A young elephant was hit by a lorry on Mother’s Day while crossing the highway with its mother in Perak, Malaysia.
I remember watching the videos. The mother elephant ran around the lorry, finding ways and trying to save her baby who was trapped underneath the lorry. She even used her head to try to push the lorry. Sadly, there was nothing she can do to save the baby.
I can sense her panic and her eagerness to save her baby. She was behaving just like any human mother would do to save their children.
The videos went viral and caught the attention of viewers. Many found the sight heart wrenching and wished things to be different.
This is a sketch I drew about the accident.
I kept looking at the videos and understood how she must have felt…
She stood for many hours, hoping her baby could get up. She refused to move away and the authorities had to sedate her and move her back to the forest.
According to the news, the baby was buried. There were people who posted videos of her returning to the same spot to find her baby. With AI today, I’m not sure how true it was.
Many wish her well.
May the merits accumulated, be dedicated to her and her baby favourite rebirth.
Before going to bed last night, I was writing a blog and at the end of it, I had the answer. Feeling contented, I went to bed.
Writing is good. Mel often says I need an outlet and blogging is my outlet. I was asking myself if Dhamma was the cause for my loss of interest in my favourite activities or aging? Below was what I wrote last night.
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“If losing interest in the things that we love to do is part of the aging process, does it mean that the absent of hunger in doing things that I once love is due to aging?
How nice it is somehow without exertion, we are able to easily let go of the things that we once love. If this is the case, ideally, over the age of 50 should be a perfect time to understand the true Dhamma because letting go seems effortless.
No one talks about their mental states as they aged. I couldn’t find blogs that share their life stories living as a Buddhist and I definitely won’t need another blog that talks about the Buddha’s teachings.
Perhaps I still have difficulties in recognising emotions…
Be it be Dhamma or aging, living at the present is the solution to all problems.
Ahh…I have the answer!
Zzzzzzz…“
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Basically a learned buddhist understood the path and has liberation in her mind, whereas, a non-buddhist has no clue. There are a few suttas explained by the Buddha about the difference between a learned or trained disciples and one who is untrained. He also explained the benefit of those who are learned and trained.
I remember someone saying that life is meaningless after understanding the Buddha’s teachings and another said he was feeling depressed and both were seeking for answers during a Dhamma talk. I was smiling then.
I guess it’s a process. One day they would come to truly understand what the Buddha meant when he said to live at the present. To understand and accept the first noble truth. To abandon the conditions in the second noble truth. Not only to know but to realise that we can end depression, suffering etc. Lastly, we still have work to do, that is to develop and cultivate the Eightfold path. Perhaps we already are cultivating but we just aren’t aware of it!
So how do I keep my life going? By keeping the precepts, cultivating the Eightfold path, memorising the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, his noble disciples and the devas and also the Metta sutta. By remembering the Mahasatipatthana Sutta and the teachings from the bhikkhunis during Buddha’s time. My favourite Buddha’s disciple is Maha Kassapa. I can and will never perfect everything but they are always in my mind.
To the lay buddhist, when you are tired, just remember that you are merely feeling tired and not breaking any precepts or threading against the path. Therefore, always keep the Buddha’s teachings in your mind, have a cup of tea, keep your mind calmed and relaxed.
Don’t be happy, just smile. Don’t be sad, just smile. Feelings are not reliable and have no foothold. Abandon them!
A newly abandoned cat whom I saw about three weeks ago was suspected to be hit by a vehicle on Monday morning. Someone called SPCA and it took the cat.
I was informed about the accident on that evening and the clinic at SPCA was already closed for the day. The next morning I called the clinic and was told that the cat died on her way to SPCA…
A cremation was arranged the following day.
***Thanks to Xiumin, April and Juffri for contributing to Angel’s cremation and also to the people who kept the feeders informed.
This could have been avoided if only her owner was responsible.Photo taken three weeks ago.
I often advise those who could not commit or keep their cats for life to get a plush toy instead, so that they can get rid of them whenever they like. I am serious!
This is not the first time I’ve seen newly abandoned cats being hit by vehicles. I’ve also seen cats fallen from high floor many times. Adopters love to bargain about the types of materials which they would use to mesh up the windows. Some even tricked us to visit their home, making us think that they have fully meshed when they did not. They must have thought that we would accept and believe that their windows would be closed all the time.
Whenever humans make a mistake, our pets suffer. When humans fear death, the animals have to die! However, the law of nature is fair… and it’s scary too.
About six years ago, while I was searching for a missing cat who was carelessly lost by her adopter, I met a skinny calico, whom her current feeder named her Nomu.
Nomu was skinny and didn’t look like she was fed. I was glad to have met a feeder who was feeding around the area at that time. I sought her help to feed Nomu and she agreed. Without her help, I would have to travel all the way to town to feed Nomu. I am also glad that the feeder, Michelle, and I have been in touch.
Recently, Michelle told me that Nomu lost weight and didn’t seem to look well. Immediately, I volunteered to take Nomu. According to the information that we received from Nomu’s previous owner, Nomu is at least 12 years of age. To me I guess it’s time for her to retire.
She looked scared on her first day when she was home. It’s her sixth day today, not only her appetite is getting better, she no longer hides the way she used to. I caught her on CCTV one day, she sat upright grooming herself comfortably. I guess she must have groomed herself many times without my presence. She is not at all difficult as she allows me to pet her. With her increase in appetite, and her peeing and pooping seemingly healthy, I don’t feel she has any health issues. She still needs to be in the cage until she feels at ease with the cats here.
I always like retreats held at Kong Meng San. The meditation halls provide enough space and are conducive for meditation. KMS is a Mahayana temple, good thing is they make the meditation halls look like a “free thinker’s” place. There are no statues in the halls.
I was glad to have this fortune again to attend yet another retreat with a good monk, Ajahn Vajiro. Even though I have no questions, attending retreats regularly help me understand the practice of a monastic. I still need to listen! A calm composure, soft spoken, a smiley face and a well explained Dhamma are qualities I would like to emulate.
“Anger, a Buddhist must not have anger.” He said that. He tried to explain he too has anger. It is always good that monastics acknowledge their shortcomings just as we have them too. I remember a Sri Lanka monk said that an Arhat has anger, it’s their habit, therefore, it’s ok. Well, to me, an Arhat should not have anger because as Buddha had explained, there is a way to end all fetters and meditation is the way! Perhaps the monks have overestimated themselves. I am confident to say that there should be no fetters remaining in an Arhat!
On the first day, no matter how I had disliked walking meditation at that particular timing, I pushed my dislike away. This pushed and trained me to listen and follow instructions. Humbly and happily, with all participants, I made the right effort and remained mindfully walking.
Inspired by the Buddha, I too, like to meditate immediately after meal. I don’t usually get sleepy during meditation after meal. Q & A was interesting. However, I prefer questions that have to do with understanding the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teachings. Other questions were equally important to the person who asked.
I was down with slight flu when I got home and didn’t attend the morning session on the next day. I sat in in the afternoon, listening attentively to his teachings. Two days is good!
I hope there are more such retreats held at KMS. Thanks Ajahn Vajiro for his teachings, KMS for the venue and Buddha Dhamma Foundation for organising this retreats.
“Bhikkhus, dwell with yourselves as an island, with yourselves as a refuge, with no other refuge; with the Dhamma as an island, with the Dhamma as a refuge, with no other refuge. ~ SN 22.43
“Enough, Vakkali! Why do you want to see this foul body? One who sees the Dhamma sees me; one who sees me sees the Dhamma. For in seeing the Dhamma,Vakkali, one sees me; and in seeing me, one sees the Dhamma.” ~ SN 22.87
A place to discover and explore the discourses of the Buddha.
I highly recommend reading the sutta translated by Piya Tan. His "Laymen Saints" has been an inspiration to many lay people.
Cats who teach me to fly... 