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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Compassion in Action

30th May 2009, 7.30pm
"Compassion in Action: Transforming Lives in the Himalayas", by Venerable Bhikku Sanghasena, from the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre, Ladakh, India, at the Buddhist Library, Lorong 24A. Geylang, Singapore

About the Speaker:
Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena established the Mahabodhi International Meditation Center in 1986 to offer both spiritual instructions as well as desperately needed humanitarian services to impoverished people in the remote land of Ladakh. Come and listen to how he turns his vision into reality and his great works in this “forgotten” region.
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This talk is written as a first-person account for the purpose of readability. It is not an ad-verbatim record of the speaker. Any errors that arise are mine.
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We have less than two hours this evening for this talk. After this time in Singapore, I don't know when I can be back here, so we have to make full use of this time. I'll try to tell you as much as I can during this time. As such, we may overrun the time. You may get home a little late, so I hope you won't be complaining. Or that your body is here, but mind somewhere else. Try to be in the present. Listen intently and do not anticipate before the sentences are finished, or to think, "Oh, I already know this already...". Or to think, "Always the same old thing. Same thing said before...". There's no new Dhamma. Dhamma is always the same, as it is eternal.
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Be simple, kind and receptive. Clear you head to allow. More knowledge does not bring enlightenment. Listen with an open mind. That way, you can learn more.
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The "3 H" mantra. Head thinks, Heart feels, and Hand acts. It is simple. Dhamma doesn't necessarily need to have something you don't understand.
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There is a story about a university professor who seek the advice of the zen master.
Zen master: What can I do?
Professor: I have this problem. Can you please advice? Please help me.
Zen master: I can't help you. I can't give you anything.
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Then the Zen master continues to pour a cup of tea to the professor, while the latter holds the cup. The Zen master pours till the cup is full but didn't stop after that. He kept pouring and the tea overflow out of the cup on the professors hands and on the table.
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Professor: Stop. Master the tea is overflowing.
Zen master: So is your mind. Your mind is full and unless you empty it, there is nothing that can go in.
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So clear your mind. Be in the present. Leave what is in your mind aside. You can take it back later after this talk. Only for this two hours, after that you can do what you want. Just like your shoes downstairs. You haven't renounced your shoes. *laughters*
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Nothing is preventing us to be relaxed and happy. Smiling is a special gift. Only human beings can smile. If you don't utilise it (smile), so what does it mean? A smile costs nothing. If you can't be happy here, where can you be? You can't make someone else responsible for your happiness. We are born to be happy. Smile and radiate love.
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There is a funny teacher. He laughs and teaches laughing meditation. You have to laugh. If you can't laugh, you laugh artificially. Then everyone starts laughing. Then all the laughing becomes real (not artificial). Learn to smile, then bring about higher levels. Live happily now, don't wait to do that when you are reborn.
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Otherwise, you are only living in your head. Scientists live in their head. They need heart and hands. Religious people also need heart, and not to wage religious wars against others.
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Human beings have achieved many feats in history. We have climbed the highest mountains, sent men out to space, invented robots and computers...etc. But are human beings happy? Is there less fear, more contentment, less diseases? Or are there more?
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What happened to humanity? Humanity has lost its directions, like a ship lost in the sea. Humanity is busy running. For what?
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There is a story of an on-flight announcement from the captain of an aircraft.
Captain: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that every part of the aircraft is working. The bad news is that we have lost our directions.
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Isn't this where humanity is at the moment?
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Some Westerners have told me that they like meditation, but finds no time to do it. No time? Cannot be! Most of your work are done by machines.
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In Ladakh, most work is done by hand. Just to cook a rice soup, it took my mother the whole day. She has to start early in the morning, to collect dung, firewood, then make the fire, blow air to raise the fire, collect the ingredients...etc. It is labor-intensive and very time consuming.
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Here in Singapore, the machine does most of the work. You have to do laundry? Put the clothes in, press the button and then meditate. *laughters*
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You have invented ways to keep yourself busy - to fill up the time freed by technology. So check where you spend your time. You don't have to read every article in the newspaper, go shopping less, cut down on entertainment, television...etc, then you have time for meditation. You use technology the right way, you can reach enlightenment faster. You have books about buddhism and spirituality. You want to listen to a discourse by the Dalai Lama, just put in the DVD. Don't understand and wants him to repeat? Just press a button and listen to him again.
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In the old days, people walk from Ladakh to Lhasa to see the Dalai Lama. It took three months. It was a long and hard journey. Some die along the way. Then in Lhasa, they have to wait a long time for the Dalai Lama. Then when he comes, you are just able to see him on his balcony as he waved to you. Just these brief moments, you have to learn all the sutras there. *laughters*
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Cut your time for the worldly things that are not essential. Spend time on the essential. Meditation, prayer, chanting, reading, discussions, reflections...etc. If you miss a meal sometimes, never mind. Eating never seems to be missed. *laughters*
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Real beauty comes from beauty of the heart. Inside and outside beauty. Otherwise, it is only half. Beautify the heart with love and compassion.
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We have forgotten the purpose of life. Don't know how to live this life meaningfully. Don't go to search for the Buddha anywhere. Buddha is in you. Not even one centremetre between Buddha and you. Point to the moon, but don't hold on the finger.
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I'll tell you this story. Don't worry and ask if this story is true or not...etc. This story has a message and that is more important.
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There is this beautiful world. It is so beautiful, but there was nobody there. No human beings. So god thought, it would be nice to have some human beings there to enjoy all the beauty of the world. So he created human beings.
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The next day, he heard a knock on the door from human beings. There were two of them. They were there to complain to god because they have a dispute with one another. God is puzzled. It is such a beautiful world, why are these human beings in dispute? It is not even one day and they are already in dispute. God then listened to their complaints and asked them not to find faults in one another and live peacefully. They agreed and promised to live happily. Then went home.
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Next day, again there was a knock on the door and it was the same human beings and they have the same problem, fighting each other. God opened the door and asked them to be happy and not to fight anymore. They agreed and went home.
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The next day, again there was a knock on the door. God peeked out of his window and saw the two feuding human beings. "Again? Oh dear" god thought, and decided not to open the door and went to hide somewhere.
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Then god called all his ministers. He told them he has a problem.
Ministers: What you are god. How can you have problem. You must be joking.
God: Seriously. I have a problem with these feuding human beings and they are looking for me to solve their problem everyday. I don't know where to hide.
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Minister: You can go and hide in Mt Everest.
God: No, that won't work, Hilary and Tenzing will come up very soon.
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Another minister: How about the moon?
God: No, the Americans will go there soon.
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Another minister: How about the depths of the ocean?
God: No they will make submarines and go and find me there.
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Then one very wise minister came to god and said, "God, I know where you can hide, where the human beings will find very hard to find you."
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God: Where?
Wise minister: In the human beings' hearts. They won't seek for you there.
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So there is nothing to seek outside.
Nothing. No-thing. Nobody. No-body. You are Buddha.
From the time we were children, we were taught to be somebody. Everyone wants to be Somebody. Nobody wants to be Nobody. Is there Someone who wants to be Nobody? *laughters*
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Try to be nobody for a minute, ... then 2 minutes. If you can, you are enlightened for that time. Enlightenment is for human beings. So, read, recite, understand and follow.
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Do in this life. Go deep. Not just superficial and not just offerings. Be aware of the precepts and take responsibility. You have to work on yourself. Nobody can liberate you. Teachers can only give you something to inspire you. Compassion, love and kindness will lead to no killing and starvation in the world.
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Further, we are shown slides of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre, started by Ven Sanghesena. A very impressive project, as they started from a barren desert with no water and tree. Now they have planted 30,000 trees, built the centre and a boarding school for five hundred children.
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See video below of a similar slideshow presented in Kuala Lumpur recently.
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After the video, we did a closing Prayer of Compassion.
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If you are reading from facebook you can't see the video, so click here

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