{"id":433,"date":"2017-03-31T08:25:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T08:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/?p=433"},"modified":"2020-10-21T16:02:40","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T09:02:40","slug":"optimistic-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/?p=433","title":{"rendered":"Optimistic Wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Read<\/a> | Download<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

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Series 1 : Living in Peace without Worry<\/h4>\n

Practical insight that will lift your spirit and set your mind free from worry in all circumstances wherever you are.<\/p>\n

Sharing, Loving and Being Loved, Forgiving and Forgetting, Living without Worry, Having a Secure and Peaceful Mind<\/p>\n

Life is tough.\u00a0 It is estimated that over 19 million Americans (http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/publicat\/numbers.cfm) suffer from anxiety and depressive attacks due to the worries of coping with life. I hope this book will reduce your need to worry about the short or long term concerns in your life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction (Wisdom from Death)<\/strong><\/p>\n

A year ago, I was asked by Prabhavanaviriyakhun, the Vice President of the Dhammakaya Foundation, to write a book about his teachings on how to create a peaceful world.\u00a0\u00a0 I was glad to be asked to write this book.\u00a0\u00a0 However, I was not fully aware of its importance or how my hidden talent for writing (which he believes I have) might be useful to others.\u00a0\u00a0 Consequently, I worked toward its completion slowly. That was until the day I heard from my family in Thailand that my mother was in the hospital because of a cerebral hemorrhage. Her doctor at the hospital told us that since the hemorrhage was in the middle of her brain, they could not perform surgery.\u00a0 We could only prepare ourselves for her passing.\u00a0 I was, at least, pleased to hear\u00a0 that she was happy,\u00a0 reminiscing about\u00a0 doing\u00a0 good deeds\u00a0 with her\u00a0 good friends\u00a0 (at\u00a0 the Dhammakaya foundation at\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ratchaburi-province branch), just\u00a0 before she fainted.\u00a0 Her good friends took her to the hospital.\u00a0\u00a0 She was in no pain.\u00a0 She smiled with the happiness of thinking about doing good deeds, even while she was unconscious.<\/p>\n

At first, I was very sad.\u00a0\u00a0 It was too sudden for me to accept, and I could not eat or leave my house.\u00a0 Then the words of Khun Yay Maha Rattana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyung (founder of Wat Pra Dhammakaya) came to me.\u00a0 I heard, at her cremation ceremony on February 3, 2002, that she taught,\u00a0\u00a0 “When you have problems, you are sad, or you cannot think of any good things, you need to practice meditation. That will help you to think correctly.” I began to practice meditation to avoid being devastated by the bad news, and the wisdom came to me. Then I realized more about death. When we die, we cannot take any money, fame, or property with us – only goodness or evil.\u00a0 I had heard those words over and over from my teachers, Khun Yay Chandra and both Luang Pors (Phrarajabhavanavisudhi, the president and Phrabhavanaviriyakhun, the vice president of the Dhammakaya Foundation). My mother\u00a0 had\u00a0 contributed many\u00a0 good\u00a0 things\u00a0 to many communities\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ratchaburi province\u00a0 of Thailand\u00a0\u00a0 where\u00a0 she\u00a0 lived. Her friends and acquaintances from the Dhammakaya Foundation in Ratchaburi prayed for her.\u00a0 I believe that she has gone to heaven, a better place than our polluted and struggling world.<\/p>\n

I was still sad.\u00a0\u00a0 I feel that being sad is normal for human beings when loved ones around us pass away.\u00a0 I had to tell myself that I must continue\u00a0 to live and do good things, so that\u00a0 even though\u00a0 she is no longer\u00a0 here on earth,\u00a0 she can always be proud\u00a0 of me.\u00a0 Writing a good or an inspirational book is one of the good deeds that I should be able to do.\u00a0 I have decided to spend more time writing about Prabhavanaviriyakhun’s helpful inspirational teachings.\u00a0 These teachings helped me in bringing closure to my grief as well. As a scientist, I am concerned with concrete terms. I hoped writing about philosophical teaching or stories (which are abstract) would not be more difficult than writing scientific matters.<\/p>\n

After reading\u00a0 many of Luang Por Datta ‘s (Prabhavanaviriyakhun) books, I realized that\u00a0 making\u00a0 people aware\u00a0 of the\u00a0 benefits of doing good deeds\u00a0 and\u00a0 behaving\u00a0 well i n our society is also a part\u00a0 of how to create\u00a0 a peaceful world. World peace must not stop with each individual mind.\u00a0 If you wish for a world without strife, you must first start with yourself. Then consider your family and friends and finally all others that might have a chance to read this book. I gained\u00a0 the knowledge\u00a0 of how to create\u00a0 a peaceful\u00a0 world from\u00a0 Luang\u00a0 Por\u00a0 Datta’s teachings\u00a0 as expressed\u00a0 in his Thai\u00a0 books Manual\u00a0 for Our\u00a0 Country’s Crisis\u00a0 Recovery\u00a0 and Economy in Buddhism’s Style.\u00a0 This knowledge includes information gained from his advice and that of the other great teachers at the Dhammakaya Foundation.<\/p>\n

I hope the Dhamma, or teaching words, in this book will inspire others to do more good deeds and help us all to create our own peaceful minds and world.<\/p>\n

Finally, I would like to dedicate the goodness that may happen\u00a0 from this book to my mother,\u00a0 my father, my aunt,\u00a0 my sisters, and all my great\u00a0 teachers\u00a0 and friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Crystal\u00a0 Moon<\/em><\/p>\n

(Srisuda\u00a0 Dhamwichukorn, Ph.D.)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Acknowledgements<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the many people who have generously contributed to the success of finishing this book.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0 profound\u00a0\u00a0 thanks\u00a0 to my family,\u00a0 especially\u00a0 my favorite\u00a0 aunt,\u00a0 Krisana Chulasinon, for their\u00a0 unceasing\u00a0 support and\u00a0 patience. My special thanks to Jennifer Marie Osterhage for her meticulous and kind help. She has made my writing enjoyable and notably improved. Aside\u00a0 from\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0 great\u00a0\u00a0 help,\u00a0 she\u00a0 has\u00a0 unintentionally\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 (yet)\u00a0 congenially\u00a0\u00a0 become\u00a0 my inspiration as\u00a0 well as\u00a0 my adopted\u00a0 younger sister\u00a0 (and\u00a0 sometimes\u00a0 my trouble maker, just kidding) here. I am truly thankful for her generous friendship.<\/p>\n

I greatly\u00a0 appreciate the generous\u00a0 help and\u00a0 time that Suwanee\u00a0 Srisopa, Ruthann Sudman, Mitchell and\u00a0 Nok Fait, Paul Pentecost,\u00a0 Piyarat\u00a0 Hongsiri,\u00a0 Jason\u00a0 Oyadomari, Ladawan Arunyingmongkhol, Thananan\u00a0 Thanajaro,\u00a0 Chutima\u00a0\u00a0 Kusol,\u00a0 Michele\u00a0 Shaw,\u00a0 Daraniratana Lovichakomtikul, J.B.,\u00a0 Rungtham, Nantana\u00a0 Lamart-Slatter, and\u00a0 Ratanaporn Chunharas spent reading, editing,\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 reviewing\u00a0 the\u00a0 drafts\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0 this\u00a0 book\u00a0 including\u00a0\u00a0 their\u00a0\u00a0 valuable comments and advice.\u00a0 I have learned a lot from them.<\/p>\n

My greatly gratitude also goes to Phra\u00a0 Maha Suwit Vijjesako for his kind words and advice, Phra\u00a0 Wisit Punyavaro for\u00a0 being such a great\u00a0 printing\u00a0 coordinator, and\u00a0 Phra\u00a0 Anuruk Sotthigo and the many generous staffs of the Dhammakaya Foundation for their kind help.<\/p>\n

I happily wish to thank Pirom Sukhajintanakarn who has always provided cute cartoons that went beyond what I asked for. Although I tried very hard\u00a0 to explain to him how I want each\u00a0 illustration in\u00a0 this\u00a0 book\u00a0 expresses,\u00a0 he always\u00a0 made\u00a0 it\u00a0 much\u00a0 better\u00a0 or\u00a0 cuter\u00a0 than\u00a0 I imagined.<\/p>\n

My deepest\u00a0 thanks\u00a0 to the\u00a0 best and\u00a0 the\u00a0 highest teachers:\u00a0 Phramonkolthepmuni (the great teacher),\u00a0 Phrarajabhavanavisudhi (the president),\u00a0 Phrabhavanaviriyakhun (the\u00a0 vice president, Luang\u00a0 Por Datta),\u00a0 Khun \u00a0Yay Upasika Chandra Khon-nok-yoong (the founder\u00a0 of the Dhammakaya Foundation-Wat Phra\u00a0 Dhammakaya) who sacrificed\u00a0 their\u00a0 time and lives for the genuine peace of the world with the greatest determination, and all my teachers\u00a0 and friends for their supportive words, wisdom, and encouragement that kept me optimistic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Preface<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Luang Por Datta<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whatever we do, we have to begin by understanding our goals correctly.\u00a0 We might start by asking ourselves why we have to do it. If we understand why, then we will try to do it properly. There are two major correct\u00a0\u00a0 understanding. The\u00a0 first\u00a0 one\u00a0 is the\u00a0 normal understanding that\u00a0 is how\u00a0 to live our\u00a0 lives: comprehending what\u00a0 we learn\u00a0 from\u00a0 classes, learning\u00a0\u00a0 how\u00a0 to\u00a0 make\u00a0 our\u00a0 work\u00a0 easier,\u00a0 or\u00a0 how\u00a0 to live happily in\u00a0 this\u00a0 life. The second understanding is a higher level of understanding where we learn to live happily in both this life and the next. That means a person must understand these planes of existence and their elements of sin and righteousness or goodness. We must learn what good thoughts, words or speech, and deeds are. Some examples are how our parents are important to our lives, how we should show our gratitude and respond to our parents properly, why we have to respect our teachers. The second understanding takes time to develop.\u00a0 Because it takes time, many people in today’s generation may not believe in the afterlife. However,\u00a0 our\u00a0 family, society, and\u00a0 the\u00a0 world\u00a0 over\u00a0 time\u00a0 will find\u00a0 these\u00a0 elements\u00a0 as\u00a0 being\u00a0 definite\u00a0 solutions\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0 social problems\u00a0 such as killing, stealing, and lying. For instance, if one believes in sin or goodness and one knows that karma (effect) will occur, not only in this life but also in the next life, then that person will not do bad things. This is because good karma and bad karma will have an effect over time. If a person has right understanding, which leads to right thoughts, words or speech, and actions, good things that one strives for will come along.\u00a0\u00a0 Thus, we should try to do whatever will cause us to improve ourselves or to pursue perfection.<\/p>\n

In addition, Buddha taught the four noble truths over 2,500 years ago.\u00a0 The nobility of the eightfold path is the fourth noble truth. The fourth noble truth is the way to the cessation of suffering for both our mind and body.\u00a0 This eightfold path which is the fourth noble truth, includes:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1) Right Understanding (or view)<\/p>\n

2) Right Motives (or thought)<\/p>\n

3) Right Speech<\/p>\n

4) Right Action<\/p>\n

5) Right Means of Livelihood<\/p>\n

6) Right Endeavor<\/p>\n

7) Right Mindfulness and<\/p>\n

8) Right Concentration.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Right Understanding (1) is the beginning of the way that leads to the cessation of suffering. Right Understanding (1) and Right Motives (2) help us to gain the right thought.\u00a0\u00a0 Attaining Right Understanding (1) and Right Motives (2) will facilitate Right Speech (3), Right Action (4) and Right Means of Livelihood (5) on our path to righteousness. These five conducts (1-5) free us from the sins of thought, speech, and action. Right Endeavor (6) helps us to improve ourselves. Right\u00a0 Mindfulness\u00a0 (7) helps us to be cautious\u00a0 because\u00a0 life is not easy, and\u00a0 it has many obstacles,\u00a0 and\u00a0 Right Concentration (8) enlightens\u00a0 or\u00a0 brightens our\u00a0 minds. All these roads enable us to dedicate our lives to goodness.<\/p>\n

Moreover, we may wonder why sometimes we have such bad habits. Some of these habits may be too ingrained to be corrected.\u00a0 Habits start from youth and become part of our growth.\u00a0 What and who creates our habits?\u00a0 Buddha distinguished six sub-groups of people in society who are our closest companions in the cycle of existence (birth, old -age, sickness, and death). He used the differences between relationships to create a principle called the Six Directions. The Six Directions come from people that we interact with in our society. These relationships are:\u00a0 1) Parent-Child 2) Teacher-Student 3) Husband – Wife 4) Friend -Friend 5) Employer-Employee and 6) Monk-Follower. The Parent-Child direction is the most influential in our lives. It is here that the good or bad habits in our lives are created.\u00a0\u00a0 If our parents have attained right understanding and created right understanding in us, then we will\u00a0\u00a0 possess this important element. Other people around us, based on the six directions, greatly influence us also. Sometimes we may not like the way someone with whom we are connected treats us, or we may not like their habits. \u00a0After we have become familiar with their distasteful habits, we will begin to accept them.\u00a0 In fact, we have to scrutinize our own habits before correcting them.\u00a0 That is why the six directions are very important in our lives. The good to be won in this life is such a major goal and so necessary for happiness.<\/p>\n

Finally, there are many ways to define what it means to be human. Scholars and other wise people know that it is difficult to be born a human and to live life; but life after death is even more important than this life.\u00a0 We should dedicate our every action to what we can do to maintain and gain our goodness. This pursuit of the good is intimately connected with avoiding bad and evil.\u00a0 We must reduce our imperfections for this good.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Contents<\/strong><\/h4>\n

INTRODUCTION (WISDOM FROM DEATH)<\/p>\n

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<\/p>\n

PREFACE<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. THE PEACEFUL MIND–BEGIN NING OF THE PEACEFUL WORLD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. THE PEACEFUL MIND BEGI NS FROM BEING GOOD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. BEING GOOD AND BEI NG R ESPONSIBLE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. QUA LIFICATIONS OF GOOD PERSONS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. RESPONSIBILITY? WHY DO I HA V E TO H AVE IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OURSELVES<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. KILLING, IS IT NECESSARY?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  \n
                1. STEALING, IS IT NECESSARY?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                    \n
                  1. COMMITTING ADULTERY, DO WE N EED TO DO IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                      \n
                    1. LYING, DO WE NEED TO DO IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                        \n
                      1. BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS IN SOCIETY<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                          \n
                        1. PARTIALITY BECAUSE OF LOVE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                            \n
                          1. PREFERENCE BECAUSE OF HATE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                              \n
                            1. PREJUDICE BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                \n
                              1. PREFERENCE BECAUSE OF FEAR<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                  \n
                                1. BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ETHICAL ECONOMY<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                    \n
                                  1. DRINKING ALCOHOL, DO WE NEED IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                      \n
                                    1. ROAMING THE STREETS AT NIGHT, DO WE NEED IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                        \n
                                      1. SEEING BAD TELEVISION SHOWS AND MOVIES, DO WE NEED THEM?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                          \n
                                        1. GAMBLING, DO WE NEED IT?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                            \n
                                          1. ASSOCIATING WITH BAD FRIENDS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                              \n
                                            1. RELUCTANCE TO WORK FOR A LIVING<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                \n
                                              1. BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                  \n
                                                1. LOOKING FOR A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  1. EATING WELL<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    1. LOOKING FOR GOOD NEIGHBORS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                        \n
                                                      1. LOOKING FOR GOOD TEACHINGS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                          \n
                                                        1. TRAINING OURSELVES TO DO MORE AND MORE ACTS OF GOODNESS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                            \n
                                                          1. DISTRIBUTING KNOWLEDGE TO OTHERS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                              \n
                                                            1. MAKING CHOICES TO COOPERATE, EMPLOY, OR COORDINATE WITH OTHERS FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, ETC.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                \n
                                                              1. THE EASIEST CAUSE OF RUIN IS FOLLOWING FALSE FRIENDS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                  \n
                                                                1. FALSE FRIENDSHIP 1: A SELFISH PERSON<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                    \n
                                                                  1. FALSE FRIENDSHIP 2: THE MAN OF EMPTY PROMISES<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                      \n
                                                                    1. FALSE FRIENDSHIP 3: THE FLATTERER<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                        \n
                                                                      1. FALSE FRIENDSHIP 4: THE ONE WHO LEA DS YOU DOWN THE ROAD TO RUIN<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                          \n
                                                                        1. THE BEST CATALYST OF CREATION IS GOOD FRIENDS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                            \n
                                                                          1. LOOKING FOR A HELPFUL FRIEND<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                              \n
                                                                            1. LOOKING FOR A CONSTANT FRIEND<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                \n
                                                                              1. LOOKING FOR A FRIEND OF WISE COUNSEL<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                  \n
                                                                                1. LOOKING FOR A SYMPATHETIC FRIEND<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                    \n
                                                                                  1. OUR RELATIONSHIPS: SIX DIRECTIONS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                      \n
                                                                                    1. A CHILD SHOULD MINISTER TO HIS PARENTS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                        \n
                                                                                      1. PARENTS SHOULD CHERISH CHILDREN<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                          \n
                                                                                        1. A STUDENT SHOULD MINISTER TO HIS TEACHERS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                            \n
                                                                                          1. TEACHERS SHOULD MAKE SURE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                              \n
                                                                                            1. A HUSBAND SHOULD CHERISH HIS WIFE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                \n
                                                                                              1. A WIFE SHOULD CHERISH HER HUSBAND<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                1. A PERSON SHOULD CHERISH HIS FRIENDS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                  1. GOOD FRIENDS SHOULD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                    1. AN EMPLOYER SHOULD CHERISH HIS OR HER EMPLOYEES<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                      1. EMPLOYEES AND SERVANTS SHOULD SERVE THEIR EMPLOYERS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                        1. A PERSON SHOULD SERVE HIS OR HER SPIRITUAL MENTORS<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                          1. SPIRITUAL MENTORS SHOULD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                            1. MAKING THINGS PRACTICAL.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                              1. HOW DO WE PRACTICE RESPONSIBILITY?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                1. HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL PERMANENTLY<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                  1. GOAL IN THIS LIFE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                    1. HAVE GOOD JOBS AND KEEP DOING GOOD WORK<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                      1. KNOW HOW TO SAVE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                        1. HAVING A GOOD NETWORK<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                          1. KNOWING HOW TO SPEND MONEY IN YOUR POCKET<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                                            1. GOAL IN THE NEXT LIFE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                                              1. WE NEED GOOD FAITH<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                                1. CONTROLLING YOURSELF FROM DOING BAD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                                  1. BEING HAPPY TO GIVE AND FORGIVE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                                    1. STOP LEARNING, START DY ING, INCREASING YOUR WISDOM<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                                      1. CONCLUSION OF LIVING IN PEACE WITHOUT WORRY<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                        SUMMARY AND INTEGRATION OF ALL LEVELS OF THE TEACHINGS FROM LUANG POR DATTA TO GAIN AN OVER ALL CONCEPT OF UNDERSTANDING OF LIVING IN PEACE WITHOUT WORRY<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        PEOPLE WHO SPECIAL SUPPORT AND REJOICE IN THE MERIT OF THIS BOOK PRODUCTION<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        FUTURE BOOKS BASED ON THE TEACHING FROM LUANG POR DATTA TO GAIN FURTHER\u00a0 INSIGHT, WISDOM, AND THOUGHT[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”1. The Peaceful Mind–Beginning of the Peaceful World” el_id=”1490944664436-0122726a-3172″]<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “Clean the world, clean the mind”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (United Nations, August 6-World Meditation Day)<\/em><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        This phrase is short and clear, but how many people will realize how important it is and apply it in their lives? The words “clean the world” in this phrase certainly include not only cleaning tangible things (removing pollutants, wastes, etc.) But also cleaning intangible things (eliminating hatred, greed, etc.). But how does it relate to cleaning the mind? If we consider that anger, greed, and delusion come from an impure mind, then the clean or pure mind does not contain anger, greed, or delusion. Usually anger is what makes us want to hit, hurt, sue, or even kill other people. Anger would make us want them to be hurt, to be unsatisfied, or to be vengeful. Suppose that someone blinded a person.\u00a0 If the one who lost his eye was very angry, he might take revenge on the person that blinded him by trying to blind his enemy. (Anger usually turns the other party into an enemy.) However, the victim will not get his eyes back by doing so.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Greed is what makes us want to take things that we often do not need or that do not belong to us. Greed\u00a0 makes\u00a0 many\u00a0 people steal\u00a0 others’ belongings, rob other people’s\u00a0 houses, kill family members for insurance, or sue other\u00a0 people for trivial mistakes.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Delusion makes us crazy and forces us to do things without thinking about what is right and wrong.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        In the bigger picture, when anger, greed, and delusion are manifested in crowds, they can cause war, pollution, and disease.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        In contrast, what will make people know how to forgive and forget?\u00a0 What will make them know how to be satisfied with what they have and can earn?\u00a0\u00a0 How should they spend their money?\u00a0 How should we behave and how can we behave well? \u00a0A pure mind will make people think good thoughts, speak kind words, be optimistic, and make good clear decisions.\u00a0A pure mind will enable them to behave well based on their positions and duties in their communities.<\/u> It is difficult\u00a0 for\u00a0 anyone\u00a0 to have a pure\u00a0 mind,\u00a0 but at\u00a0 least anyone\u00a0 can\u00a0 focus his mind\u00a0 to reduce\u00a0 or stop\u00a0 his bad thoughts. If everyone tried to clean his or her mind, then we could create a good, forgiving, sharing, and helping community.<\/u> That is why improving the world starts from mind cleansing.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once I heard, \u201cAll animals\/humans on earth are happiest when we are understood.” It would be very difficult to always be understood.\u00a0 But at least, we can start by trying to understand ourselves first.\u00a0 Whenever our minds are (crystal) clear, we can actually see who we are, what we need, and what we actually need to do and to possess.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        If we think\u00a0 of everyone\u00a0 in\u00a0 this\u00a0 world\u00a0 as\u00a0 our\u00a0 friends\u00a0 without\u00a0 the\u00a0 separation of\u00a0 nation, religion, culture, and\u00a0 race, then all the resources actually\u00a0 belong to the earth\u00a0 and everyone. The people who possess the important resources, which are inaccessible to the other groups, need to know how to share.\u00a0 When greed gets into the minds of a certain group of people, sharing becomes unreasonable terms for them. When anger gets into the minds of the people who lose the benefits and interests, threatening, hurting, killing, and using inappropriate power become reasonable terms for them. And\u00a0 when delusion\u00a0 or\u00a0 ignorance gets into\u00a0 the minds\u00a0 of the\u00a0 people\u00a0 who\u00a0 do\u00a0 not\u00a0 receive the\u00a0 right\u00a0 information, uncontemplated support, resistance, or hate, can intentionally become their concerns.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        When\u00a0 we talk\u00a0 about\u00a0 “clean” peaceful solutions,\u00a0 the solutions\u00a0 should\u00a0 be based\u00a0 on sharing, compassion,\u00a0 and\u00a0 pure\u00a0 wisdom. There should be no killing in terms of “respect for human rights”. There should be no one who has to be killed and no one who has to kill others, if we really respect human rights. The right to life belongs to every human and no one should deserve to be killed, especially innocent people. A clean economic development also should not be based on greed. And pure support and encouragement should not be based on ignorance.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        2. The Peaceful Mind Begins from Being Good<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        A good person is a person with a clean or pure mind. A pure mind enables anyone to know how to respond well to his duty and to our society.\u00a0There is goodness within every human being.<\/u> How do we encourage bringing this goodness into consistent practice?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        First, we have to understand two major concepts: What are the qualifications of a good person? How is a good person created?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        We may define a good person as someone who conforms to moral and virtuous principles. Good persons have responsibilities to perform acts of goodness while avoiding evil acts.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        For instance, usually, after I do something good, my mind is at peace. Sometimes I do something good by just giving encouraging words to people around me. When my friends have a problem or look worried, I can often help by just giving good advice or light-hearted words. That makes me feel very happy afterward. Some things that we can also give easily are love, kindness, and best wishes.\u00a0 If we are in a situation where we can give something, that gift will bring pleasure to both giver and recipient.\u00a0 Another thing that we can give that costs nothing, but sometimes is difficult to give, is freedom. When you give freedom you receive great freedom. Many people would call this gift of freedom \u201cforgiveness.” I have often heard many people say they love freedom and would do anything to get it.\u00a0 Let’s start earning freedom in our hearts by giving forgiveness.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Several years ago a friend said to me “Hong (my nickname), I should learn how to forgive and forget from you.”\u00a0 I did not think about it much then.\u00a0 Now I realize that she could learn how to forgive, but perhaps it is harder to forget.\u00a0 We can certainly learn how to let it be, after we have done our best.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I sometimes tell myself before I go to bed:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “The more you give, the more you get.”<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The more you chase, the more you worry.\u201d<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Then I feel relaxed and do not worry; sleep comes with peace.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        3. Being good and being responsible<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        What is responsibility?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Responsibility is the mindfulness to perform those actions that promote the greater good for yourself and others. When we are responsible, we contribute to the wellbeing of ourselves and others.\u00a0To be responsible we must have brave hearts and the determination to take risks to protect society from harm.\u00a0<\/u>If problems should arise, responsible people will try to solve them. Good people perform good acts and avoid evil acts for the sake of society’s peace.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Why must humans be responsible?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Compared to other creatures, human beings have the best body and mind structures to perform goodness. Our minds and hands can be used to create, to meditate, to reflect or to perform activities. For example, although we are not as big as elephants or as strong as tigers, our hands can enable us to bring foods, medicines, cloths, gifts, etc. to our parents.\u00a0 It is our responsibility to dignify all forms of life. By dignifying others, we also dignify ourselves.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Buddha once said, “Some people will ignore doing crucial things while dedicating their lives to useless or bad things.” \u00a0Some people are willing to risk gossiping. Why is this a risk? Because they might lose their friends if their friends discover they gossiped. The former friend may seek revenge for being maligned. Gossiping is harmful to relationships. Some people may dedicate their lives to chasing money or engaging in car racing. Some take mood-altering substances such as alcohol. Alcoholics will endanger their lives for the sake of drinking too much.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        We have responsibilities to practice acts of goodness. Performing acts of goodness, as often as we can, will create the habit of practicing goodness. A “doing good” program is created within ourselves afterward. People who act responsibly are either directly or indirectly rewarded, while irresponsible people will eventually lose what they have. Everyone gets what he or she deserves in the end. At first, irresponsible people lose their pride and their self-respect. Later, they will lose their trust and respect from others.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        It is the duty of good people everywhere to stand for integrity.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        4. Qualifications of Good Persons<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Faith is a part of any human being. When we have faith in goodness, we want to do good deeds for others and ourselves. Once I heard Khun Yay Chandra say, “When we are born in this world, we should behave ourselves, be useful to ourselves and to others. If anyone behaves like this in this life, he or she will always be able to die with happiness.” Of course, this is always what good people do. It seems to me that being useful is being responsible. In addition, a person that is responsible is a person that has wisdom. Responsibility is a trait of wisdom. A person who knows how to be responsible also knows how to correct bad habits. The three concepts to correct bad habits are Dana, Sila, and, Bhavana.\u00a0 Dana is knowing how to give. Dana helps to protect us from being homeless- remember the more you give the more you get. Sila or the five precepts (avoid killing, stealing, committing adultery, telling lies, and drinking alcohol or taking drugs) allow us maintain our humanity, which is more than just knowing how to survive. Bhavana or meditation is how to gain wisdom through our bright minds, which can learn from a wise teacher.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        This also reflects that many people who are ignorant do not know what is right or what is good.\u00a0 Then they do not know how to sacrifice.\u00a0 In order for them to sacrifice, they would need a strong and pure mind that could accept their defects.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Usually, a responsible person is willing to sacrifice in order to have a future or for the future, while an irresponsible person will make decisions for now without regard for the future.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        5. Responsibility? Why Do I Have to Have it?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        What\u00a0 would society be like if husbands\u00a0 and wives ignored each other,\u00a0 parents\u00a0 and children ignored\u00a0\u00a0 each\u00a0 other, teachers did not take responsibility for their\u00a0 students,\u00a0 employers ignored\u00a0 their employees, and monks ignored their teaching?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Can you imagine how chaotic our communities would be if we parked\u00a0 our cars in the middle of\u00a0 the\u00a0 road,\u00a0 threw\u00a0 all\u00a0 of our\u00a0 garbage\u00a0 into\u00a0 our\u00a0 neighbor’s yard,\u00a0 and\u00a0 spit\u00a0 anywhere we wanted, whether\u00a0 we had a cold or not?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Keep your word!\u00a0 Keeping your word is a major part of being responsible. Parents lie to kids, kids lie to their parents, husbands lie to wives, wives lie to their husbands, teachers lie to students, and students lie to teachers. What kind of a world is this?\u00a0 I would meditate to get away from the cycle of lying and seek to associate with good friends and good people. I would go to places where people have responsibility for their thoughts, words, and actions. But how can I get out of this puzzle if I do not start by taking responsibilities for my own thoughts, words, and deeds? \u00a0Responsibility begins with our relationships to others. We all need to be able to respond to each other positively.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Before “we” can respond positively, it must be “I\u201d can respond positively. I have to take responsibility for myself and I will, just like that.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Can we trust an irresponsible person? It is uncomfortable to interact with someone who we cannot trust. It makes us become tense and\u00a0 on\u00a0 edge\u00a0 while\u00a0 we are\u00a0 in the company of untrustworthy people. Trust is the foundation of all relationships. And responsibility brings trust to the people who have it.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        6. Taking Responsibility for Ourselves<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Why do some people not take responsibility for themselves?\u00a0 “Nobody taught me” is just a bad excuse. People always have opportunities and choices. How we respond to things depends on how we perceive them. There are many good and bad things in this world. What and whom we follow is our choice. If we choose to look at responsible persons and follow their practices, we can become successful like them. Is it too late to change if I have associated with a bad, lazy, and irresponsible person?\u00a0 It is never too late to change, to learn, and to improve our lives to be useful to others. We just have to be patient.\u00a0 Patience comes when we see an approaching achievement, and we have met goals. Sometimes we are not patient and get angry when we cannot do things successfully. This is because we have no goals or we do not see our goals being fulfilled. We have to set goals in our lives. Our goals have to be the right goals.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        When we start to take responsibility, good karma starts to happen in our lives.\u00a0 One of the first things good karma will bring is trust. It is like the old saying “What goes around, comes around.” People who are patient usually see long-term goals and benefits.\u00a0 Most of us are not patient enough to see long-term benefits. However, it is never too late to forget the past and start over again.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Killing, stealing, committing adultery, and telling lies often lead to many bad consequences for us. If we try to avoid doing these four things that cause bad results, we then are taking responsibility for ourselves. I will discuss how to be responsible for ourselves concerning these four things in the next four chapters.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        7. Killing, Is it necessary?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        All creatures (animals and humans) love their lives. If we do not want to be hurt\u00a0 or killed then\u00a0 we can\u00a0 imagine\u00a0 that\u00a0 others\u00a0 do\u00a0 not\u00a0 want\u00a0 to\u00a0 be hurt \u00a0or\u00a0 killed either. When I was younger, I heard Khun Yai Chandra taught that people must not kill even small creatures such as mosquitoes and ants.\u00a0 She said mosquitoes eat only small amounts of our blood. The result of their eating is death. They merely hurt us, but we kill them. I did not realize then how not killing mosquitoes would be very important. However, I follow Khun Yai Chandra’s teachings. After avoiding killing insects for a while, it became my habit. This habit changed my thought and made me feel afraid to kill even bigger animals. Now I avoid any killing or hurting.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once, I went out on a boat with a friend that likes to fish on Lake Superior, Michigan.\u00a0 I asked him if those fish were hurt when he tried to get the lure out of the fish\u2019s mouth. He said \u201cyes.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I wore braces for several months. I still remember the pain of the tooth extraction to facilitate the orthodontic treatment and the pain of the bands and braces in my mouth. I thought about the pain that the fish must feel when the lures are in their mouths. It must be more painful than my orthodontic treatments. I think many people fish for fun, but those fish do not feel the fun. They feel real pain. I now appreciate what Khun Yai Chandra taught. The more I avoid killing and hurting animals, the more I do not want to hurt humans.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Anger is the beginning of the desire to hurt and kill.\u00a0 If I am not angry when a mosquito bites me, I can just chase it away or spray insect repellant to protect myself. If I were angry I would probably swat it right away. Taking other people\u2019s lives has many bad effects. If someone is killed, people in his family will be very sad and angry and maybe seek revenge and so forth. A killer\u2019s mind is usually rude and rough. Those who do not kill or hurt anybody will eventually be confident, gentle, and brave. Their minds will be more powerful and pure. They are not harmful to others. Thus, they will be loved, and no one will want to hurt or kill them. We do not need to kill. We will have thoughtful solutions to avoid this killing and hurting in our daily lives, when we do not want to kill and hurt others.\u00a0 Not killing and hurting is good karma. If we give good karma, we will get good karma in return. The one who does not kill is the one who both gives and receives life.<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        8. Stealing, Is it Necessary?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Anybody who loves and protects his own life will try to work hard to get money, food, and other things to maintain his life. We do not want others to take the things that we love. Others do not want us to take the things that they love either.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Many people who are jealous or greedy want other people\u2019s things.\u00a0 Some people think that a better life comes from selling things that they steal. Some poor people may steal essential things for living, such as food. There is a better way. They can ask for work in exchange for long-term benefits. That is an honest and a safe way to live. We may imagine a world where everyone steals. How would we have peace of mind to go to work and leave our houses? We also may imagine not being able to leave our cars unattended while shopping. Would we want to be responsible for creating a world like this?\u00a0 No! Thus, we should not steal others’ belongings. People who do not steal are people who protect their things and the things of others. Their minds are peaceful and happy. Those who reduce their jealousy and greed do not want the things of others. People that become rich by taking\u00a0 others’ belongings will worry that one day the owners will come back to take revenge.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        9. Committing Adultery, Do we need to do it?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        I have heard that some people commit adultery for a variety of reasons. They may want a different life. They may live their lives following other people’s standards. People should love their own spouses and want to live happily within their families. If someone takes your spouse, you may be sad, unhappy, and embarrassed. Whatever a person desires, it does not give him the right to take another’s spouse. People who take another’s spouse do not sleep well or peacefully. They live in danger as we see portrayed in the movies and newspapers. Many killings and lawsuits result from people committing adultery. We might be horrified if we thought our selfishness was the cause of someone\u2019s family falling apart. In addition, our society often considers taking someone else’s love, killing (others’ lives), stealing (others’ belongings), and adultery (with others’ spouses) to be evil deeds. This is mainly because of the bad consequences that occur negatively affect other people\u2019s lives in our societies.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The movie Chicago <\/u>is a good example of the bad consequences of committing adultery, except it is not that musical or fun in real life.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        10. Lying, Do We Need to Do It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Some people tell lies for many reasons; to make them feel grand, to fit into groups or to allay fears of getting into trouble and of disappointing someone. Whatever the circumstance, the truth is always good. We cannot impress or satisfy everyone. Speaking the truth is a symbol of honesty, sincerity, and bravery. <\/u>Sarcasm, gossip, lies, and deceit lead to sin, pain, and harm, in both the short and long term. Those who lie have to lie to themselves before they lie to others. Then\u00a0 they\u00a0 have\u00a0 to\u00a0 remember\u00a0 their\u00a0 lies or\u00a0 their\u00a0 words,\u00a0 because\u00a0 they\u00a0 ma y get caught\u00a0 later\u00a0 if they forget\u00a0 them. Those who lie often will not have a good memory. Lying is deception.\u00a0 Those who lie are neither lovable nor trustworthy. Lying, gossip, and sarcasm can often end up hurting other people\u2019s feelings and can cause fighting as well. Those who do not lie will gain trust, security, and confidence. Instead of telling lies, good people usually practice moral veracity. “Moral veracity” is a combination of truth, politeness, benefit, and kindness – expressed at the proper times and in the proper situations. Before a person can practice moral veracity he or she must have a pure, kind, and good mind.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        11. Being Responsible for Others in Society<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        As human beings, we have to live and work with others in society. We negatively affect society when we consider only what we want, what we like, and what we can accomplish. Being responsible to society, not being self-centered, requires a generous mind. <\/u>People who are capable of being responsible to society need to be opened minded.\u00a0 Responsible people have to seek and obtain correct understanding. We know there are many relationships and habits that develop amongst people in society. The feelings of love, anger, fear, and delusion occur differently in each individual. These feelings affect the way we treat people.\u00a0 Feelings may cause us to treat others unequally and thus unfairly. Love, anger, fear and ignorance may lead us to be unfair. When we do something wrong in our society, we need to reduce our ego in order\u00a0\u00a0 to learn and improve. For example, we may kill others accidentally because of driving recklessly while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. Or\u00a0 we may scold our children, family, and\u00a0 friends\u00a0 because\u00a0 we cannot\u00a0 control our own\u00a0 emotions. We need to harness our ego in order to improve. Sometimes a guilty conscious is good if it reduces our ego because we are not always right as mentioned in the examples above. A guilty conscious does not humiliate people if the guilty try to correct their actions and improve. A guilty conscious sometimes moves many people to be more responsible for themselves and society. However, please keep in mind that it is never too late to forget the past and start over again. Likewise, keeping the awareness of the guilt all the time disrupts the ability to move on. In conclusion, being responsible is how we learn to take control of our feelings and emotions. Being responsible is the way to treat others in our family and society correctly and properly.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        12. Partiality Because of Love<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        When we love or feel satisfied by someone, we usually do or give something to that person that they may not deserve. We may not give things to some people that we do not love or unfairly love less. The unloved ones may deserve better. If we love our\u00a0 daughter more\u00a0 than our\u00a0 son,\u00a0 then\u00a0 our daughter may\u00a0 receive mostly compliments and\u00a0 our\u00a0 son\u00a0 receives\u00a0 mostly blames.\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes we take sides with our children even when they do something wrong. The long-term effect of that is bad because the children will become spoiled.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        When we work in the same places as our relatives, close friends, and significant others, we may give them things that they do not deserve. This is a form of corruption beginning from our mind.\u00a0\u00a0 If most people in society behaved with partiality, it would cause corruption in that society.\u00a0 If we thought of everyone in our organization or society as our relatives, we would then treat each of them equally like family. The partiality due to love would be reduced. When we do not have biases our minds and moods are more focused and stable.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I do believe that everybody has one(s) that he or she can love, fall in love, and truly love. Do you believe that love makes people blind?\u00a0 I think falling in love probably is the strongest cause of complete blindness.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Have you ever felt that when you (fall in) love with someone, anything or everything that she or he does tends to be right or all right?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once my mother told me that when a man falls in love with a woman, if the woman passes gases, he still can say that those are good smells. You may feel funny and may think that my mother’s analogy is outrageous. But I think you will agree with her.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Therefore, I agree that love makes people blind. However, the ability to truly love others makes us try to understand the ways those people truly are. And pure love makes us unconditionally and unexpectedly give our love, understanding, and everything that we can give to others solely for the sake of goodness.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        13. Preference Because of Hate<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        “I do not like him because he is black.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “I do not like her because she has such a strong accent.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “I do not like him because his parents are from the South.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “The boy at school seems polite. However, you should not play with him, because he and his family live in the slums.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “I do not like her because she always gets an A in every class.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “I do not like her because she always works very hard, stays late at the office every night, and then gets promotions.\u00a0 That makes me look bad to my boss.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        We may prefer to do something with someone or make friends based on personality and appearance.\u00a0 Sometimes we dislike some people without knowing them.\u00a0 They may have never done us any harm.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We\u00a0 may\u00a0 be\u00a0 jealous\u00a0 of\u00a0 others\u00a0 who\u00a0 are\u00a0 more\u00a0 talented\u00a0\u00a0 than ourselves.\u00a0 We might want to make those people look bad.\u00a0 We may treat those people badly. Perhaps we discriminate against those of a different race, religion, nationality, language, or culture. Discrimination often causes us to treat others in our society unfairly.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Discrimination is one form of preference or bias in our society. We may hate someone because their ancestors treated ours badly. We might treat others unfairly because they treated us badly. Many people who are treated unfairly hate those who treat them so. This may\u00a0 be part\u00a0 of a\u00a0 person’s self-defense\u00a0 mechanism\u00a0 to let them\u00a0 know\u00a0 that\u00a0 they should\u00a0 do something\u00a0 about\u00a0 it. However, when we take revenge, or get even, it does not make us feel better. Before we can persecute someone through our vengefulness, we must first have allowed hate to corrupt our minds. That is why deep down it does not make us feel better to take revenge.\u00a0 And that is why forgiveness gives us peace and freedom of mind.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        14. Prejudice Because of Ignorance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Ignorance denotes a lack of knowledge or intelligence (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary). Some people are prejudiced because of their ignorance. It is easy to become prejudiced when we lack the right information. Sometimes when we hear something about someone, we judge that person solely by what we hear, not by what we know. We may make a decision about someone without the right understanding or enough information. We often treat others badly or wrongly because of misunderstandings. This mistake can lead to a lack of morals in our society. Seeking the truth and the right information are good characteristics of a broad\u00adminded and kindhearted person. Broadened minds extend our limits of consideration and understanding. <\/u>\u00a0Unbiased people usually act for the benefit of society more than for themselves.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who know and the ones who do not really know.\u00a0 However, the ones who know may be categorized as those who deeply and really know, really know, and partially know.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        At one time, there were many people prejudiced against HIV-patients because they did not know that people who have AIDS do not easily spread HIV.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once\u00a0 upon\u00a0 a\u00a0 time,\u00a0 there\u00a0 was a\u00a0 runaway\u00a0 soldier\u00a0 who\u00a0 was labeled\u00a0 a\u00a0 coward. Those\u00a0 who blamed\u00a0 him\u00a0 did\u00a0 not\u00a0 know\u00a0 that\u00a0 he gave\u00a0 up \u00a0not\u00a0 because\u00a0 he\u00a0 was afraid\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0 be\u00a0 killed,\u00a0 but because he was afraid\u00a0 of killing.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once upon a time, there\u00a0 were many\u00a0 people who felt reluctant to give donations and did not want to attend\u00a0 church\u00a0 because they heard\u00a0 there\u00a0 was a priest\u00a0 who sexually\u00a0 abused\u00a0 a young boy. So they concluded that every priest is gay or sadistic. (I do not mean anything against homosexual people. It is only that the person, who enters the priesthood is not supposed to be homosexual.) However, that is not true. If a small portion of people in an organization is bad, it does not mean that everyone in that organization is bad.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        It is a common belief that a middle child tends to get less attention than his or her siblings, but that does not mean all middle children will be trouble makers. The youngest child tends to get the most attention or is spoiled, but that does not mean all youngest children will be “brats”. The oldest child tends to be a good example, but that does not mean that all of them will be.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Students who come from wealthy families tend to be able to get whatever\u00a0 they want, but that does not mean\u00a0 all of them\u00a0 can do or deserve\u00a0 whatever\u00a0 they want,\u00a0 neither\u00a0 are\u00a0 all of them snobbish\u00a0 and arrogant.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Nowadays, people tend to believe the results that have been tested or proved by researchers, but that does not mean all scientific tests are correct. We should prove for ourselves before we believe, but sometimes we need to believe before we can prove.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        15. Preference Because of Fear<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Some people will do unfair things because of fear. People\u2019s minds are unclear and their thoughts are incorrect if they fear that they will lose their social position, money, job, fame, love, or power. For\u00a0 example,\u00a0 when\u00a0 a family\u00a0 member\u00a0 treats\u00a0 their\u00a0 friends\u00a0 or\u00a0 their\u00a0 peers incorrectly, we many\u00a0 times take\u00a0 our\u00a0 family member’s side if we fear\u00a0 that\u00a0 we will lose the satisfaction\u00a0 in our\u00a0 relationships. We may stand for people who do harmful things in our societies if we fear that we will lose our jobs or power from the harmful people who support us. To live without fear we need courageous minds. A courageous mind comes from inner peace and purity with an ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to pursue our perfection, which is life without suffering.\u00a0 We sacrifice\u00a0 ourselves\u00a0 for\u00a0 the sake\u00a0 of goodness, because\u00a0 keeping\u00a0 goodness is more\u00a0 valuable\u00a0 to us than\u00a0 keeping\u00a0 a social position,\u00a0 money, a job, fame, love, or power. It may be important for us to have a social position, money, a job, fame, love, or power, but it is more important to have goodness within our hearts, thoughts, and actions. It may be hard to lose some things that we want.\u00a0 It may be difficult to accept at first. When we dedicate our hearts, thoughts, speech, and our actions to accepting our losses and trying to pursue our perfection, we will always live without (ear. Fear will never be able to distort or mislead our life if we have learned to accept our losses.<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        16. Being Responsible for an Ethical Economy<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        We have talked about good people behaving with responsibility to themselves and to society. The third responsibility, being responsible for an ethical economy, is important too. An ethical economy is one in which we all use, maintain, and protect our resources in our society.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        If more people did harm than those doing good, then our communities would be ruined and the balance of peace would be destroyed in our society. Harmful actions to an ethical economy may come from addictive behaviors. Addictions are never satisfied.\u00a0 Addicts are impatient. Addicts are controlled by their addictive behaviors.\u00a0 Anyone who does not take responsibility for an ethical economy will destroy the good people in society and the economy of the world. I will discuss how to be responsible in an ethical economy of society in the next six chapters.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        17. Drinking Alcohol, Do We Need It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        I have heard many reasons for drinking: family problems, work problems, addiction, seductive advertising, society, health, curiosity, peer pressure, availability, and depression.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I also have heard\u00a0 many\u00a0 reasons\u00a0 for\u00a0 not using drugs\u00a0 or\u00a0 drinking: waste\u00a0 of money,\u00a0 loss of control\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 mind\u00a0 and\u00a0 moods,\u00a0 fighting,\u00a0 creation\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0 many\u00a0 health\u00a0\u00a0 problems,\u00a0 becoming notorious for acting poorly without shame (tarnishing your reputation), loss of memory, and loss of intelligence.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        There\u00a0 are many ways to solve the above problems\u00a0 without cost such as through meditation, talking\u00a0 to monks\u00a0 or\u00a0 priests,\u00a0 exercising\u00a0 for\u00a0 better\u00a0 health,\u00a0 spending\u00a0 time with good friends, reading a good book, doing productive\u00a0 or charity\u00a0 work.\u00a0 These solutions are useful to us and to others.\u00a0 We need to be aware of the problems, short term and long term that can arise from the use of drugs and drinking alcohol.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Taking\u00a0 drugs\u00a0 or\u00a0 drinking alcohol\u00a0 is what\u00a0 some\u00a0 people\u00a0 do\u00a0 in order to\u00a0 be\u00a0 fulfilled\u00a0 with temporary and\u00a0 (usually)\u00a0 inappropriate happiness.\u00a0 Taking alcohol or drugs can cause the worst sadness, if our uncontrollable thoughts, speech, and actions negatively affect other people’s lives.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I once received an e-mail from a friend. At the beginning, the e-mail showed pictures of a girl when she was young until she was 19 years old. She was pretty as she grew up. However, in the subsequent pictures, I saw hideous pictures of a person. Later, the e-mail indicated that it was the pretty girl who got trapped in a car that was hit by a 17 year-old student who was a drunk driver. He was on his way home after drinking a couple of beers with his friends. The girl was burnt all over her body. She has gone through at least 40 operations, lost her hands, one of her eyelids, and other burnt organs causing her terrible and endless pain.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The awful accident has tremendously saddened the driver who is now over 20 years old, the girl, and their families. I saw the picture showed he was crying. It has been over 3 years now, and he still cannot forgive himself. Because of that drunken moment, neither he nor anyone else can change her back to the pretty person she was. She will never be the same, although he will never forgive himself for the rest of his life, not even trading her life for his life will change anything.\u00a0 All he can do right now is tell people how drinking and driving has devastated his life. This sad accident occurred only because of his short moment of fun spent drinking.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        18. Roaming the Streets at Night, Do We Need It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        People who wander at night have more chances of encountering danger. Somebody that roams the streets may become useless and increasingly reckless. Many people roam the streets to be social, to have fun, to meet men or women, escape boredom, to get away from home, and to avoid their parents. When some people roam at night, they do inappropriate things that they cannot do at home. Many bad people like to hide their activities from others and thus gravitate to performing their activities at night when it is harder to see. Those who roam the streets at night are considered to be the ones that do not protect themselves, their families, or their belongings (money and property). Good people usually stay home at night with their families. They try to rest at night in preparation for work the next day.\u00a0 While resting they avoid chances of meeting with bad people. Generally bad people will wander to bad places at night.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        19. Seeing Bad Television Shows and Movies, Do We Need Them?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Bad shows create bad pictures and memories in our minds. Bad shows can generate anger, greed, and delusion in our minds. Bad words and bad deeds come from bad thoughts. Bad thoughts come from bad pictures in our minds. Seeing bad shows is even more dangerous for children, because they cannot distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. We need to choose good hobbies for the people in our families. Maintaining good habits within the household allows us to avoid unhappiness in families. Unhappiness can cause loneliness. People like to be happy. They will be attracted to smiling people and avoid those who are moody, unhappy, or negative. In addition, when we are\u00a0 alone, we can\u00a0 have fun\u00a0 and\u00a0 relax with other\u00a0 appropriate activities or hobbies such as planting\u00a0 trees or flowers, reading\u00a0 good books, seeing good shows, doing\u00a0 volunteer\u00a0 work, exercising\u00a0 or\u00a0 playing sports,\u00a0 listening\u00a0 or playing\u00a0 nice music, and\u00a0 practicing\u00a0 meditation. This is better than seeing bad shows and movies.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        A\u00a0 woman\u00a0 who\u00a0 has\u00a0 achluophobia (fear of darkness)\u00a0 because\u00a0 when\u00a0 she\u00a0 was\u00a0 young,\u00a0 her brother pretended\u00a0 to be a ghost, walked into her room at night, and grabbed\u00a0 her feet.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        My closest friend told me that she once stayed at a state park hotel, which is in the middle of the woods. There was one night that she watched the movie Devil’s Advocate<\/u> and fell asleep. She got up again at 3 o’clock. It was very dark outside and when she looked through the windows all she saw were trees moving because of the wind. And because of some horrible scenes she saw\u00a0 from\u00a0 the\u00a0 movie, she started\u00a0 imagining\u00a0 ghosts\u00a0 and\u00a0 she\u00a0 was afraid\u00a0 and\u00a0 she could\u00a0 not get\u00a0 back\u00a0 to sleep. Although she is a scientist and is not expected to believe in ghosts, she could not calm herself down on that night. Then she stayed\u00a0 awake\u00a0 all night and started\u00a0\u00a0 writing\u00a0 about\u00a0 how the pictures\u00a0 that\u00a0 we see and\u00a0 the sounds\u00a0 that\u00a0 we hear\u00a0 can affect our imagination\u00a0 and thought.\u00a0 Actually, that “closest friend” is me.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        20. Gambling, Do We Need It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Do you want to marry a gambler? I may start with a question\u00a0 that\u00a0 seems funny,\u00a0 but\u00a0 I believe that\u00a0 I\u00a0 will get a “No” answer\u00a0 from\u00a0 most\u00a0 people. Most people do not like seeing others’ misfortunes. Money that we earn from winning comes from other people who lose. That means we are making money from others\u2019 misfortunes while we are winning. Easy money is gained from gambling; it is also easy to lose money. We are all familiar with the saying “Easy come, easy go.” A gambling business survives because we lose more often than we win.\u00a0 Those who like gambling will soon have money problems.\u00a0 People who are having financial problems and turn to gambling will only make their situations worse. The ones that win will be spoiled and become addicted to gambling. The ones that lose will look for revenge or try to get their money back somehow. People who are addicted to gambling will tum into liars, and liars lose their trust, pride, and respect.<\/u>[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”21. Associating with Bad Friends” el_id=”1490945731502-3556733d-3fb4″]Bad friends lead us to bad lives. And many bad lives lead to irresponsible behavior, and irresponsibility often ruins the ethical economy in our society. This is how associating with bad friends ruins ethical economy. There are bad people in this world. If we are not their friends,\u00a0 then\u00a0 they\u00a0 cannot\u00a0 influence\u00a0 or\u00a0 convince\u00a0 us\u00a0 to\u00a0 go\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 wrong\u00a0 directions (e.g., drinking, gambling, and cheating). Good people usually feel comfortable being around good friends. Bad people usually are comfortable being around bad friends. If we want to be good, we must have good friends and avoid associating with bad friends.<\/u> It is that simple. We become like our friends because when we spend time with them, we tend to pick up their expressions, moods, attitudes, and beliefs.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        How do we know who is a good friend and who is a bad friend? Later chapters of this book will describe what good friends and false friends are.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        22. Reluctance to Work for a Living<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Some people are reluctant to work because they are lazy. Their laziness may be an ingrained habit or they may have some problems. Many people\u00a0 will provide\u00a0 reasons\u00a0 for their\u00a0 reluctance\u00a0 to work\u00a0 like having\u00a0 worked\u00a0 for\u00a0 a long time, being\u00a0 bored,\u00a0 lacking\u00a0 a goal, losing\u00a0 motivation because\u00a0 of\u00a0 low\u00a0 income, being sick, having psychological problems, thinking\u00a0 work\u00a0 is not important, having\u00a0 problems at\u00a0 work,\u00a0 having\u00a0 a\u00a0 bad\u00a0 boss or\u00a0 having\u00a0 a bad colleague. Whatever excuses people give, they are not good excuses because we all have to work for a living. Although some people who are lazy are also honest, nice, and friendly, nobody wants to offer them a job. A life without working is a life without value. Some people may want to find a job that gives them a sense of accomplishment, hope of better life, and fire in their hearts. However, menial work, boring work, great work, domestic work, exciting work, or whatever type of work is not important. It is worthy and admirable to work as long as it is honest and it maintains our wellbeing and goodness.<\/u> Sooner or later working hard will pay off, directly or indirectly.\u00a0 Good work needs to be done at the right time and by the right method. Successful work results from putting love, patience, care, and understanding into our work.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “Doing what you like is enjoyment, Liking what you do is happiness.” (Anonymous)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        However, please keep in mind (remember) that there are other things besides work that are important in our lives as well.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        “Too” is an adverb that whenever it is in front of any adjective, that adjective can become unfavorable.\u00a0 For instance,\u00a0 when it modifies either\u00a0 the good adjectives\u00a0 such as too good, too nice, too beautiful,\u00a0 too pleasant,\u00a0 too clean, too kind, too full, too attractive, and\u00a0 too effective or\u00a0 the\u00a0 bad\u00a0 adjectives\u00a0 such\u00a0 as\u00a0 too\u00a0 bad, \u00a0too awful,\u00a0 too dirty,\u00a0 too\u00a0 hurtful, too\u00a0 nasty,\u00a0 too difficult, and too dangerous, none of these words are pleasing.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Therefore, I\u00a0 think\u00a0 working\u00a0 too\u00a0 hard\u00a0 is not\u00a0 as\u00a0 good\u00a0 as\u00a0 working\u00a0 really\u00a0 hard. During an economic crisis, many people may try very hard to get a job or work very hard to keep their jobs. However, paying attention too much to these things may cause us too much stress and we can become too worried or too depressed. And paying attention too little or being too relaxed may prevent us from accomplishing anything.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Sometimes\u00a0 we try\u00a0 our\u00a0 very\u00a0 best for\u00a0 our\u00a0 work\u00a0 and\u00a0 some things\u00a0 that\u00a0 are\u00a0 too far\u00a0 from\u00a0 our control\u00a0 such\u00a0 as\u00a0 being\u00a0 laid\u00a0 off because of less demand\u00a0 for\u00a0 work\u00a0 or\u00a0 reducing\u00a0\u00a0 budgets\u00a0 can happen. Thus, we need to look for other alternatives such as focusing on extra education for ourselves\u00a0 or\u00a0 others,\u00a0 doing\u00a0 volunteer\u00a0\u00a0 work,\u00a0 doing\u00a0 a\u00a0 meditation\u00a0\u00a0 retreat for\u00a0 a\u00a0 month,\u00a0 or creating\u00a0 our own jobs.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        23. Being Responsible for the Environment<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Besides, taking the three responsibilities: self, society, and ethical economy, good people are also responsible for the environment. Air, water, soil, forest, and weather are important for our living. These things are part of our environment and a good environment positively affects our living. Men live together in the world. Therefore, it is our responsibility to take care of our environment. Even Buddha was born in the forest, found his way to enlightenment in the forest, and passed into Nirvana in the forest. Lord Buddha demonstrated the importance of environment through his life events. Buddha cultivated respect for the environment by training the monks to protect the forest. They\u00a0 were neither allowed\u00a0 to\u00a0 cut\u00a0 down\u00a0 trees,\u00a0 nor\u00a0 allowed\u00a0 to discard\u00a0 wastes\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 water\u00a0 or\u00a0 soil.\u00a0 It is the responsibility of every good person to protect the environment as well. To be responsible for the environment, we need to avoid any destruction, try to protect the environment from further destruction, and create a good environment. Creating a good environment includes both physical and mental environments which are good neighborhoods, foods, neighbors, and teachings.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        24. Looking for a Good Neighborhood<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        A good neighborhood is essential for living in peace. If our neighborhoods are noisy, dangerous, hot, do not have trees, and are crowded, we will not live in physical peace. Being uncomfortable physically leads to being uncomfortable mentally. Therefore if possible, our homes and offices must be in good neighborhoods to comfort our lives and minds. A good neighborhood for living does not need to be in a high-income area, but it needs to be safe and comfortable.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        We spend most of our time outside our workplaces in our homes and sometimes we even work at home. Therefore, it is very important that we need to live in a good neighborhood. A good neighborhood can also facilitate the way we develop our professional and personal growth. For example, children from families in a good neighborhood should be able to play and learn things together. Wives and husbands should be able to have useful and fun activities to do or to share. This is largely because a good neighborhood is usually composed of good people. When\u00a0 good\u00a0 people are\u00a0 together,\u00a0 they\u00a0 tend\u00a0 to do\u00a0 things\u00a0 that\u00a0 will benefit themselves and other\u00a0 people who live nearby.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Once, my friend told me that her neighbor screamed at her little children with insanity all the time. Those children are only about 2, 3, and 5 years old.\u00a0 It became annoying and she sometimes solved the problem by turning the stereo really loud and shutting her door. Good neighbors can create good neighborhoods and bad neighbors can potentially damage good neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        25. Eating Well<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        When I first arrived\u00a0 in Michigan in 1997 to pursue\u00a0 my Ph.D. degree, I had many\u00a0 things to do\u00a0 to\u00a0 adjust to the new\u00a0 place, culture,\u00a0 and\u00a0 study.\u00a0 One\u00a0 of\u00a0 my Thai\u00a0 friends\u00a0 in\u00a0 Seattle recommended\u00a0 that I should\u00a0 take 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day. My friends in Michigan also said to me, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”\u00a0 In any case, everyone should care about eating foods that are useful to his or her body. Eating well is important to maintaining our lives. It includes eating to be full and healthy.\u00a0\u00a0 When we are hungry, our bodies are not in peace. When we lack essential nutrients, our bodies are weak and tired. Then we cannot think clearly. Drinking enough water each day is also necessary for our bodies. Most people say eating well is as important as exercising well. I absolutely agree.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Over\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 past\u00a0\u00a0 few years,\u00a0\u00a0 I\u00a0\u00a0 have\u00a0\u00a0 heard\u00a0\u00a0 from\u00a0\u00a0 American\u00a0\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 international friends, commercials, and media talking about loving good food. Some friends whom I invited to dinner often say after seeing the food on the dining room table, “Wow! Good food!” After finishing the dinner, some friends said “Thank you so much for treating us with such good foods.” My mother said, “Your friends probably never have had real good Thai food,” when<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I told her about the compliments.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Anyway, the compliments make me think about what good foods really are. Perhaps, some people think about good foods as delicious foods. The others may think about them as expensive or high quality foods. And some health nuts may think about good foods as total macrobiotic foods.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        There have been tremendous numbers of research on what foods we should or should not eat; how and how much we should eat. The research included what kinds of exercise we can do and cannot do; how and how much we can do.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        I try to read those kinds of books and watch TV programs to educate\u00a0 and to motivate myself as often as I can because I am not the kind of person who exercises and eats right on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        26. Looking for Good Neighbors<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Good environments for living do not only contain comfortable places, but they also need to contain good neighbors. Creating good neighbors might be more difficult than creating comfortable homes. Therefore, looking for good ones with whom we can live in peace is a simpler approach. Good neighbors possess good manners, and they know how to adjust themselves to other people’s cultures. We must not only expect others to be our good neighbors, but we must be good neighbors to others as well. Basically,\u00a0 good\u00a0 neighbors are\u00a0 somewhat good\u00a0 people, and\u00a0 good\u00a0 people usually have good teachers or\u00a0 mentors\u00a0 in their\u00a0 lives telling them to behave well.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        A few years ago while I was doing my Ph.D., there was a friend who came to the office with panda-eyes or panda syndrome (black rings around the eyes because of sleeplessness or restlessness).\u00a0 She\u00a0 started\u00a0 complaining with\u00a0 me how\u00a0 the\u00a0 two\u00a0 neighbors who\u00a0 lived\u00a0 on\u00a0 the second floor of her\u00a0 apartment complex got up very early\u00a0 in the morning and\u00a0 walked\u00a0 very loudly causing her to lose sleep.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Two single moms whose apartments were across the hall from each other had an unbelievable fight because of the conflicting of their laundry schedules. I said “unbelievable fights”\u00a0\u00a0 because\u00a0\u00a0 one called\u00a0\u00a0 the other with a nasty name. And the other one was very angry too and reported to the apartment manager how rude the other woman was. There were\u00a0 consequently\u00a0\u00a0 unbelievable\u00a0 fights\u00a0 from\u00a0 the\u00a0 laundry\u00a0 conflict\u00a0 that I will\u00a0 not mention\u00a0 here. It was very silly whenever I look back at the fight and its cause.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The problem of the neighbors with the heavy footstep was not difficult to solve. I just asked them politely to walk more lightly and showed sympathy by turning the major cause of the noise problem to the building’s material construction. And the neighbors were polite enough to promise that they would walk more quietly.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The second case was more difficult to solve. Both single moms were in charge of everything in their families. Both thought they were right and that the other had caused the problem. Looking for good neighbors is not as easy as I thought, especially, if unintentional problems occur. And the problems might change good manners into bitter manners.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        At\u00a0\u00a0 this\u00a0\u00a0 point,\u00a0\u00a0 I think\u00a0\u00a0 “right understanding\u201d of\u00a0\u00a0 people’s behaviors, manners, and perspectives would be an initial help in creating civility among our neighbors.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        27. Looking for Good Teachings<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Good friends have more qualities of good people than bad friends. In order to create a peaceful mind and world, we need to search for and have many good friends. Likewise, we can also help to create more good friends in our society. This calls for good teachers to teach us. Good teachers teach us knowledge that can increase our abilities and skills, helping us to perform better work, and thus be able to do more good. The concept of learning is seeking good teachers, listening to the teachers, analyzing the teaching, accepting the teaching, and following the teaching.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        In any situation, good people usually look for only the good or bright sides of others in order to learn and to improve themselves. If we always look for goodness in others, soon our minds will be like a sea of goodness. If we always look for only others’ defects, soon our hearts will be full of evils. Furthermore, good teachers always try to teach good teaching and provide good solutions. A clean wisdom comes from a clean knowledge, and the good teacher knows the clean knowledge.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Sometimes we think we know, and then we realize that we do not really know when we come across good teachers who do know. Sometimes we think we learn some teaching that is really good, but it is not good enough when we come across the ultimate good teaching.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        The ultimate good teaching should allow us to be able to find the ultimate victory in our lives.\u00a0 And the ultimate victory is the ability to be deeply in touch with the most inner peace in every moment of our lives. Although, I do not “always” find peace in my mind because of some activities in life that can cause turmoil, I still think that I am lucky enough to have met good teachers at the Dhammakaya foundation. They have great intentions to teach everyone the things that we should do in order to find the peace and the ultimate victory in life.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        28. Training Ourselves to Do More and More Acts of Goodness<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        Cloning has become a very popular issue. Scientists \u00a0\u00a0have been successful in cloning microbes, plants, and animals. But I am considering cloning of good habits, behaviors, and manners of good people. Cloning these good characteristics calls for training. Training ourselves begins with disciplining our minds, and the disciplined mind guides our speech and actions into the right direction. Therefore, successful training must start by training our minds by avoiding bad thoughts, brightening our minds, and doing more acts of goodness. We can practice by doing good everyday. Furthermore, those who like training themselves need to have a modest and respectful mind. We all might accept that we are not perfect, and we always need to learn, to train, and thus to improve ourselves, until we accomplish our goals. Do not fill your mind with any worry or sorrow at all. Our minds actually are clean, joyful, pure, and bright. Everything (both good and bad) just comes and goes. We should keep only good in our hearts. Every morning, we might practice smiling when we get up and wish that we will be happy today. After we practice thinking of good every moment, soon the good will have the power to chase the sorrow away from our minds. Our minds will be left with only happiness, joy, and peace. The sunshine in the morning shines and chases the darkness.\u00a0 The sunshine of goodness and peace in our minds will chase the darkness or badness in our minds as well.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        29. Distributing Knowledge to Others<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        There are three forms of knowledge. They are knowledge from memory, wisdom, and brightness from meditation. Knowledge from memory is gained by studying\u00a0\u00a0 things and memorizing them. Knowledge from wisdom is gained by learning and experiencing many various things, which we have gone through in our lives. Knowledge from brightness from meditation is the inner brightness that shines on our mind to understand the way things are and then to think, speak, and act correctly. Actually, we need a perfect teacher who can teach us the knowledge from meditation. Who is the perfect teacher?\u00a0 Buddha\u00a0 and\u00a0 Arahanta are the\u00a0 perfect\u00a0 teachers,\u00a0 because\u00a0 their\u00a0 minds\u00a0 are\u00a0 completely\u00a0 enlightened\u00a0 and\u00a0 pure,\u00a0 and\u00a0 they contain\u00a0\u00a0 great\u00a0\u00a0 kindness\u00a0\u00a0 to teach or distribute\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 knowledge without any kind of discrimination. It may be very difficult to find a perfect teacher in our generation. However, we can find the knowledge from monks or priests who know his teachings. The concepts of how to distribute knowledge to others are: sharing good teaching and switching between being students and being teachers (depending on who knows that topic of teaching better).\u00a0 There are some people in this world that do not want to share knowledge. There is no true benefit, if we just keep it for ourselves. We need to have a kind mind to do the sharing for the sake of goodness.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Like I mentioned before, “The more you give, the more you get.” You always get happiness in your heart when you start thinking about giving.<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        30. Making Choices to Cooperate, Employ, or Coordinate with Others for Social Development, Management, etc.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        People who are enthusiastic, patient, and charitable do good things<\/u>, and therefore these people are the ones with whom we want to cooperate.\u00a0 However, the most important thing is that those persons have to “keep their word.”\u00a0 People who know how to “keep their word” are responsible.\u00a0 Those who practice the truth or keep their promises will eventually know how to take responsibilities for themselves, society, ethical economy, and the environment. In addition, we might want to start cooperating with people who have similar understanding. They are also willing to put the 4 Hs: head, heart, hand, and health, toward accomplishing the work (just like the 4H organization).<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        About four years ago, I started using a software program “Adobe Frame Maker” to make a huge poster for my research presentation. I did not know how to use the software and my English skills were in the developing process. Because I have been taught\u00a0 and\u00a0 trained\u00a0 my whole life to finish whatever\u00a0 I start, I spent so many hours\u00a0 learning\u00a0 to use the software\u00a0 and writing the technical content in order\u00a0 to finish the poster. During that time, besides my determination, I put my love, care, and persistence into the poster’s quality. Unexpectedly, I won the best poster award that year.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Recently, I made a poster using Frame Maker again. I could finish making\u00a0 the poster\u00a0 within a\u00a0 few days\u00a0 because\u00a0 I\u00a0 know\u00a0 how to use the software\u00a0 quite\u00a0 well and\u00a0 my English\u00a0 skills are better.\u00a0 I did\u00a0 not\u00a0 forget \u00a0to\u00a0 put\u00a0 my determination\u00a0 in making\u00a0 the\u00a0 poster\u00a0 though. However, when I compare my new poster to the poster that won the award, the new poster looks lame. Then I asked myself why it turned out that way and what made the previous one look much better.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        Then I realized that I forgot to put my love, care, and devotion into it. So\u00a0 I learned\u00a0 that aside from\u00a0\u00a0 having\u00a0\u00a0 work\u00a0 ethic,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 which\u00a0\u00a0 is\u00a0 a\u00a0 strong\u00a0 commitment\u00a0 to\u00a0 work, putting love and care consistently in every\u00a0 piece of work is what I always need for myself and for those\u00a0 with whom\u00a0 I choose to cooperate.<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        31. The Easiest Cause of Ruin is Following False Friends<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        When I was in high school, there\u00a0 was a semester when I spent time with friends\u00a0 who felt that smoking\u00a0 was fine, skipping\u00a0 classes was fun, going to bars or night clubs was great\u00a0 (we were younger\u00a0 than 18 at that\u00a0 time), and\u00a0 not listening to parents’ advice was cool. At first,\u00a0 I felt fine\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 got\u00a0 along\u00a0\u00a0 with\u00a0 them,\u00a0\u00a0 but\u00a0 then\u00a0 my\u00a0 grades dropped, and\u00a0\u00a0 my\u00a0 behavior\u00a0\u00a0 was inappropriate. I smoked\u00a0 and\u00a0 drank at\u00a0 their\u00a0 houses, and\u00a0 I\u00a0 went\u00a0 to the\u00a0 bars\u00a0 with\u00a0 them. However, I still tried\u00a0\u00a0 to listen to my parents.\u00a0 What\u00a0\u00a0 made me keep listening to their teaching?\u00a0 The answer is their hope. I always know by my heart that I am my parents’ hope. Thus I do not want to disappoint them. I wanted to enter a good university, and I wanted to be “really good, not only cool.” Thus, I realized that I did not belong to that group.\u00a0 I stayed\u00a0\u00a0 away\u00a0\u00a0 from\u00a0\u00a0 them\u00a0\u00a0 afterward. After that I associated\u00a0\u00a0 with\u00a0\u00a0 good\u00a0 \u00a0friends\u00a0\u00a0 who concentrated on our studies and my grades improved. From that event, I realized how false friends can affect our lives.\u00a0 Following false friends is the easiest cause of ruin, because false friends can take our lives in all kinds of wrong directions.<\/u> For instance, if we spend time with friends who do not respect their parents, soon we will not respect our parents. If we spend time with friends who like gambling, roaming the streets at night, avoiding work, soon we will get used to those bad habits and follow them. Buddha categorizes false friends into four major groups. False friends are described in detail in the four following chapters as four major “false friendships.” I consider those relationships as false friendships because many times we did it without knowing what we were doing and how badly it could affect others and ourselves.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                        32. False Friendship 1: A Selfish Person<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                        We may wonder what behaviors are meant when one is selfish. Selfishness is:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                                        1. Always thinking about taking and never giving;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                        2. Sacrificing little in the hope of gaining much;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                        3. Helping others only when threatened by the same danger;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                        4. Only making friends to serve one’s own interest.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                          Many times we might have done these things without knowing how evil we are. From now on, I think we know what we should do to avoid being selfish.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                          “Giving brings friendship.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                           <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                          33. False Friendship 2: The Man of Empty Promises<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                          We may wonder what behaviors are performed by the man of empty promises. The man of empty promises usually:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                                          1. Tells you how sad he is not to have been able to share with you something that he has already run out of;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                          2. Promises to share with you things he does not have yet;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                          3. Tries to win your favor with empty promises;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                          4. Excuses himself every time he is called upon to help.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                            Many times we might have behaved like that without knowing how evil we are. These poor behaviors certainly can cause us worry because of the empty promises. At least, we probably worry whether or not we can keep our promises. From now on, I think we know what we should do to avoid being the man of empty promises.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                            “A truthful person is honored.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                             <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                            34. False Friendship 3: The Flatterer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                            We may wonder what behaviors are those of the flattering. The flatterer usually:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                                                            1. Encourages you and allows you to do evil;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                            2. Mindlessly follows you as you do both good and evil;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                            3. Sings praises to your face;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                            4. Gossips about you behind your back.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                              Many times we might behave like that without knowing how evil we are. These poor behaviors certainly\u00a0 can\u00a0 cause\u00a0 us worry\u00a0 because\u00a0 nobody\u00a0 thinks\u00a0 that\u00a0 we are\u00a0 sincere\u00a0 in the\u00a0 long run. Following both good and bad is somewhat dumb or foolish, when we step outside and look at the behaviors. That means we cannot separate what is right and what is wrong. Perhaps, we know the difference between good and evil, but we still follow the evil route for false hope.\u00a0 From now on, I think we know what we should do to avoid being the flatterer.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                              “It is advisable to think before doing anything.” (Vajirananvarorasa, a late supreme patriarch of Thailand)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                               <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                              35. False Friendship 4: The One Who Leads You Down the Road to Ruin<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                              The one who leads you down the road to ruin is:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                                                              1. Your loyal drinking companion;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                              2. At your side when you roam the streets at unseemly hours;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                              3. Known to frequent games and shows with you;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                              4. Known to join you at the gambling table.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                Basically, the one who leads you down the road to ruin likes persuading you to do bad, unnecessary, or useless things. Ruin leads us down the road to worry and unhappiness in life. That is why good people never want to go down the road to ruin.\u00a0 Good people, however, want their inner evil to be ruined.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                “Safeguard your virtue against decline, just as salt never loses its saltiness.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                 <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                36. The Best Catalyst of Creation is Good Friends<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                Good friends usually lead us in the right directions. They prefer only thoughts, words, and actions that benefit their lives and others. Whatever is right and appropriate they know how to do. They\u00a0 are\u00a0 modest\u00a0 and\u00a0 respectful\u00a0 of any\u00a0 good advice,\u00a0 although\u00a0 some\u00a0 advice\u00a0 might indicate\u00a0 that\u00a0 they are\u00a0 wrong.\u00a0 They will try to listen to and follow the advice to improve themselves without egotism. In addition, good friends obey the rules of societies where they belong. They\u00a0 do\u00a0 not\u00a0 break\u00a0 rules\u00a0 if\u00a0 breaking\u00a0 them\u00a0 will wreck\u00a0 or\u00a0 cause\u00a0 disorder in\u00a0 the societies. Overall, good friends are helpful, constant, wise, and sympathetic. Because of these admirable characteristics, good friends are the best catalyst of creation. Good friends can influence us to be more creative and well behaved. Wouldn’t it be nice and safe if we were their friends, and we controlled our lives similar to them? I should not ask like this. People who want their lives in peace without worry would say “Yes.” Just start thinking about being a good friend; the loneliness in our hearts will start going away.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                 <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                37. Looking for a Helpful Friend<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                Helpful friends have the opposite characteristics of selfish friends. The attributes of helpful friends are:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                                                1. To protect you when you are in trouble and give good advice;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                2. To help protect your property when you use it incorrectly;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                3. To be your refuge in times of danger;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                4. To always provide you with more than you ask for when it is necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                  I am sure that we may practice any of these actions with our friends when the time comes.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                  Whoever behaves in these ways is admirable.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                  Once\u00a0 I\u00a0 heard\u00a0 from\u00a0 a\u00a0 kid’s\u00a0 movie “Help\u00a0 each\u00a0 other\u00a0 and\u00a0 you\u00a0 will learn\u00a0 how to love each other.” When we grow up we tend to forget that helping each other is the way to find and to share love. Helping allows us to reach the warm part of each other’s hearts. Being helpful is the way to be a good friend. It sometimes can chase the cold and dark side of a selfish friend and help the person to find the warm and bright side of her or his heart.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                   <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                  38. Looking for a Constant Friend<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                  A constant friend has the opposite characteristics of the man of empty promises, as follows:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                                                  1. He or she confides in you.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                  2. He or she does not tell your secrets.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                  3. He or she does not abandon you when you fall on hard times.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                  4. He or she would even die in your place.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                    How lucky we are, if we can have a friend like this, or we can behave in these ways toward our friends. We are impressed by these characteristics.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                    Being a constant friend needs care. When we “really” care about someone, we tend to have trust and faith in that person.\u00a0 We can sacrifice our belongings and lives to those about whom we truly care. I am not so fond of the sentence “I do not care.” It is okay to use the sentence for the bad things, events, and people in our lives. But using the sentence too much can make us become insensitive and unfaithful.\u00a0 Caring about everything too much can, however, cause us anxiety.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                    “To associate with the virtuous is a cause of happiness.” (Buddha) “You are what your associates are.” (Vajirananvarorasa)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                     <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                    39. Looking for a Friend of Wise Counsel<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                    A friend with wise counsel acts opposite the flatterer, as shown below:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                                                    1. He or she warns you against unwholesome behavior.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                    2. He or she encourages you toward wholesome behavior.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                    3. He or she saves up new good things to tell you.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                    4. He or she points you in the direction of heaven.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                      I believe that we still can find a lot of friends like this in our society. That means the world is not too bad. However, “not too bad\u201d does not mean it is all good. To make the world “all good,” we require each individual to be good then.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      Who is a wise person?\u00a0 Certainly, a wise man is wise, but not the wise guy (smart aleck).\u00a0 A wise man gives good advice.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      When we get older, we tend to have more abilities to discern what is true, what is right, or what is lasting. The abilities come from both the good and bad experiences that we have been through. And that can make us become wise. However, a true wise person should provide only good information or direction to those with whom he or she associates.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      Great information comes from great learning.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      “A wise person is not a fault-finder.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                      40. Looking for a Sympathetic Friend<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                      A sympathetic friend possesses admirable characteristics far different from the one who leads you down the road to ruin, as shown below:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                                                      1. He or she doesn’t laugh at your misfortunes.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                      2. He or she congratulates you on your good fortune.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                      3. He or she speaks out against anyone who maligns you.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                      4. He or she validates those who speak well of you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                        Sometimes, we have laughed too much at inappropriate times undeliberately. We may be jealous of others’ success. We may often talk bad about our friends. All of these are common things that we should not do. From now on, we know how to be properly sympathetic.[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”41. Our Relationships: Six Directions” el_id=”1490946547267-dd6f49d6-a3c4″]Everyone knows that we all are in the same cycle of existence (birth, old age, sickness, and death).\u00a0 Even if we are strangers, we are friends in the same world.<\/u> Buddha classified people by their relationships, as represented by the six directions. We are defined by our relationships. Certainly, it is not possible that a person will be able to perform well and improve without having friends, family, or teams in society. Children need parents to take care of them when they are young. Students need teachers\u00a0\u00a0 to teach in their stages of development. We need colleagues or teams in our work places in order to perform our jobs well. We can conclude that we need to connect with other people. We can also count those people with whom we connect as friends. That is why we need to have friends or connect to others.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        The six directions indicate how a dutiful person can live up to the relationships we have with different sectors of society.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        Duties are more important than what our hearts want. However, if you can make your heart want the same things that your duties are, then you don’t have to break your heart.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        The six directions determine our destinies, and right understanding is the most important beginning.\u00a0 We are the major influences on children. They are still young, and it is easy for us to raise them with good characteristics.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        People relate to one another in six directions: 1) Parents-Children 2) Teachers-Students 3) Husbands-Wives 4) Friends-Friends 5) Employers-Employees, and 6) Monks-Followers. The six directions are described in detail in the twelve following chapters.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                        42. A Child Should Minister to His Parents<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                        The direction in front of us represents the relationships we have with others as a result of their giving birth to us, i.e. our parents. Parents give us life (the best minds and bodies among all kinds of animals). For example, we can imagine being lucky enough to be born or raised in a very rich, powerful, and kind family. But if our parents are “poodle dogs”, that means we have the body of a dog with a potentially luxurious life. We would be just a lucky dog who rides in a nice Mercedes Benz, eats good dog-foods, wears good clothes, and lives in luxurious places. We will not be able to do good for our parents, teachers, or society in return because of the limits of body and mind. Besides giving us life, parents give material things, and education for our growth and development. Parents devote their time and lives for us much more than we can describe. Therefore, children should minister to their parents by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                                                        1. Supporting them in turn because they have supported us;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                        2. Doing their work for them;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                        3. Keeping up the honor and traditions of the family;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                        4. Making ourselves worthy of our heritage;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                        5. Making offerings and dedicating merit and good karma or works to them after their death.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                          Why don’t children obey their parents?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                          No one is perfect. Thus, parents are not perfect and can make mistakes. And children often see their mistakes.\u00a0 However, children need to realize how parents are important to their lives and what their parents have dedicated to them. If children see these things, learn how to show gratitude, and listen to their parents, our society will be in place. When children obey their parents, it follows the family line that is each generation should respect parents or elders. Therefore, when children grow up and become parents, they will earn respect from their children as well. If parents do not respect themselves, their children, and others, they cannot expect their children to respect them. Likewise, if children do not know how to respect their parents, then they do not know how to respect others. Respecting elders and others in our families and taking care of relatives are the beginnings of good network development, because these practices reflect a good network in family and thus our society.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                           <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                          43. Parents Should Cherish Children<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                          Meanwhile, parents should cherish children by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                                                          1. Restraining them from evil;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                          2. Training them in virtue;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                          3. Giving them education;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                          4. Scrutinizing or knowing their children\u2019s friends to make sure that their children are associating with good people;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                          5. Passing on their heritage to them in due course.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                            I believe that many parents always want to cherish their children. No matter how good or how bad they are, they are your own flesh and blood. They actually are pure when they are born.\u00a0 Children are, in fact, enjoyable, lovable, honest, and funny. If they become bad, we might consider that this is because we “adults” do not create a good environment, or we may hurt them and not teach them or show them what good is. Too much ambition may drive them in the wrong direction, and no ambition may drive them in the wrong direction as well.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                            What do children expect from their parents?\u00a0 Some children might ask for material things. Parents need to know how to control their own spending and teach their children how to save their money. Children\u00a0 actually\u00a0 expect their\u00a0 parents\u00a0 to be good role models, showing them\u00a0 that\u00a0 they\u00a0 can\u00a0 achieve\u00a0 their\u00a0 goals. Parents need to let them know that pleasing or satisfying everybody is impossible. We just need to be honest, learn to do things that give ourselves and others joy, and know how to help ourselves and others. If mistakes are made in the past, they are too late to be corrected in our generation. It will be better to teach those mistakes to our children, so that those mistakes will not happen again.<\/u> Parents need to learn how to grow and teach their children. In any case, parents need to behave themselves in order to be good role models.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                             <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                            44. A Student Should Minister to His Teachers<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                            The southern direction, or the right hand direction, represents the relationships we have with our teachers as a result of their giving us education and training. A student should minister to his teachers by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                                                                            1. Rising to receive them (as an expression of respect);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                            2. Serving them (in things, which facilitate the teacher’s convenience);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                            3. Being obedient to the teaching or showing an eagerness to learn;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                            4. Providing personal service or helping their personal and professional businesses at the appropriate time and chance; 5. Attentively and respectfully learning the arts and sciences and knowing how to use the knowledge to live well and to be successful.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                              Why don’t students respect their teachers? They do not learn to respect at home.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                              In many societies, even when children may not agree with other people\u2019s opinions, but they will learn how to respect others\u2019 opinions. Anyway, students should respect their teachers, because teachers teach us not only because it is their jobs. They have to dedicate their lives to learning things and skills that they need.\u00a0 They actually guide us through those times of education, and they want to see their students become successful.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                              We should always be grateful to our teachers. Without teachers, how can we learn properly and effectively? When\u00a0 we do not learn\u00a0 properly\u00a0 and effectively, we lose our extra\u00a0 time and effort\u00a0 to\u00a0 find\u00a0 the\u00a0 right\u00a0 information\u00a0 or\u00a0 the\u00a0 correct\u00a0 answers.\u00a0 Teachers actually\u00a0\u00a0 are our adopted\u00a0\u00a0 parents or families, who share our goals and who are an important part of our accomplishments. They are not just hired carriers who take us from the unknown side to the known side. If the unknown side is the dark side and the known side is the bright side, teachers are like our sunshine.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                               <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                              45. Teachers Should Make Sure…<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                              Meanwhile, teachers should make sure:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                                                                              1. The student is well trained;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                              2. The student is taught in such a way that he understands and remembers well what he has learned. Teachers have to understand the learning styles of their students to help them retain the knowledge;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                              3. The student is thoroughly instructed in the lore of every art without holding knowledge back;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                              4. The student is praised by the teacher, which raises his esteem amongst his peers;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                              5. The student’s security and safety in every quarter is ensured (to point out the loopholes and weaknesses present in any body of knowledge).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                What do students expect from a good teacher?\u00a0 A good teacher should:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                                                                1. Be patient;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                2. Be open -minded (because they teach more than one student, and each student is different);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                3. Respect individuals without having preferences or biases;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                4. Reward students when they achieve goals or they do well even though they do not achieve, but they try their best; know when to compliment;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                5. Be creative (not foolish and boring);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                6. Be able to teach things that the teachers both are and are not even interested in. Teachers have to motivate and interest themselves in the subjects they teach. Children already tend to excite teachers by their natures. Teachers should not bore or discourage themselves and their students.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                  Teachers need to keep in mind that we are important role models for children in our society. If we are good role models, children will look at us, follow us, and respect us. They then will make good things for themselves and contribute great things for societies. Good teachers have dedication and provide good knowledge and thought without holding back.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                   <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                  46. A Husband Should Cherish His Wife<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                  The western direction, or the direction behind us, represents the relationships we have with others as a result of marrying them i.e. our spouse;<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                  A husband should cherish his wife by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                                                                  1. Honoring her (by acknowledging her as his wife);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                  2. Not looking down on her;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                  3. Being faithful to her;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                  4. Giving her gifts (and things that she needs).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                    A husband should keep in mind that a wife wants respect and support. The support refers not only to financial support, but also emotional support in order to accomplish her goals and to live happily.\u00a0 Why does a husband need to do these things?\u00a0 Because they commit to live together. It is not only because of the vows and the wedding band, but these are parts of commitment. All of the\u00a0 above\u00a0 and\u00a0 support also\u00a0 are\u00a0 parts\u00a0 of love that\u00a0 they\u00a0 should\u00a0 give without\u00a0 conditions. In addition, in modern society, both men and women work outside the home. Therefore, both husband and wife should share responsibilities with domestic duties and other roles as appropriate and possible.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                    Perhaps, we should\u00a0 think\u00a0 carefully\u00a0 and\u00a0 thoroughly\u00a0 before\u00a0 we make\u00a0 a decision\u00a0 to\u00a0 marry someone.\u00a0 By doing so, we probably will not have to worry\u00a0\u00a0 much later\u00a0\u00a0 about\u00a0\u00a0 divorce problems.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                     <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                    47. A Wife Should Cherish Her Husband<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                    Meanwhile, the wife should:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                                                                    1. Keep the family in order;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                    2. Be hospitable and helpful to her husband’s friends and relatives;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                    3. Be faithful to him;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                    4. Take good care of his possessions;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                    5. Be conscientious (never lazy) in all her duties;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      A wife should keep in mind that a husband wants support. Similar to her own needs for support, a wife needs to do these things because of the same reasons in the previous chapter. These also are parts of love that they should give and share without conditions.\u00a0 Spouses need to encourage and nurture each other\u2019s lives to make their lives thrive. Both the husband and wife should be submissive to each other. Any arguments or disagreements may cause damage or violence in the family.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      Perhaps, we can choose the right person for us by thinking carefully and thoroughly before we will make a decision to marry\u00a0 him or her. So we will not have to be sorry that our single lives contain much more freedom, peace, and joy. Khun Yai Chandra said “Being single is like a free bird. There is no cage to limit life’s freedom.\u00a0 A free bird can fly wherever and whenever it wants without worry. A free bird is not necessarily lonely and does not have to be alone. It also does not mean that a free bird will not have other birds to take care of or taking care of it. It also does not mean that the birds which have baby bird(s) will be taken care by their baby birds when they grow up. (If the parent birds are not lucky and have not been good examples or good role models for them to look up to.)”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      There was a friend who told me a story about a girl who walked into a flower garden. The girl tried to choose a perfect flower for her. During the walk, she thought, “This flower is beautiful, but it is smelly. That flower is beautiful, but its petals are hard. Those ones look pretty, but they wilt quickly. These flowers are so pretty, have a nice smell, and last long, but there is too much pollen that spills everywhere.” She walked until the end of the garden and\u00a0 could\u00a0 not\u00a0 find\u00a0 the\u00a0 flower\u00a0 that\u00a0 was\u00a0 both\u00a0 good and\u00a0 right\u00a0 (basically\u00a0 perfect)\u00a0 for\u00a0 her. Moreover, the people who walked after her to the garden picked all the good flowers. And there was no good flower left that the girl could go back to pick. The friend said, “The girl is like a woman who always thinks carefully and thoroughly in order to choose the right guy.” “There will be no good guy left,” she said.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      However,\u00a0 I\u00a0 told\u00a0 her\u00a0 that\u00a0 I\u00a0 would\u00a0 rather\u00a0 have none of the flowers\u00a0 than\u00a0 picking\u00a0 a flower without\u00a0 extreme\u00a0 and\u00a0 thorough\u00a0 contemplation. This\u00a0 is because\u00a0 I do\u00a0 not\u00a0 want\u00a0 to\u00a0 take\u00a0 the wrong\u00a0 flower that\u00a0 will upset\u00a0 my allergies. And the flower that\u00a0 makes\u00a0 you become allergic later is more tormenting than\u00a0 the one that you are allergic to at first exposure,\u00a0 because your immunity\u00a0 may be diminished\u00a0 or dismissed over the long period of time that you are exposed. Then you may not be well prepared, as you did not know that you would become allergic to it.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      Anyway, for the people who have chosen marriage, and you are allergic or become allergic later, I think you still have to make the best out of it. It is not nice to just pick the flower and then throw it away when you are sick of it. However, if your life is endangered because of it, I suggest that you run away from it or throw it away with kindness. (Sometimes, you have to run for your life.) If you choose to throw it away, you do not have to step on it or jump on it with your madness. Be kind and\u00a0 be forgiving to anyone\u00a0 with whom you connect\u00a0 and\u00a0 even with\u00a0 the\u00a0 ones\u00a0 with\u00a0 whom\u00a0 you\u00a0 have\u00a0 been\u00a0 hurtfully\u00a0 or wrongly\u00a0 connected. Kindness and forgiveness never make anyone hurtful or permanently painful, especially for the one who knows how to contain them or know how to give and forgive.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      48. A Person Should Cherish His Friends<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      The northern direction, or the left-hand direction, \u00a0represents the relationships we have with others\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 result\u00a0 of friendship i.e. our\u00a0 friends\u00a0 –\u00a0 but\u00a0 this\u00a0 also\u00a0 extends\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0 more\u00a0 distant acquaintances that affect our lives and resources.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                      A person should cherish his friends by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                                                                      1. Generosity;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                      2. Kind words;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                      3. Helping and acting for their welfare;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                      4. Being consistent;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                      5. Never telling them lies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                        Friends have more meaning than we can say.\u00a0 No matter how poor or rich, sad or glad, or low or high, we are supposed to cherish our friends with sincerity.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                        49. Good Friends Should…<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                        Meanwhile, the friends should:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                                                                        1. Protect their friends when they are off their guards;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Help protect their property even when they neglect it;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                        3. Be a refuge in times of danger;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                        4. Not abandon them in times of trouble;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                        5. Show due respect to other members of their family.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          Giving and forgiving is a key to making friendships and making relationships. There should be no resentment if any mistakes or misunderstandings occur in relationships. There\u00a0 will always\u00a0 be some\u00a0 times\u00a0 that\u00a0 either\u00a0 you or\u00a0 the\u00a0 other\u00a0 person\u00a0 make\u00a0 a\u00a0 mistake.\u00a0 Sometimes, problems and arguments arise because each individual has different perspectives.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          Growing\u00a0 from\u00a0 different cultures or environments and\u00a0 experiencing different\u00a0 things\u00a0 in life differentiate\u00a0 the\u00a0 way of thinking,\u00a0 feeling, and\u00a0 acting\u00a0 in each individual. Therefore, who is right? And who is wrong? Should not be the questions in friendships or good relationships.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          Being patient and kind extends the limits of our minds in doing and being good. Our expanded mind s contribute to our friendship within families, societies, and thus the world.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                           <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          50. An Employer Should Cherish His or Her Employees<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          The nadir, or the direction below us, represents the relationships we have with others as a result of earning our living or as a result of being an employer.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                          An employer should cherish his employees by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                                                                          1. Assigning them work according to their strength;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                          2. Giving them appropriate benefits and due wages;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                          3. Caring for them in sickness;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                          4. Sharing good fortune with them (giving them special gifts on appropriate occasions);<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                          5. Giving them holidays and leaves at suitable times.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                            If you cannot say anything good to your employees, do not say it at all. This is better than pleasing them with insincerity. There is a better way to be both pleasing and sincere such as looking at and mentioning the positive characteristics of the employees. When employees have conflicts, the pleasing or sincere way is to tell them to forgive and get along. We should not say things that make them fight, compete, or talk behind each other’s backs more.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                            To be a good boss: encourage your own growth; do not be afraid to delegate responsibilities, allowing\u00a0 employees\u00a0 to\u00a0 share\u00a0 the\u00a0 responsibility;\u00a0 share\u00a0 credit\u00a0 for\u00a0\u00a0 work\u00a0\u00a0 with\u00a0 employees, coworkers,\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 supervisors;\u00a0 challenge\u00a0\u00a0 employees\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0\u00a0 do\u00a0\u00a0 something\u00a0\u00a0 outside\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 job description; give enough benefits and compensation.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                             <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                            51. Employees and Servants Should Serve Their Employers<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                            Meanwhile, employees should serve their employers by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                                                                                            1. Starting work before the employer;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                            2. Finishing work after the employer;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                            3. Talking about only tasks given to them by the employer;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                            4. Doing their work better;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                            5. Maintaining and defending the employer’s good reputation;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              Even if we have a bad boss, the boss still may have points for us about which to feel grateful. At the very least, he or she gives us the opportunities to work to make money to support our lives. Even though\u00a0 sometimes\u00a0 our\u00a0 relationships with our\u00a0 bosses are\u00a0 not perfect,\u00a0 we can still find\u00a0 great\u00a0 positive\u00a0 things\u00a0 that\u00a0 benefit\u00a0 us. In any case, employees should do the very best work possible and take pride even if nobody else can see. Eventually, things will pay off<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              “Gratitude and mindfulness of the benefit done are characteristics of the virtuous.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                               <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              52. A Person Should Serve His or Her Spiritual Mentors<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              The direction above us, represents the relationships we have with others as a result of our spiritual vocation i.e. our spiritual mentors, monks, or priests.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                              A person should serve his or her spiritual mentors by:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                                                                                              1. Kind acts;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                              2. Kind words;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Kind thoughts;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                              4. Keeping and opening his or her house to welcome them for their teaching;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                              5. Supplying them with their material needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                We should serve and respect our spiritual mentors. They sacrifice their lives to. find and accomplish\u00a0 what they seek, such as paths to ultimate or permanent inner\u00a0 peace, withdrawal from suffering thoughts, events, feelings, speeches, and actions, devoting their lives to teaching, giving up the convenient\u00a0 way that most people live. They behave themselves and spend their time searching for spiritual things.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                “An established faith brings happiness.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                 <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                53. Spiritual Mentors Should…<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                Meanwhile, spiritual mentors should:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                                                                                1. Prevent their followers from evil;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                2. Encourage them to do good;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                3. Minister to them in kindness;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                4. Teach them new or beneficial things;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                5. Clarify things that are not clear;<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                6. Show them the way to heaven.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  The followers expect their spiritual mentors to be honest and sincere with their followers and themselves. They should not show preference to a major benefactor.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  “The virtuous always take delight in helping other sentient beings.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                   <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  54. Making Things Practical.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  Each direction in the six directions serves as a good environment. Within each relationship, we learn from each other through our actions. Our mind is the most powe1ful thing.\u00a0 If we attempt something, anything can be possible. To accomplish anything, we have to start by doing it gradually. When we observe, we can see things more clearly. When we practice, we become more skilled; and when we learn, we earn more wisdom. Sometimes we also need meritorious strategy to convince ourselves to make things practical.\u00a0 For example, we may set our goals and schedules for the things we wish to accomplish. We may share the ideas with others. We may have friends practicing these things or the skills with us. We may try to look for both the short- and long-term benefits of what we are doing. We may try to do it in a group, instead of doing it alone.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  From a good individual comes a good society, and a good world.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                   <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  55. How Do We Practice Responsibility?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  Those four responsibilities (oneself, society, economy, and environment) are difficult to practice. Yet one who practices will have a peaceful mind. When each of us practices doing goodness\u00a0\u00a0 then\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 world\u00a0\u00a0 can\u00a0\u00a0 become\u00a0\u00a0 peaceful. Now we understand the concept of responsibilities. How do we practice these responsibilities?<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  Buddha’s teachings have been given to people for over 2,500 years. We need to learn these teachings to gain knowledge. For the world to know the concept of a good person, we should have either public or private organizations that are supported by the government and the public sector. The\u00a0 people\u00a0 who \u00a0follow\u00a0 this\u00a0 concept\u00a0 can\u00a0 be\u00a0 compared\u00a0 to\u00a0 blocks\u00a0 from\u00a0 a standard mold. Each individual block is formed by six sides or directions and the whole block is the world, created by peaceful minds and definitely forming a peaceful world. The main components of the 6 directions are one\u2019s parents.\u00a0 Parents have to know what good and bad are. That is why Buddha typically taught how to avoid badness, and then to do goodness. One thing to be considered is the person who can take responsibility. Responsibility must begin with respect of self. We especially have to respect the top direction, the monk or the priest who has wisdom about what good and bad are.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                  Finally, we all need to be dedicated in order to perform these responsibilities well. You cannot shape clay to be a cube and stack it firmly by itself. The human mind should be expressed firmly like stone not like clay. We can make our minds strong like stone by practicing the four responsibilities:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Self: follow the four precepts or avoid personal evil (killing, stealing, committing adultery, and lying)<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Society: avoid the four biases or preferences because of love, hate, ignorance, and fear<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                  3. Economy: avoid the six causes of ruins (1. drinking alcohol or taking drugs 2. roaming the streets at night 3. seeing bad shows or movies 4. gambling 5. associating with bad friends 6. being reluctant to work for a living)<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                  4. Environment: do not destroy but instead protect the environment from any possible problem<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    The four responsibilities above make the human mind strong like stone. Why should\u00a0\u00a0 we make the mind like stone? This\u00a0 is because\u00a0 when\u00a0 each\u00a0 stone\u00a0 is shaped as\u00a0 a\u00a0 cube\u00a0 with\u00a0 six directions (sides)<\/u>, those stones\u00a0 can\u00a0 be stacked without\u00a0 collapsing and\u00a0 be constructed neatly.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    The analogy is; each stone is one good person, and the shaped stone is the well-practiced good person who is responsible for the others.\u00a0 And thus, each person is responsible for the fundamental creation of peace in the world. Building on each other increases the strength of the humanity.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                     <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    56. How to Be Successful Permanently<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    Money is one of many important things in our lives, but money is not the most important thing in our lives. So to be successful does not mean that we have to be millionaires. It does not mean that we have to be famous, powerful, and rich. However, those things should facilitate us to help others if we use them appropriately.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    Any person’s success may be: having money and getting a good job.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    A good person’s success is: having happiness in life, being a good person, and being useful to himself or herself and others.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                    A successful person is a person who can be responsible for himself, others, society, and the environment correctly. Usually, good people are successful people. Good\u00a0 people know\u00a0 not only how to be responsible\u00a0 following the six directions\u00a0 in the\u00a0 previous\u00a0 chapters, but\u00a0 also need \u00a0to\u00a0 know\u00a0 how\u00a0 to\u00a0 be\u00a0 good\u00a0 or successful\u00a0 permanently. In order\u00a0\u00a0 to be successful permanently, we also need to behave as follows:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Leave the past behind you and start fresh<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Maintain discipline<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                    3. Be embarrassed and afraid to do bad things or avoid bad things which lead to unhappiness<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                    4. Be kind to all living beings (including yourself)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      If we cannot leave the past, we cannot move forward. The past should be left only as a lesson and a part of our good memory.<\/u> Because we need to be with others in our society, we need to follow rules strictly. Sometimes we may not want to follow the rules, but we still need to. People who are well disciplined will also know how to be patient.\u00a0 Being embarrassed and afraid of doing bad things prompts us to avoid doing bad. Furthermore, people in our society need things: encouragement, knowledge, and safety in their lives. We should be kind and share these things with each other.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      57. Goal in This Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      People should have clear goals in their lives. When we have good goals to accomplish, we will not waste our time and life doing other useless things. There are two categories of goals: goals in this life and goals in the next life. Good people who know how to be responsible in society need to realize these two goals.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      A person who is nice, honest, and good, but has no job and no money to maintain his life will not be able to live happily.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      There are four elements to complete the goal in this life. The details are in the following four chapters.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      In general, the goals in this life are how to live your life and support your family happily. People need to accomplish these goals, without doing bad things, on the levels on which they can maintain their living conveniently. Therefore, whoever accomplishes these four elements will certainly reduce worry for living in this life. Beyond these four elements, a goal in this life of good people is the understanding of and maintaining of both their living and goodness.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      58. Have Good Jobs and Keep Doing Good Work<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      We have to work for our living. Those who have good jobs and keep doing good work need to work hard. In order to keep working hard, we have to be patient. Likewise, we need to know how to manage our time and our jobs. We also need to know how to deal with people. However, while we are doing these things, we still need to maintain our goodness. A good job does not necessarily bring big money. It can be any job that is both legal and ethical.\u00a0 Certainly, the job has to give enough income to make a living. Buddha indicated that a human is not supposed to sell weapons, humans, poisons, or drugs. Selling these things causes trouble to both us and others. If we work hard, are patient, plan and think about our work carefully and thoroughly, we will certainly be able to accomplish our goals.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      The process of\u00a0 trying to\u00a0 find\u00a0 a\u00a0 good\u00a0 job\u00a0 makes\u00a0 us\u00a0 want\u00a0 to\u00a0 have\u00a0 good\u00a0 physical\u00a0 and educational things. These things support our pleasure for a living. However, these things are not just the major reasons to have a good job. When we have good jobs, we live well; when we live well, we have no worries about living; when we have no worries about living, we then are able to pursue our pe1jection and help others without worry.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      When someone at work treats you badly or talks down to you, you can look at it or listen to it, but don\u2019t accept it. You just have to keep working hard and doing good work. Never give up! Good karma will always be returned to you.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      59. Know How to Save to Save Your Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      People who are nice, honest, and rich without saving their money will eventually be poor. People who know how to save money will avoid debt. In addition, we need to look for items we have lost instead of immediately going out to buy a new one. When something breaks, we should try to fix it before thinking about buying a new one or throwing it away. We may think that it is difficult to earn money for a living. Actually, saving money for a good living is even more difficult than earning.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      In\u00a0 addition, we need\u00a0 to clear\u00a0 our\u00a0 minds\u00a0 of any\u00a0 thoughts\u00a0 and\u00a0 feelings\u00a0 that\u00a0 make\u00a0 us lose purity, happiness,\u00a0 and\u00a0 peace in our\u00a0 minds. When our minds are afraid, discouraged, worried, or depressed, we need to fix our minds. We need to look for the bright side. Usually, we feel afraid and worried, when we think that we will lose some things such as our jobs, money, or people and things that we love.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      There are two kinds of problems in this world. The first one is a fixable problem, and the second one is the non-fixable problem. For example, a fixable problem is having debt, and a non-fixable problem is dying.\u00a0 We need to continue to live to fix problems in our lives. Actually, fixing problems does not mean that we need to worry about them or deal with them right\u00a0\u00a0 away.\u00a0\u00a0 We\u00a0\u00a0 can fix them \u00a0by fixing our minds first. For example, practicing meditation and listening to good, reasonable, and encouraging teaching are good solutions or alternatives. When our minds are fixed and saved from the bad and unhappy thoughts, we will see the bright sides of the problems. Then solutions will come along.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                       <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      60. Having a Good Network<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      People who have only material things in their lives without good friends or good people around them will not be completely secure and successful. Before people can have good friends, they have to know how to behave and act correctly. In order to create a good network, we should follow our roles or duties properly. If we follow our roles or duties in the six directions from the previous chapters, it will help us create a good network.\u00a0 Again, this has to start from oneself, through family, friends, teachers, monks, priests, and community. People who have goals in the next life usually know how to behave well. We should learn from them and distribute the good knowledge and teaching to others.\u00a0One should always remember that “give” is the keyword for making friends.<\/u><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                      Ten thoughts to consider everyday for people who want to have or create a good network are:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Do I have good manners? How can I have them?<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. I always have to improve myself because I am not perfect.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      3. Are my goals to create a good network for others and myself completed?<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      4. I have prestigious duties to do (follow the six directions). Therefore, I will never give up. No matter how many obstacles I encounter, I will be patient. I will try to solve my problems, improve myself, and move on until I accomplish my goals.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      5. Have I reminded myself to avoid doing anything bad yet?<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      6. I must consider what I am doing and whether it is right or wrong.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      7. People and things that I love will eventually be taken away. Therefore, I need to learn to let them go and let them be. Everything comes and goes.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      8. Have I reminded myself that karma follows me? If I do good, I will get good; if I do bad, I will get bad.<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      9. Time goes by, what am I doing right now?<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                      10. Am I doing goodness today?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        61. Knowing How to Spend Money in Your Pocket<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        After we know how to earn and save money for a living, we then have to know how to spend our money. Whenever\u00a0\u00a0 we think about buying things, we have to be able to answer these questions. Why do we have to buy them? How do we want to buy them? How many do we need to buy? If we can answer these questions reasonably, that means we know how to spend our money.\u00a0 Before\u00a0 we want\u00a0 to spend\u00a0 our\u00a0 money\u00a0 for\u00a0 anything, we have\u00a0 to\u00a0 think\u00a0 about\u00a0 our income and\u00a0 how much\u00a0 money we have left. What we spend should not be more than what we earn.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Once I met a 7-year-old child who is my friend’s niece. She and her 3-year-old sister had lunch with me one day. We ate so much and were really full and felt like we were having a food coma. While we were walking back to my friend’s house, she said “Mom told me that I should\u00a0\u00a0 not eat too much.\u00a0 Because when we eat too much, we will get headaches and stomachaches, and we will not be able to think.” The way she said that seems funny. It is so true that the food coma is always associated with an inert brain. We should eat when we are hungry. We should not eat when we only want to eat.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        In addition, associating with bad friends leads us to spend our money in bad ways.\u00a0 In any case, we should not spend our money without being careful until we have eliminated our debts.\u00a0 No one has debts without worry. However, we should not hold onto our money too tightly or we become stingy. This is just like those who never want to spend their money for both their own benefit and others.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Some rich people may keep their large amount of money till they die. When they die, they cannot bring their money with them. The people who get that money later may spend the money in a bad way.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        If we have more money than we need, we can donate our money to help others in appropriate cases and situations. Thus, people who know how to spend their money for both their own and others\u2019 benefit properly are named as the ones who know how to spend the money in their pockets.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Once I watched a TV program about a seemingly beautiful and useful cooking set. I had two old cooking sets in my kitchen at that time. However, I was tricked by the commercials. So I looked for many reasonable answers such as “Oh, it is so durable. You will be able to use it for a long time. The materials are so nice and fashionable for the dining table and kitchen, etc.” At that moment all the reasons why I should buy it flooded into my head until I could not resist. Therefore, I called to order it. Now it has been several months after I received the cooking set, and I rarely use it. So I learned that buying what you need and what you want are different.\u00a0 And being reasonably impulsive is not always good.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        “Being in debt is a cause of suffering.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        “Eat to live, not live to eat.” (Old saying)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        62. Goal in the Next Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Progressing from accomplishing the goal in this life to the goal in the next life, we realize that we need to improve our lives in both the short term (this life) and the long term (the next life). In fact, when we believe in the next life, we tend to be afraid of doing evil. When we feel afraid to do evil, we do not even need laws or police to control our behaviors.\u00a0 People who believe in the next life tend to pursue true perfection. We try to collect the good in or for ourselves, so that the path to pursue perfection will be smooth.\u00a0 I use the word “smooth” meaning that we will have fewer obstacles along our paths. The following 4 chapters are major elements in accomplishing our goals in the next life.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        63. We Need Good Faith<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        \u00a0<\/strong>Faith is a major component of t raining ourselves to be good or bad. When we have good faith, it keeps us doing good. When we have bad faith, it causes us to do bad. People who wish to move ahead in their lives need to respect good people. They need to look for and look at good role models, so that they can continue doing good. They can learn and absorb the principles. Those who have good faith will then have the right understanding. They then will know how to protect themselves from others who are doing bad.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        In addition, respect is the way we admire people who we have faith in all the time. We need to listen and follow their teaching to keep good faith. Furthermore, we can show our respect by either giving things or following their teachings. We can have faith in those who possess all the good, sila (5 Buddhist\u00a0\u00a0 precepts), and wisdom. Moreover, any good monks, priests, teachers, parents, friends, and employers are those in whom we can have faith.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        64. Controlling Yourself from Doing Bad<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Doing good deeds has its own rewards. On the other hand, doing bad deeds has its own punishments. There\u00a0 are\u00a0 10 bad\u00a0 things\u00a0 that\u00a0 we\u00a0 need\u00a0 to\u00a0 avoid\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Killing 2.\u00a0 Stealing 3. Committing adultery 4. Telling lies 5. Being sarcastic 6. Being rude 7. Being boastful 8. Being greedy 9. Being envious 10. Having harmful beliefs.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        In order to control ourselves from doing the IO bad things, we need to feel both ashamed and afraid to do bad. We feel ashamed to do bad when we think about losing our dignity, our pride in being a good role model for younger people to look up to, our self-respect, our goodness, and our pride in learning from good teachers. We lose our pride when we do bad to someone who has been good to us. We feel afraid to do bad when we think about punishment and bad karma. It is easy to do good when you are among good people and it is easy to do bad when you are among bad people. Likewise, it is difficult to do good when you are among bad people. It is difficult to do bad when you are among good people. Good people usually know how to control themselves from doing bad and remind others to control themselves from doing bad as well.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        “To associate with the vicious, like associating with the enemy, always brings suffering.\u00a0 To associate with the wise, like associating with the relatives, always brings happiness.” (Buddha)<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        65. Being Happy to Give and Forgive<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        To be happy to give and forgive, we may start by giving happiness to ourselves. We can do it in a simple way by telling ourselves every morning right after we get up, “I will be happy today.”\u00a0 We\u00a0 also\u00a0 can\u00a0 send\u00a0 our loving\u00a0 kindness,\u00a0 forgiveness,\u00a0 good\u00a0 wishes,\u00a0 or\u00a0 our\u00a0\u00a0 good intentions\u00a0 from\u00a0 our\u00a0 minds\u00a0 to others every night before we go to sleep. We are happy when we do not think or worry about our lives in the future. We should give ourselves relaxing, happy, and comfortable moments once or twice a day by doing these things.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        If we want\u00a0 to\u00a0 pursue our\u00a0 perfection,\u00a0 we have\u00a0 to start by\u00a0 giving\u00a0 love,\u00a0 loving\u00a0 kindness, forgiveness, and chances\u00a0 to others\u00a0 and ourselves. Forgiveness should be given to whoever has made or will make a mistake. We should give chances to ourselves and others to correct and to improve. These gifts of love, loving kindness, forgiveness, and chances have more value for us than having anything else (having money, no debt, fame, and great jobs). This\u00a0 is because these\u00a0 gifts\u00a0 give\u00a0 us\u00a0 the\u00a0 most\u00a0 inner\u00a0 peace\u00a0 and\u00a0 happiness,\u00a0 and\u00a0 material things\u00a0 cannot\u00a0 last forever.\u00a0People should give without condition, and without expecting anything in return, not even good words.<\/u> Everyone in this world is our friend. They are friends who are in the same situations. We are all born, grow, become sick, and die in our world together.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        That is why we should give or share whatever and whenever we can.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        66. Stop Learning, Start Dying, Increasing Your Wisdom<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Since we were born, how many times in our lives have we not had to worry about anything at all? There are many things that cause us worry. For example, will we have food to eat tomorrow? Will we pass the exam or not? Will we finish the work on time? Will we get the job? How will our children do? Will we have enough money to pay the bills? Will I get an “A” in the class? Do we need to live without fear?\u00a0 I still think that we do not need to live with fear.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        How many times in our lives have our minds been peaceful, joyful and become still deeply inside until we are free from worry and thought?\u00a0 Meditation makes our minds stop thinking about any thoughts, worries, or emotions.\u00a0\u00a0 We will have happy minds. Once there was a king who asked the Buddha. “Do you sit and sleep well with the uncomfortable seat and place in the wood?” The Buddha said “If your mind is happy, you can sleep, sit, or walk eve1ywhere with happiness. If your mind is unhappy, no matter how expensive and comfortable the bed on which you sleep is, you still cannot be happy.”\u00a0Meditation makes our minds contain only one emotion \u2013 joy.<\/u> Meditation also makes us see things the way they are. It makes us see the causes of suffering and the way to solve problems in our lives. These benefits from practicing meditation usually\u00a0\u00a0 improve with practice like any other \u00a0learning. After we practice meditation until we become familiar with it, we will find that our minds can be in their own pure and crystal-clear places.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        The more you practice meditation, the more wisdom you will learn, and the more ignorance will be reduced.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        The more your mind is free from any thoughts and worries, the more peace and joy you will gain.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        However, as with any other learning, a good teacher is needed.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Reading good books, talking with good people who have right understanding, learning with good teachers, and following good patterns of how to live our lives happily in both this life and the next life are the correct ways of increasing our wisdom.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        In addition, meditation helps us remain calm and see things more clearly.<\/u> We will find the inner peace and know the importance and truth of our lives. Our minds will be free from fear. We\u00a0 will know\u00a0 that\u00a0 the\u00a0 inner\u00a0 peace, which\u00a0 has\u00a0 occurred\u00a0 in\u00a0 our\u00a0 minds, is the\u00a0 most\u00a0 stable happiness that we can rely on without requiring money, fame, and power.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                         <\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        67. Conclusion of Living in Peace without Worry<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        Living in peace is the way that we practice what we should do to others and ourselves with right understanding. Those who practice the teaching of each chapter in this book wisely or bring the teaching to their daily life practice will live in peace without worry. They will live without worry that they will lose their jobs, their families, their friends, their fame, and even their lives, because they have goals, and they try to follow the path to accomplish the goals in both this life and the next life.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        When our minds are pure, we can think clearly, and when we can think clearly, nothing can worry us. When we are in peace, we don\u2019t want anything more. When we feel our lives are fulfilled or sufficient, we can let worry go.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                        People need to realize that we all are in both good and bad situations in our lives as follows:<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Being lucky<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Being unlucky<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Being powerful<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        4. Being powerless<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        5. Being happy<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        6. Being unhappy<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        7. Being praised<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                        8. Being criticized<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          Buddha called these things the “8 worldly conditions”. These things come and go in our lives. No one can avoid these things. Therefore, we should keep our minds stable and peaceful. We need to be ready to accept these common situations. We should not let our minds be fluctuated and distracted by these situations.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          When things get chaotic or problematic, we can use the phrase \u201cat least”. For example,<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          I got in a car accident and my car was totaled. At least, I still have my life. My work was sub-par today. At least, I did not lose my job.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          I lost my job. At least, I still have food to eat tonight.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          My husband walked out and is living with another woman. At least, I still have a place to stay.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          “At least” is a simple phrase, but makes us optimistic and reduces our worry or anxiety. It makes us look for the good even in bad situations.\u00a0 Let’s be thankful for and optimistic about what we have and what we can do.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          We should not be afraid of or worried about anything, if whatever we have done and will do comes from our good and pure intentions and minds.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          Yesterday has passed; tomorrow has not arrived; the future is too far to cause us worry. Live our lives day by day with happiness. What we worry about may or may not happen. Many times problems are solved by doing nothing. Let our minds be stable and with brightness and purity inside. Life is not easy, but it should not be too difficult.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          “The virtuous are protected by their own virtues.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          “Those who follow the Dhamma live a happy life.”<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          “Peace is the highest bliss” (Buddha)[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”Summary and Integration of all levels of the teachings from Luang Por Datta to gain an over all concept of understanding of living in peace withut worry” el_id=”1490948212212-365041b5-0887″][\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”About the Author” el_id=”1490947935582-b8b7e8d5-af98″]Dr. Srisuda Dhamwichukorn (Crystal Moon) is an environmental biotechnologist who has been interested in meditation since she was five years old. She has applied the benefits of meditation to her studies, career, and problems in life with kindness and optimism.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          Dr. Dhamwichukorn and over a million friends\u00a0 who have attended meditation at the Dhammakaya\u00a0 Foundation\u00a0 around\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0 world\u00a0 have\u00a0 shown\u00a0\u00a0 that\u00a0\u00a0 meditation\u00a0 is\u00a0 the\u00a0 most beneficial, yet least\u00a0 expensive\u00a0 method, for\u00a0 gaining\u00a0 true\u00a0 peace and\u00a0 happiness in life. The world can be at peace through inner peace or meditation.<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                          In the scientific world, Dr. Dhamwichukorn has been involved in using and developing cutting edge technologies such as bioinformatics and genomics for her environmental improvement research. However,\u00a0 philosophical\u00a0 teachings\u00a0 from\u00a0 her\u00a0 teachers\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 great benefits\u00a0 of\u00a0 meditation\u00a0 have\u00a0 inspired\u00a0 and\u00a0 given\u00a0 her\u00a0 faith\u00a0 that\u00a0 genuine\u00a0 world\u00a0 peace\u00a0 can become a\u00a0 reality\u00a0 with\u00a0 the\u00a0 peace of each\u00a0 individual\u00a0 stable,\u00a0 bright,\u00a0 and\u00a0 pure\u00a0 mind.\u00a0\u00a0 She is determined to share\u00a0\u00a0 the teachings\u00a0\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 the optimistic\u00a0\u00a0 wisdom\u00a0\u00a0 with everyone\u00a0\u00a0 because building on each other increases the peaceful strength of humanity.[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”Future Books Based on the Teaching from Luang Por Datta to Gain Further Insight, Wisdom, and Thought:” el_id=”1490947976767-2a5557bf-70c4″]<\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                                                                                          1. The Right Understanding, the Beginning of the Prosperous Life<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Being Patient: How Can We Be?<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                          3. The Nobility of Eightfold Path: The Noble Truth for the Cessation of Suffering<\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                                                                          4. The Highest Thirty Eight Blessings: 38 paths for coping with all levels of difficulties in life and gaining success and prosperity in our present and future lives.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                                                                                                                                                            [\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                                                                                                                                                            [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Read | Download [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Series 1 : Living in Peace without Worry Practical insight that will lift your spirit and set your mind free from worry in all circumstances wherever you are. Sharing, Loving and Being Loved, Forgiving and Forgetting, Living without Worry, Having a Secure and Peaceful Mind Life is tough.\u00a0 It is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-books","category-english","category-2","category-6","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=433"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4561,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433\/revisions\/4561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interhq.org\/book\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}