No.358 - Mind and Matter

 

"In reality, We can't go back and Change the beginning, but we can start from where we are now and change the ending. All the problems are stuck between "mind" and "matter". If we don't "Mind", it doesn't "Matter. So, the best thing is to live simple with the nature without any egoistic and unrealistic expectations. So, we don't need to go after happiness. Happiness will arise within us and we can work for our ultimate attainment. Plant at least a small positive thought before start the day and then, definitely we can overcome whatever difficult situation arises within us...."

 

May the Noble Triple Gems the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha bless you, all family members, dhamma friends and all living beings to have good health peace and happiness by being free from the virus, danger, harm, stress, depression, worries, difficulties, problems, sicknesses and all kind of bad situations. May all living beings be free from all sufferings....!

 

No.357 - Two ways to meditate ~

 

 

Two ways to meditate ~

 

When we speak of the “mind,” it is important to know whether we are talking about the ordinary mind, referring to the innumerable chains of thoughts that create and maintain our state of delusion,

or, as here, about the nature of mind at the source of all those thoughts—the clear, void state of awareness completely free of delusion.

 

To illustrate this distinction, Lord Buddha taught that there are two ways to meditate — like a dog and like a lion. If you throw a stick at a dog, he will chase after the stick; but if you throw a stick at a lion, the lion will chase after you. You can throw as many sticks as you like at a dog, but at a lion only one.

When you are completely barraged with thoughts, chasing after each one in turn with its antidote is an endless task. That is like the dog. It is better, like the lion, to look for the source of those thoughts.

 

No.356 - Ego

 

Ego

 

Good morning Master, is our constant stress due to our ego trying to prove that we exist?

 

The ego is trying or making extra unnecessary effort to achieve your desires and to prove that you are worthy in many ways. All these struggles over stretch your energy level especially when your luck is down.

 

Live in a middle path as what the Buddha used to say. If you over stretch your strings of your musical instrument, they will broke and you are too loosen with the strings, you can play a tone.

Hence you need to tune your tone in a middle way.

 

355 - Free Air

 

Free air

 

After the 93 year old in Italy got better in the hospital, he was told to pay for the ventilator for one day, and the old man cried.

The doctor advised him not to cry over the bill.

 

What the old man said made all the doctors cry.

Grandpa said, "I don't cry because of the money I have to pay. I can pay all the money.". I cry because I have been breathing God's air for 93 years, but I never pay for it.

 

It takes 5000f to use a ventilator in a hospital for one day. Do you know how much I owe God? I didn't thank God for that before. "

The truth of the news can't be verified, but grandpa's words are worth our reflection.

 

When we breathe the air freely without pain or illness, no one takes the air seriously. Only when we enter the hospital can we know that even breathing oxygen with a ventilator costs money!

Cherish the time when we can breathe freely!

 

This is authentic or not - not known. But it is Utmost Truth.

 

 

 

No.354 - Good deeds

 

Good deeds

 

 

When you have contributed your resources to build schools, or homes for the poor and orphans or give free services like teaching or nursing to the poor and the needy  in the under-developing countries, the  invisible credits would go to your spiritual account.

 

This spiritual account is important when you are desperately in need the divine to help.

 Believe me.

 

Many years back, I was invited by my friend to see an rich Indonesian man at  Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

He was very ill, lying on the sick bed.

Over there were four doctors, specialists, taking turn to check on this fat man, who was very heavy in built.

All the family members were there.

They were afraid that their father would die.

The four doctors could not come out with a right decision after checking with a close discussion.

I walked up and looked at this fat man lying there.

An answer appeared in my conscious mind.

This man had contributed so much money in building schools, hospitals, universities in Indonesia and in older China.

So I told his son not to worry.

 

Of course they were not  able to understand me.

 I asked his son to get a Chinese physician to prescribe a herbal medicine to his father and he would be out of the hospital in seven days.

His spiritual account had helped him to live on for another ten more years.

He passed away around 90 years old.

 

No.353 - It is usually more effective to approach problems with a light heart

 

It is usually more effective to approach problems with a light heart

 

– a willingness to laugh at them and at ourselves. A sense of humor can be very helpful in preventing us from feeling stuck or overwhelmed by a difficult situations and other unhelpful emotions, it will be very difficult to plan or make clearheaded decisions. You will not be able to look beyond the obstacles to notice the opportunities.

 

No.352 - Life

 

life.

 

Take a moment and look.

Look how our life spins, faster and faster each day. So many things to do, so many things to get and so little time to do it all.

Without a loving awareness it is easy to be pulled into this madness and be completely caught up in the excitement, frustration and disappointment of life.

So relax, be aware. Just see how things are. Don’t judge. Don’t formulate new opinions. Just be with things peacefully and stay in balance. Cast your web of awareness over your life and allow the space for everything to arise and pass away naturally.

Give your attention to this moment and your activity in this moment. This is your whole life, just this.

Live with love and be aware and let things be as they are.

May all beings be happy.SadhuX3

No.351 - Loving heart

 

Loving heart

 

Only the closed heart wants to possess someone or something. The truly loving heart celebrates the freedom of all things.

When the closed heart sees something beautiful it wants to own it. The truly loving heart celebrates the beauty.

Living in harmony with the world and not attempting to dominate it is the way of Dhamma. This is a path worthy of pursuit.

May all beings be happy.

 

No.350 - Mindfulness

 

Mindfulness

 

In the future, does this mean I should be more mindful and apply more wisdom in speech and action (even if I mean well), and be careful not to introduce any hint of satire in my communications?

 

You got the right answers.

 

Does this mean my past communications could have been perceived as insincere and thus misinterpreted?

 

Not all. I did such mistakes before.

 

I try to speak from my heart but not everyone is equal. some times, there are some things I cannot say so I hold my tongue, possibly because they are not ready to listen, or my heart tells me there is no karmic affinity and thus to keep them at arms length

 

Wow, well said. You have improved so much.

 

But master, this non-speaking, not being able to say what I really feel and what my heart tells me, makes me feel like a fraud and insincere at times, which affects how I speak and act. Does that not affect my words and actions, and thus cause the misinterpretation ?

 

No.349 - The Buddha, in the Jivaka Sutta (AN 8.26)

 

ONESELF & OTHERS

 

"Jivaka, when a lay follower himself is consummate in conviction and encourages others in the consummation of conviction; when he himself is consummate in virtue and encourages others in the consummation of virtue; when he himself is consummate in generosity and encourages others in the consummation of generosity; when he himself desires to see the monks and encourages others to see the monks; when he himself wants to hear the true Dhamma and encourages others to hear the true Dhamma; when he himself habitually remembers the Dhamma he has heard and encourages others to remember the Dhamma they have heard; when he himself explores the meaning of the Dhamma he has heard and encourages others to explore the meaning of the Dhamma they have heard; when he himself, knowing both the Dhamma & its meaning, practices the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma and encourages others to practice the Dhamma in line with the Dhamma: then to that extent he is a lay follower who practices both for his own benefit and for the benefit of others."

 

- The Buddha, in the Jivaka Sutta (AN 8.26)