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!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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!
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!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
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!
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!
Friday, March 14, 2008
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!
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?
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?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
impermanence of life
The Teachings say that life is short like dew drop on a blade of grass. I reckon on papaya leaves too.Saturday, March 8, 2008
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.
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