Relationship Workshop – Cultivating better understanding, empathy and kindness between couples
Date: 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, & 24 Jul 2021 (Sat)
Time: 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Venue: Via Zoom
Donation: $100 per couple (All proceeds go to Buddhist Library)
Payment method: Internet transfer to DBS 0010193783 (Buddhist Research Society)
Restricted to 15 couples only! Email the reply slip to info@buddhlib.org.sg to register now!
Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Birthday
Date : 6 July 2021 (Tuesday)
Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm (online)
6 July 2021 marks the 86th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
ABC has always celebrated this joyous occasion with prayers for His Holiness's long life and continued good health, supplicating His Holiness to remain in this world to guide us until the end of samsara.
This year, we will be celebrating this occasion with prayers collated based on the advice of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the text "How to Do the Great Festival of His Holiness's Birthday in the Best Possible Way". This event is online only.
BSWA YOUTUBE LIVE WITH AJAHN BRAHM Ajahn Brahm will be teaching on Friday. Guided meditation on Saturday & Sutta Class on Sunday.
Programme for the night: Friday Night YouTube Live:https://youtu.be/MzT3W1jjTYY Date : FRIDAY, 9 July 2021
Time: 7.30pm – 8.00pm – Guided meditation
Time: 8.00pm – 9.00pm – Talk SATURDAY, Guided Meditation by Ajahn Brahm Saturday YouTube Live:https://youtu.be/Me3BoauUrfw Date: 10 July 2021
Time: 3pm Perth/SG/KL (GMT+8) SUNDAY, Sutta Class by Ajahn Brahm
Sunday YouTube Live:https://youtu.be/bTgkRor-qgM Date: 11 July 2021
Time: 3pm Perth/SG/KL (GMT+8)
All are welcome
Jul 24
Full Moon in the Chinese Sixth Lunar Month
Asalha Puja or Dhamma Day.
This commemorates the Buddha's first discourse, the Dhamma-Cakka-Pavattana Sutta (the Discourse on the Turning of the Wheel of Truth) in Sarnath (Isipatana, Benares) - the Deer Park , which he gave to the group of five monks with whom he had practised in the forest for many years. Upon hearing this discourse, one of the monks -- Ven. Kondañña -- gained his first glimpse of Nibbana, thus giving birth to the Noble Sangha. The annual rains retreat (vassa) commences the following day.
Note: At the end of this first sermon, the Venerable Kondañña became a Sotapanna (a person at the first stage of enlightenment) and then, according to the Commentaries, for example, the Commentary on Vinaya, the other four disciples became Sotapannas, one on each of the four following days. On the first day after the full-moon day in July, the monk Vappa became a Sotapanna; on the second day, Bhaddiya; on the third day, Mahanama; and on the fourth day, Assaji. After they became Sotapannas, they all asked Buddha for ordination. Buddha ordained each of them by calling to them, "Come monks." On the fifth day after the full-moon day, the Buddha assembled them and preached to them this discourse Anatta-lakkhana Sutta. -The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic (no-soul or anatta)
( Note: Try this site which is my favourite explanation for :- NO INNER CORE - ANATTA . By Sayadaw U Silananda )
AUG 2021: RAHULA CONNECTS via ZOOM (LOWER PRIMARY)
We are pleased to announce that you and your child/nephews/nieces/young friends at lower primary are invited to "Rahula Connects via Zoom Online" It is an online meeting promoting Buddhist Teaching to our young.
Join us for this SUNDAY, 15 Aug Zoom session for the Lower Primary group (those in Primary One to Three) at 10:30am.
If you are interested to join, please register at https://tinyurl.com/RahulaConnects2021 the soonest and Zoom invitation would be sent to you before the session.
Looking forward to reconnecting with you and the youth via Zoom!
WFBY is organising the first ever Inter-Cultural Buddhist Youth Exchange Program (IBYE) 2021 co-share with "youth" beyond the age of 25 years old.
The theme this year is - Hope in the Post Covid-19 era. Breaking Out From the Chrysalis.
We have invited some prominent speakers for this program and details of the program can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/keyibye2021
(Contents are in Japanese but you can activate google translate to translate the website)
DETAILS OF PROGRAM Date : 20-Aug-2021 (Fri): 1.00pm to 6.00pm
Keynote Speech 1: Tesshu Shaku & Tatsuru Uchida Date : 21-Aug-2021 (Sat): 11.30am to 1.30pm
Keynote Speech 2: Yoshinobu Miyake, Shinichi Yahagi and Yuichi Sato Date : 22-Aug-2021 (Sun): 12.00pm to 2.30pm
Keynote Speech 3: Issho Fujita & Plum Village
The program above is open for all. Please register yourself by clicking on the link above and you may select which session you would like to participate (or select all if you would like to participate in all sessions)
All are welcome
Aug 22
Full Moon of the Chinese Seventh Month
Ullambana Day
Most Chinese Buddhists celebrate the Full Moon of the Chinese Seventh month by having prayers, general transferring of merits to the beloved departed ones and to the wandering spirits during Ullambana Day. Read about the Ullambana Sutra.
Aug 22
Full Moon of the Chinese Seventh Month
Ullambana Day: What Burning ‘Paper Money’ Really Meant
Ghost Month Series: This series explores different angles of the 7th Lunar Month, also known as the Ghost Month. Festivals, Cultures, and Religions often mix together in one place, offering space for different interpretations. We, like you, are keen to explore more. Discern on what is helpful to your practice and discard whatever is not.
Artical by Nalanda Institute, Malaysia. Reproduced here for intellectual discussion ONLY
During a funeral ceremony in ancient China, paper-made models of houses, sedan chairs, treasure chests, clothes, daily utensils, and even effigies of servants, were burnt as the cortege was leaving home for burial in the cemetery.
The original meaning of such an act is to show everyone present that all former possessions of the deceased cannot be brought along to the next life.
At one’s death, everything one had ever owned has to be left behind. The burning only emphasizes this message, as it is the most graphical, symbolic, and dramatic way of showing total loss!
There is a Chinese saying that ‘no possessions can be brought along to the next existence; the only thing that follows one is his deeds, or ‘kamma’ ‘ ( 万般带不去，唯有业随身 ).
Furthermore, his relatives and friends only follow the deceased up to the grave, but soon turn to go home, leaving the dead alone in his tomb!
Thus, the burning of cheaply-produced paper models and effigies served as an effective educational tool. Witnessing how fire consumes every ‘former possession’ of the deceased, even an illiterate peasant or young child was able to understand this sense of total relinquishment at death.
Today, this practice is completely misunderstood by the majority of Chinese. Instead of the original meaning, paper-made models have been turned into “paper offerings” – with the mistaken thought that whatever one burns, his departed relatives will obtain in the netherworld!
Hence people nowadays burn paper models of the latest i-Pads, smartphones, LED screens, and “paper money” in inflated sums in order to please the dead.
All these will not help the departed ones at all.
In fact, this misunderstanding will only harm the living by maintaining their ignorance and delusions.
Many people assume that whatever is fancied in life is also fancied in the netherworld.
Instead of burning “paper offerings”, one can perform ‘Dedication of Merits’ (Pāli, ‘Pattidāna ’) to help their departed relatives.
Wise Steps:
Recognise the possible different reasons why burning paper money became a tradition. Understand that there may be more than one reason. For example read Mothership.sg’s take on it here
Though one may have more knowledge on Ghost Month, do not seek to aggressively change other’s behaviour (e.g. burning paper money). Instead, start a conversation to understand why others perform certain rituals. At times, being kind is better than being right. Sharing at the right time matters too!
When walking past burning paper and effigies during this month, reflect on the impermanence of all our possessions
What is the difference between apathy and equanimity? When you are equanimous, does it mean you are callous and apathetic? Join us in yet another exciting talk with Ajahn Brahm on the 29th of August at 2pm! Places are limited, register now!
At 2pm, join us for a brief update on the plans to acquire our own premises and the launch of a Website for BF’s New BUILDING FUND!!
Ajahn will Zoom in at 2:45pm. His talk will be broadcast LIVE from Perth, Australia to Buddhist Fellowship West Centre and will be uploaded to BF's YouTube at a later date.
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