Pregnant Standing, man sound asleep on seat, whose fault?

Today, during my train ride, I saw 2 pregnant ladies standing infront of the row of seats facing a sqad of sleeping passengers.

I was pretty upset by the blatant lack of grace displayed here, but was standing too far away to be able to do anything. Finally someone got off and i managed to nudge closer, I wanted to wake the man who is seated to give up his seat. However, now at this priviledged spot, I hesitated, I wasn't 100% sure if one of the lady was pregnant as someone was blocking my view, i thought to myself,"it could be someone who wore a loose blouse, if i mistakenly woke up the man, wouldn't it be an embarrassment?"

As i was hesitating, the lady turned towards me and shuffled towards the exit, that is when i confirmed (yup, no doubt about it) that she is pregnant and seemed unwell but too late, she is leaving the train.

The next lady is a malay lady, she was leaning against the glass panel by the seats looking tried, again I hesitated, thinking," should i ask her if she need a seat first or wake the man up first? " before my thoughts are over, another kind lady behind me gestured for the malay lady to go to her side and she requested for the person seated at the reserved seat to get up.

What upset me is not that people are all fast asleep on the seats without knowledge that there are others who need the seats more, what upsets me are those who are awake. I'm a good example, I had the guts to take photos but not the decency to do something right. "The greatest triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing", remember this.

I told Cain that what I need to learn from him and Rick are 2 things, the ability to recognise the right thing to do, and the courage to do the right thing.

My fear of embarrassment is an example of the strong sense of self I have. Some people's strong sense of self manifest in their temper and arrogance. Mine appears as selfishness and fear of embarrassment.

I'll take note of this defficiency in me, my promise to myself after this incident. progress needs mindfulness.

帮助

最近有位朋友炒股票不如意，凑巧的是他的四面佛又被人偷了，打电给我要求我在佛法里给他一些启示。我一时语塞，也不知道如何安慰他。他说他埋怨整个状况，包括经纪，女朋友，也些许埋怨观世音菩萨不保佑他，以至于当我要求他去观音堂时被他拒绝了。

其实不久前我曾问过这位朋友为何笃信观世音菩萨。他觉得和观世音菩萨有缘，经常被观世音菩萨护佑，现在发生不如意事，信心有些退转了。金刚经上有云：

“菩萨于法应无所住行于布
施。所谓不住色布施。不住声香味触法布
施。须菩提。菩萨应如是布施不住于相”

我觉得这段话，也可以来警惕世人，你对佛菩萨的尊敬，礼拜，供养是不是也不住色供养。不住声香味触法供养? 平常人对佛菩萨，对上帝，对神祗往往礼拜都是有私心我执，都是为了希望他们保佑这个，祈求那个，不灵就不拜。可是如果我们静下来想，烦恼是不是往往由自己而生，是自己惹出来的？

如果人一意孤行，执意要做一些事，菩萨只能显现暗示，给与指导，该干什么还是人自己的决定，怪不得任何菩萨。菩萨慈悲，固然不会计较降罪也无从降罪，我们又于心何忍辜负他的慈悲呢？

他认为自己已经做了许多善事，觉得自己的要求不过分，就是非常失望伤心，觉得无助，被遗弃。我觉得这难道不是菩萨以最上乘的慈悲要他领悟道理？

”菩萨应如是布施不住于相“ - 做善事，如果有丝毫要求，达摩祖师曾对梁武帝说过是没有一点功德的，要领悟的就是这点！（其实这位朋友所作善事我是万分不及一，对父亲的这件事就看出他善根和我的恶业的反差）

话说回来，在火里的是他不是我，我当然能说风凉话，所以我不觉得他有任何错，这只是烦恼的一种显现，如果换是我，说不定更严重。在此也只能为友人祈祷，希望菩萨加持。

南无观世音菩萨
南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨
南无大慈大悲救苦救难观世音菩萨
南无大慈大悲救苦救难广大灵感观世音菩萨

The cup and the mug

Someone complaint to me that he has been giving while someone has been taking, he felt that it is difficult to keep up with such a one way demand for kindness. From this we started talking about desires and attachment and how to curb them.

He felt that to be able to curb these things, one has to have no life, since he/she should let go of a lot of luxuries. I however disagree. The fact that he use the term 'No life', he is already looking at things from the perspective of someone who has a large appetite for desires and attachments. To a person with simple needs, his life is far from being the 'no life' that others see. It might be true that he goes home after work, stays home over the weekend, perhaps his favorite pass time is cycling or something simple, but does that mean that he is not happy?

The analogy i drew was that of a small tea cup and a beer mug. someone with desires the size of a tea cup can be easily fulfilled compared to someone with a beer mug.

Being a buddhist is a road to make that beer mug become a small cup, and ultimately that small tea cup into an ocean without a container - holding other people's water.

Me? I do not deny i have a big beer mug to fill, i can't promise i will acheive anything but would promise that i try, in dad's name.

Amy's support

While amy has looked upon my new devotion with some doubt and slight dislike (she was brought up in communist china), she reminded me to go vegetarian on saturday evening when she realised that i am attending the ceremony on sunday.

I am very grateful for her support, and kindness, she knew that i have a liking for buddhism and she would buy me items with buddhist inscriptions or wordings. I know i can't force her to turn to buddhism but i will always be appreciative of her support.

广大灵感观世音菩萨 + 慈悲雨

I went for the Avalokiteshvara Renunciation celebration yesterday at the Mahaprajna buddhist society. the Avalokiteshvara renunciation day is tomorrow (Cain reminded me the other day).

I joined the celebration as a volunteer. I recalled a vow i made to avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva 10 years ago when amy was not able to find a job in singapore at that time. I vowed to become a volunteer if she can get a job.


Miraculously, just 2 days before she is to return to shanghai, on a saturday, an agent called my home, just before we are about to leave the house. One thing lead to another and she eventually land herself a job in Agilent, a sister company of HP，the company i was working in. I immediately forgot about my vow, I continue to commit so many horrible karma ever since without remorse or regret.

Only when i sat down now and pondered, it could not have been a coincidence that things just clicked at that time.

Was it also a coincidence that Amy was born on the 19th day of the 6th month of the chinese calendar - Avalokiteshvara's birthday?

Was it also a coincidence that my class was chosen to volunteer for this celebration so that we can take over the society's anniversary in dec?

Was it also a coincidence that Yao wanted very much to attend the sunday class but only kids who's parents have already taken the 3 refuges can do this?

The stars are aligned, the signs are all there, I just had to take the 3 refuges, there is simply no more excuse.

Prior to the ceremony, I observed some simple form of abstinence as my respect to Avalokiteshvara (although i had to consume non-veggie on thursday due to functions)

The compassion rain came drizzling down at noon as usual, perhaps as a sign of approval or agreement. In my heart i dedicate all the merits for pushing me to take the 3 refuges to dad.

the tie

The CEO of my company is coming to the office today to make a round trip to meet everyone in the company, my boss is going to wear a tie so out of respect, I wore a tie as well.

A very long time ago when i was probably still in primary school, my dad was promoted as one of the committee in the Chee Clan association that he newly joined. I remembered being so proud of him when we went shopping for a shirt and tie for his ceremony. Imagine, my dad, becoming someone important. It's strange how such pride for him has plummetted especially in the last few years of his life. I am weak, I wasn't able to see the good part of him, his silent suffering, because no one was there to listen. I kept telling myself to be nicer to him, but when i see him, I just can't bring myself to do it.

焚香

老爸的生祭那天，和妹妹到光明山祭奠，到骨灰塔之前，我照惯例给地藏菩萨上香，却发现老妹只是合掌，并不上香。我问她为什么，她说为什么一定要上香？我便告诉她，佛前上香是我们华人的一种习俗，应该尊重。

我记得创价协会有位老先生对其他佛教派系的习俗，他都是给与尊重，需要烧香的就烧香，不需要的便也不勉强。佛教是个包容性强的宗教，对其他宗教都是一样的敬重，更何况是不同的佛教派系？

回家后，我对佛前敬香这个习俗想了很久，也问自己为什么要上香，除了尊重传统，应该还有其他的原因。其实礼佛，不一定要上香，因为许多佛寺，佛堂其实会谢绝上香，理由可能是因为太多信众烧香，反而会造成污染，香灰又会把清静无染的佛堂搞得乌烟瘴气，反而让人反感。

我突有所悟，在古代中国，燃香，本意是让香气陶冶人心，让心神安静下来，古人在家也会燃香让家里充满芬芳的香气，让人舒适，欢喜 - 就像现代人放清香剂的道理一样。简单说，我们礼佛时，可以绕佛，用语言赞叹佛的功德，慈悲，献上香花，和自己喜爱的东西（当然是要合乎五戒，十善等佛教法则的）。地藏菩萨本愿经里地神护法品第十一就说到：

“。。。世尊。我观未来及现在
众生。于所住处于南方清洁之地。以土石
竹木作其龛室。是中能塑画乃至金银铜铁。
作地藏形像烧香供养瞻礼赞叹。是人居处
即得十种利益。”

地藏菩萨本愿经也不止一次提到：“。。。何况见闻菩萨。以诸
香华衣服饮食宝贝璎珞布施供养。所获功
德福利无量无边。。。”

其实佛菩萨对我们的一切供养并不执著，作供养，目的是 - 庄严佛像。 就是要让佛像庄严，让众生因此而心生欢喜，增加信心。只要心里知道焚香是为什么，便不怕被指迷信了！

最后我对佛教徒的忠告：Don't become a christian buddhist