Archive - Feb 7, 2006
Compassionate Fish
More good photographs like this one from Gly Young, Richmond BC, Canada. Hi Rev. Master Mugo,
I seem to be doing pretty well. Thanks for your last email and your comments about transferring merit. They were helpful. I guess I don't think about transferring merit too much (maybe I should). The kids come back soon, and I'm just about ready for them. I've had a chance to do some deep cleaning and clearing out, and it feels better around here.
The fish story was kind of interesting to me. It happened just before school was out for the holidays last December. One of the 2-yr.-old siblings of one of my kids poured a full can of fish food into the tank. The can was a little bigger than a coke can. I'll spare you the story of getting new filtered water, cleaning and re-filling the tank at 11:00pm. But by the time I got the three fish back into the clean water they were all deeply gasping for air. The two white ones recovered after about 30 min., but the big orange one was still lying on his side gasping and starting to curl up. As healthy fish they would frequently chase each other around the tank, and I wasn't sure if they particularly liked each other, or how they viewed each other. But this night I watched and sat with them for about two hours and they kind of amazed me. The two white ones, who had already recovered, got on both sides of the orange one and held him upright and stayed with him, holding him for about 30 to 45 minutes. They never left him, until suddenly he seemed to have caught his breath and he took off. I was really happy for them and have felt a lot closer to them since we went through that night together.
Even though they "seemed" to be pretty independent from each other during their everyday life, when the chips were down they pulled together. Come to think of it, maybe that's kind of like transferring merit. Don't know for sure.
Take care. In gassho,
Collective Dis-ease
Now, what exactly is it about complaining that is so infectious? Before you know it, if you’re around people who complain, you become part of a collective dis-ease. We all know that attitudes rub off on others and that the consequences of ones words and actions spread, for good or for ill. When I give meditation instruction I’ll mention that a consequence of meditation and Preceptual living is that some friends fade away and new ones appear. Obviously, if you hang out with people who are deluded or ignorant about the Truth of karmic consequences you’ll end up hurting; along with everybody else.
A company in Germany, reported on the BBC News, has adopted a radical approach to habitual complaining among its staff. It’s become a sackable offence! At first this might seem like an uncompassionate approach however on closer examination, maybe not. Just one person, a chronic complainer, had to be let go and the instruction for people who wake up on the wrong side of the bed is: “stay at home”! Apparently the company and staff are flourishing within the positive climate this change of policy has brought about.
There is a Dharma Talk by Rev. Master Koshin on the North Cascades Buddhist Priory web site that you might want to listen to.
