Buku Rich Brother, Rich Sister merupakan rakaman kehidupan, pemahaman , kesedaran serta peningkatan dalam memahami anasir-anasir kehidupan oleh dua beradik; seorang abang yang berjaya sebagai usahawan selepas menjadi tentera dalam perang Vietnam, dan seorang adik perempuan yang pemalu dan kemudiannya menjadi rahib , penganut buddha Tibet yang diberi nama Tenzin Kacho oleh Dalai Lama.
Kedua-duanya melalui perjalanan kehidupan yang berbeza, walaupun kemudiannya menemui banyak persamaan dalam memahami anasir-anasir kehidupan. Mereka mempercayai peraturan hakiki yang mengatasi peraturan yang kelihatan. Saya cuba turunkan beberapa petikan yang dicatit oleh Robert di sana sini :
"I didn't want to go back to schools only to feel stupid again. I didn't want to go to church and be told I was a sinner and had to die before I could begin to live. I didn't want to be an employee of a company, allowing the business to tell me how much I made, whom I worked with, who was my boss, and whether or not I would be promoted.
I wanted to regain my power, the power to have my life on my terms, to find heaven on earth.
In Sunday School I learned that Noah endured a rainstorm for 40 days and 40 nights. I also learned that Moses wandered the desert for 40 years before he was delivered to the Promised Land. In 1974, I was hoping to find heaven on earth in 40 days, but I was also willing to wander for 40 years".(pg 106)
Emi mencatitkan tentang usaha memahami agama dan tradisi yang berbeza secara yang menarik:
"I've grown to appreciate people's faith in their chosen traditions, the effort they make to practice and study and to be good disciples. We have a long way to go in deepening tolerance and kindness for people of faiths other than our own. When we look down upon others or belittle them, it shows our intolerance and narrow perspective. This qoute from Dave Barry is sobering and sometimes true: "people who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them" (pg 117)
Robert membuat catitan tentang beratnya kesalahan berbohong:
"We all make mistakes" he continued. "We have all broken the rules. We all do stupid things and think we can get away with it. S0 making mistake and being stupid is not a crime. Being foolish is not a crime. Lying is" (pg 125)
Robert membuat pengamatan:
"As time went on, I begin to wonder why so many people pretended to be saints but were really sinners. If the rules for good life were so easy to follow, why did so many people not follow them?. Some specific examples that have disturbed me:
We all know we should not lie.
.....if this is such a simple lesson to live life by, why do so many people lie?
We all know we should not commit adultery.
.....yet, why do so many people cheat on their spouses?
We know we should not kill.
..Yet governments spend so much time, technology, and money in the pursuit of building weapons to kill people.
We all know that we should love thy neighbor
....Yet why do so many people gossip behind their neighbor's back, stabbing them in the back with words?. Why do so many people spend so much time, creativity, and effort on the Internet to smear someone else?" (pg 126-127)
Sebahagian persoalan yang ditimbulkan Robert merupakan persoalan kepada kita juga (kita hanya mampu memahami melalui pertunjuk al-Quran, hadith dan hikmah hukama melalui huraian murabbi yang sebenar dengan rahmat Allah):
"I also noticed that humans struggled a lot within themselves. It seemed as if many people went to churches to genuinely pray for a better life, yet a better life eluded many of them. For e.g:
*Many people want to be rich, yet millions of spiritually rich remain financially poor
*Millions would like to be thinner and healthier, yet millions pray to lose weight only to gain more weight
*Millions pray for more love and happiness with their spouse or partner, yet some of the most vicious fights are with those you love the most
*Millions of families go to churches to set a moral example for their kids, yet some of the kids from religious families turn out to be the worst kids of all. (pg 127-128)
[Seorang rakan yang saya kasihi yang telah bercerai dengan isterinya seorang saudara baru dari sebuah negara maju, isterinya tidak mahu membesarkan anak-anak mereka di Malaysia. Dia berhujjah, Islam mengajar agar menjauhi zina, tetapi rekod di klinik, yang paling ramai menggugurkan anak adalah perempuan Melayu, Islam mengajar kebersihan, tetapi tandas di masjid-masjid adalah tandas yang terkotor]
Emi pula merakamkan pengalaman perjalanan kerohanian Buddha-Tibet yang dialaminya; mungkin juga ada persamaan dengan pengalaman kita sendiri, sekiranya kita pernah tersentuh dengan pengalaman bersama golongan sebegini di kalangan ummah:
"While we deeply immerse ourselves in prayer, practice, study, conduct, and dicipline, we must be authentic in our personal journey. In my walks on the path, subtle deception of erroneous views shut me down. My smiling outer form held a sad frown inside. But as long as seeking approval held the upper hand over speaking up, a part of me would be forced into mental exile. The result is that my work and life appeared worthy and good, but there was a subtle corruption in my practice, and it was hurting me. We sometimes live a long time, compromised and captive to our flavor of delusion. External structures of religion, discipline, and work ethics provide guidelines for us, meant to enhance our relationships and ability to live in harmony with others. These we take up, and choose to abide by to help reflect and direct our inner motivations and directions.
But we need vigilance to correct and direct ourselves when we go off course. The course may be valid, but our interpretations and conduct may be flawed. We need skillful teachers and kind spiritual friends. (pg 137)
[Alhamdulillah saya diketemukan Allah dengan guru yang pengasih, yang mengajar saya agar jangan menjadikan guru sebagai ikutan, tetapi patuhlah kepada apa yang guru sampaikan dan yang guru amalkan daripada ajaran Allah dan Rasul-Nya. Guru ini telah melayan kerenah saya yang banyak bersoal-jawab, yang kadang-kadang berfikir secara terlalu tidak terikat kepada pemahaman yang lazim sehinggalah saya dapat merasakan kejituan nas-nas dan fahaman guru saya. Allah merahmati ruhnya, serta semoga Allah memanafaatkan ilmu dan amalnya kepada saya di dunia dan di akhirat]
Bersambung.....
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