benefiting sentient beings! - amitabha buddhist centre · woser rinpoche. we had a talk. he is from...

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jul/aug 2014MIC (P) 057/02/2014

Benefiting Sentient Beings!

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s special message to ABC students on our 25th anniversary is featured in our very own documentary, “Thank You, ABC Family!” We are pleased to present an edited transcript

of Rinpoche’s warm greetings and precious advice. Part 2 will be featured in our Sep/Oct issue.

amitabha Buddhist Centre is a centre for the study and practice of Mahayana Buddhism, based on the tradition of lama Tsong Khapa, in the lineage of lama Thubten Yeshe and our Spiritual Director, Kyabje lama Zopa Rinpoche.

OUR VISIONLearn to Be Happy

Courage to cherish allWisdom to see the truthFaith in Buddha’s peace

Follow Our Four-fold PathInspire Connect Learn

Practise

SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

RESIDENT TEACHER

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi

PRESIDENT

Tan Hup Cheng

SPIRITUALPROGRAMME COORDINATOR

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme

CENTRE MANAGER

Koh Zi Yen

OFFICE STAFF

ADMINISTRATION - Alicia LeeOPERATIONS - Denis Kwan

RETAIL - Serene Tan

OFFICE HOURSOpen daily except Mondays

Tuesdays – Saturdays: 10.30 am – 6 pm

Sundays: 10 am – 6 pm(Hours extended to 7.30 pm when evening sessions are scheduled)

aMITaBHa BuDDHIST CENTRE44 lorong 25a geylang

Singapore 388244Tel: 6745 8547 Fax: 6741 0438

[email protected]

“Wow, Wow, Wow! Thank You,

ABC Family!” (Part 1)

After months of build-up and anticipation, our magnificent thangka of Amitabha Buddha In His Pure Land was finally unveiled at Vesak Celebration 2014. Behind the scenes, extensive planning went into

preparing the thangka for its inaugural display at the Aljunied open ground. The task was spear headed by our president Tan Hup Cheng with highly capable hands-on help from a volunteer, Lim Yeow Heng.

A steel scaffolding structure 60 feet high formed stable support for the thangka. A sturdy canvas was then mounted on the front of the scaffolding to act as a windshield. On the afternoon of 8th May, the thangka was raised up and secured onto the frame with the aid of strong ropes and many helping hands. Finally, a custom-made sheet of clear plastic was hoisted up to cover the thangka, affording protection from the elements.

The thangka was the centrepiece of our Vesak festivities from 10-13 May. It could be seen from the trains zipping across the Aljunied MRT station. Thousands of visitors, passers-by and the whole neighbourhood got to see it. It was also featured in the newspapers including the Straits Times. Just by its transient appearance, we fulfilled the great purpose of benefiting countless sentient beings. We cannot measure its success by the usual profit-cost ratio. In the Dharma scheme of things, the mere sight of a giant Buddha transcends all worldly convention.

What would Lama Zopa Rinpoche say to our accomplishing his wish? I imagine it might go something like: “Wow, wow, wow…!” Our Amitabha Buddha thangka contributes to Rinpoche’s vision for FPMT centres to have prominent displays of holy objects for the benefit of the whole world. For more about this, read “Fulfilling Rinpoche’s Vast Vision”, page 11.

Speaking of Rinpoche’s vision, I thank everyone who attended the 25th anniversary movie premiere on 7th June, and everyone who helped me create the two movies. A year ago, I had no clue I was going to be involved with “movie making”. Period. One year on, there somehow seems to be a growing YouTube collection! Chief among them is the message that I, with Hup Cheng’s support, had specially requested from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for ABC students. My idea was for Rinpoche’s interview to be included in the 25th anniversary video that the Exco had assigned me to produce. The interview was recorded on 21st January this year in Sera Je Monastery with the invaluable assistance of Ven. Kunsang and Ven. Gyurme.

Rinpoche spoke for over an hour. His message was filled with such warmth and delight towards all of us. It deserved its own video. It deserved to be shared. It deserved to be fully heard and without delay. It so happened to be a busy period in March and not the wisest time to call for voluntary help for this sort of thing. Relying entirely on myself to do what I felt was the right thing, I ventured into unfamiliar territory and made my own movie.

“Thank You, ABC Family!” was made in just one week, thanks to a MacBook, iMovie, the Help Menu, and many fervent prayers to Rinpoche. Thank you all for watching my very first DIY movie. I couldn’t thank Rinpoche enough for taking the starring role! For those who missed the premiere, the video can now be viewed on YouTube. With great pleasure, Part 1 of the edited transcript is featured right here from page 3-5.

Lama Yeshe, my guru, kinder than all the numberless past, present, future buddhas, and fulfilling of course, His Holiness Chenresig’s holy wishes; then little me—“Mickey Mouse”—“Mickey Mouse’s” wishes. And fulfilling all the sentient beings: hell beings, numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, intermediate state, numberless beings. As in numberless, for example animals, numberless ants, numberless fish, numberless what else, cockroaches, and then numberless shell animals—wow, wow, wow—numberless frogs! Fulfilling their wishes. Amazing, amazing. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Really, really, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow… So, that is what you have been doing, the ABC family.

My numberless thanks, and ‘big heart’! Numberless ‘big heart’ to ALL my ABC family! It started and developed through 25 years up to now, up to today. Wow, wow, wow, what a development. SOOo long. Many years. Butterfly Avenue. That’s the past. SOOo many years! Thank you very much. Continue your dedication. Continue your study. Continue your study and putting effort to develop the centre, the conditions, to receive teachers, and then sentient beings to receive teachings. Making all that, developing all that, better and better, and better and better. Amazing!

Amazing! Amazing. Really, really fantastic! Then not only developing ABC but helping many projects, especially Kopan, the needs of Kopan, and many other projects—FPMT. Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very, very much.

Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable… The ABC family enjoying so much good results, happening more and more, and then outside, different people who receive much benefit, who see much progression. They enjoy, they rejoice, enjoy so much. Thank you very much, so much, SO, SO much!

Just to mention, the centre benefiting sentient beings, to not be reborn in lower realms, by introducing karma, the shortcomings of negative karma, such as the ten non-virtues and so forth, which is cause for the lower realms, then suffering for an incredible length of time. It can even be possible, the good karma, only with refuge vow—I’m just giving an example—one precept, two precepts, three precepts, five precepts, complete upasika vow, then eight precepts, that causes higher rebirth. Refuge in karma, I explained, which is cause to achieve higher rebirth, a direct human rebirth and so forth, also pure land—unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable opportunity.

The centre giving to sentient beings, to people, so much opportunity to receive a direct human body or even the pure land. Amazing, amazing. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

The next one is, introducing the Four Noble Truths, true suffering: what is samsara and the nature of suffering? Not only suffering of pain but the suffering of change, which is more difficult. All the samsaric pleasures have their own nature of suffering. Then the next one is more difficult, among those more difficult ones to understand, but is the most important to actualise: nature of suffering together with renunciation from that. So, the pervasive compounding suffering from where suffering of pain, suffering of change comes from. Introducing that, then realising how samsara is in the nature of suffering, trying to see that.

We have been suffering in samsara from beginningless rebirth. Without knowing that, being hallucinated with that, samsara is a beautiful park, as Panchen Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen mentioned in the “Lama Chöpa”. The toilet or the beautiful park, samsara is a beautiful park. Total hallucination. This is what happens. So far, oceans of suffering of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, intermediate beings, suffering on and on, up to now, numberless times. That is still not free. That is

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reality. That is factual. So life is filled with hallucination.

So teaching true cause of suffering, karma and delusion, and then, cessation of suffering, and true path, the antidote to the cessation of those sufferings, and then true path, wow, wow, wow, wow. All the extensive subjects, what you are learning, using—amazing, amazing. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

Learning that, and then giving opportunity to us and to sentient beings, through the centre, to achieve cessation of suffering, nirvana, blissful state of peace for themselves. By teaching true suffering, basic path, higher training of morality, higher training of concentration, wisdom, amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing… Wow, wow, wow, amazing! Whatever opportunity it gives us, we give opportunity to others, sentient beings, to achieve, wow, wow, wow! The liberation free forever from oceans of samsaric suffering—wow! Wow! WOW! WOW, WOW, WOW!

Not just blind faith, by studying all this. Really, it is not just blind faith: you just believe. You don’t believe you go to hell! Not just like that. So, study about the paths. By seeking the essence of Buddhism, great compassion, that which makes to actualise bodhicitta and enter into the Mahayana path, and then next to achieve ‘kyon kun-sä yon-ten kun-den’, cessation of all the mistakes, completion of all the realisations, ‘sang-gye’. Then you have FULL qualities, omniscient mind, and you can have compassion toward every SINGLE sentient being!

Last night I met Sera Mey lama, Woser Rinpoche. We had a talk. He is from Mongolia. He mentioned one monk who achieved bodhicitta. He asked the monk—they are very close friends—whether he had bodhicitta or not. The monk said yes, he has bodhicitta. He had, even though Rinpoche put it in a different way, ‘tsol-che kyi nyong-

wa’, but it means ‘tsol-me nyong-wa’, without effort. It should be like that, but Rinpoche said ‘tsol-me kyi nyong-wa’ first and then afterwards ‘tsol-che nyong-wa’. It’s not like that: ‘tsol-che’ first, then ‘tsol-me’ after. ‘Tsol-che’ is with effort. By reasoning with quotation [Rinpoche meant scriptural citations], then your mind feels that. But when you don’t use reasons or quotations then you don’t feel. Only when you do, you feel. That’s ‘tsol-che nyong-wa’. ‘Tsol-me’ is without using quotations. If you just feel, constantly, then that’s ‘tsol-me’.

Then Rinpoche asked him to meditate on bodhicitta. The monk, his name is “Mao Zedong”. His head is like Mao Zedong’s head. He is very famous in debating, so famous in Sera, Ganden, Drepung, in the six monasteries. He is from Sera Mey, but very, very famous in debating, so expert, and everybody knows “Mao Zedong”. He has a head like Mao Zedong, so he is called “Mao Zedong”. Nobody knows he is a meditator. At night, at two o’clock, he goes to meditate somewhere, somewhere there in some forest. He goes to meditate at night and at five o’clock he comes back home. He spends daytime like any other ordinary monk. But only at night, he goes to meditate.

So when he meditated on bodhicitta, he could feel tears coming out, the hairs of his body stood up. That means that he has realisation. It shows the feeling, not just bodhicitta, the feeling, suffering of sentient beings. Like you’re suffering, feeling, need to save, need to help them. You feel the responsibility to help sentient beings. Like a mother whose son fell in the fire, how the mother feels. She wants to jump into the fire. Whatever capacity she has. So here, the hairs from the body all stand up, really! Just the word bodhicitta expressed in words, it’s not like that.

Excellent teachings, learning “Abhisamayalankara Karika” and so forth, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. ‘Don dun-chu’ – “Seventy Topics”,

wow, wow, to achieve enlightenment. Then learning about enlightenment, cessation of all those obscurations, completion of all the realisations, ‘sang-gye’! You have all the qualities, omniscient mind and what else? Infinite compassion towards sentient beings, then perfect power. You have all the qualities to help sentient beings. Under qualities, perfect quality of understanding, perfect quality and compassion, perfect power, quality of action, wow, wow, amazing.

Then you are able to, like one sun, one moon in this world that arises then reflects without any motivation. Reflects in all the oceans and in all the water dew, river, anything which is not covered, reflects everywhere! There is only one sun, only one moon, but reflects everywhere, which is not covered. Working for sentient beings. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow—numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras and asuras, intermediate state beings. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Manifesting impure in whoever has impure mind, manifesting pure form to those who have pure mind. The arya beings, sambhoghakaya, even the lower bodhisattvas, nirmanakaya, amazing, amazing. Not only like His Holiness, in monk form, or in the form of Chenresig, not only that, numberless. Then you are able to guide sentient beings. Wow, wow, wow. Wow! Numberless, numberless, numberless! Even manifest as river, manifest as mountain, manifest as bridge, all kinds, can you imagine, to benefit sentient beings? Even the bodhisattvas can do it, why not Buddha? No question. Even manifest as metal. Manifest as ‘chai’. Manifest as candy.

We experience happiness from beginningless rebirth now and in the future, samsaric happiness, and beyond our samsara, the ultimate happiness and full enlightenment.

ALL the three times’ happiness, all came from Buddha. Sorry, I just said Buddha. Guru is Buddha as well. Because I mentioned guru, I’m not talking about myself. You can think of His Holiness and others.

You are able to work for numberless sentient beings of each realm and able to liberate them from lower realms and gradually bring them to full enlightenment. So amazing, amazing, amazing, until every single sentient being is brought to enlightenment. You continue to work for sentient beings. That is amazing. Not just only practising Paramitayana, which takes three countless great eons to complete the merits of wisdom, merits of virtue, the cause of dharmakaya, rupakaya. There is a quicker way, to enlighten sentient beings, free them from oceans of samsaric suffering. To be more quickly enlightened, then you practise tantra.

Even by practising lower tantra, you can achieve enlightenment in one year. No sorry, in one life… I said one year! One life. Then by doing long life practice, able to live for a thousand years, then achieve enlightenment. Then even much quicker, to free sentient beings from oceans of samsaric suffering, bring to enlightenment much more quickly, then you practise maha-annutarayoga tantra. There are four: kriya tantra, charya tantra, annutara tantra, maha-annutarayoga tantra. Then you can achieve enlightenment within one brief life, within one brief

lifetime of degenerated times. You are able to achieve full enlightenment, ‘dor-je chang kyi go-phang’, the unified state of Vajradhara, ‘kha-jor yan-lag dun-den’, having seven qualities, embracing and so forth. Tantra has great skill, the reason why you can achieve enlightenment quickly. The highest tantra has greater skill than the lower tantras.

This is what we are learning, the method. And also the centre is enlightening, like a dark room, by bringing light and dispelling darkness, dispels ignorance and then brings the light of Dharma to sentient beings. Wow, wow, wow—amazing, amazing.

Not only sutra, tantra, so extensive like the Pacific Ocean, deep and wide, but condensed in lam-rim, the

graduated path to enlightenment. Not only learning that, but you learn philosophy, all those important texts.

Without studying, it’s like a dark room at night, dark, you can’t see anything. As you bring light, as the sun shines in the country, in this world, in the room, when light comes, by studying Dharma, by studying philosophy, the extensive teachings, the Basic Program. Then there is also hoping, the Master’s Program, or wishing to start? It’s like light lighting your heart, like you have an extra eye opened, the wisdom eye opened. It’s incredible, incredible, incredible.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s message was transcribed and sub-titled for the video, “Thank You, ABC Family!” by Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim and further edited for this article.

Watch the Movie“Thank You, ABC Family!” made its big screen debut on 7th June, together with “The Heart Of Our Happiness”, a documentary commemorating ABC’s 25th anniversary. Some 130 members and students, old and new, watched the movie premiere together with Khen Rinpoche and ABC Sangha.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s message, “Thank You, ABC Family!” can now be viewed any time on our YouTube channel, at www.youtube.com/user/abcfpmt

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In Print from the Past11th Anniversary of the Basic Program

The Basic Program was launched in ABC on 2nd August 2003. Here is a reprint of Geshe Chonyi’s advice to the very new Basic Program students at the inaugural session.

“We planned to teach this Five Year Basic Program two years ago. I was asked to teach this. So I said, “I need at least 25 people to sign up. If 25 people can sign up for me, then I will teach that. Otherwise, if nobody signs up, then it’s difficult. So I also don’t want to sign up!” Somehow, it couldn’t start.

This year, Rinpoche came and asked again to start the Basic Program. Then somehow, we started this Basic Program. Then more people than expected showed up—I think there are 75 people now.

I am happy that many people show up here. Not only that, I would like people to continue, if possible, for five years. If not, at least, at the end of the five years, if I can complete with 15 to 20 people I can help those people to complete their studies, then I am happy with that. I think, at least, maybe 20 people can complete their studies, so that they can teach at other centres. That is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wish to start the Basic Program.

All these topics are not easy topics. It’s called the Basic Program but it’s not really basic. There are quite difficult topics. The Buddha’s teachings are very profound and also difficult to understand, not that easy. Even for myself, I have studied 17-18 years full-time, but still, I don’t know much.

So your part in studying is just twice a week. Just come here and listen, and put the book back in the drawer.

[Laughter.] I understand because all the people are busy working. It’s different from how we study in the monastery. We do study full-time. The last time we had a meeting of the geshes in Holland, they mentioned it’s very difficult to start the Basic Program in a city centre, because people are busy. There was some discussion. The final decision was to start teaching and then see how it goes.

It is a difficult topic. But to really understand Buddha’s teachings, we must study. Otherwise, there is no way to understand. So if we have interest in Buddhadharma, we should study; we have to study.

Also, it is good to attend class regularly. We only have classes twice a week so try and come for every class. Also, make the time to read the book, like half an hour. Make your own decision, for example: “From 10-10.30, I am going to read this lam-rim book.” Make as if you were doing office hours. So it’s helpful if you make this kind of discipline yourself. It’s good to make that way. Otherwise, you will never read the book, just come and listen here, don’t do your homework, then you cannot learn much.

Understand that all the topics are not easy. Some parts are easy, some parts are not easy; like when we are going shopping, there are some interesting things, some are not interesting. Also with the teachings when you feel it’s very difficult, you don’t understand. Then you think, “What is this?” When I was studying, it was also like that.

There were many different debate topics. Some topics I liked, some

topics I didn’t like. But when I completed my studies, then I liked them all. Even those topics I didn’t like were useful for me.

We have nine or eleven topics to complete in the five years. Some topics are quite difficult. So you don’t have to be discouraged at that part. But have to continue. Don’t stop there. I mean, for lam-rim, not easy but not that difficult. Maybe next year’s topic may be more difficult. End of the year, may be easy. So I mix them up like that. When you feel it’s difficult, don’t stop there. Have to continue. If stop there, then, that is the last.

Read the biography of Lama Atisha. Look at Lama Tsong Khapa’s biography. He studied from young, from 17 to 36 or 37. He did study, extensive study. Even His Holiness, he studied. So when you look at all the great masters, they studied. Without study, I think, nobody gets realisations.”

Geshe-la then spoke in Tibetan:“So, as it is said by the great Lama Tsong Khapa: at the beginning, engage in extensive listening of the teachings of the Buddha; in the middle, try to see all the teachings, scriptures and commentaries as instructions for practice and then, in the end, strive and put in the effort, day and night, to actualise those teachings, and at the end, one should dedicate whatever merit one has accumulated for the flourishing of the Buddhadharma.

Je Rinpoche Lama Tsong Khapa always dedicated whatever roots of virtue and merit created for the flourishing of the Buddhadharma. So we should follow his example and dedicate the merit for the flourishing of the Buddhadharma.

We are going to start studying the graduated stages of the path to enlightenment of lam-rim and the lam-rim is a teaching, which contains the essence of the subject matter coming both from sutra and tantra, and condensed now into the lam-rim. And the lam-rim is taught and written in such a way that it is to enable us to subdue our minds. It is primarily aimed at that purpose. Also, the tradition of the lam-rim comes forth from the two trailblazers, the two great masters, Asanga and Nagarjuna.

One can understand, by listening to the teachings of the graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, and

also by teaching the graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, one can accumulate a vast amount of good karma, a vast amount of merit, a vast amount of virtue.

We are going to engage in the study of the Buddhadharma, starting with the lam-rim. But, of course, in the end, whether we are able to subdue our minds through the teachings is up to the individual. Whether one is successful or not, is up to the individual.

So, if at the time of listening to the teachings, using what we have heard, we should use that information and compare it to the state of our mind to see if we are acting in accordance with the Dharma. And if we are not, then we should change our mind for the better, in accordance with what is taught. So if we listen to the teachings in such a way, then definitely there will be success in changing our minds.

On the other hand, if we listen to the teachings, in the same way as we listen to a normal lecture in the outside world or listen to the news, then, instead of benefiting the mind, there is the danger that the knowledge of Dharma might increase certain afflictive emotions in our mind. There is a danger that our pride might increase, we might be jealous of other people. In order for the teachings to be Dharma, the

mind has also got to change. So we have to make sure that our activity of listening to the Dharma becomes the Dharma. So it is important that whatever knowledge we gain as we listen to the Dharma becomes a Dharma practice.

The sign or indication that one has received or listened to many teachings, one becomes subdued and disciplined. And the sign of having meditated on the teachings, an indication of that is that one finds that the afflictive emotions in our own minds becoming weaker.

The purpose of us listening and receiving teachings on the Dharma, in the context of the Five-Year Program, as we move on with time, as we go through the different teachings, it is important if we discover if there are any faults we need to rectify. We should attempt to do so, whatever bad behaviour, whatever unsuitable way of doing things, all the negative aspects of ourselves. We should try to weaken them. As it is said, an indication of having received more teachings is that one becomes more disciplined, more subdued.

In order for that to happen, each and every one of us has to put in effort. To engage in the study of Dharma, one needs interest and determination.”

The original article was published in “Update”, Sep/Oct 2003. The above excerpt has been re-edited.

Happy 15th Anniversary, Khen Rinpoche!We are getting together for a double celebration with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi – 15th Anniversary at ABC & Birthday

Saturday 19 July, 6 – 9 pm at ABCBuffet dinner and special surprises in store…

Register at our office by 3 July

Per person: $15 / free for children aged 12 & below

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How Shakyamuni Buddha Turned

the Wheel of DharmaAs explained by Ngawang Päldan, author of the Shakyamuni Buddha Puja text

Then he went to the Seat of Enlightenment at Vajrasana (Bodhgaya). Obtaining some

durva grass from the boy grass seller Svastiga, he spread it out as a seat and sat on it cross-legged.

Beams of light radiated from between his eyebrows, making all the abodes of the maras tremble. Aware of this, Mara the Evil One (their chief ) approached the bodhi tree with an innumerable host of maras and rained weapons upon his body; but by the power of his concentration on loving kindness, they turned into a rain of flowers.

Then Mara the Evil One said, “Ho, young Prince! Get up and rule your kingdom! With merits like yours, how could you win liberation?”

Shakyamuni replied, “If you, Evil One, could become lord of the Desire Realm through one transitory offering, why should I not be able to win Supreme Enlightenment through making countless transitory offerings?”

Mara answered, “You are the witness that I have made one transitory offering, but who is a witness that you have made countless ones?”

In reply, the Bodhisattva touched the earth with his right hand and said:

This earth is the dwelling of all beings, Moving and fixed alike, without bias. It is my witness that I do not lie.Take it as my witness in this matter!

Thereupon the earth shook in six ways, and out of it rose the earth goddess Sthavara as far as her navel. With folded palms, she said, “Great Being, it is so. I have perceived it just as you say. In fact, you yourself are the witness for the whole world, including the gods,” and then she disappeared.

Then many daughters of Mara displayed numerous cunning tricks, half uncovering their faces and so forth; but by concentration on foulness he magically transformed them to be aged and decrepit. Thus he scattered the hosts of maras, and many of them generated the thought of Supreme Bodhi.

After that, he entered the Space-Pervading Concentration, and as dawn broke on the fifteenth (Full Moon) of the Vaishakha month (April-May), he manifested the attaining of Buddhahood. Thereupon the gods scattered flowers knee deep, the earth shook, and all realms were filled with light.

Then, for many reasons such as to make people understand the rarity of the Dharma and to let requesters gather vast merits, for seven weeks he manifested indifference, not turning the Wheel of Dharma.

Two merchants, Trapusa and Bhallika, offered him food, and the Four Great Kings (the guardians of the four directions) offered him four stone alms bowls, which he magically transformed into one; he put the

food in this and ate, pronouncing some auspicious verses.

After that, on repeated and fervent requests by Brahma Shikhin and others, he agreed to turn the Wheel of Dharma. He went to the Rsivadana Deer Park at Varanasi. There he turned the Wheel of the Doctrine of the Four Truths, with twelve points in three cycles, to his first five disciples and 80,000 gods, maturing and liberating them.

Then he matured and liberated infinite gods and human beings, including successively his five close disciples; Uruvilva Kashyapa, Gaya Kashyapa, Nadi Kashyapa, Shariputra, and Maha Maudgalyayana; and 250 of their entourage.

The fame of this deed spread across the surface of the world. King Shuddhodana heard about him and invited him repeatedly to Kapilavastu. Accordingly, he went to Kapilavastu and established many hundreds of thousands of Shakyas, including Shuddhodana and his four brothers, and innumerable other gods and human beings in maturity and liberation.

At Shravasti, he showed the Great Miracle and defeated the six tirthika teachers, maturing and liberating 90,000 of their followers and countless other gods and human beings.

Then he saw that through excess

of devotion to the teacher and his disciples, the honour all the people were showing to the Sangha had become so great, it was turning into a hindrance to the Dharma. To stop this, and to establish in the vision of truth his mother Mahamaya, who had been reborn as a god—for to establish his parents in the vision of truth is one of the ten deeds every Buddha must perform—and for many other reasons besides, he went to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. There he consented to pass the rains residence on the Armoniga rock under the Pariyatrakovidara tree with 8,000 arhats, Shariputra, and others.

When the rains residence was over, he went up level by level as far as Akanistha (highest heaven of the Realm of Form), benefiting infinite gods. On the request of the monks, Maudgalyayana begged

that they return to Earth; so on the twenty-second of the ninth month, they descended to the city of Kasi (Varanasi) on a ladder made by the gods, some going on foot and some by magical powers. This gave abundance of joy to the eyes and minds of limitless people, and sowed in them the seeds of liberation. Seeing the various thoughts people had at that time, he told them how samsaric perfection (such as being a god) is valueless, and what is important is to be heading towards liberation. For innumerable disciples, he flung wide the gates of liberation, with the three vehicles.

Then he went to Vulture Peak. With inconceivable miracles, such as making the earth shake in six ways and filling hundreds of realms with rays of light, he turned for innumerable disciples—bodhisattvas, hearers, gods, nagas,

and others—the Dharma wheel of Marklessness, his intermediate teaching.

At Vaishali, he turned the Well-Proportioned Dharma Wheel, his final teaching. In addition, in other places he taught inconceivable entrances into the Doctrine, in accordance with disciples’ dispositions, thoughts and latent tendencies.

To establish thus in maturity and liberation such countless, measureless, numberless disciples, divine, human, and other, could be the act of no one else but a buddha.

An excerpt from the “Shakyamuni Buddha Puja” text by Ngawang Päldan of Urga, translated by Martin Willson, originally published in 1988 by Wisdom Publications, reprinted by FPMT Education Services in 2013.

Let’s celebrate Wheel Turning Day together!Thursday 31 July 2014

• GoldenLightSutraRecitation, 1.30 pm

• ShakyamuniBuddhaPujawith 1,000Offerings, 7:30 pm

“Turning the precious Wheel of Dharma, You disciplined beings very difficult to tame, And fixed disciples in the three liberations,Possessor of the ten powers – homage to you!”

According to the Vinaya text, “Treasure of Quotations and Logic”, all virtue accumulated on this auspicious day is magnified by 100milliontimes! Some sutras further mention that the merit increases by ONE BILLIONtimes!

To commemorate the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, join us in venerating the Buddha with meaningful practice and prayers, and strongly dedicating the vast oceans of merit for all our holy and ordinary wishes to be fulfilled.

Contribute to extensive offerings for the Shakyamuni Buddha Puja – Collection starts 16 July / Drop off cash donations at our office

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ABC took part in a community event organised by the Geylang Serai Inter-Religious

Confidence Circle (IRCC) on 31st May 2014, aimed at “strengthening networks of trust and understanding” within the constituency. The all-day seminar and exhibition was hosted by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and involved participation from the different religious groups around Geylang Serai.

As invited participants, ABC had an information booth set up at the exhibition with a poster display and free distribution materials. Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi together with our president Tan Hup Cheng, led our team of representatives at this Saturday event.

ABC also contributed a write-up about our history to a book published by the organisers that promotes “Heritage in Harmony”.

Benefiting Sentient Beings!

“Wow! Wow! Wow!”

Think of the thousands of people in Singapore and countless sentient beings who received the amazing benefits of Vesak Celebration 2014—through our prayers and dedications, our wide range of opportunities for people to pay homage to the Buddha, to make offerings, listen to the teachings, or even just to see or hear about our four-day

festival held from 10-13 May. Giving so many sentient beings the opportunity to create merit. Rejoice!

“My wish is for the big centres in FPMT to have these large thangkas. This is a way to leave imprints for all these people [who see them], for enlightenment.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche, March 2007

Our magnificent 50 x 30 ft. thangka of Amitabha Buddha In His Pure Land,

is the spectacular result of honouring the holy wish of our precious guru and Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. For many years, Rinpoche has encouraged and advised the centres in the FPMT to make super-sized thangkas, which can be displayed on festival days at their centres. Rinpoche feels that this is a very easy way for people and other sentient beings to collect positive imprints by merely seeing such powerful holy objects.

Rinpoche personally instructed ABC’s Executive Committee to create a gigantic thangka of Amitabha Buddha in early 2011. Producing the enormous tapestry was no mean feat. We are extremely fortunate that all the perfect conditions came together to manifest this exquisite five-storey high thangka in time for our 25th anniversary, and to unveil it on an auspicious occasion—Vesak Celebration 2014.

Our Amitabha Pure Land thangka joins a growing number of large thangkas being made and displayed at FPMT centres around the world that are fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision.

A video showing the raising of our Amitabha Buddha thangka on 8th May 2014, can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/abcfpmt

Fulfilling Rinpoche’s Vast Vision

Bonding with Our Neighbourhood

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Relying on Taraby Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Our Hayagriva Tradition

In our Gelug tradition, the Most Secret Hayagriva puja stands out for its lively fanfare and elaborate offering rituals. It was among the forceful pujas that ABC organised in 2003 to counter the SARS epidemic in Singapore. Since then, we have continued to organise the Most Secret Hayagriva puja as one of our annual prayer events.

For a consecutive year, ABC is having a three-day prayer festival of Most Secret Hayagriva from 26-28 July. It is indeed propitious to be able to offer the blessings of Most Secret Hayagriva to all our members, students and benefactors.

What is so special about performing this puja? Here are 10 things to know:

1. Most Secret Hayagriva is a manifestation of Chenresig/Avalokiteshvara/Guan Yin. Hence the notable quality of the deity is compassion, emanating in a wrathful aspect to control heavy obstacles that arise from the cumulative negativities of sentient beings.

2. As a deity of highest yoga tantra, it is to be distinguished from other aspects of Hayagriva. Because it is from highest yoga tantra, the practice conforms by tantric commitments.

3. It is NOT just a Tibetan deity. The practice of Most Secret Hayagriva was originally revealed to the Indian master, Nagarjuna.

4. It was part of a series of eight transmissions of major deity practices that were later revealed to Padmasambhava, who introduced the practice to Tibet into the

Nyingma tradition.5. The founder of Sera Je Monastery

in Tibet, Kunkyen Lodrö Rinchen Sengge, received the entire lineage of Most Secret Hayagriva from his father, a Nyingma lama. His father’s dying wish, was that he preserve and uphold the lineage.

6. Incredibly auspicious omens relating to Most Secret Hayagriva appeared to Kunkyen Lodrö Rinchen Sengge while he was exploring land to build a monastery. He established Sera Je Monastery on the very site where those signs appeared.

7. Most Secret Hayagriva is therefore the special protector deity of Sera Je Monastery. 600 years later, the original shrine is still worshipped in Tibet.

8. The lineage of Most Secret Hayagriva continues to be fully preserved by Sera Je Monastery in south India. A special Hayagriva committee performs the pujas all year round. Every year, the entire monastic community of Sera Je undertakes a retreat of the deity.

9. Through our founders, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who were both from Sera Je, Amitabha Buddhist Centre developed a connection with the Hayagriva practice.

10. Prayers to Most Secret Hayagriva are extremely powerful for dispelling obstacles, especially those to do with spirit harm, and heavy sicknesses such as cancer, leprosy, paralysis, and skin diseases.

Find out more about The Most Secret Hayagriva Prayer Festival on the back page.

Join Our Prayer Celebration

For His Holiness the Dalai Lama On His 79th Birthday

Medicine Buddha Puja with 1,000 OfferingsSunday,6July2014,2.30-4.30pm

Let’s celebrate His Holiness’s 79th birthday with heartfelt prayers relying on the Medicine Buddha merit field. According to the Medicine Buddha Sutra, prayers made to Medicine Buddha are powerful for success in all aspects of life, and certainly for the highest aspirations in the Dharma to be fulfilled.

Dedicate the skies of merit accumulated for all to be auspicious for His Holiness, for his enduring long life, pristine health, and the spontaneous fulfilment of all his holy wishes.

Let’s also dedicate for our precious guru and Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for his long and healthy life, for all his holy wishes to be fulfilled, especially for the Maitreya Project in India and the far-reaching projects and activities of the FPMT throughout the world.

100 Torma Offerings at UllambanaPrayers of Joyful Giving on the 15th day of the 7th month

Sunday,10August,2pmPerformedbyKhenRinpoche&ABCSangha

A joyful festival that originated at the time of the Buddha, Ullambana was celebrated on the 15th full moon day of the 7th month, the day when the Buddha’s ordained disciples completed the Rains Retreat. The Ullambana Sutra describes the great act of generosity that the Buddha’s disciple, the arhat Maudgalyayana, performed on this day to free his mother from rebirths in the lower realms. From these origins, Ullambana is an occasion to practise generosity to all sentient beings.

During the 100 Torma Offering Ritual, prayers are performed to invoke the blessings of the wealth deities White and Yellow Dzambhala, while specially blessed dough balls are offered to the 12 types of guests, from the transcendental (the Three Jewels and deities) to the worldly (including spirits and hungry ghosts).

All are welcome to take part in this practice of generosity for the benefit of the 12 types of guests.

How to Donate:• Donationstothepujaarevoluntary/Anyamountiswelcome• Offeryourdonationand/ordedicationthroughourofficeoronlineatwww.fpmtabc.org • Openson11July/Closeson10August,2pm

Watch our short video, “Most SecretHayagriva—ProtectorAnd Dispeller Of Harms” on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/abcfpmt. Our mini documentary on our Most Secret Hayagriva puja has already garnered over 3,700 views since its launch on 27th July 2013.

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Mid-Year Break for Basic ProgramThere will be a two-week break for Basic Program classes from 8-17 July. The Tuesday and Thursday evening classes will resume on 22 July. Khen Rinpoche will continue to teach “Engaging in the Deeds of the Bodhisattva” by Shantideva.

Fresh from the PressWe have printed new A4-sized full-colour posters of Manjushri and the Wheel of Life for free distribution. Copies of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s latest book, “The Perfect Human Rebirth”, are also still available. Browse and pick up from our Free Distribution display at Level 1.

Stay ConnectedTASHI DELEK is a free publication of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.Subscribe: Call our office at 6745 8547Online: Download our full-colour edition directly from www.fpmtabc.orgAll events and dates published are up-to-date at the time of printing.For the latest schedule and on-going updates, subscribe to our e-mail or SMS updates, or visit us online: www.fpmtabc.org OR www.face-book.com/fpmtabc

Editor Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim (Vivian Seah)

Spiritual Programme Ven. Tenzin Gyurme

Design & Layout Kennedy Koh

PhotographyChng Peng EikTan Seow KhengVen. Tenzin TsultrimJoey Yu

PrinterHighlight Printing Services

TASHI DELEK editorial team

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds (Discussion) 1.30pm

Tara Puja 4pm

修行、修心、生活中修 1.30pm

Tara Puja 4pm


Tara Puja 4pm

Animal Liberation 10am

Ullambana with 100 Torma Offerings 2pm

Dharma for Seniors 10.30am


Medicine Buddha Puja 4pm

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds 7.30pm







1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

Meditation for Beginners (5/5) 2.30pm

Khen Rinpoche’s 15th Anniversary & Birthday Celebration 6 - 9pm (Registration Required)

The Most Secret Hayagriva Prayer Festival Day 19am - 6pm





修行、修心、生活

中修 1.30pm

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds (Discussion) 1.30pm

Tara Puja 4pm


Discovering Buddhism 10.45am

Stages of the Path to Enlightenment – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand 2.30pm








Discovering Buddhism 10.45am Meditation for Beginners (3/5) 2.30pmStages of the Path to Enlightenment – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand 2.30pm

Dharma for Seniors 10.30am

Medicine Buddha Puja with 1,000 Offerings 2.30 - 4.30pm

Guru Puja 7.30pm

Guru Puja 7.30pm

Buddha’s First Turning

of the Wheel of Dharma (100 Million Merit Multiplying Day)


Purification Ritual of Most Secret Hayagriva 4pm

Golden Light Sutra Recitation 1.30pm

Shakyamuni Buddha Puja with 1,000 Offerings 7.30pm

Meditation for Beginners (4/5) 2.30pm

Nyung Nay Retreat in Progress (Registration Closed)

Animal Liberation 10am

Tara Puja 4pm

Nyung Nay Retreat in Progress (Registration Closed)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 79th Birthday

Guru Puja 7.30pm

Guru Puja 7.30pm



Once again, be blessed and protected byMostSecretHayagriva,thewrathfulaspectofChenresig, Buddha of Compassion, againstobstaclesandharms.Contributetothepujasforyourself,familyorbusiness.

Profound Benefits of the Most Secret Hayagriva Puja

[Tibetan: ‘Tamdrin tsog kong’] Extremely powerful against obstacles from: • Nagas–causeofcancer,leprosyandskindiseases• Landlord spirits – manifesting as paralysis or

spirit harm • Spiritharm–leadingtoepilepsy

The principal cause of these illnesses is one’s negative karma, precipitated by non-humanentities.ByrelyingonMostSecretHayagrivawhoisinthenatureofcompassion,suchobstaclesaredulypacified.

Come to Our Three-day Festival All are welcome to attend any of the pujas.Elaborate offerings are presented through livelyandceremoniousrituals thatdateback600years.Prayers include extensive confession practice, aswell as offerings and requests to various Dharmaprotectorsfortheirswiftenlightenedactivity.

Purification Ritual of Most Secret Hayagriva – Sunday 28 July, 4 pm

Come inpersonandbringfamilyandfriendsalong.Take part in this ceremony where sickness andcontamination are purified. Khen Rinpoche andSanghawillperformtheritualattheclosingsessionofourgrandprayerfestival.

Count the Mantras from 12 to 31 July (Wheel Turning Day)

Join in accumulating the mantras of Most SecretHayagriva:• Ameaningfulpracticetoreceivetheblessingsof

thedeity• Especially,todedicateforLamaZopaRinpoche’s

longlifeandholywishes • Recite themantras at any time up till the 100

millionmerit-multiplyingday,31July–practicetextsandcountingslipsareavailableatouroffice

For All Puja SponsorsReceive precious blessed Hayagriva nectar pillsandtormapowderfromSeraJeMonastery.SmokeproducedfromburningtheHayagrivatormapowderpurifiesillnessesandeliminatesspiritharm.

Sponsorship Is Now OPEN! Howtodonate?• Online at www.fpmtabc.org• Mail in a SponsorshipFormOR• Visitouroffice from nowupto28July

benefiting sentient beings! - amitabha buddhist centre · woser rinpoche. we had a talk. he is from...

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