Prajna 2017 : Investigating Buddhism by NTU Buddhist Society

MCI (P) 161/03/2017

般若

Investigating Buddhism

Publication of NTU Buddhist Society and Alumni

Issue 31

Editor’s Note By publishing this magazine, it means my job as publication director has finished. It has been a long and fun journey. I would like to thank my subcommittees for contributing in the magazine, and also NTUBS for the fun memories. Some people, including me, believe that Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophy. The reason is that in Buddhism, we do not focus on the faith to the higher ones, but on the content of the teachings and how to implement it.

Editor-in-chief Ryan Eka Cahaya Writers Anthony Morgan Tjoe Cindy Suryautama Joandy Leonata Pratama Olivia Agatha Layout Designers Anthony Morgan Tjoe Jaka Ong Olivia Agatha Willson Nicholas Special Thanks to Ven. Chuan Guan Bro. Kweh Soon Han Dr. Ang Beng Choo

There is a phrase in the Kalama Sutta that says, “Don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought. When you know for yourselves that, These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness – then you should enter and remain in them.” Based on this Sutta, we set our topic as “Investigating Buddhism”. We want you, the readers, to rethink about Buddhism. We, as Buddhists, are sometimes still questioning Buddhism. I personally believe that this is what makes Buddhism great. Buddhists are taught to follow Buddhism after it is proven that the quality is good. We follow Buddhism because we know that it is going to be good for us, although sometimes faith is needed in Buddhism. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy reading. Best Regards, Ryan Editor-in-Chief

Contents 5

Messages Messages from Patron, Spiritual Advisors, and President

Photos People behind NTUBS

Article What I have gotten from Buddhism

Interview with Ven. Chuan Guan

Interview with Bro. Kweh Soon Han

Article Vegetarian, a golden rule?

Poem Shut in

Infographic All you need to know about meditation

Fun Stuffs Instagram Account you have to follow

Fun Stuffs Book Review

Fun Stuffs Online resources you have to watch

Chinese Article 善意的谎言

Past Events BS Events throughout the past year

SPONSORS LIST

We would like to convey our heartfelt appreciation to all sponsors for their kind donations, it is because of your support NTUBS can continue spreading Dharma in NTU. Sadhu!

Amitabha Buddhist Centre

Buddhist Fellowship

Burmese Buddhist Temple

Charitable Assitance Society

Dharma Cakra Society

Evergreen Buddhist Culture Service

Fo Guang Shan Temple

Goldbell Engineering Pte Ltd

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Kuan Yin San Temple

Kwan-In Temple Society

Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

Leng Foong Prajna Temple

Palelai Buddhist Temple

Sagaramudra Buddhist Society

San Cao Gen

The Buddha Voyage Society

The Singapore Buddhist Lodge

Vimalakirti Buddhist Centre

丹霞精舍

NTUBS Patron’s Message

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION By: Dr. Ang Cheng Boo

Buddhism is a path towards happiness. Many researches found that practicing Buddhists are happier than others. The Buddha said, “mind is the forerunner of all things”. He described the body as a cart and the mind as a cow. The cart moves where the cow goes. Our mind decides our choice as well as directs our speech and action. Therefore, mind training is very important. “Mindfulness” means being aware of everything in the present moment. With mindfulness, we are more proactive towards thoughts, feelings and emotions as they arise, preventing them from spiraling out of control and creating mental distress. Although mindfulness is a Buddhist practice, it has become a modern movement and been popularized in the West. It is a hot topic and a cool subject beyond religions nowadays. Many clinical studies found that mindfulness makes one learn faster and work more efficiently by improving concentration and making less errors. It strengthens memory and observation, producing positive impact on abilities of knowledge acquisition, intelligence and creativity. It also improves communication with others and builds better relationship. Best of all, it provides a way to attain awakening. The Buddha said, “He who sees the Dharma, sees the Buddha.” Ajahn Chah said, “Only when we see with mindfulness, will the Dharma come out to greet us. When we are mindful, we seem to notice things that we are usually not aware of. Awakening to the Dharma means to remember forgotten truths. The Dharma is always there, surrounding us, penetrating us, beside us. Somehow we seem to have lost touch with it as we never have the

habit to calm our senses and let thoughts sit still.” Researches also found that meditation is the best way to train mindfulness. Besides, meditation improves both body and mental health as it enhances the immune system and helps in good sleep. If we practise meditation for half an hour everyday, we will be less disturbed by the external environment and will be more peaceful. Meditation even prepares us to face death without fear. The Buddha said we should practice meditation as though our hairs are on fire. A person whose hairs are on fire does not need a lot of urging to find water. However, many do not practise meditation after trying it a few times. Why? Because once they sit down focusing on the breath, wandering thoughts keep rising. I also faced the same problem. I overcame it by telling myself : if I could sit down and focus on the breath immediately, I would have been a Buddha already. Our mind is like a house. We have not cleaned it for many years. Once we start cleaning it, dust will certainly fly up all over the place. Cleaning it everyday, there will be less and less dust, and we will be able to enjoy a clean and nice house eventually. We could start practising one minute meditation by focusing our entire attention to our breath before getting out from bed in the morning and before going to sleep at night. Since it is only one minute, everyone should be able to enjoy it. Life is full of challenges. If we practice meditation every day, we will have a better health and a peaceful mind to deal with challenges and live a happy life.

NTUBS President’s Message

AND SO I BELIEVED EXPERIENCED IT By: Sis. Mellita Angga When I was a lot younger, my dad told me that if I didn’t behave, a policeman would come and catch me, and throw me into the jail. And so I believed it, until years later I learned that things do not work that way; the police are too busy to go around catching misbehaving kids. Well, at least I ended up behaving very well whenever a policeman was around. Thanks, dad. Fast-forward several years later when I was older, every time my dad found a lucky parking spot in a crowded parking lot, he’d say, “See? This is because we’re nice people. Nice things come our way as well.” Of course, the skeptical-teenager-me at that time thought it was ridiculous. We were just lucky, I thought. And so I didn’t believe it, until years later I experienced myself how every action will produce certain consequences, and hence good actions will give us good ‘fruits’ in life, even in the most unexpected ways. Yep, thanks, dad.

This is how Buddhism works as well. One of the six qualities of the Dharma (teachings of the Buddha) is described as “Ehipassiko”, which literally means “inviting to come and see for themselves.” The Buddha himself stated that we should not believe in things simply because we heard it, it came from our masters, is a part of tradition, etc.; but to investigate for ourselves and if we find that: “... these things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness, enter on and abide in them”. And once we come and see his teachings for ourselves, we will be able to witness the fruits of the practice through direct experience. Can’t believe me? Good. Why don’t you come and see, practise, and experience yourself?

Sometimes in life, the reality is distorted by the things that people tell us, the existing traditions or customs, or other preconceived notions. Only until we decide to stop, investigate, and experience the truth ourselves, we will have a clear view of things. That is when we realise that what we think is true might be false, and vice versa, just like my stories above.

A RABBI A SIKH PRIEST AND A BUDDHIST MONK By: Venerable Chuan Guan

So there was a time, a rabbi, a sikh priest and a Buddhist monk (me!) was at an interfaith sharing for youths. After each of us has shared about our respective religion, a youth stood up and asked: “In light of Evolution Theory, what does Judaism have to say about it?” The rabbi leaned forward, held up the Torah in one hand, and with the other in a firm gesture, said: “As far as the Holy book is concerned, God created the world in seven days. Period”. And with that, he leaned back. No persuasion, no argument, just that. There was a moment of awkward silence. The facilitator quickly thanked the rabbi and extended the question to the Sikh priest and then on to me. While I do not agree with the rabbi’s belief, or more correctly, do not subscribe to his belief, I respect him for sticking to the text as it is. No politically correct message, cherry picking or reading between the lines. There’s always the problem of reading things too literally all the time, but that’s another article altogether. … What we know is that if the monkey loses its prized possession “banana”, it gets upset …

There is sometimes confusion about Darwin’s Evolution Theory (DET), thinking that it explains how life started. It does not. DET explains how the plethora of species comes about, evolved from single cellular living organism. Abiogensis theories attempt to explain how life started from non-living matter. Throughout history, mankind has been quite concerned with how this world started and how it will end. Religions have offered different answers for this and it often involves one or more divine being while science over the centuries has come up with its own set of theories. Personally, I do not know how the world came about. But if we look at the Buddha’s discovery and teachings, it is said that there is no discernible beginning, that we have been wandering in births and deaths through our karma. Conceptually, I agree with it, but personally, I have not reached that level of cultivation to be able to say that I know it is so. For most people, as far as religion is concerned, it is the same. Most people do not know as well. They learn it from their respective holy text and accept it … on faith. There is really nothing wrong with having faith, except if we impose that onto others or start fighting and killing over beliefs.

NTUBS Spiritual Advisor’s Message

But I did not quite share the last paragraph that day. Perhaps I should have. Anyway, the thing we know is this. Today, if you go to MacRitchie Reservoir park and find a monkey with a banana … … do not try to snatch its banana or peanut for that matter. You will get an angry monkey. (You will probably go down in history as the first person to snatch a banana from a monkey, but I digress) That much we know. It does not matter how the monkey came into being. Whether it evolved from single cellular cell, or was created by God or Gods (which God?), or was planted on earth by Martians or some alien beings, or if it was designed by some Intelligent Designer, what we know is that if the monkey loses its prized possession “banana”, it gets upset.

Buddhism is more concerned with how suffering arises and ceases, than how this world came about and will cease. The Dharma is not a dogma that we simply have to accept blindly on faith. It is an invitation to examine our life, our world, our suffering, the things that tick us off, make us cry, shed tears and weep. But not just that, also the things that make us smile, turn our heads, delight, crave and desire. To know suffering, its origin, the true end of suffering, and the path that leads to the end of suffering.

That much we know. If we lose our prized possessions that we become sad, upset, anguished, depressed, even as others look at our prized possessions as mere ‘banana’. And it does not matter how we came about. This is how we are currently. That we suffer when the things we are attached to are damaged or lost and it does not matter how we came about, whether we were created, designed, through abiogenesis+DET or otherwise. That much we know.

Ehi Passiko. Come and see for yourself.

34th Committee

Main Committee Dedrick Tan, Melvina Chen, Ryan Eka, Thomas Lee, Cheong Qi Yun, Mellita Angga, Marshall Valiant, Elmer Augustinus, Dian Bakti, Finnie Tessiana, Sheryl Su, Kelvin, Felix Putera, Ong Zhi Huang

Treasurer Melvina Chen

External Liaison Director Cheong Qi Yun

Event Team Jessy Shi, Erik Angtoni, Kevin Hean, Sri Devi, Tommy Anthony, Kelvin, Jeffrey, Ricky Gunawan, Dandy Kennedy

Fellowship Team Kenny, Meliana Chen, Lee Yi Wei, Winnie Jesslyn, Ong Zhi Huang, Sherly, Marshall Valiant, Su Thiri Tun, Albert Ricardo

Marketing Team Joanne, Yanda Soh, Finnie Tessiana, Gilbert Alexander, Elmer Augustinus

Metta Team Donking Yappy, Dedrick Tan, Aurelio Ongko, Michelle Trisno, Ingrid Hartanto, Kelvin Chandra, Prawira Genestonlia (Missing)

Publication Team Willson Nicholas, Joandy Leonata, Anthony Morgan, Marshall Valliant, Jaka Ong, Olivia Agatha, Ryan Eka, Cindy Suryautama

Welfare Team Elmer Augustinus, Andre Yoga, Evando Kuswanto, Sheryl Su, Tan Yee Chieh, Justin Wongso, Hokie Christian, Marco So, Widya T. Yutika (missing)

Dharma Propagation Team Marshall Valiant, Willis Chailim, Thanit Apiwattanadej, Deryne Tee, Thomas Lee, Pan Jun (missing), Lim Theng Yang (missing)

Resource Team Adi Hartanto, Elmer Augustinus, Felix Putera, Handoko, Arvin Liangdy

What I Have Gotten from Buddhism Written By: Joandy Leonata Pratama

“To me, Buddhism is a way of life - a reference philosophy to guide me in my daily actions and thinking. I know that I can always count on the Buddhist teachings to live a good and happy life” - Cheong Qi Yun, Philosophy, Year 3 The purpose of this article is to share what I have learnt from Buddhism, especially in terms of its application in my daily life. I will try to describe this as secularly as possible.

do in life. If we want something that is very unlikely to happen in a short moment in time (for example going to US for honeymoon without having the money), the relationship will end or either side of the relationship will suffer (e.g. the girl killing the guy or vice versa. Fyi, these things happen). Reducing Ego Let’s admit it, generally people do things based on

Happiness

their self-interest. However, often than not, this be-

Buddhism is a path about your finding out who you

Generally, everyone wants to be important. A huge

truly are, because each and everyone of us is special

part of that also lies down to our desire to be differ-

in our own way.

ent. That’s why a lot of fights happen, because we put

But how can Buddhism help you be happier? Contentment During one of the dhamma talk I attended, a Venerable gave a very interesting opinion. “Pain will always be there, but to suffer is a choice”. A way to see this is that it’s okay to want things and work hard for it, but we need to realize that things don’t always go the way

comes pride, which in turn becomes ego.

ourselves on top of relationships and on top of others. Think about all those quarrels and arguments that you have encountered all over the years. Some of them are because of ego. This includes even the despair where we just give up, because sometimes we feel as if the universe is against us (P.S. it’s not).

we want it to. Coming to terms with this fact helps you

All in all, we need to see that to a certain extent,

to accept things.

sometimes pride gets the best of us. A certain amount

For example, in a romantic relationship, it is reasonable to want to be closer to your partner, but we

need to realize that each of us has our own thing to

of pride is good for us to have ownership and responsibility, but too much of anything is dangerous.

“ Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having

more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough

“

Oprah Winfrey

Buddhism teaches that who we are depends on our past experiences and the things and people we interact with. This means that all of these collectively define who we are and without them, we are basically nobody. Attachment There’s a very popular saying “This too shall pass”, which can be found in a popular Jewish wisdom folktale as told by David Franko from Turkey. In Buddhism, impermanence is one of the three universal characteristics. But, what does that mean? It means that everything in life is temporary. Nothing lasts forever. After darkness, there is always light. After a storm, there will always be a rainbow. So, if your life is good right now, enjoy it while it lasts. If things are going bad, persevere and believe that the bad things are going to end. You can always have a new beginning, you can always brace the new day with a new hope. So, don’t be afraid to get back up; to try again, to love again, to live again and to dream again. Remember that sometimes things can go to the very worst, before it can go to the very best. By letting go of our attachment on our negative self, we understand that life is worth living for, exactly because of the fact that things end, hence making it as a precious experience. Image winning all the competitions that you have been wanting to win. At one point, you will realize that winning is just another “thing to do” instead of a precious achievement. Similarly, if you have best friends that clicks so much with you, you will be sad when you go separate ways. However, the fact that you have to part ways make the moments you spend together precious, and it makes those particular moments belong only to you. Hence, when this parting happens, one way to see it is being grateful for these people for spending that great time in your life.

Compassion Buddhism, like any religion, teaches about compassion (uncondi-

“ Success is not final. Fail

courage to contin

tional love). However, what does compassion have in return for us? A lot. Humans are social creatures. We need to interact with other people. With this continuous interactions, we are bound to meet people that we don’t like feel repulsion, anger and hatred. However, behind all those undesired things, there will be stories and positive side to it. For example, take that one annoying bully

Winston C

that always harasses you. He likes to bully you so much that you just hate him so badly. Then, one day, you realize that his parents have been divorced for years, and he is living with an abusive father. Would you still feel the same way? This is what I mean by being compassionate. Don’t jump into conclusions and understand that other people have different conditions and different things happening in their lives. This helps us to accept other people more as well. Is it because of pity? Not as much as it is because of the fact that life is hard to different people in different ways (yes even to that popular girl who is having a hard time finding real and meaningful friendships). There are a lot of research papers that show how compassion leads to happiness. Of course it is something that you need to feel instead of just knowing. Hence, to be able to feel compassionate, you have to try to practice. In the book “The Art of Happiness” by His Holiness Dalai Lama & Howard C. Cutler, these practices can be divided into two: • The practice for people who tend to hate themselves • The practice for people who tend to be angry and have a lot hatred towards other people In general, both are present to a certain extent in most of us, but there are definitely predominant characteristics in each of us. For the first case, one of the ways to do it is to remember the achievements that you have made. Furthermore, there is the practice of laughing or smiling in front of the mirror in the morning. Trust me, it works. However, it has to be something that is done sincerely, not something that you do out of coercion. You cannot force you to love yourself more, but you can cultivate such love. For the second case, one way to do it is to imagine some of the sufferings that the person is experiencing. For example, if anyone scolds you, you can think of some of the problems that the person might be having before that particular moment. If it is an

lure is not fatal. It is the nue that counts.

“

Churchill

extremely popular girl or guy who insults you, you can imagine all the lies and expectations he/she has to go through.

Then, there’s the idea that some people truly believe that they do not have the capability to love others. In Buddhism, we have the belief that everyone has the Buddha’s nature and anyone is capable of being compassionate. The reason is simple. Anyone has some degree of compassion in himself/ herself, be it towards their friends, their parents, their pets, or even themselves. This just shows how much a person is capable of being compassionate and how it is just a matter of cultivation. 16

Wisdom

ing games, watching series, etc). We say that life is full

Buddhism teaches us three universal characteristics;

when life is so great and there will be other moments

non-self, impermanence and suffering. Each of these

when life feels so depressing.

characteristics can be perceived in a very simplistic

Buddhism underlines the fact that impermanence is

manner. Non-self

of “ups” and “downs”, meaning there will be moments

something that you should accept and not deny. Only by doing so can we live more happily.

This idea of non-self lies on the basis that a person can exist and behave in a certain manner is due to all the conditions allowing such phenomena to happen. Interpreting this on a daily basis, we can say that who we are depends on many conditions in our lives, such as our families, our friends and our experiences. This, itself, can be applied to many different cases in life. In terms of personal development, we can realize that we make mistakes because there are many factors in play, so there is no reason to hate ourselves for them. What we can do is to learn from the mistakes and move on. Beyond this, we can also understand everyone has his/her own pace of doing things in life. In terms of interpersonal relations, how a person can behave in a certain way is also affected by many factors, such as his/her upbringing, childhood memories and even our interactions with him/ her. Therefore, if someone is “annoying” or “being a jerk”, take a short moment to reflect on why there is a need to hate someone if he or she is like that because of the different external conditions. Impermanence Basically most of the things in life - even life itself - is impermanent. Things are bound to end in life. If one comes to terms with this fact, one will be able to appreciate things and come to terms when things end. For example, university life is the best moment to have a lot of fun and experience different things, but everyone knows it only lasts for several years. On the other hand, exactly because it only lasts for this short amount of time, can people make the utmost of the time they have in the university. Of course this is only a simple example of how the acceptance of impermanence helps us live a more meaningful life. However, we often get fixated by our desire for something pleasing to last longer (e.g. play-

“It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

“ You can’t control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen.

“

Kody Keplinger

AN HOUR INTERVIEW with Ven. Chuan Guan In Buddhism, we are always taught to be kind, to be compassionate. However, in real life situation kind people tend to be used or taken for granted. What do you think about this situation? We tend to think that being kind means we cannot speak up. But we need to know that not harming others does not mean you let people harm you.

and so on, does not mean we need to take subject to harm. Buddhism is not about being extreme that we either become unscrupulous or become a dormant. Whereas the Buddhist approach is that we should try not to harm others, that’s the foremost. However, when people try to harm us, we have the right to defend ourselves. If somebody asks you and says, “Give me your phone,” you should run

There is a story of a snake and a monk. There

away. This might seem like it is what everyone

was a snake who was threatening a village.

does. But the Buddhist teaching has another

Then, the snake met a monk, and so the monk

layer, which is to learn how to overcome

gave the snake some teachings, which is to

the tendency to respond in fear and anger

observe the precepts, the first one being not

when facing contradiction, and when you can

to kill. Therefore, the snake decided to observe

overcome your fear and anger, look at the

the precepts. And hence, the monk went off

society more calmly and respond in the best

and the snake happily observed the precepts.

way possible.

A few years later, the monk went back to the village and wondered how the snakes was. When he approached the snake, he saw a group of kids throwing stones at the snake. So the monk asked the kids to leave the snake alone. “What happened to you, why are you in this state?” asked the monk. The snake told the monk, “This whole deal about not killing is not working to me. Now that I don’t attack anybody, after a while they realize that I don’t kill anymore. So they took advantage of that and started attacking me. Now even kids throw stones at me.” Then the monk started to say that “Well, I did tell you not to kill others, but I never told you not to hiss.”

The whole package of Buddhism is to overcome the very root of our trouble, which is ignorance. But in this very specific case, it really is about fear and anger that arises when we face conflict. When people try to take advantage of us we might get the feeling of injustice. From the fear, anger and injustice we might feel grudge. So instead of thinking that we should fight back or swallow the suffering in silence, perhaps we should start approaching our life with another option. Consider that we can always try to find another way and tell the person that what he or she did was not nice. In Asia, we seldom talk to another party and say these kinds of word. So I think this is one

This is a very famous story in Buddhist

aspect that we can approve in Buddhism and

community. It tells us about using wisdom

its application.

when we practice. It also tells us that just

because we practice the precepts, virtues

In real world we tend to see that unkind people can live better than kind people. What do you think about that? Here we are talking about two very extreme situations, one is kindness and one is corruption. We don’t have to either go with kindness or corruption. So, in which rich people becoming richer and poor people becoming poorer.

doesn’t mean he will be professional at work. If you are not professional then it would be hard for you to get promoted. Now the question is, what about person who is not nice but gets promoted. It might be seen that people being professional as not being so nice. But what do we mean by not nice? if a person is demanding at work, many person think he is not very nice.

This is the phenomena that we all observe, the

What I suspect is that most of the time the

result is not the direct consequence of their

definition of “good” and “bad” is not very objec-

kindness. Kind people can be financially very in-

tive. However, there are cases where overly kind

ept and I think it is a bigger reason of why they

people seem to have problem in their life and

are poor, rather than their kindness. If a kind

unscrupulous people seem to be successful in

person is able to manage their finance well,

life. In the Buddha’s time, there were cases of individuals who had

within their condition they can improve their life. If a person is financially inept, then whether they are kind or not they would still go to financial

“Happiness does not come from the wealth you have but from your own mindset.”

teaching states that to have the condition for wealth and prosperity, one should practice giving. Unfortunately, when we talk about financial astuteness or being financially adept, we are again looking at specific cases. I don’t think being kind will always result in the person not growing in terms of financial success. I have encountered some individuals who had the same

but they were experiencing bad results from their past karma. There were those who were very stingy but

risk. Now, about Karma playing a role. The Buddha’s

done good deeds

in the past they had done good deeds, so the person might experience good wealth.

Is it possible that the result of Karma changes us as a person? People tend to think that people experience Karma. However, what people must know is that they themselves are the result of our own Karma.

opinion about good people tend to not go anywhere, and not so good people tend to climb out. But when I ask the person for detail, the detail tends to be specific. The person might be a nice person, but the person is not professional in their work. Just because a person is nice

Buddhism in Working Life With Bro. Kweh Soon Han

When did you start learning to practice Buddhism? I learned Buddhism when I was an undergraduate in NUS, but I did not go into it seriously until years later when I was working. I think it would be the same for many of us. First, we practice it in theory. Subsequently, we start to work and find that life sometimes challenges our spiritual well-being. This is when I think Buddhism will come very nicely and I started to re-study Buddhism in more depth. At this time, we don’t just study Buddhism but we apply it. How do you apply Buddhism in everyday life? In our working lives and in society, the five precepts must be mindfully applied. Because you are in ‘live’ situation, you will gradually see the wisdom of Dharma unfold when you practise the 5 Precepts over a period of time.For example, you might take others’ idea without acknowledging the owner in an earlier situation. You might not get caught for plagiarism for few years, but one day when people check your work then the truth comes out and reveals the breach you

have committed. Worst still, when you are in a position of authority or power this can be embarrassing. But let’s say if you had acknowledged the owner’s copyright at the beginning, this problem will never appear and you are safe from any humiliation in your life. The essence of precept is actually protection. Precept means to protect. Sometimes you might see a Buddha statue with its two hands (one hand over the other with palms facing inwards) pressing against its chest (heart)? This is a mudra signifying protecting the good and noble precious heart by the keeping of Precepts. So how do we protect ourselves? We take refuge or protection in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, the “3 Refuges” or the “Triple Gems”. Precepts help us to protect these three areas: our thoughts, words and actions. But they are very effective in the latter two; words and actions when these are about to be committed almost immediately when the intention arises in the mind. Precepts act like an ‘auto’ safeguard like your “Chubb security alarm” which people install

outside their homes and shops as they trigger a defensive protection warning reminding us why we should not commit an unwholesome action before we can act. When you start to work after you graduate, you will immediately encounter office politics which for many of you, have no choice but to be drawn into its vicious circle. I think this is where Dharma will help you. It is not that you turn a blind eye to and are not involved in the working dynamics of the workplace. But you can be involved skifully but yet be able to rise above it like a lotus flower from the muddy and murky waters of office politics. So you are in and yet out at the same time. And it is like being connected to the world but in a way you are out of the messiness. This is different from being caught in a messy dilemma. This is where knowing and practising the Dhamma helps. It helps you to maintain the balance between living life with all its challenges and faithfully and skilfully following the Dhamma? I think after personally living and working for over thirty years, one

should realize that one should not expect worldly success in a very short time. Or else will you have to break all rules of Morality. Not many people acquire everything or achieve their dreams so easily. Yes there are some but these are rare exceptions. For many of us, we will graduate from the university with nothing much financially in our bank accounts except our academic degree and for some, with honours. And we start to gradually build our wealth from scratch, with an almost ‘zero’ level. But perseverance and keeping precepts will accumulate for us a storehouse of material wealth that will provide us comfortably throughout our lives. But if you want to achieve worldly success in a short time, then you cannot keep the precepts and must break them inevitably. So the approach is to work virtuously and although it will take time, you will reach and achieve your realistic goal and dream one day. Hence when you work, you should buy things and spend as per necessity and within your means and save and invest prudently and then your wealth will grow over time. This was what the Buddha taught Singala, a lay young man. I believe that what we do is influenced by our society. How do you apply Dharma even if the environment doesn’t fit? We are creatures of society and in some ways we are also the prisoners of society, i.e. creation of Samsara (death and rebirth). In other words, we are what we are because of our previous lifetimes. You can see some children nowadays who are be remarkably cheer-

ful, while some children are aggressive and moody. But all is not lost! Nowadays, we are lucky that we still have the Dhamma. But it is important to take the first step. If we take the first step to learn the Dhamma, we will gain wisdom after practising it. If we are asked to do something unwholesome that we don’t want, we can always find a way out. This is where the Dhamma comes in, because it teaches us how to be wise. Let’s say you are with friends who drink alcohol for a celebration. As a practitioner, sometimes you have to use wisdom. You can tell your friends beforehand that you cannot drink alcohol. In my life, I have realised that if you have wisdom you will always have a way out of compromising circumstances where usually both sides are happy. But when both sides clash and you are forced to make absolutely clear your stance, the solution is clear - follow the Dhamma. Although people might be disappointed of you, you can sleep peacefully at night safe in the conscience that you have kept the universal Precepts even if the rest of the mundane World object to it. If you follow unwholesome practices which you are not comfortable with, it might harm you. In the end. Once we lay people understand and practise the Dhamma we can live peacefully and gainfully in our society. This means we can do business honestly, work meaningfully, get married and raise children happily whilst cultivating the Dhamma. The Buddha said that we can all enjoy “sensual pleasures” but these must be within the confines of morality and ethics. How do you think learning Buddhism helps you in coping with your problems? I think Buddhism helps me to see things in the right perspective. There is an example given by Ajahn Brahm. When you go to the forest for the first time and hear a sound approaching your location in the stillness of the night, you start to think, “Is this a tiger? An elephant?” Your heartbeat starts to beat faster and faster as the sound approaches. Then, when you turn on your

flashlight you discover it is just a small forest rat. What a relief! In this way, Buddhism helps you to see problems in the right perspective. And seeing problems in the right perspective is very important, this is called wisdom. There is a story in the Suttas about a lady called Kisa Gotami. Her son died and when she asked the Buddha to bring her son back to life, He asked her to find some mustard seeds and bring these to Him but these seeds must come from a home that has not known death, i.e. no one has died in that family. At first, she thought it was very easy. However, after she tried asking from many homes, she realized that every family has someone who had died. Eventually she realized that she was not alone in her predicament as everyone in the village also had the same problem as hers. It was painful but she understood that she was not alone. I think this is what the Dhamma teaches us, you are not alone. When you see things go wrong but treat and view them with the right perspective, you realize that actually everybody has the same problems. From that realization, true compassion arises. You can see that we are all suffering, and that is why we must help all sentient beings. Buddha’s concept of compassion is that we are all the same, we all don’t want to suffer and want happiness. That’s the noble motivation of all the Bodhisatvas, to want to help all sentient beings by teaching them how to be free themselves from suffering and how to achieve enduring happiness. In conclusion, what the Dhamma can do is to help you to respond in any situation. We cannot control the situation that happened but we can control the way we respond to it. If we do not have the Dhamma we usually react automatically and helplessly in a “tit for tat” manner. But because we have the Dhamma, we are not helpless pawns in the interplay of events but can be masters of our fate.

Vegetarian:

A Golden Rule

by : Olivia Agatha

Abstain from killing, hence be a vegetarian! Many people of diverse background, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike, believe that being vegetarian is a must for a Buddhist. But is it true? Here is a fun fact: Up till today, despite the prevailing rule for Mahayana Buddhists in China on being vegetarians, Japanese and Tibetan Mahayana monks, laymen and women are still allowed to consume meat that is given to them. It is true that in the first precept, we are told not to kill. It is also true that by consuming meat, we are indirectly involved in killing other beings. However, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see this in another way. The act of animal-killing is everywhere around us. Unless we buy a veganfriendly product, even the detergent we use contains animal fat. Following this logic, being a vegetarian doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

guarantee us from following the first precept. Then, should we just be a vegan? Well, living your life as a Buddhist does not solely depend on your choice of food. Say, a man limits his diet preference strictly, always and only intaking non-meat nutrients, yet he is cocky, discourteous, envious, and hot-tempered. Is he a better Buddhist than a man who is not a vegetarian but is respectful, courteous, generous, cool-headed, and kind? Being a vegetarian does not guarantee a good heart, the same way that being a non-vegetarian does not mean that we have a tainted heart. Controlling our diet is one thing, but it is the purging of mind that tops the fundamental teaching in Buddhism. The important thing to focused on is not our diet, but rather our heart. However, it should be noted that we should not be attached by the craving of the taste of the meat. Nevertheless, many Buddhists still voluntarily choose to be a

vegetarian. Why would they? First of all, it should be noted that being a vegetarian can increase our loving kindness and compassion. It reduces the chance of being the cause of the death of other beings. Being a vegetarian is also found to be medically beneficial for our health - it reduces the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Moreover, we never know what we will be reborn into. It is not unlikely for a human to be reborn into a cow or fish. We may try to deceive ourselves into not thinking what those animals were in their past life, but this probability of eating our own relatives is not to be denied. In the end, the choice is ours. We can be a vegetarian, or even a vegan, if we are motivated to. We are also encouraged not to consume the flesh of sentient beings or to cause others to kill. Nevertheless, it is not a hard rule that one has to be a vegetarian to be a Buddhist. Good or bad is not determined solely from your diet.

Shut-In By Olivia Agatha

A bunch of words, The power of a thousand punches Blasting off without warning, Through one hit of a button

The anger within, How much longer can it stay calm? No, no more… Enough!! Revenge is indeed sweet Let them smile

Out of the window,

Yes, let them

The sneers and the pierces,

Craze of compassion

Unknown and unfamiliar,

It’s not the answer

Yet collude for another’s

And never will it be

downfall Coz it has been wrong “Stay calm, swallow everything

Compassion is not defenseless

Let them say, let them smile

Compassion is not shutting in

Grudge them

Compassion is to fight smartly

But don’t turn to violence Coz’ it’s the right path of compassion” Is it true?

Not to grudge Nor to revenge But to be brave to say STOP But to be brave to remind Words and smiles are not a weapon

Why is it….

to kill

A wholesome suffer,

But to help them

A savior in disguise?

Reach the true compassion

How much longer?

As you try to define it better

How much more? Before it opens its mask

Until the day you find out That compassion is indeed the answer

And reveals the peace it’s born with?

ALL YOU NEED TO MEDITA EVER WONDERED HOW TO START MEDITATE ??

You can use meditation apps, such as Insight Timer, or follow mediation guidance from an intermediate or expert meditation practitioner. You can also google some basic beginner guides to meditation as well.

You don't have to meditate for 1 hour or more during your first attempt. Start by doing something simple, e.g. sitting for two minutes. Set your phone timer to no more than 2 minutes.

DO N’ T JUS WO T D RRY O

STEPS TO MEDITATE

Y ! JO EN SELF UR YO

Be at peace with yourself. Let go all the tiring anxiety, the exhausting thought or the worry that is going through your mind. Be at the present. You don’t have to know where you were or where you will be. You just need to know that you are here and now, meditating.

E PL SIM ION DO ITAT D ME

FOLLOW GUIDED MEDITATION

B OTI E O STA NALL BLE Y

Meditation can be very helpful in relieving depression and other negative thoughts if done at the right place and at the right time. Meditating while having negative thoughts will not help you, if not, it will harm your mental well-being.

05 DON’T FORCE YOURSELF

Don't force yourself to "empty your mind" or to "push away your thoughts". Acknowledge that your mind will, most of the time, be full of thoughts. In meditation, try to imagine freeing yourself out of these thoughts by letting your grip off these thoughts.

Meditating is all simply being. Being without conscious thinking or worrying. Some people just worry too much - about when will it end, or how should they sit, or how to focus your attention - that they forgot to meditate. To meditate is to simply let go all of your thoughts and focus on a single thing. To just be at the moment and relax.

Reference: http://www.emmaseppala.com/10-science-based-reasons-start-meditating-today-infographic/ http://liveanddare.com/myths-about-meditation/ https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/

O KNOW ABOUT ATION

Written by : Joandy Leonata Pratama

! D E L S I T BE M

DO NO

Only Buddhists Meditate

It is a Form of Ritual or Praying

Meditation does not have anything to do with your faith or religion. There are many different types of meditation, such a normal breathing exercise, Christian meditation and even loving-kindness meditation. You can create your own meditation technique, depending on what is to be achieved from the meditation itself.

Meditation is nothing like a ritual. You don’t need to wear anything special, to burn any incense, much less do it in temples. Meditation is all about staying still and enjoy the moment. Some people focuses on their breath, to help them bring their mind to a single point.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDITATION

We Don’t Have Time to Meditate

It only takes, in fact, several minutes to meditate (depending on how much time you are willing to spend for it). Like any other activities, it all comes down to how determined you are to do it.

Meditation Leads to Monkhood

Although monks meditate, it does not mean that by meditating, you will be a monk/ nun. The path where meditation leads you depends entirely on your motivation and what you want to achieve along the way.

CHECK OUT THE

To Meditate is to Run Away from Problems Meditation is never about “solving” your problems. In fact, it just helps you see your problems more clearly. Only by seeing your problems from a neutral perspective, will you be able to understand them clearly.

BENEFITS !

Instagram Accounts to Brighten Up Your Day Written by : Cindy Suryautama It's the end of a tiring day, and you are done with school, work, or whatever else it may be. Now what are you going to do? Well, I dare say youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gonna scroll your Instagram timeline (just like the rest of us). And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s totally fine, as long as you keep things balanced. Browsing through social media can be quick entertainment fix. But do you know that it can also be inspiring in so many ways? Here we have curated a list of Instagram accounts that are surely worthy of your follow:

Humans of New Yor k@humansofny

Brandon Stanton, the man behind the account, is a New Yo rk photographer. A part from taking pictur es of the stranger s he met on the street s, he also shares their heart-warming stor ies. Some gives you hope while others might make you weep.

Darryll Jones @darrylljones Whether you are a fan of Star Wars or not, this Instagram account featuring the documentation of a Stromtrooper's life on earth will surely put a smile on your face with the creatives poses and witty captions.

NASA @nasa As cited from th eir website, NASA is looking to take its fans on an out-of-this-w or ld journey through images of Earth and beyo nd. 10/10 recommended to fo llow if you are int o spaces or keen to discove r interesting facts about the universe.

Samantha Lee @leesamantha The Malaysian mother of two first started creating cute characters out of food to encourage her kids to eat. Today, she has more than 700k followers who enjoy her super creative edible creations. You might be inspired to prepare your own meal after scrolling through her feed!

Passion Passport @passionpassport Passion Passport posts travel photos and stories from its community around the world. It's the perfect account to follow to spark your wanderlust or as a reminder to work hard so that you can have a peaceful vacation on holiday.

Lunar Baboon @lunarbaboon al favourThis is one of my person ally filled ite. The account is basic mour of with comics about the hu ip, which parenting and relationsh metimes. can be quite heartfelt so

Litterati - @litterati Litterati is a movement to identify, map, and collect the world’s litter. Instagram users can take part by posting picture of the litter i they found and recycled, using the #litterat to on hashtag. Follow them for extra motivati kick start your recycling habit, as per their a tagline, “cleaning the planet one piece at time”.

The Baby Animal s@thebabyanimals While it will be be tter if the account can give cr edit to the images sources, this daily dose of adorable baby an imals brings much cuteness to your Instagram feed.

ntubuddhist the Instagram account of NTU Buddhist Society. Managed by our Marketing team, you can expect regular updates of upcoming events, inspirational quotes, and interesting facts. Follow us and never miss any of it!

- Book Review

written by : Joandy Leonata Pratama

Good Question Good Answer This book is a compilation of different questions and answers about Buddhism made by Venerable S. Dhammika. The questions are more inclined to beginners’ context, which is very interesting to read about for Buddhist beginners.

Author : Venerable Shravasti Dhammika Language : English and 35 other languages (including 35 other languages, such as Chinese, Deutche, etc) Read it online : www.goodquestiongoodanswer.net

Pros

Cons

Analytical Personally, what I like about this book is the fact that the author tries to convey his message as mindfully as possible. For instance, in a question about whether Buddhism is scientific, the author tries to define the term ‘scientific’ before answering the question. This exhibits an investigative approach in answering the questions.

Have intermediate context Despite being for beginners, some parts of the book require knowledge of basic Buddhism to completely understand the context of the problem. There are some basic terms that are not defined completely in the book, such as Noble Eightfold Path and Middle Way.

Good referencing Beyond that, the author also tries to include verses from Tipitaka, giving how these verses can be connected to the related questions. By doing so, the answers are based not only on the perspective of the author but also on the teachings of the Buddha. Interesting analogies There are cases where the author uses analogy to explain about different understanding of Buddhism such as the true meaning of reincarnation and how Buddha can help us although he has attained true enlightenment. Thought-provoking content Above all things, I like how the questions themselves are very interesting and how they can trigger you to actually think about Buddhism and not follow it blindly. Some of the questions might not even have crossed your mind.

Sutra is rather complicated The Sutra can be quite confusing as the it is translated as closely as possible from Pali and might not be relatable to our current usage of English.

All in all, I would say it is a really good book for beginners to think about Buddhism and to realize the true understanding in Buddhism.

Buddhism for beginners Unlike the first book where it is mostly about answering different questions about Buddhism, this book is a narrative and descriptive book about the basics of Buddhism. This book can be segmented into 3 parts, which discusses different parts of Buddhism: Life and Teaching of the Buddha This part of the book shows the conditions that Siddhartha Gautama went through in his path towards enlightenment, and the encounters and teachings of Buddha Sakyamuni in spreading the Dhamma. By reading the stories, one will more likely understand the “Middle Path” and other basics of Buddhism. Buddhism in Practice This part involves more practical approaches of “being a Buddhist” and the basics of what Buddhism is actually about, such as the Five Precepts and the Four Immeasurables. Beyond that, this section also explains more about Buddhist observances, such as chanting and prostration, and the meaning behind it Author : Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery Dharma Propagation Division Language : English

The Historical Development & Spread of Buddhism In this part, readers can understand more about different sects in Buddhism and how the sects came about. Beyond that, this book also highlights the spread of Buddhism across different countries.

Pros

Cons

Narrative The story of Prince Siddhartha before and after reaching enlightenment has always been an interesting story for Buddhists. This book can captivate the readers by doing exactly that. Some of the events happening to Buddha also exhibits Buddha’s compassion and power of speech

Intermediate Content From my personal point of view, certain parts of the book cater to Buddhist beginners that have been already a little bit exposed to Buddhism.

Explanatory This book has detailed yet simple commentary on Dhamma, such as Four Noble Truth and Noble Eightfold Path. Not only that, the book also give commentaries on the way Buddha taught by letting his disciples experience it, such as the story of Kisa Gotami, Patacara and Monk Tissa.

For example, the idea of karma as described in the book might seem as something that is very deterministic such as if you do good, you won’t suffer. Beyond that, it should be noted that there are five niyamas that also come together to determine what we experience.

Note : As always, Buddhism encourages critical and personal experience on the teaching and reading beyond this book is encouraged

Online Videos You Should Watch By : Joandy Leonata Pratama

The Habit of Happiness Matthieu Ricard, Ted Talk Source : TED Duration : 20:51 Matthieu Ricard is a French writer and Buddhist monk, residing in Nepal. Having a PhD degree in molecular genetics along with his interest in photography 2, Matthieu Ricard has always a different approach in delivering his message. The talk focuses more on how to be more positive and be happy. Furthermore, the talk is embellished with a little bit of neurological findings on meditation and his personal photograph to underline the value behind the talk.

How Meditation can Reshape Our Brains

Guide to Happiness

Sara Lazar. https://youtu.be/m8rRzTtP7Tc Source: Youtube - TEDx Talks Duration : 8:33

Dalai Lama. https://youtu.be/IUEkDc_LfKQ Source : Youtube - a millionsmilesmovie Duration : 8:06

The talk focuses highly on scientific research conducted by Neuroscientist Sara Lazar. She conducted different experiments from comparing the amount of gray matter in the brain between non-meditator to regular meditators to comparing changes in people’s lives when they learned about meditation.

The Dalai Lama’s talk is from his ‘the quest for happiness’ public talk in Adelaide during his ‘Beyond Religion’ tour in Australia.

Two major findings found are how meditation changes the people’s reaction to the environment and how meditation can help maintain the brain as we grow older.

In this talk, His Holiness The Dalai Lama shares his thought on happiness. The Dalai Lama mentions that the peace of mind comes firstly from warm-heartedness and how it reduces ill-feeling towards others.

Oprah Winfrey talks with Thich Nhat Hanh Excerpt - Powerful Oprah Winfrey & Thich Nhat Hanh. https://youtu.be/ NJ9UtuWfs3U. Source : Youtube - MindfulCloudPBC Duration : 21:47 This video is about the talk between Oprah Winfrey and Thich Nhat Hanh in the show Supersoul Sunday. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, spent some time in the United States and is currently residing in France. The talk starts off with a little history of Thich Nhat Hanh and how he grew up as a Buddhist monk. Afterwards, the talk continues to revolve around the topic of compassion and how it can help us improve our lives.

Why Meditation is the New Caffeine Emily Fletcher, https://youtu.be/zC7a_gQB9YQ Source : Youtube - Talks at Google Duration : 50:07 This talk is done at Google in which the speaker explains how meditation can be used to more productive in everyday activities. The speaker explains how meditation might work better than a coffee in a rather scientific way. She began by comparing meditation to caffeine, and continued to explain how meditation can increase our awareness towards the environment. It is definitely an interesting talk if you are looking at meditation to be more productive.

What Makes Us Human?

Four Ways of Letting Go

Dr. Barry Kerzin. https://youtu.be/Q7YskUbEyeY Source : Youtube - TEDx Talks Duration : 17:50

Ajahn Brahm, https://youtu.be/USC5MJVZLy8 Source : Youtube - Buddhist Society of Western Australia Duration : 55:41

Barry Michael Kerzin, M.D., (born November 1, 1947) is an American physician and Buddhist monk. He has lived in Dharamsala since 1988 and serves as a personal physician to the 14th Dalai Lama.

Known for his humoristic approach in looking at life, Ajahn Brahm - a British monk who is currently the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Australia1 - shares his perspective and personal experiences on different ways of letting go to live a more peaceful life.

The main topic of the talk is how compassion is a huge part of our life and how it create meaning to ourselves and to other people as well. The talk continues with having a short moment of meditation, along with basic explanation from Dr. Kerzin.

It is an interesting how Ajahn Brahm always relates the fundamental values of Buddhism to his personal experience, helping us see things more clearly. Beyond that, his humoristic approach in seeing things help us see it in a more lively manner.

善意的谎言说善意的谎言或沉默不语?

Written by : Anthony Morgan

世界上有各种各样的人：有些人贫嘴，有些人沉默。心理学研究表明，与沉默寡言的人相比，外向者更有可能说谎。这可能是因为外向者在谈话时往往一时口快，可能会因此说谎。那么佛教中正确的言语是怎样呢？「比丘们！具备五支的言语是善语，非恶语，是无罪过的与不被智者们责备，哪五个呢？被适时地说、被真实地说，被柔软地说、被伴随利益地说、被慈心地说，比丘们！具备这五支的言语是善语，非恶语，是无罪过的与不被智者们责备。」- 增支部5集 198经/言语经我们知道，佛教不鼓励说谎。在五戒里，第四戒是不妄语。作为佛教徒，我们知道说谎会造成不良的因果关系。但是，说善意的谎言是否正确？人常说，善意的谎言是可以的，因为它不伤害任何人。但是，根据佛教的说法，善意的谎言依然是谎言，而谎言会产生不良的因果关系。因此，善意的谎言也会产生不良的因果。虽然与正常谎言相比，善意的谎言产生较轻的不良因果。

举个例子，有个生气的人跟你说： “你知道X先生在哪里吗？” 如果你觉得X先生会有危险，而你知道X先生在哪里，你可能会说，“我不知道”。也许短期和长期而言是有益的。但是，你仍然诱导不良的业。想一想，你选择说谎还是让另一个人有危险？当我们说话的时候，最重要的是你的意向。再想一想，你有常常碰到这种情况吗？我们不能用这个例子作为借口而说谎。通常我们会说善意的谎言来维护当事人的心情或生活，如上所述。无论如何，不说谎最好的方法是不回答可能会引起冲突的问题。你可以说,“我不想回答”。这样我们就可以避免说谎。或许，你可以用不同的方式说出一些有害的事，避免对方受伤。作者研究和征求意见后得出结论，认为善意的谎言仍然是谎言，因此应该避免。但是，善意的谎言是我们不能完全逃脱的。处理善意的谎言最好的办法是不说不必要的事，并在说话时三思。这将会对大家有益。

The Buddha Voyage Society 48 Toh Guan Road E, Singapore 608586 Phone: +65 6844 2306

Kuan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple 178 Waterloo St. Singapore 608586 Phone: +65 6337 9227

A picture is worth a thousand words, but the memories are priceless

NTUBS Activities

TThings end, but memories last forever

Investiture 2 September 2016 in LT20 NTUBS Investiture is the event that marked the official dissolution of the past year NTUBS committee and the stepping up of the next one. We also extended our gratitude to committee who had done their best to learn, practice, realise, and share Dharma; and well wishes for the upcoming yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s committee.

Dharma Class and Dharma Talks Every Friday Our series of Dharma Class, Dharma Talk, and Workshop are held weekly for the whole semester. Looking for the perfect chance to learn more about Buddhism? You will surely enjoy and gain more Buddhism knowledge through our talks, discussion, and not to forget the refreshment and fun games in the end of the session.

Sunday Cultivation Every Sunday Held throughout the year, Sunday Cultivation is an initiative by Dharma Propagation Team to help BS members to cope with work and study stress, as well as to regain inner peace. In the session, an experienced meditator is invited to guide on how to meditate.

BS Night 18 Febuary 2017 in Hall 3 Function Room An eventful night to celebrate the anniversary of NTUBS, NTUBS Alumni, and Little Bodhi Student Care Centre. BS Night was filled with fun games and performances, delicious food, and heartwarming moments.

Exam Supper 28 October 2016 & 31 March 2017 One of the most awaited event every semester! Usually held at Nanyang House Function Room, BS members gathered to destress before exam, have dinner, games and other fun activities together.

Little Bodhi Outing 7 December 2016 in Gardens By The Bay Have a fun day out with adorable kids? Sign me up! This year, we accompanied the LBSCC children to the Gardens by the Bay. We had a real energizing and enjoyable experience playing with children.

Song Sharing Session 17 March 2017 in Nanyang House Bro Ng Kang Kee is in the house! The acclaimed producer,accompanied by some of our talented fellowship team, came down to NTU to share Buddhism songs. Hands down one of the most enjoyable nights throughout the year.

Buddhism Awareness Week 20 & 21 March 2017 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always nice to share more about Buddhism! On the Buddhism Awareness Week, we create awareness of Buddhism and NTUBS for NTU community by setting up booth filled with exciting facts. Be sure to check us out next time!

Compassion in Action 18 March 2017 in THK Homes for Disabled An initiative from the Metta Team, Compassion in Action seeks to spread loving kindness to the people and create a better place for everyone, one action at a time. Our most recent visit to THK Homes for Disabled has been a very fulfilling and meaningful experience.

Vesak Day Celebration 10 May 2017 in Buddhist Library In order to celebrate vesak day, NTUBS Event Team conducted Vesak Day Celebration at Buddhist Library. We had temple tours in Buddhist Library and Fo Guang Shan Temple. It turned out to be fun journey!

Dharma Camp 5-8 January 2017 in Kong Meng San Phor Khak See Monastery A 4D3N camp that was filled with exciting and meaningful activities, such as walking meditation, formal buddhist dining, and many else! It was also a great opportunity to know new people who share passion in dharma.

Camp Nirvana Singapore 12-14 August 2016 in Fo Guang Shan Temple Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a camp like no others! Kick start your new semester by joining Camp Nirvana Singapore where you can have fun while learning more about Buddhism. Last year, we explored Pulau Ubin and Punggol Waterway Park, visited the Palelai Buddhist Temple, and ended the camp with many unforgettable memories.

For more info about our events, refer to bit.ly/pattra2016

竭尽所能 , 护持正法 TO UPHOLD AND PRESERVE THE BUDDHA DHAMMA

每周共修时间表

Weekly Chanting Services

大悲法会星期三晚上七点半虔礼大悲宝忏

Great Compassion Congregation Every Wednesday - 7.30 pm Chanting The Repentance of Great Compassion Sutra

药师普佛每月第一个星期日早上九点半

Offering to Bhaisaiyaguru Buddha Every Month 1st Sunday - 9.30 am

虔礼梁皇宝忏每月第二 / 四个星期日早上九点半

Repentance of Emperor Liang Sutra Every Month 2nd & 4th Sundays 9.30 am

虔礼净土宝忏每月第三个星期日早上九点半

Repentance of Pure Land Sutra Every Month 3rd Sunday 9.30 am

读诵地藏经星期日下午两点

Chanting of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra Sundays - 2.00 pm

净名佛教中心

Vimalakirti Buddhist Centre 20, Lorong 27A Geylang Vimalakirti Building Singapore 388112 Tel: 6748 5132 Fax: 6748 9542

When you know for yourselves that, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happinessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; then you should enter & remain in them

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