Namo Buddha, Jai Bheem

What is Vesak Day?\r\n\r\nThe day of Vesak or Baisakha Puja is the day of worshiping or merit making for Buddhists all over the world.  On this sacred day Buddhist commemorate three great events, the birth of the Buddha, his Enlightenment and his Mahaparinibbana or passing away on same day of full moon day of this month.  Buddha’s main teachings is not to do any evil, cultivate good things and purify one’s own mind.  However, the core foundation of Buddhist teachings is called Four Noble Truths (Catu ariya sacca) :\r\n\r\n1)      The fact that unhappiness exists (dukkha)\r\n\r\n2)      The cause of that unhappiness (samudaya)\r\n\r\n3)      The fact that unhappiness may cease (nirodha)\r\n\r\n4)      The Way leading to the cessation of unhappiness (magga).\r\n\r\nThese Four Noble Truths are the foundation of all the teachings of the Buddha.  The Way to end suffering is following the Middle Way. In his second sermon, the Buddha taught something unique: that Impermanence is a fact; that the experience of suffering is our reaction; suffering which we can reduce only if we develop selflessness / egolessness(non-soul identity) which the Buddha termed anatta.\r\n\r\nIn November 1998 all the buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Nepal, India etc. proposed agenda for ‘International recognition of the day of Vesak’ to the United Nations. On 15th Dec. 1999 the UN’s General assembly adopted the resolution for the international recognition of the day of Vesak (Buddha Jayanti). Since, UN celebrates this day every year at its head office in New York and other regional centres all over the world.\r\n\r\nPresently, not only the buddhist but other faiths also celebrate this day with great joy by practicing moral ways and purifies the mind, which is the way (buddhamarga) to achieve real happiness and peace within.\r\n\r\nOn this auspicious day of Vesak Day every human being should take an oath to cultivate good, purify the mind for real happiness and peace and thus pay homage to the Buddha by practicing it.  May this holy day bring you good thoughts and good deeds always.\r\n\r\nBhavatu Sabba Mangalam\r\n\r\nMay you be happy and peaceful.\r\n\r\nVenerable Sujano

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Introduction to Kathina – by Venerable Maha Somboon Siddhinyano\r\n\r\nIntroduction to Kathina Page 1\r\n\r\nIntroduction to Kathina Page 2

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Masters in Disguise?\r\n\r\nThe Buddha taught that all things by their very nature are impermanent. They arise, stay for some time and they pass away/break up.\r\n\r\nThe title of this article is Masters in Disguise? What the author is trying to say is, it is easy for us to see impermanence if we really try, after all it is all around us, we just have to observe it and realise it.\r\n\r\nThink of a beautiful and fragile snowflake, each one unique, but have you ever thought how long they last, they fall and then they may stay for a while but eventually they will be gone, teaching us impermanence. You may ask but what about the North Pole where the snow and ice have been there for a long time. I would like to remind you with global warming and the melting of the ice caps etc. we are all hearing about, then how can it be argued that they are permanent, these too will be gone someday, maybe not in our lifetimes, but eventually.\r\n\r\nTake for instance a spring daffodil, beautiful and yellow when it appears in March/April, but the colour of the flower soon fades as the petals fall from the stem. Then the stem itself loses it vibrant green and fades to a pale yellow and withers away. Is this teaching us impermanence? Do we dare to observe and realise?\r\n\r\nWe may not like to consider our own deaths, but one day we too have to leave this earth, all the memories we had, all the possessions we collected, all the friendships, family and loved ones all left behind. We too are subject to decay as the Buddha said and we too will die, but have you noticed some people die earlier than others. Are these masters in disguise? they come to being, stay for some while, make an impression on us and leave suddenly.\r\n\r\nAre these people a reminding us of impermanence? and that we must not waste any time we have on this earth, as we cannot be sure when it will be our turn to go. People I talk to and refer to masters in disguise are for example Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Bob Marley and John Lennon to name but a few.  They don’t have to be famous to remind us of impermanence, I just make reference to some individuals who would be known to many people.\r\n\r\nInteresting thought don’t you think?\r\n\r\nHowever, don’t be disheartened the Buddha said that we all suffer on this earth, we suffer illness, old age, the pain of when a loved one departs from us, the pain of realising we will depart from loved ones. We suffer when we want things to happen and they don’t.  We suffer when we don’t want things to happen and they do.\r\n\r\nBuddhism sounds a bit pessimistic you may say, but this is not true. The Buddha taught there is suffering for sure, but then he gave to the whole world a way out of suffering, he taught Dhamma, he taught people to see things as they really are, he taught meditation as a way out of suffering and to realise the true nature of our existence.\r\n\r\nMay you be truly happy, truly peaceful, truly liberated.

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