Nice Inspiration For Everyone

Don't Be Arrogant - A Frog and Swans Story

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

A pair of swans was ready to leave a drought lake. A frog asked the swans to take him together. But, the swans were confused how to take the frog together.

The frog had a brilliant idea. "You both bite tip of the root of this grass, and I'll bite the middle of it. Then take me fly." The swans agreed. Then, they were flying to the sky.

In the sky, a group of birds praising their ingenuity & asked them. "You're really smart, who got this briliant idea?". The frog replied proudly, "This is my idea."
At that time, the frog lost his bite. The frog was falling down and die.

Praise is like a two edged sword. Can be productive if addressed with humility ; become a motivation to do better. But it can also be counterproductive if addressed with arrogancy. So take the praise with self-control. Without self-control, we will be easily intoxicated by the praise. Covetous of praise is the beginning of the ruination.

Praise is like a chewing gum. It should be enjoyed but DO NOT swallow it !

Pastor And Taxi Driver

2012-01-15T09:00:00.001+07:00

A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is this guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a T-shirt, leather jacket and jeans.

Saint Peter asks this guy. "Who are you, so I may know whether or not to admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven?"

"I'm Joe Cohen, a taxi driver, of New York city."

Saint Peter consults his list, smiles and says "Take this silken robe and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The minister stands up and booms out. "I'm Joseph Snow, pastor of the Second Baptist Church for the last forty-three years."

Saint Peter consults his list again and says to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

Just a minute says the minister, "The taxi driver gets a silken robe, how can that be?". "I know this taxi driver because I rode with him while he was alive. He was obnoxious and drove like a maniac."

"In heaven, we reward on results" says Saint Peter. "When you preached, everyone slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed to God".

Purification

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000+07:00

Once there was a disciple of a renowned Greek philosopher who was handed an odd assignment. He was commanded by his Master to give money to everyone who insulted him, for a period of three years. Wanting very much to awaken, this student did exactly what he was told.

When this rather lengthy trial was over, the Master summoned the young man to his quarters and said to him, "Now you can go to Athens, for you are ready to learn wisdom."

Elated, the disciple set off for Athens. Just before he entered the great city, he saw a certain wise man sitting at the gate insulting everybody who came and went. Naturally, the moment this fellow saw the disciple he insulted him, too.

"Hey!" he cried out to the student, "How did you get to be so ugly and stupid? I have never before seen anyone as ridiculous looking as you."

But instead of taking offense, the disciple just burst out laughing.

"Why do you laugh when I insult you?" asked the wise man.

"Because," said the disciple, "for three whole years I have been paying for this kind of thing and now you give it to me for NOTHING!"

"Enter the city," said the wise man. "It is all yours."

Desert Fathers

Sufi Story : A Black Bird And Peaceful Sky

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000+07:00

A black bird found a piece of food in a village and flying into the sky with the meal in his beak.

A flock of his brother chasing him and seizing the food greedily, pull it off from his beak.

The black bird then left them with a piece of food in his beak, and the crazy herd of birds leave him alone.

When the black bird flew with striking and diving, he thought, "I miss the food, but I get a peaceful sky again."

Sufi

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000+07:00

To crave your likes but reject your dislikes will plunge you into constant anxiety. Once there, you are prey to vexations.

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Those content with few desires will never want.

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Bodily ailments do not necessarily constitute suffering. An unsettled mind does.

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To eliminate the suffering induced by an unsettled mind, just start reciting Guanyin's name to restore your inner peace.

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What we have now is the best. He who can never be satisfied is a poor man, no matter how much he owns.

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Don't try to control your negative emotions by suppressing them. Rather, dissolve them through contemplation, reciting the Buddha's name, or praying.

The Old Man Who Lost His Horse : A Blessing In Disguise

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

This is a classic Chinese story, which is well known as a "chengyu" (成语) i.e. a Chinese idiom consisting of four characters. In Chinese, this idiom is called "塞翁失马 – Sai Weng Shi Ma"

Idiom Story and Background
There once was an old man who lived with his only son at the border of the state. They liked horses and often let them graze freely. One time a servant reported to the old man, "A horse is missing! It went into the neighboring state."

His friends felt sorry for him, but the old man was not bothered at all by the loss. In fact, he said: "Who knows! The loss may bring us good fortune!"

A few months later, a weird thing happened. Not only did the missing horse return home safely, it also brought back with it a fine horse from the neighboring state.

When his friends heard the news, they congratulated the old man on his good luck. But the old man said, "Who knows ! This may bring us ill fortune!"

One day, when the old man's son was riding the fine horse, he fell off it, broke his leg very badly and became crippled. Many friends came to comfort the old man, but the old man was not disturbed by the accident in the least. "Who knows ! This may bring us good fortune after all!" he said.

A year later, the neighboring state sent troops across the border. All young and strong men were drafted to join the fight, and most of them got killed. The old man's son however was not drafted because he was crippled - and so his life was spared.

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001+07:00

Every child is a little bodhisattva that helps the parents grow.

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With adolescents, we should care, but not worry about them; guide, but not control them; and communicate with, but
not command them.

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To love your children, rather than worry about them, just give them your blessings!

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The relationship between a husband and wife is governed by marital ethics, not logic.

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By just picking up litter and refraining from littering, we are doing meritorious deeds.

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Vision is derived from wisdom; luck, from blessings.

Things To Be Thankful For...

2011-11-09T16:08:00.004+07:00

The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.

The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

The space I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

The piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

Getting too much email bogs me down but at least I know I have friends who are thinking of me.

Free FDA Seventh-day Adventist

An Old Sufi Story : Nasrudin And A Philosopher

2011-11-01T11:11:00.000+07:00

There is an old Sufi story about a philosopher who made an appointment to debate with Nasrudin, a Sufi wisdom teacher.

When the day came, the philosopher dropped by Nasrudin’s house as planned. When the philosopher arrived for his appointment he found Nasrudin away from his home.

Infuriated, the philosopher picked up a piece of chalk and wrote "Stupid Oaf" on Nasrudin’s gate. When Nasrudin got home and saw this he rushed right over to the philosopher’s house.

"I had forgotten," Nasrudin told the philosopher when he got there, "that you were to call. And I'm sorry I missed our appointment. But, I remembered our appointment the minute I saw that you had written your name on my gate."

Sufi

Nice Inspirational Quotes For Luck And Opportunity

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000+07:00

"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity."
---Oprah Winfrey

"The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck." ---Anthony Robbins

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
---Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
---Sir Winston Churchill

"Opportunity often comes in disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat."
---Napoleon Hill

"Opportunity comes like a snail, and once it has passed you it changes into a fleet rabbit and is gone."
---Arthur Brisbane

"Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity."
---H.Jackson Brown JR.

Nice Inspirational Quotes

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000+07:00

"If you want something you've never had,
you must be willing to do something you've never done."
---Thomas Jefferson

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
---Winston Churchill

"Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
---Oprah Winfrey

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
---Walt Disney

"It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
---Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting."
---Unknown

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-09-15T08:00:00.001+07:00

In life, we must make the best preparations, and be ready for the worst.

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As long as we still have breath, we have boundless hope, and the breath we have is the greatest wealth.

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Those who aid and deliver the suffering are bodhisattvas, and those in the throes of suffering are great bodhisattvas.

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To transcend the sufferings of birth, old age, and sickness, keep to the three principles: live happily, face illness with a healthy mind, and embrace old age with hope.

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To transcend the suffering of death, keep to the three principles: never seek death, never fear death, and never wait for death to come.

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Death is an occasion for neither mourning nor celebrating, but one for solemn Buddhist practice.

A Chinese Story About Harmony

2011-09-01T07:00:00.003+07:00

On a rainy night of New Year’s eve, a lonely little girl was saddened by the disagreements that brought upon her family members.

Litte girl sadly said, "It's Chinese New Year's Eve, but it's been raining all day long. New Year is coming but everyone is not in a good mood. Brother insists on buying a new motorcyle. Dad, Mom, and Brother are quarelling about it again."

Dad told to Brother, "Can't you use the old motorcycle ? You just know how to spend money !"

Mom also said to Brother,"The economy is bad, why don't you just use the old one ?"

Brother angrily said, "The old motorcycle breaks down all the time, you can use it ! I won't !"

"It's your fault. You have spoiled him !", Dad said to Mom.

Little girl asked herself, "It’s New Year, but why is everyone unhappy ?".

"Kitty, can you tell me how to make everyone happy for the New Year?", asked the little girl to her cat.

Then, outside the window, the little girl looked four old men were coming, "Dad, Mom, look ! Brother, come and see, quick !"

Mom said to the old men, "Ah, it’s raining so heavily, Sirs, please come in for shelter !"

Old man #1 said, "Haha, thank you for your kindness, Madam. But we have a rule, only one of the four of us can come in. Who do you wish to invite in ?"

The four old men then introduced themselves one by one.

Old man #2 : "I am Wealth."

Old man #3 : "I am Success."

Old man #4 : "I am Well-being."

Old man #1 said with a laugh, "Haha, everyone call me Harmony."

Dad said to the four old men, "Surely we should invite in Wealth, then we can have a comfortable life !"

Brother said, "No, no, choose Success ! I want my family to be proud of me !"

Mom said, "Wait a moment ! I think Well-being is the most important !"

Dad exclaimed, "Wealth !"

Brother exclaimed, "Success !"

Mom exclaimed, "Well-being !"

Little girl asked to her mother, "Mom, Mom, What is harmony ? Why don’t you invite in Harmony ?"

Dad said, "Yes, you’re right ! Why don’t we invite in Harmony ? New Year is here, we should be harmonious. Let’s invite Mr. Harmony in, then !"

Seeing that all of the four old men came in together, little girl’s father said, "Eh ? I thought you said only one of you can come in ? Why did all of you come in ?"

Old men #1 replied,"Haha, we have another rule. If Harmony enters, Well-being, Success and Wealth will follow."

Little girl happily said, "Now I understand. To be happy is to be in harmony."

You can watch this full inspirational story in animation Youtube 《和諧》He Xie Animation

Story written by Ven. Master Xin Yun (Master Hsing Yun)

Shantideva's Inspirational Wish

2011-08-14T18:00:00.001+07:00

"May I become food and drink in the eons of famine for those poverty-stricken suffers.

May I be a doctor, medicine and nurse for all sick beings in the world until everyone is cured.

May I become never-ending wish-fulfilling treasures materialising in front of each of them as all the enjoyments they need.

May I be a guide for those who do not have a guide, a leader for those who journey, a boat for those who want to cross over, and all sorts of ships, bridges, beautiful parks for those who desire them, and light for those who need light.

And may I become beds for those who need a rest, and a servant to all who need servants.

May I also become the basic conditions for all sentient beings, such as earth or even the sky, which is indestructible.

May I always be the living conditions for all sentient beings until all sentient beings are enlightened."

and

"While their evil ripens in me, may all my virtue ripen in them."

~ Shantideva, "Bodhisattvacharyavatara - Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life"
(8th-century CE)

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

A positive life pivots on modesty; the bigger the ego, the greater the insecurity.

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The noble pursue the path, the average pursue their duties, and the misguided pursue fame and fortune.

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Live up to your role and status, and fulfill your required duties.

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In peace and harmony, seize the promise of today, and live out a fresh tomorrow.

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While worry fuels unnecessary torment, carefulness breeds security.

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Wealth is like running water, and giving like digging a well. Just as the deeper the well, the more water it holds, the more you give, the more wealth you have.

A Sufi Story : Nasrudin's Chickpeas and Bread

2011-07-25T08:00:00.001+07:00

Mulla Nasrudin was eating a poor man's diet of chickpeas and bread. His neighbor, who also claimed to be a wise man, was living in a grand house and dining upon sumptuous meals provided by the emperor himself.

His neighbor told Nasrudin, "If only you would learn to flatter the emperor and be subservient as I do, you would not have to live on chickpeas and bread."

Nasrudin replied, "And if only you would learn to live on chickpeas and bread, as I do, you would not have to flatter and live subservient to the emperor."

http://www.reckonings.net

Inspirational Zen Story : Heaven and Hell

2011-07-13T09:09:00.003+07:00

Hakuin, the fiery and intensely dynamic Zen master, was once visited by a samurai warrior.

"I want to know about heaven and hell," said the samurai. "Do they really exist?" he asked Hakuin.

Hakuin looked at the soldier and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a samurai," announced the proud warrior.

"Ha! exclaimed Hakuin. "What makes you think you can understand such insightful things ? You are merely a callous, brutish soldier ! Go away and do not waste my time with your foolish questions," Hakuin said, waving his hand to drive away the samurai.

The enraged samurai couldn’t take Hakuin’s insults. He drew his sword, readied for the kill, when Hakuin calmly retorted, "This is hell."

The soldier was taken aback. His face softened. Humbled by the wisdom of Hakuin, he put away his sword and bowed before the Zen Master.

"And this is heaven," Hakuin stated, just as calmly.

We create our own heaven and hell.

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000+07:00

The meaning of life lies in serving; the value of life in giving.

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The purpose of life is to receive karmic results, fulfill old vows, and make new ones.

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There's no need to be concerned about the past or the future. Live fully in the present, and you are connected with both the past and the future.

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As the past has faded into misty memories, and the future remains a dream unrealized, seizing the present is most important.

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Our value depends not on how long we live, but on how much we contribute.

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Wisdom is not knowledge, nor experience, nor dialectical excellence, but a selfless attitude.

***

Trying A Matchmaker Service

2011-06-28T15:38:00.004+07:00

In today's busy world, dating has become harder than ever – to find love and romance in their busy lives, many are turning to matchmaker services to help them meet like-minded singles.

As anyone with a demanding job will agree, it can be almost impossible to meet people, let alone find the right sort of people that you actually want to date.

Friends may set you up, or you may decide to go out to a club, where you might meet a few potential interests – more often than not, the time spent getting to know someone only to realise that you have nothing in common seldom makes it worth it.

This is what makes matchmaker services different. Rather than sifting through a large number of potentials, you have the chance to choose the exact type of person that you would like to meet.

Matchmaking changes the way dating services work because you can find somebody who lives just down the corner from you that you just never noticed at all, or you can meet somebody in another part of the state, who you would never have met without that opportunity of enrolling with a matchmaker.

Ajahn Brahm's Inspiring Wisdom : A Truckload of Dung

2011-06-01T06:00:00.003+07:00

From "Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung ? : Inspiring Wisdom for Welcoming Life's Difficulties"

BY AJAHN BRAHM

UNPLEASANT THINGS, like becoming last in our class, happen in life. They happen to everyone. The only difference between a happy person and one who gets depressed is how they respond to disasters.

Imagine you have just had a wonderful afternoon at the beach with a friend. When you return home, you find a huge truckload of dung has been dumped right in front of your door. There are three things to know about this truckload of dung :
1. You did not order it. It's not your fault.
2. You're stuck with it. No one saw who dumped it, so you cannot call anyone to take it away.
3. It is filthy and offensive, and its stench fills your whole house. It is almost impossible to endure.

In this metaphor, the truckload of dung in front of the house stands for the traumatic experiences that are dumped on us in life.

As with the truckload of dung, there are three things to know about tragedy in our life :
1. We did not order it. We say 'Why me?'
2. We're stuck with it. No one, not even our best friends, can take it away (though they may try).
3. It is so awful, such a destroyer of our happiness, and its pain fills our whole life. It is almost impossible to endure.

There are two ways of responding to being stuck with a truckload of dung. The first way is to carry the dung around with us. We put some in our pockets, some in our bags, and some up our shirts. We even put some down our pants. We find when we carry dung around, we lose a lot of friends! Even best friends don't seem to be around so often.

"Carrying around the dung" is a metaphor for sinking into depression, negativity, or anger. It is a natural and understandable response to adversity. But we lose a lot of friends, because it is also natural and understandable that our friends don't like being around us when we're so depressed. Moreover, the pile of dung gets no less, but the smell gets worse as it ripens.

Fortunately, there's a second way. When we are dumped with a truckload of dung, we heave a sigh, and then get down to work. Out come the wheelbarrow, the fork, and the spade. We fork the dung into the barrow, wheel it around the back of the house, and dig it into the garden. This is tiring and difficult work, but we know there's no other option.

Sometimes, all we can manage is half a barrow a day. We're doing something about the problem, rather than complaining our way into depression. Day after day we dig in the dung. Day after day, the pile gets smaller. Sometimes it takes several years, but the morning does come when we see that the dung in front of our house is all gone.

Furthermore, a miracle has happened in another part of our house. The flowers in our garden are bursting out in a richness of colour all over the place. Their fragrance wafts down the street so that the neighbours, and even passers-by, smile in delight. Then the fruit tree in the corner is nearly falling over, it's so heavy with fruit. And the fruit is so sweet; you can't buy anything like it. There's so much of it that we are able to share it with our neighbours. Even passers-by get a delicious taste of the miracle fruit.

"Digging in the dung" is a metaphor for welcoming the tragedies as fertilizer for life. It is work that we have to do alone: no one can help us here. But by digging it into the garden of our heart, day by day, the pile of pain gets less.

It may take us several years, but the morning does come when we see no more pain in our life and, in our heart, a miracle has happened. Flowers of kindness are bursting out all over the place, and the fragrance of love wafts way down our street, to our neighbours, to our relations, and even to passers-by. Then our wisdom tree in the corner is bending down to us, loaded with sweet insights into the nature of life. We share those delicious fruits freely, even with the passers-by, without ever planning to.

When we have known tragic pain, learnt its lesson, and grown our garden, then we can put our arms around another in deep tragedy and say, softly, 'I know.' They realize we do understand. Compassion begins. We show them the wheelbarrow, the fork, and the spade, and boundless encouragement. If we haven't grown our own garden yet, this can't be done.

I have known many monks who are skilled in meditation, who are peaceful, composed and serene in adversity. But only a few have become great teachers. I often wondered why.

It seems to me now that those monks who had a relatively easy time of it, who had little dung to dig in, were the ones who didn't become teachers. It was the monks who had the enormous difficulties, dug them in quietly, and came through with a rich garden that became great teachers.

They all had wisdom, serenity and compassion; but those with more dung had more to share with the world. My teacher, Ajahn Chah, who for me was the pinnacle of all teachers, must have had a whole trucking company line up with their dung at his door, in his early life.

Perhaps the moral of this story is that if you want to be of service to the world, if you wish to follow the path of compassion, then the next time a tragedy occurs in your life, you may say, "Whoopee! More fertilizer for my garden!"

Looking For The Perfect Wife

2011-05-20T07:00:00.001+07:00

There's the story of Mullah Nasruddin, who was asked why he never married and answered, "I was looking for the perfect wife. I went to Damascus and met a wonderful woman but she had no spiritual side. Then I went to Cairo and met a woman who was deeply spiritual, but we didn't communicate well. I went from place to place looking for the perfect woman, then finally I found her and she was beautiful and spiritual and we communicated well. She was perfect."

Then his friend asked why he didn’t marry her, and Mullah Nasruddin replied, "Unfortunately, she was looking for the perfect man!".

The perfection we seek is not the perfection of a person but the perfection of love.

In that way, when we join in a relationship, the commitment to love allows us to serve something greater than ourselves or the other person, to serve a mystical third, which is the spirit of the relationship.

Donkey In The Well - Life Inspirational Story

2011-05-08T07:00:00.001+07:00

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

The Moral of the story :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy :
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

The rest of the story :
The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

The moral of the rest of the story :
When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-05-01T07:00:00.001+07:00

A passing boat leaves no trace upon the waters; a bird's flight leaves no trace in the sky. When fleeting success, failure, gain, or loss leaves no trace upon the heart, the great wisdom of liberation has been achieved.

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Offer your service with a heart of gratitude, as if repaying a kindness, then you won't feel weary or tired.

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Who is willing to be openly exploited is noble-minded; who is insulted and insidiously exploited is dim-witted.

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Pressure usually stems from caring too much about externals and other people's opinion.

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To be accommodating to others is to be accommodating to ourselves.

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Always feel gratitude in your heart, and give unstintingly of your wealth, physical strength, mental effort, and wisdom.

***

Good ? Bad ? Who Knows ?

2011-04-25T08:00:00.002+07:00

Ajahn Brahm went on to give us a "King and His Doctor" story to explain that sometimes, bad things that happened in our lives can be a blessing in disguise.

In old India, there lived a King who loves hunting. One day, he went hunting with his great Doctor. While hunting, the King was pricked by a strange plant on his middle finger. The finger became swollen and painful. The doctor applied a special ointment to the wound and bandage the King's finger.

The King then asked, "Will my finger be alright?"

The Doctor answered, "Good ? Bad ? Who knows ?"

A few days passed and the King's finger became worse. He summoned the doctor and asked, "Will my finger be alright?"

The Doctor answered, "Good ? Bad ? Who knows ?"

A few days later, the King's finger was badly infected and has to be amputated from his hand. The King was furious and ordered the doctor to be jailed and hang in a month's time.

Meanwhile, after a week's of recovery, the King went hunting again. This time he was more unfortunate. He was capture by a cannibal tribe. Before the tribe can burn him as a human sacrifice, the priest noticed he had only nine fingers. It was the tribe's believe that only a person with full and perfect body can be use as sacrifice. So they released the King.

Back to the Kingdom, the King immediately ordered the release of the doctor. The doctor was summoned to the King. The King said: "Great doctor, because of you, I lost my finger but in turn, it saves my life."

The Doctor said, "Good ? Bad ? I know. Great King, if not because of you putting me in jail and thus I cannot go hunting with you. If not, I would have been captured by the tribe and used as the sacrifice. Thank you, you save my life !"

So...Good ? Bad ? Who Knows ?. According to Ajahn Brahm, tragedy itself is an opportunity that teaches us to become kinder and wiser. Unpleasant things happen in life and they happen to everyone. The only difference between a happy person and one who gets depressed is how they respond to disasters.

Nasruddin and the Sultan's Horse

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000+07:00

One day, while Nasruddin was visiting the capital city, the Sultan took offense to a joke that was made at his expense. He had Nasruddin immediately arrested and imprisoned; accusing him of heresy and sedition. Nasruddin apologized to the Sultan for his joke, and begged for his life; but the Sultan remained obstinate, and in his anger, sentenced Nasruddin to be beheaded the following day.

When Nasruddin was brought out the next morning, he addressed the Sultan, saying "Oh Sultan, live forever! You know me to be a skilled teacher, the greatest in your kingdom. If you will but delay my sentence for one year, I will teach your favorite horse to sing."

The Sultan did not believe that such a thing was possible; but his anger had cooled, and he was amused by the audacity of Nasruddin's claim. "Very well," replied the Sultan, "you will have a year. But if by the end of that year you have not taught my favorite horse to sing, then you will wish you had been beheaded today."

That evening, Nasruddin's friends were allowed to visit him in prison, and found him in unexpected good spirits. "How can you be so happy?" they asked. "Do you really believe that you can teach the Sultan's horse to sing?" "Of course not," replied Nasruddin, "but I now have a year which I did not have yesterday; and much can happen in that time. The Sultan may come to repent of his anger, and release me. He may die in battle or of illness, and it is traditional for a successor to pardon all prisoners upon taking office. He may be overthrown by another faction, and again, it is traditional for prisoners to be released at such a time. Or the horse may die, in which case the Sultan will be obliged to release me."

"Finally," said Nasruddin, "even if none of those things come to pass, perhaps the horse can sing."

Cast Your Votes For Master Cheng Yen In The 2011 TIME 100 Poll

2011-04-09T15:53:00.003+07:00

Cast your votes for the leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes that you think are the most influential people in the world. The winner will be included in the TIME 100. Voting closes on April 14.

Follow this link to cast your votes for Master Cheng Yen.

Cheng Yen
By TIME Staff Monday, Apr. 04, 2011
Age: 73
Occupation: Buddhist nun and philanthropist

Cheng Yen is known as the Chinese world's Mother Teresa. She runs the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, one of Asia's largest charities. Earthquakes, floods, typhoons, famine, tsunamis, you name it — Tzu Chi people are there dispensing food, blankets and warm clothing (as they have done recently in Japan), and also committing long-term by rebuilding villages, establishing clinics and schools and providing scholarships to needy students.

The foundation is based in Hualien on Taiwan's east coast, but has chapters worldwide. Cheng Yen's reputation is such that the group is allowed everywhere, even into hermetic North Korea and conflict zones like Afghanistan. Tzu Chi is well funded by millions of donors, including a few tycoons who want her blessing, but there has never been any hint of impropriety.

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-04-01T06:00:00.001+07:00

The deeper our compassion, the greater our wisdom and the fewer our vexations.

***

Simply deal with matters with wisdom and treat people with compassion, without worrying about personal gain or loss. Then we'll never be plagued by vexations.

***

To let the circumstances dictate one's state of mind is human; to let the mind dictate the circumstances is sage.

***

A big duck cuts a big wake; a small duck cuts a small wake. Big or small, each duck will paddle its own way to the other shore—but only if it paddles.

***

If the mountain won't move, build a road around it. If the road won't turn, change your path. If you are unable to even change your path, just transform your mind.

***

Diligence doesn't mean stretching beyond our limits. It means displaying unremitting persistence.

***

Be A One-Day Good Person

2011-03-25T08:00:00.005+07:00

An inspirational conversation between Confucius and his disciples :

Confucius : "We may do whatever we like in our lifetime ; steal, kill, torture, rape, cheat, whatever ......"

One disciple replied : "Wow...it sounds great ! But what are the conditions required for it ?"

Confucius : "The condition is very easy. You can do evil for the rest of your life, but just one day before your death, be a good person."

Disciple : "But Master, we do not know when we will die."

Confucius : "Therefore, suppose that tomorrow you will die. Be a good person today ...!"

Five Children Playing The Wishing Game

2011-03-14T19:24:00.003+07:00

Once upon a time, five children were playing the wishing game. The child who came up with the best wish would win the wishing game.

First was a young boy, maybe seven or eight, and he said if he could have any wish he would wish for a McDonalds hamburger with double fries (because his mother wouldn’t allow him to eat hamburgers).

So they asked the second child if she could you think of a better wish. And the second child was a young girl and she said that she would wish for a McDonalds restaurant so she could eat as many hamburgers as she wanted.

Then came to the third boy. He had more time to think as the others and he said that he wants a billion dollars. So he could buy a McDonalds restaurant, then buy a video game store and play all the video games he wants. Then he would buy a school so he could spend all day playing video games then give himself good grades. Then he’d buy a university and pass himself through that too. Then he still has enough money for the rest of his life. So he asked if anyone could think of a better wish than that.

The fourth child, a girl, had to think very deeply and she came up with a better wish. The fourth girl was very clever. She said if she had a wish, she would wish for 3 wishes. With the first wish she would wish for a McDonalds restaurant, with the second wish she would wish for a billion dollars, and for the last wish she would wish for 3 more wishes. So she was clearly winning the wishing game.

But there was one boy left, and he would go on to win the wishing game. But how can you find a better wish than an infinity of wishes? He said, "If I had one wish, I would wish that I was so content that I would never need another wish again." And that wish won the wishing game.

That describes nirvana, enlightenment, that you are so content that you don't want anything else. Most people in the world want an infinity of wishes, to be wealthy, to be powerful, but to be so content that you don't want any more wishes, this is enlightenment.

Enlightenment Story by Venerable Ajahn Brahm

Today Is Such A Beautiful Day But I Can't See It

2011-03-01T18:07:00.006+07:00

On a roadside, a blind child was sitting and begging. He had this pad written near him as "I'm blind, help me with money".

The road he was sitting on, was a crowded one, so many people used to pass by him, look at him and his pad and mostly they wouldn't give him any money.

Once, a man was passing by this road. He too noticed this blind child begging and read his pad too. First thing he did was put some coin in bowl that the blind child had with him. But he did something else too, something different. He went to that pad and rubbed the writing which said, "I'm blind, help me with money", and re-wrote something else there. And he went on his way.

Other people passing by, started donating money to this blind child upon reading that pad. Beggar child was surprised and amazed. He knew that someone came earlier, donated him some coin and re-wrote his pad, but he didn't know what he wrote.

Now that person, was again passing by the same road. He stood near that blind child and noticed that child's bowl was full of coins. Child also recognized him by his movement of legs (blinds have sharp sixth sense). He asked that gentleman that what exactly he wrote that people started donating him coins ? He replied, "Nothing much, Son. It gives the same meaning, though I used different words". He said "I wrote - Today is such a beautiful day but I can't see it, I'm blind."

This Too Will Pass

2011-02-19T14:00:00.003+07:00

One of the most priceless of teachings that helps with depression, is also one of the simplest. But teachings that seem simple are easy to misunderstand. Only when we are finally delicious from depression can we claim to have truly understood the following story.

The new prisoner was afraid and very depressed. The stone walls of his cells soaked up any warmth; the hard iron bars sneered at all compassion; the jarring collision of steel, as many gates closed, locked hope beyond reach.

His heart sank as low as his sentence stretched long. On the wall, by the head of his folding bed, he saw scratched in the stone the following words : THIS TOO WILL PASS. These words pulled him through, as they must have supported the prisoner before him. No matter how hard it got, he would look at the inscription and remember, "This too will pass". On the day he was released, he knew the truth of those words. His time was completed; "Jail too had passed".

As he regained his life, he often thought about that message, writing it on bits of paper to leave by his bedside, in his car and at work. Even when times were bad, he never got depressed. He simply remembered, "This too will pass". And struggled on through. The bad times never seemed to last all that long. Then when good times came, he enjoyed them, but never too carelessly. Again he remembered, "This too will pass", and so carried on working at his life, taking nothing for granted. The good times always seemed to last uncommonly long.

Even when he got cancer, "This too will pass" gave him hope. Hope gave him strength and the positive attitude that beat the disease. One day the specialist confirmed that "The cancer too had passed". At the end of his days, on his death bed, he whispered to his loved one, "This too will pass", and settled easily into death. His words were his last gift of love to his family and friends. They learned from him that "Grief too will pass".

Depression is a prison that many of us pass through. "This too will pass" helps us pull through. It also avoids one of the great causes of depression, which is taking the happy times too much for granted.

An Excerpt from Ajahn Brahm’s Book, "Opening The Door of Your Heart", Chapter : Creating Happiness

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2011-02-11T19:02:00.003+07:00

Stay at ease under all circumstances, and give whenever conditions allow.

***

The tripartite formula for success is: go with the causes and conditions, seize them as they come, and create them when
they don't.

***

Grasp opportune conditions when they come, create them when there are none, and ere conditions ripen, never force a thing to be done.

***

All the ups and downs of life are nourishing experiences for our growth.

***

Deal with matters with wisdom, and care for people with compassion.

***

Rectify deviations with wisdom; accommodate others with compassion.

***

She Married Him Today

2011-02-01T08:00:00.001+07:00

At the end of the wedding party, her mother gave her a newly opened bank savings passbook, with $1000 deposited in it.

She told her, "My dear daughter, take this passbook. Keep it as a record of your married life. Whenever something happy and memorable happens in your new life, put some money in. Write down what it's about next to the amount. The more memorable the event is, the more money you can put in. I've done the first one for you today. Do the others with your husband. When you look back after years, you will know how much happiness you've both shared."

She shared this with him after getting home. Both of them thought it was a great idea and couldn't wait to make the next deposit! This is what the passbook looked like after a while :

- 7 Feb: $100 : His first birthday celebration after marriage
- 1 Mar: $300 : She gets a salary raise

- 20 Mar: $200 : Vacation to Bali
- 15 Apr: $2000 : She's pregnant!
- 1 Jun: $1000 : He gets the big promotion
and so on ...

However, as the years went by, they began fighting and arguing over trivial things. They didn't talk much. They regretted that they had married the most nasty person in the world...There was no more love.

One day she talked to her Mother. "Mom, we can't stand it anymore. We have decided to divorce. I can't imagine how I decided to marry this guy !"

Her mother replied, "Sure, that's no big deal. Just do whatever you want, if you really can't stand it. But before that, do one thing. Remember the savings passbook I gave you on your wedding day? Take out all money and spend it first. You shouldn't keep any record of such a poor marriage."

She agreed with her. So she went to the bank, and was waiting in the queue to cancel the account. While she was waiting, she took a look at the passbook record. She looked, and looked, and looked. Then the memory of all the previous joyful moments came back to her. Her eyes were filled with tears. She left and went home.

When she got home, she handed the passbook to him and asked him to spend the money before getting divorced.

So the next day, he went to the bank, and was waiting in the queue to cancel the account. While he was waiting, he took a look at the passbook record. He looked, and looked, and looked. Then the memory of all the previous joyful moments came back to him. His eyes were filled with tears. He left and went home.

He gave the passbook back to her. She found a new deposit of $5000. And a line next to the record : "This is the day I realized how much I've loved you throughout all these years. How much happiness you've brought me."

They hugged and cried, putting the passbook back into the safe.

Our Greatest Enemy

2011-01-11T06:00:00.002+07:00

When people discovered the iron, the trees began to worry about the fate of their future.

...

"Why is there an ax in this world for massacring the tree? Who created this destroyer devil tool?"

...

"If a tree does not provide the ax handle, how could a piece of iron hurt you so severely?"

...

The origin of misfortune can often be traced to oneself. In fact, our greatest enemy often is even ourselves.

...

"Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself."
(Dhammapada - 103)

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2011-01-05T07:00:00.000+07:00

When conflict and adversity arise,
always preserve a spacious heart.

***

Let go of all worries, only then will you appreciate
the happiness of a compassionate heart.

***

Nothing is impossible with confidence, perservance, and courage.

***

Only those who respect themselves have the courage to be humble.

***

The greater our generosity, the greater our blessings.

Thich Nhat Hanh

2011-01-01T07:00:00.000+07:00

Thích Nhất Hạnh (pronounced [tʰǐk ɲə̌t hâːˀɲ] (born October 11, 1926) is a Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist now based in France.

Thich Nhat Hanh was born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo in Thừa Thiên (Central Vietnam) in 1926. At the age of 16 he entered the monastery at Từ Hiếu Temple near Huế, Vietnam, where his primary teacher was Dhyana (meditation Zen) Master Thanh Quý Chân Thật. A graduate of Bao Quoc Buddhist Academy in Central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh received training in Zen and the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in 1949.

In 1956, he was named editor-in-chief of Vietnamese Buddhism, the periodical of the Unified Vietnam Buddhist Association (Giáo Hội Phật Giáo Việt Nam Thống Nhất). In the following years he founded Lá Bối Press, the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon, and the School of Youth for Social Service (SYSS), a neutral corps of Buddhist peaceworkers who went into rural areas to establish schools, build healthcare clinics, and help re-build villages.

Nhat Hanh is now recognized as a Dharmacharya and as the spiritual head of the Từ Hiếu Temple and associated monasteries.[1][12] On May 1, 1966 at Từ Hiếu Temple, Thich Nhat Hanh received the "lamp transmission", making him a Dharmacharya or Dharma Teacher, from Master Chân Thật

He joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, studied Buddhism as a novice, and was fully ordained as a monk in 1949. The name Thích is used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. In the early 1960s, he founded the School of Youth for Social Services (SYSS) in Saigon. This grassroots relief organization rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools, established medical centers, and resettled families left homeless during the Vietnam War. He traveled to the U.S. to study at Princeton University, and later to lecture at Cornell University and Columbia University. His focus at the time was to urge the U.S. government to withdraw from Vietnam. He urged Martin Luther King, Jr. to publicly oppose the Vietnam War; King nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1967. He created the (non-Zen) Order of Interbeing in 1966, establishing monastic and practice centers around the world. In 1973, the Vietnamese government denied Nhat Hanh permission to return to Vietnam and he went into exile in France. From 1976 to 1977 he led efforts to rescue Vietnamese boat people in the Gulf of Siam.

Nhat Hanh has become an important influence in the development of Western Buddhism. His teachings and practices aim to appeal to people from various religious, spiritual, and political backgrounds, intending to offer mindfulness practices for more Western sensibilities. As of 2007, he has been based at the Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He coined the term Engaged Buddhism in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. A long-term exile, he was given permission to make his first return trip to Vietnam in 2005 and has returned regularly since. He was awarded the Courage of Conscience award in 1991.

Nhat Hanh has published more than 100 books, including more than 40 in English. A journal for the Order of Interbeing, The Mindfulness Bell, is published quarterly which includes a Dharma talk by him. Nhat Hanh continues to be active in the peace movement, promoting non-violent solutions to conflict. He has also been featured in many films, including The Power of Forgiveness showcased at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival.

From Wikipedia

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2010-12-26T17:26:00.002+07:00

Be busy but happy, and tired but joyful.

***

It's fine to be busy: just don't let it get on your nerves.

***

To take on tough tasks, one must prepare to tough out complaints, and to be in charge is to be in for criticism. Yet complaints help foster compassion and patience, and criticism often holds golden advice.

***

Don't measure success and gain by wealth and rank: to benefit ourselves and others as best we can is all that matters.

***

Work swiftly, but don't tense up; relax your body and mind and never tighten up.

***

Work swiftly in an orderly fashion; never compete with time in a nervous flurry.

***

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-12-17T18:38:00.002+07:00

Remain soft-spoken and forgiving,
even when reason is on your side.

***

Enduring verbal abuse is also a kind of spiritual practice.

***

The most simple and ordinary life brings the most inner peace.

***

Do not close the door to our heart. By loving others we too will be loved.

***

A confused mind suffers agony; an enlightened mind feels at ease.

Kisa Gotami - The Mustard Seed

2010-12-08T08:00:00.002+07:00

THERE was a rich man who found his gold suddenly transformed into ashes; and he took to his bed and refused all food. A friend, hearing of his sickness, visited the rich man and learned the cause of his grief. And the friend said: "Thou didst not make good use of thy wealth."

When thou didst hoard it up it was not better than ashes. Now heed my advice. Spread mats in the bazaar; pile up these ashes, and pretend to trade with them." The rich man did as his friend had told him, and when his neighbors asked him, "Why sellest thou ashes?" he said: "I offer my goods for sale."

After some time a young girl, named Kisa Gotami, an orphan and very poor, passed by, and seeing the rich man in the bazaar, said: "My lord, why pilest thou thus up gold and silver for sale?" And the rich man said: "Wilt thou please hand me that gold and silver?" And Kisa Gotami took up a handful of ashes, and lo! they changed back into gold.

Considering that Kisa Gotami had the mental eye of spiritual knowledge and saw the real worth of things, the rich man gave her in marriage to his son, and he said: "With many, gold is no better than ashes, but with Kisa Gotami ashes become pure gold."

And Kisa Gotami had an only son, and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbors, asking them for medicine, and the people said: "She has lost her senses. The boy is dead. At length Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request: "I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can." The girl said: "Pray tell me, sir; who is it?" And the man replied: "Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha."

Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried: "Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy." The Buddha answered: "I want a handful of mustard-seed." And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added: "The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend." Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said: "Here is mustard-seed; take it!" But when she asked Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?" They answered her: "Alas the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief." And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside, watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished. And she thought to herself: "How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness."

Putting away the selfishness of her affection for her child, Kisa Gotami had the dead body buried in the forest. Returning to the Buddha, she took refuge in him and found comfort in the Dharma, which is a balm that will soothe all the pains of our troubled hearts.

The Buddha said: "The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals when born are always in danger of death. As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals. Both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall into the power of death; all are subject to death.

"Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations. Mark I while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world. In whatever manner people think a thing will come to pass, it is often different when it happens, and great is the disappointment; see, such are the terms of the world.

"Not from weeping nor from grieving will any one obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. People pass away, and their fate after death will be according to their deeds. If a man live a hundred years, or even more, he will at last be separated from the company of his relatives, and leave the life of this world. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed."

Sacred-Texts.com

How to Stay Young and Happy Always :-)

2010-12-05T08:00:00.000+07:00

1. Throw out nonessential numbers.
This includes age, weight, and height.
Let the doctors worry about them.. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.
(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

3. Keep learning:
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain get idle.
'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her!

6. The tears happen:
Endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself.
Live while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

And if you don't send this to at least four people - who cares?
But do share this with someone.

Four Things You Can't Recover in Life

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000+07:00

The stone.....after the throw !

The word.....after it's said!

The ocassion.....after the loss !

The time.....after it's gone !

Did anyone ever tell you just how special you are.

The light that you emit might even light a star

Did anyone ever tell you how important you make others feel.

Somebody out here is smiling, because of something you said or something you did !

Did anyone ever tell you that many times when they were sad your email made them smile. In fact, it made them glad...

Did anyone ever tell you just how much they like you.

Well, my dearest friend, today I am telling you !

I believe that without a friend you are missing out on a lot !

Have a nice day, and I'm glad we are friends!!!

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2010-11-25T07:00:00.001+07:00

A solid step forward speaks louder than a hundred empty, fair words.

***

The more weaknesses you discover in yourself, the faster you will develop, and the more self-confident you will be.

***

Keep your ears and eyes wide open, but mouth tight shut; be quick with your hands and legs, but slow to spend.

***

Only after encounters with hardships will one be roused to vigorous diligence.

***

Be a down-to-earth person with a broad mind; be a sure hand with piercing foresight.

***

Be busy without being disorganized, and weary without being dispirited.

***

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-11-15T07:00:00.001+07:00

True meditation is to calm the restless mind in everyday living.

***

With an equanimous mind,
reflect on the appearances
and voice
of all living beings.

***

If we are easily distracted
and do not pay
full attention
to the task at hand,
it will be difficult to
accomplish anything.

***

Sow the field of heart with good seeds.
One more seed of goodness means one fewer weed.

***

People always seek “to have”, but “to have” is actually to have misery.

New Interpretation of Chinese Legend "Turning An Iron Rod To A Needle"

2010-11-10T07:00:00.000+07:00

One day there was a mother who taught her son.

"Perseverance is the foundation of success. Whatever may be accomplished as long as you are really keen to do it."

"Provided that you are diligent, an iron rod can be ground down to become a embroidery needle."

Twenty years later...

"Look ! The iron rod become a needle now. This proves that as long as you have perseverance, no ambitious goals that can not be achieved."

"Mother, you devote your precious youth, but mother only gets a small needle."

There is nothing wrong with turning a iron rod to a needle...but a small yield for a large investment is not commensurate.

From Heart Sutra, Illustrated & interpreted by Tsai Chih Chung

Inspirational Song : One Moment In Time

2010-11-05T07:00:00.001+07:00

Each day I live
I want to be
A day to give
The best of me
I'm only one
But not alone
My finest day
Is yet unknown

I broke my heart
Fought every gain
To taste the sweet
I face the pain
I rise and fall
Yet through it all
This much remains

I want one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

I've lived to be
The very best
I want it all
No time for less
I've laid the plans
Now lay the chance
Here in my hands

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time
Make it shine

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will be
I will be
I will be free
I will be
I will be free

A Song Lyrics Performed by Whitney Houston

Children Learn What They Live

2010-11-01T07:00:00.002+07:00

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.

If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.

If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.

If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.

If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.

If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.

If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.

With what is your child living?

by Dorothy Law Nolte

Non-Attachment

2010-10-27T20:51:00.004+07:00

Two Zen monks, Tanzan and Ekido, traveling on pilgrimage, came to a muddy river crossing. There they saw a lovely young woman dressed in her kimono and finery, obviously not knowing how to cross the river without ruining her clothes.

Without further ado, Tanzan graciously picked her up, held her close to him, and carried her across the muddy river, placing her onto the dry ground.

Then he and Ekido continued on their way. Hours later they found themselves at a lodging temple. And here Ekido could no longer restrain himself and gushed forth his complaints: “Surely, it is against the rules, what you did back there. Touching a woman is simply not allowed. How could you have done that? And to have such close contact with her! This is a violation of all monastic protocol.”

Thus he went on with his verbiage. Tanzan listened patiently to the accusations. Finally, during a pause, he said, “Look, I set that girl down back at the crossing. Are you still carrying her?”

(Based on an autobiographical story by Japanese Zen Master Tanzan, 1819-1892)

Return The Basket

2010-10-21T17:58:00.009+07:00

One day there was a couple who lived in the same house with husband's father. His father is very fussy, sensitive, and never stopped complaining. Finally this couple decided to get rid of his father.

The husband put his father into a basket which was draped around his shoulders. When he would leave the house, his son who was only ten year old came and asked, "Daddy, where will Grandpa be taken to?"

The father replied that he intended to take the grandfather to the mountain so that the grandfather could learn to live alone.

The boy was silent. But by the time his father had passed, the boy shouted, "Daddy, do not forget to bring home the basket."

His father thought it was strange, so he stopped and asked why. The boy replied, "I need it to take father to maountain later when father turns old."

The father brought back his grandfather. Since then, the couple take care his father with full attention and fulfill all his needs.

Adages of Wisdom by Master Sheng Yen

2010-10-07T19:35:00.002+07:00

Pursue only what you can and should acquire. Never pursue what you can't and shouldn't acquire.

***

Gratitude can make us grow, and the resolve to return favors can help us succeed.

***

Feel thankful for the chances to hone ourselves: both good and ill fortune are our benefactors.

***

When good things happen, we should rejoice in, praise, encourage, and then learn from them in modesty.

***

To criticize less and praise more is a good way to avoid creating negative karma of speech.

***

An ordinary mind is a mind of utmost freedom and unsurpassed joy.

***

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-10-05T09:00:00.001+07:00

If we are not
attached to outcomes
then we will not
suffer from the pain
of fallen expectations.

***

Only by undergoing
the trials and challenges
of human affairs
do we become
strong and resilient.

***

To a beautiful heart,
Everything appears beautiful.

***

Taking a step back
to accommodate others
refines our character
and nurtures
spiritual growth

***

It is better to speak less, and best to speak kindly.

***

Live In The Moment - That Is Why It's Called "The Present" !

2010-09-09T20:09:00.008+07:00

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent? Of course !

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow".

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR,
ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH,
ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK,
ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR,
ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE,
ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND,
ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND,
ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have ! And treasure it more because you shared it
with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present !

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-09-02T18:38:00.002+07:00

Learn to be agreeable,
learn to be humble,
but don’t learn to
resolve matters
with your fists.
In showing gratitude,
we become
a more beautiful person.

***

The more we give,
the more we accomplish.

***

It is more of a blessing
to serve others than to be served.

***

Melt away all barriers and obstacles with love.
With love in our heart, there is nothing we cannot overcome.

***

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2010-08-26T17:29:00.003+07:00

Try to cultivate this attitude in life: if I can have what I want, that's good; if I can't, that's fine too. This will help us turn our suffering into joy, and live a happier life.

***

To uplift our character, begin with cultivating peace in mind, body, family, and activity.

***

In dealing with your heart's desire, ask yourself these questions: Do I need it, or do I want it? Can I acquire it? Should I acquire it?

***

To get along with others, we must feel grateful for events that help us grow, feel thankful for chances to hone ourselves, reform ourselves through the Dharma, and inspire others through exemplary behavior.

***

When faced with any difficulty of life, resolve it by following these four steps: face it, accept it, deal with it, and then let it go.

***

To increase our blessings we need to recognize blessings, cherish blessings, nurture blessings, and sow the seeds of blessings.

***

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-08-03T20:15:00.002+07:00

Let our state of mind
always remain positive
no matter what we hear.

***

Nothing is impossible
if you believe it is achievable.

***

Believe in yourself, but do not be attached
to your own point of view.

***

In the face of adversity, be grateful,
For such opportunities do not come by easily.

***

The process of spiritual cultivation is to nurture virtue
and rectify conduct and behavior.

***

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2010-07-25T19:06:00.004+07:00

For those who can take things on and let them go in peace,
every year is an auspicious year.
For those who can sow with wisdom the seeds of blessings,
every day is a good day.

***

To take on anything, one must first be able to let go.
One is truly free who can take on and let go of anything in peace.

***

Know yourself and others, and the ways of the world,
so as to have a peaceful body and mind.
Recognize, cherish, and nurture your blessings, and
seize every chance to be of service.

***

Maintain a relaxed body and mind, and meet and greet with a smile.
Relaxation enhances physical and mental health, and
a smiling face promotes friendship.

***

Cultivate a big heart, but a small ego

***

Before you open your mouth to speak,
think twice and chew your words carefully.
The point is not to hold your peace,
but to speak with discretion and prudence.

***

Grand Master Hsing Yun

2010-07-15T20:40:00.005+07:00

Hsing Yun (Traditional Chinese : 星雲大師; Hanyu Pinyin: Xīngyún Dàshī) (born July 22, 1927) is a well-known Buddhist monk, as well as an important figure in modern reformation of Mahayana Buddhism in Taiwan and China.

Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order and the affiliated Buddha's Light International Association, one of the largest international Buddhist organizations in the world and one of the few Mainland teachers still teaching abroad today.

Hsing Yun is a forty-eighth generation lineage holder of the Linji Chan (Rinzai Zen) school through Master Zhi Kai, his teacher. He served as the first, second and third term director and abbot of the order before resigning his position in 1985.

Hsing Yun is known for his "Humanistic Buddhism" philosophy employed by the Fo Guang Shan order, which utilizes Buddhism to fit the needs of a modern world. He is credited by Buddhist scholars as one of the forefront leaders in modern reformation of Buddhism by opening monasteries, universities and schools around the world, as well as engaging in religious dialogue amongst other Buddhist sects and religious faiths.

In Taiwan, Hsing Yun is also notable for his activity in politics, particularly pro-China views and government legislation, and is often criticized for his views by those in favor of Taiwanese independence, political pundits and conservative Buddhists and religious figures. He was a figure of interest during the 1996 United States finance scandal involving then-U.S. Vice President Al Gore and a visit to Hsi Lai Temple, the U.S. branch of Hsing Yun's organization.

Early life

Hsing Yun was born on July 22, 1927 in Jiangsu province in China under the name Li Guoshen (李國深). He was the third of four children, with an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. His father left home to do business and was never heard from again. When his mother, who was a faithful Buddhist herself, was desperately searching for her husband, he went to Nanjing. By chance, he came across a monk at Qixia Monastery. The host monastic asked young Li if he wanted to become a monastic, to which Li immediately answered "yes". At that time during Li's childhood, a civil war was ensuing and living conditions were harsh, which may have been a cursor for Li's tonsure at a young age. The host monastic requested that Li could be tonsured under Zhi Kai, the abbot of the monastery, therefore, Zhi Kai would be his master. At the age of twelve, young Li was tonsured. He was ordained under two dharma names, one to be used publicly and another for lineage purposes; Jinjue (今覺, to be enlightened today), and Wuche (悟徹, realization of enlightenment).

In 1941, Jinjue was fully ordained and went on to formal monastic training at Qixia Vinaya School and transferred to Chiao-Shan Buddhist College in 1945. One day, when Jinjue was still a student at Jiao-Shan Buddhist College, he happened to stumble onto the word "Nebula" in the dictionary, read as Xīngyún in Chinese. Jinjue admired the infiniteness and boundlessness of these nebulas and wished that he could shed light on darkness and be as free and unbound as clouds and stars. Out of necessity and for safety issues, when Jinjue needed a new identification card after China's victory over Japan, he gave himself the dharma name of Hsing Yun (spelled in Wade Giles pinyin).

He left the college at the age of twenty to become a principal at an elementary school in Yixing, a small town not far from Nanjing, where he learned about administration and interpersonal coordination skills. As mainland China was enmeshed in civil war, he left his home in 1949 to head for Taiwan. He began to propagate Dharma around the age of 31 to 40 at Ilan, thus beginning his writing career. In 1949, Hsing Yun wrote his first book, "Singing in Silence", the first stepping stone in his writing career. In later years, he founded several Buddhist publications, was promoted as editor-in-chief for many Buddhist periodicals and newsletters for various temples, wrote articles for major Taiwanese newsletters, and composed scripts for radio broadcast stations. In 1955, he published one of the first hardback biographies of the Buddha.

Achievements
In the 1950s, Hsing Yun taught numerous classes, built many schools for children, recorded the first Buddhist hymns, and was promoted as an executive in many Buddhist associations. In 1957, Hsing Yun established a Buddhist cultural center in which a variety of Buddhist books are published with training tools such as audio and visual aids. In 1959, Hsing Yun also supported the Tibetan movement against communist suppression, and organized the first float parade in celebration of Wesak in Taiwan.

Hsing Yun was one of eight venerables who proposed the semiannual World Buddhist Forum in China in 2004, a suggestion that won support from Buddhist circles in countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Interreligious Exchange
Roman Catholic Church
In 1997, Hsing Yun was invited to a Cross-century Religious Dialogue with Pope John Paul II. Under the invitation of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican, Hsing Yun met with the Pope to promote inter-religious exchange between the two parties and to pray for world peace. On June 21, 2006, Hsing Yun met John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, in a general audience at St. Peter's Basilica. During the meeting, Benedict XVI expressed his best regards for the Taiwanese and said he will pray for them. The Pope also expressed the hope of meeting the Taiwanese people.

Involvement in Politics
Hsing Yun has openly involved himself with Taiwanese and Chinese politics, and is a prominent supporter of the One China policy. For example, in 2009 Hsing Yun exclaimed that there are "no Taiwanese" and that "all Taiwanese are Chinese" during the second World Buddhist Forum. He has also encouraged reconciliation between China and the Dalai Lama.

Source : Wikipedia

Master Sheng Yen

2010-07-11T06:39:00.001+07:00

Sheng-yen (聖嚴; Pinyin: Shèngyán, birth name Zhang Baokang, 張寳康) (January 3, 1930 – February 3, 2009) was a Buddhist monk, a religious scholar, and one of the mainstream teachers of Chinese Chan (Japanese: Zen) Buddhism. He was the 57th generational descendant of Linji in the Linji (Japanese: Rinzai) School and a 3rd generational descendant of Master Hsu Yun. In the Caodong (Japanese: Soto) lineage, Sheng Yen was the 52nd generational descendant of Master Dongshan (807-869), and the direct descendant of Master Dongchu (1908-1977).

Sheng-yen was the founder of the Dharma Drum Mountain, a Buddhist organization based in Taiwan. During his time in Taiwan, Sheng Yen was well known as one of the progressive Buddhist teachers who sought to teach Buddhism in a modern and Western-influenced world.

In Taiwan, he was one of four prominent modern Buddhist masters, along with Masters Hsing Yun, Cheng Yen and Wei Chueh. In 2000 he was one of the keynote speakers in the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held in the United Nations.

Biography
Born near Shanghai in mainland China, he became a Buddhist monk at the age of 13. In order to escape religious persecution from the People's Republic of China, he went to Taiwan in 1949 by enlisting in a unit of the Nationalist Army out of necessity. He became a monk again in 1959 and from 1961 to 1968 he trained in solitary retreat in southern Taiwan. He then completed a master's degree (1971) and doctorate (1975) in Buddhist literature at Rissho University in Japan.

He became abbot of Nong Chan Monastery in Taiwan in 1979 and founder of the Institute of Chung-Hwa Buddhist Culture in New York City in 1980. In 1985, he founded the Institute of Chung-Hwa Buddhist Studies in Taipei and the International Cultural and Educational Foundation of Dharma Drum Mountain in 1989.

He taught in the United States starting in 1975, and established Chan Meditation Center in Queens, New York, and its retreat center outside New York. He established Dharma Drum Retreat Center at Pine Bush, New York in 1995. He also visited many countries in Europe, as well as continuing his teaching in several Asian countries, in particular Taiwan. In this way his work helped to bridge East and West and convey the Dharma to the West. He was known as a skillful teacher who helped many of his students to reach enlightenment mostly through meditation. Sheng-yen gave dharma transmission to several of his lay Western students, such as John Crook. Later on, John Crook, and several other Western disciples of Master Sheng-yen, such as Simon Child, Max Kalin, and Zarko Andricevic, formed the Western Chan Fellowship.

Sheng Yen's health was poor in the last couple years of his life, although he still gave lectures at several retreats in Taiwan. He declined a kidney transplant, stating that he did not expect to live for long, and he would rather save the chance for others who need it.

Death
Sheng Yen died from renal failure on February 3, 2009, while returning from National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. In accordance with East Asian age reckoning methods, the Dharma Drum Mountain organization states that Sheng Yen died at the age of 80. Officially, according to the Western way of reckoning age, Sheng Yen died at the age of 79.

Hours after his death, tributes from eminent Buddhist monks and Taiwanese politicians and celebrities, including President Ma Ying-jeou, Vice President Vincent Siew, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, kung fu star Jet Li, and actress Brigitte Lin, began to pour into Dharma Drum Mountain monastery. As stipulated in his will, Sheng Yen forbade the use of extravagant funeral services, including the construction of memorials or monuments. Sheng Yen received a simple Buddhist ritual attended by the President and dignitaries, and was buried in the Life Memorial Garden near the monastery. His ashes were divided into five sections, with each section filled by the Abbot, senior disciples, President Ma, Vice President Siew, and other laity.

Source : Wikipedia

Adages of Wisdom Quotes by Master Sheng Yen

2010-07-10T17:49:00.003+07:00

Our needs are few;
our wants are many.

***

To be grateful and repay kindness - this is first;
to benefit others is to benefit ourselves.

***

Devote wholehearted effort without
calculating who does or gains more.

***

Kindness and compassion have no enemies;
wisdom engenders no vexations.

***

The busy make the most of time;
the diligent enjoy the best of health.

***

Those who give selflessly are blessed;
those who do good deeds are happy.

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-07-02T18:05:00.006+07:00

Those who make
good use of time
will be able to
steer themselves
in the direction they
should go.

***

Be grateful when people
try to hold you back,
for without them,
you would not develop
the strength
that enables you
to move forward.

***

Practice mindfulness in your daily life.
A mind free of wandering thoughts develops inner strength.

***

Be forgiving towards others, be discreet in your speech.

***

Life becomes meaningful when we shoulder responsibilities.
Avoiding responsibilities makes our life empty.

***

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-06-01T19:51:00.001+07:00

Getting angry is actually to punish yourself
With other people’s mistakes.

***

Giving will reap the greatest harvest.

***

Do not underestimate yourself,
Everyone has unlimited potential.

***

Let go of all attachment, only then will you receive.

***

Those who sow the seeds of
blessings shall harvest plentiful blessings.

***

Inspiring People - Oprah Winfrey

2010-05-17T13:11:00.001+07:00

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American television host, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century and beyond, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.

Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, including being raped at the age of nine and becoming pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19.

Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated.

Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claims broke 20th century taboos and allowed LGBT people to enter the mainstream.

By the mid 1990s she had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. Though criticized for unleashing confession culture and promoting controversial self-help fads, she is generally admired for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others. In 2006 she became an early supporter of Barack Obama and one analysis estimates she delivered over a million votes in the close 2008 Democratic primary race, an achievement for which the governor of Illinois considered offering her a seat in the U.S. senate.

Philanthropy
In 1998, Winfrey began Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others. Accordingly, Oprah's Angel Network supports charitable projects and provides grants to nonprofit organizations around the world that share this vision. To date, Oprah's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 ($1 million of which was donated by Jon Bon Jovi). Winfrey personally covers all administrative costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised go to charity programs.

Although Winfrey's show is known for raising money through her public charity and the cars and gifts she gives away on TV are often donated by corporations in exchange for publicity, behind the scenes Winfrey personally donates more of her own money to charity than any other show-business celebrity in America. In 2005 she became the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America's top 50 most generous philanthropists, having given an estimated $303 million. Winfrey was the 32nd most philanthropic. She has also been repeatedly ranked as the most philanthropic celebrity.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah asked her viewers to open their hearts—and they did. As of September 2006, donations to the Oprah Angel Network Katrina registry total more than $11 million. Homes have been built in four states—Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama—before the one year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Winfrey also matched her viewers' donations by personally giving $10 million to the cause.

Winfrey has also helped 250 African-American men continue or complete their education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Winfrey was the recipient of the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2002 Emmy Awards for services to television and film.

To celebrate two decades on national TV, and to thank her employees for their hard work, Winfrey took her staff and their families (1065 people in total) on vacation to Hawaii in the summer of 2006.

Animal rights activism
Winfrey was named as the '2008 Person of the Year' by animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). According to PETA, Winfrey uses her fame and listening audience to help the less fortunate, including animals. PETA praised Winfrey for using her talk show to uncover horrific cases of cruelty to animals in puppy mills and on factory farms, and Winfrey even used the show to highlight the cruelty-free vegan diet that she tried. Winfrey also refuses to wear fur or feature it in her magazine.

Inspiring prosocial behavior
Since the mid 1990s, Winfrey's show has emphazied uplifting and inspirational topics and themes. A scientific study by psychological scientists at the University of Cambridge, University of Plymouth, and University of California discovered that simply watching an uplifting clip on the Oprah Winfrey show caused subjects in their experiment to become twice as helpful as subjects assigned to watch a British comedy or nature documentary. The authors of the study concluded that "by eliciting elevation, even brief exposure to other individuals' prosocial behavior motivates altruism, thus potentially providing an avenue for increasing the general level of prosociality in society."

Source : Wikipedia

Inspiring People - Ajahn Brahm

2010-05-16T12:55:00.004+07:00

Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera (known to most as Ajahn Brahm) was born Peter Betts in London, United Kingdom on 7 August 1951. Currently Brahm is the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, in Serpentine, Western Australia, the Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Spiritual Adviser to the Buddhist Society of Victoria, Spiritual Adviser to the Buddhist Society of South Australia, Spiritual Patron of the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore, and Spiritual Patron of the Bodhikusuma Centre in Sydney.

Early life
Peter Betts came from a working-class background and went to Latymer Upper School. He won a scholarship to study Theoretical physics at Cambridge University in the late 1960s. After graduating from Cambridge he taught in high school for one year before traveling to Thailand to become a monk and train with the Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana Mahathera.

Brahm was ordained in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three by the Abbot of Wat Saket. He subsequently spent nine years studying and training in the forest meditation tradition under Ajahn Chah.

Achievements
Whilst still a junior monk, Brahm was asked to undertake the compilation of an English-language guide to the Buddhist monastic code - the vinaya - which later became the basis for monastic discipline in many Theravadan monasteries in Western countries. Currently Brahm is the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, in Serpentine, Western Australia,[2] the Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Spiritual Adviser to the Buddhist Society of Victoria, Spiritual Adviser to the Buddhist Society of South Australia, Spiritual Patron of the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore, Spiritual Patron of the Bodhikusuma Centre in Sydney.

In October 2004, Brahm was awarded the John Curtin Medal for his vision, leadership and service to the Australian community by Curtin University.

Publications
* Opening the Door of Your Heart: And Other Buddhist Tales of Happiness. Also published as Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties. (2005). Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-278-1
* Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook. (2006). Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-275-7

Source : Wikipedia

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-05-05T18:54:00.003+07:00

Because seeing virtue in others is in itself a virtue,
In appreciating others, we in fact dignify ourselves.

***

Every single day is like a blank page of our life.
Every person we meet, every event we participate in is a lively essay.

***

We need to overcome difficulties,
not be overcome by them.

***

Every achievement grows out of the seed of determination.

***

Use wisdom to contemplate the meaning of life.
Use resolve to otganize the time you are given.

Don't Be Angry - Inspirational Wisdom Words From Classical Chinese Poem

2010-05-01T19:41:00.004+07:00

Life is actually quite like a drama;
Destiny wills that a couple shall meet.

Taxingly support each other till they are old;
Treasure the companionship all the more.

Losing temper just for some trivial matter;
Think it over and that’s no big deal.

Other people get angry but I stay calm;
For anger brings illness to no one’s pity.

There’s no winner if I fume in anger;
And anger saps both my energy and strength.

Don’t compare your lot with neighbours and friends;
Don’t envy the good fortune of other people.

Lament no more the decline of filial piety;
Bother no more with children’s trifles.

Bandying no words you’ll be free from worry,
Tolerating a bit longer you’ll be happy as gods.

Hachiko's Movie Reviews - An Inspirational Story About Loyalty and Unconditional Love

2010-04-24T15:09:00.005+07:00

The movie "Hachiko : A Dog's Story" is based on a 1987 Japanese movie, which in turn is based on a true story that took place in first half of the 20th century in Japan, behind a bronze statue of an Akita dog just outside of Shibuya Train Station in Tokyo, Japan. This is a simple but heart warming tale about Love and Loyalty.

Hachiko : A Dog's Story, released in August 2009, is an American movie starred by actor Richard Gere, directed by Lasse Hallström. The movie was filmed in Rhode Island, and also featured Joan Allen and Jason Alexander.

Hachiko : A Dog's Story movie reviews :
The movie starts with a young boy telling the story of a dog which belongs to his grandfather, a professor who commutes to work by train everyday. The dog will walk with him to the train station everyday and return to wait for him to return home everyday.

One day, the professor (starred by Richard Gere) had a heart attack and never return home. Hachi is given to the professor's daughter but he escape to return to the train station to wait for his late master to return. His where abouts in the day time is unknown, but everyday at 5:00pm he will wait at the station hoping that his master will appear. This continues for 10 years till he pass away.

The simple act of waiting touches many. In the original version of events, the Professor's former student returned frequently to visit the dog and over the years published several articles about Hachikō's remarkable loyalty. In 1932 one of these articles, published in Tokyo's largest newspaper, threw the dog into the national spotlight. Hachikō's faithfulness to his master's memory impressed the people of Japan. Teachers and parents used Hachikō's vigil as an example for children to follow. A well-known Japanese artist rendered a sculpture of the dog. Eventually, Hachikō's legendary faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty.

A moving movie for the whole family. A great starting point to talk to children about pets, death and loyalty.

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2010-04-16T18:52:00.004+07:00

The hardest thing
for people to see
is themselves.

***

Tranquility is beauty.
Equanimity is joy.

***

When we are irritated by others, it is actually because
we are still lacking in graciousness.

***

When doing something, instead of worrying
or being vexed about it, we should just be mindful.

***

A frown and a smile are both possible,
Why not smile ?

Daddy, May I Please Borrow $10 ?

2010-04-08T18:45:00.007+07:00

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

Son : "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

Dad : "Yeah sure, what it is?" replied the man.

Son : "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

Dad : "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

Son : "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"

Dad : "If you must know, I make $20 an hour."

Son : "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.

Son : "May I please borrow $10?"

The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down and started to think :

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" he asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money and started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $20 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours... But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Source : www.greatdad.com

When I Turn Old

2010-04-01T23:59:00.009+07:00

◆When I turn old, I am not the original me: Please understand me and have patience with me.

◆When I drip gravy all over my clothes, when I forget to tie my shoelaces: Please remember how I taught you what not to do, and how to do many things by hand.

◆When I repeatedly tell you things that youre tired of hearing: please be patient and listen to me. Please dont interrupt me. When you were young, I told you the same story over and over again until you were sound asleep.

◆When I need you to help me bathe: Please dont scold me. Do you still remember how when you were small I had to coax you to have a bath?

◆When I dont understand new technology: Please dont laugh at me or mock me. Please think how I used to be so patient with you to answer your every why.

◆When my two legs are tired and I cannot walk anymore: Please stretch out your powerful hands to lend me a hand, just like when you were a baby learning to walk I held both your hands.

◆When I suddenly forget what subject we are discussing: Please give me a little time to recollect. Actually, it does not matter what we are talk about; as long as you are by my side, I am so contented and happy already.

◆When you see the old me, please dont be sad: Please understand me and support me, just like how I was with you when you were young and were just learning to face life. At the beginning, I guided you to the path of life. Now I ask you to keep me company to finish this last leg of my life. Give me your love and patience, I will give you a grateful smile, and crystallized in this smile is my endless love for you.

A Man With Four Wives

2010-03-14T09:42:00.006+07:00

A successful man in his life, had four wives. When he was dying, he called his fourth wife, the most recent and the most young to his bedside.

"Lovely," said the man, lured by her legendary figure, "in a couple of days I will die. After death, I would be lonely without you. Will you come with me? "

"No," replied the famous girl. "I'll stay here. I will pray at your funeral, but no more than that. And he hurried out of her husband's room.

His wife's rejection is like a stab in the heart of the man. He has devoted so much attention to his youngest wife. He was so proud of her that he was always picked as the best in any important event. His fourth wife had given dignity to the man in his old age. Surprising to find the fact that his wife had no love for the love he gave her.

However, he still had three other wives, so he called his third wife whom he married when she was middle-aged. He has fought so hard to hook his third wife. He loved his third wife who had given him much happiness. She was an attractive woman coveted by all men, she is a very loyal woman. She gave the man a sense of security.

"Sweetie," said the man, "soon I will die. After death, I would be lonely without you. Will you come with me?

"Absolutely not!" Said the young exciting woman, with a style of business. "How could be like that. I will hold a lavish funeral for you, but after the ceremony I will go with your son."

His third wife's infidelity plan makes him shaken to the bone marrow, he drove the third wife and called his second wife.

He has long lived with his second wife. She was not very attractive, but she was always at her husband's side, to help him solve problems and provide invaluable advice. She is the most trusted friend.

"My love," said the man, staring into her eyes, "I'll die soon. After death, I would be lonely without you. Will you come with me? "

"Forgive me," said the second wife with regret, "I can not go with you. I'll stay until the grave side, but no more than that. "

The old man's heart crushed by the repeatedly rejection. He called his first wife who he always seems to know forever. He had ignored her for the most recent years, especially after he met with his compelling third wife and his fourth famous wife. But his first wife is really important to him, who worked with silence from behind the scenes. He felt bad when he saw her so shabby and thin.

"My dear," he said in a pleading tone, "I'll die soon. After death, I would be lonely without you. Will you come with me? "

"Of course I'll go with you," replied the first wife steadily. "I will always be with you from one life to another."

The first wife is karma. The second wife is the family. The third wife was the wealth. The fourth wife is fame.

Read the story once again, now you know about the four wives. Which wife is the most valuable to be maintained? Which one will go with you when you die?

Living In A Grateful World

2010-03-04T19:46:00.006+07:00

Be grateful to those who have hurted or harmed you,
For they have reinforced your determination.

Be grateful to those who have deceived you,
For they have deepened your sight.

Be grateful to those who have hit you,
For they have reduced your karmic obstacles.

Be grateful to those who have abandoned you,
For they have taught you to be independent.

Be grateful to those who have made you stumble,
For they have strengthened your ability.

Be grateful to those who have denounced you,
For they have increased your wisdom & concentration.

Be grateful to those who have made you Firm & Resolute & Helped in your Achievement.

From the teachings of Ven. Master Chin Kung

Source : Buddhachannel.tv

THE FOURTEEN LIFE GUIDANCE FOR HUMAN BEING

2009-10-14T11:58:00.004+07:00

1. LIFE'S GREATEST ENEMY IS ONESELF

2. LIFE'S GREATEST FAILURE IS ARROGANT

3. LIFE'S GREATEST IGNORANCE IS DUPE

4. LIFE'S GREATEST SORROW IS JEALOUSY

5. LIFE'S GREATEST ERRONEOUS IS SELF-ABANDON

6. LIFE'S GREATEST SIN IS TO DECEIVE ONESELF

7. LIFE'S GREATEST PITIABLE DISPOSITION IS SELF-ABASED

8. LIFE'S GREATEST ADMIRATION IS CHOICE OF ADVANCING

9. LIFE'S GREATEST INSOLVENT IS DESPAIR

10.LIFE'S GREATEST WEALTH IS HEALTHINESS

11.LIFE'S GREATEST LIABILITIES IS A DEBT OF HUMAN SYMPATHY

12.LIFE'S GREATEST GIFT IS FORGIVENESS

13.LIFE'S GREATEST IMPERFECTION IS MELANCHOLY WISDOM

14.LIFE'S GREATEST GRATIFICATION IS ALMS

Jing Si Aphorism - Inspirational Wisdom Quotes by Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2009-10-10T15:39:00.004+07:00

Having no inclination
to think in a negative way,
all that we hear will be helpful and
constructive to us

***

Weeds do not easily grow
in a field
planted with vegetables.
Evil dos not easily arise
in a heart
filled with goodness.

***

How can we
expect to accomplish
the big things
if we don’t do
the little things?

***

Stopping halfway is,
in truth,
more difficult and tiring
than persevering
on the path toward
the final goal.

***

To forgive others is in fact being kind to ourselves.

Inspirational Wisdom About Wealth

2009-09-28T11:59:00.011+07:00

Master Hsing Yun tells a story about someone who experienced severe sickness that kept gold bars in the cellar.

For more than 30 years, the gold bars were not touched. Then one day, someone had opened the cellar door and found that the gold was gone. Shocked because the warehouse was empty almost makes the old man died. To comfort him, a neighbor asked, "Did you ever spend some of the gold?"

"Absolutely not!" he replied curtly.

"So, you had not ever touched some of the gold for these years?"

"Never!" the old man replied.

"Okay, do not worry about them," the neighbor said, "I'll give you some bricks, wrapped, and placed in storage under your land. Bricks that can be used as a substitute for the lost gold! Why grieve over something you never use for?"

Hsing Yun's story illustrates an understanding that "wealth is a blessing, knowing how to use the wealth is wisdom." It is not the people who do not appreciate the wealth or miserly person called wise. Having wealth is fun but can use it for the benefit of others is the true joy of riches.

Often, the property comes in many forms in our lives: the stamina and health, grateful and contentment, meaningful life, peace and security for loved ones, the good spirit ... all of them are forms of wealth that we deserve respect and develop.

Source : Book ”Handing Down The Light” – Master Hsing Yun’s Biography
---Fu Chiying (Chinese Edition), Amy Liu Ma (English Edition)

Inspiration Quotes While Facing Difficulty

2009-09-26T17:09:00.000+07:00

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield but to my own strength. Let me not cave in.”

---Rabindranath Tagore

Source : thinkexist.com

'Tis easy enough to be pleasant, When life flows along like a song; But the man worth while is the one who will smile when everything goes dead wrong.

---Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Source : brainyquotes.com

Thomas Alva Edison

2009-09-25T16:54:00.009+07:00

Introduction
Thomas Alva Edison is one of America's most famous inventors. Edison saw huge change take place in his lifetime. He was responsible for making many of those changes occur. His inventions created and contributed to modern night lights, movies, telephones, records and CDs. Edison was truly a genius.

Edison is most famous for his development of the first electric light bulb. When Edison was born, electricity had not been developed. By the time he died, entire cities were lit by electricity. Much of the credit for electricity goes to Edison.

Some of his inventions were improvements on other inventions, like the telephone. Some of his inventions he deliberately tried to invent, like the light bulb and the movie projector. But some inventions he stumbled upon, like the phonograph.

Of all his inventions, Edison was most proud of the phonograph. Edison invented and improved upon things that transformed our world. Some things he invented by himself.

Some things he invented with other people. Just about all his inventions are things we still use in some form today. Throughout his life, Edison tried to invent things that everyone could use.

Edison created the world's first "invention factory". He and his partners invented, built and shipped the product - all in the same complex. This was a new way to do business. Today many businesses have copied Edison's invention factory design.

A business friend once asked Edison about the secret to his success. Edison replied, "Genius is hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense". But his "common sense" was very uncommon. More patents were issued to Edison than have been issued to any other single person in U.S. history: 1,093.

Early Life
Thomas Edison was born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the seventh and last child of Samuel Edison, Jr. and Nancy Elliot Edison. His parents had no special mechanical background. His mother was a former schoolteacher; his father was a jack-of-all-trades - from running a grocery store to real-estate. When Thomas was seven years old, his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. He was a very curious child who asked a lot of questions.

The Education of Thomas Edison
Edison began school in Port Huron, Michigan when he was seven. His teacher, the Reverend G. B. Engle considered Thomas to be a dull student. Thomas especially did not like math. And he asked too many questions. The story goes that the teacher whipped students who asked questions. After three months of school, the teacher called Thomas, "addled," which means confused or mixed up. Thomas stormed home.

The next day, Nancy Edison brought Thomas back to school to talk with Reverend Engle. The teacher told his mother that Thomas couldn't learn. Nancy also became angry at the teacher's strict ways. She took Thomas out of school and decided to home-school him. It appears he briefly attended two more schools. However, his school attendance was not very good. So nearly all his childhood learning took place at home.

Edison Loved to Read
Edison's parents loved to read. They read to him works of good literature and history. They had many books that young Tom eagerly devoured. Before he was 12, he had read works by Dickens and Shakespeare, Edward Gibbon's Fall of the Roman Empire and Decline, and more.

Nancy Edison encouraged her curious son to learn things for himself. His parents were dedicated to teaching their children. They did not force him to learn about things he didn't enjoy. So he learned about things that interested him the most.

When Thomas was nine Nancy Edison gave him an elementary science book. It explained how to do chemistry andexhaust systems experiments at home. Edison did every experiment in the book. Then Nancy gave him more books on science. He soon loved chemistry and spent all his spare money buying chemicals from a local pharmacy. He collected bottles, wires, and other items for experiments.

At age 10, Thomas built his first science laboratory in the basement of the family's home. His father disapproved of all the time Thomas spent in the basement. Sometimes Sam offered a penny to Thomas if he would go back to reading books. But Thomas often used his pennies to buy more chemicals for experiments. He labeled all his bottles "Poison".

It is Okay to Fail?
Edison thought of disasters as learning opportunities. One time his lab stove went out in the dead of winter. Many expensive chemicals froze. Another time unprotected chemicals were damaged by sunlight. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Edison stopped all other projects and thought of ways to solve the problem. He learned to change the makeup of some of the chemicals.

Some historians believe Edison learned his positive attitude from his energetic father. Sam Edison was not afraid to take risks and he never gave up when a business project failed. Sam Edison brushed himself off and started a new business. This positive message of persistence may have been why Edison learned it's okay to fail.

One challenge that Edison failed at was the invention of an undersea telegraph. Edison designed a laboratory model of a transatlantic cable. But the rumble of traffic outdoors shook the equipment so much they couldn't complete the experiments. Edison finally abandoned this project.

But what ruined Edison's underwater telegraph experiments - noise vibrations and sound waves - is what made his telephone experiments work. He learned things from the undersea telegraph experiments that could help Alexander Graham Bell improve the telephone.

Why was Edison a Genius?
• Edison believed in hard work and determination.
• Work habits. Edison sometimes worked twenty hours a day.
• He was very good at bringing people together to make an inventing team.
• He was able to reason with many different people.
• He encouraged creativity in his employees.
• He knew a lot about what his competitors were working on.
• He almost never worked on any invention that wasn't already being worked on by several other people.
• One of his biggest strengths - Perseverance. He never gave up. This idea is captured in his famous statement, "Invention is ninety-nine percent perspiration, and one percent inspiration."
• Failure did not stop him. Edison rarely got discouraged when experiments didn't work out. A failed experiment shifted his thinking in different directions.
• He was able to solve problems and learn from failure.
• Attitude. He saw every failure as a success. The story goes that he failed 10,000 times in his storage battery experiments. But Edison said, "Why, I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Edison was a home-schooled, self-educated person. He learned education was his own responsibility. He learned to be persistent. He learned reading was very important. He learned from watching others. He learned that science is fun. He learned that education is something that lasts your whole life.

Source : patentdrafting.com/edison.htm

Mother Teresa - Biography

2009-09-24T16:26:00.003+07:00

The Nobel Peace Prize 1979

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August 26**, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.

On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.

Today the order comprises Active and Contemplative branches of Sisters and Brothers in many countries. In 1963 both the Contemplative branch of the Sisters and the Active branch of the Brothers was founded. In 1979 the Contemplative branch of the Brothers was added, and in 1984 the Priest branch was established.

The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. They provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order also has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where they take care of the shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless, and AIDS sufferers.

The Missionaries of Charity throughout the world are aided and assisted by Co-Workers who became an official International Association on March 29, 1969. By the 1990s there were over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 countries. Along with the Co-Workers, the lay Missionaries of Charity try to follow Mother Teresa's spirit and charism in their families.

Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards.

From Nobel Lectures, Peace 1971-1980, Editor-in-Charge Tore Frängsmyr, Editor Irwin Abrams, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1997

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

* Former Uskup, a town in the Ottoman Empire.

** Mother Teresa's date of birth is disputed: "So unconcerned was she about accuracy in relation to the chronicling of her own life, and so disinclined actually to read anything written about her, that for many years and in a succession of books her birthdate was erroneously recorded as 27 August 1910. It even appeared in the Indian Loreto Entrance Book as her date of birth. In fact, as she confided to her friend, co-worker and American author, Eileen Egan, that was the date on which she was christened Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. The date which marked the beginning of her Christian life was undoubtedly the more important to Mother Teresa, but she was none the less actually born in Skopje, Serbia, on the previous day." (Spink, Kathryn: Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography, HarperSanFrancisco, 1997.

Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997.

Source : nobelprize.org

Dharma Master Cheng Yen

2009-09-23T16:16:00.004+07:00

Cheng Yen (TC: 證嚴法師, PY: Zhèngyán) (11 May 1937-) is a Taiwanese Buddhist nun, teacher and philanthropist.

In 1966, Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation, commonly known as Tzu-Chi; its motto is "instructing the rich and saving the poor". Later, Cheng Yen's Charity, Medicine, Education, and Culture Missions developed, and to the present the Tzu-Chi Foundation has become involved in international disaster relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection, and community volunteering.
Contents

Early Life
She was born with the given name Wang Jinyun (王錦雲) in 1937 in Chingshui Village in Taichung County in Taiwan. Her uncle was childless, so she was given to be raised by her aunt and uncle. As early as 1945, she had to experience people’s pain and helplessness at the age of eight when she had to look after her sick brother in a hospital for eight months. At the age of 23, her father died suddenly from brain hemorrhaging caused by a stroke. It was in searching for a burial place for him that Cheng Yen first came into contact with the Buddhist Dharma.

She left home in 1961 to travel through eastern Taiwan with a friendly nun by the name of Master Hsiu Tao. In February 1963, she became the disciple of her mentor, the Venerable Master Yin Shun, who gave her the dharma name of Cheng Yen and the courtesy name of Huichang. Yin Shun also gave her the great expectation of "doing all for the Buddhist religion and for all beings", which is written with six characters in Chinese. From then on, these six characters became the highest ideals for Cheng Yen in belief, teaching, and practice.

In May 1963, shortly after receiving her initiation as a nun, she went to Pu Ming Temple in Hualien County to continue her spiritual formation. As a part of that formation, she recited the Lotus Sutra, which she revered, every day and copied it every month. It was during her six months there during which she vowed to commit herself to the Lotus Sutra and the “Path of the Bodhisattvas.”

Inspiration
It is said that there are two watershed events that inspired Master Cheng Yen to take the power of Buddhism and use it to help people in the material world. The first is when she had a now-famous discussion with three Roman Catholic nuns at Pu Ming temple in 1966. While the nuns admitted the profundity of Buddhist teachings, they noted that the Catholic Church had helped people around the world by building schools and hospitals. “But what has Buddhism done for society?” Those words made Master Cheng Yen realize that Buddhism had to do more than just simply cultivate the soul.

The other watershed event occurred in the same year while on a visit to a hospital in Fonglin (鳳林). After seeing blood on the hospital floor, she learned that a Yuanjhumin (Taiwanese Aboriginal) woman had a miscarriage. They were forced to carry the pregnant woman back up the mountain after they could not afford the eight thousand New Taiwan Dollars deposit.

These events led Master Cheng Yen to establish the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, which is now known as the Tzu Chi Foundation, in 1966 and the first Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien in 1986.
Founding of Tzu Chi

To meet the needs of the poor in eastern Taiwan, Master Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association on April 14, 1966. Master Cheng Yan encouraged her thirty followers to save fifty cents (US$.02) from their grocery money every day. They would put this money into little savings banks made from bamboo. When posed with the question, “Why should we save fifty cents every day? Isn’t it easier to save fifteen dollars per month?” Master Cheng Yen replied, shaking her head, “It’s not the same. If you save once a month, then you only show your compassion once a month. Even though the fifty cents you save daily is not of great value, you accumulate the spirit of helping and loving others every day.” Tzu Chi’s beginnings were humble. In the first year, fifteen families were helped by thirty followers.

Unlike most Buddhist orders, Tzu Chi nuns do not take donations for themselves. Rather, in the early days, they worked for their food by farming, weaving gloves, making diapers and electrical circuit breakers, among other products.

By 1970, Master Cheng Yen came to the realization of the link between poverty and illness after spending six years among the poor of eastern Taiwan. Seeing this, she resolved to tackle the problem and begin Tzu Chi’s medical mission.

Tzu Chi’s first medical outreach occurred in 1972 when a free clinic was opened in Hualien. In the fifteen years of this outreach, more than 140,000 consultations occurred.

Plans to build a 600-bed general hospital were developed in 1979 to provide service to the underserved eastern coast of Taiwan. Despite initial setbacks both in funding for the hospital and finding an acceptable site. Ground was broken on the site eventually chosen on February 5, 1983 at a ceremony officiated by then Provincial Governor (later President) Lee Tung-Hui. However, two weeks after ground was broken, Master Cheng Yen received a letter from the military telling her that the property was needed by the military and that construction would have to stop.

Minister of the Interior Lin Yang-kang helped to obtain a new site. A second groundbreaking occurred on April 2, 1984 at the new site. Construction was completed and the hospital opened on August 17, 1986.

Tzu Chi has since built hospitals in Yuli, Hualien County; Dalin, Jiayi County; Guanshan, Taidong County; and Xindian, Taipei County. A sixth hospital is nearly complete in Tanzi, Taichung County.

Master Cheng Yen has referred to relief work in China as “Building a Bridge of Love.” Tzu Chi’s China relief program began in 1991 when devastating floods hit central and eastern China. Despite the cross-Strait political situation, Cheng Yen was able to open up avenues to assist Chinese people who were in desperate need.

Master Cheng Yen referred to the initial obstacles that came from both sides of the strait as the “two problems and four difficulties.” In Taiwan, it was difficult to convince Taiwanese to help the Chinese, and in China, it was difficult to convince government officials normally wary of religious organizations from accepting Tzu Chi.

The four difficulties were: difficulty in travel to China (due to the lack of direct links) psychological pressure work was physically taxing difficult to communicate with Chinese officials Despite these obstacles, Cheng Yen has seen the dream of building bridges across the strait through humanitarian assistance realized. This being the first major effort at international relief aid, it also allowed Tzu Chi to develop its principles of delivering aid. Tzu Chi volunteers are not to discuss business, politics, or preach religion while giving aid.

Master Cheng Yen’s philosophy includes the notion that not only are those receiving assistance benefiting materially by receiving the aid, but those delivering the aid are also spiritually rewarded when they see the gratitude in the eyes and smiles of the recipients.

Master Cheng Yen has directed Tzu Chi to participate in numerous other relief projects around the world, including sending teams to Indonesia and Sri Lanka in the wake of the devastating 2004 tsunami as well as to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake in their northern mountains. The later was done despite poor relations between the governments of the two countries.

Other relief projects have taken place in Mongolia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Thailand, Rwanda, Cambodia, North Korea, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Vietnam, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and numerous other countries.

Today
Although Cheng Yen is approaching the age of seventy, she can not be accused of slowing down her active work pace. She broadcasts “Morning at Dawn” every week-day morning. This 25-minute address is both teaching and inspirational. Every evening, she gives another twelve-minute address. She rises early morning and often receives visitors. She actively oversees the many projects that Tzu Chi operated throughout Taiwan. To accomplish this, she makes monthly trips encircling the country to see what volunteers are doing to better the lives of those they assist.

Awards and Recognition
* 1986: Receives “Huashia Medal of the First Order”
* 1991: Receives Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership
* 1993: Conferred Honorary Doctorate Degree by the Chinese University of Hong Kong
* 1996: Tzu Chi receives the “Interior Ministry’s First Class Honorary Award.”
* 1996: Tzu Chi receives the “Foreign Affairs Medal of the First Order.”
* 1996: Tzu ChiReceives the “Huaguang Award of the First Order.”
* 2000: Honored with the Noel Foundation Award
* 2001: Received the first “Presidential Culture Award”
* 2001: Selected as one of 26 “Heroes from Around the World” and featured on the “Wall of Honor” in Philadelphia’s National Liberty Museum.
* 2001: Receives “National Medal of the Second Order” from the President of El Salvador
* 2001: Conferred Honorary Doctorate in Social Science by Hong Kong University
* 2002: Awarded “Distinguished Woman in Buddhism” by World Buddhist University in Thailand
* 2002: Conferred “Honorary Doctorate Degree in Socio-Cultural Studies” by National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
* 2003: Receives the Presidential Second Order of the Brilliant Star Award, Taiwan.
* 2004: Receives the 2004 Asian American Heritage Award for Humanitarian Service by the Asian American Federation of California (AAFC)

Source : dhammawiki.com

Should The Poor Mexican Fisherman Give Up Contentment For Cash ?

2009-09-22T14:54:00.004+07:00

In a quiet Mexican fishing village, an American who was on vacation saw a local fisherman unloading his catch. He decided to approach him.

The American asked the fisherman, “Why are you finishing your day so early?”

The Mexican replied “Oh Senor, I have caught enough to feed my family and a little extra to sell for today. It is now time to go for lunch with my family and have a siesta. In the afternoon, I can play with my kids. In the evening, I will go to the cantina, drink a little tequila and play the guitar.”

The business professor was horrified at the fisherman’s lack of motivation to succeed. He answered, “If you stay out at sea until late afternoon, you will easily catch twice as much fish. You can sell the extra, save up the money and in six months, maybe nine, you will be able to buy a bigger and better boat, and hire some crew. Then you’ll be able to buy a second fishing boat and hire another crew.”

He continued, “In another year or two, you will have the capital to buy a second fishing boat and hire another crew. If you follow this business plan, in six or seven years, you will be the proud owner of a large fishing fleet.”

“Just imagine that! Then you can move your head office to Mexico city, or even to L.A. After only three or four years in LA, you float your company on the stockmarket giving yourself, as CEO, aqa generous salary package with substantial share options. In a few more years – listen to this! – you initiate a company share buy-back scheme, which will make you a multi-millionaire! Guaranteed!”

The American got very excited at the prospect himself. He said, “I definitely know these things. I’m a well known professor at the US Business School.”

The Mexican fisherman listened intently at what the animated American had to say. When the professor had finished, the Mexican asked him, “But, Senor Professor, what can a person do after getting millions of dollars?”

Now, the American professor hadn’t thought that far. He was taken aback by the question.

So he quickly figured out an answer “Amigo! With all that dough, you can retire. Yeah! Retire for life! You can buy a little villa with a picturesque fishing village like this one, and purchase a small boat for going fishing in the morning, You can have lunch with your wife every day, and a siesta in the afternoon, with nothing to worry you. In the afternoon, you can spend quality time with your kids, and after dinner in the evening, play guitar with your friends in the cantina, drinking tequila. Yeah, with all the money, my friend, you can retire and take it easy.”

Puzzled with the American’s suggestion, the Mexican fisherman replied, “but, Senor Professor, I do that already!”

====================
Ajahn Brahm told the above story in last Friday’s talk on “Dealing with Uncertainties in Life”. You can also read this story in Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?, a book written by him. Ajahn Brahm had related the same tale last Friday, to illustrate that contentment is to be found in the Now. He pointed out that we do not need to get materially rich first before we can feel happy.

Contentment or Cash? Your Thoughts Please?
I’m deliberately keeping my post shorter than usual, for today. I’m also down with a case of bad flu and am now throwing the door open for your inputs. So here are some questions for you.

In the story, the Mexican fisherman may be poor but he is contented. But what if he has a desire to afford a better life for his kids? Realistically, most of us so have dreams of a more abundant life. We would like to be able to afford beyond the basic necessities. We desire the flexibility of working as and when we want to, without struggle and worry and to have excess time to pursue our various interests. Is it possible to rewrite the story so that the Mexican fisherman (or you for that matter) can have it all - money, loving relationships, health, and joy - without any major sacrifices?

How would you strike a balance in your waking hours for today, whilst working towards your dreams? Stacey over at CreateaBalance is having a Life Balance Group Writing Project. I’d like to take the opportunity to submit this post as an entry, in examining what life balance means to us.

Share your thoughts, please.

Stanford.wellsphere.com

Inspiring Words

2009-09-21T16:36:00.001+07:00

If a child lives with tolerance
he learns to be patient;
If a child lives with encouragement
he learns confidence;
If a child lives with praise
he learns to appreciate;
If a child lives with fairness
he learns justice;
If a child lives with security
he learns to have faith;
If a child lives with approval
he learns to like himself;
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
he learns to find love in this world

Anonymous

Inspiring Words

2009-09-21T15:50:00.004+07:00

As we sail through life, don’t avoid storms and rough waters. Just let it pass. Just sail.
Always remember, calm seas never make skillful sailors.

The most important thing in any game is not to win, but to take part.
Similarly, the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget, how you made them feel.

Source : pravsworld.com

“Changing the Face” can change nothing. But “Facing the Change” can change everything. Don’t complain about others; change yourself if you want peace.

If you miss an opportunity, don’t fill the eyes with tears. It will hide another better opportunity in front of you.

If a problem can be solved, no need to worry about it. If a problem cannot be solved, what is the use of worrying?

Mistakes are painful when they happened. But years later, collection of mistakes, is called experience, which leads to success.

Source : hubpages.com

Sand and Stone

2009-09-21T14:55:00.004+07:00

Two friends were walking through a desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand :

“TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE”

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire, and started drowning, but her friend saved her. After she recovered from the near drowning, she wrote on a stone :

“TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE”

The friend, who had slapped and saved her best friend, asked her, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it, but when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone, so no wind can ever erase it.”

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

Inspiring Quotes

2009-09-19T20:18:00.010+07:00

Believing everybody is dangerous;
Believing nobody is very dangerous…
---Abraham Lincoln

If you win you need not explain…
But if you lose you should not be there to explain
---Adolf Hitler

Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world.
If you do so, you are insulting yourself
---Alen Strike

If you born poor it’s not your mistake,
But if you die poor it’s your mistake
---Bill Gates

If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life,
Then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life…
--- Albert Einstein

Everyone thinks of changing the world,
But no one thinks of changing himself…
---Leo Tolstoy

If we can not love the person whom we see,
How can we love god, whom we can not see ?
--- Mother Theresa

In a day, when you don’t come across any problems –
You can be sure that you are traveling in a wrong path
---Swami Vivekananda

I will not say I failed 1000 times,
I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure
--- Thomas A Edison

Three sentences for getting success :
1. know more than other
2. work more than other
3. expect less than other
---William Shakespeare