The Boss

The Boss


Have you ever wonder who's the boss?

No, not the one in the office; Or the one at home.

Rather, the one who decides - what to do, the things to say, how to act.

We do.


We're the ones who decide whether we want to carry out our thoughts, our emotions.

We're the ones in-charge of ALL our speech, actions and deeds.

We decide whether or not we want to commit/perform good or evil, wise or foolish, skillful or unskillful acts and deeds.

We're the ones who decide whether we want to react (and how we are going to react), respond, fight or let go.


Take an example :

If we have a tendency towards unskillful acts, it's up to us whether we want to pull on the brakes and put a stop to it. (Read "Stop" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/02/stop.html)

So, if we have a habit to tell lies, carry tales - which is unskillful,

The next time we want to tell tales, it's up to us to stop ourselves and not carry out the untruthful act. (Read "Should We Gamble?" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/11/should-we-gamble.html )


Likewise, if we tend towards genuine, unconditional giving (Read "Giving" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/08/giving.html),

Which is a skillful act,

Even if people were to stop/discourage us,

We give anyway, for the joy of it.

So you see, in the final analysis,

Despite all our habitual and kammic tendencies,

Who's really the one in-charge, The Boss?

We are.



"We are the ones who create this world;

We are the ones who make this world what it is today.

So let's create a whole new world that's filled with Love, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Peace and Wisdom;

And let us ALL bring Love, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Peace,

And most important of all, Wisdom,

Back to this place we call "Home", once again."





"We are the ones who do good and evil,

So we must be responsible for our own external behaviour.

We ourselves are the ones who receive the results of the good and evil of

whatever work or actions we do."

- Venerable Ajahn Khao Analayo





"By self do you censure yourself.

By self do you examine yourself.

Self, indeed, is the protector of self

Self, indeed, is one's refuge.

Control, therefore, your own self

As a merchant controls the noble steed."

- The Buddha




*P.S..Just as I said in

'What are we going to do about it (Part 2) : People Power' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-are-we-going-to-do-about-it-part-2.html

and

'Happiness and the Path/Way to Happiness' - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/01/happiness-and-way-to-happiness.html ,
.

"I Loving and Kind, You Loving and Kind;

Soon, the whole world will be Loving and Kind."

The World

The World



" ... is aflame."




"Subjected to change are all conditioned things;

Impermanence is the nature of ALL things." .

.

The world is conditioned/impermanent.

And therefore, it can be changed.

From good it can become bad,

From bad become good.

It all depends on us - each and everyone of us -

To make a difference.

(* Read "How will we know?" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-will-we-know.html )




"Born to a world of suffering,

To suffer.

Whoever thinks this world is ( all ) enjoyment,

What is that, if not blindness?"

"This world is blind :

Here there are few who clearly (truly) see.

As few birds escape from the net,

Only few go to blissful state."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada 174.

.

.

"Where is the world?

The world is situated on suffering."

- The Buddha





"When the world is ever ablaze,

Why the laughter? Why the jubilation?

Shrouded in darkness,

Will you not seek The Light?"

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 146






"Come, look at this world,

Resembling an ornamented royal chariot.

Herein fools are sunk,

But for the wise there is no attachment."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 171.

.

"In this one very fathom long body with all its thoughts and perceptions,

O Monks! I proclaim to you

The World,

The Origin of the World,

The Cessation of the World,

And, The Path leading to the Cessation of the World."

- The Buddha






"Mind is the forerunner of all good and evil states.

Mind is chief;

Mind-made are they."

- The Buddha






"The world is in a constant state of change, and that changing world is situated

right here in the bodies and minds of us ALL."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun

The Heart

The Heart


It is here where it all began

And it's here where it'll all end.
.

It is here where all secrets lie

It is here where all answers lie

And it is here where The Truth lies.


If you want Love, it is here where you'll find Love.

If you want Joy, it is here where you'll find Joy.

And, if you want Peace, it is here where you'll find Peace -

The Heart.




"Nothing, Exists nowhere, Just a light in the dark."




"We came with nothing

We leave with nothing

Nothing lasts,

Nothing is forever

Nothing matters,

NOTHING is important."





"Through many a birth in Samsara have I wandered in vain

Seeking the builder of this house of life.

Repeated birth is indeed suffering!

O house builder you are seen -

You shall build NO house ever again.

For thy rafters are broken

Thy ridgepoles shattered.

My mind has reached the Unconditioned

I have attained the destruction of Craving."

- The Buddha





"High and low I've searched,

Far and wide;

Up and down,

Left and right.

I found you at last!

The Heart."




"Buried deep within our hearts is a light -

A light of Love, of Joy, and of Peace."

Life is ........

Life is ........


" ... suffering!"


I have a dream once about my school-going days as a teenager.

In the dream, I recall this boy -

"Oh, he's so cute! So hard to let go of!"

In the same dream, I also dreamt that I have homework not done :

1 essay, and 2 Maths questions - 1 is on Trigonometry, and the other, a problem sum.

In the dream, I was thinking I can copy the answers to the Maths questions from my friends.

Yet at the same time, the thought occurs to me that if I copy the answer to the Maths questions, I won't be able to answer them during exam time.

That's when I got frighten and it hit me :

"Arghh! I've had enough of school, study, exams, Trigonometry, Calculus, etc. No guy - no matter how cute/handsome is gonna ensnare me to the cycle of samsara/suffering (ever again)!"

At that moment, I woke up with a start.

And remembered where and when I was -

The present moment.

"Phew!" I thought with relief, "I'm past school and exams."

"What day is today?" I asked myself cos' I completely forgot what day it was.

"Wednesday ........ "

That's when I remembered,

"Ahhh ........ I've got work and chores to do!"

Life, is suffering!




"Long is the night to the wakeful;

Long is the journey to the weary;

Long is samsara to the foolish

Who knows NOT the Sublime Truth."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 60




"While the fool enslaves himself;

The wise seeks a way out."





"The craving of the person addicted to careless living grows like a creeper.

He jumps from life to life like a monkey in the forest looking for fruit."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 334

"Whoever in this world is overcome by this wretched clinging thirst,

His sorrows grow like birana grass after rain.

But whosoever in this world overcomes this wretched craving so difficult to overcome,

His sorrows fall away from him like water-drops from a lotus leaf."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 335, 336





"Dig up the root of craving just as one who wishes to have the fragrant root digs up the birana grass.

Don't let Mara destroy you again and again, as the flood destroys the reed."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 337




"As a tree cut down sprouts forth again if its roots remain uninjured and strong,

Even so when the roots of craving are not destroyed,

This suffering arises again and again."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 338





" A man who gives way to pleasure will be swept away by craving

And his thoughts will make him suffer, like waves."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 339





"The streams (craving) flow everywhere.

The creeper (craving) sprouts and stands.

Seeing the creepers that has sprung up,

With wisdom cut off the roots."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 340





"A man's joys are always transient,

And since men devote themselves to pleasure,

Seeking after happiness,

They undergo birth and decay."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 341





"People beset with craving are terrified like a hare caught in a snare;

Held fast by fetters and bonds, they undergo dukkha (round of rebirths) again and again, for a long time.


"People beset with craving are terrified like a hare caught in a snare.

Therefore, a bhikku who wishes his own passionlessness (Nibbana) should eradicate craving."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 342, 343

Body Burden

Body Burden


Go to a mirror, and stand in front of it.

What do you see?

Your body?

What else?

Do you see that it's dirty, ugly, filthy and smelly?

Not only that, it's also a burden.

It's worst than looking after a baby, a child, an elderly, a handicapped, a sick, or a pet.

Why do I say that?

For a baby/child, an elderly etc, at least you have some free time when they're resting, sleeping.

But with this body? Not a chance!

Not even when we're sleeping.

Think about it : We toss and turn, just to ensure this body is comfortable, that we sleep well.

We on the fan/air-con, select the most comfortable temperature, bed, pillow etc,

And yet we can wake up in the mornings with a stiff neck, a sore back, aches, pains, a grouchy mood, and/or even a migraine!


From the moment we wake up, we have to brush teeth, wash face, clean it.

Dress it, clothe it, powder it or spray perfume on it.

In between, we bathe, scrub and exfoliate;

Cut the nails, the hair, before it drops all over the place.

Massage it, moisturise it - if not, it shows us wrinkles, dryness and flaky skin.


First it's hungry, then it's thirsty.

As and when it wants to eat/drink, we have to feed it.

First it desires something salty, then something sweet.

And when you give it sweet, it wants sour.

Then it craves for something spicy.

When you give it spicy, it complains it's heaty and breaks out in sweat.

So to cool it down, you drink something cold.

But it complains it's too cold!


You eat something disagreeable, it gets upset and throw tantrums - the stomach churns, you either throw up or release it down.

Sometimes when it's angry, it refuse to poo.

You get constipated, and maybe even piles.

And when you take medicine, it flushes it all down!


Today here ache; tomorrow there pain,

The joints become stiff, with the muscles, tendons and ligaments getting tighter everyday.

When it's unwell, you have to bring it to the doctor, take medicine/antibiotics, waste time and spend money.

You thought you're pampering it when you give it something good - with buffet treats and luxurious food.

But it turns around and flies into a mood.


First it wants to sit, then it wants to stand.

When you stand, it wants to sit again!

Just when you thought you can get some rest, it wants to move.

It protests it's putting on weight.

It's with us - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - as we lug it around like a heavy suitcase.

This body. Our burden.




"We're not here to make money, or to get married and have babies.

To make friends and/or enemies, or to eat, drink and be merry.

We're here to find a way out -

So as to help others find their way out."




"Eating, drinking, tasting are not important tasks.

Their result is body-waste."

- Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno





"Every Dhamma proclaimed by The Buddha is for the sole purpose of breaking away from this endless wandering-on, and its consequent untold suffering."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun




"The body is an assemblage of filth, urine and excrement.

The things that are exuded from the hair of the head, the hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin and so on are all forms of excrement.

When they fall into food, people take offense at it. The food has to be thrown out, for no one can stomach it.

Moreover, the body has to be constantly washed and scrubbed if it is to look presentable. If we don't clean it, it will smell rank and no one will let us come near.

Clothing and other accessories, when away from the body, are clean and attractive, but as soon as they come into contact with the body, they become dirty.

If we let them go without washing for a long time, no one will let us come near, because of the smell.

From this, we can see that the body is a house of urine and excrement - unattractive; repulsive.

When alive, it's bad enough. When there is no more life to it, it's even more disgusting, to the point where nothing else can compare."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun .

"What's there in a body?

Nothing much .....

Just Decay, Disease, and Death.".
.

"This body is nothing but a waste-making/producing machine."


P.S. So this Lunar New Year, when you wake up, dress/doll yourself up and lug this body to all your visitations, and stuff yourself silly with all the food and drinks, and then head back home, wash and retire for bed,

Please remember to take a few moments to notice what a burden this body really is.

Have a Happy Lunar New Year, Everyone! :)

How much is "True' ?

How much is 'True' ?


I met up with a student once, and he asked/posed this question to me :

"How much of The Buddha's Teachings right now is true?"


Thinking about it now as I write this entry,

He's absolutely right -

How much of The "Buddha's" Teachings out there Now are truly authentic?

Not many.

( Read 'Why like that?' ... http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-like-that.html)





"The True Dhamma is to be found NOT in old customs or texts;

BUT in the well-trained heart and mind."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun




"In this one very long fathom body with all its thoughts and perceptions,

Oh Monks!

I proclaim to you The world;

The Origin of the world;

The Cessation of the world;

And, The Path leading to the Cessation of the world."

- The Buddha




"Paccattam Veditabbo Vinnuhiti -

To be self-realised, ONLY by the wise, each for himself."

- The Buddha




"It is useless pretending to forget the power of Kamma

Or, pretending that one is superior to The Buddha.

One who does so is sure to be cornered by his own pretensions and assumptions."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun





"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

BUT brings about more/greater 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 Buddha, Kalama Sutta





"Thus the ultimate authority in judging a teaching is NOT whether the teaching can be found in a text.

It lies in each person's relentless honesty in putting the Dhamma to the test and carefully monitoring the results."

- Venerable Ajahn Mun

*P.S. As you gossip your way through this Lunar New Year, please remember to take a few moments to ask yourselves,

"How much - of what you've said, and heard - is True?"

Because

Because


- Because you're ugly, and you know you're ugly, that's why you beautify yourself.

- Because you're miserable and unhappy, that's why you don't want others to be happy.

- Because you're low self-esteem and inferiority complex, that's why you scold and put others down.

- Because you're not virtuous, that's why you don't want others to be virtuous.

- And, because you can't be virtuous, that's why you put virtues down and encourage
un-virtuousness (Immorality).

- Because you have no love, and you do not know ( how to ) love, that's why you hurt, harm and destroy.

- And, because you're wicked and evil, that's why you rejoice when others are in pain and suffering.

- Because you're gossipy, that's why you cannot be silent.

- Because you're lazy, dirty, untidy, sloppy, and selfish, that's why you can't be clean and neat.

- Because you're greedy, selfish and ungrateful, that's why you waste and do not know how to appreciate.

- Because you're a coward, that's why you do not admit your mistakes, you push blame and shirk responsibility.

- Because you're ignorant/not wise, that's why you waste your life and good kamma away.

- AND, Because you have no Dhamma, no knowledge of Dhamma, that's why you're ALL of the above.




"The more we are, the lesser we become."