Ways to help Depression

Yesterday, I have discussion with few people on how meditation can help depressed people. Meditation is mind training.
1. We train the mind to stay in the present moment without let them wanders to the past and future.
2. We guard the 6 sense doors from being disturbed by bad objects, like bad thoughts at mind door.
3. We change the bad objects to good objects. how to do it? by changing to good environment. so, to keep the mind happy, we should go to exercise, walk in the garden, or peaceful and quiet place like meditation centre.

昨天，我和一些人讨论如何通过禅修可以帮助失落的人。禅修是心的培育。
我们训练心留在现在，而不让他们走向过去和未来。
我们确保6根门不被坏的事物所打扰，如头脑中的坏想法。
我们将不良事物改为好的事物。怎么做？通过转变到良好的环境。所以要保持心的快乐，我们应该去锻炼，走在花园里，或者和平安宁,一个地方就像是个一间禅修中心

what is the simple way to improve the mind in the house, especially for old people like our old parents who cannot come out from house?
1.put in more green plants that require little maintenance.
2. grow plants out of seeds. it is a joy to see the sapling come out from the seeds. The young people can help elderly to plant outdoor later.
3. bring old people out once in a while to the garden or Buddhist centre, or meditation place.

For the old people who always like to live in the past, always dwelling on negative thoughts, we try to give them more future thoughts.
like discussing on future holiday trip etc, where to plant the plants the grow when it grow up, where to give donation  etc.
怎樣提升在家时的思想，特别是对于不能从家里出来的老父母来说呢？
1.放置更多不需持續照顾的绿色植物
2.种植植物。看到树苗从种子开始成长是一种快乐。年轻人可以帮助老人在户外种树。
3.偶而把老人带到花园或佛教中心或禅修中心的地方。

对于一直以来喜欢活在过去的老人们，并总是以消极的想法为生，我可以试图给他们更多的未来想法。
可以讨论未来的假期旅行等，哪里种植植物，长大成长，捐赠等等。
by Ven Sayalay Cala.

Ten gratitude persons that we should respect to:
1. sammasambuddha:fully enlightenment buddha
2. pacceka Buddha: individual enlightened Buddha
3. arahant
4, aggasavaka:great chief disciples
5. Mata: mother
6. pitu:father
7.guru:respected person
8. sattha: teacher
9. dhammadesaka: dhamma preacher
10. dayaka: supporter of 4 requisites.

In the past lives, we might make mistakes towards them.
By paying respect to these 10 types of person, we can clear bad kammas.
We can also have more confidence in the mind, and easy to practice meditation.

Opening ceremony of Aggacara Education Centre in Malaysia

On 20th August 2017. we invited 4 bhantes from Nandaka Meditation centre to attend our ceremony and also performed the consecration of the Buddha image.

Opening Aggacara branch in Malaysia

Sukhihontu,  we would like to invite you to opening ceremony of Aggacara Education Centre which will take place in NO.1308,Taman Serai Wangi II Padang Serai at 20th August 2017 (Sunday). For any more details or questions please contact to Bro Goh (014-9417178).
Aggacara education centre aims to give dhamma education to the children, the spiritual and meditation opportunity for elderly people. our occasional projects will be.
1. children and youth camp
2. Adult meditation Retreat
3. Teenagers and Children dhamma class
4. Weekly meditation class
5. Learning based Activities
we believe by giving suitable education to children, youth and adult,  we will empower them to take care themselves happily and peacefully. In this way, they also can take care others.
our motto is "Talk the walk, walk the talk"= we practise what we think and believe.

Seasonal children program with help from the volunteers.

Here is an interesting question.
in Christianity, the God controls the people life and destiny.
in Buddhism, the kamma plays an important role to determine destiny, future life and good and bad. So, can we say God =Kamma?

let us continue to go in this direction of thought.
let us assume Kamma =God. what is the role of the Buddha then? is the Buddha less powerful than Kamma?

Answer:
In Christianity, the God controls the people life and destiny.
In Buddhism, the kamma plays an important role to determine destiny, future life and good and bad.
so, can we say God =Kamma?"

In Buddhism, there is no almighty, all controller God. so, this God does not exist, but kamma does exist. so God does not equal to Kamma.

Kamma is considered as non material, so it is a kind of power or condition according to the 24 conditions (patthana).

Kamma happens to all sentient beings, including the Buddha.

Once someone become a Buddha and also arahant, because of no defilements, the actions he done is no longer called kamma, it is called kiriya or functional.

After he passes away, he has no rebirth,  he escapes from the round of rebirths and deaths, in this way, he escape from the working of kamma.
Thus, the Buddha is more powerful than the working of kamma.

What to do when the mind is very boring?
1. Observe the state of boredom
2. Observe the mind is looking for external stimulation
3. Observe it makes this 'I' or self crazy with boredom, and trying desperately to escape from it.
What kind of knowledge can we get from these observations?

Because of tanha and upadana,  craving and clinging one cannot stay quiet,  but crave for sensual objects.

When one contemplates the boring mind, one can see it is a kind of thought,  or a kind of mental feeling. This arises and passes away, and follows by another thought/feeling. By Vipassana practice, one can get wearied of this boredom, and get to know the impermanent nature of this boredom.

What other knowledge can we get when seeing the mind bored with boredom? One can see suffering, the boring mind is a suffering by itself.

One can see anatta or non-self, the boring mind comes even when this self or i does not want it, this proves that this I or self does not exist at all.

Yes, one can see anicca, dukkha and anatta,
In fact, bad experience like boring, sadness etc. is the best teacher in our life.

Vipassana is the best practice,  because one can practice the four foundation of mindfulness at any time and any place. Like the contemplation of mind can be done even when you read Facebook.


This is the Dhamma lesson on the contemplation of boring mind. When you feel bored, do take it as meditation object.

With noting, when you are able to breakthrough the boredom, you will feel the 'renouncement' from defilements, and freedom.