BE 2553 FEBRUARY 2010
The drive for Temple Upgrade fund raising is still going on and devotees/volunteers are working enthusiastically hard to come up with more ideas as a lot is needed to accomplish the desired upgrade to enable more people to benefit from it. FireFly Mission members have been extremely supportive and putting in every effort to help in this area. The latest idea was 40 Buddhist posters depicting the Life of The Buddha being put up for sponsorship at S$1,000 each.The response was amazingly good and13 posters have already been pledged within 2 weeks of the announcement. This news was only announced during last Sunday’s service. Smaller versions of the 40 pictures will be uploaded in AME Yahoo Group site for more people to have the benefit of sponsoring one of these precious posters. Once all 40 posters are taken, they will be mounted and hung in the Meditation Hall. Click to view, select and sponsor.
Another important date to mark your calendar is Saturday, 13 February - Chinese New Year’s eve. In addition to the evening celebration, the handing over of the renovated Meditation Hall ceremony will also be held. Everyone who has donated towards the Temple Upgrade fund should turn up to rejoice in this meritorious occasion. UBT expresses immense gratitude to the generosity shown by all concerned.
Another important date to mark your calendar is Saturday, 13 February -
Sunday, 7 - First Sunday of the month, also “Tak Bart” (Alms Giving) Day. Sadly, our Dhamma Speaker Ven. Rathanasara was unable to attend due to a migraine attack. However, it was fortunate that Bhikkhu Kheminda had returned from Indonesia and was able to give the talk. First he gave a brief account of his one month break and the topic for the talk came into his mind while reflecting on his forest retreat. The topic of “Why Not All Monks have to stay in the Forest” also related to articles he read that many lay teachers are of the opinion that monks should stay in the forest. He proceeded to explain his topic and said that even during the Buddha’s time, the Buddha’s advice to his first 60 disciples was to go forth and teach the dhamma. In one of the Sutta, it stated that the two duties of a monk were to (1) learn the dhamma and (2) to share. The second explanation was if all monks were in the forest, there would be no opportunity for lay people to practise “alms offering” which in accordance to The Buddha, would give result in abundance. Bhikkhu continued by sharing The Buddha’s advice on the types of dana and each level’s meritorious degree and the skillful way to perform dana in order to bring about the strongest impact. Of course, with Bhikkhu Kheminda’s talk, there is never short of jokes and good humour. Everyone was reminded of the next big event on Saturday, 13 February and invited to participate in this joyous event. There will be no Sunday Morning Service on Chinese New Year Day, Sunday 14 February, but The Sangha will be present to offer CNY blessings.
Sunday, 28 - the Day Lord Buddha gave the Fundamental Teaching. This event would be celebrated in the evening at 7.00 p.m. One devotee sponsored a lion dance in the morning to celebrate the last day of the Lunar New Year. Dhamma speaker for this Sunday was Ven. Vayaminda of Oxford Buddha Vihara. He didn’t have a specific topic but explained the significance of Makha Puja Day and that the name varies in different country, for example in India, it is called Magdha Puja Day, in Myanmar is called Sangha Day (in relation to the assembly of 1,250 Sangha members), whereas in Sri Lanka is known as the Nawa Full Moon Day. However, whatever the name the significance lies in that the Buddha gave the monastic discipline and summarized his Teaching simply “Avoid All Evils, Do All Good, Purify the Mind”. He went on to talk about Chinese New Year when traditionally people would make resolutions which he said was like making promise to oneself. He went on to advise that there were three steps - (1) Giving Up - letting go of bad habits, bad deeds, bad thoughts, (2) Taking Up - to start a new life and promise oneself to change for the better and (3) Carry on - continue with the good and wholesome deeds. He reinforced that what the UBT devotees are doing every Sunday is wholesome and went on to explain the meaning of the puja offerings. He said it is important to understand what one is doing in order to cultivate the wholesome mental state which such action will bring. He further explained that the Buddha puja is done in honor of the Buddha’s qualities and virtues. Lastly, he advised all to see oneself, understand oneself and remind oneself in order to protect oneself (against defilements). Just like a man with stick will not be afraid of snake - similarly, those who practise the dhamma well, will not be afraid of dying. Abbot supplemented by referring to the morning’s news of Tsunami in Chile. He said that not all that is kamma, there are cause and condition. A person who understands dhamma, understands how nature works and able to accept whatever phenomena with equanimity and react correctly. He concluded the talk with the advice to practise morality to make the world a happier and peaceful place for all.
At 7.30 p.m. The Makha Puja Ceremony began with evening chanting, followed by the Three Refuges and Five precepts. After a short talk by the Abbot on the significance of the Day, The Sangha led devotees in procession of flowers/candles/incense round the main shrine chanting the Virtues of the Triple Gem. Bhante from Oxford Buddha Vihara accepted Abbot’s invitation to join in the ceremony. It was indeed a wholesome way to complete the Lunar New Year.
At 7.30 p.m. The Makha Puja Ceremony began with evening chanting, followed by the Three Refuges and Five precepts. After a short talk by the Abbot on the significance of the Day, The Sangha led devotees in procession of flowers/candles/incense round the main shrine chanting the Virtues of the Triple Gem. Bhante from Oxford Buddha Vihara accepted Abbot’s invitation to join in the ceremony. It was indeed a wholesome way to complete the Lunar New Year.
Saturday, 13 - It was Chinese New Year eve, devotees turned up to help prepare the temple for the evening’s big event. At 10.00 p.m. Bhikkhu Kheminda gave a dhamma talk on one of the most important teachings of the Buddha - Generosity. He carefully went through the importance of this act and the skillful way of performing this deed. This year, the ceremony took place at the newly renovated Meditation Hall in conjunction with the official hand over of the hall by the devotees (donors) to The Sangha. The evening’s event was attended by some 50 devotees and the air was filled with joy and excitement. The countdown began at 11.59.50 to welcome the Year of the Tiger.