August 23, 2009
do not resent the heavens for one's fate.
do not blame our problems on others.
realize the negative cause
lies within us,
was created by us,
can only be transformed by us,
resolved by us with
understanding,
diligence,
love.
August 20, 2009
If the clothes we wear and the food we eat are not as good as what others have, do not feel sad. 
But whatever the reason, Larslin was not your usual Asagee. His parents tried to hide their shock when he was born. But since Asagee are very aware of the feelings of others, Larslin knew something was wrong. He just didn’t know what it was.
At least not until he wobbled over to the stream to take a drink and saw his reflection. He saw he was a lovely warm orange, just like his parents. But as Larslin’s eyes focused and he looked more carefully, he saw a bright blue spot just above his nose. As he bent closer for a better look, he saw another blue spot near the top of his head! And then he saw there were more on his legs.
Larslin blinked and then looked up at his parents. No, they didn’t have any blue spots. And from the look in their eyes, Larslin began to feel that he shouldn’t have any either. His mother came to him and licked his face. Then his father came as well and stood awkwardly by. Larslin looked more closely at them. Not even one blue hair between them.
Larslin told himself that maybe newborns had blue spots but lost them as they grew up. He consoled himself with this thought for a few days.
Then his cousins came to visit.
They were the same age as Larslin, but not one of them had even the tiniest blue spot. Since adult Asagee are known for their good manners, Larslin’s aunts and uncles managed to hide their emotions. But his cousins were young and like most children everywhere they didn’t have the best of manners. Having been warned by their parents, they tried not to laugh. But it was more than they could manage.
One by one they started giggling. And before anyone could stop them, they were laughing out loud at Larslin. He tried very hard to be brave and to not embarrass his parents. But a tear rolled down his cheek. Then another. And soon, with all his cousins laughing at him, he burst into tears.
Larslin ran off into the tall grass and threw himself down in it. Even though his aunts and uncles hushed his cousins, their laughter still rang in his ears.
Larslin began to think that maybe his spots would never go away. But it wasn’t his fault. He’d been born this way! What if maybe, just maybe, he would be different for the rest of his life. His sadness was more than he could bear. He tucked his head between his front legs and sobbed as though his heart was broken.
He was so miserable that he didn't hear his parents approach. It wasn’t until his mother nuzzled him with her nose and licked his face that he realized they were there.
But this time there was no shock in their eyes.
Only love.
Larslin couldn’t see this at first because his own eyes were filled with tears. But he felt their love.
And it was wonderful.
Gradually, he stopped crying. His mother was now lying in the grass in front of him. His father was standing over them both, as if trying to protect his son from ever being hurt again.
His mother looked at him and said, “Larslin, we want to be very honest with you. When you were born, we were shocked because we had never seen any of our kind who looked like you. We didn’t know what to do so we consulted the elders. They searched their books, but could not find any record of an Asagee with blue spots.”
Tears began to well up again in Larslin’s eyes.
His father cleared his throat. “Son, those who are different have two choices. They can allow the laughter of others to cause them to be sad. Or they can realize that all animals are different in some way. Some animals are unusually short while others are fat. Others are not very bright. Some are not as athletic as others of their kind.”
His mother continued. “Whether you are happy or sad depends on what you tell yourself. The elders declared that you are very special. But your father and I already knew that. At first we didn’t know what to think. Then we realized that the way you look doesn't matter. Who you are is what is important. Please know that we love you.” She smiled, “And your blue spots.”
His father concluded, “There will always be some who laugh at you. You can feel sad or you can understand. We are all different in some way. Some more noticeably than others. But son, being different does not mean that one is inferior.”
Larslin understood. As he stood up, his mother also rose. Along with his father, they went back to the aunts, uncles, and cousins. But now Larslin walked proudly. Yes, he was different. But his parents loved him no matter how he looked.
His cousins apologized for their laughter. They shyly came over to look more closely at Larslin. Up close, they realized the blue spots were actually very beautiful.
As Larslin grew up, he became famous. But not because of his blue spots. Larslin became famous—and loved—for his kindness and for his willingness to befriend all those who were laughed at because they were different.
August 17, 2009 I received a very articulate request for clarification on the the entry The State of Mindlessness. To read the question in it's entirety and the response please click here.
Question: ...Answer five causes me the most concern. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. both exemplify nonviolent ways of dealing with evil without harming humans. They both embraced the concept of nonviolent action as an effective means of curing the evil caused by the perverse retroviruses of "greed, anger and ignorance." Yet the "State of Mindlessness" seems, to me, to mean that the Buddhist practitioner will seek " serenity of ... mind" by "discarding all distinctions between good and bad" rather than confronting and removing the harm caused by evil...
August 15, 2009 All methods of practice as taught by the Buddha focus on the mind; when we practice we are also learning how to discipline our minds.
A well-composed mind resembles clear and placid water that truthfully reflects whatever appears above it. Likewise, when our minds attain absolute tranquility, we will be able to grasp the essence of everything.
The purpose of reciting the name of the Buddha is to help still our minds so that they may be as pure and tranquil as placid water. A restless and scattered mind resembles muddy water from which evil and discriminatory ideas easily arise.
When our minds are in such a state, we are prone to make distinctions of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and think, thereby, indulge in the pursuit of sensual passions. Therefore, we must recite the name of the Buddha to the extent that our minds become absolutely clear and pure, neither defiled by nor attached to sense objects.
When we reach that stage, naturally we will not cling to the five skandhas (form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness). With our six organs untainted by the six causes of impurity, we can truly realize the emptiness of the five skandhas [and] thus be free of all vexations.
Then we can naturally help to relieve all sentient beings from their misery. And with the essence of our minds enlightened and our wisdom unfolded, we can easily comprehend even the most abtruse buddhadharma.
~ Analects of Master Kuang-ch'in
August 13, 2009 We should not readily pass on to others
what we do not know for sure.
It all started innocently enough. Mr. and Mrs. Trout were at the annual company dinner. Everyone had finished their salads and was waiting for the soup to be served. Mr. Bass turned to Mrs. Trout. “You’ve heard about Mr. and Mrs. Dolphin haven’t you?”
Mrs. Trout replied, “No. What about?”
“Well, they’re getting a divorce!” Mr. Bass informed her.
Mrs. Trout was shocked. “A divorce! I can’t imagine it. They’re such a wonderful couple. How did you hear of it?”
Mr. Bass confidently told her, “I heard it from Mr. Flounder, who heard it from Mrs. Turtle.”
“Oh dear,” said Mrs. Trout. “I wonder what they will do about their beautiful house.”
“I hear they’re going to sell it. She’s moving back in with her mother while she looks for a job. He’s going to ask for a transfer to another department. He may even leave the bay and move somewhere else.” Mr. Bass certainly did seem to know all about the Dolphins.
As the soup was served, Mrs. Trout turned to her husband and told him the news. Mr. Trout then passed it on to Mr. Cod, who was sitting next to him, and pretty soon everyone at the dinner heard the news. The waitpersons also heard about it when they were serving the food and clearing the dishes. They in turn told the kitchen staff, so soon everyone in the restaurant knew all about the Dolphins and their divorce.
Then to everyone’s amazement, the Dolphins entered the dining room laughing together. They apologized as they took their seats, explaining that they had gotten caught in traffic. Mr. and Mrs. Trout and all the others were befuddled at how happy the Dolphins seemed. You’d never guess from their behavior that they were getting a divorce.
Then it happened. Mrs. Jellyfish couldn’t stop herself. She looked at the Dolphins and tearfully blurted out, “I’m so sorry!”
The Dolphins looked at her. They had no idea what she was sorry about. Mrs. Dophin gently patted a tentacle and said, “There, there. Why are you sorry?”
“Your divorce! Everyone’s talking about it,” cried Mrs. Jellyfish.
Mr. Dolphin dropped his soupspoon. “Divorce? We’re not getting a divorce! Where did you hear that? In fact, we’re about to sell our house and buy another to be closer to Mrs. Dolphin’s parents. And after I get my promotion, we’re going on a trip.”
Silence fell. Everyone stared at their soup and thought about what had just happened. It was a case of Mrs. Someone telling Mr. Someone, and everyone believing what they heard.
Mr. Trout stood up and cleared his throat. “I want to apologize to both of you. I repeated a rumor. Next time, I’ll check before I talk about others. I hope you will accept our best wishes for your good news. I also hope you’ll forgive us.”
Mr. and Mrs. Dolphin smiled at their friends and Mr. Dolphin said, “Apology accepted, and thank you all for your good wishes. Please, enjoy your dinner.” Everyone was greatly relieved.
Unless we know something to be true,
we should not repeat it to others.