Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Words, Mirror of Heart


Photo courtesy: http://www.cuiniao.cn

There was a famous poet and politician called Su Dongpo, who befriended with a monk called Foyin. They enjoyed time together and occasionally battled of wits with each other. One day, they sat still practicing meditation. After a while, Su opened his eyes and asked Foyin,

“What do I look like sitting in meditation?”

“You look like a poised Buddha.” Foyin took a look and praised with nodding.

Su was pleased. Foyin asked in reply, “How do you think about me?”

“You look like bullshit.” Su teased Foyin intentionally.

Foyin smiled and put his palms together continuing meditation.

After Su returned home, he told his sister proudly,

“I poked fun at Monk Foyin today.”

After she learned the whole story, she laughed at Su,

“Foyin has Buddha in his mind, so he sees everything as Buddha; you have bullshit in your heart, so you see everything as bullshit. Foyin wins with more cultivation.”

We not only use our eyes watching the world, but also use our heart perceiving it. Our heart colors our view and our view reflects our mindset.

The internationally renowned inspirational author Wayne Dyer ever said, "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."

When a person makes judgment about another, it reveals more the speaker’s morality and personality, fair or unfair, biased or open-minded, kind or mean, decent or obscene. Also, from one’s assumptions of others’ life and activities, we can tell that person’s moral standard, inner being, and hidden desires.

Words are mirror of one’s heart.

4 comments:

V said...

Yes, how we like to judge people, sometimes not consciously aware that it immediately isolates people, worse still, contaminates the peaceful environment.

Silence is really gold sometimes!

Jade Meng said...

It is not about the words; it is about the mind. One with cultivated mind will speak out fair and kind words; one with tainted heart may say things to ruin one's own reputation if not hurting others.

As a cultured person, you always know how to talk.

V said...

Absolutely...thanks for reminding me - to cultivate is to control the mind, which could be the source of all vices if allowed to run wild!

Jade Meng said...

Words can "contaminate the peaceful environment" and even taint kids' pure heart if not censored. I felt this recently.