Grateful 1 Mar (1): BC

Buddhist classes restarted today after a 3-week CNY break, and I had such a rich learning experience. I will not attempt, nor it is my intention to, to list all the learnings, but I want to call out the 3 important reminders that stood out for me:

• "The Company". During class, we watched a short video where the narrator shared lessons from "Big Panda & the Tiny Dragon". I had read the book before, but hearing the lesson again left me wowed. I truly agree: the company we keep often makes the process so much more fulfilling. 

• Love Yourself. The facilitator asked the class: What qualities do we expect from a best friend? Everyone shared answers like “warmth,” “understanding,” “non-judgmental,” “supportive,” and “being there.” Then he asked, How many of you ever consider yourself to be your own best friend? In that moment, he reminded us that we often externalise love and expectations, forgetting to start with ourselves. Only by loving ourselves first can we truly love others. It also highlighted how, as humans, we are conditioned from birth to seek validation and live by others’ standards - often without asking: What do I really want? Am I satisfied with who I am? I am deeply thankful for this reminder.

• Nurturing a Garden. Towards the end, my facilitator shared an analogy: life is like a plot of land. If we only focus on removing weeds, the plot remains barren. But if we plant seeds and nurture them with care, we grow a vibrant, flourishing garden. Similarly, by cultivating good values, deeds, and experiences, we create a meaningful and rich life. Focus solely on the weeds, and life can feel empty - a timely reminder indeed.

I walked out of today's class feeling much enriched. I have learned much: from meditation techniques to self-love and acceptance, importance of self awareness and the need to be proactive and work on things to improve ourselves, etc but these three lessons left the deepest impact. I’m truly glad Buddhist classes have restarted and that I came away with such meaningful insights.