Dubai

I was into the Aghora book and at one point, it mentioned that Bombay is a cursed place.

People who live there will in the end be polluted by its curse. Only those very rare ones will come off it purer. Reminds me of the peacock that imbibes poison unharmed being able to transmute poison into the beauty of its plumes.

It made me reflect on some of those places I have been. It is true, isn't it that there are some places which makes you comfortable and then again there are those that turns you off. Of course here I would remind myself of the teaching that whatever we see is but a reflection of our own nature. (what this means is that whatever follows is to be taken with the pinch of salt that it deserves as it is only my own perception)

Recently I had an opportunity to be in Dubai. I had hopes of a desert walkabout but I did not get to see or do very much as the lack of mobility was a major obstacle and taxi fares prohibitive.

There are some places which saps your energy and Dubai is one of them. Rich though it may be but behind the eyes of many, the human soul is missing. The workers are mainly if not entirely men coming from the Indian subcontinent. Except for one who says he is Arab, all the taxi drivers I have rode with are either Pakistanis or Indians. They earn what one night in a good hotel would cost. I read that 109 Indians died by their own hands as of September'08. This despite the facade that Dubai is the land of plenty.

The locals are handsome by most standards. By nature or by exposure, I observed that the migrant workers have developed very ugly values, being coarse, like to bully and on the whole contemptous both to foreigners and to their own kind. The beautiful side of human nature is sorely missing.

This attribute seems to extend to the habitat. Everywhere there is barren-ness like somehow a big torch has scorched the place and left its curse.

Alongside all this barren-ness lies manmade megaliths as tributes to man's ego and slavery to the senses. I saw all this decadence that seems so self inflicted. It conjures images of card 16.

This is Dubai. I write so briefly and there is so much room for missed perceptions. Any rejoinders?

Emptiness

Emptiness is Form
Form is Emptiness
Emptiness is none other than Form
Form is none other than Emptiness

This is an oft repeated prayer and comes straight from the Heart Sutra.

More than 2500 years ago the man we call the Buddha gathered his disciples together on this place called Vulture’s Peak. His disciples were ready for more advance teachings.

This is Vulture's Peak...

Thousands of enlightened Arahants and Buddha aspirants (Bodhisatvas) were present. It is a wonder how this small little crag could accommodate so many but then again we are limited by our own clouded perceptions.

In any case, this Sutra was spoken through Avalokiteshvara, the great Bodhisatva of compassion. If you miss that, he is none other than Kuan Yin. The Sutra follows the great style of the Buddha in that it is a parry of questions and answers between the Arahant Sariputra and Avalokiteshvara with the Buddha approving all this while in deep meditation.
Emptiness goes like this. We may have a physical body we identify as ourself. Whenever we look in the mirror, there we are. It is very assuring to know that everything is alright, minus of course the odd pimple that has popped up.

Now the Avalokiteshvara says we are actually empty or emptiness or whatever word that says that lovely shape of ours is not real. Wow! We are supposed to meditate on that.
So being told so, we go back and meditated as I suppose those great beings up on Vulture’s Peak did right there and then.

It took us quite a bit of time before we feel that we have got it. We have seen that our thinking mind is quite separate from our body. Ah.. maybe that’s the emptiness good old Avalokiteshvara is talking about.

But just as we thought that we have got it, It says that emptiness also is form. What? That means that actually we are empty..empty as in devoid of self and that lovely tummy that we have spent so much beer money and sausages on. That lovely tummy which we derived so much satisfaction rubbing and scratching after a hearty meal is not real?

Well after much complaining to the Buddha who said go and meditate more, we quietly do so. After all he is none other than the Buddha and there is only one in the whole wide cosmos. Goodness knows how long more we have to wait before the next Buddha appears. This is indeed a rare opportunity to learn something real that will give everlasting peace.

I mean, if it were anyone else we would have shown him something coarse and walked out. Probably this must have crossed the minds of some of those great ones there as this was certainly revolutionary thinking. Remember they were enlightened, you know.

Just as those enlightened beings meditated so did we. Of course our puny thinking skills and clear-mindedness just cannot fathom further. To help us along, some of the better ones realized that they were actually both emptiness and form. This they duly told the Buddha while we all lesser mortals remained silent, not being able to go further. The water is too deep.

As it happened, we exclaimed, “Ah…yes, that’s it!” or “Emaho” or “Eureka!” or something of like nature. Probably the smart Arahant did give himself a silent smirk or two.

Woe…woe…the Buddha smiled and said, “ But what about Emptiness is none other than form?”
There seems to be no end here. After exhausting the borders of our meditation skills and comprehension, we are told that our argument is not full proof but only fool proof. “Go meditate more.”

Do we see it now? This emptiness is all about pushing the borders of our perception. Pema Chodon calls it groundlessness. Every time we think we have arrived at a revelation or, if you like compliments, an enlightened thought, remove our bases. Pull the rug out and reexamine from there. Only then can we expect to see and understand what the Buddha means when he says there is no liberation or suffering. How can there be when form and emptiness are the same?When we begin to see that those who suffer and ourselves are one and the same, then maybe we have got something. This emptiness and form thing means that the person who suffers, the one who starts the suffering and suffering itself are one and the same.

Smiling Face

this was taken in Kulhan India a few nights ago.. See the smiling face? A rare conjuntion of satellites and crescent moon.

India India

Ah...what good fortune to be able to get online.

After the last month spent in a modern metropolis where monstrous concrete, glass and steel are called buildings, these pictures are a stark contrast.

Look at the bus. It is something I rode to school as a boy. The flared bell-bottom pants is from the Beatles era. Times stood satill here.

The bike rides 4. I was told it is a rule for the rider to wear a helmet but not his passengers. Wonder what the rule book says on the max number of pillions.

Yvonne Foong

Yvonne Foong needs money for her surgery. She is leaving for the states December14 and right now is short of airfare and board expenses. (post update ..she flew off today i heard on short funds. pray the good doctors will stabilise her failing eyesight.)

A dear friend has been actively, directly and indirectly helping out, praise to her. When we met up a few days ago, I made a small contribution. I feel a little bad that I am only offering so little but then this friend told me that someone we both know also made a contribution. It is not the size of the contribution but the spontaneity of that gesture which is most touching. For I know that this person is in need of whatever dollars he has and his generosity is most touching. It speaks volumes of the man.

I am again reminded that it is not the amount but the thought. a dollar may seem a little but many dollars add up.

Generosity comes in many forms. The effort puts in is a generosity and that becomes the biggest contribution since without that effort, whatever amount collected would never materialise.

I have heard of the remark, "how do I know that the money goes where it should go?" Sadly, this is commonly heard. I believe that if we are giving then that thought should never arise at all because if evryone thinks like that, then nothing would materialise. Giving should come as something that I want to do. I should put that thought and energy into knowing that help is offered and it will get to the right place. If a drowning man is shouting for help, no debate should be made as to whether he deserves help.

Back to Yvonne. I know her as a plucky little lass, barely 22 but she has come a long way. In fact, I would be proud to have her courage and strength. Her malady has battered her so much and yet she remains a sweet girl without any trace of misgivings nor anger. I learn a lot from her. Grace her be blessed.

Pilgrimage - Run Touch Run?

Some time ago I talked about doing a great pilgrimage. Coming back to thinking about this again, I dwelled upon memories of some of my forays and observations.

I notice that the psychology of those who go on group excursions tend to rush themselves so that they get to visit or touch those places on the itinerary. The more the better. They will travel either by bus or some form of modern transport to the desired destination, spending hours upon hours to get there.

Once there, they mill round to absorb and revelate their good fortune to be there. Then within a few hours they then herd off again, basking.

It reminds me of the tag and run races that we played in school. All racers run as fast as we can to one end of the field, touch a stone or a tree or some other object and back we run again to the starting point. Of course whoever finishes first, wins.

My Father

At 55, when tough guys retire, my Father was looking for better income to provide for those with him.

Papua New Guinea was then the new frontier and they were enlisting. However his age worked against him.

He passed on to the pure realm about a year later.

The night he moved on he visited me and told me he was leaving. I shall always remember him as a courageous and righteous man witha soft heart.

Bollywood Hooray

There he was again with a lustful...sampah heiiiii...in true bollywood fashion.

Who is this guy you may ask. Well, he is our neighbourhood's regular garbage man. he always appears taking out all the garbage from the bins and stacking them by the road side for the truck that soon appears. This saves time.

But it is his cheeriness with his sampah heiii that I like. It is his way of announcing to all to bring out their gabage. He does appear to love his job for as he goes about his work, he sings bollywood songs. I like this guy. He is probably Bangladeshi or Indian.

Reminds me of the dumpling vendor in Manju Tilla Delhi who wakes all and sundry with his "sheeee....sheeee..ah..rey....!" but more of this story another time.

Spam mails snopes.com truthorfiction.com

Infallible we all are. We fall for anything. Now there is help. www.snopes.com and www.truthorfiction.com

SPAM mails...this is one good read. Click to link you there.

Bees and Orchids

Seems orchids emanate a fragrance that makes bees drunk. So when they hover over the flowers, they get tipsy and drop the pollen over the flowers and the pollination begins.

Now wonder why your man deposits himself instead of bringing the bread home. Not his fault. It's the beer!

Termites Forever

Termite queens are fertilized regularly by the same mate for life, unlike bee and ant queens, whose male partners die after the first and only mating. They live up to 50 years.

Now we know why those termites never go away. Goodness, that queen has been with me long as I have lived!

Identification through the Feet

Under the new rule, all irrespective of gender shall recognise each others' feet.

The new rule has its advantage. When before if you lose your head you lose your life but now if you lose your feet, you only lose your identity.

Of course there are those from the old school who would rather lose their life rather than their identity.

But in time, all will get use to the new way.

What is the Color of Our Money?

We are all very generous people with generosity in sharing love, favor and very openly, money.

We bear warm witness to this free sharing spirit when natural disaster strikes. We are more so willing to give when it involves giving to members of the religious order. We offer our share to the monk’s community, to the temple, church, mosque or monastery. Our intentions are always good for we believe such efforts are directed to the betterment of our kind. And there is merit in it.

What about cross-faith giving?

What about giving to isolated causes which are overlooked? A old newspaper collector on his bicycle perhaps? (He too has a family to feed).

What about a young girl with brain tumors in need of an operation? What about giving for her simple joys of a night out with friends?

Do we say no? Cos those do not belong to our belief system? Or the other does not belong to our flock?

What is the color of our money?

An Ode to English Plurals

A Friend sent me this. Isn't it interesting?!

An ode to English Plurals

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down,
in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?


'Have a Nice Day'

What Usui Sensei means to me

Recently I got back into healing therapy again. Not really getting back, more like exploring and learning again.

I was introduced to a myofascial therapist and became a patient to explore what can be done with my bad neck and back. (and I have found something that works and will share later..)

Healing and relieving of physical problems and pain had always held a great interest for me. Maybe it has something to do with the good feeling of being able to build something, put something together or repair something that was not working too properly.

With all this the journey led to picking up all kinds of magic and then to Reiki. Apart from the healing aspect itself, it was the life of the founder, Dr. Usui, himself who made a deep impression on me.

From the few stories that we know now, he led a simple life. If it is true that he meditated in the mountains, he was deeply spiritual. From his service to the beggars and the victims of the earthquake, he showed great compassion.

Typical of the orient way of doing things, students gathered to him. I can appreciate that part of his culture which is similar to my own. Through my experience in the learning of martial arts and other stuff, a good teacher is hard to find and a great master is one who shares whole heartedly with very little expectations of payment.

What I learnt and hopefully others see it too is that the Reiki that is taught is not so much about healing but of giving and offering of services. More importantly it is about leading a deeply spiritual life. A life beautifully lived is a life that leads one to self understanding and inner knowledge of the greater scheme of things.

That is how I view my Reiki grandmaster-a fine example of a life well lived.

Compassion and Loving Kindness

Loving kindness is thinking of wanting others to be happy.

Compassion is getting up and doing something to dispel suffering.

Cycles of Joy and Gloom

No no this is not about politics.

Just wanted to show the faces of joy on parents and child. The joy is real. But only seven days ago, there was gloom and anger.

That then, folks, is a reminder that nothing ever stays the same.
The endless cycle continues....

Birthday Do The ShanTung Way

We all celebrate birthdays, don’t we?

In some form or other we do. The western way is to have a cake in front of you when everybody sing a song to usher in your moment and then you blow off the candle.

Maybe the blowing off of the candle is an attempt to halt the process of time and in that way we never grow old. Quite an act of denial if this is true! And actually quite self-centered. It is all about “me”.

There is one way of looking at birthdays which I like. I find the thought behind this quite meaningful. A little Confucian but still very meaningful.
When I was a young boy, there was this man who hails from Shantung province in China. On his birthday, he would sleep out side the house without blanket or pillow, braving the cold and if it rains, much worse. He says that it is their way of remembering the pains that their mothers go through in giving birth to them. It is a day for expression of gratitude. He says that in China it was much worse especially for those born in the winter months.

Care to think about this every time a candle is blown?

Water fengshui- a case study

On the subject of water in fengshui and tips in selecting property, there is something here

Statutory declarations and Testicles

Of late, Malaysians have learnt the term statutory declaration or SD in short. Well, there is another term which is a cousin to sd which is relevant to the court of law…testimony. The origin of this word?

Romans, when taking an oath before the court, to insure they were telling the truth and that their statements were accurate, they swore on their testicles.

Plight of the Tibetans

The Olympics are now well over but there are still some lasting impressions from the protest of the Tibetans. At least I hope there are. (I wrote then to the papers with the hope of generating some awareness of the plight of the Tibetans).

Now the Tibetans are more or less forgotten, swept aside by current events as all things eventually are.

This is a picture of a little boy observed sleeping in a corner of an alley just beside the road that rings the Potala in Lhasa. What struck me was the serenity of his sleep amidst the bustle of pilgrims as well as the bright colors of his dress and blanket.

Now as I look again at this image, the poignancy is not lost. As his elders ponder their grim future, he sleeps on, naïve as a child ought to be. He is older now and very soon, he will start to face his future and that of his kin. What lies ahead for him and his people?

Reiki Masters

It has been a good eleven years ago. I was one of a group of 24 who gathered at the hills of Gembrook.

What were we doing there?

We were Reiki masters in training. All in all, we spent seven full days in those hills in that chilly month of May. Seven days it was but for many it was much longer as some had arrived earlier in preparation and some stayed after to savor the after-charge. I remember one well who stayed a full one month? Of course there was one who had to stay back being unfit to fly home as a result of burns from the fire walking.

Those were seven magical days. So magical was it that we have tried to incorporate these elements of magic into our own courses. Have we succeeded? Only those along for the ride can tell.

We had fun (and stress) with games, communicated with the unseen, mesmerized by psychic surgery, confronted and even chastised by beings. There were many regressions and emotional releases. Once we cross that path of fire (literally) something snaps. I think many of us learnt a great deal about ourselves and eventually become the greatest conqueror. For that is what true mastership is all about. Sadly many miss this point.

Words cannot describe the freedom of de-inhibiting ourselves. We can only soar if we allow ourselves to.

Where are all these fellow masters now? One or two has passed on. How are the others getting along with their lives? I wonder.

Another one or two, I know have been too busy with their material lives to bother to catch up anymore. One I know who is a real tender soul may have gone back to his native Kiwi or maybe he has found the highest truth. I believe he is the one who is most likely to succeed. Déjà vu, another has remained a gem if ever there was one.

Sometimes paths cross and for those who recognize the great importance of our journey make the full use of it. May I always have the wisdom to do so.

High Cost of Healthcare

The old lady was ill with nausea. An ambulance was called and ended with her staying 4 nights in the hospital. Tests like X-rays, CT scans, ECGs, ultra sounds. The suspects were stroke, lung infections, neurological problems and specialists opinions were sought.

The bill on discharge came up to more than a $1000 a night. Nothing was badly wrong with her.

All the equipment cost money certainly but there is something wrong somewhere. Many people scratch and save and all it takes is one bout of illness and there goes the hard savings.

To the government, the young aspiring doctors, is there a thing to learn here?

I wonder too whether those doctors who have made it ever think about how they charge as they whiz around in their expensive cars and sleep in their cozy mansions knowing htat these come from those hard earned dollars of those who cannot afford their fees.

Lower Back Pain

Ever experienced lower back pain?

Here is on tip that may help. The source of lower back (that is the area of our abck behind our navel) can sometimes be strain to the buttock muscles, the gluteus. The other is the psoas muscles which are muscles at the front around the navel area.

Through strenous excercises like climbing stairs or standing for long periods of time, tightness develops in these muscles and the pain shows up in our lower back. It even causes tender tail bone.To relief pain, try lying down on a golf or tennis ball at the area of the buttocks which are most tender. A good massage of 12 times many times a day helps. The common areas are near the depression of the hip joint and just above the crease line of the thigh and buttocks.

To work the stomach muscles, again lie on your back and apply deep pressure with fingers to look for tenderness. Apply pressure and watch the tenderness ease.

I remember the effectiveness of this therapy. It was during my week long Reiki Master training in Australia and I developed a stiif back. My fellow Reiki master, Rhonda, who was sitting next to me noticed my discomfort. All she did was reached into my muscles just below the hip bone and with her sensitive hands found the right spot. It was for maybe 20-30 seconds and my pain was gone. What a great therapist. Sure magic! Thanks, Rhonda if you are reading this.

Preciousness of human life

According to the Teachings, the scarcity of being born a human is compared to the possibility of a turtle surfacing once every hundred years and on surfacing his head passes a ring the size of a yoke floating in the wide ocean.

Within the laws of probability, everything is possible. The laws of karma, rebirth in different forms, multiple realms and worlds; all these are possible.

The Teachings exhort us to make use and treasure this human life and use it meaningfully for the pursuit of spiritual goals. Have I?

Black or White

This one says a lot.

The Chinese in South Africa were once classified as black. When the government wanted to do business with Taiwan, they were reclassified as white. After the end of apartheid rule, the chinese sued and they are now again black. ha..ha...black or white?

Circles

In the event of every life, there often comes a time when there is a wish for a bigger space. Often, it ends up in the buying of and moving to a new house. Often the journey does not end there. We take apart and renovate and rebuild to make it “our” space. That may be the reason why mansions are built. The reason seldom is it ever be to house the numerous servants or the extended family.
Then the next move becomes the search for a good grave site. The favorites are those that overlook the sea (at least in novels and story books) or which overlook the native land and those that harbor fond memories. The other choice, besides ground burial is cremation. There the story continues with the choice of columbarium if the ashes are not scattered. The extreme though not for everyone of course, is being blasted into space, to drift among other space debris.
This is the endless circle, isn’t it? Of course, some call it progress.

Shhh..The Neighbours Will Talk..

How often have we heard ourselves say that?

We may not say it out loud but often have that inner conversation with ourselves when we are thinking of doing something that is out of the social norm.

Well, it is good to have rules when it comes to extreme acts which could land us in jail like stealing or cheating or killing someone. These are acts which infringe onto others like taking away what does not belong to us or infringing on the physical well being and safety of others.

But what about those that just doen’t hurt anyone? Like sporting some weird color hairdo or wearing outlandish makeup.

Weird or outlandish is a matter of perception. From the time we were born, knowingly or unknowing we were layered with values-social and cultural values. Along the way as we grow, we developed our own.

Part of our behaviour is of course purely animal. For we are all primates, are we not? Our mannerisms and bodily language often are indicators to our animal side. The way we cross our hands or stand all arise from basic animal instincts carried over from the distant path of evolution.

All of these provide a clue to how we can develop our mind. If only we can peel away those layers, maybe we can find the real us.

Neck Pain Remedy

Being a sufferer of neck pain, I have tried many forms of treatment from massage, painkillers and other drugs, natural and un-natural, acupuncture, exercises, traction and others.

Lately I have been using a goose feather pillow and I find that they give the neck a rest allowing a more restful sleep compared with other pillows I have tried.

This one is sold at Jusco as "Sleeping Partner".

I would suggest that even if you have no neck or back problems now, do use a pillow with good neck support. I believe this allows the neck to rest and muscles and what-nots a chance to recuperate preventing damage and eventual neck pain.

Neck pain is no fun and can be debilitating. Take care-prevention is better than cure.

Beautiful Beads

While squeezing through the narrow lanes along the River Ganga, I saw this.



Aren't they pretty?

Blessed are we who have Friends

Friends are one of the few the real Treasures in life. I read this here.

Ever wondered how true it is that true friends can be counted on the fingers of one's hands?

I remember reading from somewhere when I was young that a true friend is one you would want to bring with you into the deep forest. This is one test as a true friend will not desert you and would give his or her life for you in danger. They will not run away when you need them most - a friend in need is a friend indeed!

Through our journeys in life and on the road, we do get to experience the different kinds and levels of friendships. From our school days, we learn how mercurial friends can be. The push and pull of simply getting on with life affects our moods people around us perceive this.

Fellow travellers on vacations and holidays too show their true colors. When we are taken away from our familiar environments, we react as all animals do and the natural instincts start to show. Sometimes it amy make us think that if it is not with suitable companions, it is better to travel alone especially if the travel is going to be a rough one.Backpacking through unfamiliar regions for example.

I do believe that to fulfill our potential as human, the adage "reliable as the salt of the Earth" is something to live by.

India Crossing

This remains one of my favorite images.

It was taken on the road from Dehra Dun to Dharamsala, not the main highway route but that off track route further to the west.

This crossing is actually over a dried up river bed for the bridge had collapsed. The lorry people are washing their trucks on the river. Basic as their livelihood may be but a lot of pride is present. Just as the cow is sacred because they are partners in eking out the land, so are trucks as they are part of the sustenance of life.

As the sun sets, it tells of the sweetness of rest and a meal at the end of a long hard day. It offers peace and recovery for the toil of the next day.

Pilgrimage (ii)

In 199x, my buddys and I joined other buddies on a 'pilgrimage' to the sacred places and monasteries in NE Thailand. There we had the happy karma to meet the Venerable Maha Boowa and pay homage to the relics of Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta and Ajahn Tate.

A long journey with many nights on our bus and one dinner taken way past midnight. But it was all worth it with many inspirations from meeting so many holy monks who "just like you, I am also walking along the path".

It was IJ's comment on my 'pilgrimage on foot' that reminded me of the Wat Thamkrabok near Bangkok. This monastery is famous for their method of treating drug addicts. The monks there are not allowed modern transport and wherever they have to go, they have to go on foot.

The senior monk, an American jokingly said that he is ok to accept and invitation to Penang but we will have to be patient as it will take him a fair bit of time to walk there.

On a humorous note, I remembered rushing there before the noon time Dana (food offering). In we all went to the main hall, awkwardly may I add, on our knees. Well, the monks already had their plates full and the volumes were already huge. With our 'generous' offerings I definitely believe they are all going to have the unenviable hard time of stuffing them all in. You see, monks are not supposed to waste and are obliged to finish what is in front of them. One of our buddies even offered chewing gum....:-) I wouldn't want to be in their "shoes".

Pilgrimage

I have often wanted to go on a great voyage. Maybe it is the sense of adventure of every young kampong boy or maybe it was jelled by all the wonderful stories of adventures that I read or maybe it was a mixture of both.

The real adventures were the campings and hitch-hikings with the furthest being the trails around Auckland.

Although age (and aging) has dulled this passion somewhat, I am beginning to fantasize about another type of voyage. This time it is going to be a great pilgrimage.

The only trouble with that is that I have not identified which kind of pilgrimage or what type or the form it is going to take. One of the ideas I was toying about is a pilgrimage on foot (for what is a pilgrimage if it is by easy motorized transport?). Well, I have to recognize the practicalities and realities of a real foot pilgrimage. In that, maybe it may be making use of a minimum of motorized transport but it will still be a test of personal vigour and devotion.

There were many journeys made which in most ways may be called pilgrimages. This would include visits to the graves of holy saints in Java, the Three Stupas in Nepal, the Holy Buddha places in India and Tibet but other than the first journeys to Bodhgaya, NamoBuddha and Boudha, the others somehow misses a certain flavour.

Most pilgrimages take on a religious flavor but it need not necessarily be so.

I would like combine this pilgrimage with an inner journey as well. How it is going to be again remains a fantasy but deep within I send out energies that one day within this lifetime it shall come to pass.

This write does look like a rambling and ranting of which it is but perchance, an idea can form and concrete action taken. Any suggestions…?

My first fig fruit

One morning after the rain, I saw this beautiful fig hanging from the fig tree in my garden.

Strange how it managed to grow to such a size without me noticing it.

This fig seemed to be a much sought after fruit for its medicinal properties. The chinese called it "Mo Far Go"

Creative Advertising

Saw this on the Batu Caves-Kepong link.

See the flags atop the mast of the crane? Methink it is an innovative way of advertising their cranes.

What are we?

A quote from this book (I have not finished reading it so am unable to provide a review...later)

"The ship is safest when it's in port, but that's not what ships were built for."

Farewell, Uncle Yap

Yesterday was a sad day for me as I sent off a freind who had to go. His heart failed him.

Many of his Energy Worker friends were there too and I believe they felt the same way.

Wherever he is now may he frolic with angels and continue his passion and goodness just as he had done on Earth.

We shared the same office building many years ago and we were part of the team who laboured and saw the birth of "Inner Journey" magazine.

Be well friend for with your going away, you have left many lessons and one of these is the impermanence of life and more importantly to make urgent use of our time here.

Farewell....

Falling Leaves

As I turned up to enter the Port Dickson toll to head north to KL yesterday morning, I was gifted a most wonderful sight.

Angsana leaves were falling like a shoal of fishes. Shades of yellow and green were fluttering down in a seemingly never ending stream, guided by an urgent calling.

I took a breath and so wanted to take a picture but the camera was located in at the back seat. To show and share with friends this beautiful sight. That brief moment will now remain a memory.

I suppose life is like that, a brief moment in time as we whiz pass. Like those leaves, we will eventually fall and return to the Earth from whence we came.

Himalaya REIKI Hands

Offloading the shelves of those Indian shops was so much fun. Product-Himalaya cold balm, an ointment very similar to our local Tiger balm only much sweeter and calmer. Not to say that it can be quite addictive. Very much like glue sniffing!

On an earlier trip to North India in 2006, one of our fellow traveler brought this balm from home and told everyone that it is very expensive thus very precious. So, this time round, when we saw them available at 40 rupees in the shops of Lucknow, we notified all our kakis and raided the shops buying up all the stock that were available. We did the same in Dharamsala. The cost was a third of what we buy from Guardian Pharmacy here.

I have found it to be very good for cold and nagging cough, especially those that racks you in the middle of the night. Dob some onto your palm and rub your palms vigorously to generate heat. Then put your palms on your chest like for a while. The heat and the evaporating vapour will work its wonders.

A fellow Reiki Master called this the “Himalaya Reiki Hands”.

Soft shell crabs, anyone?

I have heard of many people who enjoy eating the soft shell crab and treat this as a delicacy.

Well, I learnt over lunch today the cruel way in which these crabs are bred (more like prepared) for consumption. After reading this and knowing how much cruelty is involved I hope that you will not order them anymore and tell your friends about this. This is how it goes...

Young crabs which have been caught or reared have all their limbs and claws cut off. They are then thrown back into the breeding pond. These crabs apparently undergo and suffer much pain as they wriggle and struggle. Apparently it is the pain that triggers their bodies to shed their hard outer shell. Once this process is over they are harvested.

To all who rear soft shell crabs and those who delight as they eat them, please show conpassion...Om Mani Peme Hung...

Clockwise? Which direction?

Which way is clockwise?

Surely all of us know that. The thing is that not much thought has been given to this concept that have been us all our life.

It just so happens that clockwise is but one of those little silent things that have taken over our lives. It is just a convention and we have been conditioned to accept that convention. No wonder it is taught that we are a creation of conditioning.

Just like accepting that clockwise is just this direction, many of our attitudes and views and the way we take things to be are also conditioned. This conditioning is not what we really are. Peel away those layers that is not us and perhaps we may find out what we really are made up off. It is taught that we will find that we are empty of any existence and that is when it becomes really frightening. But then we are assured that that is when enlightenment dawns.

life whizzing by

Aa I was driving along the north south highway a few mornings ago, I passed by one of my favorite spots along the highway. This one is just after the Seremban toll heading north on the right hand side. It is a grassy knoll. It is not naturally grassy though as it once used to be belukar but now is a cleared area used for culturing turves.

That morning, the sun was just up and men were busy changkuling away harvesting the green turves. It was a splendid sight of men at work with nature, away from the roar of us busy noisy motorist. There was calm in that.

I so wanted to take a picture but it was not possible as I was speeding along. A great shot wasted.

Life is like that. We move so fast whizzing past that we have no time to capture the details. We miss the sights, the aroma, the joys. Just like that moment on the road, it can only remain a memory soon to fade with nothing to share with anyone else.

Should we not slow down some? Time and Tide wait for no man, how true!

Message of the torch protest

Dear Editor,

Message of the Olympic Torch Protest

I write to respond to “Wrong to hijack the Olympic torch”. I think the writer has missed my point somewhat.

The writer may have stayed with Tibetan households and found them to be at par or better than the poor in our country. That is probably an indication of how tough these people are. But what are their true feelings about the situation in their homeland? I doubt they would share the writer’s disgust.

In India, Tibetans live in settlements and do not have much freedom of work or trade. The conditions in those that I have seen would not be something that neither I nor I think, the writer, would care to spend the rest of his life. Tibetans remain refugees in India and I remember one incident where I fought the hotel people to allow my Tibetan friends to stay the night. This happened in dingy Paharganj in New Delhi, not some posh hotel where there may have been more house rules.

We need to look deeper into this whole episode of the torch run. When I said that my point has been missed is simply that Tibetans are people too and at a deeper level our brothers and sisters. The first person I would think would have realized this would be the writer who has experienced their hospitality. It is far easier to condemn and show disgust than to try to understand the reason behind another’s actions. What I am writing for is that we not be so easy to show disgust because our pleasure of watching the Olympics is threatened.

I am saddened to see images where people throw stones at each other be they Tibetans or otherwise. It should never happen. But that is not to be confused with the message behind the torch protest which is to bring world awareness to their situation.

I am not campaigning for their cause rather urging for some reflection on why they are protesting. Respect asked for is simply respect for their cry for help from the rest of the world. It may be their last cry yet. There may not be very many brave ones left who are prepared to risk personal exposure.

It begins with disgust and very soon leads to contempt then hatred. There is one thing beautiful coming out of Tibet and that is the teaching on equality and compassion. Has the writer not absorbed any of this during his stays with them?

Plight of the Tibetans

There was a rebuttal to my opinion but i have not decided whether to respond. I think he missed my point.

Here is the star link http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/14/focus/20943202&sec=focus

Dying and Dreaming

I lost a few friends this past few years to death. The day will come when I will lose all of them when I die.

I dreamt that I was walking along a path. This path used to be one of those that as a young boy I had often used when running about with boys from the same village. The shrubs that lined this path had leaves that were prickly and tend to cut our skin if we were not too careful which often happens when we became too engrossed in our games.

In this particular dream however the leaves were green, fresh, young and new growing off their long stems. I take this to be a good sign.

Within the same dream was another aspect. It got me thinking about how we are so much a slave to attachment and emotions. For example a young boy will forgo the opportunity, excitement and experience of studying in a foreign land simply because he has affections for a girl and being apart becomes something unthinkable.

As grown adults we too have moments when we pine for those we love. Very often we miss our family when we are away from home. Sometimes it is just the knowing that they are near that makes us feel good. Each may be going about their own individual activity.

We are very attached and emotional animals. Perhaps, the solution lies in us being able to move a plane higher by “feeling” on a mental level. That way distance and separation does not become an issue as when we are all mentally connected there is no separation. Of course, the teachings tell me otherwise. It tells me that as long as there is one iota of craving, a thought such as the one I have just talked about is but one distraction that will lead me astray.

The true path should be one that leads me to rejoin the great ocean, just like the droplets of rain rejoining the sea. That way all becomes inseparable and free of ‘you’ and ‘I’.

Plight of the Tibetans

Dear Editor,

I refer to the disgust expressed by “Sports Lover” over the Olympic torch protestors printed in your paper Saturday 12 April 2008.

Although this paper should not be a forum for international issues that have no direct bearing on us Malaysians but I feel it is necessary to put things in another perspective.

The plight of the Tibetans and the loss of their homeland since 1959 have not received much international exposure and judging from Sports Lover’s comments much less here than the rest of the world. It is possibly a reflection of our ignorance on this issue.

From my little exposure to Tibetans both here and my travels there as well as seeing their pathetic survival in India and Nepal, I believe that their cause of fighting against the loss of their homeland and culture deserves more respect than the use of the word “disgust” by sports lover suggests.

We watch the Olympic from the comforts of our favourite cushy sofa but have we given a thought to the sufferings of the millions who have died through flight or worse still through imprisonment and torture? I do believe in the spirit of sports and salute the dedication shown by sportsmen and women and that they should not be the ones to lose out. However, what other forums or ways are there left? The pope has spoken. So has the American president. And Richard Gere.

Historians may argue forever over who actually has sovereignty over Tibet and parts of Qinghai but the humiliation and suffering of the Tibetan people continues. Instead of talking about what is the right way, perhaps it is better to look at things from a more informed angle with some compassion thrown in.

Dear Editor, I hope that you kindly publish this letter so that others can know a little about what is happening outside our shores.
Thank you

A Dream of lost babies and flip flop-having only one face

I had a dream two nights ago which on reflection gave me some interesting insight and lessons.

It was actually two dreams in one. In the first part of this dream, I was in a hospital nursery. There was this couple with a baby who had just learnt to crawl. On the blue tiled floor was scattered lost of colorful toys. These toys were like Lego strewn all over. Somehow the baby was dropped onto the floor and she vanished. Well sort of vanish. We knew she was somewhere among the toys but just could not be located. I tried to help and in doing it made a show like I was concerned and threw sidelong glances at other people to check whether others knew I was ‘concerned’.

The next stage of the dream had me leaving this nursery. I boarded what appeared to be a huge ship but the difference was that this ship could fly. So there we go soaring over the dark sea and its huge waves. Even though soaring, this ship somehow ploughed the waters and the wake of the water was awesome.

I chanced to look at my feet and I had flip flops on. And one, the one on the right foot was coming loose. Even though I tried to hold on to it by squeezing it, there was a loss of control and that flip flop fell into the sea below. Within my thoughts the flip flop was not so important as I had another good pair of hiking boots. It was quite a high fall and I could see it fall and disappear.

What this dream taught me was that to act with greater sincerity. In my dealings and thoughts I should not act because I wanted people to think I was of a certain nature. That nature of mine should be natural and should come from the heart not for some hope of recognition or reputation. I should learn to develop myself such that every act and thought as well as the words that leave my lips are naturally free of falsity. I should have only one face which will be the same irrespective of what others see me as, what I should show to others and what I would like myself to be. That is the meaning of the first part of the dream.

The second part of the dream tells me that I should not hold onto little things in life. I should not let petty issues trouble me in that there are so many more precious things in life. There are bigger issues and goals. I should learn to let go.

Fishes and squirrels and rabbits

I happened along a shop along old pudu lama and they have the biggest carps I have ever seen. I believe they call them Kois. Anyway I took a shot with my simple phone camera and surprisingly the image came out quite good. Only thing though, it does not really show how big the fishes are. Some are like 2 feet long. Imagine!

Not so free is that creature in a makeshift cage. What do you think it is? Some say it is a civet cat but the civets I have seen are not like these. Thyeir nose is sharper. This one looks more like a rabbit and a squirrel! You would never guess where this creature was caught-right in the middle of busy Ampang. Possibly wandered off from the zoo (if so, quite a trek though for this poor creature).

By the way civet cats I learnt consume berries but do not digest them. In Indonesia they eat the coffee beans and their droppings become prized coffee beans. That is why they are also called coffee rats. Check it out @ http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?musang

'black' or 'white'?

Today a friend is travelling, taking a long train ride south. The reason for this journey is to visit a sister who is scheduled for an operation to remove a tumour, a pretty large one.

Every operation involves risk and it is not a journey to relish. It is a journey that does not carry with it the excitement that comes with setting forth on an adventure.

Very often we find ourselves in a family gathering not out of sharing some joyous moment but for some sas tearful event. The chinese say that family meet either for some 'black' or 'white' event. It echoes very appropriately the way the rat and dollar race has got to us. We just 'have no time' to catch up in lighter moments to share live or just simply for that cup of tea.

We do not catch a train to drop by or over at a brother or a sister or father or mother to say hello or simply to to chat nothings. I remember my grandmother used to trudge with her rattan weave bag from town to town visiting her daughters. I remember my aunties too doing the same and they will drop over for a few hours and then walk a long way to the bus stop and then take the last bus home to her village home many miles away.

That's how life was in the old way. What happened? We have cars and many other means of getting about yet we do not do the old way? We wait for the 'black' or 'white'....

Saving for what?

Ever own a laptop computer? And if you do, do you take the battery out to use when the mains are plugged cos batteries are expensive and you want to save the battery for that time when you need it most. Well, I did.

As often happens, the battery outlasts the laptop. Just like in life we always try to scrounge on ourselves so much so that we begin to develop some masochistic joy out of scrimping on ourselves. Very soon we find that our body gives up on us and we will leave behind all those treasured possessions like savings for that rainy day, unopened gadget or a new shirt still in its plastic envelope waiting for that one suitable day. One person I know still have the plastic wrapping on his car seat, not wanting to tear and throw it away for fear of dirtying the fabric. Well, he will never relish the soft feel of the seat cushion. That person is my brother…haha..

“Go for it!” says one shoe advertisement and I think we can see its relevance in the way we look at life as well. After energy work courses, we often teach that we must give ourselves a treat in celebration. It may be a hearty meal or just something simple like a bar of chocolate. In this way we celebrate life and also take it as an opportunity for the blessings and abundance that the Universe had provided us. Try it!

To Receive, Let Go

Hope nobody shouts"Plagiarism!!!" but this story i find meaningful..here goes :) thanks for the fwd mate.

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face."A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies.After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath.Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he wouldstop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls.But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night."

And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?""Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy.And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with our Heavenly Father.He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

Are we holding onto things that we should let go of? Are we holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that we have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing .The greatest gifts happen when you share love & touch others.

In giving love and generating compassion and practising generosity oneself is healed too!

Borobudor

I remember Borobudor.
That ancient ruins
A monument from that era
of flourishing Buddhism
vajrayana Buddhism

why did it die?
simple
as all things must come and go
so too must structures and things once permanent
so died it did

religions and philosophies too
will follow this same fate
that is what the Lion of the Sakyas said
and I believe him
yes I do I do

I enter
From the low of the prambunan plains
The mural walls dark and grey
Like life
Mired in ignorance

Mong cha cha is life
murky and confused
So apt this
Of life
Blindly plodding on to nowhere

As I climb
There is some glimpse
Of the sky
And light
So further I climb

Then
Lo and behold
A rush of cool fresh air
The view stupendous
As the valley below unfolds

Endless the sunlit plains
Stretching to meet the horizon
Farmers toil the fields
As we churn in life
Endlessly

Magnificent
This ruins of borobudor
Learned its architect
But this other architect of no happiness
One day I shall defeat!

Faith !

The news say that Tibetans are fighting for their homeland. There is karma between Tibetans and I. My heart goes out to them. May they one day regain their homeland. May that day be soon!

Reiki symbols in meditation

A dear friend shared an interesting and beneficial way of incorporating meditation and Reiki. Link here. Personally I have always felt that meditation and reiki are inseparable and have often used them together.

I have always liked to work with the reiki symbols ever since I was taught them, maybe because my Reiki journey was a very beautiful, mystical as well as spiritual experience. I would admit that the skeptical part of me has always spurred me to look at them objectively. From the early beginnings, I have tried to read up on them as well as try to connect them to known symbols and knowledge, be they shamanic, pagan or religious.

Over time, I have found that this stifles my own journey. Instead it is better to set that objective part of me free and allow openness in my thoughts and belief. The dissecting mind and the real thing are two different cups of tea. After all, it is eventually one’s own experiential insight that becomes truth not words from books or the mouths of others.

I have played with many ways of working with the symbols. May I speak of one that I have used. It started with the time I saw symbol 2 being drawn in a slightly different way from that I used. In fact I liked this new way.

Symbol 1 is the power symbol and I visualize it in 3D, in powerful earthy colors swirling and dissolving into my being. Then I visualize a protective harmonizing soft golden light of symbol 2 covering me like a bell. The natural bell shape of symbol 2 is just perfect for this meditation. As long as I am in that state it becomes a most blissful experience. I find it best if the symbols flow rather than a hard attempt at a visualized form. Try it!

my Father

my Father
as I remember him
A gallant gentleman
A kind soul

ever willing to stuff your pocket
his last dollar
bullies beware his valor
he the down trodden will ever defend

soft is his heart
compassion his soul
years of toil has taken its toll
yet soft his eyes still

victim of his times
eking to survive
from day to day
fighting to live
hardened became his fists

these with our abundant existence
will never comprehend
his anxieties His fears
his hours of darkness

as each day breaks
that metal can, empty of rice
and shirtless sons with hungry mouths
On Him bear

the dim of the kerosene lamp
Is all there is
as dinner is served
as midnight arrive

some rest perhaps
before dawn breaks
before the morn’s silver streaks
cold bath under the stars
And ...
his day of toil begins
Once again

our abundant life
so easy it is to forget
his life his sacrifice His pain
This finest gentleman
Bless him
May He ever be happy!

Have you watched them sleep?

I read a very inspirational article a few days ago.

It goes like this...As young parents we often watched our young sleep and glow in their cherubic innocence and beauty with complete tender lovingness.

But have we ever watched our aged parents sleep, noticing their aged bodies sometimes lying crumpled with tiredness and wrinkled skin that once were soft with the milk of human kindness? Have we watched over them with the same tender loving care we showed our young?

Tarot card

I visited Fremantle WA last month and was quite excited to take a look at the Freo market as I heard that there were quite a few new age shops and whatnots there. There weren’t really that many to generate any excitement being the usual crystal stalls and alternative healing but what caught my eye was a tarot reader right at the entrance.

She was a plumpish lady with wistful penetrating eyes. Actually I did not get to sight her at first as she was away from her stall. On her empty stall table was a deck down side up and I noted that to be a mystic deck. Ah!…quite up my street I thought.

I kept circling back to that particular stall and finally got to catch her with a client. But unfortunately I did not get to lug my camera with me this trip and with the memory card of another camera running low had no shots to show.

I was fascinated with card reading as a child and had my share of visiting “famous” card readers in KL those days. During my secondary school years, I started reading every book available on this enchanting hobby but as I could not get a deck (wouldn’t have afforded one even if there were any around) used the playing cards instead.

One lady who inspired me with her humility and astonishing accuracy was a Bak Tai which is Mrs. White in Cantonese. She lived in those heritage houses fronting the old Klang bus station and would only accept gifts of fruits as payment. Bless her!

Coming back to the tarot; over time I find that to use them to divine events and fortune is not the point. Rather, they are glimpses into our inner self and from this fleeting glimpse allow us to work out our path in life.

To want to look into the future is what most want but that should not be the way out of life. Just like in the story of MacBeth, the witches can portray as showing you the future but may only show you half of it. In any case, to believe in that tiny glimpse of a future becomes only a lack of self will for the only right course that is to be charted is the one we do ourselves.

The tarot works the same way as dreams do giving us little gifts and pointers to guide us so that we can better able understand our inner self and through that make wise choices of our outer actions. This remains to me the most valuable gift that the tarot offers. It is simple yet profound. All we need is some basic understanding and an open mind.

impermanence of life

The Teachings say that life is short like dew drop on a blade of grass. I reckon on papaya leaves too.

found solitude pulling wild grass

I found a quiet moment of solitude today as I pulled out wild grass after mowing the garden. As i reflected i had this sudden rush of solitude and the outside world just aint for me!

butterfly angels?

A few evenings ago I noticed a butterfly flitting about my garden. One then two then three. What a rare sight... aren't they beautiful. They must be tired after a long day, folding their wings.

cycle of life

my son has now completed his degree and now has started work. At such an early stage and at such a tender age, he is now out there with all the rest sorting out his life. My wish for him is to find the happiness that many lack. One day he should find his success in this material world, find a girl he loves, marry and settle down to a family of his own.

That is the cycle of life but apart from wishing him a settled successful life, I hope his karma blossoms and he finds the Buddhadharma.I have held the view from early on that life is sufering and i have no wish to bring more beings into this world to suffer. I hope that that is not true for in that may every being with this human birth finds it an opportunity to use it well and find nibbana. I wish this too for my sons and loved ones. In fact for all.