Christmas Day 2010 :)

Readers,

I had a great and warm Christmas this year :). Starting with a special moment I had in Sis. Teresa's home followed by Tzu Chi - Year End Blessings in Kreta Ayer Theatre, and then today's Dhamma Talk in temple plus a little time that I spent with the speaker. All of those activities are meaningful and precious for me. I wish my resolutions for year of 2011 is going to make me to be a better and wiser person :)

To begin with, I and some friends spent our Christmas Day by visiting Sis. Teresa Hsu at her home. It was a warm moment :)

Despite of her age that is reaching 114 years old next year, she is still a great woman! Intelligent! Lots of love and compassion! I still remember her words, "I know the feeling of being hungry. Therefore I don't want to see others in hungry. I begged money so that others who were hungry could eat."

Those words made me to reflect of things that I have done to others, and in fact inspiring me to be a better person than I was before. Those words have made her to stand out for people who are helpless. Her compassion and effort do not stop although she is on the age of more than 100 years old! What a great woman she is! :)

Sis. Teresa Hsu :)

COMPASSION - THERE IS NO 'YOU' NOR 'I'. THERE IS ONLY 'WE'

On the evening, with different friends we went to the Year End Blessing. I was touched by Tzu Chi's actions, throughout year 2010, to help helpless people as well as the world. They do their best without differentiating race, religion, age, etc. They do all of good deeds for making this world as pure as the Pureland, teaching people to do good deeds - avoid evils - and purify our mind/ intention. They inspire me to help others  and universe abundantly and thankful with whatever things I have. (P.S. I am going to join the recycling point every 2nd Sunday of each month, does anyone want to join me as well? You're welcome to do so ;p)

A handmade New Year's card from Tzu Chi :)

Can someone help me to read this? hohoho!! Thank you! ;)

Master Cheng Yen gave the cards to members and they glued the dried paddy on the card :)

For me, it was a coincident that the Dhamma talk this morning was about making resolutions for the new year which is about to come. Making a resolution, not only as per se looking at the physically aims, but also spiritually/ emotional aims. By looking at all impermanence of things (disaster, nature of body - old age, sick, and death, feeling, thinking), we should remind ourselves not to cling to an object. Letting go is the keyword. 

So, readers, have you ready with you resolutions?

World Buddhist Conference (25 - 26 Sept 2010) - 1

A friend's request has inspired me to share what I get from World Buddhist Conference 2010.

Living in Harmony when Things Fall Apart

Yeah, "Living harmony when things fall apart" was the theme for the World Buddhist Conference 2010. Ven. Thich Nhath Hanh was the keynote speaker during the conference. However, due to his health condition, he only appeared on first day of the conference. Yet few hours of his appearance had made a great opening and gave food for thought for me and maybe the other audience as well.

He taught us about orange tree in which our speech, action, and thought are the condition that can determine the orange fruit. If there is enough sunlight, water, fertilizer.. the orange tree will grow well and have a lot of great oranges. The same goes for us, our karma fruit depends on our speech, action, and thought. If you do more goodness, mindful with your speech, action, and thought .. the nice karma fruit will be enjoyed. However, if you do more evil things with your speech, action, and thought.. the bad/ not nice karma fruit will be the result of it.

One of his story that I love and keep in my heart is about our hands "left and right hand". Have you ever thought why we have left and right hand? They are there, indeed, for helping each other. Imagine when you have nail and hammer, both hands are working together to help you to hold the nail and hammer at the same time. Then ask yourself, why do we can't be like our hands? Helping each other instead of jealous and quarrel with others. Amazing isn't it? We can learn something from our body! It's a great insight for me hehe ;)

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh also told us that a Sangha life is possible everywhere, when you plant and grow the seed of brotherhood and sisterhood inside the community. For this, my opinion is try it! :). Since we can't change others, why don't we change ourselves first by planting and growing the seed of brother- and sisterhood to our family members, friends, neighbours, and colleagues?

Nothing

Readers,

I have just read a good novel "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Thanks to Venny for giving me this novel! ). But I have not read it until the last chapter..

The very first 5 chapters have described the 'game' of discrimination happened (happens?) in Afghanistan. I stopped my reading because I was so curious with what they call as Hazara people, so I opened my notebook and google it.

To my surprise! They are handsome and beautiful people!! Why then, they were (are?) seen lower than others??

In fact, discrimination is always a hot issue in this world. In my home country, I had experienced the feeling of being discriminated and somehow, I was taught to discriminate those who were discriminated me (Hahahaha!! Double discrimination, isn't it?). 

I think, all of these discrimination things can happen because people within one ethnic see themselves superior as compared to people from different ethnic. People see themselves as superior beings mainly because they are in the first rank in term of population number in an area. Secondly, they think that they are in high caste (smarter, more beautiful, etc) than others. Discrimination occurs not only within human beings.. Have you ever thought that some human beings also differentiate their rank with animals? Thus, those people abuse animals as if those animals are useless beings.

Based on my observation (correct me if I am wrong), discrimination takes its very place due to self-centered mind. We believe that there is 'I' within ourselves, and because of the I, we kill others to be the winner. Isn't it a sad thing to sacrifice others just to make this body stands up? Remember that this body is only a mixture of soil, water, heat, and gasses. It is nothing, really nothing.

This universe, in fact, is interdependent. We are interdependent, not a separate special beings who need to be said as higher than others. 

Hey, friends..

Why do not we:

working together instead of creating war?

playing together instead of teasing each other?

praising the good of others instead of jealous and hating them?

sharing things with others instead of keeping them just for this rotten body?

Interdependent, indeed, is the nature of everything.

See the "I", watch the "I", and let go of the "I"

May you be well and happy always :)

Meditation

Readers,

Today I have made a commitment, to practice meditation regularly again hehehe. I remember last time I used to practice meditation every morning, but after having so many free time these days, I started to forget the essence of meditating.

Honestly to start again is not an easy task.. I meditated for few minutes, and almost went to the dreamland haha! Well, I guess I need to build the momentum again :)

Although I need to start from the beginning again, I do not blame my slacken time. Without it, perhaps, I would not seek deeper the meaning of doing meditation. Nothing to be regretted, because everything happens for reasons :)

You may click this link Guided Meditation if you want to start doing meditation as well. Meditation offers a lot of benefits, and worth to be tried :)

A little note: 

For me, meditation creates my life happier and I can see things outside the box. I am aware and do my best not to follow the "monkey" mind. How about you?

Life is impermanent

Readers,

Thinking back for a moment, my life is such a wonderful life! I can meet the Dhamma and even, sometimes, I am able to understand the Dhamma itself from my own life experiences. I also meet a lot of great people on the way to reach my goal. They remind me again and again that I am such a lucky person whenever I forgot because I indulged too much with the sense of worldly pleasure.

Today, for example, I went to temple, listened to a great Dhamma talk about meditation, and discussed the meaning of Dhamma with Indonesian Buddhist fellows. 

I remember the speaker for the Dhamma talk mentioned about moving mountain. Can you believe that a mountain is capable to move? We always think that mountain and maybe some things in this world are not moving, they are static.. But are they?

Look at ourselves, some of us may think that life is static. We never realize that mountain of sickness, old age, and death are moving toward us. They can reach us with no time! But for some of us, it is so much more important to think bad about this self, worry the past or future, blame others, grasp things that are pleasant or even not pleasant ones..

Without any notice, my friend's mom just passed away today..(May she be well and happy always life after life!)

Realizing that life is impermanent, let us strive to seek the Truth.. See things as they really are ~~~

Wisdom :)

Readers,

Last Saturday I went to the biggest library in Singapore (nearest MRT: Bugis MRT). Early on that day, I had no plan at all to visit the library, the plan was only to pray in temple, have lunch, and go home. However, after I crossed the street in front of the library, thinking of walking to a bus stop and finding a bus to go home.. suddenly there was a whisper in my mind "Hhmm library!! I have not been there for such a time. And because it is rain, maybe it is a good idea for me to visit this library."

And the thought guided my steps to enter the library.

In library, I found an interesting book "The Power of Chi". When I saw the title, it reminded me the words of Ven. Thubten Chodron. Her words are about the reason of why we need to put our hands on lap, near stomach, during meditation session. It is to circulate our Chi. So, there I was.. adding the book to my reading list of the day.

Reading the book has made me to discover the relationship of Chi and human internal organs: 

1. Liver. When we have freedom to move around, our liver is in a good condition.. while when we are stuck or bound up, it can affect our liver to be in a bad condition.
2. Heart. Positive Chi such as joy and creativity affects the heart positively, while negative chi such as hysteria or joy taken the extreme affects the heart negatively.
3. Spleen/ Stomach. Empathy and sense of groundedness have positive effect to the stomach, while obsessive worry has negative effect.
4. Lung. When we have courage, it affects our lung positively.. while when we are grief, it affects negatively.
5. Kidney/ Adrenal. A will or determination affects kidney/ adrenal positively, while fear and anxiety affect them negatively.

Chi is determined by our environment, food, and the way we think. Pollutants, stress, trauma, and negative thinking reduce our Chi. Hence, low Chi causes depression, anger, and fear.
The book also teaches us methods to increase our Chi, such as:

• Imagining that you are sending root down to the earth, bringing up good, green, and healing energy to your body
• Visiting nature! Don't forget that we are a part of nature :)
• Meditation. Breathing in "I am strong as a mountain".. Breathing out "I am rooted to the earth"

Besides that book, I read other books and found several wisdom words.

• You are not what your thoughts or feeling. You are only a beautifully endowed observer of thoughts and feeling.
• It is a miracle that we don't melt in bath. It is astounding that we get a billion second chances
• Be happy is one way of being wise
• When we are born, we are soft and weak. Thus, flexible and yielding are followers of life.When we die, our bodies are hard and stiff. Thus, stiff and unbending are death
• Emotion is only energy states which you travel through on your life's journey. It is not you!

May you be well and happy always :)