Buddham Saranam Gacchami By Lata Mangeshkar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ210VZa1l4

Published on Dec 29, 2013

Lata Mangeshkar's first Buddhist song.
In The album SIDDHARTHA
Published by  Pratik Mohite

Glimpses of Theravada Buddhism; interview with Louis Gabaude

Posted in Blog

Louis Gabaude is one of the most knowledgeable scholars of Theravada Buddhism. He taught in Chiang Mai University and has been deeply involved in research on the field working for École Française d’Extrême-Orient or EFEO, in Thailand.

He’s now retired since ten years and he still lives in Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand). 

Could you please start by introducing yourself?

I was born in south central France. My grandparents had a small farm in the hills. My father, born in 1900, trained as a stonecutter at the age of 14. At 20, he was conscripted into the army and sent to Germany as a member of the “occupying forces” after WW I. Upon his return, he started his own enterprise and created his own factory, which would, after WWII, employ about 20 workers. Despite having only a primary education he became the mayor of our commune, created an association for the protection of the region, and received an academic distinction. My parents had five children.

Life will have its unexpected turns

“When life is good do not take it for granted as it will pass. Be mindful, be compassionate and nurture the circumstances that find you in this good time so it will last longer. When life falls apart always remember that this too will pass. Life will have its unexpected turns.” ― Ajahn Brahm

Aṅguttara Nikāya 1. Ekakanipāta II. Nīvaraṇapahāna Vagga. Expelling obstacles 断盖品

11. “Nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppanno vā kāmacchando uppajjati uppanno vā kāmacchando bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, subhanimittaṃ. Subhanimittaṃ, bhikkhave, ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva kāmacchando uppajjati uppanno ca kāmacchando bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṃvattatī”ti. Paṭhamaṃ.

WACANA Conference : 1 July 2017

WACANA – the premier Malaysian conference where the Sangha and laity gather to discuss pertinent issues that affect the Buddhist movement, has been organised by Nalanda Institute Malaysia since 2007 and this year will partner Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia (TBCM).

Five Wonderful Precepts By Buddha Will Completely Transform Your Life

1. Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and to learn the ways of protecting the lives of people, animals and plants. 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.

2. Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving-kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals and plants. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will do everything in my power to prevent others from human suffering of other species.

3. Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate my responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

4. Aware of suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to
listen to the suffering of others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep
listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others
of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or bring
suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that can inspire
self confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I
do not know to be certain, and not to criticize or condemn things I am not
sure of . I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or
discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make
every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, even small.

5. Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to
cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and
my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to
ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in my body, in my
consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family
and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicants,
or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain T.V.
programs, magazines, books, films and conversations. I am aware that to
damage my body and my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion by practicing a diet for myself 

and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-
transformation, and for the transformation of society.

MAY ALL BE HAPPY !!!  ~ By Thich Nhat Hanh

Vijaya Sutta, Sutta Nipata SN1.11

Whether walking, standing,
sitting, or lying down,
it flexes & stretches:
this is the body's movement.

"WFBY" meeting in Seoul not recognized by the World Fellowship of Buddhists

The Buddhist Channel, March 3, 2017

Bangkok, Thailand -- The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) has issued a statement which categorily rejects a meeting held by a rival "WFBY" in Seoul, South Korea some time in February, 2017.

In a press release issued yesterday, it states that "such person or group that held the meeting in the Republic of Korea on February B.E. 2560 (2017) are not the executives that the WFB have endorsed. Any actions incurred therewith has no relevance whatsoever and does not involve the WFB and the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY)." 

Dependent Origination

You are blessed with the four great fortunes

“You are blessed with the four great fortunes. All you have to do now is to make all these four great fortunes into Nibbāna.”

Do it yourself

Regular Everything, by John Aske

Posted on 24 February 2017 by Buddhism Now

We all like things to be regular, and what’s wrong with that, you might reasonably ask? We all want stable conditions as well. We don’t want anything to change, either — we want it to stay the same — or more or less, always.

Having a regular job, regular meals and somewhere regular to sleep at night can only be good, better than sleeping in a ditch and being hungry all the time. The gravedigger at Drewsteignton preferred to sleep under a hedge, he told me, because a roof ‘made the place stuffy,’ but he was an unusual man.

Making Thai Buddhism relevant again

by Sanitsuda Ekachai, Bangkok Post, March 2, 2017

Bangkok, Thailand -- So the Dhammakaya Temple is a cult. So its leader reportedly claims to be a doomsday saviour who takes rich donors on a tour to heaven to see the Buddha. So it teaches its followers to buy premium spaces in heaven by donating to the temple. So its doctrine on the permanence of self is against Buddhism. So what?

The problem of Dhammakaya is not so much what it teaches. Very few Buddhist temples in Thailand do not cash in on superstition. But its gigantic size, extensive reach and its grand ambition to take over the whole clergy has engendered widespread public concern. Its biggest problem -- a mistake to be precise -- is taking the wrong side of the political divide.

The Thaksin card played by Dhammakaya saved its leader from a court case over temple theft in 2006. But this is 2017. The anti-Thaksin regime is determined to weed out any perceived remnants of the Thaksin stronghold. It also probably wants to revive its sagging popularity by showing its middle-class supporters that only the regime can "protect Buddhism" and get rid of the cultish Dhammakaya once and for all.

You only need to sit

"You only need to sit" is an exhortation of Tao Dong (Soto) meditation. It means that you should sit without waiting for a miracle—and that includes the miracle of enlightenment. If you sit always in expectation you cannot be in contact with or enjoy the present moment, which always contains the whole of life. Sit in this context means to sit in an awakened way, in a relaxed way, with your mind awake, calm, and clear. Only this can be called sitting, and it takes training and practice.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen and the art of family maintenance – lessons from the bestselling Buddhist monk

by John-Paul Flintoff, The Guardian, 25 February 2017 Haemin Sunim says a happy relationship and contented children are within reach for us all – if we could just slow down and pay attention to each other Seoul, South Korea -- Some people, if you ask them a question, answer quickly. Others take a moment to think first. Haemin Sunim looks up, slightly to the right, and allows 14 seconds to pass before he answers one of my questions. I counted, when I listened to the recording. And here’s something: waiting for his reply, I didn’t feel even remotely uncomfortable. Because taking time is Sunim’s thing. He’s a Buddhist monk who has become internationally famous for it. << Haemin Sunim meditates in New York. Photograph: Sangbeom Lee His book Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down was published in South Korea in 2012, quickly rose to No 1 on the bestseller list and stayed there for nearly a year, selling more than 3m copies. Written in response to requests for advice on social media (he has 1.25 million followers on Twitter), it directly addresses problems facing people around the world. Some of this is based on his personal experience. Much is based on what he has learned from people who ask for his help.

Sugatovàda Exhortation of the Well-Fared One 善逝教誡

Appamàdena, bhikkhave, sampàdetha. 

Dullabho Buddhuppàdo lokasmiṁ. 
Dullabho manussatta-paṭilàbho.
Dullabhà khaṇa-sampatti.
Dullabhà saddhà-sampatti, Dullabhà pabbajjà.
Dullabhaṁ Saddhammasavaṇan”ti.
Evaṁ Bhagavà divase divase ovàdi,
Evaṁ Sugato divase divase ovadi.

Nothing is stable

Buddhist temple welcomes all

by By Alex Perry, Suffolk News Herald, February 20, 2017

Buddhist monks have extended an open invitation to their serene Carrollton location for a celebration.

Suffolk, VA (USA) -- Wat Pasantidhamma in rural Carrollton is holding its Magha Puja ceremony from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Hundreds of people from many backgrounds are expected at the Thai Theravada Buddhist temple, and everybody is welcome to attend at no cost.

Buddhist monk Sutin Pratoomfang stands on the bridge between “Sangha land” and “Dhamma land” on the temple’s campus.

“This is not only for Thai people,” Hampton Roads Thai-American Association president and Wat Pasantidhamma co-founder Rudee Jacobs said. “A lot of Americans are interested in studying Buddhism.”

Rahula Sutta from Sutta Nipata SN 2.11

Renouncing the five pleasures of sense that entrance and delight the mind, and in faith departing from home, become one who makes an end of suffering!

Mindfulness gives rise to and nourishes happiness

When you have a toothache the feeling is very unpleasant, 
and when you do not have a toothache you usually have a neutral feeling. However, if you can be mindful of the nontoothache, 
the nontoothache will become a feeling of peace and joy. 
Mindfulness gives rise to and nourishes happiness.

Thich Nhat Hanh
(Photo: Iñigo Jiménez)

The Vegetarian Buffet at This Buddhist Monastery Is What’s Missing from Your Life

by Thomas Harlander, Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2017

Hsi Lai Temple’s dining hall is a little-known gem in Hacienda Heights
Los Angeles, CA (USA) -- If you ever go to The Hall of Five Contemplations for lunch (which, if you like to eat Chinese food and/or need more serenity in your life, you absolutely should), be sure to dress conservatively. It is, after all, in a Buddhist monastery.

Hsi Lai Temple, the 15-acre Hacienda Heights campus of Taiwan’s Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order, is dominated by a bronze-roofed shrine bedecked with red and orange lanterns. Beneath it there’s an unassuming vegetarian Chinese dining hall you could easily miss, and it’s open to the public.

It’s a pragmatic space - tables draped with clear plastic, florescent lights overhead - that primarily exists for those attending the temple. All are welcome, though, and eight dollars buys you all you can eat.