:: Present ::

‘Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.

Looking deeply at life as it is
in the very here and now,
the practitioner dwells
in stability and freedom.

We must be diligent today.

To wait until tomorrow is too late.
Death comes unexpectedly.
How can we bargain with it?

The sage calls a person who knows
how to dwell in mindfulness
night and day
‘one who knows
the better way to live alone.’

Adapted from the Bhaddekaratta Sutta, translated by Thich Nhat Hanh

：： 风动心动？：：

某一天，六祖慧能来到南海法性寺，正好遇到，正好遇到印宗法師讲《涅槃經》。
那時，风吹剎幡，有二位僧人辩论风和幡，一个说是风动，一个说是幡动，兩人争执不已。 六祖卻說：「不是风动，也不是幡动，而是你们的心动。」
印宗問六祖：「五祖有何传授？」 六祖答道：「只讲见性，不论禅定、解脫。」
印宗問：「为何不论禅定、 解脫？」 六祖答：「那是二法，不是佛法，佛法是不二之法。」
印宗又問：「什么是不二之法？」 六祖答:「一者善，二者不善，佛性非善非不善，這就是不二。」


所谓："心如工画師 能画诸世間 五蕴悉從生 一切唯心造" ~华严经~

人心就如同世界上最优良的画家，能把万事万物描绘的真切而实际。色、受、想、形、识都是因我们的心有所感念而生，甚至你我所見到的万物万象，也都只是人们的心所幻化出來的，怎能算是真实呢？

:: Loving kindness, forgiveness ::

Here's something which I came across recently, which I found really inspiring and it touches my heart. Forgiveness and kindness towards others, and especially towards oneself are sometimes very hard to be practiced upon.

Are there really someone out there that you can't forgive and love? When we think about it with an open heart, do we really bear it not to forgive someone who might have done so much for us in one way or another in some parts of our life? Someone who have shown us kindness no matter how insignificant it is, we can't rebut that it doesn't matter to us...

Think about their kindness....
...when you're going school in the dawn when you're young, the bus driver have to wake up so much earlier to fetch you to school...
...when you fall down, your parents, siblings, friends who've been there for you, no matter how short the duration might be...
...when you're sick, the doctor and nurses whom you've consulted...
...when you're taking your meals - the rice in your bowls, from the ever-hardworking farmers in the fields... ...when you're feeling hot in the afternoon, there's wind to relief you - mother earth's at work...
...when you do poorly for your papers, who were there to help in your revision...
...when you are lost and do not know what to do, who were there to guide you...
...when you are walking the park, who are there chirping to keep you accompany...
... etc ...

Our life journey is full of ups and downs. One meets with different people at different points in one's life. When the conditions are no longer there, things and situations changes, that's the beauty of Impermanence, as nothing stays the same forever... There are always surprises and new learning experiences waiting for us with every step we take. Is spending the precious time that one have now on hating, disliking, slandering, complaining, picking, wailing about something, someone worth while?

:: It's possible to free the heart ::
The words of the Buddha offer this truth:

~ Hatred never ceases by hatred
but by love alone is healed.
This is the ancient and eternal law. ~

If we look at ourselves truthfully, we can feel the possibility of being more compassionate, more awake, more free.

~ If it were not possible to free the heart

from entanglement in greed, hate and fear,
I would not teach you to do so. ~
- the Buddha

Anger, blame, conflict and resentment arise from our fear.
When we are afraid, our body tightens, our heart is constricted, our mind is possessed.
We cannot live wisely.
Forgiveness releases us from the power of fear.
It allows us to see with kindly eyes and rest in a wise heart.

~Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.
Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled.
Look within, be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
know the sweet joy of the way. ~
- the Buddha
[ The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace (Jack Kornfield) ]

::

Be brave and move on with positive vibes and have faith that all things will turn out to be better.
I've always believe that "Everything happens for the bEst".

你知道吗？

::

最近，觉得自己好像迷失了...

不知自己到底要什么

不知自己为了什么而在做这些事

不知自己的心在那里

不知自己的目标在那里

好像在个高压室内

彷徨了一阵，终于决定了

现在，觉得心较自在了

虽然能看清某些事情

但还是得多加努力保持欢喜心、平常心

其实，

我还是跟以前一样

耐心地做着我能做的事

无论是，

为家人

为你

还是为其他众生

我相信只要持着坚定的信念、正见与勇气

一定行的...

嗯，难行能行、难忍能忍、难舍能舍...

要加油咯～

大家要幸福呀～

::

sOmetimEs when we Touch...

:: ::

You ask me if I love you
And I choke on my reply
I'd rather hurt you honestly
Than mislead you with a lie
And who am I to judge you
On what you say or do?
I'm only just beginning to see the real you

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

Romance and all its strategy
Leaves me battling with my pride
But through the insecurity
Some tenderness survives
I'm just another writer
Still trapped within my truth
A hesitant prize fighter
Still trapped within my youth

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

At times I'd like to break you
And drive you to your knees
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly

At times I understand you
And I know how hard you've tried
I've watched while love commands you
And I've watched love pass you by

At times I think we're drifters
Still searching for a friend
A brother or a sister
But then the passion flares again

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

:: ::

那个星期天

那个星期天...

主办的八关斋戒闭关终于圆满落幕了。

何谓八关斋戒？

这是佛陀为在家弟子制定的暂时出家修行的戒律和斋法。因为在家人俗务忙碌，无暇修行。佛陀悲悯，为让他们过一日一夜的出家人的清净生活，种出世善因；又能适应在家生活的特点，所以制定在家人的出家戒，即八关斋戒。

这八关斋戒闭关，使我担心了好一阵子，直到圆满后，我才松懈下来，但我也学到了许多东西。我想，主要担心的原因可能是第一次举办而担心吧...

话说回来，当我一松懈下来，马上就发高烧了！

一阵热，一阵冷，

一阵热，一阵冷...

吃了现成药，却好像好不起来... 那一阵阵的热度就是顽强地死赖不走...

就这样，我躺了很久，烧才逐渐退了些。

也就在我躺着，什么也不能做时的那段时间，我突然生起某些想法。。。

这样的发烧情况是我之前没有过的，我还一直在想烧几时才会退，哈哈。

当时，划过我脑海的主要念头既然是我可能会熬不过去，而就此撤手而别！心里的烦恼也暂时没去理它了。

脑里一直回想着师父在静修里所教授的六道轮回的概念，心里就越来越不安。。。

好奇怪吧? 而我担心的不是有什么事没做，而是要是死了，会转世于那里？我能保持我最后的念头不含杂念吗？能往生极乐吗？

而我给自己的答案是…我好像还没那个信心呀。。。

为了替自己打气，只好一直在心中念佛，然后告诉自己要加油。。。

（很傻吧？没关系，反正家里没人，也没人替我加油打气，只好靠自己来咯）

还好，到了夜晚时分，烧终于退了，哈哈。

那时，心里终于能松懈了！

我带着感恩的心，告诉自己，得加把劲了，不能再浪费时间了！

哇，那种感觉可真不好受呀。

阿弥陀佛。

“岁月荏苒，如梦似幻，人生一世，只在呼吸之间。”

当时的你

当时的你，与现在较不同。

我记得当时的你。。。

脸上会带着

傻笑，

幸福的微笑，

满足的微笑，

天真的微笑，

感恩的微笑。。。

就是那种纯纯的微笑，让人看了忍不住会心一笑，心里也会变得暖暖的。

虽然，有时也会有些令你烦恼与头痛的事出现。

你的眉头会皱起，

但脸上绝不会完全失去那笑容，那是你让人目光离不开的时刻。

那坚强的意志与不认输的精神，不知我该说是执著还是...

你会搅尽脑汁来试着解决问题，但有时还是自然就好，

所谓“船到桥头自然直”嘛，你的问题一定能迎刃而解，以后就别多担心咯。

多想念那时的你呀

脸上的笑容，

细心的举动，

为家人着想的体贴。。。

当然，无常嘛，但我觉得有些东西还是值得保留的。。。

现在，

我很少再见到那笑容了。

里面掺了不少忧郁，烦恼，痛苦，迷惘。。。

真希望你能重新站起来，能寻回你以前所失去的乐源，走往快乐的源头，远离烦恼，坚守正道。

可能，最近你过的还不错。那就好，继续加油呀。

嗯，自然点，随缘点。。。

这世上似乎没什么是值得我们这么紧紧抓住的，他们迟早都会离去而显得不那么重要了。。。

那什么才是重要的呢？这可要想想了咯。

哈哈，写了这些，只是有点感触咯。

就希望，

你能找回那时那纯纯的笑容，

你与你所爱的人都能幸福，快乐，远离烦恼与痛苦的根源，福慧双修。

"困境总在信念面前微不足道...

小小的迈着细碎的步伐，只要肯不停的走，一样是可以行上千里地的。"

..thinking back..

Much things have happened for the past one year.
One can really see impermanence taking place at all these times.
If I'm to reflect back, it can get quite brain-draining to a certain extent.
Often, I wonder how I've manage to go through this rough year.

By taking refuge and having more faith in the Triple Gems helps.
One conclusion which I could deduce is:
It's really very important to train and strengthen our Mind and to take gd care of our Heart!
Thus, I've make an aspiration this year to go for at least 1 complete meditation course no matter what to further train my weak mind.

Rinpoche said, just chant MANI, just Do it...
"I will, Rinpoche."
After spending some time in the Om Retreat and met the Rinpoche himself, I realized that actually everything is very simple. What's not simple, is our mind. Our mind is always playing tricks on us, leading us towards the wrong directions much too often...

Recently, I realized too that it's very important to practice the 'Middle Path'.
I think i'm more of a dualistic person, who can only see the "right" and "wrong".
In my world, it's hard for me to say that "there's no right or wrong".
But now, I came to realise that there's actually no definite right and wrong and there's always this grey area somewhere in between.

One more thing is that, don't harbour expectations so as to reduce getting disappointment and hurt in the end. Don't think that things are absolute. There's nothing fix and concrete, everything is subject to change.
But sometimes, it's just too hard not to thou. Most important thing is that, to always take care of your mind in every moment!

Patience.
This is another virtue that one should try to cultivate I would think.
Be patient when you can't help a person.
Be patient when you can't improve a situation.
Be patient when you can't talk things out with a person for now.
Be patient when times are bad.
Be patient when you're feeling helpless.
Be patient when you're practising.
....

just be patient....
slowly....



..slowly...

..all things will change for the better...
....continue to practice...


May all mother sentient beings and I be well and happy.
May all mother sentient beings and I be free from sufferings.
May all mother sentient beings and I purify our minds.
May all our actions, thoughts and speech come from a true and pure mind.
May all mother sentient beings and I never be separated from the Triple Gems.


...........