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
不要判断
你们不要判断，你们也就不受判断；不要定罪，也就不被定罪；你们要赦免，也就蒙赦免。
你们给，也就给你们；并且还要用好的，连按带摇，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你们的怀里，因为你们用什么升斗量，也用什么升斗量给你们。
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
在逆境中开悟生命意趣
大江健三郎青年时代就以「文学」作为人生的第一个壮志来追求，年轻时就受到日本文坛的瞩目。没想到三十一岁时生下第一个孩子大江光，是一个头盖骨不全的重度智障儿。
根据大江健三郎的回忆，大江光出生在广岛，当时广岛正在举行反核大游行，健三郎怀着混乱的心情去参加。大会之后，一群原爆牺牲者的亲属，聚集在河边追悼死者，并为死去的人放河灯，他们把死者的名字写在灯笼上
，随水漂流。
当时怅望河水，被绝望心情包围的健三郎，也为「大江光」写了一个河灯，随水流去，在心里希望，自己的孩子就这样死去。
随后不久，大江健三郎去访问原爆医院，听院长告诉他，医院里有一些年轻医生，由于触目所见，都是求生不得，求死不能的病人，自己又不能为病人解除痛苦，终于积郁自杀；造成深受痛苦的病人挣扎求生，身无病痛但
过度严肃的医生反而自杀的荒谬情况。
大江健三郎听了大有所悟，回东京后立刻请医生为大江光开刀，并立下第二个人生的壮志：与大江光共同活下去。
大江光虽是智障儿，又犯有严重的癫痫，但在父母亲悉心的照护下，不只心灵澄明无染，对音乐还有超凡的才华。如今出版两张个人的音乐专辑「大江光的音乐」、「萨尔斯堡」，引起日本乐坛的震撼，甚至被喻为「日本
古典乐坛的奇葩」。
在大江健三郎获得诺贝尔文学奖后的一场演讲会，他对听众自嘲说：「据说我儿子的音乐所以受到欢迎，是因为有催眠曲的效果，如果有人听了大江光的音乐还睡不着，就请看我的书吧！」
浮 生 若 茶
茶叶因沸水才能释放出深蕴的清香，
生命也只有遭遇一次次挫折，才能留下人生的幽香……
一个屡屡失意的年轻人迢迢来到普济寺，慕名寻到老僧释圆，沮丧地对老僧释圆说：“像我这样屡屡失意的人，活着也是苟且，有什么用呢？”
老僧释圆如入定般坐着，静静听着这位年轻人的叹息和絮叨，什么也不说，只是吩咐小和尚说：“施主远途而来，烧一壶温水送过来。”小和尚诺诺著去了。
稍顷，小和尚送来了一壶温水，释圆老僧抓了一把茶叶放进杯子里，然后用温水沏了，放在年轻人面前的茶几上，微微一笑说：“施主，请用些茶。”
年轻人俯首看看杯子，只见杯子里微微地嫋出几缕水汽，那些茶叶静静地浮着。
年轻人不解地询问释圆说：“贵寺怎么用温水冲茶？”
释圆微笑不语，只是示意年轻人说：“施主请用茶吧。”年轻人只好端起杯子，轻轻呷了两口。释圆说：“请问施主，这茶可香？”
年轻人又呷了两口，细细品了又品，摇摇头说：“这是什么茶？一点茶香也没有呀。”
释圆笑笑说：“这是闽浙名茶铁观音啊，怎么会没有茶香？”
年轻人听说是上乘的铁观音，又忙端起杯子吹开浮着的茶叶呷两口又再三细细品味，还是放下杯子肯定地说：“真的没有一丝茶香。”
老僧释圆微微一笑，吩咐小和尚说：“再去膳房烧一壶沸水送过来。”
小和尚又诺诺著去了。
稍顷，便提来一壶壶嘴吱吱吐著浓浓白气的沸水进来, 释圆起身，又取一个杯子，撮了把茶叶放进去，稍稍朝杯子里注了些沸水。
放在年轻人面前的茶几上，年轻人俯首去看杯子里的茶，只见那些茶叶在杯子里上上下下地沉浮，随着茶叶的沉浮，一丝细微的清香便从杯子里溢出来。
闻着那清清的茶香，年轻人禁不住欲去端那杯子，释圆微微一笑说：“施主稍候。”说着便提起水壶朝杯子里又注了一缕沸水。
年轻人再俯首看杯子，见那些茶叶上上下下沉沉浮浮得更嘈杂了。
同时，一缕更醇更醉人的茶香嫋嫋地升腾出杯子，在禅房里轻轻地弥漫着。
释圆如是地注了五次水，杯子终于满了，
那绿绿的一杯茶水，沁得满屋津津生香。
释圆笑着问道：“施主可知道同是铁观音，却为什么茶味迥异吗？”
年轻人思忖说：“一杯用温水冲沏，一杯用沸水冲沏，用水不同吧。”
释圆笑笑说，用水不同，则茶叶的沉浮就不同。
用温水沏的茶，茶叶就轻轻地浮在水上，没有沉浮，茶叶怎么会散逸它的清香呢？
而用沸水冲沏的茶，冲沏了一次又一次，茶叶沉了又浮，浮了又沉，沉沉浮浮，茶叶就释出了它春雨的清幽，夏阳的炽烈，秋风的醇厚，冬霜的清冽。
世间芸芸众生，又何尝不是茶呢？