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Just Passing Thru

April 17, 2008 by saltwetfish

One common theme among a lot of Buddhist writers especially Western authors and even some non-Western authors, is the liberally and unashamed use of useful examples of stories and experiences from other religions. It actually requires people with equanimity and strong confidence in their own belief to be able to do so. Mind you, these are not bad example, rather, they are insightful experiences and stories and it always gladden me to know how non-judgmental and non-segregating these Buddhist authors can be.

In A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield, I came upon a beautiful passage:

There is an old story about a famous rabbi living in Europe who was visited one day by a man who had traveled by ship from New York to see him. The man came to the great rabbi’s dwelling, a large house on a street in a European city, and was directed to the rabbi’s room, which was in the attic. Continue Reading »

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Please Call Me By My True Name

April 13, 2008 by saltwetfish

When I first read the poem by Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh yearsa ago, I was overwhelmed with emotions and tears. Not that its a very sad poem nor that it tells a very sad story. But that I could related to his empathy and his insight of inter-being. In the poem, I could feel the pain and sufferings, the joys, the anger, the sadness, the wanting and even the calmness. The emotions are strong.

I feel that in this age of constant war, aversion, anger and hatred and with the mass media (esp. in the West) constantly portraying a one-sided view on terrorism, Tibet/China issue, Burma issues, environmentalism, human rights, etc, this poem becomes even more important for us all to gain insight into the true nature of compassion.

Please Call Me By My True Name
Thich Nhat Hanh

Do not say I depart tomorrow,
for even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every moment,
to be a bud on a branch,
to be a tiny bird with wings still fragile,
learning to sing in my new nest,
to be a caterpillar in the hearth of a flower,
to be jewel hiding itself in a stone. Continue Reading »

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The 100 Million Mani Recitation Retreat

January 24, 2008 by saltwetfish

The following is a comment written by Eileena Lee on her blog @ Yahoo 360

Spent the last few days of 2007 at the 100 Million Mani Recitation Retreat at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastory where more then 1000 of us chanted Om Mani Padme Hung for 7 1/2days.

To prep myself for the retreat, I googled for Om Mani Padme Hung and found this.
The meaning of Om Mani Padme Hung.

Still… I did not quite understand the significance of chanting the six syllable mantra.
But I did tell myself that since chanting is one of the disciplines of Buddhism, I should give myself a chance to experience it.

The first day was extremely tough for me after a hectic one and a half months, the quiet hum of over 1000 people chanting, was a nice reprief. Plus the monk who was leading the chant had this baritone voice – so soothing. I had problems staying awake and was dozing off. Initially I was struggling to stay awake, after a while, told myself that I probably needed the rest anyway, and allowed myself to drift off.

Perhaps it was tough because I told myself it would be so. And when I looked around at the numerous aunties who hobbled around with tongkats, sitting and chanting for as many hours as me, and not complaining AND doing this for the 3rd consecutive year….
Alamak, how can I complain about back aches!
I better learn to motivate myself for this!

It seems all so easy to chant and stay focus, or so I thought! I presumed that it would be easier then meditation. Boy was I wrong. Once I got into an automatic mode, the mind just goes out of control! I’ll be thinking of how much I miss yoga, facebook, should be blogging about this, what’s the next meat meal that I’m gonna have etc.. (attachments, attachments…..)

And so I learnt the significance of chanting and more importantly how we need to constantly practise to rein in our mind.
What stuck in my mind is also at one particular session of dhamma talk, the Rinpoche said that Bodhisattva is not a Buddhist monopoly – and that out there, are Bodhisattvas who are non-Buddhists.
Very cool – very IRO – I like!

On New Year’s eve, the lovely people from KMSPKS Youth Ministry invited me to attend the Spiritual Countdown at the Temple – got Sheung to come as my date.
*scroll down to the first video of us*

We went on a nice little tour of the temple, followed by a mini concert and welcomed 2008 at the open air area where the Abbot of the KMSPKS, Venerable Kwang Sheng, struck the gong 108 times (108 beads in a Buddhist mala/rosary). It was amazing how he got so many people amidst the festivities, to quieten down our minds – nice calm start to the new year.
*scroll down to the last video*

So I welcomed the new year at the Temple instead of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church where I would attend Watch Night with Charm – different venues, but in the same quiet and reflective way.

As you will see in the pix, I was seated on the left of the Buddha. Continue Reading »

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ST: Is Buddha tooth here the real McCoy?

July 21, 2007 by saltwetfish

July 15, 2007

Is Buddha tooth here the real McCoy?

By Tan Dawn Wei & Mavis Toh

WHEN it comes to housing a relic as sacred as a Buddha tooth, devotees spare no expense – as was the case for the new Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown. More than 60,000 donors poured $45 million and 270kg of gold into the four-storey building, where a tooth believed to be one of Buddha’s molars now resides in a 3.6m-high stupa made out of worshippers’ gold donations.

But now, doubts have been cast over whether this tooth belonged to Buddha -or even a human being. And they range from the historical and political to the anatomical.

Mr Yap Kok Feng, a paralegal executive, wrote to Lianhe Zaobao recently claiming that the relic looks nothing like a human tooth. Continue Reading »

Posted in Society | 1 Comment »

Indignation 2007: Singapore Gay Pride Month

July 17, 2007 by saltwetfish


Indignation, Singapore’s GLBT pride season, comes around again. Brought to you by People Like Us and packed with exhibitions, talks, poetry, film, outdoor and social events, it’s a time to renew our confidence in ourselves.

The calendar of events is below, but, as always, subject to change. Do check back frequently for updates. We will upload additional pages soon providing more details about venues and how to get there.

All Indignation events are open to the public, and everyone, straight, gay or transgendered, is welcome. If there are any limitations, e.g. minimum age for entry as required by the licence from the authorities, they will be clearly stated in the blurb for the particular event.

Likewise, all events are free unless otherwise stated in a particular blurb.

Indignation will open with a simple reception – we’re not rich – on Wednesday 1 August 2007. All are welcome. It’s a great opportunity to mingle and make fresh contacts within the community.

Click here to view the calendar

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ST Forum: Replies to Fake Monks in Singapore

July 15, 2007 by saltwetfish

Here are some replies in the ST Forum on the Fake monks in Singapore:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Talk/Story/STIStory_139141.html

July 15, 2007

How to spot a fake monk

AS THE Ambassador of Thailand to Singapore, I write in response to the articles, ‘Exposed: 50 fake monks & nuns – All holed up in Geylang’ and ‘Cat-and-mouse stake-out’ (The Sunday Times, July 8).

I applaud the efforts by all three journalists who co-authored this exclusive report, and would like to share with your readers that the Thai government and several organisations in Thailand, such as the Office of National Buddhism, the Foreign Ministry, and the Royal Thai Police, have never taken this problem lightly.
Continue Reading »

Posted in Society | 1 Comment »

Fake monks in Singapore

July 15, 2007 by saltwetfish

Two stories from the Straits Times on fake monks in Singapore:

July 8, 2007
EXPOSED: 50 FAKED MONKS & NUNS

All holed up in Geylang

By Ben Nadarajan & Teh Joo Lin

A FOUR-STOREY motel smack in the red light district of Geylang has been the hideaway for groups of bogus monks and nuns who make their way from northern Thailand in and out of Singapore for quick pickings.

Numbering as many as 100, they take refuge in Lorong 28 in Geylang, venturing out in the mornings for their ‘alms’ rounds.

At any one time, there could be 20 or 30 of them. Last week, there were about 50 of them.

They are Thais on social visit passes who use the guise of religious robes to prey on the sensibilities of HDB heartlanders. The scam has been going on for at least two years.

The whole group made a quick exit on Friday afternoon, after police came sniffing around their lodgings the night before.

In twos and threes, they lugged their backpacks and trolley bags onto taxis and made their way to Golden Mile Complex in Beach Road.

After exchanging Singapore currency for Thai baht, they boarded coaches headed for Johor Baru, herded by a Thai man who appeared to be in charge of the logistics.
Continue Reading »

Posted in Society | 4 Comments »

BCTV: Fake Thai monks beg in Singapore

July 14, 2007 by saltwetfish

From BuddhistChannel TV

Fake Thai monks beg in Singapore
DPA, Jull 9, 2007

Singapore — Bogus monks and nuns from Thailand have been collecting alms from Singaporeans and evading police by making speedy getaways, The Sunday Times reported.
Numbering as many as 100, they take refuge in a four-storey hotel in the red-light district of Geyland.

Arriving on social visit passes, they don religious robes in the morning and make their rounds, the newspaper said. Many then shed their robes and emerge in civilian clothing, heading for nearby coffee shops.

A large group made a quick exit after police were seen near their lodgings.
After exchanging Singapore currency for Thai baht, they boarded coaches headed for Malaysia.

“I am scared I’ll get arrested,” the newspaper quoted a 21-year-old man as saying. “If I am thrown in jail, I will have no future.”

Anyone who collects alms or solicits charitable contributions under false pretences can be fined up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (1,315 US dollars) or jailed up to three months, or both.

The fake monks operate from syndicates which are based in Johor in Malaysia and Hatyai in southern Thailand, said a spokesman for the Thai Buddhist Temple in Singapore.

The gang leaders work closely with their partners in the city-state, who pocket 30 per cent of their collections, he added.

A fake monk can make as much as 800 Singapore dollars (526 US dollars) a day, but usually the amount is far less.

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Thoughts on “Why Do Gay Men Practice Together?”

July 1, 2007 by saltwetfish

Following up on the article “Why Do Gay Men Practice Together?“. Here are some of my thoughts…

We have often heard other people or even gay people saying that gay group or women’s group or transgender group are not necessarily. Why can’t they just blend in and talk about their issues together with others. Why do they need to be special or have a special group just for themselves?

In many ways, it is indeed redundant if there is equality in the society and its law and people don’t discriminate against each other. However, for certain groups discrimination is high and can even lead to death, depression and lot of other negative emotions.

Just look the recent apologies by Ex ex-gay ministry personal in the US and look at what is perceived as a higher proportion of drug and alcohol overuse within the gay community and the lack of self-esteem so prevalent with the gay community, including depression and suicide.

As long as there is strong discrimination within society, it is necessary for a group of like-minded people to meet to feel safe enough to talk about their problems without being judged and to share their stories so that at the very least, they don’t think that they are the only ones with such problems. Not only that, because of the lack of visibility and information, being together (virtually or otherwise) helps people to exchange information and to normalise their relationship with the world. Continue Reading »

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Why Do Gay Men Practice Together? By Alan Oliver

July 1, 2007 by saltwetfish

This article was sent to me many years back when Heartland just started. I have managed to look it up and got permissions from Alan to publish this.

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Why Do Gay Men Practice Together?

by Alan Oliver-The Gay Men’s Buddhist Sangha

Many people over the past eight years of gay practice have asked why we believe it is important for gay men to practice together. There are many other Buddhist centers and traditions in the world so why create a separate practice environment for gay men? This is a healthy question which raises important issues of dualism, separation and interdependence. I believe the following seven reasons help to explain why gay men choose to practice together.

1. Affinity groups with similar interests, backgrounds or visions have been a common model for people to create meaning in their lives. By knowing on multiple levels what your fellow practitioners have experienced and by sharing common life experiences you have a powerful base of understanding to work with and learn from. This can be a significant source of insight and growth. Women’s groups, African-American groups and Jewish groups are just three types of affinity groups that have proved worthwhile and successful. Continue Reading »

Posted in Gender & Sexuality | 2 Comments »

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