life and work for delight

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Life and Work for DELIGHT Dear Son, The life and work of an ordinary man are destroyed by tension, unacceptability, forgetfulness, commotions, dim knowledge and barriers, which arise from problems and time and cause mistakes. The causes of these mistakes come unaware. These make me worry a great deal about you. I am afraid that in your life and work you will face endless mistakes. If you want to prevent mistakes from occurring or occur at least ,you must understand that work is the road to deep happiness of life. Work gives people opportunities to best develop the potentials of their bodies and mind. Work increases opportunities to learn more about one"s life and soul. Besides, work is a process to enrich strength, bravery and tolerance. If you work sincerely, work will give you love, kindness and generosity for your companions in birth, sickness and death, as well as cooperation for living together. Work will enable you to see correctly the stark truth of religion, because you have touched it by yourself. The teaching that we should know suffering, means to get rid of suffering, practices which lead to the extinction of suffering. If you understand these meanings of work, you will know that life is work. Life and work are unanimous. Dear son, I understand that the demonstration of natural strength closest to us is "the strength to work". Work helps you to make full use of your strength. It is work that opens your body, your brain and your heart, so that you gain wide experiences, hidden in small and most delicate work. Work will enable you to learn to use your natural inner force with skill, bravery and wisdom. Almost all happiness of life comes from your successful work. You will be overwhelmed with happiness which will smooth and brighten your life. At the same time, work is capable of building up harmony and balance between you and nature. To work is to make use of what you have in yourself, i.e. strength, thoughts and actions arising from your body. Your work leads you to create your full life. Besides, it is a sample to inspire others to share that with you. Therefore, you should be aware of the importance of work to your life, and you should also know that work enables you to bring out all your potentials to make full use of them. Dear Son, I would like to tell you about my past life. Whenever I was able to work, I felt and touched deep happiness, arising from clear cut work with my heart and soul. On the contrary, if you do not pay attention to your work, do not give all the heart and thoughts to it, but work lousily, without attention and love for the work, you will aim at its result more than its process. For example, you may work for rank, power and fame, without considering how much attention 1 / 16

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Life and Work for Delight

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Page 1: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

         Dear Son,       The life and work of an ordinary man are destroyed by tension,       unacceptability, forgetfulness, commotions, dim knowledge and barriers,       which arise from problems and time and cause mistakes. The causes       of these mistakes come unaware. These make me worry a great deal       about you. I am afraid that in your life and work you will face endless       mistakes. If you want to prevent mistakes from occurring or occur at       least ,you must understand that work is the road to deep happiness of       life. Work gives people opportunities to best develop the potentials of       their bodies and mind. Work increases opportunities to learn more about       one"s life and soul. Besides, work is a process to enrich strength, bravery       and tolerance. If you work sincerely, work will give you love, kindness       and generosity for your companions in birth, sickness and death, as well       as cooperation for living together. Work will enable you to see correctly       the stark truth of religion, because you have touched it by yourself. The       teaching that we should know suffering, means to get rid of suffering,       practices which lead to the extinction of suffering. If you understand these       meanings of work, you will know that life is work. Life and work are       unanimous.              Dear son,       I understand that the demonstration of natural strength closest to us is       "the strength to work". Work helps you to make full use of your strength. It       is work that opens your body, your brain and your heart, so that you gain wide       experiences, hidden in small and most delicate work. Work will enable you to       learn to use your natural inner force with skill, bravery and wisdom. Almost all       happiness of life comes from your successful work. You will be overwhelmed       with happiness which will smooth and brighten your life. At the same time,       work is capable of building up harmony and balance between you and nature.       To work is to make use of what you have in yourself, i.e. strength, thoughts       and actions arising from your body. Your work leads you to create your full       life. Besides, it is a sample to inspire others to share that with you. Therefore,       you should be aware of the importance of work to your life, and you should also       know that work enables you to bring out all your potentials to make full use of       them.              Dear Son,       I would like to tell you about my past life. Whenever I was able to work,       I felt and touched deep happiness, arising from clear cut work with my heart       and soul. On the contrary, if you do not pay attention to your work, do not       give all the heart and thoughts to it, but work lousily, without attention and love       for the work, you will aim at its result more than its process. For example, you       may work for rank, power and fame, without considering how much attention

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Page 2: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       you give to make the work excellent. To me, this condition of work makes you       narrow-minded, coarse, selfish and greedy.              I say narrow because you merely think of your own benefits. You are       not considering the success of the work. When the doer does not gain any       benefit, he may not do it at all. When the outcome of work is incomplete, he       will be desperate, feel hopeless and does not have any inner strength to go on       with the work. Do you know or not when the common good is refused, your       association will be limited and thus become narrow ? Society is limited by you       yourself, or by the association which refuses you. I hold that your knowledge,       ability and experience will bog down and be made narrow commotions. When       your association is limited by you yourself or by the association which refuses       you, I believe your knowledge, ability and experience will be enclosed. Your       common sense, sense of responsibility, your soul, in accepting and refusing will       become coarse, because of your selfishness and lust for minor things. Actually,       in doing each kind of work, the results are not only for rank, honour or an increase       of salary or praise. There are many results for each kind of work, as I said before.       If you only work for such goals, you will become coarse, selfish and greedy.       What I have just said may confuse you. I will cite some samples to make your       clear.              A person attentively grows a mango tree with its seed in order to get the       fruits. When that mango tree becomes a big tree with many branches and leaves       and gives shade, the person watches the mango tree with discontent and outs off       the branches and leaves of the tree. He will explain that he grows the mango tree       for fruits, not for branches and leaves and shade, when he is asked. The air and       organic substance come from the roots and the leaves of the mango tree. If you       do not say that this person is coarse, selfish, greedy and stupid, what else can you       say about him ?              Son, as for me, to live without working is to take us away from the core of       life, and refuse to use the inner force to do the work. This decreases the values       of your life. You will live with fear and unsteadiness, when life is of no value.       When you don"t see the usefulness of work, you will not find any means to       usefulness and deep values.              Dear Son,       Only work and knowledge of life help you to see human values clearly.       It will lead to acceptance, respect and relationship which harmonize with all       things and all creatures. Different skills which you have learned while you       are working will motivate growth and arouse satisfaction and all the meaning       of life every instant of your life and other lives. Your heart will be filled with       joy, fresh and free like nature.              Work for Freshness and Happiness      

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Page 3: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       I should warn you formally to make you understand development       and self improvement. After having told you how I spent my life, I shall       talk about principles to which you should pay attention.              Dear Son,       When your mind has turned to fresh nature, you will find happiness,       freshness and plenty of sources of wealth in yourself; that is love, warmth,       happiness and calmness; you will touch a deep beauty of life. You will       recognize and get in touch with all experiences that come in your life.       You will open your mind to happiness in living. These qualities in you       must arise from fresh and clear mind. However, there are questions:       "How much can you touch the beautiful nature of life and how can you       be related to it; how delicate can you be in your thinking ?" Though you       often touch inner happiness, arising from peace which is light and fresh,       you are likely to hide yourself from it and turn to do things in confusion,       commotions, heaviness and darkness, which causes unhappiness. Many       times you do not allow yourself to touch real happiness. The reason is       because you go astray and have wrong ideas. Therefore, you make       mistakes and try to be happy in the wrong ways. Thus, you are fully       unable to be happy with your success. This may be because you still       doubt and worry about your negative feeling. This takes you away from       the reality of life and makes you go astray and try to find happiness from       outside. It will make you confused and interested in the events around       you dotedly by not believing or believing that those things make you happy.       Unknowingly you spend your energy on finding outside things. It makes       you miss the stream of fine, deep and clear feeling in your mind. If you       are not clear in the stream of thoughts, you will not be able to meet real       knowledge inside you. You will acknowledge these experiences dimly and       crudely. At last what you get is an experience of the lowest quality.              Though you have success in many deeds you have performed,       the fact that you segregate yourself from clear nature of the mind, you       will lose the foundation of your life. Thus, you will feel disturbed, unstable;       you begin to feel that your life is empty and has no value. When you are       not overwhelmed with the knowledge of self, you will often seek other       people or other things to make yourself happy. The reason is that you       don"t know what is lacking in you. Thus, you are not clear in mind what       you really want and therefore you are always disappointed and painful.       The more you are unhappy, the more gloomy you are and you will fall in       the pit of unhappiness. You don"t have any reason for being unhappy and       dismay. Thus, you feel unhappy and dissatisfied and more shaky. The       relationship and different touches by sight, hearing, smell, touches of the       body and recognized emotion will become tasteless. It causes you to want       more and more without any ending. You will perform your deeds unhappily       with a dull mind. You will be confined in anger and doubt. You will lack       delicate common sense and will be attracted and fall in the circle of worry

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Page 4: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       and wrapped up with unhappiness. But I am sure that you will never find it.       Such search will happen repeatedly until it becomes a habit, which you believe       to be a guideline for living your life.              Dear Son,       I would like to tell you that living in this quickly changing world,       you will be compelled to follow it up. I think everybody, including you,       does not desire to have such changes. Changes naturally occur in all       things, all creatures and all elements. Nobody can escape from them.       What can we do about them ? Society and environment thus mold you       and press you to act out, so that it looks as if you have adjusted yourself       to the changes. But who will confess that you have adjusted your heart       along with the adjustment of your body. When it is like this, people in       society often give the importance to outside appearance, so that he looks       good in the eyes of other people, who think that he is quite free, but inside       your feeling will be destroyed by tension, worries and fear arising from       quick changes. Everybody will so hurry that he has no chance to recognize       thoroughly the emotion which arises and passes by. This is because you       don"t know your feeling. It makes you unable to reach the clear nature of       your heart. You and everybody seem to be at a distant from your beauty       of life. Great energy that you should get from yourself will be confused and       disappear.              While we were young children, we knew how we felt towards other       things. Due to the pressure from our family and friends, we were compelled       to accept narrow attitudes, ideas and expectations of others. When our       thoughts and feelings are stopped, we grow outside the realm of our       happy feeling. Then, the relationships between our mind and body are so       hindered and destroyed that we become unaware of our real feeling.       When this confinement becomes strong and stable, the chances to show       our feelings will decrease and disappear from us. We will be contented with       agreeing with others. Finally, we will become strangers to ourselves. How       could you come back and touch yourself ? What can you do to make yourself       really feel free ? Have you made questions to ask yourselves ? If you ask       yourself these questions, I could be certain that you have begun to look for       beautiful nature in your heart. You will see light or be enlightened which       gives you a well-balanced guideline that will bring you growth in the future.              A clear vision of yourself is the beginning of self-realization, which       will easily happen by observing the work of the mind and the body       consistently. Your are capable to observe your inner self at any time,       wherever you are , regardless of what you are doing. Observe attentively       what is going to happen to the changes of work and thoughts which have       occurred.              You will see that the environment, the changes of emotion have

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Page 5: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       influences on your body and mind, which is difficult for you to go against.       If you persevere a little more in examining your inner self till it becomes       clear, you will have new force and new concept, which will link your body       to your mind. Mix them and make them harmonize with living a natural       life. The work will flow. Nothing will be in its way. You will have plenty       of force to look clearly, which will lead to the use of your energy with quality.       You will enter the stream of life and perceive means to learn about yourself       with quality. It is an important factor that will push and promote your actions       to become fresh in every movement.              After having considerably observed your inner self, you will find       how you have confined yourself. How your natural inner feeling is limited.       On this occasion you will give energy and let those feelings flow. This       energy will be spent most usefully, most economically. When you become       calm and accept yourself, your confidence will arise. You could learn new       ways and beautiful guideline for knowing yourself and that which arises from       the knowledge of self. Your means of self recognition will be clear and clean       and have continuous movement. That is clean mind without any make up.       It is not wrong if other people will call it concentration. Anybody can call it       anything. To me it is what defines force, which I could use as I like. To       concentrate is not to train strictly for discipline, but it means relaxation, so       that one becomes naturally calm.              Remember also that concentration is not the training of fixed discipline.       It means relaxation and make your mind naturally calm. The concentration       that you need should be able to bind body and mind together with ease       and relaxation. This is a gentle quality, not strict. You can concentrate when       you work by doing one thing at a time with all your heart and soul. Give all       your attention to the work, be careful, pay continuous attention until that piece       of work is finished.              Do not worry about your work. Do not work with tension. When the       work is finished, do not put your heart in it. If you keep thinking of the work       when it brings good result, you will be negligent. But if the work fails, you       will be sorry. You should put all your heart and interest only while you are       doing the work. You will have clarity and deep understanding. This is working       naturally with clear mind, fresh and calm. You will then know yourself and       be delicate enough to know when ideas occur. You will catch that feeling.       This is because you are aware of yourself, the force and energy thus unite.       In your consciousness you will see clarity and cleanliness which are touchable,       even the smallest experience and all the thinking. Without consciousness,       though you give attention and perseverance in all your work, you will be like       small children who build a castle of sand on the beach without considering       that it will tumble down in a short time.              I would like to tell you once again. If you are without consciousness,

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Page 6: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       in spite of the attention and perseverance in your work with clarity and       freshness, you will be like small children who build sand castle on the beach,       without considering that it will tear down shortly. Consciousness makes you       confident in your work. You will put all your energy and ability in the work.       Thus you can develop your consciousness with clear thinking in the work you       are doing. Observe the way you work, how you begin and proceed in the       work. Are you clear in what you want ? Before you start to work, have you       analyzed and calculated the result of the work ? Are you sure that you have       done that with fine and broad attitude and that you have paid clear attention       to the steps of work.              I ask you numerous questions but they are not for you to answer for       rewards. But I ask you so that you keep the questions and find answers for       yourself. Find an answer for a question. Whoever can answer is knowledgeable.       While you are searching for the answer in order to develop consciousness, you       will see how the lack of attention greatly affect your work and the way you live.       If you work and live with conscious attention, the way you work and the       movement in your thinking will be smooth and beautiful. Your thoughts will be       clear and systematic. Thus life and work will be added with efficiency, due to       the fact that the steps of work harmonize with one another.              When you can do this you will realize the result the instant you work.       It will motivate new ideas in you so that you have new ideas, new methods       for the work. Besides, you can avoid forgetfulness and mistakes that may       happen. Besides, freshness and consciousness will make you understand all       the details in your thoughts and deeds. Clear calm and clean conscience are       what you cannot learn from classrooms, or from books. These are the core       of real nature in human beings. You can only learn from yourself. The       confidence in learning to know yourself will enable you to control the directions       and the goals of your life. After fixing the directions and goals confidently, you       will be delighted, happy and free. Your life and work will give you light       heartedness which will help you to be careful in everything you are doing. Thus       your life will become a work of art, showing relationships between body and       mind, while you are learning and gaining experiences in each moment of life.       You will be reliable and independent. You will become clear, light, clean and       very distinct. These are the factors which help you to think wisely and clearly.       When you have these feelings, you will have more self-confidence.              Dear Son,       Light heartedness, happiness and calmness and consciousness       exist in all human beings. It depends on whoever could develop to acquire       them and make use of them more or less. Whoever can bring them out       to use they will make the person see everything as it is. He understands,       is calm and peaceful, besides bringing out growth of the body and the       mind, life, work and family. The relationships between oneself with all       things will increase value and be more meaningful. There will be the

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Page 7: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       feeling of freedom in life. Such real life will be deeply delightful for a       long time, in birth and life.              The Value of Learning              Dear Son,       Do you know that in every second, every instant of your life,       there are opportunities for learning and gaining experiences that you       find and come across. It will bring you delight and the zest of life.       You can define everything in your life whether it be past, present and       future. Only make best attempt to learn the present of your life. It       will enable you to perform any present deed clearly. When this second       has passed by, it can be said that you have defined a beautiful past by       yourself. As for the coming future, it is certain that there will be only       growth, prosperity and freshness. It again depends on you, whether       you are aware that every moment of your life creative quality and pure       inspiration are expressed in your daily routine. It is an opportunity for       you to develop yourself to the utmost.              Dear Son,       If you give all the energy you have with all your heart and       strength to your work, the work will be a stable foundation on which       you could build up a meaningful and abundant life. This is an outlet       for your ideas which you could use in performances. Work always       requires that we do something. Therefore it makes you like to succeed       in your work, which cannot be found elsewhere. When you work       carefully and attentively, your life will be meaningful and happy. If you       choose difficult work and do your best with perseverance, it does not       matter whether you succeed or not. At least it will enrich your       experiences and pride. If the work does not give you any delight, it       may be because you did not give your heart and soul to it. To give       value to work means giving full energy and all the heart and soul to the       work. By doing this you will be able to change irritation, boredom, which       usually occur during the work. Besides, it will be a great incentive for       you to face heavy and complicated work with a wide open and clear       mind. You will be willing to do all kinds of work.              Dear Son,       To value work, like or love work will be useless if your attitudes       towards work is that it is a mean to earn a living. It will make you bored,       because of endless repetitions of work. But if you think that work is a       mean to learning; it is a delightful experience of which you will be proud,       you will love it and never feel bored to do it. You will be able to work at       any time where there is work to do. You will see the value of work. It       will increase strength in you and you will be a beautiful sample, which       make others do likewise. You will discover success by yourself, given to

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Page 8: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       you by working. You don"t have to beg for success. Before you start       working in a bright morning, spend a little time to examine the causes       and results, so that you may find new ways to work effectively. It will       help you to know sure direction to use your strength to work towards the       goal, and do not have to go winding around to waste your time, besides,       being able to save energy. When you know the direction towards the goal,       you will start working with attention and force along with delight and       happiness. While you are fixing the direction of your work, don"t forget to       think of what you want. If your thought is widening to the wrong objective       and wrong need, you must be able to control it and bring out all the ideas       to you.              Dear Son,       If you ask me "What connection has work with moving all the       ideas into me ?" I would answer hurriedly "To give importance to self-       interest is necessary work. Every time you work outside yourself, you       should first finish the work inside you; it is the source of strength and       concentration, which you have to use in your work. The energy gained       from attention will gather all the thoughts and keep them in yourself. It       will encourage you to do different kinds of work effectively and to succeed       in one job before you turn to another job.              Dear Son,       When you work the way described above, it will get rid of the       thought that you have too much work or you don"t have time to do it       at all. By laying down means and goals appropriately and set your       heart on the work, you will succeed more than what you anticipated.       When all the work moves along in the best way, your mind will be       fresh and happy. Your body will be active. Though you would not be       able to reach all the goals you have set, it will give you more experiences       and strength. It will enable you to do more in the future. That good       work will be good exercises for your body and mind. Gentle recollection       of the work will enable you to set the direction and energy. Thus, your       daily life will move happily. In spite of being tensed and tired you will be       fresh to work.              Real growth will be brought about from the mixture of skill in using       energy and light heartedness. Use them in your work. If you are always       aware that to work is to learn and practice. This must be continuous in       order to reduce unhappiness and confusion. It makes you know yourself       more. You will be able to change bad situation into something useful and       clear. You will be able to build a bright new world for yourself. Though       there will be problems, you will look at the problems as means to enlarge       your experiences, which are avenues to marvelous force.              You will quite often face most difficult and heavy work. Your mind

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Page 9: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       will build up a wall by refusing to work. Thus, worry, fear, discourage will       arise. These are barriers to the work. Not only that, but it will turn your       interest to easy kind of work. In the eyes of others, you are weak, taking       advantage, selfish and nobody wants to be your friend. You will always be       a victim of blame. If you want to change or to correct that picture of yourself,       it is not difficult. Only give importance and attention to all types of work,       easy or difficult. You must consider that work given to you is trust which the       world and society have given you opportunity to learn.              Work is a measuring machine for measuring your inner strength,       sacrifice, endurance and tolerance. Work is the most excellent magic glass       which gives you many things. When you understand work, both difficult       and easy, you will seriously an honestly work. Other people then will not       look at you negatively.              Giving importance to work as mentioned above, you will be able to       do both difficult and easy work with light heartedness and without any barrier.       How exhausted you are, you will discover the source of energy in your work.       The sources of energy are concentration and seriousness in collecting all the       thoughts and ideas for your, because thoughts and ideas are energy. You       have to put them together to prevent them from scattering. After having done       that, you will use your energy continuously and consistently. We all have plenty       of energy. You only have to know how to use it appropriately.              When your work becomes successful, you will feel that you have plenty       of time left, because working attentively, seriously and continuously will bring       you quick success in the work. It will help you to control economical use of       time which is useful. Thus work will be more valuable and bring you delight       and force. You will begin to feel the increasing value and more meanings of       work without taking trouble to train for further meaning. This is self-rewarding       and rewarding for you. Giving value to work is a secret source of growth and       delight in the work you are doing.              Dear Son,       Remember, when you give value to whatever it is, the fine and       awakened feeling will promote you. The work you are doing will become       resources of deep knowledge. You will have deep feeling to thank the       person who give you the work. I dare say that work is the delight of life.       It is the source of energy. Its value is beyond any description. You will       take good care of it and cannot lose it even for one second. You ought       to preserve this property of delight until the last day of your life.              The Loss That Should Never Happen       The energy which comes from gathered ideas, consolidated with       body and mind is the most valuable resource of life. It is the only thing       in life, attached to us since we were born until we pass away. It is an

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Page 10: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       indicator of usefulness which you could bring to create life and activities,       duty and all things to be complete and to add quality and work to life,       society, the world and the universe. You have to accept that body, mind,       feeling and thoughts are the outcomes of this valuable energy. When you       are open-minded to learning, outlooks and receive the causes and results       of all things, thoughts, mind, body and energy will mix together, in       accordance with touches and combine to carry-out activities and duty to the       full of your ability. What you will get from the success of duty and work       will add to valuable experience, soaked in the core of life to the full.              When you were young, your energy was really concentrated. This       may be because your mind is still pure and bright. It is easy for you to       finish any task. Since you get it easily and may be because you have plenty       of energy, you spend it without any purpose, spend, thrift, as if it is of no       value. You use it for your own purpose, for what you are satisfied with,       which is not at all smart; instead of using it in your daily activities. Perhaps       you think that by refusing or avoiding heavy work, you will be happier. Such       is because you want to keep your time and energy for what you want to do.       You may not know that real success comes from diligence, tolerance,       seriousness, and attention. To refuse or avoid all work shows that you don"t       know how to use your energy. You probably don"t know that the more you       use your energy for different kinds of work, the more experiences and knowledge       you will gain. That is the way to increase your energy. If you refuse small       and big work, easy or difficult, the energy in your body will be neglected and       wasted. Nothing useful can be obtained. This happens because you do not       know how to use your energy wisely. Thus, you lose it. It decreases       opportunity for your own growth. Life is sleeping, going astray and will never       wake up.              Dear Son,       If you only know that energy and time wasted by time cannot be       got back. I believe you let it lose, may be because you believe that all the       time in the world belongs to you. Thus you go about doing things slowly       and lousily. You always postpone your work and don"t try to work. If you       let it go this way, I would like to warn you that life that has passed, is going       to pass by is not different from a sleeping person, talking in his sleep,       making no sense, is not different from your breath. When you let your       energy and time go by without doing anything, the feeling of emptiness is       missing. It will make you look at what you have to do that it is of little       importance. The lost energy and time may come from the lack of attention       in all the angles of the work and let those things pass by without trying to       learn or train or take action in the work. Or you may do this listlessly without       giving importance and attention to the work. This certainly is not of any use;       if you let this continue indefinitely, when you become old you will be sorry for       having lost your time and energy for nothing.      

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Page 11: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       You will feel discouraged. When somebody kindly asks you to       make use of your time, you will tell him it is too late to do anything. I       would shout "What a pity it is to waste the air, resources and opportunities       that you have used".              Dear Son,       I would like to warn you that time is the carrier and destroyer of       life and all things. Then, will you let it pass by without doing anything ?       If you do not want to lose the usefulness of life, you must take action in       every activity with close attention seriously and attentively, with observation       and examination, in order to learn good points and bad points, the gain       and the loss of the work. You will learn the result of work, life and methods       of work and lay out appropriate goals continuously. It will be a tool for you       to prevent the loss and reach the success of work and life. If you work       without observation and analysis, you will use your time and energy       inconsiderably which does not fit for the world.              For example in minor work, you use plenty of time and energy. But       to delicate work, you do not pay much attention. To tell the truth, the lack       of observation and consideration will not help you to know which piece of       work is small, which is fine and delicate. This makes you miss the       usefulness and result of work. Now, what will happen ? Disappointment,       worry and tension will come around. You must accept the result of your       being good for nothing. When discomfort arises, what follow are :       negligence, failure and stop doing things. In spite of turning to observation,       consideration and finding means to solve the problem, you pay attention       to other things and leave the work to other people to solve.              Now, you become unreliable in the eyes of others. The conflict       between you and other people arise. Your happiness, friends and your       society will slowly reduce, withdraw and finally disappear. I think your       life is sad.              Dear Son,       Let me tell you something, if you wish to have a better life,       begin to train yourself by beginning to do everything with good attention       and seriousness. You may begin with easy work. Pay attention to it       and see how you use your energy. Have you touched the smell, steps       and problems of the work clearly and how clear ? You may use your       energy to work fully or not. Have the feelings of attachment, concern       and seriousness arisen stably ? Were you pulled or induced to forget       and drift along in pleasure, laziness and others besides that work ? If       so, you must stop them by building up inspiration, paying attention to       your deep worry until it becomes consciousness. When you are       conscious of yourself, you will know by yourself what you want and       should do. You will accept the work which has to be done though it is

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Page 12: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       repetitive, regular, you will do it happily. Your conscience also helps you       to discover arising differences in the work because you give importance       to your work.              Such differences and consideration will enable you to use the       force of time wisely and continuously. Tolerance and perseverance       will naturally come. You will feel firm towards your own will. This       does not happen because of compulsion. It is voluntary, willingness       to work joyfully. Experiences of life occur as every moment passes       by; there will be only complete learning. Attention and carefulness,       clarity will be enlarged and you will enter the society of the world       and the universe.              These reasons will make your inner self strong. You will be       able to do things you used to think that you could not do. But you       have done it easily. Work and life will become a stage, on which you       could show the art of using force. When life is an art, you will only       be fresh, excited and clear. Work will inspire you to search for new       experiences of life continuously. You will discover the way to natural       creativity. Your deep and continuing consciousness gained from your       learning will help you to discover the light of force and wisdom.       Through work you could express your thinking. It strengthens you       and makes you brave and energetic, besides helping you to be interested       in the work. Your life will proceed in the right direction and bring you       the zest of life wherever you are. When you are able to give importance       and meaning to work, you will be overwhelmed with delight, in stead of       feeling afraid and sad.              When you understand and give value to life and work and are       brave enough to face work, easy or difficult, you go one step at a time.       I guarantee that your work and time will not be wasted. Therefore you       should look and think carefully and analyze problems. What you have       already done and what you are going to do in the future, is there anything       to be remedied ? Knowing oneself, learning and looking at oneself are       the top of knowledge. There is no school in the world which teaches you       to know yourself as much as knowledge of the Dhamma. There is no       school and no teacher who is capable of advising us to do our daily       activities correctly and without any fault in duty like the school of nature       and the school of the Dhamma and the school of Kai Nakon that you       have.              Therefore I would like to warn you with my kind heart that you       should pay more attention to learning about your life and your soul,       including actions. Then, I think happiness, excellence, success or       whatever you wish, you will certainly get some day, if you try to do it.      

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Page 13: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       A Calm Person Will Discover Relaxation              Flowing water and still water which one do you think looks firm       and is ever ready for any situation ? Which one aborbs and receives       more touches ? As for me, I would choose calm water. If you don"t       believe me, throw a stone into the flowing water and observe the response.       You will see that it makes a circle in one minute, then the scattering       water will be swallowed and disappear with the flow of water. But, if       you throw a stone into still water, you will see a delicate response, clear-       cut and distinct. The heaviness and the lightness depends on the attacking       object, be it big or small, heavy or light, long or short. Finally, the       scattering waves will gently subdue and become still.              To compare these two kinds of water with human beings, what       category of people will you choose ? For me, I would compare a       confused and excited people with flowing water, a calm person with       calm and smooth water.              Now, can you see how water is connected with a person ? If       you still cannot see it, I will tell you. Confusion and excitement arise       out of pressure, tension, worries, fear, uncalmness and ignorance.       Whoever possesses these characteristics will be like flowing water,       being unable to be still, which shuts off acceptance that comes to life.       Though the touch is recognized, it will be haphazard. It does not bring       any clear benefits and sometimes it may be unbearable.              The still water can be compared with a person whose inner       self is calm and this leads to smoothness of the body and words,       similar to a person whose eyes are wide open. He can look and       respond to near and far incidents, inside and outside clearly, besides       being able to absorb deeply the taste of thing which comes to life.       His mind is distinct and open clearly. You will respond and know       yourself straight forward. Such characteristics will help you to touch       it and the environment around openly like water which is still and calm,       ready to receive the touch and absorb the taste, the odor, the shakiness       and ends-up gently.              Dear Son,       I will tell you the usefulness of calmness. It enables you to       prevent the energy from scattering and combine it. In your mind, you       will be able to put your thoughts in order effectively. You would realize       what you need and you will be able to manage the obstacles with       confidence, clarity and cheerfulness and move forward smoothly, in       harmony and in accordance with the touch to work and life. Work       and life will harmonize with the force from knowing yourself. If barriers       come to the work, instead of refusing you will be willing to do what you

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Page 14: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       ought to do. The touch and honest admission will be a strong foundation       of work, strong and capable. When the result of work comes out, it will       reflect the quality of cool calmness which you use for a foundation of your       work. You will be able to touch its taste and will be soaked with joy from       the work.              Nevertheless, I must warn you that you will become clear water but       flow knowingly. This may arise from pressures and tension in daily life,       which makes it difficult in taking care of the calmness and smoothness of       the mind. This is because the pressure of the world is changes. The       pressure on emotion and the environment often causes worry, fear, tension       and heavy-heartedness in you. All touches will be dismal. You will not       know what you want, and what you must do. Your thoughts will be scattered.       The energy will be confused or over what it should be. Disturbances and       the lack of efficiency will make you more tired, more bored, more tensed       and worry more.              These things will replace clear knowledge, calmness and coolness       and the ideas set in levels. These are the obstacles, the problems which       make you spend your time uselessly. The result is sorrow and worry which       slow you down in your work. Worry and tension will burn down your energy       and time tremendously without any usefulness, so that you don’t have time       and energy to carry out and complete the work. Your mind will disturb the       organs in your body and make them tensed. This makes it difficult to work       fully and happily.              Dear Son,       I must tell you that if each day you let your suffering, worry and       tension burn your time and energy, you will have little time and energy       left. They will not be sufficient for containing freedom, freshness, light-       heartedness, calmness and peace and to be useful for others and oneself.       However, I have a measure to ease heavy tension of your body and mind.              Now, how would you know that you and others are under heavy       tension ? You will know by observing your body as a priority, which is       not the same for every body. But the majority of people will have such       symptoms, i.e. your blood will be abnormal. The muscles of the face will       be tensed. Headache comes often. You get fatigue easily without any       reason, the heat within the body increases as well as body odor.       Digestion and excretion are not normal. Face and eyes are not bright.       The hair will fall out and change colors quickly. You are inert, cannot       make sharp decision, worry and become moody easily. Besides, there       are many more symptoms. Most of the symptoms are the results of       tension. This is not all the abnormalities of the body.              It will affect environment work and society; all affects are bad.

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Page 15: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       The metabolism of anybody with tension will be quicker than those       without tension, which causes abnormal heat in the body. The organs,       glands and kidneys will work more heavily. There will be more excretion.       The person sweats more and has more body odor. The heat in the       body increases. Now imagine such a person in society or will be in a       society. What will affect society ?              Over and above, if society has more than one person of this kind,       what would happen ? What follow is the excretion, emotion and the       expression of emotion, which, if unacceptable, there will surely be a       problem. The problem will be a barrier in joining society. These will       affect the work both directly and indirectly. Those who are involved in       problems will suffer and have no energy to finish the work. This is a       direct problem. If he could finish his work, the work will not be complete.       If the acceptance of society is needed, it will not be just enough. This is       indirect effects. Now you see when you are wrapped up in worry and       tension, it will not be good for anybody.              Therefore you should not let them happen to you. If they should       happen unknowingly, you have to get rid of them. Do you know how to       get rid of them ? If not, I will tell you. There are two methods to get rid       of them: the absolute truth and the conventional truth methods.              Today we don’t have enough time. I could not explain both within       little time. I would conclude and cut it short by explaining how to get rid       of tension, let it out with the method of conventional truth.              To get rid of tension with the method of conventional truth is to       softly relax like an old saying “Fish can live in hot water, but cold water       kills the fish”. Therefore, if you want tension to die out from you, you       should slowly adjust the emotional tension with calmness. Stop doing       things, give ten or fifteen minutes to yourself. Do not let any thing disturb       your body and mind, breathe in clean pure air. Be conscious of the slow       and gentle inhalation and exhalation. Let out the confused and hot       exhalation. Then be conscious of every moment you inhale and exhale.       Do this for 5 to 10 minutes or more. Then you would know what happen       to you. For sure you get your real feeling back and finally calm down.       Give all attention to the feeling inside the body. Absolutely, do not let your       work, things or all creatures appear in your mind at this moment. Be calm,       relaxing and know what goes on. If you find any part of your body tensed,       may be your forehead, neck, arms, legs or shoulders, use all your feeling       to inhale to the tensed point and let it out with your exhalation. This can       be compared with a pipe of water, stuck with something. The owner can       open the pipe by putting in water to wash out that piece of remnant.              Breathing out tension has to be done gently, slowly, clearly and at

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Page 16: Life and Work for Delight

Life and Work for DELIGHT

       ease. Be with yourself all the time. These actions will create fine concentration.       The concentration will enable you to unite all the thoughts into one. Your       body and mind harmonize in the work. It enriches and builds up efficiency       for the work. When you want to talk, talk with a feeling that it is important.       Get the meanings of the words gently and politely. Your daily life, the       inhalation and the exhalation have meanings and importance for you. Besides       giving you life and energy, it also gives you lessons, firmness, success, peace       and happiness. It is a proof of values and living. You will be happier. It       enlightens the work you are doing. It will not be as heavy as you used to       think. You will have a friendly feeling towards your work, in spite of thinking       that it causes problems. Work and life are not heavy and tensed as you       thought before.              When you feel calm and awakening, you will be free to use your       energy continuously. You will discover excellent means in your work,       whatever you have to do or even in your rest, you will have quality and       gentle rest and relax happily. You will be able to touch fully the core of       life.              Dear Son,       To know yourself clearly make you calm. A peaceful person       discovers relaxation. He feels light. Besides, calmness can initiate       wisdom and energy for your body. You will know and receive the touch       clearly and can discuss with other people quickly with sagacity. Your wits       are quick and harmonize you with nature, environment and society. These       reasons make your thoughts harmonize with nature. Thus you will become       an inspiration for other people, for them to search for peace and relaxing       tension, as you have made yourself a sample. You and your society will       perceive that life has more usefulness. Work and life will have great value       and make you proud of your work.  (Translated by Daviras Dhanagom, Ph.D.)

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