NOV 20

1

I was talking to my students last night," Such a simple art like Tai Chi and you all cannot master it, how can you manage to do your meditation well? Meditation will be much more difficult to master or do it well. To attain Buddhahood or sainthood will not be that easy. "
But my master used to say," Great merits and wisdom are the two wings of a bird which help us to soar high to the realm of Buddha Pure Land or the Kingdom of God."
What he meant was what we need to do is to accumulate a lot of merits by doing good deeds, a real enlightened master will come along to give you the right teachings. Good teacher is also one of the main factors for spiritual progress.
"If you got a wicked master, what sins he had committed, you also shared with it," said my master.
I got a student who suffered so much before he came to me. He told me that he had learned from a 'wrong master' for a few years ago, and finally all his wealth,properties and wife had gone. He was made a bankrupt. Right now he has to start all over again to live a much happier life.

2

Only keep Love and compassion in your heart, the light in it is so strong that nothing can harm you. This is the most powerful divine shield or weapon that protects you from all evil forces. Please don't doubt it. Once you are doubtful, you allow other negative forces to come into you. It also helps to prevent any form of unknown dieases to come in. You will stay, happy, healthy and peaceful.
( 2 cents opinion)

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Contributed by Tng Yong Chuang ( my Tai Chi student )

While driving home after my Taiji practices, I find myself very cool, calm, patient and tolerant on the roads. Very alert too, watching out and patiently waiting for pedestrians to cross the road-junctions completely before I move off. Other road users are also allowed to over-take or cut into my lane and I will patiently let them do so without sounding the horn or flashing the lights; not even a tiny feeling a grudge at all.
It must be the 'meditation' done during the Taiji practice. Taiji is indeed a 'meditation with movements' and it really calms the mind, build awareness and improve patience and alertness.

4

If we wish liberate ourselves, we need clear and throw away all cabbage hidden inside the deep end of our heart one by one. We need know what are they. We can't pray for God or Buddha to help us to clean or clear up all the rubbish from the first day what we have learnt from our parents, school teachers, principals, lecturers and friends. Not all the things that were taught to us are right and applicable in this fast moving world. We need the inner guru who dwelled in my heart to guide us how and what to clear. Only then the true liberation which is of our own nature will surface and joy of bliss will vibrate all the cells in us.

5

I always like ask this question," Who is one who put the chains around me? The problems of love issue always come to me and ask me to help them. I love my boy friend but he does love me and the man will say I love this girl very much but she does love me. "My heart is very painful." said most of them.
We have so much matter that already chained us up and yet we want more chains. I wonder why?
So I explained to them that to meet and get marry to a person, they need a very strong karmic link or karmic affinity. Secondly, even if they got marry, they have to know whether they are paying back the debt to the others or the others coming here to pay debt to you. It sounds quite complicated. However it is true when we look at the high percentages of divorce rate happening in the whole world. Thirdly they must make sure that they study the person well and not make up their own story, thinking that how good he or she is. Lastly my advice is time will tell and this is much saver way to get married. ( 2 cents opinion )

6

The door of the heart is opened to those are sincere and faithful. The inner light is always there waiting every one of us if we are not afraid of difficulties and failures. The grace is there waiting for the prodigal one to come home right into her arms. Likewise for the buddhists, Kwan Yin is always there to welcome the lost one.

NOV 19

1

Every moment is a fresh enlightenment if you can maintain yourself with a happy mood and compassionate heart and perform your work or chores full-heartedly, beneficial to all sentient beings and dedicate your merits to all of them.

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Without sentient beings, where and how can we develop our loving-kindness and compassion. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come back to this world again and again as monks, gurus and ordinary beings to help them to realise their true nature so that one day through awakening, they will attain buddhahood or sainthood.

3

Our mind creates our own world and we create also heaven and hell at the same time. The moment we are dominated by the five poisons; greed, anger, ignorance, doubt and pride, we are living in the burning fire of hell, our awareness and mindfullness have completely not there any more. The moment we follow the eightfold path and the five precepts, we are living in heaven where our energy of compassion and loving-kindness just sprang out like a fountain for all sentient beings and we are in joy and peacefulness.

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Contributed by Eng Shing Pong 
What has gone wrong with this super power? The super-richs just stand-by holding to their wealth and own interest. Can't they help the government?
A critical component to a healthy life is nutrition. From bi
rth, the intake of vital nutrients is essential to the growth and development of a healthy individual. Good nutrition, particularly in the first three years of life, is important in establishing and maintaining a good foundation that has implications on a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic productivity. Unfortunately, food insecurity is an obstacle that threatens that critical foundation.

In the United States, more than one out of five children lives in a household with food insecurity, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in this condition – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life. In 2009, the top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 are the District of Columbia, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas, & Texas. 20% or more of the child population in 40 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2009.

5

For those who are egoistic will experience a great downfall in life.
Ego is actually a form of energy within us which can not be destroyed. It can destroy us if we are not aware of it. Just be mindful of it, it can not do anything that is destructive or harmful. Just watch it comes and goes, and tame it like taming a tiger. It is possible.

NOV 18

1

The man of high integrity
Redeems himself with a sense of harmony,
And only then keeps the road to quarrel unopened.

2

The man whose mind is quick-tempered and rude
Accomplishes not one thing.
For the man whose mind is harmonious and calm,
One hundred blessings gather of themselves.
Tao

3

Slanderers and gossips
Are like thin clouds covering the sun: 
It will not be long before they clear up of themsleves.
Tao

4

Tolerate the mistakes and faults of others,
But not your own.
Endure your own difficulties and disgrace,
But not those of others.
Tao

5

If you that some unseen forces are haunting, please the below method for yourself. You can either use the name of God or Kwan Yin for the buddhist.
Get nine coloured flowers and tear them to pieces and soak them in the water for at least half an hour and have a shower with the flowers. The pieces of flower will transmit the solar energy into the water and this water helps to clean away any form of

 unseen negative energy attached to your body. Continuously do it for three days. As you shower yourself , think of Kwan Yin is also pouring down her holy water onto you. After the shower sit there quietly and chant the name of Kwan Yin for about twenty minutes. After that dedicate your merits to all sentient beings and thank Kwan Yin for helping you. ( 2 cents opinion )

6

If someone hurt, slander, abuse or belittle me, don't take it at heart, no anger would arrive in me. The outer and inner turbulent, adverse occurances do not move my heart an inch at all and this is the correct practice of Dharma.

7

The joy is simple in the Being,
Not being this or that.
I like to watch the sun in the morning,
And the moon watches over me at night.
Tao

8

I sometimes wonder,
When will I wake up?
Wake up to see that
there is truly nothing to fear.
I sometimes wonder if 

I am the man dreaming
that I am a butterfly, or
am I a butterfly dreaming
that I am a man?

9

The sage becomes nothing and gain everything.
Not displaying himself, he shines forth.
Not promoting himself, he is distinguished.
Not claiming reward, he gains endless merit.
Not seeking glory, his glory endures.

10

My master used to say," Pluck only the ripen mangoes from the tree and leave the green ones only."
My Tai chi grand master used to say," Let the blind ones walk past you, and only teach those who can see you and come into your door."
Lord Buddha also says, " Teach those who have the karmic affinity with you and leave who are not ready to learn the Dharma alone."
Now I begin to follow their foot-steps and teach those who have karmic affinity with me and know the value of the art of Tai chi and Dharma.

11

Gratitude is a pure wisdom in a person who appreciates and remembers what others have done for him in assisting him to grow and clear all the obstacles in life. And he is waiting for a chance to repay back to the others in kind or service.

NOV 17

1

Contributed by Rahul Malga 

Question: When a man realises the Self, what will he see?

Bhagavan: There is no seeing, seeing is only being. The state of Self-Realisation, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal far away, but simply being that, which you always are and which you always have been. All that is needed is that you give up your realisation of the not-true a

s true. …Then we shall realise the Self as the Self - in other words BE the Self. At one stage one would laugh at oneself that one tried to discover the Self which so self-evident. So, what can we say to this question?
( The existence of the self is actually our Buddha nature which all the while follows us from our past life, we are always mistaken the body as self.)

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Q: When do I know that I have discovered the truth?
Maharaj: When the idea " this is true", "that is true" does not arise. Truth does not assert itself, it is in the seeing of the false as false and rejecting. It is useless to serch for truth when the mind is blind to the false. It must be purged of the false completely before truth can dawn on it.
( I used to tell my students if they haven't witnessed the evil sides of life, they can't appreciate their good life at this moment of time. I saw many of friends went down to the pit when they have so much money to spend in the evil aspects of life. And it is late for them to see the truth.)

3

~ Sadguru Nisargadatta Maharaj 
The main thing is to be free of negative emotions-desire, fear etc., the six "enemies" of the mind. Once the mind is free of them, the rest will come easily. Just like a cloth kept in clean water will be clean, so will the mind get purified in the stream of pure feeling. When you keep quiet and watch yourself, all kinds of things may come, so will they go, by themse

lves. All the matters is mindfulness, total awareness of oneself or rather of one's mind. Be onself, I mean the person, which alone is objectively observable. The observer is beyond observation. You know you are the ultimate observer by direct insight, not by logical process based on observation. The self is known as being, the not-self is known as transient. But in reality all is in the mind. The observed, observation and observer are mental constructs. The self alone is.

4

~ Sadguru Nisargadatta Maharaj 
Realisation is the opposite of ignorance. To take the world as real and one's self as unreal is ignorance, the cause of sorrow; to know the self as the only reality and all else as temporal and transient is freedom, peace and joy. It is all very simple. Instead of seeing things as imagined, learn to see them as they are. When you can see everything as it is, you will also see yourself as you are, it is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows you the world as it is will also show you your own face. The thought " I am " is the polishing cloth. Use it.

5

NOV 16

1

One of students for a few occasions, having nightmares with demons or devils going after him struggled in his sleep. He chanted mantras and called the name of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for help. None of them appeared to release his fears from the demonic spirits which holding to him. So he had got no other choice and called my name, " Master chow....". Immediately the demons just disappeared and le

ft him.
So I gathered some of students together and explained to them how they should chant the name of the buddha or Kwan Yin. I told them they must have them in their heart at all time as if they are your lovers. They must learn to love them completely and have them in mind at all time. Many people like to chant the name of buddha and at the same, their mind is full of wandering thoughts. How can the Buddha related to them in this manner. In fact they are singing upon the name not having the complete focus not the name of the buddha.
We must have a romance with the Buddha or God. It means we have to treat them as though they are our lovers. Our whole interest is to focus on them and think and be concerned to see that they are in our heart all the time.

2

As I always say enlightenment has followed us since aeons of life time like our a shadow. However the coverage of defilement, attachment and lust have blinded us totally and at all time from seeing it.

3

Quite a number of fb friends messaged me saying how much they had suffered. Some said they are suffering from bad health, poor business, divorce, couldn't find a job and couldn't get promoted in their job, boy and girl's love problems and so on. Are all these real suffering?
When I read all the stories of Lord Buddha's life, I found that he had gone through so many sufferings for the sake of senti

ent beings, just like Jesus Christ got himself nailed on the cross to clean all sins of all people. Lord buddha suffered severe headache and digestive problems all the time during his 49 years of teachings. He didn't mention that he suffered.
Why nowadays so many people couldn't taking hardship, only looking for Buddha and God to help them.

4

Any thing that you speak or write coming from your own heart is always a truth. Once you understand your true nature, you just develop it from there, the within. Reading of scriptures or sutras is to allow yourself to confirm what level of your understanding of your true nature or your wisdom, you are at. You need not have to explore more from the outer source. Everything is completely there for you to cultivate. ( 2 cents opinion)

NOV 15

1

" Subhuti, I recall countless aeons ago, before I was with Dipankara Buddha, I made offerings to and respectfully served 8,400,000 multimillions of Buddhas without missing one."
Shakyamuni Buddha, here is telling of His own background. He remembered back throughout countless aeons during which He was with countless Buddhas and teachers. The first time Shakyamuni Buddha had an awakenng was when he

 was a student of Dipankara Buddha. At the time Shakyamuni vowed to practice Buddhism and between then and this life He had 8,400,000 multimillions of teachers and guides. He studied with and made offerings to each of them. What does it mean to make offerings? He would have honoured and respected his parents, he would have done the same for his teachers. This includes gifts such as clothes, food, bedding and medicine. The Buddha made such offeings to each of them as a disciple, as well as doing for them work and needed to be done. He let no opportunities pass by him and always learned something from the experience. This the knid of attitude He had during His period of learning-hard work, dedication and humility.

NOV 14

1

I don't why I have so many masters in my life. Someone said ,"Your karma must be good and therefore you are to able to meet them."
I told them that it was not true for it was a mixture of both good and bad karma ripening.The masters who liked to teach me methods and mantras to gain super power,wealth and fame, had found me leaving them very quickly. 
And only a few, about two of them taught me th

e methods of of knowing myself with mindfulness and awareness. In the beginning I found it difficult to practice this method. In fact this is the most direct method of realising the true self.
Nowdays I always advice my friends and students not to accept any master or guru until they have examined their teachings and their behaviour. An enlightened teacher with good moral ethics is very hard to come back. 

2

Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra:- the teaching on how to liberate yourself through wisdom, the Dharma door through which one becomes a Buddha-" with a pure and faithful heart mind, this person will surely realise reality.
Speaking of faith in the mind, we all say that we have it, but these minds of ours are full of afflictions. A mind of affliction is the mind of ordinary beings. The clean pure mind had no frustration, no wondering thoughts. To percieve in an instant one's original nature is to have clean, clear belief. To percieve the nature of mind is true form pranjna; it is Tao. If you wish to percieve the nature of mind, you must have clean, clear belief in order for true form pranjna to arise.

3

Raja of Kalinga who was infamously cruel and heartless, reigned India. During this time of his reign, Shakyamuni was a holy man who had attained quite a high level. The raja had some argument with this holy man and decided to kill him. The raja asked of 
him," Being a holy man, will you hate me for killing you?" The holy Shakyamuni said," My mind and heart are absolutely calm and clear. You can te

ar me from limb to limb and if I have no thought of hatred, my body will become whole again." The Raja of Kalinga then cut him apart one limb at a time. The holy man made no sound nor had even the slighest feeling of hatred in his heart, rather, he was filled with compassion. The raja having finished then called out for his proof. It was as he had said. He didn't stir from his Bodhisattva mind of compassion and his body immediately became whole again and his life was restored.

NOV 13

1

Going along with awakened spiritual friends can help us to see the reality of this world and at the same time, enable us to realise where our negativities are. With their strong and warmth support and encouraging coaching, we soon see our inner light. Then we can also at the same time see our right path and move along with them with no regrets. Going along with the wrong group of people, we will get the adversed consequences and we will regret for the rest of our life.

2

Last night, when I came back from a wake, as I walked slowly home as usual very cautious, I felt a very strong force, an invisble hand pushed me from the back. I was completely out of control, I fell flat down with my whole face onto the ground. I got bruise on my lips and nose. My front teeth were able to take that shock and remained untouched. I felt a bit of pain on my chest and kneels.
So I ca

ncelled all my appointments and went to see a doctor. And you know what had happened? The clinic was closed and the doctors went on holiday. So I had no choice but had to use some egg-white as cream for my bruised areas.
One of my students messaged to me and was a bit worry over such an incident. I told her that it is not "me" that got injured, it's my body, my shelter that got injured. I told her that it was my good karmic experience and I had just paid this debt to my debt collectors. I wished them well and prayed that they were satisfied with my bad fall. May Buddha release and liberate my debt collectors to the Amidabha Pure Land.

3

Contrinbuted by Shery Li 
Bodhicitta or bodhichitta (pronounced body-cheetah) consists of two Sanskrit words, ‘bodhi’ meaning ‘wisdom’ or ‘enlightenment’ and chitta or citta meaning ‘heart’ or ‘mind’. Therefore, bodhichitta means the ‘enlightened mind’.

Bodhichitta is the awakening of the enlightened mind. It arises when a Buddhist practitioner develops profound compassion for all of humankind and wishes to attain enlightenment for the sake of their happiness. It is described as "the path of selfless enlightenment" and profound compassion.
( Well explained by Sheryl Li.)

4

Many people ask me if I am a buddhist. I say that I don't call myself anything. I am not qualified to be a buddhist because I don't dare to sacrifice my life. There are many people in this world who don't call themselves Buddhists but their behaviour is that of a bodhisattva. Twenty three years ago in Keelung, there was a boat which met with a tyhoon. The boat was sinking and one of the crew gave 

a life jacket to a friend of his, an old man with emphysema. He saw a woman with a baby and took his jacket and tied it round them. The crew man saw him without a life jacket and found him another one. Still, the old man didn't jump into the water. He saw a young man and gave the life jacket to him saying," You're young and can still do many things with your life. I'm old and sick and useless."
In the end, he sacrificed his own life in saving others. This is a bodhisattva. In times of trouble and emergency, they won't consider themselves first.
~ Unknown

5

I notice in fb, most monks or gurus hardly talk about this subject on Lust or the complicated love affair or sex scandal. This sort of complicated love affairs was vey common in the past history where the emperors or kings lost their throne or kingdom due to their inability to run the states.
Even nowdays such lustful affair still happened. In Singapore, two of our high government officers lost th

eir good carriers and brought shame to their families.Their wives and children suffered.
In recent time, the American CIA director resigned his job and admitted the mistakes that he had made with the affairs with other women.
In fact during Lord buddha's time he did mention that the desire for lustful affair was/is also one of the poisons like anger and ignorance and one of his precepts did mention that.
I remembered one day, a very rich Thais friend came to consult me about women who always like to go near and approach him and what should he do since he was marriaged to good wife. I told him to treat young ones as his daughters and the other ones as his sisters or mothers and to support them financially in small amount and give some gifts to the 'daughters.' I told him that he had owed them in the past life and he needed to pay back.
I advised is only when you have made a completed divorce, then you can have another one as a lover, otherwise you may create so much problems for yourself.

6

Happiness is within us. How do we feel and enjoy ourselves in happiness? There is one way, the only way is to make others happy, the spring of happiness will gush out through every pores and cells of yours. You will be drowned in the happiness with the divine in totalness. Completed Happiness!

7

Skill in the suitability of objects is the ability to choose the appropriate object, at the right time, for the specific purpose at hand.
The physical reference point of breath dispels distraction in the daily practice
Repulsive meditations can be specially helpful for abandoning lustful fantasies.
The recollection of the Buddha can used to inspire faith.
Loving-kindness might be the ideal meditat

ion subject if ill-will, harsh judgements, or irritation torment the mind.
The white, fire, and light kasinas produce the brightest light to effectively illuminate refined matter.
The base of neither-perception-nor-perception is too subtle to support every kind of insight comtemplation, but might free you from subtle attachments.
As for insight meditation, if you progress systematically, however,has unique attributes that produce different degrees of brightness, seclusion, and limberness of mind.
With proficiency in these essential skills, your concentration will be strong and stable; your mind will be supple and quick. Concentration and balanced, you will be capable of directing your attention to penetrate the subtle nature of things.