Serendipity Dharma, Phuket -- [Travel]

Vincent Lim Sui-leong was sailing from one beautiful bay to another along the Andaman coast of Thailand, when the winds of karma blew him into two wats, where he uncovered some words of wisdom and the tale of a gutsy monk.

Words of Wisdom

While strolling through the tranquil tropical garden of the Buddhist Association of Phuket, I came across these charming signboards displaying words of wisdom, each framed by flowering shrubs and sprays of orchids. Each of these makes for a serendipitous contemplative experience.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

If one always waits for the ideal situation to practice Dharma, and keeps procrastinating, he will never get down to doing it. Like they say, if it is not too hot, it is always too cold. Instead of making excuses, one should do whatever he can, with what he has, right where he is. For instance, one can spare five minutes to meditate on loving-kindness, or even make just one prostration or offer one flower with a pure mind. Through accumulating drops of merit such as these, one will eventually come to possess an ocean of merit. This advice is also applicable to our daily secular lives. Instead of whining, lamenting and getting depressed when adversity strikes, one should compose himself and assess what he can do to mitigate the situation. Ask yourself, "what can I do now to improve my lot?", and begin to take baby steps to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for proper livelihood.

One should overcome an evil person by virtue.

This is derived from Verse 5 of the Dhammapada. The full verse reads:

Hatred is never appeased

By hatred in this world;

By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased;

This is a Law Eternal.

Vindictiveness towards your enemies will only result in a vicious perpetuating circle of hurt and abuse in this life and in the next. In one life you are the predator, and in the next, you are preyed upon by your previous life's prey. Wars are fought, because each party is bent on repaying the other in kind, but not with kindness. Virtue, in the form of loving-kindness and compassion, is the way to end this vicious circle. The next time you want your adversaries to "have a taste of their own medicine", rein in your mind of hatred, and let them taste the medicine of Dharma instead.

Not to do evil, to do good, to purify the mind.

These are the Buddhas' instructions.

Every Buddhist, whether from the northern or southern schools, should be familiar with this verse. There are several ways of explaining this verse, all of which do not contradict. One explanation is that "not to do evil" refers to the basic precepts to refrain from doing harm to oneself and others, for instance the five precepts for lay followers and the Pratimoksha vows for the ordained. "To do good" refers to the bodhisattva vows to benefit others and to lead them onto the path of liberation and enlightenment. "To purify the mind" refers to the tantric approach of pure vision, of the practice of seeing the whole world as a pure mandala inhabited by male and female Buddhas. Some people think that this meditation is a mere contrivance. However, the late 19th century Nyingma master Ju Mipam has clearly explained in his Beacon of Certainty, substantiated by logic and scriptural authority, that it makes perfect sense to meditate on purity since it is in accordance with the true nature of reality.

True merit is like a river, the deeper it is the less noise it makes.

Therefore, please do not paint your name on the carapace of the poor turtle that you are about to release. The turtle does not appreciate it, and it makes it more obvious to the eyes of its predator. Announcing all the good things that you have done to everyone is an ego trip, an act of vanity, not the Dharma. True Dharma lies in the purity of the intention of the act; not in the absolute amount of money that you have donated, nor in the number of mantras recited and prostrations made. Actions done with the attitude of renunciation, bodhicitta and emptiness-wisdom qualify as an act of Dharma; actions motivated by the eight worldly concerns of blame and praise, suffering and happiness, loss and profit, disrepute and fame, do not qualify.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.

This reminds me of the four foremost things that I was told, right from the first day that I met my teacher: this precious human rebirth is extremely difficult to obtain, all who are born will certainly die, the time of death is uncertain though, and at death there is nothing that you can bring along except for the seeds of your own positive and negative karma, therefore exert yourself in the Dharma now! This is the way to "live as if you were to die tomorrow". Regarding "learn as if you were to live forever", Sakya Pandita, one of the five founding fathers of the Sakya School, explains in his Elegant Sayings:

Even if you were to die tomorrow, study today.

Though you may not become a sage in this life,

Your knowledge will be preserved for the future

Just like wealth deposited and then reclaimed.

We ought not to fasten our ship to a single anchor nor life to a single hope.

If your happiness is dependent on other people and circumstances, you will never find true happiness. These are external factors that are beyond your control, and are subjected to change and disintegration. Verse 62 of the Dhammapada says:

The fool worries, thinking,

"I have sons, I have wealth."

Indeed, when he himself is not his own,

Whence are sons, whence is wealth?

We must train ourselves such that we become independent and self-reliant, and know how to distinguish Dharma from non-Dharma without depending on hearsay and speculations. By exerting ourselves in this direction, we will one day experience the unchanging bliss that is beyond hope and fear.

Tale of the Gutsy Monk

In the afternoon, I explored Phuket's loveliest and most famous temple, Wat Chalong (see bottom pic b), which is associated with the revered monk Luang Pho Cham. He is known to have provided free medical care during the Ang Yee Rebellion of 1876, which resulted from the violent clashes between secret societies of Chinese tin-miners and the Governor of Phuket. During the peak of the crisis, the locals were torn between staying and moving, so they decided to seek the advice of Luang Pho Cham. When most of us think of heroes, our ideas are mainly derived from Hollywood movies. However, the Buddhist hero is often a slightly scrawny and wizened man (no disrespect meant, though a paradox is intended) who wields not a machine gun, but a fan! Nonetheless, that does not refute the fact that Buddhist heroes are full of character, and are very effective too. Luang Pho Cham stalwartly replied "I have been here for a long time, and I am not going anywhere". This helped to instill confidence in the hearts of the locals somewhat, and most of them decided to stay put. The rebellion was soon quashed with the help of forces rushed in from Bangkok. The king at that time, Rama V, bestowed an honorary title upon Luang Pho Cham in recognition of his contributions. Today, his name and story is still dearly remembered and retold by Phuketians.

At the shrine hall, worshippers offer lotus buds and plaster gold leaves on life-sized busts of the wat's previous three abbots, including Luang Pho Cham (see bottom pic c). The locals have the peculiar custom of lighting firecrackers to express thanksgiving for prayers answered, so you will occasionally find your peace being interrupted.

While in Wat Chalong, do not miss the 61-metre chedi (see bottom pic a) at the back of the compound, which is clearly visible even from the entrance. This imposing and richly-decorated structure was built in 2002 to house a relic of the Buddha brought over from Sri Lanka in 1999. The consecration ceremony was presided over by the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, representing King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The relic is housed in the innermost sanctum on the topmost floor, encased in a triple glass container, and surrounded by an inner and outer ring of life-sized statues of the great disciples of the Buddha. Each of them stands in a reverential manner, inclining towards the relic with folded palms.