WebSadhu

Burma and MONKS

HOW DID IT ALL STARTED?

On 15 August 2007, the Burma government decided to increase the price of fuel. Both petrol and diesel doubled in price, while the cost of compressed gas - used to power buses - increased five-fold.

Pro-democracy activists led the initial demonstrations in Burma's main city, Rangoon. When about 400 people marched on 19 August 2007, it was the largest demonstration in the military-ruled nation for several years.

The authorities moved swiftly to quell the protests, rapidly arresting dozens of activists.

China tells Buddhist Monks to obtain permission before they reincarnate

Both Times and Newsweek carry the same news on China banning Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission.

“The so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval is illegal and invalid,” according to the order from State Administration for Religious Affairs, which comes into effect on September 1, 2007.

Read more at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2194682.ece
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20227400/site/newsweek/

From a historical perspective, religion and politics should very much remain separate.

What Would Buddha Do When Forced Into a Fight?

Somehow I draw my enemies to me:

They harm me, but my karma brings them here.

So they go to hell because of me.

I'm the one who sends them to their doom.

- Bodhicharyavatara 6.47

No question, finding compassion for our enemies is hugely difficult. It takes at least a lifetime of practice to approach this goal. Shantideva's words help me because they highlight the deep irony of harm: We are our enemies' enemy.

The Five Wonderful Precepts

**as applied by Thich Nhat Han:

First Precept
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.

Second Precept

Buddhism and Words

We need to put Buddha's teachings, the Dharma, into practice
Because nothing can be accomplished just by reading words.
A sick man will never be cured of his illness
Through merely reading medical instructions!

~ Master Shantideva (AD 683-763), verse 5(104)

Buddhism has 3 important strengths; Wisdom (Manjusri), Activity (Vajrapani) and Compassion (Avalokiteshvara).

Neither Pleasant nor Unpleasant

We like to classify everything… including emotional attachment on encounters in life.

We can have pleasant emotion - some call it pleasures, which sometimes make us happy. Hopefully, we have this all this time and have it as and when we want or have it as much as possible. The truth is that this is probably only 10% of the incidents that we encounter daily.

We do have unpleasant moment too… where we get upset and emotionally distress because of such happenings, and hope this will never happen. The frequency is said to be about the same as pleasant encounters .. Which is about 10%.

Should you question your faith?

Buddha said:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

Jewel of the Lotus - THE MEANING OF OM MANI PADME HUM -

It is very good to recite the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast. The first, OM is composed of three letters, A, U, M. These symbolise the practitioner's impure body, speech and mind; they also symbolise the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha.

The Buddha's Words on Kindness

The Buddha teaches the Four Brahmaviharas.

Brahmaviharā (Pali and Sanskrit) can be translated as Sublime Attitudes or Abodes of God. They form a sequence of Buddhist meditations recommended in the Pali Brahmavihara Sutta and the Sanskrit Brahmavihara Sutra.

Metta/Maitri: loving-kindness towards all; the hope that a person will be well

Karuna: compassion; the hope that a person's sufferings will diminish

Mudita: altruistic joy in the accomplishments of a person, oneself or other

Pain, Pain, Pain!!!

Being Happy must be the objective of living.

The fact that we are alive mean that we should live our lifes as happy as possible. Being happy is different from enjoying some SHORT term pleasures in life. Pleasure are short moment of happiness which may provide you with a false sense of happiness and may lead to pain later. True happiness stays forever.

There are 3 poison arrows that could shoot pain into our life. These are hatred, ignorance and attachment.