好人有好报。Good deeds create good karma

Do you believe in Cause and Effects, Good Karma and bad karma? I read few books on Buddhism and I have choose to believe it and also diligently practice good deeds that will bring good Karma not only to me in the present life but to my next reincarnation. GoodKarma is like an investment bank, the more you invest good deeds in it, the better future rewards you reap, not alway $$$ but things like a Happy family, love life, a rewarding job, a healthy body, less sickness, less anger, more good and helpful people around you...etc etc. However, good karma like any good money investment in real life may not always seem so easy at first, especially for grown up adults like us who have went through much mental pollution through out our 20,30 or 40 years of life. Pollution like Greed, Lust, Anger, Gossiping, is easy to get into our body system than it is to purge. In other words, this 3 element are the basis to the creation of Bad Karma.

Bad Karma is just like the casino, you take a bet on things in life hopping not to get caught or just have no care at all about what will happen to your Karma (money in casino term). As you know, gambling is mostly a sure loss situation thus making bad deeds or commiting adultery, stealing, quarreling, cheating bound to bring you retribution, result of bad karma, in times to come. Kind of complex and complicated, you might say. So lets have a bit of a real life example.

Yesterday, a young man approaches me at at Automobile accessories shop and ask if I was Vietnamese. This guy looks like an Afro-American (black) guy but don't speak like a "brother" at all. I just replied that I am a pure kampong born Singaporean from a land far far away that was once called Temasek and ask him what I could do for him. He speak neither Texan English nor International English thus it was hard to know what he needed from me. It took sometime for me to tune myself to his style of broken English. Apparently, this guy was a mix Vietnamese and Black American, his Vietnamese native mum came to US with his G.I Joe dad, and together with the divination of God, they created him who is now having a bit of a trouble cause his car is screwed up by a unprofessional Mexican car mechanics who forgotten to tighten his van engine oil reservoir. The mess= An overheated car, empty engine oil reservoir and no money to buy any engine oil.

No wonder he approaches me, I am the only Asian guy in the store and the rest of the people aroundis either white or Hispanic. Probably thought that if I was Vietnamese, it will be easier to get help from me instead of the white who probably might bias againts mix race people. At first I just pretend that I do not understand him and apologize that I could not help him buy 2 bottle of Engine oil which only cause 4 bucks, I thought he look like a bad guy who might just want to lure me out of the store to rob me. However a few mins later, I saw him still in the store, looking pretty distress and trying to get help from the automobile accessories shop staff. Recalling how the 2 ladies from the UPS store helped me jump-start my car 1 month ago although they were busy at work and I was a total stranger to them, my selfless instinct took over from the cautional side of me and I approach him again offering to help him purchase 2 bottles of Engine oil on my account. I watches as those Golden fluid enters the smoky van engine and the vehicle coming back to life despite having to crank the engine many times. I could almost spot those distress emotion disappearing from his face with a glimpse of smile and relieve.

He shook my hand tightly and said thank me so many time that I lost count.Althought those hands were covered with dirt, you could really feel the sincerity and gratefulness in it. I watch as he drove out to the main road, before heading back to the store, back to another my own world again.

Today, it was the other way round, I was in distress... I was desperate....I thought I lost my apartment remote control which cause me US$30. I thought I left it in the gym but it was not. I search the entire car and my entire apartment....the washing machine, my dirty laundry... its still MIA. Than I called Leng Chuan and ask him to search the drive way in front of his garage.... in vain. I resigned myself to faith, decided that it lost for good. Than Hwa Chuan called me to ask about some computer question and as the usual Riccardo will do, tell him about what happen. Coincidently, Dave drop his remote control in his car just now when we went out for dinner together, and Hwa Chaun found not one remote, but 2 remote controls. Wow....since when did my remote control appear in his car miraculously? I never keep it in my pocket...its either in the car, or at home or in my hands when in use.

I think its karma at work....

The two "Chuan" from my section,
Lin Chuan on the left and Hwa Chuan on the right

Dave, acting blur...

ME!!!