第八次“以茶会友”茶会的一些照片Some Photos of The 8th “以茶会友” tea party

Beautiful Thoughts forBeautiful People

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Thoughts..... Too beautiful not to share

Anger is a condition in which
The tongue works faster than the mind..

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present
By worrying over the future!

Love...and you shall be loved.

God always gives His best to those
who leave the choice with Him.

All people smile in the same language.

Everyone needs to be loved ... especially when they do not deserve it.

The real measure of a man's wealth
is what he has invested in eternity.

Laughter is God's sunshine.
Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.

It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.

Thank God for what you have,
TRUST GOD for what you need.

If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

Man looks at outward appearance
but the Lord looks within.

The choice you make today
will usually affect tomorrow.

Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul.

Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.

Love is strengthened by working
through conflicts together.

Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.

To get out of a difficulty,
one usually must go through it.

We take for granted the things
that we should be giving thanks for.

Love is the only thing that can be
divided without being diminished.

Happiness is enhanced by others
but does not depend upon others.

For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.

Do what you can, for who you can,
with what you have, and where you are.

Have a nice Day!!!

生氣真的沒有用

(We received this story via an e-mail.)

某法師有一天正要開門出來，不料，迎面撞進一位彪形大漢，說時遲，那時快，只聽得「碰」的一聲，剛巧撞在法師的眼鏡上，眼鏡戳青了他的眼皮，然後跌碎地上，鏡片摔得粉碎。

此時那滿臉絡腮鬍撞人的大漢，毫無愧疚之色，反而理直氣壯說：「誰叫你戴眼鏡？」

法師此時心想：世間法多由因緣合和而生，有善緣，亦有惡緣，解決惡緣之道，惟以慈悲待之，因此便以歡喜豁達的心胸來接受這項事實。

鬍子見法師以微笑回報他的無理，頗覺訝異地問：「喂！和尚，為什麼不生氣？」

法師藉機開示說：「為什麼一定要生氣呢？生氣既不能使破碎的眼鏡重新復原，又不能使臉上的瘀青立刻消失，苦痛解除。再說，生氣只會擴大事情，如果我生氣，對您破口大罵，或是打鬥動粗，必定造下更多的業障及惡緣，甚至傷害了身體，仍然不能把事情化解。

「以世間因緣果報來看這件事情，我早一分鐘，或遲一分鐘開門，都可以避免相撞，而我們卻撞在一起，或許這麼一撞化解了我們過去的一段惡緣，因此，我不但不生氣，反而還要感謝您助我消除業障！」

大鬍子聽後十分感動，他問了許多佛法及法師的稱號，然後若有所悟地離去。這件事過了很久，有一天法師接到一封現金掛號信，信中附有五千元，原來正是那鬍子寄來的，信中寫著：

師父慈鑒：

非常感謝您，那天撞了您，卻救了三條活命，事情是這樣的：

我年輕時本來不知用功進取，畢業之後，在事業上高不成低不就，十分苦惱，常常自怨自哀，結婚之後，也不知善待妻子，常常拿妻子出氣。有一天，我外出上班，忘了拿公事包，中途又返家拿取，沒想到卻發覺妻與一名男子在家中談笑，我非常生氣，衝動地跑進廚房，拿了一把菜刀，想殺了他倆，然後自殺，以求了斷。不料，那男子驚慌回頭，臉上的眼鏡摔落在地上，一時，我憶起慈悲的師父，師父的一句「生氣不能解決問題」，使我冷靜下來。我想：妻子越軌，我必須負完全責任。因為，過去我實在不該冷落她。經過這件事，我感悟到許多為人處世的道理，再也不會暴躁及莽撞了。目前，我們一家和睦相處，生活美滿，工作上也更能得心應手了

師父的開示，改變了我的人生觀，一生受用不盡，為了感謝師父的恩德，我匯五千元，兩千元賠償師父的眼鏡，三千元為我、為妻子，及那個男人做功德，我慚愧以往不知修福，反而造下了不少惡業，還請求師父為我們祈福化解，消除業障! ..! ......。

人與人之間相處，難免不磕磕碰碰，切記「生氣是不能解決問題的」。法師以歡喜心接受橫逆，不但化解一段惡緣，並且點醒了莽撞漢，使他遇事能自我反省，冷靜地處理了忽然遭遇的場面，避免了遺憾，迎接了美好的生活。生氣只是懲罰自己而已。

人生最厲害的不是爭一口氣，而是要把這口氣吞下去，而且還要把它消化掉。

10 Best Foods you cannot miss to eat

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(1) Cinnamon
This old-world spice usually reaches most men's stomachs only when it's mixed with sugar and stuck to a roll.
Why it's healthy: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol... .Credit the spice's active ingredients, methylhydroxychalco ne polymers, which increase your cells' ability to metabolize sugar by your coffee up to 20 times.
How to eat it: You don't need the fancy oils and extracts sold at vitamin stores; just sprinkle the stuff that's in your spice rack (or in the shaker at Starbucks) into or on your oatmeal.

(2) Swiss Chard
Hidden in the leafy-greens cooler of your market, you'll find this slightly bitter, salty vegetable, which is actually native to the Mediterranean.
Why it's healthy: A half cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10mg each. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. That's because both nutrients, which are actually pigments, appear to accumulate in your retinas, where they absorb the type of shortwave light rays that can damage your eyes. So the more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the better your internal eye protection will be.
How to eat it: Chard goes great with grilled steaks and chicken, and it also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Wash and dry a bunch of Swiss chard, and then chop the leaves and stems into 1-inch pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sausage pan or wok, and add two garlic cloves that you've peeled and lightly crushed. When the oil smokes lightly, add the chard. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender. Remove the garlic cloves and season the chard with salt and pepper.

(3) Guava
Guava is an obscure tropical fruit that's subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the center.
Why it's healthy: Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene—an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer—than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.
How to eat it: Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It's all edible—and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than you'd find in the flesh of an orange. You can score guava in the produce section of higher-end supermarkets or in Latin grocery stores.

(4) Cabbage
Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.
Why it's healthy: One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it's loaded with valuable nutrients.. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.
How to eat it: Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw.

(5) Beets
These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.
Why they're healthy: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments - called betacyanins—thatt give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.
How to eat them: Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.
You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

(6) Purslane
Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.
Why it's healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin - an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth - than any other fruit or vegetable tested.
How to eat it: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.

(7) Pomegranate Juice
A popular drink for decades in the Middle East, pomegranate juice has become widely available only recently in the United States.
Why it's healthy: Israeli scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts.. What's more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.
How to drink it: Try 100 percent pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it's so powerful, a small glassful is all you need. (For a list of retailers, go to www.pomwonderful. com .)

(8) Goji Berries
These raisin-size fruits are chewy and taste like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. More important, these potent berries have been used as a medicinal food in Tibet for over 1,700 years.
Why they're healthy: Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings—a method of gauging antioxidant power—of any fruit, accordording to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they've found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance—a risk factor of diabetes - in rats.
How to eat them: Mix dried or fresh goji berries with a cup of plain yogurt, sprinkle them on your oatmeal or cold cereal, or enjoy a handful by themselves. You can find them at specialty supermarkets or at gojiberries.us.

(9) Dried Plums
You may know these better by the moniker "prunes," which are indelibly linked with nursing homes and bathroom habits.. And that explains why, in an effort to revive this delicious fruit's image, producers now market them under another name.
Why they're healthy: Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the "superoxide anion radical.." This nasty free radical causes structural damage to your cells, and such damage is thought to be one of the primary causes of cancer.
How to eat them: As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick.. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you'll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that's sweet, savory, and healthy.

(10) Pumpkin Seeds
These jack-o'-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.
Why they're healthy: Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. That's important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420mg minimum recommended by the USDA.
How to eat them: Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you'll easily hit your daily target of 420mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

慢生活

On July 02, 2008, we posted an article titled "年過四十，世界還沒開始聽我的，身體已經開始不聽我的", an anonymous reader subsequently made an excellent and meaningful comment.

We hereby quote the said comment as below:-

Quote:
慢生活的概念源于1986年欧洲社会，这个说法一经提出，迅速风靡全世界。至今已20多年，是现代社会最应提倡的新健康生活模式。慢生活方式也是世界卫生组织在世界健康促进项目之一。

慢生活最实用的九大方法：慢吃、慢睡眠、慢工作、慢运动、慢读书、慢休闲、慢音乐、慢社交、慢情爱。

倡导我们现在应该“节奏慢下来”、“效率提上去”、“心态平下来”、“健康升上去”。

“慢生活”追求的最佳心理状态是“工作再忙心不忙，生活再苦心不累”。

人到中年应该做做“减法”了，让自己的生活节奏慢下来，这对生活质量、维护健康和预防疾病都有积极的意义。

慢生活的推出，是对中国人生活状态和生活质量的一个重大反思，同时提倡“慢生活”是一种技巧，同时也是一种健康、积极和自信的生活态度。

慢生活提倡在快节奏的生活中设置减速器和转换器，慢生活虽然没有固定模式。但可以从身边的一点一滴做起，从慢慢吃开始，放慢生活的脚步。让生活在“加急时代”的你我他，学会珍视健康，享受生活。

“慢生活”不是懒惰、无所作为和不思创新。放慢生活速度不是故意拖延时间，而是让人们在生活中找到适合的节奏和平衡，不要透支健康去拼人生。“慢生活”鼓励人们做事有计划性，清理掉不必要的应酬和耗时项目，让生活更有效率。
Unquote.

Good or Bad, hard to say!

(We received this story via an e-mail.)

Once upon a time, there was a king. The king liked one of his followers very much because he was very wise and always gave very useful advice. Therefore the king took him along wherever he went.

One day, the king was bitten by a dog, the finger was injured and the wound was getting worse. He asked the follower if that was a bad sign. The follower said, Good or bad, hard to say'. In the end, the finger of the king was too bad that had to be cut. The king asked the follower again if that was a bad sign. Again, the follower gave the same answer, 'Good or bad, hard to say'. The king became very angry and sent the follower to prison.

One day, the king went hunting in the jungle. He got excited when he was on the chase of a deer. Deeper and deeper he went inside the jungle. In the end he found himself lost in the jungle. To make thing worse, he got captured by the native people lived inside the jungle.

They wanted to sacrifice him to their god. But when they noticed that the king had one finger short, they released him immediately as he was not a perfect man anymore and not suitable for sacrifice. The king managed to get back to his palace after all. And he finally understood the follower's wise quote, 'Good or bad, hard to say'. If he hadn't lost one finger,he could have been killed by the native people.

He ordered to release the follower, and apologized to him. But to the king amaze, the follower was not mad at him at all. Instead, the follower said, 'It wasn't a bad thing that you locked me up.' Why? Because if the king hadn't locked the follower up, he would have brought the follower along to the jungle. If the native found that the king was not suitable, they would have used the follower. Again, the quote 'Good or bad, hard to say' stands.

The moral of the story:
Everything that happens in this world, there is no absolute good or bad. Sometimes good things turned out to be bad things eventually, while bad things become a gain.

Whatever good things that happen to you, enjoy it, but don't have to hold too tight to it, treat it as a surprise in your life.Whatever bad things that happen to you, don't have to feel too sad or despair, in the end, it might not be a total bad thing after all.

If one can understand this, he or she will find life much easier.

心境的改變與感恩 六十六條經典至理名言祝大家心順!!!!!龔煜歐敬上!!!!!

【面對它、接受它、處理它、放下它】，雖是很簡單的一句話，但能做到的又有幾人呢？

但我覺得在人生的道路上，不管面對任何人、事、物都是很好的至理名言。

~~~共勉之~~~


六十六條經典至理名言

1.人之所以痛苦，在於追求錯誤的東西。

2.如果你不給自己煩惱，別人也永遠不可能給你煩惱。因為你自己的內心，你放不下。

3.你永遠要感謝給你逆境的眾生。

4.你永遠要寬恕眾生，不論他有多壞，甚至他傷害過你，你一定要放下，才能得到真正的快樂。

5.當你快樂時，你要想，這快樂不是永恆的。當你痛苦時你要想這痛苦也不是永恆。

6.今日的執著，會造成明日的後悔。

7.你可以擁有愛，但不要執著，因為分離是必然的。

8.不要浪費你的生命在你一定會後悔的地方上。

9.你什麼時候放下，什麼時候就沒有煩惱。

10.每一種創傷，都是一種成熟。

11.狂妄的人有救，自卑的人沒有救，認識自己，降伏自己，改變自己，才能改變別人。

12.你不要一直不滿人家，你應該一直檢討自己才對。不滿人家，是苦了你自己。

13.一個人如果不能從內心去原諒別人，那他就永遠不會心安理得。

14.心中裝滿著自己的看法與想法的人，永遠聽不見別人的心聲。

15.毀滅人只要一句話，培植一個人卻要千句話，請你多口下留情。

16.根本不必回頭去看咒罵你的人是誰？如果有一條瘋狗咬你一口， 難道你也要趴下去反咬他一口嗎？

17.永遠不要浪費你的一分一秒，去想任何你不喜歡的人。

18.請你用慈悲心和溫和的態度，把你的不滿與委屈說出來，別人就容易接受。

19.同樣的瓶子，你為什麼要裝毒藥呢？同樣的心理，你為什麼要充滿著煩惱呢？

20.得不到的東西，我們會一直以為他是美好的，那是因為你對他了解太少，沒有時間與他相處在一起。當有一天，你深入了解後，你會發現原不是你想像中的那麼美好。

21.活著一天，就是有福氣，就該珍惜。當我哭泣我沒有鞋子穿的時候，我發現有人卻沒有腳。

22.多一分心力去注意別人，就少一分心力反省自己，你懂嗎？

23.憎恨別人對自己是一種很大的損失。

24.每一個人都擁有生命，但並非每個人都懂得生命，乃至於珍惜生命。不了解生命的人，生命對他來說，是一種懲罰。

25.情執是苦惱的原因，放下情執，你才能得到自在。

26.不要太肯定自己的看法，這樣子比較少後悔。

27.當你對自己誠實的時候，世界上沒有人能夠欺騙得了你。

28.用傷害別人的手段來掩飾自己缺點的人，是可恥的。

29.默默的關懷與祝福別人，那是一種無形的布施。

30.不要刻意去猜測他人的想法，如果你沒有智慧與經驗的正確判斷，通常都會有錯誤的。

31.要了解一個人，只需要看他的出發點與目的地是否相同，就可以知道他是否真心的。

32.人生的真理，只是藏在平淡無味之中。

33.不洗澡的人，硬擦香水是不會香的。名聲與尊貴，是來自於真才實學的。有德自然香。原諒別人，就是給自己心中留下空間，以便回旋。

34.時間總會過去的，讓時間流走你的煩惱吧！

35.你硬要把單純的事情看得很嚴重，那樣子你會很痛苦。

36.永遠扭曲別人善意的人，無藥可救。

37.說一句謊話，要編造十句謊話來彌補，何苦呢？

38.白白的過一天，無所事事，就像犯了竊盜罪一樣 。

39.廣結眾緣，就是不要去傷害任何一個人。

40.沈默是毀謗最好的答覆。

41.對人恭敬，就是在莊嚴你自己。

42.擁有一顆無私的愛心，便擁有了一切。

43.來是偶然的，走是必然的。所以你必須，隨緣不變，不變隨緣。

44.慈悲是你最好的武器。

45.只要面對現實，你才能超越現實。

46.良心是每一個人最公正的審判官，你騙得了別人，卻永遠騙不了你自己的良心。

47.不懂得自愛的人，是沒有能力去愛別人的。

48.有時候我們要冷靜問問自己，我們在追求什麼？我們活著為了什麼？

49.不要因為小小的爭執，遠離了你至親的好友，也不要因為小小的怨恨，忘記了別人的大恩。

50.感謝上蒼我所擁有的，感謝上蒼我所沒有的。

51.凡是能站在別人的角度為他人著想，這個就是慈悲。

52.說話不要有攻擊性，不要有殺傷力，不誇已能，不揚人惡，自然能化敵為友。

53.誠實的面對你內心的矛盾和汙點，不要欺騙你自己。

54.因果不曾虧欠過我們什麼，所以請不要抱怨。

55.大多數的人一輩子只做了三件事；自欺、欺人、被人欺。

56.心是最大的騙子，別人能騙你一時，而它卻會騙你一輩子。

57.只要自覺心安，東西南北都好。如有一人未度，切莫自己逃了。

58.當你手中抓住一件東西不放時，你只能擁有這件東西，如果你肯放手，你就有機會選擇別的。人的心若死執自己的觀念，不肯放下，那麼他的智慧也只能達到某種程度而已。

59.如果你能夠平平安安的渡過一天，那就是一種福氣了。多少人在今天已經見不到明天的太陽，多少人在今天已經成了殘廢，多少人在今天已經失去了自由，多少人在今天已經家破人亡。

60.你有你的生命觀，我有我的生命觀，我不干涉你。只要我能，我就感化你。如果不能，那我就認命。

61.你希望掌握永恆，那你必須控制現在。

62.惡口永遠不要出自於我們的口中，不管他有多壞，有多惡。你愈罵他，你的心就被汙染了，你要想，他就是你的善知識。

63.別人可以違背因果，別人可以害我們，打我們，毀謗我們。可是我們不能因此而憎恨別人，為什麼？我們一定要保有一顆完整的本性和一顆清淨的心。

64.如果一個人沒有苦難的感受，就不容易對他人給予同情。你要學救苦救難的精神，就得先受苦受難。

65.世界原本就不是屬於你，因此你用不著拋棄，要拋棄的是一切的執著。萬物皆為我所用，但非我所屬。

66.雖然我們不能改變周遭的世界，我們就只好改變自己，用慈悲心和智慧心來面對這一切。