Experience NOW

The Buddha said: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." This is probably one of the most effective teachings in history which applies from ancient times right to our modern days. 

In fact it is actually more appropriate and suitable for our today's busy lifestyle where most people would regret about their past while worry for their future. It is actually a very simple message which makes perfect sense but somehow we just don't get it. Despite the fact that most people know that this statement is true, they somehow fail to practice it on daily basis.

Just think about it logically if you are a sensible person, your past is gone and you could no longer do anything about it so why still keep thinking about it. Your future hasn't arrive and no matter how well you plan you could never be able to predict an accurate outcome for tomorrow simply because there are so many other things that could affect what happen to you the next second. Since we all have no control of the future, then why should we keep worrying about it?

To be mindful is to live in the present moment. If you are drinking wine right now, feel the chill of the wine glass while you are holding it, enjoy the scented taste while you are drinking it and experience the wonderful sensation as the liquid travels down into your body. You do this without thinking, just feel it instead. Let yourself get lost in the moment. Forget about how your colleague shouted at you this morning, forget about how your wife nagged as soon as you stepped into your house and definitely forget about the meeting tomorrow. Instead enjoy the beautiful music that is being played on radio or listening to the sweet melody produced by the cricket in your backyard.

Ajahn Brahm said that the future is a dream, the past is a memory, only now is the truth. Everything else is not real if you can't experience it right NOW. It is very important to wake up and know this right now as time does not wait for us. Our life clocks just keep ticking away and before we know it, it may be too late for us as most of our potential meaningful moments are wasted away when our minds indulge in regrets for our past and worry for our future.

 

Punishment Will Not Help

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have been executed by the Indonesian firing squad for drug smuggling this morning. Australians are outraged and both the TVs and radios have broadcasted people's reactions to the incident. The Prime Minister Tony Abbot even withdraws the Australian ambassador from Indonesia. This shows how serious the situation is.

Most people are of the opinion that the duo should be given opportunity to reform through reflections and transform themselves into productive human beings that could contribute to the society in a positive way. And by executing them, the only chance for them to do any good in the future has been snatched away.

However, there is the other side of the coin where people who stand by the Indonesian side feel that no one is above the law and has to be punished when law is broken. If the Indonesian government were to have exception and let the duo go this time, then they could never be able to uphold their legal institution in the future. People would then use this case as a precedent for not abiding the law. Most people are aware of the death sentence in most Asian countries and if they still carry out criminal activities despite their awareness of the law, then they should be punished. Someone even commented on Facebook that if they choose to live by the sword then they should die by the sword.

Having said that, I do not believe that death sentence would do any good to both of them or improve the drug smuggling situation in general any better from now on. Buddhists don't believe in killing any living beings, this is just not our way. Punishment does not solve the problem. And in the case of the Australian duo, it just goes to show that by executing the both of them, the problem is simply being swept under the carpet. It is like saying we don't even want to try to make you a better person. In fact it is a very lazy approach to simply kill another human being and not trying to guide them towards a proper path.

Killing another person does not improve the situation. It is like the story that I'm going to tell now. One day there was a man taking an evening stroll along a beautiful river bank. He felt so relaxed as the gentle breeze kissed his cheek. He was almost walking in a meditative state and he felt so peaceful until he heard someone screamed for help. He took a look around and realized that the noise was coming from the river itself. He quickly went closer to check it out and saw someone was drowning in the river. Without any hesitation he jumped into the river and rescue the poor man. As soon as he dragged the man onto the river bank, he heard another scream coming from river beyond. He was surprised to see another person was drowning in the river. Again he jumped into the river to rescue the second person. And as soon as they were both safe on land, guess what, another scream coming from upriver. The same situation went on for hours until there was now a dozen of people being rescued by this man. He was tired and had no energy left when yet another scream was heard before he could even catch his breath. He realized that something strange was going on and he ran upriver to see where all these bodies came from. He was shocked to see that there was actually someone kept throwing people off the river! 

The above story tells us that in order to solve the problem, we should go upriver and catch the culprit who has been throwing people off the river, that is to tackle the root cause of the problem. By executing people who smuggle drugs is like trying to save the endless people that is drowning in the river without getting rid of the source.

The main source of the drug smuggling business is still not tackled by executing two individuals who are probably just performing their jobs instructed by the main culprit in the background. It is probably because of the breakdown of society that contributes to so many people want to buy drugs in the first place. The social problems need to be addressed first and foremost through education and raising the living standard of the population in general. These are just some of the thing the government should be focusing on instead of pointing guns at people. 

Fighting Emptiness

One of the most common question that everyone would ask himself is the meaning of life. Humans have been pondering upon this timeless question since the beginning of history. It is wonderful if you are curious about life and therefore search deep down for an answer. However, most of us are not so wise that we usually feel hopeless, helpless and the scariest of all - empty.

There are times when we wake up in the morning and wonder what is the meaning of all this. A sense of losing direction grip us tightly and our emotion spirals downward. It is very important that whenever you feel empty, you must cut short that feeling as soon as possible and do not allow it to linger on inside you. Find something you enjoy and do it immediately. If you like reading, quickly grab hold of any book the moment you feel empty. Indulge yourself in the book mindfully and you will soon forget about that empty feeling without even noticing it. If reading is not really your thing, then just do whatever you enjoy, exercising, fishing, gardening or whatever that could raise your spirit while doing it.

The key here is to not let our mind idle for too long for the mind would wander wildly in any directions whenever we have nothing to do. Keep yourself busy by engaging your mind and body in activities that could give you sense of fulfillment.

An idle mind is like an vacant building. If a building is left unoccupied for a long period of time, it gradually becomes haven for drug addicts, rats and all sorts of pest. This will not happen if the building is occupied and maintained by people residing in it.

I remember when I was just a kid and was asked by my teacher to write an essay on 'Hobby'. It was a good exercise because when you are writing something that you enjoy doing, you feel good instantly.

Find as many activities that will make you smile and try to at lease do one of them each day to have a purpose driven life.