Advice---

Advice---
A man went to the Dharma Master to ask advise.
" My life is miserable I have a very small house , one room and it's too crowded.
There's my wife , our eight children, her old parents , my sick dad,our deaf uncle and crippled sister.
I cannot pay for a bigger house what shall I do?"
The Master thought and asked ,
"do you have any animals ?"
"Yes we have five goats , three cows , ten chickens, two cats, one horse and a dog."
The Master said ,"let them all into the house for a week."
The man was puzzled but he respected the Master, so did what he said.
Life became a nightmare, he had to sleep standing up and the room stank.
He ran to the Master after a week nearly crazy.
The Master was pleased and said "now go home and take the animals out , you will be suprised how much space there is now."
Deep inside everyone there is an empty space and that emptiness is divine
That emptiness is reality.
The Buddha called it "Shunyata."
Sooner or later, one has to come to terms with inner emptiness and reality.
Nathan

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With love

Perfection--

Perfection--
A novice monk asked the Dhamma Master
"Why are you so happy,so peaceful ?"
"I have accepted myself,"
explained the Master.
"Look out the window ,do you see that bush with the beautiful red flowers,the large tree behind it?
I have been watching them each day for the 23 years I have been in this Temple and at no time,
over the years,have I heard one compare itself to the other.
The tree is,the bush is,
no comparison,you are taller than me,you have more flowers
you need less water.
The difference between most people and what we see here is comparison.
You, my dear monk,are always comparing.
More hair,better body,more money,larger car,house,better food,cooler,warmer,the list is endless."
"We are told to become more like Jesus,Krishna,Buddha,why?
Drop all of this,all the ideals of being not what we are."
"If you must compare ,then,,,,,
We are the snowflake that falls from the sky.
Each flake is perfection.
It is then gathered and made into snowmen by external forces,
each snowman is different,
but the underlying is perfection."
"As the snowman melts and turns to water,the water evaporates,
returns to the sky and once again becomes a cloud .
It can then return as a snowflake.
Perfection.
Again there is no comparison,the cycle of birth,life,death and
re- birth happen automatically."
"My dear monk,your original face was perfection."
"I see perfection now before me.
It is only your thoughts that make the difference,it is comparison that makes the difference."
"To me you are perfection."
Nathan

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With love

Travels Thailand

On to Thailand,some sixty million buddhists.

Nearly all of whom are waiting for their next  life for some form of enlightenment.

These beautifull,smiley,helpfull,full of life,love,and prayer and food. Always the food.

 Best food anywhere.

Most Thais are not the slightest bit interested in outcome. 

Kharma is not a consideration even though it is the backbone of the way.

"In my next life" is the mantra.

The wonderful thing is, there doesn't seem to be a concern for past ,only the ancestors.

 What happens now,happens for a reason,destiny,fate,luck.

To a Thai,there are two things in life,things that happen and things that matter.

 Family,business and Buddha and King.

These things matter,all else happens.

So is there a priority?

For a short time in all Thai's lives they are deeply spiritual. Yes,Buddhism is important.

 The Royal family is important. 

To a Thai the family and business is the priority and most do these well. 

I love Thailand,I have learnt a lot,particularly patience.  

As far as learning more about matters spiritual,just look at a Thai,and in return comes a smile.

 A look of love

that comes from the heart.

The heart that is Thailand.

Nathan

http://www.dharmamaster.com

With love

My travels

My Travels. --

I have visited two of the most spiritual countries anywhere. 

In India,i am told,there are thousands of Divine Beings,

I shall be over one hundred and sixty years old,should I  visit one a day for the rest of my life.

Not much else to do.

I saw men and women who spend their entire lives in service to just one Divine Being.

Total devotion,nothing else.

Some don't wear clothes,don't cut hair,

put ash on face and body,to show  they are dead.

They rely on others to supply food,their shelter is nature.

I don't know,where is the compassion?

I saw compassion,the Krishna serve the poor,there are many poor,very sad.

The question;

Is The Divine responsible?

Is it karma?

So many questions,and the cycle continues for generations,rich,poor,how to break free.

The answer, is of course,religion.

The promise,eternal something . The Divines  grace,everything by the grace of The Divine.

In India the system keeps everyone in place. 

To belong to a poor caste is to be doomed forever.

The Divines grace.

I met members of a food cooking caste,holy,devoted people,who's purpose in life is to cook. 

They are magnificent .

Once again,The Divines grace.

What happens, in a deeply religious country,run by The Divine,if you are not religious? Maybe you become a taxi driver,or member of parliament.

India,I love you and your people,my dear friends,your crazy religions,holy cows,Linga worshipping ,dervish swirling,cymble clanging,drum beating strange smelly dirty wondrous India.

My next stop is Thailand

Next week

With Metta

Nathan

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http://www.dharmamaster.com

With love

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is not something we achieve 

It is the absence of something 

All our lives we go after something 

pursuing some goal

Enlightenment is dropping all that

Talking of it is of little use

Practice has to be done 

There is no substitute but to practice 

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http://www.dharmamaster.com

With love