HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS 2021 ❤ GRATITUDE 2020 SERIES @BWMONASTERY 07.03.2021

2021年的期望 Reflection for 2020年的总结

I regard 2020 as a year of spiritual practice and one filled with life changing contemplations which were filled with uncertainties. Not only did we have to face the threat of the pandemic, we were further challenged by its unforeseen duration.

Things to be grateful for:

During this year, I too suffered from shingles causing a Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which paralysed the right side of my face. This turn of event made me contemplate and reflect on impermanence.

My thought:

“Regardless of what happens, it is meant to be the best situation for me.”

“不论发生什么，都是对我最好的安排!”

Over this period of lockdown, it gave me more time to reflect and practice on the teachings.

I am grateful to Abbot Jing Yuan for being forward looking and embracing Dharma Propagation through ICT tools. Among these, the monastery provided ZOOM platforms us to continue our Lamrim classes online.

Heartfelt Gratitude to Abbot for further enriching us with the wonderful discourses of “劝发菩提心＂ and ” 法华经＂。

Grateful to all the Venerables and lecturers for organizing Online Pujas, Global Lamrim discussion classes and seminars.

I always love singing to the rhythm of mantras in pujas though I find it hard to recite on my own. Through starting my personal daily practice from May to December, 108 times of Migtsema, 7 times Heart sutra, 108 times of Manjushri mantra, Green Tara mantra and 35 Buddha repentance, I am able to chant without following the recording.

English Thirty-Five Buddha Repentance Ritual – Prostration version
https://youtu.be/6Zr4DjGGBn0

Though I pledged to have a monthly 10-day vegetarian diet. I realized that I had 70 to 80 vegetarian meals in a month. Way beyond the 30 meals!

The discourse on serenity and insight by our Teacher is also a marvellous opportunity to plant the virtuous Dharma seed though I can hardly understand.

In the past one year, I offered 7 cups of water & lights daily, supplicating for the merits to clear my negative karmic deeds in Dharma learning and understanding the Teaching. Our excellent teachers will never put our Human Life of Leisure and Opportunity to waste: “我們的师长是不会浪费我们的暇满人生的”。They will plan for our learning when the conditions is right. As in the case of my taking up the role of an assistant monitor. After three months of facilitating the Saturday class as an assistant monitor, I felt that I can better understand the Lamrim & also have more confidence in facilitating the class.

Taking up full-time volunteering roles (金钻) with the monastery is an excellent way to put into practice what I have learnt from the Lamrim. With this commitment, I also joined the full time staff attend their Global Lamrim 2 and Serenity and Insight discussions. Through these sessions, I better understand many terminologies like “善所缘”，”思所成” & “堪能心” which I did not previously understand.

2020 may be a year filled with challenges, however, it is a year filled with progress in my spiritual studies. Finally, my outmost gratitude to our lineage masters for not giving up on me.