The Chinese Bowl

I was having a small gatherings at a friend's place yesterday evening. This friend of mine came from the same home town as me. She does have certain degree of artistic inclinations. At her house, there is a collections of mixed old and new items that caught my attention. At the dinner table, a small Chinese bowl caught my attention.

Maybe age is catching up with me. Nowadays, I tend to be easily lapsed into sentimental recollection of past memories. The Chinese bowl at my friend's place reminded me of some past events associated with my mother. In my late parents' home in Taiping, we used to have many such type small Chinese bowls which we kept neatly in the old wooden cabinet which also being used as a storage area for foods and dried food stuffs. My mother used to serve the family porridge using the small Chinese bowls. Occasionally, my mother also used the Chinese bowl to offer foods to beggars who came knocking at the doors.

When we are sick, my mother also used the Chinese bowl to serve as hot and bitter Chinese herbal soup. I can vividly visualized how my mother took the pains and troubles to boil the the Chinese medicinal soup over charcoal stove, squatting and fanning the stove, checking the concoction at regular intervals over many hours. For a moment, my mind was brought back to my childhood years in my old house in Taiping......

I must admit, in addition to this sudden involuntary recollections of memories, there are not many days I have not thought of my mother. In her unassuming way, she lead life with dedication, humble, patient, and yet generous toward others. My mother, in her "uneducated" way, used to remind me, that life is like an empty bowl. A bowl is only useful if it is filled with appropriate foods to serve others. In life, we are all born equal in terms of material possessions - like an empty bowl. It is up to us to fill our life with generosity, dedications, and humility to achieve meaningful purpose. She also said , the bowl is like our body, a defective and dirty bow will not be able to serve its functions. Likewise, we need to have healthy body and mind to lead life of purpose.

Mother, thank you very much for giving me life, and teaching me how to lead my life. I know, your life has ended long time ago, but you still live in me, and mine is still not over yet. And, in memory of you, I shall live a purposeful and responsible life.

May the Almighty bless your soul. Namo amithaba Buddha....