GAQ BP 102 - 27th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Choo Beng, Andrew Long, Jebsons presented the Purana Kassapa
• Mee Leng, Robert presented the Makkhali Gosala

GAQ P 102 - 27th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Continued the Bhikkhuni Khandaka and stopped after saying what to practice briefly for Maha Pajapati Gotami and what to look out for the characteristics of the Dhamma Vinaya

GAQ BC 102 - 25th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Officially finished the topics on Samana and Brahmana
• Talk about the teachings overview of the 6 teachers - akiriyavada and kiriyavada, concept of god, past karma and non actions etc

GAQ P 101 - 25th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Narmada did Upasagga Prefix from Handout 3
• Said that Bhante Udita away for 5 weeks and will cover for him

GAQ BC 101 - 22nd March 2012 (Thursday)

• Brahmanism (900 BC - 700 BC)
• Priest becomes more powerful than Gods
• Caste System
• Brahmins
• Kattiyas
• Vaishyas
• Suddas
• Supremancy of "Sacrifice"
• Increasing Materials Expenses and doubt that it can solve human problems
• Created new deity "Prajapati"
• Is he/she all-mighty
• Aryanyakas (Vanaprastha)
• Sacrifices uses symbolism expresion instead of physical performances
• Enphasizes on Meditation
• Philosophical Ideas
• Horse Sacrifice "Asramedha"
• Sun is the horse eye
• the wind is his breath
• the sacrifice fire is his mouth
• the seasons are his limbs
• the stars are his bones
• the plants and trees are his hairs
• Brahmana <-> Aryanyakas <-> Upanishads
• Features of Aryanyakas
• Do not give rules for the performances of sacrifices ad the explanation of the ceremonies
• Meditation is teh spirit of their teaching
• Austerities are emphasized
• Hence stress the efficasy of the inner or mental sacrifice as distinguished from the outer ot formal sacrifices i.e. Brahmana sacrifice
• Aryanyaka period clearly shows the transition from the Path of Sacrifice to the Path of Knowledge which was to be attained through severe ascetic practice and deep contemplation
• Sraddha means introspection

GAQ BP 102 - 20th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Lay Hoon not here today. Supposedly sick (Physically hor... not otherwise)

GAQ P 102 - 20th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Did Bhikkhuni Khandaka, the section on the conversation between Buddha, Ananda and Mahapajapati Gotami about the respecting of seniors and rules to be followed
• Ven . Seelananda hinted that the exam gotta sign up next week or on Thursday. About US$200 fees... DOUBTS !?!?!?!

GAQ BC 102 - 18th March 2012 (Sunday)

• 6 Contenporary Teachers
• Karma
• Samsara
• Moksha
• Info on the 6 teachers are only concluded in the Upanishads period
• Refer to DN 2 Samannaphala Sutta for more info
• Makkali Ghosala, Purana Kassapa and Pakuda Kaccayana are all Ajivakas
• Makkali Ghosala
• Sudda Caste
• Teach niyati
• Determnism
• Fatalist
• Everything occurs by chance and fate
• No cause and condition
• Ahetukavada
• No Kammic result
• No human effort for spiritual practice
• No reason to do so
• Subscribes to "akiriyavada" -> non action
• Humans and beings should live out their lives for 84 Maha Kalpas like a ball of thread that unwinds to in the end gain moksha
• The Buddha criticises him as the worst of al teachers
• Makkali Ghosala claima to have psychic powers
• Was once with Nigantha Nataputta but split away because of fundamental doctrinal reasons
• Purana Kassapa
• Same as Makkali Ghosala
• Sudda Caste
• More of a ahetukavada
• Amoralist
• Nothing was said about his idea of liberation
• Pakuda Kaccayana
• Brahmin Caste
• Atomist
• In beings there are 7 elements
• Pathavi (Earth)
• Apo (Water)
• Tejo (Heat)
• Vayo (Wind)
• Sukha
• Dukkha
• Life principle a.k.a. soul
• Body is indestructable and is permanent
• It is all that is a process that every being is going through
• Nothing really happens
• No cause and conditions
• No need to do anything to gain liberation
• Ajita Kesakambali
• Buddha said that he is dirty and smelly if his hair is not washed clean
• Believe that there are the 4 Maha Bhutas in a being
• There is no existence of the after-life
• Ucchedavadin
• 10 Wrong Views
• There is no need for spiritual development
• Lead life to the fullest in sense indulgement
• Materialist
• Nigantha Nataputta
• Extrene ahimsa
• 4 fold restraint
• Strainer, broom, mouth mask
• Karma stains jiva / atta / atman
• Not to perform bad karma
• Because of bad past karma, thus perform extreme self mortification
• He is a kiriyavadin and also an akiriyavadin
• In buddhism, we stress on mental intention as Karma
• In Jainism, Nigantha Nataputta stress on all intentional and unintentional bodity action as Karma
• View the soul that reaches he heavens to enjoy the bliss as nirvana
• Sanjaya Belathaputta
• Intellectual Teacher or an Idiotic Fool
• Sariputta and Moggallana were once his students
• No commitment to any statement put to him
• Skeptic
• We may infer self-indulgence
• Al teachers are akiriyavadins except Nigantha Nataputta and Sanjaya Belathaputta

GAQ BP 101 - 18th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Yoga Philosophy
• Mainly dealing with meditation
• There are 6 kinds of Indian Thought
• There is the syatematical practice of meditation yoga in the Patanjali Sutra
• There also existed this yoga practice in the Dravidian period
• Yoga philosophy deals with discipline
• It aims to unite the ultimate truths about the nature of man and the world
• Yoga philosophy can be found in : Jainism, Buddhism
• Shankhya, Nyaya, Vaisesika and Vedanta
• Shankhya has only theory and no practice but later accepted yoga into its practice to realize truths
• Kaivalya is the liberatioin from everything and mainly depends on yoga which is related to realizing wisdom pertaining to metaphysical propositions and episemology
• In Yogic Philosophy, there must be a creator God called "Isvara" meaning chief or highest God
• Purusa is the self free from all bondages and physical miseries and pain
• Prakuti have bonds but n mental energy and no mind
• Prakuti have to contact other purusas
• Supreme Purusas cannot create prakuti and purusas and it inly acts asa support base
• Perfection is achieved through graded means
• Through meditation, it allows them to known the inperfection compared to God
• Yoga frees man from shackles of Prakuti and know the true nature of self as immortal, all prevading and independant
• Knowledge can destroy ignorance and illusion that binds self to Prakuti
• There are 4 Divisions of Yoga
• Samadhipada
• Introduction to nature, goal and method, modification of body organ, citta and yogic techniques leading to the cessation of modification
• Sadhanapada
• Analysis of suffering, cause and elimination. Suffeings of mental states, actoins and effects, attachments to effects, karma and bondages
• Vubhutipada
• Yoga Philosophy and paranomal phenomena, acquisitoin of super powers
• Kaivalya
• Liberation, reality of self as the transcendal purusa, various realms of beings
• Man has to subdue senses, passions and desires
• Patanjali (8 factors of yogic meditation)
• Elimination of mental distractions
• Yama
• Niyama
• Elimination of physical distractions
• Asana
• Pranayama
• Detachment of senses from the mind
• Pratyahara
• Achieve primodial intuition (Original Mind)
• Dharana
• Dhyana (flow of mental energy)
• Samadhi (Confine the mind to a certain area -> concentration)
• 3 Sources of Knowledges
• Direct cognition of senses
• Inference
• Teatimon ????

GAQ P 101 - 18th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Did handout 3 "Infinitive" verb section

GAQ BC 101 - 15th March 2012 (Thursday)

• Today Dolly not here so Ven . Hao Xiang took over till 9pm
• 2011 exam question to do at own time (OTOT)
• Discuss the migration of Aryans to India an factually explain how they established themselves in a short period of time
• "As a result of man's inability to understand the nature, Vedic religions emarged" Discuss.
• Did Lecture notes Lesson 4 "Brahmanism"
• Vedas means knowledge
• Rig Veda (from 1500 BC to 900 BC to compile)
• Accounts of social, religious, political and economical background
• Centred on God Theory
• Priests do rituals and sing hymns
• There are 10 Books (Mandalas) written encompased in this Veda
• There are 7 families famous for the hymns
• Different families heard and recite different parts of Indra's hymns
• Qualities of a Priest
• Mediator between People and Gods
• Able to chant
• Sounds made in rituals and rites are very important
• Do the right ritual, use the right material and for the right god
• Sage, Seer or Rishi create the hymns
• Brahmins need to pass down the chant and hymns to the sons
• Sama Veda (melody and tunes)
• Most of the hymns are borrowed from the Rig Veda and to be sung by Udgatri (Sama Priests) in sacrifices
• Yajur Veda
• Composed in prose and is meant to be used by Adhvarya priests for superfluous explanations of the rites and rituals
• Atharva Veda
• Used by Brahma, the Artharva Priests, to correct mispronunciations and wrong performances
• In Brahmanism period (900 BC - 700 BC), there is a conflict between the warroior caste and Brahmin caste
• Studentship - Householder - Varnaprastha (sit nearthe teacher in the forest) - Sannyasi (he himself)
• Vedas (Samhitas) - 4 Vedas
• Brahmanas (Rituals) - Ritualistic texts including religious duties
• Aryankas (Theologies) - Serves as an object of meditation for ascetics who live in the forest
• Upanishads (Philosophies) - Concluding parts of the Vedas therefore contain the essence of Vedic teachings
• There are 108 famous Upanishads; now only 13 have been translated into english
• General Features of Brahmnism Period
• Supremancy of Yajna (sacrifice) Dharma (i.e. how to rule the country)
• Yajna is a symbolic expression and its efficacy is due to the correct pronunciation. Only Brahma Priest has the correct pronunciation
• Visible and Invisible gods; the people make it such that the gods are visible to you (this will be touched in the next lesson)
• Rta is the cosmic principle. This became the Karma principle in later times
• Karma Marga (path of selfness action) became Jnana Marga (path of knowledge) in Aryanka and Upanishad Period
• Caste System
• New Deity - Pajapati (all mighty creator)
• Position of Indra downgraded from War God back to Thunder God
• Indra -> Brahma -> Prajapati -> Brahma
• "Law of Manu" book is a nust for everyone to remember
• Created by humans to benefit Brahmins

GAQ P 102 - 13th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Seelananda did the summary of the 8 important rules and introduced the sequence on who got higher oedination first - Mahapajapati Gotami and the 500 Sakyan Ladies
• He also agreed to send us a copy of his notes... pending

GAQ BC 101 - 8th March 2012 (Thursday)

• Gods (anthropomorphism)
• Classify into 3 Spheres
• Heavenly gods - Varuna (Guardian of Cosmic Order; Rita became Karma Theory in Brahnamism)
• Sky gods - Indra
• Earth Gods - Agni & Soma
• Create more gods as time elapses
• Increasing in rituals and sacrifices
• Priest position rises higher and higher and rituals and sacrifices became more and more elaborate and complicated
• Grhyakaman (Simple rituals performed by householders)
• Srauta Karmani (Complicated rituals and materials needed; performed by kings and rich men and increase the time spent in rituals and increase in number of priests needed)
• Sacrifice is also with music
• They believe that hymns are not human creation but by divine revelation
• 1st Priest is Manu and they tru to come out with a book called "Law of Manu"which mentions the 3 spheres of gods
• There is no mention of rebirth and karma in early vedic sources
• Brahmana period (900 BC - 700 BC)
• Rebirth and Karma is mentioned in the Upanishads
• Praurti Margi (This worldly)
• Householders, kings and nobles ask for
• offspring
• wealth
• health
• victory in war
• daily activities
• marriage ceremony
• increase in number of cattle
• It is simple and there is no thought of after-life

GAQ P 102 - 8th March 2012 (Thursday)

• Did finish the first 10 pairs of Suttas from Anguttara Nikaya Cattuka Nipata

GAQ BP 102 - 6th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Did "Eternalism v.s.Nihilism" Notes

GAQ P 102 - 6th March 2012 (Tuesday)

• Did 7th and 8th strict rules for bhikkhunis
• Conclusion and acceptance of all rules from Maha pajapati Gotami
• Go search commentaries and sub-commentaries for Cula vagga of the Vinaya Pitaka Bhikkhuni Khandaka Above sutta for the reasons why Buddha hesitated to form the Nun's order.

GAQ BC 102 - 4th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Went through notes "Differences between the Early Buddhism and the Early Brahmanism"
• Brahmanism
1. Theistic
2. Gods are powerful and are NOT subjected to Kamma
3. Concerned with after-life
4. Worldly and Heavenly gain
5. Authority of Vedas
6. Dogmatic / ekamsavadin
7. Yajna -> sacrificial rites
8. Caste system
9. Asramadhama - encourage to live householder life ; brahmacarya / studentship
10. Etermal Hell and Eternal Heaven
11. Renunciatoin after the first 2 stages of life
12. Veda trayi - Rig, Yajur, Sama
13. Seera / rsis, gods / devas, ancestor / pitr
14. atmavada
15. Upanishads - secret teachings
16. Liberation or moksha - atman together with brahman
• Buddhism
1. Non-theistic
2. God subject to kamma
3. Concerned with the present and now
4. Supramundane gain and the end of suffering
5. Deny Vedas
6. Analysis / vibhajjavadin
7. Ahimsa and observing precepts
8. Equal opportunity for all for spiritual development
9. Pabbajja - going forth full renunciation ; brahmacarya - holy conduct and freedom from samsara
10. Hell and Heaven are nor eternal and subjective
11. Whenever they are ready, they can renunounce
12. Tevijja
• Remember own past lives
• Know others' past lives and kamma
• destruction of defilements are the 10 fetters 
13. Sila Samadhi Panna and also Brahma Viharas
14. Anatta
15. Open Teachings
16. Nibbana

GAQ BP 101 - 4th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Upanishads - to sit down near (a teacher) to learn secret teachings (usually about atman and Brahman)
• Vedanta - ending books (additional books)
• Sruti - to listen / listen well
• Bahusaccan (well versed) ca sippan ca
• Vedas are by revelation
• When came to the Upanishads period, the people were hostile to the practice of rituals and rites and want to bring out new ideas about the world and soul
• Universal soul
• Mundaka Upanishads deal with the against of ritual practice
• Asuamedha
• People (upanishads) say do not need to do rituals and sacrifice, just think of it and it gets sacrificed to the gods
• They shifted to meditation practice - all in the thought
• Brahadranyaka -> offer the whole universe to the gods
• Thinking will do the job, need not doing
• Svetasvara -> accept soma and agni gods
• Brahmins have power over Vedas but when come to the Upanishads period, the kings gained power over them and have more authority
• Tapas means strict practices, also means heat
• Khanti paramam tapoti ti tikkha -> patience is the best discipline
• Sunaka Vata (dog practice) ; Go Vata (Bull practice)
• Silabbata Paramasa -> wrongful moral conduct
• Some people in the Upanishads went to the forest to comtemplate about life and what happens when we die and about communication with the divine
• Them they came out with the idea of atman (soul) A.k.a self
• Attha -> welfare
• Budi -> sleeping
• Question : was the Upanishads period people also tends to be sramanas ????
• Fire walking is a form of attakilamathanuyoga. This was first before the kamasukhalikanuyoga
• Purusa (great person) of which the whole world is of this and is not easily realized
• The poeple try to combine the internal self with the external self
• Karma + atta = moral law
• Jiva -> life
• When Jiva is free from karma, it is pure; karma stains jiva
• Prana -> life
• Samsaric life depends on prana and karma
• Pls chek Brahmajala Sutta
• 10 questoins Buddha avioded
• In the Upanishads, people placed more emphasis on meditation
• Tat tvam asi (you are you) -> the ultimate identity of the individual
• Brahman and soul is the main teachings of the Upanishads
• Upasana mediation is to identify the brahman; say to themselves "Aham Brahma Asi"
• External things identify with themselves and vice versa
• They stress that they must be morally pure are must study first from a teacher
• They must understand and realize that Karma is in the Jiva
• "Himself is the master" - they aim to realize this
• The mantras is aimed to achieve the immortality of the soul
• Rta -> the moral code is inchargeed by Varuna in the Vedic period
• Now, it is not everything god, but by oneself
• Rta is slowly replaced by Karma
• No more place for God teachings, but more for monotheism
• Salvation is their own form of nirvana which is the soul goes back to Brahma

GAQ P 101 - 4th March 2012 (Sunday)

• Did page 4 of handout 2 and focused on Past Tenses

GAQ BC 101 - 1st March 2012 (Thursday)

• 29/3/2012 and 5/4/2012 - There is NO Ven Hao Xiang's lesson and will be replaced with Dolly's Lesson
• 15/3/2012 - There will be no Dolly lesson and will be replaced with Ven Hao Xiang's lesson
• Later Vedic Period (1000 BC - 600 BC)
• Political
• Mahajanapada (Great Kingdom which incorporated polytheism)
• There are 16 Great Kingdoms divided into - Republican & Monarcha (Many wars thus there was the establishment of so many kingdoms)
• Reasons for this political change into many kingdoms
• tribes spread quickly over Northern India based on geography
• Changes in material and social life
• Discover usage of iron
• Different skills (pottery, carpentry, metal work) emerging
• Trade both internal and external
• Because of trade, there is the class of people emerging (the Vaisyas)
• Dasa aryan became suddas (these were dark skinned people)
• Brahmin, Nobles and Ordinary people (e.g. the upper 3 castes were fair skinned people)
• Arya Varna v.s. Dasa Varna
• Religion
• Sacrifices by priests (yajna)
• Indra as war god but latter shifted to become God of plough
• In the Rig Veda, there are about 200+ stanzas attributed to the above mentioned change
• Who is the one who introduced all these gods to the people ????
• Brahmins were the authority over what to worship
• Power of Brahmin is very high in the society
• The Kattiyas, who became the rulers, also must listen to the Brahmins
• Kattiyas have conflict with the Brahmins and Vice Versa
• Because of social expansion, thus they came up with the Vaisya caste
• In the Rig Veda (oldest vedic text), in the 10 Mandalas verse 129, they say about these 4 castes
• Brahmins create the book "Law of Manu" to protect their social position and solidify their authority
• 900 BC - 700 BC Brahmana Period
• 3 Sphere of Gods
• Sky
• Heavenly
• Earth 
• 600 BC onwards, Brahmin becomes professional
• Social reasons and religion has impact on the 6 Heretical teachers
• Brahmins, Kattiyas and Vaisyas have education by the Brahmin teachers starting when they are 8, 10 and 11 years old respectively
• Suddas do not have education
• Why Brahmins teach Vedas even to Vaisyas?
• Coz there is the concept of "Twice Born"
• Only Brahmins are Twice Born and get admitted to the status automatically
• The Kattiyas and Vaisyas need exams and tests to be Twice Born
• According to the Brahmins, everyone should go through the 4 stages of life
• Studentship (up to 20 yrs old)
• Householder (up to 50 yrs old) -> the Brahmins place importance on this stage as it is important to them religiously and for their own livelihood
• Hermit (up to 70 yrs old) -> can have family contact
• Sanyasi Wanders -> retreat into deep forest and pass away from there
• These 4 stages of life is to counteract the theories of the 6 Heretical Teachers

GAQ P 102 - 1st March 2012 (Thursday)

• Did Catthkka Nipata from the Anguttara Nikaya discourses 9 and 10