A friend said, “I think I might have found the reason why Buddhism can’t spread as far and wide & as fast as it could. A ‘Buddhist’ told me one must wait for the right (karmic) conditions (to happen) to do something. But if everyone waits for everything, nothing would really happen (unless conditions fall into place naturally – which might take a long time). I think I can be a catalyst to the situation – by trying to create the right conditions.”
Some just let conditions happen to their lives.
Some wait for conditions to change their lives.
Some create conditions to change their lives.
The first are quitters, thoroughly unwise.
The second are waiters, slightly more wise.
The third are winners, the ones most wise.
Things are impermanence because of many factors and lots of conditions. Any moment, things change because of conditions …
We also think to be able to hear Dharma, is due to the good karma. If I am not wrong, most people would think good karma accumulated in the past (past lives). But past can be just the last moment.
If other is not having enough condition to get near Buddhism, can’t we not add some new conditions to speed up the process, like helping them to plant that seed in their subconscious or help them to ripe the seeds?
If we understand the power of thought! If we have more activities to create good karma, if we willing to be more proactive, if we don’t set so many limitations that this Dharma is for certain people and so on, if only we make things more flexible and accessible, if we open our eye to see those who are so near to it and give them a little push …
So what if they don’t understand? At least, they know such things exist and might come back to it this life or future life …
Help to create new right conditions, does not mean forcing, it is making more positives in the universe … and then let it be …
Maybe, you guys can help to point out if there is anything wrong that I say here.
Should we just leave things at it is or try to help to create new positive conditions? Living in an interdependent world where all things are depending on each other, if we want a peaceful world to live here, we should do this.
Who knows? By creating these new conditions, more get to learn Dharma and practice the teaching, our future boss, subordinate can be one of them, the people that we come in contact (stranger, friends etc) could be them … it is also benefiting us!
I think Shian understand this very well.
I once read about him in FO You Mag…, if I remember correctly. The Buddha Statue with a Big Smile at his home trigger him … If no one create that Statue (a condition), no one buy that Statue (another condition), he would not have generated that thought (another condition) that led to what he is happy doing now, of course with many other favorable conditions (Karma) …
Excellent points! Conditions change and we can condition their change too, though it might not always be easy. As karmic conditions are dynamic, we can create new karmic conditions to shape change in situations, though the effects might not be immediate.
Yup, the Buddha image was a condition in bridging me to the Dharma. Here’s what happened: http://moonpointer.com/index.php/?itemid=1839
:pff:
So, I am thinking, it is those of us that are already in Buddhism to help to create those conditions as many as possible via different means …
Those not into Buddhism would not be able to create those conditions yet, if they can, they are into it already …
Thought is a powerful thing … thought produce karmic effect too.
But again, many times, lots of Buddhism activities trends to “fall towards†to Buddhist communities rather than targeting the Non-Buddhist group – for example the Vesak Day @ Orchard!
So I guess that is a need to prioritize and clearly know the audience’s need … Even as a Buddhist, what do one get/understand/learn from attending such event?
Last year, there was this very good booklet – The Singapore Buddhist Hand Book which give lovely information and the Buddhist Directory (so people know where to go to seek for the correct thing).
It should be given out free instead just like any other free distribution book! Again $2 is not much but if we want people to get near to Buddhism or have a correct understanding of it … This year, I don’t see it? So sad.
Maybe, the title of this should change (why should a non-buddhist take a buddhist handbook?) and there was also a good section on Vegetarian Food Stall (rearranged the info, for easy reference, maybe, with website maybe), that portion could improve a bit by giving short information on Vegetarianism in Buddhism …
Personally, I feel that there are many good stuffs Buddhist Communities are doing but lack just 1 or 2 more steps to move forwards to get a “HUGE” result, maybe not easy to see the other side when a person is on this side already.
Good to feedback these good ideas. (Y)
Ok. I think I will give it a try, by emailing this link to Singapore Buddhist Federation …