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Feedback From 1st Run:
‘This course is a must-go! Thumbs up!’ – Jane
‘Excellent course. Looking forward to recommend friends. Do join the next run if you missed this round.’ – Joyce
‘It was a great course… Especially the last lesson, where I got lots of tips.’ : ) – Teng Leng
‘I truly enjoyed attending the 2 courses – “Destination Pureland: How To Die Well & Be Reborn Better” & “Project Makan: Vegetarianism In The True Sutras”. It has been enlightening for me.’ – Freddie
‘The course is indeed profound, and is an eye-opener for devotees who do not want to go through birth and death cycle in our mundane world. The class comes alive with plenty of inspirational testimonials from participants. Bro. Shi’an, your class is interesting. I am looking forward to the next course.’ – Amituofo, Lawrence & Shirley
‘Hi Shi’an, it’s a very interesting course as the subject concerns everyone. Your explanations given to us were clear and logical, which helped us to dispel myths on handling death. Overall, I find that this course is very useful as it not only lets mw know what to expect when facing death, it also equips me with the knowledge for helping others.’ – Thanks, Mee Nah
‘I saw a beautiful poster titled “Destination Pureland”. As I am interested to know more about Pure Land practice, I decided to register. I called my sister, thinking it might be a useful course for her and her husband, for learning Nianfo. After attending the course, I found it well covered. We were given lots of beneficial notes. The course is applicable for both Pure Land practitioners and beginner Buddhists. We learnt that life is impermanent and death can strike suddenly, and how we can prepare to handle the dying moments – for ourselves, family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers. I gained a better understanding of accepting death. It is during the crucial moments before death that our right efforts can facilitate a smooth and blissful transition to a good rebirth – the best of which in Amituofo’s (Amitābha Buddha) Pure Land. I now have better understanding of Amituofo and how we can connect to him by Nianfo, and how he can share his blessings with us with his immeasurable compassion and wisdom… The knowledge I gained strengthened my faith in Amituofo.
We learnt the importance of the Three Provisions of unshakeable Faith in Amituofo, unwavering Aspiration to reach his Pure Land, and the utmost sincere Practice of being mindful of his name. I have a clearer concept now. Pure Land practice of being mindful of Amituofo is not only for our last moments, but for benefiting one and all in everyday life too. It is the fine-tuning of ourselves towards our Buddha-nature and the Buddha’s blessings, through which we naturally become attuned to the fuller avoidance of all evils, the greater doing of all good, and the more thorough purification of our minds. The Dharma teacher is sincere and earnest in delivering the course. He is a knowledgeable and good teacher. His lessons are interesting and lively, using clear and simple language, showing passion in his teaching.’ – Amituofo :] Sharol
About The Teacher:
Shen Shi’an 沈时安: An independent Buddhist teacher, author, researcher, translator, editor and poet, he was one of the founding members of the Dharma Propagation Division of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (Bright Hill Temple in Singapore) in 1997.
Holding a Masters of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies that covered all major Buddhist traditions, he served as a Dharma Trainer and Project Coordinator in its Community Development & Training Department until 2011, focusing on Buddhist research, writing, teaching and answering of media queries on Buddhism.
He was the founder of the temple’s Youth Mission (now ‘KMSPKS Youth’), a book purchaser for its Awareness Place project, and the Chief Editor of the Web & Library Department, that co-supported Buddhanet.net, a popular Buddhist education website.
He is the founder and editor of TheDailyEnlightenment.com since 1997, one of the world’s largest independent Buddhist inspirational e-newsletters with over 31,000 members, the editor of ‘Be a Lamp Upon Yourself’, ‘The Stonepeace Book (Volume 1-2)’, ‘Awaken: Gateway to Buddhism (CD-ROM)’ and the writer of ‘The Daily Enlightenment: Reflections For Practising Buddhists (Book 1-7)’ and the bestselling graphic novel, ‘The Amazing & Amusing Adventures of Sam & Sara: The Zen of All Kinds of Stuff!’ (He is the author-editor-translator of 13 books.)
He also contributes occasionally to magazines such as ‘Nanyang Buddhist’, ‘Awaken’ (for which he was a Contributing Editor), ‘For You (Information)’ (for which he was invited to be an editorial board member), and ‘Eastern Horizon’. He served with the film selection team of a Buddhist film festival, writes movie reviews for BuddhistChannel.tv, the world’s leading Buddhist news network, and popularised Dharma@Cinema, which is an innovative way of sharing the Dharma through detailed reviews and discussions of both popular and offbeat films.
Using retranslated sūtras and treatise texts, he has taught on the Pure Land teachings at Singapore Buddhist Federation, Kong Meng San, Pu Ji Si Buddhist Research Centre and Poh Ming Tse. He also leads the Pureland Practice Fellowship.
He is also occasionally invited to conduct Dharma discussions for youths of tertiary institutions’ Buddhist societies (NTUBS, NUSBS, SIMBB, NPBS, NYPBS) on various subjects, and to introduce Buddhist life perspectives at Secondary Schools (St. Patrick’s School, Manjusri School), Junior Colleges (Catholic Junior College) and International Schools (UWCSEA, SJII).
He was also invited to share on Buddhism by Dharma Drum Mountain (Singapore), Fo Guang Shan (Singapore), Tai Pei Buddhist Centre, Singapore Buddhist Mission Youth, Singapore Buddhist Youth Mission, Wat Ananda Youth, Buddha of Medicine Welfare Society, The Buddhist Union, Buddhist Fellowship and Kampung Senang. He has also been invited to Indonesia and Malaysia to teach.
He was a committee member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, through which he served in interfaith harmony projects by writing and giving of public talks, having represented Buddhist points of view at national events held by NACLI, NHB, NHG, SAF, SPF, MHA, ACM, SPM, STB, OnePeople.sg, IRCC and MCYS.
He also co-runs Moonpointer.com, which is a community blog that promotes creative sharing of Buddhism via thousands of articles. He can be reached at tde thedailyenlightenment.com for invitations to share the Dharma via articles and talks.
Interview In Buddhist Magazine: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/07/interview-with-shen-shian
Hi teacher shi’an
Like to check The starting and last day of Qing Ming 2014 and it is advisable to burn paper money to the deceased.
Thanks
Apologies for the late reply. According to Wikipedia, it is today.
Qingming is not a Buddhist custom… though it can be practised in a Buddhist way: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Amituofo/conversations/messages/391
Here is the Buddhist stance on burning paper offerings: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/thedailyenlightenment/conversations/messages/657 (Scroll after clicking to Realisation article.)
Do consider joining our classes to learn Buddhism systematically 😀
One does not need to die or reborn later to go to Pureland and become Buddha. At this moment, you can be at Pureland or hell from your mentality. You are a Buddha now if you practice Compassion and do good like him.
What bcd mentioned is not true at all, as we can see from https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2010/09/is-pureland-here-or-there-now-or-later/
The idea that an actual Pure Land is here and that we are Buddhas now is a big mistake – because this world is clearly with much suffering, with wars and disease, the climate crisis and such – all perpetuated by us billions of non-Buddhas.
To claim there is no worth in reaching Pure Lannd slanders all Buddhas, whom in the Amitabha Sutra, recommended all beings to seek birth in Amituofo’s Pure Land too.
Namo Amituofo
Master Shan-tao [Second Chinese Patriarch of the Pure Land tradition] thus stated [in the Hymns of the Nianfo (Buddha Mindfulness) Liturgy]:
‘At the very moment when the World-Honored One [Buddha] was coming to the end of his sermon [on Pure Land], he entrusted with great care the name of Amida [Amitabha] Buddha to Ananda.
With the passage of time, after the parinirvana of Buddha Sakyamuni, the five defilements proliferated, and many people began to slander the teaching of Nianfo [mindfulness of Amituofo; Amita(bha) Buddha]. Monastics and lay people alike began to dislike the teaching of Nianfo and ceased listening to it.
This gave rise to the poison of anger, and when they saw Nianfo practitioners, they struggled to incite intrigue and create grudges. Such people seem blind by nature and have no intrinsic goodness. Destroying the teaching designed for instantaneous realization of enlightenment, they will sink into the three LOWER realms for a LONG time…’
To claim there is no worth in reaching Pure Land slanders all Buddhas, whom in the Amitabha Sutra, recommended all beings to seek birth in Amituofo’s Pure Land too.