Blessed with Kindness of Others in Life

Beliefs about life, translated…

“Your son won’t be blessed with money this lifetime, but there’s no need to worry, he’s blessed with the kindness of others in life.”

not my photo…

In middle school, my mother took me to a fortune teller in Taipei, originally, she’d wanted to get the answers for how separated from the world I was then, but, the mater’s words are just the right number, and that sentence, cost my mother $1,800N.T.s.  Although now, my mother sighed about how I’m not blessed with money in life, but she could still feel happy, that at least, I’d be surrounded by those who are willing to help me when I’m in trouble.  Other than feeling alleviated, she’d forgotten the answers she’d sought for my sake for this trip up north.  And, as we walked out of the fortune teller’s place, there was that sight of relief that overcame her face, and, being blessed with help from others had, temporarily, alleviated the tensions that was between me and her.  And, what’s weird was, don’t know if I’d believed, that that, was my destiny, or that I’d just, followed my own heart, these three words had, become etched into my mind since (but I don’t know about not having any money though).

When I’m faced with great hardships in life, there would always be someone helping me along, sometimes, it was a good friend, sometimes, casual acquaintances, some gave me real help needed, some, words of encouragements that was enough, to help me get back up again.  Many years ago, once I was at a teashop, preparing for my classes, the drapes over the doors suddenly lifted up, a monk asked, “Can I come in?”, ten mintues later, I’d put down my courses I was preparing, sat face to face.  He’d not preached about Buddhism to me, just shared with me the songs of Jay Chou and Jolin Tsai, and I was, beside myself crying hard then.  That year, I was, at the moment of, seriously, doubting myself, and the master’s presence was for just that once in my life (there’s no afterwards), and yet, he’d managed to, lift me back up from my own confusions of life.

not my photo still…

In 2011, I was blessed enough, to meet an elder in the realms of performing arts and theatres in Taiwan.  I’d bumped into him on various occasions, and he’d always squinted his eyes and smiled, asked me, “Shan-Der, how’s life?  Making enough money now?  Do you have any in savings?”, this elder not only gave me pointers in the artistries, helped me put forth my plan “Walking Out of Miming”, the way he’d treated those who were younger also became a model I took after.

I’d often wondered, where, did my luck with people come?  Is it really, that I’d done amazing work in previous lives (a very weak point of view), or, what could it be?

When I was in Paris in 2003, still studying, my Taiwanese roommate ushered in his high school instructor who’d stayed with us, he’d wanted to catch up with his favorite student, but, unfortunately, my roommate was busy all week long, couldn’t take care of his former instructor, and I didn’t want the instructor to feel excluded, I’d taken up the role of the tour guide and head of the household.  When we have the time, I’d strolled with the instructor on the streets of Paris, lay on the hardwood floor, sharing conversations, the instructor who was forward in thinking had, taught me many things, that sounded weird back then, but as I aged, I’d found uses for her words.  Many years later, as I’d returned back to Taiwan, I’d contacted her again, she’d become, the most supportive person to me in this life, whenever I was in need, she’d given me monetary and spiritual supports, she’s a teacher, also, more like a mother to me.  And the woman always referred to me as “my student”, and introduced me to others she knew.  And every time there was a mentioning of how we got connected, she’d always said, “Thankfully back then, that Shang-Der took me in, took care of me”.  Actually, I did, take her in, but, taking care of her, I did none of us, for she’d done all the cooking, so we, the wandering students can feel closer to home and have the tastes of home too.

I think, maybe, the “luck with people” is just from how we treat others in every day, the sense of helping someone out that came from within ourselves, shaping our separate energies.  Everything in the world is originally connected, so long as we stay true to our core values, no matter how great or small the act, what you’d given out, is actually an invitation to others.  When you’d become the helper to someone else, at the same time, you’d gotten helped by others, or maybe, that, is what having a lot of helpful people around us mean.

not my photo…

So, this man is blessed, with people who cared for, cared about him, but he didn’t have any money, and that’s okay, and, I still don’t believe that the fortune-teller’s words came true, it’s more of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and, this man did, established some strong connections, by sharing his heart, sharing his life with others, which is why, other people are also, kind to him back, kindness is, after all, reciprocated in life everywhere.