人生有如两颗橘子

人生有如两颗橘子

人生际遇有如两颗橘子，一颗大而酸，一颗小而甜。
凡人拿到大的，抱怨橘子酸，拿到甜的，抱怨橘子小。
智者拿到酸的，感谢橘子大，拿到小的，感谢橘子甜。
橘子是甜，是酸，是大，是小，一切全都来自于心。

蔡志忠 《蒲公英的微笑》

English translation

Life, is akin to having two oranges

Our experiences in life is akin to having two oranges, one which is big but sour, and the other small but sweet.
When the mortal gets the big orange, he complains that the orange is sour; when he gets the sweet orange, he complains that the orange is small.
When the wise gets the sour orange, he is grateful that the orange is big; when he gets the small orange, he is grateful that the orange is sweet.
Oranges, our perception of whether it is sweet, sour, big or small originates from our mind.
Tsai Chih Chung <Smiles of Dandelion>

A rough translation, do pardon if there is any mistakes; my ang moh not good :P

求人不如求己

求人不如求己

佛印禅师与苏东坡同游杭州灵隐寺时，到观世音菩萨前，佛印禅师合掌礼拜。
苏东坡问佛印说: "我们求观世音菩萨，为何祂也挂着一串念珠? 观世音菩萨在求谁?"

佛印禅师: "求观世音菩萨啊。"
苏东坡: "观世音菩萨求观世音菩萨?"
佛印禅师: "观世音菩萨比我们还清楚，求人不如求己。"

善有善报

善有善报

夜深了，我一人在宁静的街上漫步，反省着过去一个礼拜的行与念。
脑海中浮现了一个问题，人常说善有善报，何谓善报? 人生平常中有善报否?

有。当然有。

善报不局限于生命中有贵人，衣食住行无缺。善报也是善缘，支持善业的因缘。
能见世间苦，是善报。有多少人视而不见，只知只顾自己苦。自己在苦中苦不堪言，不见他人苦，也是常有之事。能助自己从苦中解脱，而因有其缘去助他人是善报。

能因见苦而生其慈悲，善之念，是善报。有多少人视而不见，只知只顾自己好。

能因慈悲，善之念而能有力行其念，是善报。不是有念就能行，有能力帮也是一种善报。

能因起慈悲，善之念，有此能力行，有愿行其行，是善报。不是有此念，有力，就能行。也要有愿行其行，才能有动力行其行，有此愿也是一种善报。

能因起慈悲，善之念，有力可行，有愿行其行，有勇气行其愿，是善报。有时行善之事，是需要作出一些也许社会中不常有之事。例如在雨天中，停下脚步，救一些可能会被人踩死的蜗牛等小动物，别人会觉得你怪怪的。真需要不理会别人眼光的勇气。有时也要有承受好意被他人拒绝的勇气。

能因起慈悲，善之念，有力可行，有愿行其行，有勇气行其愿而他人愿受其心，是善报。苦中的众生愿受其善心也是对于行善之人的一种善报。生活中愿行善而别人不愿领情，那也是常有的事。

想想能成就慈悲，善心之业有多难啊! 需要多少善缘才能成就善业。

每一个因每一段缘都需要感恩。感恩之情也是善报啊!

愿众生幸福安康。
简单熊 21.11.2016.

The Reasons for the Precepts

用了一个礼拜的时间看完了连续剧《百年虚云》。此剧诉说着虚云大师的一生。

剧中有这一段台词让我感动。

有人问虚云和尚, "何为戒?"
虚云回: "己所不欲 勿施于人。"

守戒, 是对自己与众生的慈悲。

The Blessings to Accomplish

"没有福报, 不能成事。"
海濤法師

The phrase struck me like a lightning bolt when I was listening to a Dharma talk by Venerable Hai Tao (from Taiwan) on Youtube last night. Sometimes, when we talked about good karmic results, we often talked about the possible good deeds and cultivation that we had done in our past lives which resulted in the positive results in this life, which had enabled us to continue doing the good deeds, that we are doing, which includes propagating the Dharma, doing volunteering work etc.

Imagine will we have the opportunity to learn the Dharma if we are born in a society without any teachings of the Dharma? Imagine will we have the opportunity to practice compassion by doing volunteering work if we had to worry constantly about our livelihood?

Since 2008, since my first encounter with Buddhism, as a religion till now, I knew it was difficult to propagate the Dharma through organizing Buddhist activities, and to get more people interested to start learning. I salute those of you, my friends who are working hard for the propagation of the Dharma.

For those of you who knew me long enough, you know I do get frustrated sometimes, and I had gotten my fair share of burnouts, and each time, I come back with renewed hope, my next burnout gets even worse. A friend once asked me, why it is so difficult to learn and propagate the Dharma, I replied (in my limited capacity) that the reason being it goes against the normative habitual tendencies of humans (of course, I may be wrong).

I admit, there are times in which I thought of just going at it alone, I knew I am more comfortable with that. I am neither a leader, nor an organizer of communities, I am just an unenlightened bear who preferred peace and quiet. If being spiritual and wanting peace is queer, then I am perfectly fine with being an eccentric element of the world. Every time, I feel like just going at it alone, I will always meet people and situations which gave me renewed reasons and aspirations to keep going.

I told people that I worked with on these projects (thank you everyone for the support), that we can only do our best, and whether there is any success or not, it is up to conditions. And perhaps, in a metaphysical sense, without good karmic results from past eons, the other conditions may not be right and even if we did our best (as part of the conditions) it is perfectly fine to let it go. I still stand by that but I forgotten to work on myself.

"The best way to propagate the Dharma is by being Dharma itself."
Simple Bear 10.04.2015.

We are living examples of the benefits of learning the Dharma. And the good karmic rewards (if I may term it this way, as a reward) of our practice, such as greater concentration, patience, compassion and wisdom (karmic rewards), we can use in running the projects for greater success, to propagate the Dharma to more people. If we do not practice ourselves, and still get mired in the whirlpool of greed, anger and delusions, how is anger and greed going to help in the success of the projects?

Even if at the end of the day, the project didn't reached its fullest potential despite of doing the best that we can possible do within the context (if our collective karmic rewards are not enough for the success of the projects), we still reap the karmic rewards of our own practice, in accepting the results through empathetical understanding, of others, of the impermanent nature of reality.

That is my own interpretation of Venerable Hai Tao's "没有福报, 不能成事" I am not expecting anyone to be perfect, I am too, an unenlightened bear, still running around in the foggy world of Samsara. But then again, what do I know, I am too like most of us still trapped in the fog of ignorance.

Grateful to everyone who has been kind enough in tolerating and accepting my unenlightened ways in body, speech and mind.

Grateful to everyone who has been helping me on the spiritual path of cultivation through their body, speech and mind.

May we all have the conditions to progress on our path towards enlightenment.

May we all have the conditions to continue practicing and propagating the Dharma through collective or individual efforts,

May we all be well and happy.

In the past one week, I have been experiencing a sense of peace, a renewed aspiration to continued doing the work in practicing and propagating the Dharma, doing charitable work. And I looked forward to working with more friends, and walking the path with everyone. It is like the Starfish theory, what matters isn't whether I can save everyone, what matters is the one that I am saving and I know, in this journey, there will be one who is saved, that person is me.

Suffering or No Suffering in Experiences?

"There is no suffering in experiences; it is in reacting to the experiences, that we suffer."
Simple Bear 09.04.2015.

Had a fruitful Dharma session just now especially the short meditation session, grateful to Phra Goh Chun Kiang for the kind teachings and guidance.

Thank you to Chloe Ci Hui Huang and TzyyHorng Goh for organising this Dharma session.

Delighted to be attending the Dharma session with friends

修养

“修养是对自己烦恼的减轻， 智慧的成长， 对他人也就是慈悲的增加； 慈悲的增加， 慈悲的成长， 也就是自我的成长。”
聖嚴法師

The Avalokiteśvara within

The Avalokiteśvara within

I had the good opportunity today to attend the Understanding Guan Yin Symposium organized by Poh Ming Tse, with my fellow friends at Nidana Youth Group.

Glad to catch up with old friends from PMT MUSICians and listen to their new compositions.

Took quite a few pages of notes and spent my evening going through them, doing some reflections and feel like sharing just a few points which I think will be personally helpful to my own spiritual cultivation.

1. Model for Emulation

Professor Reeves had mentioned in his presentation, that one of the roles of Guan Yin is being a model, for us to emulate her quality of boundless compassion, the wish and volition to alleviate the sufferings of others.

To become Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, we must bring forth the compassion to mind; when we chant the name of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, we are (if I may posit) bringing to mind, and giving rise to compassion within us, the wish and volitional action to alleviate the sufferings of self and others. And the compassion for self and others may helped us go through the trials and tribulations of our lives.

2. Skillful Means of Propagating the Dharma

Professor Wang, in her presentation on the Buddhist teachings by Venerable 慧思 and 智顗, had mentioned that there are certain steps that the Buddha will take before he speaks the Dharma, he will:

i. Enter into meditation

ii. Observe the faculties of the people that he is speaking to.

iii. Decides on the skillful means required to teach the Dharma to the people to bring them closer on the spiritual path to enlightenment.

At this point of time, I had this thought, I am not the Buddha, how can I have the spiritual ability to observe the faculties of others in order to employ the necessary skillful means in my expressions of the Dharma to let others understand the Dharma.

I spend quite a while contemplating on the points, trying to make sense of it for individuals like me, ordinary beginners on the spiritual practice, to utilize the points for my own cultivation. Then it came to me, that I could in fact apply those steps in my own ways in propagation of the Dharma.

i. Spend some moments in mindfulness meditation (if time allows, a session before any sharing will be great; if not, spend some quiet moments to be aware of oneself)

ii. Observe the faculties (or mental and emotional states) of oneself; search within for the a few alarms signs to be addressed:
a. Is the intention to speak egoistic?; is the reason for speaking (of the Dharma) an attempt to assert one's perspectives on the other person without considering the mental and emotional states of the other person (observe by signs of body languages and linguistical signs), or for any other personal gains? Such as reputation?
b. Is there any empathy within? The positioning of oneself with the other person on equal (or almost equal) grounds without any judgements?
c. Is there any compassion? The objective of speaking the Dharma is for the good of the other person, to alleviate the suffering of the other person?

iii. Employment of the most suitable methods (within one's compassionate arsenal of methods) within one's limited capacity to speak of the Dharma, or through actions in the hope that the sufferings of others can be alleviated.

3. Connecting to Compassion

Brother Shen, in his presentation on devotional practice had mentioned that the compassion of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas are always in perfect alignment, always ready to be connected to us but we, people in the sea of Samsara, may not be aligned with them due to our ignorance and we need to make aspirations (to help ourselves) to be connected to the great compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to alleviate our sufferings.

If I may posit, this concept of self proactivity in connecting to the compassion of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can be applied in our daily lives in two different ways:

i. We need to take responsibility to ourselves and take actions (which includes being open minded to suggestions and the volition to change for the better) to be connected to the compassion of others, who are willing to help us (In the Lotus Sutra, it is mentioned that Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva can manifest in different forms such as our friends or random strangers to help alleviate our sufferings); if we are unwilling to change for the better, to relieve ourselves of the sufferings, no matter how much help is offered, the sufferings remains.

ii. If we want to express compassion to our family and friends, understand that the same principle or concept applies; no matter how much we see them suffer and want to help. They must be willing to help themselves first, the wish to get out of the suffering cycles that they are in. If they are not willing to help, there is no need to be disappointed or worse get angry over it. Conditions are not optimal for the compassionate action to take place. We can only be patient and wait for the conditions to be right.

I am grateful for all the academics and fellow Dharma brothers and sisters who shared their knowledge and experience with us at the symposium today.

May we all give rise to the Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva within us and live our lives in compassion and wisdom.

May all be well and happy.

Aspirations or Attainments?

Attended a Dharma talk by 常护法师 from Dharma Drum Mountain Singapore on Tuesday night. Left the talk with a few points which I spent my time reflecting and I thought of sharing.

1. When we are inspired and moved by the charitable, voluntary and spiritual works of others, we need to ask ourselves since the cause and work is so noble, so inspiring, why are we not doing the same good works that they are doing and be the inspiration ourselves?

2. When we commit ourselves to our work as employees, as volunteers, are we a positive addition to the team or a negative one?; when we criticise the works of others, are we better than them in terms of our commitment, our initiatives, our quality of work, our responses to the changes which happened?

3. When we criticise, are those criticism, a projection of our own sufferings, arising due to a need to protect the mind from the pain from acknowledging the inherent source of suffering.

4. When we start our work spiritual and volunteering, we started with selfless aspirations, and time passes by, we start to see achievements for our hard work done and expectations for future attainments may arises; we may start to get frustrated with our progression if we don't see any attainment of our expectations. Are we gradually confused with achievements and aspirations? Are we working for achievements or are we working for aspirations?

5. When we utilise methods to achieve our aspirations, the motivation behind efforts in utilising the methods, are we bound by and clinging on to the methods that we used and had gradually forgotten the aspirations which motivates us in the first place?

It seems all too human and I, have to admit I had let myself fallen carelessly time and time again. I am grateful for the points for me to reflect on it.

Thank you DDYP SG for organising the Dharma Talk. Do send my gratitude and appreciation to Venerable for his precious sharing and the volunteers for making this sharing possible.

May all be well and happy

Why am I suffering?

When you are suffering, ask: "Why am I suffering? Why am I miserable?" Because you are clinging on to something! Find out what you are clinging to, to get to the source. It may be, "I'm unhappy because nobody loves me." That may be true, maybe nobody does love you but the unhappiness comes from wanting people to love you. Even if other people do love you, you will still have suffering if you think they are responsible for your happiness or suffering.
Ajahn Sumedho 
(Peace is a Simple Step, Page 29)

Irritation and Self-Awareness

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."
C. G. Jung

Frustrated about tons of things today. A lot of thoughts ran through the mind.

Why can't they be more empathetic? Why can't he show more initiatives, demonstrate more leadership? Why can't she be more compassionate towards others? Why are they so egoistic, selfish and *argh...(and the list goes on, filling the mind with tons of negativity)

And then suddenly, the negativity died down, as fast as they had come.

In moments of negativity, I had became imbued with the very dispositions which I despised, the apathy and egoism. I had, in the very moment of being swept away by my habitual tendencies, became my worst nightmare.

The expectations of oneself had unconsciously transformed into expectations of others. I lost the ability to empathize in holding on to the value-laden label of empathy; uncompassionate in grabbing the concept of compassion; egoistic in clinging to the idea of non-egoism. The intellectual embrace of those conceptualizations had impeded, in the very moment, the experiencing of these experiences.

I started to focus on my breathing.

The anger (at others) turn to anger (at myself) and finally, laughter (at myself). It is as if time had stopped; there is joy in just breathing, knowing I am alive in this very moment.

Slowly the joy is replaced by warm feelings of gratitude. Gratitude to those who had given rise to these negativity, these irritations in me; without these irritations, I would not have understand myself better.

Don't expect yourself to be empathetic; be empathy itself. Don't expect to be compassionate; be compassion itself. Don't be the one with expectations; be one with it.

May all be well and happy.

Spring Cleaning (the Mind)

Spring Cleaning

Chinese New Year is just a few days away and festive music can be heard in the streets. My friends and I from Nidana Youth Group had the great opportunity to help a few elderly clean up their places for the new year yesterday. I had the good opportunity to reflect on my experience.

I was give the chance to scrub this basin which was covered in dirt, which probably had been accumulated for quite some time. And as I was scrubbing the dirt away, trying to reveal the nice original state of the basin, this thought arises, "Aren't our minds like this basin, covered in negative habitual tendencies, accumulated over time?"

After the session, I had some time to reflect on this as the photos were uploaded on social media.
The detergent, the scrub and the water that we used to scrub the basin are like the knowledge (for improvement of self) and help (from others to improve ourselves) to 'scrub the dirt' from our mind and reveal the original.

The crux at this point of time, is whether we want to engage in the efforts to start cleaning up. It is tough work I must say. Some of the 'dirt' had been accumulated for too long and become 'embedded' in the mind.

Like the basin, it takes more efforts to scrub it clean.

Use the knowledge such as kindness and empathy like the detergent to scrub away the negative habitual tendencies of jealousy, anger, greed and the ego. Utilise help from others such as peer support and getting to know and hang out with supportive, positive friends like the scrub and water to scrub and wash away the dirt. And soon, you will see that the original goodness state of the mind is more visible comparatively.

Why? You may asked why was the elderly alright with living in such a condition? He probably grew accustomed to the conditions of the basin like how we grew accustomed to our negative habitual tendencies and thinks that it is part of us, it is who we are and that is permanent. The 'scrub' had shown otherwise.

Even after we wash it, clean it. It may still become dirty again over time hence we will need to keep up the efforts to maintain it. Well unless we decided to leave the house that we are living in right now. If we do it everyday, every moment without fail, the dirt is easier to scrub away.

The start is always difficult especially the basin had been covered in the accumulated dirt over a long period of time but perhaps the maintenance is easier just that it requires more efforts to do so every single time.

It is time for spring cleaning of both the house, and the mind for a better new year ahead.

Thank you once again to my friends who organised this meaningful activity.

May all have the conditions to improve ourselves starting now and continuing in the new year.

May all be well and happy.

For those who have not started cleaning, start scrubbing. For those who already started cleaning, keep it clean, keep scrubbing.

Within II

I was trying to find a good place to practice in the vicinity. The moment I saw the meditation sign on the door of the room, I realised that I have the best place to practice all along within.

All I need to do now is to tidy up the place, sweep and mop the ground, wipe away the dust that had gathered and I will have a fantastic place to practice for the new year! And housecleaning is a practice too.

May all have a great Sunday!

May all be well and happy!

Going to the 'bank'

Going to the 'bank'

I was having a short conversation with two seniors who were helping out at one of the Dharma halls and the topic was on '立春' (which symbolises the start of Spring, the new year) which happens to fall on today for this new year. For Chinese, it is said that if today we make deposits into our bank accounts, it will help in your financial luck in the coming year.

Seniors: "今天是立春?" (Today is the start of Spring?)
Simple Bear: "是啊。所以今天很多人忙着去银行进钱, 存款。" (Yes. That is why there are many people who are busy making trips to the banks to make deposits.)
Seniors: "难怪今天银行那么多人。" (No wonder there are so many people at the banks today)
Simple Bear: "我也是来存款的。" (I am here to make deposit too)
Seniors: o_O ?
Simple Bear: "功德款。" (Deposit of Merits)
Seniors: *laughed

Adding another perspective on the start of Spring, a new yearly cycle of the four seasons (although in Singapore, we only have the rainy season and the hot season), it is a reminder to make 'deposits' in your 'spiritual bank'.

Spring always symbolises hope for the year to come and it is a good time to make the resolution and start practicing the Dharma. And 'deposits' are good habits and qualities such as love and compassion that we can start to build up in our 'spiritual bank'. In the event of adversities, we may need to make 'withdrawals', the good habits and qualities are assets which can help us handle the adversities or liabilities in our lives. And the best thing about making the 'spiritual deposit', you don't have to queue to make the 'deposit'.

Have a good year ahead everyone. May all be well and happy.

With love and compassion
Simple Bear

P.S. Heard about the TransAsia plane crash in Taiwan, hope all my friends in Taiwan are safe and sound. May the merits from my practice and offerings today be shared with all sentient beings including those who are on the fateful flight, hope more people can be saved. May those who had passed on have a good rebirth. May all be well and happy, free from ill will and sufferings.

Training not to see I but we

"In Buddhism, we train not to see you and I; we train to see we."
Venerable Thubten Chodron

Grateful to be able to end the first day of the new year with a Dharma talk by Venerable Thubten Chodron.

Thank you everyone who made it possible especially my friend, Lim Wah Teck who asked me to go along for the Dharma talk.

May we have the good conditions to encounter, practice, understand and experience the Dharma.

Suffering, which awakens

"It is suffering that awakens you."
Ajahn Chah
(as mentioned by Ajahn Sumedho)

The phrase which struck a chord in me. A very good, humorous, straight forward Dharma talk by Ajahn Sumedho on his reflections on Ajahn Chah, on his experiences living with him.

Thank you Bro Richmond Tan for sharing.

To all my fellow brothers and sisters in suffering, aging, sickness and death, may everyone have the conditions to be awaken, may all have the conditions to be free from those ropes which binds us to Samsara.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2toDDXdKUg&feature=youtu.be
 

觉照

"不怕无明起, 只怕觉照迟。"

这句话也许反映了我心里的现状; 我认知我的不完美, 无畏我的不完美, 只怕在变化无穷的生活中忘了往觉之心, 观照之识。