Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Month: February 2007
May you
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Saint Theresa
不要判斷
你們不要判斷，你們也就不受判斷；不要定罪，也就不被定罪；你們要赦免，也就蒙赦免。
你們給，也就給你們；並且還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裏，因為你們用什麼升斗量，也用什麼升斗量給你們。
Life is filled with suffering
Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Vietnamese Buddhist Monk
在逆境中開悟生命意趣
大江健三郎青年時代就以「文學」作為人生的第一個壯志來追求，年輕時就受到日本文壇的矚目。沒想到三十一歲時生下第一個孩子大江光，是一個頭蓋骨不全的重度智障兒。
根據大江健三郎的回憶，大江光出生在廣島，當時廣島正在舉行反核大遊行，健三郎懷著混亂的心情去參加。大會之後，一群原爆犧牲者的親屬，聚集在河邊追悼死者，並為死去的人放河燈，他們把死者的名字寫在燈籠上
，隨水漂流。
當時悵望河水，被絕望心情包圍的健三郎，也為「大江光」寫了一個河燈，隨水流去，在心裡希望，自己的孩子就這樣死去。
隨後不久，大江健三郎去訪問原爆醫院，聽院長告訴他，醫院裡有一些年輕醫生，由於觸目所見，都是求生不得，求死不能的病人，自己又不能為病人解除痛苦，終於積鬱自殺；造成深受痛苦的病人掙扎求生，身無病痛但
過度嚴肅的醫生反而自殺的荒謬情況。
大江健三郎聽了大有所悟，回東京後立刻請醫生為大江光開刀，並立下第二個人生的壯志：與大江光共同活下去。
大江光雖是智障兒，又犯有嚴重的癲癇，但在父母親悉心的照護下，不只心靈澄明無染，對音樂還有超凡的才華。如今出版兩張個人的音樂專輯「大江光的音樂」、「薩爾斯堡」，引起日本樂壇的震撼，甚至被喻為「日本
古典樂壇的奇葩」。
在大江健三郎獲得諾貝爾文學獎後的一場演講會，他對聽眾自嘲說：「據說我兒子的音樂所以受到歡迎，是因為有催眠曲的效果，如果有人聽了大江光的音樂還睡不著，就請看我的書吧！」
浮 生 若 茶
茶葉因沸水才能釋放出深蘊的清香，
生命也只有遭遇一次次挫折，才能留下人生的幽香……
一個屢屢失意的年輕人迢迢來到普濟寺，慕名尋到老僧釋圓，沮喪地對老僧釋圓說：“像我這樣屢屢失意的人，活著也是苟且，有什麼用呢？”
老僧釋圓如入定般坐著，靜靜聽著這位年輕人的歎息和絮叨，什麼也不說，只是吩咐小和尚說：“施主遠途而來，燒一壺溫水送過來。”小和尚諾諾著去了。
稍頃，小和尚送來了一壺溫水，釋圓老僧抓了一把茶葉放進杯子裏，然後用溫水沏了，放在年輕人面前的茶几上，微微一笑說：“施主，請用些茶。”
年輕人俯首看看杯子，只見杯子裏微微地嫋出幾縷水汽，那些茶葉靜靜地浮著。
年輕人不解地詢問釋圓說：“貴寺怎麼用溫水沖茶？”
釋圓微笑不語，只是示意年輕人說：“施主請用茶吧。”年輕人只好端起杯子，輕輕呷了兩口。釋圓說：“請問施主，這茶可香？”
年輕人又呷了兩口，細細品了又品，搖搖頭說：“這是什麼茶？一點茶香也沒有呀。”
釋圓笑笑說：“這是閩浙名茶鐵觀音啊，怎麼會沒有茶香？”
年輕人聽說是上乘的鐵觀音，又忙端起杯子吹開浮著的茶葉呷兩口又再三細細品味，還是放下杯子肯定地說：“真的沒有一絲茶香。”
老僧釋圓微微一笑，吩咐小和尚說：“再去膳房燒一壺沸水送過來。”
小和尚又諾諾著去了。
稍頃，便提來一壺壺嘴吱吱吐著濃濃白氣的沸水進來, 釋圓起身，又取一個杯子，撮了把茶葉放進去，稍稍朝杯子裏注了些沸水。
放在年輕人面前的茶几上，年輕人俯首去看杯子裏的茶，只見那些茶葉在杯子裏上上下下地沉浮，隨著茶葉的沉浮，一絲細微的清香便從杯子裏溢出來。
聞著那清清的茶香，年輕人禁不住欲去端那杯子，釋圓微微一笑說：“施主稍候。”說著便提起水壺朝杯子裏又注了一縷沸水。
年輕人再俯首看杯子，見那些茶葉上上下下沉沉浮浮得更嘈雜了。
同時，一縷更醇更醉人的茶香嫋嫋地升騰出杯子，在禪房裏輕輕地彌漫著。
釋圓如是地注了五次水，杯子終於滿了，
那綠綠的一杯茶水，沁得滿屋津津生香。
釋圓笑著問道：“施主可知道同是鐵觀音，卻為什麼茶味迥異嗎？”
年輕人思忖說：“一杯用溫水沖沏，一杯用沸水沖沏，用水不同吧。”
釋圓笑笑說，用水不同，則茶葉的沉浮就不同。
用溫水沏的茶，茶葉就輕輕地浮在水上，沒有沉浮，茶葉怎麼會散逸它的清香呢？
而用沸水沖沏的茶，沖沏了一次又一次，茶葉沉了又浮，浮了又沉，沉沉浮浮，茶葉就釋出了它春雨的清幽，夏陽的熾烈，秋風的醇厚，冬霜的清冽。
世間芸芸眾生，又何嘗不是茶呢？