Sep 8

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Materialism has mislead us to a wrong path where we know that the consequences will bring us a lot of sufferings and we feel empty and lost, lacking of satisfaction in life. What we actually need is love, peace and harmony. In the inner wor

ld, we can fulfill our satisfaction and confidence with compassion, loving-kindness, caring and sharing. As we develop or cultivate such virtues, we feel much complete as a human to realise the truth and constantly be in touch with the divine. We are all belonged to one race of the world where we create a paradise if we realise that we are a part of the whole.

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Contributed by Richard Gossett 

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” 
Buddha 

Endurance or patience refers to bearing insult and distress without resentment. From the passive and negative point of view, it is apparent that endurance is to tolerate the adverse situation. However, in reality, endurance is not the blind acceptance of what happens like a coward. To the contrary, a Bodhisattva has a complete and perfect understanding of the principle of cause and effect, the principle of impermanence, the principle of not-self, the Law of Dependent Origination. He/she realizes the reality of the nature, that all worldly Dharmas are conditioned and unreal, thus he/she has no attachment at all. He/she can keep his/her mind calm, without emotion and fear because he/she has the strong determination and extreme patience/endurance to deal with all matters.

A Bodhisattva practises patience to such an extent that he/she is not irritated even he/she is seriously hurt physically and mentally by others. A Bodhisattva, instead of seeing the ugliness in others, tries to see the good and beautiful aspect in all of them. He/she is so patient that he/she makes every attempt to cross the people over (to save them), and never gives up.

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Lord Buddha had gone through military training when he was young and his body was well-tuned. That was why he could withstand heat and warmth during day time and wet, cold and moist during the night when he sat under a Bodhi tree for years.

Bodhidharma taught the shaolin monks two sets of exercises, one is to strengthen the lignaments, tendons and inner organs and the other set is to develop more marrow in the bones. Then the monks can do their meditation in peace avoiding suffering from muscular aches and pains.
The Thai monks learn walking meditation and it helps to improve their body system and blood circulation.
The Tibetan monks also have to practice certain exercises to raise up their tummo energy and open up the meridians for the five types of chi to flow smoothly in their bodies.
I taught tai chi to my students to strengthen their body system and also the internal organs.
Hence, for those who are doing meditation, please find a way and means to exercise your body. It is a must, otherwise you find yourself can not be calm and still the mind. Your fire of anger is ever ready to burst out, when someone happens to trigger you.

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To give away and share with things that you valued most is a test whether you are real generous or not. During my time as a young man, many Thai masters who visited me will give some special buddha images from his pocket and he would just s

ome common ones to his followers. They kept on telling me to keep them for my protection and good luck. After a few years when they came back to Singapore, they would ask me to show them the buddha images for further blessings. I told them that I had helped them to give these away to others who needed them most for good luck and protection. I told them that Buddha is most generous and kind and he looks after me all the time. I don't need all these images.They were quite happy to hear that.