Well, remembering what happenend the day before yesterday is easier without the jet lag impacting my functioning… I gave a lecture on Buddhist Psychopathology and a first part of Karma Transformation… Both is centred around the 3P as I call it, the three poisons as known in all brands of Buddhism, which are greed (almost leading to the world’s economic demise?), hatred (leading to extreme terrorism and the 3rd world war we are still in?) and ignorance (on how the mind works and the delusion that we as human beings are all seperate rather than the reality of inter-mind).
Continue reading Teaching in Myanmar: blog 4
Teaching Psychology in Budddhism in Myanmar
This is the 3rd blog on the past few days which went so quickly, I have to contemplate what happened… It is almost raining everyday here that the days seem to be all the same, anyway it is Monday morning now here and cloudy but dry. It is the rainy season now here whis is from June to September, four months, in a region that has three seasons a year. Today, I decided to skip my breakfast and take the opportunity to slim a bit by eating small portions of food and dishes I have to get used to their taste. No lecture to deliver today, so plenty of time to prepare my powerpoint for Bangkok on Sept 5, when I need to leave Myanmar to Thailand to renew visa as to be able to stay 36 days rather than the maximum of 28 days allowed for me as a tourist. I did progress yesterday and need to finalize the planned six hours with I guess a one hour break, so it will be performing five hours, ideally talking three, demonstrating one and discussing one.
Continue reading Teaching Psychology in Budddhism in Myanmar
Teaching in the heart of Theravada Buddhism – Arrived at Shan State University
Then, I arrived at Yangon Airport where a co-worker volunteer picked me up to go to immigration, no problem as expected, and to the Ruby Hotel where I spent one night. Next morning a domestic flight to a town called Taung Gyi in Shan State, where I was again picked up by Ms Khamnoon who is a sister of the famous Khammai who resides this time of year in Oxford, England. I learned that the weather at Shan State Buddhist University (SSBU) up in a mountainous area is rainy and foggy during the months of June, July, August and September.
Continue reading Teaching in the heart of Theravada Buddhism – Arrived at Shan State University
Teaching in the heart of Theravada Buddhism: Yangon
Invited by the Rector Magnificus of the the very new Shan State Buddhist University at Taung Gyi, the amazing Oxford PhD Khammai Dhammasami, I am now sitting here on August 20 at the Domestic Airport of Yangon after having arrived yesterday from Alicante to Amsterdam via Dubai to where I am sitting on a bench.
It has been quite a story to tell about getting visa for 36 days to Yangon, as a tourist or business man, which I am not so the decline for the latter as well for the first. There is no way in for 36 days unless out within 28 days for new visa from another country like Thailand. Anyway, the reception was ok yesterday as well as the mango in the family Hotel Ruby from where I was brought to wait for my domestic flight to Heho at 10.30.
Continue reading Teaching in the heart of Theravada Buddhism: Yangon
What Does Karma Really Mean In Buddhism?
Karma: there is no other concept in Buddhism which is more important and yet evokes so much misunderstanding. The relevance is illustrated by the given that The Buddha called himself a kammavadin, someone who deals with “intentional action” (the shortest definition of karma). In spite of those who might want to view karma as a book-keeping balance of good and bad deeds, karma is interpreted as nothing more or less than a this-worldy cognitive-behavioural choice determining here-now consequences. Thanks to Ven Jnanamati Williams and Floor Nijman for recording.