Good Karma Music Stories

Thursday after noon, at East Pacific Mall in El Cerrito, CA while loading grocery into our car, I heard my wife’s voice behind me. “Let me help you.” I turned around. An old woman was struggling with a 50lbs rice bag into the trunk of her car, parking next to ours. My wife helped her lift the heavy bag into place. The woman walked toward the passenger side of her car. I opened and hold the door for her. As she got into the car she said something I could not understand. However, I could not help seing a young man in the driver seat, reading a newspaper.

Not sure this is an act of kindness to become a vegetarian for not wanting to harm or make others to suffer. After I read a book about how people farm their animals and how they slaughter them. I couldn’t consume any meat at all. I feel sad when I see meat in the stores and people specially Buddhists who try their hardest to find excuses to eat these poor animals. I like to listen to your song – Ballad of Earth Store. I haven’t listened to other songs in your album because that is the only song I could find on the Ten thousand City website. This song is really great. Each note seems hit right into my soul.

Last month, I heard about the starvation of children and adults of Somalia. So I donated $25 to AmeriCare. After the donation, I was prompted by AmeriCare site to tell my other friends what I have done and encourage them to donate. First I thought I shouldn’t let others know what I did. But then I decided to put in email address of some of my friends, whom I have helped before, in the hope that they would make a donation and share in the act of kindness and compassion. Whether my friends donated or not, or how they would think of me and themselves shouldn’t be of my concern. The point is to share my joy of giving and inspire others to do the same.

I just finished a seven day Chan retreat. It was a very challenging, but ultimately inspiring experience in which many people from all walks of life came together in sincere practice. A few weeks earlier, I was at CTTB and appreciated hearing Master Heng Sure speak about the act of dedicating merit, so after finishing the retreat, I dedicated the merit from my practice to all living beings, wishing that they may swiftly accomplish Bodhi. As far as everyday things, there are a number of homeless people in the area where I live and when I pass them on the street, I try to make it a point to acknowledge them, whether simply with a smile and a “Hello”, a little conversation, or with some change or some food.

Due to injury, I have been unable to work for the last few years and thus making it difficult for me to continue good deeds wider in the world and keep up donations to charities. But I hold these actions very close to my heart, so still do what I can ever day: I speak to my friends daily and help them with their troubles – no matter what it is. I am very close to my family (especially my mum and nan) and help them with daily household tasks. I also have two very loving dogs who I show equally the unconditional love they show my family!I am not one to play myself up, so this was rather difficult to write, but I hope that my little story can help motivate those in a similar situation to me, to continue with little acts of kindness where possible in their day despite set-backs.Metta to all! 🙂

HiI wasn’t too sure what was “labelled” as a good deed. Was it to speak words of kindness? Was it to harbour kind thoughts? I was thinking of probably something more than that… I started doing voluntary work more proactively and realised… it really didn’t matter how big or how small the act of kindness was. It simply means doing it with a heart of compassion.I find joy in involving in animal liberation and helping out at Homes for the aged. Hope to do more and hope to have more people join in the fun :)With kind regards.

I am currently decorating – quite a large and time condensed project – and I have got an extraordinarily busy time at work due to colleagues’ illnesses. Therefore I had agreed with my daughters that we would need all hands on deck on the weekends to clear rooms, move boxes, clean up etc. My middle daughter asked to go to a party last weekend and my knee jerk reaction was to just remind her of the agreement and bury myself in work and carpet rolls again. she seemed rather withdrawn though, so I put down my stuff and listened. she then told me about the fact that as a rather scholary child she felt that there were not may others that shared her interests and even though she got invited to many parties this one was important to her as it was one where she felt she would be more understood rather than just having superficial fun. We talked a lot about this and I spontaneously gave her a day off from all household and decorating help taking on her share of the duties and clearing her room to let her go. I did not mind the extra hard work as I felt happier with her happiness than I would have with the extra time or progress for myself.