Aggācāra International Theravāda Education and Meditation Centre (Aggācāra International College)

Yesterday(29th April 2016) is the final day of sharing Basic Buddhism and meditation with many students from different parts of the world. I normally go to Thabarwa centre to do ten days of Dhammadana.This time is 18th April to 28th April. Normally I focus on Basic Buddhism including kamma, ten good deeds,and ten bad deeds, five precepts, law of nature, four Noble Truths, and four foundations of mindfulness. Meditation taught including sitting meditation, walking meditation, standing meditation. That are breathing, four elements medit ation, loving-kindness, six sense bases. For breathing, I advised them to do long breathing, short breathing and counting to settle the mind first. Kamma is easy for Buddhists to believe, but not easy for those who neither believe in previous life nor next life. But kamma is a law of cause and effect that can be seen right now, just like the intention in the mind to walk will cause the legs to move. To have a fruitful discussion with the student...

Sometimes people get angry with us, Sometimes we get angry with people, We are boiling mad! They are boiling mad! Because of anger, We lost all concentration, We have no mindfulness, We only get anger. Why do they angry? Because they do not obtain their wishes, Because we do not follow their ways, So they get angry with us. Why do we get angry? Because we do not obtain our wishes, So we get angry with ourselves and them. So anger burns ourselves exhaustively. How to cure anger? Realizing anger is hatred-root, Realizing anger is due to attachment, When we desire it, but cannot get it, So desire leads to hatred. To stop anger is easy, Just stop the attachment, Just stop the desire, Just aware things are impermanent. Why cling to impermanent things, Since this body is also impermanent, Since this life is also impermanent, We can take nothing from this life, except own good deeds. Anger spoils good deeds, It weakens good intention, It causes one look ...

We, the founders of Aggacara International Theravada Education and Mission centre, have a wish to share our Dhamma knowledge to others. As part of our education program, we would go to different centres to share our Dhamma knowledge. That is why we, goes to Thabarwa centre monthly to conduct 10 days of Basic Buddhism cum meditation to the foreigners who are visiting and volunteering in the centre. I am happy to receive a letter of appreciation from the chie f monk of Thabarwa centre-Sayadaw Ottamasara. Thabarwa centre is a very unique centre as it combines the charity and meditation in the same place. People can do charity and practice meditation.They are many old people and sick people. I see people suffering from polio, stroke, and also homeless people. One can really see aging and sickness around us daily.

It will take me about 12 years from diploma to get Ph.D. (diploma 1 year, bachelor 2 years, master 4 years, one year waiting for preliminary Ph.D., Ph.D. 4 years) Not that I am crazy about getting a doctorate, or put a 'Dr. ' in my name, but I enjoy learning more Dhamma especially Pali and Abhidhamma. The process of learning is fun and interesting. and of course, 'back to school' and stay as a student receiving knowledge from the teachers keep the mind humble, and eager to learn more. If I continue to stay in a meditation in Malaysia or Myanmar, I do not have a chance to learn in a systematically way. I did spend 6 years in Lunas. Of course, I can pick up some knowledge regarding meditation. Once, I encountered an elderly Malaysian lady, she said 'No need to learn in university. You should just spend one month or two weeks learning under this famous sayadaw monk. This will be enough!' But how can this short time learning allow us to pick up consistent knowl...