100 million Mani Recitation Retreat 2008
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http://maniretreat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=58
from 1 Aug ticket will be available at SISTIC outlets.
:)
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TICKET PRICE
$100 - General Public
$80 - student, senior citizen (60 above)
(Include lunch and dinner, SISTIC booking fee of $3 is applicable for each ticket purchased)From 1st August, ticket will be available through
SISTIC website www.sistic.com.sg,
SISTIC Hotline (65) 6348 5555
and at all SISTIC Authorised Agents islandwide.For Sangha pls call 6400 2072.
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Hi Knight u joining?
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Originally posted by spikedoll:
Hi Knight u joining?
Seems to be quite shiong. Sit down on the floor and chant. Many hours chanting and must be full attendance. Need to seriously consider.
These are necessary for creating a harmonious and conducive retreat environment for one and all.
- As this is a strict retreat practice, FULL ATTENDANCE is required for all the participants including the Sangha members. Head count will be taken at every session to facilitate the counting of the six-syllable mantras.
- This retreat is open to participants aged 10 and above. Participants are not allowed to bring their babies and children into the retreat hall.
- Retreat seats are not swappable and seating arrangement cannot be changed.
- All participants are to report to the venue with your tickets on the 29th Dec 2008 by 8.00am.
- Participants with serious illnesses should consult their physicians regarding their ability to attend the retreat, as long hours of recitation is required.
- Overnight lodging is NOT provided
- Name tags issued are to be worn visibly by the participants at all times during the retreat.
- All participants are responsible for their personal items. The Organising Committee will not be held responsible for any item lost during the retreat. Please avoid bringing valuable items.
- All participants are responsible for their own safety.
The Organising Committee will not be held responsible for any injuries and accidents during the retreat.
DRESS CODE
- Clothing should be opaque with sleeves. White coloured shirts/T-shirts and long/track pants are recommended.
- Those who might feel cold easily should bring along a coat or jacket and a towel to cover your legs.
DURING THE RETREAT
- STRICTLY NO private audience with the Rinpoches is allowed during the retreat.
- Five precepts (NO killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking of intoxicants) are to be observed at all times.
- No smoking allowed. No wearing of jewellery, makeup, perfume or scented powder during the retreat period.
- Only vegetarian food is to be taken throughout the period of the entire retreat. Eggs and food mixed or cooked with meat are NOT allowed. The 5 Pungent Roots (Garlic, Onion / Spring Onion, Leek, Chinese Chive & Shallot) should be avoided.
- NO READING, PERSONAL PRACTICES, IDLE TALKING is allowed. (Strictly for recitation of Mani ONLY)
- Unofficial video equipment and cameras are not allowed into the retreat hall. Walkmans and MD Recorders for personal recording are allowed and should be placed at your seat without obstructing others.
- Bulky or noisy prayer wheels should not be used.
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These are necessary for creating a harmonious and conducive retreat environment for one and all.
- As this is a strict retreat practice, FULL ATTENDANCE is required for all the participants including the Sangha members. Head count will be taken at every session to facilitate the counting of the six-syllable mantras.
- This retreat is open to participants aged 10 and above. Participants are not allowed to bring their babies and children into the retreat hall.
- Retreat seats are not swappable and seating arrangement cannot be changed.
- All participants are to report to the venue with your tickets on the 29th Dec 2008 by 8.00am.
- Participants with serious illnesses should consult their physicians regarding their ability to attend the retreat, as long hours of recitation is required.
- Overnight lodging is NOT provided
- Name tags issued are to be worn visibly by the participants at all times during the retreat.
- All participants are responsible for their personal items. The Organising Committee will not be held responsible for any item lost during the retreat. Please avoid bringing valuable items.
- All participants are responsible for their own safety.
The Organising Committee will not be held responsible for any injuries and accidents during the retreat.
DRESS CODE
- Clothing should be opaque with sleeves. White coloured shirts/T-shirts and long/track pants are recommended.
- Those who might feel cold easily should bring along a coat or jacket and a towel to cover your legs.
DURING THE RETREAT
- STRICTLY NO private audience with the Rinpoches is allowed during the retreat.
- Five precepts (NO killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking of intoxicants) are to be observed at all times.
- No smoking allowed. No wearing of jewellery, makeup, perfume or scented powder during the retreat period.
- Only vegetarian food is to be taken throughout the period of the entire retreat. Eggs and food mixed or cooked with meat are NOT allowed. The 5 Pungent Roots (Garlic, Onion / Spring Onion, Leek, Chinese Chive & Shallot) should be avoided.
- NO READING, PERSONAL PRACTICES, IDLE TALKING is allowed. (Strictly for recitation of Mani ONLY)
- Unofficial video equipment and cameras are not allowed into the retreat hall. Walkmans and MD Recorders for personal recording are allowed and should be placed at your seat without obstructing others.
- Bulky or noisy prayer wheels should not be used.
- Please switch your handphone, pagers or beeping devices to silent mode.
- Movement should be minimized. Belongings and the items on the tables of the Rinpoches and Lamas should not be touched.
- Any argument or discontentment during the retreat should be made known to the Organising Committee. The Organising Committee will have the final say in any decision-making. All participants should respect and follow the rules and regulations and the decisions made by the Organising Committee.
- Movement should be minimized. Belongings and the items on the tables of the Rinpoches and Lamas should not be touched.
- Any argument or discontentment during the retreat should be made known to the Organising Committee. The Organising Committee will have the final say in any decision-making. All participants should respect and follow the rules and regulations and the decisions made by the Organising Committee.
Retreat Schedule
8.00am Admission
8.30am Rinpoche’s teachings followed by Mani Recitation (1st session)
10.30am Break
11.00am Mani Recitation (2nd session)
12.30am Lunch
2.00pm Mani Recitation (3rd session)
4.00pm Break
4.30pm Mani Recitation (4th session)
6.00pm Dinner
7.30pm Teachings by Rinpoche followed by Mani Recitation (5th session)
9.30pm Dedication of merits
10.00pm End of Session (Stay Out)Programme timing subjected to changes
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By the way , how do you guys pronounce the mani mantra ?
1) Om Mani padme hum ( Something like : Om Mani Pay Me Home ? )
2) Ong (4) Ma Mi(2) bei mei(3) hong(4) ------- ( From hai tao fa shi's chanting book )3) Om Mani Pad Meh Hung -
Originally posted by knightlll:
By the way , how do you guys pronounce the mani mantra ?
1) Om Mani padme hum ( Something like : Om Mani Pay Me Home ? )
2) Ong (4) Ma Mi(2) bei mei(3) hong(4) ------- ( From hai tao fa shi's chanting book )3) Om Mani Pad Meh Hung
Hi, there can be slightly different pronunciations, partly because within different areas of Tibet they have different accents.Anyway, in general, you could pronounce it as something like this:
Om Ma Ni Pe (as in like the Chinese word �) Me (as in like Chinese word 美) Hung
If you have any opportunity, you could check with the Dharma teachers.
In some cases, the teachers emphasize the importance of correct pronunciation; yet there are also times when Dharma teachers said that being very sincere and focused on the chanting is more important than getting the "perfect" pronunciation.
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There is no cushion seat for this year event. only chair seat is available. so don't worry, not siong at all, all participants will sit comfortably on the nice chair.
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I attended last year one on part time basis. No registration and full attendance is needed, just go there when you free. But if too crowded, then too bad.
The pronunciation of the mantra (Om Mani padme hum) is
OUMm Mani Pe Mi HONG
"Mani" pronounced as money.
Dont worry, they will teach the participants the correct pronunciation. Using alphabet to describe the pronunciation is a bit inaccurate sometimes.Actually I prefer to sit on floor with meditation posture, all the great masters like to use this way when chanting, because it helps the person to focus and reduce the expenditure of energy.
side track a bit, it is said that China become relatively weaker since dynasty song when people started to sit on chair than on floor. Japanese and Koreans still maintain this good habit till now. -
Originally posted by Display Name:
I attended last year one on part time basis. No registration and full attendance is needed, just go there when you free. But if too crowded, then too bad.
The pronunciation of the mantra (Om Mani padme hum) is
OUMm Mani Pe Mi HONG
"Mani" pronounced as money.
Dont worry, they will teach the participants the correct pronunciation. Using alphabet to describe the pronunciation is a bit inaccurate sometimes.Actually I prefer to sit on floor with meditation posture, all the great masters like to use this way when chanting, because it helps the person to focus and reduce the expenditure of energy.
side track a bit, it is said that China become relatively weaker since dynasty song when people started to sit on chair than on floor. Japanese and Koreans still maintain this good habit till now.Thanks guys. I am used to pronouncing ' Om Mani Pay me home ' . Is it okay ?
They want full attendance wor ?
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Originally posted by Gohyeechin:
There is no cushion seat for this year event. only chair seat is available. so don't worry, not siong at all, all participants will sit comfortably on the nice chair.
Thanks. Are u a volunteer there ?Will they set targets like this session must chant how many times ? I find that the longer one chants , the prounciation will get inaccurate.
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Originally posted by knightlll:
Thanks. Are u a volunteer there ?Will they set targets like this session must chant how many times ? I find that the longer one chants , the prounciation will get inaccurate.
There's no target for the audience ler. All the audiences need to do is to follow the pace set by leading lamas and rinpoches on the stages. Doesn't matter if the pronunciation is in accurate, the most important thing is to maintain a positive motivation.
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you can listen to Drubwang Rinpoche chanting of mani on
http://drubwangrinpoche.preciousteaching.org/
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There is another great event happening on 10th August at Singapore Polytechnic....a workshop by an enlightened master from India Swami Nithyananda.I have attended courses in his ashram and it is life tranforming.....visit sistic for tickets ...the program is called....Guaranteed solutions to Bliss
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I went to look up on India Swami Nithyananda's account on his enlightenment experience. It was an inspiring talk, and it is a joy to just listen to that description of his experience/story of his awakening... partly because there is also a recognition of what is being spoken/described with my experience, just as I wrote some of my nondual experience many months back in Death, Consciousness, Nondual Perception
But I have to say that even that is not yet enlightenment in context of Buddhism yet.. it is intense luminosity.. it is the direct experience of your own consciousness, the luminous aspect of your Buddha-Nature.. but it is not yet the realisation of anatta and emptiness. In Buddhism, only when there is the prajna insight into anatta and emptiness can be considered enlightenment.
I would say that the experience being described in the video corresponds to our moderator Thusness's stage 1 and 2 experience, which he describes in the following:
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html
Thusness's Six Stages of Experience
NOTE: This article has been updated on 8 December 2007 after Thusness requested that this article be updated with his comments to avoid misleading people. Also, for a more thorough explanation of the experience of I AM and how the experience is misunderstood, see Buddha Nature is NOT "I Am".
“It should also be noted that the stages are nothing authentic or any indications of achievement; it is wrote simply for the purpose of sharing to ‘JonLS’ when condition arose; there is no need to overemphasize anything.
If the stages are seen as gradual ascendance, the essence is again lost completely. All described stages are mere appearances and no one appearance is purer than the other.”
Based on: http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=210722&page=3
Stage 1: The experience of “I AM”
It was about 20 years back and it all started with the question of “Before birth, who am I”. I do not know why but this question seems to capture my entire being. I can spend days and nights just sitting focusing, pondering over this question; till one day, everything seemed to come to a complete standstill, not even a single thread of thought arise. There is merely nothing and completely void, only this pure sense of existence. This mere sense of I, this Presence, what is it? It is not the body, not thought as there is no thought, nothing at all, just Existence itself. There is no need for anyone to authenticate this understanding.
At that moment of realization, I experience tremendous flow of energy being released. It is as if life is expressing itself through my body and I am merely nothing but this expression. However at that point in time, I am still unable to fully understand what this experience is and how I have misunderstood its nature.
Stage 2: The experience of “I AM Everything”
It seems that my experience is supported by many Advaita and Hindu teachings. But the biggest mistake I made is when I spoke to a Buddhist friend, he told me about the doctrine of no-self, about no ‘I’. I rejected such doctrine outright as it is in direct contradiction with what I experienced. I was deeply confused for sometime and could not appreciate why Buddha has taught this doctrine and worst still make it a Dharma Seal. Until one day, I experienced the fusing of everything into ‘Me’ but somehow there is no ‘me’. It is like an “I-less I’. I somehow accepted the 'no I' idea but then I still insist that Buddha shouldn't have put it that way...The experience is wonderful, it is as if I am totally emancipated, a complete release without boundary. I told myself I am totally convinced that I am no more confused so I wrote a poem (something like the below),
I am the rain
I am the sky
I am the ‘blueness’
The color of the sky
Nothing is more real than the I
Therefore Buddha, I am I.
There is a phrase for this experience -- Whenever and wherever there IS, the IS is Me. This phrase is like a mantra to me. I often use this to lead me back into the experience of Presence.
The rest of the journey is the unfolding and further refining of this experience of Total Presence but somehow there is always this blockage, this ‘something’ preventing me from recapturing the experience. It is the inability to fully ‘die’ into total Presence...Stage 3: Entering into a state of nothingness
Somehow something is blocking the natural flow of my innermost essence and preventing me from re-living the experience. Presence is still there but there is no sense of ‘totality’. It was both logically and intuitively clear that ‘I’ is the problem. It is the ‘I’ that is blocking; it is the ‘I’ that is the limit; it is the ‘I’ that is the boundary but why can’t I do away with it? At that point in time it didn’t occur to me that I should look into the nature of awareness and what awareness is all about, instead, I was too occupied with the art of entering into a state of oblivious to rid the ‘I’...this continues for the next 13+ years (in between of course there are many other minor events and the experience of total presence did occur many times but with few months of gap)…
However I came to one important understanding –
The ‘I’ is the root cause of all artificialities, true freedom is in spontaneity. Surrender into complete nothingness and everything simply Self So.Stage 4. Presence as Mirror Bright Clarity
I got in touch with Buddhism in 1997. Not because I wanted to find out more about the experience of ‘Presence’ but rather the teaching of impermanence syncs deeply with what I experience in life. I am faced with the possibility of losing all my wealth and more by financial crisis. At that point in time I have no idea that Buddhism is so profoundly rich on the aspect of ‘Presence’. The mystery of life cannot be understood, I seek for a refuge in Buddhism to alleviate my sorrows caused by the financial crisis but it turned out to be the missing key towards experiencing total presence.
I wasn’t that resistant then about the doctrine of ‘no-self’ but the idea that all phenomenon existence is empty of an inherent ‘self’ or ‘Self’ did not quite get into me. Are they talking about the ‘Self’ as a personality or ‘Self’ as ‘Eternal Witness’? Must we do away even with the ‘Witness’ itself or the Witness is another illusion itself?
There is thinking, no thinker
There is sound, no hearer
Suffering exists, no sufferer
Deeds there are, no doer
I was meditating the above stanza deeply…about its meaning until one day, suddenly I heard ‘tongss…’, it was so clear, there was nothing else, just the sound and nothing else! And ‘tongs…’ resounding…. It was so clear, so vivid!
That experience is so familiar, so real and so clear. It is the same experience of “I AM”….it is without thought, without concepts, without intermediary, without anyone there, without any in-between…What is it? IT is Presence! But this time it is not ‘I AM’, it is not asking ‘who am I’, it is not the pure sense of “I AM”, it is ‘TONGSss….’, the pure Sound…
Then come Taste, just the Taste and nothing else….
The heart beats…..
the Scenery…
There is no gap in between, no longer a few months gap for it to arise…
There never was a stage to enter, no I to cease and never has it existed
There is no entry and exit point…
There is no Sound out there or in here…
There is no ‘I’ apart from the arising and ceasing…
The manifold of Presence….
Moment to moment Presences unfolds…Presence is the Crystal Bright Clarity.
Updated comments: Insight into no-self has arisen but non-dual experience is still not stabilized. The tendency to experience as a clear mirror reflecting still persist, however, the attention is shifted to experiencing pure presence rest in being authenticated by mere phenomenon. There is no more resistance towards phenomena manifestation, the ‘illusion’ of a background is seen and effort to sink back to a void background diminishes substantially.
Stage 5. No mirror Reflecting
When every single moment is purely nothing but the unfolding of total presence under differing conditions, there is only chirping birds, drum beats, foot steps, sky, mountain…there never was a Witness hiding anywhere!
There is no mirror reflecting
All along manifestation alone is.
The one hand claps
Everything IS!For further comments: http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/210722?page=6
Updated comments: The drop is thorough, the center is gone. The center is nothing more than a subtle karmic tendency to divide. A more poetic expression would be sound hears, scenery sees, the dust is the mirror. Transient phenomenon itself has always been the mirror, complete in arising, self-liberates in its own accords.
Stage 6. The nature of Presence is Empty
Not only is there no ‘who’ in pristine awareness, there is no ‘where’ and ‘when’.
Pristine Awareness cannot be contained within a 6-foot body -- neither within nor without. The ‘bond’ makes it so.
All is Presence! But “TONGSss…” is radically different from “the blue sky”….When conditions are, there is. There is no need for a 'who', ‘when’ or ‘where’, only causes and conditions are necessary. This is its nature.
When there is this, that is.
With the arising of this, that arises.
When this is not, neither is that.
With the cessation of this, that ceases.
-- the principle of conditionality
The self-luminous awareness from beginning-less time has never been separated and cannot be separated from its conditions. They are not two -- This is, That is. Along with the conditions, Luminosity shines without a center and arises without a place. No where to be found. This is the emptiness nature of PresenceUpdated comments: With the willingness to let go of the ‘I’ and ‘Mine’, the ‘emptiness nature’ is clearly understood. Practice is neither going after the mirror nor escaping from the maya reflection; it is to clearly 'see' the 'nature' of reflection.
To see that there is really no mirror other than the ongoing reflection due to our emptiness nature. Neither is there a mirror to cling to as the background reality nor a maya to escape from. Beyond these two extreme lies the middle path -- the prajna wisdom of seeing that the maya is our Buddha nature.
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Another rather recent and similar case... someone came to this forum to promote a Hindu form of yoga called 'Sahaja Yoga'... the teacher was also speaking from the I AM level of realisation. I wrote quite a lengthy comment, which can be found here:http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/316622
Our moderator Longchen (who also gone through the stages 1 to 6, from I AM to No-Self to Emptiness, and has many writings on his insights gained along the path in http://www.dreamdatum.com/articles.html) said something then:
This thread reminds me of one incident last month.
I was in one shopping center and i saw a shopfront advertising Prana and Arhatic Yoga course.
Well, naturally, i was curious and went in to have a look. I have a chat with one of the persons inside. I think she is a staff or student of the course.
I was looking through the brochures and ask her why the word 'Arhat' was used for the Yoga course. Another lady overhead the conversation and say that the course is pitching at the same level as the Buddhist Arhat.
Having browsed thru some of the brochures, I told her it is not the same. She seems to be in a hurry and asked me to check out their website.
I check out their website. Their teacher talk about I AM oneness realisation.
Indeed, it is not the same level of realisation as the Arhat. The teacher is at I AM level understanding. It is sad that the followers cannot tell the difference.
People are doing business and earning from it. So, i thought better not to disrupt their livelihood by telling them. Also, the chances of them believing what i say will be very slim...
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ya, Hindu form of AM is deep-rooted in the Divine "I"
without the "I" ,they will breakdown in spiritually
so best not to suggest thing from them
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Originally posted by Gohyeechin:
you can listen to Drubwang Rinpoche chanting of mani on
http://drubwangrinpoche.preciousteaching.org/
Thanks. I have applied for leave , if it is approved i will go purchase the ticket. : ) -
There is a video of "Song of Refuge", part of it has "om mani ped me hung".
http://buddhistmusic.blogspot.com/2007/06/embrace-song-of-refuge.html
This song is very nice and quite touching.
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I bought the ticket liao !
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Sadhu. Sadhu. Sadhu.
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Hi Knightlll, u may want to join this Weekly Mani retreat at Sera Jey Buddhist centre.It's held on every saturday at below address.Recitation of Om mani padme hung & dharma talks.From 7.30pm -9.30pm
Sera Jey Buddhist Centre
No.9 Geylang Lor 35
#03-01 (Nam Hai Keing)
Tel: 67491139
Metta~!
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H.E. Thritsab Rinpoche his personal encouragement to all dharma brothers and sisters to participate in this Mani Retreat. Tune in to http://www.maniretreat.org/ or http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6496556659325221373&hl=en to view the video clip.