If we take an action and repeat it again and again, it will be reinforced and become one of our habitual reactions. It is very hard to get rid of habits and they influence and mould our personalities. Our personalities determine our way of reacting to circumstances and different people react differently to the same situation.

In a movie, the hero is always the cool guy whereas everybody will be running for their lives in a dangerous situation. His action and mental activities are calm and because he has developed a heroic habit, in the end he will beat the bad guys after surviving many traps and near death moments. In real life, it is the same when we look at the success stories of many millionaires.

We have the freedom to choose our way of reacting to any situation and time is the essence. How much time do we have to break through and how can we achieve the goal for example to build up a multi-million dollar business empire. What sort of action from the very first day of inception of idea to really feel the real money in the pocket. And the reverse can be true too that we can become bankrupt after following the well-planned action. Life is uncertain but death is certain, no matter what action we may have taken for any goal in mind, be it worldly or spiritually.

Many people just react without knowing the reason and this is because their minds are occupied by desires. They cannot control their desires and therefore become slaves of them by doing actions leading to bad habits, like smoking, gambling, womanizing, drinking and all the vices that man can do to satisfy their bodily needs. The problem is when one desire has been satisfied, another new one will crop up and it cannot be stopped unless we can work out a solution against it. Our mind is like a field, and our thoughts are like seeds. They keep sprouting out and pollute the whole mind. Fortunately we have the freedom and right to choose no matter how strong the desire to take the wrong action. After the action, we can only wait for the consequences and judgement to come.

A few years ago, about 100,000 square kilometers of forest in the northeast of China were burnt down just because of a tiny spark of fire. Although a tiny spark, its destruction was tremendous and likewise a tiny thought and tiny action when converted to habit, it can have tremendous influence and consequences. No one can escape from the consequences of his action. One of the most common examples is the affair of the heart. It can start with a little flirt of words and actions and these little things can lead to bigger things and finally heartbreak, family destruction or even death. The common saying is never play with fire, spirit or feeling.

Always be thoughtful before taking an action. Before we do it always remember we still have the right and freedom to choose. After that it is too late and apology may not be accepted. Damage done is not easy to repair just like a mirror once broken it cannot be restored to its original state. An action might only take us a few minutes or even a few seconds of time, but thereafter, its influence could affect our entire future. It is always a fact that no matter how many years our future will last, we will live under the influence of our action that we have taken.

Talking about war, China and Korea will find it hard to forget Japan. They may shake hands and try to forget but at the back of their minds, there is always something that bothers them. The Jews will remember Hitler and the on going fighting or threat between so many neighboring countries or between individual for any reasons from money, business to affair of the hearts, this is the result of careless actions taken without giving a deep thought for the other party. A gain to one party is usually a loss to another party unless it is a win-win situation from the very start. Peace can only be achieved if all parties concerned are agreeable to the pact and how often can people sit down to talk about peace. One action leads to another, good begets good, bad begets bad and anger begets violence.

No one would like to experience a lifetime of regret but unfortunately it still happens to countless people. Fatal attraction happens and it only needs a moment of consideration for a person to make a decision or a few minutes to take a wrong action. Sometimes a moment of deviation from the truth makes one suffer a lifetime of regret too. A very highly cultivated person can be tempted to take money to enrich himself or commit sexual misconduct. When tempted, we really need to be thoughtful and careful and do not let the desire conquer and destroy your many years of good work.

This is the advice from my Heavenly Teacher JiGong:

The so-called HABITS are just the old views and old ways of each individual that one has accumulated from ones numerous past lives. All such terms as MY, its done by ME or I WAS BORN WITH THAT are attachments and ignorant. To subdue ignorance, if you say it is hard, it is hard. If you say it is simple, it is simple. As long as we change the way of thinking, it would be fine. Once thinking and calculation (bargaining) is involved, it is not TAO. That is called human heart. That is called cleverness. Once a person uses the human mind and cleverness, he would lead himself astray. You may mislead yourself. The clever ones are conversely harmed by their cleverness.

Clever people often like to show off themselves and wish to climb upward so as to make themselves known to others. Along the way, many wrong actions may have been done. As for the wise, they fear that if they climb too high, they would fall too badly. The advice is Our aspiration and moral integrity must be high, yet the air of our mind (arrogance) must be low.

Author: T.A Chew