On Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 2:53 AM, Oxford Buddha Vihara
Dear All
I wish to invite all of you to join the 24 hours of continuous chanting of the Ratana-sutta for 260 (two hundred and sixty) times plus one. It is to begin at 9am Saturday 19th and concludes at 9am Sunday 20th Nov, which is this coming weekend. The chanting will be non-stop and each group is to at least chant eleven times within one hour. I understand this is a short notice and some may find it difficult to make it.
The 260 times is to primarily honour the 2,600th anniversary of the Buddha's enlightenment; but it is also to invoke the blessings of the Ratana-sutta for the people back home in South-east Asia, who have been facing severe floods since July. Thailand has endured most destructive floods in sixty years, with over 500 lives lost; two international Buddhist conferences I am involved have had to be postponed. Just check updates on the Bangkok Post and The Nation online. In the Union of Myanmar, we hear of more than one hundred lives lost in Pakkhokku alone; but floods were widespread, although rarely reproted. I also received some pictures of severe floods in Ban-yin, the fertile rice field, near Ho Pong, Taunggyi, which is the highland area. And, more than ten provinces of Cambodia have also been flooded.
I think we should take this opportunity to connect with the pains of those who have lost lives and property in those countries. This will primarily enhance our metta meditation practice. If we cannot prevent the danger of flood, we can at least keep them in our thoughts of metta .
Two monks and some devotees (in two cars) from Wat Buddharam Thai temple, three monks from Tisarana Vihara Burmese Temple, three monks from Saddhatissa International Buddhist Sri Lankan Centre will come and join the chanting on Saturday. Members of the Samatha Trust led by Charles Shaw will also participate.
Why the Ratana-sutta?
The Ratana-sutta is about some qualities of the Buddha, dhamma and sangha, with each stanza specifying one aspect of the three jewels. It was taught by the Buddha to Ven. Ananda to invoke blessings on the people of Vesali during the time they were facing drought, epidemic and famine. We learnt that the misfortunes were brought to an end, at the very least, partly, by the power of this sutta.
How to recite?
One should first read the sutta to understand the general meaning of each stanza and focus one's mind on the Buddha, or the dhamma or the sangha as it is indicated in each stanza. Then, one should have the suffering of those we wish to invoke the blessing for, e.g. those affected by the floods in mind.
During the Tsunamai in 2004-5, I was able to participate in religious ceremonies in Myanmar and Thailand and talked to some people affected. In 2008 Nargis disaster in Myanmar, I was fortuante to join the assistant secretary of the Thai sangharaja to make an appeal on the Thai televisions, resulting, in part, in many relief efforts flowing through Sitagu International Buddhist Academy. In addition, I led the international chanting of Buddhists in Hanoi in May 2008 to remeber the victims of Nargis in Myanmar and earthquake in China that year. Throughout, I have always believed in the Ratana-sutta and the Metta in counselling the victims; the two suttas require both contemplation on the suffering of the victims and practical help for them. The OBV is doing what it can on behalf of its congregation.
I hope many of you will be able to join.
Yours in the Dhamma,
Ven. Khammai Dhammasami
Abbot
Letter From Dr.Ven Khammai Dhammasami
