meditation way). The moment one is aware, there are no more condition for the defilements to proliferate, the defilement will cease due to the law of dependent origination. However, this type of wisdom is not penetrative enough.

4^th way: To trace the origination factors then retrospectively reverse it. From our 6 sense doors, especially our seeing, hearing and thought (recall through memory) consciousness, we can see how the unwholesome mind state of angry, hatred and fear, etc. arise through our wrong view. According to the Satipatthana Sutta, if one had developed the mindfulness of the 6 internal and 6 external sense bases, one will have the ability to know how this defilement come to be, then one will know how to reverse it retrospectively through right view or right understanding developed after contemplating – why did I stir my mind? Through reflection and contemplation, one will understands that people are the way they are and the world is the world – conditions like that, things will be like that. One must have this right view to accept the reality of the moment via seeing things as they are (as advised by the Buddha) in order to be peaceful.

5^th way: If all the above 4 ways also cannot help you, then you must determine strongly through your will power to abandon it. That is with tongue against your palate determine strongly to abandon it.

The 1st right effort is to cultivate the above 5 ways as taught by the Buddha to abandon the wrong thought that has arisen. The 3^rd and the 4^th ways are meditative ways leading to wisdom and transformation.

The 2^nd right effort is the right effort to prevent all the wrong thought, speech and action from arising. With yonisomanasikara, at the moment of sense experience, this initial wisdom will prompt you to understand how this evil wrong thought will lead to karmic negativity that will make us suffer. All these understanding will arise, and you will be able to prevent all these wrong thoughts from arising.

The 3^rd right effort is the right effort to cultivate or arise the wholesome thought, speech and action that are still not in us through cultivating the N8FP. One need to know clearly what constitute right thought, speech and action, so that one will know how to cultivate them. All your virtuous thoughts are right thoughts. All proper, gentle, wholesome, kind and pleasant speeches that lead to love, understanding and harmony are right speeches. All generous, kind, sincere and good actions are right actions.

The 4^th right effort: right effort to refine upon whatever right action speech and thought that are already in you as there are always room for improvement.

Adam’s 1^st question is about fear. Which category of the 3 evil roots is fear classified under?

Bro Teoh explained, ‘Fear is classified under the evil root of delusion’. When one doesn’t understand truth, there is fear. Fear about the future. Fear of death etc.

Adam’s 2^nd question: Regarding a friend of his, clinging strongly to her success. Should she follow her heart or her thoughts? Bro. Teoh replied, ‘Yes, she should follow her heart which is the conscience (the good part). The mundane mind (your thoughts) before you are enlightened is always cunning, selfish and deluded (having evil roots). Conscience can comes up and prompt us to prevent you from making mistake. However, the conscious mundane mind with its view, opinion, and conditioning and believe system is deluded and it is the one that always very keen to condition you into negativity. The heart is always soothing, calm and peaceful whereas the deluded mundane mind is usually selfish, deluded, emotional and noisy and it also chatters a lot.

Continuation of question 2): Adam helped a friend overcome her depression and she no longer clinging to her success, but she has a different faith.

Bro. Teoh replied, changes will happen to her when you change, then with her faith in you, she will change too. Dharma is nature’s truth or law. The proper application of Dharma can lead to a good life, which means be successful in whatever you do, whatever you want to achieve or develop as a career. Success in life normally covers the whole lot of materialistic successes that normal living being look forward to. Like academic success, career success, financial success, relationship success and having a harmonious family unit, etc. However, without the spiritual understanding, your life is still incomplete. You may be successful, materialistically, but if you do not follow the righteous way, there will be karmic repercussions, and you may lose them after a while. Without the spiritual understanding when one is confronted with the realities of life, as outlined in the 1^st noble truth, one will also suffer. The 8 realities are: old age, sickness and death, separation from love ones and prized possessions, etc. When you are with someone whom you do not like and can’t get along with. When you cannot get what you want, are you still peaceful and happy? Spiritual success can allow one to have the ability to lead a good and comfortable life free of all worry and suffering. Live the life of a noble one (an enlightened being) – a life of tranquillity stillness, peacefulness, joy, happiness and understanding. Free from all suffering.

Adam’s 3^rd question: How do we cultivate goodness (like healing people) wisely?

Bro Teoh: To you, you are applying what you think is goodness (like healing others) to help people. But this is goodness according to you. The Dharma way is different. The dharma way is just explaining to people the dharma to let them have the understanding to solve their problem through that understanding. If they do not have the understanding, they will always look for you to help them solve their problem. To heal others with thought energy may get you entangle with their negative karmic energy and some of these karmic energy may have karmic consequences. The healer must have the appropriate wisdom and understanding, otherwise they may get into trouble themselves. It is advisable to develop the Dharma understanding first and only manifest to do something appropriate when the conditions are there for you to help others. To have a better understanding of this, please do listen to the audio recording shared by Bro Teoh on Master Hsuan Hua’s experience.

Sister Angie asked about this anatta nature that the Buddha taught.

Bro. Teoh explained that one can see this anatta nature in your 5 aggregates of form and mind. They exhibit the 3-universal characteristics. Hence, it is not you for they go the way of nature. When feeling changes you didn’t die, so feeling cannot be you. Same with perception, sankhara and consciousness. This physical body (rupa) made from 4 elements, can’t be you either. Hence, these 5 aggregates of form and mind are non-self. If one grasp and cling, it will lead to suffering because it is not a permanent unchanging entity. They are dependent originating, condition arising and a causal phenomenon; when condition is there, it arise, if it is not there it ceases to be.

Then what is this 5 aggregates of form and mind? This is a karmically conditioned vehicle and a tool for us to come to this existential world, so use it and not be deluded by it.

Anatta means, it is not a permanent unchanging entity that you can call, “this is ‘Me’, this is ‘I’. No, this does not belong to you”. This one is non-self but it is not nothingness, it is not no self, because there is such a thing as a human being. Human being exists and it is subject to karma. True nature is not subject to karma. This is a nature which is beyond the form and mind, and this eternal nature is also anatta, not a being, not a permanent unchanging entity, although it is the unconditioned. Your understanding will deepen when your mindfulness is very stable. Only when you go through the cessation, you can only truly understand what anatta is. Even a glimpse of it will lead to the change of linage and transform your form and mind into an ariya (a noble or enlightened being).

The initial wisdom (yonisomanasikara) borne of listening to the dharma and Dharma contemplation leading to the 1^st and 2^nd turnings wisdom is very important. Without this initial wisdom the daily mindfulness cannot stabilize and the glimpse of cessation also cannot arise. For the 3^rd turning wisdom (Bhavanamaya panna) to arise, you must go through the direct seeing awakening via the silent mind while in the meditative state. Only after realizing the cessation of Nibbana can the form and mind understand the unconditioned. After that the egoic mind will have no power over you as this self-delusion has been completely rooted out.

Regarding the recent protestors and unrest in Hong Kong. People are just the way they are. Not right or wrong. These are just their views, their opinions of things, their conditioning and their ideology. When they are so conditioned, they will react that way, that’s it, finished! Let society evolved on its own. We can contribute by radiate love and metta and sharing merits after our dharma classes. We do our best, we share and transfer merits to make the world a better place through goodness and virtue in our heart. It is important that every individual must change for the better in order to have a better collective consciousness with more understanding, virtue and less negativity. This is also the reason why J. Krishnamurti said, ‘the individual must change, for society to change as we are the summation of the collective consciousness of the society’. 

May there be love, joy and peace within their heart. Keep on radiating all these wholesomeness and virtue and it will have its effect. Radiate to all beings starting from your love ones, our kalyanamittas, and cultivators and to all beings on this planet, our mother Earth. Wishing everybody have the good understanding of life and a kind heart to bring about more peace to all. May all beings on this planet have more goodness and kindness in their hearts.

All of you have this kind heart but you do not know how to generate it, to make it strong and powerful so that it can open up and be a blessing to the world.

(The above draft outline short notes was prepared by Sister Tammy)