Being Buddhist

 Happy vesak!

Hello everyone, it's Vesak Day here in Indonesia so... Wishing all of you a very happy Vesak Day! :D Sabbe sata bhavantu sukithata, may all living things be happy! I know Vesak falls on Tuesday in Singapore but here it falls today. I guess there are different days for different countries so yup. I've always thought Vesak falls on the full-moon of the 4th lunar calendar (and that's Tuesday). Oh well new discoveries everyday! New lessons learned.

And also today I am a raw-vegan for a day! Shall blog about it tomorrow night.

Because... Tonight I wanna discuss here something about my religion. About being a Buddhist.

I have always regarded myself as a Buddhist since young. That's because, I tell myself that. That's because my family is a Buddhist and that I went to a temple for my Sunday school. When I was young I have never understood Buddhism. I see it as a religion and a practice that I ought to follow because I am born a Buddhist. It's true.

It was only in the recent years (like 5 years back) that I began to learn more about this religion of mine. And only recently that I begin to understand the beauty of it. Ever since 2012, when I went to the temple (Mangala Vihara) for their Sunday service, I truly begin to understand about Buddhism. The parita (chantings) that I read, and with a little bit of diligence and curiosity I went to search more about it from the internet and the books.

So I began in my conquest of finding out what does being a Buddhist mean. Is it being someone who goes to the temple everyday and chant everyday? Or someone who's a devoted vegetarian throughout his life? Or someone who shaves his head and stay in a cave to meditate for years to attain enlightenment? To me none of these are definitions of a Buddhist. In fact, I think one definition is not enough to define a Buddhist. It's not. Besides, I always remember the words of the Buddha. That no matter how many holy words you read, if you don't practise them, it's equivalent to nothing.

Of course, I would want to be like the Buddha, to reach enlightenment. And be free from the cycle of births and attain Nirvana. But does that mean that I have to "wait till I die" to see if I am free from this cycle of births?

After reading a lot of online materials and books, I realised that one does not need to sort of "live a life" to attain enlightenment. Yes, I think all (or most) goals of Buddhists is to attain enlightenment. So now, let me ask you, how do you define being enlightened?

Does being enlightened mean you become a person with a golden halo on top as you walk. Or maybe you feel like a supreme being walking on earth, somehow.

To me, being enlightened means to have short and simple revelations in life, that adds up to form your own meaning of life. It's like getting an epiphany to yourself and then this small thing can change the rest of your life, forever. For example, I've learned that I won't live forever, so I've decided to live my life to the fullest. Another example is that life is a suffering but it's something I feel worth suffering for. So I'll just bear with it. I've learned that nothing is permanent, not even your good days. So laugh the bad days off, because they'll be over one day.

I revolve around the 3 basic principles of existence of Buddhism. One is anicca which means impermanence Second is anatta which means non-self and the last is dukkha which means suffering.Anicca is simple and straight forward, that nothing is permanent. I've been grappling with the other two for years. To realise how those two relate to principles of existence. Now I kinda find out what they mean. In my own definition of course.

Anatta means non-self, and to me it means you need to accept the fact that there's no "I" in "me" (literally!). Meaning to get rid of your ego and selfish desires to be happy. This is a really difficult thing to do in my opinion. And because of its difficulty, we will grapple with this problem all of our lives. And thus results in the last principle, dukkha or suffering.

So yeah, if you can revolve around the three basic principles of existence, I'm sure one day you will get these small "revelations" about life. These will then help you to create your own meaning in life. And you'll be able to lead a happy and mindful life. And I think, to me, that's really equivalent of being enlightened. Because it feels like you have your own life to walk on. It feels like you have nothing else missing in life. You're wholesome. You're enlightened.

So yep. I think that's my definition of being a Buddhist. Someone who puts the words of the Buddha into practice, and revolves their lives around the 3 basic principles of existence. If done well, you'll be a Buddha - an enlightened person.

Before I end off this post I want to add a quote I come across with.

"Yankinci samudaya-dhammam sabban-tam nirodha-dhammanti" 
Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation

Remember that your life will cease one day. Make the best out it. Be the best out of it.

Happy Waisak once again!

Thus Have I Seen (THIS) Buddhist Film Festival

  

Thus Have I Seen

Today was another awesome Saturday! And as awesome as it is, also, a thought-provoking one. Which is really nice though haha, I love being caught in deep thoughts cause of an action, cause of something. But yes, awesome Saturday is awesome. I went to watch 3 more screenings of the THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012 with Saeyeoh today! They are Angin, Your Mind Is Bigger Than All The Supermarkets In The World and One Mile Above! All great movies/documentaries.

I will write my thoughts of the films I watched today later on hehe.

 

 The autographed CD of Angin! Thanks Dharma in Action hehe

So I met her at 11 today and we went to watch our first two screening (Angin and Your Mind). It was lovely of the director of Angin, Mr Winaldo Artaraya Swastia to come down and have a Q&A session with us after the screening of his movie. And yes he's Indonesian! I'm really proud of him, to have someone who's able to create such a beautiful and sweet short-movie that is really meaningful. And it was even more meaningful when he explained the meaning behind the title Angin (wind).

As a fellow Indonesian I'm curious of course, so I asked him what inspired him to make a movie about Buddhism in Indonesia? And I'm glad to know that well not only there isn't any Buddhist Fictional movie before Angin, but he also wants to share his passion and happiness in showing the teachings of Buddhism. After the movie screening I met him outside and have a chat with him. And wow his father is from my hometown Sukabumi! Haha. And of course I took a photo with him ^^ and I got myself an autographer CD of Angin for the Q&A session (Thanks Dharma in action!)

 Me and the director of Angin, Mr Winaldo!

After watching his movie, it really inspired me to make a short movie as well about Buddhism. Though I'm not a movie maker heh. Or well maybe perhaps a short photography project? So I convey my thoughts through pictures hehe.

Then Saeyeoh and I went for lunch at Seoul Garden. Oh gosh it's been such a long time since I ate there and we had a yummy lunch (and filling one too). Had a good chat and good catch-up as well! :) And so then we make our way back to Lido for the last movie screening of the day, and of this year's festival, One Mile Above by Du Jiayi!

It was such a great movie. Throughout the movie I was just awed in silence for it's awesomeness. It's one of the most beautiful and one of the best movies I've ever watched! So touching, sad but at the same time it's just wonderful... I'm so glad that I got two tickets from the super-fast-selling seats back in August whew. I watched the trailer back at Mangala Vihara when Dharma in Action people came there to give a short talk of the festival. I know I have to watch this one!

After the movie I got myself mooncakes! Thanks to being an M1 user I got 15% off hehe from Marriott! And then we decided to go to a place near Raffles Place, beside the Singapore river to just chill with the evening breeze. Thanks for intro-ing me to that place! It was really lovely and nice. Should go there more often to chill hehe. And yup, that's all for the day!

Right moving on to my thoughts about THIS Buddhist Film Festival.

So basically I watched three movie screenings today, and the three of them are really great movies/documentary to begin with. Angin, as Mr Winaldo explained, is used as a theme of Anicca (impermanence). I think it's a great movie to show how things come and go, that all things are impermanent yes?

Your Mind Is Bigger Than All The Supermarkets In The World (I'll cut it short with Your Mind) is another great experiential documentary too. Though the documentary is just video stills of the director, having a conversation with her meditation teacher in Sri Lanka, I feel that watching it makes me feel like I'm -there- too with them, talking, enjoying the view. Some of the words that I picked up from the docu were really great too.

I particularly like the part where Upul Nishanta said something about living the moment. How true that whenever I do work (say my report), I can't just think of the THING I'm doing now. I'll think of the other parts of my report. I'll think whether it's good enough. I'll think whether Dr Simon would like it or not. I can't just think of the present! The thing I'm doing NOW. And hence yes, it's important to just focus on what you're doing now, rather than just... Keep on thinking of the future and worrying yourself unnecessarily. Live the moment!

And another one is about happiness, and unhappiness. So happiness is when you're able to do what you mind wants you to do. If you're not able to do what your mind wants you to do, you get a punishment which is known as, unhappiness! So yeah, basically it all comes back to the fact that happiness is from within. We create our own sadness and happiness. Less of the outer things that we get or we face. Interesting ya?

Last but not least, about life. The words that ring in my head the most is this. You can use the life to understand about the life. What is it? And also, how life is one huge laboratory where we carry out our experiments. I think it's true how much life is one great journey. And to understand this journey, I think only we can do so. We can't tell people hi this is life. We tell ourselves what life is. Cause though we all live to die eventually, it is our definitions of life that make life so beautiful.
 
Following THIS theme for this year, "Open Your Mind", going to four screenings of the movies showcased really made me open my mind more about my religion, but actually more to life. Especially today's movie screenings. I've learnt a lot and it was just great to learn more. So far all of the movies are thought-provoking. It made you think, and most importantly it made you feel. And I think that is a very important feature of a film.

Thought I wouldn't call myself as a strong Buddhist, I truly enjoy learning its teachings (Dhamma) and also trying to apply it in my life. Though so far, I find it really challenging and yes it's possible of course. I was talking to Saeyeoh today about religion, and well perhaps, some people convert away from Buddhism cause maybe one of the reasons is that they couldn't follow the teaching and find it difficult. Well I heard it from somewhere... Buddhism is not about learning about being a good Buddhist. It's learning about life, learning about yourself.

And to think how complex life can be, you should understand my point, yes? :)

Alright what a long post. To all the organisers and everyone else who made THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012 possible, thank you very much for your hardwork and dedication! Truly enjoyed the movie screenings I went to. I hope to see you again in 2014 hehe. Thanks for opening my mind, and well here I go saying....  

Thus Have I Seen.