Monday, March 26, 2007

Buddhist Compassion
Removing Suffering and Giving Joy

The Daishonin Took the Sufferings
of All Living Beings As His Own

There is a "self-centered" part of us that is constantly functioning-thinking first of ourselves, and then of others only when necessary.

This is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s an important part of being alive. When self-interest becomes the dominant force in our lives, however, it can cause us to act insensitively and even harmfully toward others. It has the potential to make us selfish and, if unchecked, even criminal.
On the one had there are times, especially in emergencies, when failure to look out for ourselves may have catastrophic results. While we all have to solve our own problems, there are some proems that we cannot solve alone. We must rely on the help of others.

On the other hand there are times when, by extending a hand to others, we can help them in ways that they may not be able to help themselves. What is needed in such situations is compassion.

In Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts, including Nichiren Daishonin’s writings, the word for compassion comprises two Chinese characters. It is pronounced ci bei in Chinese and jihi in Japanese. The first character, ci or ji, is a translation of the Sanskrit work maitri, meaning "to give happiness." The second, bei or hi, comes from the Sanskrit karuna, meaning "to remove suffering." Taken together they describe the function of relieving living beings of suffering and giving them happiness.

Almost anyone can feel kindness toward someone who shows them kindness. It is the spirit of Buddhism to develop a sense of compassion toward all people--toward any person. It is in this spirit that Nichiren Daishonin wrote: "The various sufferings experienced by all livings beings are without exception Nichiren’s own sufferings" (GZ 758).

The Behavior of a Bodhisattva

The compassion of Buddhist enlightenment--the desire to "remove suffering and give happiness"--is expressed in the human behavior of a Buddha or bodhisattva. Nichiren Daishonin also writes, "Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the bodhisattva world within him." (WND, 358).

This statement makes it clear that anyone and everyone possesses the potential of a bodhisattva--the potential to behave with compassion toward another person. Yet, it is an ordinary human tendency to place concern for ourselves first and foremost. This may be the strongest human impulse. Furthermore, there long have been those who hold the view that compassion is a sign of weakness; that generosity only spoils the receiver of kindness.

There may be a grain of truth to his assertion. Kindness that does not empower the receiver creates little lasting value. From the Buddhist view, true compassion is that which has the power to root out the cause of misery in people's lives and direct them to the cause of happiness. Such compassion by its very nature requires courage and strength.

How then can ordinary people, who are governed by the impulse for self-interest, express compassion in a constructive and meaningful way?

A natural example is the actions of a mother toward her child. A mother will do anything she can to protect her child, even if it means braving flames or flood.

The Kindness of a Parent

Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "I, Nichiren Daishonin, am sovereign, teacher, and father and mother to all the people of Japan" (WND, 287). He made this statement to convey his state of life as the original Buddha--a state of life capable of embracing all people with the compassion of a parent toward his or her children.

Now this is not an easy thing. We sometimes even lose patience with our own children, let alone strangers. Since that is the case, most of us without assistance tend to be lacking in the quality defined as Buddhist compassion.

What can we do about it? Well, to state the conclusion first, we can expose our hearts and minds to the very state of compassion manifested by the Buddha. When we believe in and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, which embodies the compassionate state of life of the original Buddha, we stimulate and bring forth a source of boundless compassion latent within us.
Taking a lesson form the Daishonin’s writings, it is also useful to apply the model of a parent--or teacher--in developing compassion for others.

Any successful parent or teacher knows the importance of seeing things from the child’s perspective. The exert themselves in caring for and educating their children, wanting to see them grow and develop their humanity.

Such people transcend divisions of self and other to view the sufferings and joys of their children or students as their own. Constant is their concern for the children. Always thinking of them, they are eager to offer help. Protection, and an opportunity to learn. This sort of concern will certainly reach the hearts of others, be they children or adults. The Nobel-prize winning French author André Gide (1869-1951) put it clearly: "True kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one’s own the suffering and joys of others" (Pretexts, "Portraits and Aphorisms" [1903]).

Compassion also includes the ability to recognize in others strengths and capacities that we ourselves may be lacking, and our wish to learn from those qualities. While it is easy to identify another’s weak points, it is harder than we may think to clearly recognize and appreciate the person’s strong points. If we focus on the strong points, however, we will naturally come to appreciate, fell close to, and even develop a fondness for him or her. As a result, we may find ourselves thinking of that person more often and feeling concerned about his or her well-being.
We practice Buddhism for our own happiness and that of others. These two aims of faith cannot be separated. When our thoughts for others’ well-being become part of our daily prayer, we transcend the innate impulse to be concerned only with ourselves, and illuminate the fundamental ignorance that is the source of suffering with the light of our innate Buddhahood.

April 2000
Living Buddhism
By Jeff Kriger, managing editor, based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

T-I-T-I Galore..!!!
(from Karsten.. Thanks!)

WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

Hoy!! Wag mo sabihing ndi kita winarningan ah..!!

http://komameci.multiply.com/video/item/1

Mga bakla, after viewing it, "gusto mo pa rin ba ng titi?"

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

MASAMA KASI AKONG TAO
(read this, especially my platik friends)

Read This First.

ALAM MO KASALANAN MO YAN! SO IF UR EXPERIENCING SOMETHING HATEFUL LIKE THIS ITS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN DOING! ALAM MO BA ANG DAMI DAMI MONG PINAHIRAPAN AT MINALTRATO SAMIN! AKALA MO NAGIISA LANG AKO? SORRY! MARAMING MARAMI KAMI! KAYA IF I WERE YOU MAGDASAL KA NA AND ASK ALL UR IMPOSTOR FRIENDS TO PRAY FOR YOU AT ALAM MO BA KAYA LANG NAMAN MABAIT SA HARAPAN MO MGA KAIBIGAN MO PARA DI MO SILA ISAMA SA MGA PAGBABACKSTAB MO NG TAO! ANG SAMA NG UGALI MO KAYA MARAMI KAMING NAGDADASAL NA SANA MAMATAY KANA! WE KNOW ITS SO DAMN WRONG BUT WHAT CAN WE DO, U PUSHED US TO THE LIMIT! CHANGE UR NAME GODESS DOESNT FIT YOUR BEING! AT ARAW ARAW PARIN KAMING MAGDADASAL!

excerpt from my journal.. sa comments section..
yan mismo ang message.. walang labis, walang kulang..
http://theonlygoddess.multiply.com/journal/item/47

SO, NABASA MO NA.


sasagutin ko yan, point by point, in different colors..!

sabi mo kaya i'm experiencing this kasi masama ako.. neng naman! ikaw lang naman ang gumawa nito ah. meron pa bang ibang hateful things dito sa multiply ko? diba ikaw nga ang umeffort na gumawa ng isa pang account para lang i-bash ako.. common sense naman gurl..

next, nakakaloka ka! talagang ikaw ang naging taga-pagtanggol ng mga minaltrato ko.. and the word ah, MALTRATO! gosh naman.. ano ba kayo, KATULONG ko? STEP-DAUGHTERS ko? Wow! Sharon Cuneta as Madrasta ang level ko dito ah! o, marami pala kayo eh, magsama-sama kayo.. magrally kayo sa mendiola, i-protesta ninyo ang hinanakit ninyo sa pagmamaltrato ko sa inyo! mag-hunger strike kayo sa kahabaan ng España! o kaya, tutal election na rin man lang, magtayo kayo ng PARTY LIST ninyo.. since marginalized kayo.. Go! Hinding-hindi ko kayo pipigilan.. MAM RICHARD UY pa gawin niyong pangalan.. Mamayang Away Magpamaltrata kay RICHARD UY! diba ang taray..

e2 ang pinakamalala sa lahat, nagdadasal talaga kayong lahat para sa aking kamatayan.. sosyal ah.. very Christian.. suggestion lang ah, try nyo magpa-vigil! talunin nyo ang prayer with the pope.. since sabi mo naman marami kayo, so madaming aattend nyan.. ako na sagot sa venue, sa food nyo.. why not kaya para ndi masayang ang mga dasal ninyo, plan an assassination.. yung tipong papasok pa lang ako ng building eh mababaril ako.. ang saya!!! galingan ninyo ang pagpaplano ah.. sabihin niyo rin kailangan para naman naka-outfit ako sa araw na yun ah.. papatelevise ko pa yan.. para pag nabaril na ako, makikitang nagsasaya kayo.. tapos painiterview kayo..

kung may mga kaibigan man akong sabi mo na pinaplastik ako, hindi ko na problema yun neng.. eh kung plastik pala sila, eh plastikan na! bumili na kayo ng timba, tabo, cabinet sa amin kung ganun din lang.. hay.. so, kailan mo iproproduce ang mga taong minaltrato including you? ayoko nung ganito, nagtatago sa anyo ni Miss Malaysia.. since lider-lideran ka naman nila diba, bakit kailangan mo pang magtago neng? Go, face me! Sama mo sila.. Papagawa ako ng Forum para lang sa inyo? Sabihin niyo lang kailan..


actually, i really don't need to explain my attitude, my behavior.. kilala ko ang sarili ko.. at alam ko ang ginagawa ko.. if you can't stand me, sinabi ko bang tiisin mo ako? binabayaran ko ba kayo para maging kaibigan ko? sinisiksik ko ba ang sarili ko sa inyo? PLEASE NAMAN NENG..!! kung may mga tao man na nakatulad mo, katulad ng mga plastik kong kaibigan sabi mo nga, ay ewan ko sa inyo.. dahil sa inyo, titigil ang fabulous life ko, NEVER! basta ako nakakatulog ng mahimbing, nakakapag-internet ako (DSL pa nga eh), nakakakain me ng 3 beses sa isang araw (minsan nga sobra pa eh!).. ewan ko nalang sa inyo.. ubusin niyo oras niyo sa pagdarasal ah.. sa pagdarasal na mamatay ako.. alam na ng diyos niyo kung san kayo pupulutin..

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Question Marks in Life


Ano kayang mga question marks in life?
Naku! Huwag na kayong mag-isip pa!
Wala lang ako mapost kaya puro question marks!!
Nag-iisip pa!




Friday, March 02, 2007

WINNING PIECES



wala ako maisip na post.. dapat post me videos ng "And I Am Telling You" being interpreted by different artists.. yun! topak tong youtube.. ayaw ng pa-embed ng videos.. leche!! buti may www.dailymotion.com na.. pero konti palang ang videos.. enjoy the video.. and the song na rin.. winning pieces ni Regine.. eto ang description sa videos dun sa dailymotion..
This features the winning piece of Regine Velasquez as performed in her concert TWENTY in araneta coliseum last October 13, 2006 in celebration of her twenty glorious years as the most-treasured and most influential Filipina multi-media star. The medley includes And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going) and You'll Never Walk Alone--which made her champion the 1989 Asia Pacific Song Festival and made her earn the title ASIA's SONGBIRD given by Hong Kong Press. Lastly is In Your Eyes which made her champion in Ang Bagong Kampeon(eng: The New Champion) back in 1986.