A Single Excellent Night

While reading one of my most favourite books - Majjhima Nikaya (The Middle Length Discourses of The Buddha), I came across one of my all times favourites verses which I would like to share today:
Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state.
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably,
Today the effort must be made
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality
Can keep him and his hordes away,
But one who dwells thus ardently
Relentlessly, by day, by night
It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said
Who has had a single excellent night.
(Bhaddekaratta Sutta -MN131)

I believe this verse requires no further explanation to my Buddhist friends. However, let me share what I think it meant to my non Buddhist friends.

One of the most important teaching of the Buddha is to live in the present moment, in other word not live in the past or live in the future. Although this sounds very simple, but in reality it is very deep and I have seen many people (including myself) that tends to live in the past or live in the future.

People who live in the past are normally people who have Regret and people who lament things that they possessed in the past which have somehow disappeared in the present. One of the most memorable story that I heard with regards to regret was from A Dhamma Talk that I heard in the past from Ajahn Brahm.
According to him, a victim of violence would normally never be happy, no matter how many years have passed, unless he/she is able to forgive the person that committed violence to him (in this case, I would like to emphasize that it's important to forgive the person that committed the wrong, but it's also important not to forgive/ tolerates the act). Why? This is because as long as he/she didn't forgive the person, he will always be victim; he/she always lived in the past. Although the violence has passed many years back, he/she is not able to forget and continue to hold on to it as if it's still there all the time. The day that the person started to forgive and let go of the past, then that's the time that he would able to find release and happiness back.
I believe that it's very important for human beings to remember that past is past, and a person who didn't want to let go of the past is like someone who was struck by arrow once, keep taking the arrow and injured himself again and again using his own hand. If someone scold us and cause us to be unhappy, that person only committed that act once, but if we keep remembering it again and again, we are the one that letting ourselves being scolded again and again.
In the similar way, another type of people who tend to live in the past is the people who tend to think of their possession in the past that somehow has disappeared. Two main things here are probably "Money" and "Loved one". In fact, I believe until today, most of suicide cases that happen in the modern world are mainly caused either of these two.
A person who lost money, or being betrayed by the person that he/she loved... If he didn't able to accept this fact, he will be very unhappy and in the worst case even loss the will to live.

On the extreme, is the type of people who live for future. In this case, I refer to the type of people who are not never able to be happy with whatever things that he has or doesn't have currently. For example, the type of people who think that in order to be happy he must possess one million (but then the irony is that once he possessed one million, he probably start to raise his bar to ten million or something). Or the type of people who like to say... "I will only be happy if only I have this... " " I will only be happy if I didn't have this, etc".
If one thinks carefully, it's quite foolish to always live for the future. Why? because if that's the case, then he will never be happy, never feel contented, to enjoy the things that he possesses currently.

Now, having said this, what is the ideal that most Buddhists try to realize then? It's realization that people who are truly happy are people who live in the present moment, free from the baggage of the past and future; people who recognize that happiness is a state of mind, and not necessarily depend on possession (whether material or immaterial); people who recognize that suffering (or non happiness if I may rephrase it) is due to once's own craving (of either craving to have something/ someone, or craving to not have something/someone).
Anyone, who are able to practice and realize this simple but deep teachings, regardless of whatever religion that they belong, I believe are the person who are worthy of respect, as he/she is able to truly happy and content.

PS: I do recognize that most people are the "in between" people. What I mean here is that most of us will enjoy the present occasionally, dwell in the past occasionally and live in the future occasionally. My point here is that it's probably foolish or impossible to throw away the luggage of past and future straight away. However, I have a strong believe that if we make small effort everyday to reduce the luggage of both the past and the future, then we will be surprised to learn that we are getting happier and happier, day by day. =)

Story of a mouse

It's quite funny sometimes to read blogs that I wrote previously ( http://ramblingsfromabird.blogspot.com/). It gave me an idea on what was my state of my mind at that time, and at times it also gave me some idea on how much I have changed, or I have not changed since that time. 

Since this blog has not been updated for quite some time, just thought of writing something in this peaceful Saturday.

After my Chinese tuition this morning, I enjoyed my weekly tea session with my family. Today, I just anyhow made up a story of a mouse which I shared with my brother.

Here it goes: 

Long time ago, there is this small mouse. His name is "Nobody". Just like many other mice in this world, Nobody was born in a house that he didn't even have idea who the owner is. After a while, all his family member left him due to some illness and from then on Nobody was left alone, occupying small holes in this big house. However, life seems to be quite comfortable for him. Although Nobody is alone, nobody to talk with, he has all Four Requisites available for him to be used. He has small hole as his house; When he is hungry, all he needs to do is go out of his hole and find some food out there; When he is sick, he also is able to go out to find some medicine to cure his illness. (Come to think of it, I have to revise that actually he only has Three Requisites. After all, mouse do not need Clothes right? =P). 

Anyway, to summarize Nobody's life. Nobody is lonely, has little friend, but Nobody has no issue with fulfilling his basic needs. 

One day, a friend comes to visit Nobody. Then he asked Nobody, are you happy with your life? Nobody answered, "Of course not!" Then this friend further asked him, "What will make you happy then?" "Oh, I will be happy, very happy if I have my own house. See? this hole is not a house and in fact this house belongs to other person right? And in the new house that I own, I want to stay with Prince Charming, my 偶像 mouse."

One fine day, when the mouse is 11 years old, in the horse year, Nobody felt that it's his lucky year, and so he used all the money that he has to go and buy TOTO. Of course, Nobody is smart. He purposely bought TOTO that will be opened after CNY because he knew that that TOTO has bigger prize. Guess what? He won the TOTO and all the money that he got is just nice enough to buy a small house. At that year, he too is able to attract Prince Charming to stay together with him. "What a year!" Nobody thought," This is the pinnacle of my life! Beyond this, there is only everlasting and abundance Happiness. All my wishes have been fulfilled by The Great One!"

Seven years past since then. In this ox year, Nobody is now 18 years old. One fine day, the old friend that used to visit Nobody in the hole, came to visit him again. This friend that asked him," Hey! Your life must be very good! Many years back you shared me your dreams, your wishes, and as far as I know, you have got EVERYTHING. You wanted a house, you got a house. You wanted to stay together with Prince Charming, Here you are, Prince Charming is here. What a life! I congratulate you for having such a Great Luck." Nobody's friend said. 

Upon hearing that, Nobody just grinned, "How I wish to have back the life in the Hole last time. Life was so much simpler at that time. Although, I lived alone, I do not have to worry about ANYTHING at all. If I want food, I got food. When I am sick, I got medicine. NOW? You see? This house actually belongs to me you know? There is no human being lived in this house. And since there is no human being living here, How am I able to get my food? Nowadays, I have to travel very far, to just find food to eat. Not only that, sometimes, after searching food for hours, I still come back empty handed. Then, don't you see it when you came to this house? This house is in a big mess. Since there is no human being stayed in this house, No one takes care of the house. How on earth a mouse can clean a house? Of course can't right?

Prince Charming? Yah... Prince Charming used to be very charming back then. Nowadays, Prince Charming always complained of this and complained of that. Prince Charming is not charming at all nowadays, and how I wish I can live alone like last time, away from all nagging and complaints." Nobody answered.

Upon hearing that, Nobody's friend just shacked his head and left, wishing all the best to Nobody.