Story 11. The homeless millionaire
In Los Angeles, a policeman found a heartbroken and drunken man lying in the street. The policeman helped him up and recognised him as a wealthy local man. When the policeman offered to escort him home, he declined and said, “Home? I am homeless!” The officer pointed to a mansion nearby and asked, “Look! What’s that?” “It is my house.” The man replied.
Many people would probably agree that a “home” means a “house with a backyard”. Nevertheless, when we lose our family or someone we love and care for, does our home still exist? If we live with someone we do not feel love and affection toward, we may also consider ourselves to be “homeless”.
We Buddhists have homes and family members all over the world. The love and affection we have among us extends beyond our immediate families – this is called “unconditional love”. We help others without expecting anything in return because we are learning from the Bodhisattvas. Only when we have this kind of compassion will we have a warm spiritual home.
Story 12. The reluctant farmer
A man asked a farmer, “Have you planted wheat?” The farmer replied, “No, I’m worried that it will rain.” “Have you planted cotton?” The farmer answered, “No, I’m afraid the worms will eat the seeds”. The man questioned, “What have you planted then?” The farmer said, “Nothing at all. I want to ensure I won’t lose anything”.
A person who is unwilling to make the effort and take risks will be a complete failure in life. Likewise, a person who is reluctant to help others will never become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. Only those who show love, devote their time to helping people, tame their desires and possess the state of mind of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas can become a true Buddha in the Human Realm.
Story 13. The two Buddhist brothers
According to the Buddhist scriptures, there were two brothers practising Buddhism. One devoted himself to reciting the Buddhist sutras but did not cultivate blessings, do good deeds or practise the act of giving. The other often engaged in cultivating his blessings and helped the poor, but never recited Buddhist sutras.
After they both reincarnated, a Buddhist practitioner went begging for alms with an empty bowl. He passed by the king’s garden and saw the king’s favourite pet, an elephant, wearing gold and silver. The truly awakened practitioner approached it and said, “My brother, both of us deviated from the right path during our practice in the previous life. I did not cultivate blessings but simply tried to acquire wisdom, which is why I often return with an empty bowl! Yet you only cultivated blessings and did not acquire any wisdom, which sent you into the Animal Realm, despite living an abundant and worry-free material life.”
As Buddhist practitioners, we should become enlightened. Some people only practise the act of giving but don’t cultivate their minds; whereas others cultivate their minds sincerely but don’t perform the act of giving; both of which are wrong.
You reap what you sow. We should cultivate the conditions, so that what awaits us are a series of good outcomes. We Buddhist practitioners must cultivate both blessings and wisdom. We benefit ourselves when we help others. Only by letting go of the “lesser self” can we fulfil the “greater self”.
Story 14. The power of determination
In Thailand, there was once a young woman who cultivated Buddhism. She met an eminent monk, who gave her a talisman and predicted, “you will reincarnate with this talisman and become a very successful businessperson.”
The woman gripped the talisman tight in her hands before she died and was buried with the talisman. Half a year later, her younger sister got pregnant for the first time, despite having married a decade ago. The baby was born with a talisman in her right hand. Surprisingly, it looked identical to her aunt’s talisman. The baby’s parents were shocked. They opened the coffin and found that the aunt’s talisman was gone. Since the graveyard was private property and no one had touched the coffin, it was impossible for it to have been stolen.
Without any doubt, the baby was her aunt’s reincarnation as per the monk’s prediction. They named the baby Dalada. When Dalada grew up, she looked just like her deceased aunt. As soon as the news became public, the media around Thailand went to pay a visit.
The baby started to walk when she was eight months old. At 14 months old, she started to talk. She sounded like an adult, bossing others around. After she turned twenty-two, her business expanded threefold because in her past life, she made a vow, “I will reincarnate with the talisman and run a bigger business.” Her character and appearance were a lot like the deceased aunt, and she even brought the items she was buried with in her past life with her. Her story caused a sensation around the country.
The moral of the story is that we as a Buddhist must use the power of vow. Regardless of what happens, be it cancer or bankruptcy, you must have faith, which will become your driving force. A person’s faith can create miracles. As a matter of fact, people’s improvement starts when they believe in themselves. Believe that you can change, and you will be filled with motivation.
Story 15. The value of a kilo of rice
A young man asked a Zen master, “Some people call me a genius and some call me a fool. What do you think of me, master?”
The master answered, “It all depends on how you would like to look at yourself. For example, the value of a kilogram of rice differs according to different people.”
The young man said: “Master, please enlighten me.”
The master continued: “In the eyes of a housewife, a kilo of rice can only make a few bowls of rice; If you ask a farmer, a kilo of rice is only worth one or two Chinese Yuan at most; For those who sell Zongzi (Chinese sticky rice dumpling), they can turn it into dumplings and sell them for three yuan; In the baker’s eyes, it can be made into cookies and sold for five yuan; In a food additive factory owner’s perspective, a kilo of rice can be refined into monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sold for eight yuan, while to a wine merchant, it can be brewed into wine for 40 yuan.
“In fact, it is the same kilogram of rice. Some people give you compliments while others belittle you, however, you are still you. Your accomplishments in life depend on how you perceive yourself, not what others think.” For a Buddhist practitioner who wishes to attain enlightenment in this life, wisdom and the potential for enlightenment are both important. Wisdom is intangible, and it is like a key. When encountering unexpected problems overseas, why are some people able to find solutions while others only feel helpless, crying at home?
Wisdom is the key that spares us from karmic obstacles caused by impermanence. Live a life free from attachments, and let nature take its course. We should recognise that we all start taking responsibility for our behaviour from the moment we are born. We need to seize the day to generate positive karma and eliminate negative karma.
Story 16. A trip that changes a young man’s perspective
A depressed young man sat in a corner of a café. An elderly man noticed him and approached him, “Young man, it seems you ran into some troubles in life. If you are willing, I would like to help you out”.
The young man glanced at the elderly man, aloof, and answered, “No Sir, I have too many troubles, you won’t be able to help.” The elderly man replied, “I will help you through all your problems if you believe in me. I want to bring you to a place. Would you like to come with me?”
The young man agreed. The elderly man drove him to the suburbs. When they got out of the car, the elderly man pointed to a row of tombstones and said, “Young man, you see, only these people have no problems. My child was unable to handle the ups and downs in life, so he took his own life.” The young man stopped frowning and began telling the elderly man his troubles.
Throughout our lives, we are constantly faced with problems, but we will also find solutions to them as they appear. Life is a process. As long as we are alive, the troubles are never-ending. Only with wisdom will we be able to resolve our problems and attain happiness. We must understand the Law of Cause and Effect. We suffer because we did not cultivate well in our past lives. Blessings are a result of the accumulation of blessings and virtues in our past lives. There is no need to be jealous of others.
Story 17. The truth revealed by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar, who ruled Asia, Europe and Africa, told his servant before he died, “When I die, please leave both my hands outside of the coffin.”
The servant asked him the reason and he answered, “I would like to inform people all over the world that even those who are capable of conquering the world – just like me, the great Julius Caesar – will pass away empty handed.”
From this story, we should learn to be free of the attachments in this world and lessen our desires. We should have in mind our predestined affinity with others and place Buddhist affinities at the foremost. Only when we are free from worries and attachments will we be liberated and become a sage. I hope everyone can control their own minds and be able to manage their emotions accordingly.
Story 18. The snail and the frog
There was a snail who seemed to be on bad terms with a frog. One day the frog couldn’t help but ask, “Mr Snail, what did I do that annoyed you so much?” The snail said, “You have four legs and can hop around, whereas I can only crawl on the ground with my heavy shell.” The frog responded, “You know, everyone has their own problems. You can only see my happiness and not my pain.”
At that time, a giant eagle dived down from the sky. The snail immediately hid in its shell, while the frog was eaten by the eagle.
If we do not compare our lives with others, we will live a comfortable life. Comparisons are odious. That’s why we should not be comparing ourselves with others. For instance, imagine you felt content living in a house with a living room and two bedrooms when you first landed in the US. However, after attending a party in someone else’s mansion, you then become enamoured with the idea of buying a mansion. As a result, you will work two or three part time jobs to buy it.
How do people find themselves caught in this trap? Well, because of their constant greed and desire. You will find peace of mind if you stop comparing yourself with others. Jealousy brings about pain and sadness. Be content with what you have, then you will be more grateful and happy.
Story 19. The 80-storey skyscraper
There were two brothers who lived at the top of an 80-storey skyscraper. One day, upon returning home from a trip, there was a note on the lift door which read, “Power outage. Please use the stairs”. They had no choice but to carry their heavy backpacks up the stairs. Once they reached the 20th floor, they were extremely tired; The elder brother suggested: “Let’s leave our backpacks here. Once the power is back on, we will come back and grab them.”
The younger brother agreed. With much ease, they continued to climb the stairs, laughing, and chatting. Exhausted at the 40th floor, they started to complain and blame each other as to why they didn’t check the message next to the elevator. They continued arguing as they climbed the stairs. On the 60th floor they were too exhausted to talk. The younger brother begged, “Let’s stop quarrelling and keep on climbing.” Finally, they arrived at the 80thfloor, excited, only to find out that they left their key in the backpack on the 20th floor!
This story explains life in modern society. At the age of 20, when we are immature, we live by our expectations, carrying a heavy burden and are under a lot of stress. After the age of 20, we are freed from the stress and burdens of society. We start to pursue our goals and live in joy for 20 years. Realising our youth has passed at the age of 40, we suffer from remorse and waste for another 20 years regretting and complaining. Finally, at age of 60, we start to realise that time is running out and remind ourselves to stop complaining and start to look after our senior years. Just like that our remaining years slowly pass us by. Only at the end of life do we realise that much remains undone and all our dreams were left back when we were 20. We have worked so hard our entire lives only to realise that we have achieved nothing. This is the depiction of our life.
I hope all of you will cherish your life, the affinities you have with each other and blessings that come along. Live a life that is worth living. Seek the path to liberation and free yourself from the hardships of life.
Story 20. A random act of kindness goes a long way
One day, in the middle of a sudden heavy rain, an ordinary-looking old lady entered a department store. She was drenched from head to toe, but none of the staff helped her. A young man greeted her sincerely, “Hello, Madam, how can I help you?” “Oh, thank you, I’m fine. I’m just here to take shelter from the rain. I will leave as soon as the rain stops.” The lady felt embarrassed. She looked around but was clueless about what to buy. The man said, “Madam, you are just here to take shelter, there is no need to feel embarrassed. I will leave a chair at the door. Please, have a rest.”
The rain stopped two hours later. The lady took the young man’s business card and left. A few months later, the young man was asked to attend a business negotiation between the department store and a family business. As it turns out, the old lady he met was none other than the mother of Andrew Carnegie, the US Steel Magnate. The young man later made rapid advancement in his career. He went on to become Mr. Carnegie’s assistant and became one of the most influential people in the US, second only to Mr. Carnegie.
From this story, we learn that we will only progress in life when we learn to be honest. Compassion is essential for personal development. It is these little things that reveal your kindness. If you are always compassionate, then you will become a truly kind person. Love and compassion towards others will make you a compassionate Bodhisattva in the Human Realm.