Hi! The link has been updated :) do sign up if you’re coming for the session on Wednesday!

🌻Soulful Sunday Series #6🌻
This week, let us talk about Mudita (sympathetic joy). It is simply taking joy in other people’s well-being. It is used to cultivate an appreciation of others' successes and happiness. The near-enemy of Mudita is intoxication and the far-enemy of Mudita is jealousy.

So what is intoxication? It refers to over-relishing in the joyful phenomena that one gets attached to it. Have you ever felt yourself getting carried away while praising others that it feels like flattery? When we are so intoxicated by the positive qualities of others, we have to learn to not only observe others but also our own good traits. This will help to foster contentment with oneself and reduce defilements such as greed.

On the other hand, when we see others progressing ahead and better than us, jealousy arises in us. We might feel that others were lucky and we are simply unfortunate. Here, we have to practise mindfulness and understand that every phenomenon throughout the cosmos is karmic volitions accumulated from our past lives and our present actions. So even if others may seemingly ‘strike it rich’, we should have the right understanding and take joy in their successes.

Let us practise Mudita today and be earnestly joyful at the well-being of others🙏☺️

With Metta,
Your friendly neighbourhood Sunya☁️

🌻Soulful Sunday Series #7🌻

This week, as we move into the crazier parts of the academic semester, let us find out how we can use Upekkha (equanimity) to solve our problems!

Upekkha is the ability to stay unwavering and still at all times. It is the state of inner equipoise that cannot be swayed by life’s vicissitudes - gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and disrepute, and happiness and suffering. In fact, some schools of Buddhism view Upekkha as the quintessential factor for the preceding 3 immeasurables, serving to consummate rather than override them. The far enemy of Upekka is resentment while the near enemy is indifference.

Let’s say we are deep in thought when someone we don’t know pushes us. The first reaction would be to feel resentment. There is affliction involved with the act of that individual knocking into us which will elicit a disdainful response from us. But when someone we adore hits us, we tend to forgive them. By cultivating Upekka, we will learn to be equanimous and let it go. This is also a way of training non-attachment.

One should be wary of the near-enemy - apathy. Have you ever watched movies where a highly trained martial art practitioner is depicted as a wise old man and yet exhibits signs of aloofness? Putting that expression into this context, the practitioner may have overstretched and thus fallen into the ‘I don’t care since I’m better or wiser than others’ mindset. Thus, he lacks care for others and becomes self-centred instead.

Upekkha is a mentality where one treats everyone and everything equally without partiality. While this can be tough, let us attempt to be less attached to a self-ego every day and see everyone equally. So, let us start practising Upekkha today!

With Metta,
Your friendly neighbourhood Sunya☁️

Here’s to week 10 of the semester! During this week’s Dharma Circle, the National University of Singapore Buddhist Society is honoured to have Sister Guat Cheng and Sister Marn as the external guests to explain more in-depth about the nature of the Self in Buddhism through two Buddhist concepts: Emptiness and Dependent Origination. Interested participants may attend this session to understand about how the Self is conceived in Buddhism, why it is so and what it would mean for Buddhists as a result.

The session will be held on Wednesday, 19 October 2022 from 7PM to 9 PM. Do take note that the venue has been changed and will be at Yusof Ishak House, Tokyo Room.

Sign up via the rsvp link here: https://nus.campuslabs.com/engage/event/8516688

See you there!

🌻Soulful Sunday Series #8🌻

Sunyata-Emptiness. It seems that many conceptions of Buddhism seem to revolve around this term. You may have heard that emptiness is NOT nothingness or doing nothing. In the Heart Sutra, it was stated that all phenomena are neither created nor destroyed, neither pure nor defiled, neither coming nor going. But did you also know the ‘perfection of wisdom’ in the Heart Sutra is achieved through the realisation of emptiness? So, what is emptiness exactly?

Emptiness is a way of perceiving phenomena. Our experiences are ‘empty’ when we strip ourselves of the preconceived notions about them. Most of the time, when we meditate, a thought will arise in us. If we allow ourselves to be led by that thought, perception and mental formations may arise, and our consciousness clings on to that thought and the afflictive emotions created by it.

By adopting Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching on ‘interdependence’, we would understand all phenomena as devoid of a separate existence or ‘self’. We ‘inter-are’ and ‘inter-be’ with one another.

As we have learnt since the start of the Soulful Sunday series, everything that we experience are karmic volitions and with every phenomena we experience, a lesson must be learnt. The intended purpose of understanding emptiness is to loosen attachment, release ourselves from the defilments, and eventually liberate ourselves from suffering.

With this in mind, let us practise Sunyata mindfully. May all of us be well and happy

With Metta,
Your friendly neighbourhood Sunya☁️

Hello everyone! During this week, the National University of Singapore Buddhist Society is fortunate to have Venerable Kai Cheng to introduce participants to the Buddhist concept of being in the present through the practice of meditation and mindfulness. Interested participants will learn their benefits for their mental health and how they may be integrated into their own often busy and fast-paced lives.

The session will be held physically on Wednesday, 7pm to 9pm. Venue will be confirmed again closer to the date!

Sign up via this link here: https://nus.campuslabs.com/engage/event/8525821

See you there!

Hello everyone, take note that there is a change in venue for tomorrow’s dharma circle. It will be held at Yusof Ishak House training room 1.

🌻Soulful Sunday Series #9🌻

As we approach the exams, stress levels will start building up. Hence, it is crucial that we practise mindfulness (Sati). Mindfulness is the practice of pulling oneself to the present moment and living with an unbiased awareness of our experiences at the moment. Mindfulness is integral to how we live our lives, moment to moment. Life is a continuum of events that are driven by our karmic volitions. Thus, by always being mindful of our thoughts, speech, and actions, we can live by ethical and virtuous conduct.

Buddha taught that there are 4 foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. Training these 4 foundations brings clarity and equanimity to us. Mindfulness can be contextualised to every aspect of our life- academics, work, social interaction, eating… The list goes on infinitely. Kinda reminds us of Zen isn’t it? In fact, Zen originates from Chan Buddhism which emphasises the attainment of Buddhahood through mindfulness and looking deep into one’s mind to realise special insights.

This brings me to share a way to practise mindfulness- Chan meditation! I shall not provide a paradigmatic way of meditation as everyone has different conditions so it is best to research and find out which works best for you. However, there are a few pivotal pointers that would be good to keep in mind when you meditate.

1. The goal of Chan is mind-training- conditioning it to stay in the present.

2. Harmonise the body and mind

3. Cultivate compassion and wisdom

4. Realise non-self and eliminate vexations binding us

Hope that everyone is able to practise mindfulness from today!

With Metta,
Your friendly neighbourhood Sunya☁️

Hello! Anyone interested in Buddhism/Volunteering/Publicity can apply for subcom! Commitment level is quite chill and it's a good opportunity to network with like-minded people. Do note that sign up will be close by tomorrow :) Thank you and have a good weekend!✨

Hello everyone! The National University of Singapore Buddhist Society is recruiting subcommittee members for Events and Marketing!

For those who are interested, please sign up via this link here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Xu-lWwkxd06Fvc_rDTR-glLvS65_QrBIi-j-BJsq1-NUOEZNTlhZVU1NSFc1OFVBSDVUNVE3QjczSC4u
Sign ups will be from 25 to 31 Oct.

We look forward to having you be part of our team!

🌻Soulful Sunday Series #10🌻

Finally, we have reached week 13. Time flies, isn’t it? Well, not if you stay in the present at all times! Throughout the past 9 weeks of Soulful Sunday Series, I have shared ways to cultivate your inner Buddha. It is certainly not surprising why I say this because at some points in our lifetimes in the samsara, we will realise Buddhahood.

Life is not always about studying, hustling, or socialising… It is good to train our monkey-minds to stay in the present moment by having some solitary time. Only in this way can we see the beauty in the simplest things. There are many ways to practise Buddhism but there is never a shortcut. We have to figure our lives as everyone’s suffering is different. Gurus (teachers) can impart their wisdom to us but we ourselves have to realise the path. I believe that we can change our fates by doing good and creating good karma. Good karma can materialise in many forms but i think the best form of good karma is being able to learn Dharma and practise Buddhism!

There are also inevitably times where we are faced with situations that elicit negative emotions in us. However, we should practise Dharma with due diligence, and question and investigate the root cause of these afflictions. Robin Williams once said “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always." Thus, never let yourself be misled by these afflictive emotions. Only you can be in charge of how you want your life to be. That starts with changing your perception towards things, and treating sentient beings with compassion and good-will. Only then, will you be happy☺️

If you ever find yourself in a conundrum, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What would the Buddha have done if he was in this position?”. I have realised that one good way to make hard decisions in life is to emulate the qualities of the Buddha. I would highly recommend viewing the world through the lens of Buddhism in all that we do, even as we breathe.

It has been a great 10 weeks sharing Dharma with you and I sincerely hope that these valuable teachings of the Buddha have managed to alleviate your suffering. Hopefully, you were able to appreciate the beauty of Dharma as much as I did, and spread Buddha’s wisdom to more people. Alas, as with the nature of impermanence, it is time for me to bid goodbye. Here, I wish that everyone can be well and happy, and ultimately be free from our sufferings. Sadhu sadhu sadhu🙏🙏🙏

With Metta,
Your friendly neighbourhood Sunya☁️

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KVSGBemW1fu6QL0K6jyYdJK7qI8ttXBqcxy3If3k9YQ/edit?usp=sharing

We have consolidated the Soulful Sunday series into this g docs for your viewing. Feel free to spread the beauty of this “pocket Dharma” to your peers too🙏 Have a beautiful day ahead, and if you need this, you are doing great☺️