Two humorous pieces "Neighbours" and "The Fisherman" for us to reflect upon on our Path to develop Compassion and Wisdom.

1. Neighbours
Joe : I heard that you and your neighbour are not on
speaking terms. What happened?
Sam : He was too much. One day, when I started to cut
grass with my lawn mower at six in the morning, my
neighbour sent me a bottle of lubricating oil.
Joe : And what did you do?
Sam : I sent it back to him and told him to use it on his wife
every time she started singing at midnight. And you know
what …two days later, when he heard my wife coughing
badly, he brought the bottle back with a note saying , ‘Good
medicine for your wife’s horrible cough.’
Reflection
Neighbours need to learn to live in harmony with
one another, otherwise life can be miserable.
Words or actions that insult, ridicule or put down
another person should not be used. They will
result in the wrong doer getting unpleasant
consequences. We need to practise tolerance,
patience and understanding. These are high
virtues.
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin

2. The Fisherman
A man saw a fisherman standing by a lake with a mirror.
“Excuse me,” he asked the fisherman. "What are you
doing?"
“I am fishing,” the fisherman replied.
“With a mirror?”
“Sure - it’s a new discovery.
I’m going to make a fortune!”
“Can you tell me how it works?”
“Okay, but it’ll cost you a hundred dollars.”
The first man was curious and greedy; he gave the
fisherman the money.
“Well,” the fisherman began, “first you aim the mirror into
the water. When a fish comes along, you shock the fish
with the rays of light reflected from the mirror. The fish will
get confused and then you grab it.” The first man was
stunned. “You can’t mean to tell me that’s how you fish. It’s
ridiculous! How many have you caught?"
“You’re the fifth today!” the fisherman replied coolly.
Reflection
The world today is full of con men. People are
trapped and become victims because of their
greed. When delusion and greed overwhelm a
person's mind, he loses wisdom and clarity of the
mind. Beware! Let not greed conquer us for greed
and covetousness will lead one to a suffering
state.
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin