English Tit-bits

One creates the good or bad causes; one will experience either good or bad effects. Caused by oneself, effects back to oneself, just like the echo in a valley.

Sometimes, people say, "how come I always do good-deeds, but I still receive quite a lots of bad effects!" Just wonder why?

In the Buddhist way, the effects from the cause in this life are largely accumulated from a previous life or lives: for instance some people are born into a rich family, some into a poor family, some people are always sick, some always happy etc.

In other words, some of the Causes generated in this life, one may not experience the Effects of in this life yet; it could be carried over to the next life. Just like having a Credit & Debit account book, everything we do is recorded. There is no such thing as a write-off, but if one does a lot of good deeds, bad effects from a previous life(s) will be minimized or disappear. Bad effects can be compensated by good-deeds.

Anyway, the cycle of Life is just like a graph, having its ups & downs, when one is down, just remind yourself, this is perhaps what I accrued from my previous life, then you might feel better. For sure, one does not always stay either at the bottom of the trough or the top of the crest all the time. Adopting a "Medium Approach" helps to overcome both extremes.

Changeable

There is no such thing as non-changeable, forever or being forever young. Thousands of our body cells die every second; there is no stable state or non-changeable "I".

From the moment the fetus is conceived, growing, ageing and dying, such processes are our life-cycle, and one should make full use of such lifetime opportunity to cultivate to progress further.

Credit and Debit book

Few hundred years ago, in the Ching Dynasty, a rich old man summoned his four wives to his bed-side, saying:

I am very sick and will die soon; I think my journey will be a bit lonely without company. Will anyone of you will accompany me to the next life.

Old man said to the fourth wife (the youngest one), I love you dearly since you are young and full-of-beans. You come with me then.

Number four wife said, my dear husband, I am still young and have years of happy life ahead, please do let me continue to enjoy my life.

The sick old man looked at the third wife:
The third wife said, my husband, I am still beautiful and am not really old, I am thinking to re-marry after you have gone.

The second wife said, my dear, you know I have to look after your children, who will look after them if I go with you? Anyway, I could organize an unforgettable grand funeral for you, shed a few tears, and then return home to continue my normal household chores.

Then the sick old man anxiously and eagerly looked at his first wife:
The first wife said, my husband, you have been ignoring me for years, but never mind, I will accompany you.

**Buddha said, everybody also has four wives too.

The fourth wife is our youth.
This is what we most love and would like to maintain and treasure. We worry when we have white hair, wrinkles around the eyes, railway lines on the fore-head and so on, but growing from youth to old age is part of our life cycle on earth.

Third wife is our money and treasures.
When we are carrying on our journey, we can not arrange to transfer our money to wherever we are going to. Instead all our money and treasures will have to change ownership.

Second wife is all our friends and relatives.
They will shed a few tears for you, and then afterwards their life must go on as usual.

The first wife is our Credit and Debit Book.
All good or bad deeds are recorded in the book; the only thing we can carry to cross-over is this book.

The moral of the above:-

Do more good-deeds; SO we can carry a healthy credit book when we cross-over one day.

Emptiness (from Diamond Sutra)

What is "Emptiness"?

Just imagine, one is having to complete 30 mathematic calculations, where the first two answers are required to answer the third parts to derive the results, and the process becomes more complex as one continues to attempt the rest of the calculations; perhaps using the tenth answer for the twentieth question and so on, until one manages to solve the last part of the calculation.

When one reaches such a moment, one suddenly feels relieved merely for a split second which is known as Emptiness. But such feeling is only momentary for one still has other things to attain as one continues to progress forward.

Equality

A big argument broke out between:

Eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth.

The eyes said:

Hey! Guys, why I am always positioned below the eyebrows since I am the most important organ amongst you all, I should be placed at the top of the eyebrows, without me, you cannot see your way! How great am I?

Oh no! The nose said:

I tell you what, without me, you cannot smell or breathe. I am sure I should be at the top.

It must be the biggest joke that I ever heard, ha, ha! The mouth said:

If I close my mouth, you will be hungry and die in no time. So, I should be at the top.

Eyebrows said:

Oh! I am so sorry my friends, I only can stop a few drops of rain or water to fall from the forehead, since I am the most useless amongst the group, I should move straight to the bottom of the face.

After the eyes exchanged places with the eyebrows. They checked in the mirror.

Oh! Oh! What is this, it does not look like a face anymore. Well! Let's change again and see what happens. Still there was no joy.

At the end, they all changed back to their original position.

Then they all agreed: Ah! This is much better. Why did we have to argue?

The Moral of the above is:

Buddha said:

No matter how insignificant any being is, they are still important and useful in their own way and no one is superior.

Everybody has their own specialty in their own way; nobody can live on this earth alone. If there are no dustmen, rubbish will be everywhere; without farmers there will be no rice, no vegetables for people to eat, if there is no soil, trees cannot grow etc.

In this world, everybody compliments each other in their special way, everybody is important; we should work together to create a peaceful world.

It is a rare chance to become a human being; we should do more good deeds and do not waste our lifetime but fully utilize what we are.

Middle Attitude

Cycle of Life has its Ups and Downs like a graph. No one will stay at the top or the bottom forever. Adopting a "Middle Attitude" approach is the motto.

Consider tuning of a musical instrument as an example:

If the strings are too tight or too loose, the sound will not be right. Ideal sound can only be achieved when the instrument is tuned to the appropriate level.

** That is life! **

People Change

Four people visit the same scene in different seasons.

One may say, it is very good.

One may say, it is hot and not so exciting.

One may say, it is picturesque.

One may say, it is so cold, not much going on!

In our society;

Some people may be badly behaved when young, but it does not mean that they are always like that.

Some may be doing bad-deeds before, that does not mean they can not change for the better.

Surely, there is always a bright side in each person, why not give them a chance to help them to become a better person.

Every little does help a lot.

Potato

A teacher asks a group of students to craft all their dislikes one by one on a potato each.

i.e. I hate John, I do not like my next door neighbor.. etc, then one by one stitch the crafted potatoes together and hang them around your neck for 7 days 24 hours.

After 7 days, the teacher asks: Hey! How do you all feel?

Some said:- It is really heavy, some say it is so troublesome, some say it is not nice at all, it stinks, feeling uncomfortable..etc.

The moral of the story.

Imagine how would one feel if one were to carry such burden for life?

Well! Let go! Surely one will feel much much easier, better, happier, ..etc.

Self-realization

Just like people drinking hot water, the acceptance of the temperature is different, only the person concerned can know what they could accept.

We should all know what we are doing, either good or bad.

Say excessive alcohol could damage our liver, advice from others will never be accepted till the self-realization clicks-in, then one will realize the consequences.

	Cause	Effect
	Respect others,	others will respect you.
	Work harder,	get better returns.
	Plant tomato from seed,	will have tomatoes to eat a few months later.
	Heavy Smoking,	damages the lungs.
	Commit a crime,	punishment will follow.