Interesting/Inspirational Stories, Proverb and Saying

Lhy,

Is Fo Kuang also in Tmn Sutera JB? Because I used to play football in their field. They have their own field given by developer of Tmn Sutera Pelangi Berhad. I live in Tmn Perling just next to Sutera. Fo Kuang has their own football team.

Coz it teaches me to be compassionate to every living beings and the principle of middle path. Also, very practical

In Confucianism, it is called Zhong1 Yong1. A quote taken from Zhong Yong text: "Too slow delays time. Too haste might slows down speed." (because you'd fall or met with accident). :lol

Originally posted by Adm_Cheng_Ho at 22-6-2004 02:34 PM:

Unfortunately, what you're gonna learn next is that Zen is the combination of Indian Buddhism Mahayana with Chinese Taoism.

You're right. But that's Taoism philosophy and not the religion. A lot of people mixed up with the Taoism religion and philoposhy. Sadly, a lot of people especially didnt really know that Taosim Philosophy is very interesting too.

Agul

I'd like a board about Taoist philosophy.
....and practise...

Two artists were commissioned to create pictures which expresses the idea of stillness.

One artist drew a lake. The surface of the water was as still and smooth as a mirror. In the background, he painted beautiful flowers growing around the lakeside. The scenery was reflected/mirrored in the perfect stillness of the water.

The other artist, painted a picture of a waterfall. Streams of water rushed and tumbled in a turbulent cascade down to a creek. A small tree stood nearby. On the top of the tree there was a bird's nest, and there in the nest a little bird lay asleep.

Guess, which of the artists expressed the meaning of stillness more convincingly? Artist number 2 won.

Moral of the story:
Painting 1 is lifeless and passive. Painting 2 expressed inner stillness. As the famouse Zen quote says "Change comes from within..."

Well, when talk about Zen, Taoism will be mentioned because Taoism and Buddhism is blended to become ... Zen.

A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived."


(Some versions describe Confucius as witnessing this event. Also, in some versions, the old man explains how he has been jumping into the waterfall like this since he was a small boy. )



People's reactions to this story:
"You have to accommodate yourself to life and get used to dealing with your problems as they come. You must learn to cooperate."

"We must adapt to nature. Nature cannot change for us. If you try to fight the natural forces, they will overcome you. Because we are made primarily of water, it is easy to become a part of it."

"Because nature is so much more powerful than we are, we must become one with it in order to survive."

"Humans are not the almighty conquerors that they think they are. We can learn a lot from nature. Nature is wonderful and does not intend to harm. It is humans that are harmful."

"We must adapt to nature. Nature cannot change for us. If you try to fight the natural forces, they will overcome you. Because we are made primarily of water, it is easy to become a part of it."

"Because nature is so much more powerful than we are, we must become one with it in order to survive."

Splendid! :tq:

In this case, America should learn to accomodate with the world & become one with us & not change it. LOL... just kidding. :bgrin:

EGOTISM
The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader. But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister apparently had no effect on their relationship, which seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful student.

One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back, "What kind of stupid question is that!?"

This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister that he became sullen and angry. The Zen master then smiled and said, "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."

[The Present Moment

A Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his Zen master came to him, "Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep.

People's Opinion
"This reminds me of something my mother told me last week. 'Stop dreaming and live.'"
We have to take each day one at a time. Each moment in this life only comes once, so take advantage of it and live it fully."

My own Opinion
Don't worry too much whenever you face any problem. Stay focus upon your objective and work hard towards solving it.

[ Last edited by lyhmsia on 23-6-2004 at 12:39 PM ]

ariyamusafir

Originally posted by Adm_Cheng_Ho at 22-6-2004 22:43:

Splendid! :tq:

In this case, America should learn to accomodate with the world & become one with us & not change it. LOL... just kidding. :bgrin:

I agree on this case.

Originally posted by lyhmsia at 22-6-2004 10:47 AM:
Frog legs

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog leg ...

i must say that this one of the best story ever told.

:clap:

Letting go

Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her in his alms and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, " but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her "

Gettan used to say to his companions, "When you have a talking
mouth, you have no listening ears. When you have listening ears,
you have no talking mouth. Think about this carefully."

Source: Zen Antics

Traveler: "What kind of weather are we going to have today?"

Shepherd: "The kind of weather I like."

Traveler: "How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?"

Shepherd: "Having found out, sir, that I cannot always get what I like, I have learned to always like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like."

My response:
I still worry too much what's going to happen tomorrow. How I wish to be like the shepherd.

If you could get rid
of yourself just once,
The secret of secrets
Would open to you.
The face of the unknown,
Hidden beyond the universe
Would appear on the
Mirror of your perception.

~Rumi (An Islamic Scholars)

I find this poem very beautiful and just want to share with you guy/gal.

Without Fear

During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master. Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. "You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!" But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved. "And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"

People's Reaction:
"Too many people let fear run their lives."

"It takes a lot more strength and courage to be a non-violent person."

Happy are those who do not fear death. They know no fear and therefore cannot be controlled."

"STEELY RESERVE - I love it! This feat could only be accomplished by one who fears nothing and understands the course of life."

My Reaction:
All of us will sooner or later die so we shouldn't be afraid of anything.

Destiny

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During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."

"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.

My Reaction:
Our mind determine the outcome.

People's reactions to this story:

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"You have to be optimistic and confident, otherwise you are doomed."

"If you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything."

"If you believe that a higher power is on your side, you can accomplish anything."

There ain't nothing like the power of positive thinking. It's a power much greater than oneself."

"Keep the faith!"

"This is a good story for children. You have to TRY if you want to accomplish something. If you don't, you'll never know. To me, 'never to have known' is the worst destiny."

"You can change your destiny. If you aren't responsible for yourself, who will be?"

"I'd love to tell this story to my sister. She always has doubts about herself."

adam_sofea

Originally posted by lyhmsia at 2004-6-22 10:54 AM:
The Turtles

A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. Turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a ...

hehehe aku tul2 gelak baca cite ni.. :clap:

adam_sofea

Originally posted by Adm_Cheng_Ho at 2004-6-22 09:38 PM:
Two artists were commissioned to create pictures which expresses the idea of stillness.

One artist drew a lake. The surface of the water was as still and smooth as a mirror. In the background, h ...

i tak paham cite ni... bukan lake memang still ke sebab tak gerak, napalak dia kalah?:hmm: and i dont understand the moral of the story