WORK WORK WORK

A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.

Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."

The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.

One day when we look back , we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.

Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition . Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.

So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!

Watch your thoughts ; they become words.

Watch your words ; they become actions.

Watch your actions ; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character .

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny .

Dharma Fri 30th June

Dear Dharma Friends,

now that i have my email up and running at work, i can down to doing some REAL work, like sending out important emails like this.

This week we will travel down to nollamara temple (the "home" of ajahn brahm) and attend their dharma talk.

Details as follows
30th june Friday
@ The Buddhist Society of WA (Inc)
Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre
18-20 Nanson Way
Nollamara WA 6061
meet there at 7.15

If you need a lift, or ANYTHING at all im here to help email or call 0421 605 422

-peace out, love and all that stuff
nam

having trouble comparing yourself to everything? -
"Hell was OK, until some wise guy went to heaven and
came back"

-- Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

A Shared Experience: Working Together with Muslims, Christians and Buddhists

The 24th of June marked a Multifaith Community Event which brought together youth groups from 3 separate religious faiths to build dialogue and cooperation between them.

Building Bridges: A Multi-Faith Community Service Event was organized by the Religious Youth Service, Australian Islamic Council, Carmelite Monastery, the Loreto Sisters, and Fo Guang Shan Temple.

The Event was opened by the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests, the Hon. Tony McRae MLA, who gave a very positive message of togetherness.

This was followed by interfaith prayers delivered by Imam Jalil of the Rivervale Mosque, Reverend Sanderson Austin of the Maylands Spiritualist Church, and Reverend Yao of Fo Guang Shan Temple. Reverend Rick McInerheney, the Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation Australia, chaired the opening ceremony.

Attendees of the event included Mr Rahim Ghowry, the President of the Australian Islamic Federation and Mr Angelo Natanni, the WA State Director of the Family Federation for World Peace.

The aim of Building Bridges was to encourage and promote meaningful dialogue between people of various religious and cultural backgrounds through working side by side in community service.

During the day, participants worked together to clean up an extension building for the Rivervale Mosque, pulling weeds, cleaning walls, and mopping floors to work together for a common cause. The hard work was followed with a Halal lunch at the Mosque for all participants, and a talk by Imam Jalil to provide a better understanding of Islam.

The Muslim, Christian and Buddhist participants later visited the Carmelite Monastery to speak with the cloistered nuns within its walls. This was followed by a visit to Loreto Convent, with a tour by the Loreto Sisters. Participants ended the day at Fo Guang Shan Temple, taking part in a Buddhist prayer and a question and answer session.

Religious Youth Service was a project developed at the 1985 Assembly of World Religions to foster respect, cooperation and understanding among religions. The project has been organizing community service with members of all faiths for over 20 years, involving over 5000 volunteers in more than 37 countries.

Fazida Razak (RYS) and the Hon. Tony McRae, MLA

Kate (St Vincent de Paul) and Ga Vin (YAD)

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage

...On a field trip with the students, I listened to a professional trainer describe how he had taught African crested cranes to stop landing on his head and shoulders. He did this by training the leggy birds to land on mats on the ground. This, he explained, is what is called an "incompatible behavior," a simple but brilliant concept.

Rather than teach the cranes to stop landing on him, the trainer taught the birds something else, a behavior that would make the undesirable behavior impossible. The birds couldn't alight on the mats and his head simultaneously.

At home, I came up with incompatible behaviors for Scott to keep him from crowding me while I cooked. To lure him away from the stove, I piled up parsley for him to chop or cheese for him to grate at the other end of the kitchen island. Or I'd set out a bowl of chips and salsa across the room. Soon I'd done it: no more Scott hovering around me while I cooked.

I followed the students to SeaWorld San Diego, where a dolphin trainer introduced me to least reinforcing syndrome (L. R. S.). When a dolphin does something wrong, the trainer doesn't respond in any way. He stands still for a few beats, careful not to look at the dolphin, and then returns to work. The idea is that any response, positive or negative, fuels a behavior. If a behavior provokes no response, it typically dies away.

In the margins of my notes I wrote, "Try on Scott!"

It was only a matter of time before he was again tearing around the house searching for his keys, at which point I said nothing and kept at what I was doing. It took a lot of discipline to maintain my calm, but results were immediate and stunning. His temper fell far shy of its usual pitch and then waned like a fast-moving storm. I felt as if I should throw him a mackerel...

An interesting... and very Buddhist concept... to read the rest of the article, click here.

Meeting between Pope Benedict and Master Hsing Yun

CNA , ROME
Friday, Jun 23, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI met with visiting Master Hsing Yun (星雲法師), founder of Taiwan's Buddha's Light International Association, on Wednesday in a general audience at St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican.

During the meeting, Benedict XVI expressed his best regards for the Taiwanese and said he would pray for them. The pope also said that he would visit Taiwan if the chance arose.

...Click this link to read the rest of the story

Ven. Dr Yifa: Life and Death in Buddhism

For those of you that weren't able to make it to the talk by Ven. Dr Yifa on the 12th of June (2006), you can now download the talk from this link in mp3 format. Please note that the file size is 113MB so I hope you have broadband!

Thank you so much to Clive for recording and hosting this file.

How poor people live

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

This was passed on to you to help you refresh your perspective and appreciation.

"Life is too short and friends are too few."

2006 Multifaith Youth Service Program (Multifaith Community Service Program)

  

click on poster to see a larger version
click on comments to see full day schedule

Dharma Friday 23rd June: Heart Sutra Continued

Dear Fellowship of the Dharma,

Our quest for the truth and ultimate realization continues. This week will see us return to the Buddha's Bliss temple in Willetton to learn more about the Heart Sutra. The explaination of the beginning of the sutra is of the most important and one that should not be missed.

Details as follows:
Location: 21 Woodthorpe Drive, Willetton
Time: 7.15pm

for transport or questions "look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east" or email or ring 0421 605 422, whatevers easier.

"I havnt slept for 10 days,..... because that would be tooo long"

nam

Blood Donation - WED 21 June

Dear friends,

ONE DAY YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!! but if you're lucky someone might be there to help you through it, but just remember that they are only there because they are willing!! here's your chance to be that willing someone!

Just by sitting there you could make a huge difference in someones life (ie no effort accept turning up!!). Want to be a kinder person, someone who is willing to give, well here is your chance!!

YADs trimonthly blood donation is happening again this wednesday, and if you thought you too scared to do it yourself, well come join a whole bunch of other whoosies and do it together.

Details: St johns on wellington street (oposite pier st)
Time: 6.00pm wednesday night onwards

Need to bring: your healthy body (must be more than 45kg) and drink at least 2-3 litres of water during the day prior to coming in.

Just rock up come up stairs, and there will be someone there to greet you!

any questions please ring esther 0421 211 618. or email me.

nam

Dharma Fri 16th June

GOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

ahem ... I mean Dear dharma friends (or the term from the conference "Brothers and sisters of the Dharma")

In continuing our months of excursions, this week we will be attending the Dhama Class at the Buddha's Bliss Mission in Willetton. They also hold a meditation class followed by a dharma class with this weeks topic on the HEART SUTRA. Details as follows...

We will be meeting there at
Time: 7.15pm Friday -(class runs till 9.30)
Address: 21 Woodthorpe Drive, Willetton

IF you need a lift or have any questions, you know what to do. email or 0421 605 422

The heart sutra - "If it is the first time you read Heart Sutra, you may find that it is difficult to understand because its way of thinking is different from the traditional ones. Therefore, you should be open-minded, and think deeply and carefully. The Heart Sutra reveals the entire secret of truth of the universe and life. Don't miss it, otherwise you'll regret it."

For full explaination of every single line in the sutra check out
http://www.dmcclanahan.com/hs1.htm

HEART SUTRA
------------------------------------
When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is practising the profound Prajna-paramita,
He sees and illuminates to the emptiness of the five skandhas, and
Thus attains deliverance from all suffering.

Sariputra, matter is not different from emptiness, and
Emptiness is not different from matter.
Matter is emptiness and emptiness is matter.
So too are sensation, recognition, volition and consciousness.

Sariputra, the emptiness character of all dharmas,
neither arises nor ceases, is neither pure nor impure,
and neither increases nor decreases.

Therefore, in emptiness: there is no matter,
no sensation, recognition, volition or consciousness,
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind,
no sight, sound, scent, taste, tangibles, or dharma,
no field of the eye up to no field of mental consciousness,
no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no ending of suffering, and no path,
no wisdom and also no attainment.
Because there is nothing obtainable.

Bodhisattvas through the reliance on Prajna-paramita
Have no attachment and hindrance in their minds.
Because there is no more attachment and hindrance,
There is no more fear, and
Far away from erroneous views and wishful-thinking,
Ultimately : The Final Nirvana.

Therefore, realize that Prajna-paramita
is the great wondrous mantra,
the great radiant mantra,
the unsurpassed mantra, and
the unequalled mantra.

It can eradicate all suffering, and
It is genuine and not false.
Therefore, utter the Prajna-paramita mantra -
Chant: Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhisvaha!

2006 International Buddha's Light Young Adult Conference

The 2006 International Buddha's Light Young Adult Conference will be held at Fo Guang Shan in Kao Hsiung, Taiwan, from Aug. 3, 2006, to Aug. 6, 2006.This year's conference will be co-organized by the BLIA YAD Chung-Hwa Regional Subdivisions led by Ven. Man Chien.

For those of you interested in attending, this is a rare opportunity to get to know YAD dharma friends from around the world (and also to visit Taiwan!). For more information, please contact Ga Vin on 041 326 3355 (Three) or at gavin@mosaic.net.au.

You can also visit the IBLYAC web site for more details.

Muslims, Christians and Buddhists all working together for a common cause?

It’s a reality with Building Bridges: A Multi-Faith Community Service Event, organized by the Religious Youth Service, Australian Islamic Council, Carmelite Monastery and Fo Guang Shan Temple.

The 24^th of June marks this Multifaith Community Event which will bring together youth groups from 3 separate religious faiths to build dialogue and cooperation between them.

The goal of Building Bridges is to encourage and promote meaningful dialogue between people of various religious and cultural backgrounds through working side by side in community service.

This multi-faith event aims to provide an opportunity for its participants to gain an understanding and respect for others’ cultures and beliefs. By performing service projects at a mosque and temple, participants experience working in harmony with other religious groups, thus promoting peaceful cooperation, inter-cultural and inter-religious harmony.

Muslim, Christian and Buddhist participants will travel to visit three religious centers in a full day event. Activities on the day will include talks by leaders of each religious order and community service by participants at two of the religious centers.

Religious organizations that will play a part will include the Rivervale Mosque/ Islamic Centre, the Carmelite Monastery (Nedlands) and the Fo Guang Shan Temple (Maylands).

Participants will start the day at 8:30am at the Rivervale Mosque on the 24^th of June and will end the day at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Maylands. Lunch and refreshments will be provided through the day.

Religious Youth Service was a project developed at the 1985 Assembly of World Religions to foster respect, cooperation and understanding among religions. The project has been organizing community service with members of all faiths for over 20 years, involving over 5000 volunteers in more than 37 countries.

For more information, or to find out how you can attend, contact Fazida Razak (Religious Youth Service) on 0409 297 420/94432496 or Carl Ong (Buddha’s Light International Association Young Adult Division) on 0433 207 025 before the 18th of June.

Some video clips :D

I got this from the internet, when I browse randomly. This is from YAD London, if not mistaken...some of their performance during Buddha's Birthday Celebration.



Another song perform by them :P

Dharma Fri 9th June

Hello All,

Following on from our exciting month of Buddhism, this week's dharma class will coincide with the Dharma talk being held at the Perth Exhibition and convention
centre. This is a free talk open to the general public and is an event in the lead up to the 4th global conference held on that same weekend. So it looks like we will be going on another excursion, YAY!! =0)

Details as follows:
Where: Meet at the Perth Exhibition Centre in the city (in the lobby area where there are stalls set up to claim your conference tickets)
When: 6.30pm, Fri 9th June
More Information: Contact Nam Nguyen on namhqn@yahoo.com.au or 0421 605 422

PS. if you are going to the conference please remember to BRING YOUR RECEIPT so that you can get your ticket and your name badge.

If you need transport please contact Lay Yoke, or myself through email or 0421 605 422

Hope to see you all there and dont forget to bring your signed permission slips from your mommy, hehe kidding =)

-nAm

More YAD Events! (June)

Hi everyone,

There's lots of events happening in the next few weeks so stay tuned. We have a series of Buddhist talks, a couple of conferences, an interfaith day and a refuge-taking ceremony! Visit our blog for more information: http://bliawayad.blogspot.com/

Buddha's Light International Association: Young Adult Division


Buddhist Talk: Living and Dying in Buddhism
Next week, we play host to Venerable Dr YiFa, who will give a talk at UWA on the 12th of June. Ven. Dr YiFa is a nun in the Fo Guang Shan monastic order with a law degree from National Taiwan University, a MA in comparative philosophy from the University of Hawaii and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Yale University.

Ven Dr YiFa will be giving a talk about Living and Dying in Buddhism.


Where: UWA - ROSS Lecture Theatre
When: Mon 12 June, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Who: Any member of the public
More information: Contact Ser Ley Lee on 0433 776 507 or chooley@lycos.com


Talks on the Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra is one of the most profound sutras (scriptures) in Buddhism. Deep and insightful, an understanding of this sutra provides an understanding of what Buddhism is really all about.

"All conditioned phenomena
Are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow
Like the dew, or like lightning
You should discern them like this"
Excerpt from the Diamond Sutra

Our abbess, Abbess Yi Lai will be giving a series of 2 talks on the Diamond Sutra over 2 sundays.

Where: Fo Guang Shan Temple, 281 Guildford Rd, Maylands
When: 25 June, 2 July: 2-3:30pm
Cost: Free
Who: Any member of the public
More information: Contact Ga Vin Lee on gavin@mosaic.net.au or 041 326 3355 (Please contact me if you need more info about the venue or transport arrangements as well)


Refuge and Precept Taking Ceremony
From a Buddhist point of view, it can be said that we take refuge all the time. Whether it is in our house, car, girlfriend or money, it means that we are looking for happiness and security in the world around us. Buddhist thought states that we will never be truly satisfied if this is what we try to do because none of these things have any ultimate stability.

One might lose one's house, someone might steal one's car, etc., or one might be worrying about these things happening, which likewise is not leading to happiness.

Taking Refuge then, means finding something which one can truly rely on. All Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels, they are: the Buddha who represents the goal that we can achieve, the Dharma or teachings that will bring us to that goal, and the Sangha as the other practitioners who support us on our way.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

What: 3 Refuge and 5 Precept Ceremony
Where: Fo Guang Shan Temple, 281 Guildford Rd, Maylands
When: 2 July 07
Cost: Free
Who: The Refuge Taking ceremony is for those seeking to take the first step on the Buddhist path. The 5 Precepts are for those seeking to take up the 5 training rules.
More information: Contact Ga Vin Lee on gavin@mosaic.net.au or 041 326 3355 (Please contact me if you need more info about the venue or transport arrangements as well)


Handing Down the Light: Author Visit
The Author (Mrs Foo Ze Ying) of the book "Handling Down the Light - Master Hsing Yun" about the life of Master Hsing Yun, will be in Perth next month for a day. She will give a talk at the Temple on July 5th, 7.30 pm.

Where: Fo Guang Shan Temple, 281 Guildford Rd, Maylands
When: 5 July 07, 7:30pm
Cost: Free
Who: Any member of the public
More information: Contact Ga Vin Lee on gavin@mosaic.net.au or 041 326 3355 (Please contact me if you need more info about the venue or transport arrangements as well)

With Metta,
Ga Vin Lee
YAD President