'Chicken and duck' can save a marriage

A couple went to forest for a walk. They heard a sound 'quack'.

The wife said 'It is a duck'

The husband said 'It is a chicken'

The wife said 'It is a duck, how can it be chicken'

The husband still instist it was a chicken

Later, they heard a sound 'quack' again,

The wife said 'It is definitely a duck , 'D U C K' duck.'

The husband still insist it was a chicken.

After arguing for some time.

The wife later said ' You are right, it is a chicken'

This wife is indeed full of wisdom.

The moral of the story is
Who care it is chicken or duck?
The most important thing is to have harmony in our life

Lots of conflicts between husband and wife are due to trivial argument like the above mentioned chicken and duck stuff.


We can love our children unconditionally, even thought we cannot choose them, including their look, gender etc. However, at times we can't love our spouse unconditionally. It is ironic as most of us spend lots of time ( normally in years) and money to choose our life time partner, how come we cannot love them unconditionally?
Some couples even broke off despite conducting 'test drive' before their marriage.


There was a woman keep on complaining his husband, but the husband just kept quiet. After 9 years, the wife asked her husband 'I was very fed up with this kind of life,how come you can tolerate? 'The husband answered 'chicken and duck'. The wife suddenly recalled the above story and realised her own mistake and changed herself.

See how amazing 'chicken and duck' can safe a marriage!

This is a story told by Ajahn Brahm in one of his talk.

Being filial piety

Last Sunday was a very meaningful day in my life as I attended Tzu Chi parent-children's bonding class which was held in Kelana Jaya's office. I felt really honoured as my son and me were invited to show the children on foot washing ceremony.

My son need to wash my toes one by one while the MC reciting on 10 kindness we need to repay our parents, ie:

The first is the kindness of providing protection and care while the child is in the womb.

The second is the kindness of bearing suffering during the birth.

The third is the kindness of forgetting all the pain once the child has been born.

The fourth is the kindness of bearing suffering themselves for their children good sake.

The fifth is the kindness of moving the child to a dry place and lying in the wet herself.

The sixth is the kindness of breast feeding the child, nourishing and bringing up the child.

The seventh is the kindness of washing away the unclean.

The eight is the kindness of always thinking of the child when it has traveled far.

The ninth is the kindness of deep care and devotion.

The tenth is the kindness of ultimate pity and sympathy.

Many parents were burst into tears as the whole programmes conducted during the classes were so touching. During the sharing session, a mother was so touched as she never expected her son manage to find her. Her son kept on asking her not to cry as he felt her face is warm and scared she would have fever. She mentioned she need a big face towel as her tears fall down like rain.

Among the programmes were the children need to find their parents, whereby both parents and children were with their eyes blind folded. Children were leaded to find their parents. It is really amazing that the only 2 children failed to find their parents.

This followed by a stage performance on the story of 'The filial crow'. The story is about a baby crow which was young and needed mother crow to find foods. Later when the mother crow grew older, the baby crow who became stout, started to find foods for its mother instead. One day, there was fire in the forest, all birds were asking the young crow to leave its mother.Yet, he decided to stay back to rescue her mother.With the help of a rain, it successfully rescue its mother. Children were then questioned on what are the things they can do in order to repay their parent's kindness in their daily lives. They also were asked to reflect on what are the kindness their parents have done to them?

The children have learnt few Jing Si aprohise, ie

1)We must know our parents' kindness and repay their kindness

2) The real filial piety is to contribute happily whenever our parents need us.

3)If we always feel thankful to our parents,we will automatically respect and be filial to them

There are 2 things that cannot be waited in our life, ie to be filial piety to our parents and to do good.

The most serious punishment in our life is to be regretted. Indeed it is a great blessing for us to have parents who are still alive, as we still have chances to say we love them and to show our love to them.

Being filial piety to our parents is not only completed by just giving them money. Our parents needs our care and concern. There are many ways to be filial piety to them, for example always give them a call, to take care of ourselves by taking care of our health / own safety and not committed in any wrong doings.

How to take care of elderly people?

Tonight attended Tzu Chi medical volunteers fellowship gathering.

I) WORDS of WISDOM

We should be thankful to our parents for giving us a healthy body to
serve mankind.

We should treasure every moment of togetherness as we don't know
tomorrow will arrive first or impermanence will arrive first.

We must be filial to our parents if they are still around. If they are
not around, we must be thankful to them as given us this body to
pursue our wisdom.

Patient's smile is the most beautiful.

Hospital is the best place for us to contemplate on impermanence.

Do we really show our concern and care to our parents?

II) How to take care of elderly people?

Elderly people means those who age above 65 years old

It is essential to provide safety, comfortable and healthy environment for them.

Due to aging process, their physical cell functions will be
effected,eg eyesight and hearing are deteriorating.

1) SAFETY

1.1)neat and tidy (eg toys scatters around may harm them),reduce
obstacles, tidying messy wiring
1.2)provide enough space for activities (esp those using wheel chairs)
1.3)avoid them from getting things from higher places
1.4)suggest using anti-slippery mat, hand railing in toilets/bath room

2) DAILY LIVING DETAILS

2.1) encourage them to be independence
2.2) respect their choices (eg let them do whatever they like, give
them chances to convey their opinions)
2.3) care for their diet needs(eg reduce oily food, vegetables cut into
small slices to ease their digestive system)
2.4) participating activities to activate their cells, like Tai Chi,
gardening, calligraphy, chess, musical instrument

3) MEDICAL CARES

3.1) Understand their medication (medicines to be taken, dosage and
timing), avoid incidence of wrongly consumption. Some medication
cannot be stopped, as this will cause unexpected consequences.
3.2) Care for their appointment dates to visit doctors.


Q&A sessions

1)For patients with Parkinson's disease and Dementia (meaning
"deprived of mind") encourage them to participate activities like
chess, Mahjong(A type of Chinese Chess)
outing (for fresh air and seeing more things)

2) Elderly people are not encourage to spend their time in front of
TV as this will fasten the aging of eyesight.

3) If they feel sleepy the whole day, it could be
a) lack of nutrients (may be due to eat less, sweating too much,low intake of sodium or calcium)
b) disappointment etc