Nice Inspiration For Everyone

Zen Story of the One-Eyed Monk: Know Yourself

2024-07-25T08:00:00.039+07:00

Management is about encouraging and controlling the behaviour of others. We cannot do that unless we understand, encourage and control our own behaviour first; and if we wish positively to develop the attributes of those whom we manage, then self-knowledge is even more important.

The two basic reasons for this are that:
• Attitudes and prejudices learned through our lives, sometimes in totally different contexts, influence what we do and say now, even without our knowing it.
• What we do and say can have lasting impact upon others, and usually determines the response we get in return.

One of the greatest influences on how we behave to other people is the image we have of ourselves, which acts as a filter, interpreting all the other information our senses feed to us.

Zen Buddhists understand very well that dealing effectively with the outside world begins with understanding ourselves, and there is a simple little story which graphically portrays this.

Wandering disciples of Zen can claim food and shelter from any Zen temples if they initiate and win an argument on Buddhism. Late one evening, a traveling monk arrived at a templ where two brothers lived. The elder was very c1ever, but the younger was rather stupid and had only one eye.

The elder was tired from much study and told his younger brother to meet their visitor, but advised him to request the discussion be in silence. The traveler and the younger brother went off together to the shrine.

A few minutes later the visitor sought out the elder brother to tell him that the young man had so cleverly beaten him in argument that he would have to leave and seek shelter elsewhere.

"Tell me what happened", said the elder brother.

The visitor explained, "I held up one finger representing Buddha, the enlightened one. He held up two fingers signifying Buddha and his teachings. So I held up three fingers to represent Buddha, his teachings and his followers in harmony. Then he shook his clenched fist in my face indicating that all three come from one riealization."

Just as the wandering monk had gone on his way, the younger brother came rushing in, angry with the discourteous treatment he had received at the hands of the visitor. His brother asked him what had taken place.

"No sooner had he sat down then the boorish fellow insulted me by holding up one finger, drawing attention to the fact that I have only one eye. Responding with constraint and courtesy, I held up two fingers, congratulating him on his two eyes. He then insulted me again by holding up three fingers indicating that between us we had only three eyes. I lost my temper at this point and went to punch him in the face but he got up and left."

There are many employees who seem to interpret every action by management as a two-fingered gesture, and there are many managers who react to employees in the same way. Most of the time it is a self-fulfilling prophecy, based on the expectation of the response--an expectation conditioned by attitudes which may be quite erroneous, but which seem to 'prove' themselves whenever the reaction is repeated.

If you expect people to be bloodyminded and approach them accordingly, they are almost bound to respond in the way you expect, because you haven't given them much option. Feeling bad about other people is usually a reflection of feeling bad about ourselves. We begin to learn our own sense of worth from our earliest contacts with parents, guardians, neighbours, friends, teachers -- anybody we come in contact with -- depending on how they behave towards us. At the same time, we establish feelings about them as individua1s, which become generalized as feelings towards 'people'.

A Great and Inspiring Story of A True Teacher

2024-06-26T20:00:00.002+07:00

An old man meets a young man who asks, "Do you remember me?" And the old man says, "No."

Then the young man tells him he was his student, and the old man asks, "What do you do, what do you do in life?"

The young man answers, "Well, I became a teacher."

"Ah, how good, like me?” asks the old man.

"Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you."

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story.

"One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it. I stole it, I took it out of his pocket. Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. Then you addressed the class saying, 'This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.' I didn't give it back because I didn't want to."

"You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle. You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found."

"However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed. We did as instructed."

"You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said, 'Open your eyes. We have the watch.'"

"You didn't tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life. But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson."

"I received your message clearly. Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do. Do you remember this episode, professor?"

The old professor answered, "Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone's pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking."

This is the essence of teaching: "If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach.”

A great and inspiring story. As far as a teacher is concerned, it's said that a true teacher would never tell you what to do. But he would give you the knowledge with which you could decide what would be best for you to do.

The Value of a Car

2023-03-28T19:00:00.004+07:00

There was a father who said to his son, "Since you have finished your education, dad will give you a car that dad bought a long time ago. But before this car is yours, you have to take it to the dealer, to know how much they offer for the car."

The son then took his car to the dealer and told his father that they were offering a price of $1,050 for the car on the grounds that the car was very old.

The father then said not to sell the car and suggested going to the pawnshop. After the son arrived at the pawnshop, the pawnshop offered a price of only $105 for the car, with the same reason that it was very old.

The father again said not to sell the car and again told his son to go to the car enthusiast club. His son went to the car enthusiast club, when he came back, the son said, "Dad, there are some people in the club who are offering up to $105,000, they say the car is very rare."

The father also said, "Dad wants you to know that your value will depend on where you are, if you are not appreciated, there is no need to be angry, that means you are not in the right place."

So for you all young people, remember that you need not only to increase your values but also need to find people, business partners, workplaces and environment that can respect your values.

We are Our Own Saviours

2022-07-24T15:05:00.003+07:00

One day a young man approached and asked the Buddha, "O lord, my father has died. Please come and say some prayers for him. Raise up his soul so that he can go to heaven. The Brahmins perform such rites but you Buddha are so much more powerful than them. If you were to do it, my father's soul is sure to fly straight to heaven."

The Buddha replied, "Very well. Please go to the market and fetch me two earthen pots and some butter." The young man was happy that the Buddha had condescended to perform some powerful magic to save his father's soul. He hurried to town and got what was required. Then the Buddha instructed him, "Put the butter in one pot and stones in the other pot. Then throw both pots into the pond." The man did so, and both pots sank to the bottom of the pond. Then then Buddha continued, "Now take a staff and strike the pots at the bottom of the pond." The man did so. The pots broke and the butter, being light, floated up while the stones, being heavy, remained where they were at the bottom.

Then the Buddha said, "Now quick, go and summon all the priests. Tell them to come and chant so that the butter can go down and the stones can come up." The young man looked at the Buddha, flabbergasted. "Lord," he said, "You can't be serious. Surely you can't expect the butter being light to sink and the stones being heavy to rise up. That would be against the law of nature."

The Buddha smiled and said, "Even so, my son, don't you see that if your father had led a good life, then his deeds would be as light as the butter, so that no matter what, he will rise up to heaven. Nobody can prevent that, not even me. For nobody can go against the natural law of kamma. But if your father had led a bad life, then just like the stones that are heavy, he would sink to the hell. No amount of prayers by all the powerful priests in the world can cause it to happen otherwise."

The yound man understood. He corrected his wrong concept and stopped going around asking for the impossible. The Buddha's smile had driven home the point: Nobody can save us, least of all after we are dead. According to the law of kamma, we are owners of our deeds, heirs of our deeds. Our deeds are our true property. They are our true refuge, our true relatives. They are the womb from which we spring. When we die we cannot take even one cent with us or any of our personal belongings. Neither can even one of our loved ones accompany us. Just as we come alone according to our kamma, we must go alone. If we have understood the law of kamma well, then we will appreciate how important it is to lead a good life while we are alive. For to wait until we are dead will be too late. There is little can be done then.

— from "Loving and Dying" by Visuddhācāra

The Death of a Faithful Dog

2021-12-07T13:19:00.006+07:00

There was a young couple very much in love. They were expecting a child and they looked forward to having a lovely baby. As the due date approached, they were happy and ready to welcome their baby. However, the wife had a difficult birth. Although the baby survived, the wife passed away. As the young husband had deeply loved his wife, he didn't plan to remarry. His only wish was to take good care of his baby and raise the child with love.

However, with time, he started to feel financially burdened, and had to make a living. But who could take care of his child? He trained a dog to look after his child. The dog was very smart indeed. When it was time to feed the baby, it would take the bottle of milk to the baby. It was very remarkable indeed. The man trusted the dog to take good care of his baby. The dog was like a nanny to his child.

One night, as the man was busy with work, he couldn't make it home. Yet, he had trust in the dog. When he got home the next morning, he opened the door and walked in. The dog was happy to see its master and welcomed him with joy. But the dog's muzzle was covered in blood. The man found this very strange.

He started to look for his son, but the baby was nowhere to be found. He immediately wondered if the dog had bitten his son to death. Seeing blood on the dog's muzzle, he decided that the dog must had killed his son. He was sure of it.

Thinking that the dog had killed his baby, the man gave rise to an evil thought. So, he grabbed a knife and killed the dog. After killing the dog, the man heard the cries of his baby. Following the baby's cries, he found his child underneath his crib. The baby crawled out, both safe and sound.

It was then he saw a wolf by the door. Thus, he realized that it was the wolf that wanted to kill his son. The dog fought with the wolf, which bit and tore off a part of the dog's leg. To protect the baby, the dog bit the wolf on its neck, fatally injuring the dog. Only then did he realize his mistake.

Driven by a sudden impulse, the man gave rise of an evil thought and commited a regrettable mistake. By the time he learned the truth, he had already killed his dog. It is extremely important to be mindful, for if our mind is at peace, we will not give rise to evil thoughts.

From: Stories Told by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

The Lifespan of a Human Being: A Single Breath

2020-02-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

The Buddha asked a monk, "How long is the human lifespan?" The monk replied, "It is but a few days." The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Path."

He asked another monk, "How long is the human lifespan?" The reply was, "It is the time required for a single meal." The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Path."

He asked a third monk, "How long is the human lifespan?" The monk replied, "It is the time it takes to inhale and exhale a single breath." The Buddha said, "Excellent! You have understood the Path."

from Section 38 of "The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections Spoken by the Buddha"

Don't cling to the past and future, but live in the present world. One must understand "now" and observe all beautiful things.

I Love This, So I Am Sharing With You

2019-08-11T16:15:00.000+07:00

Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain, just pray to God for a better umbrella. - That is the attitude!

Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till the very end.

Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them; a Wall or a Bridge? - Remember you are the architect of your life.

Search for a good heart, but don't search for a beautiful face, coz beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.

It's not important to hold all the good cards in life, but it's important how well you play with the cards you hold.

Often when we lose all hope & think this is the end, remember God and pray, it's just a bend, not the end.

Have faith and have a successful life. One of the basic differences between God and humans is, God gives, gives and forgives. But the human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life...

If you think it is your alarm clock that woke you up this morning, try putting it beside a dead body and you will realize that it is the Grace of God that woke you up.

Are You God's Wife?

2019-06-10T15:30:00.000+07:00

On a very cold winter's day, a little boy, barefooted and shivering with cold, was standing outside a shoes store, staring at the shoes. A rich lady came out of that store and saw the boy. She approached the boy and said, "Kid, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"

The little boy replied, "I don't have any shoes, I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes."

After listening this, the lady took the boy by the hand and went into the shoe store, and asked the clerk if she can get a bowl of water and towel. Then she removing her gloves and knelt down, cleaned and dried little boy's hands and feet. She bought him a pair of shoes and several pairs of socks. Then she knelt down again, place socks upon the boy's feet, and gave him a pair of shoes to wear. She bought some more pair of socks, gave them to him and patted him on head saying, "Kid, do you feel more comfortable now?"

As she was leaving, the little kid caught her by the hand, and looked up to her with tears in his eyes and replied, "Are you God's wife?"

Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest parts of their hearts.

Eddie Jaku's Advice for a Good Life

2019-05-05T07:00:00.000+07:00

Eddie Jaku, a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor, sharing his advice for a good life.

"You must not hate. You say, "I don't like this person", but you don't hate. Hate is a disease. It destroys first your enemy, but you also. It destroys you. Hate.

They ask me, "What is my secret?" My secret is a good wife, and friendship. Friendship you cannot buy. When I was eight years old, my father said to me, "Eddie, there is more pleasure in giving than taking." I thought he's coo-coo. No. Now that I have children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, what you give, you get back. You give nothing, you get nothing back. See, this is important. I want to teach you all the people who are young. If you don't learn from us, there will not be a future."

Stop Complaining

2019-04-05T07:00:00.000+07:00

Around the 1970s, a man drove his car in Arizona (USA) and stopped at a gas station during heavy rains. This man sat in his car, and an employee refueled the car while whistling cheerfully in the rain, because at that time, the gas station was not modern yet and has no roof.

The car driver said, "Sorry to bother you at a time like this." The gas station employee answered, "Oh, this doesn't bother me at all. When I fought in Vietnam, I was in a narrow underground hiding hole, and I promised that if I could get out of that place alive, I would be very grateful and would not complain about anything. And until now I have not complained. "

Many things can indeed be used as complaints. But before complaining, let's read some interesting words about it:

- Don't complain about what you can change. (Rick Warren)

- Don't complain and talk about all your problems, because 80% of people you complain to don't care, the remaining 20% think that you really deserve the problem. (Mark Twain)

- Don't like to listen to those who like to cry and complain, because the disease is contagious. (Og Mandino)

In our life, there will always be heavy rain, sweltering heat, challenges and problems. It's not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but our attitude towards that. So, complaining is about the attitude of the heart, not about the severity of the situation.

If you can quit, quit. If you can't quit, stop complaining – this is what you chose. (Joe Konrath)

Do You Pray?

2019-03-03T07:00:00.000+07:00

I like the interpretation of this prayer.

What is a prayer?

Prayer doesn't just happen when we kneel or put our hands together and focus and expect things from God.

Thinking positive and wishing good for others is a prayer.

When you hug a friend.
That's a prayer.

When you cook something to nourish family and friends.
That's a prayer.

When we send off our near and dear ones and say, 'drive safely' or 'be safe'.
That's a prayer.

When you are helping someone in need by giving your time and energy.
You are praying.

When you forgive someone by your heart.
That is prayer.

Prayer is a vibration. A feeling. A thought.
Prayer is the voice of love, friendship, genuine relationships.
Prayer is an expression of your silent being.

Keep praying always...
Stay Blessed!

Yes, I am Changing

2019-02-12T07:00:00.000+07:00

A friend of mine turned 60...I asked him what's changing?

He sent me following lines:

"Yes, I am changing.
After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children, my friends, now I have started loving myself.

Yes, I am changing.
I just realised that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

Yes, I am changing.
I now stopped bargaining with vegetables & fruits vendors. After all, a few dollars more is not going to burn a hole in my pocket but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

Yes, I am changing.
I pay the taxi driver without waiting for the change. The extra money might bring a smile on his face. After all he is toiling much harder for a living than me.

Yes, I am changing.
I stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. After all, the story makes them walk down the memory lane & relive the past.

Yes, I am changing.
I've learnt not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. After all, the ones of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

Yes, I am changing.
I give compliments freely & generously. After all it's a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me.

Yes, I am changing.
I've learnt not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. After all, personality speaks louder than appearances.

Yes, I am changing.
I walk away from people who don't value me. After all, they might not know my worth, but I do.

Yes, I am changing.
I remain cool when someone plays dirty politics to outrun me in the rat race. After all, I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.

Yes, I am changing.
I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. After all, it's my emotions that make me human.

Yes, I am changing.
I have learnt that its better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. After all, my ego will keep me aloof whereas with relationships I will never be alone.

Yes, I am changing.
I've learnt to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last .

Yes, I am changing.
I am doing what makes me happy.

After all, I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to me."

Khalil Gibran on Perfection in Life

2019-02-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

One day Khalil Gibran had a dialogue with his master.

Gibran : "Master, how can we get something perfect in this life?"

The Master was silent for a while then he answered : "Go straight to the flower garden, and pick a flower that you think the most beautiful one. But remember never turn back around !"

After he passed the garden, Gibran came back empty-handed.

The master asked : "Why won't you get any flower?"

Gibran : "Actually I'd found it Master, but I didn't pick it because I thought there must be more beautiful flowers in the garden. But when I got to the end, I just realized that the flower I saw before was actually the most beautiful one, and I couldn't go back again"

The master smiled and said : "Yes, that is the life, the more we seek for perfection, the more we will never get it, because in reality there is no such thing as a true perfection, only our sincerity to accept flaws"

"Don't seek for perfection, but make perfect what we already have, ourselves, or our beloved ones."

Hakuin and the Baby: Is That So?

2019-01-23T07:00:00.001+07:00

The Zen Master Hakuin was praised and respected by his neighbors as one living a pure life, as well as simplicity and virtue of his life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store, lived near him. One day, suddenly without any warning, her parents discovered she was pregnant.

This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master, "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the baby was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the baby. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth—that the real father of the baby was a young man who worked in the fish market.

The mother and the father of the girl along with dozens of villagers at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the baby back again.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the baby, all he said was: "Is that so?"

He returned the baby to its mother with the same graciousness and poise as he had accepted it from her.

— from "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones"

Story about a Fish and a Turtle: Is Nibbāna Nothingness?

2019-01-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

"Nibbāna is bliss supreme."
---Dhammapada

Once upon a time there was a fish. And just because it was a fish, it had lived all its life in the water and knew nothing whatever about anything else but water. And one day as it swam about in the lake where all its days had been spent, it happened to meet a turtle of its acquaintance who had just come back from a little excursion on the land.

"Good day, Mr. Turtle!" said the fish. "I have not seen you for a long time. Where have you been?"

"Oh", said the turtle, "I have just been for a trip on dry land."

"On dry land!" exclaimed the fish. "What do you mean by on dry land? There is no dry land. I had never seen such a thing. Dry land is nothing."

"Well," said the turtle good-naturedly. "If you want to think so, of course you may; there is no one who can hinder you. But that's where I've been, all the same."

"Oh, come," said the fish. "Try to talk sense. Just tell me now what is this land of yours like? Is it all wet?"

"No, it is not wet," said the turtle.

"Is it nice and fresh and cool?" asked the fish.

"No, it is not nice and fresh and cool," the turtle replied.

"Is it clear so that light can come through it?"

"No, it is not clear. Light cannot come through it."

"Is it soft and yielding, so that I can move my fins about in it and push my nose through it?"

"No, it is not soft and yielding. You could not swim in it."

"Does it move or flow in streams?"

"No, it neither moves nor flows in streams."

"Does it ever rise up into waves then, with white foams in them?" asked the fish, impatient at this string of Noes.

"No!" replied the turtle, truthfully. "It never rises up into waves that I have seen."

"There now," exclaimed the fish triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you that this land of yours was just nothing? I have just asked, and you have answered me that it is neither wet nor cool, not clear nor soft and that it does not flow in streams nor rise up into waves. And if it isn't a single one of these things what else is it but nothing? Don't tell me."

"Well, well", said the turtle, "If you are determined to think that dry land is nothing, I suppose you must just go on thinking so. But any one who knows what is water and what is land would say you were just a silly fish, for you think that anything you have never known is nothing just because you have never known it."

And with that the turtle turned away and, leaving the fish behind in its little pond of water, set out on another excursion over the dry land that was nothing.

It is evident from this significant story that neither can the turtle, who is acquainted with both land and sea, explain to the fish the real nature of land, nor can the fish grasp what is land since it is acquainted only with water. In the same way Arahants who are acquainted with both the mundane and the supramundane cannot explain to a worldling what exactly the supramundane is in mundane terms, nor can a worldling understand the supramundane merely by mundane knowledge.

Nibbāna is the summum bonum of Buddhism.

Source: "The Buddha and His Teachings" by Venerable Nārada Mahāthera

An Old Legend about Three Men and Their Sacks

2018-12-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

There is an old legend about three men and their sacks. Each man had two sacks, one tied in front of his neck and the other tied on his back.

When the first man was asked what was in his sacks, he said, "In the sack on my back are all the good things friends and family have done. That way they're hidden from view. In the front sack are all the bad things that have happened to me. Every now and then I stop, open the front sack, take the things out, examine them, and think about them." Because he stopped so much to concentrate on all the bad stuff, he really didn't make much progress in life.

The second man was asked about his sacks. He replied, "In the front sack are all the good things I've done. I like to see them, so quite often I take them out to show them off to people. The sack in the back? I keep all my mistakes in there and carry them all the time. Sure they're heavy. They slow me down, but you know, for some reason I can't put them down."

When the third man was asked about his sacks, he answered, "The sack in front is great. There I keep all the positive thoughts I have about people, all the blessings I've experienced, all the great things other people have done for me. The weight isn't a problem. The sack is like sails of a ship. It keeps me going forward. "The sack on my back is empty. There's nothing in it. I cut a big hole in its bottom. In there I put all the bad things that I can think about myself or hear about others. They go in one end and out the other, so I'm not carrying around any extra weight at all."

What are you carrying in your sacks?

Source : H. Norman Wright, The Perfect Catch (Bethany House, 2000), pp. 28–29

"We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it."
Quote by Rick Warren

You Have to Take the Medicine Yourself

2018-11-11T11:00:00.000+07:00

A man becomes sick and goes to the doctor for help. The doctor examines him and then writes out a prescription for some medicine. The man has great faith in his doctor. He returns home and in his prayer room he puts a beautiful picture or statue of the doctor. Then he sits down and pays respects to that picture or statue: he bows down three times, and offers flowers and incense. And then he takes out the prescription that the doctor wrote for him, and very solemnly he recites it: "Two pills in the morning! Two pills in the afternoon! Two pills in the evening!" All day, all life long he keeps reciting the prescription because he has great faith in the doctor, but still the prescription does not help him.

The man decides that he wants to know more about this prescription, and so he runs to the doctor and asks him, "Why did you prescribe this medicine? How will it help me?" Being an intelligent person, the doctor explains, "Well, look, this is your disease, and this is the root cause of your disease. If you take the medicine I have prescribed, it will eradicate the cause of your disease. When the cause is eradicated, the disease will automatically disappear." The man thinks, "Ah, wonderful! My doctor is so intelligent! His prescriptions are so helpful!" And he goes home and starts fighting with his neighbors and acquaintances, insisting, "My doctor is the best doctor! All other doctors are useless!" But what does he gain by such arguments? All his life he may continue fighting, but still this does not help him at all. If he takes the medicine, only then will the man be relieved of his misery, his disease. Only then will the medicine help him.

Every liberated person is like a physician. Out of compassion, he gives a prescription advising people how to free themselves of suffering. If people develop blind faith in that person, they turn the prescription into a scripture and start fighting with other sects, claiming that the teaching of the founder of their religion is superior. But no one cares to practice the teaching, to take the medicine prescribed in order to eliminate the malady.

Having faith in the doctor is useful if it encourages the patient to follow his advice. Understanding how the medicine works is beneficial if it encourages one to take the medicine. But without actually taking the medicine, one cannot be cured of the disease. You have to take the medicine yourself.

From : The Art of Living, Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka

You Have to Walk on the Path Yourself

2018-11-01T11:00:00.000+07:00

In the city of Sāvatthī in northern India, the Buddha had a large centre where people would come to meditate and to listen to his Dhamma talks. Every evening one young man used to come to hear his discourses. For years he came to listen to the Buddha but never put any of the teaching into practice.

After a few years, one evening this man came a little early and found the Buddha alone. He approached him and said, "Sir, I have a question that keeps arising in my mind, raising doubts."

"Oh? There should not be any doubts on the path of Dhamma; have them clarified. What is your question?"

"Sir, for many years now I have been coming to your meditation center, and I have noticed that there are a large number of recluses around you, monks and nuns, and a still larger number of lay people, both men and women. For years some of them have been coming to you. Some of them, I can see, have certainly reached the final stage; quite obviously they are fully liberated. I can also see that others have experienced some change in their lives. They are better than they were before, although I cannot say that they are fully liberated. But sir, I also notice that a large number of people, including myself, are as they were, or sometimes they are even worse. They have not changed at all, or have not changed for the better."

"Why should this be, sir? People come to you, such a great man, fully enlightened, such a powerful, compassionate person. Why don't you use your power and compassion to liberate them all?"

The Buddha smiled and said, "Young man, where do you live? What is your native place?" "Sir, I live here in Sāvatthī, this capital city of the state of Kosala."

"Yes, but your facial features show that you are not from this part of the country. Where are you from originally?" "Sir, I am from the city of Rājagaha, the capital of the state of Magadha. I came and settled here in Sāvatthī a few years ago."

"And have you severed all connections with Rājagaha?" "No sir, I still have relatives there. I have friends there. I have business there." "Then certainly you must go from Savatthī to Rājagaha quite often?"

"Yes sir. Many times each year I visit Rājagaha and return to Sāvatthī."

"Having travelled and returned so many times on the path from here to Rājagaha, certainly you must know the path very well?"

"Oh yes, sir, I know it perfectly. I might almost say that even if I was blindfolded I could find the path to Rājagaha, so many times have I walked it."

"And your friends, those who know you well, certainly they must know that you are from Rājagaha and have settled here? They must know that you often visit Rājagaha and return, and that you know the path from here to Rājagaha perfectly?"

"Oh yes, sir. All those who are close to me know that I often go to Rājagaha and that I know the path perfectly."

"Then it must happen that some of them come to you and ask you to explain to them the path from here to Rājagaha. Do you hide anything or do you explain the path to them clearly?"

"What is there to hide, sir? I explain it to them as clearly as I can: you start walking towards the east and then head towards Banaras, and continue onward until you reach Gaya and then Rājagaha. I explain it very plainly to them sir."

"And these people to whom you give such clear explanation, do all of them reach Rājagaha?"

"How can that be, sir? Those who walk the entire path to its end, only they will reach Rājagaha.”

"This is what I want to explain to you, young man. People keep coming to me knowing that this is someone who has walked the path from here to nibbāna and so knows it perfectly. They come to me and ask, 'What is the path to nibbāna, to liberation?' And what is there to hide? I explain it to them clearly: 'This is the path.' If somebody just nods his head and says, 'Well said, well said, a very good path, but I won't take a step on it; a wonderful path, but I won't take the trouble to walk over it,' then how can such a person reach the final goal?"

"I do not carry anyone on my shoulders to take him to the final goal. Nobody can carry anyone else on his shoulders to the final goal. At most, with love and compassion one can say, 'Well, this is the path, and this is how I have walked on it. You also work, you also walk, and you will reach the final goal.' But each person has to walk himself, has to take every step on the path himself. He who has taken one step on the path is one step nearer the goal. He who has taken a hundred steps is a hundred steps nearer the goal. He who has taken all the steps on the path has reached the final goal. You have to walk on the path yourself."

From : The Art of Living, Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka

Zen in a Cup of Tea

2018-10-26T11:30:00.000+07:00

A university professor went to visit Nan-in, a famous Japanese Zen master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), to inquire about Zen.

While Nan-in quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"This is you, like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Those who are full of their own opinions, do not want to listen to wise words from others. In discussions between two people, what often happens is that each intends to push his own opinion. As a result, other than he hears his own voice or view, he does not learn anything else.

Be Kind to Twilight Years

2018-10-10T10:00:00.000+07:00

To those of us who are now in our twilight years, this is a worthwhile read. It has a very meaningful and profound message from the famous Chinese novelist Yang Jiang (杨绛) wrote the following at age of 103. She lived a tranquil and reclusive life in her twilight years. The eminent Chinese author, playwright, and translator passed away at age 105 on May 2016.

Seasons after seasons, we are unknowingly approaching our twilight years.

From the first cry on coming to earth till the hair turns grey, the baggage of our journey through life is filled with bitterness and sweetness as well as ups and downs.

How far we walk on the path of our twilight years will depend on our physical, mental and spiritual condition.

Life's glory and splendor are behind us and we are now just going through the daily chores of keeping life going.

Once we yearned for a glamorous life, now we realize the most wonderful and romantic scenery in life are moments of tranquility.

Do not anxiously expect visits from our children. They have their own lives to live; they are like tops being spun continuously, sandwiched between young and old. Old is dusk, young is dawn. We are all concerned and have high expectations for the young: this is nature's law. It is a human race survival cycle and no one can defy it.

Please remember: our children are always more busy than us.

In life, whether it is husband and wife or parents and children, no matter how harmonious and how close they are, each one is unique and an independent entity.

Therefore, we need to learn to cope with loneliness by finding ways to console and cheer ourselves up when feeling lonely.

In reaching our golden age, we have our self esteem and graciousness just like the cycle of four seasons, each has its grace and beauty. Smile and enjoy each phase of life.

Twilight years is the beginning of goodness in life. It is easy going, peaceful, unhurried and joyful. We have to maintain peace, expect less, be more inclusive and forgiving, do not over react when receiving attention or when we are ignored. To stay or to go does not matter anymore. Keep smiling while moving ahead each day and be kind to ourselves. Being honest and sincere will make friendships last. Do not expect a return on what you have given to others. After all, making others happy is life's greatest achievement.

Family, Place of Forgiveness

2018-09-18T16:08:00.000+07:00

Pope Francis's message about the family. Regardless of religion, see how beautiful what Pope Francis wrote about the family.

"There is no perfect family. We do not have perfect parents, we are not perfect, we do not marry a perfect person or have perfect children. We have complaints from each other. We disappoint each other. So there is no healthy marriage or healthy family without the exercise of forgiveness. Forgiveness is vital to our emotional health and spiritual survival. Without forgiveness the family becomes an arena of conflict and a stronghold of hurt."

"Without forgiveness, the family becomes sick. Forgiveness is the asepsis of the soul, the cleansing of the mind and the liberation of the heart. Whoever does not forgive does not have peace in the soul nor communion with God. Hurt is poison that intoxicates and kills. Keeping heartache in the heart is a self-destructive gesture. It's autophagy. Those who do not forgive are physically, emotionally and spiritually ill."

"That is why the family must be a place of life, not of death; Territory of cure and not of illness; Stage of forgiveness and not guilt. Forgiveness brings joy where sorrow has produced sadness; Healing, where sorrow has caused disease."

May this could help extinguish some family battles !

Light the Candle in the Lantern

2018-07-07T07:00:00.001+07:00

Another different version of the story of the blind man with lantern.

Late one night a blind man was about to go home after visiting a friend.

"Please," he said to his friend, "May I take your lantern with me?"

"Why carry a lantern?" asked his friend. "You won’t see any better with it."

"No," said the blind one, "Perhaps not, but others will see me better, and not bump into me."

So his friend gave the blind man the lantern, which was made of paper on bamboo strips, with a candle inside.

Off went the blind man with the lantern, and before he had gone more than a few yards, "Crack!" — a traveler walked right into him.

The blind man was very angry. "Why don't you look out?" he stormed. "Why don't you see this lantern?"

"Why don't you light the candle?" asked the traveler

Moral and inspiration of this story: if the lantern represents ideas, then it says you have to use them as intended, not merely carry them. And that unrealized ideas do not enlighten anyone. But here the responsibility lies on the blind man for not bothering to check if the lantern was lit (easily done with a candle, just feel the heat) and taking it for granted that others would take responsibility.

The Lantern Has Gone Out

2018-06-05T07:00:00.001+07:00

A blind man was leaving his friend's house at night when he was suggested to carry a lantern. Laughing aloud, the blind man snapped, "What do I need light for? It makes no difference to me. I know my way home!"

His friend patiently replied, "Yes, I knew. But it's for others to see, so that they won't bump into you."

Sneering, the blind man agreed to use it. A little down the road, someone accidentally bumped into the blind man, startling him.

Fuming, he yelled, "Hey! You're not blind! So make way for the blind man!"

Further down the road, another person bumped into him. This time, he got angrier, shouting, "Are you blind? Can't you see the lantern? I'm carrying it for you!”

The stranger replied, "You are the blind one! Can't you see your lantern has gone out?" The blind man was stunned.

Moral and inspiration of this story: those who use the others' words to teach people can be likened to the blind one. The light of the lantern was long gone out but he himself did not realize it

The Value of a Rock

2018-05-30T20:45:00.001+07:00

One day, a young novice monk constantly contemplated about what the value of life is. He often asked his master questions about life, "My dear master, may I know what the maximum value of my life is?" His master replied, "You just carry the rock from our back-yard and try to sell it at the market. If someone asks you about the price of the rock, don't answer them, but show them by stretching out two fingers. If they want to bargain with you, you also don't answer them, just carry the rock back home and I'll tell you the maximum value of your life."

So the novice carried a big rock to the market and sat beside it. A housewife walked up to the novice and asked, "How much is this rock?" Without answering, the lnovice stretched out two fingers. The housewife asked, "Two dollars ?" The little monk shook his head, so the housewife went on asking, "Then how about 20 dollars, give it to me, so I can use it to preserve my Chinese cabbage." The novice was surprised to hear it, he thought to himself: "Oh, my God, it is just such a normal rock of which there are millions in the mountain at the back of our temple and she wants to spend $20 to buy it."

So he brought that rock back to his master and joyfully said, "Master, do you know that there was a housewife who wanted to spend $20 to buy this rock. Now you can tell me, my honoured master, how much is the maximum value of my life?"

His master answered, "Calm down, calm down; tomorrow, remember to bring the rock to the museum and try to sell it there. If there is someone asking you about the price, still stretch two fingers out but don't answer. If the person wants to bargain with you, bring your rock back again, and we can talk about it later."

So the second day, the novice took the rock to the museum, and people there were amazed to see a novice selling a rock in the museum. Some of the visitors whispered to each other: "Why would an ordinary rock be sold in the museum? A man uttered, "This rock must be very special that it can be sold in the museum; it must be that we don't know its value." Just at that time, a man jumped from the crowd and shouted to the novice, "Little monk, how much for your rock?" The novice didn't reply but stretched out two of his fingers. The man asked surprisingly, "$200?" The little monk shook his head. The man then said, "$2,000? Okay, I accept $2,000, as I can carve it into a statue." Upon hearing this, the little monk couldn't believe his ears.

He still followed his master's instruction and ran back to his temple with the rock. Happily, he told his master, "My honoured master, today someone wanted to spend $2000 for this rock, please tell me the maximum value of my life now." The master laughed and said, "Tomorrow, remember to bring the rock to the antique store and sell it there ! If there is someone who wants to bargain, then please bring it back again. After that, I'll tell you the maximum value of your life."

So in the morning of the third day, the novice monk brought his rock to the antique store, and immediately he was surrounded by a group of people. Some of them were asking each other, "What kind of rock is this one? Do you know its geological origin, and from which dynasty it is, and what was the use of it before?"

Then one asked: "Little monk, how much for your rock?" The novice monk stretched out two of his fingers without replying. "$20,000?" The man asked. "What?" the little monk uttered, he could hardly believe his ears.

The man thought that the price he offered was too low and that the novice monk was offended by it, so he added, "No, no, I mean I'd like to pay you $20,0000."

"What, $20,0000?" Grabbing his rock, the little monk rushed back to the mountain to his master, and panting he said, "Master, master, do you know that we are rich now, as one person offered $20,0000 for our rock. Now you can tell me, as you promised, what is the maximum value of my life?"

Patting the head of the little monk, the master said gently, "My son, do you know that your value is just like the value of the rock. If you were placed on the market, you would only be worth $20; however, if you were placed in a museum, then you would be worth $2,000, and if you were placed in an antique store, then your price would go up again to around $20,0000. So a person's value is very different in different settings."

Furthermore, his master further said, "See, what is the standard to evaluate the value of our life? Everyone should set that standard for themselves. We should never ask others what the value of our life is. No one can determine that for us. Take that rock for example, the lowest offer is two dollars, and the highest offer is 20,000 dollars. So we are the ones who decide the value of our own life. We should bring value to our life and not let others decide that for us, just like how everyone offered a different price for that rock."

Kahlil Gibran's Inspiring Poem: On Children

2018-01-01T07:00:00.001+07:00

Your children are not "your" children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.