智洪《十大愿王10》心得报告

恒顺众生 To accommodate and benefit all living beings

普皆回向 To transfer all merits and virtues to benefit all beings

In these video clips, master shared the vows 9th and 10th. What did I get from the teaching? What left a lasting impression on my mind was the 9th vow (between these 2 vows). Why? Don’t really give it a second thought. In my layman’s terms, I would call it “Put yourself in the other’s shoes”. Sometimes, when we put ourselves in the other person’s perspective to look at things, the whole situation might change. We then tend to take a step backward to see the situation, analyse things and come out with a calmer, maybe wiser decision.  There are many angles to look at one particular object or situation. It depends on what type of heart you put on when you look at the situation.

All the racial, political, or whatever ‘noise’ that clouds us maybe reduced, if not eliminated, if we learn and practice 恒顺众生 consistently. Not only this vow but all the Puxian vows which are interconnected, repeated and amplified. I am constantly reminding myself to get rid of all these discriminations that I have against other races, prejudices that I have against other humans that I don’t personally know. Sometimes I succeed in practising this vow, most of the time still very challenging. I know that I must strive to work and practise harder. Amitabha.

[Once we are clear with our direction, the only thing left to do is Practice, from moment to moment.] 

[Where is this discrimination come from? Observe it, don’t engage it, and let it go.]

智洪《十大愿王09》心得报告

常随佛学 To follow the teachings of the Buddhas at all times

I am experiencing some troubled nights for the past 10 days or so. Troubled in the sense of not having good rests at night. I was having dreams and of course, nightmares in between nights. Those dreams caused me quality rest that I needed most at this time of the year (year end taxation submission deadline for companies is at the end of next month). I asked myself whether these dreams were caused by the increasing work pressure? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don’t know.

For the past few days, I am also experiencing some sort of home sickness of Hoeh Beng Temple.  Surprise! I’m in indeed surprise of this too. We didn’t attend the previous session of our 行愿茶会on the 25.04.2015 because of my wife’s aunt’s funeral but we were there on the Wesak Day! Somehow, I felt that I have not been there for a very long period of time. I asked myself on why I am having this kind of feeling. I can’t give one explanation at the moment.

Every time I chant the 10 vows, to me the eighth vow is only the continuous reading and learning of the teachings of Buddha. After listening to Master’s video, 常随佛学 is actually way beyond them. I have limited capacity to learn Dharma effectively due to my language limitation but thanks to Hoeh Beng Temple for accommodating students like me, and also my wife for being an ever ready tutor and translator, I am able to get closer to Buddha and his teachings.

I light up incenses at home both mornings and evenings. But I have not fulfilled my part as a devoted student yet. Every time I stand in front of the Buddha statue, I stare into his smiley face. At times, he looks jovial. Some time, he looks stern. Those were the times that I think caused by my cloudy mind. The face of Buddha reminds me to face my daily life challenges positively. I am still struggling to do it but I will put in my best effort.

Amitabha.

[When we are having troubles, emotion, or sad feeling that affected us, always remember The Forth Vow: 忏悔业障 (to repent misdeeds and evil karmas). Continue the practice of 108-bow, it is a very good way to take away feelings and emotion.]

智洪《十大愿王08》心得报告

请转法轮To request the Buddhas to continue teaching
请佛住世To request the Buddhas to remain in the world

8th April, 2015, 1900 hours; After months of expectation, finally, there we were. Right at Samantabhadra bodhisattva’s dojo (道场). We were standing at the entrance platform headed towards Samantabhadra’s golden statue. The mist was very thick at that time. We can hardly see anything that resembles a statue. Not even a shadow of the statue. We could only imagine that there was a large statue in front of us based on Master Chuan Wen’s description of the scenery that we were supposed to see up there.

Whilst walking towards the platform, I was already experiencing butterflies in my stomach. Mixed feelings; I was supposed to be excited to see the large statue appearing before my eyes. But I was nervous (maybe scared is the more appropriate word) to see Puxian bodhisattva in such a near distance. The feeling was just like a pupil waiting to see a disciplinary teacher after committing some naughty acts. After seeing Him (or rather not seeing Him due to the thick mist), I was a bit relieved. The feeling was just like being let off the hook by the teacher.

At that point of time, I was like an ostrich ~ to bury my head in the sand. Puxian bodhisattva hinted to me otherwise. He saw me and really saw me. He reminded me not only once or twice to correct my misdeeds. He reminded me thrice during this Mount Emei pilgrimage.

My being there at Mount Emei was for 2 main objectives, to repent misdeeds and to make a vow with Puxian bodhisattva in person. For the first objective, Puxian bodhisattva, in return, showed me His reply. On the 9th April, 2015, Master led us to make 3 steps 1 bow all the way up the stairs to Puxian bodhisattva’s statue. Along the staircase, there were a few flat platforms. When we performed our bows at those platforms, I would get hard knocks on my forehead. I was carrying backpack at that time and inside my backpack was my SLR camera. The camera will roll forward when I bow, causing my whole backpack to fall forward creating a momentum to push my forehead against floor hard. After the initial few knocks, I was trying to ‘manage’ the impact by slowing down my motion but that didn’t help as my camera was quite heavy ~ unless, I didn’t bow.  Thereafter, I was like telling myself, “I got your message, Master Puxian. I knew that you want to punish me.” So, I continued being knocked until the last flat platform before the ultimate level when Puxian bodhisattva stood. I stopped once I reached the last platform thinking that the bowing exercise was over. 

But there was a second round of knocking. After everybody has reached the last platform, Master asked all of us to stand in rows of three to continue ascending the final flight of staircase in unison. I got a few more knocks after that. To me, the few knocks that I had was very mild compared to the misdeeds that I have made.

I have made many mistakes in my present life and have hurt many people especially those close to me. I hope to rectify things while I still have chance to do so. 

智洪合十

[Puxian Bodhisattva is known as the Bodhisattva of Great Action. It is never too late to repent and apologize to the people we have hurt, most importantly, Action need to be taken.]

智洪《十大愿王07》心得报告

随喜功德 – To rejoice in others' merits and virtues

There were times when I see people contribute or donate to good causes, my mind will come to crossroads. I was sometime split into thinking whether those were really good deeds done out of their sincerity? Or were they doing them for some political, social or other economic reasons. 

My thinking mind will go back years ago when I was working for a company that was involved in a charity drive to help the famine victims of North Korea. Things happened and they made a black dot in my ‘Chapter on Charity Drive’. 

After listening to Master’s talk on this topic, 随喜功德, and also the earlier topics, I try to reset my thinking mind to its original state. I am now trying to appreciate people’s good deeds and if possible, emulate them. But before I am able to do that, I have to get rid of my old, rotten thinking mind. The old me used to see only ‘black dots on white backgrounds’. I used to not only see but also criticise the ‘black dots’. I have changed to at least know how to sing praises for people for the good works done.

I would also like to blame my professional training for my appetite for spotting of errors and mistakes by others. Sometimes, these errors or mistakes will easily upset me and adversely affect my mood. At times, I would also ask myself why I was so upset by some small mistakes by other people. Is it because I wanted to scold not those people but myself? I have made many, many mistakes in my life. Many big mistakes that affected not only myself, but my family as well. At times, I was in a denial state that I did not want to face them head on. I would rather sweep them under the carpet hoping the problems will diminish on their own. I was definitely wrong.

To accept others is to accept youself. I am now regularly reminding myself, and also be reminded upon by my wife, to see the broader white background instead of the small, tiny black dots. I am now striving to do this balancing act in my daily life and get my life back on the right path again.

智洪合十

[You are on the right track. If you find that you are hardly to rejoice in others' merits and virtues, repentance will help.  Please share your story with us when you are able to appreciate white backgrounds and sing praises to other’s good deed.]

智洪《十大愿王06》心得报告

忏悔业障 – To repent misdeeds and evil karmas

The fourth vow.

Master says if we can practice the first 3 vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva regularly, we are indeed very good. But, in the event of challenges surfacing during execution of the 3 vows, we shall remember to REPENT. We should repent for our past, present and future misdeeds. Sounds funny at first, didn’t we?

I had quite a lengthy, serious discussion with my wife just now. It is not that we seldom have discussions; just that we seldom talked serious subjects for a long period in an uninterrupted environment. I was sort of complaining of my work. In the final rush to the implementation of GST, I have to attend to the needs and queries of my clients, both existing and potential. 

I have a friend who is quite cost conscious. He wants to seek my assistance as he knows my area of specialisation. We had a few brief discussions on this GST topic and I thought I had him with me after those rounds. I was about to meet up with him recently to formally assess his company accounts to prepare him for GST compliance when I found out that he was sort of not really adhering to what I have already mentioned to him earlier. He came up with some reasoning that he heard something from his friend that things can be done differently. My first response to that was not that pleasant. In my mind, I was thinking why did he ask me for advice if he is not going to listen. I was trying to assist him in my personal capacity, not as a business dealing.

Then my wife reminded me of Master’s teachings. If we have already done everything to our best abilities but the results still don’t bend our way, that there is only one solution ~ REPENT. To repent misdeeds and evil karmas. Hearing that, I could immediately felt something warm flowed into my heart. My earlier discomfort and stiff feelings vanished instantly. She was right!! As a practising Buddhist, we should neither feel angry nor sad when things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to be. We only have to remind ourselves (instead of blaming ourselves and others) to repent.

智洪合十

[Repentance is seen as very important factor to improve our ways of thinking, behavior and emotion. Below is the Traditional Repentance Verse from "The Practices & Vows of Samantabadra Bodhisattva" (Avatamsaka Sutra, Chapter 40):

For all the evil deeds I have done in the past,
Created by my body, speech and mind,
From beginningless greed, hatred and delusion,
I now know shame and repent them all. 

You may recite this when you are doing repentance.]

智洪《十大愿王05》心得报告

广修供养 – To make abundant offerings

The first thing that struck my mind when Master talked on this topic was an incident that happened way back in 1997. The company that I worked for organised a charity drive to help the famine victims in North Korea. I was very excited and happy to be part of the charity drive as I felt that I could do my little part to help other people on other side of the globe. One weekend, we were stationed at the main entrance of the Sunway Pyramid. Back then, RM500 and RM1,000 notes were still legal tenders. There were a lot of generous people who chipped in the big notes together with some cheques with face value more than RM5,000. All the staff were very happy with the generosity of Malaysians. But, what happened behind the scene was not so good. Transparency and accountability were literally not in existence those days. Did the money collected really channeled into buying food items to be shipped over to the famine victims? We, at the middle management, were in the dark. No announcement was made by the directors.

We do also come across the path of some handicapped beggars at the night markets. Amazingly, those not so mobile people can be seen at many places, which are not so reachable with our poor Malaysian public transportation system. These syndicates target the generosity of Malaysian to support their operations by putting those handicapped people on the streets. I, for one, never wanted to donate to these syndicates. But, the problem is, every time I said ‘No’ to these handicapped people / beggars, I experience some sort of discomfort. I was in a dilemma every time I turned them down. At the back of my head, I would think that if they do not reach the targeted ‘collection’, they will be reprimanded. But, if I give, I am supporting/contributing to the cause of these syndicates.

As Master says, when we give/offer, we have to do it with wisdom. The intention at the point of offering is very important. Whatever happens after that, just leave it. We have no control over it.

When I was younger, I really have that kind of temptation that whenever I ‘give’, I really ‘hope’ someone with notice it so that the ‘merit’ is known. But now, the offerings that we made with sincere intentions really generate the satisfactions that can’t be described in words. This feeling is so warm from inside expanding outwards, generating that ‘feel good’ factor. I experienced this when I contribute to the cause of temple, the Sangha and its events. After attending this class, I want to do more for this good cause and I know I will.

智洪合十

[Let’s fill offering into every moment of our life, and experience the joy of Dhamma.

“I offer this gift, to the Buddhas of ten directions,

to all wise people and sages,

and to all beings throughout the six realms;

may each one, without distinction, receive nourishment;

and may the givers and receivers of today’s offering,

obtain unlimited perfection in virtue.”

You may recite this when you make offering, it’s a teaching from Kwan Um Zen School. ]

智洪《十大愿王04》心得报告

称赞如来

I didn’t realise that this vow,称赞如来, meant beyond praising Buddha alone.

In lives, too much emphasis centres on I, mine, me. The people surrounding us were and are there actually to help us achieve Buddhahood.

When I was younger, during my early twenties, I used to be a much friendly and approachable person to all, including strangers. As years go by, I became more and more reserved person. I am still very approachable to those that I know, but no longer that friendly to strangers. I always blame my change of attitude to the environment that I work and live in. The harsh real world moulded me into the person I am today.

After listening to Master’s talk on this vow, I paused for a while and asked myself a question ~ Is the change of attitude a result of those elements of environment? 

Having grown up in an environment where my parents used the ‘reversed motivation’ to teach the children, I hardly hear them praising us for the good deeds that we did. To them, by praising the children, you will spoil them. So, it was a bonus if they didn’t dry our dirty linen in front of relatives and friends. 

To me, I think otherwise. Praises that fall into the right places do wonders. One of the praises that etched very much in my heart was given by my school teacher during my Primary 4 mid-term results day. I managed to get the position of only 12 in my class. That was the first time I heard my teacher telling my mother that I had improved a lot, was good and could only become better. All I heard before that was the teachers telling my mother to monitor my studies closely as I had performed badly (I used to be at 32 out of 38 consistently from Standards 1 to 3). From thereon, my Standards 5 to 6 results were good and I was in the top 3. I finally managed to get to the first in my final Standard 6 exams. I was also voted the Best Student for my final primary year.

Moving on, as a parent, I can see how praises and scoldings can do to children. I noticed that when my children misbehaved and got a scolding for their misdeeds, they would not behave better. Only through proper explanation and mutual understanding, they will know their shortcomings. When they were praised for their good deeds, we can see the ‘prolonged’ good behaviour from them.

智洪合十

[It’s great that you have tasted the power of praise. It will be wonderful if you could extend your praising to all sentient beings, includes those who disgrace or dislike you, and this is one of the utmost virtues of Lord Buddha.]

智洪《十大愿王03》心得报告

礼敬诸佛

‘In front of Buddha, there is an unlimited me’.

‘ When Shakyamuni Buddha achieves Buddhahood, everyone else becomes Buddha in his eyes ’.

• Living in this multi-racial and multi-cultural Malaysia is really a good training ground for us to learn and practise YOU=ME. 

• Having spent my primary school days in a national school, I mixed very well with students from other races. I was of the opinion (during my primary and secondary school days) that our multi-racial society that has been divided by different political ideologies would be brought closer together once OUR generation grows up. 

• But, this had proved to the contrary after I left school. The more I read about the unequal treatments given to different races in this country, the stronger the prejudice I have against other races.

• Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s first vow of ’礼敬诸佛’ really gave me a timely reminder that I should put all these behind me and learn how to happily mix with other people, regardless of race or other factors. 

Master also asked a few questions:-

~ Why were we born and raised up here in Malaysia? 

~ Why do we have opportunity to learn Dharma in this life and not other religions?

~ Was it because of our deeds accumulated from previous lives? 

• Do treasure this opportunity whilst we still have it!!!

智洪合十

[When you found the answer of Master’s questions, you will let go your strong prejudice against others.]

智洪《十大愿王02》心得报告

‘Puxian Bodhisattva will immediately relieved himself from whatever he is doing to assist anyone who is willing to 拜忏’.

Puxian Bodhisattva is such a great individual to be able to exercise his vow to assist people.

• I was approached by a close friend for some monetary assistance some months ago. He was (may still be) a habitual gambler. I didn’t respond to him in a manner which is normally expected from a close friend. In fact, my first respond was to avoid him. I didn’t answer his initial calls and messages.

We were very close since our schooling days. I know him very well and maybe because of this, I was very reluctant to extend a helping hand to him. I was practically 以知去行。I was still guided by my presumptions (maybe even more correct – prejudice) that I may have on him. To me, he wanted to borrow some money to punt. 

I confronted him some years ago and he admitted that he wanted to borrow some capital to win back some portion of what he had lost.

Somehow, sometimes I face a dilemma. I was wondering ‘what-if’ he really wants to change for good? What-if he needs cash for his daily necessities? What-if he needs cash for medications? Shall all ex-convicts, gamblers or even drug addicts not be given another chance to repent even though statistically their probability of reverting to old habit is very HIGH?

• I was also comparing his situation with those we sometimes think the not-so-genuine beggars. To those beggars, shall we just buy food for them or shall we just donate cash to them? What-if those are genuine beggars who are out there to make some collections for their needy days (‘rainy days’)? Or shall we just closed one eye and donate cash to those cheating syndicates and think that we have done some good deeds? By helping these people (gamblers, drug addicts or fake beggars), are we committing bad deeds and incurring bad karma?

[Keep our mind clear, and Wisdom will appear, you will know how to help. When a hungry person comes, you give him food; a thirsty person comes, you give her something to drink. There is no desire for myself, only for all beings. ]

• Another query that I have is the 108拜忏. Master said that in our tough days (bad luck), and if nothing can possibly explains the bad luck facing us, they could be due to the ‘sin debts’ resurfaced. We should then do the 108拜忏if other things can’t mitigate the situation.

I thought that if we whole-heartedly and sincerely do things and say things in our daily lives, those are the right ways to live our lives. Why must we bow 108 times daily and stretch our bodies physically if our mental and spiritual are pure and sincere?

[This was just your thinking mind! 以知去行, it is dead person’s learning. As a Dharma Practitioner (行者), we learn through action. So, just do it! ]

智洪《十大愿王01》心得报告

I have never been to a Buddhist temple in my whole life, except during the only occasion in a year, which is the Wesak Day. I have never wanted to step into a temple to worship, let alone to learn the religion. To me, I fear the thing…. that the teaching is to be communicated in Mandarin.

As fate to be…. I was brought into this Hoeh Beng Temple by my wife, 佩珠, through 行者培训营. A wonderful programme that is devised to make Buddha’s teachings feel so easy to understand and appreciate. 

After attending the first session for the first time (for record, I have attended Session 1 twice and Session 2 once), I saw the some obvious changes in myself. The most drastic change was my response to happenings… I used to respond immediately in the past, but in an adverse way especially when I was driving. The normally mild tempered me will turn its ugly face when I am at the wheels. I can hardly tolerate the so-called incompetent drivers… After the Session 1, I sort of managed to change my response to happenings. I will pause a while before I react. I will think, and think before I respond. I became calmer at wheels. As a result, my temper became much better and my inner self became much calmer. What a wonderful feeling!

定was another magic lesson that I learnt. I used to be easily influenced by my surroundings; be them the people, or the environment. I used to follow the flow of the day. After attending the lesson, I use the word to remind me to be firmer and more steady in my approach to life and work. I am beginning to see more of me… instead of following others without self-awareness.

My vow during the Session 1 was to become a Good Person. Not only should I be filial to my parents, I must be good as a Husband, Father, Brother and also Friend. By remembering and practicing this whole heartedly, I believe I can become a real good person. I must strive to be good to all the parties mentioned above and in order to do that, a good balancing act need to be done.

The above will never happen had I not step my foot into this Hoeh Beng Temple. I must thank my wife for being so loving and forgiving. Without her, I won’t know what is Dharma.

[Your vow to be a good husband, father, brother and friend is great. When moment-to-moment you are in correct situation, correct relationship, and correct function, it gives rise to great love, great compassion, and the great Bodhisattva Way.]