A Prayer for All

 

May loving kindness flow freely from your heart today and everyday.  

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.

With Metta,

DA

Walking for Peace - Pt. 4

 "Today is the last leg of our journey, nuns," said APK when dawn broke.  Most of us didn't have a good night's sleep because of the orangey red eyes we saw but the thought of going home rejuvenated us.  We left our "camp" at 6 a.m. and headed for the river's estuary which would take about an hour's walk.

We reached the estuary in good time and were surprised to see a big crowd waiting for us there!  "OMG, how did they know we would be here today?" murmured APK.  The crowd started cheering and some gave us flowers and bottles of water. 

When the hullabaloo had died down, APK quietly addressed them and thanked them for their support. Some of them had actually come from upstream so that they could meet us again. APK then gave a short talk on peace and compassion and this was followed by prayers, ending in blessings for everyone.  

One of the nurses tried to call Head Nun to tell her we were on our way home, but she could not get through.  There was no connection - we were too far deep in the forest.  "Oh dear, I hope she won't panic if she doesn't hear from us," I thought to myself.

So after bidding the crowd a quick farewell, we trudged back the way we came three days ago.  We would not be making any overnight stops but a straight journey home and if all went well, we would be able to reach the temple in the evening as planned.

It was about 6.30 p.m. when we finally reached our village.  A crowd was already there waiting for us and they cheered and clapped and followed us back to the temple. Head Nun and the other nuns were already waiting anxiously for us.

"They're back, they're back," shouted the nuns at the temple gate when they saw us coming.  With tears streaming down her eyes, Head Nun rushed towards us and hugged each one of us.  Everyone was talking at the same time and laughing and crying.  Oh, what a wonderful homecoming!  Then the nuns whisked us to the kitchen for some hot soup which we devoured hungrily.  The two nurses told Head Nun that it had been an incredible journey, one which they would remember all their lives

Head Nun gave us two days off to recover and the nuns thankfully escaped to their rooms to rest. My little basket was also ready for me with a new cushion sewn by one of the old nuns. It was so good to rest my weary body on it and go to sleep.

And so ended Day 3 of our Walk for Peace.

A few days later and after all the stories had been told, Head Nun gave us a shocking piece of news.

"Nuns, remember you said you spent a night at a place called "Bodhi Hut"?  Well, I happened to mention it to a friend from the village the other day  and she told me the place was burnt down two  years ago - and the owner died in the fire."

"What?" we gasped.  Come to think of it, we had wanted to say a quick "hello" to Ananda on our way back, but we couldn't find the place, it seemed to have vanished completely!

Head Nun then said, "I wonder whether you nuns realise that the Lord Buddha was protecting you all the way?  When you needed shelter, He gave it to you, and where do you think the dogs came from, then there's the miracle of the receding water, not forgetting the so-called "spirits of the forest"...."

"Head Nun," said APK.  "You couldn't be more right and  we are extremely grateful to the Buddha that we all returned safe and sound.  I only hope we have accomplished what we set out to do and given the people we met the gifts of peace, love and hope."

Head Nun smiled approvingly.  She had heard from the other nuns how well APK had conducted her talks during our peace journey and she was pleased that she (APK) had progressed so well.

Later that evening, I saw APK sitting in the garden looking dreamily ahead.

"APK, what are you thinking about?

"Vege Cat, I was just thinking that one day, I would like to walk round the world spreading the Lord Buddha's teachings ..."

I smiled but made no comment.  If APK makes up her mind to do something, she will certainly do it.  We only have to wait and see. 

Walking for Peace - Pt. 3

The next morning dawned bright and clear after the night's rain.  After a hearty breakfast, we said goodbye to Ananda and trudged on.  We were following the river of course and enjoying the scenery as well

The first few hours of our morning journey were uneventful and we stopped for lunch at about 11 a.m.  We were enjoying some sandwiches and tea when quite unexpectedly the sky darkened again and a sudden storm descended on us.  Heavy rain forced us to run for shelter under the trees and then we saw to our horror that the river had burst its banks and water was surging towards us in huge waves!  

It was so sudden that we didn't know what to do.  Just as we thought we were going to be swept away, the waves miraculously stopped at our feet, then receded.   We couldn't believe our eyes! By the grace of the Lord Buddha again, we were saved from being swept away and ending in a watery grave!  The nurses were in a state of shock and awe, they had never seen anything like this before in their lives!

As for the nuns, I must say they had fared very well despite all that had happened so far.  They had great faith in the Buddha and was confident nothing untoward would happen to them.  As APK said, "Sticks and stones may break our bones but we shall carry on until we complete our mission."

Then we came to this part of the river which we had never been to before.  There was a small community there too but unfortunately, they were not very friendly and looked at us with suspicion.  We heard remarks like "They're scammers pretending to be nuns" and "They only want our money", things like that.  It was most disheartening but APK like a good leader calmly and lovingly spoke to them and soon we had a small congregation at our feet!  As it turned out, they were thirsty for spiritual knowledge and begged APK to continue speaking.

We left that village some two hours later.  It was already late afternoon and we had to find a place to sleep for the night.  We looked around but there was nothing but wilderness. 

Fortunately the two nurses had brought along a tent which they had used in their camping days and amazingly, it was big enough for all eight of us!  So after some prayers and a simple dinner, we squeezed into the tent to sleep.  We were all tired because of the heat and soon fell asleep.  

Then suddenly screams came from one of the nuns in the middle of the night! She had got up to drink some water and taken a peep outside the tent....

Startled, we all sat up and looked in the direction she pointed.... and saw to our horror dozens of orangey red eyes staring at us in the dark!   One of the nuns started chanting "Ah Mi Tuo Fo" and the rest of us followed, our voices trembling.  We couldn't tell who or what they were - perhaps hungry wolves or coyotes - it looked like we were doomed! Frightened, we pulled our blankets over our heads and continued chanting loudly.

Then a voice spoke.  "Do not be afraid.  We are the guardians of this part of the forest.  We are protecting you and making sure you are safe."

We were amazed to hear that and cautiously peeped through our blankets.  The orangey red eyes had gone after assuring us that we would be safe and we went back to sleep, feeling much better.

And so ended Day 2 of our Walk for Peace.

Walking for Peace - Pt. 2

 

After walking for about an hour, APK called for a rest and we sat down under some trees to catch our breath.  We had reached the river and if I'm not mistaken, it flows for something like ten kilometers before it merges with the sea.  It was moving rapidly and gurgling noisily as though to welcome us!  The nurses then distributed water and nuts to boost our energy.  These two girls in their teens told me that they go hiking regularly and this three-day walk is "no  big deal" for them!

Then some children came running and stared at us curiously.  Soon their parents joined them and the nurses explained our mission to them, since we had taken an oath of silence.  We learnt that they're poor fishermen earning their keep from the fish they catch from the river and they were eager to learn more about the Buddha's teachings. 

So APK gave her first discourse for about an hour. I was happy to see that she had gained considerable knowledge from her two or three years' stay at the temple and was able to speak fluently.  The fisher folk thanked us profusely after hearing her talk and brought us bread and coffee for lunch.  They were very kind indeed and wished us luck in our mission.

Having refreshed ourselves, we continued on our journey.  The nuns were in good spirits and chanted mantras as they went along.  The nurses reported happily to Head Nun over the phone that everything was going smoothly and of course, she was very relieved.

Unfortunately we spoke too soon.  Suddenly, four ruffians appeared from nowhere and blocked our path.  The leader, a horrible looking man with long unkempt hair and an unshaven face, started making fun of us.  "Hey guys, look what we found!  A bunch of bald headed females!  Hee Hee, we're going to have a party tonight!"

APK braced herself and speaking in calm tones, said, "Brothers!  We come in peace.  Please let us through!"

The leader laughed again and said, "Let you through?  Not until we have our fun.  Come on, guys, grab them and bring them to our hideout!"

I had forgotten APK had taken karate or was it judo lessons when she was young and when the leader tried to grab her, she threw him over and sent him sprawling to the ground. Enraged, he picked himself up and grabbed a nearby stick.  It looked like we were going to have a big fight.  

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared a pack of fierce dogs.  They came growling and barking, attacked the ruffians and sent them running.  Then as quickly as they had appeared, the dogs disappeared.

Shaken but undaunted, we continued our walk.  To our dismay, it began raining heavily.  Fortunately  we had come prepared for rain or shine, so we put on our raincoats and after some time arrived at some kind of motel by the name of "Bodhi Hut".  The proprietor, an elderly man by the name Ananda, warmly welcomed us and offered us shelter for the night. We were of course very grateful especially as it continued to rain heavily. At the same time we offered a prayer of thanks to the Lord Buddha for sending the dogs to save us!

We had a simple dinner with Ananda and after dinner, APK talked about peace and loving kindness. By 9 o'clock, we were already tired and went to sleep in a spare room which the old man had prepared for us.  

And so ended Day 1 of our Walk for Peace.

(To be continued)

Walking for Peace - Pt 1

We had been watching the evening world news on TV and there was this short reel on a group of Buddhist monks walking across the US for peace.

Suddenly, APK jumped up and cried, "Let's do it!"

"Do what?" asked the other nuns.

"Walk for peace, like these monks!" replied APK, visibly excited.

Head Nun almost choked.

"APK, are you crazy?"

"Head Nun, if the monks can do it, so can we!" she gasped, more excited than ever.

"APK," began Head Nun.  "Firstly, remember you're all women.  Do you think you can walk for miles in the hot sun and rain?  Secondly, it's not that simple.  You need to have back-up, in case one of you falls sick, or has an accident, things like that."

Ah Ying (our "Grab driver" who had taken us up to the hill temple a few times and who had also been watching the news with us) chipped in: "I can get two of my friends to join in.  They're nurses, and formerly girl scouts, they are experienced in outdoor life and they can be the support group and carry the food, water, first aid, etc.  I think it's a good idea, Head Nun!"

"I think you all have gone mad," said Head Nun, shaking her head.  

"How many are keen on this idea?" APK asked the nuns.

Five hands immediately shot up.  They belonged to the younger nuns, of course and I could see they were all bubbling with excitement.

"What about you, Vege Cat?  Will you come with us as our mascot?"

It was my turn to choke.  "Er ... I don't know....I haven't done this before..."

"You can do it, Vege Cat," said APK. "But first, we've got to plan what route we wish to take."

Head Nun's face had turned ashen.  "Are you serious?  Just because some monks started walking, you all get carried away!  No, sorry, I'm not going to let you  endanger yourselves..."

"Please, Head Nun," pleaded APK.  The other five nuns also started pleading, finally Head Nun said, "Alright, alright, let me think about it.  But first, ask yourselves, what are your intentions?  Are you doing this for publicity and fame or are you sincere like those monks?  If you can give me a satisfactory answer, then I may give you permission to go."

The six nuns huddled together whispering in low tones, then after about ten minutes, APK said, "Head Nun, you're right.  We got carried away by what we saw on TV but we are sincere, we want to bring the Dharma to the people out there.  We want to share the message of peace, love, unity and compassion. Since you worry that we may over exert ourselves, Head Nun, we shall take our time and stretch the walk into three days starting from the temple, through the village and along the river and back.  We need to stop and speak to the people living by the river who hardly know anything about the Lord Buddha's teachings. If we start from the temple at say 6.30 a.m., we should be back at the temple by 6 p.m. on the third day."

Head Nun hesitated.  It was true those families living by the river hardly come to the temple to pray or to hear sermons.  Three days with stops in-between did sound less back-breaking. The nuns would have plenty of time to rest.

"I will let you know tomorrow," Head Nun said.  It was not surprising that the nuns hardly slept that night, excited as they were and they kept insisting that I should follow them on the walk.  I told them I would only go if Head Nun agreed, so we left it at that.

The next morning, after meditation, we gathered in the kitchen for breakfast and everyone was looking expectantly at Head Nun, waiting for an answer.  

Seeing all eyes on her, Head Nun reluctantly said, "Alright, you may go as you plan from the village to the river and back......(here she was interrupted by cries of "Yay" and "Hurray" from the nuns).... but on two conditions.  This walk shall only be for three days, no more, and I want all of you to take a vow of silence, I don't want you to speak to anyone from the media or to anyone for that matter. You may give short sermons as and when appropriate, and that shall be all the talking you do.  Is that clear?"

Later, Head Nun said to me, "Vege Cat, I must be crazy to agree to this mad plan of theirs. I prayed to the Lord Buddha last night for guidance and this morning, when I woke up, something inside me told me not to refuse them,"  She sighed, then said, "I hope I'm doing the right thing. Oh dear, I won't be able to sleep until you all return."

"Head Nun, don't worry, we shall be safe."

The nuns chose the first day of the 12th month of the Chinese calendar to start their peace walk, this being an auspicious day.  They had about two weeks to get ready and they started exercising  and training themselves, while Ah Ying went to buy all the necessities.  Soon the word got round and people started donating mineral water, buns, etc.  Someone even donated fans with the word "Peace"!

The big day came and Head Nun was almost in tears as she bade us goodbye.  "Remember your mission, my dears and if you don't come back by the third day, I'm calling the Police," she wailed.  Ah Ying assured her that her friends would keep in touch through their mobile phones and that everything would be okay.

There was already a small group of people at the temple gate waiting for us to depart.  Some were fully supportive of our walk while some sneered and laughed at us. We ignored whatever comments they made and trudged through the village in single file and in high spirits.  It was still early and not many people had woken up yet. The two young nurses followed behind us carrying our supplies and first aid in their backpacks.  

On the way to the river, we had to pass Ah Hoe's hut and he was already waiting for us to serve breakfast.  We had hot sweet potato broth which warmed our insides and after about half an hour, we moved on.  A few members of the local press followed us and took some pictures but after seeing that we're not talking to anyone, they left.

And so began Day 1 of our Walk for Peace.

(To be continued)

Cat Wisdom

A Buddhist Story

  

The Broken Bowl and the Monk 

In a quiet mountain monastery in ancient China lived a young monk named Wei Ming. He owned only one precious possession - a simple clay bowl given to him by his master. He cared for it deeply, washing it carefully each day, fearing the moment it might break.

One evening, while sweeping the courtyard, the bowl slipped from his hands and shattered on the stone floor.

Wei Ming fell to his knees in despair. “How careless I have been!” he cried. “This bowl was my only treasure.”

Hearing his sorrow, the old master approached and asked gently,

“Tell me, Wei Ming, when did your bowl break?”

“Just now, Master,” he replied.

The master smiled. “No, my student. Your bowl was already broken the moment it was made. It only waited for the right moment to reveal it.”

Seeing the confusion in Wei Ming’s eyes, the master continued:

“All things in this world - bowls, bodies, youth, and even sorrow - are subject to change. When you understand this, you no longer cling, and when you no longer cling, you are free.”

Wei Ming looked at the broken pieces once more and felt a calm arise in his heart. He bowed deeply and whispered,

“Thank you, Master, for teaching me the truth of impermanence.”

From that day on, he held everything lightly - and his mind became peaceful.

Moral: Nothing lasts forever. When we accept impermanence, suffering loosens its grip and wisdom is born.

 (#buddhism #fblifestyle)

Hope you enjoyed that story!

With Metta,

Da

Is the Party Over?

 

(Yawn)!  Hey, is the party over?  Gosh, my head aches, I guess I should be pushing home.  Who the hell took that picture anyway?  Huh, now I remember, it was that cheeky young one, Milo.  

"See how ugly you are when you are drunk, Ning!"  

"Get lost, Milo!  I'm going home to sleep...."

Oh, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

I'll see you when I see you ....zzzzz

Ning

A Prayer for All

 I end this year with a prayer for all:

May all sentient beings be free from pain and suffering;

May all be well and happy;

May the sick be restored;

May happiness return to those in despair;

May the hungry be fed;

May our world be at peace.

With Metta,

Da

A Soul Searching Christmas

With Christmas round the corner, the nuns began sprucing up the temple and also brought out our old Christmas tree from the storeroom to clean.

"How time flies," remarked APK.  "Another Christmas again!  I wonder what plans Head Nun has this time?"

"I'm sure she'll surprise us again this year," said the other nuns, laughing.

Together they cleaned up the tree, repaired broken branches, polished the stars and baubles and soon it looked quite presentable.  Head Nun came to look at it and was quite pleased that the nuns had done a good job.  

"Well done, nuns," she quipped.  "Christmas will be here in a few days.  I shall have a surprise for you all," she said, smiling.

"Oh, really?" gasped APK, eyes wide.  

But Head Nun wouldn't say anything more, so that evening, the nuns started speculating what "surprise" Head Nun had planned.  

"I hope she gives us some new shawls for the rainy months," said one nun.

"I wouldn't mind a new pair of socks!" said another.

"What about you, Vege Cat?  What do you want?" asked APK.

I shrugged.  "I really don't need anything," I said.  

"Sure you do," the nuns teased me.  "A new blanket, perhaps a new collar ....?"

As the days drew nearer to Christmas, the excitement among the nuns mounted.

Finally, on Christmas Eve, Head Nun called us all together and we sat down round the Christmas tree.

"Well, this is the moment you've all been waiting for," she said, smiling cheekily.  I could see the nuns trembling with excitement.  

Head Nun then brought out a large bag and said, "Some of you may be disappointed at what I'm going to give you but I can assure you they're the best gifts anyone can give."

She then put her hand in the bag and drew out a small gift box tied with a red ribbon.

"I'm going to give each one of you a box like this.  What you will find inside will be more precious than gold or silver.  I want you to keep the box and not open it until Christmas morning.  Is that clear?  "

The nuns nodded in excitement.  What could be in the box that is more precious than gold or silver?

Head Nun then distributed a box to each nun and I of course received one too.  

"Alright, now go to bed.  I shall see you all tomorrow morning.  Merry Christmas, my dears."

"Merry Christmas, Head Nun!" we chorused back.

I took my box back to my basket with me.  Of course I was dying with curiosity and couldn't wait to open it but instructions were instructions, so I controlled myself.  I could hardly sleep that night, and I'm sure the nuns couldn't either!

When I opened the box the next morning, I wasn't prepared to find what was inside.  It was a small notebook and on each page was a little something written by Head Nun in her own handwriting.  

I'm sure none of the nuns  expected this kind of present and when they appeared for breakfast, they all looked rather sheepish and were unusually quiet.

"Aah, I see from your expressions that you all have opened your boxes and seen what's inside," said Head Nun, smiling.

"Head Nun," began APK.  "We don't understand..."

"I shall explain, my dear.  You see, Christmas is not just merrymaking and giving and receiving presents.  It is also a time for reflection and  introspection.  As your leader, I am responsible for your growth and to see you attain your goal, Nirvana, which is why you became nuns in the first place, isn't that so?  My dears, all I want is for you to look deep into yourselves, ask yourselves have I progressed?  Am I one step closer to my goal?  Spend a few moments everyday contemplating on what I have written.  That's not too difficult, is it?"

Then seeing the glum looks on the nun's faces, Head Nun said, "Alright, alright.  Here's the good news.  A well-wisher has donated some warm socks for you all (here the faces of the nuns lit up) and another has donated ice cream for tonight's dinner!"

"Yay!" cheered the nuns, so it wasn't going to be such a dismal Christmas after all!

Later before going to bed, I took a closer look at what Head Nun had written (below).  Can I answer truthfully and honestly?

🤔🤔

Can I speak only what is true, kind and necessary?

Can I refrain from judging or criticizing anyone?

Can I practise patience in all situations everyday?

Can I see work as worship and do it with joy?

Can I perform at least one selfless act today?

Can I reduce my desires?

Can I avoid wasting time on gossip or negativity?

Can I consume food both in moderation and with  mindfulness?

Can I reduce my ego?

I'm still working on my answers....

Merry Christmas!