Buddhism As Education

The Medicine Buddha Heong Sun See Temple, Penang will be organizing a Vegetarian Food Fair in conjunction with the Nine Emperor Gods' Birthday. The food fair organized in aid of the temple's building fund shall commence from 30th day of the 8th Lunar Month (7/10/2010) to the 9th day of the 9th Lunar Month (16/10/2010) from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm at the temple premises. Vegetarian food available are: economy rice, noodles (both fried and soup), western food i.e. vegetarian burgers, hot-dogs and chicken chops. Local specialties such as nasi lemak, chicken rice, nyonya kuih, deserts, beverages, etc. The lighting of Medicines Buddha's Lotus Lamp for good fortune and elimination of obstacles will be incorporated in the Medicine Buddha Repentance Puja on the 3rd and 8th days of the 9th Lunar Month (10/10/2010 & 15 /10/2010) from 8.00 am to 12.00 pm. RM10.00 for individual and RM20.00 for family. Coupons for the food fair can be obtained from the temple. Contribution in case or in

In Peta Vatthu Pali Text it is mentioned that recipients of dana are like fields where the seeds are sown. Farmlands in general are of three grades; the very fertile, the mediocre and the poor. Likewise, dana recipients are also of different grades. Just as farms free weeds and grass are highly productive, so also if dana recipients are void of greed, hatred and ignorance, the donors enjoy benefits all the more. Just as farms will yield a plentiful harvest hen they are rich in manure and fertilizers, so also good results will be accrued by donors when the recipients are persons of virtue and wisdom.

Recipients are the fields, Donors are the farmers, Offertories are the seeds sown, Benefits are the fruits. In the Peta Vatthu Pali Text, it said "The recipient of the charity is like the hand; the donor i.e. the farmer, the offertories are the seeds sown. The benefits accrued later through out samsara are the fruits that are borne from the plants". Let us elaborate: In agriculture, the type of soil whether good or bad determines the yield. Similarly, the integrity and nobility of the recipient determine the nature of beneficial results. Just as the vitality of the seeds sown determines the growth and productivity of the plants; purity of offerings, gifts, whether they are procured through rightful livelihood or not and the quantity, determine the nature of beneficial results. Just as farmers will reap harvest in conformity with their skill in farming and efforts, so also donors will enjoy the results depending on their level of intelligence, appreciative joy and their sincer

Today's Vassa Dana at Nandaka Vihara in Cherok To'kun, Bukit Mertajam was very grand. About more than a hundred devotees attended the meritorious event. Many devotees took the advantage of the Raya holidays to come to the vihara to perform dana and make some offerings to the Sangha. Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

Some donors offer almsfood, buildings, clothes, ritually or perfunctorily. If so even though dana may be lavish and grand, their cetana is no match to it; they do not feel appreciative joy because the good deed was done with little volition. Therefore, quantity or quality alone cannot determine the generosity of a donor. When King Dutthagamani Abaya was on his death bed, he did not feel much joy in his merit of building the great Maha Cedi Pagoda, instead he felt great joy in recalling his small merit of offering one meal to a monk in the forest. Due to this great cetana he was reborn in the celestial abode of Tusita devas. Therefore keep in mond that cetana only will determine your destiny not the quantity or value of gifts you have offered. Cetana is more inportant than the lavishness of your charity.

Although offertories such as alms-food and recipients of offertories cannot follow the donor to the next life and bring benevolence, they certainly help to promote a keen cetana in the donors. For example, offering specially prepared alms-food to the Sangha incites a vigorous cetana whilst offering alms-food incites somewhat feeable cetana. Again, charity given to worthy recipients incite strong cetana whereas charity given to nominal recipients incite a frail cetana. In this way, offertories donated and the persons receiving the charity help promote a keen cetana in the mind of the donors. The quality of offertories The respective efforts exerted to offer different amount of offertories may differ accordingly. For the zealous efforts in procuring a large quantity of offertories there will arise a strong cetana. Procuring only a small quantity of offertories will naturally call for less efforts and the corresponding cetana will be relatively less. In preparing for a large amount of off

Dana means giving charity. There are two types of dana, namely (i) cetana dana and (ii) vatthu dana. Offerings of goods, robes, monasteries, etc are classified as vatthu (material) dana, while the goodwill in these charitable acts is called cetana (volition). It is this cetana that produces beneficial results here and in the next existences, not the material things that are offered. This mental attitude which is projected onto offertories determines the good results in future existences. If the offertories are good and noble, so also in the cetana. If during an offering of alms-food to the Sangha, a donor has his object of awareness the food he offers and the Sangha he is offering to; then a continuous stream of cetana (volition) occurs incessantly in his mind-continuum. That cetana arises and disappears in very rapid succession but does not disappear totally. The forces created by the cetanas just lie dormant to produce corresponding results later. taking into consideration that more