Today’s session was heart-opening and heart-warming to know that they are growing up, they have voiced and their voices will be heard. Hopefully we’ll continue to share and strengthen our bonds with love and compassion.
Shi Xiong and Zeming shared on what it means to be a happy Buddhist youth. We should
Protect our faith, Understand and practice the Dhamma and Share the joy and experience
In the Anana Sutta, the Buddha spoke of 4 worldly happiness we should cultivate and experience as lay Buddhist.
1) Happiness of Ownership:
A Noble youth who has worked hard earned some wealth. And with that you enjoy it. That is happiness! In other words, you as a youth, during holidays you work part time and you earn $500, you earn that pocket money and hey, you can be and feel happy about it!
Also with money, the Buddha has taught, in the Discourse on the Uses that money that you earn can be use the money to make himself happy, his children, wife, parents happy. He can also make his friends happy. And with that hard earned wealth, he can protect himself from dangers by keeping him secure and safe, like building a strong house, buying insurance. Also the wealth can be offered to make offerings to relatives, to guests, to the departed, to kings and to devas!
2) Happiness of Enjoyment:
And with that money that you have earned, it is the happiness of enjoyment too! You take $20 to watch a movie with your friend on a Friday night at cineleisure, you enjoy right? You worked hard, earn that money and can use it to enjoy.
3) Happiness of Debtlessness:
And with that, you got pocket money and you can pay for your own things, it means that you do not need to owe people money. You don’t need to borrow money or things and you can lead a happy life without having to worry about anything!
4) Happiness of Blamelessness:
And also, a youth who is blameless in actions of the body, blameless in action of speech and actions of mind, then there will be joy and happiness!
When you never do wrong things like stealing or killing, you wont get punish. You have happiness. When you don’t lie or scold people, people won’t scold you back, you also happy. Similalrly, your mind you don’t think wrong things. Then you will also be happy. Very simple and easy and that thus prove all youths like us can follow and be happy!
Lastly, we should spend at least 5 mins every night before we sleep, to reflect upon what you have done today, both good and bad actions. Focus on the good and reduce the bad.
You must first learn to love yourself, open your heart bigger and then feel the Buddha’s love. Learn to accept the Buddha into your heart, into your life and lead the life the way the Buddha had guided us through his teachings.
And you, can be a happy Buddhist youth!
You can find the suttas from accesstoinsight.org
Sadhu!
Brusied Nest
SBM mascot Keith
Cheers!
Happy Ming
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