The lotus flower is higher than the stem and root
The lotus flower is more beautiful than the stem and root

But the lotus flower needs the stem to carry the water for it (lotus) to be alive

The stem is higher than the root
But the stem needs the root to absorb the water for it (stem) to be alive
The root also needs the seed to provide nutrition for it (root) to grow at the first place,

This is known as interdependence of life.

Now relate the lotus flower as one that is in high status in social position
Now relate the stem and root as those that are in low status in social position

In truth, just like lotus flower depend on stem and root, so does
those in high status in social position need those in low status in social position to live or to be in high position.

Such as a CEO of a factory (high status) needs the workers (low status) to run the factory.

This is known as interdependence of life.

I need you, you need me
They need you, you need them

You can’t control the outcome but you can control the process – Ajahn Brahm

Without the mind, a living being cannot function,
Without the body, a living being also cannot function,
The mind gives the order, the body perform the action,
The mind gives bad order, the body perform bad action,
The mind gives good order, the body perform good action,
Every action starts at the mind then the body,
A clean body does not necessarily make the body perform clean action,
But a clean mind automatically makes the body perform clean action,
So isn’t cleaning the mind is not less important than cleaning the body ?
Shower is to clean the body,
Meditation is to clean the mind,
We take shower everyday to clean the body,
but most never take meditation even a day to clean the mind,
If one day we don’t clean the body, we say it is so dirty,
but the whole lifetime we don’t clean the mind, we never say it’s dirty.

When one’s mind is pure (clean), the joy will follow him just like the shadow that never leaves him.
When one’s mind is impure (unclean), the suffering will follow him just like the shadow that never leaves him – Buddha

To clean the mind, learn how to meditate

The insight from meditation – Ajahn Brahm

When i sit i let it be,
What i walk i let it be,
When the mind plays tricks i let it be,
When the mind does not play tricks i let it be,

I grasp at nothing,
I resist nothing,
When the songs keeps playing i accept it,
When the songs don’t stop i dont reject it,

Its just a refusal of the mind to quiten down,
But why must I frown?
For the mind has been running wild for ages,
Been trapping me in mental cages,

Now is the moment to reverse,
This mental habit that has become perverse,
So i accept the song with patience,
And find that it leads me to great pleasance,

Shantideva has pointed out with great guidance,
There is no virtuous practice greater than patience

source – http://www.vipassanaforum.net/forum/index.php/topic,803.0.html

If we found a bird and if we want to own it, we let it fly freely. If it comes back to us then we can own it, but if it doesn’t come back, we let it be free – A Chinese philosopher

If we found someone and love him/her and if he/she doesn’t love us back, do not force him/her to love us back, just let him/her go freely no matter how painful it’s to let go. Because letting him/her free is also letting ourselves be free from further disappointment and hurting ourselves. There’s nothing wrong about us or him/her. It’s just that we are not in the same frequency with him/her. Maybe there’s a more suitable bird flying in the sky waiting for us to be found.

Well, from personal experience, mindfulness meditation can make the process of letting go easier and quicker.

If there is a choice to choose to believe or understand, choose to understand.

Material thing is needed to be alive
Spiritual knowledge(Dhamma) is needed to be happy

The best thing in life is not thing. – From a person

One can only realized this through the happiness(Piti) he gets from meditation.

Despite the many differences in each religion but if any religion does not agree with this, then it’s not a religion.

Do good,
avoid evil,
purify the mind – Buddha

Mind creates thoughts, thoughts create action, action creates result, result creates destiny, destiny shapes the mind back with more intensity, a cycle loop.

Peaceful mind creates peaceful thoughts, peaceful thoughts create peaceful action, peaceful action creates peaceful result, peaceful result creates peaceful destiny, peaceful destiny creates more volume of peaceful mind, the cycle loop back again with more intensity of peacefulness, a peaceful cycle loop.

Distress mind creates distress thoughts, distress thoughts create distress action, distress action creates distress result, distress result creates distress destiny, distress destiny creates more volume of distress mind, the cycle loop back again with more intensity of distress, a distress cycle loop.

No wonder Buddha said “Seek for peace within, not without”, means peace can only be achieved by starting from within the mind.

The cycle loop is also known as The Truth of Chain of Cause and Effect

To create peaceful mind is to practice samatha-vipassana meditation.

Hello, today 28-May-2010 is the Wesak day to celebrate 3 important things at the same time, which are the birth, the enlightenment and the passing away (Parinirvana) of Buddha Gautama. Today is also the full-moon.

So I’m going to take this opportunity to recall the very basic and important facts about Buddha and his teaching (Dharma)

What Buddha taught ?

Buddha taught Dharma

What is Dharma ?

• Dharma is the Pali language which means, Noble Truth or Truth.
• It’s also known as The teaching of the Buddha

What is the purpose of Dharma ?

Just like the salty ocean has only one taste which is the taste of saltiness

So does the purpose of Dharma that has only one purpose which is the freedom from all suffering – Buddha

What are the basic and the important one of Dharma ?

The Four Noble Truth

1. There is suffering
2. The cause of suffering is craving
3. Suffering can be ended by stopping the craving
4. The way to be free from all suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right view
2. Right thought
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

Karma

“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” – Newton’s third law

so does karma,

• Karma means volition (intention in the mind)
• For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
• Good action will cause good effect
• Bad action will cause bad effect
• Every being is the owner of their own karma
• Why does some people are rich, beautiful/handsome, have position in society one of many causes is they practice generosity, patient (don’t get angry easily), respect and don’t get jealous of people who have high position, respectively.

Meditation

• Meditation is one of the component in the Noble Eightfold path
• Meditation increase our wisdom
• Meditation causes our mind to be more peaceful and happy
• To learn more about meditation, http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html

What are the good websites I can learn about Buddha’s teaching ?

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/

http://buddhanet.net/

Do not worry about the future, but plan for the future,
Do not whine about the past, but learn from the past,
The future is just an imaginary,
The past is just a memory,
Only the present is a reality,
Only the present moment can create the result,
Stay at present moment wisely and earnestly.

The tree is higher than the earth ground,
but the cloud is higher than the tree,
but the moon is higher than the cloud,
but the sun is higher than the moon,
but nothing is higher than the Truth

Eating too little amount of medicine will not have enough strength to cure our sickness
Eating too much will cause intoxication to our body
Eating wise and moderately will most likely cure us

Lacking of confidence will cause worries and problems to our life
Being over confident will cause us to be arrogant and hated
Being wise and moderately confident will most likely avoid us problems and hatred by others

Working too hard will cause us stress
Being too lazy will not give us success
Working wise and moderately will most likely avoid us stress and bring us success

Giving too much love to a person will cause the person to perceive us as easy person, eventually unappreciated and bore on us
Giving too little love to a person will cause the person giving up on us
Giving moderate love wisely to a person will most likely receive the love back to us

Having too much imagination will bring us hallucinations or delusions
Having too little imagination will not bring us innovations
Imagine wisely and moderately will most likely avoid us hallucinations or delusions and bring us innovations

Being too kind hearted will cause others to take advantage on us
Being too cruel will cause others to dislike us
Being wise and kind will most likely not be taken advantaged and disliked.

Being too open minded will cause the evil one to manipulate us easily
Being too close minded will cause the kind and wise one not able to guide or reach us
Being wise and moderately open minded will most likely not be manipulated and will still let the kind and wise one to reach or guide us.

Loving ourselves too much will cause selfishness or narcissism
Loving ourselves too little will harm us
Loving ourselves moderately and wisely will most likely avoid selfishness and harm on us

Making too much mistakes will make our life miserable
Making no mistakes will not teach us anything about the lesson of life and hence experience
Making mistake unintentionally, moderately and wisely will most likely avoid us the miserable life and will teach us the lesson of life.

- Inspired by personal experience

No matter how heavy does the rain fall, it will eventually stop.
No matter how beautiful is a flower, it will eventually wither.
No matter how good looking is a person, he will eventually get old.
No matter how healthy is a person, he will eventually die.
No matter how happy or sad is a moment, it will eventually pass.
Because every conditioned things are IMPERMANENT. – Inspired by Buddha

Hold things that is permanent as permanent,
Hold things that is impermanent as impermanent,
To reduce sufferings, don’t hold things that is impermanent as permanent.

old friends are gone, new friends are coming,
old drama has ended, new drama is beginning
the past is the past, it’s just a memory
the future is the future, it’s just an imaginary
there is no a beginning without an ending
there is no an ending without a beginning

Buddha found not the Buddhism
Buddha found the Dharma
Dharma means Noble Truth
Hence, Buddha found the Truth

The Truth is always True
No matter one understand it or not
No matter one believe it or not
No matter one accept it or not
No matter one like it or not
No matter one deny it or not
No matter one is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, non-religious
The Truth will always, without exception, applicable to those who/which are governed by it.

Just like, there were 5 people
A Christian
A Muslim
A Buddhist
A Hindu
A non-religious
5 of them standing on top of 101-story of a building,
It will be false for the Christian to say “I will not fall down if I jump”
It will be false for the Muslim to say “I will not fall down if I jump”
It will be false for the Buddhist to say “I will not fall down if I jump”
It will be false for the Hindu to say “I will not fall down if I jump”
It will be false for the non-religious to say “I will not fall down if I jump”

Because there is a Truth that governed all of them, Law of Gravity, which pull them all down.

Again, because
The Truth is always True
No matter one understand it or not
No matter one believe it or not
No matter one accept it or not
No matter one like it or not
No matter one deny it or not
No matter one is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, non-religious
The Truth will always, without exception, applicable to those who/which are governed by it.

A dog is not a good dog when it’s only a good barker,
A man is not a good man when he’s only a good talker – Buddha

The best way to learn is to get involve in real working experience – William Kisman