dorjeshugden.com

General Buddhism => General Buddhism => Topic started by: DS Star on September 18, 2013, 04:59:03 PM

Title: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: DS Star on September 18, 2013, 04:59:03 PM
"Billy Ray Harris, a panhandler in Missouri, grabbed the nation's attention earlier this month after he returned a diamond ring that was mistakenly dropped in his change cup, KCTV reported. The inspiring story quickly went viral and Sarah Darling, the grateful owner of the ring, set up a fundraiser for Harris with her husband to show her appreciation. They collected more than $86,000 since Feb. 14 as of press time and will be personally giving the funds to Harris..."

http://youtu.be/Ari13_9d8vU (http://youtu.be/Ari13_9d8vU)

"What I actually feel like is," Harris told KCTV, "what has the world come to when a person who returns something that doesn't belong to him and all this happens.

I agree with Harris, what has the world come to now?

Why is it so difficult to find an honest man?



Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: cookie on September 19, 2013, 02:49:30 AM
Most people will think it's a windfall if a diamond ring falls into your change cup !!  And rightfully will keep it too ;probably feeling super lucky .
How many would feel like Billy, who made an effort to trace the owner and return the ring ? Especially if the owner of the ring is not even known or related to him . Billy is clearly not a person attached to diamond rings ! Very honest person indeed.
It's also very thoughtful of Sarah(the owner of the ring) and her husband to raise funds for Harris. They must be very touched by this rare virtue of honesty. Response from the public to this fund is rather overwhelming too. So many people out there are similarly touched by this virtue. Yes, pure honesty is very hard to come by in this degenerate times ! sigh ! Truly inspired by Billy . Bless him !
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: yontenjamyang on September 19, 2013, 08:17:06 AM
Karma ripens with conditions. That means karma ripens based on the condition that trigger it. And the karma that ripens is similar to cause and the effect. If one is honest it ripen good karma of something we did earlier in our life or in a past lives. 
In this case the honesty of Billy Ray Harris is in relation to giving back the ring. It opens up his "giving karma" and hence his windfall.
This story's moral is that doing all the times has its rewards. Simple cause and effect.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: ilikeshugden on September 19, 2013, 01:56:11 PM
It seems that honesty is indeed the best policy. Personally, I wouldn't have returned the diamond ring (hehe). Karma is Karma and Karma will be returned to people who trigger the correct conditions. If one is honest and does well, he triggers the condition for good things to happen to him.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: brian on September 21, 2013, 07:49:39 AM
i think this is his good karma triggered by his nature of being honesty. He did tried to sell it which he admitted to it honestly but he decided to surrender it back to its rightful owner. This is something for us to ponder really as he had nothing but he have something is more valuable in life. His honestly and he is not greedy. He values his principal better more than any richer human in this world. Probably being poor and homeless is a good blessing for him after all. If he hadn't been poor and homeless, he would not have developed the value of honesty at all.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: kris on September 30, 2013, 05:23:10 PM
I totally admire people like Billy Ray Harris, even though he may not have much (monetary), he is very rich mentally, and when he returned the lost item, he would never expect any return.

In this era of self-centered, we need  more examples like this to promote the good qualities.

Eventually, we need to know that money is not going to bring us to enlightenment..
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: Rihanna on October 01, 2013, 02:36:40 AM
This is so touching, where a homeless man would be so honest to put aside his desperation and return the diamond to the rightful owner. Little did he know that he will be rewarded in such a manner, solving his long term problem of being a homeless. He gave away an opportunity to make his condition better short term but he in turn was rewarded for the so called 'sacrifice' which helped him to solve his long term issue. Sometimes it is just too hard to find another person who is so honest where many people would have choosen to sell off the diamond ring for a quick buck. So i would reckon this as a good karma manifested through a virtue done.


Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: Positive Change on October 01, 2013, 06:40:47 AM
WOW... What stuck out for me the most was when he said "what I actually feel like is... what is the world come to when a person returns something that don't belong to them... and all this happens!" It really goes to show how our value systems have change through the years. That something as simple and as straight forward as returning something that does not belong to you can make headline news is just actually shocking... it SHOULD BE the norm not something our of the ordinary... sad but true in this day and age. And where does it stem from? Greed and Selfishness... All the more reasons for us to rely on the Protector of Our Time, Dorje Shugden to help guide us and cut away such delusions from our lives!

What touched me the most was her sister got back in touch and offered a place for him to stay... that was truly the icing on the cake for me!
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: pgdharma on October 10, 2013, 07:29:51 AM
Returning something that does not belong to us is the right thing to do and should not create such a big hype. But in this degeneration age, how many people would actually return the diamond ring?

This homeless man may not have everything but he has principles as an honest human being. Little did he expect such a big windfall by returning the ring to the rightful owner. So I think it is his good karma ripening by doing good and being honest.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: metta girl on November 24, 2013, 06:45:41 AM
Honesty is always the best policy.In this situation, the devil is on the left and the angel is on the right , one tempting you to keep and the other persuading  you to return . But a person who is positive will not commit anything that they will regret later.Their conscience is clear and mind is stable.When Harris chose to return the diamond ring i think he felt inner happiness and just by being honest he was double rewarded.Just be honest and everything will come in place.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: OMB on November 24, 2013, 07:57:29 AM
 Honesty always pays. I love seeing good karma/blessings come to those who deserve it.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: RedLantern on November 24, 2013, 12:19:34 PM
Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthful and with fairness,as best as one is able.It is related to truth as a value superficially,honesty means simply,stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be.
Honesty can mean different to different people.For me honesty is the word closely related to be true to ourselves and to have integrity.
People like Billy Ray Harris is really admirable!Though homeless and desperate did not keep him from being honest and kind.By doing a good deed,he is rewarded in return,that is to be reunited with his sister again.Very touching story.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: Jessie Fong on November 24, 2013, 12:30:42 PM
Many people agree that Honesty is the best policy.

Billy Ray may be homeless, but that does not mean he is not honest.  It's hard to come by such an honest person; that ring was not any ordinary ring. It meant a lot to Sarah and to show how grateful she is, she went all the way to help him by setting up a fund, as a way of repaying his kindness and honesty.

Most people would have just kept the ring and sold it to cash in for their own use.  It would have gone a long way if Billy Ray had done that, but he did not.

Many people view our homeless friends as dishonest, outcasts of society, not worth a second chance.  Deep down inside, they are just like any human being, like you and me.  They just happen to be unfortunate not to have the means to support their livelihood according to society standards.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: maricisun on November 24, 2013, 01:58:48 PM
This is really so touching. Even a homeless man can be so honest. Good begets good.Honesty is the best policy.
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: bambi on November 24, 2013, 04:29:05 PM
Such a beautiful story... Such karma for the both of them. I am really happy for Billy Ray not only he returned something that was not his to keep, his sister found him as well. I really do hope that he will go back and stay with his sister and have a good life... This shows that being kind does have its rewards or rather, karma does exist! 
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: Manjushri on November 30, 2013, 06:50:19 AM
Honesty is actually inside all of us, but what differs now is how much this quality is clouded by greed. This has gone viral because people can recognize and relate to this virtue, but not many can practise it because their actions would be overclouded by another. Also, it has gone viral because many people have a fixed perception of what a homeless person would be and how they would behave; which is they are thieves, would steal, are dirty, would rob etc. Therefore, this act from this man has countered their perception and therefore, surprises them. But if you do examine it further, they are people too. External conditions and situations may be a little different to what we perceive as normal, but their intrinsic values are present, they are still human, just like us, born with the 'Buddha nature' within, but just affected by nurture.

Just a short note to end: A moment of temporary, short term satisfaction does not necessarily reflect long term result.

 
Title: Re: Honesty pays... handsomely...
Post by: Galen on November 30, 2013, 07:16:42 AM
It always pays to be honest. I am sure this man does not expect anything in return when he returns the ring to the owner but he is now rewarded with his honesty. It is also very kind of the owner to start a fund for Billy. Generally, people are touched with good virtues and are willing to help others. Let this good virtue continue.