THE SIXTH HAPPINESS

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

Way back in the fifties, Hollywood released a very entertaining and enlightening movie entitled "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness". Its story is based on the biography of Gladys Aylward, a Christian missionary who held the rare and noble conviction that we are all accountable for one another.

When she arrived in China as a young girl, Gladys Aylward worked in an inn which catered to muleteers. The establishment bore a very unusual name. It was known as the Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

Gladys was told the Chinese wished everyone the five joys -- wealth, longevity, good health, virtue and a peaceful death in old age. When she asked what the sixth happiness was, the answer puzzled her. It was not something she expected to hear. It was not even an answer at all but a statement. Each one had to decide for himself what the sixth happiness meant to him.

You have to ask yourself the same thing too. The world you live in is that Inn of the Sixth Happiness. Like an inn, it is but a temporary abode. During your brief sojourn here, what is the greatest prize you seek, apart from the first five blessings?

Let's put it this way -- if you were granted only one wish, what would it be? Think well before you give your answer. It will tell you what values and standards you place upon yourself. And it will give you an insight into the person within you -- the REAL you.

 

THE FINGER THAT POINTS

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

Do you ever notice that when we point with the forefinger, the other three point right back at us? It tells us something. It reminds us we shouldn't be too eager to point the accusatory finger at another.

We all tend to pass judgement on someone else at one time or another. We draw a conclusion and arrive at a vedict. We base our estimation of the other party on the conclusion we have arrived at. Sometimes (and this really awful) we don't even verify the facts but merely form an opinion through hearsay.

Perhaps what we should do the next time we tend to play judge is ask ourselves whether it's any of our business what kind of person the other party is. Are we accountable for him in any way? If not, why are we so busy trying to evaluate his character, morals and ethics? It's nothing but a waste of our mental effort, which may be put to better use --  like making an honest asessment of OURSELVES and putting to rights anything which does not conform to our own high standards.

We should remind ourselves that we too may be judged. Those with religious convictions should remember there's a Higher Judge whose decision is never biased. In any event, let's all just bear in mind that when it comes to delivering judgment, there's always a court of law to perform that function. We really shouldn't bother!