On Sunday 16 August, devotees were delighted with Dr. Phang’s lively Dhamma talk on “7 Habits for Cultivating Beginner’s Mind”. He described the characteristics of a beginner’s mind which is free from fixated perception, and is full of curiosity like a child’s mind.
There are five benefits for cultivating a beginner’s mind. They are : (1) Effective learning; (2) Appreciates the present moment; (3) Solves problems more creatively; (4) Breaks habits; and (5) Improve relationships.
Devotees sang “Song of Wind” along with Dr. Phang . Its meaningful lyrics reminded us that we can discover and observe something without labelling it. This is one of the ‘habits’ and Dr. Phang explained further in detail the remaining six ‘habits’ for us to have an open mind for learning. The remaining six are : (1) Try new experiences and challenges; (2) Be aware that whatever we say are coloured by our moods and our past experiences; (3) Try to imagine bringing two children along with you; (4) Relax and be mindful of the present moment; (5) Try to answer questions in a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ manner; and (6) Do something routine in a slightly different way.
We thank Dr. Phang for the interesting sharing. The weekly Service Sunday concluded joyfully with dedication of merits to all beings. Sadhu!