The Love of Christmas

It seems like I am getting pious. This article touches on the roots of religion again.

Yes, I attended a Christmas party today - one that was organised by Christians - and I must say it was one of the most enjoyable parties I have attended. Because of my religious upbringing, over the years, I have developed a liking for parties filled with decent people and devoid of alcohol and smoke. All those Zouk and China Black are TOTALLY not my cup of tea. And I always shun people who say they love these places.

The partygoers were made up of year 4 and year 5 students and a few foreign students from Australia. It started off with a couple of performances first before we headed to the pavilion for a buffet dinner. During dinner, the choir presented a few very technically difficult christmas arrangements. The program after that was not any less entertaining, with the pastor giving us a humorous and soulful sermon about power and various other items that dealt with music and pupeteering.

I felt really good and secure in the presence of so many "good" people. They are definitely people with a strong set of morals. And who better to befriend than such people? My mood has clearly been uplifted by the presence of laughter and clean fun human interaction so lacking in my life nowadays. I think I have encountered the devil this year. And I need reprieve from all the evil I have heard or imagined.

I realise how right Buddha was about associating yourself with the right type of friends - for they really bring joy to your life and keep your path straight. They nourish your soul and feed your character with the correct qualities. No one shall frown upon the friends I have made in my stinct in Christainity, because they fit the description of a worthy friend. I hope I get to know more of them. I badly want that Christmas love.

The Truth about Friendship (from a Buddhist Perspective)

This is not written by me. But I copied this from a Buddhist book called The Teachings of Buddha.

"A man should recognize among his aquaintances those with whom he should associate and those with whom he should not.

"The ones with whom a man should not associate are those who are greedy, clever talkers, flatterers or wasters.

"The ones with whom he should associate are those who are helpful, who are willing to share happiness as well as sufferings, who give good advice and who have a sympathetic heart.

"A true friend, the one with whom a man may safely associate, will always stick closely to the right way, will worry secretly about his friend's welfare, will console him in misfortune, will offer him a helping hand when he needs it, will keep his secrets, and will always give him good advice

"It is very difficult to find a friend like this, and, therefore, one should try very hard to be a friend like this. As the sun warms the fruitful earth, so a good friend shines in society because of his good deeds."