Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?

I'm not crazy but Ajahn Brahm sure made me giggled a lot these few days during my train rides! He sure lived up to his name being the Sienfield of Dhamma. =)

Just a little intro on Ajahn Brahm, he was born in 1951 in London and obtained his degree Theoretical Physics from the Cambridge University. After teaching for a year, he traveled to Thailand and was ordained as a forest monk. Now, he's residing as the abbot of a forest monastery in Perth, Western Australia.

In this book, Ajahn Brahm relates to the readers profound wisdom of daily lives through story-telling, which he believe is the most effective way of communicating. Some of his stories are hilarious while some are touching, all of them serve one common purpose, to inspire the readers in their daily dealings. Instead of trying to relate to you how good he is, here are two stories for you to read: ~

Commitment

My view of relationships and marriage is this: when the couple are going out, they are merely involved; when they are engaged, they are still only involved, maybe more deeply; when they publicly exchange marriage vow, that is commitment.

The meaning of the marriage ceremony is the commitment, During a ceremony, to drive home the meaning in a way people usually remember for the rest of their lives, I explain that the difference between involvement and commitment is the same as the difference between bacon and eggs.

At this point, the in-laws and friends start to pay attention. They begin to wonder, "What has bacon and eggs got to do with marriage?" I continue.

"With bacon and eggs, the chicken is only involved, but the pig is committed. Let this be a pig marriage."

Laughing At Yourself

One of the best peices of advice i received as a young school teacher was that when you make a mistake and your class starts laughing, then you laugh too. That way, your students are never laughing at you, but with you.

Many years later, as a teaching monk in Perth, i would be invited to high schools to give lessons on Buddhism. The teenage Western school kids would often test me out by trying to embarrass me. Once i asked for questions from the class, at the end of my description of Buddhist culture, a fourteen year old school girl raised her hand and asked, "Do girls turn you on, then?"

Fortunately, the other girls in the class came to my rescue and scolded the young girl for embarrassing them all. As for me, i laughed and noted the incident down as material for my next talk.
On another occasion, i was walking along a main city street when some school girls approached me, "Hi!" they said in the most friendly of manners, "Do you remember us? You came to give a talk at our school a short time ago."

"I am flattered that you remembered me," i replied.

"We'll never forget you," said one of the girls, "How can we ever forget a monk named 'Bra'!"

If that wasn't funny, what is? (^-^)

Old Path White Clouds - Walking In The Footsteps Of The Buddha

Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from 24 Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese sources. Retold by Thay Thich Nhat Hanh at his inimitably beautiful style, the book traces the Buddha's life slowly and gently over the course of 80 years, partly through the eyes of Svasti (buffalo boy who was later admitted in the order of the Sangha) and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself.

"I have not avoided including the various difficulties the Buddha encountered, both from his disciples and in relation to the wider society. If the Buddha appears in this book as a man close to us, it is partly due to the recounting of these difficulties." ~ Thay Thich Nhat Hanh

An immensely beautifully written book about the Buddha's life and teachings. Nothing written in the book was overly mystical or supernatural but it was whole-hearted attempt by Thay to bring the Buddha across as a human being that lived among us. A human who faced difficulties not so unlike those that we face today and how he overcame it with wisdom and compassion.

Although it's more than 500 pages in length but the book simply does not bore (i speak from my experience as i've read it twice). Written in a very simple and humble way, the book will be an easy read for most people. For those who seek to have a basic but clear understanding of the Buddha's life and teachings, this is a highly recommended book.

Many a times, i've found myself with moist eyes. Filled with a simple sense of joy and wonder as i read situations in the book describing how the people are transformed with love and compassion. Like myself, i'm sure it will touch most readers as they read this book, a book of the human ability to love and empathise. =)

Empty? Full? Part 2

The Lord continued,"Look deeply into the bowl and you'll see that it is empty and full at the same time."

Disciples asked,"Lord, will you explain further to us what you mean when you said it is both empty and full?"

Lord,"When i said that it is empty, i mean the bowl is empty of a separate self. It is not independent of all other phenomena. It is non-self. When i said it is full, it means it is full of the all other conditions that arisen in order for the bowl to exist here and now in this very moment. It is inter-being"

"If we look deeply, we can see the entire universe within the bowl. The potter and his skill, water, clay and fire made it possible for this bowl to arise. Even our awareness of the bowl lies within, if not how can the bowl exists to us? It cannot. Thus looking deeply, we can see the entire universe within. The presence of one phenomena implies the presence of all phenomenas. Such is the law of interdependent arising."

"Simply said, this is because that is, that is because this is."

There is so much of you in me and there is so much of me in you. Within all of us lies the entire universe. Any lesser, neither you or me can be here in this very moment. Not any of the wonders of this world or the people we loved so much could not have so much existed here and now. Knowing such, how can we not say hello and smile a little smile to all those that we hold dear? I'm smiling as i typed these very words. Are you smiling, my friend? =)

Haha, on a playful note ~ if you watched Madagascar, skipper says," Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave." =)