Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."
The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"
So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.
The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.
After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own ── and you have clear water.
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless."
Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!
TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NICE BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pearls Of Wisdom
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone
who can do him absolutely no good.
~Samuel Johnson~
There are only two kinds of people who are really
Fascinating:
people who know absolutely everything,
and people Who know absolutely nothing.
~Oscar Wilde~
TREASURE TODAY...TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE......
~unknown~
Journey of life is exciting when you challenge your own weaknesses.
Some times your enemy teaches you better than your friend.
~unknown~
To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace;
to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.
~William A. Ward~
If you really do put a small value upon yourself,
rest assured that the world will not raise your price.
~unknown~
Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.
~Anonymous~
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and
an unremitting Devotion to the things you want to see happen."
~Frank Lloyd Wright~
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterward.
~Unknown~
"You have to have confidence in your ability,
and then be Tough enough to follow through."
~Rosalynn Carter~
who can do him absolutely no good.
~Samuel Johnson~
There are only two kinds of people who are really
Fascinating:
people who know absolutely everything,
and people Who know absolutely nothing.
~Oscar Wilde~
TREASURE TODAY...TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE......
~unknown~
Journey of life is exciting when you challenge your own weaknesses.
Some times your enemy teaches you better than your friend.
~unknown~
To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace;
to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.
~William A. Ward~
If you really do put a small value upon yourself,
rest assured that the world will not raise your price.
~unknown~
Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.
~Anonymous~
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and
an unremitting Devotion to the things you want to see happen."
~Frank Lloyd Wright~
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterward.
~Unknown~
"You have to have confidence in your ability,
and then be Tough enough to follow through."
~Rosalynn Carter~
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A true story
A woman baked chapati for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapati on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Everyday, a hunchback came and took away the chapati. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Everyday, the hunch-back came, picked up the chapati and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself...
"Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean? "One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunchback," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the Chapatti she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said Immediately, she threw the chapati into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window- sill. As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the chapati and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman.
Everyday, as the woman placed the chapati on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return. That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged of him for a morsel of food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole chapati."As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" " As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale.
She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned chapati that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words:"The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"Do good and; Don't ever stop doing good, even if not appreciated at that time.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Who is Buddha?
The Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived over 2,500 years ago and is known as Siddhattha Gotama.3 His father, Suddhodana, the kshatriya4 king, ruled over the land of the Sàkyans at Kapilavatthu on the Nepalese frontier. As he came from
the Gotama family, he was known as Suddhodana Gotama. Mahàmàyà, princess of the Koliyas, was Suddhodana’s queen.
In 623 B.C. on a full-moon day of May—Vasanta-tide, when in India the trees were laden with leaf, flower, and fruit, and man, bird, and beast were in joyous mood—Queen Mahàmàyà was travelling in state from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha, her
parental home, according to the custom of the times, to give birth to her child. But that was not to be, for halfway between the two cities, in the beautiful Lumbini Grove, under the shade of a flowering Sal tree, she brought forth a son.
Lumbini, or Rummindei, the name by which it is now known, is one hundred miles north of Vàrànasi and within sight of the snowcapped Himalayas. At this memorable spot where Prince Siddhattha, the future Buddha, was born, Emperor Asoka, 316 years
after the event, erected a mighty stone pillar to mark 7 the holy spot. The inscription engraved on the pillar in five lines consists of ninety-three Asokan characters, among which occurs the following: "hida budhejàte sàkyamuni. Here was born the Buddha, the sage of the Sàkyans."
the Gotama family, he was known as Suddhodana Gotama. Mahàmàyà, princess of the Koliyas, was Suddhodana’s queen.
In 623 B.C. on a full-moon day of May—Vasanta-tide, when in India the trees were laden with leaf, flower, and fruit, and man, bird, and beast were in joyous mood—Queen Mahàmàyà was travelling in state from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha, her
parental home, according to the custom of the times, to give birth to her child. But that was not to be, for halfway between the two cities, in the beautiful Lumbini Grove, under the shade of a flowering Sal tree, she brought forth a son.
Lumbini, or Rummindei, the name by which it is now known, is one hundred miles north of Vàrànasi and within sight of the snowcapped Himalayas. At this memorable spot where Prince Siddhattha, the future Buddha, was born, Emperor Asoka, 316 years
after the event, erected a mighty stone pillar to mark 7 the holy spot. The inscription engraved on the pillar in five lines consists of ninety-three Asokan characters, among which occurs the following: "hida budhejàte sàkyamuni. Here was born the Buddha, the sage of the Sàkyans."
Buddhism on Taboos
Most races have their own taboos. In Malaysia perhaps we have more than our fair share of them because the three major ethnic groups have their own animistic beliefs and each is influenced by the others. Because of ignorance, fear and superstition each group tends to accept the beliefs of others rather than studying them rationally and discarding them as being irrelevant to modern society. For example many Asian communities believe that they must not clip their finger nails after dark nor wash their hair on certain days of the week. Some people think that it
is bad luck to see shaven headed religious men the first thing in the morning whilst others will not sweep their houses after dark.
It is even believed to be bad to carry meat around at night for fear that it might attract evil spirits. Some parents advise their children to carry a piece of metal to protect themselves from ghosts. en there are those who believe that howling dogs and hooting owls at night could bring bad luck and that a twitching of the left eye is a bad omen. Some people consider these as very serious issues. But those who ignore them are free from fear and disturbances.
What is the Buddhist attitude towards such beliefs? Where does rational thinking end and superstition begin? All seem to originate in our fear of the unknown. Sometimes
there are practical reasons for observing certain beliefs. For example it is of course inadvisable to cut one’s fingernails in the dark simply because one could cut one’s finger in the process.
As far as evil spirits are concerned the Buddha has said that so long as we practise loving-kindness towards all beings, visible and invisible, so long as we do others no harm by living sensibly and believing in the power of the Dhamma or the Truth as
expounded by the Buddha, and so long as we develop our right understanding by studying his Teachings, nothing can harm us. is again means we have to develop our religious devotion and confidence by visiting the temple regularly, and by having
useful discussions with religious teachers so as to enrich our understanding of the Dhamma. e temple must be a place where people can gain more knowledge and understanding to get rid of superstitious beliefs and to eradicate undue fear in the minds of innocent people.
is bad luck to see shaven headed religious men the first thing in the morning whilst others will not sweep their houses after dark.
It is even believed to be bad to carry meat around at night for fear that it might attract evil spirits. Some parents advise their children to carry a piece of metal to protect themselves from ghosts. en there are those who believe that howling dogs and hooting owls at night could bring bad luck and that a twitching of the left eye is a bad omen. Some people consider these as very serious issues. But those who ignore them are free from fear and disturbances.
What is the Buddhist attitude towards such beliefs? Where does rational thinking end and superstition begin? All seem to originate in our fear of the unknown. Sometimes
there are practical reasons for observing certain beliefs. For example it is of course inadvisable to cut one’s fingernails in the dark simply because one could cut one’s finger in the process.
As far as evil spirits are concerned the Buddha has said that so long as we practise loving-kindness towards all beings, visible and invisible, so long as we do others no harm by living sensibly and believing in the power of the Dhamma or the Truth as
expounded by the Buddha, and so long as we develop our right understanding by studying his Teachings, nothing can harm us. is again means we have to develop our religious devotion and confidence by visiting the temple regularly, and by having
useful discussions with religious teachers so as to enrich our understanding of the Dhamma. e temple must be a place where people can gain more knowledge and understanding to get rid of superstitious beliefs and to eradicate undue fear in the minds of innocent people.
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