On Reciting the Name of the Buddha

Practice reciting the name of the Buddha to the extent that "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

We all have a Buddha immanent in our minds. When we practice recitation to the extent that our minds are pure and free of vexations, we will meet the buddha within ourselves. Therefore, only by the extinction of all vexations can we attain the stage where "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

We should practice compassion and forbearance in our daily lives while avoiding impulsiveness and petulance and controlling our temper. Be adroit and harmonious when dealing with people and handle everything with the help of reason.

Seek not the faults of others and do not be vexed by the rights or wrongs we perceive. Be gentle and kind to others, though not for the sake of building up connections. Treat everyone, be he/she moral or immoral, with equality and impartiality.

Do not turn others away with an icy face. With every move intended for the benefit of others and done with sympathetic compassion, not only will we foster good affinity with others but our minds will be purified and ourselves free of all vexations.

We are thereby attaining the stage where "flowers flourish and the Buddha comes into view."

~ The Analects of Master Kuang-ch'in

A Missed Opportunity

When our parents call us,

we should answer them right away.

When they tell us something, we should do it promptly.

Ever since they last visited Gram, their grandmother, Felicia and Hanna had been pleading with their mother to teach them to make chocolate chip cookies. It was a “secret family recipe” and Gram always made them because she knew how much her two granddaughters loved them.

Gram had taught their mother, Mrs. Johansson, how to bake the cookies. But she had been very busy with work so there hadn’t been any time for baking lessons for her daughters.

Fortunately, the project at work was now completed and Mrs. Johansson decided that she would teach the girls this Saturday, just like that day when her own mother taught her. Wanting to surprise the girls, she bought the chocolate chips and other ingredients, and put everything away where they wouldn’t notice them.

On Saturday afternoon, she called to the girls, “Felicia and Hanna, come to the kitchen!”

Hanna, who was younger, came quickly, but Felicia was busy texting her friends and called out “In a minute, Mom!”

Hanna’s eyes grew big as she learned that today was “the day.” Excited, she helped her mother get out all the ingredients and cooking utensils. Her mother showed her how to measure the ingredients and then mix everything together. She called out again, “Felicia, please come to the kitchen!” Felicia gave a distracted “Coming!” and continued her texting.

Remembering her favorite part of helping her mother, Mrs. Johansson told Hanna she could lick the spoon after the cookies were mixed. They opened the bag of chocolate chips, but Felicia still hadn’t come to the kitchen. Mrs. Johansson smiled as she and Hanna sampled a few of the chips “to be sure they are good.” Then they ate a few more because “They are good!” Again, Mrs. Johansson called out “Felicia!” But she couldn’t even hear Felicia’s mumbled reply.

Mrs. Johansson turned on the oven to heat it up. She and Hanna then spooned the cookie dough onto the baking pans and placed the first trays on the oven racks. While the cookies were baking Mrs. Johansson got out the cups and saucers she used on special occasions. Then she and Hanna made some hot chocolate and dropped a marshmallow into each cup.

As they were sipping the hot chocolate, the aroma of the baking cookies began to fill the kitchen. Hanna listened eagerly as her mother told her about how she had helped her own mother bake cookies. Hanna loved hearing these stories about her grandmother and mother because her mother was always so relaxed and happy when she told these stories.

She told Hanna, “When you are grownup, you too will remember this very special day.”

Then Mr. Johansson came in. “Wow, it’s chocolate day! I could smell your cookies out in the yard. Are they ready yet? I’m always hungry for your mother’s chocolate chip cookies.” As he pulled out a chair at the table, Mrs. Johansson poured him a cup of hot chocolate and then took out a tray of cookies. As the three were sitting at the table eating the warm, gooey cookies and drinking their hot chocolate, Felicia came in.

“I’m sorry Felicia, but I called you several times.”

Seeing the cookies, Felicia realized that she had missed something she had been looking forward to for weeks. Reaching for a cookie and the hot chocolate her mother poured for her, Felicia said, “Next time you call, I promise I’ll come right away!”

Walking a Fine Line

I was talking with someone yesterday about trying to walk the line between sincerely meeting our responsibilities and going overboard and losing our perspective. Since I had just caught myself tripping over that line, I found the discussion especially timely.

I am working on a new website for the center I live at. My teacher designed an emblem many years ago that is a wonderful teaching in itself. It has many design elements including both English and Chinese words, initials, a lotus, and some more elements. As a larger emblem it works very well and we have it under our association's name at the front entrance. I was requested to try to use the emblem/sign as a logo on the website.

My current task was to change the coloring of the emblem so it would work in the website's dark blue banner. I was working with a screen-sized file and after easily changing the larger sections was meticulously dropping tiny bits of color into the file pixels. To do this, you use your mouse cursor and try to aim the cross hairs at the right spot. (Suffice it to say, I'd never have made it as an army gunner!) 

I wanted to do a very good job and was concentrating (i.e. glasses were put aside and I was peering into the screen). After some time, I thought, wait a minute. I need to check this in the banner. This was to be a little logo after all, not a sign.

As you can imagine, when I inserted the logo onto the banner, I realized I had already stepped over the responsible work/going overboard line. I had lost my perspective. No one would ever see the color imperfections in the logo.

So where exactly was that line and how could I have found it a few minutes sooner?

Concentration is great for getting things done, but we need to periodically stand (or sit in my case) back and look at the whole picture. We need to separate ourselves from the work and view it objectively. We need to ask if we have gotten so involved in the work that we have become attached to the outcome, thinking "I" have to do this so well  that no one will criticize "my" work. "I" want to do this perfectly, then everyone will like it. After all, this is "my" job, it is "my" responsibility and "I" know the best way to do it.

It's a tricky line with all the "I"s and "me"s. Little wonder we get tripped up by it and fail to notice we've landed on the other side.

I'm Not Arrogant, I'm Right!

This occurred to me the other day when I was thinking of a particular situation. (No, the person I was thinking of doesn't read this blog, so it's not any of you.:-))

Another individual had called the person in the situation arrogant. I could see how they thought so. Then I deliberately thought of another situation, this one involving myself. That's when the title of this entry popped into my mind.

It raises some interesting questions for us to ask ourselves.

When have I worked on something enough or learned enough to know that I clearly am right. Or when am I giving myself more credit than I deserve. And how good am I at discerning the difference.

For those of us trying to change our behavior, the discernment is crucial. It requires more than being honest with ourselves, which is difficult enough. It requires that we really know ourselves. It also requires us to know what we are doing and to honestly assess any given situation.

And perhaps all these come down to the question: how hard am I willing to work at this.

Someone is Watching

If our parents do something wrong,

we should urge them to change.

We should do so with a kind expression and caring voice.

Should our parents not accept our advice,

try again when they are in a better mood.

If they still do not listen,

our sincere tears will show them how deeply we care.

Should they get angry with us, do not hold it against them.

 

Once, in the not so distant past, a man decided to take some apples from his neighbor. He thought, “I’ll only take a few. My neighbor will never miss them and besides he can’t possibly use all those apples.” He waited until it was dark. To be sure he wasn’t caught; he took Natasha, his youngest daughter, with him so she could keep watch and warn him if anyone approached.

Walking quietly, father and daughter went to the neighbor’s orchard where there were many apple trees. The father reached up to the first tree and picked a few apples. He was about to put them into the basket he had brought along when his daughter said softly, “Father, someone’s watching.” Her father immediately looked around but saw no one.

He then went to another tree and picked a few more apples. His daughter tugged at his pants and a little louder this time said, “Father, someone’s watching!” Again, he looked around nervously, but saw no one.

He picked up his basket and moved down the row of trees and reached up to pick a few more apples. He was just putting them into his basket, when his daughter called out “Father, someone is watching!”

He was frustrated at looking around and seeing no one. But just to be safe he moved deeper into the orchard where he was further away from the road. Even here, his daughter cried out to him “Father, someone is watching you!” Again he looked all around but saw no one. Exasperated, he turned to his daughter and said, “Why do you keep saying someone’s watching? No one’s here!”

His daughter looked up at him, her eyes glistening with rising tears, and said, “I’m here.”

Moved by her concern, her father suddenly realized he had been setting a very bad example and that his daughter had only been trying to help him realize that taking the apples was wrong. After all, he had always taught her that stealing was wrong, and here he was doing it! He hugged her to let her know that she was right and what a good daughter she was.

They walked home together hand in hand. Along the way they carefully put all the apples back under the trees.

Moral

To help others see their mistakes, we need to speak politely,

at the right time, and away from others.