Have A Meaningful Wesak - Tomorrow in The STAR

Larry Yap (1956-2015) was a client and a friend. A good man who did not complain about why others were richer than him but cared more about the poor in his midst. An example of a moderate Malaysian who was kind, understanding, wise and honorable.

Let us be Moderate:

How greed hinders moderation

In our Vaisakhi message, we elaborated the second point of the Ten Principles for a Moderate Malaysian. In this Wesak advertisement, we are happy to share the third principle. We hope you look forward to the upcoming seven.

Principle Number Three.

I will not be greedy. I will not complain about why others are richer than me but worry more about the poor in my midst.

1.     What is greed?

Greed is one of the Three Poisons mentioned in Buddhism. A toxin that hinders us from living in moderation. Greed has many faces - money, power, status, entitlement and gluttony. Greed is an uncontrolled craving that leads to unhappiness. Malaysians who are living with plenty but continue to fight for the right to have more, who compare their lives with the richer and fail to empathize with the poor suffers from greediness. Greed makes even the rich unhappy.

2.     Why greediness hinders moderation?

Greed is the poison that challenges our generosity. It chips away our humanity and blinds us from the joy of giving and helping others. Greed makes us want more, makes us selfish, makes us blind to justice, and makes us celebrate form over substance. The language of greed is ‘win-lose’ and ‘I’. Greed is all about ‘me’. Moderation speaks on ‘win-win’ and focus on ‘us’ and ‘we’. A greedy person can no longer be moderate as it is difficult to be moderate and greedy at the same time.

3.     How to conquer greediness and practice moderation?

We must decide on what is enough. We must choose to be thankful. When we look into our neighbour’s bowl, we worry if he has enough, not if he has more. By doing so, we will deal with our wants and focus on others’ needs. We must control our minds and take charge of our hearts. We must be convinced that greed makes us unhappy and generosity is the antidote. We must make ‘care’ more important than ‘cash’. Look around and we can see that generous people who live moderately are often the happiest, calmest and the most content among us. When we decide to find peace within our hearts, we will conquer greed. Then, we will become an agent of moderation.

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

You and I, we must conquer greediness and be Moderate Malaysians.

Let us add value,

Have A Meaningful Wesak.