Buddha Bathing Ceremony

Accompanied M to visit the Singapore Buddhist Lodge early to avoid the crowd on the actual day of Vesak celebration (15th of 4th lunar month).
And at the side of the temple before the standing Amitabha Buddha, we find the Buddha Bathing Ceremony being set up serenely & beautifully before the Buddha. :-)

An Internet version of the ceremony can be found at 线上浴佛 by DDM

Origins of the ceremony : 二千六百多年前，印度迦毘羅衛國的王后摩耶夫人，在藍毗尼花園的無憂樹下，生下了悉達多太子，也就是後來出家成道的佛陀。太子誕生後，一手指天，一手指地，說道：「天上天下，唯我獨尊」，意思是說：「我乃是宇宙最尊貴的覺者，我將廣度一切沉淪生死的眾生。」，隨即有兩股水從天瀉下，沐浴在王子的身上。後來，佛教徒每年為慶祝佛陀誕辰就沿用此例舉行浴佛儀式。(ref: http://www.ddm.org.wt/event/buddha/2012/InPage01.htm)

It is recommended that when we are holding the ladle and while the water pours over the statute, we could chant the poem:

 "我今灌浴諸如來，

淨智莊嚴功德聚，

五濁眾生令離垢，

願證如來淨法身"

and silently pray as follows:

May our defilement of greed , anger, and ignorance be removed and our body, speech and mind be purified.

May the society be peaceful and serene, without any traces of violence, fraud and evilness.

May the enviroment be beautiful and peaceful and

with the merits from participating in the "Buddha bathing" ceremony,

may the "dust and dirt" of our worries be purified, our society and country beautified, transform this samsara world into peaceful Pureland, guide the evil minded towards compassionate Bodhicitta, thus is the true meaning behind the Buddha Bathing ceremony.

Pardon is sought on any incorrect translation above from the DDM article.

Amituofo...

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《浴佛，應該從何部位開始灌淋？》

浴佛時，應該由佛像的頭頂淋水，還是從肩膀呢？佛教徒對如何浴佛的看法頗不一致，有些覺得應該由佛像的頭頂灌注，有些認為必須由佛像的肩膀灌沐，有些則表示應該從頭、肩、腳各灌一次，合共三次，代表身語意清淨。

~一切從經典談起

關於灌淋部位眾說紛紜，那麼到底哪種說法較為合理呢？所謂的「合理」，從宗教的脈絡來說，指的便是經典依據。《佛說浴像功德經》指出：「其浴像者，各取少許洗像之水，自置頭上，燒種種香以為供養。」又「初於像上下水之時，應誦以偈。」經文中的「頭上」及「像上」指的便是佛像的頭頂。

佛教學者吳汝鈞教授在《佛教思想大辭典》亦指出灌注清水時，是在「佛像的頭頂上」。由此看來，浴佛時應將清水灌沐到佛像的頭頂上。

~不存在嚴格規定

然而習慣從肩膀開始灌沐的信眾也無需介懷，因為佛教始終是一門「自淨其意」的宗教。如《慧燈》的「佛學問答」就曾刊載，指出浴佛時的動作沒有嚴格規定：「一般的做法是在太子佛前合十跪下，以水勺搯水灌沐太子佛三次或一次，從頭或肩部灌沐太子佛都可以，浴佛後起身、問訊。」

這裏要凸顯的，其實是佛子們在浴佛時，須「以莊嚴、虔誠的態度和恭敬心進行」。因此，浴佛者的心態莊重虔誠才是最重要的。

~為甚麼用太子像

為甚麼浴佛法會水盆的中央，供奉的是悉達多太子像，而不是釋迦牟尼佛像呢？相傳悉達多太子誕生時，諸天散花，九龍吐水，為太子沐浴，因為太子將來成佛，開示聖法，化度眾生。

水盆中的太子像，總是一手指天，一手指地的。傳說，當太子誕生時，他一手指天，一手指地的說：「天上天下，唯我獨尊」。現代人可能覺得詫異，因為初生的嬰兒怎可能開口說話？

演培長老在〈佛誕獻言〉表示，這只是一種象徵意義，「象徵佛陀由於悲智圓滿所引起的自尊自重；象徵佛陀的以救世度生為己任！做個偉大的人，必須要看得起自己，認為我的生存天地間，不是等閒的，而是要為世界人類做番頂天立地的大事業的。

「這才能激發自己的意志，忍受種種的苦難，學習完成種種的功德。」所以當我們見到指天指地的太子像時，應該效法太子那樣，「從尊重自己中，完成人的人格，以達到究竟無上佛陀的境界。」

轉載：佛門網

Ref: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1040270932688435&substory_index=0&id=121848594530678&ref=m_notif&notif_t=group_activity

Little Bird Great Survival

Went for a walk at Botanic, discovered a new birdie still with undeveloped wings, great fighting spirit to stay alive, looking for food by itself. Its parent is nowhere in sight, so tiny that any jogger could just stamp/smash it under one's shoes unknowingly. It looks like it is still at a age to be fed by its parents at a nest, yet it is hopping unsteadily by itself at the path.
Even a small birdie treasures its life, so should we as human beings...

Depressed folks, treasure your existing human form to do more good deeds to accumulate merits for better future. Even if you think you wish to be reborn as a simple well taken care of birdie, you need also to start creating good causes for future rebirth which could be done with your existing form.
Aim high instead for Pureland, where you will be in a land of no worries... land of no depression...
Amituofo

May It Survive Well,
May All Survive Well,
May All Be Well...
May All Be Happy...
Amituofo

Lecture on "Universal Door Chapter 25" by Dharma Master Heng Sure in Singapore

What a coincidence, it was starting from 19th too last year that he started his series of talk.

This year from 19th-22nd Apr, 1 day more and the Lecture is on "Universal Door Chapter 25" and on the 1st nite he already made people appreciate the sutra better by using many interesting stories to illustrate benefits of reciting the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva; why is the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin called ‘Guanshiyin’?

His 1st song for the nite: "She carries me" by Jennifer Berezan:
"She is a boat she is a light high on a hill in dark at night
She is a wave She is the deep She is the dark where angels sleeps
when all is still and peace abides She carries me to the other side.
*Chorus
She carries me She carries me
She carries me to the other side. (x2)
And though I walk through valleys deep and shadows chases me in my sleep
On rocky clifs I stand alone I had no name I had no home
with broken wings I reach to fly she carries me to the other side.
*Chorus
A thousand arms a thousands eyes A thousands ears to hear my cries
She is the gate She is the door She leads me through and back once more.
When day has dawn When death is night She’ll carries me to the other side.
*Chorus
She is the first, she is the last she is the future and the past
Mother of all, of earth and sky She carries me to the other side
*Chorus"
~ found the lyrics at  http://www.invibes.net/she-carries-me/

He ends the nite by folk-singing "Dedication of merits".
Very enjoyable night, 3 more nites to attend...

Useful Info : Tea & Soya Bean......Let's share this

new email info sharing...
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Are you drinking the right tea?
1. People who use their 'brain' to work or students who study hard day and night.
--- Should drink more Chrysanthemum Tea.

2. People who need a lot of body energy to work or those people who exercise a lot everyday.
--- Should drink Wu Loong Tea .

3. People who travel on a bike or work in dirty and polluted places.
--- Should drink Green Tea.

4. For people who like to sit down all day long and not do anything, even exercising.
--- Must drink Green Tea and Flower Tea.

5. People who smoke and drink a lot of alcoholic drinks.
--- Should drink more Green Tea.

6. Carnivore (i.e. People who must eat meat at least once a day or feel sickly)
--- Try to drink some Wu Loong Tea.


7. People who go to the washroom too often or not often enough.
--- Should drink more Honey Tea.


8. People with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
--- Wu Loong Tea , Green Tea.

9. Those who work with computers everyday.
--- Need to drink a Lot of Tea ( any tea will do).


Whenever you are working with the computer, you
should make some tea. Drink it when you are free.
Drinking Tea is healthy; it can protect and prevent the
harmful ultraviolet light from harming us (when using
computer).

Furthermore, it can also relief us when we are tired and
help make our body feel fresh again.


SOYA BEAN
All of us know that Soya bean drink provides good protein to our body... but many of us don't know that there are certain days we should avoid drinking it.

Soya bean drinks are best consumed on hot sunny days when the sun is strong. The soya milk will give lots of nutrients to the body as the body is able to
absorb the protein well.

However, avoid the drink when the weather is cloudy or raining.
Taking the drink in that weather, the body will not be able to take in the protein and will result in a disease called ' GOUT ' or ' high acidic urine' due to
the high protein residue in the body, after a long run.

This disease will cause pain to your knee joints and it will only be in control when you control your food intake of proteins and medication. The pain is unbearable and usually you will have no idea what you have taken to
cause the pain.
Food like soya beans, anchovies, broccoli, spinach, peanuts, & especially animal organs etc should be avoided to prevent the pain from attacking.

So my friend, pass this to your family,
relatives and friends to keep an alert
on the pros and cons of soya bean milk
and when it is to be taken and to be avoided..

Overcoming Negative Emotions ~ Ajahn Brahm

Antidotes to overcome our Anger & Stress! Words of Wisdom by Ajahn Brahm at Renci Hospital Auditorium.

Just like at S'pore Buddhist Lodge, audience overflow to the stage with 1st class seats just a feet away from Ajahn Brahm. Real Live Show!

Some extracts from the talk (pardon is sought for any wrong remembrance or misinterpretation summarised below):

Using his past experience of traveling at village trucks, whereby he will be hit by the truck-metal tops whenever the trucks travel over holes, he learnt from his fellow local monks that instead of swearing, he laughed, he realised that, "Laugh when you are in pain, it hurts less".
Life is much peaceful when you don't complain, Laugh is the best emotional medicine.

Accept mistakes, Lower your expectations.
Buddhists' aim is to obtain happiness, don't get angry with one-another.
How to measure wealth? He does not have a penny to his name, but he has lots of caring friends taking good care of him when he travels.

The goal of life is to spend quality time with each other.
Q: Why kids or adults nowadays obsessed with hp, ipad etc, instead of communicating to each other in a house.
A: Because we did not employ the right engagement to attract the attention of kids or audience. Engage in something that is more interesting than ipad to have real interaction.
(His talk on an IT convention was commented that people got engaged in his talk that they put down their communication tools and concentrate on his talk, so get something interesting) 

Old story of boy last in class motivated via analogy of being a Bodhisattva deliberately sacrifice his own happiness to be last in class so nobody has to suffer. However, Be a Bodhisattva in this aspect once, haha, let others have a chance too.

Then the relation of year-end performance appraisal by Top tier, Middle Tier & Bottom.
Good Buddhist adopts the Middle path, haha:-)
Quite true, the top and bottom are the extremes analogy.
Why jealous of colleagues who got promotion? there are greater responsibilities, more stress and problems; higher pay? there is never enough money no matter how much you have. 
Be happy in the way you are. Have more time versus money to knock off work early and enjoy Ajahn's Talk. ;-)

What if you feel negative to your boss?
His analogy of requesting for mosquito repellents rejected by his teacher, Ajahn Chah.
Call mosquitoes Ajahn, they teach you;
Likewise, irritating bosses --> Ajahn bosses, they teach you.
In life, learn to be immune to irritation.
Once to go in and out: Yes boss, Yes Darling...
Don't take it too personal, just carry on doing what needs to carry out :-)

If one has done wrong, learn from mistakes.
Stepped on dog poo, take it home & leave it with trees or plants. They flower or bear fruits years later.
Similarly, if you had done something bad, that equates dog poo, take it into your heart, learn from it and grow your wisdom, you will become one wiser, and more developed person who grow from mistakes.  (Example mentioned of drug/gang prisoners doing a better job educating young children/teenagers to avoid repeating their mistakes from personal experience.)

Q: How to overcome sadness?
A: One gets sad easily as the body is tired and lacks sleep.
Take a break and sleep, relax and be kind to your body.
Ask your body what it wants, sleep or food and give it.
Once you relax & rested enough, sadness reduced.
Why people gets "burnt up" from work nowadays? Because they are tired, they never rested enough.
A good holiday is a relaxing one and not on daily rush to sight-seeing that needs one wake up even earlier than working days.It should be pure relaxing for one to think of nothing but just relax and sleep to fullest capacity, something like his Thailand meditation retreat which is for relaxing and resting the body and mind.
(True, agree from personal experience from last relaxing outdoor meditation organised by DDMS which is the first time I really feel relaxed and recharged without having to travel overseas)

Life is never organised. Accept it.
Love your anger, Accept your anger and then learn to accept other people too.
Analogy of village celebration noise pollution to the monastery by Ajahn Brahm but his teacher wisely pointed out: It's not the sound that disturb you. It's you who disturb the sound.
~ It's not the world who disturb you, it's you who disturb the world...
It's life: trains will break, husbands are selfish, wives are naggy, dogs will bark, we are imperfect, why get angry... :P

Love his talk, simple analogies, and I feel much better, blues chased away from sandwiching stress.

飲食得宜,健康得益

Healthy tips received from emails...
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從營養角度出發 不同蔬菜有不同的生吃方法

在西方飲食中，蔬菜生食的情況相當多見，而按中國人的習慣是將蔬菜烹製後食用。其實，從營養和保健(保健食品)的角度出發，蔬菜以生食最好。

不同的蔬菜有不同的生吃方法

新鮮蔬菜中所含的維生素(維生素食品)C和一些生理活性物質十分嬌氣，很容易在烹調中遭到破壞，蔬菜生食可以最大限度地吸收其中的各種營養素。蔬菜中大都含有免疫物質干擾素誘生劑，它可刺激人體細胞產生干擾素，具有抑制細胞癌變和抗病毒感染的作用，而這種功能只有在生食的前提下才能實現。

生吃蔬菜首先要選擇新鮮的蔬菜（在冰箱中已經存放了 一兩 天的蔬菜不適合生吃），儘量選綠色無公害產品，食用前用鹽水浸泡10分鐘，能去掉部分有害物質。

不同的蔬菜要選擇不同的生吃方法。

芹菜、白菜、黃瓜等蔬菜可以做成新鮮的蔬菜汁直接飲用；

捲心菜、甜菜、西蘭花等，非常適合絞碎後放置一段時間食用，因為這些蔬菜在放置過程中，可以發酵產生一種對身體非常有好處的活性酶；將新鮮蔬菜涼拌，加上醋、蒜和姜末，既能調味，又能殺菌，但要少放鹽，加鹽過多會導致蔬菜不新鮮，營養成分流失。年輕人更喜愛的生食方法則是蔬菜沙拉：吃主食之前，若先以沙拉打底，可以使每頓攝入的熱量減少10%左右。

在準備蔬菜沙拉時，最好不要將蔬菜切得太細，每片菜葉以一口能吃下的大小最佳，以免因其太細吸附過多的沙拉醬，而吃進去過多的油(油食品)脂；葉菜最好用手撕，以保新鮮；在沙拉醬中加入少許鮮檸檬汁或白葡萄酒，可使蔬菜不變色。

能夠食用的蔬菜中70%都是能生食的，如黃瓜、番茄、柿子椒、萵苣、白菜、捲心菜、茄子、菜花、辣椒、洋蔥、芹菜等，但也有些蔬菜不宜生食，土豆、芋頭、山藥等富含澱粉的蔬菜必須熟吃，不然澱粉粒不破裂，人體無法消化(消化食品)；豆芽等豆類食品，因含有抗營養成分的物質，只有在加熱後才利於營養的吸收。

Good old gold

Found books that had accompanied me throughout my different phrases of life during recent house-cleaning exercise.

From Enid Blyton which had built up my English foundation and creativity with the magical fantasy stories to the Adventuring Nancy Drew series and Game books, I have my wonderful mum to thank in building up my interest in reading from young.

Thereafter, moving on to Novels during secondary and tertiary days and eventually, motivational books to spur me through the tough worklife and finally to Dharma books of Wisdom, what a library of books I have. Many books gotten in recent years are still unread, so one of the new year resolutions is to slowly read a few pages per day.

Haha, found this Ah Q Garfield card amongst my forgotten treasures:-)