Conversations with Humanity - Problem and Solution

Conversations with Humanity

A conversation which takes place on a sunny weekday morning in the hot month of May between an old bear and a taxi driver on the way to "Stress Road" The topic for the morning was about volunteerism, about helping others with their problems.

Taxi Uncle: "What will you do if you have a problem?"
Simple Bear: "I will want to solve the problem."
Taxi Uncle: "What if you can't solve the problem yourself?"
Simple Bear: "I will want to solve the problem."
Taxi Uncle: "But you can't. You can't solve the problem by yourself."
Simple Bear: "Before the consideration of whether one is able to solve the problem on his or her own; one must first think whether or not does he or she wants to solve the problem. As for me, if I have a problem, I will want to solve the problem; if you want to solve the problem, you will find a way, if you don't want to solve the problem, there is no way."
Taxi Uncle: o_O
Simple Bear: "If you want to solve your problem, then others can help you solve it if you can't; if you don't want to solve your problem, others can't help you solve your problem. There is a reason why it is called YOUR problem."
Taxi Uncle: "What if you don't want to solve your problem?"
Simple Bear: "If that is the case, then don't expect others to solve your problem."
Taxi Uncle: squint emoticon!

The taxi uncle and I had a good 30 minutes of laughter throughout the journey, he must be amused by a stressful, cranky old bear and his replies.

P.S. Heard about earthquakes in Nepal again and Japan, may all my friends and others in the region be safe and well. Hope there is no more disasters. May all be well and happy.

Missing Happiness

"Some of us have a tendency to miss happiness on the road, in our pursuit of happiness."
Simple Bear 21.04.2015.

落叶

落叶

落叶飘满地
才知命真谛
有始必有终
笑看红尘梦

简单熊 17.05.2015.

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。

Big size = Bear

Big size = Bear

During lunchtime today...

Colleague I: "Hey I think the guru who spoke about the secrets of happiness yesterday looks like you!"
*Other colleagues nod their heads in agreement
Simple Bear: o_O ?
Colleague I: "Come to think of it. You were on leave yesterday. Tell us the truth, did you moonlight as the speaker?" *laughs
Simple Bear: squint emoticon!
Colleague II: "Like Mystique!
Simple Bear: "I think if I am like Mystique, I would have done a better job of transforming myself so that no one would recognise me." squint emoticon!!!

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.

I can't paint.

I can't paint.

Sure I can draw a little but I sure can't paint.

I learnt something new about myself today.

Had a team retreat today. The theme for the painting activity was motivation behind our work in the social service sector.

I was allocated the alphabetical letter 'E' in 'LOVE' and my first work was a reminder of my inability to paint, and I decided to redo my theme and design.

'E' stands for energy, compassion which energises, like the nutrients necessary for a tree, which is in the shape of an 'E', symbolises the manifestation of compassion in form, i.e. my work in the social service sector.

The empty swing represents empathy, which doesn't differentiate between anyone. The moon in the sky represents inclusiveness for all, like the moonlight which shines on all without differentiation.

The tree stretching beyond, to the moon represents my aspiration of cultivating compassion for all.

When I drew the picture, I imagined myself, being carefree, sitting on the swing, enjoying the night wind and looking at the moon in the clear night sky, but still thinking of all who do not have the luxury to enjoy the freedom that I am enjoying. The loving kindness and compassion for those who are suffering arises naturally within.

May all be well and happy.