An article based on a true account of a worldly experience that can give much thought and Dhamma reflection. The texts are in English.

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2. I have a love for creative slogan writing and
over the years I have taken part in a number of
commercial contests that involved the penning
of a creative slogan as a tie-breaker to decide the
winners. I do not participate in lucky draw
contests or the ones that award prizes based on
the number of qualifiers you have. I have had
some ‘luck’ over the years in that I managed to
win some prizes ranging from cash, holiday
tours and vehicles like cars and motor bikes.
Was chance, or lady luck at work for my
winnings or were there other factors ? ( Einstein
once said, “God does not play dice with the
Universe?” Does this mean nothing ever
happens by chance? I wonder.) The results of
some good kamma ripening? I really don’t
know.
One of the most memorable contests I took part
in and won was the HSBC Formula One Contest
organized in the year 2000. To participate, one
had to apply for a HSBC Credit Card, answer a
few simple questions and then complete the
sentence “HSBC Credit Card is definitely my
choice because…” in not more than 20 words.
“Fools wait for a lucky day,
but everyday is a lucky day
for an industrious man."
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3. My youngest brother, who is most passionate
about slogan-writing contests encouraged me to
take part. He placed on my writing table an
application form for a HSBC Credit Card and
also the Formula One Contest Entry Form.
One morning a few days after my brother gave
me the Contest Form, while I was doing my
regular morning walk, an inspirational idea of a
slogan for the contest, came to my mind. When I
finished my walk, I immediately wrote down the
slogan. The following day, I submitted my
contest entry form together with the application
for a HSBC Credit Card. That was it. This
matter was then off my mind … I was so busy
with Dhamma promotion matters at our
Buddhist Association.
A few weeks later, I was woken up from my
afternoon nap by a phone call from the HSBC
Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. A Westerner
( I guessed he must be one of the top management
staff members. ) broke the good news:
“Congratulations Mr. Oh! You have been
selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the HSBC
Contest we ran recently.”
ContestT
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4. I was rather calm and asked naively ( I had
forgotten about the Contest.), “I am sorry, what
contest was that and what is the Grand Prize?”
“Oh, Mr. Oh!” the caller continued. “It’s the
HSBC Formula 1 Contest and you have won a
Jaguar car! The Prize Presentation is next week
and you will be receiving the Prize from Eddie
Irvine, driver of the Jaguar Racing team. We
will be sending you the details soon.” I thanked
the caller and hung up. Strangely, my mind was
not excited; it remained quite cool and calm.
As there would be a Press Conference and the
mass media people would be there at the Prize
Presentation asking all sorts of questions, I had
to prepare myself by learning all I could about
matters pertaining to HSBC and the Formula
One Grand Prix.
The Prize Presentation was held at the Pan
Pacific Hotel KLIA on Wednesday, 18 October
2000 in the afternoon. At the event, I met with
the ‘top guns’ of HSBC, the Jaguar dealers and
some people involved in the Formula One Prix.
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5. The CEO of HSBC told me that the Contest
attracted thousands of entries from which the
judges short listed 200 for the Management of
HSBC to select the final winners. He told me,
“Mr Oh, everyone in our HSBC panel of judges
unanimously picked your entry as the Grand
Prize Winner.” I thanked him politely. Deep
down inside me I was thinking: There are so
many high-caliber entries from professionals like
authors, copywriters, English lecturers and so on.
Why me? Luck? Chance? I believe there might
be a kammic factor… ha, ha, perhaps some of my
good kamma ripened and the devas intervened in
the judging!
What slogan did I write? It was this:
HSBC Credit Card is definitely my choice
because
, with minimum fuss, maximum speed,
this Card has ONE FORMULA I need –
WORLDWIDE ACCESS ALWAYS
GUARANTEED.
From Utusan Malaysia
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6. At the Press Conference, all sorts of questions
were ‘bombarded’ at me by people from the
media. I answered the best I could using lots of
humor and wit. Thoughts like this went through
my mind: It’s a world of pretence to interact
with the materialistic world outside. The
Dhamma or Spiritual Path seems to run
opposite to the mundane, ‘money, status and
power’ world. On one hand, the Dhamma
follower tries to practice simplicity, contentment
and ‘letting go’. On the other, ‘worldly teachers’
keep on emphasizing ‘getting and attaining’,
money, status and power. “Mr Oh,” someone
asked, “What do you intend to do with the
Jaguar?” I immediately replied, “I have to sell
it; I cannot afford to maintain a luxurious car
like this Jaguar.” I heard sighs of
disappointment. Someone remarked, “Mr. Oh,
you have to keep and drive this ‘wonder’ car.
You know life is short …we need to have the
best of things that are the hallmarks of success
and happiness. We all know that success means
having the 5 C’s:
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7. * Cash
* Career
* Condominium
* Country Club Membership
* Credit Card
When I commented that the Credit Card has to
be a HSBC, everyone laughed.
Well, the social interaction and conversations
went on for some time. They were all about
money, wealth, possessions, careers and other
mundane stuff. Nobody talked about the
Dhamma or spiritual matters. I was praying for
the whole function to end. In my own mental
world, I thought about the delusion that the 5
materialistic C’s are a measure of one’s success
and happiness. To me the 5 C’s that really
matter in life are:
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8. * Calmness in the mind
* Confidence
( in our spiritual pursuit / Dhamma practice )
* Charity
* Compassion
* Clarity of the mind ( in developing Wisdom )
I recalled a Verse from Dhammapada:
‘If by giving up a lesser happiness, one may
behold a greater one, let the wise man give up the
lesser happiness in consideration of the greater
happiness.’ (Dhammapada Verse 290)
My winning the Jaguar and attending the Prize
Presentation gave me lots of Dhamma points for
reflection and contemplation. May I continue to
grow in Compassion and Wisdom.
Dhammapada V 290
With
Metta,
Bro. Oh
Teik Bin
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