When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot - Dalai Lama
| Why are they homeless in the first place? Some of them come to seek a better life, Some are runaways, Some have been chased out from their homes. BUT definitely not for the free food distributed by the NGOs in the city. Come on, who would want to sleep alongside the cockroaches, the bugs and the rats on the street because of wanting of free food. |
I also won't deny that some do throw rubbish everywhere but the rubbish bin. Hey, even the non vagrants people also throw the rubbish everywhere. Just go to Petaling Street around midnight and see the wonderful sights of rubbish on the streets. I am sure they are not being thrown by the homeless.
A doctor would just prescribe the medicine and send you home. A good doctor will find out the cause of the sickness. They say prevention is better than the cure, so, in this case, what has caused the existence of homeless in the city.
Yes, they came to the city for better lives which mean they can't find the intended better life back at home. Some are runaways which may mean they may not have the necessary attention at home. Some homeless are just teenagers which mean they don't understand the importance of getting education. There are many other reasons why there are homeless in the city. I am not an expert but I feel the reasons can be categorized into 4 categories poverty, lack of religious and spiritual harmony, lack of education and living in a dysfunctional family.
I have seen a lot of these people and I have talked to many of them. Nobody wants to be on the streets but they have no choice. If we want to reduce the number of homeless, we must do something about the poverty issues. Giving handouts won't reduce poverty. Give them a fish, they will eat only for a day, teach them how to fish, they will eat for life. The government must find additional ways to create more jobs for the people. (LYNAS is not one of them. STOP LYNAS, HIDUP MALAYSIA) | |
I remember a film by Stephen Chow, titled The Beggar King. In the story, the King of China scared that the Beggar King will take over his throne one day because there were many beggars in the country. The Beggar King replied,"How many beggars are there in the country, is determined by the King himself." The King smiled and nodded his head. He understood. How about you?
Many people seem to forget we are interdependent of each other. We are dependent physically on others to exist. The issue of homeless is our own creation and to undo it, we must do it ourselves. We cannot rely on the others. We cannot blame all the problems on the homeless simply because they are humans just like you and me. They have mum and dad just like you and me.
| We always tell our children to be kind, compassionate and respect each other but why we as the adults can't practice the same. Why can't we be kind to the homeless? Why can't we respect them? I treat the homeless with utmost respect because I feel that they are my teachers who teach me about life, how to be humble, how to be patience, how to be wise, how to be kind, how to listen and how to be compassionate. They have to suffer just to give lessons in life. |
"A mind dedicated to compassion is like an overflowing reservoir, it's a constant source of energy, determination and goodness. Cultivating it will makes other good qualities to blossom, such as forgiveness, tolerance, inner strength and confidence, allowing us to conquer fear and anxiety" - Dalai Lama, My Spiritual Biography