“May you remain with us forever” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

jul/aug 2015
MCI (P) 078/02/2015
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“May you remain with
us forever” – His Holiness
the Dalai Lama Turns 80
©Rio Helmi/JLTC
Amitabha Buddhist Centre is a centre
for the study and practice of Mahayana
Buddhism, based on the tradition of
Lama Tsong Khapa, in the lineage of
Lama Thubten Yeshe and our Spiritual
Director, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
OUR VISION
Learn to Be Happy
Courage to cherish all
Wisdom to see the truth
Faith in Buddha’s peace
Follow Our Four-fold Path
Inspire
Connect
Learn
Practise
SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
RESIDENT TEACHER
Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi
PRESIDENT
2
Tan Hup Cheng
SPIRITUALPROGRAMME
COORDINATOR
Ven. Tenzin Gyurme
CENTRE MANAGER
Koh Zi Yen
Office staff
Administration - Alicia Lee
Operations - Denis Kwan
retail - Serene Tan
Compassion: The Way to
Peace and Happiness
“When you wake up in the morning, take a moment to think about how the whole
of humanity are your brothers and sisters.”
– His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Brisbane public talk, 12th June 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama celebrates his 80th birthday on 6th July. TASHI
DELEK dedicates this issue especially to our eminent and peerless guide in the
Dharma, with heartfelt prayers for his continuing long life, perfect health and
the spontaneous fulfilment of his holy wishes.
“O Holy One, eye of the world,
May you remain with us forever
And fulfil the three legacies of a master:
Giving spiritual teachings that reveal
The essential thought of the buddhas;
Leading discussions that dispel
mistaken dogmas;
And composing texts that fill with
delight
The fortunate beings that love great
thoughts.
Remain with us forever
As a great navigator of living beings.
Fulfil ordinary and higher aims of
living beings
By sailing the ship of profound
learning
In the traditions of sutra and tantra,
Your driving force the strong and
steady wind
Of the three noble disciplines.”
“O Great Guru, Holder of the White
Lotus,
May you continue to manifest as a
teacher of the Great Way
Until all living beings have crossed the
paths and stages
That lead to great enlightenment,
And the two purposes are spontaneously
fulfilled.”
Verses from the “Long Life Prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama” composed by Regent Reteng
Tulku for the enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama; English translation by Glenn H. Mullin in “The
Fourteen Dalai Lamas – A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation”.
Cover photo: courtesy of Rio Helmi for Jangchup Lamrim Teachings 2014
OFFICE HOURS
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10.30 am – 6 pm
Sundays: 10 am – 6 pm
(Hours extended to 7.30 pm when
evening sessions are scheduled)
AMITABHA BUDDHIST CENTRE
44 Lorong 25A Geylang
Singapore 388244
Tel: 6745 8547 Fax: 6741 0438
www.fpmtabc.org
centre@fpmtabc.org
80th Birthday Prayer
Celebration for His Holiness
the Dalai Lama
Namgyalma Puja
for Long Life
Monday 6 July
7.30 pm
Come join us as we offer our heartfelt
prayers for His Holiness to continue
to remain with us in a long life, with
perfect health and for all his holy wishes
to be accomplished.
In honour of his 80th birthday on 6th July, we pay homage to our greatly beloved spiritual guide,
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, by sharing his message on a subject he holds dear—compassion.
“The greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from the development
of love and compassion.”
“I believe that no one is born free
from the need for love. And this
demonstrates that, although some
modern schools of thought seek
to do so, human beings cannot
be defined as solely physical. No
material object, however beautiful
or valuable, can make us feel loved,
because our deeper identity and true
character lie in the subjective nature
of the mind.
Developing Compassion
Some of my friends have told me
that, while love and compassion are
marvellous and good, they are not
really very relevant. Our world, they
say, is not a place where such beliefs
have much influence or power. They
claim that anger and hatred are so
much a part of human nature that
humanity will always be dominated
by them. I do not agree.
We humans have existed in our
present form for about a hundred
thousand years. I believe that if during
this time the human mind had been
primarily controlled by anger and
hatred, our overall population would
have decreased. But today, despite
all our wars, we find that the human
population is greater than ever. This
clearly indicates to me that love and
compassion predominate in the
world. And this is why unpleasant
events are news. Compassionate
activities are so much part of daily
life that they are taken for granted
and, therefore, largely ignored.
So far I have been discussing mainly
the mental benefits of compassion,
but it contributes to good physical
health as well, According to my
personal experience, mental stability
and physical wellbeing are directly
related. Without question, anger and
agitation make us more susceptible
to illness. On the other hand, if the
mind is tranquil and occupied with
positive thoughts, the body will not
easily fall prey to disease.
But of course it is also true that we
all have an innate self-centredness
that inhibits our love for others. So,
since we desire the true happiness
that is brought about by only a
calm mind, and since such peace
of mind is brought about by only
a compassionate attitude, how can
we develop this? Obviously, it is not
enough for us simply to think about
how nice compassion is! We need to
make a concerted effort to develop
it; we must use all the events of our
daily life to transform our thoughts
and behaviour.
First of all, we must be clear about
what we mean by compassion. Many
forms of compassionate feeling are
mixed with desire and attachment.
For instance, the love parents feel for
their child is often strongly associated
with their own emotional needs,
so it is not fully compassionate.
Again, in marriage, the love between
husband and wife—particularly at
the beginning, when each partner
still may not know the other’s deeper
character very well—depends more
on attachment than genuine love.
Our desire can be so strong that the
person to whom we are attached
appears to be good, when in fact he
or she is very negative. In addition,
we have a tendency to exaggerate
small positive qualities. Thus when
one partner’s attitude changes, the
other partner is often disappointed
and his or her attitude changes too.
This is an indication that love has
been motivated more by personal
need than by genuine care for the
other individual.
True compassion is not just an
emotional response but a firm
commitment founded on reason.
Therefore, a truly compassionate
attitude towards others does not
change even if they behave negatively.
Of course, developing this kind of
compassion is not at all easy! As a
start, let us consider the following
facts:
Whether people are beautiful
and friendly or unattractive and
disruptive, ultimately they are
human beings, just like oneself. Like
oneself, they want happiness and do
not want suffering. Furthermore,
their right to overcome suffering and
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be happy is equal to one’s own. Now,
when you recognise that all beings
are equal in both their desire for
happiness and their right to obtain
it, you automatically feel empathy
and closeness for them. Through
accustoming your mind to this sense
of universal altruism, you develop a
feeling of responsibility for others,
the wish to help them actively
overcome their problems. Nor is this
wish selective; it applies equally to
all. As long as they are human beings
experiencing pleasure and pain just
as you do, there is no logical basis
to discriminate between them or to
alter your concern for them if they
behave negatively.
Let me emphasise that it is within
your power, given patience and time,
to develop this kind of compassion.
Of course, our self-centredness,
our distinctive attachment to the
feeling of an independent, selfexistent [“I”], works fundamentally
to inhibit our compassion. Indeed,
true compassion can be experienced
only when this type of self-grasping
is eliminated. But this does not
mean that we cannot start and make
progress now.
How Can We Start?
We should begin by removing the
greatest hindrances to compassion:
anger and hatred. As we all know,
these are extremely powerful
emotions and they can overwhelm
our entire mind. Nevertheless, they
can be controlled. If, however, they
are not, these negative emotions will
plague us (with no extra effort on
their part!) and impede our quest for
the happiness of a loving mind.
So as a start, it is useful to investigate
whether or not anger is of value.
Sometimes, when we are discouraged
by a difficult situation, anger does
seem helpful, appearing to bring
with it more energy, confidence and
determination.
Here, though, we must examine our
mental state carefully. While it is true
that anger brings extra energy, if we
explore the nature of this energy, we
discover that it is blind: we cannot
be sure whether its result will be
positive or negative. This is because
anger eclipses the best part of our
brain: its rationality. So the energy
of anger is almost always unreliable.
It can cause an immense amount of
destructive, unfortunate behaviour.
Moreover, if anger increases to the
extreme, one becomes like a mad
person, acting in ways that are as
damaging to oneself as they are to
others.
It is possible, however, to develop
an equally forceful but far more
controlled energy with which to
handle difficult situations.
This controlled energy comes not only
from a compassionate attitude, but
also from reason and patience. These
are the most powerful antidotes to
anger. Unfortunately, many people
misjudge these qualities as signs of
weakness. I believe the opposite to
be true: that they are the true signs
of inner strength. Compassion is by
nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but
it is very powerful. It is those who
easily lose their patience who are
insecure and unstable. Thus, to me,
the arousal of anger is a direct sign of
weakness.
So, when a problem first arises, try
to remain humble and maintain a
sincere attitude and be concerned
that the outcome is fair. Of course,
others may try to take advantage of
you, and if your remaining detached
only encourages unjust aggression,
adopt a strong stand, This, however,
should be done with compassion,
and if it is necessary to express
your views and take strong counter
measures, do so without anger or ill
intent.
thinking that compassion and reason
and patience are good will not be
enough to develop them. We must
wait for difficulties to arise and then
attempt to practise them.
And who creates such opportunities?
Not our friends, of course, but our
enemies. They are the ones who give
us the most trouble, so if we truly
wish to learn, we should consider
enemies to be our best teacher!
For a person who cherishes
compassion and love, the practice of
tolerance is essential, and for that, an
enemy is indispensable. So we should
feel grateful to our enemies, for it is
they who can best help us develop a
tranquil mind! Also, it is often the
case in both personal and public life,
that with a change in circumstances,
enemies become friends.
So anger and hatred are always
harmful, and unless we train our
minds and work to reduce their
negative force, they will continue to
disturb us and disrupt our attempts
to develop a calm mind. Anger and
hatred are our real enemies. These are
the forces we most need to confront
and defeat, not the temporary
enemies who appear intermittently
throughout life.
You should realise that even
though your opponents appear to
be harming you, in the end, their
destructive activity will damage only
themselves. In order to check your
own selfish impulse to retaliate,
you should recall your desire to
practise compassion and assume
responsibility for helping prevent
the other person from suffering the
consequences of his or her acts.
Thus, because the measures you
employ have been calmly chosen, they
will be more effective, more accurate
and more forceful. Retaliation based
on the blind energy of anger seldom
hits the target.
Anger and hatred
are our real enemies.
These are the forces
we most need to
confront and defeat,
not the temporary
enemies who appear
intermittently
throughout life.
Friends and Enemies
I must emphasise again that merely
Of course, it is natural and right
that we all want friends. I often joke
that if you really want to be selfish,
you should be very altruistic! You
should take good care of others, be
concerned for their welfare, help
them, serve them, make more friends,
make more smiles. The result? When
you yourself need help, you find
plenty of helpers! If, on the other
hand, you neglect the happiness of
others, in the long term you will be
the loser. And is friendship produced
through quarrels and anger, jealousy
and intense competitiveness? I do
not think so. Only affection brings
us genuine close friends.
In today’s materialistic society, if you
have money and power, you seem to
have many friends. But they are not
friends of yours; they are the friends
of your money and power. When
you lose your wealth and influence,
you will find it very difficult to track
these people down.
The trouble is that when things in
the world go well for us, we become
confident that we can manage by
ourselves and feel we do not need
friends, but as our status and health
decline, we quickly realise how
wrong we were. That is the moment
when we learn who is really helpful
and who is completely useless. So to
prepare for that moment, to make
genuine friends who will help us
when the need arises, we ourselves
must cultivate altruism! Though
sometimes people laugh when I
say it, I myself always want more
friends. I love smiles. Because of this
I have the problem of knowing how
to make more friends and how to get
more smiles, in particular, genuine
smiles, for there are many kinds
of smile, such as sarcastic, artificial
or diplomatic smiles. Many smiles
produce no feeling of satisfaction,
and sometimes they can even create
suspicion or fear, can’t they? But a
genuine smile really gives us a feeling
of freshness and is, I believe, unique
to human beings. If these are the
smiles we want, then we ourselves
must create the reasons for them to
appear.
Compassion and the
World
In conclusion, I would like briefly
to expand my thoughts beyond the
topic of this short piece and make
a wider point: individual happiness
can contribute in a profound
and effective way to the overall
improvement of our entire human
community.
Because we all share an identical
need for love, it is possible to feel
that anybody we meet, in whatever
circumstances, is a brother or sister.
No matter how new the face or how
different the dress and behaviour,
there is no significant division
between us and other people. It
is foolish to dwell on external
differences, because our basic natures
are the same.
Ultimately, humanity is one and this
small planet is our only home. If
we are to protect this home of ours,
each of us needs to experience a vivid
sense of universal altruism. It is only
this feeling that can remove the selfcentred motives that cause people to
deceive and misuse one another.
If you have a sincere and open heart,
you naturally feel self-worth and
confidence, and there is no need to
be fearful of others.
I believe that at every level of
society—familial, tribal, national
and international—the key to a
happier and more successful world
is the growth of compassion. We do
not need to become religious, nor do
we need to believe in an ideology. All
that is necessary is for each of us to
develop our good human qualities.
I try to treat whoever I meet as an
old friend. This gives me a genuine
feeling of happiness. It is the practice
of compassion.”
From
“Compassion
and
the
Individual” by His Holiness the 14th
Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, courtesy
of www.dalaialama.com
5
Raising Children with
the Good Heart
In a new book, “Joyful Parents, Successful Children”, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has advice for parents
on how to give their children a healthy and positive start to life by teaching them to live with a
good heart. Here is an excerpt.
Y
oung people are the future
of the world. How much
happiness and peace, and
likewise, how much fear and danger
future generations will experience,
depends on how children are
educated right now.
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A more peaceful world depends on
children practising the good heart—
helping others and not harming
them. This is the most important
education you can give children and
the very first thing to teach them.
Initially, it is very important to make
a plan for your children’s lives to be
beneficial, both for their own sake
and for the rest of the world. People
who are starting a new business,
for example, begin by developing a
plan to make it the most profitable
possible. Similarly, even before you
bring children into the world, you
should make a plan given that a
sentient being’s life is much more
important than a business!
Every day, you, as a Buddhist parent,
make prayers, recite mantras and so
forth, for the benefit of all sentient
beings—the numberless hell beings,
hungry ghosts, animals, human
beings, asuras, suras and
intermediate state beings.
Since your children are
also included in those
sentient beings, you
must think about how
to make their lives the
most beneficial possible.
This is because, among
the numberless sentient
beings, you have a
special responsibility
for your children’s
lives.
You
must
therefore make a plan
to ensure that their
lives are meaningful
and not passed in
suffering, at the very
least for themselves
but ideally, also for the entire family,
society, country and world.
You have a huge responsibility for
the kind of people your children will
grow up to be. Because you spend so
much time with them, your attitude
and behaviour can have a lasting
influence on them.
Of course, there is no guarantee they
will do everything you tell them to
do; they also have their own
your children’s lives in a positive
way, their futures will be very unsure
and the opportunity you had to help
them will be lost. Although many
good things could have happened to
your children because you lacked a
clear idea about parenting, their lives
might become filled with constant
suffering and problems.
A good parenting plan comes from
having a healthy, positive motivation
for bringing up your children, one
that is based on a good heart rather
than on attachment.
If you have a good heart and a
good attitude toward life, and
consequently try to do positive
things to help others in your daily
life, it will have a strong impact on
your children. It will be of great
benefit to them and they will grow
up with a healthy mind—a positive,
pure Dharma mind. With this type
of mind, they won’t harm themselves,
nor will they harm other sentient
beings: their families, neighbours,
individual
karma. Having created strong
karma in their past lives, your
children’s lives may well turn out to
be completely different to the way
you brought them up. But because
what happens to them also depends
on other causes and conditions,
you are responsible for helping
them as much as you possibly can.
Therefore, you need to have a clear
plan as to how to educate them. If
instead, you miss out on directing
fellow countrymen and the people of
the world, not to mention animals.
Not only that, their healthy minds
will also make it possible for them to
bring peace and happiness to others.
Children learn from their parents,
so if they see you trying to benefit
others, they will receive a positive
message from your example. Then,
when your children have their own
children, they will pass on that same
education by also living their lives
with a good heart and helping others.
Your children will be an example for
their own children, that is, for your
grandchildren. Like this, parents can
help to transmit from generation
to generation the importance of a
good heart, of not causing harm to
others and of doing as many positive
actions as possible. If you do this, the
result will not only be an enjoyable
family life for you and your children,
but it will also bring much happiness
and peace to the sentient beings of
this world, life after life. Therefore,
your role as a parent is extremely
Children learn from
their parents, so if
they see you trying to
benefit others, they
will receive a positive
message from your
example.
important and entails a truly big
responsibility.
From Chapter 3, “Generating the Good
Heart” – “Joyful Parents, Successful
Children”. Published by Amitabha
Buddhist Centre, available at ABC’s
Free Publications at Level 1.
“Illuminating
the Path to
Enlightenment”
In this book, His Holiness the Dalai Lama explains
how to practise the lam-rim based on two classic texts:
Lama Atisha’s “Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment”
and Lama Tsong Khapa’s “Lines of Experience”. First
published in 2002, this book is available now in a
NEW reprint from our Free Publications. Copies
are available for free at our Level 1 foyer.
7
Vesak Celebration 2015
– Bigger and Better
T
8
housands of people thronged
our
three-day
Vesak
th
Celebration from 30 May
to 1st June. Hot humid weather did
not deter crowds of the faithful as
well as the curious from visiting our
festival and celebrating the Buddha’s
date of birth, enlightenment and
parinirvana with us. Long queues
waited patiently to offer bath to the
infant Buddha, to receive auspicious
blessings from Khen Rinpoche Geshe
Chonyi, and to enjoy free hearty
servings of vegetarian lunch on Vesak
Day itself. Seats were filled as people
came to attend the pujas performed
by the Sangha, and hundreds
took part in the light offering and
circumambulation procession every
night.
The main focus of the festival
continued to be the display of our
magnificent thangka of Amitabha
Buddha’s Pure Land, which attracted
the attention of the thousands who
passed by and was captured by
countless photo-taking devices.
This was ABC’s 18th year of hosting
our Vesak Celebration at the field
next to the Aljunied MRT station—
but not quite the way it used to be. A
notification from the authorities just
two weeks before the event required
that we relocate our site to the plot
right beside the MRT station itself.
Our president, Tan Hup Cheng,
explained the move: “The change
in the location of the tentage was
because the Urban Redevelopment
Authority (URA) expanded the
current car park into one-third of
the land we traditionally use for the
tentage. We were given the alternative
use of the plot of land between the
condominium showroom, church
and MRT station. This plot is much
bigger, wider and deeper—70 by
60 metres—than the old plot. In
addition, we were subsequently
allowed to use the opposite plot of
empty land next to the MRT station
for the big Amitabha thangka and
Dzambhala ponds. This was a great
blessing in that we had an extra
large parcel of land to display the
Amitabha thangka, which could be
pushed right back and afforded an
excellent picture postcard view.”
Going by the swell of visitors
that streamed in, the unexpected
change of location worked out well,
providing favourable conditions for
us to offer the inconceivable benefits
of our vibrant Vesak Celebration to
our community once again.
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Our Vesak festivities included a
special lunchtime performance
by ABC’s vocal group, Mudita.
Their crowd-pleasing interlude
included the debut of the
“Heart Sutra” and “Amitabha
in Our Heart”, sung in Chinese.
The Nepal Earthquake:
A Shake-up for
Self-Cherishing
Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim tells her side of the story of what it was like to land in Nepal in the
middle of its recent earthquake crisis.
F
10
or about ten seconds, the
aeroplane suddenly rocked
vigorously from side to side.
I was inside a toilet in the rear of
the cabin when this happened. All
I thought was, “Why is the plane
moving sideways when it’s supposed
to go forward? What’s the pilot
doing?” The plane was parked on the
tarmac of Tribhuvan International
Airport in Kathmandu, waiting to
taxi to a landing bay. It was one p.m.
on 26th April. The plane had finally
landed after circling for half an hour
and had been stationary for another
half hour. I returned to my seat and
asked my travel companion, “Did
the plane just move?” She looked
up briefly from her mobile phone
and said, “Yes, the plane just moved
forward.” That was odd, I thought,
as I looked out of a window. If we
had just moved forward, why was
the search-and-rescue helicopter in
the exact same place as before?
After a while, an airline official
walked through the half-empty
cabin to explain that we had just
experienced an earthquake. This was
followed by an announcement from
the pilot (who had been silent for
what felt like eternity), informing us
that he had been trying to contact
the flight control tower for a long
time but no one had picked up his
calls—they had all evacuated the
building due to the earthquake
alarm! I found out later that the
violent shaking we had experienced
on board the plane was indeed an
aftershock that registered at about
six on the Richter scale.
We were stuck inside the
grounded plane for two
hours. The passengers
comprised a handful
of local Nepalese, news
network camera crews,
and seven people from
Amitabha
Buddhist
Centre who put their
wish to receive a certain
initiation from Lama
Zopa Rinpoche above
considerations of sanity
and safety. As was
widely reported, Nepal
experienced its worst
earthquake in 82 years
just the day before.
For several tense moments while
confined in the plane, I entered a
near-panic zone where I questioned
my own decision to fly to Nepal
the very day after the earthquake.
TV images from the disaster floated
through my mind as well as the
thought that I might die soon. As
I resisted an oncoming surge of
irrational fear, I reasoned that it was
entirely my self-cherishing that was
rising up. If I were to die then, it
would be quite a fortunate way to
die because I had flown all the way
there, into an earthquake crisis, to
see my guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
I thought about what it was like for
people who perished while trapped
inside aircraft that went plummeting
towards a fatal crash or explosion,
their sheer terror. Compared to their
horrific suffering, to die in a halfempty plane would be much better.
I told myself, this is what death and
impermanence really is.
When we finally disembarked from
the plane, everything was surreal.
Passing large groups waiting beside
the runway to board their planes,
walking by more people camping in
the airport’s parking lot ready to flee
on the next flight, going past a neverending queue of Indian nationals
waiting to be evacuated, driving
through deserted city streets, and
arriving at Kopan Monastery where
everyone, including Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, was camped outdoors
around the stupa garden.
Kopan Monastery was a paradise
in comparison to other places. We
were given rooms that we were told,
were safe to sleep in and did sleep
in except for one night. We had
enough food. The day we arrived,
there was no electricity but this was
temporary. The water pipe in our
hostel block was broken so for many
days, there was no running water.
But compared to the thousands who
had lost their homes and lacked
basic food and shelter, this was a
very minor inconvenience.
This was one trip to Nepal where I
had to forgo the usual pilgrimage
to Boudha Stupa, especially after
being warned about the outbreak
of swine flu there. Other than visits
to Kopan Nunnery, I simply stayed
put. There were aftershocks day after
day and one did not know when to
expect them or the next big one.
Sometimes, the tremors occurred
at night and would shake me out of
the false security of my sleep. Even
though I was only in Nepal for
nine days, weeks later back home
in Singapore, I felt the sensation of
physical tremors on three occasions
while half asleep. What it must be
like for those who live in Nepal
where aftershocks have persisted?
During my week there, I saw how
the Kopan monks initially ventured
around the neighbourhood, cleaning
up debris, donating blood at hospitals
and distributing cooked meals, then
gradually fanned out to deliver
emergency supplies to remote villages
that had succumbed to destruction.
The activities of “Helping Hands” of
Kopan have been well documented
on social media. I do not hesitate
to add that the monks carried out
their well-organised and extensive
work every day with a steadfast
attitude from morning to night. As
a visitor, I did not feel that I could
actually do much to help. But the
quake relief station that the monks
set up outside Reception encouraged
me and others to come forward to
contribute whatever might be useful.
I gladly gave away my sleeping bag,
bath towel, some medicine and cash.
Rinpoche led prayers for the victims
and the deceased at night and gave
several teachings. I jotted down a
few quotes. What Rinpoche said
speaks volumes to sum up what I
needed to learn about myself as a
result of flying into the thick of the
earthquake.
Rinpoche
said:
“Since
this
earthquake came from our selfcherishing attitude, we should give
the earthquake back to our selfcherishing attitude. Even if we were
to die, since the ‘I’ comes from our
self-cherishing, we should give death
back to our self-cherishing.
Pure Dharma practitioners, every
day, even every hour, think they
are going to die today. Those who
are practising pure Dharma, it is
not something very peculiar. Every
day, you might die, not just in an
earthquake. So continuously practise
Dharma. Whether walking, eating,
sleeping, always remember Dharma.
Everything
becomes
Dharma.
Everyday when you train in that,
then everything becomes Dharma.
So it makes life meaningful.”
Rinpoche said that when the
earthquake occurred, he made this
prayer: “May all the sentient beings’
sufferings ripen on me.” What I
gathered afterwards from speaking
separately to Khen Rinpoche and
Rinpoche’s attendant, Ven. Sangpo,
is that as the whole room shook and
various statues and water bowls went
crashing to the floor, Rinpoche sat
immovable with his palms folded
above his head while he made that
prayer.
The Day Boudha Stupa Shook
A few ABC members had flown
to Kathmandu on 24th April, the
day before the earthquake. Here
is an upfront account from one
of them on being there when the
earthquake struck. She prefers to
remain anonymous.
“After breakfast, we decided to go
to Boudha to do ‘kora’, and had
decided to go the upper level of
Boudha Stupa because it was less
crowded. I was looking out and
suddenly, all the birds just rose up
into the sky together in fright.”
[She was referring to a corner of
the stupa habitually occupied by a
large flock of pigeons.] “The next
moment, the stupa started shaking
badly. It was almost instantaneous.
I screamed, “Earthquake!” and
shouted to my companions. We
squatted down to keep our centre
of gravity. We did our mantras
and I thought of Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, and we waited for it to
subside. Then everybody ran down
and waited in the open area next
to the stupa for about one hour.
Everybody was praying.
It was very frightening because
you don’t know what is going to
happen next. I thought, “This is it.
I am going to die today.” You cling
on to the only thing you can think
of—refuge.
I thought it was a very good thing
to experience, all these things that
you read about in newspapers that
happen to other people. We got an
experience of what it’s like. We had
it easy compared to those who got
buried in the rubble. Of course,
you think about death, the frailty
of life. It can happen any time.”
11
Continued from page 11
Substantial Aid Raised
Just three days after Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake on 25th April, ABC sent an email to our members
calling for voluntary donations in aid of emergency relief efforts for our FPMT monastery and nunnery in Kopan.
While thankfully nobody was hurt, the two successive earthquakes did cause damage to buildings in Kopan
Monastery and Nunnery as well as other FPMT centres, including in Lawudo. Our appeal went out in support
of the FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund. ABC members will be pleased to know that your generous
contributions raised a very substantial sum that has gone towards repairs and helping those whose lives have been
adversely affected.
Bringing the Dharma
to China
I
12
n the village of Sishuang Chun,
in Hebei province, China, a
group comprised mainly of
older women in their sixties and
seventies received refuge vows with
precepts in May. Nothing unusual
about this really, except that the
monk who gave the vows happened
to be from the Tibetan tradition and
was a foreigner. It was in fact Ven.
Tenzin Drachom from Singapore.
This was Ven. Drachom’s second visit
to China within a six-month period.
Following advice given by Lama
Zopa Rinpoche, Ven. Drachom has
visited Bejing twice on a mission to
teach the Dharma. In early March,
Ven. Drachom had met Rinpoche
while at Kopan Monastery and had
asked Rinpoche for further advice
about what he should do while in
China. Rinpoche’s answer to him
was that he should give refuge vows
with precepts “whenever possible”
because it would create so much
merit, and so gave Ven. Drachom
his permission and blessing to carry
out the task.
As connections fell into place, Ven.
Drachom was able to take a trip out
from Beijing to Sishuang Chun,
Celebrate These Special Buddha Days
with Us!
Wheel Turning Day
Ullambana in August
Monday 20 July 2015
Celebrating the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma
Sunday 30 August, 2 pm
100 Torma Offerings on the 15th day of the 7th month
Join us in venerating
the Buddha with
meaningful practice
and prayers, and
strongly dedicating
the vast oceans of
merit for all our holy
and ordinary wishes
to be fulfilled.
• Golden Light
Sutra
Recitation,
1.30 pm
• Shakyamuni Buddha Puja with 1,000 Offerings,
7.30 pm
A mega merit-multiplying day! All virtue accumulated
on this auspicious day is magnified by 100 million times
and even up to ONE BILLION times according to some
sutras!
To contribute to extensive offerings for the Shakyamuni
Buddha Puja, cash donations can be made at our office.
via high-speed rail, during his most
recent visit and to meet followers
of a Buddhist temple called Bai Ta
Shi. The nun who administers this
temple from the Chinese tradition is
a student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Ven. Drachom estimated that about
40 villagers attended his lectures.
There were a number of children too.
He also led an Animal Liberation
session.
throughout in Mandarin, without
an interpreter! He noted, “These
people wanted a deeper experience
of understanding Dharma.” Ven.
Drachom said that if it were left up to
him, he would not go to Beijing. The
city’s pollution and traffic problems
were a big turn off. However, in order
to fulfil the guru’s wishes, there will
be more trips to China for the next
few years.
Back in Beijing, more events followed
as Ven. Drachom was invited to speak
at an art gallery and the opening of
a traditional teahouse. Ven. Drachom
has been addressing his audiences
Ven. Tenzin Drachom serves as First
Vice-president in ABC’s Executive
Committee.
Performed by Khen Rinpoche & ABC Sangha
Ullambana celebrates the day when the Buddha’s
ordained disciples completed the Rains Retreat,
with many attaining realisations and even liberation.
Furthermore, the Ullambana Sutra describes the great
act of generosity that the Buddha’s disciple, the arhat
Maudgalyayana, performed on this day to free his
mother from rebirths in the lower realms. Ullambana
is therefore a time to practise generosity toward all
sentient beings.
Take part in joyful giving to the 12 types of guests
with the 100 Torma Offering Ritual. Prayers are
performed to invoke the blessings of the wealth deities
White and Yellow Dzambhala, while specially blessed
dough balls are offered to the 12 types of guests, from
the transcendental (the Three Jewels and deities) to the
worldly (including spirits and hungry ghosts).
Donations to the puja in any amount are welcome. Make
your donation and/or dedication through our office or
online at www.fpmtabc.org from the 2nd week of August
up to 2 pm on 30 August.
Long Life Puja for Khen
Rinpoche Sunday 26 July, from 9.30 am
Come join our special birthday celebration for Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi! In honour
of his 53rd year, ABC’s Executive Committee is offering a long life puja to Khen Rinpoche.
The long life puja presents an elaborate series of offerings, praises and requests to the kind
spiritual masters—our gurus—for their long and healthy lives. It is auspicious for the
guru, and also for the disciples who, by offering the puja, create the cause to be blessed
with their own longevity.
The birthday celebration includes a free vegetarian lunch buffet. Registration is required
for attendance at lunch to facilitate our catering arrangements. Log on to our website at
www.fpmtabc.org and click on ‘Register for Class’ under Quick Links.
13
jul 2015
aug 2015
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Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Discovering
Buddhism
10.45am
Dharma for
Seniors
10.30am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Medicine Buddha
Puja 4pm
6 78910
1112
Basic Program
Basic Program
His Holiness the
Dalai Lama’s
80th Birthday
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Namgyalma
Puja for
Long Life
7.30pm
13
14
Discovering
Buddhism
10.45am
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Animal Liberation
10am
Chinese Lam-rim
静心静修 1.30pm
14
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
15
16
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
17 18
Meditation for
Beginners (1/5)
10am
Discovering
Buddhism 10.45am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
19
Chinese Lamrim 静心静修
1.30pm
Confession and
Purification
Practice 4pm
Golden Light Sutra
Recitation 1.30pm
Shakyamuni
Buddha Puja with
1,000 Offerings
7.30pm
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Meditation for
Beginners (2/5)
10am
Discovering
Buddhism 10.45am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Long Life
Puja for Khen
Rinpoche
9.30am
2728293031
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Editor
TASHI DELEK is a free publication of Amitabha
Buddhist Centre.
Subscribe: Call our office at 6745 8547
Online: Download our full-colour edition directly
from www.fpmtabc.org
All events and dates published are up-to-date at
the time of printing.
For the latest schedule and on-going updates,
subscribe to our e-mail or SMS updates, or visit
us online: www.fpmtabc.org OR www.facebook.com/fpmtabc
Spiritual Programme
Ven. Tenzin Gyurme
Tan Seow Kheng
Ven. Tenzin Drachom
Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim
Noelle Teoh
Printer
Highlight Printing Services
The Most Secret
Hayagriva Prayer
Festival Day 2
9am - 6pm
Meditation for
Beginners (4/5) 10am
Purification Ritual of
Most Secret Hayagriva
4pm
The Most Secret
Hayagriva Prayer
Festival Day 3
9am - 6pm
Ceremony for
Increasing
Virtuous Signs of
Auspiciousness 4pm
Basic Program
- Wheel of
Sharp Weapons
7.30pm
Meditation for
Beginners (5/5) 10am
Tara Puja 4pm
Discovering Buddhism
10.45am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
17181920212223
Discovering
Buddhism
10.45am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Basic Program Wheel of Sharp
Weapons
(Discussion)
1.30pm
Confession and
Purification Practice
4pm
24252627282930
Discovering
Buddhism
10.45am
Ullambana Puja
- 100 Torma
Offerings 2pm
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Stay Connected
Photography
The Most Secret
Hayagriva Prayer
Festival Day 1
9am - 6pm
10111213141516
Guru Puja
7.30pm
TASHI DELEK editorial team
Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim
(Vivian Seah)
Dharma for
Seniors 10.30am
Chinese Lam-rim
静心静修
1.30pm
Medicine Buddha
Puja 4pm
3456789
Basic Program
Guru Puja 4pm
Buddha’s First Turning of the Wheel
of Dharma (100 Million Merit
Multiplying Day)
Kennedy Koh
Meditation for
Beginners (3/5)
10am
Discovering
Buddhism 10.45am
Stages of the Path
to Enlightenment
2.30pm
Tara Puja 4pm
20212223242526
Design & Layout
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Learn to Meditate
Learn about Hayagriva
A new round of the “Meditation for Beginners”
course begins, Saturday mornings 10 am, from
18 July to 15 August with Wee Geok Hua. To
register, visit our website www.fpmtabc.org
and click on ‘Register for Class’.
Our annual Most Secret Hayagriva Prayer
Festival will be held from 7 – 9 August (details
on the back page). To learn more about the
significance of the deity Most Secret Hayagriva,
watch our YouTube video at www.youtube/
user/ABCFPMT
15
The Most Secret
Prayer Festival
Join us for 3 days of powerful prayers
for protection from obstacles and harm
7 – 9 August 2015, 9 am – 6 pm
Performed by Khen Rinpoche
Geshe Chonyi & Sangha
O
nce again, be blessed and protected by
Most Secret Hayagriva, the wrathful
aspect of Chenresig, Buddha of
Compassion, against obstacles and harms.
Contribute to the pujas for yourself, family or
business.
Profound Benefits of the Most Secret
Hayagriva Puja [Tibetan: ‘Tamdrin tsog
kong’]
Extremely powerful against obstacles from:
• Nagas – cause of cancer, leprosy and skin diseases
• Landlord spirits – manifesting as paralysis or spirit harm
• Spirit harm – leading to epilepsy
Relying on Most Secret Hayagriva who is in the nature of
compassion, is the powerful method to pacify such obstacles,
which arise from one’s negative karma, precipitated by nonhuman entities.
Come to Our Three-day Festival
All are welcome! Ample and elaborate offerings are presented
through ceremonious rituals dating back 600 years. Prayers
include extensive confession practice, as well as supplications
to various Dharma protectors for their swift enlightened
activity.
Purification Ritual of Most Secret Hayagriva
– Saturday 8 August, 4 pm
Come in person to take part in this ceremony where sickness,
contamination and negativities of body, speech and mind are
purified. Bring family and friends along.
NEW! Ceremony for Increasing Virtuous
Signs of Auspiciousness – Sunday, 9 August, 4
pm
Join in the grand finale where the Sangha will perform an
elaborate series of prayers to invoke:
• The descent of blessings
• Gathering of life essence
• Gathering of wealth and fortune
• The proclamation of auspiciousness
All present will receive a portion of specially blessed longevity
pills and nectar after the ritual for gathering the life essence.
Count the Mantras from 20 July (Wheel
Turning Day) up to 9 August
Starting from 100 million merit-multiplying day, 20 July,
join in accumulating the mantras of Most Secret Hayagriva,
a meaningful practice to receive the blessings of the deity
and to dedicate for the lives, health and wishes of our gurus,
especially for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa
Rinpoche. Pick up the practice text and counting slip from
our office.
For All Puja Sponsors
Receive precious blessed Hayagriva nectar pills and torma
powder from Sera Je Monastery. Smoke produced from
burning the Hayagriva torma powder purifies illnesses and
eliminates spirit harm.
How to Sponsor
Choose one of these options:
• Online sponsorship at www.fpmtabc.org (opens 10 July)
• Mail in a Sponsorship Form OR
• Visit our office from 10 July up to 9 August