Initially I thought this is going to be a long post, but after a while, there isn’t much I need to say… Starting to see that it’s better to say less in most situations but some time a bit of talking is necessary and good when done right. Therefore I try to write a little here.

However what I write here is relative anyway and likely that you will see it differently to me, graduation wasn’t particularly exciting really, but appreciate that it provides an opportunity for many to meet. It takes a lot of yuen (緣) for all of us to meet, to be in the same college, studying in same course, living in the same house. It’s up to us what we want to do with the 因緣 that bring us all together, why not make the best out of it. It’s not easy to live together, from strangers to housemates, some are thinking of living in the house that I’m currently living in, the thing I treasure is the time I get to spent with them.

This remains me of the talk given my Ajahn Brahm, I can’t remember exactly but on the line of describing Karma is like the ingredients of a cake. That we all have different ingredients (e.g. health, wealth, looks, etc) However what makes a good cake depends mainly on the cook, you can still bake a good cake with poor ingredients, but good ingredients doesn’t guarantee a good cake!

People will go, things will change, that’s the nature which is impermanence (無常). Happy things will happy and relatively unhappy moments will come, because we see things relatively (at least I still do, for me, it’s best to 放下萬緣，一心念佛). In a few years time, or even a weeks time, things that is happening right now becomes very small. Rare it is to know a group of friends as close as QuGee, easy it is to form, difficult it is to maintain. Much work need to be done, much to practise and much to learn, something to remain myself and to share:

但念無常，慎勿放逸！

過緩過急同是病，強想一心心愈亂，志堅如鋼氣如綿，不間不雜自成片。

Many thanks to Kamil and Jac who have kindly taken many nice photos, their zoto urls:

• Kamil’s album on Imperial Commemoration Day 2007
• Jac’s album on Imperial Commemoration Day 2007
  

Tags: Commemoration, graduation, Imperial College, impermanence, QuGee, Weblog, 淨語
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人身難得今已得，佛法難聞今已聞；

此身不向今生度，更向何生度此身！

一失人身，萬劫不復。《梵網經序》

得人身者，如爪上土；失人身者，如大地土。《涅槃經 》

如果今世又空過了，不知更待何時，才能再得人身，再聞佛法。這個「了生死，出三界」千載難逢的機會，又要枉失了嗎？每思於此，就不禁使人毛骨悚然了。 摘錄自《學醫、學佛、學生死》

人身難得，六情難具，口辯難中，才聰難致，壽命難獲，明人難遭，直言難有，大心難發，經法難聞，如來難值。 摘錄自《五苦章句經》

人身難以得到，六根很難具足，口辯之才要講得合於中道也很難，辯才聰明也是難以獲得，長壽也很難，明了佛法的善知識難以遇到，直心是道場，直心所說叫直言，直言難得有。大菩提心很難發起來。大乘佛法很難以得聞，很難值遇如來出世。 摘錄自《地藏菩薩本願經講記》

經云：人身難得，佛法難聞。若非宿有因緣，佛經名字，尚不能聞，況得受持讀誦，修因證果者乎。然如來所說，實依眾生即心本具之理。於心性外，了無一法可得。但以眾生在迷，不能了知。于真如實相之中。幻生妄想執著。由茲起貪瞋癡，造殺盜淫。迷智慧以成煩惱，即常住而為生滅。經塵點劫，莫之能反。幸遇如來所說大乘顯密諸經，方知衣珠固在，佛性仍存。即彼客作賤人，原是長者真子。人天六道，不是自己住處。實報寂光，乃為本有家鄉。回思從無始來，未聞佛說。雖則具此心性，無端枉受輪迴。真堪痛哭流涕，聲震大千。心片片裂，腸寸寸斷矣。此恩此德，過彼天地父母，奚啻百千萬倍。縱粉身碎骨，曷能報答。（正）竭誠方獲實益論 - 摘錄自《印光大師文鈔菁華錄》

為了脫生死而發菩提心：我們眾生自無量劫來，在六道中輪迴生死，生了再死，死了再生，生生死死，無有了期。驢皮袋，馬皮袋，何處不鑽？刀山劍樹，餓鬼飢虛，誰敢說沒有嚐過滋味？偶一念及，不寒而慄。今生幸而得了人身，又得聞佛法，還敢不猛發大心？擇一個了生脫死最容易、最穩當的淨土法門，深信切願，一心 念佛，求生西方極樂世界。永不退轉，一生成就，乘願再來，普度眾生。摘錄自《律航法師文記—報恩》

Rare is birth as a human being. Hard is the life of mortals. Hard it is to obtain the chance to listen to the Dhamma. Rare is the appearance of the Buddhas.

The human rebirth is said to be extremely rare. The Bodhicaryāvatāra compares it to a wooden cattle-yoke floating on the waves of the ocean, tossed this way and that by the winds and currents. The likelihood of a half-blind turtle, rising from the depths of the ocean to the surface once in a hundred years, putting its head through the hole in the yoke is considered greater than that of a being in saṃsāra achieving rebirth as a human. ~ Wiki

Because it’s so rare to become human, we should treasure this life and practice of Dharma.

願見聞者，發菩提心，精勤修行

南無阿彌陀佛

合十

Tags: Buddhism, 佛教
Categories: Buddhism, 佛教
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I feel very fortunate to get to view the the Relics / Ringsel / Sarira (舍利) at Jamyang Buddhist Centre today. A quote from the Jamyang’s website:

A precious collection of sacred relics of the Buddha and many other Buddhist masters is currently touring the world.

I almost didn’t go today but thanks a friend I decided to go at the end. Today is also the last day of the public viewing in London as well. The next public viewing will be at Birmingham, view the relic tour calendar for details. This relic tour is part of the Maitreya Project

At the conclusion of the Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour, the relics will be enshrined in a 500-ft/152-m bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha which is being built in Kushinagar, northern India.

See the collection of relics.

舍利梵語，正云設利羅，華言靈骨，乃戒定慧忍行功德之所熏成者。昔釋迦世尊之涅槃也，自火荼毗，碎身為五色舍利，光瑩不壞，且現神變，此為佛舍利。嗣後凡有德高僧，荼毗皆有舍利，但光澤堅固等遜於佛。~ 印光大师永思集

Tags: Buddhism, 舍利, relics, Weblog, 佛教
Categories: Weblog, Buddhism, 佛教
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I came across this blog (and another one) recently and have been reading it. It’s very interesting and very encouraging. Learn a lot from it and I’m very happy to know that there are many people who have the ability to see what not everyone can see. Thanks so much to the blogger. I’ve also been talking to my housemate about what we really want/chase after in life. It’s time to wake up, time goes by so quickly without realising! Practise (at least do good) while we can! This summarises how I feel now.

「是日已過，命亦隨減，如少魚水，斯有何樂？大眾，
當勤精進，如救頭然，但念無常，慎勿放逸！」

勸同修們老實念佛 ，同生西方極樂世界

南無阿彌陀佛
合十

Tags: Buddhism, 念佛, 淨土, 佛教
Categories: Buddhism, 佛教
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