Beautiful Thought by Lord Buddha

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.

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~

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.

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."

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.

Buddhism on Religious Rites

Although religious rites, rituals and ceremonies are not favoured
by intellectuals, such practices are nevertheless important for
developing and maintaining the devotional aspects of a religion
and for creating a sense of inspiration among the masses. For
many people, cultivating devotion is the first important step to-
wards the experience of a religion. If there is no devotional and
cultural aspects attached to Buddhism, people may be drawn
to some other kind of beliefs or practices, even though they are
aware that such practices are steeped in superstition or blind
faith.

It is important for religions to have some harmless rituals
and reasonable practices for people to express their devotion
and spiritual feelings. Many of the Buddhist ceremonies help
to cultivate good habits and positive emotions amongst the fol-
lowers who consequently become more tolerant, considerate
and cultured people. When performed with understanding and
earnestness, these traditional practices tend to strengthen one’s
beliefs as against a mere intellectual approach. Buddhism with-
out any devotion would be rather cold, detached and academic.

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Buddha Famous Quotes

1. The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.

2. The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.

3. The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood.

4. The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.

5. The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

6. The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.

7. The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.

8. There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.

9. There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.

10. There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.

11. Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.

12. Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

13. Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddhism - Am I Stupid?

Why is a person born stupid? This is because in the past, when you did not know something, you did not take the trouble to investigate what is wholesome and unwholesome. Another reason for stupidity could be due to fact that the person drank too much liquor. Why is a person born intelligent? Firstly, if he does not know something, he takes the trouble to ask and investigate. The other reason is that he avoids intoxicants like liquor or drugs. The third reason is that he meditates. We meditate to develop our mind. It brings us wisdom.

Buddha Image

Buddha is a Sanskrit meaning Awareness and Enlightenment. When we take refuge in the Buddha, we vow to return from blind faith and delusion and rely upon Understanding and Awareness as a way of life. Images of the Buddha serve as a reminder for us to practice awareness and understanding, and are not objects of worship. Prostrating and showing respect towards these images are only ways to counter arrogance and cultivate humility. This is taking refuge in the Buddha.

Malaysian files suit over Iraq duty - I am a Buddhist

"Every action of killing is so evil and wrong, I don’t want to do any evil things and see any suffering happening right in front of my eyes”

LOS ANGELES: A Malaysian-born US Army soldier has launched a legal bid to prevent being sent to Iraq, claiming deployment to the war zone would conflict with his religious beliefs, lawyers said on Friday.

Calvin Lee Chee Keong, a 26-year-old Malaysian who has permanent residency in the United States, said in a lawsuit filed here that he had been duped into joining the military by recruiters in 2004.

Lee, a Buddhist, said he had been told he would never have to leave the United States during his three years' military service or go to war, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said.

However, he sought conscientious objector status after discovering that his service was being extended and his unit was being deployed to Iraq, the ACLU said in a statement.

“Every action of killing is so evil and wrong, I don’t want to do any evil things and see any suffering happening right in front of my eyes,” Lee said in the statement.

The Department of the Army rejected his conscientious objector application without explanation despite recommendations for his release by army officers, a chaplain and a mental health specialist, the ACLU said.

“Based on the record, the army has no basis in fact and no good reason to refuse Calvin’s application,” said Deborah Karpatkin, Lee’s attorney.

“As Calvin wrote in his CO application, he learned in the army that America is about seeking religious freedom.”

A spokesman for the army declined to comment.

Lee, who is currently assigned to the 58th Combat Engineer Company based at Fort Irwin, California, joined the army in 2004 after a recruiter approached him at a job fair in San Francisco, the ACLU said. Despite his uneasiness, Lee continued to work, turning down promotions in rank and salary as he felt his faith required, the ACLU said.

By November, Lee applied to a Malaysian temple to live as a monk after the end of his army service, which was originally scheduled for September, the ACLU said. But in December, the army informed Lee that his term of service was being extended and his unit would be deployed to Iraq. – AFP

You Have to Save Yourself

Oneself, indeed, is one’s saviour, for what other saviour would there be? With oneself well controlled the problem of looking for an external saviour is solved.

(DHAMMAPADA 166)

Vegetarian

Eating meat does not necessarily mean that one approves of the killing of animals. Suffering (dukkha) is a fact of life, and as living beings strive to survive, those that succeed inevitably do so at the expense of other living beings. Eating vegetarian food still indirectly involves the killing of kangaroos and rabbits, squirrels and monkeys, insects and snails, and other ‘pests’ — should the whole world become vegetarians, animals would probably still be killed as they would multiply in such great numbers and so quickly as to be a threat to human survival (e.g. in Malaysia, dogs on the streets without licence are disposed of).

Buddhism About God

Question: But so many people believe in some form of god, it must be true.

Not so, there was time when everyone believe that the world is flat, but they were all wrong. The number of people who believe in an idea is no measure of the truth or falsehood of that idea. The only we can tell whether an idea is true or not is by looking at facts and examinng the evidence.

Afraid of death

We are also not afraid to die when we keep the precepts and do good. If we have very good kamma, we have the confidence that the good kamma will support us when we die. We know that when we close our eyes and pass away, we will be going to a good place. Whereas, people who have done a lot of evil are afraid of dying when their time comes. They are very scared and dare not close their eyes. Some of them do not even dare to switch off the lights at night, and some are even terrified.

Fairness

There is one morning, I read a Buddhism book title "Only We Can Help Ourselves", this book gives me a whole new perspective on the way we look at things and our surroundings, I extracted some the contents from the book for you all to think about it.

Sometimes we see certain people whom you consider as evil, rough, stingy, and offensive, but they are having a luxurious life. This is sometimes due to their good kamma from past life supporting them, and they are now creating a lot of bad kamma which has not ripened yet. This could be due to the fact that people can change. For example, when a man is poor he is humble, industrious, faithful to his wife, frugal, etc. When he becomes rich after several years, he may become arrogant, vain, womanize, drink, gamble, etc.-a completely different personality. Similarly, a good person in a previous life, when reborn under favourable conditions, might become corrupted by his good fortune. Because of this we find it hard to see fairness in this world. We see that good people are not the ones who are happy, but many evil people are happy.

Buddhism - What is Karma?

Well karma in simple term is actually "Cause and Effect" is like when you do good to others, in return you will get