Good Karma Music Stories

My parents recently moved to another country which has been a lifelong dream of theirs, but they expected they would be able to return periodically to stay connected with friends and family here. With the pandemic, all of those plans changed. This has been especially challenging for them as family members have graduated, passed away, and gotten married since the travel restrictions went in place. I’ve been trying to write them regular letters (emails) at least once every week or two to stay in touch with them so they feel more connected.

One evening, my mom found a gecko while she was cleaning the puzzle on the floor. She called my dad to quickly come and capture it. The gecko was lightning fast and almost ran away! When my dad captured it, my mom came into my study room and told me to come look at the gecko. It was a cute, small baby gecko and it had big eyes with thin slits in the middle. We decided to keep it for the cold night to come because we were afraid it might freeze to death outside. I searched up what geckos ate and found that they ate bugs and fruits. We didn’t have any bugs handy nor will feed it to the baby gecko if we did, so we gave it an apple slice. The next day, I checked on the gecko and was delighted to see that it ate some of the apple slice and was hiding under the portion it ate. In the afternoon, close to 3:00 when it was warmer, we released it into our backyard. I set the cup that held the cute gecko down and pushed it over gently. At first, the baby gecko was very cautious, hesitant to come out the cup. Slowly, little by little, the gecko crawled out onto the dirt and rocks. Then, deciding it was safe, it skittered quickly away from the cup. We watched it until it went into a small hole and out of sight, though it was very difficult keeping track of it with the smart camouflage it wore. The End.

This week Jin Wei Shi and I helped with a Laddership Pod (online retreat) with Service Space where we went over the four brahma-viharas: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Many late nights putting together the curriculum, but it was worth it! It was also quite inspiring reading everyone’s reflections.

Hello. I did not something special in regular meaning. But I did something really important for those that I did that. Well, I started to help insects to escape from my house. From the perspective of our big world it’s not important. But for these insects it is all the world. I understood how much depends on me and that if I am at this planet I can use my life to help other. For example I was washing the dished and I saw a little living being in the water under plates. It was on its back and was fighting for its life. I helped him and made him free. I see how many creatures flying close to the window believe that can escape. But there’s no hope for them. I see how much I can change their situation. I see how it is important to be able to look at the world by others eyes. May all living beings became Buddhas.

One of my sisters has recently developed really terrible hand eczema, which makes coming in contact with water generally painful if she isn’t wearing rubber gloves. Her hand dexterity is greatly reduced when she puts on her hand medicine or moisturizer. I bought her some cotton gloves and some eczema moisturizer from a small business and have been doing her dishes for her every day. The other day, I helped her blow dry her hair before she went to sleep. My other sister also has cracked and dry fingers from eczema which she has had ever since she was little, so I help her do her dishes as well, especially since she is always finishing assignments for online class or attending class.

I recently learnt that my own daily meditation practices and chants are merits that I can dedicate on behalf of my parents, siblings, relatives and colleagues. I have been dedicating all the merits on behalf of them to all sentient beings – wishing them happiness, ending their sufferings and achieve enlightenment.

I recently was released from prison for drinking and driving, no accidents thank goodness. While I was in prison, I met a young lady whom was in prison for drug addiction. What little books available, I found a book on Pranayama. Everyday her and I would go in the yard and do breathing exercises and basic yoga stances. She was interested in my beliefs so I told her stories that Master Hsuan Hua told in his sutra commentaries. I taught her the basic precepts of morality, the Five Precepts. One day, she told me she was so scared of the violence that persisted in the bunk bed below hers. .. I taught her to recite the Shurangama Heart Mantra 108 times with good intentions. She did that evening and the next morning the authorities closed that building for remodeling and she was moved into another area with new bunkies. I had left prison during the pandemic. Life has been difficult for me not knowing what to do with myself. Then I met my mother’s old friend whom is going through legalities of drinking and driving. He will be imprisoned the next time he is caught drinking and driving. I told him my story which hit him hard. Now he and I are friends, I help to keep him sober. Looking at me knowing what just happened to me is sobering for him. I tell him the horror stories of prison life and he says it keeps him wanting to be sober too. These days, I teach him to be an honest person with integrity, and how beautiful life is being sober. I’ve been thinking of volunteering in the hospitals to keep the dying company. I heard they cry for the comfort of their families. I don’t know if they will allow me, but it wont’ hurt to ask. I have been homeless since I left prison. I have to find some way to keep myself useful.