Buddhist Miracles

7 May 2009

This is my notes of the talk on "Buddhist Miracles", by Ajahn Brahm at the Buddhist Lodge on the 7th May 2009, organised by the Buddist Fellowship, in Singapore. They are written as in the first person for easy reading, but it is not an ad verbatim recording of what Ajahn Brahm spoke of during the seminar.

.

Announcement:

Before the talk proper, the master of ceremony announced that this talk is organised by the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore and that anyone can join as members. That membership is very cheap, even cheaper than those of AWARE (the Association for Women's Action and Research) - a tongue-in-cheek reference to their recent surge in the membership size in order to oust the executive committee in an extra-ordinary general meeting. 

.

Also, the announcement that the Buddhist Fellowship is working closely with National Parks and the Public Utilities Board, to educate people not to release their unwanted pets in the wild because these pets may not survive or worse still may upset the local ecology. 

.

If you want to be kind to animals, you can eat less meat, or don't eat meat at all. And for those vegetarians, don't feel too smug too, because in the process of growing vegetables many insects and earthworms are inadvertently killed too.

.

Do things with your heart, but not with the aim of gaining 'merits' for if you are too conscious of gaining 'merits' then they are merits no more.

Not a Miracle 1

We had just finished a conference recently and the day after the stockmarket shot up. Oh, it must be a miracle! *Roaring laughters*

.

"Miracles" - don't spend too much time on it. They are the 'special effects', the seasonings, the chilli in you life. 

.

Not a Miracle 2

The talk about miracles about me started when they took some photos of me and they saw little sparkling cirlces and they all got excited. They thought that was a miracle. Those were not miracles. They are merely dust particles from the floor carpets reflecting the camera flash. This happens nowadays because we use digital cameras. Either that or miracles live in carpets. *laughs*

.

Miracles show you the power of the mind. We haven't understood fully how miracles work. Perhaps they can be explained in the future.

.

Miracle 1

There are some miracles that some people have experienced. There is one about a man who had contracted lung cancer on both lungs. He went through tests and X-Ray. The X-Ray clearly showed it had badly infected both lungs. So he went through chemotherapy and radiation. The doctor said that he had only two to three months to live. Resigned to it, he then went back to talk to his wife and child.

.

One week later, he went back to the hospital and the doctor was astonished after the X-Ray. The cancer has totally disappeared! 

.

"How did it happened? What did you do?" asked the doctor.

"Meditation," he said.

.

This one is a true miracle. This miracle has appeared in reputable and mainstream medical journals. But this is the power of the mind that works within the Laws of Nature. It is not from a superior being.

.

Miracle 2

Another miracle happens during a meditation session, where there is this very noisy man. There are complaints about him, but later, we learned that he is dying of nasal cancer. After we knew about it, there were no more complaints. So understand situations with compassion and a lot of irritation will disappear.

.

Anyway, during one of the meditation session, there was a loud 'pop' and he could breathe easily. Then the cleared block, closed again. Three or four years later, he came back and his cancer was totally cleared!

.

It is the nature of what the mind can do. Peace and calm can help  your health. 

.

NOT a Miracle 3:

However, there is also what the mind cannot do. For instance, you can't write a phoney cheque, stare at it, visualise on it and expect to get a real one in your post the next day!

.

The power of the mind also depends on its purity.

.

NOT a Miracle 4

There was a Chinese guy in Australia that dreamed of his dead father saying, "Tomorrow go to the casino".  So he did and went to the rollette. 

.

Then he heard his father's voice saying, "Number 16". He then put his chips on '16'. The rollette turned and when it stopped, the ball really stopped on '16'!!!!!!! He was delighted that he had won.

.

Next he heard, "Number 27", this time he put all his chips on '27'.  This time, he place all his chips on '27' and when the rollette stopped, to his utmost delight, the ball landed on '27'. Again he won!!!

.

Then next, he heard, "Number 21". Again, he placed all his chips on '21'. Then, the rollette turned and when it stopped, the ball went to '21' and then gently rolled over to '22'. What happened? Then suddenly heard the same voice saying, "Aiyoh!!!!!" (Oh dear!) *laughters*

.

If that is the guy's father that is guiding him to win, what made him think that he is infallible? If his father has made mistakes when he was in this dimension, what made us think that he will not do so just because he has passed away? That is why we don't believe in miracles by these beings.

.

Miracle 3

There is another miracle of this lady who was driving long distance at night and she became tired and dosed off. Then suddenly she got a slap on her face and she woke up and realised she had already swerved to the opposing lane.

.

If you doing something noble, miracles do happen.

.

Miracle 4

For instance, during the 30th annivesary of our monastery, we wanted to have it celebrated on the Supreme Court Garden in Perth. We wanted to do something big. We imported statues from Thailand and invited the Premier of Western Australia to attend. 

.

Then, that very morning, it rained. It was absolutely pouring. The monks had came to him and asked if we should call off the celebration as the rain had built into a storm and they thought it was no way it could clear in time for us. I said "No, we carry on...". They must all think that I am crazy.

.

Then 30 minutes before the celebration was about to start, the rain stopped. Five minutes before the celebration started, the sky cleared. After the celebration, the rain returned. That was also a stormy day for Perth, apart from the brief period when the ceremony happened at Supreme Court Gardens. Everywhere else was storming! On that day, fields and freeways were also flooded.

.

So, the higher beings are behind you if you are doing inspiring deeds. Miracles of hope in good things.

.
The Swine flu is not dangerous. It is mostly fear. The Wine Flue is dangerous! *laughters*

.

Is this a Miracle 1?

There is this Australian guy who went trekking in Ladakh in the Himalayas. It was so beautiful and he spent his time taking photos, that he got left behind. He tried to figure out his way, but eventually got lost. Then he saw a light in the distance. He followed the light and found that it was a monastery.  He went to the monastery and knocked on the door. A monk opened the door and welcomed him to stay for the night as it was getting dark, and that they will direct him to the next morning.

.

At about midnight, he was woken up by a beautiful music. It was so delightful and enchanting. It was joyful.

.

The next morning, he asked the abbott about the music, but the abbott said, 

"Can't tell you that, as you are not a monk".

"Oh! Come on! Tell me! It was such a beautiful music! Tell me!" he pleaded.

"No, you are not a monk," the abbott insisted.

.

The Australian guy was disappointed, but soon he had to leave the monastery and head back to join his group. The beautiful music, however continued to recur in his mind.

.

This continued even after he rejoined his group and returned to Australia. The music continued in his mind so much that he had to see a psychiatrist.

.

A year later, he couldn't take it anymore and returned to the monastery in Ladakh to ask the abbott, but got the same reply,

"Can't tell you. You are not a monk".

"Oh please!!!" he again pleaded.

"No," the monk replied.

"I am going crazy with the music in my mind, please tell me!" he begged.

"No, you are not a monk," the abbott replied.

Desperate, the Australian guy said, "Okay then, if I become a monk, will you tell me...?"

"Yes," the abbot replied.

.

Delighted he became a monk.

.

However, for the first three months while he was learning to be a monk, he didn't hear the music in the monastery at all. Then, after three months, one evening, around midnight, he heard this beautiful and enchanting music. It was so joyful. Delighted, he asked the abbot to reveal to him about the music. The abbot remained silent and asked him to follow him.

.

The abbot took a bunch of keys and walked down the hallways towards the sound of the music. Then they reached a door and he took a wooded key to open the door. It looks like that door had not been opened for along time, as it creaked opened on its hinges. As the door opened, the music came louder and clearer. Oh! It was so beautiful. 

.

Then, the followed the music down the hallway. It was a long hallway and it lead to another door. The abbot then took out a rusty iron key to open the door. Again the door creaked as it opened to reveal the music even clearer and louder. The Australian was delighted and enchanted.

.

The monk is so pleased and followed the music further down the hallway till they reach another door. The abbot then took out a silver key to open the door. The door creaked open and the music came clearer and more delightful. By this time, there is no turning back for the Australian monk. He really really want to find out what the music is.

.

So he dutifully followed the music again down the hallway. As he walked down the hallway, the music got more and more enchanting as it became clearer. Then they reached a golden door. The abbot then said that this is the last door. There are no more doors after this in between the music and them. So the monk took out a golden key and put it in the keyhole and turned. The door swung open and....

.

What happened??

I can't tell you all because you are not a monk!!!!!!!!! *laughters*

.

See how much sufferings curiosity brings you in you life?

Who cares what the music is.

.

Is this a Miracle 2?

There is a grieving mother who went to the Buddha to plead with him to bring back his dead son to live. The Buddha replied that he will if he can bring just three mustard seeds to him. Each from a different family, and that it must not be from a house that somebody has passed away in.

.

"That's easy!" the mother thought, and she wasted no time and left to ask for the three mustard seeds. The first house, said they have many mustard seeds, but their grandmother just passed away, so it is no use giving her the mustard seed. Then the next house, someone else had died in it recently. Another one, yet a family member had passed away in it. She went on to check everyone in the village and realised that it is futile. Everyone had someone died in the house before. 

.

Then, it dawn on her! Everyone had to die. There is nothing to grief for. Her son is dead. Everyone dies. No problem. Then she understood why the Buddha had asked her to seek this three mustard seeds.

.

It would have been futile if the Buddha had the power and revive her son. Instaed the Buddha taught her something much more powerful. This mother then eventually became an arahat.

.

Fireworks?

That's why all other miracles are just 'seasonings', the razmatazz, the fireworks. Go for the deep ones. Those that gives you the free loving heart. The feelings that free people from all the pains and sufferings in life.

.

QUESTIONS:

1. I am a playboy. Many girls come to me even though they know that I am a playboy. I take advantage of that and have sex with them. Is that wrong?

.

You have to be very careful as this involves physical intimacy with another person that can lead to complications and attachments. So you have to be aware of the consequences.

.

2. Is there proof of reincarnation?

The way to get scientific proof of it is to die and then find out! *grins*

[MC: No, I am not going to let you go away with this (reply)]

Ok, there are already many scientific evidence of people who has lived as somebody else in their previous incarnation. Evidence of information they had not possibly known just based on their present incarnation.

.

3. Is divorce or abortions correct?

Don't blame yourself or the other party in a divorce and the attachment of sex, lust and anger.

For abortions, many  had been told by men about it. There is no straight answer to that, but whatever the decision is, do not act out of fear, but love. Also intention is not cause of karma.

.

4. I hear that you mention a lot about 'good' and 'bad'. Isn't this a judgment?

Good deeds are those that you don't harm other people and that you feel joyful about it. A pleasant feeling. When you start feeling rotten after doing something, it is a bad deed. We all feel about these things and we know what is good and what is bad. It has to come from you and nobody else can tell you what is good or bad.

.

For instance, is homosexuality good or bad. Bad? What happens if he is your son and that he is a fine character in many other respects. Now is he good or bad? Is homosexuality good or bad?

.

5. I am very attached to a past relationship. What should I do?

There is a master who used to hold up a glass and tell us it is cracked. "Where?" we asked and he said that they are microscopic cracks that has already happened and if these cracks are stressed, the glass will break. He used that to illustrate to us that relationships are fragile. The human body, marriages, relationships,...etc are fragile. We know that glasses are fragile and that is why we treat them gently, but if it is a plastic mug, we throw it around. That's why we don't take care of our relationships. We think they are like plastic mugs. We think that our bodies, relationships...etc are all permanent. However, if the glass has cracked, let it go.