Three questions, revisited

In the last few weeks as I was trying to recover from influenza, I have been reflecting how far it has been since retirement from full-time employment. Come this 31st of December, it will be exactly 10 years since I left JobStreet.com. I'm 65 now, not 70, because 10 years ago, the compulsory retirement age was still set at 55 years old unlike the 60-years-old retirement age limit that employees now enjoy without question.

I still remember my last day at work. My colleagues at the workplace had thrown me a farewell and I was asked to say a few words. I was actually at a loss of what to say but at the last moment, remembered a story related to me by the Australian theravadin monk, Ajahn Brahm, in one of his public talks in Penang. He had called it the emperor's three questions.

Three profound questions which had made a mark in my memory. As I told the story to my former colleagues I could sense the room grew so quiet as the 10, 15-odd people turned their attention to me. I would say that was one of the most important stories I had ever told in my life too.

By a curious coincidence, I was at the Mahindarama Buddhist Temple in Kampar Road again last night. The occasion was yet another talk by Ajahn Brahm who returns to Penang regularly at each year-end to conduct either a three-day or an eight-day retreat.

Actually, I wasn't meant to attend the talk last night but I happened to prick the interest of a friend from overseas. After having invited him to attend the talk, there was no way that I could now absent myself from it. I would have to attend and accompany my friend and his family to their first-ever Ajahn Brahm discourse on Buddhism and wisdom.

Although the topic of his conversation with us was on the most important thing in the world, it soon became very clear to me that Ajahn Brahm was talking about the emperor's same three questions. I was surprised. There I was, a few weeks ago, thinking about what I had shared with my former colleagues in December 2009 and here I was at the Mahindarama Buddhist Temple 10 years later in December 2019, listening to Ajahn Brahm telling the same story to me! The emperor's three questions have returned to me, making a full circle, 10 years later. What a coincidence!

So what was the takeaway lesson learnt from the talk? It was simple this: that these are the three important questions.

1. When is the most important time? It is now, not yesterday, not tomorrow. The most important time is now, the present moment.

2. Who is the most important person? The person you are with now. Give your utmost attention to him or her, the person right in front of you, right beside you. If there's no one with you, then you should be the most important person to yourself.

3. What is the most important thing? It is to care for others and to care for yourself. Be kind to others and be kind to yourself.