手指

手指

"我们常常面对不顺心，伤心难过，愤怒之变时，把手指向外指; 我们忘了手是我们自己的。"
简单熊 25.03.2017.

Finger

"Often, when we meet with changes which are not in accordance with our wishes, changes which make us sad and angry, we point our finger to the external; we forgot that the hand is our hand."
Simple Bear 25.03.2017.

一念足以

一念足以

A thought is sufficient

P. S.

有人问， 一念何谓足以?
一念可从苦中救自己救他人; 一念也可陷自己与他人于苦中。一念足以。
我想这句话已成我的座右铭。
一念，熊。

Someone asked, what is one thought sufficient for?
A thought could save oneself and others from the sufferings of this world; a thought could plunge oneself and others in the sufferings of the world.
This quote, one thought is sufficient, had become the quote, perhaps for me to live by.
One thought, bear.

What (Who) Do You See?

I woke up this morning to receive a photo taken last night by my dear friend.

As I was looking at this photo of myself, this question arose.

Who do I see?

When this photo was taken, I (almost instinctively) told Jiahe that this photo is 'unglamorous' and should be deleted. Whereas Jiahe thinks that this photo is candid and is taken well.

This leads to the question of how do we individually see this world through the subjective lens (eyes, heart and mind) of ours.

In changes, there are normatively, for most of us, two sides (like the two sides of a coin). There are always the positive side and of course, the flip side (or the negative side).

Imagine, if we woke up on the 'left' (not the right) side of the bed, we have a tendency to perceive the changes in a more negative light rather than the positive.

When I say positive and negative, I am not referring to be purely either optimistic or pessimistic, I am talking about it in the aspect of personal growth or regression.

When we meet with changes e.g. meeting someone who we dislike, the presence of the individual acts as a retrieval cue for past negative experiences associated and engender negative thoughts in response to his or her actions or merely just his or her presence; those 'internal workings' adds to the reinforcement of the negative associations and further aggravate the memories of the individual. This process, for most of us, is almost automated in our mind.

Sunlight

Sunlight

We only see the Sun during the daytime but the Sun shines every single moment even when we are in the night.
Just like the Sun shines every moment, we should cultivate the awareness and goodness within every single moment; regardless of daytime (being in the company and seen by others) or night (being alone and unseen by others).

There may be cloudy days. There may be storms. There even be eclipses sometimes.
But the Sun still shines.
Let the light shine forth. Cause even in the night, the Moon reflects the light from the Sun.

Simple Bear 18.02.2017.

What can I gift

The night was quiet. The soft breeze running through my almost 'hairless' head. After an entire day of work, I looked up to the night sky and saw a bright moon shining bright.

Calmness descended upon me. I was enjoying the brief moments in the moonlight, contemplating on my life.

This question arose within, "What can I gift? Even when I am poor?"

The answer arose gently within, love.

"Love is a rare, marvellous gift. We can engender it in abundance within; and it nourishes us when we gift."
Simple Bear 10.02.2017.

Of course, love is a subject which definition had been debated since it had came into existence in people's minds. Love, in this context, refers to kindness and compassion.

Love, may just be a kind word on a frustrating day. A helping hand on a difficult day. A smile on a rainy day and sometimes, a hug on a dreadful day.

We can 'afford' it as a gift for others even when we are poor financially.

Love and its expressions are rare and marvellous. It requires the person who gifts, to go beyond one's ego, self-interests, one's pain and sufferings etc. And it nourishes one within. The presence of love within means an momentary absence of pain and sufferings even if it is temporary.

Love is a gift for others as well as a gift for ourselves.

Kindness arose. Compassion arose. Gratitude arose.

Some may ask what if others doesn't want the gift from us? Love is a lovely gift for others but it is an even more lovely gift for oneself.

It takes the arising of momentary awareness and transcendence of one's pain and sufferings to see the gift as a gift and to accept it so; embracing the love as it is.

How rare and marvellous it is to be able to experience love as it is.

It is indeed wonderful.

I looked up to the night sky. The moon is still there in the sky, shining bright.

Have a lovely night everyone.

May all be well and happy
Simple Bear 10.02.2017.

A want to love or a need to love, that is the question

A want to love or a need to love, that is the question

As I approach my mid 30s, single and unattached and since Chinese New Year is just round the corner, a lot of people had showed their concerns for me by asking me on my relationship status; and some had offered to introduce nice potential partners to me.

I am grateful for the concern. Being the eccentric bear that I am, it engenders a question in my mind, why love?

Do we love someone because we want to love someone? Or do we love someone because we need to be loved by someone?

For some of us, there is no clear answer to that question. We can't differentiate between wanting to love and needing to love; love, perhaps to some, is a mixture of both need and want. Just like sometimes, I can't differentiate whether I am a bear or a human. :D

Does us wanting to love someone, a result of us needing to be loved by someone? And that induces pain and frustrations; reciprocity in love is rarely as expected.

Going beyond just the normative definition of relationship, we look at friendship and kinship; the question remains the same. Do we love our family and friends because we need to be loved or do we just love them because we want to love?

We expects reciprocity and we suffers sometimes. Is it wrong to expect? It is not wrong but we almost certainly will suffer sometimes.

Want or need to love, that perhaps is the question with no definite answer for most of us.

And, love changes. From a want to a need; from a need to a want, sometimes, over time.

I can't even define love; but that is a question for another day.

May everyone have a lovely day ahead.

With love
Simple Bear 19.01.2017.

You are hot and you are cold

You are hot and you are cold

Friend: "I am disappointed in you."
Simple Bear: "Disappointed?"
Friend: "You seem so cold to me?"
Simple Bear: "Am I supposed to be warm?"
Friend: "I mean, since you are talking about love and kindness, aren't you supposed to be warm?"
Simple Bear: "I am not perfect, my dear. And the image of a warm and fuzzy bear is your expectations of me."
Friend: "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
Simple Bear: "There is no need to be sorry. I am grateful for you telling me. It is an inspiration."
Friend: "Inspiration for ?"
Simple Bear: "I, too falls into the subconscious trappings of having expectations and expecting the expectations to be true and disappointed when it is not. We expects others to be our expectations and in the process, fails to understand them from their perspectives."
Friend: "You mean we should not have expectations?"
Simple Bear: "We can have wholesome expectations, of ourselves and strives to be so. Some may say we won't be disappointed if we don't have expectations but the truth is, can we not have any expectations?"
Friend: "Maybe we can?"
Simple Bear: "Are we are at ease with no expectations? Are we just comfortable with just how things are in this moment of time? Most of the time, for some of us, we are not at ease. We have the expectation of not having expectations and that expectation engenders negativity."
Friend: "So, should we or should we not have expectations?"
Simple Bear: "In my limited experience, there are those expectations of others for oneself, and those of others and self for others; seek to reduce those of others for oneself. I think we can have expectations for others but we moderate it with understanding that no one is perfect. No matter how good your intention is, if we don't take into consideration the conditions of others, then it is just 'egoistic' expectations of others."
Friend: "I should work on myself."
Simple Bear: "I should work hard too. I am not perfect."

Perfection, a journey

Perfection, a journey

"I am not perfect. I have my weaknesses. If I am perfect now, I would be standing at my destination in this moment of time. It is because of imperfections that I undertook this journey of self discovery, introspection and change so that I may, at the end of the road, reach my destination of perfection, freedom from what is not freedom."
Simple Bear 14.01.2017.

Moments

Moments

"Unhappiness is a series of moments in time; so is happiness."
Simple Bear 09.01.2017.

Happiness and Unhappiness

Happiness and Unhappiness

"Sometimes our very pursuit of happiness is the cause of our unhappiness."
Simple Bear 08.01.2017.

快乐与不快乐

"有时，我们对于快乐的追求是我们不快乐的源头。"
简单熊 08.01.2017.

烦

烦

沉浸于心觉非烦
回荡红尘才知烦
不知非烦还是烦
才知非烦也是烦

简单熊 05.01.2017.

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

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 day before the night

The day before the night

Almost 6 months ago, I resigned from my previous job and spent close to 5 months at home, doing nothing but watch Korean entertainment almost every single day.

Not a lot of people knew about my leave from working life and I am grateful for the friends who expressed their concern for me during this period of time. People asked me why do I want to take this break despite the difficult economic outlook; choosing to leave a job which is stable and despite not being well-off financially.

It was a difficult and easy choice at the point of time. it was difficult because I was leaving a job of which I had my own plans and objectives to achieve in the position, to help others who needed help.
It was easy because I knew, at that point of time, the habitual tendencies which was causing me agony in moments of non-mindfulness are still there and they are gaining strength, I needed to work on them.

I am ambitious, not in terms of the monetary rewards, the power and position that society has to offer but in terms of the richness of my spiritual life. Success, to me is peace despite the changes in life prior to death and failure, is sufferings due to the changes in life prior to death.

And it is always a work-in-progress and at that point of time, after the car accident early this year, I felt I needed to take stock of the habitual tendencies that I need to work on and devise my plans to work on them from now til the time.

There are moments of success and there are moments of failure, which are precursors to success and we are the only one who can magically turn failure to success. The only independent factor in this hypothesis of mine is me and the only dependent factor, is me. They are different yet the same.

During this period of time, I dreamed about the old me. The naive young me who seeks solace in the world of knowledge; books become the refuge from the sufferings of the world, the pain and the anguish. The boy who later grew to be a youth who seeks his refuge in the hedonistic pleasures from winning over people in sports, academic achievements etc being in the positive limelight. The competitive streak grew stronger as the teenager grew up to assume his position in the working world.

I woke up, with this question lingering on my mind. What is the one thing in this world that I crave the most? The answer was clear. It was peace. I crave not the hedonistic pleasures of the world, nor the sufferings but of a mind who can experience the pleasures and sufferings of this world without any indulgence.

Then, the logical next question which arises was what were the impediments to achieving this? The habitual tendencies that I had built up over the years especially the competitive streak in me. I still love the competitiveness but I want to change it, to still be competitive with myself and not with others. I have made some progress over the years especially the last two years but sometimes, when I am not mindful, the hydra rears its many heads. It is important to balance the competitive streak with compassion for oneself.

Second, were the expectations. Disappointments were rift in the past and I struggled with it a lot. The idealistic part of me scream inside at the disappointments every single time. I still have expectations of myself and I had learn to slowly stop harboring any expectations of others adhering to my expectations. I think it is important not to be lax with myself but at the same time, there is a need to balance the expectations with compassion for oneself.

Of course there are many more habitual tendencies that I need to work on but this posting will be a book if I start writing in details. I have to admit during this period of time, there were fleeting thoughts of leaving this secular world behind me to work on them but as me, I have responsibilities to take care and I can't allow myself to be irresponsible. Spiritual practice is in the secular.

Finally, it came the time for me to go back to the secular world full-time. I started work in a nursing home a month plus ago and also started meeting up with people, working with different new people a while ago on new volunteering work and I have to say, it takes some time getting used to being back with interacting with people again.

Coming back is like taking an examination, to have an idea of my progress and the points to improve on in the next moment. I have to say, these two months had been quite enjoyable, in terms of the multitude of experiences for introspection.

The sociable and the introvert me. I am back again, on the path between the sunset at the end of the day, and at the cusp of the night, between day and night.

It will be a renewed journey, on the path of peace, to peace.

May all be well and happy.

With Love and Compassion
Simple Bear 16.10.2016

Sanity

Sanity

"Perhaps, sanity is neither the wallowing in the frustrations, pain and sufferings that your world brings, nor the indulgence in the elation, pleasures and hedonistic affect that your world promises; it may be the state of unconditional acceptance, empathetic understanding and the transcendence of both the transitory light and darkness."
Simple Bear 10.10.2016.

如果

看着车窗外的雨滴，心中起了个念。

有一首歌的歌词是那么写的，"你是好人也是个坏人。"

每个人都有好与不好(坏)的一面。

如果。我是个坏人，那我会因为我本身的何恶念，何恶习性而被人憎恨，给予自己与他人恐惧。

我会因何恶念而痛苦。

此念该断，不可任长。此习性该改，不应放任。

如果。我是个好人，那我会因为我本身的何善念，何善习性而被人爱戴，给予自己与他人幸福。

我会因何善念而安心。

此念该护，照料成长。此习性该持，应护增长。

别因为此恶念尚不成器而忽视它; 恶念成器时，悔已迟。

别因为此善念尚不成器而遗忘它; 善念闪而过，悔已迟。

持善弃恶难但一切从一念而起。

愿众幸福快乐。
简单熊 30.09.2016.

何别

何别

友人: "真受不了某些人，总是怨天怨地。"
简单熊: "你怨他们吗?"
友人: "我觉得他们很烦。"
简单熊: "哪现在的你和他们又有什么分别?"
友人: -_-!

刺猬

刺猬

"有时生怕受伤害的人往往是伤害自己最深的人。"
简单熊 25.09.2016.

犹如寂寞的刺猬。

忘，初

忘，初

一意追寻智者路，随其足迹途
只见足迹不见目，忘却智顗初

简单熊 17.09.2016.

觉得自己很傻。要好好努力才行。加油! 小熊!

Alone.

Friend: "You spend a lot of time alone. You even eat alone during lunch time. Don't you get bored?"
Simple Bear: "It is not boring. In fact it can be quite entertaining."
Friend: "Entertaining? I don't see how entertaining can it get, being alone. Unless you play with your phone, watch dramas etc"
Simple Bear: "Even without your phone, it can be quite entertaining. The entertainment comes in stages. First, you get entertained by the world around you. Then slowly, you get entertained by the world within you. Then after that, you get entertained by the silence."
Friend: "Entertained by silence?"
Simple Bear: "Yes. Silence is enjoyable too"
Friend: -_-!

May all be well and happy 
Simple Bear 11.09.2017.