How to deal with critisism? - The story of a donkey

This story were told by one of the talks given by Ajahn Brahm and I find it very interesting to share with you all who are reading this. How to deal with critisism? The story below is not exactly extracted from Ajahn Brahm's story (i tambah sos abit). However the message is clearly intacted in here.

Long time ago, a donkey was walking quite contentedly through the forest. When absent mindedly, he fell into a well. He didn't injured himself at the bottom. A donkey couldn't climb out from the well, so there he was shouting "eeek ook eeek oook" in hope that people around would hear his cries. He was continuously shouting, until a farmer walking heard it. The farmer quickly ran and looked down into the well. And he saw the donkey. Crying for help.

The farmer remember this donkey was the one who stole and eat his plantation. And even destroyed his farms. At the same time, he thought of covering up the well before because the well was no longer use to him. Ah ha! The farmer thought of covering up the well with earth and kill the donkey at the same time! Ill-willingly, he took his big shovel and started to shove the earth into the well.

The donkey saw the dirts coming above and fell into the well. He started to get panicked and shouted even more louder "EEEKK OOOK EEEEK OOOK". The farmer laugh wickedly and thought the donkey deserved this. The earth keeps piling up in the well and the donkey couldn't do anything about it. He has given up shouting and started to just accept his fate of dying in the well. Not a while later, donkey thought " No No No! I cannot give up! I must live!". He started to shrugged around and jump up and down. He noticed that when he shrugged the dirts off his body and jumped up from the piling earth, he got a centimeter higher! "That's it!"

The farmer kept shoving the dirts into the well so attentively until he heard no cries from the donkey. He thought he must be dead by now, and continue to shove the earth into the well. Not long a while later, the donkey's ears appeared above the well. The farmer didn't notice that, as he was so busy shoving the dirts into the well without even looking at the well. When the earth was piled high enough, the donkey jumped out from the well happily! The farmer was shocked seeing the donkey! The donkey bit the farmer's ass and ran off.

Now, I'm sure you people who read this know the message behind this story. If not, let me enlighten you. Critisism are everywhere around us. People critisize us when we don't talk, people critisize when we talk, people critisize us when we do nothing. No one are free from critisism. Just like the donkey story, the dirts are our critics, the farmer is the critisizer and the donkey is us. If we don't learn to manage the critisism, we'll probably be dead "covered by the dirts". Don't just accept and reject critisism. Learn from it. The only reason why we get upset of critisism because we think that the critics might be true. Ajahn Brahm's teacher Ajahn Chah once told him, if somebody call you a DOG, look yourself at the back whether you have a tail. Look into yourself whether you are the person what the people critisize about you. If you don't have the tail, you're not a dog! If you are a "dog", accept it, shrugged the dirt off and learn from it. And you'll be one step higher to wisdom.

Once, somebody called me a selfish and immature person, the whole day i was thinking and pondering, and sucked myself in to these two words. I couldn't concentrate much in my works and couldn't sleep soundly. Because of just these two damn words. I might be a selfish person, I might be an immature person. I'm not sure whether this is a good attitude towards myself. Somehow or rather, everytime when i'm facing a problem, the solutions always lies in front of me. I picked up Ajahn Brahm's CD and saw How to deal with Critisism. And hell yea, that's what i need now! And I've learnt much from it. Thank you Ajahn Brahm! :)


Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Me, being a political savvy

"Crap! Our Selangor has been fallen to the Oppositions!" thoughts on 9th March fine morning.

Furthermore, 4 other states namely Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Perak has fallen to the Oppositions. How could this happened? Was the rakyat blind or something? Were they hpynotised (dijampi) by those Oppositions just to vote for them? What about Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim? Wasn't he convicted of some cases back on 1998 or something and why people are still voting for him?

Maybe I was a politic "innocent" back then. Political issue was never an interest for me. All those mumbo jumbo propoganda or manifesto by those political leaders, i couldn't care more. Mostly of my politic knowledge I listened from my family and friends regardless of false or truth.


After our Selangor been fallen to the oppositions, this really made me pondered. Selangor i might say is one of the states that has the most educated people, and people of Malaysia from each of states come here seeking opportunities (if not, at Kuala Lumpur). Of Selangor fallen to oppositions, i think i might have missing out something important. Maybe the previous party of Selangor might not meet up the par or expectation of Selangor rakyat.

I'm not sure when was it, maybe 15th March?, I was finishing up my studies until I saw my housemate was viewing a video on YouTube titled "Mahathir Mengaku Anwar Ibrahim Dizalimi dan Tidak Bersalah" (Mahathir admitted that Anwar Ibrahim was treated unfairly and was innocent). Oh? So now Mahathir admitted he convicted Anwar Ibrahim for nothing. Was it all because of politic motive? And all because of it, Anwar has to be imprisoned for 6 years? I'm not sure how I am from the truth but this is totally unjust.

Due Diligence Time!
Ok, time for research! After watching that particular video, I went back in to my room lied down on my bed and turned on my VAIO. Not sure where to start, I just started off from the YouTube. Watched all the Malaysia politic videos, went into the oppositions party website, mainly PKR, Wikipedia-ed on Anwar Ibrahim and his backgrounds, Google-d on the Alantuya's case (serious shit i've no idea what is the alantuya's case about before that), watched videos also from the Google Video and many other more! This is crazy! I was supposed to sleep at 1am but end up slept at 4am in the morning. Plus i couldn't fall asleep until 5am. I think that day I've class on 8am. My mind was so into it, that it was so active till i couldn't fall asleep.

Perspective Transformation
Transformation of thoughts. Everything has became clear to me (ok, maybe partly, but still..) wow.

Case 1: You know the case about BERSIH where thousands of people gather at Kuala Lumpur?
Pre-transformation: I thought they are some people who wants to buat kacau at KL. Makes the traffic damn jammed. Police are stopping drivers who are wearing yellow shirts? On what ground are they buat-ing kecoh ni?


Transofrmation: BERSIH rally is about people demanding for a fair and just polling systems. They could not tahan how unfair the polling systems were. Thousands have gathered to march towards to Istana Negara for this. Police were controlling crowds, throwing bombs (tear gas, i mean), pancut some water to the people. All these you can see at Malaysiakini.tv. If there's thousands of people protesting about this, something must be definitely wrong in our Malaysia polling system where there might unjust and unfairness happened.

Case 2: Case about Alantuya? You know that Mongolian lady who got bombed by someone?
Pre-transformation: Don't know, don't care. Not interested. Happen most of the time in Pakistan and Iraq.

Transformation: As I said, I don't know how true this is, but Alantuya's bombing according to my research are related to the top guns (Datuk). Research for yourself in this.

Case 3: Anwar Ibrahim sodomized and had sex with a guy (wtf?)? Charged on corruptions?
Pre-transformation: My parents (especially my mom) told me Anwar Ibrahim is a bad fellow, he do this bad thing, he did this bad thing, and he will do this bad thing. Advising me like a little kid..
So all the while i thought he was a bad fellow. Pengkhianat negara, if not how would he ended up in jail for 6 years?

Transformation: How wrong was I. How wrong... I truly believe the convictions on sodomy and corruptions on Anwar are 100% political motivated and people with powers during 1998 were trying to get rid of Anwar Ibrahim. The vice-president of US back then, Al Gore stated that this was a political motivate to get rid of him from the government. Research more on him, I'll bet you'll find him really a charasmatic leader. And humorous too.

Conclusion
"Hooray! Our Selangor now is ruled by the Oppositions" a week later.

P/S: Will be update. Gotta go for class.