Thursday, June 29, 2006

Kiasu Philosophy

The A - Z of KIASU
The KIASU ( afraid to lose to others ) Syndrome is spreading at a tremendous rate in so many areas of human life. We see so many trying to outdo one another, to be number one, to achieve and attain more and more in the material world. The sad thing is, oftentimes in this mad race, moral principles are sacrificed and the worst in man surfaces out. A little reflection can show us how foolish this KIASU is . It is born out of or associated with the defilements of greed, hatred and delusion. The delusion of an ego-self, an "I”, a “Mine” leads us to want to have more and more. Reflect on what the Buddha said :
“ Sons have I ; wealth have I” : Thus is the fool worried.
Verily, he himself is not his own. Whence sons ? Whence wealth ?
Dhammapada Verse 62

Recently a Dhamma friend of mine sent an e-mail attached file to me titled “ The A – Z
Philosophy of KIASU ”. There is much Dhamma we can learn from it. I reproduce it here with some reflective comments.

A? Always must win Ha ! How much stress will this bring us ? And what we attain can never truly be ours or permanent.

B? Borrow but never return We need to check ourselves . Is it due to greed or a lack
of Mindfulness ? Both are unwholesome !

C? Cheap is good Think ! How often have we bought things out of need or greed ?

D? Don't trust anyone What a mental state ....suspicion, jealousy, ill-will .....

E? Everything also must grab! Watch out ! Is our craving increasing ?

F? Free! Free! Free! Watch our grasping mind ! The “Free things” that we hoard
are not going to bring us mental peace.

G? Grab first, talk later! We delude ourselves thinking that the more material things
we ‘own’ the greater will be our happiness. Our real
wealth is the Kamma we generate in our lives.

H? Help yourself to everything Such ‘Hungry Ghosts’ are cursed by others !

I? I first, I want, I everything How many enemies have we made with such an
attitude ?

J? Jump queue
Don’t we ever give a thought to others ? Practise Patience lah !
K? Keep coming back for more Can we bring our ‘extra things’ to the other world?

L? Look for discounts Watch ! Is it thriftiness or stinginess or miserliness ?

M? Must not lose face This Ego of ours can bring us untold suffering.

N? Never mind what they think Oh ? We need to live in harmony with others. No
one likes Kiasu people who think not of others.

O? Outdo everyone you know! Ha ! Be prepared to be afflicted with anxiety, worry,
stress, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes ....

P? Pay only when necessary More often than not, this is not being smart but rather
a deep-rooted stinginess or selfishness.

Q? Quit while you're ahead Such Kiasu people give little thought to the welfare of
the needy ones. They take care of themselves only.

R? Rush and push to win the race What for ? Remember : Life is Uncertain. Death is
Certain.

S? Samples are always welcome To give to the poor ? Ha, fat hopes !

T? Take but don't give
These days there are more and more such Kiasu people. No
wonder it’s so difficult to get people for voluntary work.

U? Unless I get something, forget it ! How many Buddhists practise selfless Dana ?

V? Vow to be number one What a vow ! Such ignorance and foolishness ! We
should vow to strive on diligently in our Dhamma
Practice.

W? Winner takes it all! All! All! When will we learn and have the wisdom to care
and share ? Beware ! We are multiplying our
desires and wants. This will lead to more Dukkha.

X? X'tra = More! Remember the Second Noble Truth : The cause of Dukkha is
craving.

Y? Yell if necessary to get what you want How many ‘bite and claw’ to reach the
top ? Alas, they get hurt in the process.

Z? Zebras are kiasu because they want to be black & white at the same time
Unless and until KIASUS learn, understand, practise and realize the Dhamma,
they will live a life of anxiety, tension, stress, worry and much Dukkha....
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin


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