Dharma Talk at Buddhist Residence in Oregon, US

In the morning of October 4, 2016, the Venerable Thich Chan Tinh visited Buddhists’ residences on the occasion of his preaching trip in Oregon, US.

In the evening, he had a Dharma talk at Buddhist Dieu Tinh’s residence regarding the lesson from Dhammapada- Verse 60:

long is the league to the weary.

Long is worldly existence to fools

who know not the Sublime Truth”.

He said that the origin of Samsara was due to ignorance which led sentient beings into the non-stop loop of suffering in the tri-worlds.

Moreover, death is not the end but the period of changing our mode of existence instead. Therefore, we should be proactively well-prepared for our future to avoid the embarrassment when that day comes. All what we can bring along to the afterlives are accumulated virtue, merit and practicing. If we currently generate lots of good deeds, they will move us to the better realms with happiness, and vice versa, bad deeds would downgrade us to the lower realms with suffering in the afterlife. It is not God but karma will do the job. We are the creator and the beneficiary of our own karmas, enjoy the fruits of what we have planted. In other words “we reap as we sow”. From that point of view, besides earning for living, we should practice and be well-prepared for the happiness within this life and the after-lives. The fools take care of the current life while the wise men prepare for both this life and the after lives. The awaken ones always know how to transform bad karmas into the good ones via merit- wisdom practice, benefiting themselves and others. Such proactive mindset will make us be happy in this life and avoid suffering in future.

Following are the recorded photographs:

BBT Website