A Temporary Home

Weeks ago, I was staying at my aunt’s place in Cheras.

All thanks to her for having the kindness to let me stay there for so long throughout my study leave period.

However, as I thought I will be merely just studying to prepare for my examination, I have experience another feeling of family-ness in this immediate family of mine.

Before I get to know my uncle better, he used to be a fierce looking man who talks no more than little and that let me always have a phobia when I see him during those days when I visit the family during holiday.

However, this time around, things have been pretty much different. He loves sharing stories and stuff he had went through in life. He loves food, so mostly I will be listening to him sharing about ways to cook including where will be the right place to buy all those ingredients and good food around KL.

My aunt has been the person I talk to the most, as only she that able to understand Hokkien, as the rest will just usually stare at me curiously puzzling what she and me is talking about.

However, there is always an alternative of language with my other cousins.

Some are working some are studying. Those working I see them twice a week, at most, those studying, I only got to mingle around with them during weekends.

However, I will say, most of the time I will spent the time with my he-cousin (got such thing?), as we usually spend time playing sports during the evening (Yea! Better believe it, I do play sports)

I felt sorry sometimes; do not know whether, if he ever felt frustrated playing badminton with me, as the frequency of me missing the shuttle-cock is higher than whenever I can hit it.

But, he always seems to never mind and offer to play again the next day. That actually makes me determined to play better although my skills is still nowhere near satisfactory level.

During the few weeks stay, I learn some custom or better called as eating etiquette such as calling the elders first, strictly being reminded to stay on the table until all are done eating, eating at a more (and more) gentle way without those noise coming out from the chewing and most importantly, a strong display of filial piety

During the few weeks stay, I got to  also know more of my cousins (yea, I admit I know them little before that

Example, when my cousin seems not being very happy with things people more elder than him is doing, he knows what is ‘silence is golden’ and just kept patient, although his true nature is a person of bad-tempered and can be really nasty with things he despise off. Don’t you think young people like this are getting lesser nowadays?

Running a family is nothing different from running a government. A fair and justice government with give-and-take policy between the people and the ruler is what that that brings prosperity and peace.

All this blessing must be of good karma done by all of them and with great teachings from both of their parents. Sadhu!

Exam is going to end soon. Good times with friends are finishing too. But sweet memories will never fade away.

 

Oh Boddhisatta Avalokitesvara,

In your manifestation of compassion and mercifulness,

Bless the family of mine,

Bless the family of all my relatives and friends,

Bless the family of all sentient beings,

Bless all those without a family to be also filled with love of family-hood,

Let all beings to cultivate the values of love to let it flow freely in their home,

As the love of universe can only begins from home,

Let no quarrels and dispute to divide them,

As quarrels can only bring negative afflictions and bad energy,

But if quarrels are unavoidable,

Let the strong feelings of love to be more overwhelming,

As nothing can be greater than the power of true love and compassion.

May all be well and happy.

 

 My own words of filial piety: Take good care of yourself, first, then only you can look after them well.

Take One Step at A Time

I was searching for some Buddhist music yesterday and impatiently without waiting for them to finish loading, I go for the next one and without realising, I have open so many tabs with each one loading at an extreme slow speed.

As I continue to add more tabs as I was so excited to find so many of the music I have never downloaded before, those half-way loading music started to sound and all this supposed-to-be harmonious rhyme of music became a pain to the ear when all are played together at different tune.

A spark of mindfulness at that moment suddenly realised me that even if we are given the best conditions including luxurious food, great friends or even with good livelihood, we will never appreciate and enjoy that gift-of-lift if we continue to search for one.

In other words, searching and seeking for our desire in life will only cause endless desire, and even if after successfully achieving all such desire, it will never reward us with true satisfaction and joyfulness.

Desire is like running in a circle, it never ends and we ended up no where too

Instead, chasing for more and more will cause further disappointment in oneself, when the nature of the reality is all the perfection and beauty we are searching for has been right in front of us.

However, misunderstood and ambitious people might say that this thought are of fatalism and will only means that human will never be progressive but forever staying at the same spot in life admiring what is there and never going for improvement.

In Buddhism, we must learn to differentiate the physical development and the mind or mental development.

Physical development are improvement that we can experience with our 5 senses, we touch money, we hear successful stories, we hold on a trophy of championship, we smell on the perfume that gives great scene and pleasure to the nose, and we satisfied the taste buds with the best food in life.

All this are worldly development and undeniably we can improve them and make them better by working hard as time goes on.

However, the nature of those physical development is impermanence and there are times when greed, ungratefulness and selfishness overwhelming, then this is when we witness war, disagreement, competition for unnecessary reasons just to claim for more honour and power to be bestowed on them, simply to show I am better than you.

Physical development with no proper understanding is what causing fight for power and name

At the same time, (Yes! It is at the same time as physical development is inseparable and must go along with mind development), mind development is the cultivation of one’s thoughts and understanding mainly on the Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. In short, mind development is about seeing the reality and really understand the nature of the reality.

Therefore, we are not actually surrendering to fate as what others claim us as having the no desire to run faster than others, to stand taller than others and to be better than others as we have something more important to be better than which is to never stop cultivating our mind till liberation is gained at any possible time.

Meanwhile, we are not stop from achieving what we should in this world: to get a good degree and starting to have a good career, have a nice house and car(s) and having a good family till the end. This are all the physical development that must go along to fulfil the basic needs of life and continue living.

However, all this must be done with the right understanding or with clear reason in us that why are we doing all this without being shadowed by illusions and imaginations. If all what we are seeking, is what we felt as sufferings and pain, then perhaps we are improving on our physical development only but our mental development are in a poor state.

Therefore, I, personally, disagree with clash of word development and religion, as they go along together, and both keep balance on one another. Both must exist.

All in all, what we know is what we have understood. If we can understand and feel the real nature of the reality, we can know more about our life and ourselves. When we have felt the truth, then we can free ourselves and not being trap in this illusive world anymore.

As once said, Nirvana is not all about attainment, is a pathway.

May all of us can touch the real truth, taste the nectar of Dharma, listen to the Enlightened One’s teaching and achieve our eternal freedom.

Brothers and sisters,

May I be free from harm and danger,

May you be free from harm and danger,

May all be free from harm and danger,

May all sentient beings be free from harm and danger,

May all be well and happy.

A message from Buddha: