Friday, December 23, 2011
Steamed Bread

The stall in the market right behind our house was famous of its home-made breads. On every afternoon when the clock strikes 4, we could always smell the lovely scent of the warm steamed breads. Following on would be a row of people lining up to buy them.

As the owner started to uncover the steaming basket, a cloud of steam dances its way out. The scent of wheat followed next.
In just half an hour, all the steamed bread would be sold out!

The owner would yell “Thank you, but we’re out for today. Please come again tomorrow.”
As the owner packed his belongings, those who did not manage to get the bread would leave with despair.

He stacked up the steamer and wrapped them up with a white cloth.
There was once I asked him a question. Why not produce more steamed breads since they’re the best seller?
He said “My steamed breads are all hand-made. I’m busy enough just to make these few stacks of breads. Plus, why would I need more money? As long as it’s enough for my spending, that’s should be alright.”

When I’m free, I’d head over to the market and get myself a black wheat bread. I enjoy such taste of simplicity in life.
Sometimes, I’d even look at the people who queued up for the breads. The owner’s customer includes housewives, students, and even the businessman in blazar.

I could still remember seeing a beggar once. (Indeed, a bread that costs 6 dollars will be sufficient for a beggar as a meal.)
His customers are all from different backgrounds. But they’re all interested in the same bread, funny. We’re living differently in different parts of the world. But as our life achieved a fine foundation, it seems that everyone would experience the same thing: birth, eat and drink, growth, getting old. It’s how we walk through life.


To taste a bread is like tasting life. Some may think that it’s coarse and some may think that it’s smooth. What we experience in life would also vary. Some are clear thoughts, and some could be confusing.
Anyhow, life itself is something that we should appreciate isn’t it?

Just like the stall owner who came to the village selling breads. Who knows what he could have experienced from the world outside before coming here to the village? Going through all the sweetness and hardship in life, he could still put a smile on his face every time he lifts up that steamer. Perhaps it was his attitude towards life.
Looking at this old man at his seventies, I could see a life that’s full of hope and happiness.

The potential of life will always be steaming hot regardless of time and places. What a great thing it is that’s worth to be grateful for!


Postscript:

To live with contentment, we need a great amount of courage to accept things that appeared unpleasant. The old man lived in poverty, but had never lost his passion towards life. This is exactly what we should learn from him.

But of course we must also have a great aim. As long as we remember that it is not fame that’s significant, but personality.

He knew his own ability, unable to produce more bread for his customer. But in the same time, he never thought of increasing the amount for the sake of profit as well. Perhaps he would have known that increasing the quantity might affect its quality. Or what if the breads would go to waste if nobody could finish them?

Every customer came hopefully for the bread disregarding their different backgrounds. Just like everyone who seeks for happiness. Some might have queued up a little earlier, getting a chance or two. However, there are also people who think it another way. “I think there would still be some left, I’ll just wait for another moment.” In the end, what we’ve got is just disappointment.

This means that we need to give before we can take while acquiring happiness. The old man would have gone through lots of hardship in his younger days before he could finally live peacefully in the village. He might not be working on a very profitable business, but at least he’d been working hard for his own life.

Ikeda Sensei once said “How should we live? How should we contribute to the society? We might not be famous, and we might not own a big house. But those who could sincerely contribute for the sake of public, are those who could accumulate the treasure of the heart. These are the people who could actually experience the true happiness.”

Knowing such a noble Buddhism and mentor, we’re not far from happiness after all!


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Written at 3:58 AM by Paper Pilot.