回到上頁
We live in extraordinary times.
None of us has experienced anything like this pandemic in our lifetimes.
A lot of people have died and continue to die from covid-19. In every crisis, we see the best and worst of people. Those who rise up to the challenge and put their lives at risk for the sake of others. Then there are those who would take advantage of the situation to satisfy their greed.
Unlike other calamities and disasters, this could be a game changer, potentially changing the way we live our lives and the norms of societal
interaction. But I say this with a caveat, because it appears that we have not learned from the previous pandemic in 1918 that killed a lot more people.
The changes must be instituted in government policy or taught in schools for us not to make the same mistakes over and over again.
So this requires constant vigilance on our part, to always be aware of what we are doing, saying, and thinking.




Life is like a maze, but it can also be like a rat race
















Did you ever ask yourself, why am I here in this world? Why was I born?
Zhuang Zi wrote: I did not wish to be born, yet I was suddenly born. I do not wish to die, yet death suddenly arrives.
But as the crying baby suggests, we probably didn’t want to be born, because deep inside, we know that life will involve suffering. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how we ended up here, what matters the most is what we do now that we are in this world.
The mind is a wonderful thing that allows us to think and create.










Unfortunately, once we are born, we cannot be unborn. As the crying baby suggests, we probably didn’t want to be born.



















Birth is the beginning of death, and death is the beginning of birth. This is the unseen vicious cycle that sentient beings are caught up in. We only see what we see when we are alive. However, there are some things that we don’t see and take for granted. Nobody remembers when they were born (never saw their own birth), but we accept the logic or science that says this is how we came into being. But the question is whether there could be anything before birth and after death?











I’m sure nobody wants to die. So death is not the destination we seek. Therefore, the journey of life becomes important. We must take more lightly the material life. It is not as important as our relationships, establishing good affinity with all sentient beings, and living in harmony.

















How many people are actually happy or content all of the time?
As we pursue the things that we want, as we pursue our goals, are we happy?
If and when we do get what we want, are we happy and for how long?
It’s not just the quantity of our desires, but our desires also keep changing.






























There’s a joke about this scholar who is crossing a river on a boat. He asks the ferryman, do you know literature? The ferryman says, I know nothing of literature. The scholar says, how can you not know the beauty of literature? 30% of your life is dark and meaningless! A few minutes later the scholar asks again, do you know anything about science? The ferryman replies, I never heard of it. The scholar sighs, saying, another 30% of your life becomes dark and meaningless! You are so pathetic! After a little while a storm suddenly appeared and capsized the boat. The ferryman shouts at the scholar, Hey Mr. Know-it-all, do you know how to swim? The scholar responds, no, I can’t swim! As he struggles to stay afloat. The ferryman then says, Now your life is 100% dark and meaningless!
Although the last couple goals are indeed good and beneficial to many people, they are still mundane. We may leave a good name in the history books, but we still have not escaped death.



Don’t waste our life on useless pursuits that don’t help us in the long run.


























































I did not wish to be born, yet I was suddenly born. I do not wish to die, yet death suddenly arrives.
Jesus’s life was short, but did it have value?





































EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY
instead of just plodding through life with the same old routines, habits and temper, we should cherish each new day as chance to change our lives for the better, to repenting and correct our mistakes, to get rid of our bad habits, to make a difference in other people’s lives.






Old woman with two sons, one sells umbrellas and the other sells ice cream.
Glass half full or half empty


















Even though the pandemic has caused a lot of inconvenience for us, we can also view it from the glass half-full perspective. It has brought us together today in this online class where we can establish a good affinity. Rather than being cooped up at home and not doing anything useful, at least we can continue to learn and cultivate. Dao has two aspects: motion and stillness. During normal times, we must be in motion, propagating Dao and performing merits. But during times like this, that is nearly impossible and it is time to be in stillness, self reflect, introspect, cultivate internally.










Everybody needs air, water, food, sleep to live.
Form-organ and object
Sensation/feeling-basic sense of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral
Perception-distinction of what is sensed
Impulse/volition-reaction to the perception
Consciousness-awareness and attachment















Life can be hard or it can be easy. Everything is relative of course, but we can choose which path to take.


















LEARN THE LESSONS IN LIFE
There are valuable lessons to be learned from both the good as well as the bad in life Don’t take the good for granted
Be grateful and appreciative
Emulate the good of others
Don’t complain about the bad
Learn to sympathize with others
Self-reflect, be repentant and humble








LEARN THE TRUTH
Four Noble Truths Life is suffering; suffering arises from desires; there is an end to the suffering; there is a way to end the suffering (Noble Eightfold Path)
Right view, understanding, thoughts
Right speech, action, livelihood
Right concentration, wisdom
Guide others to this awakening
*When we awaken to the truth and act upon it, then we can be truly free from suffering

LIFE IS A MEANS TO AN END
Material gain in life is transient Realize our true potential as future Buddhas
Only the intangible gains are truly lasting (virtues and merits)
Buddha left a life of comfort and luxury to seek the truth and liberation from suffering
Noble and spiritual achievement







CONCLUSION
Know the true self (we have Buddha Nature)
Awaken to the illusions of life (the rat race in pursuit of material things)
Realize the unpredictability, impermanence of life so that we can make the most of our time
Learn the lessons in life so that we don’t have to keep suffering over and over again
Be grateful, content, positive, repentant and humble
Live a meaningful (noble) life to free ourselves from suffering
Destiny is in our own hands
I Believe by Holy Teacher Ji-Gong Living Buddha
Enter the world, stand shoulder to shoulder
The world depends on me to alter
With cheerful smile and great generosity
Let Dao spirit appear naturally
Distant vision does a broad mind provide
Persist in making forward stride
Without complaint, fulfill our vows—do not wait
Be thankful for karma this great
In everyone's good nature, In God I believe
That nothing divides us, I do believe
With a heart full of zeal, devotion and mercy
Build an ideal world of tranquility
In boundless inner power, In God I believe
That Buddhas are at my side, I believe
Having correct ideals, with willingness and joy
One becomes noble and saintly
*We may not be able to directly change others or our environment, but if we change ourselves it will indirectly change others.
Learn so that we can elevate ourselves above the social norms. When we have classes, take every opportunity to learn.