Buddhism As Education

His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche will assume an extended Dharma tour to different countries this year. He has accepted the long standing invitations by centers in South-East Asia, South America and the USA. Although many more centers as well as organizations and academic institutions have extended their invitations, His Holiness will be able to visit only selected centers from May until the end of September 2010. From May 20 to May 31 His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang will be visiting Malaysia and subsequently Taiwan . This is an advance information about His Holiness’ travel plans, even though the detailed schedule is not yet finalized. We will keep you informed of His Holiness' schedule in Malaysia upon confirmed.

In conjunction with the Kuan Yin Bodhisattva's Birthday this Saturday 3 April 2010, a liberation of animals i.e. fish, crabs, turtles, birds and crickets will be held at the Prai riverside in Bagan Lallang, Butterworth. Devotees and friends who wish to participate in this meritorious event are invited to attend and join us in conducting the liberation. This event is organized by the Penang Palme Gon Buddhist Society. May All Be Well and Happy.

Kuan Yin Bodhisattva's Birthday is on 3 April 2010 in accordance to the Lunar Calender's 19th day of the Second Month. Let us all come together to pray for the well-being of everyone, peace and harmony for our nation and the unity of our multiracial and inter religious communities. Let us all chant the Great Compassionate Mantra, the Great Compassionate Repentance Puja and Om Mane Padme Hung as many times as possible. May All of Us Be Always Well and Happy. Namo Amitabha, Om Mane Padme Hung (3 times)

Demi-gods are always trying to be cleverer, or stronger or wealthier or more experienced than others. Each watches for others to weaken so that he can seize power for himself. Although trying to prove their superiority, they are very conscious of hierarchy and tend to form ordered power structures, allying with others to scheme against others - ultimately for themselves. They are able to relate to others only on basis of dominance or submission, not as equals and where they can, they will dominate. Backstabbing and conspiracy is common. A human is and can be reborn as a Demi-god if he is egoistic and power crazy. However, he would also need some positive Karma to be reborn in a Heaven as it requires much merit. Such person is however dominated by the mental state of Craving and Aversion as his merit is without Wisdom. One who dies tuned to this mindstate is likely to be reborn as a Demi-god.

The realm of the Demi-gods (Asuras or Titans) in the lower heavens consists of ferocious ugly jealous male demi-gods that are in constant battle with the Gods of the realm of Gods for power and happiness. They embody the ego's striving for power. They never win as the Gods themselves had created the Karma to be able to enjoy their positions. The female Demi-gods are no less jealous and acquisitive, but they win their wars not by force but by seduction and enchantment. Demi-gods are god-like in their power and vigour though not at all happy. Others' success, possessions and qualities make them feel enviously belittled. The deep contentment which others gain from their good fortune leads them to struggle vigorously and violently to grab it for themselves. Demi-gods in our world "Human Demi-gods" are not uncommon in the world of politics, business and organized crimes, and many walks of life where many already somewhat relatively well-to-do people continually try to outd...

The Human realm is the world of our everyday experience. It contains all the other realms of existence that humans create for themselves. This is the realm where the individual searches for self. Humans are fundamentally unsure about the nature of many things - including his true identity. But it is in this world that transcendental insight into the true nature of self can be attained. This is the world where the individual can be conscious enough to be aware of his state of dissatisfaction and seek liberation, becoming enlightened, freeing oneself from the wheel of life and death. A truly living human person is one who realizes his special position and treasures it, as it is not easy to be reborn as a human. We must not take this life for granted, not realizing its significance. The human realm is the most favorable realm as it contains a mix of pleasure and pain - giving us ample opportunity to realize the true nature of life. Rebirth in the other realms is unsatisfactory as constant...

The world of animals is that of instinctive gratification of the biological drives of hunger and sexuality. All endeavor is directed to the satisfaction of physical desires and self-preservation. This world is of the ignorant refusal or inability to see beyond the natural needs of the body. A human can be reborn as a certain animal if his character and habits resemble it. "Human-animals" also exist in our world - a couch potato who only eats, sleeps and watches television all day might gradually resemble a pig and become a "good for nothing" being physically lazy and mindless. A viciously jealous and suspicious person could miserably small and thin, resembling a poisonous snake in appearance and nature. The "Human-animal" is the one who willfully refuses to look at the meaning and purpose of life. His bodily needs for nourishment, sleep and sex might be healthy and he gets satisfaction and enjoyment from them. But their fulfillment becomes an end to itself...

A 'human hungry ghost' is the miser who lives for more and more money at the expense of everything else, falsely believing that it will bring him true happiness. Another hungry ghost is a drug addict who can barely keep himself alive and is only concerned with getting his next dose, whose effects soon fade away, leaving him longing for another. Two neurotically dependent lovers might also be hungry ghosts if they keep trying to get something from the other, which the other might also lack. Some people are also possessed by neurotic craving and longing out of inner emptiness that they live only to gather material things or emotional experiences (or assurance) for themselves. Even if they get what they want, it gives them little pleasure. No matter what they possess, they always feel that there is something missing. The people crave for certain experiences to feel real and substantial are distracting themselves momentarily from their repressions and lack of spirituality. Such peo...

The dimension of hungry ghosts realm is of phantom-like creatures representing a mix craving and hatred. Tormented by unfulfilled cravings and insatiably demanding of impossible satisfactions, they are beings with having terrible emptiness within themselves who cannot see the impossibility of getting something that has already passed away. Their ghost-like state represents their attachment to their past. While being impossibly hungry and thirsty, they cannot eat or drink without causing themselves terrible pain or indigestion. Their long thin throats are so raw and narrow that swallowing produces unbearable burning. Their bloated bellies are also unable to digest nourishment.

The Human Hell Being live life habitually seeing the world full of dangerous strangers out to get take their advantage - everyone seems to be constantly threatening. Their prime motivation is to eliminate or evade their menaces and are in a state of open enmity with everyone they encounter. They suffer agonies of insecurity and fell the pain and humiliation of imagined wrongs. Because of how they behave towards others, they bring into being the enemies they imagine. Hell beings are dominated by mental state of hatred (aversion), fear and/or even violence. They live in hell in this world as they make every situation a place of torment for themselves. If one is to die tuned to this mindstate, one is likely to reborn in hell.

Hell is a horrible dimension of intense constant pain and torment where its beings are subjected to the most excruciating tortures inflicted by vengeful demons and beasts. The fiery heat of the hot hells corresponds to the passionate intensity of hatred and fear while the freezing coldness of the cold hells corresponds to the cold cruelty of hardheartedness and apathy. Hel consist of sub-planes, each of which specializes in particular kind of karmic punishment appropriate to a certain kind of unwholesome action. Beings in hell either burn with rage or are tortured by anxiety. They do not see that their tortures are manifestations of their own guilty minds. The duration of life in hell also feels unbearably long. A world war can be the equivalent of hell where violence, hatred and fear is everywhere. Being forced to face strong personal phobias such as flying in a plane or entering an unknown place can also be hellish experience.

The Buddha taught that there are six realms of existence (Samsara - this world of pavalent suffering) that we are continually reborn into. These six realms correspond to the six mindstates that we fall into again and again due to Craving, Aversion and Ignorance. These six world are physically existent in our world and other dimensions - some seen and others unseen. They are worlds manifested through the force of Karma of sentient beings. The six realms are also psychological worlds (mindstates) that we repeatedly get in and out of in this life (or even in one single day). None of these six realms are permanent - not even Heaven or Hell. The moment the Karma of one's existence in that world exhausts, one is reborn accordingly to residual karmic forces. The first three worlds are called the lower realms - where great suffering is prevalent. The other tree worlds are called the higher realms - where there is generally more happiness, though suffering still exist. None of these worlds ...

Karma and rebirth together explain many unresolved mysteries. the inequality of mankind and their experience (even twins are different in character) talents of geniuses and child prodigies spontaneous arising instinctive likes and dislikes in infants intellectual differences between parents and their children sudden outburst of emotion and changes in character untimely death and unexpected changes in fortune