CAUSE and EFFECT

Today I read “The Unique Characteristics of Buddhism” by Venerable Master Hsing Yun and I realise the following paragraphs are useful and helpful in life by encouraging and appealing for doing good merits.

The existence of everything in this world arises from, and is dependent on, the Law of Cause and Effect. The relationship between cause and effect is a very complicated one, but it works in a very orderly and precise manner.

There are two reasons why the fruit of karma will ripen at different times. One reason is the strength of the cause; it will determine the time when the effect appears. For example, if a melon seed and a peach seed are planted at the same time, the melon seed will grow and produce fruit in the same year; however, it will take several years before the peach tree that grew from a seed can produce fruit. The second reason why the fruit of karma may ripen at different times is because the strength of the conditions can be either strong or weak. If all necessary conditions are present, the fruit will ripen earlier, whereas if the necessary conditions are not present, the ripening will take longer. Either way, there is a saying in Buddhism, “Good begets good; bad begets bad. All causes will give rise to results; it is just a matter of time.”

Cause and Effect are inevitable. Once any deeds are performed, regardless of whether they are wholesome or unwholesome, the seeds of these deeds are stored in the store consciousness and will manifest when the right conditions are present. Secondly, wholesome and unwholesome deeds or actions will not cancel each other out. The unwholesome seeds that have already been planted will give rise to unwholesome fruit. They will not be cancelled by doing good deeds. The only thing we can do is to perform more good deeds, to accumulate more positive conditions. Then the gravity of the fruit of our unwholesome deeds will be lightened, or, if many good deeds are accumulated, the good fruit will ripen quickly and the bad conditions will be weakened. Think of it in this way; you have a glass of salt water, which is similar to unwholesome deeds. If a lot of fresh water, which stands for wholesome deeds, is added to the salt water, then the fresh water will dilute the salt water, making it less salty. Therefore, it is very important to do wholesome deeds and accumulate positive conditions.

POMPE DISEASE

Extraordinary Measures directed by Tom Vaughan, starred by Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, Keri Russell

I recently watched this movie and after watching this, the facts and scenes in the film flash back in my mind and make me sympathize with those families who have family members with genetic diseases or any untreatable diseases. I am also impressed by those parents’ strong-will and sacrifice for sake of their children. The most astonishing part of this film is the persistence and effort of the father to get something for his children to prolong their lives. The extent of my mind is kept going on…

I just summarize some useful information below from different sources:

“A Portland couple have two children with Pompe disease, a genetic anomaly that kills before a child's tenth birthday. The husband, John, who's in advertising, contacts Robert Stonehill, a researcher who has a theory on an enzyme treatment. He has little money to pursue his research, and a thorny personality that drives away colleagues and funders. John and his wife Aileen raise money for to get Stonehill going, then John takes on the task full time, working with venture capitalists and then a rival team of researchers. Time is passing, Stonehill's antics get in the way, and the profit motive may upend John's hopes.”

“John Crowley became involved in the fund-raising efforts in 1998 after two of his children were diagnosed with Pompe's. He joined the company Novazyme in 1999 which was working on enzyme replacement treatment for Pompe's. Novazyme was sold to Genzyme in 2001 for over US$100 million. The movie Extraordinary Measures is based on his search for a cure.”

Pompe disease (Glycogen storage disease type II or acid maltase deficiency) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder which damages muscle and nerve cells throughout the body. It is caused by an accumulation of glycogen in the lysosome due to deficiency of the lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase enzyme. It is the only glycogen storage disease with a defect in lysosomal metabolism, and the first glycogen storage disease to be identified, in 1932.

The build-up of glycogen causes progressive muscle weakness (myopathy) throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly in the heart, skeletal muscles, liver and nervous system.

On April 28, 2006 the US Food and Drug Administration approved a Biologic License Application (BLA) for Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa, rhGAA), the first treatment for patients with Pompe disease. This was based on enzyme replacement therapy using biologically active recombinant human alglucosidase alfa produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. Myozyme falls under the FDA Orphan Drug designation and was approved under a priority review.

The FDA has approved Myozyme for administration by intravenous infusion of the solution. The safety and efficacy of Myozyme were assessed in two separate clinical trials in 39 infantile-onset patients with Pompe disease ranging in age from 1 month to 3.5 years at the time of the first infusion. Myozyme treatment clearly prolongs ventilator-free survival and overall survival. Early diagnosis and early treatment leads to much better outcomes. The treatment is not without side effects which include fever, flushing, skin rash, increased heart rate and even shock; these conditions, however, are usually manageable.

A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR

As the approaching of New Year, some blessings and ideas of doing good merits spur in my mind (they should be always in one’s mind). I find the following prayer is very good and can soothe one’s soul and ideology.

Wish everyone regardless of age, sex, race, education, standard and status (they are nothing apart from temporary luxury) to escape from the whirlpool of sufferings and lead to the path of the ultimate destiny.

nyi aung

Please at least read the following the prayer once!!!

A Prayer for the New Year

Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
A new year has finally come to the world again.
All things change from old to new when a new year begins.

Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
At the beginning of the new year,
I will regard everything in the future
As a today that is new-born,
And everything in the past as a yesterday
That is past.
I would like to express my wishes;
At the beginning of this new year, I wish for;
Harmony in the family and happiness at home;
Contentment in life
And the performing of good deeds to help the world;
Stability in emotions and dignity in character;
The elimination of bad habits
And advances in moral culture;
Determination in doing things
And compassion in treating others;
Smoothness in career and health in body and mind;
Improvement in cultivation
And increase in wisdom and understanding;
Prosperity in Buddhism and the liberation of all beings;
Steadfastness in society and happiness in people;
Peace on earth and universal rejoicing.

Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
In the new year please bless me:
That every word I say be compassionate,
Kind and encouraging;
That everything I do be liked by most people
And beneficial to the masses;
That every intention I have be a blessing to others
And a transfer of merits to them;
That every action I take be beneficial to the nation
And of assistance to the world;
That I be willing to contribute my own body and mind to society;
That I be willing to share everything I own with others.

I pray to you, Buddha,
Please bless and support me with your compassion;
Allow me to share in the suffering of others,
Allow me to promote the well-being of society.

Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Please give me strength,
Allow me to progress unadulteratedly,
Without idleness, on the way to enlightenment,
And to never complain or regret.
Please give me faith;
Allow me to be able to subdue evil obstruction
On the way to truth,
And to benefit both self and others.

Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
The new year is a pervasive, new spirit.
Allow me to start everything anew;
Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Allow me to start everything anew.

VULNERABILITY

Human beings are so fragile and untouchable that the soul will be lost in every second. In our academic years, we have taught about the incidence and prognosis of many diseases. We have to learn 5 year prognosis of cancerous conditions. We usually tell our patient that the disease in this stage can predict to live how long and the chance of survival. If we calculate in mathematics, we people usually have probability of dying from heart disease is about 25 % and cancer about 15 % in our life time( just estimate). However, in real life, as we people face with many disease and condition ( everyone who have learned probability know the cumulative effect ) so that summing of all probability, the chance or probability of we people to die in next second will become very high high level. So many 0.01 additions will become nearly one.
SO VULNERABLE LIFE WE HAVE!!!!!
Enjoy life and spend every second in meaningful ways????? (what are the meaningful ways??? )<<<<>>>>>

您準備好了嗎？

當我們長大了，我們要面對許多障礙和迎接未來的挑戰。

如果我們不能應付生活，我們將滯後，並成為麻煩貢獻給社會。

因此，每個人都應該做好準備，以面對競爭激烈的世界，並願意在立交橋未來事件和挑戰。

最重要的是感覺。我們應當順應和平與反諷的感受。

我希望大家都以達到其目的地和理想的生活。

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