Seeking Advice regarding a certain temple

last SG · 2010-01-14T16:42:10+00:00

so what exactly is this temple?not buddhist, not taoist, not chinese folk religion..mixture?

prodigizz SG

My husband and his family has been regularly attending this temple in Geylang. It is a Buddhist temple and they practice "meditation" which they call pinyin xue2 fa3. I suppose its meditation since Im not sure how to rightly translate xue fa into english.

The thing is, during this meditation, their hands will move subconsciously. The shifu does not teach them how to meditate, he said that all students will have a personal Buddha teacher, coming down from "heaven" to teach them.

They also have mantra water and stuff like that.

My question is, is it an orthodox kind of meditation? They believe this "fa" has powers to create an invisible "shield" to protect them from evil. And also, if you learn long enough, you are able to heal others.

Anyone heard of this?

likeyou SG

Nvr heard of it, but sound interesting...

Aloozer SG

wait for people come in answer your question...

prodigizz SG

hopefully someone can provide the answers here..

anyway, do ji gong and the laughing buddha belong to buddhism? the geylang temple "prays" to them as well.

but i thought Laughing Buddha is a folklore?

kcockicht SG

what's the name of the temple please.

prodigizz SG

i think i will PM you instead of posting it here

Sea bourn SG

It could be one of those "cults" makings. Never heard before.

prodigizz SG

it seems like it, but they really felt their hands moving during the so-called meditation. and every time they "xue fa" their hands will move in a consistent pattern.

i tried doing a search online, but the only explanation i got was that it is due to a flow of energy during meditation. but that was not how the temple explained. it said that the involuntary movement of hands during the meditation is to create an invisible shield for protection.

hmmmm.......

prodigizz SG

really hope some one can advise as im quite concern about this

Fantagf SG

really hope some one can advise as im quite concern about this

Wait a little while for those experts to come online to answer your questions. They are practising buddhists and are well versed in buddhism.

Fugazzi SG

Perhaps u need to understand this - u may be misinterpreting a ritual for meditation.

Meditation is to understand (be aware) the duality of the mind(thoughts) and to transcend that duality and in turn a inner transformation which would manifest itself in one's being- in other words, thru understanding and awareness and the watching of one's mind and so on so forth.

Simply remaining choiceless to thoughts ('good'/'bad') and allowing them to pass and one abides and flows with what is.

Dawnfirstlight SG

They also have mantra water and stuff like that.

Anyone heard of this?

I am no expert, AEN is. From what I know, this is not the true Buddhism that I know of. We don't talk about "shield" to protect us or waiting for someone to come down from "heaven" to teach us.

Meditation is to cultivate inner peace. Normally, we just sit in a meditative manner, concentrate on your breathing (there are many types of concentration, it depends on one's practice, some on chanting Buddha's name, some on Buddha's image).

Never heard of hands moving subconsciously. If you do the meditation correctly, you can really feel inner peace and you will lose track of time.

2500 years ago, Buddha had expected this to happen. Thus, he told us to practice strictly according to His Dharma. Do not follow blindly of what others said.

An Eternal Now SG

Hi pls post here or pm me the name and location of the center

kcockicht SG

from my understanding basically meditation at the level for beginners is just to free the mind of all distracting thought be it in life, work or stress so that you can be at ease without burden for a moment. it was never any aim o shield or protect oneself. Nor to the believe of any evil spirits or forces that may exist co called.

that was myundertsanding and interpretation of what buddhism and meditation does. seems like there are lots of variants nowsadays. just give us the approcimate grid location of this temple or places at streetdirectory.com link. we see.

prodigizz SG

like what i mentioned i used the word "meditation" because im not sure how to properly translate "xue2 fa3" in English.

xue fa = learning magic????

I was told it is a Buddhist temple, as they teach buddhist sutras as well. they also have mantra water (fo shui).

or perhaps its a different kind of buddhism? maybe even a myriad of buddhism, taoism and whatnot mix?

prodigizz SG

i will PM the name and location of the temple for those who requested for it.

noahnoah SG

actually pretty funny

thing also

some buddhist claim they

are very well versed in buddhist knowledge

when i asked them wat was the miracle that he

had done in order to convince the people

that he was the One, on his way to enlightment, \

yet cant answer at all

Dawnfirstlight SG

like what i mentioned i used the word "meditation" because im not sure how to properly translate "xue2 fa3" in English.

xue fa = learning magic????

I was told it is a Buddhist temple, as they teach buddhist sutras as well. they also have mantra water (fo shui).

or perhaps its a different kind of buddhism? maybe even a myriad of buddhism, taoism and whatnot mix?

Never heard in Buddhism that xue fa needs somebody from heaven to guide. In Buddhism, Xue Fa means learn from Buddha the right thoughts and the right behaviour.

Buddha is against his followers to practice magic or miracles.

kcockicht SG

actually it is okay for TS to just name the ttemple here. you just posted your doubts. and to name the temple gives everyone here knowledge to the location so if people has also had similar experience with the temple may be able to advise. its not like you are accusing them of any shady acts, you just stated your doubts.

noahnoah SG

Never heard in Buddhism that xue fa needs somebody from heaven to guide. In Buddhism, Xue Fa means learn from Buddha the right thoughts and the right behaviour.

Buddha is against his followers to practice magic or miracles.

Wheel of Dharma?

The four noble truth?