Articles/Transcripts

General Articles

• My Favorite Pastime: Complaining
• Speaking of the Faults of Others
• Chocolate Frosting and Garbage
• Transforming Our Daily Activities
• Practicing Buddhism in Daily Life
• Buddhism in Modern Society
• Simplifying Our Lives (pdf file)
• Q & A on Taking of Intoxicants
• Are Buddhists Ambitious?
• Should Buddhists Vote?
  

Marriage and Parenting

• A Marriage Blessing
• Wedding Ceremony by Steven Vannoy and Samia Shalabi
• Q&A on Parenting: guiding one's children vs. controlling them
• Baby Blessing Ceremony
• Teaching Children by Example
  

Student Reflections

• This Hit Home by Ven. Hue Chuyen
• Work Retreat by Leah Kosik
• A Treasured Possession by Lisa Van Atta
• The Secret of Happiness by Petra McWilliams
• A New Friendship by Wynn Martin
• The Kindness of Strangers by Tom Woodbury
• The Stench of Hatred Author Unknown
• The Effects of Serving One's Spiritual Mentor Author Unknown
• A Letter from a Friend by David Lynch
  

Audio Teachings:

(in mp3 format unless stated otherwise.)

Family, Children and Friendship

• Dharma and the Family (RealAudio)
• Questions and Answers with Children
• Session with Sunday School Teachers
• Improving Our Relationships with Family Members, Friends, and Colleagues (RealAudio)
• Friendship and Community
• More materials on friendship in the Youth and the Dharma section.

General

• Creating Peace in Our Daily Life
• Living a Balanced Life and Making Wise Choices
• Wise Choices for a Good Life
• Making a Decision and Being Content with it
• The Buddhist World View and Recognising Your Life as a Rare and Precious Opportunity
• I have to vs. I choose to: Living an authentic life
• Living a Meaningful Life
• Living with Optimism
• Having a Peaceful Heart in a Complex World
• Attaining and balancing your three wealths - material, emotional & spiritual
• Resistance to Practice
• Joyous Effort
• Three Kinds of Peace
• Self-Centeredness
• How to Handle Everyday Problems
• Preparing the Mind for Tonglen practice
  
• Three Thoughts to Generate Upon Waking Up:
  [5 min] Download | Listen (Real Audio)
• Open Heart, Clear Mind, MBS, USA
• Taming the Monkey Mind (Singapore) (RealAudio)
• Taming the Monkey Mind (mp3), MBS, USA
• Live in the Present Moment versus Prepare for Future Lives: Are they contradictory? (RealAudio)
  
• Buddhism and Consumerism (New York City, 2007)
• Buddhism and Consumerism (Singapore, 2000) (RealAudio)
  
  
• Q&A on the Action of Killing (RealAudio)
• Q&A on Sexual Ethics & Behaviour (RealAudio)
• Q&A on Changing Bad Habits (RealAudio)

Video Teachings:

• Our Precious Human Life. Than Hsiang Temple, Penang, Malaysia.

• Creating Peace in a Chaotic World - Part 1 of 2 (97 min). 21 Dec 2007, Pagoda Phat Hue, Germany.

  Overcoming the self-critical mind; Developing contentment with what we have, who we are and what we’re doing; Accepting ourselves now while aspiring to actualize our potential in the future – these two are not contradictory; Slowing down and connecting with the people around us.

  Q&A:
  - How can we love a boss who is not very nice?
  - How do we make our Dharma understanding move from the head to the heart?
  - What will happen to my career and progress if I’m happy and content with what I am now?
  - How do we deal with feeling hurt and rejected when we don’t get the appreciation, applause and acknowledgement that we seek?
  - Could you tell us about your plans for Sravasti Abbey in the upcoming year?
  - Are feelings a kind of suffering? If they are, then since equanimity is a kind of feeling, then is equanimity also a kind of suffering?

• Creating Peace in a Chaotic World - Part 2 of 2 (99 min). 22 Dec 2007, Pagoda Phat Hue, Germany.

  • We have to practice ourselves. Nobody can do it for us.
  • If the Buddha’s teachings were to be summarised in a slogan, it will be ‘Dependent Arising’.
  • The judgemental mind and its antidote: contemplating the kindness of others.

Also refer to Section II of Taming the Mind: Our Relationships with Others.