SMUDC Welcome Tea 2023
An Introduction to SMUDC & The Path of Wholesome Living
University life can feel like a rollercoaster - some days, we’re having the time of our life, while other times, we spend our days stressing over anything under the sun. This experience can be very unsatisfactory. Amidst all this, how can we better navigate life with more wholesomeness?
SMUDC held our Welcome Sessions on 17th and 24th August, centering this year’s welcome tea session around the learning of fundamental Buddhist concepts which are key in the path towards happy and wholesome living. We were very excited to welcome new friends and learn about the Dhamma together.
Participants learnt more about the three poisons (i.e., root unwholesome mental states) how to identify them when they arise in our life.
WHAT ARE MENTAL STATES?
To understand more about the concepts, participants first learnt about our mental states. Our mind is constantly in transient, moving between different mental states all the time. The state of our mind affects our experience of the internal and external world.
WHAT IS UNWHOLESOME LIVING? (PART 1)
“Wanting” and “not-wanting” is associated with unwholesome mental states, called Lobha (Greed), and Dosa (Ill-Will). We allow these unwholesome mental states from arising due to Moha (Delusion). We tend to see permanence in that which is impermanent, see pleasure in which is painful. We think that the happiness has to be acquired, and that happiness that we acquired is permanent.
This results in Dukkha, or known as unsatisfactoriness, suffering, stress, pain. The goal of Buddhist Practice is to eliminate Dukkha. The practice is to reduce and eliminate greed, ill-will and delusion while cultivating wholesome mental states.
For a start, participants were encouraged to identify the cause of the unwholesome mental state and let it go.
WHAT IS WHOLESOME LIVING? (PART 2)
In the second session of our Welcome Tea, participants were introduced to the three wholesome actions that reduces Greed, Ill-will and Delusion. They are Dana (Altruistic Giving), Sila (Virtue, Moral Conduct), and Bhavana (Cultivation).
Dana promotes giving with a joyous, open heart, with no expectation of return favours or even gratitude from the recipients. Sila teaches us to avoid actions that cause harm or pain and to perform those actions that promote well-being. Bhavana is a form of mental development that cultivates wholesome qualities and reduces unwholesome qualities. We can cultivate mental states like mindfulness, generosity, compassion.
We ended 2nd session with a guided metta (loving-kindness) meditation, applying what we have learnt previously.
SMUDC hopes that all participants had fun while learning more about Buddhism concepts :))
“To avoid evil, To do good, To purify mind.
This is the teaching of the Buddha”
Dhp 183
EVENTS @ SMUDC
At SMUDC, we strive to bring the Buddha Dhamma to the student community through ways that are fun, enjoyable, and relatable! We welcome all Buddhists and non-Buddhists to join us!
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