What are we going to do about it (Part 2) ... People Power

What are we going to do about it (Part 2) ... People Power


In 'Why Fight'- http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-fight.html, I mentioned that earthquakes etc are 'so-called' natural disasters.

I wonder how many of the readers when reading that particular sentence questioned why do I say that?

Aren't they 'natural'?

The answer is "Yes' and "No'.

"Yes' because they seem natural.

"No' because they are not exactly and completely 'natural'.

Disasters such as earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis etc are not just results of earth tectonic plates movements, generation and degeneration,

BUT also symptoms/results of anger, enmity, hate and all the negative emotions that's expressed by Humans -

Collective anger, enmity, hate etc of Human and living beings manifesting in/through nature.


As Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda says, "Man can change the atmosphere of the Universe."

"If man is cruel and wicked, always living against the laws of nature and the cosmic laws; through his acts, words and thoughts, he pollutes the whole atmosphere.

As a result of such misdeeds and thoughts, nature may not produce things which man requires for his living but instead man may be faced with epidemics and various kinds of disasters."


So you see, natural disasters are not exactly and totally 'natural' after all.

I read an article in a magazine that "in this world, 850 million people are starving, yet over 1.6 billion are obese."

In 'If' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/08/if.html, I asked, "how many clothes can we wear in a day?"

Think about it.

It's true.

Ask yourselves, "How many pairs of shoes can you wear at a time?"

Well, unless you have 8 or more pairs of feet.

We can help the world by doing little things such as buying fewer fancy clothes and eating fewer delicacies.

It's good enough that we can dress warmly and eat properly, don't you agree?

Think about all those who don't even have proper clothes or even food to eat.


During my visit to Tibet, I came across a few.

Although most Tibetans are better off now due to the help from the Chinese Government, there are still others who are very poor.

It was a heart-wrenching sight.

Let us want less and give more.

When all our little good deeds come together, they can and will become a force that dispels disasters (whether natural or Human-create) and brings us blessings.

I loving and kind, You loving and kind.

Soon, the whole world will be loving and kind.

When everyone's mind is focused on being pure and good, the whole world will then be pure and good.

It's possible. Really.


Just as Venerable K Sri Dhammananda says,

"If on the other hand, man lives in accordance with this natural law, leads a righteous way of life, purifies the atmosphere through the merits of his virtues and radiates loving-kindness towards all other beings, he can change the atmosphere in order to bring about better results for the happiness of man."


As I mentioned in 'Competition and Consequences Part 2: Consequences' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/06/competition-and-consequences-part-2.html,

"Negative emotions and thoughts gives out negative energy which affects the whole atmosphere."

Therefore, let us all guard our minds, thoughts and feelings constantly.

Let us do all the little good deeds we can, no matter how small or little it seem;

And let us all refrain from doing bad deeds, no matter how trivial they may be.




"We are what we think;

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts, we make the whole world."

- The Buddha




"The world is in a constant state of change and that changing world is situated right here in the body and minds of us all".

- Venerable Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera

"As long as people still value self-sacrifice and extend a helping hand to one another, life on this earth will always have meaning."

- Acariya Maha Boowa Nanasampanno




"Just as the light of a single candle can light up a million zillion other candles without itself being extinguished,

So the Kindness, Compassion, Love and Happiness of one, too, can spread to the whole world."




"What is an ocean made up of ?

Drops of water.

Without the drops of water,

There can be no ocean."



"May the light of this entry shines through and dispel away all the darkness in the world ........

Have a loving and kind New Year everyone !"


With all my love,

Maitre-Light

What are we going to do about it (Part 1) ... Our Climate, Our Environment, Our Earth and Us

What are we going to do about it (Part 1) ... Our Climate, Our Environment, Our Earth, and Us



On the return trip from Tibet to Singapore, we had to transit at Chengdu for about half-a-day while waiting for our flight back to Singapore.

We were driven to Chengdu shopping belt to spend the few hours there.

Chengdu is a direct contrast to Tibet : The place was terribly polluted. It was so dusty.

And I understand why.

It was nothing but a concrete jungle.

Everywhere I turned was nothing but buildings, buildings, and more buildings.

Apparently, plant life or trees are not part of their town planning.

There were so few plant life, much less trees.


Imagine my surprise when I removed my mask (which I wore to cover my nose and mouth) in the coach and I saw brown patches!

That's how bad the pollution/air quality in Chengdu is.

I can't say about other parts of Chengdu, but the city is definitely polluted.


It's a good thing that the Singapore Government is finally beginning to be a bit more environment conscious, and starting to plant more trees.

However I hope they do not chop down the 'old dames' - the really huge and tall bushy trees that provide the most shade and oxygen, which they are doing in some places, cos' for trees to grow to that height and size requires many years.

Otherwise, in the near future, Singapore could easily become the next Chengdu, with all the smog, dust and haze (which is already happening now).


Forests, which are the lungs of the Earth absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

When our lungs are ill, we have difficulty breathing.

Our Mother Earth is already having difficulty breathing now. (Read : "Earth, do you know she's in pain" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/02/earth.html)

She needs healthy lungs, so we need to plant and protect trees, the rainforests etc.

For Earth to recover, we must be mindful in taking good care of her - Every moment.


Problems and Solutions come hand in hand.

The security of human beings lies in the security of the Earth.

It is people who are heartlessly damaging the Earth, but it is also people who can save and protect her.

We are our own best friends, but we are also our own worst enemies.

We are both the Creator and the Destroyer.

The question is, "We Create this 'mess', so how and when are we going to clean it up?"

"Even though today's scientists may reject the idea, the Earth seems to be in tune with the destructive fury of mankind."

- C. G Jung

"As we create, we destroy.

The creation of technology destroys patience, family time and togetherness etc.

The creation of wealth destroys morals, values and virtues.

The creation of buildings and construction destroys nature;

AND, the creation of economy and industrialisation destroys the environment.

It is Not about not creating.

But about creating with a conscience, in a balanced way, with Morality and in Moderation."

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"The 'end' of the world lies Not in the forces of nature, nor in the hands of some supreme Being (God/s), or any other beings (ETs, UFOs etc).

But in the hands of Human kind.

Human kind alone, through an ignorant, delusioned and selfish mind, can and will destroy civilisation.

It's through the irresponsible and egoistic acts of Human kind that civilisation will be destroyed."

"Everything begins from the mind, and therefore will have to end with the mind - The way in is the way out.

If we don't change our minds (ie. our thinking, altitude, actions etc).

We will self-destroy ourselves."

"The heart (i.e mind) is the principal actor, and the one ultimately held accountable for all actions.

If people's hearts motivate them to act in evil ways, the entire planet can easily be destroyed as a consequence.

Thus, it is essential that our hearts should receive proper training and care so that we can safely look after ourselves and the world we live in.

- Venerable Acariya Maha Boowa NanaSampanno

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"The world comes to ruin only if people's spiritual values comes to ruin first.

When spiritual values deteriorate, then everything people do becomes just another means of destroying the world and subverting Dhamma (Truth)."

- Venerable Acariya Maha Boowa NanaSampanno

The Price of meat

The Price of meat



Do you eat meat?

I'm not particularly a meat-eater from young, and till now, it's still not a must-have for me.

I'm actually quite content if I don't have meat to eat, or a meat dish.

For some people, it's a must, and I understand.

Whenever you eat a piece of meat, have you ever wonder where the meat comes from?

I have.



According to the World Watch Institute, producing 1kg of beef requires 16kg of grain and 100,000 litres of water and creates 13kg of carbon dioxide.

Just imagine how much grain and water can be consumed by a whole cow, and how much pollution can be produced.

Sometime back, The Sunday Times reported that it takes only 116.6L of water to produce 1kg of wheat, but 3673L to produce 1kg of meat.

Nearly 15.4kg of corn and soy are needed to produce 1kg of pork.

Not forgetting the pollution : the livestock industry accounts for 9% of carbon dioxide deriving from human-related activities, and generates 65% of man-made nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, and most of this comes from manure.



Knowing the above, isn't it time for us to consider cutting down on our meat consumption?

Especially if it is just to satisfy our palates and/or greed.

It's good enough that we can fill our stomachs, don't you think?

Must we really eat a big chunk of meat?

With a decrease in demand, automatically the supply will also have to decrease.

It's not just for our health, but also the health of Mother Earth - the environment.

Think also about all the animals who are sacrificing their lives, suffering in pain and being abused by the farmers so that we can eat.

Think also about the amount of grain that's used to feed the animals when it can be better used to feed others in the world who are starving.

The fault and responsibility do not lie in the animals.

It lies in us - the consumers.



So, the next time you eat a piece of meat, please remember where that piece of meat comes from, and the price for eating it.

In Ajahn Chah words,

"Think about this seriously, please."

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution of a vegetarian diet."

- Albert Einstein

"If animals were created for men, then it could follow that men were also created for animals since there are some animals which eat human flesh."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

"Man's cruelty towards animals is another expression of his uncontrolled greed."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

Poor Me

Poor Me


Note : The story below is taken from the book "Everything is Teaching Us - a collection of teachings by Ajahn Chah."



One day, a pig farmer went to see Ajahn Chah.

He was complaining, "Oh man! This year is really too much! The price of feed is up, and the price of pork is down. I'm losing my shirt!"

Ajahn Chah listened to his laments, then said, "Don't feel too sorry for yourself, sir. If you were a pig, then you would have good reason to feel sorry for yourself.

When the price of pork is high, pigs are slaughtered.

When the price of pork is low, the pigs are still slaughtered.

The pigs really have something to complain about.

The people should not be complaining. Think about this seriously, please."

The farmer was only worried about the prices he was getting.

The pigs have a lot more to worry about, but we don't consider that cos' we are not the ones being killed. The pigs are.



Now, think about it.

Who are the real 'poor me'?

Not us humans.

Cos' we still have our lives, and we still can find a way to get by.

We ought to be thankful and grateful.

How often is it that we lament on our woes when we should be counting our blessings?

When you are unhappy, you feel that the whole world is against you, that everything is about to collapse.


However, if you take a step back, you will find that you are better off than many other people.


As the saying goes, "I complain I have no shoes, until I met a man who has no feet."

So the next time you complain, and feel sorry for yourself and think how unfortunate you are, please consider the earthworms -

At least we can still eat things like fruits, we don't have to eat dirt like the earthworms.

And if earthworms can talk, they'll probably be telling us,

"Don't feel too sorry for yourself. You walk on ground. Me? I get trampled on.

Don't you still have arms, legs and bones? I don't have those things, yet I don't feel poor."

Humans really do have a lot to learn from all the creatures great and small that are around us.

"Animals are the same as humans, Just as humans are the same as animals.

If we can 'see' this, we'll realise that they are afraid of dying, Just like people."

- Ajahn Chah

Complain, Complain

Complain, Complain



Once, there was a farmer who went to see the Buddha.

He had heard many wonderful, incredible and amazing stories about the Buddha - how the Buddha is an Enlightened One, a Great Teacher, a Compassionate being, an All-Knowing One, etc etc.



Like all of us, he has some problems in his life which he hope and expect the Buddha to help him solve.

Farmer : I like farming. But sometimes it doesn't rain. When it rains, sometimes it's not enough , and my crops can't grow. Take last year for example, we nearly starved. Then, there are times when it rains too much; so I don't have the kind of yield I want.

The Buddha nodded his head in quiet acknowledge to the farmer's complains, and listened patiently as the farmer continued.

"You know, I'm married. She's a nice lady, a good wife. I do love her but sometimes, she nags so much! And sometimes, I feel I'm tired of her, our relationship, and I want out. I want to have a change. I want to feel excitement again ........"

"I also have children ........ they are good children. It's just that sometimes they don't show me enough respect, the respect I feel they should. And then there's ........"



The farmer went on and on, pouring out all his life's problems to the Buddha, as the Compassionate One listened quietly.

After he had finished, he looked expectantly at the Enlightened One, hoping for an answer which would put everything right.

However, to his astonishment, the Buddha replied flatly, "I can't help you."



The farmer was shocked.

"What do you mean you can't help me?! You are the Buddha, for goodness sake!" cried the farmer.

"It's true I'm the Buddha. But it's also true that everyone got problems," the Buddha calmly replied.

"As a matter of fact, all of us have 83999 problems.

Each one of us.

And there's nothing we can do about it.

If you work really hard in solving one of them, perhaps you can fix it.

But even if you do, another one will pop up immediately to take its place.

Take for example, you're going to lose your loved ones one day.

And even yourself, you're going to die some day.

That by itself is a problem. And there's nothing you, I, or anyone can do about it."



"Huh?! I thought they said you are a great Teacher!" the farmer shouted angrily.

"I thought you can help me! What kind of help is that? What kind of teaching is that? Of what good and use is your teaching then?!"

"Maybe to help you with your 84000th problem." said the Buddha quietly.

"84000th problem? What 84000th problem? What is the 84000 problem?" asked the farmer, puzzled, confused and lost.

"Your want to not have any problems." was the Wise One's reply.



And that, by the way is the good and use of the Buddha's Teachings - to stop our complains and dissatisfactions and discontentment with life, and to see life as it is - Suffering.

"Life is suffering.

Life is a joke.

Suffering is a joke.

If you can look and laugh at Suffering as you would a joke,

You suffer no more!"

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"Happiness follows sorrow,

Just as sorrow follows happiness.

When one no longer discriminates between happiness and sorrow,

One realises Freedom."

- The Buddha

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"My teachings is not to come and believe,

But to PRACTICE."

- The Buddha

"Whatever method we adopt to overcome our problems, it is impossible to gain complete satisfaction in our lives until we train our Minds and reduce selfishness and craving.

The Teachings of The Buddha give us a very clear exposition of how to understand the nature of human problems, and how to overcome them."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

The Mynah and her nestling

The Mynah and her nestling



Look around you ...... do you see any mynahs?

If you do, observe if there's one tagging behind or around another, with its mouth open, calling away.

If you do get a chance to see this, keep observing.

More or less, you'll come to realise that the one that's calling is probably a fully grown nestling and it's calling cos' it wants its mother to continue to feed it - that's why its mouth is open, calling away.

Now observe the mother. What is she doing?

Tendency is the mother is pecking away and ignoring, or rather, seems to be ignoring, her nestling.

Now ask yourself : What can we learn here?

To an on-looker, it may seem that the mynah is harsh and unfeeling towards her nestling, that she doesn't love or take care of her child.

But is this Truth?

In Reality, what the mother myna is displaying is the greatest form of love.

She's pecking on the floor to demonstrate to the baby how to find food and feed on its own.

Heartbreaking as it is for her, she knows she has to 'ignore' her child.

Imagine, if the mynah were to continue to feed the nestling, what's going to happen?

The nestling will never learn how to find food on its own, will never 'grow up', and will forever be dependent on its mother.

Now, what if the mother dies, which the mother will, one day.

What's going to happen to the baby mynah then?

Who's going to feed it if it doesn't know how to find food on its own and feed itself?



In 'What is, What it's not', I wrote that love and education plays a very important part in many aspects of our lives, including Parenting.

If you think about it, as a parent, you ARE giving love and education to your kids.

Ask yourself, what kind of love and education am I giving (to them)?



If you are always imposing your views and opinions on your kinds, controlling them, telling them 'must do this, cannot do that' (eg. must score A's', cannot score B's', must be rich, cannot be poor or average) etc, and inculcating in them that all that matters in Life is money, status, power, being first, and all the physical material stuff, with no emphasis on Morals and Values/Virtues, and always pampering them by doing things for them, and spoiling them when you should be disciplining them,

Be Careful.

It may seem like you're 'loving' your kids; in Reality, you are destroying them.

Take the following example :

1st sibling to 2nd sibling, "Your mother ........."

2nd sibling to 3rd sibling, "Your mother ........."

3rd sibling scratched the head and wonder, "Isn't my mother their mother also?"

So parents, if you do not want/wish the above to happen to you, do examine how you are parenting (ie loving & educating) your kids.

"We are the results of what we were,

And we will be the results of what we are."

"When a relationship is valued and measured by dollars and cents, it's no longer a relationship; It has become a business transaction."

Why We Die

Why We Die



Somewhere in August, before a class began, a student asked me why the young man died during the marathon?

She mentioned that he was so young and fit, that he trains.

As it is a class, and there were other participants around.

I told her about how the heart is a muscle, the workings of the heart and lungs, the circulatory system etc etc etc.

I did not tell her about Karma.

Neither did I tell her about the most important part :

That All of us die.

Young or old, Rich or poor.



Have you ever taken a walk in the park?

Or, take a look at the nature around you?

Do you notice that the leaves that fall on the ground are not just the brown and withered ones?

Some are green. Fresh green.

As long as we are born, we're subjected to the 3D's of life :

Decay, Disease and Death.

And that by the way, is also the reason why the young man died.

"Subjected to change are all the conditioned things.

Impermanence is the nature of All things.

The moment we are born, we are already dead.

When there's life, there will be death.

It's only a matter of when, where and how it happens."







"Make an island unto yourself, strive without delay; Become wise.

Having removed all impurities and being free from all moral defilement's,

You will no longer be subject to rebirth and decay."

- The Buddha






"Those who are aware do not die.

Those who are ignorant are as if dead already."

- The Buddha

The purpose of Mosquitoes

The purpose of Mosquitoes



About a year and a half ago, I met a Caucasian lady at a meeting.

Everyone at the meeting was in awe of her capabilities.

Honestly, I too, thought she must be pretty good since the 3 masters who were there were very impressed and full of praise for her.

We went for lunch.

After lunch, while everyone was sitting around chit chatting, she asked to sit next to me. And, started a conversation.

"I believe God created mosquitoes for the purpose of balancing the human population," she said.

Curious, I asked her why she said that.

She replied that with just a sting, mosquitoes can spread diseases like malaria and dengue etc, killing people.

"But I thought mosquitoes are only carriers, right? Unless they bite a person infected with the disease, then they can spread it to the next person, no?" I asked.

"No, mosquitoes are the ones that kill. So many people have died because of them," was her reply.

"Perhaps it's meant to be," I said.

"No, it's the mosquitoes. So many of my friends and family were bitten by mosquitoes and I've visited them in the hospitals and see them suffering. I even lost a few of them. All because of the mosquitoes," she said, with bitterness and indignation in her voice.


Sensing her increasing agitation and rising tension between us, I decided to douse the flaming anger and resentment (for mosquitoes) with a little loving-kindness.

So, I asked her, "Which comes first : Chicken or Egg?"

"Egg" she replied without hesitation.

"Without the chicken, how did the egg come about?" I asked.

She looked at me, stumped.

And quickly replied, "Then chicken."

I smiled and said again, "But without the egg, how did the chicken come about?"

She stared at me, dumbfounded.

Seeing that I have her full concentration and awareness now, I continued.

"Perhaps there's a purpose for mosquitoes. But maybe it's not to kill. Just like the knife. I'm sure when they first invented the knife, it was not meant to harm or kill. But over time, things changed. Evolve. People abused it. But don't you have more important things in your life to worry about, than to worry and think about the purpose of mosquitoes?"



How often is it that we get hot and bothered about the insubstantial things and trivialities of life, when there are more important and pressing things which we should be concerned about -

Such as, Freedom from the cycle of samsara (death and rebirth) before death comes knocking on our doors.

"You talk much, you get blame.

You talk little, you get blame

You keep quiet, you also get blame.

There's no one in this world who doesn't get blame." (Even the mosquitoes! :) )

- The Buddha

"Anger can never dispel anger,

Hate can never dispel hate.

Only Love can dispel anger,

Only Love can dispel hate.

- The Buddha

"One who checks rising anger is like a skillful charioteer who handles a chariot gone out of control. Others are like those who merely hold the reins."

- The Buddha

We Never Know

We Never Know


2 years ago when I first started dropping classes, I thought letting go of a particular class was hard.

I also thought that with the letting go of that particular class, I'll have no problems letting go of any other classes. (Read "Letting Go vs Holding On).

I was wrong.



In June this year, due to certain circumstances, I had to let go of one of my classes.

Boy! It was tough.

It was hard. So hard.

I never knew that it will be so hard or that I love them so much.

It was a very strong class.

The synergy and energy there was great.

Not forgetting their playfulness.

In the words of a participant, "We were like one big happy family."



Even after the class had stopped, it took me a while to get used to it. To not think about them, or miss them.

That experience taught me that we may think that we know something, we assume that we know something, that we understand something. Realised something.

In actual fact, we don't.

So never jump to conclusion, never be too sure .....

Cos we never know.

"An 'open' mind is an enlightened mind."

Endlessness

Endlessness



I remember a story a monastic used to tell in his talks about his days as a monk in Thailand.

There was once the monastic helped a Thai man with his problem.

As a show of appreciation and gratitude, the man offered the monastic some money, which he politely declined.


(As an act of simplicity and letting go, monks and nuns are NOT allowed or supposed to take, accept or receive money. This is part of the Vinaya - rules for monastics, set down by Gautama, The Buddha, some 2500 over years ago. This is to encourage NON-attachment and contentment, and to discourage greed and craving.)

However, the man was insistent on giving the monastic something.

Since monks are allowed to accept simple gifts of requisites from the lay people as a form of offering of Dana (giving/generosity), the man asked the monastic what he could get for him for the amount of 500 baht.

It was usual to quote the amount in some countries when making such an offering, so as to avoid any misunderstanding.

As the monastic can't think of anything at that moment, they came to an agreement that the monastic would think of some of the things that he needed and tell it to the man when the man comes round the next day.

With a pen and paper, the monastic started to think about what he needed.

After much pondering and scratching of head, he started to make a list.

As time passes, one item became 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, 10 ........ the list didn't stop.

It couldn't stop. It just grew and grew.

Before long, the monastic had come up with a whole list of items with more coming to his head that one piece of paper is just not enough.

As a matter of fact, even the amount (500 baht) that the man offered was no longer enough.

However, hard as he try, neither could the monastic take away any of the items he had listed.

Cos' each seemed like a necessity. Urgent even.

That's when the monastic saw and realised what's happening.

He took the piece of paper and threw it away.

The next day, as promised, the man came and asked if the monastic has made his decision.

The monastic's reply was, "Don't you do that to me ever again!"


How often do we, just like the monastic, fall into the trap of craving and wanting.

It may start with a humble HDB, then a HUDC (oh, it's bigger!), followed by a condo (there's the swimming pool, gym, BBQ pit, we can invite friends over!), a terrace (so that we can have our own space!), a bungalow (our own swimming pool, gym, BBQ pit, garden!), blah blah blah ......

We may make excuses that it's for our family, friends and loved ones. It may even seem that way.

In Reality, it's our ego playing tricks on us, camouflaging our vanity and attachments, and greed, craving, lust and desires in its many guises trying to fool us, and to cloud our already deluded minds.

And if we're not careful and mindful, before we know it, it'll snowball to the point of no return.

As 'drivers', we need to be alert and mindful of the dangers that's lurking in front of us; waiting to trap and ambush us.

It's up to us to step on the brakes, and pull up the hand brakes before we drown ourselves in the deep sea of craving.

For there is no end to craving.


For the case of the monastic, he told the benefactor to give the 500 baht to the monastery building fund, or some other good cause.

He didn't want it.

What he wanted was to regain the rare contentment he had had the day before.

In the words of the monastic,

"When I had no money, nor the means to get anything, that was the time when all my wishes were fulfilled. Wanting has no end. But freedom from wanting has an end. It is when you want for nothing. Contentment is the only time you have enough."

"Contentment is the greatest wealth."

- The Buddha

"From craving springs grief;

From craving springs fear.

For one who is wholly free from craving,

There's no grief, much less fear."

- The Buddha

"It is in the nature of greed to be dissatisfied with what one has - whether a little, or a lot.

The more obtained, the more desired -

Until the cycle of greed becomes the cycle of pain."

Religion, or Label Marketing?

Religion, or Label Marketing?


Why do we have to label?

Maybe to make things easier.

For convention.

But why do we attach meaning to it? (Read "Good or Bad" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/04/good-or-bad.html)

Be it inter-religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc)

Or intra-religion (within a particular faith eg. Buddhism : Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen , Pureland, etc)


In "What is, What is not" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-is-what-is-not.html, I wrote that Love and Education play a very important part in many aspects of our lives, including religion.

As a matter of fact, if you think about it, Religion is about Love and Education.

It is about Acceptance - accepting others as they are;

Living Morally;

And, as a cultured people in Peace and Harmony, and service to the whole world.

Religion is not blindly accepting,

Or conditioned by views, opinions, beliefs, ideas,

Which although passed down from generations,

But may be outdated, misinterpreted over the ages, by now.

Neither is it control or the imposing of views and values (eg. "You must do this, you can't do that")

Religion is Freedom.

Religion is NOT segregation or separatism.

Religion is ONE.

It is not competitive or being best (we are the Supreme one).

Nor is it labelling (I'm Greater, You're Lesser).

Most important of all,

Religion is NOT about Money, Power, Control and/or Status.

"Do NOT blindly believe anything that's said by the teachers, or those in authorities;

Or that has been spoken or rumoured by many; Or that has been written in scriptures and passed down through many generations.

Only upon careful observation, investigation, and analysis.

If the teaching when practised, do no harm, and brings more Love, Peace, Harmony and Wisdom to the world;

Is for the good and benefit of one and all.

Do you then practise it and abide by it."

- The Kalama Sutta, The Buddha

PS ... In short, "Use your brain! Use your brain!"

"One should not accept anything with mere faith;

But one should use one's common sense and intelligence before accepting anything."

- The Buddha

.

.

"There is an inherent problem in trying to intermingle religion with politics.

The basis of religion is Morality, Purity and Faith, while that of politics is power."

(Sadly), in the course of history, religion has often been used to give legitimacy to those in power and their exercise of that power and also to justify wars and conquests, persecutions, atrocities, rebellions, and the destruction of works of art and culture."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda.

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"The purpose of religion is to guide mankind, to develop unity and a harmonious life and to cultivate humane qualities.

Today however, religion is being used to discriminate against other religions and to develop jealousy.

Actually man is not using religion to maintain peace BUT to disturb and hate others.

This hostile attitude and unhealthy religious competition has even created blood-shed in many parts of the world."

- Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda.

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"If Muslims really follow the concept of Brotherhood,

If Christian live by the Sermon on the Mount,

If the Hindus shape their lives in oneness, and

If Buddhists follow the Noble Eightfold Path,

Definitely there will be Peace and Harmony in this World."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

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"Let us live happily,

Not hating those who hate us.

Among those who hate us,

Let us live free from hatred."

- The Buddha

"Religion is Not a law, but a disciplinary code which should be followed with understanding."

- The Buddha

To be Enlighten

To be Enlighten


Once, a yoga master visited Maitreya and displayed his prowess.

At the end of the beautiful and awe-inspiring display of poses, Maitreya cheered and applauded the master saying, "Very good! Very good! Well done!"

The yoga master, swelling with pride, challenged Maitreya arrogantly, "Can you do that?!"

Now, we all know (or rather perceive) Maitreya to be this huge, fat guy with an enormous belly to match.

Given Maitreya perceived physique, it's not hard to understand that Maitreya can't perform those acrobatic asanas.

So, naturally, Maitreya replied honestly and humbly, "Oh no no no ...... of course not ......"

The audience and the students of Maitreya were shocked, sad and disappointed at the inability of their teacher.

In the background, someone was heard whispering, "But Maitreya's a Buddha! Surely a Buddha can do anything?"

At this point, the yoga master was so pleased with his 'power', he proclaimed smugly and loudly, "I won! I won! Maitreya, the Great Buddha-to-be is below me!"

Some of Maitreya's students and the audience were seen getting up and moving towards the yoga master.

Smiling gently and kindly, Maitreya quietly continued,

"But I'm sure if I practise hard enough, one day I will. It's just that I don't want or wish to. Poses are very nice to look at, but they are all physical ...... In which way do they benefit the world ...... in which way do they help me to be enlighten?"

"He who perform miracles (or psychic/supernatural powers) to gain followers are like tradespeople who employ dancing girls to sell their wares."

- The Buddha

"There is only one real magic - The magic of the Dhamma,

The teachings that can liberate the mind and put an end to suffering.

Any other magic is like the illusion of a card trick - it distracts us from the real game - our relation to human life, to birth and death, and to Freedom."

- Ajahn Chah

We have a choice

We have a choice



I have a friend who made promises to me, and did not deliver.

The first time, there was a phone call.

The second, an sms.

The third, nothing at all.

After the third deception, I was sad, hurt and disappointed.

I watched as my disappointment grew to upset to anger ......

Which led to my suffering.

" * 1st Noble Truth ... There is Suffering"

As I kept watching and reflecting.

I realised that my friend is just as my friend is.

It was my expectation and perception of my friend that led to my suffering.

With the understanding, I became at peace.

How often was it that we want to control and/or change things, people, events, and even our bodies, to suit our liking.

" * 2nd Noble Truth ... The Cause of Suffering"

And more often than not, we can't.

And so we get frustrated, become angry etc and therefore, we suffer.

The truth is, we can't control and/or change things, people, events that happen in our lives, or even our bodies.

But what we can control and change is our mindset, attitude, thoughts, feelings, response to it.

" *3rd Noble Truth ... The Cessation of Suffering"

We can choose to suffer;

Or, we can choose to be happy and peaceful.

" * 4th Noble Truth ... The Path to the Cessation of Suffering - Happiness"

For whatever reason my friend chose the path of deception on the 3 occasions, my friend did it out of Ignorance.

And all that I feel for my friend is Compassion, Forgiveness and Loving-Kindness.

To me, my friend will always be a friend.

"To be free is to love;

To love is to let go;

To let go is to forgive;

To forgive is to know it does not matter."

"Evil doers are not wicked by nature; They do evil because they're ignorant."

- The Buddha

"The more evil that comes to me, the more good will radiate from me."

- The Buddha

What's The Point?

What's The Point?



Many many years ago, Emperor Alexandra the Great was travelling towards India on his favourite horse, Busiphallus.

It was such a splendid and glorious event that everyone rushed to catch a glimpse of it.

Except one.



By the side of the road where the entourage marched, was a man clad in yellow, who slept through the whole commotion.

The emperor's attention was immediately turned to this one man who was unperturbed by the emperor's triumphant march.

Curious, The emperor rode up to the man.

When the emperor came near, that man calmly got up and sat down cross-legged.

The emperor asked, "Do you know who I am?"

The robed person replied, "No, I do not know you."

"I am Emperor Alexandra the Great," said the emperor.

The robed person calmly replied, "All right, What about it?"

"I possess all the land from Macedonia to India." said The Emperor.

The robed person asnwered, "So?"

"I am the lord of 9 great rivers in the land from Macedonia to India. All the fields, orchards and houses on this vast area of land belong to me."

The robed person said, "Emperor, may I ask a question or two?"

The emperor replied, "Yes, go on."

"Emperor, do you get hungry sometimes?" the robed person asked gently.

The emperor answered, "Why, yes of course!"

"When you are hungry, do you eat all the produce of the fields, orchards and lands you own?" he questioned.

The emperor replied, "No, of course not! I eat only a little food."




"Emperor, do you feel thirsty sometimes?" the robed person continued.

"Certainly!" the emperor replied.

"Do you then drink all the water in all the rivers you own when you are thirsty?" the robed person prodded.

"No, I only drink a little, enough to quench my thirst." was the emperor reply.



"Do you feel sleepy at times?" the robed person went on.

The emperor answered. "Yes, of course!"

"When you are sleepy, do you sleep on all the land from Macedonia to India?" the robed person queried.

The emperor replied, "No, of course not!"



To that, the Venerable finally asked, "Emperor, then what on earth is the meaning of all the material gains you have acquired?!"

"Better than absolute sovereignty over the earth,

Better than going to heaven,

Better than even lordship over all the worlds is the Fruit of a Stream-Winner. (First realisation of Nibbana)"

- The Buddha

"You can win all the battles,

You can win all the wars.

But there's no real victory until you conquer yourself."

- The Buddha

"Spiritual wealth is more important than physical/material wealth."

Why fight

Why fight


During the Civil War, both sides claimed that they have the Support of God.

Both sides believed that they were doing the right/righteous thing.

The sentiments were voiced so often, enough for President Lincoln to observe,

"God CANNOT be for and against the same thing at the same time."

This is what's happening now.

As a matter of fact, it has been happening since time immemorial.

And, it's still happening now.

Why do we have to fight all the time?

Why can't we live in peace and harmony and work together?

You fight me, I fight you - it's never ending.

In Chinese, 没完没了.

Endless.

The Buddha was right when he said, "Beginning-less, Endless."

Which is worse : the so-called natural disasters like earthquakes, or war and riots?

Bad as an earthquake or 'natural' disaster may be, it's during such times that people, regardless of class, caste, colour or creed, come together as ONE and help each other.

Amidst the chaos and confusion, people reach out to one another and become friends in need.

And in the process, become more trusting.

Whereas, during times of war or riots, there's only anger, hate, ill-will, suspicion, fear, insecurity and vengeance.

The source of any war or riots is always us - Humans.

T

hink about it:

The conditions that create it is us.

The igniting of it is us.

The doing is us.

And, the continuing of it is US.


What this means is:

We are responsible. It's all OUR fault.

What are we fighting for anyway?

Have you ever thought about that?


I'll tell you what the fights are for :

For satisfying our individual selfish, greedy, power-hungry and egoistic minds.

That's what the wars and riots are for.


Now, consider the opposite : LOVE

How nice it would be if everyone would just love.

Then there'll be no enemy, and that means there'll be no one to defeat, and no one to hate.

.

"Why fight? Why escape?

Why not be peaceful instead?"

"When there is power with no conscience, and greed with no limit, there will be killing with no end".

.

"A man who is not at peace with himself cannot be at peace with the world, and external wars have to continue in order to hide the fact from individuals that the real war is within."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

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"There can be no peace in this war-torn world (of ours) until the conflicts of man within himself are ended."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

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"War is created by the human mind and the same human can create peace with justice if only man uses his unbiased mind."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

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"As human beings, our task is to convince the world that peace is something which can be achieved NOT by conquering others, but by conquering our own selfishness."

- Venerable Dr K Sri Dhammananda

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"Hatred NEVER ceases through hatred in this world;

Through LOVE alone they cease.

This is an eternal law."

- The Buddha

"Victory breeds hatred.

The defeated live in pain.

Happily the peaceful live,

Giving up victory and defeat."

- The Buddha

.

"There is no victory in war -

The victors rejoice;

The defeated sulk and vow revenge.

Round and round the cycle goes,

History repeating itself and never ends."

Pile of Dung

Pile of Dung



Have you ever wonder what the Human body really is?

Some people may say it's flesh and bones.

To others, it's muscles, tissues, sinews, vessels, organs blah blah blah ...

Yet others may say it's made up of the elements : Earth, Wind, Fire, Water (and some also say Ether).

Without a doubt, they're ALL correct.

The Human body is all that.



Still, being a nosey poker, I would like to add to the list of answers above as to what a Human Body really is : A pile of dung.

Really.

If you read Food for Thought, you'll know I said, "Regardless of who or what we are, when we die, we are Nothing but fertiliser for the soil.

Exactly my point : Pile of Dung.



If the Human Body is not a pile of dung, why do we waste precious time and money wearing make-up, expensive clothes, doing up our hair etc?

Not just the ladies.

The gentlemen are doing it, too. Increasingly.

Why?



Because, the sight of dung is just too awful to see.

So, we need to dress/make it up to look good.

Let's try something else.



Why do we wear perfume or deodorant?

Have you ever smelt a pile of dung?

If you haven't, try smelling one; and you'll know the reason why.



How about why do you think some men exercise so hard to develop muscles?

And, generally ladies are always described as soft tofu.

Imagine a pile of dung left out in the sun for a few days.

How does it feel (to touch)?

Hard?

Ya, I thought so.

Figure out the 'soft' one yourself.



Do you go to toilet sometimes?

Have you ever listen attentively when you're in the toilets?

Do you noticed that some sounds are soft and gentle, while others hard, rough, loud and even forceful?

Last but not least, do you notice that we hardly taste or lick our bodies/ourselves?

Now we know why.

So you see, the human body is really nothing but a pile of dung.

In conclusion, the human body is actually Nothing but what is made up, and out from ourselves, our 'deluded' minds, and our senses.



So, the next time someone scolds or speaks harshly, or is mean to you,

Relax.

It's just a pile of dung scolding another pile of dung.

Nothing to be upset about.






"When challenged by fools, the wise ignores them."

Meditation

Meditation



Many years ago, when meditation was increasingly becoming popular in Western countries, a professor from Sweden was commissioned by his government to find out about meditation from all the famous meditation masters in Asia.

The professor visited several Theravadan forest Monasteries, seeking answers to a few questions regarding meditation.

One of the forest Monastery he visited was Ajahn Chah's Wat Pah Pong.



To the Venerable Ajahn Chah, the professor put forth his 4 questions :

1) What is meditation?

2) How do you meditate?

3) Why do you meditate?

4) What do you get out from meditation?




To the 4 questions, Ajahn Chah skillfully replied :

1) What is eating?

2) How do you eat?

3) Why do you eat?

4) What do you get out from eating?



That was most brilliant of the Venerable Master.

In fact, so brilliant were his answers that it inspired me to come out with something of my own :

Q : What is meditation?

A : What is poo-poo?


Q : How do you meditate?

A : How do you poo-poo?


Q : Why do you meditate?

A : Why do you poo-poo?


Q : What do you get out from meditation?

A : What do you get out from poo-poo!

"Clear the mind of all its defilements and you heal and free the body of all its ailments."

-The Buddha

"You know the telescope that scientists used to look at outer space?

Now turn the telescope around.

That's what meditation is about -

Looking into space ... Inner space ... YOUR space."