Shurangama Dhamma Association 楞严五方佛教会

16/11/2025

☀️阿难尊者施食焰口饿鬼的故事 The Story of Venerable Ananda Offering Food to the Flame-Mouthed Hungry Ghosts☀️

佛陀在迦毗罗城说法时，阿难在夜里打坐，看见一个非常可怕的饿鬼——焰口（面燃）鬼王。

饿鬼告诉阿难：三天后你会命终，并堕入饿鬼道。阿难害怕，问该如何解脱。饿鬼说：除非他能在第二天布施无量的饿鬼和婆罗门仙人，并供养三宝，让饿鬼得度，他才可延寿。但这是凡人办不到的事。

阿难急忙向佛求救。佛入定观察，发现这是阿难过去业力所致，但仍可通过特殊方法解除。于是佛把他从“自在德力如来”与观世音菩萨学来的 焰口施食法（救拔饿鬼的大法） 传给阿难。

阿难依教行事，三天内超度无数饿鬼，使他们得生善道。饿鬼大王告诉他：阿难已消除灾难，并可延寿到一百二十岁。

后人说：那位可怕的焰口鬼王其实是观世音菩萨的化身，故称“面燃大士”。菩萨化身成鬼王，是为了激起阿难紧急求法，使施食法流传世间。

When the Buddha was teaching in Kapilavastu, Ananda was meditating alone at night and saw a terrifying hungry ghost—the Flame-Mouthed (Face-Burning) Ghost King. (Sanskrit: Ulkamukha Pretaraja)

The ghost told Ananda: “In three days you will die and fall into the realm of hungry ghosts.” Frightened, Ananda asked how he could escape this fate. The ghost replied that unless Ananda could, on the following day, offer food to countless hungry ghosts and Brahmin sages, and make offerings to the Three Jewels so the hungry ghosts could be liberated, only then could he extend his life. But such a task was impossible for an ordinary person.

Ananda hurried to ask the Buddha for help. The Buddha entered deep contemplation and saw that this was the result of Ananda’s past karma, but that it could still be resolved through special means. The Buddha then taught him the Flaming-Mouth Food Offering Ritual, a great method for saving hungry ghosts, which he had learned from the Tathagata of Sovereign Power and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

Following the Buddha’s instructions, Ananda performed the ritual and liberated countless hungry ghosts within three days, allowing them to be reborn in better realms. The Ghost King then told him that his disaster had been removed and that he would live up to the age of 120.

Later generations said that the frightening Flame-Mouthed Ghost King was actually a manifestation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as “Face-Burning Great Being.” The Bodhisattva manifested as a ghost king to prompt Ananda to urgently seek the teaching, allowing the food-offering ritual to be passed down in the world.

13/10/2025

Sacred Day of Dipankara Buddha 燃灯古佛圣诞

Produced by Shurangama Dhamma Association Formerly known as Surangama Buddhist AssociationSingers: Master Yan Cheng, Kitson Lau, Howard, Sherley, Vivienne, E...

12/10/2025

☀️Compassion knows no boundaries 慈悲无界限☀️

As taught by the Buddha, compassion should guide both our thoughts and actions.

In this spirit, the President of the Shurangama Dhamma Association Malaysia attended and contributed a Fundraising Dinner organized by the Tamil Foundation Malaysia, representing the Indian community. The event was graced by YB Tuan Wong Kah Woh, the current Deputy Minister of Education, and was attended by various heads of educational committees, university representatives, and professionals from across the country.

Our President also took a photo with Ex-YB Manogaran, a distinguished lawyer and the current President of the Tamil Foundation Malaysia.

正如佛陀所教导的，慈悲应引导我们的思想与行为。

本着这一精神，马来西亚楞严五方佛教会会长出席并捐助了由马来西亚泰米尔基金会主办的筹款晚宴，以支持印度社群的发展。

活动由现任教育部副部长黄家和阁下亲临主持，现场汇聚了来自全国各地的教育委员会领导、大学代表以及各界专业人士。

我们的主席还与前国会议员马诺加兰先生合影留念。他是一位杰出的律师，也是马来西亚泰米尔基金会现任主席。

05/10/2025

☸️Monkey Buddha Day 大圣佛祖圣诞☸️
7/10/2025 (7th Oct 2025) 8am-11am
温馨提醒，有来自得佛祖庇佑(开放给会员)
Kind reminder: With your presence comes the Buddha’s blessing. Open to members only.

28/09/2025

‼️为何优美的悉昙文字会被时代淘汰？如今成为了神圣的语言？Why Did the Beautiful Siddham Script Fade with Time, Yet Become a Sacred Language Today?‼️

1. 悉昙文本身是为古典梵文设计的
悉昙文（Siddham）大约在公元6～9世纪间发展成熟，起源于更早的婆罗米文。它的设计目标是用来书写古典梵文（Classical Sanskrit），而不是现代印度语言。它的字母系统能很好地表达当时的梵文音系，但结构比较固定，没有预留空间给后来的语言变化或外来音节。

2. 面对现代语言，悉昙字母不够用
随着时间发展，印度本地语言不断演化，如印地语、孟加拉语、马拉地语等出现了新的发音系统，包括：
▫️地区性的发音变化（如更多送气音、鼻音等）
▫️外来语音节的引入（如波斯语、阿拉伯语、英语中的 fa, za, cha, tha 等）

这些音节在悉昙文里完全找不到对应的符号，也就无法准确表达。例如，“fa”这个音在悉昙字母表中是不存在的，因为古梵文里也没有这个发音。

3. 天城文的灵活性取代了悉昙文
随着语言的多样化和交流增加，印度需要一种更灵活、表达能力更强的书写系统。这时候，天城文（Devanagari）逐渐发展起来，并吸收了更多音节和合字规则，满足了不同语言的表达需求。天城文也能更好地支持现代印刷、排版和教育体系，因此自然取代了悉昙文，成为今日梵文和现代印度语言的标准书写系统。

4. 佛教式微，使用场景减少
悉昙文主要用于佛教经典的书写，尤其在密教传承中使用频繁。但从公元8世纪开始，佛教在印度逐渐衰落，印度教重新成为主流信仰。随着佛教寺院、僧团的减少，使用悉昙文的文化环境也慢慢消失。

悉昙文适合表达古典梵文的音系，但随着语言发展、外来语融入以及宗教变化，它逐渐被功能更强的天城文取代。 不过，悉昙文并没有完全消失——它至今仍保存在东亚佛教传统中，特别是在日本的真言宗和中国的密宗文化中，作为一种宗教“圣字”继续使用。

1. Siddham Was Designed for Classical Sanskrit
The Siddham script, which evolved around the 6th to 9th centuries CE, originated from the earlier Brahmi script. It was specifically created to write Classical Sanskrit, not the modern languages of India. Its letter system perfectly represents the phonology of ancient Sanskrit, but its structure is relatively rigid. It wasn't designed to accommodate future language changes or new, foreign phonemes.

2. Siddham Lacked the Flexibility for Evolving Languages
Over time, as regional languages in India developed—like Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi—new sounds and phonetic patterns emerged, such as:
▫️Regional pronunciation shifts (e.g., more aspirated or nasalized sounds)
▫️Borrowed phonemes from Persian, Arabic, and later English (e.g., fa, za, cha, tha, etc.)

These sounds had no equivalent letters in Siddham, making it impossible to accurately write many newer words. For example, the sound "fa" does not exist in Siddham, simply because it wasn’t present in Classical Sanskrit.

3. Devanagari Replaced Siddham with Greater Flexibility
As India’s linguistic landscape became more diverse, a more adaptable writing system was needed. Devanagari rose to prominence, offering a more flexible structure with extended consonant clusters and vowel markings. It could better accommodate both Sanskrit and modern Indian languages. Additionally, Devanagari proved more practical for printing, typesetting, and education, which made it the natural successor to Siddham.

4. Decline of Buddhism Reduced Siddham’s Usage
Siddham was predominantly used to transcribe Buddhist scriptures, especially in Esoteric Buddhism (Vajrayana)traditions. However, starting from the 8th century, Buddhism began to decline in India, while Hinduism regained its dominance. As monasteries and Buddhist institutions diminished, the cultural environment supporting Siddham also faded, reducing its usage significantly.

From Obsolescence to Sacredness
While Siddham lost its mainstream utility, it never completely vanished.

Today, it survives in East Asian Buddhist traditions, especially within:
▫️Shingon Buddhism in Japan
▫️Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Mantra practices

In these traditions, Siddham is regarded not just as a script, but as a sacred language—used in rituals, mantra chanting, and calligraphy, symbolizing spiritual purity and mystical power.

Though once replaced by more functional scripts like Devanagari, Siddham has found a second life—not as a utilitarian writing system, but as a holy script imbued with religious significance. Its elegant forms continue to inspire awe and reverence, preserving its legacy across centuries and cultures.

21/09/2025

🔸佛教关于食物与因果的教导 The Buddhist Teachings on Food and Karma🔸

轮回不息，生死流转。富贵者再生为贫贱，贫贱者再生为富贵。一旦生于富贵之家，常常便遗忘佛法与正道，沉迷享乐，造作诸业，食物浪费无度。

六道之中，轮回反复，如此不断。唯有真正体悟“空”的智慧，方能超越轮回之苦，解脱生死之网。

南无阿弥陀佛。食物是因缘和合而来，非轻易得之。

🤔 1. 《佛说布施经》有言：
「一粒米，大如须弥山。恒河杀人命，还报还自受。」
意思是，一粒米的因果，重大如须弥山。若轻视或浪费食物，其果报可能极重，甚至可能招致生生世世的轮回苦报。

佛教认为，食物来源于众生，蕴含无数因缘，包括农夫的辛劳、土地的滋养、天地之和、众生命命（如肉类食物）等等。若轻率对待，即是对因缘的不敬。

🤔2. 佛教戒律与节制饮食：
在《僧伽律》中，佛陀对僧团的饮食有许多明确规定：
不得挑食、不得浪费。所托得的食物应当随缘接受，恭敬受用。吃剩的食物不得随意丢弃，应当结缘或妥善处理，例如布施给众生、动物等。

🤔 3. 《杂阿含经》中云：
「不应弃食，不应轻食，若轻弃者，于食不得其福。」
意思是：不可丢弃食物，不可轻慢食物。若浪费、轻视，则失去食物所带来的福德果报。

🤔 4. 《四分律》则规定：僧众吃不完的饭菜应布施给鸟兽、虫蚁，不可随意抛弃，以慈悲心普施一切众生。

Endless is the cycle of rebirth; life and death flow ceaselessly. The wealthy are reborn into poverty, while the poor may be reborn into wealth. Yet, when one is born into a life of abundance, one often forgets the Dharma and the righteous path — indulging in pleasures, creating karma, and wasting food without restraint.

Within the six realms of existence, this cycle of rebirth repeats endlessly.

Only by truly realizing the wisdom of emptiness (sunyata) can one transcend the suffering of samsara and escape the net of birth and death.

Namo Amitabha Buddha.Food is the result of countless interdependent conditions; it does not come easily.

🤔1. In the Sutra on Giving (Buddha Speaks of Almsgiving), the Buddha said: “A single grain of rice is as heavy as Mount Sumeru. If one wastes it, the karmic consequences may be as severe as having taken lives along the Ganges River — The retribution will be borne and repaid by oneself.”

This means that even a single grain of rice carries immense karmic weight. To waste or treat food carelessly can lead to serious consequences — possibly inviting countless lifetimes of suffering within samsara.

Buddhism teaches that food comes from all beings and arises through many causes and conditions:the hard work of farmers, the nourishment of the land, the harmony of nature, and the lives of countless sentient beings (especially in the case of meat).
To treat food lightly is to disrespect these interwoven conditions.

🤔2. Discipline and Moderation in Buddhist Monastic Life

In the Vinaya of the Sangha (monastic code), the Buddha gave many clear instructions regarding food:
▫️One must not be picky or wasteful.
▫️Alms received should be accepted with equanimity and consumed with gratitude.
▫️Leftover food should not be discarded carelessly; it should be shared or properly repurposed — for example, given to animals or other beings in need.

🤔3. In the Samyukta Agama Sutra, the Buddha said:
“Food should not be discarded, nor should it be treated lightly.
One who treats food with disrespect will not receive the blessings that food can bring.”
This teaches that discarding or disrespecting food leads to a loss of its karmic merit and benefits.

🤔4. In the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Four-Part Vinaya), it is further prescribed that:
Leftover food from the sangha should be offered to birds, animals, or even insects — it must not be thrown away indiscriminately.
With a heart of compassion, food should be shared with all sentient beings.

By receiving and consuming food with mindfulness, and by always remembering the karmic causes behind it, one can avoid waste, cultivate merit, and nurture wisdom.

May all beings see impermanence through food, contemplate interdependence, and realize emptiness — thus gradually letting go of greed and moving toward liberation.

Namo Amitabha Buddha.