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2021 l January l Mettavalokanaya l 1

2020 印度大覺禪旅 , 從佛陀成道地菩提伽

耶 , 到未來彌勒佛受釋迦佛衣鉢處 , 再到達摩

祖師的故鄉清奈 , 最後參禮觀音菩薩的聖境普

陀洛迦 , 聖境參訪團一行三十餘人 , 在洪啟嵩

禪師的帶領下 , 共同進行一場修行的旅程。就

如同《華嚴經》中善財童子五十三參的旅程 ,

揭開了人間大覺起運動的序幕。此行禪旅 , 全

程沉香、茶香彌漫。由於遊覽車上司機也習慣

點香 , 但是味道刺鼻 , 團員就拿出此行禪旅隨

身的頂級沈香 < 大佛紀念香 >, 每天都有人志

願擔任「供香菩薩」, 在車廂中巡迴供香 , 車

內馨香滿溢 , 令人心情愉悅。在旅途各聖境都

精心舉辦禪旅茶會 , 與諸菩薩聖眾 , 共同品飲

了青心大冇、長壽佛茶、千年古茶樹茶花 , 圓

滿茶會更以普陀洛迦山湖水泡三百年老茶。本

次禪旅所品之香 : 大佛紀念香、龍王香、大悲

心香、頂級手工香 , 每一場都是珍奇的身心饗

宴。

【尼連禪河火供】

二月五日 , 在依傍著摩訶菩提寺的尼連禪河 ,

洪啟嵩禪師主持地球大護摩火供修法。這是

地球大覺地時代最重要的一場火供 , 在佛陀的

加持下 , 產生不可思議的力量 , 在佛陀開悟

之處 , 將開啟大覺起時代。

洪老師為台灣地

球息災祈福 , 修持多次火供 , 如 :2008 年汶

川大地震修持大白傘蓋佛母息災火供超薦祈

福 ,2010 年修持穢蹟金剛火供為全球震災之

息災火供 ,2012 年孔雀明王大火供為禽流感

疫情息災 , 及撲殺、病亡之動物超薦。今年

(2020 年 ) 在印度尼連禪河修持火供 , 祈新冠肺

炎疫情平息 , 一切眾無災無障到成佛。

這次

修法的煙相非常特別 , 黑煙漫天 , 甚至有形成

蕈狀雲的黑煙團 , 然而卻掩不住天上明耀的太

陽。時值新冠肺炎疫情擴張 , 世界各地人心惶

惶 , 祈願世間的天災人禍、黑業煩惱 , 在智慧

火的焚燒下 , 都能淨化昇華 , 透過火供護摩修

法 , 來銷融地球的災障、增長地球的福報 , 讓

一切對立消融 , 讓人間充滿和諧安樂。

願大

覺之地的火供 , 開啟一個新的覺醒年代。讓佛

陀大覺的力量 , 慈悲與智慧 , 擴展到整個娑婆

地球及法界 , 一步一步 , 依著如來大覺的教誨

邁步向前。

【洪啟嵩禪師手植菩提樹】

2/6 中午即將離開菩提伽耶之前 , 早上先到

正覺大塔旁的國際冥想花園 , 探視洪老師於

2010 年親手種下的菩提樹。此棵菩提樹非常

特別 , 是小鳥銜著聖菩提種子 , 掉落於正覺大

塔禪定室後 , 所長出來的聖菩提樹苗 , 由洪老

師親手植於佛陀成道聖地 , 象徵著大覺禪法的

傳承 , 特別意義深遠。

洪老師是首位在此種

下菩提樹的國外人士 , 也是宋代以來首次立漢

文碑於此的人 :2016 年摩訶菩提寺為洪老師

【印度聖境禪旅 ,

啟動大覺起時代】

所立的「菩提伽耶覺性地球碑」。, 二者都是

前所未有的殊榮。洪老師希望以此手植菩提樹

做為「為地球種一棵生命樹」運動的起點 , 呼

籲大家將自己一生所消耗的樹木 , 透過種樹還

給地球。

【彌勒佛受釋迦佛衣鉢處 :

雞足山聖境】

雞足山位於位於中印度摩揭陀國 , 菩提伽耶之

東北三十二公里之處 , 因為整座山的形狀像雞

足而得名。佛經中記載佛弟子中頭陀行第一的

大迦葉尊者 , 受佛陀咐囑衣鉢 , 於雞足山中入

定 , 等待未來佛彌勒菩薩誕生於娑婆世界 , 交

付其釋迦佛衣缽。彌勒佛身高約 100 至 120 公

尺 , 他的弟子們身高約 60 公尺 , 身形非常巨

大。洪老師所畫的世紀大佛 , 身高正是彌勒佛

時代佛身的高度 , 大佛導引我們從釋迦佛的時

代 , 走向未來彌勒佛的時代。

到了山頂 , 洪

老師帶領大眾修持彌勒法要 , 並於岩壁上繪上

彌勒菩薩像 , 期盼地球早日成為淨土 , 彌勒菩

薩早日下生。而大佛供養人的頭髮的一部份 ,

也埋於雞足山聖境 , 正好在雞足的穴位中 , 與

彌勒佛的福德及未來人間淨土連線。

【達摩祖師的故鄉 : 清奈聖境】

二月八日 , 正月十五元霄節 , 印度大覺禪旅抵

達達摩祖師的故鄉清奈。晚上住宿飯店位於海

邊 , 在明亮皎潔的月光下共聚修持達摩法要。

此行赴印朝聖前 , 洪老師特別畫了一幅達摩

祖師像 , 修法場地在飯店戶外咖啡廳 , 遮陽大

傘成了祖師的寶蓋 , 奉上最頂級的頂級越南芽

莊沈香 , 即使在戶外空曠的場地 , 也能聞到陣

陣濃郁沈香。茶會一開始 , 洪老師先以三杯沈

香葉清茗敬奉祖師。戶外說法 , 彷彿回到古代

隨緣說法的自然講堂。沒有音響設備 , 大家戴

著旅遊導覽的耳機 , 像參加國際會議一般。洪

老師師開示達摩祖師的修行心要 < 二入四行論

>:「修行人隨緣不變 , 不變隨緣 , 隨時隨地

安住、自主 , 隨時隨地做好準備 , 然後一切隨

緣不執。而其中不變的是什麼呢 ? 是我們的本

心 , 永遠與清淨的體性相合。就像今天的一

切 , 隨緣得恰恰好。這麼好的月光 , 這麼好的

南國風景 , 這麼好的噴泉流水淙淙 , 恰恰現

成 , 現成恰恰 , 一切圓滿。」2019 年洪老師應

邀到達摩祖庭嵩山少林寺主禪 , 今年元霄節 ,

大眾來到印度清奈達摩老祖家中坐 , 見老祖真

心 , 備感親切。達摩東來 , 只為尋找一個不惑

的人 , 一個覺悟的人。洪老師上堂說法時示大

眾 : 在達摩祖師的故鄉 , 大覺起時代啟動了 !

我們以「十萬禪定師」的行動 , 讓一個禪定師

引導十萬個人 , 成就百億覺悟者。

【觀音道場 : 普陀洛迦山聖境】

二月十二日 , 印度大覺禪旅第十一天 , 參訪觀

音菩薩聖境 , 位於南印度的普陀洛迦山。

觀世音菩薩 , 是長久以來一直著娑婆世

界地球的外星人。他的故鄉極樂世界 , 距地

球十萬億佛土之遙 , 是可視見的宇宙之外的

世界。南印度的普陀洛迦山是觀世音菩薩在

地球的行宮 , 連印度當地旅行社都不知道的

祕境 , 由洪老師依據經典所載比對 , 而得以參

禮聖境。洪老師在山頂帶領大眾修持千手觀音

法軌 , 祈請觀音菩薩以大悲行門 , 願常救護一

切眾生 , 令諸眾生離怖畏已 , 復教令發起無上

大覺心。特別迴向澳洲大火十億傷亡生命 , 及

新冠肺炎病毒及人類傷亡往生淨土 , 一切有情

遠離怖畏 , 無災無障到成佛。修法圓滿後 , 大

眾拿出禪旅隨身的手印小杯 , 品飲一千八百年

茶樹盛開茶花的珍稀花茶 , 馨香撲鼻。最後 ,

洪老師於山頂湖中投入「真言能量管」供養 ,

在湖底持續發出真言能量波 , 湖水閃動晶亮 ,

發出七彩光芒。來到普陀洛迦山 , 洪老師除了

請觀音菩薩護佑疫情早日平息 , 也向觀音菩薩

稟告籌備多年的著述《觀世音菩薩大傳》, 即

將以詩的體裁來進行。想不到菩薩竟然交付一

個 ”Mission Impossible”, 希望洪老師以十

萬行史詩來著成本書 , 規模比印度二大史詩的

《羅摩衍那》還龐大 ! 在普陀洛迦山的修法 ,

緣於消弭疫情 , 洪老師特別加修孔雀明王法 ,

祈尊噉食眾毒 , 平息疫災。修法之後 , 回程即

巧見孔雀車乘 , 晚餐印度餐廳也奇妙地安排於

孔雀宴會廳用餐。本尊在各個因緣善巧示現 ,

彷彿相應著修法善願成滿。此行大佛供養人之

髮共分四份 , 一份埋於菩提伽耶佛陀成道金剛

座下 , 一份於尼連禪河火供修法 , 一份埋於未

來彌勒受釋尊衣鉢處雞足山 , 最後一份置於觀

音聖境普陀洛迦山石壁中密藏 , 與諸聖淨土聯

結 , 佛所護念 , 種下無上生機 ! 下午於普陀洛

迦山頂之湖畔修持心經。湖邊多巨石 , 有象

形、猴形 , 非常奇特。山頂鳥瞰遠望 , 林木稻

田翠綠油潤 , 土地豐美 , 涼風徐徐 , 宛若世外

桃源。樹蔭下巨石成為天然法座 , 洪老師安座

其上宣講心經。心經法主為觀自在菩薩 , 在普

陀洛迦山聖境宣講心經 , 意義特別深遠。大眾

於樹下、石上 , 各自找了自己的菩提座 , 開始

心經的說法聚會。洪老師特別開示心經中「行

深般若波羅蜜多時」的深意。中文造詣深厚的

玄奘大師 , 以「行深般若波羅蜜多時」來表達

現在進行式的行動。這是觀自在菩薩的實踐 ,

而當我們的心能行深般若 , 在當下實踐圓

滿的智慧 , 遠離一切分別 , 宛如大圓

鏡智 , 清楚的覺知覺了而完全無

分別 , 也就是圓滿成就觀自

在菩薩 , 所行之處即觀

自在菩薩的淨土。說

法時 , 老鷹盤旋不去 , 山上的大螞蟻也定在攝

影機上 , 一動也不動的跟著聽法 , 無情有性 ,

共成佛道。2/13 早離開普陀洛迦聖境 , 老師贈

送飯店和平地球旗 , 飯店歡喜邀請全體團員

合影。大巴啟程離開時 , 老師帶領大眾向觀音

菩薩感恩告別 , 誠心三稱南無觀世音菩薩摩訶

薩 , 並持七遍六字大明咒及千手觀音心咒。雖

然未來不知是否會有機會再回來 , 然而大佛供

養人的頭髮已置於普陀山巖壁縫內 , 或許會如

同大迦葉尊者在雞足山入定 , 山壁自然密合 ,

或許會落入地球通往極樂世界的時空密徑 , 直

達極樂世界。

【菩提伽耶國際齋僧大會】

2020 年二月五日 , 洪啟嵩禪師於印度摩訶菩

提協會 , 舉辦國際齋僧大會 , 現場近二百位

來自世界各國的僧寶前來應供。本次齋僧除

了備辦上味飲食之外 , 也上供頂級的沉香 ,

供佛及供僧。在洪老師領頭以中文持誦心經之

後 , 僧眾以各自國家的語言 , 持誦經文 , 無比

和諧莊嚴 , 令人動容。在佛陀成道聖地舉辦的

齋僧大會 , 常有聖僧菩薩及他方國土諸佛祕

密化現前來應供 , 功德殊勝難思 ! 洪老

師在致詞時表示 , 菩提伽耶齋僧大

會的意義 , 正是追隨佛陀大覺之

道 , 共創全人類的覺性之路 , 啟

動地球大覺起時代。僅受三寶的

加持 , 讓我們更有力量來創造和

平地球之道 , 讓我們共同努力來

世所有的眾生成佛使地球成為淨

土 , 並讓地球成為宇宙中最光明

的靚圖 !

【諾貝爾和平獎提名

殊榮見證世紀大佛和

平地球】

在菩提伽耶國際齋僧大會

中 , 印度摩訶菩提協會前會

長、不丹前總理吉美廷禮閣下

的賀電 , 宣告了洪啟嵩禪師榮獲

諾貝爾和平獎提名的喜訊 :「洪上

師是最有資格獲奬的候選人 , 我相信

這表彰了洪上師為台灣以及全世界創

造出的和平與善念的貢獻 !」現場世界

各國的佛教領袖觀看了大佛創下金氏世

界記錄的影片 , 感到萬分不可思議 , 同聲

贊嘆這個不可能的任務 ! 這幅巨畫背後

有著深刻的意義 , 蘊含著佛陀心中永遠

的和平與人間最深的和解。全球佛教

領袖也紛紛響應推舉洪啟嵩禪師成為

諾貝爾和平獎候選人。

2 l Mettavalokanaya l January l 2021 2021 l January l Mettavalokanaya l 3

Buddhism seeks to transform

experience. This is its

fundamental aim. That is what

the Buddha was after when he

saw all the suffering in the world and

developed Buddhism to help people

overcome it. That is why Chan Master

Yunmen said, “Every moment is a good

moment. Every day is a good day. Every

opportunity is a good opportunity.” An

opportunity to do what? To transform

our experience, to open ourselves, to

come back to the present moment. To

give rise to awareness, love, kindness,

forgiveness, and compassion. We give

meaning to our lives. Happiness or

sorrow— it’s up to you. You define it.

You write your own story. No one writes

it for you.

We must work hard. Anything

worth attaining takes effort. It doesn’t

happen by itself. Our modern world has

turned its back on the value of patience.

We have lost the virtue of diligence. My

students want instant enlightenment.

In Buddhism

Open Heart, Open Mind….

The more you want it, the more elusive

it is. Perhaps it’s a comforting paradox

that each time you realize you can’t

get it; you’ve already got it! That’s the

way our minds work. Each time we

notice our impatience, we can develop

patience. When we realize that we’re

not putting forth good effort, we can

become diligent. Recognizing that we

lack compassion can create compassion.

When we realize that we have created

distance, we can become closer. When

we know we’ve created enmity, we can

start to create friendship. When we

realize we’ve lost touch, we can start

turning toward one another. When we

feel we’ve let others down—at that

moment we can begin to make up.

Asking why we are unable to do it

is the beginning of wisdom. When we

realize we’ve lost it, we’ve got it? When

we feel happy that we’re doing it, we’re

already starting to lose it! And when

you realize you’ve got it, it’s already

gone. We’re always asked, “How are

you? How do you feel today?” We may

respond that we’re feeling fine or have

a headache or are in a good mood or

bad mood, or that we’re sad because

our dog just died or concerned because

our child is having trouble in school or

overwhelmed because someone close

to us is ill.

Day by day, week in and week

out, we exist in these mental states

and confuse them with feeling, really

feeling, until we no longer know how to

really feel. Do you feel yourself? Do you

feel yourself seeing, hearing, touching?

Do you feel the sound of your voice?

Do you feel your breath? Do you feel

your blood flowing? Your eyes moving?

Your brain processing the words on this

page? Do you feel the subtle, almost

imperceptible movements of your

body? When you’re walking outside,

do you feel the sun? Do you feel the

air against your face? Do you feel the

ground on which you’re walking? Are

you connected with and aware of the

environment? Or are you engrossed

in your own emotional state? Busy

with all your wandering and scattered

thoughts? Come back to the present

moment. Feel your life!

This is your birthright. It’s why

we were born. Open. When you walk,

feel the ground beneath your feet.

Feel the air you breathe entering your

nostrils, moving down through your

throat, and filling your lungs. Feel the

breeze against your skin and the warm

sun. Without this kind of awareness,

our lives quickly fade into dullness.

They become monotonous. Tasteless.

The present moment and the breath

connect us to the world. With them, we

feel the excitement of being alive. We

open to life’s potential and possibilities.

Each moment is sacred and special. We

want to help, to serve. When we truly

feel, we feel intimate with all that is.

We should not limit ourselves

because we have expectations about

the way life should go or strong

opinions about how people should live.

In Buddhism, we don’t discriminate.

We are not judgmental, prejudiced, or

self-righteous. We don’t put ourselves

above others.

The

Beginning

of Wisdom

Singapore

Most Venerable

Master Zhengyan

Guo Jun Thero


The Goal of a

Good Moral

Thailand

Most Venerable

Phrarajbhavanajahn (Luang

Por Dattajeevo Bhikkhu)

Endless

Suffering….

Dignified Adviser

Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Dr. Ming Yu

President of the Outstanding Women in Buddhism

Awards (OWBA), Honorary President of the

Chinese Character Education Promotion

Association, Deputy President of the World

Alliance of Buddhists (WAB), The Former President

of Chinese Young Buddhist Association in Taiwan

(CYBA) & Dignified Adviser of Mettavalokanaya &

Bhikkhunis International Buddhist Magazines

Founder / President / Chief Editor

Buddhika Sanjeewa

As long as we have to continue

to refuel the elements from

sources outside of our body,

we have to struggle to survive.

This is the common suffering everyone

in the world is facing. The moment we

are born, we learn automatically that

we have to breathe on our own in order

to survive. Later on we learn to eat, to

walk and so on through the process

of growing up. We learn about how

to make a living. We spend lifetimes

learning about how to live our life as

each stage of birth, old age, sickness

and death comes anew to us in each

successive life.

Nonetheless, the Lord Buddha did

leave us the wisdom in his teachings

to help us discover the solutions to

overcome and eliminate our sufferings.

One of the most important lessons to

learn is to how we can differentiate

between need and want. In order to

live happily, living in moderation is the

key to influence the way we work and

the kamma we create for ourselves.

Finding the necessities to replenish the

four elements essential to sustain life

properly and knowing how to use them

will enable us to alleviate or overcome

suffering in living our lives without

being deluded by desire for that

which is neither necessary nor morally

advantageous.

Humans are social mammals of an

elite status. We need to live together

as a community in order to survive.

However, every member in society is

driven by the need to survive. All are

bound to be in conflict somewhere,

somehow. Conflicts can start within

the smallest unit of society — the

family — and may spread like a cancer

to invade at an international level of

global proportions. Overcoming the

suffering from living together requires

us to understand ourselves as human

beings without labelling anyone with

race, religion or creed. Only then can

we learn how to share with our family,

community and humanity at large.

The Buddha’s Dhamma teaches

us that the way to overcome kilesa is

to follow the Noble Eightfold Path that

will lead us to completely eradicate

our defilements and endless round of

suffering death and rebirth. The goal

of a good moral-based and structured

education is to encourage the study

and practice of the Noble Eightfold Path

from the earliest possible age and on

into maturity. The young mind will have

fewer negative influences from kilesa

and therefore will face fewer obstacles

to overcome; and this is why it is

beneficial to introduce the principles for

life of the Noble Eightfold Path as early

in life as is feasible and appropriate for

the individual.

Creave Director

Wijaya Wagaarachchi

Your comments

Chief Editor,

“Mettavalokanaya”,

Mettavalokana Buddhist Publications Centre,

No.104/E, Attanagalla Road, Walpola,

Ruggahawila, Sri Lanka.

Telephone - + 94 777 551666

Fax - + 94 3322 81257

E-mail - mettavalokana@gmail.com

Website - www.mettavalokanaya.com

Facebook - Mettavalokanaya

Mettavalokanaya Magazine is a registered

Magazine in Sri Lanka with International Standard.

Some Photographs published in Mettavalokanaya

Monthly Buddhist Magazine were taken from

Internet. We give our special thanks for the

persons who have published the photographs via

Internet.


After cooking porridge, rice,

or steamed buns (bread),

take out a small amount then

recite the Food Transformation

Mantra or the Six Syllable Mantra (om

mani padme hum), and place the food

outside on a windowsill or underneath

a tree. The food can be eaten by birds,

ants, and wandering animals; it can also

become the liberation food for hungry

ghost beings. Whatever our action s

are in the twenty four hours of each

day, they can all become the cause for

Buddhahood, cause for liberation, cause

for peace and happiness in future lives,

Buddhist

way of Clarity....

issues, lose heartfelt sincerity, then

the true Buddha nature within would

be devoid of as well. Buddha dharma

that make us feel that we are living in

a purified world. To be vegetarian is to

respect life, to live with compassion in

accordance with Mahayana Buddhism.

One who practices compassion leads

a life away from pressure and risk,

allowing happiness and propitiousness

to arise day and night. Having evergrowing

desires is analogous to a thirsty

man drinking up sea water. Instead

of quenching his thirst, the more sea

command oneself for the supreme

mental power, to go about doing good

deeds everyday, to care for people with

kindness and compassion everyday, if

every effort were made to carry these

exercises out, it would effect happiness

for this lifetime and the ensuing

lifetimes. The more impoverished one

is, the more one should practice giving.

Giving does not have to be in the form

of money. Offering water, incense, and

flowers to the Buddha then bestowing

them upon sentient beings are all very

good ways of giving. Avoid having the

每次在您煮好粥 , 做好米飯或者饅頭的

時候 , 先拿出一點來 , 念變食咒或六字大明

咒 , 放在窗台或者樓下的樹根旁 , 小鳥、螞

蟻 , 流浪的動物可以吃 ; 也可成為餓鬼眾生的

解脫食。我們每日廿四小時的所有行為 , 每一

項都可以變成成佛的因、解脫的因、來世安樂

的因 , 或投生於三惡趣的因。這完全取決於我

們的發心。什麼是修行 ? 其實修行就是一種真

心。無論我們在社會上從事任何工作 , 都應該

以真心與人相待 ; 如果我們只會戴著假面具 ,

對人、對事都是以虛偽對待 , 失去了真心 , 也

就失去了佛性。

素食 , 是一種尊重生命的善行 , 更是長

養慈悲的大乘修行 ! 日常生活中就能實踐慈悲

常好的布施 ; 千萬不要有一個不好的觀念 :「

等我有錢我再來布施」, 反而讓自己更沒有

福報。護生、放生是利益眾生最直接的善行 ;

而慈悲施食 , 是以最殊勝的真言妙法 , 救護一

切沉溺於三塗的無形眾生。救護生命與慈悲施

食 , 都是最直接利益眾生的方法 , 並且有形、

無形皆具。

Make your

Happiness

or even cause for rebirth in the Three

Vile Realms (hell, ghostly, and animal

realms).This is completely up to what

arises from our minds.

What is Buddhist practice? In

fact, it’s a wholehearted mindset of

innocence, clarity, and heedfulness.

We should be wholehearted and

sincere in dealing with one another

regardless of whatsoever occupation

we hold in society. If we wear only a

deceitful mask, have a hypocritical

attitude in taking care of people and

water drank the worse he would suffer.

On the contrary, having attributes of

modesty and contentment is similar to

people attaining the mindset of ease

and grace. A state of no desires, no ifs

ands or buts, except blissful relaxation

and happiness forever.

Everyone is the engineer of their

own life, the engraver of their own

appearance, and the master of their

own fate. If you want to be happier,

please bring happiness to others and

the world with your best efforts. To

misconception of “I’ll start giving when

I have money”, which will actually

decrease our blessings. Saving and

liberating life are good deeds which

most directly benefit living beings. The

Buddhist Service of Compassionate

Food Bestowal, by invoking wondrous

Dharma and supreme mantras, protects

and saves all formless beings mired in

the lower three realms. This method,

along with protecting and saving lives,

are very direct ways of benefiting both

formed and formless beings.

心的人 , 他的生活必然能夠遠離緊張與危險 ,

晝夜六時恆常吉祥。欲望越多 , 就像口渴的

人 , 還在喝海水一樣 , 非但解不了渴 , 反而會

越喝越難受。相反的 , 少欲知足的人 , 就像擁

有一顆輕盈自在的心靈 , 不受欲望的拘束 ,

永遠輕鬆快樂。每個人都是自己生命的工程

師 , 都是自己外表的雕刻師 , 都是自己命運的

主人 , 如果希望自己過得更快樂 , 那就努力的

製造快樂給別人、給世界吧 ! 掌握自己的心在

最好的狀態 , 每一天都做好事 , 每一天都慈

悲 , 如果努力去實踐 , 這一輩子快樂、來生也

快樂。越貧窮越要布施 , 布施不光是錢而已 ,

用水、香、花等等供佛、下施眾生 , 這也是非

Taiwan

Most Venerable

Master Hai Tao


All Dharma practice is the

practice and training of the

mind. As mentioned before, we

need to focus on the gradual

path to Enlightenment as it was outlined

in our systematic Buddhist training of

Four Stages. We must study, practice

and realize the Dharma systematically

and gradually. We should do it step by

step without being hasty or impatient.

We need to treat it as a holistic and

Zen Meditation

Cultivation of Compassion….

comprehensive spiritual program. This

system itself is perfect and complete,

and you can do it in accordance with

your level of understanding and

awareness. As Milarepa once said,

“Do your practice slowly, so that you

could reach Enlightenment quickly and

effortlessly!”. To deal with ourselves,

our own mind — which is the greatest

enemy of all. Its objective is to deal with

other people or other sentient beings.

It’s about performing all compassionate

activities in order to benefit all sentient

beings. These Bodhisattva actions have

to be done collectively, without any

slightest notion of personal gain or

fame.

Avatamsaka teaching shows us

the way to be harmoniously co-existent

with one another. It is a glorious world

of sharing, interconnectedness and

integral harmony. It is a wondrous

pure land of love and forgiveness. This

system of Four Stages (Agama, Prajna,

Dharma-pundarika and Avatamsaka) is

the principle axis of my Zen cultivation.

It is a gradual and affirmative path

to Perfect Enlightenment. From Zen

cultivation that leads to the attainment

of egoless-ness, and then the natural

generation of loving kindness and

compassion. While you are learning

and practicing — there must be some

stages involved; but when you attain

the realization of the Dharma, you’ve

transcended all stages or paths. There

are the two sides of the same coin.

If you have time, I suggest you

follow the system slowly but surely.

You have to do it step by step, one

step at a time. But if you really have no

time, I suggest you just choose one of

them and study/practice it deeply and

thoroughly. This system of Four Stages

is specially designed in such a way

that will enhance and smoothen your

spiritual evolution. It is just like growing

a tree; you must start from the root, the

trunk, and then its branches and flower

and fruits. This is the progressive chart

of Zen practice. You can enter into this

Zen zone from different entry points,

but the stages of the path remain the

same and unchanged. Well, it depends

on our affinity and karmic connection!

We have built a network of connection,

awaiting everyone’s willingness to be

linked together. An integrated platform

of unity can definitely be built. It should

be a co-creation by all and for all.

Didn’t I tell you before that

“Without a sheep, there can be no

wool”? First of all, you must ask

yourself, “Why do I want to meditate?”

Ask it vigorously until the answer pops

up. Sit down and meditate only when

you’ve found a convincing answer.

Everyone need to ask themselves: WHY

do I want to do this? Why? Find out the

Why, seek your own answer; only then

you could be truly kind and genuinely

compassionate — do you understand? :

I am just kicking the ball back to them,

demanding them to investigate Zen

and find out the answers themselves.

Remember: “Without a sheep, there can

be no wool”! In short, they come to me

with a reason. This reason will manifest

as the end result of Zen, and their

questions will bring out the ultimate

answers at the end — do you get it?

It depends on our karmic connection

or affinity, it really depends! I am the

WIFI of Zen, it really depends on you

whether you want to connect with me

or not. This is an all-inclusive method.

It contains all methods and transcends

them at the same time. Sometimes I

use some words; sometimes there are

no words at all. Sometimes I scold,

shout and beat; sometimes I will be

using some methods of love and care.

It depends on whom I meet and their

level of acceptance and mental faculty.

Zen cultivation doesn’t start from

your Zen sitting; it has to begin with your

doubts, your big questions. After you’ve

generated your questions, then you

need to investigate it wholeheartedly

and thoroughly! In order to do the

investigation, you need to sit down

Taiwan

Most Venerable Dharma

Master Hsin Tao (Chan

Master Hsin Tao)

Progressive

Zen

Meditation

Practice….

and meditate. Everyone with problems

can and should sit down and meditate.

Even those who think that they don’t

have any problem — since this attitude

might be the greatest problem of all!

That’s Ok as well. Come and enjoy some

beautiful scenery here — we have big

blue sky, beautiful ocean, green trees

and wonderful mountains. This is a pure

sacred place that will make you happy

and joyful. Just come and check it out

for yourself.


“Future Earth and Green Initiatives”

- The Sixth Tzu Chi Forum….

environmental protection, Buddhism

and charity, and management of charity

organizations, to show the profundity

and breadth of Buddhism and Tzu Chi.

Including Dr. Shih-Chung Chen,

Minister of Ministry of Health and

Welfare, and Commander of The Central

Epidemic Command Center (CECC), Dr.

Eugene Chien, the chairman of Taiwan

Institute for Sustainable Energy, Po-

Wen Yen, the CEO of Buddhist Tzu Chi

Foundation, Dr. Elise Anne DeVido,

Dharma Master De Chen, Manli Chen,

the moderator, Dr. Shih-Chun Candice

Lung, Kuo-Ding Chou, Ying-Wei Wang,

Chin-Lon Lin, Prof. Ingrid Liu, the

moderator, Shih-Chung Chen, Yun-

Jing Wang, Kuang-Chih Chang and 577

participants attended the Sixth Tzu Chi

Forum on November 14-15, 2020.

Buddhika Sanjeewa

After visit to Hualien &

Taipei, Taiwan

Official Photographs by - Shao-

Ming Chen Lee, Yao-Ming Hsu, Bi-Hua

Wu, Wen-Ke Chuan, Bin-Tien Huang

Special Thanks - Tzu Chi Charity

Foundation

On November 14 to 15, 2020,

in Taipei, Taiwan, the Sixth

Tzu Chi Forum was held with

the theme of the Future

Earth and Green Initiatives. With the

representatives from the government,

academia and non-governmental

organizations, they shared their works

and goals for the future of our Earth. The

forum had been gracefully organized

under the guidance and patronage of

the Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Dharma

Master Cheng Yen, The Founder of the

Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi

Foundation.

About the Tzu Chi Forum - The

Tzu Chi Forum is an international

conference to introduce Tzu Chi’s ideas,

humanity, and culture to the academic

community and religions worldwide.

The forums have been held since 2010,

with participation by many well-known

scholars from around the world. They

have covered the universal values of


The Buddhism

& COVID - 19….

From where does the COVID virus

originate? From which country did

the infection spread? Did animals

infect us, or is there a human

cause? After months of panic, there

is now an ongoing fear of famine and

other catastrophes. Is this Heaven’s way

of punishment? According to Buddhist

scriptures, the human lifespan was

originally 84,000 years, and decreases

by one year every century until it is

diminished to just 10 years, and then

increases by one year every century

until it again attains the peak of 84,000

years – this cycle is known as a Minor

Kalpa. In our world, with the passing of

every kalpa there occurs three lesser

calamities.

A calamity is caused by the

collective karma accumulated by all

sentient beings, and altogether there

are three types of major calamities,

and three lesser types. The three lesser

types include epidemics, famines, and

warfare. An epidemic is a situation

where an individual is infected, and

thus the disease spreads to the family,

the village, the city, the province, and

those who are infected become fatally

ill. Once infected, there is no cure.

Famines can be caused by floods or

droughts. When floods occur, there are

nonstop torrential rains for months, and

inversely, rainless dry seasons can last

for years during droughts. There can

be no harvests under these conditions.

These events have occurred throughout

history – vast oceans have expanded,

or else the earth has dried and cracked,

for thousands of miles. Without food,

death and starvation are inevitable.

These catastrophes are the result greed,

avarice, and the unwillingness to give to

others.

When warfare occurs, opposing

factions do violence against each other,

and the common civilian is defenseless

against this slaughter. This, too, is a

form of karmic retribution. The ancient

adages said, “To predict warfare and

strife, one need only to observe the

happenings at the slaughterhouse.”

The violence that occurs in our world

is primarily caused by our habits of

consumption – therefore Buddhism

instructs us to nurture our compassion

by leading vegetarian lives, and avoid

sowing negative karmic ties with

sentient beings. Everything is the

result of karmic cause and effect –

this is evident from our history! Only

by our cultivation of good deeds,

thus transforming the bad deeds,

can the accumulated negative karma

be absolved. Only then, can sentient

beings live in peace and harmony!

Should your spouse or children be

infected during a pandemic, you should

instruct them to sincerely chant the

name of the Guan Yin Bodhisattva. If

Cultivation

of Good

Deeds

you are capable of chanting the Great

Compassion Mantra and recite it over

water to create great compassion water

for them to drink, then they will surely

recover from their illness. If you do not

know the Great Compassion Mantra, in

place of it, you can recite the name of

‘Namo Great Compassion Bodhisattva

who alleviates suffering and calamity’

ten thousand times over a bowl of clean

water. If you chant this often, then

omitting ‘who alleviates suffering and

calamity’ and reciting only ‘Namo great

compassion Guan Yin Bodhisattva’ is

also acceptable.

All incurable illnesses borne from

negative karmic ties, and malevolent

activity of ghosts and spirits, can be

extinguished by the recitation of Guan

Yin Bodhisattva’s name. All threats from

warfare and violence, or vicious men

and beasts, can be assuaged by the

recitation of Guan Yin’s name. However,

those who are insincere in their

chanting, or doubtful in their belief,

or bad faith in their intent, will see no

effects.

Canada

Most Venerable

Master Tze Cheng


Novice Life

is Gold

The Meaningful

Novice Life….

Thailand

Most Venerable

Palawadhammo (Dr.

Pornchai Pinyapong)

quality of life and better performance

in school.

Once our youth understand the

principles and benefits of maintaining

the Five Precepts (moral discipline), they

will have greater respect for themselves

and others. They will possess increased

awareness of what are appropriate

and inappropriate behaviors and will

naturally be disinclined to promiscuity,

aggressive and violent behaviors, and

drugs and activities leading to ruin.

The ordination ceremony takes

two days. On the first day of the

ceremony, the family gathers at home

to feast together. On this occasion,

the future novices have their hair and

eyebrows shaved, as a symbol of letting

go of the material world. Hair razing

also implies the wish to eliminate vanity

and serves practical hygienic purposes.

The second day is celebrated in the

temple, and that’s when the official

ceremony takes place, led by the abbot

monk. Novices were dressed in white

robes, a symbol for the rebirth that

was about to happen. A series of rituals

succeeded, with the attending guests

presenting their offerings to the temple

and the monks, How thoughtful!

Finally, the time came for the most

important part of the ceremony, when

the novices renounce the worldly goods

and desires, repeating the monkhood

vows. These vows were taken in the

Pali language (the liturgic language of

the Theravada Buddhism), which they

obviously didn’t understand and had

difficulties in replicating. Subsequently,

the family handed them the few

belongings that would accompany

their monk lives from that moment on,

namely three robes, the alms bowl and

a few other essentials for the monastic

live. After taking their vows, they both

went outside to change into their new

saffron robes – an easy task for a monk,

but which wasn’t self-evident for them,

as beginners. A fellow monk from the

temple was ready to help them change

into their new outfits.

At the end of the ceremony,

the novices still had to repeat the ten

precepts that will regulate their lives as

novice monks, which include: not killing

living things, not stealing, remaining

chaste, not lying, not taking any food

after noon, not singing, dancing, playing

music or attending entertainment

programmes. Most men spend at least

a period of their lives in a temple, living

under the precepts of Buddha. We think

there is no coincidence in these two

facts. And we wished that we too in the

Western world encouraged our people,

be it men or women, youth or elderly,

to switch off, every now and then, from

the hustle and bustle that is imposed on

us daily.

Monks in Southeast Asia,

with their saffron robes

and shaven heads, are

iconic. They can be seen on

the roadside with alms bowls, accepting

handfuls of rice from villagers in early

morning processions, or gathered in the

evenings chanting Pali scriptures in the

Buddhist Temples. Some of Buddhist

countries, men can be ordained as

novice monks to live the monastic life

for a certain period. It is also popular

for children and teenagers to live as

monks for a couple of months, during

the summer holidays, as a means not

only to learn about Buddhism but also

to practice self-control and learn how to

meditate.

The Novice with the goal to

enhance the quality of basic education

by instilling virtues, morals, national

pride, public-spirit, and thriftiness in

our youth. It also aims to fortify our

young boys and men with the ability to

adapt to the growing cultural diversity.

In today’s high-tech world, people are

connected to each other and the world

through various social networking sites,

and it is leaving a huge impact on youth

who spend a great deal of time on these

sites. With the excessive amount of time

connecting with friends through social

media, youth are isolating themselves

and neglecting their parents, families,

relatives, and teachers.

Pre-adolescence and adolescence

are a time for exploration, social

interactions, and self-confidence

development. They ought to be filled

with fun and play spent with family

and friends who share similar interests.

Therefore, teaching our youth to have

greater discretion and the ability

to make responsible decisions are

useful skills to have. There are many

components that can positively shape a

youth’s outlook and develop him or her

into an individual with sound judgment.

This process can begin by learning from

good mentors whom they are close to

and practicing good habits.

The flux and changes in preadolescence

and adolescence

are normal conditions during this

transitional stage from childhood to

adulthood. The novice ordination

program believes that giving our youth

the appropriate training and guidance

will help them stay on the right path as

they develop into wholesome adults.

The Novice program strives to cultivate

in our youth the virtues of cleanliness,

discipline, politeness, punctuality,

respectfulness, and a love for

meditation. These five basic virtues will

become the foundation for improved


Most Venerable

Bhikkhuni

Longmen

(Kaishan)

董事長上圓下通法師簡介慧光圓通普賢文教基

金會創會董事長慧光千手觀音寺開山住持 ,

南普陀圓通寺開山住持 , 金龍山法輪禪寺住

持 , 慧光華嚴寺開山住持 , 慧光華藏學院開

山住持 , 慧光慈善功德會創會理事長慧光物

資總站創辦人觀音護僧會創會導師生於嘉

義縣 , 自幼即喜研經書 , 樂於助人 , 展現出

其天資聰穎 , 領袖群倫的卓越能力 , 於民國八

十六年依止上海下雲和尚披剃 , 受具足戒。法

師有感於社會上貧困苦難之人甚多 , 急需關懷

濟施 , 故成立慧光慈善功德會並在民國八十一

年六月於屏東縣政府立案 , 專注於協助急

難之濟助、施棺、施米食及清寒的救

助 , 範圍覆蓋全省。對於現今的社

會風氣如此的敗壞 , 要糾正社會

風氣 , 就要從小扎根做起 , 深耕

於學生之中 , 所謂十年樹木、

百年樹人 , 再再證明培養學

生、學問與品德兼優的重要

性 , 學生行為從小就正規導

引 , 社會風氣也就回歸正

道了 , 故法師於南北奔波

作關懷濟施百忙之中 , 仍

不忘教育 , 成立慧光圓

通普賢文教基金會 , 獎

勵成績優異及家庭清寒學子 , 給予獎助學金補

助 , 祈能造就這些學子安心向學 , 將來成為社

會中有用之人 , 進而匡正、影響社會風氣。因

緣際會 , 受屏東縣政府之邀 , 於民國 107 年 6

月參予縣立餉潭國小公辦民營的經營 , 並於 8

月分正式進駐 , 餉潭國小因整個社會情勢少子

化關係 , 學生人數漸趨減少。基金會介入後 ,

引進大量的志工 , 除了國民小學規定的必修課

程外 , 又引進了多項人文素養課程 , 課後月光

課程 , 讓學子除了學問的追求外還注重人文品

德的培養 , 也顧及到學生家長的工作時間接送

配合的不方便。法師是位持戒嚴謹 , 悲願具足

的密行者 , 當今現代社會大眾處於繁忙之

際 , 忽略感受生命的自在力及提升生活

心靈的活潑化 , 故矢志弘揚正法 ,

現今法師已於北部、南部各會

處 , 化導群生 , 藉由慈善、教

育來做引導 , 廣弘佛法來淨

化人心 , 法師提出 :「以德報

怨、以慈為引、以悲為行、

以喜為合、以捨為教」。

導引人生朝向智、德、

人、孝、親善和融 , 淨

化心靈 , 提升生命。


Divine

Humanity….

I

have a strong sense that humanity is

about to truly face its worst demons

over the coming weeks. For eons

now, the way we have met our worst

demons is externally, through war and

all kinds of other atrocities. This is when

we say and believe that history repeats

itself. History does not need to repeat

itself. That’s our choice and does not

depend on anyone or anything outside

of us. It’s our choice how we meet our

worst demons this time around. Let us

meet them inside of us. Let us face

time, truly face them, and not turn or

run away from them. Notice how you

feel in your body and what movement,

even so subtle your body wants to

do right now when you imagine truly

meeting your own demons, your own

worst enemies.

Let us sit with them and listen

to them, have a conversation with

our enemies as we would have with

our friends. Because truly our worst

enemies, our inner demons are only

those parts of ourselves that we have

condemned and they simply want to

be seen, be heard and be loved too. I

know how scary this can feel and how

much our conditioning, the patterns of

believes, the training of our brains and

nervous system (over generations) just

wants us to fight or flight, or talk them

or meditate them away. And I know the

true liberation and peace that comes

when we just stay and meet ‘them’, with

deep breaths, with cries and shakes,

with: I am so scared but I am not going

to kick into my auto-response, I am here

and I see you, I hear you, l am. You have

no power over me and nowhere to hide

any more.

Rooting ourselves deep into the

core of Mother Earth. Breathing it all

down into Her and breathing Her up

into us. I choose Peace. I choose Love. I

choose to truly be who I am: Embodied

Divine Whole Human. I choose to

finally and truly create and co-create

the World I want to live in from my Soul.

I pray, holding humanity, holding all life

and especially all people in positions

of leadership and decision-making in

this prayer in each and every moment:

May the Long-Time Sun shine upon you,

May all Love surround you, May the

Pure Light within you, Guide your Way

on, Guide your Way on. May the Long-

Time Sun shine upon us, May all Love

surround us, May the Pure Light within

us, Guide our Way on, Guide our Way

on.

And know we are not alone. Reach

out any time! We are Humanity. Divine

Whole Humanity. I declare: Peace shall

prevail. For All. Here and Now and

Always, All Ways. And so it is. And so it

is. And so, it is. It’s done. It’s done. It’s

done. It’s done. In the name of the One

and All. Thank you, Mother. Thank you,

Father. Blessed be. Your Children. Us. All.

As Humanity is rebirthing itself, water

plays a key role in guiding us, informing

us, cleansing us and alchemizing us.

Water is liquid light and we at the

time of conception in the womb of our

Mother are liquid light containing our

pure divine original blueprint, our very

own unique geometry, that then forms

us into the physical human.

With the help of water, we

can reconnect to our purity and be

reborn into the divine human being

while remaining in the physical body.

Consciously working with water to

help restore its perfect flow, purity and

liquidity in all parts on Earth, feeling

liquid rainbow light flowing in, through

and around us, receiving water, sharing

water, blessing water, drinking highvibrational

water, immersing in water.

Calling upon our Water-Being, we

receive our Water-Crystal, our very

own unique divine crystalline geometry

into our deep Heart. Calling upon

Grandmother Whale, the whales and

dolphins, we travel as them into the

core of Mother Earth, into the Cave

of Creation to retrieve and receive

our Body Elemental, our Birth Crystal.

Calling upon the Ancestors and Futureones

of Nature, of us, we receive

Nature’s frequencies into our body to

heal us with Mother Earth together into

wholeness.

We can go there anytime from

anywhere in meditation, knowing that

we are always guided and protected

by our team of light beings and by Gaia

Sophia, Mother of all Creation herself.

Mother Earth, the living breathing

Being who came to this Galaxy to

form all Nature from her Elementals

and to be our Mother from lifetime to

lifetime, She is here to stay and endure

all that Humanity places on Her, while

we can choose to come and go. While

She is what sustains us and loves us

unconditionally, we have broken the

bridge with Her and abused Her. Now,

it is for us to restore that bridge, to love

and protect Her and to heal, rebirth and

live in resonant, reciprocal, respectful

relationship with Her. I bow to the

Embodied Divine Mother-Being that

She is. I bow to the Embodied Divine

Human-Being that you are. I bow to

the Embodied Divine Human-Being

that I am. I bow to the Embodied Divine

Humanity that we are. Bathing in a

Waterfall of Rainbow Water. Blessed

by the Universal Waters of the Divine

Mother, the Mother of all Creation. I

so love you, dear Sisters and Brothers.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Blessed be.

Gabi also means Coffee in

Taiwanese. Gabi loves coffee and the

Coffee plant who has graciously offered

itself as Gabi’s plant alley together with

the Orchids. Healthy living with

Gabi serves as a community

that connects and serves

Humanity and the Earth

in becoming well – holistically

and sustainably, individually

and collectively, in resonant,

reciprocal, respectful relationship

with Mother Earth and all Her Beings.

We integrate and share the Essentials

of Being Well: Sleep Well, Drink Well,

Eat Well, Move Well and hence

Regenerate Well through Embodied

Healing Practices, Regenerative

Living Practices and Tools, Nature

Frequency Therapy and Light Health

Medicine Technology. We are

taught and guided by our Highest

Self, the Elementals, Mother

Earth, Ascended Master Beings,

our Family of Light and Pure

Divine Original Source,

embodied, accompanying

each other Home into a

way of being and living

healthily in harmony with

Nature and all Life on Earth

and beyond, now and for

generations to come.

Peace

Shall

Prevail

Austria

Gabriele

(Gabi) Seewald


Diligence

Way

The Perseverance

and Diligence….

Singapore

Master Tony Lim

Nowadays most people give

their first priority to the

Perseverance and Diligence.

Taoism is more than just a

“philosophy” or a “religion”. Taoism

should be understood as being: A

system of belief, attitudes, and practices

set towards the service and living to a

person’s nature.

The path of understanding Taoism

is simply accepting oneself. This leads to

inner peace. Live life and discover who

you are. Your nature is ever changing

and is always the same. Don’t try to

resolve the various contradictions in

life, instead learn acceptance of your

nature.

In 2017, after much planning,

International Baogong Cultural Heritage

(IBCH) was set up. With Master Tony

Lim’s hard work and dedication, Tien

Sen Tua Temple is the first temple

in Singapore to be recognized as an

exhibition Centre and liaison office for

His Excellency Bao by the main branch

in China. All these efforts put in by

Master Tony Lim is to promote the

culture and spirit of His Excellency Bao,

to allow future generations to learn and

understand.

As the main deity worship in Tien

Sen Tua Temple is His Excellency Bao,

and being the chief medium, Master

Tony Lim was nicknamed the “Dragon

of His Excellency Bao”, the first to

enjoy such an alias connected with

His Excellency Bao in the local Taoist

fraternity. Even though a nickname is

meant to sneer, it is used with utmost

respect in this case, as His Excellency

is one of the most revered figures in

Chinese history. Therefore, a nickname

connected with His Excellency Bao is

in reflection the high integrity of the

person being so named.

Master Tony Lim, who is the

current Chief Master of Tien Sen Tua

Temple comes from a Taoist family.

Build on the foundation he has learn

from his late father, he went under the

wing of a famous “San Tan” teacher

and successfully mastered the mystical

skills of “San Tan”. With the foundation

and knowledge from his late father and

teacher, through decades of hard work

and perseverance, Master Lim have

established “San Tan Xuan Men” in

2010, practicing Taoist rituals officially

as “San Tan Xuan Long Fa Tan”.

To date, Master Tony Lim have

more than hundred disciples in

Singapore. He selects his students with

stringent requirements, looking at

their innate quality, perseverance, and

diligence. With his incessant effort in

providing training to his disciples, Tien

Sen Tua Temple is also known as the

Taoist temple in Singapore to have one

of the greatest number of mediums.

With fine guidance from great teachers,

he is a well learn and experience Taoist

practitioner with a noble character. He

is also sincere, righteous, well-loved and

trusted by devotees. To promote Taoism

and the temple, Master Tony Lim have

visited Mainland China, Taiwan, the

Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand to

build rapport with Taoist organizations

in the South East Asia.


Veganism

Values of Buddhism….

According to the Five Precepts

(pañca-sila), “Panatipata

veramani sikkhapadam

samadiyam”. That means, I

undertake the precept to refrain from

destroying living creatures. This rule is

observed by all practicing lay Buddhists.

The precepts are often recited after

reciting the formula for taking refuge

in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.

Meat was part of the ancient human

diet, though at much lower levels

than today, especially in industrialized

nations. Although there is evidence that

ancient humans hunted and consumed

meat after the last ice age 10,000 to

12,000 years ago, based on art and

bones collected, it would have been

difficult to harvest enough meat to

feed growing populations, especially as

populations increased rapidly during the

world’s agricultural revolution.

People who choose vegetarian

or vegan diets often learn more about

nutrition and the importance of various

food groups and nutrients. As a result,

they can make better food choices

and tend to be more health conscious.

A vegan diet that’s naturally high in

antioxidants, fiber and low in saturated

fats seems to be able to lower the risk of

cognitive decline and neurodegenerative

diseases. Retail experts predict the

future of plant-based diets includes

both meat and dairy alternatives, as

well as cultured meat, and that tofuand

seitan-based meat replacements

may continue rising in popularity.

Vegan meat replacements that actually

mimic meat’s texture and flavor also

are forthcoming, with several products

already on the market. Consumer trends

point to the fact that interest continues

to increase and money spent on plantbased

products climbs each year. As

interest grows, registered dietitian

nutritionists in any area of practice can

benefit from understanding plant-based

nutrition as well as being able to counsel

patients and clients on plant-based

eating.

According to the Vegetarianism

History, there also is evidence of ancient

vegetarianism in the Maurya Dynasty

(304 to 232 B.C.), when Buddhist

vegetarian advocate Indian Emperor

Ashoka encouraged people to care for

animals in an attempt to stop animal

sacrifice. Additionally, ancient Japanese

Emperor Tenmu banned people from

eating wild animal meat during certain

times of the year in the late 6th century

and through the 19th century. The Vegan

Society may have been established

75 years ago but veganism has been

around much longer. Evidence of people

choosing to avoid animal products can

be traced back over 2,000 years. As

early as 500 BCE, Greek philosopher and

mathematician Pythagoras promoted

benevolence among all species and

followed what could be described as a

vegetarian diet. Around the same time,

Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as

the Buddha) was discussing vegetarian

diets with his followers.

Definition of Veganism - Veganism

represents a philosophy and way of

living which seeks to exclude—as far

as is possible and practicable—all

forms of exploitation of, and cruelty

to, other animals for food, clothing or

any other purpose; and promotes the

development and use of animal-free

alternatives for the benefit of humans,

other animals and the environment. In

dietary terms veganism means doing

away with all products derived wholly

or partly from other animals. It also

means not wearing animal skins and fur

(leather, feather, fur, wool and silk), or

using products that have been tested

on animals. Unfortunately, all medicines

have been tested on other animals

due to regulatory requirements, and it

may be hard to avoid them at times or

to find alternatives for some medical

treatments. Just like veganism is the

sustainable option when it comes to

looking after our planet, plant-based

living is also a more sustainable way

of feeding the human family. A plantbased

diet requires only one third of

the land needed to support a meat

and dairy diet. With rising global food

and water insecurity due to a myriad

of environmental and socio-economic

problems, there’s never been a better

time to adopt a more sustainable way

of living. Avoiding animal products

is not just one of the simplest ways

an individual can reduce the strain

on food as well as other resources,

it’s the simplest way to take a stand

against inefficient food systems which

disproportionately affect the poorest

people all over the world.

November 1 is World Vegan Day,

a celebration of people who don’t

eat meat. Or eggs. Or cheese. Or

mayonnaise. Or honey. Or whey. Or

gelatin. Or anything that comes from

or includes an animal. Nor do they use

any clothing, accessory or object made

from an animal. No leather, no wool,

no pearls, no ivory-keyed pianos. The

animal-free holiday began in 1994, to

commemorate the 50th anniversary

of the Vegan Society. Veganism is an

extreme form of vegetarianism, and

though the term was coined in 1944.

The first vegetarian society was formed

in 1847 in England. Three years later,

Rev. Sylvester Graham, the inventor

of Graham crackers, co-founded the

American Vegetarian Society. Graham

was a Presbyterian minister and his

followers, called Grahamites, obeyed

his instructions for a virtuous life:

vegetarianism, temperance, abstinence,

and frequent bathing. In November

1944, a British woodworker named

Donald Watson announced that because

vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he

was going to create a new term called

“vegan,” to describe people who did

not. Tuberculosis had been found in 40%

of Britain’s dairy cows the year before,

and Watson used this to his advantage,

claiming that it proved the vegan lifestyle

protected people from tainted food.

Three months after coining the term,

he issued a formal explanation of the

way the word should be pronounced:

“Veegan, not Veejan,” he wrote in his

new Vegan Society newsletter, which

had 25 subscribers.

Strict veganism prohibits the use

of animal product, even if it isn’t food,

but like any lifestyle choice that ends

in “-ism,” there are plenty of people

who cheat. The vitamin B12 is found

almost entirely in animal products, so

many vegans eat fortified food or take

a vitamin to get the right amount. And

while American vegetarianism has

broken free of its philosophical and

religious roots, becoming an accepted

health choice — many restaurants offer

vegetarian options and most dinner

party planners now ask “is anyone

vegetarian?” before planning the menu

— veganism is still tied to the animalrights

movement and is out there on the

fringe.

“Protect Animal’s

Freedom Life”….

Taiwan

Most Venerable

Bhikkhuni Yen Ding



Purity of

Mind….

There was once a senior monk

named Sangharakkhita. When

his sister gave birth to a son, she

named him after her brother.

He soon grew up, entered the Sangha

and was given the name Sangharakkhita

Bhaginayya. The young monk was

offered two sets of robes and he wished

to share one with his uncle who refused,

saying that he had enough robes. The

young monk felt disheartened by his

uncle’s refusal and thought that it would

be better if he disrobed and became a

layman.

After this decision, the young

monk thought that when he became

a layman he would sell the two sets of

robes and buy a female goat. That goat

would breed quickly and he would soon

have enough money to marry. Then

he and his wife would have a son. He

imagined that he would take the child

to see his uncle in the monastery. On

the way he wanted to hold the child in

his arms but his wife told him to just

drive the cart and not to worry about

the child. This started an argument

between them. During the argument

he accidentally dropped the child on

the ground and the cart drove over the

young boy killing him. The man was so

furious that he readied himself to beat

his wife with a goat whip, but did not

strike her.

At that moment, lost in thought

while fanning his uncle with a palm

branch, he accidentally struck the

elder on the head. The senior monk

knowing the thoughts of his nephew

said to him, “You were unable to beat

your wife. Why have you beaten an

old monk?” The young Sangharakkhita,

shocked and embarrassed, fled from

the monastery. Young monks caught

him and took him to see the Buddha.

The Buddha was told what happened

and said to young Sangharakkhita that

the mind has a tendency to stray from

its original thought toward far distant

destinations. He also said that one

should strive diligently for liberation

from the bondage of sensual lust, ill

will and ignorance. Then the Buddha

uttered a verse, “The mind is capable of

traveling vast distances – up or down,

north or south, east or west – in any

direction. It can travel to the past or the

future. It roams about all alone.”

What we call “mind” is a flow

or stream of thoughts which rise and

vanish repeatedly, leaving no gap. Risi

and vanishing together with mind-units

of this process consists of a number

of mental characteristics which rise

and vanish together. Every mind-unit

arises depending on an object; there

is no mind-unit that arises without

dependence on some object: visible

objects, sounds, odors, flavors, tangibles

and ideas. There are the six kinds of

objects depending on which mind-units

arise in the mind-stream.

If we examine how our thought

arises and vanishes, we find our mind

is wandering and straying. This mind

is scattered, not unified or fixed on

one object. The Buddha said in the

Dhammapada, “As a fish when pulled out

of the water and cast on land throbs and

quivers, even so is this mind agitated.”

During the Buddha’s first visit to

Kapilavattu Prince Nanda was admitted

to the order of monks. Although Nanda

had taken up Bhikkhuhood he could

still hear his fiancée Janapadakalyani

saying to him “O my dear come back

to me soon.” This is what he imagined.

Nanda tried to run away from the

monastery. The Buddha, knowing the

distress of Bhikkhu Nanda, used his

supernormal power to take Venerable

Nanda to Tavatimsa heaven. After he

got back to Jetavana monastery, the

Buddha explained to him, “When the

house is protected with a well-thatched

roof, it is not at all harmed by the rain.

The rainwater cannot seep through.

In the same way, a well cultivated

temperament does not allow passion

to come through.” The rain is thoughts

and the roof is the mind.According

to the Buddha there are four kinds of

food. The physical organism craves

food (kabalinkahara); it needs food

to survive. The second kind of food

(phassahara); craving for contact. The

Buddha referred to this contact with

regards to the five senses. The third

kind of food (manosancetasikahara) is

the mind craving for thoughts. It needs

thoughts to keep it busy, to keep control

and to create things. The fourth kind of

food (vinnaahara); this is consciousness

craving for the false “I” concept.

If we are not mindful, craving

for thoughts can feed our mind

toxic narratives. We can get

negative thoughts which are

unwholesome. Even some

thoughts may become a

major source of anxiety and

stress. That is why the Buddha

asked us to feed ourselves with

right thoughts which are wholesome.

“Every thought-seed sown or allowed

to fall into the mind to take root there

produces its own blossoming action

sooner or later to bear its own harvest

of opportunity and circumstance. Good

thoughts bear good fruit; bad thoughts,

bad fruit.” [“As a Man Thinketh” p. 12].

The Buddha said, “Mind precedes all

mental states. Mind is their chief; they

are all mind-wrought. If with an impure

mind a person speaks or acts, suffering

follows…If with a pure mind a person

speaks or acts, happiness follows…”

[Dhammapada v.1 & 2].

Mind is

Scattered

USA

Most Venerable

Aggamaha Pandita Dr.

Walpola Piyananda Thero


Chen Yu-Yuan Buddhist

Art Association

Buddhist Painting

Exhibition….

Owing to Most Venerable Senior

Bhikkhuni Dr. Shi Ming-Yu’s

recommendation and the help

from the Tzu Chi Foundation

Songshan Branch, much affinities

have gathered to fulfill the making

of the Buddhist painting exhibition

of the “Chen Yu-Yuan Buddhist Art

Association” at the Tzu Chi Song Shang

Art Center. The World’s Famous Special

Buddhist Painting Artist, Teacher and

Master Chen Yu-Yuan commenced on

October 01, 2020 a special International

Buddha Painting Exhibition. The

exhibition held from October 01 -

31, 2020. This grand exhibition cohosted

by Chinese Character Education

Promotion Association. The Art of

Buddhist Paintings: Buddhas’ Boundless

Virtue and Solemnity by Chen Yu-Yuan

Buddhist Art Association. This exhibition

presents over eighty paintings depicting

Buddhas’ boundless beauty and virtue

over the course of a month. Using

Chinese Meticulous painting style

and sophisticated composition, the

paintings will introduce you to Buddha’s

teaching. There will be demonstrations

and workshops at the exhibition.

Buddhika Sanjeewa

After visit to Taipei, Taiwan

Official Photographs by

Chen Yi Cheng


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Finding Venerable

Mother….

“The Goal of

Buddhism”….

We cannot solve anything

by anger. Anger doesn’t

lead us anywhere. It is

more difficult to practice

compassion and loving-kindness. That is

the goal of Buddhism.” - The statement

was made by Most Venerable Bhikkhuni

Dhammananda (Dr.Chatsumarn

Kabilsingh), The Chief Abbes -

Songdhammakalyani Bhikkhuni Arama

and The Medicine Buddha Vihara,

Nakhonpathom, Thailand. This is the

meaningful story with Most Venerable

Bhikkhuni Dhammananda for Finding

Venerable Mother….

The next day was the ordination

ceremony. We meditated and chanted

together, as we’d done each morning

at five thirty. About eight o’clock, we

gathered to take our places in line.

Dressed in white, we carried three lotus

blossoms and walked in procession,

circling the Medicine Buddha Vihara

three times. Then we gave the lotus

blossoms to the bhikkhunis who stood

on the lower steps of the vihara. We

entered the Vihara to recite a special

prayer. The Thai women had memorized

the entire recitation. I had a phonetic

transcription of the words in English

in order to be able to sound them

out. I didn’t memorize all the verses

since there wasn’t time for it. Instead,

I concentrated on memorizing two

key phrases. The first phrase asked for

Dhammananda to protect and take care

of me, and the second asked for her

forgiveness. Chanting along with the

others, I felt rooted in my commitment

to be ordained and in my devotion to

Dhammananda.

Following the recitation, we bowed

one by one before Dhammananda, and

walked out of the vihara to a small

wooden shed behind the shrine. It was

chaotic inside as 124 women struggled

to change out of their white clothing

into saffron robes. Fortunately, we had

the help of temple volunteers, who

urged us to change quickly. We had

been shown how to fold the sanghati

(saffron sash), but I was nervous and

couldn’t get the folds quite right. Luckily,

one of the novice nuns came to help

me press the layers of fabric together

so it draped neatly over my shoulder.

Smoothing and patting me down,

she adjusted my sash until it was just

right. Once outside, we each received

our alms bowls from a trusted family

member—in my case, the same Thai

woman who had partnered with me

earlier. Then we received our ordained

name; mine was Dhammanandiya. I

later asked Dhammananda to translate

the meaning for me. She explained that

Dhamma referred to the teachings of

the Buddha. Nanda was the name of

the princess who was the daughter of

Maha Pajapati, the first woman to be

ordained in the Buddha’s time. Taken

together, the name meant “She who

takes pleasure in the Dhamma.” I was

proud of my name; it sounded like

Dhammananda only with a different

ending. Like mother, like daughter, I

thought. This marked the end of the

ordination ceremony.

Everyone gathered at the front

entrance of the temple, smiling, taking

pictures, and admiring their new robes

as if we were one happy family. I was

elated to feel so close to all the Thai

women; it was the feeling I’d longed

for from the beginning. I trusted my

sisters in the Dhamma, shining bright

in their new robes. When I came home,

I felt stronger, with a new sense of

confidence born from my ordination

experience, as if I had undergone a

ritual rite of passage and emerged a new

woman. I hadn’t realized it at the time,

but looking back at the ceremony, the

moment I knelt before Dhammananda

and started to sob was a life-changing

experience. The feelings came on so

fast that it was all I could do to make

sense of the process. My heart, which

had been hardened and closed for so

long, cracked open. All my childhood

pain and sadness came tumbling out.

Dhammananda’s profound love had

touched me to my core. When she took

my hands in hers, it was as if she were

ministering a sacred benediction. I felt

her warmth and caring like a soft glove

against my face. All my life I had wanted

my parents’ blessing. Dhammananda’s

unconditional love gave me the

permission I had been seeking to let go

of my self-hatred and resentment. She

was the nurturing mother I had always

yearned for.

Over the previous nine years,

Dhammananda had been sowing seeds

of compassion in my soul, but it was

only in that breakthrough moment,

when I bowed before my teacher, that

I truly understood what she meant. It

was the embodiment of an idea that

Dhammananda had been laying the

groundwork for all along—to learn to

love myself. Loving myself helped pave

the way to forgiving my mother.

In the month following my

ordination, I began to think about my

mother’s life in context. She didn’t

appear to have had a close relationship

with her own mother, who was older

and spoke no English. I had the feeling

that my mother, like me, had been left

on her own growing up. She’d never

told me she felt lonely or neglected as a

child, but I had the sense that she never

felt loved. As I came to understand

the complexity of my mother, I began

to appreciate her for who she was.

Part of my healing process had been

to quell the angry voices in my head,

to open my heart and empathize with

my mother’s situation. I thought about

what Dhammananda said when I first

met her: “We cannot solve anything

with anger. Anger doesn’t lead us

anywhere. It is more difficult to practice

compassion and loving-kindness. That is

the goal of Buddhism.”

Dhammananda’s love helped me

come full circle. If my mother were

alive today, I would tell her how much

I loved her, how much she inspired me,

and how much she meant to me. There

are few relationships more important

than that between a daughter and

her mother. Once that is healed,

we gain our birthright as women.

Dhammananda allowed me to heal

my relationship with my mother, to

learn to accept myself, and to become

the whole person I was meant to be. I

was grateful to Dhammananda, who

had so generously taken me into her

inner circle and honored my presence

with her love and compassion. I carried

the love of my teacher as a constant

reminder to be true to myself and speak

from the heart. I am eternally grateful

to Dhammananda and always will be.

USA

Cindy Rasicot


以感恩之心弘揚佛法

現

為【# 詹秀蓉基金會】籌備處

的董事長亦為【# 慈航藝術中

心】負責人的詹秀蓉大師 , 曾

任中華書學研究聯誼會書法教

授、世界書畫家協會台灣分會第一任會長、中

華大漢書藝協會常務理事、中國台灣地區書法

學會常務理事、中國澹寧書法學會常務理事、

中華四海同心會藝文交流委員、中華書法學會

活動策劃委員會召集人、中國書法學會展覽委

員會委員、台北縣客屬團體聯合會副秘書長、

台北縣樹林客屬會顧問等職。目前擔任 # 中華

國際觀光協會理事長 , 台北市彩鳳文化協會顧

問 , 世界客屬總會理事及中國台灣地區防高血

壓協會理事等職。


Present Situation - The first stanza

in this Sutta says, “ASEVANACHA

BALANAN, PANDITHANANCA

SEVANA,

PUJACHA

PUJANIYANAN, ETHAN MANGALA

MUTHTHAMAN”. In most situations this

is often referred to as, “Not to associate

with the foolish, but to associate with

the wise; and to honor those who are

worthy of honor — this is the greatest

blessing” In fact, in many translations

into English language too, the above is

reflected. Here the meaning is made to

look very personalized and divide people

as foolish or wise. But the question is

did the Buddha mean as above in this

discourse? To understand, let us go into

few other dhamma stanzas preached

by the Buddha. In the Panditha Vagga

in Dhammapada, the stanza 78 states,

“Na bhaje Papake miththe, na bhaje

purisadhama, Bhajetha mitte kalyane,

bhajetha purisuttame.” Associate not

with evil friends, associate not with

mean people; associate with good

friends, associate with noble people.

Also, in another stanza in Dhammapada,

167 it is stated, “Do not be in lowly

things, do not live in heedlessness.

Do not be in false views, do not keep

building the world”. Here the world

means our 6 touch-senses. (In this

COVID-19 pandemic we have seen how

much the people in west are governed

by the 6 touch-senses and being unable

to satiate the craving arising due to the

ill thoughts based on the 6 touch-senses

how they have behaved).

Also with regards to whom one

must associate, Buddha in Vyagghapajja

Sutta explained to layman Dighajanu

Koliya in relation to lay persons who

enjoy worldly pleasures, about good

friendship (Kalyanamitta) persons

full of faith (Saddha), of virtue (Sila),

of generosity (Caga) and of wisdom

(Panna). Also, in Sigalovada Sutta,

Buddha told young householder Sigala

which four friends are in the guise

of friends and which four friends are

true friends. Also, in Furthermore, in

Kewadda Sutta Buddha told Kewadda,

Maha

Mangala Sutta….

there are these three miracles I have

declared, having directly known and

realized them for myself, the miracle

of psychic power (Irdi prathihar), of

telepathy (adesana prathihar) and

instruction (anusasana prathihar).

Buddha said, I dislike, despise and reject

both psychic power and telepathy. What

is the miracle of instruction? Directing

thoughts in this way and not directing

in that, contemplating in this way and

not in that, let go of these, but develop

these and live by those. Here what

Buddha meant was not to associate in

lowly things but with those that will

ultimately lead to higher wisdom. Also,

in Majjhima Nikaya Final Fifty Discourses

(Uparipannasapali) Anupada Vagga

discourse 114 Sevitabbaasevitabba

Sutta (To be cultivated and not to be

cultivated), Buddha has told of what

should be cultivated and what should

not be cultivated.

Indeed, even in the very first

discourse Buddha delivered at Saranath

to the five ascetics, Dhamma Chakka

Pavaththana Sutta, Buddha starts the

Sutta with, “Dve’me, bhikkave, antā

pabbajitena na sevitabbā:”, “Bhikkus,

these two extremes are not to be

cultivated by one who has gone forth

from household life and ordained”,

addiction to indulging in sense

pleasures and, and that which is pursuit

of self-mortification which is painful.

From these it is abundantly clear that

Enlightened One did not mean what

most are interpreting regarding the

Mangala Sutra. Many thousand years

ago in a country, a young man who

lived was considered a bad omen by

the citizens of that nation and no one

ventured out when he was seen around.

One day the king of the nation was

going on a foot path with his entourage

and happened to see this man. The very

next moment his head struck the branch

of a tree. Enraged and being told that

seeing the young man was the reason,

he told his guards to behead the man.

While being taken away for beheading,

the man requested to speak with the

king and was granted permission. Then

youth told the king, “your highness

on seeing me this morning your head

struck a branch of a tree causing pain,

but after seeing you this morning I am

going to be beheaded.” Who was the

bad person, young man or the King?

What the Buddha meant.

First Stanza - In the Sabbasava

Sutra, Buddha said “Jantho ahan

passathi asavanan khayan vadami; no

ajanatho no apassatho” - “Bhikkus, the

ending of the fermentations is for one

who knows & sees, I tell you, not for one

who does not know & does not see”. For

one who knows what & sees what? Only

those who contemplate wisely knowing

the root of cause (Yoniso Manasikara)

will know and see the fermentation

and eradicate them. What are the

fermentations? The fermentations are

Kama or desire, Bhava or existence

and Avijja or ignorance. Getting back

to the first stanza in Mangala Sutra it

becomes abundantly clear to a person

who will contemplate wisely that the

fermentations does arise in the minds

due to associating unskilled things

(Akusala Kamma), while to one who

does not associate unskilled things

but only skilled things (Kusala Kamma)

such fermentations will diminish

and ultimately get eliminated. Thus,

it becomes clear that Asevanacha

Balanan does not refer to any other

person or persons but to unkilled

and immoral thoughts and actions of

ours, while Pandithanancha Sevana

means skilled and moral thoughts and

actions of ourselves. Therefore, anyone

who follow on the path to end the

association of unskilled thoughts and

actions and propagate more and more

of skilled thoughts and actions is in the

first of the Eightfold Noble Path, Samma

Ditti or Right View and thus is sure to

attain Sothapaththi in this life. But as

long as we try to think of this sutra with

ordinary and mundane understanding

and point at others, there will never be a

start to walking the path to purification.

Second Stanza - The traditional

understanding of this stanza is, to

reside in a suitable locality, endowed

with merits from the past, directing

oneself righteously. Indeed, the one

who is endowed with the qualities as

explained under the first stanza has

already made the suitable locality for

self and is not dependent on others.

How can people today find localities

where people live righteously, when

taking liquor and other drugs, stealing,

killing and persons inclined to get into

sexual misconduct is most prevalent?

Buddha said, “purity or impurity is your

own, no one purifies another”. Such a

person is endowed with much merits,

and therefore is on the right path.

Merits in the past are those done in the

immediate past as well and not only in

previous existences and such a person

will set him/her on right course of right

thought & attitude for emancipation.

This is the second step in the eightfold

noble path of Right Resolve.

Third Stanza - More often than

not, the explanations states, to have

much learning, skillful, well trained and

disciplined and of good speech is the

third stanza. Trained and disciplined

with the second step of Right Resolve

are those who would not utter any lies,

not use divisive speech, not indulge in

abusive rude talk and also abstain from

frivolous talk. Also, by training (sikka)

only one achieves the attainment of the

Jhanas. The Enlightened One uttered,

“sikka eka sanna uppajjanthi, sikka eka

sanna nirujjanthi” by training itself is

one perception arisen and by training

itself is one perception eliminated. Even

in the Sathipattana Sutta it is stated

about training with the whole body

experiencing tactile sensations while

breathing in and out. This is the third

step, Right Speech.

Fourth Stanza - The fourth stanza

is about caring for one’s mother and

father, cherish wife and children and

be of right action. Endowed with Right

Resolve and Right Speech, one will be

steeped in ethical actions that manifest

compassion. Sadly, in these days one

often hear of how parents are being

badly treated by children who at times

are even left on the road. Such children

will always come to ultimate grief for

their actions. The ethical actions are

a very important aspect of our lives.

It is about not killing, not taking that

which is not given and not indulging in

any sexual misconduct. Buddha said,

the right way to earn is with physical

strength, sweating, righteously and

gained in right way. This is the fourth

step, Right Conduct. Fifth Stanza - To give

generously and be of right conduct, look

after ones’ relatives and is of blameless

action is the fifth stanza. However, right

living is fast disappearing with many

today resorting to wrong living in this

world like the sale of weapons, be those

WMD (weapons of mass destruction) or

WSD (weapons of single destruction),

intoxicants, liquor, poison etc. Also,

an alarming development is the use

of internet technology, the worldwide

web by many vendors to spread things

that are of extreme negative impact

to the society at large which defile the

mindset and propel such people to

resort to wrong actions etc. At Sravasthi

a leader of a dance troupe once asked

the Buddha whether as told by his

teachers that those who entertain

people with music and dance will be

born heaven. Buddha initially refused

to answer but after being asked three

times said that those who act to imperil

others by stirring their sense desires

would only end in lower abodes such

as hell, animal world, asura world and

Petha world.

Sixth Stanza - To cease and abstain

from evil, refrain from taking intoxicants

and heedful of Dhamma is the sixth

stanza. Having followed on the path of

the first 5 steps one becomes Heedful.

Heedfulness is the way to Nibbana.

The last words of Buddha to Bhikkus

at Kushinara was, “These formations

are impermanent and therefore be

heedful”. Such a person will never take

intoxicants and is totally abstained from

evil. This is the sixth step, Right Effort.

Seventh and Eighth Stanzas - The

seventh stanza of great blessings says

that it is about being respectful and

not full of ego, contented and grateful

and to listen to Dhamma at the right

times. The eighth stanza is about being

patient and obedient, associating

Bhikkus and to discuss Dhamma on

right occasions. Such actions can never

be expected from one not in possession

of Right Mindfulness. Indeed, to listen

to Dhamma and to discuss Dhamma

are the second and the third enabling

and assisting steps to development

of Mindfulness, Concentration and

Wisdom (Anuggahitha Sutta). This is

the 7th step of Right Mindfulness.

Absence of ego, contented and grateful,

respectful, patience and obedience

and associating Bhikkus are noble

characteristics of mindful people.

Ninth Stanza - Of self-restraint,

a holy and chaste life, perceiving

with insight the four Noble Truths

and realization of Nibbana, this is the

greatest blessing. This is the Eighth

Step of Right Concentration, the right

knowledge and liberation of Nibbana.

Tenth Stanza - Mind unruffled by

the eight worldly phenomena, freed

from sorrow, defilements cleansed and

liberated from fear, this is the greatest

blessing. A mind so developed as stated

in the nine stanzas above and freed

having attained Nibbana is unruffled by

the eight worldly phenomena of gain/

loss, fame/ill fame, praise/blame and

happiness/sadness. Such a person is

an Arahath. This indeed is the greatest

blessing of all and the Arahath are not

affected by these worldly factors. Yet

the problem with people is that they

seek only blessings just by listening

to the Sutta and not apply themselves

in the strategic path in the daily living.

We the worldly people are often under

the influence of the eight worldly

phenomena. But by adhering to the

guidance of these supreme blessing

factors Buddha gave us in the Maha

Mangala Sutta, one can derive the

strength to be of equanimity and not be

unduly burdened by the worldly factors.

Though it is an act merit to recite

or listen to chanting of the Sutta, the

important factor is to realize that

the Enlightened One has given even

the householders guidance to apply

these blessings factors to their daily

life so that even while being burdened

with worldly living, one can still walk

the path to purification by adhering

to these 38 blessings. Buddha said,

Tumhehi kichcham atappam, akkataro

tathagatha. Patipanna pamokkanthi,

jayino marabandhana”. You yourself

must strive, Tathagatas only show the

way. Those who come to right practice

(Meditative) are liberated from the

bondage of Mara. Indeed, the whole

discourse of 11 stanzas reflect the

Eightfold Noble Path.

Sri Lanka

Sugath

Rajapakse


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The Three

Universal Laws

of Existence….

A

characteristic is always and

invariably connected with

something that tells us of the

nature of a thing. Thus, the

characteristics of existence pertain to

what is always in existence and about

existence. They teach us how to view

existence and they guide us in what

to do with existence. Understanding

these characteristics removes our

delusion that existence is permanent,

pleasant and is something associated

with the self. The Three Universal

Characteristics are: Impermanence -

Aniccha / Suffering - Dukha / No-self

- Anatta. Impermanence (Aniccha)

- Impermanence has not only been

recognized in Buddhist thought but

elsewhere in the history of philosophy.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said,

“One cannot step into the same river

twice. This observation which implies

the ever-changing and transient nature

of things is very Buddhist. In Buddhist

scriptures, it is said that the world is

impermanent like autumn clouds, that

birth and death are like a dance, and that

human life is like a flash of lightning or a

waterfall. Our houses and condominium

units cannot always be as we bought

them. Motors of cars and appliances

cannot always be as efficient as when

they came out of the manufacturing

plant. Our looks, youthfulness, strength

and vitality have changed and change

year to year, month to month, and

moment to moment. Life-threatening

illnesses often catch the patient and

his close relatives by surprise because

of the lack of awareness that a disease

doesn’t develop overnight. If a person

does not engage in regular and correct

meditation practice, chances are he

will not sensitive to changes that have

taken place in his physiology and, in his

anatomy. Oft times, it is because of the

fact that diagnostic tests do not reveal

what is there at the subclinical level.

Quite a number of my voice patients

have been referred to me by ENT

specialists who tell me, “Wala naman

akong makita.”

At close examination and

assessment of the voice patient, I

notice manifestations undetectable

and immeasurable by voice diagnostic

equipment like peculiar vocal fold

approximation on sounds of certain

consonant and consonant clusters,

hyperadduction in high notes and other

wrong behavior of parts of the body

involved in phonation. The effect of

harmful substances is also not quickly

seen and felt. It takes years before

one discovers the ill effects on him of

cigarette smoking, the use of drugs

(even prescribed ethical drugs) and

alcohol as well as animal flesh, especially

fats and entrails. To get attached to selfconcepts

of excellence and superior

ability in certain fields is also brought

about by a lack of understanding of

impermanence. Time was when my SRO

concerts, extraordinary achievements

in the field of operatic/classical singing

and frequent features in leading

broadsheets and magazines made me

Philippine

Joscephine

Gomez

(Monlam Dronma)

#1 in the public eye. Good, I didn’t get

attached to it. I readily welcomed it

when Andion Fernandez and Rachelle

Gerodias started shining. In fact, I refer

to Rachelle as the Philippines’ current

#1 soprano - something few sopranos

would acknowledge, whether publicly

or to themselves.

Our relationships with people

are likewise characterized by

impermanence. Enemies in the past

can become our friends and friends

can also become traitors. Not to

consider changes in our characters and

personalities as well as in our friends,

because of new attitudes, interests,

status and other circumstances can

lead to a deterioration or end of

a friendship. Marriages often

fail because of the deluded

expectation that each will

“remain the same”. How

frustrated a lot of married

people are! Understanding

and

practicing

impermanence yields

immediate benefits which

are visible in our daily lives.

It is an antidote to attachment

and ill-will which lead to suffering.

Death is said to be like a friend

and a teacher to the Dharma student

and practitioner. When understood, it

can discourage deep resentment and

unforgiveness, knowing its futility. To

remember death is to remember the

impermanence of our personality.

Meditation on death is beneficial

in that we learn to live life aware of the

impermanence of fame, wealth and

power. Accepting that the time of death

is uncertain, our mind is now turned

to Dharma study and practice and

this we must do without wasting time

and opportunity. Seeing that all things

perish and change every moment,

we begin to see that things have no

substantial existence of their own. We,

therefore, understand the ultimate

truth about the nature of things.

“Understanding of

Impermanence”….


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Mindfulness

Meditation….

In English “mindfulness” means to

remember or recollect. In meditation

practice, “mindfulness” has a more

specific meaning: to be aware in the

present moment of everything going on

within us and around us. Mindfulness is

the “observing power” of the mind that

clearly and simply experiences an object

without reacting to it. Mindfulness is like

a mirror, revealing experience without

adding or subtracting anything. When

mindfulness is lacking, thoughts quickly

become impulsive and habitual, leading

to harmful words and actions, and later

to regret. With mindfulness, we can

overcome and control our sensations,

thoughts, and emotions. We can be

aware of anger, greed, or delusion, even

in their subtlest forms. By allowing us

to objectively see, with bare attention,

the many different experiences we

are having at any given moment,

mindfulness can lead us to recognize

the true nature of our experience and

guide us on the path towards peace,

happiness and freedom. Patience is a

wise, understanding, acceptance that

allows us to endure both the desirable

and undesirable. It is the coming

together of tolerance and endurance.

Neither rushing nor postponing, but

confidently persisting, patience allows

us to enter any situation with gentle

kindness and strength. Patience is really

just mindfulness practiced over and

over. Concepts and habits lead us to

suffer, while min dullness allows us to

abide in the present moment, see things

as they really are, and wisely accept our

circumstances with grace and serenity.

Whether we are dealing with a pain in

our body or an unpleasant co-worker,

patience is the key to responding in a

healthy way to the problems we face,

both in the world and within ourselves.

During our daily activities, we

should learn to be patient. In this

harried, hurried, lightning-fast society,

we need to pace ourselves by settling

into the present moment and relaxing.

Instead of rushing back and forth,

without resting or taking a breath,

break this habit. Practice pausing before

frantically reacting to situations. When a

phone rings, don’t throw yourself across

the room to answer it; settle in and

compose yourself during the first few

rings. When someone says something

hurtful, don’t snap back; take a few

breaths to mindfully examine how you

feel. It is a great idea to do “nothing” for

one minute every hour. Relax the body

and mind. Suspend any activity that is

not absolutely crucial for just a moment

and take a quick snapshot of where you

are. Breathe in and breathe out. Let

go of the past and the future. Say to

yourself, “Breathing in, may I be well,

happy, and peaceful.” After a moment,

say, “Breathing out, may all beings

be well, happy, and peaceful.” These

moments of mindfulness, awareness

and loving-kindness can fill your day

with joy. Remember M&Ms, those little

sugar-coated chocolate candies so many

of us love to snack on? Think of these

as ‘mini meditations’ that you can take

any time for a quick treat. Regularly

pausing in this way will help to slow

down the neurotic push into the future

we can so easily get caught up in, and

help us to release the stress that builds

up throughout the day. With patience

and slow, deliberate, mindful actions,

we can reach home refreshed, even

energized enough to do another round

of meditation. Meditation before bed

can help with deeper, more rejuvenating

sleep. With better sleep, we can wake

up fresh and ready to set out on a new

day. This makes us even more likely to

keep a morning meditation practice.

The benefits of being mindful for a few

minutes each day cannot be overstated.

Mindfulness each moment keeps

suffering away. Determination is the fuel

that keeps our practice moving. Without

willpower and resolution, spiritual

growth and development never leave

the station. Mindfulness meditation is

easier than you think. What is difficult is

remembering to be mindful. In order to

overcome this difficulty, discipline and

a strong determination to be mindful

“Relax the Body

and Mind.”

in the present moment are necessary.

Maintaining mindfulness in our daily

activities requires determination. We

can engage in meditation practice

while vacuuming, eating, walking, or

speaking. With effort, any of the myriad

of little activities throughout our day

can become our daily practice. This sort

of mindfulness may not be as intense

as our daily meditation, but being

determined during relaxed, momentto-moment

attention can make a huge

difference. Our determination should

be practical and realistic. Some people

decide after a meditation retreat that

they are lazy if they don’t meditate for

one or two hours a day. But soon they’re

exhaust ed; in just a week or two, their

daily practice dwindles from 60 minutes

to 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 1, 0 minutes.

Please don’t let this happen. Be humble

and set up a realistic approach for

yourself. It is advisable to start with

10 minutes of daily meditation, then

continue building up each week, by

adding 5 minutes to daily meditation.

At the end of one month, meditation

time could increase to 20 minutes.

Determination is about endurance and

dedication, not superhuman promises

that we can’t possibly fulfill. We

must be diligent in promoting these

constructive and wholesome mind

states with consistent work and energy.

The purpose of practicing mindfulness is

to attain ultimate liberation. Therefore,

Uganda

Most Venerable Bhante

Kaboggoza Buddharakkhita

it is very important to plant the right

seeds. Right mindfulness is a direct way

to: Purify one’s self from greed, hatred

and delusion; Dispell pain and grief;

Overcome sorrow and lamentation;

Achieve happiness and realize ultimate

peace.

Preparation for Mindfulness

Meditation - Begin Meditation

with Affirmations or Aspirations:

“May I be fixed and unshakable

in my determination to practice

meditation, without ever turning

away due to laziness, fear, or doubt.”

“May the practice of moral conduct,

concentration and wisdom be a cause

and condition for attaining inner

peace, true happiness, and ultimate

freedom.” Postures: One can meditate

in any of the four postures: sitting,

walking, standing, and lying down. It is

recommended to maintain a balance

of walking and sitting postures. While

people associate sitting meditation

with the lotus posture (sitting crosslegged

on the floor), it is not a strict

necessity to assume the lotus posture

for meditation. One can practically sit

anywhere so long as the posture is not

too strenuous or uncomfortable. You

can try different postures until finding

one that suits you. Whether

sitting on a cushion, chair, or

stool, whatever posture you

assume, make sure you sit

up straight, without strain.

Your eyes can be open, closed,

or half-closed. Food: A balanced

diet is highly recommended which

provides the four foundations of

health: nutrition, digestion, circulation,

and immunity. Keep the diet simple.

Weather: The best weather is neither

too hot nor too cold. However, if the

weather is not ideal, you can be mindful

of the heat or coolness. Usually, the

heat or cold is not as disturbing as we

think. Persons: It is good to have a guide

or companion who is experienced in

meditation. This is a person who has a

wide knowledge about the theory and

practice of meditation. Such people

serve as inspiration and role models.

They can teach or correct us when we

are going astray during meditation

practice.

Places: Ideally, choose a place

where you will not be interrupted or

have distractions. For instance, a quiet

part of your house, or under a tree.

In other words, select a place that is

conducive for maintaining peace. Such a

place should support physical seclusion,

free from the bustle and hassle of

everyday life. Clothing: Wear loose

clothing which is comfortable and not

too tight in order to avoid distraction.

Time: Basically, one can meditate

anytime. However, it is prudent to set

aside a suitable time for meditation

when you can detach from all daily

engagements. End Meditation with

Dedication of One’s Happiness to All

Beings: “May the fruits of my practices

be shared by all beings. May all beings

be well, happy and peaceful. May they

be free from suffering and its causes.”

Daily Reflection - Spend 5 minutes

per day to be mindful during our daily

activities. Be mindful of our thoughts,

sensations, and emotions. Do not react

to them, just watch them.


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Coping with the

Pandemic….

The outbreak of Novel

Coronavirus (COVID-19 or SARS-

CoV2) started in Wuhan, China

in late 2019, and has caused

suffering to people all over the world.

Human suffering is the main concern

and the first Noble Truth in Buddhism.

There are at least three kinds of

suffering from a Buddhist perspective:

physical, socio-political, and

psychological suffering. The success or

failure of each country to cope with this

pandemic depends on these following

three factors: a sound healthcare

system, quick and responsible decisions

from governments, and a love that

encapsulates a sense of sharing and

cooperation among its people. Buddhist

meditation has played an important

role, in times of crisis, to heal people’s

psychological suffering.

Let’s take Taiwan as a good

example of a Buddhist response to

the problem. Buddhism in Taiwan is

probably the strongest in Asia. Taiwan

has the best Buddhist medical schools

and hospitals situated around its

islands. The democratic government

of Taiwan was quick to lockdown the

territory, with careful management

of the local economy. The Mahayana

Buddhist ideal of “Bodhisattva” (one

who sacrifices oneself for the welfare

of others) in Taiwan has seen Buddhist

social networks to bring social welfare

to people. As a Buddhist country,

Thailand has also developed a good

healthcare system, together with the

Buddhist culture of loving-kindness

and sharing (mettā-karunā) among

its people, but unfortunately the Thai

dictatorial government has locked down

the country without any clear plan for

the unemployment, leaving a lot of

people to face economic difficulties and

a national economic crisis.

South Korea is a half-Buddhist,

half-Christian country. It has done a

good job in dealing with the Coronavirus

crisis, though there were setbacks at the

beginning and in the second round of

the outbreak. It has a good healthcare

system, efficient governmental

policies and good management, and

cooperation amongst its people. The

victory of the Democratic Party (DPK) in

a recent election reflected the success of

the government in solving the Covid-19

problem. In South Korea, the spirit of

love, sharing, and cooperation among

people both Christians and Buddhists

has contributed to success in combating

the virus. People in different countries

can learn from the experiences of South

Korea and Taiwan, together with advice

from the World Health Organization

(WHO): testing for the virus, physical

distancing, washing hands frequently,

and wearing a sanitary mask in public

places.

The Crisis of Globalization - The

Novel Coronavirus pandemic, in a way,

is a crisis of “Globalization.” People

from all over the world have suddenly

stopped traveling; aviation and other

forms of mass transportation have lost

their businesses. Most countries have

locked down most of their cities, towns

and neighborhoods for quite a long

period of time. Most businesses and

leisure areas have been shut down amid

protests in many countries. Education

and schooling were put on hold and

students are learning online. Virtuallearning

has taken the place of a normal

school environment in many places.

Most foreigners have returned home.

Urban workers have returned to their

farmlands or countryside. People from

all over the world have been advised to

stay at home, although there is some

relaxation on these measures lately

due to the economic crisis. The busiest

sections of most countries, however,

are hospitals and healthcare systems.

The world’s population is facing a public

health crisis with long-term health

consequences and a substantial number

of people have died.

A history of over 400 years

of Capitalism and Transnational

Capitalism, with its accelerating pace

in the last 50 years, has contributed to

the world’s crises: economic, political,

military, ideological, social, cultural,

public health, environmental and

ecological. Most countries overuse their

natural resources to “overdevelop” their

nations, especially the major powers of

the world, creating huge income gaps

between the rich and the poor, leaving

behind non-degradable waste for the

earth and excessive carbon dioxide into

the atmosphere. By establishing food

agribusinesses, human beings have

created a paradise for themselves, but

a hell for farm animals and other living

species. Over-consumption has led to

serious issues of global warming which

in turn challenge the very survival of

human beings. The world is in a crisis of

imbalance.

Response from Planet Earth -

The outbreak of Novel Coronavirus,

whatever its actual cause is, in a way a

response from planet earth to damage

caused by human beings. The planet,

by its natural mechanisms, produced

the Coronavirus as an immune system

Thailand

Dr. Tavivat

Puntarigvivat

to defend itself from the invasion and

overpopulation of the strange “virus”

called human beings. During this

outbreak with human shelter in place,

the sky becomes clearer, the ocean

cleaner, the level of carbon dioxide in

the atmosphere is at its lowest levels

in decades, wildlife in the jungles and

aquatic animals in the oceans are less

threatened and better able to survive:

the planet is healing itself. Isn’t this what

the most radical environmentalists have

called for? Lao Tzu, the great teacher

of Taoism, said some 2,600 years ago

that “Reversing is the movement of Tao

Buddhist

Perspective

(Nature).” When we go to one extreme,

nature will eventually swing it back

to the other extreme. Human beings

should learn and find the Middle Way

to live peacefully with all other sentient

beings and the environment on this

planet.

Because mainstream economics

dominates the whole world, most

countries have increasingly competed

for “development” by using up limited

natural resources to satisfy unlimited

human wants (or “greed”). This

imbalanced development, by overemphasing

the “supply” side, has

created tensions among human beings

as witnessed in the two world wars, and

tensions between human beings and

nature as witnessed in ecological crisis.

Buddhist Economics would emphasize

the “demand” side by limiting human

wants so that natural resources will be

enough for everyone. The concept of

“minimizing cost and maximizing profit”

should be changed to “minimizing

consumption and maximizing human

well-being.” The goal of development

should be shifted from Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) to Gross National

Happiness (GNH). To learn from the

Novel Coronavirus crisis, human beings

should find a Right Livelihood on the

middle path for maintaining sustainable

development and the balance of human

beings and nature, thus creating a

mutual coexistence for both.


International UN

Peace Day 2020

Thailand….

Ambassador Datuk Dr. Aphinita

Chaichana, Global Commander

in Chief of United Nations

Peace Council South East

Asia (UNPKFC-SEA), President of We

Care for Humanity, Thailand, Founder

& President at Namobuddhaya Club

Foundation and World Inter-Religious

Council held special International UN

Peace Day 2020 Ceremony in Bangkok,

Thailand on September 21, 2020.

This year the theme of celebration,

“Making Peace Together”. Each year

on September 21, the Peace Day was

founded in 1981 by the unanimous

consensus of the National Peace Corps.

Peace day is a global shared day for all

mankind to hold in the north peace.

All differences and contributed to the

creation of a culture of peace at the UN

General Assembly. Announces today as

a day dedicated to strengthening the

ideals of peace through observation of

non-violence and 24-hour ceasefire.

UNPKFC-SEA to support and encourage

the hard work of people around

the world who contribute to the

development of peace and humanity.

Buddhika Sanjeewa

After visit to Bangkok, Thailand


Ready for Real

Vegan Foods Experience

from Thailand


The

Tolerance

Today….

People today are restless,

weary, filled with fear and

discontentment. They are

intoxicated with the desire to

gain fame, wealth and power. They

crave for gratification of the senses.

People are passing their days in fear,

suspicion and insecurity. In this time of

turmoil and crisis, it becomes difficult

for people to coexist peacefully with

their fellow beings. There is therefore,

a great need for tolerance and

understanding in the world so that

peaceful co-existence among the people

of the world can be possible. The world

has bled and suffered from the disease

of dogmatism and of intolerance. The

soil of many countries today is soaked

with the blood spilled on the altar

of various political struggles, as the

skies of earlier millennia were covered

with the smoke of burning martyrs of

various faiths. Whether in religion or

politics people have been conscious of

a mission to achieve power and have

been aggressive towards other ways

of life. Indeed, the intolerance of the

crusading spirit has spoiled the records

of religions.

Let us look back at the past century

of highly publicized ‘Progress’—a

century of gadgets and inventions. The

array of new scientific and technical

inventions is dazzling—telephones,

electric motors, airplanes, radios,

television, computers, spaceships,

satellites and electronic devices. Yet,

in the same century the children of the

earth who have developed all these

inventions as the ultimate in progress,

were the same people who butchered

millions of others with bayonets or

bullets or bombs. Amidst all the great

‘progress’, where did the spirit of

Malaysia

Most Venerable Datuk

Kirinde Dhammaratana

Nayaka Maha Thero

tolerance stand? Where is the love that

many religions preach? Today, people

are interested in exploring outer space.

But they are totally unable to live as

neighbors in peace and harmony on

the earth. The fear that humans will

eventually desecrate the moon and

other planets is today very real.

For the sake of material gain,

modern people violate nature. Their

mental activities are so preoccupied

with satisfying their pleasure that

they are unable to focus on or even

understand the purpose of life. This

unnatural behavior of present human

beings is the result of their wrong

conception of human life and its aim.

We create more the frustration, fear,

insecurity, intolerance and violence. In

fact, today intolerance is still practiced

in the name of religion. People merely

talk of religion and promise to provide

short cuts to paradise, they are not

interested in practicing it. If Christians

live by the Sermon on the Mount, if

Buddhists follow the Noble Eightfold

Path, if Muslims really follow the

concept of Brotherhood and if the

Hindus shape their life in oneness,

there will be peace and harmony in

this world. Despite these invaluable

Teachings of the great religious

teachers, people have still not realized

the value of tolerance. The intolerance

that is practiced in the name of religion

is most disgraceful and deplorable. The

Buddha’s advice is ‘Let us live happily,

not hating those who hate us. Among

those who hate us, let us live free from

hatred. Let us live happily and free

from ailment. Let us live happily and be

free from greed; among those who are

greedy’. (DHAMMAPADA 197, 200). The

Buddha was the embodiment of all the

virtues that He preached. During His

successful and eventful ministry of 45

years, He translated all His words into

actions. At no time did He ever show

any human frailty or any base passion.

The Buddha’s moral code is the most

perfect the world has ever known.

For more than 25 centuries, millions

of people have found inspiration and

solace in His Teaching. His greatness still

shines today like a sun that outshines

the glow of lesser lights. His Teachings

still beckon the weary pilgrim

to the security and peace of

Nirvana. No other person has

sacrificed so much worldly

comfort for the sake of

suffering humanity. The

Buddha was among the

first religious leaders in

human history to admonish

against animal sacrifice

for any reason and to

appeal to people not to

harm any living creature.

To the Buddha, religion

was not a contractual

agreement between a

divinity and man but a

way to enlightenment. He did not want

followers with blind faith; He wanted

followers who could think freely and

wisely and work out their own salvation.

The entire human race has been blessed

with His presence. There was never an

occasion when the Buddha expressed

any unfriendliness towards a single

person. Not even to His opponents and

worst enemies did the Buddha express

any unfriendliness. There were a few

prejudiced minds who turned

against the Buddha

and who tried to kill

Him; yet the Buddha

never treated them

as enemies. The

Buddha once said,

‘As an elephant

in the battlefield

endures the

arrows that are

shot into him,

so will I endure

the abuse

and unfriendly

expressions

of others.’

(DHAMMAPADA).

In the annals of history, no man

is recorded as having so consecrated

himself to the welfare of all living

beings as the Buddha did. From the

hour of His Enlightenment to the

end of His Life, He strove tirelessly to

elevate mankind. He slept only two

hours a day. Though 25 centuries have

gone since the passing away of this

great Teacher, His message of love

and wisdom still exists in its pristine

purity. This message is still decisively

influencing the destinies of humanity.

He was the most Compassionate One

who illuminated this world with lovingkindness.

After attaining Nirvana, the

Buddha left a deathless message that

is still with us. Today we are confronted

by the terrible threat to world peace.

At no time in the history of the world

is His message more needed than it is

now. The Buddha was born to dispel the

darkness of ignorance and to show the

world how to get rid of suffering and

disease, decay and death and all the

worries and miseries of living beings.

(Tribute to Most Venerable Dr. Kirinde

Sri Dhammananda Maha Thero)

Destination of

Humanity


Mahabodhi Monastery

- Singapore

The Meaningful

Meditation

Monastery


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Buddhika Sanjeewa, as the Founder, President & Chief Editor of Mettavalokana Buddhist Publications Centre, I Printed and Published this “Mettavalokanaya” Buddhist Magazine as

a Publication of Mettavalokana Buddhist Publications Centre on January 01, 2021 at M.D. Gunasena & Co. Printers (Pvt.) Ltd, No.20, San Sebastian Hill, Colombo 12, Sri Lanka.

Registered at Department of National Archives in Sri Lanka 424551/05/01/2016

mettavalokanaya_buddhist_magazine_january_2021.

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