3 Important Questions - Zen Mirror Nov-Dec2010

8/6/2019 3 Important Questions - Zen Mirror Nov-Dec2010

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MICA (P) No. 019/05/2010

Upcoming Activities

15/11 - 21/11

-

7-Day Zen Meditation Retreat

- Led by Ven. Chi Boon,

Pengerang International Zen

Centre (please register)

A bi-monthly newsletter brought to you by Kwan Yin Chan Lin Singapore Nov - Dec 2010

1

27/11

-

1-Day Zen Meditation Retreat

- Lavender Centre (please

register)

17/12 7.30pm - ,

Dharma Talk by Zen Master Dae

Bong (USA), Lavender Centre

21/12 - 27/12

-

7-day Zen Meditation Retreat,

led by Zen Master Dae Kwang

(USA), Pengerang International

Zen Centre (please register)

Zen Conference and Workshop

18 - 19/12 Suntec City

>>

MICA (P) No. 019/05/2010

Please register early

1/1/2011

)

Whole Year Offering of Lights

(Please register)

1/1/2011

1-day Zen Meditation Retreat &

Dharma Talk


2/8

2

>>

In Korea sometime ago, an old Buddhist lady got a letter in the mail. The letter said, Tonight I amcoming for dinner, and it was signed Kwan Seum Bosal. Then this woman went to the temple everyday,Wah! Kwan Seum Bosals coming for dinner. But she was not so rich. She looked in her refrigerator,and she only had rice and kimchi. She had no other side dishes she could offer to Kwan Seum Bosal.She really wanted to get some nice side dishes. But when she looked in her purse, she had not so muchmoney. She had maybe thirty Singapore dollars, something like that, or twenty dollars. Then she went to

the market to buy all the nicest side dishes she could nd. She spent all the money for this.

As she was going home, she passed by one beggar in the street. This beggar looked very poor, andalso very thin; not good.

The beggar said, Oh, I am very hungry. Please, can you give me some food?

She said, Oh, I only have these things.

Then he said, Oh, Im so hungry, please.

So she just gave him everything. When she got home she thought, What did I do? Now I only

have rice and kimchi. So she prepared the rice and the kimchi and put them out. While she was waiting,she fell asleep. And she slept all night. The next morning, she woke up and was surprised that she hadslept all night. Nobody came.

But later that day she got another letter. It said, Thank you for the dinner last night. Kwan SeumBosal.

Kwan Seum BoSal

is Coming for DinnerZen Master Dae Bong


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Zen Master Wu Bong, There are three very important questions that can help our life. Why do you eat

every day? Also, why is the sky blue? Then, nally, when does sugar become sweet?

Why do you eat every day?

So, rst of all, why do you eat every day? Here in Singapore, it seems like I go from restaurant torestaurant. There is a lot of good food around. I think everybody here also eats.

Zen Master asked, Why do you eat? [Silent] No answer?

A student said, So that you will not die.

Why you dont want to die?Survival instinct.

Survival instinct? But, thats animal mind and youre a human being.

No answer from the student.

Zen Master asked, So, why bother to eat?

In fact, consider this: If you eat good food, maybe you live a long life. If you dont eat such good food,

you live shorter. If you dont eat at all, you live a very short time. Anyway, the point this, no matter what

you do, the bottom line is you will die. Then, maybe better dont eat, then quickly die, then you win! Yes?

Get to the bottom line quicker, then you win. Everybody dont know, no problem. Just dont know.

Why is the sky blue?Then, the next question is why is the sky blue? When I started my college study, I studied physics. I had a

very famous professor. I asked the professor, Why is the sky blue. He said, I have no idea. Dont know.

You also dont know. So, you are just like the famous physicist.

When does sugar become sweet?How about, when does sugar become sweet?

A student replied, When you taste it, it becomes sweet.

Thats a good explanation. But, Zen means do it. For example, if you want to understand tea, you have to

do something. Otherwise, you cannot understand tea.

I give you a hint. Long ago, I asked somebody by letter, When does sugar become sweet? Then, he did

not explain anything. He sent me back a letter with a packet of sugar and an instruction Have a taste. Very

good answer!

You have to work on the questions. Then, the questions can help you in your life.

Three Important Questions

in Our Life


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We think that we have a lot of time, but maybe not

because impermanence is swift. So, in practice, you need

to rst experience impermanence. If you understand

impermanence, you will not waste any minutes or

seconds of your life. Then, you will clearly understand

your situation, and how you could use whatever you have

to establish correct relationships. So, practice cannot be

too slow or too fast. We should take the middle path.

Everyone has a job. You need to do your job well. After

that, when you have time, cherish the time and use it to

enrich yourself. Although we have busy lives every day,

we should still take some time to enrich ourselves. Then,

your life will have more energy and more vitality. That

is very important.

4

Life

Death

Great

Matters

Practice cannot be measured by time. Sometimes we want to hurry but

we cant. Although we dont want to hurry, we cannot be too lax. Time

does not wait for us. You must understand that Life and Death are great

matters and impermanence is swift. Recently, we heard of the news that

happened in China. An accident happened in a coal mine. Many people

were trapped in the mine for many days. They took turn to send signal

to inform the people outside the mine that they were trapped below.

They didnt sleep for eight days. They had no food, and they only drankdirty water. If they had practised Zen meditation, maybe they could get

enlightenment in eight days. But, many of us do not understand the

great matters of life and death. We think that we have a lot of time.

Look at the disaster. At that time, every second counts. People may lose

their lives quickly. So, life and death are important. That means how to

overcome life and death.


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Concert Experience~ Rui Liang

who walked towards the posters and started takingpictures. Melisa went up to her to chat with her.

The lady started crying. As I was leading her up to

the entrance at the third oor, she told me she had

just started to read about Zen and getting interested.

Her boyfriend and her were shopping at Suntec.

Coincidently, she had to go the washroom next to

the theatre where we held the Dharma Talks, and

she noticed the posters. She was crying because she

couldnt believe that the Dharma Talks had been

ongoing while she was shopping! Since she would be

moving to Singapore in December, I told her that shecould nd out more about Zen Beginners Course and

Dharma talks to be held in December.

Although I was not able to listen to the Dharma Talks

for both days as I was stationed outside the Theatre, I

witnessed a meeting of minds at the end of the concert

on the second night. After I had handed up a card for

the musicians to sign rather halfheartedly, a Dharma

brother stepped up and offered his card for them to

sign. The following were their conversation.

Dharma Brother, Thanks for the music. It puts me to

sleep. Thank you.

Tsuyoki picked up a bouquet next to him, offered to

the Dharma brother, and said, Smell ower, nice?

Dharma brother smelled the ower and replied, Very

nice.

Both smiled.

On 18 and 19 September, KCYL held DharmaTalks and Concert at Suntec City Theatre 2. Since

the theatre was located quite far inside, hidden

from direct view, the volunteers including me

were stationed at various checkpoints to guide

people there.

On both days and on both second and third

levels, there were Church activities along

the corridors leading to the Theatre. So, the

corridors were obscured by many people

walking around. Nonetheless, when we were

deploying volunteers along the third oor foyer,

a Church member said he had directed some

people to the Theatre for the talk. We thank him

for his help.

On both days, there were always people who

came to the Dharma Talks after 9am. They came

alone or in pairs, or occasionally in groups of

four or more. The latest arrived after 2pm. I was

amazed that even at such late hours, people stillwanted to attend and listen.

There was a touching moment. I noticed a lady


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When I was a boy, I had two little white bunnies as pets. Every day, I would go to the eld nearby, cut somelong grass and feed them to the bunnies. I also fed them carrots. I enjoyed watching them munching on thelong grass and carrots. Soon, they grew up and I was very happy.

One day after school, I saw my mom holding the two rabbits by their ears, bodies dangling down, tonguessticking out... DEAD!

I was shocked. I asked my mom, What did you do to my rabbits?

My mom said, I brought them to the market to have them slaughtered to make rabbit soup.

I screamed, Why do you want to do that? They are my rabbits!!!!!

Mom was surprised, thinking (or maybe saying) isnt the purpose of keeping rabbits is to one day havethem as food?

Later, she cooked the rabbits and wanted to give me some rabbit meat to eat. I refused to open my lips, not

even a tiny slit. They are my rabbits!!!!!

So, people have different understanding and expectation of rabbits, chicken, cows, and pigs. Most peopleregard them as food. But, I kept my rabbits as pets. Pet means family. We would never have our family

members as food.

My Rabbits!!!


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To allow the construction project to progress

smoothly, we appeal to all Dharma friends to

not only donate generously, but also encourage

your relatives, friends, colleagues, and other

generous people and organisations to participate

in the events together. Through many kinds of

activities, we hope that everyone can be enriched

and at ease, while sponsoring the KYCL Building

Fund. The completion of the new Zen Centre

would be able to benet many people.

7

The construction of KYCLs new Zen Centre is progressing rapidly. Since the commencement of

construction in April, a series of tasks has been completed, including demolition of the old building,

preparation of the construction site and piling. Starting with the construction of the rst storey in August,

the building is being constructed at an approximate rate of one storey per month. At present, the third

storey of the building is being constructed. As the new Zen Centre raises upward one storey by one storey,

our building fund is paid to the architect, the consultants, and the building contractor month by month.

New Zen CentreBuilding Progress

The current building fund is projected to be exhausted by next May. Thereafter, we still need about $2

million to complete the construction. Therefore, in addition to annual fundraising events, additional

activities need to be organised to raise the required construction fund.


8/8

/

Bi-monthly Issue / Issue No. 60

Spiritual Leader : Zen Master Seung Sahn

Abbot : Ven. Chi BoonEditor : Leow Wee Kheng

Printer : Qiantai Printing &

Publishing Pte. Ltd.

(T) 6743 0478

Publisher : Kwan Yin Chan Lin

[email protected]://www.kyclzen.org

Kwan Yin Chan Lin203C Lavender Street, Singapore 338764(T) +65 6392 0265 (F) +65 6392 4256

Pengerang International ZenMeditation Centre

Lot. 109 Telok Ramunia, 81620Pengerang Johor

(T) 0207 826 4848

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Toh Tiong HanHang Yew ChuanTeng Siang Ngoh

Harjit Singh/Gurman Kaur

Ong Kim TatNg Sok EngChan Cheow MongLee Shir Jack

Khor Mooi HiangNg Wei Qi

Randell Chin

Sponsors for Commencement of Construction of New Zen Centre

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Choo Heng Thong

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Sng Bee Wah Family

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Jaya Holdings Ltd

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3 Important Questions - Zen Mirror Nov-Dec2010

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