A seminar titled “Meditation, a key to Mindfulness” by elderly master and monk Luang Ta Siri Indasiri was held yesterday in Casa Garden.
According to an introduction to the speaker at the start of the seminar, “Luang Ta” is a “very respectful name” for a master.
The 79-year-old from Thailand was described in a written statement provided at the event as a “master of meditation and a great teacher of dharma”.
The seminar was held at the head office of the local branch of Portugal’s Orient Foundation (FO), and presented by the Lau Kar Leung Film Boxing Director Charitable Foundation and the Hong Kong Buddhist Believers Association.
According to Wikipedia, in Buddhism, dharma means “cosmic law and order”, as expressed by the teachings of the Buddha, while in Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for “phenomena”.
Luang Ta Siri belongs to Theravāda Buddhism, which according Wikipedia is “the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism’s oldest existing school”. He is a resident monk in Chiang Mai.
According to last night’s introduction in Casa Garden, ordained in 1993 at the age of 49, he has been a practising monk for 31 years, sleeping only four hours a day and putting the rest of his time into meditation and preaching. He delivers speeches and seminars each year and tours around Asia, which this year includes Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong as well as Macau. It is the first time that Macau has been included in his Asian tour, according to the statement.
Yesterday’s seminar, which was conducted in Thai with simultaneous interpretation into Cantonese and English, welcomed participants from all religious backgrounds looking to reduce their stress through meditation. It was attended by dozens of people. The Buddha’s philosophy of “dharma” was also introduced, along with the steps involved in meditation.
On interpreting Buddhist philosophy, Luang Ta Siri said that there are many interpretations, but the gist of it is controlling what you do, what you think and what you say. He added that although it seems complicated, but it is actually simple, describing it as a way of practising to control one’s thoughts, behaviour and the way one speaks in one’s daily lives.
He noted that successful practitioners will be able to achieve as much as they can in the Buddhist direction of control. Moreover, if one person starts to practise the role of dharma, he or she can influence others and lead them towards a peaceful aim, according to the English-language interpreter.
Luang Ta Siri (centre) addresses a meditation seminar at the Orient Foundation’s Casa Garden mansion last night. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
