Monday, 09/14/2026
Penitent Course on Jan 11, 2017 (Dec 14 lunar calendar)
Update: 12/01/2017
This time, Reverend Thich Tam Luat from Hoang Phap pagoda had a Dharma talk with the topic "Hello my affliction!"
We all would like to have peaceful and happy life. However, we sometimes have to cope with adhoc anxiety or frustration that not only makes ourselves uncomfortable but also affects the people around us via our uncontrollable rude words or gestures. In fact, affliction itself does not come to knock the door of our mind but the trio greed - hatred – ignorance in our mind triggers the mood.
Predecessors have a saying: "The late awakening is worse than the appearance of the trio greed - hatred – ignoranceâ€.With awakening mind, we can recognize the appearance of the trio and their evils diminish accordingly.
Whenever the unwanted/uncomfortable issues happen, we can create a diversion to avoid anxiety by drinking a glass of water, recite Buddha’s name/prayer or thinking of some optimistic things.
However, they are the temporary methods. Some researchers go a step further. They find thatdiversionary is more likely an ad-hoc solution than a comprehensive one. We should bravely face with the disturbance by studying about, following up and observing them so that they cannot control our mind. We should be in balanced and awakening mood during the observation.
We, Buddhists, should apply both the ad-hoc and comprehensive methods coping with afflictions. “Do not solve the individuals making us upset but our upset mind insteadâ€. After recognizing the upset mind, we will welcome, accept it with mindfulness and transmit it from anxiety to ease and peaceâ€.
After the Dharma talk, the repentant course kept on with penitence rite and five-precept statement as usual.
Following are the recorded photographs:
BBT Website
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