Let’s Connect with the First South East Asia Lamrim Monastery and Community
- June 9, 2016
The world and its inhabitants are giant web of interrelatedness and interconnectedness, even more so in the nowadays era of the internet. People are connected with each other, starting from basic communication needs, business ventures, working and career networks, learning and self-improvement methods, up and include the nowadays trend of self-actualization.
According to buddhism, an individual consists of mind and matter. People can connect either physically or mentally, or both. Of the two, what is more important in connecting between individuals is actually connecting between the minds. Buddhist principles also say that between internal and external factors, the internal ones should be paid more concern since the internal factors will influence and be manifested into external factors.
How to Make Connection?
We can make connection with our mind, speech, and action. Buddhism explains that karma or action actually refers to the mental factor of “intention”, one of the five omnipresent mental factors that make our every moment existence can function as it is. Therefore, with intention, we can direct our minds and channel them to which ever direction that we would like to connect.
The direction that we would like to connect should be the ones that bring happiness to us. An effect of immense happiness may arise from even a small virtuous karma. This is because the power of the magnification of karma. Since we all want to experience happiness—continuously and immensely, and at the same time we want to always avoid suffering, therefore we should direct our connection towards the virtuous objects.
To Whom Should We Make Connection?
We connect toward internally because we want to understand ourselves. We connect with people because we are all interrelated and we need each other, be it core family members, friends, acquaintances, and just about anyone we come into contact with. Apart from connecting with ourselves and others, we should also make connection with the divine ultimate positive energy in which the buddhists call Buddha.
The Buddha is the ultimate source of excellence, the one in whom no fault can ever exist, the one in whom all good qualities always exist. There are four reasons why the Buddha is worthy to be our connection.
First, he has mastered himself and attained the sublime state of fearlessness. If he had not attained this, he would not be able to protect others from all fears, just as a person who has already fallen down cannot help up someone else who has fallen down.
Second, he is in all ways skilled in the means of training disciples. If he were not so, he would not be able to fulfill your needs, even if you went to him for refuge.
Third, he has great compassion. If he did not have it, he would not protect you even if you went to him for refuge.
Fourth, he is pleased, not by material offerings, but by offerings of practice. If he were not, he would not act as a refuge for everyone, but would help only those who had previously helped him.
In brief, only one who is free of all fears, who is skilled in the means of freeing others from fear, who has great, impartial compassion for everyone, and who acts for everyone’s welfare regardless of whether or not they have benefited him, is worthy of being a refuge. Since only the Buddha has these qualities, he alone is the refuge. Therefore, his teaching and the community of his disciples are also worthy of being a refuge.
How to Make a Strong Connection?
After we have ascertained the characteristics of the Buddha, we should entrust ourselves and make connection with the Buddha with a single-pointed focus. Develop this certainty from the depths of your heart, for, once you are able to do this, they cannot fail to protect you.
This is so because there are two causes of your being protected: an external and an internal. The Buddha has already fully realized the external factor or cause, but you suffer because you have not yet developed the internal factor, entrusting yourself and make connection to the refuge.
The Role of South East Asia Region as the Source of World Civilization
Asia has long been the source of great civilization of the world. According to our current history of mankind, there are three places believed to be the source of civilization, i.e. (1) the Mesopotamia (the modern day Iraq), (2) the Indus Valley (today is the northeastern Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India), (3) the ancient Egypt.
The eastern values has for long been giving significant contribution to the world. The South East Asia region has also given the contribution during the time of the Srivijaya and Majapahit, the two prominent kingdoms at the time.
Nowadays, every part and every region of the world can make contribution. With the internet era of connectedness, one single individual can also make contribution.
During the era of Srivijaya, Buddhism which originated from India developed immensely and planted the roots into the lives of its people. A great Indian pandit monk by the name Atisha Dipamkara Srijnana made a dangerous sea travel of 13 months in search of a Srivijaya prince monk who is the lineage holder of the spirit of enlightenment.
Atisha spent 12 years in the land of Srivijaya, known as the Golden Isle or Suvarnadvipa, to study under the feet of Mahaguru Serlingpa Dharmakirti before returning to India and spread the precious teachings to the Land of Snow, Tibet, which at the time suffer from degeneration.
Atisha restored and revive the authentic buddhist teachings, even further develop it by establishing the Kadam tradition. This great tradition was preserved by the Tibetans up until the area of the snowy mountain was invaded.
Let’s Connect with the First Lamrim Monastery and Community in South East Asia Region
The Lamrim community of the Indonesia Gaden Syeydrub Nampar Gyelwei Ling has an authentic lineage from Suvarnadvipa Guru, which actually the same tradition that was preserved very well by the Tibetans. The Tibetans called Suvarnadvipa Guru as Lama Serlingpa—the Guru from the Golden Island. Lama Serlingpa’s main disciple is Guru Atisha, with his main spiritual son Dromtonpa, who established the Kadam tradition in Tibet. This great tradition was further developed by Je Rinpoche Losang Dragpa into a tradition called Gelugpa, a tradition which still exist until present time.
This great tradition is indeed the lineage intended to be inherited and further developed by building the Indonesia Gaden Syeydrub Nampar Gyelwei Ling, located at Desa Sumberoto, Kecamatan Donomulyo, Kabupaten Malang, Eastern Java province. The area covers around 25 hectare with the physical construction plan include Main Hall and Accomodation for monks. More information click to www.kadamchoeling.or.id/kisah-biara/
Let’s Connect with the Buddha—One Donation Unlimited Connection
The fundraising committee of the first Lamrim Monastery and Community in the South East Asia region would like to invite an open donation for the main Buddha statue. Open invitation for one time donation in the amount of IDR 10,008,- allocated solely for “The One that Brings All Together”—The Buddha who is the true companion for all living beings.
Let’s make connection with the Buddha and contact our fundraising committee:
Johnson Khuo
+62.852.2022.8748
Ida Fitri
+62.811.1984.588
