Conversation Between Buddha And The Poor (佛陀与穷人的对话）

• Dawnfirstlight

  12 Mar 11, 16:42

  穷人问佛陀：我为什么这么穷？

  佛：因为你没有学会给于别人。

  穷人：我什么都没有，如何给于？

  佛：一个人�使没有钱，也�以给于人五样东西：

  1）颜施：微笑待人处事。

  2）言施：多说鼓励赞美和安慰的�。

  3）心施：敞开心扉对人诚�。

  4）眼施：用善�的眼光给于别人。

  5）身施：以行动帮助别人。

  阿弥陀佛�

• An Eternal Now

  12 Mar 11, 16:59

  阿弥陀佛�
• sinweiy

  12 Mar 11, 17:10

  nice....it's the generous heart that count.

   

  /\

• Wiser

  12 Mar 11, 19:51

  hahaha...how to be generous when you are poor ? 

  In india, my friend saw a poor mother holding out her hand , carrying a baby.  A little girl desperately wanted some money did an acrobatic stunt in front of them. When you are that hungry and starving, are you able to smile ?

  dun think the above applied to the really slum and beggar poor.

• Wiser

  12 Mar 11, 19:55

  and most of the really poor are so worried about how to get money to buy food, they can't even think of other things except what can they do to get help.  Like the father who jumped down into the tracks of MRT.

  Most of the really dirt-poor are also bullied and looked down by others better off than them that they don't even dare to say they are poor.

   

  A smiling face, a helping gesture should be from the better off  to the poor even if they don't want to donate any money.

   

• realization

  12 Mar 11, 22:37

  Originally posted by Wiser:

  hahaha...how to be generous when you are poor ? 

  In india, my friend saw a poor mother holding out her hand , carrying a baby.  A little girl desperately wanted some money did an acrobatic stunt in front of them. When you are that hungry and starving, are you able to smile ?

  dun think the above applied to the really slum and beggar poor.

  Ya, it's true that in Singapore, we seldom give thought to the truly destitute.  Yours is an apt and timely reminder that we each have responsibility to look around us and help in our own way. 

  Still, the advice about offering kindness and a positive attitude is a good reminder that giving doesn't always have to be of the material sort.  Even when we despair of not having the monetary means for philanthropy, the option of creating good karma by sharing lovingkindness is always there; and it's a choice we can make from moment to moment, day by day.  Easier said than done sometimes, but we can try.

• Rooney9

  12 Mar 11, 23:30

  Kamma is not easily understood and clearly defined. I understand that stealing and being a miser and ungenerous are causes of being born in poverty?

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 01:57

  if you can understand your own karma , you are very deep in meditation and can see your past lifes.  It's like the onion peeling slowly one layer by one layer.

  Karma is a complex thing.  Mainly a vicious cycle.   intertwined.

  Not to be used to threaten others though. That's not the purpose of explaining karma.

  Should be used to encourage people to sow good karma rather than using their past lives to scare/intimidate them.

   

• TWE

  13 Mar 11, 02:05

     Being poor doesn't mean one must be in bad or sad moods all day long , hungryness doesn't affect your facial muscle at all , from a scientific point of view . Or the buddha could be referring to his past life when he was not that bad .

     I use live a poor life too ( although maybe not as poor as in the story ) in toa payoh half living room n half room . I have a neighbour who was worse off then us having 4 children and the eldest is a retarded and the husband was a painter , wife is not working as she need to care for the eldest daughter .

     But the wife would always chat with my mum as per normal joking , gossiping etc . And when my grandma diead , she even volunteered to help us pour hot tea and coffee to our " guest " without my mum asking her for help at all , as me and my siblings were still too young to be of any help or to know what to do . When my mum thank her for all her help she just smiled and say no problem we are neighbours and must help one another .

      But the thing is all my relative whom have money , never bothered to help at all . They only came to give some " money " then at most consol my mum and father . None of them actually offered to help out the manual stuff except for a few of their wife helping out for a few hours and being questioned by their husband over why they help us .

    So can you pple imagine if everyone just come and give some money then was served some " curry chicken " . Can my family cope with the funeral at all ? Without my neighbour i can't imagine how my parents can cope with the funeral not to mention having to take care of us too ( and my neighbour  also have her own children to take care of ) .

      And when my mum heard that one of her neighbours child was unable to stand up due to mal-nutrition . My mum even though don't really have much cash to spare , still use her household allowances for buying food for the whole family to buy a big tin of good milk powder for her son to drink to get some nutrition .After which we had a few weeks of plain white porridge with soy sauce for our meals . After abt 1 week my neighbours son recovered and my neighbour thanks my mum profusely for the milk powder which they can't afford to buy .

     So end of story is , whats the point of being rich but selfish to only care of how to make more money ? WHY can't the poor SMILE ? WHY can't the poor offer anything ? They CAN ok . Even news also ever reported of a baby female infant being abandoned by the roadside to die in other poor countries only to have another POOR KID  scooping water from a nearby pond to feed it and to give it whatever scraps of food the POOR kid have himself .

     Don't always think money is everything , nowadays i see most pple able to do anything unscrupulous to their own pple just to be promoted or to get any form of benefits . And they will say that poor pple deserve to be poor and only those who have status and wealth will become buddhas or gods ( this was told to me by my very own colleagues ) . To those pple , i can only say karma will come to you one day .

     Sory for having such a long " composition " but this is a very true story happening to me . Last but not least , remember , money cannot buy everything .

   

   

   

   

• TWE

  13 Mar 11, 02:16

     Wiser , your statements seems to say otherwise about your nick . Pple tend to see things from their own point of view but ahve you ever try to put yourself in their shoes ?

     Generous don't necessary mean in terms of money ,  it can be in terms of time . You ever heard of voulnteer work ? Do you have to be rich to do volunteer work ? Surely you have heard of mother teresa , is she rich ? And when you see poor pple , have you though of helping them even though if its just for that monent ? For example you say your friend saw a children performing a acrobatic stunt to get money , did your friend gave her some money or just walk off then tell you this story when you meet each other ?And then to pity them ?

    To those beggers in the street , maybe they really have no time to help others or give anything or time at all to help others . But to us , they are pple in urgent need of help . You have the choice of helping or not helping . But i'm sure if you help them , you will definitely see their smiles for you . So WHO says the poor have no smiles ?

   

   

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 02:22

  the poor can only SMILE when help come in their way at the right time. Do they smile every day?

  of course the poor can also help the poor by sacrificing in a short term.

  Long term?

  Among the poor and the rich , both will have friends like what you cited in your example.

  The rich can also have rich neighbour helping out manually, even by just being there to console the rich friend, it is still kindness.  It doesn't apply only to the poor alone.

  The rich has more resources to help others and they do.  Some rich people do.

  Let's not condemn all the rich people.

   

   

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 02:27

  TWE how do you know i never help the poor ? you know me in person , is it? so what is your real name.

  Secondly i think you have grossly misunderstood and mis-interpreted what i have said up there . If you have problem reading my post, read again to understand better where i am coming from. Put yourself in my shoes .

  Thirdly TWE what made you think that you are the only person in this world who had ever experienced poverty?  don't be so self centered and arrogant based on your proclaimed self-righteouness.

  Fourthly, i tell you the ending part of the story my friend told me about her trip in India. I asked her, so did you give any money to the poor mother and the performing little girl. She told me non of her tour group dare to give money because the tour guide warned them that they would be surrounded by beggars and would not be safe.

  Who gave some money in the end. A caucasian woman who walked past the hotel.

   

   

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 02:42

  TWE i seriously doubt you have ever been a volunteer and help any poor in your life except to be proud of the fact that you were ever being poor before.

   

• realization

  13 Mar 11, 03:19

  deleted
• Amitayus48

  13 Mar 11, 09:49

  Poor is the result of past life having wealth and did not donate for the well being of the poor. Nonethless, most importantly is Bodhi heart according to sage, as follows:
  

  缺�善根的少年

  光緒�八年，大師�北京阜城門外圓廣寺，一日與一僧在直門外緩步，一�童，年�五六，�大師乞錢。大師曰：「念一�佛， 與�一錢���童�念。大師�曰：「念��佛，與��錢���童��肯念。大師將錢袋�出，約有四百多錢，和�謂之曰：「�念一�，與�一錢，儘管念，我 儘此一袋錢給完為止���童大哭，終�肯念。大師歎其太�善根，因與一文錢而去�此二則軼事，乃大師親與我說，覺有情編者以大師西�，�余徵稿，書此畀 之�

  �光大師三�二歲的時候，在北京圓廣寺掛單，有一天他跟一�法師到寺院的附近散步，看見一個年約�五�六歲的少年，在路上行乞。這�少年看見了 他們，就走�來��光大師說：
  「師父行行好�布施我一點錢���
  「你念一�『�無阿彌陀佛�，我就給你一文錢。�大師說。

  少年瞪大眼�看著大師，�念�

  大師看到這個情形，�告訴他：
  「你念��『�無阿彌陀佛�我就給你�文錢。�

  少年目瞪�呆，用難以置信的表情看著大師，�然�念。於是大師將身上所有的錢都�出來，大概有四百多文錢。他�次�少年說：
  「你念一�佛號，我就給你一文錢。你儘管一直念下去，直到這袋錢都給了你為止。�

  少年�到大師這麼說，�然大哭起來，因為他�常想�錢，��然�肯念佛。

  大師體會到一�佛號�從缺�善根的孩��中念出來，竟然是那麼地困難，他��頭，嘆了一�氣：
  「唉�這孩�實在太缺�善根了��

  大師從錢袋中拿出一文錢，給了這�少年，然後就回去了。

• sinweiy

  13 Mar 11, 09:53

  Originally posted by Wiser:

  hahaha...how to be generous when you are poor ? 

  In india, my friend saw a poor mother holding out her hand , carrying a baby.  A little girl desperately wanted some money did an acrobatic stunt in front of them. When you are that hungry and starving, are you able to smile ?

  dun think the above applied to the really slum and beggar poor.

  
  ya, that's how poorer people become even poorer and richer people become richer. generous(in a pretend form) and real Heart of generousity is bit different.

  i think they would smile if it's for money. if they know, doing an acrobatic stunt performance should put on a smiling face in order to get the money, they would smile. :)

  our old master was poor once, and his teacher told him to practice generousity. then old master say he no money. teacher say ten cent got or not. old master say ten cent have. teacher say then start from ten cent. start from small to big. now old master is giving by the millions.

  the idea Buddha taught is the more u give the more u gain. especially like the Wealth God 财神爷, like Bill Gate, like Li Ka Shing. gain can be of wealth, health or wisdom.

  Wealth God 财神爷(forgot his real name as a human) was a benevolent and honest man who used to be a palace minister, but later he was mistreated and he left the palace to do business and start to earn big money. and every time he did, he gave it all to the poor. and only keep a little, to start another business, and every time he was able to make big money and start another. and every time the money keep rolling in, non stop. hence he became known as God of Wealth. but actually it's his heart of generousity.

  /\

   

• sinweiy

  13 Mar 11, 10:13

  for me i try to give, but not easy to give like that of Wealth God 财神爷. almost everything give out. in his mind, money is not important. i still money important. try to give also thinking of gaining more. :P

  to have a heart of generousity not easy.

  Buddhism also have a case where this poor girl who donated a big ratio of all her money to a great monk and the great monk came out to bless her. later the girl became the queen and went back to visited the great monk. she donated some big money but the great monk only told a small monk to do the blessing. and she wonder why, as she had gave more than last time.  the great monk told her that the heart of generousity was different now and then. (one can see it in term of ratio between the amount u giving and the amount u have.)

  /\

• realization

  13 Mar 11, 10:31

  Originally posted by sinweiy:

  our old master was poor once, and his teacher told him to practice generousity. then old master say he no money. teacher say ten cent got or not. old master say ten cent have. teacher say then start from ten cent. start from small to big. now old master is giving by the millions.

  the idea Buddha taught is the more u give the more u gain. especially like the Wealth God 财神爷, like Bill Gate, like Li Ka Shing. gain can be of wealth, health or wisdom.

  Wealth God 财神爷(forgot his real name as a human) was a benevolent and honest man who used to be a palace minister, but later he was mistreated and he left the palace to do business and start to earn big money. and every time he did, he gave it all to the poor. and only keep a little, to start another business, and every time he was able to make big money and start another. and every time the money keep rolling in, non stop. hence he became known as God of Wealth. but actually it's his heart of generousity.

  /\

  It's like 有钱出钱， 没钱出力 (have $$, contribute $$; lacking $$, contribute in deed).  Still can 布施 (be charitable). 

  I always remember the "corny" (but true) line in those HK charity shows:　多多益善，少少无区.  Give generously to charity, even a little counts.  Give as generously as you can, within your means.

  I read one Dharma teacher say that when you are rich and have means, it is easier to do charity by donation.  However, the poor, for obvious reasons, have less chance in this respect. 

  Therefore, he stressed that if you are poor, you should take every opportunity to help others in deed.  He said the opportunity to do good doesn't always present itself.  If you cannot give materially, then at least treasure opportunities to give in deed. 

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 10:38

   

  My favourite buddhist story.  Do you know how a hata start?  The white piece of cloth that the Tibetan will offer to guests of honour and when they go to the temples.

  During Buddha's time, a very poor old man wanted to offer something to the Buddha . He had only on him, the white cloth that covered his lower body. So he took it off , washed it very clean in the river and walked up NAKED  to the Buddha and offered it to HIM.  Everyone laughed at him for giving a tattered piece of cloth to the Buddha but Buddha said he would be reborn in the heaven with a very beautiful heavenly body because he gave all he had ( his only asset) away.

  Now how many people can give until they are naked ?

  Last time, people can still walk around with nothing on them but they can survive from taking food from forests and ponds, in this modern society, how do you survive when you have to pay so many bills first ?

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 10:43

  actually sinweily, the irony of my friend's story in India is that they have the coins, the means to give to the dirt-poor but they dare not, out of fear for their personal safety.

  Whereas the caucasian woman had the guts to do so.

   

  Any-way, many beggars in India are also sydnicate controlled group. Kids were kidnapped to do this begging business.  Donating to these beggars are not encouraged. Instead helping them to find a skill to survive is much more practical.

  For eg, a school for sewing, a school for making ornaments , but first you have to fight the sydnicates to free their controlled hostages.

• sinweiy

  13 Mar 11, 10:50

  t'is why i average, not too poor and not rich. also influence from family karma. family still think money is very important.

   

  another Buddhist story is of this poor old lady who use all his money to buy a candle light to make offering to Buddha.  on the day, there were others as well who brought the candle lights. then while in the hall, listening to Buddha, there was a gust of wind that blow off all the candle lights but except the old lady's light was still burning strong. Buddha said it was due to her SINCERITY.   

   

  /\

   

   

• sinweiy

  13 Mar 11, 11:02

  Originally posted by Wiser:

  actually sinweily, the irony of my friend's story in India is that they have the coins, the means to give to the dirt-poor but they dare not, out of fear for their personal safety.

  Whereas the caucasian woman had the guts to do so.

   

  Any-way, many beggars in India are also sydnicate controlled group. Kids were kidnapped to do this begging business.  Donating to these beggars are not encouraged. Instead helping them to find a skill to survive is much more practical.

  For eg, a school for sewing, a school for making ornaments , but first you have to fight the sydnicates to free their controlled hostages.

  
  true. that's a perspective of looking at it. rather give wisdom than wealth. yes, of all the giving, giving wisdom is the highest in Buddhism.

   

• Amitayus48

  13 Mar 11, 11:03

  Originally posted by realization:

  I read one Dharma teacher say that when you are rich and have means, it is easier to do charity by donation.  However, the poor, for obvious reasons, have less chance in this respect. 

  Therefore, he stressed that if you are poor, you should take every opportunity to help others in deed.  He said the opportunity to do good doesn't always present itself.  If you cannot give materially, then at least treasure opportunities to give in deed. 

  This is still very problematic for some poor beings if they do not aware Bodhi, the negative may be more than positive. Thus, the purpose of wealthy beings is to assist the less fortunate on living needs. While the less fortunate live happily and search for happiness beyong life & death. An example on many awesome dharma talks such as 星云大师 :

  �样是人，为什么有的人很富有，有的人很贫穷？我们�如何�认定什么是贫穷？什么是富有呢？有的人高楼大厦，汽车冷气，锦衣玉食，�禄�全；有的人一生劳 碌奔波，工作所得�为�薄，仅能供给一家数�勉强温饱而已。其原因何在？一言以蔽之，都是由于个人宿世善�业所招感的果报。
  
       就贫富而论，有钱的人，虽然衣食无缺，å�Žç›–é‡�裘，但有时候为了人事的困扰，å�Œæ ·æ—¥å¤œä¸�得安å®�；没有钱的人，尽管æ¯�日难过，ä¾�然æ¯�日过，无钱一样å�¯ä»¥æŒºèµ·èƒ¸ 膛，安心自在，此å�³æ‰€è°“çš„“人穷志ä¸�ç©·”。这个é�“ç�†ä¹Ÿå°±æ˜¯è¯´äººç”Ÿçš„幸ç¦�å¿«ä¹�，贫与富并ä¸�æž„æˆ�ç»�对的æ�¡ä»¶ã€‚佛教对于贫富的看法，认为贫与富对人格的尊严，原 没有什么差è·�。譬如用水洗涤污秽的东西，洗涤之å�Žï¼Œä¸Žæ´—涤之å‰�，其实就没有区别；这æ„�æ€�是说，人生数å��寒暑，如梦幻泡影，贫富苦ä¹�å�ªåœ¨äºŽè‡ªå·±å†…心的体认罢 了。所以，有人粗茶淡饭ä¸�改其ä¹�；有人富甲一方，ä»�然忧æ„�烦æ�¼ã€‚深一层的说，如果心里拥有三å�ƒå¤§å�ƒä¸–界，那么，å�³ä½¿èº«æ— ç«‹é”¥ä¹‹åœ°ï¼Œå�´å�¯æ„Ÿå�—到最大的富足ï¼�
  
       佛陀的生活，就å�¯ä»¥ä½œä¸ºæœ€ç¡®åˆ‡çš„è¯�明。佛陀的生活，春å¤�秋冬皆ç�€ä¸€è¢­ç²ªæ‰«è¡£ï¼Œä¹Ÿè§‰æ‚ å“‰æ¸¸å“‰ï¼›æŠ«ä¸Šå��贵的金缕衣，也ä¸�毫ä¸�感到骄傲。既å�¯ä»¥ç²—茶淡饭，也å�¯ä»¥ 美味佳肴；å�¯ä»¥æ ‘下露宿，也å�¯ä»¥å®‰ä½�于ç�¼æ¥¼çŽ‰å®‡ï¼›å�¯ä»¥è‡ªå·±ç‹¬å¤„山林，也å�¯ä¸Žå››ä¼—弟å­�å…±ä½�……。å�¯è§�佛陀对富贵贫贱ã€�穷通得失ã€�兴衰盛败ã€�美丑善æ�¶ï¼Œå¹¶ä¸�ç³» 念于心，也ä¸�追é€�世间的尘欲，å�ªæ˜¯éš�缘适应环境ï¼�这就是佛陀最大的富有。
  
       且ä¸�说佛陀，就是近代的弘一大师，也认为世间上没有一样东西使他觉得ä¸�好。破旧的手巾也好，碱苦的蔬è�œä¹Ÿå¥½ï¼Œè·‘一整天的路也好，ä½�在å°�茅屋也好，世界上什 么都有味，什么对他都了ä¸�得。他少欲知足，别人认为他如此贫穷，简直是在å�—苦，但他å�´è§‰å¾—一切都很好。有一次，å¤�尊看到弘一大师那ç§�å�ƒè��å�œç¢±è�œçš„愉快情 景，颇有所悟，å¤�先生说：“è��å�œç¢±è�œçš„真滋味，大概è¦�åƒ�弘一大师这样的人，æ‰�能如实的å“�å°�到。”
  
       我现在举一事æ�¥è¯�明：一个有钱人ä½�的是高楼大厦，拥有ç§�ç§�最现代化的高级设备，生活真是富裕豪å�Žã€‚他家邻近有一间破旧å°�房å­�，ä½�ç�€ä¸€å¯¹è´«ç©·å¤«å¦‡ï¼Œè¿™å¯¹å¤«å¦‡ 虽然生活并ä¸�富裕，但是夫唱妇éš�，生活相当愉快。å�¯æ˜¯ä½�在楼上的有钱人家，总是è¦�为公å�¸çš„交际应酬感到困扰，为声势å��利的维护感到ä¸�ä¹�，心里就觉得纳闷： “我这么有钱，为什么那么烦æ�¼ï¼Œéš”é‚»ä½�破房å­�的人家，ä¸�是歌唱，就是谈笑，为什么他们那样快ä¹�？”
  
       有人就告诉他：“ä½ è¦�å�–苦æ�¼å�—？å�ªé¡»æ‹¿å‡ºäºŒå��万元é€�给他们，他们马上就会苦æ�¼ã€‚”
  
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  Namo Paradise

• Wiser

  13 Mar 11, 11:33

  hahahaha.....you sure poor people don't know how to use a mere 20,000? 

   

  any body here who think they are so rich and don't know how to spend their money, can give it to me.  I welcome any sum with an open arm.

   

  Some of the most greedy people i met and know are exactly the poor people, or people who were once poor.  They never experienced good life, so once they got the chance, they became the most greedy.

   

• TWE

  13 Mar 11, 12:19

     Funny thing wiser , did i say that you or your friend did not help ?  You yourself stereotype pple then condem them before pple said anything bad abt you . Did i ever say til i am the only poor person ? You seem to like to jump to judgement and shoot your mouth off .

    And by the way do you know me in person too ? How can you be so sure whether i had never been a volunteer before ? Just for the sake of answering you , i had been a volunteer quite a number of times already for a couple of years . And how about you ? Have you been one yet ?Oops sorry that i broke you stereotype of me so very sorry to you .I will try to cut down on my volunteer as much as i can to fulfill your "image" of me ok .

   

    Your coments clearly showed that you are  jumping to conclusion and attacking pple blatantly in words , so you are saying that the rich smile 24/7 issit ? And what make you think that the poor only smile when pple give them help ? You only see one side and you jump to conclusion . Just like what your statements wrote about my comments .