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A Lesson by Venerable Master Hsing Yun:retold by Rains Singer .
Posted Mar 31, 2005
Once the Angel of Death went to Earth to tell people when they would die.
He met Chen, who was on his way home upon retiring from his job and said” You have only three more months to live. I will be at your home in three months Chen and ring me bell. Once you hear my bell ringing you will die, as I have directed”.
The Angel of Death then turned around and spoke to businessman Wang” You also have only three months to live. I will come to your house in three months to ring my bell and you will die upon hearing the ringing.”
On hearing the news both Chen and Wang were petrified. From that day forward, Chen became deeply troubled. Every time he thought of the remaining days in his life he could not eat nor sleep.
Chen sat there and stared at all the money he had made in his lifetime and counted every dollar and cent he had earned with his blood and sweat. He was completely baffled as to what he should do next.
On the other hand, Wang upon hearing that he only had three months to live, fully understood the brevity of life.
He realised that even though he might possess a great fortune, the money was of no use to him at all. He then gave generously to the poor and needy, and begun building bridges and repairing roads in the neighbourhood to benefit the community.
Wang was so busy with his charity projects that he had forgotten his lot.
When the three months time was up, the Angel of Death first went to Chen’s house. Chen was so depressed and weakened by his worry that upon seeing the Angel of Death, he dropped dead without the even hearing the bell ringing.
But Wang had done so much charity work that the whole community decided to award him a huge plague for his generosity. During the ceremony, drums were sounded, crackers lit and enormous cheers from the crowd.
It was so noisy that no matter how loud the Angel of Death rang his bell, Wang could not hear it, and continued to live happily deeply appreciative of the Joy of living.
Therefore, the future of our lives, its grains and loss, are all in our own hands.
A lesson by Venerable Master Hsing Yun re written by Rainsinger herself!
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Latest reply: Mar 31, 2005
Ancient artefacts found in Hoa Tien commune
Posted Mar 24, 2005
(07-03-2005)
QUANG BINH — Vestiges of primitive peoples have been discovered in Hoa Tien commune in the central province of Quang Binh.
A working team of the provincial culture and information department found five ancient pottery pieces. Initial study of intricate decorations indicate that the pieces were daily belongings of ancient people of the Hoa Binh culture of 7,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Artefacts were found when the team investigated a group of three caves lying along a mountain slope.
The Hoa Binh culture, the cradle of agricultural civilisation in Viet Nam, has been found in many places in the Truong Son mountain region. — VNS
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Latest reply: Mar 24, 2005
Rainsinger
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