No 234 of Living Life Series 1
There is much hype about happiness and success. Often they are peddled to us in our early years as "must have" not just "good to have".
But how do we measure the two attributes. It is easy to be simple and do straight talking. Just do tell someone that happiness is to have a roof over the head, or to have three meals a day, to have a job, to have a diploma or degree, to be married and to have children. The list can be endless. These are societal norms or expectations.
Many fail to realise that health and problem-less life are perhaps equally important or even more important. Some would even vow that to be alive is all that matters, not even health.
Then, there is the perspective of the processes to have these so-called "must have". The processes often yield pain and can be stressful, not a joy to many. The end results even in the best of outcome often end up just as milestones for many to go for further horizons in life. The rainbow recedes further as we go towards it. But luckily some are happy just to move on and to make progress even if the rewards beg further need for more further rewards downstream in life or if you may say in the horizons of time.
Most would just close their eyes and be blissfully ignorant. They do have vision of life but would not want to believe that there is the element of ill fate in life, for no one wants to be helpless. They chose to be over-optimistic, to be over the hill or rather over the moon and to be jubilant with each milestone arrived at.
Nothing wrong with that as it would seem. Good to be optimistic but the approach to life needs to be better understood and to be emplaced on the correct modus operandi.
Firstly, we must reckon that our lives must have milestones so long as we are of flesh and blood. Then we must realise that we must keep moving and have more milestones. Going for milestones is part of life and a routine we can ill afford not to have.
But we must not be carried over by desire to arrive at milestones even if it be a simple event like a meal. Desire or attachment in right proportion and in the right context can be desirable. But if over the limit to extent of being an obsession and a compulsion causes hurt and drains our zest for life, brings on the hell in life and often we end up not getting what we want or are less productive in getting what we want.
There is much hype about happiness and success. Often they are peddled to us in our early years as "must have" not just "good to have".
But how do we measure the two attributes. It is easy to be simple and do straight talking. Just do tell someone that happiness is to have a roof over the head, or to have three meals a day, to have a job, to have a diploma or degree, to be married and to have children. The list can be endless. These are societal norms or expectations.
Many fail to realise that health and problem-less life are perhaps equally important or even more important. Some would even vow that to be alive is all that matters, not even health.
Then, there is the perspective of the processes to have these so-called "must have". The processes often yield pain and can be stressful, not a joy to many. The end results even in the best of outcome often end up just as milestones for many to go for further horizons in life. The rainbow recedes further as we go towards it. But luckily some are happy just to move on and to make progress even if the rewards beg further need for more further rewards downstream in life or if you may say in the horizons of time.
Most would just close their eyes and be blissfully ignorant. They do have vision of life but would not want to believe that there is the element of ill fate in life, for no one wants to be helpless. They chose to be over-optimistic, to be over the hill or rather over the moon and to be jubilant with each milestone arrived at.
Nothing wrong with that as it would seem. Good to be optimistic but the approach to life needs to be better understood and to be emplaced on the correct modus operandi.
Firstly, we must reckon that our lives must have milestones so long as we are of flesh and blood. Then we must realise that we must keep moving and have more milestones. Going for milestones is part of life and a routine we can ill afford not to have.
But we must not be carried over by desire to arrive at milestones even if it be a simple event like a meal. Desire or attachment in right proportion and in the right context can be desirable. But if over the limit to extent of being an obsession and a compulsion causes hurt and drains our zest for life, brings on the hell in life and often we end up not getting what we want or are less productive in getting what we want.
We may end up getting one, two or some and not all we set out for, or in the worst scenario, none and be dejected and feel rejected by life. We may even blame God and say "Why not me? " To the many who could do so and get what they want, it is tiresome and onerous. Why must life be that way? To taste future success here and now instead of waiting for the future, many go for hire purchases beyond affordability. The rest of the story as they say is history or common kowledge and need not be spelt out.
Let us be more circumvent and reflect on nature of life. We are in this life of flesh and blood, and we are humans and we are of the modern society with all the attributes such as consumerism, materialism etc. Do we and can we ever leave and run away from such? The answer is both 'Yes" and "No" or either or neither.
The Inner Truth way is to be both with God and yet at same time to be with society. How do we do this when many may think that societal pressures may edge us away from God?
Just take the analogy of the muddy pool and the lotus flower. The societal life or worldly life is like the muddy pool but from this pool the lotus plant flourishes and blooms above the mud to produce the pure and beautiful lotus flower.
Just take the analogy of the muddy pool and the lotus flower. The societal life or worldly life is like the muddy pool but from this pool the lotus plant flourishes and blooms above the mud to produce the pure and beautiful lotus flower.
We need to be with life and yet find God within life of flesh and blood, of ups and downs, of yin and yang, of birth and death, of health and ill health, of gain and loss, of joy and sorrow, of success and failure, of gain and loss, of jubilation and tribulation, of youth and age etc.
All these are part of the muddy pool of life. But we should not try to leave the muddy pool of life but continue to be with society and yet be like the serene and peaceful lotus blooming in the muddy pool and untainted by the mud of societal way of life. We must have the serenity, peacefulness and purity of the lotus way. We must have the inner peace from realisation of the very nature of the vicissitudes or polarities of life - the yin and yang.
This is depicted by the seated image of Lord Bo Tien with feet atop and balancing the elements. Do not be carried away, be enslaved and overwhelmed by worldly gains, for the gains today may be the losses of tomorrow. Even if you are not concerned with their transiency, if you are overjoyed and exhilarated, you deplete emotional energy and will be drained, exhausted and will end up burnt out as well.
It is better to be calm so as to be peaceful and to maintain the peace - the inner peace come what may, good or bad. You will be wiser by doing so and be more rested in all ways so that you have more life and energy to move on to have more of the peace that is usually beyond normal human life and yet possible with life in the world of yin and yang. You will be peaceful. You will then be unaffected - neither affected by the unpleasant life events nor "burst the kettle" when good earthly things do come your way.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. One sure way is to have a systematic routine by having a slew of activities. We do need to be occupied in some activity or other but at a pace that is comfortable and refreshing for the mind and body. This is to prevent an idle mind and minimise sloth and torpor, that is, tardiness and sloppiness of mind and body. We do not want to end up washed out, exhausted, drained and burnt-out by over-packed schedule and multitasking in our daily life. The standard or balance varies from individual to individual and on the circumstances for the same individual.
The idle mind breeds contempt. It would be difficult to maintain and keep up the peace within when we are idle and open to wild thoughts and ideas which some regard as, at worst, temptations but others would otherwise regard as mere vexations. But in any case, they do not allow for peace and quiet in our mind.
Be occupied in some healthy pursuits and routines. You may find them boring after a while but it is better to be a bit bored than to be vexed and troubled by disturbing and troublesome thoughts that throw us from the highs of jubilation to the depths of hell -- all within the mind.
Have a peaceful mind and make this a habit and a way of life. Life would be more pleasant that way, even if you do not have things your way for now and even if you are not better endowed than many others.
He who is rich world-wise need not be rich in spirit. The relatively poor world-wise but peaceful perhaps finds it easier to be more rich and restful in spirit but not so for the very rich who clamours for more and is more likely to end up poor, weak, vexed and restless in spirit.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. What is termed meditation is actually going for the inner peace at every moment of our life. This is often referred to as mindfulness or awareness meditation. As our human mind for most of us are easily distracted, concentration meditation say by sitting still in any posture or even lying down for some may be needed. Remember though that it is onerous at times to fight a distracting thought but do remember that such "pain in the neck" or mental distraction may be difficult to wish away.
One solution is to tell oneself not to wish the pain to go away and at same time simultaneously proceed on another focus or activity that will lead to inner peace.
This solution can be applied too to our moment-to-moment life when we are troubled by an event or thought and cannot get it out of our life and mind. Do not wish the pain to go away but go on to another activity that will be more pleasant. This is simple distraction but works wonders to bring on peacefulness of spirit in everyone's daily life.
Meditation too can be achieved through prayer when the devout goes into rapturous time to be in unison with God and experiences that inexplicable and wonderful joy often attributed to the Holy Spirit. This is actually inner peace of sorts but for this to be useful, the inner peace must be moment-by-moment at all times and should be second nature. This should not be only when we sit down for formal meditation or when we are in deep prayer. Meditation or mindfulness of life is for every moment of our life and as said, it should be our second nature.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. Cheers and be at peace always. Peace be with you. But as for all things in life, it would be more difficult if we do not have health as we are of flesh and blood. Health is the highest gain. The truth of the matter is that though the 'sages' amongst us can be peaceful even with poor health, for most of us, peace is a wee bit more difficult to have if we are not in good health.
The truth of the matter in life is that often truth is simple but man fails to see the simplicity of truth. The truth is that we need to go for peace and be peaceful in all situations. This neither means giving up and running away nor going for no less than all and competing with the Joneses. Just do be peaceful and try your best and make do with what you can have without undue duress (for that would be far from peaceful) and at the same time, do not deny blessings that can come your way.
Life itself is the best blessing. It is the beginning and end-all of all other blessings. Life is the mother of all blessings. We should value life however frail and unpredictable it may be. Better still we need to add value to life. We should never end up disabling life by giving up everything or at the other extreme going for all.
It is never right to go for none or all. Going for none is sheer denial and not realistic and sustainable so long as we are of flesh and blood. It is self denial, torture and deprecation. Going for all is biting off more than one could chew and one would be upset constitutionally and mentally. Be wise and go for what is sustainable and comfortable that will foster the peace in us. No need for hunger pangs or indigestion of sorts, be it of the stomach or of the spirit.
Do be pliable and accommodate your life with what you can have both the good and not-so-good if you want to be peaceful come what may. Have a helicopter approach. Macro-manage more than micro-manage. Only then will we not be tired out and restless. Only then can we be more likely to have restfulness and peace of spirit and life. Only then will we be able to see the simplicity of the truth in life. Only then will we not be faced with layers upon layers of complexity that dumb fold us into despair and disbelief and make us far removed from peace and comfort of spirit.
The late Senior Brother Philip Png had reminded us of all these aspects through the following statement:-
"Only the wise seek the fulfilment of ancient wisdom. Yet the profound truth is so simple but difficult to perceive."
Om, Sadhu and Amen --- the above would be how we can approach perfect peace in spirit and be one with God and the saints. Peace be with you and all of us in life always --- here and now as well as in the future. Then we can have heaven now in this life and not wait for the afterlife. Cheers and let us toast to life of peace.
Then with blessings ever more, may you have ease in 2011 for thee, both big and small. This is so that you may find it easier to have peace ever more. But fritter not away wealth coming in for thee or peace be not easy for thee if you dwell in sheer luck and think you will always have the winning streak in life. The reality is that calm will be followed by storm, every win will be followed by loss. The reality seems cruel if you are not strong in inner peace.
Do be light hearted at times and see life as fun. Laugh away our bad patches and do not be over the hill for the good ones. Do note the many puns in life of fun, such as the pun on "for thee". This is one casual way to have more of peace as well. You don't have to be a religious or holy man to do this.
This is inner truth netizen signing off for now. Make life fun and not stick out in the crowd like a sore thumb. This is one of the many ways to make others like you and find you fun. That way you bring cheer and ease not just for yourself but for others as well. This makes it easier for all to have peace, don't you agree?
Even when there is no fun, do remember to be soft spoken, polite and caring in the way we speak, more so when we have to speak out against an idea or opinion. Be wary of how we speak and do not be blunt and jump at others. Show concern, empathy even if we hold a different view. Do not try to correct others unless you are sure he believes in you. Be peaceful in speech at all times even when speaking in differance. Be kind and caring in speech, choice of words, tone and delivery to those who do not see us eye to eye. Then you can be somewhat nearer to being apple of the other person's eye. Then there will be more likelihood of peace in both you and the other person. Have pleasant speech and have more of peace.
Buddhists will tell you to be peaceful and correct in eight equally important aspects -- understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. This actually makes truth more profound though in just one word, it is about having the peace. Truth after all is simple and yet can be profound.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. One sure way is to have a systematic routine by having a slew of activities. We do need to be occupied in some activity or other but at a pace that is comfortable and refreshing for the mind and body. This is to prevent an idle mind and minimise sloth and torpor, that is, tardiness and sloppiness of mind and body. We do not want to end up washed out, exhausted, drained and burnt-out by over-packed schedule and multitasking in our daily life. The standard or balance varies from individual to individual and on the circumstances for the same individual.
The idle mind breeds contempt. It would be difficult to maintain and keep up the peace within when we are idle and open to wild thoughts and ideas which some regard as, at worst, temptations but others would otherwise regard as mere vexations. But in any case, they do not allow for peace and quiet in our mind.
Be occupied in some healthy pursuits and routines. You may find them boring after a while but it is better to be a bit bored than to be vexed and troubled by disturbing and troublesome thoughts that throw us from the highs of jubilation to the depths of hell -- all within the mind.
Have a peaceful mind and make this a habit and a way of life. Life would be more pleasant that way, even if you do not have things your way for now and even if you are not better endowed than many others.
He who is rich world-wise need not be rich in spirit. The relatively poor world-wise but peaceful perhaps finds it easier to be more rich and restful in spirit but not so for the very rich who clamours for more and is more likely to end up poor, weak, vexed and restless in spirit.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. What is termed meditation is actually going for the inner peace at every moment of our life. This is often referred to as mindfulness or awareness meditation. As our human mind for most of us are easily distracted, concentration meditation say by sitting still in any posture or even lying down for some may be needed. Remember though that it is onerous at times to fight a distracting thought but do remember that such "pain in the neck" or mental distraction may be difficult to wish away.
One solution is to tell oneself not to wish the pain to go away and at same time simultaneously proceed on another focus or activity that will lead to inner peace.
This solution can be applied too to our moment-to-moment life when we are troubled by an event or thought and cannot get it out of our life and mind. Do not wish the pain to go away but go on to another activity that will be more pleasant. This is simple distraction but works wonders to bring on peacefulness of spirit in everyone's daily life.
Meditation too can be achieved through prayer when the devout goes into rapturous time to be in unison with God and experiences that inexplicable and wonderful joy often attributed to the Holy Spirit. This is actually inner peace of sorts but for this to be useful, the inner peace must be moment-by-moment at all times and should be second nature. This should not be only when we sit down for formal meditation or when we are in deep prayer. Meditation or mindfulness of life is for every moment of our life and as said, it should be our second nature.
Go for the peace within and make it a way of life. Cheers and be at peace always. Peace be with you. But as for all things in life, it would be more difficult if we do not have health as we are of flesh and blood. Health is the highest gain. The truth of the matter is that though the 'sages' amongst us can be peaceful even with poor health, for most of us, peace is a wee bit more difficult to have if we are not in good health.
The truth of the matter in life is that often truth is simple but man fails to see the simplicity of truth. The truth is that we need to go for peace and be peaceful in all situations. This neither means giving up and running away nor going for no less than all and competing with the Joneses. Just do be peaceful and try your best and make do with what you can have without undue duress (for that would be far from peaceful) and at the same time, do not deny blessings that can come your way.
Life itself is the best blessing. It is the beginning and end-all of all other blessings. Life is the mother of all blessings. We should value life however frail and unpredictable it may be. Better still we need to add value to life. We should never end up disabling life by giving up everything or at the other extreme going for all.
It is never right to go for none or all. Going for none is sheer denial and not realistic and sustainable so long as we are of flesh and blood. It is self denial, torture and deprecation. Going for all is biting off more than one could chew and one would be upset constitutionally and mentally. Be wise and go for what is sustainable and comfortable that will foster the peace in us. No need for hunger pangs or indigestion of sorts, be it of the stomach or of the spirit.
Do be pliable and accommodate your life with what you can have both the good and not-so-good if you want to be peaceful come what may. Have a helicopter approach. Macro-manage more than micro-manage. Only then will we not be tired out and restless. Only then can we be more likely to have restfulness and peace of spirit and life. Only then will we be able to see the simplicity of the truth in life. Only then will we not be faced with layers upon layers of complexity that dumb fold us into despair and disbelief and make us far removed from peace and comfort of spirit.
The late Senior Brother Philip Png had reminded us of all these aspects through the following statement:-
"Only the wise seek the fulfilment of ancient wisdom. Yet the profound truth is so simple but difficult to perceive."
Om, Sadhu and Amen --- the above would be how we can approach perfect peace in spirit and be one with God and the saints. Peace be with you and all of us in life always --- here and now as well as in the future. Then we can have heaven now in this life and not wait for the afterlife. Cheers and let us toast to life of peace.
Then with blessings ever more, may you have ease in 2011 for thee, both big and small. This is so that you may find it easier to have peace ever more. But fritter not away wealth coming in for thee or peace be not easy for thee if you dwell in sheer luck and think you will always have the winning streak in life. The reality is that calm will be followed by storm, every win will be followed by loss. The reality seems cruel if you are not strong in inner peace.
Do be light hearted at times and see life as fun. Laugh away our bad patches and do not be over the hill for the good ones. Do note the many puns in life of fun, such as the pun on "for thee". This is one casual way to have more of peace as well. You don't have to be a religious or holy man to do this.
This is inner truth netizen signing off for now. Make life fun and not stick out in the crowd like a sore thumb. This is one of the many ways to make others like you and find you fun. That way you bring cheer and ease not just for yourself but for others as well. This makes it easier for all to have peace, don't you agree?
Even when there is no fun, do remember to be soft spoken, polite and caring in the way we speak, more so when we have to speak out against an idea or opinion. Be wary of how we speak and do not be blunt and jump at others. Show concern, empathy even if we hold a different view. Do not try to correct others unless you are sure he believes in you. Be peaceful in speech at all times even when speaking in differance. Be kind and caring in speech, choice of words, tone and delivery to those who do not see us eye to eye. Then you can be somewhat nearer to being apple of the other person's eye. Then there will be more likelihood of peace in both you and the other person. Have pleasant speech and have more of peace.
Buddhists will tell you to be peaceful and correct in eight equally important aspects -- understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. This actually makes truth more profound though in just one word, it is about having the peace. Truth after all is simple and yet can be profound.
For example, Buddha Gautama summarised his teachings as 'Do good, avoid evil, purify the mind. This is the teachings of all Buddhas' This is the teachings of all sages. But when elaborated and disseminated, the often teachings of sages become complex and occupy many volumes of books. Thus in Buddhism, the simple teaching of the Buddha becomes complex and profound under headings such as the Four Noble Truth, Eightfold Path, Four Pure Attributes, Ten Hindrances and Ten Perfections, The Three Evil Roots and The Three Good Roots. Recent decades gurus have lamented that prophets of religions and founders of spiritual groups may actually be misrepresented by modern day adherents. This is a pity and is contrary to the original intention and spiritual fervour. But some would argue that simplicity may not be readily noticeable and sometimes the more profound and complex may do better job.
The late Senior Brother Philip Png reminded us to see the simplicity of truth so as to grasp the clarity of truth of life. Truth is about having the peace in life not just in the after life but here and now. Then there will be heaven on earth here and now and not till the after life. Then you will be in tune with the Holy Spirit of God and saints ('leng' in Chinese Hokkien). Incidentally, late Senior Brother Philip Png's thoughts and guidance were captured in a simple book at Bo Tien Temple.
Peace is about loving but to be loving does not necessarily mean the person is peaceful. Do give this some thought. The one with inner peace is both loving and serene like the Holy Spirit. He is one with the Holy Spirit. God is in him through the Holy Spirit and he is with God and His saints. The three is one and the one is three - God, Holy Spirit and Beings (all that are under God - saints and men included).
Cheers and have a Happy New Year and let there be many more happy new years to come. May peace prosper and abound at all times.
This 2011 feature article is motivated by SBV
.
