Holistic Education for Integral Human Development
It was the second group meditation of the Gimhana Retreat on Wednesday, 19 June. Following the 45-minute quiet sitting, Bro. Tan quoted Sutta 4.110 from the Anguttara Nikaya on the four kinds of vipers (poisonous snakes), which are comparable to four kinds of persons:
- A person who is quick to become angry, but the anger does not last long;
- A person who is not quick to become angry, but the anger lasts long;
- A person who is quick to become angry, and the anger lasts long; and
- A person who is not quick to become angry, and the anger does not last long.
On Wednesday, 12 June, devotees once again filled the Shrine Hall at Nalanda Centre for the first group meditation of Gimhana Retreat. Bro. Tan guided everyone in loving-kindness meditation, followed by a quiet sitting as we observed our breath mindfully. Despite the day’s hustle and bustle, most meditators experienced a sense of peace after the 45 minute session.
In his talk, Bro. Tan shared that there are three things that we need to do every day as Dhamma practitioners. They are:
- Dāna (cultivating a generous spirit in caring and giving)
- Sīla (upholding moral values and maintaining our virtue)
- Bhāvanā (mental development through meditation and wise reflection)
The following is a summary of Bro. Tan’s teaching on 9 June, the first Sunday of the Annual Gimhana Retreat 2013.
Everyone was all-ears as Bro. Tan shared the interesting and insightful story about the snake.
As it was shedding its skin, this 12-feet long King Cobra snake was very distressed and undergoing a big change. Half-blind, mad with discomfort, and in the heat of the high noon sun, it crossed the hot tar road not once or twice, but three times. This was the sight that Bro. Tan came across one day on the road. Read more
