In any case, here are the photos and i hope you will find them to your liking. =)
Sunday, 8 April 2007
Photos from Taiwan Trip
Sorry that i have taken so long but here's my photos taken during the trip in Oct last year. I had some problems in uploading the photos to my Friendster Blog and apparently no support is given as the blog service is provided by a third party. If i wanted technical support, i will have to upgrade and start paying monthly subscription fees.
In any case, here are the photos and i hope you will find them to your liking. =)
In any case, here are the photos and i hope you will find them to your liking. =)
Saturday, 24 March 2007
My First Prime Lens =)
Just gotten my first set of prime lens, Sony 50mm/f1.4 yesterday from MS Colors at Ang Mo Kio for my camera. Tried a couple of shots with it and that f1.4 lens is really fast at its widest aperture, producing very good bokeh.
Can't wait to get out to the streets the next weekend to try out the new lens. No doubt it's a fixed lens and i will probably miss the freedom of zoom that comes with my 18-200mm/f3.5-6.3 lens but it will be a new experience for me. Learning to move around with the cam than to shift the zoom for the shots i like.
Every set of cameras and lens has its pros and cons, its really about how well we know and make use of our equipment's strengths and downplaying its limits that matters.
Haha, not that i'm a very good photographer but its always been a joy for me to stroll the streets for shots. Yup, even way back then more than 3 years ago when i only had a pocket sized compact 3.2meg camera to stroll with.
Heehee, so anyone interested in joining me for a little photogaphic stroll?
Can't wait to get out to the streets the next weekend to try out the new lens. No doubt it's a fixed lens and i will probably miss the freedom of zoom that comes with my 18-200mm/f3.5-6.3 lens but it will be a new experience for me. Learning to move around with the cam than to shift the zoom for the shots i like.
Every set of cameras and lens has its pros and cons, its really about how well we know and make use of our equipment's strengths and downplaying its limits that matters.
Haha, not that i'm a very good photographer but its always been a joy for me to stroll the streets for shots. Yup, even way back then more than 3 years ago when i only had a pocket sized compact 3.2meg camera to stroll with.
Heehee, so anyone interested in joining me for a little photogaphic stroll?
Sunday, 18 March 2007
Where's the Sunshine?
As an old Tibetan saying goes, "Seeking happiness outside ourselves is like waiting for sunshine in a cave facing north."
How often have we forgotten that our happiness do not lie outside of us but rather it has always been within ourselves. Just like how the saying remind us ~ look in the wrong direction and happiness like sunshine will continue to elude us.
More than often, we will find things less than satisfactory to us and there might even be times that things people do seem to be in total contra to what we believe is dear and important to us.
These are external, material and above all, our own perceptions. It is important that we recognise that and learn to let go of such perceptions and try to look at the whole picture. Only when we do that, we will realise what truly deserves our attention, our own inner happiness.
How can we be innerly happy? Learning to realise the nature of impermanence. Once we do so, we will naturally know what is important to us and they are things like our spiritual, physical and mental health and our loved ones who showered true love on us and definitely not material things like our jobs, houses and monetary success (not that they are not important but how important do they compare to our health and loved ones? You decide for yourself).
Once we know what deserves our immediate attention and with a mindset to better our lives, we will naturally prioritise and do what is best to make the lives of our loved ones and ourselves happier.
Shall we come out of our cave that is facing north and face the sunrise or sunset that has long awaited us? May happiness always be with you, my loved ones. =)
How often have we forgotten that our happiness do not lie outside of us but rather it has always been within ourselves. Just like how the saying remind us ~ look in the wrong direction and happiness like sunshine will continue to elude us.
More than often, we will find things less than satisfactory to us and there might even be times that things people do seem to be in total contra to what we believe is dear and important to us.
These are external, material and above all, our own perceptions. It is important that we recognise that and learn to let go of such perceptions and try to look at the whole picture. Only when we do that, we will realise what truly deserves our attention, our own inner happiness.
How can we be innerly happy? Learning to realise the nature of impermanence. Once we do so, we will naturally know what is important to us and they are things like our spiritual, physical and mental health and our loved ones who showered true love on us and definitely not material things like our jobs, houses and monetary success (not that they are not important but how important do they compare to our health and loved ones? You decide for yourself).
Once we know what deserves our immediate attention and with a mindset to better our lives, we will naturally prioritise and do what is best to make the lives of our loved ones and ourselves happier.
Shall we come out of our cave that is facing north and face the sunrise or sunset that has long awaited us? May happiness always be with you, my loved ones. =)
Monday, 12 March 2007
Rumour Has It - Be Present
Watched the DVD starring Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner about a week ago. Nice enough DVD with its little funny and touching moments. What i remembered most vividly from the film was a qoute from Kevin Costner.In the show, he mentioned that the most powerful two words that someone had mentioned to him and transformed his life are "BE PRESENT". By being present, are we only able to cherish what we have at the very moment itself. What we have at the moment is all displayed in front of us. It is not some far-off dream destination that we have, or a dream partner that may never materialise but the very people that surround us on the very piece of ground we stand on in this very moment.
Maybe that the reason sometimes when sitting beside people who are close (like my family, qin, ling, mark and more..) to me, i'm always able to look inwards for a quiet moment and feel truly blessed.
Let's all BE PRESENT! =)
Monday, 5 March 2007
Hammie's Gone...
Hammie passed on last nite. During dinner time tonight, i turned around as usual to look but the tank's no longer there. Somewhat a little sad to see her go after staying with our family for the last 1 year 4 months.
She's an abandoned hamster (prob 2 - 3 mths old back then) that my bro saved from the viod deck before a cat managed to pry open the cage and have her for dinner. Bro always had a soft spot for little animals, its a point i admired him for. =)
As a dwarf campbell hamster, their lifespan is usually ard 1.5 to 2 years. So she's considered to be in her old age by hamster standards as she's already past 1.5 years old. Got a very bad infection in the stomach and did not recover from it despite the antibiotics that Bro gotten from the Vet.
She had a ruff life so i hope she's in a better place now. Hammie, may u always be well and happy from this point on. =)
She's an abandoned hamster (prob 2 - 3 mths old back then) that my bro saved from the viod deck before a cat managed to pry open the cage and have her for dinner. Bro always had a soft spot for little animals, its a point i admired him for. =)
As a dwarf campbell hamster, their lifespan is usually ard 1.5 to 2 years. So she's considered to be in her old age by hamster standards as she's already past 1.5 years old. Got a very bad infection in the stomach and did not recover from it despite the antibiotics that Bro gotten from the Vet.
She had a ruff life so i hope she's in a better place now. Hammie, may u always be well and happy from this point on. =)
Saturday, 24 February 2007
Lighthouse?
Recalling some comments made by my closest friends about me, it really sets me thinking. Some of these comments are way back in time but most of it are quite recent, as recent as last afternoon.
The comments are not bad ones, most of them are compliments but these compliments are the parts that i felt i'm very undeserving and ashamed of. The general comments are i'm too nice to people and don't really look out for myself, i'm also too serious about life and trying too hard to do what's best. But I'm really not that good a person that i being made out to be - trust me, my little sis can vouch for it; i'm never a good brother (at most a medicore one) especially in the past.
Some of them even went as far as to call me a lighthouse; lighting up for others but forgetting to light up the very own ground its standing on. Haha, and my parents call me a "cha tao kia" in teochew which translate roughly to blockhead becos i usually don't know how to say no.
But am i that seflless? i often beg to differ. I'm not a holy man, i'm just a guy who tries to better his life and the lives of the people around as much as possible. I do look out for myself but it's just that i choose to do it in a very mild manner, maybe that's the reason people think i'm not assertive enough. A couple of them have been telling me off on this.
I also have conflicting moments within myself, some parts of me thinking for myself while the other parts thinking for others, ending up sometimes with a less than desired action. A good example of such conflicting thoughts is when i knew that C might be going abroad for 3 years for work.
C is one of those people that i really enjoying being around with and knowing this i do somewhat a tug within myself. But of course, i will not and do not say such things like "i'm sure you can find an equal or better opp in S'pore, there's no need to go overseas"; as saying such things will not be in C's best interest. I believe if we really care for someone, we do what is best for the other person; in this case, just talk about it without influencing. I'm sure C knows and will decide and do what is best for herself. =)
The comments are not bad ones, most of them are compliments but these compliments are the parts that i felt i'm very undeserving and ashamed of. The general comments are i'm too nice to people and don't really look out for myself, i'm also too serious about life and trying too hard to do what's best. But I'm really not that good a person that i being made out to be - trust me, my little sis can vouch for it; i'm never a good brother (at most a medicore one) especially in the past.
Some of them even went as far as to call me a lighthouse; lighting up for others but forgetting to light up the very own ground its standing on. Haha, and my parents call me a "cha tao kia" in teochew which translate roughly to blockhead becos i usually don't know how to say no.
But am i that seflless? i often beg to differ. I'm not a holy man, i'm just a guy who tries to better his life and the lives of the people around as much as possible. I do look out for myself but it's just that i choose to do it in a very mild manner, maybe that's the reason people think i'm not assertive enough. A couple of them have been telling me off on this.
I also have conflicting moments within myself, some parts of me thinking for myself while the other parts thinking for others, ending up sometimes with a less than desired action. A good example of such conflicting thoughts is when i knew that C might be going abroad for 3 years for work.
C is one of those people that i really enjoying being around with and knowing this i do somewhat a tug within myself. But of course, i will not and do not say such things like "i'm sure you can find an equal or better opp in S'pore, there's no need to go overseas"; as saying such things will not be in C's best interest. I believe if we really care for someone, we do what is best for the other person; in this case, just talk about it without influencing. I'm sure C knows and will decide and do what is best for herself. =)
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
Circle of Our Beings
Came across an article about the circles in our lives in yesterday's papers. In the article, the columnist wrote about his reflections and views on some reading materials revolving our social circles.
One of his reading material that stood out from the rest > CHASING DAYLIGHT: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O'Kelly (former CEO of KPMG, one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, aka one of the big 4). Guess it stood out from the rest and caught my eye as i too, am part of the accounting world.
Here's a link to a brief description of what it is.
KPMG Chief Executive's Last 100 Days
From my eyes, i see many people, including some of my colleagues around me, mirroring the life of Eugene O'Kelly. Working their life away without realising their priorities in life, putting in super long working hours day after day. Yes, like O'Kelly, most of us will justify that we are doing these long hours for our family and for our future easy retirement life with our loved ones.
But look at what happened to O'Kelly and it only proved one thing. The future is uncertain. He spent so much time with his outer circle of his life (made up by his acquaintances and business associates) that he neglected his inner circle (made up by his immediate family members). So much so that he missed all the major school events of his 14 year old daughter.
He did not sink into depression but he chose to use his remaining days wisely. He quit his job and set about managing his death, living his life anew. With his deathbed chronicles, he seemed to be probing the reader to re-think about his or her life and if we had struck the right balance without neglecting our core circle.
So have we strike the right balance? Only we know the answers. We can only wish that the answers do not fly into our face when we are facing our very last moments and that we realise it much earlier in our everyday living. =)
One of his reading material that stood out from the rest > CHASING DAYLIGHT: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O'Kelly (former CEO of KPMG, one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, aka one of the big 4). Guess it stood out from the rest and caught my eye as i too, am part of the accounting world.
Here's a link to a brief description of what it is.
KPMG Chief Executive's Last 100 Days
From my eyes, i see many people, including some of my colleagues around me, mirroring the life of Eugene O'Kelly. Working their life away without realising their priorities in life, putting in super long working hours day after day. Yes, like O'Kelly, most of us will justify that we are doing these long hours for our family and for our future easy retirement life with our loved ones.
But look at what happened to O'Kelly and it only proved one thing. The future is uncertain. He spent so much time with his outer circle of his life (made up by his acquaintances and business associates) that he neglected his inner circle (made up by his immediate family members). So much so that he missed all the major school events of his 14 year old daughter.
He did not sink into depression but he chose to use his remaining days wisely. He quit his job and set about managing his death, living his life anew. With his deathbed chronicles, he seemed to be probing the reader to re-think about his or her life and if we had struck the right balance without neglecting our core circle.
So have we strike the right balance? Only we know the answers. We can only wish that the answers do not fly into our face when we are facing our very last moments and that we realise it much earlier in our everyday living. =)
Thursday, 8 February 2007
i
The word "i" in the normal english context refers to the speaker himself or herself. In the case when we mentioned the word "i", it simply refers to ourselves. How does "i" apply in our daily lives? A question i often asked myself and the people around me.
Maybe just let me put down my views on this word in writing which had been shared so many times over with my friends conversationally. The meaning and the application for the word "i" differs from person to person and it reflects the growth of a person emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
For a narrow view, "i" simply means nothing more than me and myself only. Constantly holding such a view in our mind restricts one from considering and factoring others into our daily decisions. Such a view may not be healthy and beneficial in the long run for ourselves and the people around us.
From a Zen perspective, all conditioned beings and matter are non-self. They do not have an independent self but rather all conditioned beings and matter are inter-dependent. There cannot be "i" without "you" and we cannot know "long" unless we know "short". Keeping this in mind, we understand that our actions affect not only us but everyone in this world.
Of course, we may argue that it does not. Afterall, how can an action made in the far eastern part of the world have an impact on the far west? Let me illustrate with an example. Imagine we are in the middle of a big lake and we drop a small stone (akin to a small action) into the middle of the lake. What happens?
Waves of ripples appear starting from where the stone is dropped. The waves are small and it will appear to the naked eye that it disappeared as it spreads out. Probably no more than a few feet. From a scientific view point, we know that waves continued much further than what our naked eye can see.
Likewise, our actions spread far and wide even though we may not see it. Liken to the ripples, the ones affected by our actions are the ones most immediate to us. More than often, they are our families and friends. Just like a bigger stone, the bigger our actions are, the further our waves of influence spread.
With such knowledge that our every little actions affect more than just ourselves, i implore the people around me to expand their cirlce of "i' to include their loved ones such as their family members and friends. Doing so, we will be more mindful of our actions and it will less likely to cause hurt to these people we hold so dear in our hearts. Let's make our "i" a bigger "i". =)
Maybe just let me put down my views on this word in writing which had been shared so many times over with my friends conversationally. The meaning and the application for the word "i" differs from person to person and it reflects the growth of a person emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
For a narrow view, "i" simply means nothing more than me and myself only. Constantly holding such a view in our mind restricts one from considering and factoring others into our daily decisions. Such a view may not be healthy and beneficial in the long run for ourselves and the people around us.
From a Zen perspective, all conditioned beings and matter are non-self. They do not have an independent self but rather all conditioned beings and matter are inter-dependent. There cannot be "i" without "you" and we cannot know "long" unless we know "short". Keeping this in mind, we understand that our actions affect not only us but everyone in this world.
Of course, we may argue that it does not. Afterall, how can an action made in the far eastern part of the world have an impact on the far west? Let me illustrate with an example. Imagine we are in the middle of a big lake and we drop a small stone (akin to a small action) into the middle of the lake. What happens?
Waves of ripples appear starting from where the stone is dropped. The waves are small and it will appear to the naked eye that it disappeared as it spreads out. Probably no more than a few feet. From a scientific view point, we know that waves continued much further than what our naked eye can see.
Likewise, our actions spread far and wide even though we may not see it. Liken to the ripples, the ones affected by our actions are the ones most immediate to us. More than often, they are our families and friends. Just like a bigger stone, the bigger our actions are, the further our waves of influence spread.
With such knowledge that our every little actions affect more than just ourselves, i implore the people around me to expand their cirlce of "i' to include their loved ones such as their family members and friends. Doing so, we will be more mindful of our actions and it will less likely to cause hurt to these people we hold so dear in our hearts. Let's make our "i" a bigger "i". =)
Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Emi Fujita, a Japanese jazz singer. I noticed her about 2-3 years back. It was the way she rendered "What a Wonderful World" in her second album that caught my attention back then in Music Junction.
It was the way she sang some of her numbers that brings out a magical feeling to the listener.
Absolute joy to hear. Some of her songs if i may recommend, are:
1) What a Wonderful World
2) Fields of Gold
3) Desperado
4) True Colours
5) Every Breath You Take
In her latest release Camomile Classics, she did a good job with Over the Rainbow, Leaving on a Jet Plane and Try to Remember (at least in my opinion). Think i'm going gaga with Leaving on a Jet Plane, keep listening to the song this few days. =)
In anycase, here are the lyrics. Thumbs up to John Denver for writing such a beautiful piece of song. =)
All my bags are packed
I'm ready to go
I'm standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
It's early morn
The taxis waitin
He's blowin his horn
Already I'm so lonesome
I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
E'vry place I go, I'll think of you
E'vry song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyesI'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say
Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
But, I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
It was the way she sang some of her numbers that brings out a magical feeling to the listener.
Absolute joy to hear. Some of her songs if i may recommend, are:
1) What a Wonderful World
2) Fields of Gold
3) Desperado
4) True Colours
5) Every Breath You Take
In her latest release Camomile Classics, she did a good job with Over the Rainbow, Leaving on a Jet Plane and Try to Remember (at least in my opinion). Think i'm going gaga with Leaving on a Jet Plane, keep listening to the song this few days. =)
In anycase, here are the lyrics. Thumbs up to John Denver for writing such a beautiful piece of song. =)
All my bags are packed
I'm ready to go
I'm standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
It's early morn
The taxis waitin
He's blowin his horn
Already I'm so lonesome
I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
E'vry place I go, I'll think of you
E'vry song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyesI'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say
Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
But, I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
Quite Another Version of 向左走 向右走
向左走 向右走 is one of the more well known works of 几米. It was first published in 1999 and made famous a few years back by its screen adaption.Listening to one of songs in the debut album of 蔡淳佳 released in 2000 titled 他和她, i cannot help but feel a sense of familiarity. Somehow, it seemed to describe the situation that the lead characters are in. They were meant for each other but even though they are living in the same building and just 3 windows away, they somehow managed to miss each other. Isn't that very 向左走 向右走? Well, the lyrics are just below, you decide for yourself. =)
他习惯把自己丢在热闹的场所
他以为这样可以掩饰掉落寞
她喜欢往这个城市最安静角落走
担心脆弱被人识破
他和她住同一栋楼
遗憾的是爱擦肩而过
他们孤独时候
都望着同一颗星球
他和她都在城市飘流
遗憾的是心无缘邂逅
他们彼此适合却无奈的错过
在人群中掩没
他渴望能有人分享夜晚和失落
她最怕独自面对黄昏和脆弱
其实他们彼此距离才两三个窗
不同的心一样寂寞
Saturday, 20 January 2007
Meaning of Life
What is the meaning of life? That is one answer that only we ourselves can truly answer. No one better than us know the reason why we live the life we are living now, doing the things that we do now.
What is your reason for living? The possibilities are infinite and i hope your motive to live is based on love, peace, joy and happiness. If we do so, not only will we better our own lives, it benefits people around us as well. 8) Otherwise, to live a selfish life or one that is filled with anger and hatred, will only serve to lead us into a life full of hurt and disappointment.
From Venerable Mahinda,
"The true meaning of life lies beyond wordly happiness, beyond material wealth and status. As long as we do not have the wisdom to realise impermanence, unsatifactoriness and emptiness of worldly things and pursuits, we will always be seeking for meaning.
To realise the true purpose and meaning of life, we need patience, perserverance as well as faith and confidence in moral and spiritual values. We need to fufill our immediate purpose before we can move on to something higher."
True to Bhante's words - until we realise how empty worldly happiness and material gains are, we will never truly be contented and constantly searching for an answer. Once we start to realise the impermanence nature of all conditioned things, we will also start to realise the need to cherish this present moment.
As the Buddha once put it very nicely, "The past is gone and the future yet to come. The only thing we truly have is the present moment." When we understand this, we will learn to live a life of understanding as the future is uncertain and we may not have the luxury to enjoy other than this very moment.
Understanding the love we received from our loved ones such as our families, friends, teachers and to learn to appreciate and return it in kind. Understanding the suffering of others, to learn to release our compassionate heart and to let go of our hatred and anger if any in us. Such is the purpose of life - living a life of kindness, free from fear and regrets. 8)
What is your reason for living? The possibilities are infinite and i hope your motive to live is based on love, peace, joy and happiness. If we do so, not only will we better our own lives, it benefits people around us as well. 8) Otherwise, to live a selfish life or one that is filled with anger and hatred, will only serve to lead us into a life full of hurt and disappointment.
From Venerable Mahinda,
"The true meaning of life lies beyond wordly happiness, beyond material wealth and status. As long as we do not have the wisdom to realise impermanence, unsatifactoriness and emptiness of worldly things and pursuits, we will always be seeking for meaning.
To realise the true purpose and meaning of life, we need patience, perserverance as well as faith and confidence in moral and spiritual values. We need to fufill our immediate purpose before we can move on to something higher."
True to Bhante's words - until we realise how empty worldly happiness and material gains are, we will never truly be contented and constantly searching for an answer. Once we start to realise the impermanence nature of all conditioned things, we will also start to realise the need to cherish this present moment.
As the Buddha once put it very nicely, "The past is gone and the future yet to come. The only thing we truly have is the present moment." When we understand this, we will learn to live a life of understanding as the future is uncertain and we may not have the luxury to enjoy other than this very moment.
Understanding the love we received from our loved ones such as our families, friends, teachers and to learn to appreciate and return it in kind. Understanding the suffering of others, to learn to release our compassionate heart and to let go of our hatred and anger if any in us. Such is the purpose of life - living a life of kindness, free from fear and regrets. 8)
Sunday, 14 January 2007
Pan's Labyrinth
A Spanish film set in the 1940's countryside of Spain. It tells of a tale of a little girl (Ofelia) travelling with her mum (Carmen) who joins her newly wedded husband (Vidal) in their new home. There, it starts a tale of fantasy in the midst of harsh reality of warfare. For the full synopsis, you can visit their website www.panslabyrinth.com
Although its film that has won numerous awards, it is not for those who cannot appreciate dark beauty at one of its better moments. If Alice in Wonderland is the pretty version of surrealism, then this must be the dark and twisted version. The faun is no pretty faun like the one you may have seen in Narnia. The faun in this film looks more like the devil in disguise and the magical creatures that Ofelia met are no angels. Even the fairies are in dark colours like dirty green and dark blue to help better portray the gloominess of the show.
What really stands out in the show is the ability of the director to mix reality with fantasy in a very fine line, leaving you wondering if those magical creatures are for real or just simply the conjurement of Ofelia. Other than this, this film really brings out the best and the worst of the human nature during war time. A tale of all sorts of human emotions, love, hate, pride, humility, compassion.
Oh, by the way, the show is somewhat graphical in nature, so if you are those squemish people, don't watch it.....
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Wish I Could Do A Little More
Knowing how people around me are suffering and yet unable to offer much to ease their suffering is really saddening and sometimes even fustrating.
I know how sometimes the right words and actions at the appropriate time can help immensely but somehow i am lacking the infinite wisdom of a enlightened mind to do so. But i do know that to join them in thinking negatively will not help as it will only heighten whatever dukha (suffering) they are experiencing.
All i can do at any point in time is to offer and radiate my slient wishes of metta (loving-kindness). Sometimes, they will offer to relate whatever unhappiness they are experiencing and i do my best to listen and if they are willing, offer some worldly advices or dhamma (if they do not mind).
So when will their suffering and fustration end? How i wish i could do a little more to help....
I know how sometimes the right words and actions at the appropriate time can help immensely but somehow i am lacking the infinite wisdom of a enlightened mind to do so. But i do know that to join them in thinking negatively will not help as it will only heighten whatever dukha (suffering) they are experiencing.
All i can do at any point in time is to offer and radiate my slient wishes of metta (loving-kindness). Sometimes, they will offer to relate whatever unhappiness they are experiencing and i do my best to listen and if they are willing, offer some worldly advices or dhamma (if they do not mind).
So when will their suffering and fustration end? How i wish i could do a little more to help....
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
Death - A User Friendly Guide
About a week ago, I chanced upon this advertisment ~ "Death. a user friendly guide" at a bus stop in Bishan area. The title caught my immediate attention. Talk about advertising for death! =)I'm not too sure if there is any infringment of copyrights (and if if there is, do let me know and i'll remove the link below from my blog) but meantime, i'll share with you this adverstisment by Singapore Hospice Council. =)
How do you feel after reading this advertisment? It seems to serve as a reminder to us to be mindful of the present moment and our loved ones around us. To resolve any hatred and anger that we might have with the most important people in our lives and not wait a second longer as the future is uncertain.
Sometimes we rush into things without thinking and yet there are times we simply ignore and not do what truly deserves our attention. If there's any cue to be taken from this article, it is to express your love this very moment without delay and to let go of your anger this very second. Doing so will reward us beyond material riches ~ a more fulfiling life, a life without regrets. =)
Monday, 1 January 2007
Platonic Relationships
Platonic relationship in a modern sense means an affectionate relationship between 2 people of opposite sexes in which the sexual element does not enter into the picture. A simple example of platonic relationships is a deep, non-sexual friendship between two heterosexual people.
It is also commonly used to describe the relationship between a man and a woman who are bosom friends but have no intention of getting into a deeper relationship e.g. BFGF or Man & Wife relationship. Do you believe in platonic friendships exist in this world? I do so without a doubt. Simply so because other than my buddies, i do have very good bosom friends that hail from the opposite sex. (",) Some are married, some being attached while the rest being single.
(I must admit once more that this is one of those blogs that are prompted by the events around me. Without these events, i do not read or think too in depth into things that i might have taken to be very natural and simple to me but not so to some others.)
Let me illustrate more of my views on this topic. When you see two persons of the opposite sexes going out together, enjoying each other's company. Laughing aloud over a good cup of coffee, walking the mall together or even catching a movie together. What do you see? Or rather how do you view their relationship?
I simply see 2 persons having a good time enjoying each other's presence in the present moment but to some, it means that the 2 parties are interested in each other and habour thoughts of developing further into the relationship (based on past reflections from a number of friends as some of them had remarked that if the girl is not in the bit least liking the guy, she would have never agree on a one to one basis outing).
Of course, there is no denying that there are times when people do go out with the intention of getting to know each other better. And some of them do so in hope for a more beautiful relationship to blossom in the somewhat near and foreseeable future.
Looking at these few very different attitudes towards relationship, it's little wonder that people (or maybe it's just me) find it difficult to tell what sort of intentions are present. And to make matter worse, one party may approach with a simple view for better friendship while the other might think otherwise and wish for more, resulting in a awkward situation.
No matter what and how different is our attitude towards the relationship, it is still important to remember that the other party might not concur in their views. Even so, we should learn to respect their point as the other party is just like us, in search of happiness in this present moment. We will then be able to live in the present truly and let infinite possibilities take over in their own due course, be it great friends or lifetime partners in the future yet to come. =)
It is also commonly used to describe the relationship between a man and a woman who are bosom friends but have no intention of getting into a deeper relationship e.g. BFGF or Man & Wife relationship. Do you believe in platonic friendships exist in this world? I do so without a doubt. Simply so because other than my buddies, i do have very good bosom friends that hail from the opposite sex. (",) Some are married, some being attached while the rest being single.
(I must admit once more that this is one of those blogs that are prompted by the events around me. Without these events, i do not read or think too in depth into things that i might have taken to be very natural and simple to me but not so to some others.)
Let me illustrate more of my views on this topic. When you see two persons of the opposite sexes going out together, enjoying each other's company. Laughing aloud over a good cup of coffee, walking the mall together or even catching a movie together. What do you see? Or rather how do you view their relationship?
I simply see 2 persons having a good time enjoying each other's presence in the present moment but to some, it means that the 2 parties are interested in each other and habour thoughts of developing further into the relationship (based on past reflections from a number of friends as some of them had remarked that if the girl is not in the bit least liking the guy, she would have never agree on a one to one basis outing).
Of course, there is no denying that there are times when people do go out with the intention of getting to know each other better. And some of them do so in hope for a more beautiful relationship to blossom in the somewhat near and foreseeable future.
Looking at these few very different attitudes towards relationship, it's little wonder that people (or maybe it's just me) find it difficult to tell what sort of intentions are present. And to make matter worse, one party may approach with a simple view for better friendship while the other might think otherwise and wish for more, resulting in a awkward situation.
No matter what and how different is our attitude towards the relationship, it is still important to remember that the other party might not concur in their views. Even so, we should learn to respect their point as the other party is just like us, in search of happiness in this present moment. We will then be able to live in the present truly and let infinite possibilities take over in their own due course, be it great friends or lifetime partners in the future yet to come. =)
Saturday, 30 December 2006
Little Thank U Card! =)
Received a little thank u card (about the size of a name card) from my god-daughter, Erinne. It's for the present i gave her this X'mas. Gave her a action doll, Bloom from Winx Club ~ animation of a group of gals with fairy wings and magical powers when they transform.
Gotta thanks Winz for helping me out in choosing the present. Was quite torn between getting a barbie doll and this. Winz reminded me that she has a lot of barbies and she's very much into Winx Club. So, that seals the deal.
Back to the card ~ she made it herself with drawings of a sun, puffy clouds, green pastures, tree, beautiful butterfly and a lovely big flower with a Big Thank You at the side. =)
The little card reflects her most inner childlike qualities and her most sincere thanks from her heart and i'm really happy. It seems that people often want to grow out of these childlike qualities that we have, thinking that it will make us more mature once we do so.
Little do we realise it is these very childlike qualities that enable us to see each and every moment in its purest form, the present moment with all its wonderful and infinite possibilities offered. If we were to lose all of these qualities, we will not be able to see this present moment anew which is the most precious of all gifts.
May you and loved ones find peace, joy and many wondrous moments in the new year ahead! =)
Gotta thanks Winz for helping me out in choosing the present. Was quite torn between getting a barbie doll and this. Winz reminded me that she has a lot of barbies and she's very much into Winx Club. So, that seals the deal.
Back to the card ~ she made it herself with drawings of a sun, puffy clouds, green pastures, tree, beautiful butterfly and a lovely big flower with a Big Thank You at the side. =)
The little card reflects her most inner childlike qualities and her most sincere thanks from her heart and i'm really happy. It seems that people often want to grow out of these childlike qualities that we have, thinking that it will make us more mature once we do so.
Little do we realise it is these very childlike qualities that enable us to see each and every moment in its purest form, the present moment with all its wonderful and infinite possibilities offered. If we were to lose all of these qualities, we will not be able to see this present moment anew which is the most precious of all gifts.
May you and loved ones find peace, joy and many wondrous moments in the new year ahead! =)
Monday, 11 December 2006
Food Allergies
Just gotten back the results for my food intolerance test from my co's doc last friday. Blood used for the clinical test was taken about a week earlier.
I must say that such tests are not very well known in Singapore. Dr Ho has heard of such tests but known it to be done in States and they cost approximately 3 - 4 thousand dollars. I'm quite lucky that Dr Tong knew of one local lab that does a similiar test on a smaller sampling of food.
Of course, it is not as comprehensive as the ones done in States but still, the local abbreviated test will include a total of 150 common food items. At that number, the sampling is already large enough for me.
Like the chinese saying goes, 病從口入 and so you might actually say that i have been looking forward to seeing the results. I was hoping to gain an insight of what might or could have been the cause of my recent frequent bouts of illnesses.
From the results, it seems that i'm reactive to quite a number of foods. The ones that i'm highly intolerant are cabbage, sunflower, string beans, malt, mushroom and cauliflower. These are to be the big NOs in my diet.
There's also a whole list of others which i'm most likely to be intolerant but reactions will range from mild to medium. They include coffee, yeast, honeydew, garlic, oysters, sugar cane, crab, navy bean, eggwhite, clam, green pea, trout, chocolate, ice-cream and so on..
A lot of friends remarked that it's going to be a torture as most of them are very much common food found in our daily diet and worse still, the very fact that i'm a coffee lover. Most wondered... isn't it gonna be difficult?
Not so difficult, i think. Afterall when we do consume our food, we are suppose to be mindful enough to consume our food in such a way that we nourish our body and not to make it sick! =)
Yes, i do believe that we should enjoy our food but the most important thing is that it should not become an addiction. If we find it hard to cut off one type of food or another, it just simply mean that we have a craving or addiction for it. Then all the more, we need to let it go.
Ultimately, it's for the good of the body. As the Buddha nicely put it, Health is the precious gain, Contentment the greatest wealth. What more can we ask for when we have a healthy body and a mind free of addictions. =)
Oh, by the way, i've already changed my daily diet and so far, i have been drinking tea instead of coffee for my daily breakfast. Even in the office, no coffee for me so far. I intend to keep coffee to the occassional evening or weekend gatherings with friends so that i will not over consume it, causing harm to my body. =)
Let's all take care of our bodies and mind. =) May all of us be well and happy. =)
I must say that such tests are not very well known in Singapore. Dr Ho has heard of such tests but known it to be done in States and they cost approximately 3 - 4 thousand dollars. I'm quite lucky that Dr Tong knew of one local lab that does a similiar test on a smaller sampling of food.
Of course, it is not as comprehensive as the ones done in States but still, the local abbreviated test will include a total of 150 common food items. At that number, the sampling is already large enough for me.
Like the chinese saying goes, 病從口入 and so you might actually say that i have been looking forward to seeing the results. I was hoping to gain an insight of what might or could have been the cause of my recent frequent bouts of illnesses.
From the results, it seems that i'm reactive to quite a number of foods. The ones that i'm highly intolerant are cabbage, sunflower, string beans, malt, mushroom and cauliflower. These are to be the big NOs in my diet.
There's also a whole list of others which i'm most likely to be intolerant but reactions will range from mild to medium. They include coffee, yeast, honeydew, garlic, oysters, sugar cane, crab, navy bean, eggwhite, clam, green pea, trout, chocolate, ice-cream and so on..
A lot of friends remarked that it's going to be a torture as most of them are very much common food found in our daily diet and worse still, the very fact that i'm a coffee lover. Most wondered... isn't it gonna be difficult?
Not so difficult, i think. Afterall when we do consume our food, we are suppose to be mindful enough to consume our food in such a way that we nourish our body and not to make it sick! =)
Yes, i do believe that we should enjoy our food but the most important thing is that it should not become an addiction. If we find it hard to cut off one type of food or another, it just simply mean that we have a craving or addiction for it. Then all the more, we need to let it go.
Ultimately, it's for the good of the body. As the Buddha nicely put it, Health is the precious gain, Contentment the greatest wealth. What more can we ask for when we have a healthy body and a mind free of addictions. =)
Oh, by the way, i've already changed my daily diet and so far, i have been drinking tea instead of coffee for my daily breakfast. Even in the office, no coffee for me so far. I intend to keep coffee to the occassional evening or weekend gatherings with friends so that i will not over consume it, causing harm to my body. =)
Let's all take care of our bodies and mind. =) May all of us be well and happy. =)
Thursday, 30 November 2006
Happy Feet
3 of us celebrated Mark's birthday last weekend. Quite the simple affair ~ dinner and a midnight show.
Come to think of it, for the few of us as we get older, such celebrations becomes simpler and more personal with just a few good friends gathering for a good dinner or just a good cup of coffee.
Had a late dinner at The Manhattan Fish Market in Plaza Singapura. We are fairly pleased with the food, sharing a platter for 3. To make the meal a healthier one, 3 of us shared a plate of salad. Well, one ought to try to have some greens as a daily habit.
After that, we moved on to Cathay for a late nite show. No prizes for guessing what show we caught. Think the title says it all ~ Happy Feet. Quite a good movie that caters to both the young and old.
For the young, there are lots of cute and loveable characters like Mumble, Gloria, Lovelace the Guru and the five latin penguins namely, Ramon, Lombardo, Nestor, Rinaldo and Raul that provides all the cutesy and laughable moments.
For the adults, the movie will provide much food for thoughts. In the movie, it will touch on the fact that the elders of tradition and religion should not hold on to their faith and teachings blindly, ignoring other possibilites that is outside of their world.
It emphasises that tradition and religion should also be in touch with the outside world which is everchanging. We should not ignore the ideas no matter how radical or how young the person who is offering the advice. Otherwise decline is almost certain if faith is followed blindly.
Another major message that the movie is bringing across is the amount of damage that we are doing to Mother Earth. How bad the pollution is today and how over-harvesting of Earth's resources is damaging her every single moment. It asks us to consider how we may improve the lives of all the beings sharing this Earth.
The next time we dispose our little piece of rubbish, let us be mindful and dispose it in its proper bin provided for it. Let's not just dump in into the drain or stream as it may well end up in the vast ocean and harm some little life out there. =)
In anycase, do enjoy Mumble and his gang if you are watching it anytime in the near future! =)
Come to think of it, for the few of us as we get older, such celebrations becomes simpler and more personal with just a few good friends gathering for a good dinner or just a good cup of coffee.
Had a late dinner at The Manhattan Fish Market in Plaza Singapura. We are fairly pleased with the food, sharing a platter for 3. To make the meal a healthier one, 3 of us shared a plate of salad. Well, one ought to try to have some greens as a daily habit.
After that, we moved on to Cathay for a late nite show. No prizes for guessing what show we caught. Think the title says it all ~ Happy Feet. Quite a good movie that caters to both the young and old.
For the young, there are lots of cute and loveable characters like Mumble, Gloria, Lovelace the Guru and the five latin penguins namely, Ramon, Lombardo, Nestor, Rinaldo and Raul that provides all the cutesy and laughable moments.
For the adults, the movie will provide much food for thoughts. In the movie, it will touch on the fact that the elders of tradition and religion should not hold on to their faith and teachings blindly, ignoring other possibilites that is outside of their world.
It emphasises that tradition and religion should also be in touch with the outside world which is everchanging. We should not ignore the ideas no matter how radical or how young the person who is offering the advice. Otherwise decline is almost certain if faith is followed blindly.
Another major message that the movie is bringing across is the amount of damage that we are doing to Mother Earth. How bad the pollution is today and how over-harvesting of Earth's resources is damaging her every single moment. It asks us to consider how we may improve the lives of all the beings sharing this Earth.
The next time we dispose our little piece of rubbish, let us be mindful and dispose it in its proper bin provided for it. Let's not just dump in into the drain or stream as it may well end up in the vast ocean and harm some little life out there. =)
In anycase, do enjoy Mumble and his gang if you are watching it anytime in the near future! =)
Thursday, 23 November 2006
Quick Update for Oct & Nov'06 =)
Just a quick update on my recent happenings for the last one and half months.
Went to taipei & hualien of taiwan for a short holiday with dad from 23/10/2006 to 29/10/2006. I'll probably do a short write up on the trip once i'm done with fotos. Think it's nicer to complement the writings with some pics. =)
Finally edited my fren's ROM pics which i took as the officical photographer on 14th Oct 2006 after coming back from my taiwan trip. Developed and gave a set of the prints to her as my wedding gift. LH, sorry for the delays and many blessings for your marriage again! =) Hope most of the shots i took was to your liking!
After that, it was mainly shuttling between office, school and home as usual. So nothing out of the extraordinary except that i finally got my hands on the long awaited book 2 (paperback) of the Dragonlance - Amber Series by Margaret Weis and the 3 graphic novels on Forgotten Realms - Dark Elf Drizzt (it was out of stock for a good 2 months or more and i've been hunting them for sometime).
Had my final 2 revision classes in the first 2 saturday mornings of November and my exams done and over on yesterday 23/11/2006. Now, i'm just waiting for my results to be released late jan next year. =)
Went to taipei & hualien of taiwan for a short holiday with dad from 23/10/2006 to 29/10/2006. I'll probably do a short write up on the trip once i'm done with fotos. Think it's nicer to complement the writings with some pics. =)
Finally edited my fren's ROM pics which i took as the officical photographer on 14th Oct 2006 after coming back from my taiwan trip. Developed and gave a set of the prints to her as my wedding gift. LH, sorry for the delays and many blessings for your marriage again! =) Hope most of the shots i took was to your liking!
After that, it was mainly shuttling between office, school and home as usual. So nothing out of the extraordinary except that i finally got my hands on the long awaited book 2 (paperback) of the Dragonlance - Amber Series by Margaret Weis and the 3 graphic novels on Forgotten Realms - Dark Elf Drizzt (it was out of stock for a good 2 months or more and i've been hunting them for sometime).
Had my final 2 revision classes in the first 2 saturday mornings of November and my exams done and over on yesterday 23/11/2006. Now, i'm just waiting for my results to be released late jan next year. =)
Wednesday, 11 October 2006
Surprises =)
Gotten quite a few surprises these couple of days, all pleasant!=)
First of all, thanks for all the well wishes that i've gotten from all of you on my 28th Day of Life Gift (it's a description i picked up from a novel, nicely reflecting the fact that being alive is the greatest gift). Really appreciate the kind thoughts and gestures. =>
Thanks to mei for arranging the little get together with hong and jia. =) Haven't seen them for nearly 2 years. Mei didn't even let me in the bag that they are joining us for dinner on tues. Yes mei, you caught me off-balanced there. I was really surprised to see jia strolling into Coffee Bean at Scotts smiling at me since i wasn't expecting anyone else except mei.
Hong came in couple of mins later after jia and our gathering was completed with mei arriving in just a little while. Nice simple dinner completed with a cup of warm coffee. Simplicity is beauty after all and the simplest pleasures in life can be so uplifting for our spirits. Updated one another with recent and not-so-recent happenings and most of our conversation revolved around our travels. =) Nice catching up, we should do it more often. =)
Btw mei, nice gift! It's the first time i received a gift of that colour. You are one of those people that doesn't fail to surprise. =) And ya, how can i not write something for hong and jia as well? Thanks for the little surprise you gave me at Borders. It's awfully nice of you both. =)
On thurs when i meet up with Qin, i got another surprise. Yup, qin gave me a gift that a guy like me could never have guessed it coming. Total surprise for me once again! Haha, i'm not gonna put down what are the gifts that i have gotten so far from mei and qin. You can go ahead and guess all you want. =P
Anyway, back to it. Gotten dinner with qin at Eclectic Attic, it's a small concept store on level 5 of Plaza Singapura (besides Spotlight) selling very unique furnitures and accessories. Food is reasonably priced and most importantly, thumbs up for the service and the ambient! Nice and cosy. Nice easy evening with qin and did quite a bit of catching up as well. Qin, thanks again for the surprise! =)
Additional thanks - 14th Oct
Just a bit of editing to do on this post. Like to give my thanks and gratitude to another 4 persons for their lovely gift. They are qiang, hao, mark and yin. Gift came right in just when i was about to get a similiar one myself. Couldn't have it at a better timing than this. Thanks fellas! =)
First of all, thanks for all the well wishes that i've gotten from all of you on my 28th Day of Life Gift (it's a description i picked up from a novel, nicely reflecting the fact that being alive is the greatest gift). Really appreciate the kind thoughts and gestures. =>
Thanks to mei for arranging the little get together with hong and jia. =) Haven't seen them for nearly 2 years. Mei didn't even let me in the bag that they are joining us for dinner on tues. Yes mei, you caught me off-balanced there. I was really surprised to see jia strolling into Coffee Bean at Scotts smiling at me since i wasn't expecting anyone else except mei.
Hong came in couple of mins later after jia and our gathering was completed with mei arriving in just a little while. Nice simple dinner completed with a cup of warm coffee. Simplicity is beauty after all and the simplest pleasures in life can be so uplifting for our spirits. Updated one another with recent and not-so-recent happenings and most of our conversation revolved around our travels. =) Nice catching up, we should do it more often. =)
Btw mei, nice gift! It's the first time i received a gift of that colour. You are one of those people that doesn't fail to surprise. =) And ya, how can i not write something for hong and jia as well? Thanks for the little surprise you gave me at Borders. It's awfully nice of you both. =)
On thurs when i meet up with Qin, i got another surprise. Yup, qin gave me a gift that a guy like me could never have guessed it coming. Total surprise for me once again! Haha, i'm not gonna put down what are the gifts that i have gotten so far from mei and qin. You can go ahead and guess all you want. =P
Anyway, back to it. Gotten dinner with qin at Eclectic Attic, it's a small concept store on level 5 of Plaza Singapura (besides Spotlight) selling very unique furnitures and accessories. Food is reasonably priced and most importantly, thumbs up for the service and the ambient! Nice and cosy. Nice easy evening with qin and did quite a bit of catching up as well. Qin, thanks again for the surprise! =)
Additional thanks - 14th Oct
Just a bit of editing to do on this post. Like to give my thanks and gratitude to another 4 persons for their lovely gift. They are qiang, hao, mark and yin. Gift came right in just when i was about to get a similiar one myself. Couldn't have it at a better timing than this. Thanks fellas! =)
Monday, 2 October 2006
爱还是被爱, 誰比較幸福?
It happened several times, mostly during small talks with friends. Not too sure how such remarks came about but it sort of left an impression on me since it was not the first time i heard such remarks.
Quite a number of them commented that i was likely to be on the losing end if i ever end up in a relationship since i'm not a very dominating guy. Yes, they think i'll be bullied (if you want to hear it in a layman's term). I find it funny though as i felt that there is no such thing as a losing party in a relationship. Afterall, everyone grows in the journey of life even though at times we can be quite blind to our own growth and that of others.
One of my colleagues, a working mum, said to me, "You are just like my son, the type that will get bullied by the wife if you ever get married." She continued, "You better get someone who loves you more than you love her. That's what i always reminded my son." Naturally, i asked why? For record sake, her rationale behind her reasoning ~ it is always more fortunate to be loved than to love.
How true is that? Do you agree with my colleague? Sorry if i seemed a little distracted over the weekend but i was pondering over it. I'm sure everyone has an answer just like me ~ at the bottom of our hearts. It's all within us, though some of us may take sometime to find it while some like me just need to reaffirm the presence of this answer that we knew all along was there.
Reflecting on my past and looking at the people in front of me, i think the more fortunate party is the one who is able to love. If i can and if i will, i wish to love more than to be loved even when it means that i may have to endure a little more in the relationship. It may seem a little silly but when we think carefully, it is not silly at all and it might be the most logical thought we may ever have.
When we truly love a person, we do want the person whom we love to be well and happy without any conditions attached. We will also very much like to know that our loved ones are feeling as blissful as they can ever be and they know they are being loved as much as they ever deserved to. Afterall, we cannot be happy if our loved ones are not well and happy. My greatest joy in life does not come from my own happiness (don't be mistaken, i'm still happy when i'm happy) but rather it comes from the knowledge that my loved ones are well and happy.
I'm not saying that it will be a bed of roses if we all think that way. (Sometimes, i don't even how to begin to show my care and concern for people, i can be quite inept at showing my feelings) Nobody's perfect but as long as i know that i have such a mentality, i will be more mindful of my actions and so less likely to hurt the people i care for. If i ever hurt you in anyway, please forgive me as i really never meant to in the very first place.
Quite a number of them commented that i was likely to be on the losing end if i ever end up in a relationship since i'm not a very dominating guy. Yes, they think i'll be bullied (if you want to hear it in a layman's term). I find it funny though as i felt that there is no such thing as a losing party in a relationship. Afterall, everyone grows in the journey of life even though at times we can be quite blind to our own growth and that of others.
One of my colleagues, a working mum, said to me, "You are just like my son, the type that will get bullied by the wife if you ever get married." She continued, "You better get someone who loves you more than you love her. That's what i always reminded my son." Naturally, i asked why? For record sake, her rationale behind her reasoning ~ it is always more fortunate to be loved than to love.
How true is that? Do you agree with my colleague? Sorry if i seemed a little distracted over the weekend but i was pondering over it. I'm sure everyone has an answer just like me ~ at the bottom of our hearts. It's all within us, though some of us may take sometime to find it while some like me just need to reaffirm the presence of this answer that we knew all along was there.
Reflecting on my past and looking at the people in front of me, i think the more fortunate party is the one who is able to love. If i can and if i will, i wish to love more than to be loved even when it means that i may have to endure a little more in the relationship. It may seem a little silly but when we think carefully, it is not silly at all and it might be the most logical thought we may ever have.
When we truly love a person, we do want the person whom we love to be well and happy without any conditions attached. We will also very much like to know that our loved ones are feeling as blissful as they can ever be and they know they are being loved as much as they ever deserved to. Afterall, we cannot be happy if our loved ones are not well and happy. My greatest joy in life does not come from my own happiness (don't be mistaken, i'm still happy when i'm happy) but rather it comes from the knowledge that my loved ones are well and happy.
I'm not saying that it will be a bed of roses if we all think that way. (Sometimes, i don't even how to begin to show my care and concern for people, i can be quite inept at showing my feelings) Nobody's perfect but as long as i know that i have such a mentality, i will be more mindful of my actions and so less likely to hurt the people i care for. If i ever hurt you in anyway, please forgive me as i really never meant to in the very first place.
Monday, 18 September 2006
Anger
Anger ~ what is anger?
It's a mental affliction that all of us experienced before and will most certainly continue to do so in the future. Some might have more experiences while some felt it in a greater intensity and there are others who experienced it on a lesser degree. Nonetheless, it is a basic universal mental phenomenon that no one is spared even though the degree of intensity and complexity may differ from beings to beings.
Why is anger an affliction of the mind? I believed it is so defined as it is a state of misery for who ever is experiencing anger at the moment in time. If a sense of peace or happiness or well-being is liken to being in paradise as the state of the mind, then to experience anger or hatred, the mental state should be liken to being in hell, a state of suffering. Since it is state of suffering, to experience one lesser moment of it, is to experience one more moment of peace and happiness.
Not only is anger a state of suffering, its destructive nature has far reaching consequences on the people around us and its surroundings. It destroys the calmness within our own minds and very much due to this, it is most likely that we will not be able to treat surrounding people and happenings with love and equanimity. More than likely, our actions and speech will be those that are hurtful, destroying harmonious relationships that we have.
Since it is a state of suffering, there must be a cause for such suffering. Based on the Four Noble Truths, there will be the cessation of suffering and there must be a path that will lead to the cessation of suffering. Thus, in order for us to overcome anger, we need to understand how anger works and how it arises. So, do you know how it arises? I hope you do and that you will be free from its causes. =)
Anger can only arise when we care for someone or something but fail to realise its true nature. Without correct understanding, it will cloud whatever care, concern or love that we may want to show in the first place. For example, a labourer returned home after a hard day's work, only hoping to get a good nite rest. However, his peaceful slumber was soon disrupted by the loud wailing from his little girl. " Arghh... What is the matter?" he thought. "Can't i even have a good nite rest? Is that too much to ask for? What's wrong with that girl?'"
He went over to his daughter room thinking to give her a peace of his mind. He reached out with his hand wanting to shake the girl out of her slumber but the moment he touched her, he realised that she is very warm. She is running a fever and with that understanding, all traces of anger were gone from him. Instead, he went to get a wet towel to ease his daughter's suffering with such tenderness that anyone will be touched upon seeing such a sence.
So, did the father only realise his love when the daughter is sick? No, the love has always been there. It was only the father's own narrow views that made him lose sight that he was not the only one suffering. At the same time, he is not his daughter and so, he did not know what his girl was going through. That gave rise to anger. As mentioned, anger can only arise when you care. If you couldn't care less or if it was a total stranger, would you be angry at all? I doubt so although you might be annoyed.
Since we care, why get angry in the first place? Well, because there is no understanding between the parties involved. Without understanding, love can be clouded and unable to surface but please do not doubt its existence, it is always there. With this, it is my sincere wish that all of us will be free from anger and that we may enjoy one more moment of peace and happines. =)
May we all be free from anger and enmity,
May we all be free from mental suffering,
May we all be free from physical suffering,
May we all take care of ourselves happily.
With metta =)
It's a mental affliction that all of us experienced before and will most certainly continue to do so in the future. Some might have more experiences while some felt it in a greater intensity and there are others who experienced it on a lesser degree. Nonetheless, it is a basic universal mental phenomenon that no one is spared even though the degree of intensity and complexity may differ from beings to beings.
Why is anger an affliction of the mind? I believed it is so defined as it is a state of misery for who ever is experiencing anger at the moment in time. If a sense of peace or happiness or well-being is liken to being in paradise as the state of the mind, then to experience anger or hatred, the mental state should be liken to being in hell, a state of suffering. Since it is state of suffering, to experience one lesser moment of it, is to experience one more moment of peace and happiness.
Not only is anger a state of suffering, its destructive nature has far reaching consequences on the people around us and its surroundings. It destroys the calmness within our own minds and very much due to this, it is most likely that we will not be able to treat surrounding people and happenings with love and equanimity. More than likely, our actions and speech will be those that are hurtful, destroying harmonious relationships that we have.
Since it is a state of suffering, there must be a cause for such suffering. Based on the Four Noble Truths, there will be the cessation of suffering and there must be a path that will lead to the cessation of suffering. Thus, in order for us to overcome anger, we need to understand how anger works and how it arises. So, do you know how it arises? I hope you do and that you will be free from its causes. =)
Anger can only arise when we care for someone or something but fail to realise its true nature. Without correct understanding, it will cloud whatever care, concern or love that we may want to show in the first place. For example, a labourer returned home after a hard day's work, only hoping to get a good nite rest. However, his peaceful slumber was soon disrupted by the loud wailing from his little girl. " Arghh... What is the matter?" he thought. "Can't i even have a good nite rest? Is that too much to ask for? What's wrong with that girl?'"
He went over to his daughter room thinking to give her a peace of his mind. He reached out with his hand wanting to shake the girl out of her slumber but the moment he touched her, he realised that she is very warm. She is running a fever and with that understanding, all traces of anger were gone from him. Instead, he went to get a wet towel to ease his daughter's suffering with such tenderness that anyone will be touched upon seeing such a sence.
So, did the father only realise his love when the daughter is sick? No, the love has always been there. It was only the father's own narrow views that made him lose sight that he was not the only one suffering. At the same time, he is not his daughter and so, he did not know what his girl was going through. That gave rise to anger. As mentioned, anger can only arise when you care. If you couldn't care less or if it was a total stranger, would you be angry at all? I doubt so although you might be annoyed.
Since we care, why get angry in the first place? Well, because there is no understanding between the parties involved. Without understanding, love can be clouded and unable to surface but please do not doubt its existence, it is always there. With this, it is my sincere wish that all of us will be free from anger and that we may enjoy one more moment of peace and happines. =)
May we all be free from anger and enmity,
May we all be free from mental suffering,
May we all be free from physical suffering,
May we all take care of ourselves happily.
With metta =)
Thursday, 14 September 2006
Chill Out @ Giraffe
Met up last fri with some frens whom i haven't seen for a long time (er.. with the exception of MW since we usually meet up for skate sessions on sundays).
Thanks to YY! Cos without her, this gathering would not have happened. =) At the same, congrats to YY once more! Her big day is coming next month and we all got our little pink cards from her during the gathering. May your future days with your hubby be filled with many blissful moments of love, joy and peace. =)
Haha, seems that the guys are all getting more and more "uncle" while the ladies keep looking better. =P manage to get a candid shot of the clown in our group ~ Ev and just realised from that foto she looked a bit like one of Lucy Liu's disguise used in Charlie Angels. Oh, just a little intro to the rest, MW is the guy on the far left, MT is the other uncle ~ a happy nut cos most of the time, you will find him in smiles and laughter. The lady in yellow, that's YY, our great organiser who made this outing possible.
Thanks to YY! Cos without her, this gathering would not have happened. =) At the same, congrats to YY once more! Her big day is coming next month and we all got our little pink cards from her during the gathering. May your future days with your hubby be filled with many blissful moments of love, joy and peace. =)
Had a good dinner at Swensen's in Orchard and goodness, MW never fails to amaze me on the amount food he can stomach down. =P After dinner, we took a little stroll along Orchard to help digestion and we finally rested ourselves at Giraffe for a drink.
It's a nice little establishment located at the Istana Park. The place looks extremely pleasing to the eyes with great colour combinations and furniture layout. Haha, to match their name, there are definitely giraffe figures around the place. Btw, the staff are friendly and the service provided is definitely good. Thumbs up for that. =)
Haha, seems that the guys are all getting more and more "uncle" while the ladies keep looking better. =P manage to get a candid shot of the clown in our group ~ Ev and just realised from that foto she looked a bit like one of Lucy Liu's disguise used in Charlie Angels. Oh, just a little intro to the rest, MW is the guy on the far left, MT is the other uncle ~ a happy nut cos most of the time, you will find him in smiles and laughter. The lady in yellow, that's YY, our great organiser who made this outing possible.
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
SFF 2006
I know it's long over but just a little contribution from me on the Singapore Fireworks Festival 2006 that was held in conjunction with our National Day. =)
Wednesday, 23 August 2006
What is Buddhism?
The intention of having this topic in writing, came after some reflections on the questions about Buddhism that my surrounding friends posted every now and then. If there are views that are not in accordance to the Teachings, please bear with me as it is due to my lack of understanding.
Buddhism is commonly regarded as a religion by the general populace. How do we define a religion? From what we can gather in our daily lives, a religion is usually made out to be a belief in and reverence for a creator and governor of the universe. It can also be seen as a personal or institutionalized system with its ways of worships made on the same beliefs.
Based on such a definition, can we look upon Buddhism as a religion? Before we jump into any conclusion, it will be best if we have a better understanding of Buddhism and its origins.
Buddhism has its origins in India from a monk named Gautama who attained the Great Awakening in his thirties. Right after attaining enlightenment, a man who was greatly impressed by his radiance, went up and asked, "Who are you? Are you a man or are you a god?". Monk Gautama replied, "I'm neither. I'm awake." Thereafter, he was known as the Buddha, meaning "One who has Awoke".
In his first discourse that he delivered (also one of the most important discourses he made), he talked about the Four Noble Truths. They are
As the Buddha has put it nicely, "This is because that is. That is because this is. This is not because that is not. That is not because this is not." For if there is a a independent self, it will not need to grow, to interact with the rest of this world thus it cannot be known to us. As such, it is necessary to uproot such false views for liberation, total freedom.
Furthermore it is also important to note that Buddha believes that everyone is liable for their own actions and conduct, most importantly, their own liberation. He dismissed the idea that there is an ultimate creator for if there is, then there would be no recourse for those who did great wrongs. And that there are murderers, thieves, rapists and evil-doers are at no fault and wrong as they are not here on their own intentions but they are here for the only reason that they are created to do wrong in the first place by this ultimate creator.
Furthermore the Buddha has chosen to remain silent on several occasions when he was posed with questions that revolves around the topic of an eternal world or eternal soul. He liken the people who asked such questions to someone who has been wounded by an arrow.
Instead of treating and taking care of the wound immediately, the wounded choose to first find out, where did the arrow come from, who shot it, what was the texture of the arrowhead and what wood is the arrow made of and refusing treatment till these questions are answered. Such questions do not deserve our attention as the answers will not bring one closer to enlightenment. Rather cultivation of oneself for liberation is far more important than questions on the metaphysical.
There is so much more to Buddhism and i have barely scratched on it. I will be more than glad to share more about it but in the meantime, think about it, what about your views on Buddism now - Is Buddhism a religion or is it something else or more? =)
Buddhism is commonly regarded as a religion by the general populace. How do we define a religion? From what we can gather in our daily lives, a religion is usually made out to be a belief in and reverence for a creator and governor of the universe. It can also be seen as a personal or institutionalized system with its ways of worships made on the same beliefs.
Based on such a definition, can we look upon Buddhism as a religion? Before we jump into any conclusion, it will be best if we have a better understanding of Buddhism and its origins.
Buddhism has its origins in India from a monk named Gautama who attained the Great Awakening in his thirties. Right after attaining enlightenment, a man who was greatly impressed by his radiance, went up and asked, "Who are you? Are you a man or are you a god?". Monk Gautama replied, "I'm neither. I'm awake." Thereafter, he was known as the Buddha, meaning "One who has Awoke".
In his first discourse that he delivered (also one of the most important discourses he made), he talked about the Four Noble Truths. They are
- There is suffering;
- There is a cause of suffering;
- There is cessation of suffering;
- There is a path leading to the cessation of suffering.
- Right Views
- Right Thoughts
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Effort
- Right Concentration
As the Buddha has put it nicely, "This is because that is. That is because this is. This is not because that is not. That is not because this is not." For if there is a a independent self, it will not need to grow, to interact with the rest of this world thus it cannot be known to us. As such, it is necessary to uproot such false views for liberation, total freedom.
Furthermore it is also important to note that Buddha believes that everyone is liable for their own actions and conduct, most importantly, their own liberation. He dismissed the idea that there is an ultimate creator for if there is, then there would be no recourse for those who did great wrongs. And that there are murderers, thieves, rapists and evil-doers are at no fault and wrong as they are not here on their own intentions but they are here for the only reason that they are created to do wrong in the first place by this ultimate creator.
Furthermore the Buddha has chosen to remain silent on several occasions when he was posed with questions that revolves around the topic of an eternal world or eternal soul. He liken the people who asked such questions to someone who has been wounded by an arrow.
Instead of treating and taking care of the wound immediately, the wounded choose to first find out, where did the arrow come from, who shot it, what was the texture of the arrowhead and what wood is the arrow made of and refusing treatment till these questions are answered. Such questions do not deserve our attention as the answers will not bring one closer to enlightenment. Rather cultivation of oneself for liberation is far more important than questions on the metaphysical.
There is so much more to Buddhism and i have barely scratched on it. I will be more than glad to share more about it but in the meantime, think about it, what about your views on Buddism now - Is Buddhism a religion or is it something else or more? =)
Thursday, 17 August 2006
Lunch Talk - Balanced Life
QY, my good old secondary school friend, was having her training at Park View Square and we met each other for lunch. It was a good lunch and to top it up, we had an excellent conversation about our personal views on having a well balanced life.
What is a well balanced life? I'm sure everyone of us has a common answer for it. It is the sort of life that we lead in order to bring joy and happiness into the various aspects of everyday living. Some of the main aspects being spiritual, social, intellectual and work.
Of course, everyone is unique and so places different emphasis on each single aspect of their life. There is no right and wrong weightage nor is there a standard amount of attention that one should place for each. As long as it brings about temporal and ultimate happiness, then one can consider that the current way that one leads their life is a good way. If it brings about suffering in our life, then we should reflect and try to reorganise our life style.
During our conversation, we reached a common understanding and i would like to draw your attention to this fact. The fact that we tend to neglect the social aspect of our life. It seems that most metropolitans living in a fast paced city tend to spend very little quality time with their family and friends. This is a well known fact and it is hardly healthy at all.
For simplification purposes, let's look at the average life of an working adult working from 9 to 6 during the weekdays and assuming we rests an average of 8 hours per day. On a normal working day, that is a total of 17 hours gone, leaving you with 7 hours. Take away 2 or 3 hours for travelling time to and fro, we probably have about 4 hours left. 4 hours left each day to do whatever is required to fulfill your social, intellectual and spiritual aspects of living. Seems hardly enough especially when we have to make up for the other 3 main aspects of our life.
We might argue that we have the whole of our weekend for the developing and fulfillment of all our other commitments. Giving us a total of 32 waking hours for the weekends and a total of 52 hours per week. That works out to be just slightly under half of our waking time (112 hours) per week. Is that enough? Some might say yes and some might say no. It's really up to the individual. But to me, if everything being equal, we are spending less than 50% of our time on 75% makeup of our life and more than 50% on 25% of our life's makeup.
Since we know that we might already be living an unbalanced lifestyle, do we really want to make it worse by getting our priorities wrong? Should we not pay more attention to some other things in our life that we may be neglecting all these while especially people like loved ones (parents, siblings, friends,etc...) ~ and i cannot stress more than enough ~ the study of our spiritual life so that we may lead our life with our surroundings in a more harmonious relationship (this is definitely lacking in a lot of us including myself).
I wish all of you well in finding the true path of your life and that you and your loved ones may always dwell in peace, joy and happiness! =)
What is a well balanced life? I'm sure everyone of us has a common answer for it. It is the sort of life that we lead in order to bring joy and happiness into the various aspects of everyday living. Some of the main aspects being spiritual, social, intellectual and work.
Of course, everyone is unique and so places different emphasis on each single aspect of their life. There is no right and wrong weightage nor is there a standard amount of attention that one should place for each. As long as it brings about temporal and ultimate happiness, then one can consider that the current way that one leads their life is a good way. If it brings about suffering in our life, then we should reflect and try to reorganise our life style.
During our conversation, we reached a common understanding and i would like to draw your attention to this fact. The fact that we tend to neglect the social aspect of our life. It seems that most metropolitans living in a fast paced city tend to spend very little quality time with their family and friends. This is a well known fact and it is hardly healthy at all.
For simplification purposes, let's look at the average life of an working adult working from 9 to 6 during the weekdays and assuming we rests an average of 8 hours per day. On a normal working day, that is a total of 17 hours gone, leaving you with 7 hours. Take away 2 or 3 hours for travelling time to and fro, we probably have about 4 hours left. 4 hours left each day to do whatever is required to fulfill your social, intellectual and spiritual aspects of living. Seems hardly enough especially when we have to make up for the other 3 main aspects of our life.
We might argue that we have the whole of our weekend for the developing and fulfillment of all our other commitments. Giving us a total of 32 waking hours for the weekends and a total of 52 hours per week. That works out to be just slightly under half of our waking time (112 hours) per week. Is that enough? Some might say yes and some might say no. It's really up to the individual. But to me, if everything being equal, we are spending less than 50% of our time on 75% makeup of our life and more than 50% on 25% of our life's makeup.
Since we know that we might already be living an unbalanced lifestyle, do we really want to make it worse by getting our priorities wrong? Should we not pay more attention to some other things in our life that we may be neglecting all these while especially people like loved ones (parents, siblings, friends,etc...) ~ and i cannot stress more than enough ~ the study of our spiritual life so that we may lead our life with our surroundings in a more harmonious relationship (this is definitely lacking in a lot of us including myself).
I wish all of you well in finding the true path of your life and that you and your loved ones may always dwell in peace, joy and happiness! =)
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