WHY MEDITATE? Dhammapada 282

Mindfulness is not a waste of time – it can help treat depression

Surely Buddhists wouldn’t object to their practices being used to alleviate suffering? www.shutterstock.com

May 27, 2016 7.13pm AEST

Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgemental way. The practitioner learns to avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This can be difficult, especially for people suffering from anxiety and depression, but, if achieved, it can bring lasting relief.

Bored by the old mantra, Asian youth need new Buddhist hook

by Kalinga Seneviratne, The Nation, May 20, 2016 Singapore -- While the Buddha’s ideas are fast being adopted in the West as part of a 21st-century secular lifestyle, in the East the young generation is increasingly distancing itself from its Buddhist heritage. As we mark Visakha Bucha Day, the question of how to make the dharma look fresh, vital and “cool” to young urbanised Asians has never been more urgent. Earlier this month, young musicians from Malaysia and Indonesia joined local counterparts in Singapore to point a way forward, staging "Sadhu for the Music" at the Esplanade arts centre. The two shows on May 4 and 5 were sold out.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (20)

Dhammapada 231-234

"Let a man guard himself against irritability in bodily action; let him be controlled in deed. Abandoning bodily misconduct, let him practice good conduct in deed.

Let a man guard himself against irritability in speech; let him be controlled in speech. Abandoning verbal misconduct, let him practice good conduct in speech.

Let a man guard himself against irritability in thought; let him be controlled in mind. Abandoning mental misconduct, let him practice good conduct in thought.

The wise are controlled in bodily action, controlled in speech and controlled in thought. They are truly well-controlled."

Passing Life's Exams

My final examinations at Cambridge University in 1972 were in theoretical physics. It was a tough time. All my university career came down to these last series of exams. All that went before counted for nothing. This was it, pass or fail. My exams consisted of a three-hour written paper in the morning and another three-hour paper in the afternoon, one day after another without any break. I was told that every year at Cambridge at least one student committed suicide during the final exams. Such was the stress. However, I had a competitive edge over my fellow students that enabled me to do well; I had learn how to meditate.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (19)

Novice and Monk ordinations (Pabbajja and Upasampada)

Pabbajja means initiation or going forth from the life of a layperson to the homeless life and signifies the novice ordination. Only those who are 7 years or older can be ordained as novices and become Samaneras. Samaneras take the 10 precepts and are also enjoined to follow the Sekhiya rules on etiquette. When the samanera is at least 20 years old, he can request for the Upasampada, the higher ordination which qualifieshim as a monk or a bhikkhu.

Although samaneras and bhikkhus generally dress alike, samaneras are technically not members of the sangha. They are only preparing to join the sangha and thus cannot participate in the communal activities of the bhikkhus such as the chanting of the Patimokkha. Only bhikkhus are considered members of the sangha and their seniority as a bhikkhu is counted by the number of vassas since their upasampada.

Only senior bhikkhus who are considered well versed in the Vinaya can act as a Preceptor to ordain samaneras. This is a simple act of administering the 10 precepts. The ordination of a bhikkhu is a formal affair which requires not only the Preceptor but also the participation of a quorum of bhikkhus and the ceremony must be conducted within a sima.

The Dalai Lama just launched a website to help you achieve inner peace

by Chris Weller, Tech Insider, May 18, 2016 The Pope isn't the only holy figure reaching the masses in cyberspace. San Francisco, CA (USA) -- With the help of Paul Ekman, a psychologist who consulted on the 2015 Pixar film "Inside Out," and the data visualization firm Stamen Design, the Dalai Lama has launched a new website meant to give people a map for understanding their feelings. It's called the "Atlas of Emotions." "When we wanted to get to the New World, we needed a map," Ekman recalled the Dalai Lama telling him, according to the New York Times. So the psychologist was tasked with devising a similar guide for navigating our internal worlds — of fear, disgust, enjoyment, sadness, and anger.

The Metta Moment

Sadhu for the Music' concert at the Esplanade 

Concert Hall on 5 May 2016 (Thu).


The Metta Moment with Irvyn Wongso and Imee Ooi

https://www.facebook.com/100004473256566/videos/624193627739740/

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (18)

Tibetan Buddhist monks celebrated this boy as the ‘new Buddha’

MAY 21, 2016BY MAJORIE CHIEW The Star

In the aftermath of two major disasters, Nepal had cause for celebration again in the form of a sacred event.

On Nov 3, an eight-year-old boy, the only son of a renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher and spiritual leader, was offered the diamond crown and recognised as a manifestation of a living Buddha.

Ogyen Trinley Lhundup was born into the family of Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche and Khandro Tenzin Choeden. Following the traditional formal enthronement, he takes on the role as a high reincarnate master – the IXth Kyabgon Jedrungpa.

The newly enthroned IXth Kyabgon Jedrungpa sat for almost nine hours in the lotus position and blessed every visitor during last year’s ceremony. Photos: Wencheng Gongzhu International Foundation

Six months’ planning went into the Golden Enthronement, described as “the most splendid and magnificent enthronement ceremony” in recent times.

Buddhist master Rigo Tulku Rinpoche led the ceremony of pageantry, which was steeped in sacred Tibetan Buddhist rituals, at Shyalpa Monastery in Kapan, Kathmandu.

What's a Sima?

A sima is basically a boundary delineating the space used for formal monastic rituals. Marker stones (rupa nimitta) are normally installed during a ceremony with chanting by the monks when they are laid (picture below). Monastic matters (sanghakamma) are then undertaken within the sima boundary. This includes Upasampada (bhikkhu ordinations) and Patimokkha recitations. Pabbaja (novice ordinations) need not be done in a sima. Simas were developed because the Vinaya requires unanimous decisions to be made by monks for formal actions so it was necessary to make a boundary to exclude those not participating in the ceremony.

Simas can also be defined by natural barriers such as water (eg an island)

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (17)

Rituals in Buddhism

 By Gil Fronsdal

Rituals, as important elements of human life, have been a significant aspect of Buddhist practice since the time of the Buddha. Rituals are a form of language that expresses many dimensions of our human condition, including our relationships to others and to our spiritual life. As actions done with others to share our common values, rituals help create community and mutual support. As a way of being mindful, they can bring a heightened awareness to aspects of our experience needing attention. Rituals often involve symbolism and speak to our subconscious.  And when they are repeated frequently, they shape our dispositions.  When done whole-heartedly, they help us discover and express some of our deepest feelings and aspirations.

Woman, 92, thanks mercy goddess for saving her life

By RYOTA NISHIYAMA/ Staff Writer The Asahi Shimbun May 14, 2016 

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Hiroko Tamaoka, left, talks to her great-grandchildren visiting her in the hospital in Kumamoto’s Higashi Ward on May 1. 

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MASHIKI, Kumamoto Prefecture--A 92-year-old woman whose home was destroyed in the recent Kumamoto earthquakes has credited her survival to her daily attendance at a small hall dedicated to Kannon, a Buddhist goddess of mercy, for two decades.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (16)

Archaeologists and geographers team to predict locations of ancient Buddhist sites

Geographic modeling reveals 121 possible locations of important Indian texts carved into rock surfaces in third-century B.C.

Jessica Wolf | May 26, 2016

J.W. Lehner Studying the types of rock where known edicts are located helped UCLA researchers find likely sites of additional ones.

For archaeologists and historians interested in the ancient politics, 
religion and language of the Indian subcontinent, two UCLA professors 
and their student researchers have creatively pinpointed sites that are 
likely to yield valuable transcriptions of the proclamations of Ashoka, 
the Buddhist king of northern India’s Mauryan Dynasty who ruled from 
304 B.C. to 232 B.C.

Actress Torrey DeVitto will be spending her summer at a silent retreat

Actress Torrey DeVitto will be spending her summer at a silent retreat in a bid to calm her anxiety disorder.

Buddha's foremost upasakas and upasikas (15)

The proper time to investigate with wisdom

“….Some people think that once their mind is calm they should immediately develop wisdom, but that is also wrong. When the mind is calm, there is no need to do anything because that is the time for the mind to rest.

Meditation Boosts Immunity - Richard Davidson

Published on May 16, 2016

Mind and Life XXIX 2014 -Kyoto, Japan. Session1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwUqosy2DPM