Grace Chandra : English Buddhism

Kebhaktian Remaja, 31 Oktober 2009
Protokol : Ratna Sari
Penyalaan Lilin Altar : Tasya
Dhammapada : Mira dan Nanda
Dhammadesana : Grace Chandra

Namo Buddhaya..,
Dua hari sebelum kebhaktian remaja saya sudah merencanakan untuk mengisi kebhaktian remaja 31 Oktober dengan suatu artikel singkat berbahasa Inggris yang saya peroleh dari Samanera Abhassaro, Artikel ini berjudul "Buddhism" yang mengulas tentang perkembangan agama Buddha dahulu pada jaman Buddha hingga saat ini.

Pada awal acara saya meminta anak-anak remaja untuk duduk melingkar. Lalu saya memberi waktu sekitar 10 menit kepada masing-masing anak remaja untuk membaca artikel itu. Dengan anusias dan penuh perhatian mereka semuanya membaca artikel tersebut. Akhirnya waktu pun sudah menunjukkan jam 19.40 lalu saya pun meminta para remaja untuk membaca artikel secara bergiliran dan menerjemahkannya. Setelah selesai membaca kemudian 10 soal yang ada di artikel pun dijawab secara bergiliran.

Acara kemudian saya lanjutkan dengan TTS agar suasana menjadi lebih rileks. TTS Buddhis ini pun merupakan kiriman dari Samanera Abhassaro. Para remaja dengan gembira dan bersemangat mengisi TTS tersebut.

Acara malam ini merupakan salah satu variasi pengisian acara kebhaktian di Vihara agar lebih variatif dan tak jenuh. Dengan acara ini kami dapat belajar bahasa inggris tapi kami juga belajar Dhamma. Selain itu suasana keakraban pun jadi semakin tercipta.

Buddhism
Buddhism come from the word Buddha. Buddha was a person. He lived more than two thousand five hundred years ago in India. His family was rich. He lived in a beautiful house with many servants One day when he went out of his house, he saw many poor and unhappy people. He looked out at them. Hea sked himself these questions, "Why are people so unhappy? How can people be happy"
When he was twenty nine years old, he left his family and his beautiful home. He went out into the world to find the answers. He tried many ways. He studied with teachers but they did not answers his questions After this he tried another way. He lived in the forest He hurt his body. He did not eat for many days. He tried to get away from his body. But thid did not give him the answers to his questions.
Then he sat down under a Bodhi tree and he thought. He sat for forty-nine days. After this time he learned something from himself. He became at the Buddha. His questions were answered. People are unhappy because they wants things. They are always looking for food, money and other things. When a man does not want things, he is free. He does not think about himself. He dos not think about tomorrow. He is kind to others.
Buddha died when he was eighty years old. During his life he travelled to many places. He taught many people. He had many students. A follower of Buddha is called a Buddhist. Some Buddhist become monks. Monks do not work. They do nor have money. They are given their food by other people. They wear a long yelloy piece of cloth. They cut off their hair. They usually do not wear anything on their feet. They pray and think. Early in the morning the monk wals along the street. He carries a bowl. People stop him and give him food. He can not ask for food. A monk's life is not easy. He tries to get away froem the world. He tries to follow the teachings of Buddha.
In Thailand any man can be a monk. Many people become monks for a short time, usually three months. This happens during the wet season in Thailand. This time as a monk is very important for Thai men. They do not llive with their family then. They go to live and study in a monk's house. After three months they go back to their own life. Some are monks for a longer time. They study the teachings of Buddha. These are his teachings. Life is not happy. It is like this because people always want things. When people do not want things, they will be happy. You can learn to do this when you study Buddha's teachings. Buddha teachings were not written down until two or three hundred years after he died. Before this people just remembered them and told them to others.
There is more than one kind of Buddhism. All Buddhis follow the teachings of Buddha but they are not always the same. Buddhism in Japan is a little different from Thai Buddhism. People understand the teachings of Buddha in different ways.

Qustion Buddhism:
1. Buddha lived
a. five hundred years ago
b.one thousand years ago
c. two thousand years ago
d. more than two thousand years ago.

2. When he was a child, Buddha was
a. Very poor
b. rich
c. happy
d. very ill

3. Buddha left his home because
a. he did not like his parents
b. he wanted answers for his questions
c. he wanted to travel
d. he wanted to meet people

4. After Buddha left home, he first
a. went to Thailand
b. lived in the forest
c. studied with teachers
d. sat and thought

5. Buddha did not eat and he hurt himselft because
a. he wanted die
b. he was very unhappy
c. he wanted to learn something
d. he was angry at himself

6. Buddha learned this. Man is unhappy because
a. he wants things
b. he is poor
c. he does not believe in God
d. he does not think about tomorrow

7. A Buddhist monk
a. Works
b. asks for his food
c. has long hair
d. does not have money

8. The clothes of the monk are
a. grey
b. white
c. yellow
d. many colours

9. In Thailand most men become monks for
a. one month
b. three months
c. a year
d. two years

10. We still know Buddha's teachings because
a. people always told them to each other
b. Buddha wrote them in three books
c. they were written in stone before Buddha died
d. Buddha still teaches them

the answers:
1. d; 2. b; 3. b; 4. c; 5. c; 6. a; 7. d; 8. c; 9. b; 10. a

Demikianlah ringkasan kebhaktian remaja tanggal 31 Oktober 2009. Semoga ringkasan ini bermanfaat. Selain itu saya juga ucapkan terima kasih kepada Samanera Abhassaro yang telah mengrimkan suatu artikel dan TTS untuk digunakan dalam kebhaktian kami. Selamat berjuang Samanera dan Semoga Samanera segera mencapai pencerahan. Sadhu...! Sadhu...! Sadhu...!