Editor's Note - Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Metta Meditation (English)*Date/Time : 12, 19, 26 Sept & 3 Oct, Sun, 3pm – 4.30pmFee : $30 (4 lessons)Conductor : Venerable Chuan RenThe Heart of ‘The Heart Sutra’ (3rd Run)*Date/Time : 26 Oct – 30 Nov, Tue, 7.30pm – 9.30pmFee : $30 (6 sessions)Teacher : Shen Shi’an, MA (Buddhist Studies)Details : The Heart Sutra (Xin Jing) is the most conciseyet popular sutra in the world, which encapsulates theessence of the perfection of wisdom. Beyond the teachingof emptiness, participants will learn about its deeper truths(in English with the aid of Chinese terms), and how to reciteit in Chinese.Simple Detox Workshop (Mandarin)*简 易 排 毒 工 作 坊 ( 华 语 教 授 )Date/Time : 10 Sept, Fri, 8.30am – 5pmFee : $80 (1 full day)Conductor : Mr. Wong Kew Yew (Bach. Biotech),dedicated to public education including interviews andcooking demos on Radio FM 95.8Vegetarian Spreads (English)*Date/Time : 10 & 17 Oct, Sun, 3pm – 5pmFee : $30 (2 sessions) + $6 ingredients feeConductor : Mr. Wong Kew Yew* Venue: Awareness Place Well-Being Centre,Bras Basah Complex #03-39Details : Please visit www.awarenessplace.com,email sem@kmspks.org or call 6336 5067 to register orenquire.5 Day Mindfulness Retreat conducted by Zen Master ThichNhat Hanh (Stay in)Date/Time : 8 – 12 SeptVenue : 4th floor, Ven Hong Choon Memorial HallOffering : $120 (adult)$60 (full time student & senior citizen)Details : For more information, please call 6849 5300Dharma Talk by Zen Master Thich Nhat HanhDate/Time : 11 Sept, Sat, 7.30pm – 9.30pmVenue : 4th floor, Ven Hong Choon Memorial HallDetails : Free admission by tickets only (limited to 4tickets per person)Tickets are available at:• Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (Reception Office)• Awareness Place #01-63 Bras Basah Complex, tel: 6337 7582• Awareness Place Well-Being Centre #03-39 Bras Basah Complex,tel: 6337 7582For more information, please call 6849 5300The Basics of Healthy Vegetarian Diet (Mandarin)*健 康 素 食 饮 食 基 本 知 识Date/Time : 5 & 12 Oct, Tue, 7.30pm – 9.30pmFee : $30 (2 sessions)Conductor : Mr. Wong Kew YewSharing Sessions for Home Caregivers of Elderly (English)*Date/Time : 7, 14, 21 Nov, Sun, 3pm – 6pmFee : $40 (3 sessions)Conductor : Staff Nurse Mr. Seow Khiam HongChildren’s Art*Date/Time : 13 Nov 2010 – 12 Feb 2011, Sat,2.30pm – 4.30pmFee : $50 (12 sessions)Conductor : Mr. Soh Chin Bee, graduate from NanyangAcademy of Fine ArtsYoga for General*Date/Time : (1) 6 Nov 2010 – 22 Jan 2011, Sat,9.15am – 10.45am(2) 13 Sept – 15 Nov, Mon, 7.30pm – 9pmFee : $160 (10 lessons)Conductor : Ms. Helen Goh, Certified Yoga InstructorLunch-time Yoga*Date/Time : 7 Sept – 9 Nov, Tue, 12.30pm – 1.10pm /1.10pm – 1.50pmFee: $140 (10 sessions includes 1 free organic takeawayevery session)Conductor : Ms. Ong Ju Lee, diploma in teaching theScience and Art of YogaAfternoon Yoga for Golden Years*Date/Time : 7 Sept – 9 Nov, Tue, 3pm – 4.30pmFee : $120 (10 lessons)Conductor : Ms. Ong Ju LeeYoga for General*Date/Time : (1) 7 Sept – 9 Nov, Tue, 10.30am – 12.00pm(2) 8 Sept – 10 Nov, Wed, 7.30pm – 9.00pmFee : $160 (10 lessons)Conductor : Ms. Ong Ju LeeRelaxation Meditation CourseDate/Time : 31 Aug – 2 Nov, Tue, 8pm – 9.30pm7.30pm – 9.30pmVenue : 4th floor, Ven Hong Choon Memorial HallOffering : $20Details : For more information, please call 6849 5300English Buddhism CourseYear 1 Module 3Date/Time : 12 Sept – 14 Nov, Sun, 2.00pm – 3.30pmVenue : Dharma HallYear 2 Module 3Date/Time : 13 Sept – 15 Nov, Mon, 7.30pm – 9.00pmVenue : 1st floor, Ven Hong Choon Memorial HallYear 3 Module 3Date/Time : 16 Sept – 18 Nov, Thurs, 7.30pm – 9pmVenue : 1st floor, Ven Hong Choon Memorial HallFee : $30 per ModuleDetails : For more information, please call 6849 5300Medicine Buddha Sutra Recitation (Chinese)Date/Time : Every Sat, 7.45pmVenue : Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 2nd LevelPureland Sutra Recitation (Chinese)Date/Time : Every Sun, 9.00amVenue : Hall of Great CompassionDiamond Sutra Recitation (Chinese)Date/Time : Every Sun, 2.00pmVenue : Hall of Great CompassionThe Great Compassion Puja (Chinese)Date/Time : Every 27th of the lunar month, 10.00amVenue : Hall of Great CompassionRecitation of 25th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra (Pu Men Pin)Date/Time : Every Fri, 8.00pmVenue : Hall of Great CompassionDetails : For more information, please call 6849 5300Calendar of EventsawakenIssue 18 • September – December 2010 35

How to resolve when someonewhom we were in a painful,difficult relationship dies?Q & AawakenQ: How does the grieving process work whenwe lose someone with whom we were in apainful or complicated relationship?— AnonymousA: Recognise that the person acted in harmfulways because he or she was confused,unhappy and miserable. The person didn’t knowhow to create happiness, and so the actions heor she did in an attempt to relieve his or hersuffering caused more suffering instead of bringinghappiness. That person was not an evil person whowas trying to harm us but that he or she was simplyoverwhelmed by his or her own confusion andpain. In the same way, we, too, are caught in thecycle of existence under the influence of ignorance,anger and attachment, wanting happiness but notknowing the causes of happiness, or being mistakenabout the causes of happiness.We, too, have acted in ways that at the time wehad thought were good, but years later, we realisedwe were mistaken. Knowing this from our ownexperience, we can understand the other person’sconfusion.When someone acts in an abusiveway, we should distance ourselvesfrom him. That doesn’t mean youhave to hate him. We can stillhave feelings of kindness andcompassion, but we don’t have tostay in an abusive situation.In this way, we forgive and generate compassiontowards the person. Letting go of anger we havetowards others is important, whether that person isdead or alive.— Ven. Ven Thubten Chodronwww.thubtenchodron.orgwww.sravasti.org36

Learning “What is Happiness?” at theBuddhist Conference 2554Singapore – In this modern age, happiness seemselusive to many. Some feel they can only truly behappy if they have high-paying jobs. However,Buddhism teaches us that happiness can beachieved in the Here and Now in our daily lives.The Buddhist Conference 2554, which will be heldon 23 October 2010 at the Kong Meng San Phor KarkSee Monastery, aims to allow more to see from thatperspective.Happiness begins with our cultivation in the family.Balancing spiritual cultivation without neglectingour family members or responsibilities is possible.Even with our various roles to play in the family —as a daughter, wife, mother or grandmother or son,husband, father or grandfather — we can expressmetta (loving-kindness), develop patience andtolerance towards our family members.At work, we can apply the Noble Eightfold pathin every single moment, to watch our actions andminimise harsh words. When dealing with difficultpeople, we practise holding thoughts of compassionand metta. With Right View, we understand eachand everyone of us has our own delusions, and weshouldn’t hurt others more with our harsh speechand angry actions.Buddhists may sometimes also find it hard to balanceambition and professionalism with the Dharmateachings. But ambition, professionalism and theDharma, are not mutually exclusive. Buddhists canstill be professional and have lofty ambitions, as longas their deeds, words and thoughts are guided byclear ethics, integrity and wholesome motivations.Happiness can also result from knowing that one ispracticing right livelihood.Cultivating in this manner, we can transformwhatever we face in our daily lives into the pathto enlightenment. With the development ofmindfulness (to watch our thoughts), and innerdiscipline (to continue practising in the face ofobstacles), our happiness and inner peace grow aswe aspire to benefit others and ourselves.To find out more, visit www.BuddhistConference.sgTickets are available from Sistic, at S$38 or S$132for a group of four.Will They Grieve? Will They Rejoice?BY | Toh Sze GeeA day will comewhen you will be featured in the newspaperswithout you having to arrange for it:Under the obituary section.Without you having to make the slightest effort,you will earn a title,which will be prefixed to your name:The late so-and-so.Without you having to sit for any examination,you will be conferred your ultimate certificate:The death certificate.(You would take it lying down, I’m afraid.)At that time, will the peoplewhom your life once revolved around be grieving?Or will they rejoice?To know the answer today,you won’t need a fortune-teller.All you have to do is take an honest look:“Now, am I living my life well?”Buddhist News in BriefawakenIssue 18 • September – December 2010 37

Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. It is a natural antiseptic,antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, and is also a natural painkillerand liver detoxifier. Recent research has proved turmeric to be beneficial inpreventing cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, it can speed up woundhealing, and help treat depression, arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasisand other inflammatory skin conditions.Dry Curry Vegetarian Chicken 干 喱 鸡Vegetarian Mee Goreng 素 炒 印 度 面Recipes du jourawaken38Ingredients:Potatoes 600g (skinned, cut into pieces), vegetarianchicken 4 (cut into pieces), curry powder 2tbsp, greenpeas (frozen) 2tbsp, carrot 1 pc (cut into small pieces),grated coconut 1 (add 1 bowl of wter to get milk)Pounded ingredients:Galangal (lengkuas) 2", lemon grass 2, Candlenuts (BuahKeras) 4, turmeric 1", dried chilli 12Method:1. Fry the potatoes and vegetarian chicken and set aside.2. With 4 tbsp of oil, fry the pounded ingredients. Addcurry powder and fry until fragrant.3. Add in (1), carrot and green peas. Season with salt andsugar (1 tsp each).4. Add in coconut milk and cook till gravy turns thickand dry.材 料 :马 铃 薯 600 克 ( 去 皮 切 块 )、 素 鸡 4 条 ( 切 块 )、 喱 粉 2 汤 匙 、 青 豆 ( 冰冻 )2 汤 匙 、 红 萝 卜 1 条 ( 切 小 块 )、 椰 丝 (1 个 椰 子 分 量 , 加 1 碗 水 取 椰浆 )春 料 :蓝 姜 约 2 寸 、 香 茅 2 条 、 腊 豆 4 粒 、 黄 姜 约 1 寸 、 辣 椒 干 12 条做 法 :1. 把 马 铃 薯 和 素 鸡 炸 熟 , 起 锅 备 用 。2. 油 4 汤 匙 , 爆 香 春 料 , 加 入 喱 粉 炒 香 。3. 加 入 (1.)、 红 萝 卜 及 青 豆 , 调 入 盐 和 糖 各 一 茶 匙 。4. 倒 入 椰 浆 煮 至 浓 稠 。Ingredients:Yellow noodle 1.2kg, bean sprout 300g, red chilli 2, currypowder 1tbsp, cai xin 200g (sectioned), green peas 2tbsp,tomatoes 2 (cut into pieces), potatoes 3 (cooked, skinned,cut into pieces)Seasoning:Tomato sauce 5tbsp, chilli sauce 2tbsp, sugar 1/2tbspMethod:1. With little oil, fry the curry powder.2. Add in all the ingredients (except red chilli) andseasoning, fry till fragrant. Transfer to serving dishand garnish with shredded red chilli. Ready to serve.材 料 :黄 面 1.2 公 斤 、 豆 芽 300 克 、 辣 椒 2 条 ( 切 丝 )、 喱 粉 1 汤 匙 、 菜 心 200克 ( 切 小 段 )、 青 豆 2 汤 匙 、 番 茄 2 个 ( 切 块 )、 马 铃 薯 3 个 ( 煮 熟 去 皮 切块 )调 味 料 :番 茄 酱 5 汤 匙 、 辣 椒 酱 2 汤 匙 、 糖 1/2 汤 匙做 法 :1. 用 少 许 的 油 将 喱 粉 炒 香 。2. 除 了 辣 椒 丝 外 , 把 所 有 材 料 及 调 味 料 倒 入 翻 炒 至 香 , 即 可 盛 碟 , 并以 辣 椒 丝 点 缀 。Photos: © Anuttara Enterprises Pte Ltd

Rock a-bye Baby: Promotes Relaxation,Body Awareness and AttentionBy Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child, and Founderof the Inner Kids Foundation which developed the Inner Kids mindfulawareness programme for children, teens and families.Take as much time as is pleasurable for you and your child. If either of you begin to getrestless, bring the activity to a logical stopping point.With your child lying on his or her back with arms and legs stretched and flat on thefloor (or mattress), lead him or her through a simple body scan starting with the head andmoving down the body through to the toes.Here are some suggestions for what you might say:• See if you can focus on how the back of your head feels against the floor. Now yourshoulders, your upper back, your middle back, your arms, your middle, your rear,your upper legs, your lower legs, the back of your feet . . .• Boy, I feel more relaxed just watching you relax. Do you feel more relaxed too?• can see your body quiet down and relax. Is your mind quieting down and relaxingtoo?• You can put a stuffed animal, or a pillow, or your child’s hands on his or her tummy tohelp your child focus on the feeling of movement of the breath and ask:– Feel how your breath moves your hands up and down? (Or the stuffed animal orpillow?)– Breathing in, our bodies relax; breathing out, our thoughts quietdown. Breathing in, we relax; breathing out, we quiet down andfeel calm.Young children often like to pretend that the stuffed animal on their belly is real andimagine rocking it to sleep by giving it a gentle ‘up-and-down’ ride on his or her tummy.You can play along too and say:– It looks like your stuffed animal has fallen asleep! Or,– Your stuffed animal looks so happy and relaxed? Do you feel happy and relaxed too?awakenMindfulness Parenting Tip of the DayIssue 18 • September – December 2010 39

Featuresawaken40Today’s teaching is on the topic of death and impermanence.Hopefully, it would be of some help toyour practice.I hope that all of you, in this life, the next life and in allyour lives, will gain more and more confidence in terms ofattaining liberation. Yesterday, I told you that relying on yourteacher is one method to attain liberation. The second methodis to practise the Dharma diligently. After the teachings andpith instructions have been obtained, one must rely on one’sown efforts to practise, that is the most important. It is notthat one can just hand all the responsibility over to the TripleGem and the teacher and everything will be alright. Thus, theBuddha said that liberation depends on oneself. At the timeof dying, we will come to appreciate that liberation can onlydepend on oneself, there is no way one can rely on others.ATeachingon Death andImpermanenceBY | Tsultrim Gyamtso RinpocheWhen you came to this human world, youcame alone. When it is time to leave, youwill leave alone. On the day of death, youwould not be able to bring either family,relatives, friends, wealth… all these havebeen proven from history: our grandfather,grandmother, parents… when it was theirtime to leave, they left alone, and we willfollow in their footsteps. Dying alone isonly a matter of time, sooner or later itwill happen. Since we know that deathwill definitely come, and death bringssuch suffering of fear, why do we not thenplace emphasis on death? Why are we notpractising the Dharma diligently? Why arewe still not making great efforts? Only ifone is mentally unsound, would one failto consider this question. Someone who isnormal will surely consider how he or shewill accomplish the matter of liberationwhen death comes upon him or her.In this world, there are many people whoare much more intelligent and capable thanus in terms of worldly mundane affairs.They spend a lot of time and energy tomanage their careers and exert a great dealof effort at work. However after their death,some fall into the three lower realms. All ofyou should consider why it is that peopleof such ability and intellect are unableto attain liberation, what caused this tohappen? How should one who is a Buddhistbehave? I’m not saying that you should noteat or not dress or not work in jobs, but wecan still spend fifty percent of our time andenergy on worldly matters, and anotherfifty percent on the issue of attainingliberation. If one is able to accomplish this,you are a good practitioner. If you put abouteighty percent to one hundred percent ofyour time and energy into worldly affairs,and just invest twenty percent or less intopursuing liberation, then the merit youaccumulate will not be enough to attainliberation. This is just like a weighing scale.Whichever side is heavier, the balance willdip in its favour and the lighter side willdangle upwards. The law of cause-andeffectis likewise. I hope sincerely thatyour practice will improve.

Tomorrow, I will leave this place. That isimpermanence! You should all remember, one dayyou would all leave this place too. Sooner or later,one will leave this world. On the day that you leavethis world, it is not certain that your Teacher willbe by your side, or that the Dharma will be beforeyou. If we do not have great merit, we can’t foretellthe manner in which we will die. Maybe it would bedeath due to poisoning, or a car accident, or a fall, orwhen we go to sleep, we do not wake up anymore anddie in our sleep. It could be that someone murdersyou or that you commit suicide…all kinds of karma could perpetuateyour death and it could happenanytime, so you should all beprepared with the Dharma practiceto employ at the moment of facingdeath.The best method to face death would be to applybodhichitta and the wisdom of emptiness. Howmuch one has been able to absorb of the Dharmathat one has learnt becomes very important. If onehas been studying or researching in a very deep andvast way, but is yet unable to absorb much, then it isirrelevant whether one is a layperson or ordained,and unimportant whether one has been practisingfor many years. That’s because on this day of death,you do not possess much confidence in your mind.One also does not know where one will be goingin the next life. This is called practising blindly.When one practises without any motivation,direction and without any confidence, that is ‘blindpractice’. Therefore, we should definitely look forour root teacher, take the initiative to rely on him,and request the Dharma from him in a proper way.Without the root teacher guiding you, practice willnever succeed. If one has a root teacher, then onecan just peacefully practise the Dharma, withoutany doubts. If you have faith in the teacher and inthe Dharma, then you will definitely be advancing(on the path).Although I am now here together with all of you, itis not possible for us to be together every day. Deathcould come any time. Every day, in the television andnewspapers, when we take a look, there is constantnews of death. What we hear and see everywhere isthe message of death. Death would befall us soonerIssue 18 • September – December 2010or later, so why are we not considering the questionof death? In terms of eating and dressing right now,we will not starve to death or be frozen to death,but if we do not put our energy into practice, thenin the end, we would still be starved to death or dieof cold, that is definite. When you are lying on bedwaiting for death, unable to eat, isn’t that dying ofstarvation? Your whole life, you have been trying toearn money, make a fortune, but in the end, if youhave to die of hunger, that would be a great pity.When we are dying, we can’t even swallow onemouthful of water, the body will slowly disintegrate,and our bodily strength will gradually fade away.This is how we will die slowly of hunger. Pleasethink about this carefully. We have been enduringso much suffering and stress, pouring so much effortinto maintaining this human body, but in the end,there is no way to keep it, it will finally degenerateand vanish. All appearances are impermanent.Once we understand impermanence, then evenif one is unable to accomplish the other practices,just this understanding would be of immense helpto us in facing death. At the very least, you havesome comprehension of death, it is no longer sofrightening to you. Just like what we are practisingnow in terms of the teachings on bardo. After death,when one enters the bardo (intermediate state), wewould at least have some comprehension aboutwhat is going on, knowing that ‘this is bardo’. In ourmind, we would have this kind of recognition.Today, one of my close Dharma brothers at Yachen,Xie Er Bo, a very fat lama whom many people areacquainted with has just passed on today. Not onlyhim, today I have also received four other telephonecalls reporting the death of someone. One said, “Myparents died”, another said, “My child died” andyet another relayed that his grandfather died. Afteranother seventy or eighty years, all of us here wouldbe dead. So don’t think too much. Your thinkingfunctions like a busy city of the mind. From thepoint of view of mental afflictions, following ourworldly plans will never ever bring success. In themidst of carrying out our plans, we will die. Afterdeath, our next destination is also unknown. Ourgrandfather and grandmother, where did they goafter their death? Which world are they in rightnow? What kind of suffering are they undergoing?We can’t hear their names now, and we can’t evenimagine which direction they have gone to in theirnew world. After a few decades, we will be justFeaturesawaken41

Featuresawaken42like them. If we do not practise the Dharma, at thetime of death, we can only watch helplessly as weleave behind everything in this world, this is greatsuffering indeed! Therefore, in our daily lives, as longas there is enough to eat and wear; life is stable; goingout is convenient, that should be enough. We shouldnot crave for too much. Apart from these, we shouldput our efforts into practising the Dharma. Try tobenefit sentient beings, only this is truly beneficial.Although Dharma practitioners will also die, the waywe die is not the same. If we know the method forfacing death, then it will be a great help for our futurelife.So my most important advice to allof you today is, “Don’t forget death, ifyou forget death, your practice willdefinitely not improve.”You must constantly contemplate the impermanenceof life. By doing so, renunciation and bodhichittawill arise easily. In order to deal with death in a moreconfident manner, there is only one way: practisediligently. Other than this, there is no other means.Putting your effort into practice is also the way to beliberated from samsara’s suffering and to save sentientbeings. So you should try to make the correct choice.In this cycle of samsara, we have died countlesstimes. If we were to become an animal in our nextlife, it would be very miserable. If you go and lookat the ocean parks, at the bottom of the ocean, thosecreatures there are undergoing suffering. You don’thave to rely on visualisation, it is possible to justwitness it with your own eyes. At the wet-markets,slaughter houses, all the kinds of pain of death thatthese animals are going through. Imagine it for awhile, if you were a pig, or fish or frog, or a hungryghost…what would you do then? How are you to passyour days? All these animals were once humans, butbecause during their human lives, they did not practisethe Dharma and having created negative karma, theyfell into the animal realm. Now, I’m really beggingall of you, please do make good use of your time topractise the Dharma, because you will definitely partfrom your spiritual teacher and leave this world oneday. You will leave your families and friends, that isdefinite. You need not doubt this, it will happen, it isfor sure and certain. This teaching is to remind all ofyou that death will come, impermanence will arrive,we will all die. What am I here for? I am here toremind all of you in advance. Death is on the way,you should make preparations. I am here to bringyou this message, because I am afraid that you willforget about death in the midst of your busy lives.Think of the massive earthquake in Sichuanin 2008. At that time, the situation was horrific!When the earthquake happened, a person randown from the 18th floor to the first storey andran to somewhere several hundreds of kilometresaway to hide. He did not care about his childrenor family, he only wished to save himself. At thetime of facing death, the fear is just like that. Allsentient beings regard their own lives as the mostprecious and protect it fiercely. At the most crucialmoment, you will definitely abandon all relativesand friends, even if the entire planet’s wealthwere to be presented to you, you would not agreeto exchange it for your own life. Life is one’s mostvaluable possession. But many people do not knowhow to love themselves. They only know how toeat well, dress well, but this is something that evenanimals know how to do. But humans have theability to think and judge. If you truly love yourlife, then use the Dharma to love life. This is theultimate way, it is the wise way, and one can usethe Dharma to liberate from samsara’s sufferingsand help sentient beings. Those who deeplycontemplate the sufferings of samsara, are trulythe people who love themselves.Please think about it. If you die tomorrow, wherewould you go? Is there anyone who can answerme that he or she will definitely go to such-andsucha place? Is there such confidence? If one didnot possess such confidence, what should one do?Death is coming quickly, we are already forty orfifty years old, there are not many years left. I’mnot trying to frighten you, this is the truth. Justreflect, you have already lived fifty or sixty years.Time has passed by in a flash, and the human life iswasted. What is there to be done in the remainingtime? If one does not practise the Dharma, who isgoing liberate one? If one does not love oneself, whois going to love one? Although it is said that theblessings of the Triple Gem and spiritual teachersare inconceivable, if one did not have faith, thiscausal link cannot be established. Now, you haveobtain a precious human life with its opportunitiesand freedoms, you have met spiritual teachers and

the Dharma, this is such a rare chance, please donot just throw it away, please appreciate your goodfortune and put in your greatest efforts!All of you want to practise the Dharma diligently,so it is imperative to remind yourself that death isapproaching. Death will come, we should rememberthis at all times. My incredibly kind spiritual teacher,Lama Achuk Rinpoche does not frequently teachus all kinds of pith instructions. Instead everyday,he speaks to us about death and impermanence,so that we can practise the teachings ofdeath and impermanence every day. Allof you must remember this. The more aperson feels in his heart the fear of death,the more fervently this person will wishto find the instructions for liberation.Those people whose mind is constantlyreminded of death and impermanence,will definitely progress in their practice.They will not regress from their faith intheir teachers.me this?” This is the way of the common people.So remember death. Everyday, you should put thisinto your practice. Every hour, you should practisethis. Practise diligently, with great efforts, practiseit repeatedly, again and again.So contemplate seriously, and put your effort intopractice. Always ask your spiritual teacher if youhave any questions in your practice. He is the onewho helps you to resolve any queries or doubts onyour practice. Those who are young should makePhotos: Samuel LimToday, we are together and happy, thereis great joy and it is a rare occurrence.In these three or four years, I have notpassed away, all of you are still alive, wewere able to meet each other yesterdayand today, it is truly not easy for thisto happen! But one day, we will have topart. Not parting is impossible. Due tothe operation of the law of cause-andeffect,everyone’s karmic connection is different. even greater efforts. Even if you are young, youIn another one or two hours, we will all leave should be diligent because death has no correlationthis place. When will be the next time that we are with age. It is not that death will only come whenable to gather together again? This is something one is old. Even if a baby were born just yesterday,very difficult to accomplish! When you would be he could die today. Such cases do happen. Everyoneable to see me again is also uncertain. Death and should practise well. There is nothing complicatedimpermanence may come suddenly and we will be about practising. It is very simple: don’t forget death.caught totally unprepared.Everyday one has to put death and impermanenceinto practice, then your renunciation, bodhichittaA person is constantly changing everyday. The next and faith in the Triple Gem and spiritual teachertime we meet, would there be any changes in your will naturally grow and then one can start to looklevel of practice? Please have some compassion on for a way.yourself! You should have some love for yourself!I know the pain and suffering in samsara, all of All of you must practise well! Make efforts! Theyou have also felt it to some extent, but who will teacher can give you the method of practice, but onehave so much love and compassion to tell you these must practise it incessantly, put in the hard workthings? Who would repeat these in front of you over without lapses. Liberation does not happen by itselfand over again? Even if I were to say it, you will not spontanteously, it depends on one’s own efforts andlisten. You will say, “What right do you have to tell hard work.Issue 18 • September – December 2010 43awaken Features

astral and ego bodies) to completelydisengage from the physical body aftera person stops breathing. During thisperiod, the departing consciousnessreviews the life just left behind and saysfarewell to loved ones. This is a verysacred period where the two worlds canmeet. The prayers made by the familymembers will help the one departing. The“dead” completely sees the inner thoughtsand actions of those around. Because thehigher bodies have not left, the body willnot immediately decompose. Also thefacial expressions can still be changed.Dying Naturally:The BeginningOf A New LifeBY | Dr Lai Chiu-NanAn Anthroposophical doctor noticedthat often the facial expressions of thosewho suffered before death due to illnessbecome very peaceful one day afterdeath. I have heard of a case in whicha person died in the hospital, whosefacial expression became very peacefulafterwards. However, after the body wastaken to the funeral home and embalmed,the expression and colour deteriorated.When my uncle’s wife died in Hunan,some suggested cremation right away.My aunt insisted that the body be put ina coffin and taken home to the village.Three days later, when her child rushedhome and cried upon opening the coffin,blood came out of the mouth of this auntwho had just died. The tradition in Chinasince ancient times is to mourn the bodyfor three days. The body is kept at homefor at least three days before cremationor burial. The Catholics in the old daysalso observed the three-day “wake” orwatching over the body and prayingfor three days. A spiritual teacher inIndia received complaints from thosewho were cremated too soon after theirdeath, a course of action that made themuncomfortable.In modern America, the dead are turnedover to funeral homes. Those who die inthe hospital are removed immediatelyand sent to the morgue. They are crematedin the hospital crematorium or sent tothe funeral home. Sometimes familyIssue 18 • September – December 2010 45Photos: Tonyawaken Profiles

members arrive to find only a box of ashes. Funeralhomes generally use chemicals to embalm the body.The ones most commonly used are formaldehydeand phenol. The blood vessels are injected withthese chemicals. The contents and fluids of theintestines and organs are first punctured and suckedout, then replaced with these chemicals. This onlyslows down the decomposition so that during thefuneral, the body looks as if it is asleep. After burial,the body will decompose. The embalming processinjures the workers in the funeral homes, increasingthe risk of cancers of the lymph, brain and largeintestine. The use of these chemicals also pollutesthe water and the environment. The embalmed bodycannot be worked on by the higher bodies, resultingin a wax museum appearance.Almost two years after Mum developed a congestiveheart problem, we began making mental preparationfor her eventual death. The remaining time withher was precious and we helped her to makepreparations. Every evening before she fell asleep,my sisters and I would take turns to recite thecompassion mantra of Avalokiteshrava. Om ManiPadme Hung was the prayer that she wished to haverecited at the time of her death. We also remindedher to do her daily prayers and make water bowlofferings. When the weather was warm, my sisterstook her to walk around the stupa near her home.Weeks before her stroke, she looked particularly atpeace. Every evening she would thank us for takingcare of her. She also talked about “going home”. Afterher stroke, we played sacred chants daily for almost24 hours: Compassion mantra, Vajra Cutter Sutra,Sanghata Sutra, etc. We also recited the Compassionmantra near her. Three days before her passing,I was reciting the Compassion mantra next to herwhen suddenly she opened her eyes very wide. Hereyes were bright and dark just like how they lookedlike in her younger days, and full of joy. My sistersall came to her bedside. She looked at each of us forsome time. After her stroke, she had rarely openedher eyes. That evening, she communicated her loveand joy to us through her eyes. We were all elated,thinking that she was going to get well.The next day her blood pressure started to drop.When it continued to drop the day after, we madepreparations for her passing. We set up an altar nextto her bed. We placed a relic of Shakyamuni Buddhaover her head. We also placed Buddhist texts suchas the Graduated Path to Enlightenment at thehead of the bed, planting the seed for her eventualmastering of the sacred knowledge. We also putblessed water and a blessed pill in her mouth. Atleast one daughter was around, staying with her atnight. Whenever mum’s breathing became laboured,the sister who was accompanying her would call therest of us. We would do some energy work and reciteOm mani Padme Hung or the Medicine Buddhamantra. When her breathing became easy and calmagain, we would then go back to sleep.On the day of her passing I sat next to her to doher daily prayers. Before completing the recitationof the Sanghata Sutra, I switched to her favouritelong mantra of Great Compassion. Halfway through,her soft breathing stopped. I held back my tearsand completed reciting the mantra. All my sistersgathered around to recite Om Mani Padme HungawakenProfiles46

and the Medicine Buddha mantra. About an hourbefore, our spiritual teacher had told us that mumwould pass away within several hours and advisedus not to give her intravenous fluid that day. Healso instructed us to recite certain mantras anddedication prayers. Before her consciousnessdeparted, we were to recite the mantra of purificationand visualise white light purifying the negativitiesof body, speech and mind.Three hours after she had stopped breathing, onesister checked the heart chakra with a pendulumand the pendulum did not spin anymore. Earlier,it was still spinning. At the time when she hadstopped breathing, her mouth was slightly open.I could see her bottom teeth. After three hours ofchanting and praying, we heard a noise comingfrom the lower jaw. When we looked next, she hadclosed her mouth.for the CEOLP. The volunteers went into action rightaway preparing for the cremation four days later.The outdoor cremation site was covered with snowand it took six to seven volunteers to clear the site.They put up the fences; notified the fire station andother offices; and prepared the actual wood pyre. Alltogether about twenty people were involved. Theyalso asked if we needed help with the ceremonyand taking care of the body. A carpenter made aPalenque to transport the body. We cut juniperbranches to be placed over the body. Julia from thegroup came the next morning to help me fill out thedeath certificate. She signed the form on the linefor funeral director. The doctor who saw Mum afterher stroke also signed the form. Then the form wasfaxed to the county offices at Del Norte. They faxedback the disposition form required for the day of thecremation.Her expression was peaceful with aslight smile. After the stroke, her faceon the right side had drooped a little.However, there was no trace of that afterher death. At the age of 86, her face hadno wrinkles and she was radiant. Wewould offer prayers with her everydayafter that. When one sister looked atMum’s expression, she would smilebecause Mum’s personality was fullyexpressed on her face.The evening that she had stopped breathing, andwe had ascertained that her consciousness haddeparted the body, we cleansed her body andchanged her clothes. Before we touched her, wefirst pulled the hair on her crown just in case herconsciousness had not left yet. Taped to her crownwere 10 powerful mantras and a blessing pill. TheCrestone End of Life Project (CEOLP) reminded usnot to leave any plastic or metal items on the bodyduring the cremation. Clothing should be madeof natural fibre. I carefully removed the I.V. tubefrom her wrist. That was the only foreign objecton her body after the stroke. That same afternoon Icontacted Stephanie, one of the main coordinatorsWhen I was not busy with the paper work, I prayed atthe bedside of my Mum. One day when I opened thedoor to her room, I saw my fifth sister sitting therequietly in the rocking chair. She told me that lastsummer when she came to spend a few weeks withmum, they would listen to her favourite Buddhistsongs at dusk. She had just shared that music withMum before I came in.Saying farewell at home allows each person to havethe time and space to say goodbye and accept thereality of the passing of a dear one. It also allowedneighbours and friends to pay their last respects. Afriend from Denver brought many flowers.ProfilesawakenIssue 18 • September – December 2010 47

The night before the cremation, each of us offered a rose toMum, and thanked her for all that she had given us. Duringthis period we clearly felt the presence of Mum’s consciousnessoutside her body.The morning before the day of cremation I “heard” Mum saying, “Iam leaving; take care of yourself.”On the morning of cremation, I “heard” her say, “Cremation is good,cremation is good.” That day I also knew that I must write about thework of CEOLP for other communities.Reprinted with permissionfrom Lapis Lazuli LightAt eight in the morning Stephanie, Julia and the driver of a smalltruck came to transport Mum’s body to the cremation site. Theother sisters were already there to set up the outdoor altar andCD player for chants. Mom’s daughters and sons-in-law carriedthe body to the pyre. The pyre was built of two low walls with ametal grate in the middle. Piles of wood were placed below, anddrenched with kerosene. Above the body we piled juniper branchesand more wood. Then we sprinkled flowers above that. The juniperbranches gave off fragrance when burned and also covered the body.Stephanie first offered a prayer, and then the fourth sister lit thefire. We recited the prayers that we had been doing everyday sinceMum’s passing: refuge, the six-syllable Compassion mantra, mantraof Medicine Buddha, “Prayer To Be Born In The Land of Bliss,” andthe King of Prayers. Community members who knew Mum andvolunteers who were helping out joined family and a few friendsfrom afar for the ceremony. The abbot of the Dragon Zen MountainCentre, who donated the cremation site, was also there. We couldfeel the warmth and support from everyone. Three hours later at the completion,people actually felt uplifted. One person felt the sky was filled with the Buddha ofCompassion during the recitation of the long Compassion Mantra. One friend whohad never considered cremation before thought he would want cremation afterthis experience. Another friend from Denver said this is how she would like to go.She felt the presence of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.The morning after the cremation, I met with Wayne to collect Mum’s ashes. Aswe were collecting the ashes, I started my interview. He has helped in four to fivecremations. He joined this group as a volunteer because he knew the person whobuilt this pyre. He is a meditator with no family members living nearby. He feltbeing part of this group was one of the most helpful spiritual practices that he did.One day when it is his time to die, he knows that this group will take care of hisbody according to his wishes.ProfilesHolding Mum’s ashes, looking out to the snowy peaks at the distance, I know I havebegun another phase of my journey. Thank you, mother. May your life and deathcontinue to benefit more lives. Thank you for lifting me up to another level.awaken48REFERENCES:1. Steiner, Rudolf, Staying Connected2. Harris, Mark, GraveMatters, Scribner, 2007.3. Crossings.net

A Buddhist Reflection on DeathABY | V. F Gunaratnanother approach to theunderstanding of deathis through an understanding ofthe law of aggregates or Sankharaswhich states that everything is acombination of things and does notexist by itself as an independententity. “Sankhara” is a Pali term usedfor an aggregation, a combination,or an assemblage. The word isderived from the prefix san meaning“together” and the root kar meaning“to make.” The two together mean“made together” or “constructedtogether” or “combined together.”“All things in this world,” saysthe Buddha, “are aggregates orcombinations.” That is to say, theydo not exist by themselves, but arecomposed of several things. Anyone thing, be it a mighty mountainor a minute mustard seed, is acombination of several things. Thesethings are themselves combinationsof several other things. Nothing is aunity, nothing is an entity, large orsmall. Neither is the sun nor moonan entity, nor is the smallest grainof sand an entity. Each of them is aSankhara, a combination of severalthings.Things seem to be entities owing to“Truly not,” said the King.the fallibility of our senses — our faculties of seeing,“Is the axle the chariot?” asked Nagasena.hearing, touching, smelling and tasting, and even“Truly not,” said the King.thinking. Science has accepted the position that our“Is the chariot-body the chariot?”senses are not infallible guides to us. A permanent“Truly not,” said the King.entity is only a concept, only a name. It does not exist“Is the yoke the chariot?”in reality. In the famous dialogues between King“Truly not,” said the King.Milinda and Thera Nagasena, the latter wishing to“Are the reins the chariot?”explain to the King this law of aggregates, enquired“Truly not,” said the King.of the King how he came there, whether on foot or by“Is the goading stick the chariot?”riding. The King replied that he came in a chariot.“Truly not,” said the King.“Where then, Oh King,” asked Nagasena, “is this“Your Majesty,” said Nagasena, “if you came in achariot in which you say you came? You are a mightychariot, declare to me the chariot. Is the pole theking of all the continent of India and yet speak a liechariot?”when you say there is no chariot.”Issue 18 • September – December 2010 49awaken Features

In this way by sheer analysis, by breaking up whatis signified by a chariot into its various componentparts, Nagasena was able to convince the King that achariot as such does not exist, but only its componentparts exist. So much so that the King was able toanswer thus: “Venerable Nagasena, I speak no lie.The word ‘chariot’ is but a figure of speech, a term,an appellation, a convenient designation for pole,axle, wheels, chariot-body and banner staff.”in the morning, and a different set of water that Icrossed in the evening? Which of the two is theriver, or are there two rivers, a morning river andan evening river? Had I re-crossed at mid-day, thenthere would also be a mid-day river. Asking oneselfsuch questions one would see that every hour,every minute it is a different river. Where then is apermanent thing called ‘river’? Is it the river bed orthe banks?Featuresawaken50Similarly, “human being,” “man,” “I”, are merenames and terms, not corresponding to anythingthat is really and actually existing. In the ultimatesense there exist only changing energies. The term“Sankhara” however refers not only to matter andproperties of matter known as “corporeality” (rupa),but also to the mind and properties of mind knownas “mentality” (nama). Hence, the mind is as much acombination or aggregate as the body.When it is said the mind is a combination of severalthoughts, it is not meant that these several thoughtsexist together simultaneously as do the differentparts of the chariot. What is meant is a successionof thoughts, an unending sequence of thoughts,now a thought of hatred, thereafter a thought ofsorrow, thereafter a thought of duty near at handand thereafter again the original thought of hatredetc., etc., in endless succession. Each thought arises,stays a while and passes on. The three stages ofbeing are found here also — uppada, thiti, bhanga— arising, remaining and passing away.Thoughts arise, one following the other withsuch a rapidity of succession that the illusion ofa permanent thing called “the mind” is created;but really there is no permanent thing but only aflow of thoughts. The rapid succession of thoughtsis compared to the flow of water in a river (nadisoto viya), one drop following another in rapidsuccession that we seem to see a permanent entityin this flow. But this is an illusion. Similarly, thereis no such permanent entity as the mind. It is onlya succession of thoughts, a stream of thoughts thatarise and pass away.If I say that I crossed a river this morning and recrossedit in the evening, is my statement trueregarding what I crossed and what I re-crossed? Wasit what I crossed in the morning that I crossed inthe evening? Is it not one set of water that I crossedYou will now realise that there is nothing towhich you can point to and say, “This is the river.”“River” exists only as a name. It is a convenient andconventional mode of expression (vohara vacana)for a continuous unending flow of drops of water.Just such is the mind. It is a continuous stream ofthoughts. Can you point to any one thought that ispassing through the mind and say, “This truly ismy mind, my permanent mind?” A thought of angertowards a person may arise in me. If that thoughtis my permanent mind, how come then at a lateroccasion a thought of love towards the same personcan arise in me? If that too is my permanent mind,then there are two opposing permanent minds.Questioning along these lines one comes to theinevitable conclusion that there is no such thing as apermanent mind; it is only a convenient expression(vohara vacana) for an incessant and variegatedstream of thoughts that arise and pass away.“Mind” does not exist in reality. It exists only inname as an expression for a succession of thoughts.Chariot — river — body and mind — these are allcombinations. By themselves and apart from thesecombinations they do not exist. There is nothingintrinsically stable in them, nothing correspondingto reality, nothing permanent, no eternally abidingsubstratum or soul.Thus if body is only a name for a combination ofchanging factors and the mind is likewise onlya name for a succession of thoughts, the psychophysicalcombination called “man” is not an entityexcept by way of conventional speech. So when wesay a chariot moves or a man walks it is correct onlyfiguratively or conventionally. Actually and really,in the ultimate sense there is only a movement,there is only walking. Hence has it been said in theVisuddhi Magga:“There is no doer but the deed

There is no experiencer but the experience.Constituent parts alone roll on.This is the true and correct view.”Now, how does this cold and relentless analysis ofmind and body become relevant to the question ofdeath? The relevance is this.When analysis reveals that there isno person but only a process, thatthere is no doer but only a deed, wearrive at the conclusion that there isno person who dies, but that there isonly a process of dying.Moving is a process, walking is a process, so dyingis also a process. Just as there is no hidden agentbehind the process of moving or walking, so, thereis no hidden agent behind the process of dying.If only we are capable of keeping more and more tothis abhidhammic view of things, we will be less andless attached to things, we will commit less the follyof identifying ourselves with our actions. Thus weshall gradually arrive at a stage when we grasp theview, so difficult to comprehend, that all life is justa process. It is one of the grandest realisations thatcan descend on deluded man. It is so illuminating,so enlightening. It is indeed a revelation. Withthe appearance of such a realisation there is adisappearance of all worries and fears regardingdeath. That is a logical sequence. Just as with theappearance of light darkness must disappear, evenso the light of knowledge dispels the darkness ofignorance, fear and worry. With realisation, withknowledge, these fears and worries will be shownas being empty and unfounded.It is so very easy to keep on declaring this. What isdifficult is to comprehend this. Why is it so difficult?Because we are so accustomed to thinking in agroove, because we are so accustomed to overlookthe fallacies in our thinking, because we are soaccustomed to wrong landmarks and wrong routesin our mental journeys, we are reluctant to cut outa new path. It is us who deny ourselves the benefitsof samma ditthi (Right views). The inveterate habitof identifying ourselves with our actions is thebreeding ground of that inviting belief that thereis some subtle “ego” behind all our actions andthoughts. This is the arch mischief-maker thatmisleads us. We fail to realise that the ego-feelingwithin us is nothing more than the plain and simplestream of consciousness that is changing alwaysand is never the same for two consecutive moments.As Professor James said, “The thoughts themselvesare the thinkers.”In our ignorance we hug the belief that this egoconsciousnessis the indication of the presenceof some subtle elusive soul. It is just the mind’sreaction to objects. When we walk we fail to realisethat it is just the process of walking and nothingelse. We hug the fallacy that there is somethingwithin us that directs the walking. When we think,we hug the fallacy that there is something withinus that thinks. We fail to realise that it is just theprocess of thinking and nothing else. Nothing shortof profound meditation, along the lines indicated inthe Satipatthana Sutta can cure us of our “micchaditthi” (false belief). The day we are able, by suchmeditation, to rid ourselves of these cherished falsebeliefs against which the Buddha has warned ustimes without number — beliefs which warp ourjudgment and cloud our vision of things – shall webe able to develop that clarity of vision which alonecan show us things as they actually are. Then onlywill the realisation dawn on us that there is no onewho suffers dying, but there is only a dying processjust as much as living is also a process.If one can train oneself to reflect along these lines,it must necessarily mean that one is graduallygiving up the undesirable and inveterate habit ofidentifying oneself with one's bodily and mentalprocesses and that one is gradually replacingthat habit by a frequent contemplation on anatta(n'etan mama, this does not belong to me). Suchcontemplation will result in a gradual relaxationof our tight grip on our “fond ego.” When one thusceases to hug the ego-delusion, the stage is reachedwhen there is complete detachment of the mindfrom such allurements. Then shall one be able to,cheerfully and unafraid, face the phenomenon ofdeath with fortitude and calm.An excerpt from ”Buddhist Reflections on Death”, by V.F Gunaratna. Access to Insight edition ©1994–2010 JohnT. BullittFeaturesawakenIssue 18 • September – December 201051

BY | Ven. Thubten ChodronHow Should One PrepareFor A Loved One’s Death?Featuresawaken52In the weeks or months before the person dies- Express your positive feelings for your lovedone. Tell the person you love him or her (write aletter if you can’t speak with the person directly).Don’t wait until he or she is no longer around todiscover and express your affection and love.- Encourage the person to share his or her loveand kindness with others. Help your loved oneremember all the love and kindness that he orshe has given and received from others duringhis or her lifetime.- Encourage the person to remember the beneficialthings he or she did in his or her life.- If the person expresses regrets, listen withacceptance and kindness.- Clear up your relationship with the dying lovedone. If you need to forgive the person or apologiseto him or her, do that. If the person apologises toyou, accept when he or she makes amends.- Encourage the person to forgive whomever he orshe needs to forgive and to apologise to whomeverhe or she needs to apologise to.- Encourage the person to give away his or herpossessions in a spirit of generosity. In that way,the person will accumulate great merit which heor she should dedicate to have a good rebirth andto attain liberation and enlightenment.- Encourage family members to do kind things tohelp the dying family member.- Discuss about end-of-life issues — “living will”,the amount of medication to ease pain, religiousservices, burial or cremation, donations to makein their name, distribution of possessions, and soforth — if and when the person is willing to do so.- Let go of your own agenda, of what you want thedying person to talk about or how you want theperson to die. Listen to him or her with your heart.Talk about what he or she wants to talk about, notwhat you think he or she should talk about.- Let your dying loved one tell you how much (ifany) pain medication he or she needs. Sincethe person is terminally ill, there is no need toworry about addiction. On the other hand, avoidsedating the person more than is needed. Try tokeep his or her mind as clear as possible withoutthe person being in excessive pain.- Get in touch with your own issues about death,and use your Dharma practice to help you workwith the dying person.At the time of death- Make the room as quiet and peaceful as possible.- Be peaceful and calm. Avoid crying in the room.Ask all those who are upset to step outside theroom so that the room can remain peaceful forthe sake of the person who is dying.- Mentally give your dying loved one a heartfelthug and let the person know of your love for himor her, but do not cling or encourage the person tocling.

- If it seems necessary, remind the person that hisor her children and other family members will beall right after he or she passes away.- If the person is of another faith, talk to him orher in the language of that faith — use words,symbols and concepts with which the person isfamiliar. Encourage the person to have faith andto generate a kind heart towards others. If he orshe is not religious, talk about compassion orloving-kindness. That will help his or her mindto be calm and peaceful.- Recite mantras or say prayers for the person,quietly or aloud, depending on what isappropriate, as he or she is dying.- Don’t do anything to bring up distress; forexample, don’t speak of old hurts.- Often the person who is about to die will waituntil family members have left the room and heor she is either alone or with someone who is notfamily before passing away. Don’t feel that youdid something wrong or have abandoned theperson if he or she dies while you are not there.- Remember: you can’t prevent anyone from dying.- Trust the person in his or her process and besupportive.- Tell surrounding family members that we arefond of the dying person and that we love him orher. Say thank you to the person.After death- If it is possible, allow the body to be untouched forthree days after breathing has stopped in order togive time for the consciousness to leave the body.This usually needs to be pre-arranged with thehospital or family. Do not touch the body duringthis time. If the body starts to smell or if you seefluid oozing from the nostrils, it indicates thatthe consciousness has left and the body may bemoved even before three days have transpired. Ifit is not possible to leave the body untouched forthat long (it often isn’t), then leave it untouchedfor as long as possible.- After the person has died, touch his or her crown(top of the head) when you first touch the body,and say, “Go to pureland” or “Take a precioushuman rebirth”. Or, according to the person’sfaith, say, “Go to heaven” or “Go to a safe place”.- Dedicate merit for the person to have aprecious human rebirth: “May you have allconducive circumstances to practise the pathto enlightenment.” Pray that the deceased’sIssue 18 • September – December 2010transition to the next life is free from fear oranxiety. Express in words or in your thoughts allthe good wishes you have for the deceased.After a dear one dies, it is verybeneficial for people who are closeto him or her to do prayers andmeditations on that person’s behalf.These are described below. It is also helpful to offerhis or her possessions to charities. In that way,their possessions will be used by people who needthem, such as the poor, needy and ill. We can thenrejoice that other people benefit from having use ofthose things and dedicate the merit from generosity,for our loved one’s good rebirth, liberation andenlightenment. This is an excellent way to benefitthe ones we love. People also make monetaryofferings to temples, monasteries, spiritual mastersand Dharma centres on behalf of a loved one. Sinceholy beings are considered a “field of merit” dueto their virtue, great merit is created from offeringto them. You may also request the monasteries orDharma centres to do meditations and prayers forthe deceased person.Here’s a condensed meditation and prayer you cando after a dear one dies:Visualise Chenrezig (Guanyin Bodhisattva) aboveyour head. Visualise your dear one in front of you,with another Chenrezig on the person’s head. Asyou recite the mantra, visualise much light andnectar from Chenrezig flowing into him or her,completely purifying all obscurations, negativities,distress, afflictions, disturbing emotions, fear etc,and bringing all enlightened qualities — love,compassion, generosity, wisdom etc. Then imagineChenrezig melting into light and that the light goesinto the person’s heart centre (at the middle of theirchest). Visualise that their mind and Chenrezig’smind of wisdom and compassion become non-dual.Conclude the meditation by dedicating for thehappiness and enlightenment of all sentient beingsand especially praying for the deceased. You mayrecite verses written by the great masters or you mayexpress your wonderful good wishes in your ownwords as you send the person onto his or her nextlife with love. You may aspire and pray:Featuresawaken53

May XXX have a precious human life. May he orshe be born in a place with abundant food, clothing,medicine and shelter. May he or she have goodfriends, meet fully qualified Mahayana spiritualteachers who will stimulate his or her goodqualities and guide him or her along the path toenlightenment. May his or her kind heart, talentsand skills manifest readily in his or her next lifeand may he or she use them to benefit all beings.May he or she gain the realisation of equanimity,love, compassion and joy. May he or she realise theultimate nature of reality. May all his or her futurelives, wherever he or she is born, be useful andbeneficial for all sentient beings.May he or she have all conducive circumstancesfor practice, generate the three principal aspects ofthe path (the determination to be free, the altruisticintention and correct view of the emptiness ofinherent existence), and quickly become a Buddha.Through my Dharma practice, may I benefitthis person, leading him or her on the path toenlightenment. By my practice becoming strongerand purer, may I be able to teach this person theDharma in future lives.If you wish, recite The Extraordinary Aspirationof the Practice of Samantabhadra for the person.You could also do the Medicine Buddha practice.Since family and friends have a strong connectionwith the person, their practice of meditation anddedications for the person is important. If you cando these on the 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th, 42nd and49th days after the person’s death, it is especiallygood. (Note: the day the person dies counts as Day 1,so if she dies on a Monday, the 7th, 14th, and so ondays will be on Sundays.)Editor: For more information on preparing fordeath and helping the dying, read Dealing withLife’s Issues – A Buddhist Perspective by Ven.Thubten Chodron, published by the monasteryor visit www.thubtenchodron.orgUnderstandingDeath...Recently my husband suffered an accident and Ifound myself at the gate of a hospital operatingtheatre signing “High Risk” forms giving the surgeonspermission to do their job. The words, ‘Morbidity’,‘Mortality’, ‘Fatality’ jumped off the page at me.Impermanence grabbed me as I fully realised thatthere was reallyw something out of our control, thephenomena of death. “Now it’s up to his luck”, thesurgeon said.awaken Do You Know...In that moment I saw that the karmicdeeds of one’s existence are the onlyforce we can rely on at death… andin life.Better think about it sooner rather than later. — MrsSusan M. Griffith-Jones, 37, Author54

My best friend died recently. He hada brain aneurysm that burst andwas in a coma for a couple of days. At first,I was fairly stunned and shocked. Bill wasin good shape and didn't smoke or drink. I'mglad that he didn't suffer, that his death wasquick and relatively painless. My heart achesfor his wife and family. I cried the first coupleof days and since then it's been getting betterday by day.I have known Bill for nearly forty years. Webecame good friends in the 80s, and whenI was arrested in 1990, he was one of thevery few people who didn't abandon me. Hisfriendship was truly rare and special and Iwill miss him for the rest of my life.But in the days after he died, while I was deepin reflection and remembrance, I was able tosee through the loss and grief. He wouldn'twant people crying over his death, so I putthat behind me.The thing that stands out clearly to me is thatdeath is simply a part of life. When the timecomes and someone you love dies, it is justthe natural progression of life.Instead of being all bummed-outabout him being gone, l have foundsolace in the fact that this goodand decent human being was animportant part of my life for manyyears. Instead of being upset thathe's gone, I'm very thankful that Ihad the opportunity to know him.Friends like him are so few and far between.Chances are I will never know another man of hisilk and that's okay.BY | B.F.Facing DeathI knew him, and he died knowing that I loved himand valued his friendship, because I used to tell himand his wife how much they meant to me. That wasa lesson I learned after my dad died. I have nevertold my dad how much I loved him, and I didn't havethe chance to when he died. That messed me up fora long time. So now I tell the people I love and whoare important to me what I felt for them. There is noambiguity. I like it that way. And since I've cometo prison I'm better at disclosing my feelings to thepeople important to me.Editor: B. F. is in his thirteenth year of a twenty-year prisonsentence.Issue 18 • September – December 2010 55Do You Know...awaken

Buddhist Talesawaken56The Lovesick KingADAPTED BY | Esther ThienOnce upon a time, there lived a king who “Yes, Sir, the king is just,” replied the young priest.loved his queen very dearly. Queen Ubbari “But his queen had just passed away, and he iswas charming, graceful, and as beautiful as afresh rosebud. When the queen died, the king wasplunged into deep grief. He had the body laid in ain deep misery. It has been seven days since he’sgrief-stricken. Can you free the king from his greatsorrow?”coffin, embalmed with oil and ointment, and keptbeneath their marital bed. And on this bed, he laid,going without food, weeping and wailing.“If the king comes to me and asks me, I can showhim where his queen has been reborn, and let hertalk to him,” answered the holy man.His parents, relatives, friends, royal subjects andpriests came to comfort him, telling him not togrieve since it is the natural law that all things passaway. But, still in sorrow, he laid until seven dayshad passed.“Oh, holy one, please stay here and I will take theking to see you.” The young priest hastened his stepsuntil he was in the king’s presence and he quicklyrecounted the incident and urged the king to visitthe ascetic.Now at that time, there was an ascetic withsupernatural powers who lived at the foot of the The king was overjoyed at the thought of seeing hisHimalayas. With his supernatural vision, he beloved queen once more. Riding in his chariot,scanned around India and saw the king mourning.Straightaway, he thought of helping him. By hismiraculous power, he flew in the air until he camehe came to the park, greeted the holy man and satdown before asking, “Is it true, holy one, that youknow where my queen has been reborn?”to the king’s park. He descended from the sky and satdown on the ceremonial stone, like a golden image. “Yes, I do, my lord king. So enamoured was she ofher own beauty that she failed to live a virtuous andA young priest entered the park, greeted the asceticand sat down. The ascetic then struck a conversationwholesome life. She is now a little dung worm inthis very park,” replied the ascetic.with the young priest. “Is the king a just ruler?” heasked.“I don’t believe you!” exclaimed the king in disbelief.

“Then I will show her to you, and make her speak.”With his powers, the ascetic made two dung wormsappear. Pointing at one of the two, the holy man said,“This is your queen Ubbari, O king! She is followingher husband, the other dung worm.”As the king was still incredulous, the ascetic by hispower gave that dung worm speech.“What was your name in your former life?” askedthe ascetic.“My name was Ubbari,” answered the dung wormin a human voice. “ I was the queen of KingAssaka.”“Who do you love best now – King Assaka or thispresent husband of a dung worm?” asked the asceticagain.“Oh holy one, that was my former life. What isthe king to me now? I would even sacrifice KingAssaka’s life in honour of my present husband, thedung worm.”In a poetic verse, the dung worm continued, “Oncewith the great king Assaka, who was my husbanddear, loving and beloved, I walked about this gardenhere.”“But now new sorrows and new joys have made oldones flee, and far dearer than Assaka is this dungworm who is now with me.”When the king heard this, he was awakened on thespot. At once, he instructed the queen’s body to beremoved underneath the bed and washed his hair.After bidding the ascetic farewell, he went back tohis palace in the city. He married another queen andruled his kingdom in righteousness.The holy man, having freed the king from hissorrow, returned to the Himalayas.Adapted from The Jataka Tales, Story 207ADAPTED BY | Esther ThienThe Story of PatacaraLong ago, there lived a young lady by the name of Patacara.She was the daughter of a very wealthy family at Shravastiin the Kingdom of Kosala. She was such a stunning beauty that, atthe age of sixteen, her parents had to confine her to the top floor of aseven-storey tower surrounded by guards to keep her suitors at bay.Despite this, she fell in love with one of the guards, and when sheheard that her parents had arranged to marry her off to a young manfrom the same social class as her, she eloped with her lover.Now married and living in a village far away, the two soon foundlife difficult as they had little to live on. Her husband farmed whilePatacara did all the menial household chores which formerly hadbeen done by her parents’ servants.When she became pregnant, Patacara pleaded her husband toaccompany her back to her parents' home to give birth, as was thecustom of her time. But her husband was reluctant, for he felther parents would surely torture or imprison him. Unable toconvince him, she set off alone for her parents’ house. When thehusband found her gone, fearing for her safety, he joined her.Issue 18 • September – December 2010Buddhist Talesawaken57

But before they could reach their destination,the baby was born. And so they turned backand resumed their life in the village.under some leaves before wading back into the river tofetch her elder child. While she was in midstream, a hawkswooped down and carried off the baby.Sometime later, Patacara became pregnantagain. Yearning to return to her parents’ homefor the birth, she set out on the journey withher son in tow when her husband rejectedher request once again. Her husband caughtup with her but was unable to persuade herto return to the village.Suddenly, birth pains set in, just as lightingflashed and thunder crashed. Patacaraasked her husband to look for shelter. Whilesearching for shelter, a poisonous snake bithim and he died instantly. As the heavyrainstorm raged on, Patacara gave birthto her second son. The next morning, shefound her husband lying dead, his body stiff.Distraught, she blamed herself for his death.Feeling helpless, she hurried on with hertwo children towards her parents’ home.Too weak to cross a river swollen by theheavy storm with both her children, she leftthe older child on the shore and carried thenewborn infant over first. She hid the babyIn frantic grief, Patacara screamed and waved her handswildly. Thinking that Patacara was beckoning him to come,the elder son entered the river and was swept off by theswift current.Having lost her entire family in the span of just two days,she continued with a heavy heart towards her parents’house, alone, weeping and lamenting. On her way, sheencountered a man who informed her, much to her gravedismay, that that her parents and brother had been killedafter their house collapsed during the storm.Agony of the most excruciating kind gnawed at Patacara’sheart. Unable to accept the sudden loss of all her lovedones and overcome with grief, she went mad. Patacararan naked through the streets of Shravasti. At that timethe Buddha was staying at the Jetavana, Anathapindika'smonastery. Disconsolate, she sought refuge in themonastery. Some tried to prevent her from entering butthe Buddha stopped them. Going before the Buddha, sheprostrated at his feet.“Sister, regain your mindfulness,” said the Buddha.His compassionate words calmed her and she regainedcontrol of her mind. After a kind person in the crowdgave her a shawl to cover her body, she described herfamily tragedies.Buddhist Talesawaken58"Patacara, be troubled no more. This is not the first time youhave wept over the loss of a husband. This is not the firsttime you have wept over the loss of parents and of brothers.Just as today, so also through this cycle of birth and death,you have wept over the loss of so many countless husbands,countless sons, countless parents and countless brothers,that the tears you have shed are more abundant than thewaters of the four oceans," answered the Buddha gently. Asthe Buddha spoke these words of wisdom and consolation,Patacara’s grief lessened until it eventually vanished.Realising that she had lived countless lives, sufferedbereavement countless times, and that death occurs againand again, she had understood the nature of impermanencein all compounded phenomena.By the time the Buddha concluded His discourse, shebecame a stream-enterer (sotapanna), the first stage ofarhathood. When her insight was complete some time later,she became an arhat.

The Merits of Producing BuddhistTeachings and Buddha Images1. One’s light karmic misgivingswill dissolve, while heavy oneslighten.2. One will be protected by devas,and be unharmed by natural andman-made disasters.3. One will always be free fromthe suffering of hatred andvengeance.4. One will be unharmed by yaksas,evil spirits and wild beasts.5. One’s mind will be at peace, freefrom harm and nightmares.6. One’s complexion will be radiant.7. One will be full of auspiciousenergy.8. One who practises the Dharmawholeheartedly will haveadequate living necessities.9. One’s family will be harmoniousand be blessed with fortune andwisdom.10. One who practises what onepreaches will be respected andloved by all.11. One who is dull-minded will gainwisdom.12. One who is ill will gain health.13. One who is poor will gain wealth.14. One will be free of being rebornin the negative realms.15. One will be able to help othersgrow in wisdom and gain greatmerits in doing so.16. One will always be able to learnthe Dharma, till one’s wisdomand spiritual penetrations arefully grown and one becomes aBuddha.Dear Reader, “The Gift of the Dharma Excels All Other Gifts.”Do you wish to offer this greatest gift to others, so that more can be touched by the beauty of theDharma, and be inspired to lead happy and meaningful lives? If so, you can share in the productioncosts of AWAKEN Magazine for free distribution. Simply photocopy this page, fill in the sponsorshipform and mail it back to us together with your cheque or money order. All cheques and money ordersshould be made payable to “Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery” and sent to:Kong Meng San Phor Kark See MonasteryAWAKEN Magazine88 Bright Hill Road Singapore 574117For overseas readers, please send bankdrafts in Singapore currency. Please include S$10 forbank charges. Please note that the monastery is NOT able to accept cheques in foreign currency.You can also donate online via eNets or Giro at http://www.kmspks.org/kmspks/donation.htm(*Please key in ‘For the printing of Awaken Magazine’ under the Other Payment Remarks column andtype in the donation amount in the Other Payment Amount column).If you have any enquiries, please call 6849 5300 or e-mail: awaken@kmspks.orgName:E-mail:Highest educational level:Occupation:Address:Tel: (O) (H) (Hp)Amount: (Cash*/ Cheque No: )Do you require an official receipt? (Yes* / No) *Please delete where appropriateWould you like to receive emails on upcoming talks, retreats or other events ofthe monastery? (Yes* / No) *Please delete where appropriateWhere did you obtain this magazine?Issue 18We value your commentsand welcome your suggestionsfor improvements toAWAKEN. Tell us how wecan improve our magazine tobetter cater to your spiritualand holistic needs. What newcolumn would you like to see;which articles would you liketo read? Send us your praisesand flames. E-mail your feedbackto awaken@kmspks.org or sendthem to:AWAKEN, The Executive EditorKong Meng San Phor Kark SeeMonasteryDharma Propagation DivisionAwaken Publishing & Design88 Bright Hill RoadSingapore 574117* Pleaseinclude yourfull name andpersonal particularsYOUR Feedback MattersWant your story to be heard too?Are you touched by the stories andinterviews featured in this magazine?Perhaps you too have a story to tell, a story ofhow the Buddha and His Teachings so inspiredyou to walk the Buddhist path, or maybe a simpleaccount of the little treasures and blessings in life?Or perhaps you are a budding poet who would liketo share a prose and a verse or two about how theDharma changed your life forever?Whatever your story or poem may be, we welcomeyou to write in to us. Share your inspiring tale offaith and awakening with the rest of the world.Send your entries toawaken@kmspks.org or:AWAKEN, The Executive EditorKong Meng San Phor Kark See MonasteryDharma Propagation Division88 Bright Hill RoadSingapore 574117Please include your full name, address and contactdetails. We reserve the right to edit the stories andletters for space and grammar considerations.awaken Buddhist TalesIssue 18 • September – December 2010 59

1. Once upon a time, a young mother namedKisa Gotami lost her only child. The boy wasone when he died.Overcamewith grief,she cradledthe deadchild andwent fromhouse tohouseseeking fora medicinethat wouldrestore herchild to life.Nobody wasable to help her.3. Kisa Gotami went before the Buddha and toldHim her sad tale. He listened with patience andcompassion before saying gently,There is onlyone way to cureyour baby. Bring me ahandful of mustard seedsfrom a family which hasnever lost a child,spouse, parent orfriend.5. As she shared her sorrow with so many otherswho had also lost a loved one, something struck her.Although she still grieved at the loss of her child,she knew there were many others whohad also experienced such a loss andsorrow.TheMustard SeedADAPTED BY | Esther ThienILLUSTRATIONS | Bee Li2. Finally, shemet a man whotold her,I don’t havethe cure, but Iknow someonewho does. Go toShakyamuni, theBuddha.4. Going from house to house,she found no household wherenone had died. Every householdhad experienced the deathof a dearly loved relative– a mother, a father, anuncle, an aunt, a son ora daughter.They answered her:Alas,the living arefew, but the deadare many. Do notremind us of ourdeepest grief.Buddhist Talesawaken60My own sorrow ispart of the sorrow of allpeople. Death of ourloved ones is part ofthe pattern of life foreveryone.6. After burying her belovedchild in the forest, she wentback to the Buddha.He preached theDharma to herand she becamea nun.Life in this world is troubled and brief. There is nomeans one who is born can avoid dying. After oldage, there is death. Such is the nature of living beings.Both the young and old, fools and wise fall into thepower of death; all are subjected to death and decay.Nobody could save anyone from death. A father cannotsave his son, neither could kinsmen and relatives.Weeping or grieving will not give any person peace ofmind. Instead, his pain will be greater. He will makehimself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved byhis lamentation. People pass away, and their fate afterdeath will be according to their deeds in life.He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow oflamentation, complaint and grief. Having drawn outthe arrow and becoming composed, he will obtainpeace of mind. He who has overcome all sorrow willbecome free from sorrow, and be blessed.~ The Buddha

SEENThe Gift of last MemoriesBY | Lu Wanwan>DeparturesDirected by: Yojiro TakitaStarring: Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko HirosueSometimes funerals are for the living and not so much for the dead. This is oneof the simple yet profound observations made by the poetic Japanese movie,Departures (2008), winner of 2009’s Oscar for best foreign film. Loosely basedon Aoki Shinmon’s book Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician, thefilm is about a young man Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) who loses hisjob as a professional cellist and inadvertently takes a job as a coffinman, onewho performs the ceremonial dressing, washing, and preparing of corpsesin front of mourners.The salary is high, but Daigo doesn’t tell anyone about his job because a jobdealing with death is so low caste. On his first assignment, he is beset with nausea at the sight andsmell of the collapsed corpse of an old woman. He cleanses himself obsessively in a bathhouse andis overwhelmed by sickness at the sight of chicken meat on his dinner table. Later, Daigo is shunned,first by an old friend, then by his wife, because his job has made him the “defiled” one.Making this movie, the director was initially worried about the film’s reception and did not anticipatecommercial success, because death is such a taboo subject. As long as we have blood flowing in ourveins and our senses stimulated by the outside world, we are horrified by the idea of a lifeless body.But why is it that we see death with such disgust? Perhaps it is because of our fear of death and ourdenial of impermanence.One theme in the movie is about accepting the inevitability of death. As Daigo observes his boss, aquiet old man, performing the job with elegance, tranquility, and great respect for the deceased, hestarts to see the dignity in his work. In a scene that takes place in a beautiful greenhouse as snow fallssilently outside, the old man lovingly talks about his late wife. “All married couples are separated bydeath… I dressed her up and sent her away. My very first client.” The expression on the old man’s face,as he half-closes his eyes to imagine his wife’s face, is one of unmistakable joy and sweet melancholy.Daigo is in awe with this unsentimental acceptance of the realities of life and death.The film also values the lives of animals, but accepts the fact that to live, for some, the lives of animalsare consumed. Observe the way sound is enhanced during the scene when the characters are eatingchicken wings. We hear the sound of succulent meat tearing and loud slurping. When asked whetheror not his meal is tasty, the boss replies: “Sadly so.” If we cannot control our own death or the deathof others, all we can do is to live each day with gratitude and deep compassion. With the wisdom ofunderstanding cause and effect, and the compassion of not wanting to cause harm to others, we canopt for healthy vegetarian meals to sustain life.Perhaps then, the most important theme in the movie is the preciousness of life. Faced with the factof death, trivial issues and unnecessary hatred would pale in comparison and eventually come to anend. Daigo, who has never been able to forgive his father for abandoning him, will finally learn to letgo and to embrace his father’s love. In this way, death is not the time for excessive pain or unresolvedarguments, but rather a time for the contemplation that a beautiful life has once existed, and a timeto remind oneself of the beauty of one’s own life.Issue 18 • September – December 2010Seen, Heard & Read...awaken61

BY | Esther ThienREADCultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death>The Tibetan Book of the DeadTranslated By Gyurme DorjeHidden away for many centuries, this ancient treasure text reveals the secrets ofenlightened living and life after death. A translation of remarkable clarity andbeauty, this book presents fully the insights and intentions of the original work,including detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state, practicesthat can transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those whoare dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement. Priced atS$35.70 from Awareness Place.>Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessnessin the Presence of DeathBy Joan HalifaxTo deny death is to deny life. The sooner we can embrace death and overcome ouryouthful sense of indestructibility, the more time we have to live completely andfully. This book reflects the 40 years of work Joan Halifax has done helping thedying and their caregivers. Inspired by traditional Buddhist teachings, her work is asource of wisdom for people of all faiths who are charged with a dying person’s careor facing their own death. A remarkable gift of practical guidance for living. Get itfrom Awareness Place for S$33.95.>HEARDComforting Music that is Likened to a Warm Summer’s StrollTime Stands StillBy Mike HoweInspired by the natural beauty of the Welsh national park, this guitaralbum of 15 original compositions is as warm, comfortable andrelaxing as a lazy summer’s stroll. Listen for a gentle, unassumingand comforting respite. Buy it from Awareness Place at S$22.90.Seen, Heard & Read...awaken>Gentle SpiritBy Bernward KochAnother soft and soothing instrumental music album that acts likea salve to the heart. Like a gentle breeze, the 15 tracks in this CDcaress and uplift your spirit. Though light, nurturing and gentle, anelement of spiritedness can be detected in the music. I especiallyenjoy track 12. Sip a warm mug of camomile tea as you soak in therelaxing music. Available at Awareness Place for $22.90.62

Now when a man is truly wise,His constant task will surely be,This recollection about death,Blessed with such mighty potency.– The Buddha (Visuddhi Magga)It is by understanding death that we understand life;for death is part of the process of life in the larger sense.…life and death are two endsof the same process…Hence, by understanding the purposeof death we also understand the purpose of life.It is the contemplation of death,the intensive thought thatit will some day come upon us,that softens the hardest of hearts,binds one to anotherwith cords of love and compassion,and destroys the barriersof caste, creed and raceamong the people of this earthall of whom are subjectto the common destiny of death.Death is a great leveller.Pride of birth, pride of position,pride of wealth, pride of powermust give way to theall-consuming thoughtof inevitable death.The man enriched with the knowledge ofthe law of conditionality comprehends thatbirth induces death and death induces birthin the round of samsaric life.He therefore cannot possibly be perturbed at death.To him birth is death and death is birth.An appreciation of the law of conditionalitywill reveal to him the importance of living hislife well and when he has lived his life well,death is the birth of greater opportunitiesto live a still better life.That is how he regards death.– V.F. GunaratnaVerses & ProsesawakenIssue 18 • September – December 2010 63

GlossaryawakenAnapanasati Sutta: This is a discourse (sutta) that details theBuddha's instruction on using the breath (anapana) as a focusfor mindfulness (sati) meditation. The discourse lists sixteenobjects on which one may meditate in order to bear insightand understanding into the Four Foundations of Mindfulness(Satipatthana), the Seven Factors of Awakening (Bojjhangas), andultimately Nirvana.Anatta: Selflessness (non-self or impersonality). All phenomena iswithout self-nature. Nothing exists on its own as a separate self.As the so-called self is simply a collection of conditioned andchanging physical and mental factors, there is no real or concreteelement of self in us.Anicca: The truth of the constant changing of all mind and matterfrom moment to moment.Attachment: Attachments are what keep us turning on the wheelof rebirth. In the Four Noble truths, Buddha Shakyamuni taughtthat attachment to self is the root cause of suffering: From craving[attachment] springs grief, from craving springs fear; For himwho is wholly free from craving, there is no grief, much less fear.(Dhammapada) Becoming enlightened is nothing other thansevering all our attachments. What is meant by “attachment”? It isthe investing of mental or emotional energy in an “object”. We canbecome attached to people, things, experiential states, and our ownthoughts and preconceptions. In Buddhist teachings attachmentsare usually divided into two general categories: attachments to selfand attachments to dharmas. For the seasoned practitioner, even theDharma must not become an attachment.Aversion: Exaggerated wanting to be separated from someone orsomething.Bodhicitta: The aspiration to help all beings attain True Happinessby becoming Buddhas, by being Bodhisattvas.Bodhisattva: One who aspires to save all beings from suffering,while saving oneself.Buddha: An aspect of the Triple Gem - The Awakened or EnlightenedOne. A Buddha is one who has attained liberation from all suffering,attaining True Happiness, Perfect Wisdom and Perfect Compassion,among all other virtues for the sake of helping all sentient beings.“The Buddha” refers to the historical Shakyamuni or GautamaBuddha, who is the founder of Buddhism in our world.Buddha-Dharma: Buddhists do not call the teachings of theBuddha, which they follow, Buddhism; they call them Buddha-Dharma, the Dharma of the Buddhas.Compassion: The quality that makes us aspire to help others with noselfish intention; the ending of selfishness.Cyclic existence: The cycle of death and rebirth, taking uncontrolledrebirth under the influence of defilements and karmic imprints. Theprocess arises out of ignorance and is marked by suffering.Dana: The practice of giving, of generosity.Delusion: The quality of lacking Wisdom, not knowing the realityof all things. Same as ‘ignorance’.Dharma: An aspect of the Triple Gem - the teachings of the Buddhaor the general teachings of Buddhism. ‘Dhamma’ in Pali language.Dukkha: The truth that life is full of dissatisfactory experiences.Eight Worldly Concerns: These keep one from the path; they areattachment to gain, pleasure, praise, fame and aversion to loss,pain, blame, and a bad reputation.Emptiness: The truth of all mind and matter constantly changing,thus being empty of any fixed self.Enlightenment: The realisation of the reality of all things as theytruly are. True Happiness is the result.Equanimity: That calm and balanced state of mind that is notaffected by attachment or aversion to anything.Five Precepts: The basic guidelines of moral conduct - not killing,not stealing, not having sexual misconduct, not lying and not takingintoxicants.Four Noble Truths: 1. Life is full of dissatisfactory experiences -ageing, sickness, separation, death etc 2. Causes of dissatisfactoryexperiences - craving, aversion and ignorance 3. Life can be withoutdissatisfaction - by attaining Enlightenment or Nirvana 4. The pathleading to the end of dissatisfactions - The Noble Eightfold path.Impermanence: All compounded things are constantly changing,as a result or effect of changing causes and conditions. All livingand non-living elements are thus subject to decay and renewal.Interdependence: Also called dependent origination or conditionedarising. The principle that nothing exists independently, but comesinto existence only on dependency of various previous causes andconditions. In other words, a phenomenon exists on condition thatthe other exists; it has on condition that others have; it extinguisheson condition that others extinguish; it has not on condition thatothers have not.Kangyur: The Tibetan collection of 104 volumes of the words ofthe Buddha, consisting of 1,169 sutras and tantras, with a total of70,000 Tibetan pages.Karma: The moral law of cause and effect which states that what weexperience is the result of what we have done, that what we do willresult in what we will experience. Kamma in Pali language.Liberation: State after removing the defilements and karma whichcause uncontrolled rebirth in cyclic existence.Loving-kindness: The quality which makes us wish for thehappiness and well-being of others. ‘Metta’ in Pali language.Mantra: Prescribed syllables (in Sanskrit) to protect the mind fromdefilements. They express the essence of specific energies. Recitationof mantras is always done with specific visualisations.Mara: Embodiment of unskillfulness, forces of greed, hatred anddelusion and the “death” of the spiritual life. He is a tempter,distracting us from practising the spiritual life by making themundane alluring or the negative seem positive. In historicalBuddhism, Mara is the demon that tempted Shakymuni Buddha,just before he attained Enlightenment, trying to seduce him withhis beautiful daughters.Meditation: A practice to habituate ourselves to positive andrealistic states of mind.Merits: Blessings, positive potential. Imprints on the mindstream ofpositive actions, leading to future happiness.Middle path: The Buddha's Nirvana-bound path of moderation awayfrom the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification andtowards the practice of wisdom, morality and mental cultivation.Mindfulness: An aspect of the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ - the qualitythat enables us to remember, and keep our awareness and attentionon what is beneficial to one and all in terms of thoughts, speechand actions.Mindstream: Continuity of the mind, stream of moments ofconsciousness proceeding endlessly in a lifetime, betweenlifetimes, from lifetime to lifetime.Noble Eightfold Path: A systematic and complete formula to riddissatisfaction and attain true happiness and peace by followingPerfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood, Perfect Effort,Perfect Mindfulness, Perfect Meditation, Perfect Understanding,Perfect Thought (pls read Be A Lamp Upon Yourself published byKMSPKS for detailed info).Rebirth: The continual cycle of birth and death.Refuge: In the Buddhist context to take refuge means to accept theBuddha and the Buddhist teachings as the path one wants to takes.Rinpoche: An honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism to mean“precious one”.Samadhi: Meditative stabilisation, concentration. One-pointedinvolvement in meditation where the meditation object and thepractitioner are experienced as inseparable and indistinguishable.As there are many types of Samadhi, the term does not inferanything about the practitioner's realisation or accomplishment.Samsara: This world of rebirth and suffering. Also known as Sahaworld.Sankhara: Refers to conditioned phenomena generally butspecifically to all mental dispositions or volitional formations.Sentient Beings: Living beings with feelings in the six Samsararealms of hells, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, demi-gods andgods.Suffering: The physical and mental feeling of dissatisfaction.Sutra (s): The recorded teachings of the Buddha. Spelt as Sutta inPali language.Tengyur: A great collection of commentaries or treatises written byIndian masters, which clarify the meaning of the Kangyur texts. 4,093 in all totalling 161,800 Tibetan pages.Triple Gem: The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Also knownas the Three Jewels.Vipassana: A form of meditation that develops insight into thenature of the mind.Virtues: Blessings which transcend Birth and Death and lead toBuddhahood. Depending on the mind of the practitioner, that is, onwhether he is seeking mundane rewards (merit) or transcendence(virtue), the same action either to merit or virtue.Venerable: An honorific addressing of a member of the Sangha.Wisdom: The understanding or discernment based on thedirect realisation of the Four Noble Truths, Impermanence,Interdependent Origination, Non-self and Emptiness. The Buddhataught that all things are impermanent, arising and passing away,subject to change, and that knowing this — not in a rational, butempirical manner — is wisdom.64

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