April 16th 2008

Not My Taxes & Changing Self

More Taxes

Here I was doing my best NOT to HAVE to go to the Main Post Office the night of Taxes... and There I was.... taking my Mom's BF to the Evan's Street Main Post Office. With my Mom in tow, we had gone to the temple earlier in the evening.

While waiting for Mont, that's my Mom's BF's name... had a conversation with Mummy Dearest. She's been trying to help her BF not to be so negative in his speech. He gets on a rant about and what he wants to do to the MAN... whoever the Man is.. blah blah blah... That's all we hear as it's nonsense.

Well.. the conversation with Mom goes kinda like this: Do you think he understands what your talking about when you say that whatever you say or put out comes back? *We're talking about that Karma thing. Me: Well.. I'm not sure that most people understand that whatever you do or say is to honor God or the Source of All Creation. So if you speak ill of others, most likely they are speaking ill of you. Stop saying those things and everything stops. I tried to explain to her this story I always tell people when they ask me about what I'm doing as a Buddhist Priest.

You see, everyone has the potential to be a buddha. (Notice I used a small "b") In Christianity, they explain how we are all Gods Children and that Christ is the son of God and we are Jesus's brother/sister. Sooo... If God is my Father and Jesus is my brother and we are taught to walk in Christs footsteps, as we are taught to be "Christ Like", as he showed us how to live our lives. No one has taught us that we too can become a christ. (notice the small "c") NOT that we are "The Christ" but that we too can elevate our being to a christ like level. In the teaching that I practice, we are taught that we can become a bodhisattva in this lifetime. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being. Why wait for the next lifetime, do it now. Why go through all the difficulties that we have gone through since birth all over again. Why pass that on to the next generation when we can purify our lives and ourselves so that our children and their children won't have to go through the insane karma.

Hence, main reason why I'm doing my best to explain it here. Saying pure words, doing pure acts, thinking pure thoughts, giving/doing pure deeds. This is something that I am working on. Not to say that I believe I'm all that pure, as I know I have a lot to work on. It's difficult to change ones heart. And I know that I'm programed into thinking and doing so many things. I just am trying to change from my old ways.

I know I'm still lazy, overeat and contemplate life all too much. Just that I'm doing my best to get up and go to the gym. Think about what I'm eating and start thinking of other's first rather than myself.

They say that recognizing ones self centeredness is the first step. Become Buddha centered, in other words, think about what the Source would do in this situation, instead of ONLY thinking of yourself, put yourself in other's shoes. Walk that mile and know what that life is like.

And DO Your Taxes on time! Mont said that he got them done on time, even IF he did wait til the last day to complete. They still got to the post office before midnight!

Hugz n Lub, Bebe da FairyGodMum