Put three pots of water over the fire:
In the first pot, put some carrots.
In the second pot, put some eggs.
In the third pot, put some coffee beans that have been grounded into coffee powder.
Boil all three pots for 15 minutes.
Take out what you put in.
The carrots went in hard. They are now soft.
The eggs went in soft inside. Now they are hard inside.
The coffee powder has disappeared.
But the water has the colour and the wonderful smell of coffee.
Now think about life.
Life is not always easy.
Life is not always comfortable.
Sometimes life is very hard.
Things don’t happen like we wish.
People don’t treat us like we hope.
We work very hard but get few results.
What happens when we face difficulties?
Now think about the pots.
The boiling water is like the problems of life.
We can be like the carrots.
We go in tough and strong.
We come out soft and weak.
There is no more fighting spirit.
Don’t be like the carrots!
We can be like the eggs.
We start with a soft and sensitive heart.
We end up very hard and unfeeling inside.
We hate others.
We don’t like ourselves.
We become hard-hearted.
There is no warm feeling, only bitterness.
Don’t be like the eggs!
We can be like the coffee beans.
The water does not change the coffee powder.
The coffee powder changes the water!
The water has become different because of the coffee powder.
See it.
Smell it.
Drink it.The hotter the water, the better the taste.
We make something good from the difficulties we face.
We learn new things.
We have new knowledge, new skills, new abilities.
We grow in experience.
We make the world around us better.
To succeed, we must try… and try again.
We must believe in what we are doing.
We must not give up.
We must be patient.
We must keep pushing.
Problems and difficulties give us the chance to become stronger… and better… and tougher.
What are we like when things do not go well?
Are we like the carrot…
or the egg…
or the coffee bean?
Be like the coffee bean!
Next...
Respect Each Other and Live in Peace
Siao-Lin Temple is a most welknown temple in China. For centuries people go to the temple not only to study Buddhism but also the martial art.
But once upon a time, the temple was lost its goodness. Most of the monks and pupils were behaved like a liar, one did not respect to the other; the younger monks or pupils did not obeyed instructions from the teachers or temple’ leader. No discipline or order at the temple had caused the senior monks in great concerns. So three senior monks were sent to seek advises from one of the retired monk who was resided at the top of a mountain.
What is it the importance so you come to disturb my meditation? The old monk asked without opened his eyes.
The three monks knelled down and kowtow in front of their xie-fu (teacher): Thousand apologizes, Xie-fu. But we needed your advice urgently.
Hm…speak then.
One of the monk told his teacher the situation at the temple while his teacher listened attentively. When he was finished, the old monk stroked his beard which was snow white and the length had reached his own lap. Then he spoke gently to his pupils.
Don’t worry. The disorderly happened is because one of you is Buddha reincarnated. Until you are able to identify who is it among you, you must respect each other. Help each other and do your duties well. Go home now and tell the pupils and monks what I have spoken. The old man went back into his meditative state.
The 3 monks once again knelled down and said good bye to their teacher. They went back to the temple and told what their teacher had asked them to.
Because nobody wanted to be disrespectful to the Buddha reincarnated while the person was still unknown, every body decided to respect other person in the temple, no matter he was old or young, smart or dummy, good at martial art or not, high ranking monks or cleaners. Very quickly then the temple was once again in peace and order.
What can we learn from this metaphor is: if we respectful each other, disregards where we are or who we are, we may live in peace.
God of Merciful
Once upon a time there was a rich man who has two sons. The oldest one was very diligent; he works very hard at his father farms and supervised people that worked for his father. In contrary his younger son was very lazy and did not want to labor himself a bit.
One day, the youngest son came to him. Father, he said. Would you give me all of my shares?
The rich man agreed and gave his youngest son half of his possessions. After receiving the share, the youngest son immediately headed another country where he lived extravagantly. He drinks, gaming and spent his money at the brothel house. Not long all his money had gone and he was bankrupted.
Then he tried to find a job but because the country where he lived had experienced a long dry monsoon, opening was hardly to be found. Desperately he arrived at a pig farm and almost died of starving he begged the farmer to let him took care of the pigs and as a return he might allowed to consume whatever the pigs consume.
Tears were on his face when he fed himself with the dirty foods. He remembered his own father house where foods and kindness were plenty. Would my father forgive me and take me back as his son? He cried. But his condition was very bad and he really had no place to go. So after he had gained a little strength by eaten those pigs feed, he headed home.
While the rich man saw his youngest son crippled from far away, his heart was full of joy. He ran to his son and hugged him with tears. He took the missing son home, had he bathed, poured perfume on his head; put on the best garment and jewelries his body. He also ordered his servants to prepared party welcoming his son home.
When his oldest son came home from the farm, he was surprised to see the festive at his father home. What going on here? He asked the servants.
Your brother has come home and your father held a party to welcome him. The servant explained.
Irritated with what he had just heard, he approached his father and complained. Father, I have been worked hard for you and you never give me your best ram for a feast, you never give the best garment, but my brother he had disappointed you, wasted all your money and now when he come home you give him your best feast, best garment and best jewelries. It’s not fair!
My son. The rich man said calmly. You have been with all the times, you have enjoyed whatever I have, but your brother, he had lost and now found again, he had suffered and he is regret, so doesn’t it proper to give him a big feast? Must not we are be happy for we are united now?
It was told that God has the same manner toward sinner who has regretted the sinful acts he or she had been done. But the following story also teaches us a different point of view. That punishment or grace from God is actually the reflection of our belief system. What do you think?
A young mother was upset because her 3 years old son has stole some candies. She asked him: Didn’t you see the God when you steal mother’s candies?
Yes, I did. Her son replied.
How was His face look like then? Didn’t He look angry?
No, He was smiling
The mother felt more upset. What did God said to you?
He said I may take two candies.
The mother belief if we do bad things, God will be angry and will punishing us, but for the 3 years old boy, God is full of mercy and forgiveness.
