Tit-bits Index

84,000 ways to cultivate

There are 84,000 different ways to cultivate Buddha's nature, and the teachings are about helping others, doing good-deeds, to love & respect all sentient beings, perfecting ourselves, understanding, abstaining from "greed, hatred, and ignorance" etc. Other religions in this world also teach people similar caring and loving nature, ultimately will lead an individual to perfection.

Those who do not adopt any religion or teaching can also cultivate in their own WAY by not harming others and managing to abstain from negative activities in their daily lifestyle, which constitutes one of the 84,000 Ways.

Achieve our Goal

In real society requires an individual to make and take personal responsibility in order to fulfill one's ambitions or dreams. It is a tough society out there and not many people are fortunate to be born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth.

One can certainly help to make a difference to society through industrious effort and participating with society. No doubt one may encounter obstacles along the way, treat it as part of survival and finding ways to overcome it.

Take destiny into our own hands and change it for the better for those whom have not been trying hard enough in the past. Get up and try and try again until one is finally able to reach the finishing line. If one decides to give up trying, then one will not be able to reach the final goal.

Admitting Wrongdoing

Admitting one's wrongdoing should never make one feel ashamed and embarrassed, such action will only make you a better person.

Just treat this as part of the lesson in one’s life cycle, and then continue diligently to progress further to become an even better person.

Advice

One learns through studying, experiences either from success or failure as well as advice from others. Some advice is good but some is bad, it will require our utmost wisdom to analyze and utilize good advice from our databank.

In this modern society, people get their advice or answer by searching via the Internet, but which one is appropriate and relevant, that means it also requires our wisdom to filter.

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Appearance

A person doing bad deeds will lead to change of their face appearance, attitude change, energy change, as well as life change.

With a pleasant shining face appearance usually follows those individuals that exercise good and kind-hearted deeds.

Argument

The farthest distance between two points is any argument, which could lead to infinity. Even the Scientists would not be able to determine the end points.

Who is right? Who is wrong? Who is the winner? Who is the loser?

Both sides will express their own point of view and declare that they are the winner.

It is really done my head in. Ha! Ha! Truly a waste of time and energy!

Alas one is unlikely to see one's own fault or maybe overconfidence could be a recipe for downfall.

Arrogance and Pride

Arrogance and pride is the major downfall for human beings. Sometimes asking question does not make you stupid.

But ignorance will make one a laughing stock.

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As Human Beings

Being reborn as human beings is rare and difficult; as Buddha picked up a handful of sand and said to Anada (Buddha's follower); this is the total amount of humans living in this world. Only human beings can easily gain merits by being doing good deeds ..etc to progress further.

That means, we better treasure whatever we have, no comparison with others, try our best to plough through our lifetime. Just like planting tomato from seed, water it, look after it, and one day we will have a fruitful reward. We all would like to have better credit book, surely, behind every success is a life-time full of tears, sweat, hard work, worry, failure(s), parents' guidance, support…etc. No pain no gain.

Ask and Understand

If one does not understand, one must ask! If one does not ask what they do not understand, then they will never understand.

"ASKING" results in "UNDERSTANDING".

Base-Line

If our base line is too high to start with, it will be very hard to reach to. Why not set our line to suit our ability, once we reach our mark, we can slowly increase our level. In other words, running up the hill will hurt quite hard if we fall, but going step-by-step up to the hill will be just nice.

There is no short cut for any job or learning; one must start to learn from basic, step by step, treat failure as just a lesson to succeed; slowly, and we will reach our target.

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Belief

With belief, when coming across a difficult path or task, you will have no fear.

Birth and Death

When one is born, death is unavoidable, so there is no need to be afraid and grieve.

When one has passed away, rebirth is the norm, old-clothes need new ones, just rejoice.

This is the cycle of life.

Try our best to do good-deeds without intent and help others from the bottom of our heart, when we look-back; we know we have lived our life with fulfillment.

Bitter Life

(a) Chasing after something badly which is beyond one’s capability or due to greed, will lead to a bitter life.

For example, if one already has lots of money, but is still craving for more, that is really a bitter, distressing and sorrowful state of life.

(b) Getting rid of bitter life is bitter too; such as having to readjust our life style.

If one chooses (a), one will always experience sorrow and bitterness, but if one chooses (b), then the misery will slowly and gradually reduce; only then one’s future life will become less bitter.

Blank Paper

A kid's brain is just like a piece of blank paper; whatever they learn will be imprinted into the brain regardless of whether being good or bad. The onerous is on the parent to guide their child to differentiate between rights from wrongs.

Broad-mindedness

Broad-mindedness helps to tolerate others bad behavior, that requires no bad wording or blaming, just silence.

Buddha's Heart

All Sentient Beings have Buddha's heart, and everybody was a Buddha before. To regain our Buddha's heart, one needs to cultivate to help to remove whatever obstructions cloud our heart.

Bull with a Ring

One must have the right understanding, judgment or vision, otherwise, we will just be like a bull with a ring through our nose, just following the lead without knowing of what’s happening …etc!

If one does not understand, then one must ask in order to learn.