Nurturing with a Dharma: Insights from Meditation : หน้า 116/164

Here is the extracted text from the image: --- **Nurturing with a Dharma & Artikel** have more money and to be more beautiful. Meditation clarifies our mind because we can see it the way it should be. So meditation makes us smart! Therefore, if we follow the precepts, we will be beautiful. If we are charitable and benevolent, we will be affluent. And, if we meditate, we will be smart! Q: Does the Wat (Temple) see this? A: There are three sources of the teachings: Parents, Teachers, and Monks. But all answers begin with ourselves. Are we moral? If we cannot behave in a virtuous way, then we cannot criticize others. We must always start with ourselves and resolve any conflict we have within ourselves first. Change yourself to change the world. Q: Is it better to be born a Buddhist or to be born in another religion and convert to Buddhism? A: Heaven and Hell belong to all religions. Q: How can we resolve bad Kamma from the past? A: First, look at a glass of water. Let us suppose that the water represents the refined element of our mind. Defilement is like putting a cup of salt into the water. But when we pour that water into a bucket and add more water, or boon, we lessen the impact of the salt. Then we pour that water into a tank and add more water. Every time we add water, or boon, we lessen our bad kamma from the past. In order to change our kamma, we must do three things: (1) give up bad habits, (2) do good works, and (3) meditate. Q: What is the meaning of suffering? And impermanence? A: Impermanence is when things are changing all of the time, recreating the cells all of the time. Suffering is impermanence. We suffer because we cannot stay in the same form forever: No matter how old we are or how many wrinkles we have. We always try to prevent this from happening. But we cannot stop ageing. One day as the Buddha was teaching, a big wind came along and He said, “Monks… just dust in the universe…” Q: What if I just break one precept, or just two precepts? A: Everything has a cause and effect. We reap what we sow. --- Page number at the bottom: 115