700 million pesos

as i write this the lotto prize here in the philippines was announced to be about 700 million pesos. and for most of us who are earning an average of about 350 pesos a day or perhaps much lower, this is tremendous news. this is the one ray of hope most every one is waiting for. a chance for really huge money. we don't have to fight like hell, like manny "pacman" pacquiao, hurt ourselves and hurt others, to get big money. we only have to endure the long queue to the ticket booth.

so people will once again be trooping to the lotto ticket lines. even i. honestly i am planning to sacrifice a few day's school budget of my daughter. what the heck! if i get the numbers right she'd have all of the school budget she'd need. if she wants, she could could go to school forever. if i don't get the numbers right i'd have to scrimp on my own daily budget to replenish hers. and this will mean not getting lunch for the next few days. this is with me. with the others, this might mean more. this might mean sacrificing the 3 square meals a day for the entire family and for several days at that. a chance for really huge money.

yet, the odds are great. you have to pick 6 numbers out of 55. well, if i remember my math well, a win is really, really, a very long shot. 55 x 54 x 53 x 52 x 51 x 50 combinations. there are millions of number combinations. i tried to compute it on my calculator and the answer was more than the digits it allows to display. that's why if you want to increase your chances of winning you have to bet on many combinations. so i really need to sacrifice a few day's lunch to improve my chances. then i have to pray a lot. of course if millions of other filipinos like me placed their bets too, and they are also praying, then, i also need to come up with some very innovative prayers to insure that the Great Infinite will hear my plea. so i realize, even with prayers, it's also like this lotto draw. you have to pick the right words to say. anyway, as they say, only one unique combination will win.

so i trooped the line. gave the lotto lady 160 pesos for 8 number combinations. i have 8 chances of winning. the one before me just bet on 1 combination. so, against me, he is already an underdog. the old man after me, well, he's well dressed with sparkling shoes and gelled or pomaded hair and some heavy gold bracelet in his right arm, he paid 2500 pesos. i was aghast! he has 125 chances of winning. but i understand him. what's 2500 pesos against 700 million?

on the way home i was thinking. this is the sad lot for most of us. and i am searching for an answer that will make me smile. it appears, in this material world, the opulent or the rich have more or better chances of getting richer. as one of my friends had said,"in this world, the rule is -- like attracts like. money attracts money." what's with those rich people? why can't they ever stop accumulating wealth? when is enough, enough? if you're rich now and living comfortably, why don't you give the chance of opulence to others? is it greed that dictates this?

i hold my 8 tickets in my hand and i imagine what i'll do with the 700 million pesos. perhaps, as i do this the other person is also holding his only ticket and contemplating this as well. and perhaps, the old, rich gentleman is also doing this. i closed my eyes. that amount is staggering. so i decided i'll come up with something like a bucket list of things i'd do. much like that movie of jack nicholson and morgan freeman where they came up with a list of things to do before dying.

i'll visit canada or the united states to have a look and feel of my first snowflake.

i'll go to india to see the abode of the Great Spiritual Masters. meditate at the foot of the Himalayas.

i've checked the stats of this blog and found out some people in slovenia are actually reading this blog. i've checked wikipedia and found out slovenia has lots of the old world castles. i'll go there and visit.

if i can i'll visit russia as well and measure my steps against the great st. petersburg square if i can.

set aside money for me and my wife, and for my daughter and her future family to live comfortably on.

become a philanthropist and donate the remaining money to organizations that help the needy. or organize these myself if i am unsure of these welfare organizations. this last i am not so sure yet. greed is a strong desire that one might not have now or might have little now but one might acquire later once one is in a position of opulence. greed is associated with wealth.

last, i'll hire somebody to fix my leaking ceiling.

the way i see it, even if i get all that money i'd still not be happy. completely. it'll help solve a lot of difficulties i'm having now. but i'll not get fully satisfied.

there's only one way to perfect happiness. the Great Ones who achieved this had taught -- be as perfect as the One who created you. this can be done only by knowing one's true self.

so, i'll pray hard for this lotto prize to be won, but this is how my prayer will be:

O Great Infinite

You know our hearts and minds more than we do,

You are the Giver and Taker of freedoms,

let this material blessing be won

by that person who truly needs it

and who will be better served by it ...

i hope this sort of even things a bit.