_Mykz

A major part of the problem of suffering is the lack of understanding of ourselves and the nature of society and the world. The source of suffering according to Buddhist thinking is ignorance, a flawed perception of the world. Much of it is linked to our desires and the inability to perceive that everything is impermanent. In this life, while we should enjoy material things and human relationships, we should not be attached to them; to cling to them; to want to own them and to control them. We should be happy to enjoy them but also to lose them. Nothing is permanent.

Select Reflections:

“Dapat nating i-value kung ano man meron tayo ngayon”

-Conrad

“Kaylangan naman talaga ang changes for new experience”

-Princess

“Hanggat nandyan pa yung mga tao na mahalaga satin kelangan nating iappreciate ang every moment with them.”

-Ligiene

In these troubled times, not only the streets but even the schools are fraught with peril. However, an even graver threat hovers our children today, endangering not only their physical well being but also their spirituality. This danger is a culture that values materialism, arrogance and indulgence.

(Bro. Conrad presiding)

Select Reflections: 

“Ang mga nai-encounter natin ay mostly galing sa school. Kaya dapat meron tayong mga spiritual advisers o yung mga tao na makatutulong sa atin para magkaroon tayo ng enough knowledge sa spiritual aspect ng ating buhay”

-Conrad

“Para maging isang mabuti o masamang tao ay naiimpluwensyahan ng mga tao sa ating paligid. But it mostly depends on how we interact with different kinds of people, nasa sa atin na rin yon kung paano natin yun ia-apply sa ating buhay”

-Liegine 

One of the most beautiful and profound illustrations of the interdependence and interconnectedness of our lives is by another famous Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He says imagine we are like waves in a vast ocean. Each individual is a wave. There are billions of waves in an ocean. When one wave moves up the other moves down; each wave is connected to another, each wave pushes the other waves in different directions. The relationship between each wave is like the relationship between each individual. We are all connected to each other but we are also connected to a common source. That is there is another dimension to this relationship. That is the relationship between the wave and the water. Waves are made up of water and moved by the wind. Water is the source of life for the waves. Even though each individual is different, we all come from the same source. Our relationship to this source and mystery of life is like the relationship between the wave and the water. We may call this common source by any name. Some call it the spirit of life, others God; still others the mystery of life. Whatever you wish to call it, we are bound and connected to one another through the same source.

Select Reflection:

“Naalala ko yung tanong ng kaklase ko sa Humanities class namen:”Paano kaya kung ang mga muslim ang may totoong Diyos, at hindi totoo ang diyos natin”. Ngayon, narealize ko na, Kahit ano pang tawag mo sakanya, Cristo, Allah, Zeus, etc., what matter is, all of us have the common source that gives us life. It/He/She is within us, regardless of our beliefs”

-Michael

A famous monk and cellular genetics scientist Matthieu Ricard wrote in his book, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important skills, that happiness is not simply a matter of feeling good or a fleeting emotion. It is a state of optimal being that can be learned. It is a cluster of skills that combined gives wisdom, inner freedom, and compassion. It provides strength to endure the ups and downs of life and not to collapse in the face of suffering. And suffering is everywhere.

When confronted with daily problems, you have to be able to reach into your inner strength, reflect on the problems, have clarity of thought, and be in a position to help not only yourself but also others. Clearly understanding yourself and others and developing the capacity for compassion for others, not only towards your family and friends, but to strangers, will make you a happy person. He says, not until we can see that our happiness depends on the happiness of others can this philosophical circle be closed. “From the moment you set foot on the spiritual path you should say, I am going to improve, to perfect myself, in order to gain the capacity to be of service to others. To that end, we need to build up a capacity to help and that comes through changing our minds and our own lives.”

 Select Reflections:

 ” Real happines dosen’t exclusively extend to families and friends, but to strangers too. A simple smile may some how give a uplifting feeling, kaya, lets do the operation: SMILE!”

-Michael

“Naaalala ko tuloy  yung sina bi sakin ng friend ko; lahat ng makakasalubong mo, kakilala mo man o hindi, dapat ngitian mo. Its a ways of sharring happiness pala”

-Princess