Part I: As it is now

In the recent ehipassiko camp, there is a dhamma talk entitled "As it is now", which I think this is the best talk I ever attended.....

First, let me ask you....

1. Do you get angry/easily fed up when somebody said something that you dislike to hear?

2. Do you get angry/easily fed up when someone do something that you don't like?

3. Do you get angry/easily fed up when you found out that your friends go out with another friends without telling you? 

4. Do you get angry/easily fed up when your friends don't reply your sms or email?

5. Do you get angry/easily fed up when your mom doesn't listen to your idea?

6. Do you get angry/easily fed up when your friends break their promise or cancel the appointment at the very last minute? 

7. Do you get angry/easily fed up when your boyfriend doesn't call you?

8. Do you get angry/easily fed up when your friends/father/someone make fun of you in front lots people/relatives/girlfriends/boyfriends?

and the lists go on....

Okay, next do you realize that you are angry/easily fed up and start to scold/complain about the things of any mentioned above??

and next question: Why are we angry/easily fed up about the things? It is actually very minor part in our life and we can get angry/easily fed up for sometimes before we cool down.....

In our own life, we have our own ideas/dreams/thoughts which to your own selves, you think it is the right things that everyone should follow..... this is the ideas that make you think that 

1. My friends should talk to you politely.

2. It is wrong for my friends to do this things.

3. My best friends should inform you where she goes/does/etc or your best friends should only go out with you and not others.

4. My friends should reply your sms/email in less than a day.

5. My mom should at least to listen to your idea before saying anything.

6. Everyone should keep their promise and nobody should cancel their appointment last minute.

7. My bf should call me everyday.

8. Nobody should make fun of me in front of public.

So, we called this ideas/dreams/thoughts that you have developed since young as a barrier.

A barrier that make you feel angry/easily fed up.

So when you realize this barrier, tell yourself, I shouldn't get angry/easily fed up. This is just my own opinion and not others, why should we angry/easily fed up about it? 

Let me give you another example:

Find a friend or stranger of opposite gender.

Look into their eyes for 1 minute.

How do you feel??

Do you feel weird? 

Are you feeling like continue/stop looking into their eyes?

Are you feeling it is not appropriate to look into eyes of strangers/opposite gender??

So...... What is your answer??

(Part II: to be continued)

1.15 am 20 June 2010 

(After watching inception and while chatting with yong wei)