Remy-Ireland

Hi KKK,

Nice Story, thanks for sharing it with us.

Regards,
Remy

TDK

Thanks for sharing that KKK and i really liked the way the rich man tried to convince the wood cutter by saying all the stuff would make him happy but in the end the wood cutter said 'but i am Very happy''! I love these kind of simple but profound stories. One of my favourite authors, Thich Nhat Hanh (the great Vietnamese master) also has the amazing abilty to present teachings on the Dharma in a way that is simple & yet incredibly profound, such as in his beautiful book, 'Old Path White Clouds' (also published in India).
All the Best from TDK

TDK

Thanks for your reply Remy and i don't consider myself to be a religious person either (if religion involves belief in God or dogma or going regularly to church/temple etc). I do however firmly believe in personal responsibility for ones actions/the law of cause and effect, Ahimsa/not harming others but trying to help where possible, and in Rebirth (which from my investigations i've concluded that there is far more convincing proof for than against considering the umpteen books written which record so many accounts of children in particular from all different cultures and countries who remember their previous lives down to minute details that would have been impossible for them to have invented and are later confirmed to be true etc).

Finally its clear from your different postings that your life is far removed from the 'working to keep a box to put the stuff in' catagory and i guess no one in their right mind would conciously opt for that catagory either but somehow many people get caught in a rutt, fueled by economic circumstances, greed, debt, trying to keep up with the Jones's etc (as Douglas has elaborated on in far more detail so articulately in his recent and in some of his previous postings).

Kind regards - TDK

Remy-Ireland

Hi TDK,

Yes its sad when people get caught up in the cycle of debt and despair.
Your right about me, i made a decision a year and a half ago to opt out of the rat race.
I make a modest living as a Decorator and look forward to Goa which we try to get to twice a year.
I did buy an apartment in Arpora about 3years ago at the time when they were about 8K for a decent one. I now refuse to go into debt for anything having been down that road before and if i dont have the money for something then i do without.........and to tell you the truth life is a lot better for it. More stress free.
I would love to do volunteer work in India - working with the poor and needy but its not that easy now to get into that line of work. I would just love to be able to do something to help others and maybe its because im of Indian origin but India pulls at my heart strings so much.
Anyway thanks for the reply,

Kind Regards,
Remy

TDK

Hi Remy and many thanks for your reply and i agree it is very sad how many people get caught up in the cycle of debt and despair, and like you and so many others, i've also been through that in the past, but was lucky enough to clear my debts eventually. I also make a very modest living as a care worker and i get well below the minimum wage (but as i'm doing live-in work i save on rent, bills etc which allows me to save), and although not that financially rewarding, atleast i feel i'm doing something useful. You and your family did very well to buy your place when prices were still so low.

Like you i'd also really like to do some voluntary work in India/Asia. In '98 i did a short stint (about 5 weeks) of voluntary work in Boudha, Nepal and i can honestly say it was one of the happiest times in my life. I was reluctant to volunteer before that following one ill fated attempt to volunteer in Orissa state many years back which involved spending a night alone in a remote barn full of rats and being served a live frog in a thali and a glass of water with a spider floating in it by a character who appeared to be straight out of Twin Peaks, followed by severe dysentry and then me tearfully begging the station master to get me on the next (fully booked) train out of that state- (thankfully he relented)!

Anyway although i felt i had little to offer in the way of skills (and i'm too shy to teach English etc), when i found out about ROKPA (a Tibetan Buddhist charity founded by Dr.Akong Rinpoche, connected with Samye Ling Buddhist centre in Scotland), i decided it was perfect for me, as apart from the charity's great ethos & amazing location, it involved helping out on a temporary soup kitchen for the newly arrived Tibetan refugees and for the local homeless people/street kids which is set up each year over the winter months. They also set up a small medical tent where people can receive free medical advice/examinations from Drs and nurses and then the other volunteers, escort some of the patients to local hospitals where their medical care is sponsered by the charity. They also run a local childrens home/school for street kids and a womens' co-operative to teach skills/provide employment. I will always remember how that cold Christmas eve some of us made light offerings around the great Boudha Stupa and a few street kids with bare feet and grubby faces were so happy and enthusiastic to join in with lighting the candles.

Then when the time came for me and another volunteer to join the rest of the group for an Xmas dinner, we saw that one of the little street boys called Bharat who'd helped us (can't have been more than about 4), was curled up on the cold floor alone, so we carried him while he slept to a local cafe to give him something to eat and tea to warm him up. It was horrible to then have to return him to the other street kids on the street later,but atleast we could feed him everyday at the soup kitchen and a few weeks later we were all so happy to hear that he had been awarded one of the few spare places in the childrens' home/school. I often wonder how Bharat and the other kids are doing and i really hope i can see then again some day.

Anyway sorry to ramble on but if anyone out there is considering voluntary work, but like me is short on skills/or alternatively has medical/handymen/cooks or other skills i can thoroughly recommend volunteering through ROKPA (sorry i don't have their web site anymore but you can always just google it if anyone wants more info).

All the Best, TDK

Remy-Ireland

Hi TDK and in true indian fashion, "Oh my God!"
What a story and what an experience....
thanks so much for sharing that with us........
Fabulous Stuff and very thought provoking.

Also my sister is a care worker and i know how hard and heavy the work can be. Well done for making a differance both in your day job and volunteer work.

Will definately Google ROKPA.
Also interesting about the womans co-operative, i have been involved with Fair Trade for 2 years now and know the differance it can make to organisations like this.

The story of Bharat like so many more kids in India just breaks my heart....thankfully he became one of the lucky ones.

Thanks Again, Fabulous Stuff,
Remy

noni

Thanks TDK, for sharing this with us. But this is where I get really p......d off

We used to take all the grandchildrens clothes to an orphanage on the way from the airport, in those days we would take a lot more baggage because of the orphanage. We bought the children a lot of toys, the girls I worked with saw the photo's and being Mums were obviously upset. They put all their commission for a year, to buy the orphanage a fridge/freezer, etc., and what happened, the nuns sold it, they sold the childrens clothes, toys and bedding fridge freezer.
Can you see why I have no faith in the religious communities.

We then decided to take the clothes to local families in villages, people we knew - they were really grateful. I cannot tell you what we have done altogether, as a family, and our daughters cannot really in UK terms afford it. Some people have been very grateful and some have S.....t on us from great heights. But we will not let the B....@@@@@ get us down. We will continue to help those we can, doing it for families we know.

What really makes me cross is the "poor" children on the beach pretending to be deaf and dumb, and when you don't donate to them they give you a "mouthfull" My grand daughter is coming out this year and has done Makaton in school, so we will have fun with them this year. I don't mean to sound like a do gooder, but we would like to help people, but those who appreciate it, and not sell your gifts for fenni. Not that I am saying the nuns did.

We can't be like our neighbours and look down our noses at the locals, we are all people of god, and so my way of looking at things, if you need help and I can help you I will, but do not take the piss.

Gosh I am on one to-day like the rest of you. Is there a full moon.

TDK

Thanks very much Remy for your kind response and thats really great that you are involved with the Fair Trade organizations which i think is an excellent way to support and empower people.

Its funny that your sister is also a care worker. It can be hard work but i'm very fortunate/grateful (after being unemployed, and homeless much of last year) to finally have got a job since last january with a kind client.

If you have any trouble finding the Rokpa site please let me know and i'll find it for you.

Thanks again and All the Best - TDK

TDK

Hi Noni and thanks for sharing your experience, and i'm very sorry that after all the trouble and sacrifices you, your family and your colleagues made, you/the kids you tried to help were let down so badly by the nuns. It certainly is hard to believe that anyone let alone some nuns would sink to that level, but all i can say is what comes around goes around,(sadly for the nuns involved) and i applaud you that you didn't give up at that point but continued to offer help directly to the families where needed. I've not yet come accross the kids pretending to be deaf & dumb, but too bad for them that their acting skills let them down when they didn't succeed in getting their baksheesh! It never ceases to amaze me the number of inovative scams in India! On IM theres even a whole load of threads dedicated to scams and annoyances which i keep meaning to read!

I agree that its difficult to know the best way to help sometimes, especially when you suspect the money will go on booze, and i've heard many stories about babies being hired out to some beggars and even horrible stories (more in the big cities) about some babies/children being intentionally mutilated to give them more 'begging leverage'! Anyway,where possible i usually try to give food to children beggars, and if they turn me down for money, i assume they aren't starving or that maybe they're begging for a drunken father or some other begging leader so i walk away.

I came to the conclusion some time back that appart from giving money/food to people who genuinely can't work say due to leprosy or some other disability etc, i'd prefer to give to reputable charities that i feel confident will fairly distribute the money and help it to reach more people in a more effective way by providing services such as clean drinking water, medical care, food, education etc, and also through Fair Trade (as Remy mentioned earlier today).

Well take care & All the Best - TDK

noni

Thanks, I applaud you! But with the best will in the world. I will relate stories to you at the Chrismas Party which will astound you. Reputable charities, with all their outgoings, yes to themselves!!! Yes I am very cynical, but will tell you why when we meet. I also know people who have put local people to college paid for them, and they can't be bothered to go. I know both the beneficiary and the UK friend, have been there when there was a hell of a bo@@@@@g going on.

What can we do to help, and not be ripped off.
Stand back for a blasting:curse:

Dougie must be asleep!

Oh! I (must say we) love Goa, the people, the place, why must they .......... it up for us all?


Please everybody read when I say I, I mean the Royal WE.

TONY P

Hi Noni
All you can do is offer to help where you feel help is needed, some people will always try to take advantage it's human nature
But on the other hand, if you teach a man to make fire he will be warm for a day, but if you set him on fire he will be warm for the rest of his life.
You can only do so much.
Regards
Tony P

TONY P

As this has now got so far off the thread I will attempt to bring it back:
Wonders of the World:
1) Aeroplanes and air travel
2) Computers and the internet
3) Medicine and what we can cure with it
4) Concrete and what we build with it
5) Television and radio
6) False teeth
7) Glasses and contact lenses
Non Wonders of the world ( The only wonder being why we bother)
1) Large scattered piles of rubble that were once buildings
2) Large piles of rubble that haven't been completely scattered
3) Hideous sculptures
4) Large piles of rubble that have scaffolding all round them
5) Large buildings that are starting to need scaffolding round them
6) Large pools of water that were once swam in by somebody historical
7) Large areas of nothing that used to have something on it or people died over it or people used to live there "You can even see the marks where the post holes went" but then they disappeared under strange circumstances.
Regards
TP

Remy-Ireland

More Wonders of the World...........

True Love
Children
Books
Freeview
Malteasers
Animals
Don Henley
Grandparents
Mother Nature

More Non Wonders of the world.........

War
Ignorance
Greed
Corrupt Governments
George Bush
Bigotry
Fences
Atomic Bomb
and my ex wife......

Remy

Remy-Ireland

Noni,

How did you get the picture of Douglas?

Remy

noni

AH! THAT IS MY SECRET - WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOW Mrs. D. is watching Isn't he gorgeous.

http://www.financialexpress.com Economy
"Forex earingings from Tourists up 18% Thanks to Goa"