Thoughts. Experiences. Inspiration.

A comment on "Would You Live Here for 30 Years?"

December 1, 2015 0

After posting the comment on Rinpoche’s blog, it occurred to me that the space in these apartments is no bigger than many meditation spaces and retreat huts. Yet the result derived from the same square footage is so vastly different…

HongKong

Blog post:

http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/current-affairs/23-shocking-pictures-of-apartments-in-hong-kong.html
 

Comment:

Who should read articles like these:

1) children, to expose them to a variety of financial situations so they can develop empathy for the less fortunate. To develop a realistic view of the world, a good work ethic and to understand that life isn’t a bed of roses, and things don’t come easy for everyone

2) adults, to remind them that as they go about their daily lives with their head down and their blinders up, there’s always someone less fortunate than them. That their problems are never as big as they make it out to be, and there’s usually a solution to be found

3) you, me and everyone else to realise how fortunate we are and to stop taking things for granted 🙂 although these people have been reborn as humans just like us, they don’t have the necessary causes to enjoy their life, let alone learn Dharma. They aren’t living, they are surviving.

In a teaching a few years ago, Rinpoche reminded us that a human rebirth does not necessarily mean that we will be reborn with the opportune conditions to practise the Dharma. Certainly, the people in this article demonstrate this teaching very well. After all, in this world alone, from what we can see – never mind the unseen beings, never mind the animals, never mind the other plants – there is already an infinite combination of living situations that we can be reborn into, and an infinite number of ways we can suffer on this planet alone, as humans.

So when we read articles like this, we need to meditate on the preciousness of our human rebirth, to get the maximum benefit 🙂

Reflections and Teachings

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