Monday, 19 March 2018

How should practitioners deal with undesirable events in life?


" You should understand that whatever good or bad that happens n life is the Master's blessings. It is the master's responsibility to ensure that you learn from these challenges so that you can progress in your meditation. However, it you let you emotions control you in the face of these challenges,  you will fail.

If some undesirable event happens in your life, it occurs for 2 reasons. Firstly,  that event is clearing your karmic debt. Secondly, it is training you to increase your resilience. How is this so? That bad event (for instance, loss of job, financial constraints, rebellious children) is something that you should experience so that you can learn out of it. Heaven will keep testing you until you can withstand all these challenges and  understand how uncomfortable others feel in that circumstance. "
Master Jin Bodhi from Vancouver meditation retreat


Commentary by Jerome:

Downsides in life are precious opportunities to learn. If your life is smooth all the way, it is hard to believe that you can learn anything out of life. Only during trying periods of your life can learn life's lessons. In Buddhist sutras, it is said that practicing millions of years in Heaven is not comparable to practicing 1 day on Earth. Hence, our lives are precious and do not waste precious time getting frustrated our worldly life events. Use these challenges properly and wisely!

More information available at:

1) Master Jin Bodhi Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/jinbodhiworld/

2) Official Bodhi Meditation Website
http://puti.org
http://putihome.org

Graphics and formatting by Ada

Author:

Jerome is a Buddhist practitioner that has learnt from Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan traditions and is still learning! He first learnt meditation and Dharma from Theravadan monks and practitioners in the lineage of the Arahant Venerable Amatha Gavesi Maha Thero from Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist temple in Singapore. Then, he completed a Diploma in Buddhism from the Buddhist and Pali College in 2016. He also learnt from Zen Master Wu Jue Miao Tian (85th Zen Patriach) from the LingJi lineage in Taiwan in 2014 - 2015.  Subsequently, he learnt from Garchen Rinpoche from the Drigar Thubten Dargye Ling tradition (Tibetan) and attended annual Om Mani Padme Hum and Om Ami Dewa Hrih retreats from 2015 till date. Currently, he is a disciple of Master Jin Bodhi (Mahayana) from Bodhi Meditation in Singapore and is an active volunteer there. Master Jin Bodhi is his main Dharma teacher. Jerome feels that Buddhism is not a religion but is a practical way to reduce our life's problems. The essence of Buddhism is not in the books or sutras but in the way we apply it into our lives. Having understood some aspects of Buddha's teaching, he wants to give back to the society and hopes to share his insights with everyone who has the affinity with him.


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