Friday, 21 June 2013

2007 A day of triumph (勝利的一天)


 
2007 A day of triumph (勝利的一天)
 
   您好!
 
2007518 (星期五) Kevin 的碩士研究生畢業典禮。對我們來說,這確是一個非常快樂的時刻。(可惜的是,我丈夫Andrew因要開一個會議而不能出席。) Kevin, Wendy (我的侄女) 同我都擁有一個美好的時光。
 
讓我分享一些照片給你們,看我們有多幸福和自豪。
 
回頭看,我們都走過漫長的路。Kevin有一個非常崎嶇的童年。在他9歲,我們從香港移民到加拿大。12歲,我把他送到英國的寄宿學校,希望他能學會獨立,但事情卻事與願違。他在16歲時返回香港,並完成高中和高考。在19歲,他去加拿大讀大學一年級,可是在那裡他覺得非常痛苦。之後他便回到香港,並在一家酒店工作一年 (就在那時,他認識了一些壞朋友並誤入歧途。) 最後,我用了很多的努力才能幫他解決問題,並送他到澳洲讀書。
 
此外,如果他澳洲居留申請沒有遇到一些障礙 (請看我之前的電郵),我們是從來都沒有想過他能完成碩士學位的。他在20057月於Macquarie 大學完成了學士學位,但如他不再繼續讀書,他便不能申請居留, 因此他便要繼續讀碩士學位。(對我來說,那就好像昨天一樣,現附上他的一張畢業照片,然後,請看下頁之照片) 
一切的一切,我不不說,如果沒有我的佛修行和唱題,我很久以前已經放棄失去我的兒子。在絕望,我的一些家人看到非常痛苦便建議我放棄兒子。不過,一名香港SGI的會友對我說:佛教是要取勝的不斷唱題持之以恆,最終您一定會獲勝。」
 
我做到了,我們贏了。
 
lydia  01
 

Sunday, 5 May 2013

人生九悟

以下是一位好友寫給我人生九悟

 非常有意義,但有幾人能知? 又或知而能做到呢?   知易行難,
所以我們要佛法修行,
每日唸南無妙法蓮華經令自己悟達並能實踐
Lydia
 主旨: 人生九悟
 
【人生九悟】
1.      心甘情願吃虧的人,終究吃不了虧。能吃虧的人,人緣必然好,人緣好的人,機會自然多。人的一生,能抓住 一兩 次機會,足矣!
 
 2.      愛佔便宜的人,終究佔不了便宜。撿到一棵草,失去一片森林。你看那些一到買單就上廁所或錢包半天掏不出來的聰明人,基本上都沒啥成就。
 
3.      心眼小的人,天地大不了。朋友聚會時,三句話不離自己和自家的人,是蝸牛轉世,內心空虛、自私。心裡只有自家的事,其他的事慢慢也就與他無關
 
4.      只有惜緣才能續緣。在人生的路上,我們會遇到很多人,其實有緣才能相聚,親人多半是前世的好友,好友多半是前世的親人,給你帶來煩惱的,多半是你前世傷害過的。因此切記:善待身邊的親人,關心身邊的朋友,寬恕那些傷害你的人。這就是因果
 
5.   心中無缺叫富,被人需要叫貴。快樂不是一種性格,而是一種能力。
 
6.      解決煩惱的最佳辦法,就是忘掉煩惱。(easier said than done! lydia)
 
7.      笑看風雲淡,坐對雲起時。不爭就是慈悲,不辯就是智慧,不聞就是清淨,不看就是自在,原諒就是解脫,知足就是放下。(easier said than done)
 
8.      不亂於心,不困於情,不畏將來,不念過往。(easier said than done)
 
9.      今生註定我們什麼也帶不走,那就活在當下、笑在當下、悟在當下!Yeah, sure.

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

a lobster (突破)

sometime ago, I saw a documentary on ocean lives.  it showed a lobster trying to break through its shell.  I could see how hard it tried, squeezing, pushing, using all its might and energy to break through.
 
once it broke through, its body became much larger,  and was swimming freely and happily in the water.
 
in our daily life, we sometimes are thrown into shells by situations or circumstances,(i.e. death of family members, broken relationships, financial problems etc.)  or we are trapped in a shell which we create for ourselves. (i.e. low self esteem, loss of confidence in ourselves, uncertainly of our future etc.)
 
to breakthrough this shell, we need to exert our utmost determination and energy, knowing that once we breakthrough, we will grow, and be free and happy.
 
chanting nam myo ho renge kyo can give us the energy and strength and hope   to break through.
 
glad to share
 
lydia
    
很久以前,我看到了一段海洋生活的紀錄片。這片紀錄了一隻龍蝦試圖突破它的外殼。我可以看到它如何努力嘗試去擠,去推它的身体,用盡它的能力去突圍而出。
一旦突破外殼之後,其身体立刻變大,並在水中輕鬆愉快地自由游動。
在我們日常生活中,有時會因為某種情況,( 例如至親的死亡, 和至愛的關係破裂,或金錢上的困境等) 被困在一個痛苦的深淵裏; 又或我們被困在一個自己為自己製造的枷鎖裏:例如自卑,對自己失去信心,對我們的未來不明朗等.
要突破這個殼,我們需要用最大的決心和努力,但要知道, 一旦突破,我們將會得到成長, 並能享受到無比的自由和快樂。
唱唸南無妙法蓮華經,可以給我們無窮的精力和體力去成功得到這突破

Is chanting Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo positive thinking?

Chanting is neither meditation, nor positive thinking, though it reaps the benefits of both these practices and much more. The essence of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is that in the very act of doing so we are expressing our Buddha nature. Meditation and positive thinking do not have Buddhahood as their objective. It is not possible to express Buddhahood through these means. Although meditation and positive thinking may have value they cannot change the fundamental element in our lives which makes us unhappy and unfulfilled as human beings —our karma, nor can they bring out the highest condition of life, Buddhahood.
Meditation is a more passive exercise than chanting; one usually calms one's mind by concentrating on a particular phrase or image. At first glance this may seem close to the practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, but actually the difference is apparent. The practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables us to express and experience our innate Buddhahood and release the powerful energy contained within that, rather than to calm our minds or negate certain ways of thinking.
Again, while it is true that our thinking does become more positive as a result of chanting, this is because chanting draws out our Buddhahood which, in turn, influences every aspect of our lives, both mental and physical. Therefore, chanting is not so much a question of "thinking positively" or exercising "mind over matter," which implies restriction; rather, through chanting, our highest state of life naturally influences our thoughts and actions towards the most valuable ends.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

使命





有相士說,男士的財代表妻妾,所以,如果男士財多,就一定不專一。其實,在因果法則裡,財只是一個緣,要帶出宿業,包括感情業。生命是永遠的,每一個行為,都在種植善或惡因。今生的痛苦,就是過去世帶來的。

這些業障跟隨每一生的生滅,如果沒有方法去轉換,就會不斷增加苦楚。因為最初種下的惡業種子,已經成長為一棵宿命大樹,想要連根拔起,是多麼的辛苦。


生命是《南無妙法蓮華經》小宇宙,是佛界的明鏡生命


當明鏡沾上了厚厚的塵埃時,必須把塵埃掃去,才能不再迷惘。從唱唸《南無妙法蓮華經》,明鏡漸漸擦亮,發出光輝,看到世間的無常,只有心安穩,才是真正的幸福。

漸漸地,從唱題中,自己佛界生命打開了,看到所有無常,都只是世間的生滅變化。佛界的生命,是慈悲的生命,所有過去的經歷,成為與經歷同樣痛苦的人分享的寶貴經驗,令他們也能離開苦海。於是,以往的痛苦宿命,化為使命,成為善因,種下不少慈悲的種子,宿命轉換了,生命就自由無礙了。


Gohonzon






The Gohonzon is more like an object for one to focus the chanting on, however this 'object' contains all  different aspects of our life, and the life of the universe (from a professor on cosmology: we and all things of the universe incl stars and planets are composed of the same elements: metal, wood, water, fire and wind).  we are not worshipping anything, if at all, we are  RESPECTING  our own life, and lives of other people because LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
 
when we are looking at the gohonzon chanting, its like when we are looking into a mirror, therein we can see our life more clearly:  ie reasons for our misfortune, why we are not happy, etc.  as we chant, our spiritual being is elevated and we are looking from atop, with a much clearer vision.
 
afterall buddhism says all reasons for our unhappiness and suffering lie within ourselves, but most of the time we dont realize it, and keep making the same mistakes over and over again, this is what we call 'karma'.  by seeing things more clearly, we are able to change our thinking and  behavioral pattern, reacting differently to situations and thereby help changing our karma.
 
 

Sunday, 31 March 2013

宿命轉換


Below is info from a member in Hong Kong"


宿命轉換

大半個月前,有一位會友問了我很多有關「宿命轉換」的問題。『怎樣才算是「宿命轉換」?怎樣才知道「宿命轉換」了沒有?例如有會友有長期心臟病,他去世時是因另一種病導致去世的,是否就是「宿命轉換」?或是宿命轉換並非沒有了該宿命,而是當面對該宿命時不再害怕,能悠然自得面對,就是「宿命轉換」?又或是「宿命轉換」不會沒有了,而是積聚福運,將宿命蓋過了?有女子部祈求感情的宿命轉換(過往每段感情都沒有開花結果),是否找到一個合適,有結果,就可以說「宿命轉換」了?我們生命很多塵埃,是否要掃除完才可以「宿命轉換」?是否要掃除完才可以積聚到福運呢?』

一連串的「宿命轉換」問題。其實,先要明白何為「宿命」。

「宿命」就是因為我們的「習性」,而在生命內種下了善或惡因。種「因」之時,「果」就已經形成,住宿了在我們的生命內,叫做「宿命」。



當一個「緣」起,「果」就成為「報」出現。這就是「十如是」中的「如是因」、「如是緣」、「如是果」、「如是報」。

這些「宿習」會跟隨生命的出生,重覆再用,越練越熟。「習性」可以是貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑的六道行為,也可以是慈悲、包容、體諒、慷慨、樂觀、勤奮等等的四聖的正面習性。

當一個緣起,同一件事,六道的習性,帶出六道的果報。四聖的習性,帶來四聖的果報。

那麼,宿命如何轉換?又怎麼知道轉換了沒有?當六道的習性,轉換為四聖時,宿命就開始轉換。例如一個固執、容易抱怨、凡事怪責別人的人,轉變成隨和、體諒、凡事檢討自己、不斷進步、慈悲助人的人,新的種子就開始種下,宿命就無聲無色地改變了。生命的改革就是「人間革命」。宿命就是經「人間革命」而轉換的。

於是,生命的魅力就出現了,依正不二,身邊就會出現同樣的人,互相體諒、一起進步、一起付出,感情的業障就打破了,幸福就出現了。

如池田先生教導:『即使眼前有一道誰也認為不可突破的高牆厚壁,也毫不畏懼、不焦急、不害怕、不逃避,能發揮出本身至極的勇氣與智慧潛能。』要如石虎將軍引弓射穿石頭的例子一樣,『那不但代表我要以「化不可能為可能」的絕對勝利信心來奮戰的決意,同時也表示,要以在我生命中的不屈不撓精神來面對一切障魔的覺悟。』(新世紀月20133月號〈勝利的經典〉御書研習 38頁)

宿業的塵埃並不可怕。可怕的是沒有戰勝宿業的意志。

每一個人的生命裡,都有一個具足完滿、充滿絕對幸福的寶藏。就讓我們一起把這寶藏打開吧!

 

Chanting vs positive thinking and meditation




Is chanting a form of meditation or is it positive thinking?

Chanting is neither meditation, nor positive thinking, though it reaps the benefits of both these practices and much more. The essence of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is that in the very act of doing so we are expressing our Buddha nature. Meditation and positive thinking do not have Buddhahood as their objective. It is not possible to express Buddhahood through these means. Although meditation and positive thinking may have value they cannot change the fundamental element in our lives which makes us unhappy and unfulfilled as human beings —our karma, nor can they bring out the highest condition of life, Buddhahood.
Meditation is a more passive exercise than chanting; one usually calms one's mind by concentrating on a particular phrase or image. At first glance this may seem close to the practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, but actually the difference is apparent. The practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables us to express and experience our innate Buddhahood and release the powerful energy contained within that, rather than to calm our minds or negate certain ways of thinking.
Again, while it is true that our thinking does become more positive as a result of chanting, this is because chanting draws out our Buddhahood which, in turn, influences every aspect of our lives, both mental and physical. Therefore, chanting is not so much a question of "thinking positively" or exercising "mind over matter," which implies restriction; rather, through chanting, our highest state of life naturally influences our thoughts and actions towards the most valuable ends.
glad to share.
lydia

Thursday, 28 March 2013

A bag of rice (一包大米)

my dear friends and family,
andrew is now in hong kong. today i went out and had a delicious chicken kebab for lunch (A$7.5) in a nearby shopping mall. as i was enjoying my kebab, reading a book, i actually felt that i am really living, and enjoying life, even as simple as a kebab gives me so much pleasure.
to tell u why i have this feeling. i came from a disrupted family, my father had numerous mistresses. he was bankrupt when i was 15, so i had to look for a job right after high school and worked as an English Form 3 teacher teaching girls who were aged 16 - older than i was. i was married (still a teen) and had two children. i helped my ex husband andrew to start an interior design company and brought in businesses for him - but he was not interested in working.
he ended up owing the bank over HK$1 million in 1983, mixed up with mafia and had a mistress. i had to file for a divorce, paying off debts, raising two children and running the business - all on my own. life was extremely hard.
then in end 1999 with my sincere chanting and buddhist practice, i got married to my present husband, andrew, a good dentist. andrew loves me very much and puts me in his 1st position. everyone would think that i would be living happily ever after.
however this was not the case. andrew is a top dentist , but a 2- thumbs down businessman. fortunately and unfortunately i have a lot of insights and experience in running businesses so i offered to help - thats the beginning of our battle.
we always fought and argued on how to run the business, i could see things and people which would harm our business but andrew could not. at one time we were almost driven out of business by his keen competitor who shares the same premises. i told him to be aware long before this happened but he did not believe in me. andrew is also a nice and kind-hearted man, however he was toooo lenient to his nurses and staff resulting in the mal-performance and lots of fighting between staffs. i wanted to terminate them but andrew did not agree.
everyday when i woke up, (and sometimes when i was sleepng) i had to start thinking how to manage his business, advertising, personnel problems, competition, promoting websites, writing articals, assisting him as his nurse when the girls were sick, working as a receptionist when she was away, answering telephone calls after office hours, etc etc etc... these things were endless. i felt as if i was carrying a 40 kg bag of rice on my shoulders, very heavy, giving me a lot of pain, agony, and frustrations, but i could not put it down.
fortunately with my sincere chanting, i was able to help turn around all difficult situations, but honestly this had not been easy, and andrew did not give me support.
last february, coming back from hong kong, i was presented with another problem in the surgery, i was really fed up and said to andrew: 'lets sell the business, i have enough'.
during the course of the next six months, there were two potential buyers, however, nothing came through. andrew was beginning to get anxious. i told him: 'andrew, i trust in the gohonzon, i am SURE that it will happen.' everyday when i chanted to the gohonzon, i chanted for a buyer who can take up our business and has the ability to make use of all the facilities in the surgery, and that andrew can continue to work, without having to run the business.
i said to the Gohonzon: 'Gohonzon, I HAD ENOUGH, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!' with a few twists and turns, a friend who is our real estate agent succeeded in selling our business. do u know who the buyer is??? - the same keen competitor whom we did not greet or talk to in the past few years. without the agent friend working as a medium this could not have happened. the handover date was feb. 1, 2013 (it took us precisely one year).
this year when i returned to sydney from hong kong in end feb, i feel sooooooooo good, i have finally put down this 40 kg of rice, i feel as if i am really living, feeling relaxed, at ease and at peace. everyday when i wake up, i smile and thank the gohonzon for this HUGE blessing. andrew is also very very happy, planning to travel around the world with me.
what i want to say is, the above is a result of my sincere chanting enabling me to take the right action and meet the right people at the right time. this is the benefit (actual proof) of my buddhist practice.
glad to share
lydia
我親愛的朋友和家人,
Andrew現在在香港渡假。今天中午我去了附近的購物商場吃了一頓美味的雞肉烤肉午餐($ 7.5)。當我在享受我的午餐和閱讀一本書時,我覺得我是真正的享受生活. 只要一個簡單烤肉午餐便能帶給我這麼多的快樂。
告訴你為什麼我有這種感覺。我是來自一個複雜家庭,我的父親有很多的情婦。他破產的時候我只有15歲,但不得不去找一份工作賺錢. 那時我剛高中畢業,便擔任了一個中三英文老師, 去教16歲年紀比我大的女孩之後我還是十幾歲的時候便結婚了,並有兩個孩子。我幫我的前夫Andrew開始了一間室內設計公司,並給他的帶來了很多生意 - 但他根本對工作不感興趣。
1983他欠銀行超過100萬港元,而且我還發現他結識了黑社會及有外遇。我不得不申請離婚,獨力清償債務,養了兩個孩子,更繼續去做室內設計生意. 生活是非常艱難.
17年後通過我誠心唱題及實踐日蓮佛法, 1999年年底,我和現任丈夫Andrew,一個很好的澳洲牙醫結了婚。Andrew非常愛我,事事都以我為先, 將我放在第一位。每個人都認為我將會從此過著幸福快樂的生活。
然而事實並非如此。
Andrew是一個頂級的一流牙科醫生,但卻是九流的生意人。幸運又或是不幸的是,我在經營生意上有很多的見解和經驗,所以我自動去幫佢 - 而這就是我們戰鬥的開始。
為了他的生竟我們時常吵架. 很多時我可以看到損害我們業務的人或事,但Andrew不能。有一次我們幾乎被在同一診所的年輕牙醫趕盡殺絕,在此之前我曾警告Andrew,他不相信我。
Andrew是一個很好及和善良的人,但他過於放縱他的護士和工作人員, 令他們疏懶又互相鬥爭。我想辭退他們,但Andrew不同意。
每一天當我醒來時,(有時更在睡夢中),我都不斷思考如何管理他的業務,去處理廣告,人事問題,競爭,網站,寫稿,當他的護士病了, 我便協助他為他的護士,當他的接待員放假, 我便去頂替,放工後我便接聽電話等等等..
這些東西好像是無止境的。我覺得好像在我的肩膀上背著一袋40公斤的大米,非常沉重,給了我很多的痛苦,挫折,但又不能把它放下。
幸運的是,用我的真誠唱題,我每次都能解決所有困難,但老實說,這並不容易,而Andrew並沒有給我支持。
去年二月,從香港回來,我又看到診所另一個問題,我對Andrew說:“讓我們賣了診所的業務吧,我真的受夠了”。
之後的6個月過程中,有兩個有與趣的買家商談,但都沒有結果。
Andrew開始變得焦躁。我告訴他:“Andrew,我相信禦做本尊,我相信一定會成功的。”每天,我向禦本尊祈求可以遇到一個有能力盡用所有診所設施的買家,並Andrew可以繼續工作,但無需處理業務。
我對禦本尊說:我受夠了,我真的受夠了, 我真想自由和不被診所生意操縱啊。”
經過很多曲折,一個做地產的朋友成功的幫我們賣了生意。你知道這買家是誰?就是那個我們幾年沒有打招呼或交談的激烈的競爭對手. 沒有那位做地產朋友的幫助,這件事根本不可能成功。我們的交收日期是2013年二月一日(我們為這事用了整整1年時間)。
上月我從香港回到悉尼,我覺得非常開心,我終於放下了這40公斤的大米,我覺得現在我是真正的生活著,感覺輕鬆,自在與和平。每天當我醒來時,我笑著感謝禦本尊給我這個大功德。
Andrew也非常非常高興,並準備和我環遊世界。
我想說的是,以上是的一切是由於我真誠的唱題,使我能夠採取正確的行動,並在正確的時間遇到合適的人。這是我佛教修行的功德(實證)。
很高興與大家分享我的故事
Lydia




Friday, 8 February 2013

chinese new year

hi
today is chinese new year's eve.
you wouldnt believe it, yesterday morning when i woke up i felt depressed. reason being that i come back to hong kong to enjoy the chinese new year, but because i could not be bothered with the formalities, ie buying lots of things to decorate, lots of food etc., as a result i dont have this çhinese new year spirit at home.
to cheer myself up, when i went out, i bought a poster of the 'god of wealth'財神 and bought a CD with new year songs.
later in the evening a group of SGI members came to my home to have a 團年飯 with me, i made carrot soup and prepared a couple of dishes, when they came they brought a lot of food (see photo) and initially i kept saying that there is NO way we could finish. one member also brought along a HUGE bottle of wine.
we talked, we laughed and we ate. in the end, there was nothing left except a couple of pcs. of chicken and 义燒 (see photo). none of us worried about putting on weight, we had such a good time. this is very good fortune indeed. i always try to care and encourage people and in return i always get good company.
this morning, i put up the posters (see photo), the two long ones were given to me when i was walking in the streets yesterday; and they mean 'healthy body' and ''all your wishes come true'. the god of wealth 財神 brings prosperity, so i have all good things. am now playing the new year songs and i feel very happy.
now i am going to the office to open letters which have been piled up like a mountain, then i will go for a foot reflexology ($118 for 60 min) and then to the flower fair, and in the evening i will go to my daughters home for a ''new year's eve dinner' 團年飯, life is good, right?
with my posters in the photo, may i here wish all my friends and family lots of luck, health and prosperity in the year of the snake.
祝大家身体健康, 心想事成, 財源廣進

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Never give up

my dear friends and family,
a couple of weeks ago, i shared with you my bad experience with rentalcars.com, wherein they charged my credit card for $80.80 at the time of online reservation and, when andrew failed to get his car on arrival on the airport in adelaide, he had to hire car from another company. however, rentalcars.com did not want to give me the refund.
after trying several phone calls and emails with no avail, i was thinking of HOW to solve this problem. its not just the money, its the principle. then suddenly i thought of writing a review on them and get to the following Review Centre. hahahah, the next day after my review was published online, rental cars.com sent me an email (whereas for three weeks they did not bother to reply) saying that they do not refund any cancellations.
they really pi _ _ ed me off. i called them at 11 pm sydney time, which is morning in UK, and asked to speak to their manager, i was put thru to another customer service staff and i said: their answer is totally unacceptable, and unless they give me a refund, i will keep chasing them ..... (the fact is, the car provider in adelaide never charged me anything, so rental cars.com took the money and did not not to refund).
you know what, the next day they sent me the following email saying that they will give me a refund.
oh one more thing, after making the booking, rentalcars.com said they would also charge our credit card for $3000 as a security when andrew took the vehicle, aiyayaya, i think we are very blessed (blessing from the gohonzon and my chanting). imagine if andrew did get the vehicle and they held $3000 and did not want to refund???? this sure is a blessing in disguise!!!
all in all, what i want to say is, when we want to achieve something, and seem to be stuck, DONT give up, pls persevere and you will win.
cheers
lydia
From REview Centre
9:12 PM (16 hours ago
)
to undisclosed recipients
Dear Reviewer,
Thanks for your contribution to Review Centre.
We have been contacted by the people from RentalCars.com about your review.
They are obviously unhappy that you feel that their service was not up to scratch and would like the opportunity to try and rectify the situation.
If you feel that you would like to contact them please send a email to Anna at annapiech@rentalcars.com.
You have no obligation to do this, we are just trying to help a company that is showing willing to improve their customer services.
Kind regards
Review Centre Team
From: REntal Cars.com

Dear Mr sih,

Your reservation has now been cancelled and a refund of AUD80.80 has been made.

Your refund has been calculated as below:

Cancellation fee: AUD0
Amount Refunded: AUD80.80

Dependent upon your card provider this may take up to 7 working days to process.

Sincerely,
rentalcars.com Reservations Team