In our efforts to keep things on perspective, we human beings live in a skeptical world. We want everything to make sense and we tend to rely heavily on logical thinking. The purpose is quite simple - we want to be precautious. We want to carefully run our lives so as not to create unnecessary problems in the future. In business, it is very important to be reasonable to minimize risk. In daily life, we want to avoid disappointments from unfulfilled expectations. It is only human nature to want to be in control. As a matter of fact, there are many benefits can be derived from logical thinking:

* Convenience - logical thinking provides easy understanding of ideas due to the linear, structured and sequential nature.
* Replication - when we know how to generate the idea / concept, we can generate it again in the future, as much as others can generate it too.
* Fact based decision making - when making decisions, we want to make sure that we come up with the right solutions addressing actual, not imaginary, problems.

Nevertheless, there is an invisible power out there beyond logical thinking. Leaving out supernatural things, what would we say about serendipity, intuition, inclinations, like & dislike, charm/ charisma, love, interests, and others? In addition, a lot of times decisions are not based on logic. How many times do we use feelings in making our choices? Is it possible that we do it all the time? In business, we will not hire someone or buy something from people we don't like. In daily life, we don't want to do things we don't like, sometimes to the level of being unfair or detrimental. For instance: choosing to go out with friends than spending the evening with our parents.

Talking about feelings, there is something not logical in life that we really don't want to miss - miracles. Miracle is a hard to explain phenomenon, something which, under normal circumstances, should not or could not possibly have happened. But it happens anyway...

People don't want to believe in miracles because they want to keep everything in check. Then, when the miracle happens they believe it is a pure coincidence, a pure luck that they don't want to count on. However, can human survive the existence for so long if we only depend on things within the grasp of our minds? How can we explain compassion, how can we explain patriotism, spirituality, and others? What about defending your rights or fighting for your beliefs. There are things in life that cannot be easily explained or simply beyond the human mind. Even science has proven the existence of things beyond our normal senses.

In relation to miracles, sometimes good things happen to us without us having to make the conscious efforts, something that we should be grateful for. Yet, sometimes people don't want to believe their luck and try to run away from it. Examples will include celebrities who cannot handle their fame, especially when it comes by storm. We see how people who get rich too fast lose their balance and trip. But those are the most extreme examples. In daily life, when someone is being nice, we tend to assume a hidden interest. Can we take the person as simply being nice? Meanwhile, some people consciously or unconsciously mess up their lives for not being able to handle the good things. Some ruin their career for gambling or deny a promotion for fear of not being able to live up to the expectations. Men leave their faithful wives for bitches, etc. Therefore, some people actually prefer the bad than the good.

Why is it difficult for people to take the good things in life? We cannot accept the good thing because we don't believe that we deserve it. We don't believe that we are worth it. As a matter of fact, some people find it hard to be optimistic and find it easier to be negative. It may relate to the way we see ourselves - do we have enough respect and love to ourselves? When we respect ourselves, we respect our lives. It takes courage to be able to accept ourselves and be grateful for who we are. There are many things in life that we should be grateful for, and a lot of times they come in subtlest forms. It is the ability to see the miracles in life which makes us able to see the bigger power, the other dimensions that add to the richness of life. By : Rini

The twin teachings on kamma and rebirth have several important implications for understanding our own lives.

First they enable us to understand that we are fully responsible for what we are. We can't blame our troubles on our environment, on our heredity, on fate or on our upbringing. All these factors have made us what we are, but the reason we have met these circumstances is because of our past kamma. This might seem to be at first a pessimistic doctrine. It seems to imply that we are the prisoners of our past kammas, that we have to submit to their effects. This is a distortion.

It is true that very often we have to reap the results of our past kamma. But the important point to understand is that kamma is volitional action, and volitional action always takes place in the present, only in the present. This means at present it is possible for us to change the entire direction of our life.

If we closely examine our lives we'll see that our experience is of two types: first, experience that comes to us passively, which we receive independently of our choice; and second, experience which we create for ourselves through our choices and attitudes. The passive side of experience is largely the effect of past kamma.We generally have to face this and learn to accept it. But within those limitations there is a space, the tremendous space of the present moment, in which we can reconstruct our world with our own minds.

If we let ourselves be dominated by selfishness, hatred, ambition and dullness, then, even if we are wealthy and powerful, we'll still be living in misery and suffering and keep planting seeds for rebirth in the world of suffering. On the other hand, even if we are poor and in sad circumstances, with much pain and misfortune, if we observe pure conduct, develop a mind of generosity, kindness and understanding, then we can transform our world, we can build a world of love and peace.