This thought I receieved from Eknath is another great thought that we all know every well--consequences. Many times we know that if we do something, something will happen as a result. Unfortunately, in the world today, we sometimes think about ourselves first, so we forget about others. By thinking about ourselves first, we tend to hurt others unintentionally or intentionally (sometimes physically and mentally). As for those people who are hurt, the only thing they can think of is to take the hurtful experiences as a good lesson to learn. As for those who hurt others, they should acknowledge that it's not right to do so. Thus, they should keep in mind that the mistakes they have made should not be repeated. If they could do this, they will certainly be able to break off the chain of consequences and feel better about themselves. I do believe that we all have "a capacity to learn, to change, and to grow"
human being fashions his consequences as surely as he fashions his goods or his dwelling. Nothing that he says, thinks, or does is without consequences.
– Norman Cousins
The Hindu and Buddhist scriptures give us the same truth in what is called the law of karma, which is the psychological equivalent to the physical law that every action has a reaction equal and opposite to it. The Buddha says we can fly higher than the heavens or hide in the depths of the earth, but we will not be able to escape the consequences of our actions. Though we drive to another city or fly to another country, though we change our job or our name, our mistakes will pursue us wherever we go.
Paradoxically, the only way we can begin to escape from the consequences of our actions is to stop running from them and to face them with fortitude. In this sense, every difficult situation is a precious opportunity. When we find ourselves in some situation where we always make the same mistake, if we can manage not to make that mistake, the chain can be broken. Often, if we face it squarely, that situation will not come up again.
Once again, we I come across good thoughts, I would write it down to express my thoughts and experiences in life (even though it's limited just yet considering my chronological age). The thought for today I have read is about anger management....I once again wholehearted agree with the teaching of the Buddha and the thoughts of Eknath; however, it seems farfetched in doing so. Knowing our own minds is very important, no doubt about that. However, knowing and doing are those two different elements that will never be met like oil and water. We know that eating this or that is bad for our health, yet we seem to make compromises and come up with great excuses repeatedly. In managing our anger, similarly, we seem to struggle with it. It is like driving a racecar, even though we know that speeding very fast when we come to the cornor, it's more likely that we will not be able to touch the brake in time. Within the split of a second, we would lose control and hit the barricade.
Yesterday, I was distracted by the front page on a Thai newspaper. It was about a younger brother angrily shot his older brother after slapping his wife on her face. It's very sad really.
In teaching, I was told that good teachers should treat their students as their children, which means that we should be merciful to them. Looking back at myself, I sometimes get angry at my students and feel very bad about it afterwards. I always want to make my class fun and so that students would have better attitudes towards English learning. Students these days are not very responsible and they just don't know yet what is right or wrong and what is good or bad for them..they just want to "go with the flow" I myself came from a family with a single parent and very poor, so I had to manage everything concerning my education and life plans by myself. Thus, I knew what I wanted to do and be...In class, I usually teach them how to learn, to change, and to grow, not merely to pass the course and gain more knowledge in the subject matters I teach.
I guess from now on I just have to praise good students and shed the light on the good things they do in classroom...It's after all wasting time, energy, and headache pills to focus on the wrong doings in the classroom. I can only hope that the world outside school will teach them how to be fully mature by going through all the good and bad or ups and downs by themselves without teachers and parents to guild them. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.
– The Buddha
Blaming ourselves when we get angry is not going to be of much help in the long run. What is helpful is to gain a clearer understanding of how anger comes about. Getting angry is like having a malfunctioning engine. The mind is like the engine of the body, which can be compared to the chassis of the car we drive. But the sad fact is that most of us know a lot more about our car engine than we do about our own minds.
We don’t even have the slightest idea of where the ignition switch of the mind is located. As a result, the engine goes on cranking out thoughts of every description throughout the day and throughout the long night in dreams. Worry and resentment and anger use up enormous quantities of vitality. It’s like leaving our car idling in the garage all night long; in the morning when we need to get to work, we have to push it down the road.
What we need to do is learn how to slow down the mind, and eventually to park it at the side of the road when travel isn’t necessary. Then we will have all the vitality, all the fuel, we need when we want to reach a worthwhile destination.
Today I was invited to the first lunch talk by the new group called University Social Responsibility initiated by Dr. Janya, assistant to the president of Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand. The Shearn Cafe is named from the combination of the two words of "Sharing and Learning" (a clever name calling, which means "to invite" in the Thai language). Here, the objective is to invite teachers and staff members to come share their experiences in teaching and other things concerning social responsibility. Then, they learn from one another vicariously through those experiences. I have to admit that this luncheon was a very good initiative in order to create new ideas and exchange valuable viewpoints in making our teaching career come to prosperity under the topic of the talk of "Spiritual Friendship (in the workplace)" The concept of USR is to give things back to our society without receiving anything in return. Especially, in the academic arena where education for students seem to be the most concern, administrators and academia seem to forget that people in the community are also another element that should be focused. By helping society, teachers, staff members and students become united in order to help think of good projects to run and things to do to make our academic life better and grateful.
Through the kind of unofficial lunch meeting or talk, I felt that this was what we should have regularly among us teachers. It's like having a happy hour. Juxtapose this to business environment or Business for Social Responsibility or so-called Corperate Social Responsibilty (CSR), USR conveys similar fundamental concept (yet different intention since our outcome is not to promote for marketting or any means to gain profit). Taking the direct idea from the founder, it is...University Social Responsibility (USR) is a brand new concept currently (2008) being put forth by its creator, Dr. Junya Pookayaporn, assistant to the president of Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand. The business/corporate world has lately been pushing public relations efforts to improve their image by starting up programs collectively known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Dr. Pookayaporn, having a radically different point of view from that of the self-aggrandizing, profit-seeking, business/corporate world, because of her many years in the non-profit university environment, offers an intrinsically pure-minded and distinctly opposite concept of social responsibility. With the understanding that the principle role of universities is to educate people, she believes that social responsibility should become the well-grounded basis of all university teaching. In other words, every graduate should not only be well versed in his or her specialty, but that the students' minds should encompass their learning with the absolute, selfless desire to be socially responsible, without any desire for reward of any kind other than the realization that what he or she does is ultimately helping mankind and the entire Earth. Thus Dr. Pookayaporn wants USR to become a permanent part and essential heart of the university teaching structure. Excitingly, its chance of becoming such seems at this time to be good inasmuch as CSR is already a topic of much discussion within universities throughout Thailand itself.
Historically, CSR can be said to have had its outset with the teachings of
Dr. Pookayaporn's father, Dr. Sook Pookayaporn, the founder of Sripatum University, who taught his children, who now are all SPU officers, to be responsible for themselves, for society and for their nation. Universally, Thai citizens are taught not to just claim their social responsibilities; they take action from within their hearts. And from these teachings of the founder, and from this national precept, university social responsibility will now become formalized as the motto for the entire Sripatum University.
Dr. Junya Pookayaporn ultimately hopes that her formalized structure of USR, as now used in Sripatum University, will be used by all educational institutions throughout Thailand and ultimately all universities throughout the world.
All the talking and eating truly stimulated my spirit in seeking more opportunity and alliance in helping our society, country and world to become a better place. In doing so, this semester my students in English Business for Negotiation are going to run a charitable project to raise money for charities of student's choices. We are planning to hit it off by the end of November. This project, which I hope, we help my students to use the theoretical studies in working together, solving problems, bargaining, and persuasion to good use. On another note, I also hope they will learn more about what life is all about and the power of giving!
Personally, I really like this thought and agree upon the ideas of being patient and going on giving the best in everything we do. It's very disappointing and wasting time to wander to such answers to the questions as "If he ever loved me at all...after the breakup" or "If I meant a lot to him or her at all" I believe that only time can tell. Good deeds will some day be paid off. I also positively believe that good things always happen to good people, who think and act positively...what comes around goes around!
A tree is known by its fruit; we by our deeds. A good deed is never lost; one who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and one who plants kindness gathers love.
– Saint Basil
Some great initiative project for our society! This project is initiated by Dr. Janya Pukkayaporn, Vice President of Sripatum University. The thing that I like about this project is that we, teachers and other participants, are returning good deed to our society without gaining anything in return. There will be series of meetings and lunchoens (kind of like getting together and exchanging ideas of activities or academic ones).
This project concerns different areas such as environment, education, and other things. We are going to run an activity for people on campus and in the area to pay respect to the King and Queen and to promote good doings by having a religeous ceremony for those men who would like to be in the monkhood....
Well, after working 6 days a week, I guess I needed a fun time with friends..Sure enough we had an excuse to go out eating dinner after work with all my friends from Human Resources! Great restaurant we went, especially with the karaoke.
One of the best things was PenFold (red wine from Australia). It was great and by the end of the night I was so out! That wine really knocked my out (not that I drank too much, but it was just too late to drive home!) Great time anyway....
I am very glad that my friend and family from the States sent me this power point slide show. I quite agreed with the idea of expressing our thoughts and feelings towards our loved ones! We, as the Thai people excluding me myself , lack in showing our affection. They just have no idea what they are missing in life!
We should not hold onto expressing our affection, also we should not hold onto things that are not necessary to our lives!
I really like the thoughts and saying below from Eknath....
Each day is a little life; every waking and rising a little birth; every fresh morning a little youth; every going to rest and sleep a little death.
– Arthur Schopenhauer
My grandmother, my spiritual teacher, used to tell me that the pain we associate with the great change called death arises from our innumerable selfish attachments. One day she illustrated this in a simple way by asking me to sit in a chair and hold tight to the arms. Then she tried to pull me out of the chair. She tugged and pulled at me, and I held on tight. It was painful. She was a strong person, and even though I held on with all my strength, she pulled me out.
Then she told me to sit down again, but this time not to hold on anywhere, just to get up and come to her when she called. With ease I got out of the chair and went to her. This, she told me, is how to overcome the fear and pain of death. When we hold onto things – houses, cars, books, guitars, our antique silver teapot – we get attached and tied down.
This is my Speech Communication class(gee, about 130 students in two seperate sections)with Hotel and Tourism students. We really had a great time. At least, I myself was having a blast since they many of them did what I taught them-using index cards (instead of a full piece of A4 paper)...to be continued!
On this blog today, I have to thank Malou, my best friend from Luxemburge, for her kind thoughts in uploading the photos from Philly where she went to visit in August 2008. They reminded me of so many wonderful times I had with my loved ones there. Good memories are still remain--forever!
There is another thought that I would like to share with the readers. It's very thought provoking and well addressed.
Good Thought for the Day by Eknath.
The heart benevolent and kind
The most resembles God.
– Robert Burns
It is through personal relationships that we learn to function beautifully in life throughout its ups and downs. We all need the little human contacts of life, and we all need intimate personal relationships with family or friends. Many people today do not live with a family, but that is not really the issue. Whether we live alone, with family, or with friends, we can cultivate personal relationships that are kind and genuine.
We can cultivate personal relationships everywhere, in everything, every day, with each person in our life – even the bank teller and the mail carrier.
Most of us, in moments of candor, will probably admit that we want to be liked by those around us. We like to please and be loved by those we love. And nothing makes us feel so secure as knowing that we have brought a little joy into the life of someone we care about. That is why putting others first can be such a natural, beautiful part of life.
I thought it would be nice to post the slides on my blog to share with others and who also share the same qualities and interests.
Everyday is New and Fresh with NO Mistakes (yet!) :) Life is Good!
Well, after working 6 days, we (teachers) might want some kind of laughter...There are some funny pix from Canadian and American Billboards I have receieved from my best friend in New Jersey to share! Enjoy :)
I always feel very blessed to get to know Eknath since I learn more great things every day about how to live my life to the fullest. Some practices he teaches are very difficult to follow; however, after reading his passages I receive, I become more mature, understand more about life, and prepared for whatever comes in the future!
Especially this thought for today, I have practiced it many times; it work really well.
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.
– The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
This is love at its most magnificent. In order to love like this, we cannot be attached to ourselves. It is because we think so much about ourselves that we strike back, show resentment, speak harshly, move away.
Jesus’ words do not mean agreeing with everything people say or supporting whatever they do. We sometimes have to oppose people we love. Yet, if we do it tenderly, it is not likely that it will cost us a single friend. In fact, that person might say, “I’ve found a friend who will support me and stand beside me always.”
There are moments when a special friend makes a difference that no one else can make!
Thank you, Tum and Scott, for spending the weekend with me in Bangkok. I hope to be spoilt by you both in L.A. some day... Such a nice couple..I hope to find that special person who can share the same qualities in life with me like you both!
