Traps at the temple

Brahma, four faced buddha 四面佛/四面神/创造神大梵天王

It was the first time I step into the temple as an adult. The only reason I went to the temple, was the Buddha, the four face buddha 四面佛，rumored to grant any wish. 

The statue of buddha that I worshipped, had 4 faces in 4 direction, each face has 2 hands. Each hands holding different tools and forming different mudra(hand sign).
To pray to the 4 face buddha, the worshiper should be aware that each direction is in charge of 4 specific areas, achievement (work and education), relationship, wealth and health. 

Note: A buddhist prayer is different than most religion. To understand how prayer works, my dear reader, you should understand the concept of karma, cause and effect. I began with reading Liao Fan's 4 Lessons了凡四训，the book covers how Liao Fan, changed his predestined life.

It was a Thai temple, housing Thai monks nearby where I live in Kuching. As I finished my prayers, a staff of the temple asked if I wanted fortune readings and blessings from the monk. I went along with the idea. The monk, LP Prasit, gave me 2 blessed accessories. One of it is a tangkai. See image below.

A chinese auntie saw my tangkai, she told me unlike the other gift, the tangkai was not always given. She also told me, if I have a wish, I should pray to the tangkai.

One of the core concept of Buddhism is the element of emptiness 空性。To understand nothing, first you must begin with something. We can see movements of the wind as the grass move, but the movement of the grass does not tell you much about the wind. So if I blindly pray to the tangkai, then I would have missed the teachings of Buddhism. Later in my journeys, I understand that most if not all, Buddhism accessories, is more than a blessing, it also acted as a reminder the importance of Buddha Dharma*.

Dharma 法-the word not just cover the teachings of Buddhism, also means method, and nature's law. In my context, is it about the cultivation.


At the 2nd half of 2011, I visited a famous northern school as a volunteer for a leadership camp organized by the temple. In those busy moments, I happen to have the privilege to asked a nun about a meditation term. We're happy to have that conversation. Later I bump into the host of the temple 主持, I approached her with my question regarding Tibetan Buddhism (my Tibetan practise started on Dec 2011). She briefly explained to me and scolded me for chasing after supernatural powers. I did not understand her teachings nor scoldings. Later in life, I realized that monks and nuns while they are supposed to be knowledgeable in Dharma, it is rare to find one that master in Buddhism, often, they just specialized in their own school's teaching. Looking back with my present knowledge, she didn't have the answers. That wasn't her field.

To talk about another practice  or to summarize, by just reading a book, went for a seminar by an experienced man, or tried the practice once, is never a good idea. It's like you try to talk about love without ever experience love by just reading one single poem by Shakespeare. 

Religion, because there's no organization body for standard, I have to use my own judgement and be aware of my direction. It's not easy. 

_/\_
Lotus Li Hong

Cycle in life

Today, I went to get Chinese food for lunch. I greeted the Chinese lady, she gave me an enthusiastic smile, she gave this to everyone and always said something nice to her customers. Below is a conversation that happened.

Her: "Hi Leng Zai (Handsome in Cantonese), long time no see, you must be busy"
Me: "Yeah I have been."
Her: "I'm glad you finally come and see me"
Me: "Yeap, I missed your cookings, it reminds me of my mum's"
Her: "Really? I'm so happy to hear that! Is your mom older than me?"
I think for awhile and answered "Yes, she's slightly older"
Her: "Oh... so that means I'm old too"
Me: "We're all heading that direction"
Her: "Yeah you're right."
Me: "Auntie (that's exactly how I address her) was young too, when auntie was young, Auntie was a Leng Lui (pretty lady)"
Her: "Yeap that's true, but now I've aged"
Me: "Yeap, you've become an auntie so you can give birth to leng lui"
She was taken back by the remark and went into reflection.
Her: "That's actually true!"

Cycle in life, karma, and many things else in Buddhism are often explained in past life or other realms than human worlds (other 5 realms refer to heaven, asura, beast, ghost and hell). Many things in life, in the present, can explain many Buddhism teachings aka Buddha Dharma.

Namo Amitabha (Namo meaning taking refuge, reliance. Amitabha, one of many Buddha's name)
Lotus Li Hong

What is Buddhism

My guru, His Holiness Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Lu Sheng Yen 师尊莲生活佛 卢胜彦

I have a classmate in Uni, asking me about the ways of Vajrayana, aka Tibeten Buddhism or Diamond path 金刚乘. He read a book about it and was fascinated by the magical or spiritual aspect of it. He talks about the mantra, the mudra (hand sign) and how some of the practise can improve a person's resources with great interest. His main interest was romance. He asked if I know any mantra that can make a girl fall in love with him. Given the the depth of his words, I knew that he have no basic in Buddhism, also he have trouble relating to people and making people comfortable in a conversation. So I taught him the basic of Buddhism on self-less giving. He wasn't the least bit interested in basic.
Note: some books available today is mainly for cultivator/practitioner so the teachings will not be included, just the methods to practise.

I explained to him that spiritual aid is like the blowing wind for a boat.. To receive the aid of the wind, first you must have a sail, so when the wind blows, it could help moving the boat, and definitely, if you row, the boat will travel faster.

He did not understand that. All he cared was getting the result, getting the girl. He seemed to be blindly following, or have the intention to practise without the basic which can be dangerous. Just like anything else in life, blindly following something and without basic, can be bad. It was not my intention to humiliate but I wish with the repeated message, he will gets it.

I remember few months ago, I signed up for Japanese language class. It was a night the class just ended, I was walking with a classmate to the train station. On our way, I saw another classmate, she was in front of us, walking alone going to the same direction. So I hurried my steps towards her and I lightly pull her bag that was on her shoulder and say the word "DOROBO!" (equivalent of theif/robber in Japanese.) She was frightened, and looking at her reaction, I laughed out loud. She slapped my shoulder. Once we calm down, all 3 of us continue walking.  Prior to that, me and her never talked and only exchange eye contacts in class.
PS: Guys, I'm not responsible if you tried this and get negative result

Before living my current quiet boring life, unknown to many, I was a very sociable person and I've talked to all shape and size. Today I often find it a challenge to talk to acquaintances, but with friends that I'm already familiar with, I'm fine. What I wanted to say is, I knew what I was doing and with my experience, I knew she could take it. Instead of doing all sorts of spiritual practise to ask for the Buddha's help to fix interpersonal relationship all the time, it is much more efficient to do the basic in relationship, saying hi, giving sincere smiles.

Allow me to translate contents from a chapter among hundreds of books written by my guru.

What is Buddhism, If you look at the external appearance, you will find answers like these.
-Worshipping using incense.
-Doing charity work
-Being vegetarian
-Meditation
-Monk and nuns.
and so on and so forth. All of the mentioned is correct, but does not represent Buddhism as a whole.

There are many schools of Buddhism, each with different practise and ways of cultivating the heart. I know it is common for people to want to differentiate, as I progress in my journey, I find it a waste of time for differentiation  It is the heart that is important.

It is like saying I love you in different language. The meaning is the same, it is how sincere the speaker express it and if the receiver of the message understand it. In the end, all ways of different method in Buddhism ultimately lead to the same goals. One of the process to going towards the end goal, is purifying the mind, body and speech. That is why while given the precept of refrain from killing, I kill everyday. By accident, I've stepped on snails and ants, when I turn on the lights, there are insects charge forward to the warmth and kill itself. I also killed mosquito intentionally, sometimes I chant the Buddha's name while I do it, sometimes I don't. There's a saying, if the heart is pure, the action is pure.

I once mentioned this in my religion class. "The idols or statues of Buddha is fake, in the end, we can throw it away." A Buddhist's altar serve as a direction. A place to to remind the cultivator to cultivate purity of body, mind and speech. Often a practise start with a form, and move towards formless. The Buddha, is actually everywhere, not just presence in the altar or temple. If one day, I am enlightened, I would throw away my altar. Well not really throw, I'll give it away.

I start to see Buddhism, or religion and arts, have layers. It is not easy to talk about the subject without practise, let alone reading a book, or listening to a master's discourse. As I continue writing this, I find it more and more challenging to write in a manner that is understandable and relate-able to everyone, Instead of giving a summary and then putting a full stop. I'm much more interested to show a side that, ideally answers the question about Buddhism. To know more as a whole, I believe it is your journey, all I can do, is not teach, but guide.

Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hum (Living Buddha Lian Sheng's mantra. 莲生活佛心咒)

_/\_
Lotus Li Hong

Guan Yin and the beef

One of the many forms of guan yin

It was about 1 year ago. I was having buffet steamboat and I had beef in my plate. It was natural for me as I love beef. My friend asked if I'm a Buddhist, I said yes. "You are a Buddhist and you dare to eat beef! Do you want some scolding!!" Among the chinese culture, it was widely spread that if you're a Buddhist or affiliate with Guan Yin, you are not allowed to eat beef. This was a question I find important, I sought answers when I first start my journey. After all, beef is my favourite food.

What was related to the taboo of eating beef was just a folklore, I never found anything about eating beef in Buddhist sutra nor Taoist ones. It was said, it is a fiction created to promote the merit of guan yin,