My wife, Eva, and I always consider it an honour to be invited by Jindrich Degen (Eva’s father) to the Sunday lunches at the Czechoslovakian Club. What has deeply impressed us is that all of the activities and administration of the Club are handled by volunteers – men and women who have devoted countless hours of their time in serving the Club, and who have helped to build an ethnic club in South-East Queensland that is of a high standard and calibre.
Not long after opening, the dining room fills up and is bustling with the voices of hearty conversation. Although I don’t understand Czech or Slovak very well, the surrounding atmosphere has often spoken to my heart. In observing the men and women of various ages happily chatting and enjoying their lunches, a precious insight came to my mind. It is beautifully expressed by Helen Keller (the well-known American author who overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf). She wrote: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
As I sit and enjoy my Czech meal in the congenial atmosphere, I know that there are many people in the background who have made this possible.
Firstly, the guests have been warmly welcomed at the door, usually by Stanya. Smiling attendants sell lunch tickets, drinks and desserts, and the kitchen staff always produce delicious Czech cuisine.
Special touches are provided by visuals from the home country of Czechoslovakia or past Club activities.
Finally, as people are finishing their meals and fellowshipping, a small number of volunteers come around to pick up plates and empty bottles.
Such service activities can only result in joy and happiness. This is how the law of sowing and reaping works, and is also expressed by the words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (The Bible) and “no joy can equal the joy serving others” (Indian guru, Sai Baba).
The happiness and joy of the volunteers, brought about by serving others, set the atmosphere for those who have come out, sometimes travelling considerable distances, to enjoy a Sunday lunch. This is what we can all feel with our hearts – intangible, but real, positive energy that makes even a longer drive worth the effort.
Only recently, another profound quotation came to my mind in this context, which I want to hold on to: “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage” (St. Francis of Assisi).
Written by Alexander Peck; edited by Eva Peck.
Going Beyond Birth and Death
It is understandable that those who do not believe there is any reality deeper than this life, and the death that ends it, do not want to dwell on the fact of death.
But if you suspect there is a way to awaken to a deeper timeless reality that lies beyond birth and death, there is nothing more compelling than reflection upon death. Inspiration and joy can be found in doing so, since it turns one’s thoughts away from attachment to what is unreal, and leads one in the direction of what is ultimately real and of lasting value.
It is said to have lasting value because the true nature of our being that the Buddha discovered is one of genuine, unfailing joy, meaning, freedom, the cessation of suffering, and the endless power to relieve the sufferings of others, spontaneously and effortlessly.
(Hookham, Lama Shenpen. There’s More to Dying than Death: A Buddhist Perspective. Cambridge, UK: Windhorse Publications, 2006.)
