On this fine Sunday morning, the Founder President of Bandar Utama Vihara is welcomed to our centre. Bro Buck Soon is ready with his sharing on 'Building Vihara, Community and Paramis'. It is timely and appropriate so to say as PHBS is in the stage of building a Vihara/Temple for Putra Heights. For those who have not been updated... well., PHBS has just been successful in getting the piece of land for building the temple. Sheer hard work and perseverance, that is for sure.
Rare is birth as a human,
Hard is the life of mortals
Hard is the hearing of sublime truth
Rare is the appearance of the Buddha
(Dhammapada Verse 18)
We are so blessed to be born in the human realm, indeed it is the best. Humans are born with a physical body and mind. Of course, when we have the physical body there comes our suffering, aches and pains, hunger, discomfort due to weather etc... the good thing is with these sufferings lead to realisation and the need to cultivate wisdom.
To cultivate wisdom we need to practise Sila, Dana and Bhavana. Practice means we need all the conducive conditions to start off. Firstly, of course, as Bro Buck Soon emphasized the need to have a Vihara/Temple.
When we have such a place that we call a Vihara, then there will be the presence of the Sangha, teacher or Ajahn.Their presence will lay a condition for us to do Dana(generosity), to listen to the the teachings of the Buddha (Dhamma) and to practise meditation (Bhavana). Their presence will definitely motivates people to practise and perfect their paramis (perfections) and strive to achieve the ultimate bliss.
To sum it up, a Vihara is important to build a spiritually inclined community. Having a Vihara in the neighbourhood will also give opportunities for people to volunteer to do social service in helping to maintain the Vihara thus there will be more interaction and fellowship in the community.(kalyana mitta) In this way one's paramis is cummulative and merits accrued will be immeasurable.
Giving food, one gives strength
Giving clothes, one gives beauty,
Giving a vehicle, one gives ease,
Giving a lamp, one gives sight,
The one who gives a temple is the giver of All
But One who teaches the Dhamma is the giver of the Deathless
Samyutta Nikaya
PHBS will move forward, in true faith of the Dhamma .
May All Be Well and Happy Always...
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