There will come a day when things start to fall into place, people start to appear, and your life is generally a happy and blissful one. When the day arrives, you will know and be ready for it, and will embrace the changes and flow and movement with joy and happiness.
When the day comes....
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Mara - a name for obstacles & hindrances
Do you believe that obstacles are what makes you learn and grow? That obstacles are actually more useful and valuable than you think/can ever know?
When you face an obstacle, think about what it is trying to teach you, what you can learn out of it, how once it is resolved, can improve your life and bring you to the next level.
Once you have the correct mindset towards obstacles/challenges/hindrances, you can take it in a positive light, and nothing will ever get you down, and at the same time, you can gain more knowledge and wisdom. Isn't that a win-win?
Mara can be an external "devil", the external situations and circumstances that produces obstacles. However, i am more inclined to think of Mara as an "internal factor". Somewhere deep within you, is the knowledge that you need to transcend all those obstacles before you can progress and move on in life. Do not fear the unknown or the blockages. Instead, rise up to the challenges to build yourself the better life that you know you deserve.
When you face an obstacle, think about what it is trying to teach you, what you can learn out of it, how once it is resolved, can improve your life and bring you to the next level.
Once you have the correct mindset towards obstacles/challenges/hindrances, you can take it in a positive light, and nothing will ever get you down, and at the same time, you can gain more knowledge and wisdom. Isn't that a win-win?
Mara can be an external "devil", the external situations and circumstances that produces obstacles. However, i am more inclined to think of Mara as an "internal factor". Somewhere deep within you, is the knowledge that you need to transcend all those obstacles before you can progress and move on in life. Do not fear the unknown or the blockages. Instead, rise up to the challenges to build yourself the better life that you know you deserve.
Qing Ming - Compassion for the spirits
When the Qing Ming festival comes along, families will bring along food, incenses, etc to pay their respects to their ancestors. Venerable was sharing that some have the tendency to be afraid of spirits, of ghosts, even of their ancestors/family. The irony of the matter is, if u have invited them out to partake of the offerings that you brought them, is there a need to be scared?
Anyway, that was just a side topic. I dreamt of ghosts/spirits recently. Or maybe it was just fear on my part in a hotel room. Is it human nature to be afraid of ghosts? Or are we afraid of things/beings beyond our control, beyond our rules of life? That doesnt conform to our understanding of life on this earth/universe?
I dont want to touch on the cause of the fear factor. you can think about that at your own leisure. What i want to share is, there is totally no need to be scared of spirits. what can they really do to you? u are already suffering in this life/lifetime of ours, trying to understand a reality that is empty, suffering from the false expectations of self and society. so how can the existence or even visit of a spirit make anything worst?
more than anything, is the cry for help from those spirits. even if they are not seeking assistance, think of their position. how much worst can your life be? you are not in hell, or wandering around aimlessly as a ghost.
instead of fear, compassion should be shown to them. if not in action, than at least in thoughts, and there is no need to fear them. they have a worst "life" compared to you, and they need all the light that you can afford to give to them.
Anyway, that was just a side topic. I dreamt of ghosts/spirits recently. Or maybe it was just fear on my part in a hotel room. Is it human nature to be afraid of ghosts? Or are we afraid of things/beings beyond our control, beyond our rules of life? That doesnt conform to our understanding of life on this earth/universe?
I dont want to touch on the cause of the fear factor. you can think about that at your own leisure. What i want to share is, there is totally no need to be scared of spirits. what can they really do to you? u are already suffering in this life/lifetime of ours, trying to understand a reality that is empty, suffering from the false expectations of self and society. so how can the existence or even visit of a spirit make anything worst?
more than anything, is the cry for help from those spirits. even if they are not seeking assistance, think of their position. how much worst can your life be? you are not in hell, or wandering around aimlessly as a ghost.
instead of fear, compassion should be shown to them. if not in action, than at least in thoughts, and there is no need to fear them. they have a worst "life" compared to you, and they need all the light that you can afford to give to them.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sathit & Waew's wedding - 8 March 2552
Our first Thai wedding. It was really our pleasure to be able to participate in their wedding.
Theirs is a simple love, yet fulfilling. A village love story, different from the modern city times.
Our congratulations to them both. May they have a lovely and blissful life together.
Chiang Mai once again
Not much pixs this time round. but Chiang Mai feels like home already. besides the heat, we can really live there
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The need for 5 Precepts
Attended a preparatory class on 3 Refuge & 5 Precepts recently. At the same time, I was also learning about the Buddha's life.
The Venerable that was lecturing on the Buddha's life revealed that in those times (or at least at first, when he started ordaining his disciples), there wasn't any concept of the 5 Precepts. Simply because the people/disciples than were of so pure a heart, that once they attained sainthood, it is understood (by them) that they shouldn't harm others, etc...
Why than did the 5 Precepts come about?
It saddens me to think that it is because humans have evolved into beings without heart, without compassion, without wisdom. Yet how could that be? Isn't evolution supposed to be positive, for us to move up to the next level? but the reverse seems to be true, that we have slide down into beings that are not in touch with our sentient side, not in touch with our inner self, or the true nature. That we have forgotten to look for the Universal Truth, instead burrowing ourselves deeper into attachments, desires, and delusions...
it is with a sad heart that i continue on my journey to seek the dharma
The Venerable that was lecturing on the Buddha's life revealed that in those times (or at least at first, when he started ordaining his disciples), there wasn't any concept of the 5 Precepts. Simply because the people/disciples than were of so pure a heart, that once they attained sainthood, it is understood (by them) that they shouldn't harm others, etc...
Why than did the 5 Precepts come about?
It saddens me to think that it is because humans have evolved into beings without heart, without compassion, without wisdom. Yet how could that be? Isn't evolution supposed to be positive, for us to move up to the next level? but the reverse seems to be true, that we have slide down into beings that are not in touch with our sentient side, not in touch with our inner self, or the true nature. That we have forgotten to look for the Universal Truth, instead burrowing ourselves deeper into attachments, desires, and delusions...
it is with a sad heart that i continue on my journey to seek the dharma
Impermanence - Diaries of feelings
Do you have the habit of confiding in a diary, or noting down the day's events in a journal?
It came across my mind the other day, if everything is impermanent, or that you should be living in the present, will there be a need for diaries or journals?
what would than be the point of noting down your memories or feelings, since they have already passed, and that it is not "reality"?
mankind likes to hold on to something, even things that are not solid, not valuable, not useful. how else do you explain resentment, grudges, hatred?
even memories are tightly guarded. but what are they?, beyond the past that will not (most of the time) re-occur? Living in the past will only hinder your time in the present. even that brief moment of savoring means you are wasting that few precious seconds.
time can slip away from us so rapidly (tho we might have numerous lifetimes left), so make the most out of it. yet at the same time, bearing in mind the nature of reality. [sounds like a contradiction, but it can make sense]
It came across my mind the other day, if everything is impermanent, or that you should be living in the present, will there be a need for diaries or journals?
what would than be the point of noting down your memories or feelings, since they have already passed, and that it is not "reality"?
mankind likes to hold on to something, even things that are not solid, not valuable, not useful. how else do you explain resentment, grudges, hatred?
even memories are tightly guarded. but what are they?, beyond the past that will not (most of the time) re-occur? Living in the past will only hinder your time in the present. even that brief moment of savoring means you are wasting that few precious seconds.
time can slip away from us so rapidly (tho we might have numerous lifetimes left), so make the most out of it. yet at the same time, bearing in mind the nature of reality. [sounds like a contradiction, but it can make sense]
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