Recitation of One Million Medicine Buddha mantras for Flood Victims

Geshe Chonyi from Amitabha Buddhist Centre has advised that it will be most beneficial for the flood victims if we can accumulate one million (1,000,000) recitations of the Medicine Buddha mantra:

Tadyatha om bekanzay bekanzay maha bekanzay bekanzay raja samudgate svaha

The Medicine Buddha protects living beings from physical and mental sickness and other dangers and obstacles, and helps them to eradicate the three poisons – attachment, hatred, and ignorance – which are the source of all sickness and danger. He is a Buddha Doctor. His radiant body is azure blue. His left hand is in the meditation mudra and holds a begging bowl full of long life nectar in his lap. As a sign that he gives protection from illness, his right hand is outstretched in the gesture of giving and holds the "great medicine", the myrobalan plant.

It is estimated that, if just 500 members recite this mantra a total of 20 malas each (108 recitations per mala), the 1 million target will be easily achieved by 15 September 2010. It is a great opportunity to participate in this worthy project and accumulate merits through these recitations.  

You can register your pledge of the number of malas you would like to recite here, so that the centre can track the total final number.  I have pledged 30 malas, which is 3,240 mantras.

After each session, you can dedicate your recitation as follows:

"May the virtue generated by these recitations be dedicated to the flood victims in Pakistan and all living beings suffering the effects of natural disasters wherever they may be. May all disharmony in the four elements be completely pacified.

May all obstacles to their receiving whatever assistance they need - food, shelter, medical help and so forth - be immediately removed.

May their suffering be eliminated without delay. May they be blessed with good health, happiness and resources and the fulfilment of all their needs.

For the victims who have passed away, may each and every one of them attain a precious human rebirth where they will enjoy the best conditions to practise virtue and pure morality under the guidance of a fully qualified compassionate spiritual teacher."

Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup will be leading in the grand dedication of these mantras we have accumulated during the Guru Puja at 7.30pm on Friday, 17th September 2010.

The benefits of the Medicine Buddhas Mantra can be found here.

Here is the beautiful recitation of the mantra for your reference. I even have the CD for this. Here the mantra is sang /chanted slowly and beautifully. In my actual recitation, of course I have to be faster, so that I can at least do 2 malas or more per day. I may do more than I had pledged. Happy recitation!

The things we do during the lunar 7th month

Have you ever been pressed by ghosts / spirits in your sleep?

Many years ago, before I became a Tibetan Buddhist, occasionally I would experience being pressed by something when in bed, especially so during the lunar 7th month of Hungry Ghosts. Although I was not afraid, but the something was pressing on and paralysing my body so that I could not move. My room seemed misty in the dark. I saw the light coming from the ON/OFF switch of my hi-fi, was somehow moving dancing around. I thought I was dreaming. But I was awake and trying to get up but I could not. I would chant some Buddhist mantras and continued struggling to "free" myself. After a while, I was able to move again. This happened 2-3 times during the 7th month. I was not afraid of ghosts (if they were the ones disturbing me), I just did not want them bothering me. Thus I am glad nowadays I do not encounter such problems anymore. I feel strongly this is due to regular pujas, prayers, and I have blessed stuff to protect me. Most importantly, the Buddha's presence.

If you or somebody you know is having this problem, read how to solve this in my earlier post - Ever been pressed by ghosts?  

There are always a couple of things to be done during the chinese lunar 7th month, the month of the Hungry Ghosts. Buddhists celebrate the Ullambana Festival. The word Ullambana is a Sanskrit word meaning "deliverance from suffering". Holding ceremonies of charity so that the outcast and famished ghosts may leave suffering and cross over to salvation. Thus, the 15th day of the seventh moon has become an occasion for teaching the virtues of filial piety.

In our household, my parents do make it a point to have the names of our deceased ancestors submitted to various temples, so that the monks and us could pray on behalf of our ancestors, and to dedicate the good merits of the puja to our ancestors so that they  can have a good rebirth, wherever their consciousness is at the moment. We wrote the names of my late great grandparents, my grandfathers and paternal grandmother on little 'tablets' with their photos.

In Dro-Phen Ling, this special prayer session is called Jang Wang (Chao Du 超度法会) which is a skilful Tantric practice which is conducted when someone has passed away. This purification practice employs the power of mantra, Buddha’s Holy speech; as well as the power of meditation stabilization of the monks. 

Towards the end of the ceremony, the deceased tablets were burnt immediately by the lamas. Even when the deceased is in the intermediate state transcending to lower realms of rebirth, this puja can help to change the direction of his reincarnation. The Jang Wang Puja purifies the negative actions of those who have passed away, and transfers their consciousness to a better rebirth, or even Buddha’s Pureland.

On another occasion, during this month, it was also the death anniversary of my late maternal grandfather, Gong Gong. This year we made a special visit  to the temple where his ashes and tablet were placed. This is the Pu Ti Buddhist Temple somewhere in Hougang/Punggol. I have not been to this temple for many years. It used to be surrounded by swamps. Now it is surrounded by HDB flats.  It was a nostalgic feeling. I like this temple because it is quiet and clean, and they do not allow burning of incense paper. My devout late great grandmother used to come here for prayers every weekend. Coincidentally, from seeing her tablet that day in this temple, I realised her refuge Buddhist name was 宏如 Hong Ru.

These vegetarian dishes were prepared by my mom for the prayers. They were actually ingredients which we were to use later for wrapping Hokkien Popiah, by mixing everything together. Mom also bought Gong Gong's favourite fruit, plums.

I don't think my readers would want to see photos of all the tablets of the deceased in the temple or the ash urns they were placed in. So this is a photo of my grandparents in their younger days. My Gong Gong passed away when he was only 50 years old. I was only 2 years old then.

Immediately after our prayers, when we were about to leave the temple, dark clouds gathered and it looked like it was going to rain real heavily. It was bright and sunny and hot earlier on.  We took shelter in a nearby shopping mall for lunch as it drizzled. Surprisingly, it stopped after our lunch and when we supposed to go home. From  my experience, this is good news, the short and light rain signified showers of blessings after the prayers.  

As we headed home, we also passed by this plot of land in the midst of many private houses. My Gong Gong used to own this piece of land before it made way for modern development. His huge house was where my sis and I spent our school holidays. In the older days, many would know this area as 6th & A Half Mile, where the Teochew community used to occupy.  

How will my baby look like?

Have you ever wonder how your future baby will look like? Read about rinaz's post earlier and learnt about this online application Morphthing.com, and it was so fun!  I tried morphing my photo with a number of famous guys, to see how my baby will turn out and how he will look like when he grows up. So hilarious! I don't think it's accurate, but enjoy...

My most favourite morph - with Korean actor Ji Jin Hee. Cheery looking big-eyed kid and a very handsome adult version. And with a little of my features too. I like! 

Tell me, which is your favourite here? Go on, have some fun. 

A little part in Youth Olympic Games 2010 - Refresh, Rise, Roar!

A couple of weekends ago, my sis asked if I would like to go watch a dance performance by my niece. Her team which won Silver for the national dance competition in Singapore Youth Festival, was due to perform in one of the stops where the YOG torch would be passed on, at St Patrick's School.

This was at St Patrick's School which was abuzz with activities for the mini concert/ceremony as well as a carnival, and also to celebrate National Day.

The boys in the military band were quite good, with the few pieces they played.

Finally after an hour or so of waiting, the YOG torch finally reached the school and handed over to the Principal.  I appreciate the excitement from the kids while I melted in the hot afternoon sun. 

Backstage, my niece and friends were busy chatting and laughing away, waiting for their turn to perform. I like their "peacock" lookalike costume, with tiara and feathers and "wings". See the huge colourful flower on her chest?

At last their dance performance which they jumped in the air and danced enthusiastically. I pity the heat these little girls must be feeling the entire afternoon, in that costume.

One group photo for the memories for their YOG participation.

Did you know my sis spent 2 hours in the morning tying all these plaits for niece? Phew.

Doesn't niece's costume looks like the colour of Merly's mane? Haha! And while niece was too busy with her friends and performance, nephew found time to take pictures with Merly. He insisted his mommy must accompany him, while I was the photographer.

He also  took another with Lyo. Merly and Lyo are the YOG's official mascots. Refresh. Rise. Roar, the Coca-Cola theme song for Youth Olympic Games 2010.

This was one of my favourite shot of the day, in the compound of St Patrick's School. It was a hot and sweaty day, I was melting so badly that I forgot to take pictures of the fun fair and carnival (I was eating).

Below is a recording of the performance by the military band boys. What a Mama-Mia performance! Well done, boys! And also my niece and friends!

Ani Choying Dolma's concert in Singapore!

Yippee! Many Buddhists and non-Buddhists in the circle already know that Ani Choying Dolma is coming to Singapore for a concert. I may or may not be able to attend this concert due to some reasons. But I hope I can make it by then. 

She’s been called the Singing Nun from Kathmandu who is  an international performer bringing Buddhist mantras to the world, spreading the peace in those ancient vibrations with her beautiful interpretations and amazing voice.

Ani Choying Dolma in Concert

Sun 24 October 2010, 7pm

Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel, Singapore

$40, $60, $80

Ani Choying Dolma is a Buddhist nun and musician from the Nagi Gompa nunnery in Nepal. She is known in Nepal and throughout the world for bringing many Tibetan Buddhist chants and feast songs to mainstream audiences. She was born in 1971 in Kathmandu, Nepal to Tibetan exiles. She decided at an early age to pursue monastic life, and was accepted into the Nagi Gompa nunnery at the age of 12. For a number of years, the monastary's resident chant master (who was trained directly by the wife of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche) taught Ani Choying the music that she is famous for performing. She is an exceptional singer, admired by fans throughout the world. People are moved to tears by the plaintive purity of her voice, and the haunting melodies of her ancient songs and hymes, passed from master to pupil for many centuries. Ani Choying has always believed that nuns have a great desire and potential to make the world a better place, if only given equal opportunities.

"Inner Peace" is one of my favourite of her CDs for  beautiful buddhist chants because her voice is so soulful and healing. Below is one of the songs - The Great Compassion Mantra 大悲咒- titled "Namo Ratna Trayaya". I love this mantra so much that I can recite/sing it by heart. I always chant this wherever I go. It's the first mantra that comes to mind. Listen to this...

"Reciting the Great Compassion Mantra can prevent and cure the 84,000 kinds of diseases are covered, including AIDS and pneumonia. This Mantra can prevent and cure all kinds of illness and diseases if recite with utmost sincerity". - Venerable Master Hsuan Hua.

"To recite it a full 5 times in one evening is to wipe away your heavy offenses of hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands,tens of thousands of millions of aeons of birth and death". - The Dharani Sutra.

 

"Instead of cursing the darkness, 

why not light a candle yourself? 

Never give up." 

Ani Choying Dolma

My religion is kindness

We can't say that all religions are the same, different religions have different views and fundamental differences. But it does not matter, as all religions are meant to help in bringing about a better world with better and happier human beings. On this level, I think that through different philosophical explanations and approaches, all religions have the same goal and the same potential. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. - His Holiness The Dalai Lama

His Holiness the the Dalai Lama in Amritsar, India on November 27, 2007, where he participated in the third meeting of the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders, a group founded in 1996 to promote inter-faith dialogue, that brings together prominent Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists.

Go die earlier?

Fellow Twitter mate, melpig,  tweeted about Suzuki's new car....

Introducing the new Kizashi ..... all sleek and suave.... 

But I wouldn't buy it..... because its Japanese name "Kizashi" in our Hokkien dialect, sounds like 'kee ja see" "去早死" which means "go die earlier". 

Capturing the randomness of life....

Living the mundane life, capturing the randomness of life...  Love life and life will love you back. 

Saw this old school brand of Shan Dong Peanuts, I thought of my father munching these in the older days. I bought a packet for him, just to see him munch on these and I, reliving the memory.

I did stopped on my tracks because of this awfully designed banner. One look you would not even know what they were trying to sell.  Then next you see salesmen with a file standing next to a construction site, approaching passer-bys and trying to sell condo units by the roadside. I was too shocked.

Tried these before - Twisted Fries?

The skies and clouds are perhaps one of the things that is fickle and ever changing, every second, every minute.  And I like to capture the changes.

I just love this shot of Mom at the hair salon. She was smiling so happily chatting with the hair stylist. 

This blueberry cheesecake baked by Buddy was very delish, although it didn't look good on the outside.

This guy together with his wife and mother in the bus were all holding tissue paper to cover their noses. Why? Because 2 Indian ladies were standing right in front of them. I thought that was a tad insensitive of this family even though I know they might be  suffocating. I couldn't help noticing the eerie shadow figure behind the man though...

Embarking on a train ride along the new Circle Line. This is the Stadium Station, state of the art design.

I didn't know they have this - Rainbow Potong.

The wet market is a gradual diminishing sight in Singapore, as more people opt for the supermarket. I always remember grumbling, trudging along besides Mom when I was a kid doing Sunday marketing at the wet and dirty wet market.

Love this shot of Lhamo, the dog from DPL centre, out for a walk. The evening sun was akin to a divine light shining upon the earth. I pray Lhamo will have a very good rebirth as a human in her next life, which I'm sure she will. ;)

Passed by this new shop in Plaza Singapura, selling paper, stationery, handicrafts. Lots of cutesy stuff. I think niece will like it here.

Love is when you are on an one-day vegetarian diet and your parents also followed suit by having a vegetarian dinner together.

This Malay lady in a wheelchair is waiting for the bus. Do you know how lucky we are to have healthy limbs?

Sometimes I just like to be home alone.