Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Kung fu kids – out of Africa

By WANI MUTHIAH, The Star, December 28, 2008

KLANG, Malaysia -- Enock Belo is every inch a Shaolin kung fu exponent. He throws flying kicks, jumps over obstacles and delivers his strikes smoothly. Belo is 10 years old. And he’s African.



The Malawian orphan, who is a resident of the Amitofo Care Centre (ACC) in Blantyre, southern Malawi, is one of the 200 children in the orphanage being trained in the ancient Chinese martial art.

ACC founder, Taiwanese Buddhist monk Hui Li, said Belo and the other children are being trained in the martial art form by three monks who are Shaolin kung fu masters brought in from China.

“The children are trained for three hours a day, six days a week by the Shaolin masters,” said Hui, who is currently here with 20 children from ACC.

The trip was made possible with sponsorship by several local Buddhist organisations, including the Ti-Ratana Welfare Society.

The monk and the children are putting up several shows around the country to raise funds.

Hui, who is known as the African monk within Buddhist circles, said he introduced the martial art form to the children to build their self-esteem.

“Most of the children here are either orphans or have only one parent and they come from very poor backgrounds.

“When they came to ACC, they were all very timid with very little confidence in themselves, and training them in Shaolin kung fu helps us counter this problem,” said Hui.

When asked why he liked Shaolin kung fu, Belo, who is the star of the troupe, said it helps him keep fit.

“Shaolin kung fu makes me strong and keeps me disciplined,” said the orphan, who has been living in ACC since it started operations in 2003.

Ti-Ratana Welfare Society founder and adviser Ven Rev K. Sri Dhamma­ratana said the group will be performing at the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields on New Year’s Eve.

“The event starts at 8pm and there will be dinner followed by the group’s performance, and a blessing ceremony starts at 11pm,” said Ven Rev Sri Dhammaratana, who is also the Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Letting Go, Moving On - Photo (selected)

Dear all,

As promised, here is a link to an album where selected photo taken during the camp has been uploaded...


Enjoyed!

p.s: due to some technical error while uploading, some of the photos have been uploaded twice. Will clear it somehow soon.... but until then, my humble apologies....

2nd p.s.: will bug kuan wei for the rest of the photographs.... hope to upload it soon....

with metta,

Bro. Wei Han

A very Buddhist Christmas

by Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now, December 24, 2008

Burnaby, Canada -- In the midst of Christmas spending and a national recession, one Burnaby family is keeping it simple for the holidays.


Yi Ling Chen and her husband, Brandon Lin, are among Burnaby's 9,360 followers of Buddhism, the city's second most common religion next to Christianity. But for Yi Ling, Buddhism is a philosophy of living that carries a message of simplicity during the holidays.

"A kind of philosophy of Buddhism is to reduce what we want," Yi Ling says.

"If we have desire, we always want more," she says, adding this leads to emptiness and dissatisfaction. "It's a bad cycle."

That "lowering of desire" cuts down on insatiable materialism and helps one lead a simple life.

"(We) just think of getting what we need ... and living an eco-friendly life."

Yi Ling and Brandon moved to Canada from Taiwan and later met through the Tzu Chi Foundation, an international Buddhist volunteer group founded and led by Cheng Yen. Yen believes that suffering is caused by material deprivation and spiritual poverty and that a lack of love for others lies at the root of many worldly problems. Yi Ling and Brandon now have a baby girl, Chloe, and a boy on the way.

As Buddhists, they wouldn't normally do anything for Christmas, but, since they are in Canada, they partake in family dinners and exchange presents.

But even gift-giving is carefully examined.

"We just buy what we need," Yi Ling says, a practice they follow every day. "We have to ask ourselves: Are we really getting what we need or are we getting what we want?"

Rather than giving each family member presents, they think about who really needs something replaced.

For example, they bought relatives a TV to replace their aging set. They also bought it and delivered it in November to take advantage of sales - much more practical, Yi Ling says.

"That's another way we do the gift exchange," Yi Ling says. "That's one way to save money and really give something they really need." And that helps reduce desire and lightens the load on Mother Earth. Many worldly problems, such as global warming, are caused by people's desire, Yi Ling says.

The family gets together for a hot pot dinner on Christmas Eve. Since Buddhism promotes compassion for all forms of life, both husband and wife are vegetarian. Dinner is usually tofu, vegetables, fruit and a lot of soy-based food. They also donate old clothes to charity.

"We believe it's time to give and time to share," says Brandon.

For Brandon, the message from Buddhism is to appreciate and give back to society.

"The idea is a lot of us are new immigrants, and we believe we are consuming (resources from) this society," he says. Volunteering is part of the Buddhist philosophy, and the Tzu Chi Foundation gives back to local causes, Brandon says.

According to Yi Ling, the Buddhist Christmas message is not that different from any other day: We should appreciate the day, the whole new start and the fact we are privileged to live in a country free of war, disease, political unrest and terrorism.

"In Christmas, we take the appreciation and turn it into compassion and sharing and respect towards others - not only human beings, but everything on earth."




'The Day the Earth Stood Still' in Shock

by Jianxie, The Buddhist Channel, Dec 24, 2008

Dharma-Inspired Movie Review: www.thedaytheearthstoodtillmovie.com

Singapore -- In the 2008 version of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', the alien Klaatu, who represents an intergalactic congregation arrives from outer space to deliver his final judgement on humankind. In a cool and composed manner, he asks for a discussion with Earth's leader(s), so as to deliver his last warning.


If unheeded, the entire 'parastitical' human race would be wiped out to preserve the planet. But it becomes ambiguous as to who can truly represent Earth when 'leaders' vy for rights to be involved. Does this conflict represent a hopeless Earth?

The original 1951 movie was a not at all subtle take on why the Cold War and the rise of the atomic arms race was senseless. Klaatu was a 'Christ-like' figure with his 'human' name being John Carpenter. Note his initials and occupation! He was accompanied by a giant robot called Gort. An obvious allusion to God? The trinity is almost complete! It was literally a case of 'Believe in Klaatu's message to be saved... or thou shalt perish.' It was either his way or the highway... to unearthly 'hell' on Earth.

To show how serious he was, the dispassionately portrayed Klaatu brings the mechanised powers to a halt, but is seen as a serious threat instead. A natural reaction, albeit not definitely wise? Colder still is the silent but threatening Gort. Klaatu's reasoning is direct... a little too 'black or white' in fact - 'If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.' A dire warning still, on why much humans should stop terrorising one another and the environment. Technology is clearly not in lack, but human will to change is.

Did Gort and company exhibit appropriate 'tough love'? Well, the value of the planet was seen as greater than that of human lives. As the story progresses, we see Klaatu becoming increasingly 'humanised'. He learns to be genuinely compassionate and generates faith in the good side of human-nature. Eventually, he gets Gort to call off the process of destruction. But isn't the 'trinity' one in essence? This is reminiscent of the 'paradoxically' (or contradictingly) wrathful God in the Old Testament versus his much gentler 'son' in the New Testament?

Klaatu learns to empathise, to be compassionate. He learns to not just be a 'friend of the Earth', who came to save the Earth from us; he learns to befriend Earthlings too. However, his very presence was cause for much panic, 'urging' the masses to rush madly to evacuate UFO occupied cities, clambering for food and fuel. In the end, there is only one race - the human race... racing for 'salvation'. The film is still a good wake-up call for our times. Then again, the backlash of environmental mayhem should already be warning enough?

A fellow resident alien who had been assessing humans for 70 years decides not to evacuate from the planet, even if Klaatu's verdict is to obliterate the human race. This is so as he had learnt to love humans, with warts and all. Is he more evolved than Klaatu, now that his compassion had widened to include those with shortcomings? Was Klaatu really an advanced being in the first place? In Buddhism, advanced Bodhisattvas, who are Buddhas-to-be, 'hang out' with the unenlightened as they do their best to enlighten them; they are not judgemental.

Klaatu says that his body is human, that it feels pain; but he isn't human. Doesn't that give him less rights to judge us? He is surprised that humans consider the planet theirs. Good point - we are merely guests; the planet will outlast us. But it's also surprising that he lords over humans' fate when it's not 'his' either. In the 1951 film, Gort was created by a race of robots to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. But how can peace be created by unforgiving 'hellfire'? That said, Gort was really a fictitous concoction of the human mind.

Did Klaatu save humanity in the end? Not exactly. One particular human saved the day - the one who care for him, who showed him that not all humans deserve to be annihilated, that there is a better side to humanity. It was this single human who tipped the scales back, who changed his mind, who helped to urge other humans to change their minds too. Our planet is near the environmental tipping point towards total chaos. Civilisations either collapse or make a (r)evolutionary quantum leap at this point. What will it be? We decide; not Klaatu or Gort.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Photographs from Jing Wei

Tuck Long with his pose...

ivan

xyen chyi

The group Youth

Photographs courtesy of Jing Wei...

If you want you photo here... e-mail it to kcbadyc@gmail.com

Monday, December 22, 2008

Photographs from ShinD

Shin Dhee, Bro Khoo Nee Wern and those from SJBA...

During hymn singing section

Shin Dhee with many lengchai...

Dunno what to say...

Beh, didnt know you are like this... (kidding)

yoga... good for health...

huh?

Shin Dhee: I get to splash you Donovan: Wait and see... I will get my revenge... (kidding again)

I am so cold...

give me a post...

Everyone from the camp...

posing for one last time...

All photographs are courtesy of Sis. Shin Dhee... Thank you very much...
Caption prepared by Bro. Wei Han...

For those who want to get their photographs uploaded here, please send it to kcbadyc@gmail.com

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Early Christmas Gift to all...

What do you know... Santa Claus drop by and uploaded some random photographs of the camp... Enjoyed!!!!


Committee members before the starting of the camp

participants...

more participants...

even more participants...

Uncle Vijaya...

group discussion

another group

yet another group...

one more...

waiting for their turn...

posing...

pass me the plate... we need to win...

singing Santa Claus is coming to KCBA...

group performance...

leonie and mandy

shin ling and her cucu...

weihan and regina...

first in the history... GA and Cucu for each other...

guess who is this fella...

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Photographs of 13th KCBA English Dhamma Youth Camp

Special feature 13th KCBA English Dhamma Youth Camp.

The one that makes it happened. Seriously...

Them again. Not so serious.

And again... going crazy. haha

One of the group during an activity

Meeting each other for the first time

During an ice breaking activity

the committee members waiting for the participants to come...

*Photographs from my camera (except for the first one, which is courtesy of Bro Song.)

For those who have taken photographs during the camp, please share it with us. please e-mail a copy of the photographs to kcbadyc@gmail.com. Thank you.

with metta,
bro. weihan

Monday, December 15, 2008

Upcoming Activities

Even though THE CAMP is over, that does not means that nothing else can be done about it... Here is a list of activities that we are planning.

Christmas Eve's Party
Date: 24th December 2008
Venue: Jessy's Place
Time: About 7.00 pm - 12.00 pm (maybe longer)
Remarks:
Bring something worth at least RM5 as part of a gift exchange.

We are not Christians but that wont stop us from celebrating Christmas.

Ho... Ho... Ho...

Skytrex Adventures
Date: tbc (in January 2009, around 17th)
Venue: Skytrex Adventures in Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam, Shah Alam
Time: Morning (time tbc)
Remarks:
Fee per person: RM35 (if less than 10 person going), RM31.50 (if we have more than 10 people)
Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours...
What you will do: Climb trees, going through obstacles in between trees, flying fox...
Wear sport shoes and bring hand-gloves [available for rent at RM1 per pair (limited)]

Please let me know (post a comment or e-mail me at kcbadyc@gmail.com or eztoyou@yahoo.com with your details: name, mobile no.) if you are interested...

2009 Chinese New Year House Visiting
Details to be announce here soon... interested to get updates, please provide me (e-mail me at kcbadyc@gmail.com or eztoyou@yahoo.com) your contact: name and mobile no.

It may be over but the memories stays forever

The 13th KCBA English Youth Camp is finally over yesterday.

Hope everyone enjoyed the camp!!!

For those who wish to share their photographs taken during the camp in this blog, please send it to kcbadyc@gmail.com. Please include details such as your name in the mail.

Photographs taken by the committee members would be upload into this blog as well soon...

With metta
Bro Wei Han

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Buddhist answers to common questions

Kuensel Online, November 28, 2008

Timphu, Bhutan -- Lam Shenphen Zangpo answers basic questions that every Buddhist man, woman, and child on the street wants to know.


What is the difference between Buddha and god?

A god by very definition is a creator. In the same way that you cannot be an artist if you do not paint or cannot be a mechanic if you do not repair vehicles, a being cannot be a god without creating. In this way, a god exists only in relation to his creations or, to state it in another way, without creations a being cannot be a god.

To take this logic a step further, if a being does begin to create, then he is only recognized as a god at the moment the creation is born. Before that he was not a god.

Furthermore, anything that is created by joining together a number of components has a point in time when it was first formed. Take for example a table. It needs a top and four legs. When these are separate entities, there is no table. However, once they are joined together, a table is created. In the same way, a god is formed from the joining together of the two components of creations and faith.

Continuing this line of reasoning, anything that has an identifiable point in time when it began, obviously has a time of staying and then finally ending. Think about it. Everything that is compounded, whether it be something as simple like a flower, which is formed from such things as seeds, moisture and warmth, or a complex structure like the universe, it all had a point of beginning and will end. Therefore, in this respect, a god is impermanent.

A Buddha, on the other hand, does not create. He awakens to the truth and points the way for other to follow. The historical Buddha was a man, and in this form he realized the truth and became a Buddha. So, like a god there was a point of beginning and so there is a point of end. Therefore, we can say that the physical form of Sakyamuni ceased upon his death in Kushinagar.

However, ‘the truth’, or to call it by its other titles, ‘basic goodness of heart’ or ‘Buddha nature’, to which Sakyamuni awoke has no beginning. It is like space. It is all pervading. Buddha did not invent it, nor was it created by other beings or through the gathering of elements. Therefore, the essence of Buddha, which is our own minds is not impermanent. It is for this reason that Buddha, or the Buddha nature, is accepted as an ultimate refuge.

To summarize, a god exists only in relation to his creations. A Buddha does not create, and therefore dies not exist in relation to anything. He is beyond permanent and impermanent. In fact, just after Prince Siddhartha gained enlightenment and became the Buddha, he was asked by a passers-by, “Are you a god or perhaps a holy man”? The Buddha replied, “I am neither. I am awake”.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It Isn't About the Trash Can

By Christine B. Whelan, The Washington Post, November 11, 2008

Washington, USA -- Picture this: You're staring at the kitchen trash and feel a surge of frustration. You just saw your partner stuff one more thing into the already overflowing bin without making a move to empty it. Ready to pick a fight, you're about to lash out with an angry indictment of your partner's overall worth as a human being. Then you stop.


You've been taking classes in something called mindfulness, so you take a deep breath and step back. You identify and feel your emotions, and then let them pass. You find the real source of your frustration: It's not the trash; it's that you don't feel appreciated around the house. Instead of an opening volley of obscenities, you consider how to resolve the broader issue.

Sound too New Age-y to work in your household? It might be worth a try: Researchers at major universities are exploring the benefits of Buddhist mindfulness techniques to help families increase feelings of closeness and decrease relationship stress -- and the results are promising. Just as the latest Hollywood incarnation of the Incredible Hulk keeps his green-hot anger under control with daily meditations, so are some people learning to manage emotions in their relationships.

In mental health terms, mindfulness is the awareness that emerges from focusing on the present and the ability to perceive -- but not judge -- your own emotions with detachment; it enables you to choose helpful responses to difficult situations rather than reacting out of habit. While Western thought separates religion and science, Buddhists see mindfulness as both a spiritual and psychological force.

Mindfulness isn't simply about calming down, and it's certainly not about giving in. It's about recognizing that you're tired as you go home on a crowded Metro train, so that when somebody bumps into you, you decide to say, "Excuse me!" instead of pushing back. It's about picking an effective way to discipline your teenager for staying out until 3 a.m. rather than responding like an angry child yourself.

Mindfulness therapies for depression have had well-documented success: Depressed people focus on the negatives, locking themselves into a destructive thought cycle that makes the depression worse. Mindfulness training helps them become aware of this cycle and snap out of it.

The same thing is true for couples gearing up for a rehash of an old argument, says Robyn Walser, a psychologist and co-author of "The Mindful Couple" (to be published in February by New Harbinger). "If you are aware of life as a process, not as an outcome, you step back from the argument. "

These techniques of awareness can also prove helpful for children with behavioral problems, says Randye Semple, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Southern California. "We teach the kids to find choice points," she says, showing them that "you can take time to breathe and look at the situation, and then you can choose not to be angry."

Semple begins to train 9- to 12-year-olds in mindfulness by having them focus intently on what they're doing during routine activities such as brushing teeth: maintaining constant awareness of the position of the brush, the taste of the toothpaste, the motion of their hands. After completing her 12-session program, Semple says, children report lower levels of anxiety and are less likely to act out.

Semple encourages parents to demonstrate attentive choices: "Children whose parents are mindful will also be more mindful." Researchers are planning to expand mindfulness training to include more-difficult children, such as those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Starting Small

Some people are naturally more skilled at these techniques than others, but researchers say that mindfulness can be taught. It's like muscle training, says Jim Carson, a psychologist at Oregon Health & Science University.

Short daily meditations, in which you learn to anchor your attention in the present moment by focusing on the feeling of the breath moving in your body, are good for beginners, he says. Then, "begin to pay attention to the times you share with your partner when you feel connected -- what's going on in that moment. Tune in and learn from that." He also suggests reversing that exercise to pay attention to sources of stress in your relationship and keeping a brief journal of those feelings.

This kind of observation can help you prevent an argument from beginning in the first place. "It's an early-warning system. You are able to become aware sooner of the tension rising," says Christopher Montone, director of the Shambhala Meditation Center in Cleveland Park.

Kirk Warren Brown, an assistant professor of social psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, co-developed a 15-point mindful attention awareness scale (see box) and has used it to test the levels of mindfulness of college students in romantic relationships. He has conducted two studies that suggest increased mindfulness correlates with overall relationship happiness.

In the first, he found that men and women are equally likely to be mindful, and if one person in the relationship is mindful, both members of the couple can benefit.

In the second study, Brown asked longtime couples to discuss a contentious issue in the relationship while being observed in his lab. Those who scored higher on the mindfulness scale were less anxious and less hostile after having such simulated conflicts with their significant others, he found.

"Mindfulness tends to inoculate people against feeling negative thoughts in the first place. You go into the conflict with less anxiety and hostility, and mindfulness seems to prevent those symptoms from arising," Brown says.

Mutually Beneficial

Carson finds that couples who practice mindfulness together can benefit not only from the individual attentiveness skills but also from the fact that they are sharing a new experience. "The practice of mindfulness together is a way that couples feel that they are deepening their relationship."

Even if only one partner is trying, the couple still benefits, he says. "If one partner is accepting and open, it's very hard for the other partner to push against that."

To an observer it might look as if the more mindful spouse is likely to lose an argument, but Walser says: "We don't advocate that people become carpets to be walked all over. There's a difference between accepting what you feel and think and allowing someone else to always have their way." Walser notes that this increased awareness can help individuals see when their relationship is in serious distress.

"I don't think it's a cure-all, but we can say with confidence that there's an emerging literature that suggests that mindfulness can help people re-regulate their body and their behavior," says Ruth Quillian-Wolever, an assistant professor of psychiatry and the research director at the Duke Integrative Medicine practice at Duke University, who has led studies of behavior change through mindfulness.

Although Buddhist ideas are at the core of mindfulness and meditation practices, psychologists usually separate the religious aspects from the clinical practice of mindfulness. "We acknowledge the source of the training, but it's not religiously grounded. These are practical skills that are present in all wisdom and spiritual traditions," says Carson.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Visionary leadership

The Buddhist Channel, November 2, 2008

The core challenge of leadership is for all of us to have visions and to come up with the tools and systems to get there

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia -- Datuk Dr. Victor Wee is a keynote speaker for the forthcoming WACANA conference, to be held on December 7 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. In the following interview, Datuk Dr Wee gave his views on Buddhist leadership outlook in the country, core challenges faced by Buddhist leaders, three main pillars of leadership

Can you give us a brief overview of the Buddhist leadership outlook in the country?

Buddhist leaders now are more mature compared with leaders of the past generation. They have become more exposed and skillful, and generally run organizations in a very competent way. But we are also saying that it is important for leaders to come together in order for us to focus our energies, so that we are able to do something really wonderful for the country. The Buddhist community for the future begins right now. Buddhist leaders must adopt good methodologies and mechanisms to produce competent future Dhamma workers. We must not think about ourselves for the present only; we should try to build the Buddhist community for the future.

What would be the core challenges for Buddhist leaders in Malaysia?

The core challenge of leadership is for all of us to have visions. We need to be able to know what we want in the next 5, 10 or 20 years' time. We need to think for ourselves about the ideal state for Buddhism in the future. The next thing we really require is to come up with the tools and systems to get there.

One of the challenges that we face is that people running Buddhist organizations are quite happy with the present state of affairs in their own organizations and temples, because the crowds come in every Sunday or Wesak Day! But in reality, sometimes the activities we run do not produce leaders. The (present) leaders happen to emerge because of some intrinsic abilities that they have, in spite of the system! Honestly (at the moment) we do not have a system to develop Buddhist workers and leaders in a very structured way. If we do not start developing that, it is unlikely that we will achieve whatever vision we set for ourselves. So this is the challenge Buddhist leaders coming together for WACANA 2008 would have to face: having a shared vision on what we want to see happen, and coming out with a system of operationalizing it and making things work.

Can you briefly explain the three main pillars of leadership, i.e. vision, values, and vitality?

Firstly, I think this topic is very appropriate for our situation right now. The first principle is having vision. When you have vision, you can see very far ahead. We need our leaders to have that kind of vision to see the way forward for our community.

Values are important because without them, your integrity may be questioned; then the whole basis of Buddhist leadership is in question. Values are to ensure that as we move towards our vision, things do not go astray, that we are actually going the way we envisaged.

Vitality is the ability to generate that kind of creative energy to make things move. It is the force that provides the action for us to move from where we are right now into the shared vision. If you have a vision, it is not good enough if you do not have the vitality or you do not have the right values.

So, I believe it is very ideal that for this WACANA, we are getting speakers from neighbouring countries - from Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore - to come and share with us some of the situations which are occurring within our region that we may not know of.

And of course it is a great opportunity for our local Buddhist leaders, as well as those who are interested in the subject of leadership development, to attend WACANA 2008. We must begin to think of ourselves as a community. We should identify some things on which we can actually work together, so that it is not with just one pair of hands, but many pairs of hands working collectively towards a common goal.

As Co-organiser of WACANA 2008, what do you hope to achieve from the conference?

Well, I would like this conference to not only come up with a nice publication, and to hear people saying, "Oh, this has been a fantastic conference!" Actually this conference should have some kind of an impact. Five years from now when we look back, we say, "things have actually changed for the better because we had a WACANA."

Maybe 10 years from now, we can say WACANA itself has stimulated many other things which grew from this original idea. Perhaps a generation later, the Buddhist community will be different from what it is now, and we can say that we have reached a higher level because people with ideas have put together a mechanism and agreed to work together in order to produce this new situation.

Of course, if it happens, that would be ideal and something truly wonderful. If not, people will at least go back satisfied and say, "Wow! There were some very good ideas that we've picked up at WACANA!"

On the web: www.nalanda.org.my/wacana.

-------------

Dr. Victor Wee is the Co-organizer of WACANA 2008 (as the Buddhist Gem Fellowship's President).

Jataka Tales: A Window Into Buddhist India

By Cherian Philipose, The Epoch Times, Oct 28, 2008

Taipei, Taiwan -- The teachings of the Buddha have contained both doctrine and stories. Buddhism has traditionally been taught by monks in societies that have been illiterate. Most people could not read the scriptures. Not everyone could comprehend subtle intellectual concepts. Therefore, the Buddha used stories to communicate spiritual truths.



The Jataka Tales are part of this tradition. They are tales told by the Buddha about his previous lives. In these narratives, the Buddha is always referred to as the Bodhisattva (a spiritual practitioner who has not yet reached perfection).

The literature of early Buddhism is always illuminating. The ideas found in it are quite contemporary. Buddhist doctrine did not confine itself to the notion of enlightenment. It often dealt with social issues. In the Buddha’s time animal sacrifice was quite common. He opposed the practice, teaching that those who killed animals would accumulate karma for their actions. They would have to pay it back.

Today, the idea of animal rights is well established. Those who campaign for animal rights, however, may not believe in karma. Their concern is often simply to prevent, or at least reduce, cruelty to animals.

We use animals, for our profit and our pleasure. Australia exports millions of sheep to the Muslim world to be slaughtered for Ramadan. Activists are rightly concerned about the manner in which the sheep are transported. They do not like the fact that the sheep are killed in a brutal fashion once they reach their destination.

The response to the manner is which we treat animals, is interesting. There are people who are vegetarian for political reasons. Some are vegan. The shift in the public mind, has led to supermarkets that sell free-range eggs and free range chicken.

The world is of course, increasingly committed to animal rights, as it remains committed to human rights. There is much greater awareness now, that the whole planet is interlinked, and that what we do to it, comes back to us.

It is quite possible then, that in a subtle way, we are moving back towards the idea of karma.

The Goat that Laughed & Cried

(It is important to note that in his past lives, the Buddha is known as the Boddhisattva)

The Buddha was assembled along with his disciples at a time when many people were sacrificing animals in a Feast for the Dead. They believed the animals had to be killed in order to feed their dead ancestors.

The monks asked Buddha if he thought these sacrifices did any good. He replied that they did not. He said one accumulated karma by doing this and one suffer for it later. Then, he told the following story:

“During the reign of Brahmadatta, in the city of Benares, there lived a Brahmin. One day, he told two of his disciples to take his goat down to the river and sacrifice it for The Feast of the Dead. His sons bathed and groomed the animal and began to lead the goat down to the river. At that moment, the goat remembered the deeds it had committed in its past lives. It became overjoyed that on that day it would be freed from its misery. In its happiness, it burst out laughing. A little later, when it realized that the Brahmin would pay a price for killing it, it was moved to compassion and started crying. The disciples were amazed.

They asked the goat. “Tell us why you laughed earlier and why you cry now.”

The goat replied, “Ask me this question in front of your master.”

The Brahmin’s sons led the goat back to their master and told him what had happened. After hearing the story, the Brahmin asked the goat why it had cried and why it had wept.

One being asked that question, the goat remembered its past lives very clearly.

It replied “In the past, O Brahmin, I too, was like you, well-versed in the scriptures. In order to make an offering for the Feast of the Dead, I sacrificed a goat. For the karma I accumulated from sacrificing that goat; I have had my head cut off lifetime after lifetime. So far, my head has been cut off 499 times. This will be my last time and after this I shall have repaid my karma for that deed. I laughed because I was happy at the prospect that I would at last be set free from this crime. I cried because I felt great compassion for you. I knew that you too would have your head cut off 500 times.”

When the Brahmin heard this, he was greatly moved.

“Do not fear, goat,” he said. “I shall not kill you.”

“What’s this you say, Brahmin?” cried the goat. “Your protection is too weak. I am destined to die today and the force of my karma is much greater than the force of your protection.”

The Brahmin ordered his disciples to set the goat free and make sure that no one hurt it wherever it wandered.

As soon as the goat was set free, it stretched out its neck to eat the leaves of a bush growing near a rock. At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the rock. A huge piece of the rock broke off and hit the goat on its outstretched neck. Its head was severed instantly. People came running and gathered round to stare.

In those days, the Bodhisattva was a Tree-Fairy. And now he floated cross-legged above the people. He thought, “If only these people knew the truth about evil-doing, perhaps they would stop killing.” In a honeyed voice, he began to give the people a teaching on karma and reincarnation.

When those people heard the teaching, their inner wisdom awakened. They gave up animal sacrifice and spent the rest of their lives in acts of charity. When they died, they went up to Heaven.”

When the Buddha finished the story, he told the monks, “In that life, O monks, I was the Tree-Fairy.”

Looking Deeper Beneath "Painted Skin"

by Shen Shi'an, The Buddhist Channel, Oct 31, 2008

Dharma-Inspired Movie Review: http://huapi.ent.sina.com.cn

Singapore -- The film "Painted Skin" was adapted from one of the beloved fables from the classic Liaozhai Zhiyi (Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio), which collects some five hundred spooky tales. A timeless classic is one because it still sheds light upon ourselves in an enlightening manner. As such, good supernatural horror stories are really skilful vehicles which warn of the possible horrors of human-nature. This is the truth in fiction.


As suggested by the title, a "foxy" demon dons a painted human skin to tempt men. When they get close, she tears out and devours their hearts. It's a literally "heart-wrenching" experience at its possible worst! Yes, it's one of those cautionary tales on not judging someone by their appearance. Those who look human might be heartlessly demonic, while the demonic can transform to be humane too.

Beauty is only skin deep, and the skin is not very deep! What lies beneath might be a can of worms. (Watch the film to see what I mean!) From a broader perspective, while there might be demons in the guise of humans, there are humans who are entirely physically so, while invisible inner demons lurk within their minds. Such demons are so much harder to detect for the unmindful, including one's own!

The demon, who could only associate with humans as sources of "hearty" food became infatuated with a married man. She begins yearning for his love. She seduces him, but he adamantly stays loyal despite being a little shaky in conviction. Jealous of his wife, the demon schemes against her. Meanwhile, the wife knew she was a demon, but could not convince her husband so due to the lack of evidence.

But what is love without trust? Then again, can we trust someone else entirely when we cannot trust ourselves at times? Is the benefit of the doubt always beneficial? There is no clear answer, while it is our onus to discern the truth best we can and to help one another to do the same. The inner demons in this case are suspicion and delusion. Devious indeed these are, both capable of thwarting reality and destroying trust.

The story questions the paradoxical nature of commitment in the face of temptation. If one is already with one's supposed true love, how can one be tempted by another? Unless one's love was not true enough? Or is commitment that despite temptation? Perhaps it depends on what is meant by love. Is it in this context friendship mixed with lust? "Love" is a very generally used word indeed - sometimes tainted with hidden lust; other times without a trace.

Is it infidelity when a married person lusts for another? If so, does it imply that love is supposed to include lust? If one loves without lusting, is it a love more or less true? Or would it be "merely" parental or friendly platonic love? Why do many see exclusive lust for oneself as crucial in an intimate relationship, when it makes it more worldly than spiritual? In Buddhism, true love includes lust-free unconditional loving-kindness concerned with the welfare of all.

What is the cost of love? Does true love sacrifice everyone else in its way, or does it only sacrifice oneself? Does love become lovelier when it sacrifices more of others or oneself? Does true love not truly set the beloved free and rejoice in the beloved being happy… even if it is with another? The demon realised that she had sacrificed everything but herself in her pursuit for "love", which rendered her quest impure.

Not only did the wife love her husband, she cared for the others in the household too, as she agreed to sacrifice herself – only if the demon promised not to harm him or the others. The man loved his wife too, but was tempted by the demon to trust her. He realises his mistake and sacrifices himself for his wife - after getting the demon to agree to restore his wife's life.

The demon was ruthless at first, willing to "sacrifice" even the man's beloved wife – out of love and lust for him, to be with him. Hers was a selfish "love". Though she too yearned for unconditional love, hers was heavily conditioned with deceit and murder. However, in the end, she was touched by the man and wife's love for each other, and sacrificed herself to make amends before it was too late.

On the whole, the script is a dramatic yet subtle study of love and sacrifice. We might not be able to find true love, or love all truly straightaway. But all is not lost. As a Buddhist friend put it, "Love is love. Love might not be totally true now. But love can always become more true." And we know love can eventually be perfected, because the Buddha exemplified it perfectly via his thoughts, words and deeds.