Christians have a very good practice :
They say a prayer of Thanks to God before every meal.
As a matter of fact, they thank God for everything.
I remember in one of my previous jobs, one day the despatch uncle gave me a lift home.
On the way, he spoke about his daughter who recently adopted the Christian faith.
He told me that she would, with total disregard to the rest of the family, say a prayer of thanks to God for the meal/food they're about to partake.
It carried on for sometime while he and the rest of the family patiently let her carry on her ways,
Until one day, after her prayers, which she is very proud of,
He told her this :
'If father did not go out and work, delivering and despatching things regardless of sun or rain,
To earn the money to give to your mom who goes to the market to buy food and cook it,
Would you have food to eat?
You didn't even thank us, Yet you thank God.
Can you tell me in what way did God give you all these food?'
When you think about it, he has a point there.
As a matter of fact, alot of effort has been made by many sources - be it animate or inanimate - so that we can have food to eat, clothes to wear etc.
Take an example : The wooden chair we sit on -
If you trace back, it comes from the trees.
Without the wood from the trees that's been felled, we won't have a chair to sit on.
If you trace back further, there's the sun and rain as well,
To ensure that the trees grow well.
Yet we never thank the animals who sacrifice their lives so that we have meat to eat
(Read 'Love' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/01/dose-of-wisdom_03.html),
OR the weather,
Or even Mother Earth - So that we have this wonderful place to reside in, and to provide us with all our needs.
I remember a class when 2 of my students blamed the weather cos the plane was delayed.
And I pointedly told them this :
'The weather gets blamed for everything.
If it's hot, people complain it's too hot.
If it's cold or rain, people complain about the cold and rain.
If the weather can speak , the weather would be saying,
'Why don't you human take a good look at yourselves first and see what you're doing -
Instead of putting ALL the blame on me!'"
It's true.
We never admit to our faults and weaknesses.
We always portray ourselves as so good, so pure, so wonderful.
Anything that happens, it's always somebody else's fault,
NOT ours.
(Read 'Not Me' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/04/not-me.html,
'Truth / Honesty' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/07/truth-honesty.html,
'Honesty and Courage' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2010/01/honesty-and-courage.html
We never look back at our thoughts, speech and actions - the 'crimes' / Kamma we commit.
We always self-delude ourselves with an illusion that we are blameless/Faultless.
Like I said in 'Earth - Do You Know She's In Pain' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/02/earth.html, and
'What Are We Going To Do About It Part 1 : Our Climate, Our Environment, Our Earth, and Us - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-are-we-going-to-do-about-it-part-1.html,
"The 'end' of the world lies NOT in the forces of Nature,
Nor in the hands of some Supreme Being (God),
Or any other beings (ETs, UFOs etc);
BUT in the hands of mankind/humankind.
Mankind/Humankind alone, through an ignorant, delusioned and selfish mind, can and will destroy civilisation.
It is through the irresponsible and egoistic acts of Mankind/Humankind that civilisation will be destroyed.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis etc are all symptoms/results of anger, enmity, greed, selfishness and hate that is expressed by humans.
Collective anger, enmity, hate etc of human and living beings manifesting in/through Nature.
It's the mind that needs to be changed.
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 (i.e. our thinking, attitude, actions, behaviour etc),
We will self-destroy ourselves."
P.S. So, the next time you say a prayer, please don't just thank 'God',
Please also remember all the other things that make your life possible, and comfortable.
"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
"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
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.
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"If we cannot see the Kamma here, in what realm of Heaven or Hell will you ever learn to accept it?"
- Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
"And for ignorant minds, vanity and self-delusion always do them a world of harm.
Their greatness lies in body, birth, name, rank or self-importance.
But NEVER did their wisdom grow correspondingly large so that it would be conducive to bliss and peace,
Both for themselves and for others.
Worse still, wisdom is neglected and forgotten.
This is why there is so much trouble and turmoil everywhere."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
"If ever people should be able to see plainly the results of evil and good Kamma (i.e. volitional/intentional actions) as they see other material things,
They would most certainly be horrified at evil Kamma and stay away from it,
The same as they dare not touch fire.
They would also be eager to do good which has the power of cooling,
And which results in Happiness.
There would NOT then be so much trouble and misery as there is in the world today."
- Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
* * * Read :
1) 'Competition and Consequences Part 1 : Competition' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/06/competition-and-consequences.html
2) 'Competition and Consequences Part 2 : Consequences' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/06/competition-and-consequences-part-2.html
3) 'The Future' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/11/future.html
4) 'What Do We Expect?' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-do-we-expect.html
