Trying to help someone,
i destroy another,
Without the wisdom of seeing,
I cock up.
But through this,
We learn,
we gain,
hopefully we all can gain,
not at the expense of another.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Thinking too much, forward backwards, where are you now?
Today, I was thinking, should ask my mum to help out at the temple to cut vegetables and such to accumulate more merits and mix around with more ppl cos she is a bit down lately.
But, doing so, there would be no one to take care of my grandmother since my mum is doing the job now. It is said that it is hard to repay one's parents and one should not neglect them. And so my mum misses out the chance to go accumulate merits.
But then again, bouncing the thought here and there? Didn't it all end up here, at the same place again, where you started?
Whatever you are doing now, do it well, do it with your full heart, your full self. With mindfulness. Then whatever you are doing, you are walking on the path of the Buddha, it does not matter what you are doing, it does not make a difference.
But, doing so, there would be no one to take care of my grandmother since my mum is doing the job now. It is said that it is hard to repay one's parents and one should not neglect them. And so my mum misses out the chance to go accumulate merits.
But then again, bouncing the thought here and there? Didn't it all end up here, at the same place again, where you started?
Whatever you are doing now, do it well, do it with your full heart, your full self. With mindfulness. Then whatever you are doing, you are walking on the path of the Buddha, it does not matter what you are doing, it does not make a difference.
Karma, the net, the consequence, the wisdom
Today, we had a session where we were supposed to think abt what is the effect of us going to the under developed countries. Are we going to bring gifts to distribute there? What if it is not enough? Then how should we distribute? Should be distribute by meritocracy(which inevitably introduces this part of the culture of our country to them)? Or should we do a lucky draw so all is equal? Or should we just give the gifts to the teachers there to distribute however they like so we do not introduce and new things from our society into our culture?
Thinking, thinking, many good and bad points were raised abt both methods. Tick tock tick tock, like a pendulum. We should introduce the culture of more developed countries to them, isn't that what they want by allowing more overseas community service teams to go there? But we should respect their culture, and not destroy it by bringing in outside cultures etc. What if they crave for more advanced things? What if they are influenced by new thoughts? They are changing themselves, by adopting and leaning english so why are we worried about introducing our culture and the bad effects? Ultimately, we are just a team there, 2 weeks and gone. Our influence may just be a ripple in their ocean of life journeys. It may be just so insignificant. Or it may be a deadly virus, which once introduced, poliferates and kills all the wildlife in the sea. Who knows? Who can see so far into the effects of our actions?
Planting a seed in their minds, they need conditions to grow, they need the right environment and many other factors to make them maybe yearn for the culture we have. How can we tell such effects of these actions who grew up in a totally different culture by just sitting there and thinking. We were merely speculating with our limited intelligence, with our limited wisdom. How could we have taken so many things into account in the same time?? It is like a net, all conditions connected and we are just seeing part of it. And we dare to speculate, sitting on our butts???!!!!!!
The aim of the exercise was to reflect on our actions, but based on our small minds and wisdom we try to imagine the wide and intricate net of the future? Of the effects our actions might bring? We base on but a small action to predict a future so complicated?
This kind of reflection! What an utter waste of time!! Time better used to develop the required wisdom.
But then again, realising such, was time truely wasted? Was i not reflecting? What was i actually doing? I actually reflected and learnt from the exercise. So was time actually wasted?? Not so it seems. Haha, how interesting. Because of one action(karma) so many effects, so far reaching, it is not immediately obvious.
Haha! Karma, interesting isn't it? Haha!
Thinking, thinking, many good and bad points were raised abt both methods. Tick tock tick tock, like a pendulum. We should introduce the culture of more developed countries to them, isn't that what they want by allowing more overseas community service teams to go there? But we should respect their culture, and not destroy it by bringing in outside cultures etc. What if they crave for more advanced things? What if they are influenced by new thoughts? They are changing themselves, by adopting and leaning english so why are we worried about introducing our culture and the bad effects? Ultimately, we are just a team there, 2 weeks and gone. Our influence may just be a ripple in their ocean of life journeys. It may be just so insignificant. Or it may be a deadly virus, which once introduced, poliferates and kills all the wildlife in the sea. Who knows? Who can see so far into the effects of our actions?
Planting a seed in their minds, they need conditions to grow, they need the right environment and many other factors to make them maybe yearn for the culture we have. How can we tell such effects of these actions who grew up in a totally different culture by just sitting there and thinking. We were merely speculating with our limited intelligence, with our limited wisdom. How could we have taken so many things into account in the same time?? It is like a net, all conditions connected and we are just seeing part of it. And we dare to speculate, sitting on our butts???!!!!!!
The aim of the exercise was to reflect on our actions, but based on our small minds and wisdom we try to imagine the wide and intricate net of the future? Of the effects our actions might bring? We base on but a small action to predict a future so complicated?
This kind of reflection! What an utter waste of time!! Time better used to develop the required wisdom.
But then again, realising such, was time truely wasted? Was i not reflecting? What was i actually doing? I actually reflected and learnt from the exercise. So was time actually wasted?? Not so it seems. Haha, how interesting. Because of one action(karma) so many effects, so far reaching, it is not immediately obvious.
Haha! Karma, interesting isn't it? Haha!
Coincidence? Or was it meant to be?
Recently, I am involved in an overseas community project and we were supposed to do a book drive today.
Early this morning, i had to buy two plastic bags of ice and bring it to a rather famous temple. So i decided to take a cab there. When i got into the cab, i told the driver that i was going to the temple. Hearing that, he started asking me what i was going to do there and the conversation progressed into buddhism. Happily, we shared our views and when we reached the temple, the cab driver refused to accept my money and said that he was happy to have met me and he takes it as donation to the temple as well as to my cause. How amazing is that!!
What is even more amazing is i had missed 2 cabs to get into that one. The first cab was in a far lane and could not change lane to my side of the road in time as another vehicle was obstructing his way. As for the second cab, i had a choice between choosing it and the third cab. The third cab was doing a u-turn and while the second cab was a Mercedes cab. Thinking that the Merc cab would be more expensive, i waited for it to pass before flagging for the third cab and got my free ride. Is this a coincidence? Or was it meant to be?? Haha, how interesting.
Early this morning, i had to buy two plastic bags of ice and bring it to a rather famous temple. So i decided to take a cab there. When i got into the cab, i told the driver that i was going to the temple. Hearing that, he started asking me what i was going to do there and the conversation progressed into buddhism. Happily, we shared our views and when we reached the temple, the cab driver refused to accept my money and said that he was happy to have met me and he takes it as donation to the temple as well as to my cause. How amazing is that!!
What is even more amazing is i had missed 2 cabs to get into that one. The first cab was in a far lane and could not change lane to my side of the road in time as another vehicle was obstructing his way. As for the second cab, i had a choice between choosing it and the third cab. The third cab was doing a u-turn and while the second cab was a Mercedes cab. Thinking that the Merc cab would be more expensive, i waited for it to pass before flagging for the third cab and got my free ride. Is this a coincidence? Or was it meant to be?? Haha, how interesting.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Trudging through the sand
Too much to do
too little time
Too much to learn
too slow to understand
Too much to juggle
too difficult to handle
Too much to do
too slow to do
Victory on one side,
failure on the other
How should I go, where should I step.
Perservere they say,
victory only goes to those who survive through hardships.
And so we go on...
too little time
Too much to learn
too slow to understand
Too much to juggle
too difficult to handle
Too much to do
too slow to do
Victory on one side,
failure on the other
How should I go, where should I step.
Perservere they say,
victory only goes to those who survive through hardships.
And so we go on...
Friday, March 9, 2007
Teachings of the Buddha
Do you know? The teachings of the Buddha is everywhere to a zen master, it permeates all things to a zen master. Actually not only zen masters all realised masters.
The interesting thing is that this masters can relate all things to the Dharma. Sometimes, they can be teaching the Dharma through very ordinary activities, like sweeping the floor, chit chatting, and many other normal daily activities, they also always use daily activities to illustrate the Dharma, to give analogies of the Dharma, they don't need to quote from the sutras or books or anywhere else,it is original content! How amazing!!
The interesting thing is that this masters can relate all things to the Dharma. Sometimes, they can be teaching the Dharma through very ordinary activities, like sweeping the floor, chit chatting, and many other normal daily activities, they also always use daily activities to illustrate the Dharma, to give analogies of the Dharma, they don't need to quote from the sutras or books or anywhere else,it is original content! How amazing!!
Entering the Kingdom of God
Hello blog, long time no see.
It has really been some time.
That day i was reading Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh's book. He talked abt entering the Kingdom of God. Haha! The Land Immovable, by understanding impermenance. It was a good one.
Not being attached to ideas of God or Buddha. It is interesting. Buddhism is everywhere. If u are practicing the Dharma, the Buddha is everywhere. In the trees, in the cup, in the computer. It is even in the teachings of Christianity, Muslim, or other religions. To see the Buddha everywhere, i think one should be quite close. If one takes all activities as practicing the Teachings, whether Christianity or Buddhism, then one should improve quite greatly. Seeing the God everywhere, one is in Heaven.
One should have an open mind.
Nothing binding you,
One is free!
No attachments,
No fear,
Where is death??
Haha!
It has really been some time.
That day i was reading Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh's book. He talked abt entering the Kingdom of God. Haha! The Land Immovable, by understanding impermenance. It was a good one.
Not being attached to ideas of God or Buddha. It is interesting. Buddhism is everywhere. If u are practicing the Dharma, the Buddha is everywhere. In the trees, in the cup, in the computer. It is even in the teachings of Christianity, Muslim, or other religions. To see the Buddha everywhere, i think one should be quite close. If one takes all activities as practicing the Teachings, whether Christianity or Buddhism, then one should improve quite greatly. Seeing the God everywhere, one is in Heaven.
One should have an open mind.
Nothing binding you,
One is free!
No attachments,
No fear,
Where is death??
Haha!
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