His story!

"So, I ended up here." This was the phrase he told me. And I deeply felt his sadness. He was below 18 when he was dragged into the cell, together with a few others. And, "What is your case?", he answered, "302." For most of the law students, if not all, they will know what it means by 302. So basically it means, murder. He has been in the cell for months, since early of the year, waiting for the case to be tried in the High Court. 

Did he really murder that person? I am not sure. So his story begins...

"I was once put into the prison over an offence. I have a girlfriend before I was put into the gallows. During that period of time, she went to be with another guy (the deceased). Soon after I was released, she came back to me again. We went on well and we were planning to get married. Things started to become worse then. The deceased started to spread rumours that my girlfriend was not a clean girl anymore, she was a cheap stock and she slept with him. It sounded so insulting. I was really damn angry at the deceased. He never stopped to spread the rumours around. I can't really take it anymore. I don't like when people talking about her like that. I have a friend, named Jimmy. All this while, out of my knowledge, Jimmy has this hidden intention of killing the deceased. They have a real bad relation between one and another. Jimmy took this opportunity the actualized his intention of killing the deceased. So, Jimmy kept on asking me to find the deceased to teach him a lesson. Basically it means to give him some punches. That was my intention, I did not intend to kill him at all. So, I looked for a few friends, and together with Jimmy, we went to look for this guy. Upon seeing him, we threw him with few punches. We did not realize that Jimmy has pulled out a rope or something, and then strangled the deceased. The deceased collapsed and died. We were shocked. As we were still young, we really did not know what to do. We put the deceased into the car and then sent it off for disposal. We were blocked by the police on our way. And we were later remanded and now we are waiting for our case to be heard in the High Court. We have no intention to murder him at all, only Jimmy. How can we all being ended up here over something we are not intended to happen?" 

Quite a sad story I should say. What is the guilt of being framed by someone to commit something which you never intended to happen? Who are there to help him and his friends? Everyone does mistake, we are just lucky that our mistakes have not reached the level of that seriousness. So we are still free outside here, we enjoyed full liberty which we claimed too be too little. Appreciate what we have today, and help the less fortunate ones. There are more stories behind that wall, that most of us have not aware of at all. Do not close yourself in your own world without caring what happens outside you. Everyone of us, is just interconnected. 

Everyone of us, is just interconnected.

And what's yours?

Have been a busy week - with academic, school and Gakkai works. And when I finally able to get enough rest (at least 5 hours), I fell sick. Now I am in the process of recovery. And then I will be busy once again until I finally get to go back home for the study week. That is basically my life. 

Yeah, now is the 7th day of the month. And 3 more days to go on the completion of the Mentor and Disciple Memorial Hall in Malaysia (Wisma Kebudayaan Soka Gakkai Malaysia). Talks have been going around to share with members about the importance or rather the significance of the establishment. It is to ensure that the spirit of the mentor and disciple will continue to flow from generation to generation. It is indeed an important project of SGM. 

Sensei, today, is still with us. We still have the great chance to strive side by side with him. But how many of us actually appreciate this golden chance? Or we are actually taking it for granted. Yes, we are. How many of us actually really get to study Sensei really well and really understand the spirit of mentor and disciple? Do we? 

The whole structure of the Hall will remain as a Hall if we fail to inherit the spirit, if we fail to incorporate the really spirit into our lives. If that is the case, the whole structure will become meaningless. Things will remain as things. No purpose. So, it is us who make the things come into life. We are suppose to first to incorporate the spirit into our daily life and strive like our Sensei. That's what I called as building your own Mentor and Disciple Memorial Hall in yourself. That's the ultimate aim, for each of us. 

Choice or is it a chance?

Lately I kept on recalled on a few messages (SMS) that I've received before. Now, this was a message regarding happiness. Just to share on its gist. It simply wants to say that, being happy is a choice, not a chance. Don't get it? Alright, it says happiness is our choice, whether we want to choose to be happy or not, is totally up to us. No one can actually take away happiness from us. This is what we called as indestructible happiness. We do not have to wait for a chance to be happy, as happiness is not happens by chance. So now, it is totally up to you, you decide on your own life, you create your own eternal happiness. 

Arrogance vs Confidence

I read a short essay from this book Buddhism In A New Light, and there is this essay about the differences between arrogance and confidence. Most of the time we have mistaken the confidence as arrogance and vice versa. There are a few points which I think the essay has highlighted in regards to this issue:

1. Judging one's self-worth by comparison with others' is arrogance.

2. Arrogance is egotism, confidence is altruism.

3. Confidence is to appreciate oneself.

4. The arrogant are insecure and needy.

5. Absolute superiority is a dangerous illusion.

Arrogance results from our inclination to judge our self-worth by comparison with others. Genuinely confident people, on the other hand, are aware of their intrinsic personal strength or merit. The most reliable source of confidence is our innate Buddha nature. 

Confidence makes genuine altruism possible. Confident people are free to care others and fight for their happiness with the hope that it exceeds even their own.

The essential difference between arrogance and confidence is one of quality and origin. Arrogance is needy and dependent on others, derived from comparison with the external. Confidence is free and independent of others, found and cultivated in the self. 

The points highlighted above will be helpful enough for us to reflect and evaluate ourselves, whether we are a person of confidence or arrogance. 

Love vs Friend

I remembered receiving this message from my junior about a year ago and I keep this message long enough in my mobile phone till now. I pretty like the message itself, it sounds true in certain sense. It is about love and friendship. 

"One day, Love and Friend go out together for a walk. Suddenly, Love falls into a deep river. Why? It is because Love is blind. So, Friend quickly jumps into the river to save Love. Why? This is because a good Friend will always be there whenever, wherever and whatever, we need. However, Friend can't find Love. Why? And this is because Love is too gentle, easy to lose when we do not take care of it. Finally, Friend gives up and leaves Love there. Why? Because, Friend will leave and ignore us if we do not know how to appreciate them."

It is beautifully written, and as I said, it is true in a way.  

Stories

It is about reading cases, the law cases. Puan Asnida mentioned a very strong statement today, which touches my heart. I really, later, took some times to really think of that. I have been reading cases the very first day I entered the law school. I faced difficulty in understanding the language used, the contents, the facts and the laws. I struggled to really get myself to finish reading cases just to face tutorials. As time passed, it has been just a habit - reading cases just for the sake of tutorials. Sometimes, cases are interesting in the sense that they are stories that we found funny or ridiculous. We laughed at certain parties involved for their stupidity that get them into trouble. Wait a minute, think of this. Do they really like to get themselves into all these shits? Are they happy when they are being sued? Are they fine with paying lots to lawyers just to gain something from the others, leaving the others suffered the losses? 

No, they don't, at least most of them not. Puan said, story - it is his or her story. They suffered and that's why they need legal assistance. They faced with all these difficulties and they pay to get their problems settled in a proper manner. Lawyers charged them excessively. We read their cases, we do not appreciate the problems that they are facing with. That shouldn't be the way, right? We should be more understanding, putting ourselves into their shoes. That's at least what I prefer to be in the future - that's at least how I defined myself as a good legal practitioner. That's what I want myself to be. 

People

So is about people. Not just ordinary people. People that have left footprints in my life. People that have gone in and the out of my life, time to time. It has been something that I have been facing for these 20 plus years, but why am I still not get used to it. Nonetheless, I appreciated deeply and sincerely in my heart those who have once with me. I treasured this moment very much and this is something that makes my life valuable.  

Each of the person I met has left an impact in my life. I learnt the meaning of life from each encounter. And it is this every encounter that I grow, growing to become a better person, a more understanding man. From all this experience of life, I developed myself to be a human that really takes the efforts to understand the feelings of the others, to be more considerate and to respect each and everyone as human being. 

Along the way, I have caused a lot of hard feeling towards the others. Deep inside my heart, I know I am wrong,  I am at fault. The courage to say "I am sorry." is never an easy thing to do, trust me, not at all. Due to my playfulness, my naughtiness, I sowed sorrow into the life of many. I created trouble to my family members. I planted hatred towards certain persons around me. I know, I am wrong, I am sorry. I am learning real hard to transform myself.

Humans are all connected by the intangible ties that are unseen to naked eyes, but they do exist. Friends in this life are not existing without reason nor they exist coincidentally. They are destined to be our friends in this life and that we shared something in common. We are here together to learn. Each encounter, treat it as if it is the last chance we are meeting each other. So treasure that encounter and not to regret thereafter. This is the great guidance given by my Sensei (Mentor), Ikeda Sensei. I craved it in my heart.