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2月20日

Compassion Is Universal

COMPASSION

Universal

I received below series of pictures from my spacer friend Renuka who goes by the saying...

"Look back with forgiveness, ahead with hope,
above with gratitude and around with compassion."

This series of photos tells the story of suffering, love and compassion that is evident even amongst less "intelligent" animal species such as birds.

The story begins with a poor bird shocked to find his partner suffering from a fatal injury.

#1. Here the fatally injured bird is clearly suffering and looking for her partner.

#2. He came by and brought her food, and attended to her with love and compassion.

#3. He flies off and returns with more food but shocked to find his partner
not responding. Thinking she was just too tired out... he tried to wake her.

#4. Out of desperation he cried out loud with adoring love, hoping to revive

his loved one who is now motionless.

#5. He stood beside her, saddened by her death. He cries of his loss.

#6. Finally aware she would never return to him, he stood by her lifeless body
and took one last look with love and compassion before flying off.

Millions of people cried after watching these pictures in America and Europe and even in India . It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to a newspaper in France, and all copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published.

And some people think animals don't have compassion?

This is simply just too beautiful not to share.

We are thus reminded not only of compassion, but also to be thankful we have been blessed to enjoy another day of creative and joyful living.

"Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little,
at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick,
at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful."
(Buddha)

Be well, be safe, be happy, and be blessed.
Be compassionate.
Be thankful.

"Look back with forgiveness, ahead with hope,
above with gratitude and around with compassion."

( Renuka Argawal )

( You can visit Renuka's space "My Sunshine" at http://renukaagarwal2.spaces.live.com/ )

MANNA

甘露歌

Composed & Performed by Au Yang Yao Chih.

The mountain is exquisite and the water gentle.

山灵水秀

The purple colour dew presents a hazy view.

紫雾蒙蒙

A clear sound peals in the morning air.

有清音随风吹送

Life is finite, work endless.

生有涯事无穷

Learn to treasure the good times around.

好时光须珍重

A drop from the willow is manna real,

杨枝一滴真甘露

Let it nourish our heart and soul.

把心灵灌溉滋润

The peals of the morning bell,

晨锺叮当

The sounds of the evening gong,

暮鼓咚咚

Awakens me from my fuddled dream.

敲醒了迷失的梦

Life is finite, work endless.

生有涯事无穷

Learn to treasure the good times around.

好时光须珍重

Let the earth partake of spring,

洒得山河大地春

Let life shine on till the end of time.

让生命光辉永恒

The peals of the morning bell,

晨锺叮当

The sounds of the evening gong,

暮鼓咚咚

Awakens me from my fuddled dream.

敲醒了迷失的梦

Life is finite, work endless.

生有涯事无穷

Learn to treasure the good times around.

好时光须珍重

Let the earth partake of spring,

洒得山河大地春

Let life shine on till the end of time.

让生命光辉永恒

1月11日

Happiness Is Here And Now!

A Knowing:

Happiness Is

Here And Now!

Me and my buddies... Happyness is Here and Now!

Goodbye 2008. Hello 2009.

One thing is constant in Life – we constantly face 2 things every day of our life, almost every moment o it too. Changes and Challenges.

Of the many skills in creative living, learning to deal with change is one of the most important if we were to enjoy a life of Peace and Happiness.

Hundreds of books have been written about managing change, but few truly teach us how to deal with change in a simple way. There is no simpler way than this proven 3-step approach.

Step 1. Closure.

We need to put an end to the old before we may begin with the new – we need to make a clean break from what has ended. It’s a time of detachment and disconnection. Learn to let go before moving on.

Closure is about detaching from the past which has ended, leaving behind old baggage. If we fail to detach, we will have great difficulty beginning a new journey because of the excess baggage and the weight of this burden.

Step 2. Neutralize.

We need to keep an open mind, and take on a fresh perspective in embracing the new. Learn to unlearn, and relearn. A time of reckoning with the transition from the old to the new. Its preparing for a new journey, getting ready to move on.

Neutralizing is about establishing a fresh new perspective where we create the capacity to begin anew. This is the “neutral zone” where we clear our mind of the past, and create a gap between what has ended and what is about to begin. We need this space to plant a new footing so that we can begin again happily, freely, and peacefully.

Step 3. Renewal.

Welcome the new beginning, make a clean start, and stay focused on the new course. If we’re gonna sail to a new destination, who cares which ports we’ve visited in the past. Make the next steps count as we move forward, don’t worry about the footsteps we left behind.

Renewal is the new journey to a new destination, the chance to begin again more intelligently.

Many things happened in my personal life in 2008, some were heart wrenching and some painfully real. But I have learned to put closure on that which has passed. I carry no excess baggage into 2009. Left them all behind.

“The moving finger writes; and having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,

Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”

(Omar al-Khayyami, 1048 - 1131)

Nothing in the world can change that which has already transpired.

Learn to let go and move on. Closure. Leave your excess baggage behind if you want to begin a new journey.

Learn to unlearn, and relearn. Neutralize. Re-establish your footing, create the capacity to receive new blessings, and you will find out soon enough there's plenty coming your way.

The best way to neutralize the past is to be thankful we are blessed with a chance to live another day, and be inspired to make it a good day. Gratitude and Inspiration. It's that simple. It's not always easy, but it is really that simple.

“Let us rise up and be thankful,

for if we didn't learn a lot today,

at least we learned a little,

and if we didn't learn a little,

at least we didn't get sick,

and if we got sick,

at least we didn't die;

so, let us all be thankful.”

(Buddha)

An attitude of gratitude never fails to inspire great moments in creative living. Having an attitude of gratitude is creating the capacity to receive more of new blessings in life.

Make a fresh start, a new journey, and a new discovery.

“Your work is to discover your world

and then with all your heart

to give yourself to it.”

(Buddha)

Learn to live in the moment. Renewal. Live this moment wisely and ernestly.

All the causes and conditions, all the reasons and rationale, and all the rights and wrongs in the world that came together to bring me to this moment in my life no longer matter. It’s this moment now, and here, which is what truly matters.

Happiness Is Here And Now!

“The secret of health for both mind and body

is not to mourn for the past,

worry about the future, or anticipate troubles,

but to live in the present moment

wisely and earnestly.”

(Buddha)

2009 will be a great year. I intend to live it wisely and earnestly. This is neither a wish nor a plan. Not even a promise. This is a knowing.

A knowing is different from a wish or a plan or a promise. There is no certainty in wishes or plans or promises. There is, in knowing.

What I Deserve, I Endure;

What I Endure, I Become;

What I Become, I Am;

I Am Within.

This is knowing.

Live in the moment of the knowing.

Dream with no limit

Discover with no past

Dare with no fear

Decide with no regret

Do with no boundaries

Deserve with no doubt

Destiny with no end

Happyness Is Here And Now!

MP3 Audio: Happiness Is Here And Now.

6月8日

The Law of Thinking

The Law of Thinking,

Straight From

The Heart!

I have written much about our

thoughts creating our own reality.

There is a science behind our

thoughts manifesting our reality;

it is in the law of thinking

and in combining our thoughts

with our emotions to form a

thought-feeling force

so powerful that...

when you do your best

in creating the thoughts

and the feelings that

define your destiny,

with belief,

the universe

will do the rest.

Often it is the belief system that

was ingrained into us through our

upbringing that limits us by telling us

what is possible and what is not.

If we can just change that belief,

we can change our lives.

“We are never limited by

the boundaries of our abilities,

but by our unwillingness or inability

to push back those boundaries

that we perceive to limit us”

(Billy Tan)

We begin by simply getting curious

about what is possible outside

the boundaries of our belief system.

“The thinking that we are has brought

us to where we have already been.

In order to go somewhere else,

we must think in a different way.”

(Albert Einstein)

Disconect from the belief system

of your upbringing, and connect with

your inner self. Your inner thoughts

and feelings of what you truly wish.

Begin with a dream of

what you really wish for.

“I am neither especially clever nor gifted.

I am only very, very curious.” (Albert Einstein)

Get curious, get creative.

Use your imagination.

Creative imagination is

the mother of great destinies.

“Imagination is the preview of

life's coming attractions.” (Albert Einstein)

Imagine it,

Think it,

Feel it,

Believe it,

and Live it!

“Life is not about making wishful thoughts;

Life is living out thoughtful wishes.”

(Billy Tan)

Let Dr Greg Braden describe this for you...

There is a law behind thinking;

to think our way into our destiny.

Allow Louise Hay explain this law of thinking...

What you think, and what you believe,

is what will come true for you.

Not only think it and believe it,

get ready to receive it.

“Everything comes to us that belongs to us,

if we create the capacity to receive it.”

(Rabindranath Tagore)

Think Good Thoughts,

Get Great Feelings.

Feeling Good,

Doing Good,

Knowing Good Deeds

Bring Good Outcomes.

You just do your best,

the universe will do the rest.

Know that this is the

Eternal Law of Karma,

ancient and unbreakable.

You Become What

You Think About.

Get Ready to Receive Goodness

Straight From The Heart.

5月27日

The Dance Of Life

Life Is So Precious!

I was at a loss for words

for several days,

but now,

I found my voice.

At a time when so many innocent lives

are lost, so suddenly, so senselessly,

who am I to question why.

I am a drop in the ocean of life.

One thing this little drop can do...

Let this drop bring love, peace, hope,

and joy to so many other drops nearby;

let all drops join as one,

in the ocean of life,

let all drops join as one,

in the celebration of life.

I learned a lesson a long long time ago...

My dad taught me when I was just a kid;

T'was a precious lesson about life,

T'was the true essence of creative living...

We do not need to have

the best of everything;

We just make the best

with everything we have.

I was once greatly awakened by

the wisdom of Rabindranath Tagore,

when I read his poetic writings...

“ Let your life lightly dance

on the edges of Time,

like dew on the tip of a leaf. ”

For every door that closes,

another opens.

Yet, we remain attached

to the one that just closed,

and we fail to live in the moment

through the one that has opened.

Tagore taught me how...

"Let Your Life" is the state of allowing;

"Lightly Dance" is a celebration;

"On The Edges of Time" is living in the moment.

"Like Dew" the essence which nurtures life;

"On The Tip Of A Leaf" of balance & harmony.

Balance.

Harmony.

Every door that closes,

Another opens.

Every drop that falls,

Another springs out.

Such is the balance and harmony of life.

Allow your life

be a celebration of the Now;

Living in the moment,

Let this be the essence of

your creative living.

Let your creative living

Bring balance and harmony

To The Universe.

Let your life lightly dance
on the edges of Time,
like dew on the tip of a leaf.

Be Well, Be Blessed.

Be Thankful.

4月4日

I Need No Wings To Fly

I Need No Wings to Fly

'cos I'm Blessed by

Mr Wise O'Rainbow!

All through my life, there is a knowing....

that I live a life blessed by the Wise O'Rainbow!

I went to Philippines during the Holy Week,

and my plane landed at 5am. Too early to do anything much,

so on our way to San Pedro City my friend Red

decided to stop at Delifrance Cafe for breakfast.

As I was enjoying my coffee, mmm.... it smelled good...

the sun began to shine in. A glorious Spring morning it was.

And then came that wonderful feeling, that special knowing,

that I have just been blessed once again by the Wise O'Rainbow.

I did not hesitate to snap a picture, so here it is...

A close-up of the rainbow casted by the sun shining in...

I wrote this for a dear friend....

but I'll post it here anyway:

I always find Spring like a kite set free.

Suddenly there's a new sense of freedom and directions,

an uplifting momentum of ecstatic anticipations.

I need no wings to fly,

I just keep my head held high...

simply let the breeze point the way,

but hang my tail in check and pray;

so that I may drift with some sense of direction and control,

and head right out way over yonder on a roll...

with no conditions to tie me down,

and my tail is free to flap around.

I put my faith in creative imagination to take the lead...

Fly... just fly... worry no more and fly freely.

The drizzle brings a refreshing twist but then the real show begins

when Wise O'Rainbow shows up for the party and Bingo...

what dreams may come!

One Fine Day...

It was a little cloudy but a sun-shining day...

I took a ferry tour around Manila Bay.

We took off from the Mall of Asia,

it was a relaxing ride of ease and leisure...

And then it happened... dark clouds filled the sky;

and the sun... ha! the sun became pretty shy!

It drizzled a little and the breeze got strong

I expected a fine sunny day, but Boy! I was wrong.

I always knew, miracles are inside jobs....

it never fail to happen if you dont let creativity stop!

When the drizzle slowed and the clouds a little dark,

I took a peek at that bright li'l spark,

Holy Moly! My blessing has come to visit me...

Mr Wise O'Rainbow here again to set my dreams free!

After a while, the sky began to clear,

And there it was, as bright as ever!

Mr Wise O'Rainbow in all its radiant glory...

breaking out through the clouds to tell his story!

Yes, I dont need no wings to fly,

I learnt that long time ago,

T'was Wise O'Rainbow who taught me

the li'l secret of creative living...

Fools think the reward lies at the end of the journey,

that the pot of Gold is waiting at the end of the rainbow,

but my dear friend and I know better,

for the Journey is Joy, and Joy is its own reward...

Ride the Rainbow tops...

Miracles are inside jobs.

I need no wings to fly...

We learned that happiness is setting the mind free;

To soar the skies and ride rainbow tops,

'Cos miracles are really inside jobs.

Give dreams your hopes, take flight with faith...

nurture your creative thoughts with positive emotions,

and just follow your bliss... and Enjoy!

Ride the Rainbow tops...

Miracles are inside jobs.

... and I need no wings to fly.

My favorite Rainbow picture...

Taken inside the “Hanging Church” in old downtown Cairo,

which got its name because it's suspended between two towers,

with no foundation of its own.

This is an ancient orthodox church built in 4th Century AD

on a site believed to be where the young Holy Family

(Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus)

lived for several years while hiding from

King Herod soon after the birth of baby Jesus.

During my visit, it had drizzled a little that morning,

the mid-day sun peeked through the beams, and caste a rainbow

inside the Hanging Church for a very brief moment.

It lasted barely one minute, a brief moment that was divinely chosen.

And I was prepared, and snapped this shot of the rainbow.

One divine moment in time...

The guide later told me that was one in a million shot, and it was

the first time she had seen rainbow inside the Hanging Church!

WOW! What an awesome moment!

I felt great tingling sensations down my spine,

knowing I was there at a divinely chosen moment in time.

I really felt like I had taken a ride on the rainbow.

...and I need no wings to fly!

THE RAINBOW CONNECTION

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that
and someone believed it,
and look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell,
we know that it's probably magic....

Have you been half asleep
and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.

La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa...

11月1日

Nanshan Guan Yin

Nanshan Guan Yin

In The Spirit of Compassion

In the southernmost seaside resort of Sanya, on Hainan island in China, stands a 108 meter tall giant statue of Guan Yin with 3 faces overlooking the South China Sea as well as the hillside monastry known as Nanshan, which means “southern mountains”. The entire compex houses the Nanshan Guan Yin Square where the statue is located, the Nanashan Monastry in the hillside (not open to public), Nanshan Buddhist Temple near the sea, Nanshan old folks home, several religious complexes, and the Nanshan Resort Hotel (part of the Nanshan Guan Yin Square).

The Nanshan Guan Yin is also known as "Nan Hai" Guan Yin because it faces the South China Sea which in chinese is called "Nan Hai".

The Guan Yin statue is omnipresent, you see it everywhere, and Guan Yin blesses all who see.

The name “Guan Yin” is the common name in Chinese referring to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the most widely revered bodhisattva in the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. Guan Yin is also widely revered in various branches of Taoism and its derivative religious practices. In Taoism, Guan Yin is also commonly referred to as “Goddess of Mercy”. In Buddhism amongst devotees of the Mahayana tradition, Guan Yin is also called Bodhisattva of Compassion, however, in many Western circles, Guan Yin is called The Compassionate Buddha or Buddha of Compassion.

Its a grand view looking at the Guan Yin. Its a grand view anywhere you go in the complex!!!

Last October 29th according to the Chinese lunar calendar was the 19th day of the 9th month, a very auspicious day for devotees of Guan Yin. This was the day Guan Yin (aka Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara) first attained full enlightenment in the Buddhist way. Naturally there were many ceremonies and chanting sessions to mark the occasion.

The chanting ceremony in the Guan Yin Square, with many devotees from several countries.

I am very fortunate to have made the trip to the Nanshan complex during this occasion, my second trip there. Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha, who was originally Prince Siddhartha who contemplated and meditated under a bodhi tree until he experienced Nirvana and attained full enlightenment. Hence, the bodhi tree has special significance amongst Buddhist devotees.

A refreshing sight greets all visitors, the main entrance to the clubhouse, and the view inside.

In 2004 when the Nanshan Guan Yin Square was being constructed and completed, I had the blessed opportunity to sponsor and plant a Bodhi Tree in the Bodhi Garden. I made my first trip in 2005 to see how the tree had grown, and the tree is now 3 years old and what a wonderful and blessed opportunity to see the tree again this time fully grown. This trip is special because two of my brothers came along.

Bodhi Garden is protected by Veda deity. My tree in 2005 and now 2007. My brothers came along too!

The highlight of visiting Nanshan Guan Yin and a great blessing to all is to climb up to the foot of the giant Guan Yin statue and hug the foot of the Guan Yin, which is a “must do” for all visitors there. It is believed this is a dedication to the spirit of compassion and it brings great blessings to the family of the believer in compassion.

Three brothers hugged the foot of Guan Yin so hard, we were mistaken for trying to rip off the statue!!!

The term “Buddha” in general does not refer only to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The greatest achievement in Buddhism is to experience Nirvana and attain full enlightenment the way Gautama Buddha did and practitioners who experience true Nirvana and attain full enlightenment are called “Buddhas”, which is not easily achieved. Many serious and diligent devotees may master all the teachings of Buddha and meditate extensively and yet never truly experience Nirvana or attained full enlightenment in their lifetime. To experience Nirvana and attain full enlightenment is the highest possible accomplishment of a Buddhist devotee.

You can enter the base of the Guan Yin statue, there's an unfinished prayer hall with lighted candles.

The Nanshan Buddhist Temple is unique in that it has two halls, the lower hall housing Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Compassion) and the upper hall housing three buddhas, the Amitabha Buddha (Buddha of Pure Land) on the left, the Medicine Buddha (Bhaiṣajyaguru - Buddha of Healing) on the right, and Sakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Buddha) in the center.

The main hall of the Nanshan Buddhist Temple with the 3 buddhas in the main prayer hall.

Left: Amitabha Buddha Center: Sakyamuni Buddha Right: Medicine Buddha.

I was truly blessed to have been given an audience by the Master Abbot of Nanshan Buddhist Temple the Venerable Master Xin Cheng, who at 90-yearsold, is considered by many as a living Buddha, a fully enlightened being who has experienced Nirvana. This is not the first time I met an enlightened being in person, but it is a special occasion because my brothers and I were granted personal audience, not a common privilege accorded to lay person like me! We were each presented a copy of the Master's latest book on Buddhist teachings. What a blessing it has been!

Ven Master Xin Cheng. We were so blessed to have met the most enlightened Ven Master Xin Cheng.

The apartment units at the Nanshan Resort and what an enlightening and blessed view from my room!

Dedicated to all sentient beings in the spirit of love and compassion. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

9月29日

Love - No Rules, No Condition

“Love”
There is no question.
No condition. No Rules.
There is no other.
This is the only way.

This is the law.

Love Rules Don't Apply To Us.

“You can search the entire universe for someone more deserving of your love than you are yourself, but that person cannot be found anywhere. You, yourself, more than anybody in the universe, deserve your own love.” (Buddha)

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.” (1.Corinthians 13.4-8)

“He who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open.”

(Rabindranath Tagore)

“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.” (Mother Teresa)

“Those who go searching for love only find their own lovelessness.
But the loveless never find love. Only the loving find love.
And they never have to search for it.” (D.H. Lawrence)

“When you arise in the morning,
think of what a privilege it is to be alive;
to breath, to think, to enjoy, to love.” (Marcus Aurelius)

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.” (Mother Teresa)

“May Love and Compassion be your teacher, the best of friends, your true companion.” (Dalai Lama)

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” (Mother Teresa)

“I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.” (Arthur Rubinstein)

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” (Sam Keen)

“We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present.” (Marianne Williamson)

“If there is one force that conquers all, its love. If there is one activity that brings us great hope and a new direction to manifest our own destiny, its creative imagination. If there is one quality that makes our dreams come true, its attitude. Love ourselves, dream big, and just do it. Impossible is nothing.” (Billy Tan)

“Who so loves believes the impossible.” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

“Love is the beauty of the soul.” (St. Augustine)

“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.” (Kahlil Gibran)

“Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.” (Leo Buscaglia)

“Love does not dominate; it cultivates.” (Goethe)

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” (Mother Teresa)

“There are four questions of value in life...

What is sacred?

Of what is the spirit made?

What is worth living for?

What is worth dying for?

The answer to each is the same.

Only love.”

(Don Juan deMarco – aka Johnny Depp)

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.” (Anonymous)

“Love is love's reward.” (John Dryden)

“When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable.” (Thich Nhat Hanh)

“All major religions traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” (Dalai Lama)

“The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.” (Swami Vivekananda)

“If we can give unconditional love, we become representatives of God.” (Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen)

“A man's true wealth is the good he does in the world.” (Mohammad)

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” (Mother Teresa)

“In this world
Hate never yet dispelled hate.
Only love dispels hate.
This is the law,
Ancient and inexhaustible.” (Buddha)

9月25日

Owe It To The Wind

“Peace”

Owe It To The Wind

This is one of those days, I pick a song, listen to it over and over, again and again.

I close my eyes, enchanted, dreaming, feeling, drifting, knowing, that a dream will take me out to sea, way over yonder. This way or that way, to the farther shore, where the world dissolves, and everything becomes clear. Beyond this shore and the farther shore, beyond the beyond, where there is no beginning, no end. Close the window, calm the light, and it will be alright... No need to bother now, let it out, let it all begin, owe it to the wind.

And this is peace.

Without fear, I go.

WE ARE ALL ALONE

Outside the rain begins and it may never end
So cry no more on the shore
A dream will take us out to sea
Forever more forever more

Close your eyes and dream
And you can be with me
'Neath the waves through the caves of hours
Long forgotten now
We're all alone
We're all alone

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
Learn how to pretend

Once a story's told
It can't help but grow old
Roses do
Lovers too
So cast your seasons to the wind
And hold me dear
Oh, hold me dear

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
All's forgotten now
We're all alone
oh-oh, we're all alone

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
Owe it to the wind, my love

9月8日

A Divine Connection

A Divine Connection

“ People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may just never be enough;
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway. ”

( The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith, 1968 )

Mother Teresa was so inspired by the paradoxical commandment that she hung a copy of this in her study, and hence this piece is often attributed to Mother Teresa.

Give the world the best you have, anyway. In the final analysis, it's all between you and the infinite intelligence that created this universe.

Many words are used to describe this infinite intelligence, the most common is “God”.

We make this divine connection through contemplation, prayer and meditation by putting our trust in the divine, to believe in and to see the light of God within us, which will dissolve away the darkness within, bringing us to a new level of revelation and wisdom about our true nature, our true divinity. Such a connection means to be “one with the universe”, or simply being in a state of “Oneness”.

Oneness is a timeless notion which transcends across all major religions.

“ The solution to the problem of the day is the awakening of

the consciousness of humanity to the divinity within. ” (Hazrat Inayat Khan)

“ He who knoweth his own self, knoweth God. ” (Muhammad)

“ Look within, you are the Buddha. ” (Buddha)

“ The kingdom of heaven is within you. ” (Christianity)

“ God dwells within you as you. ” (Yoga, Hinduism)

“ Heaven, earth and human are of one body. ” (Confucius)

“ By understanding the self, all this universe is known. ” (Upanishads, Hinduism)

When we are one with the universe, there is a knowing that we are all connected. Oneness dissolves away the duality that keeps human beings separated from one another. Duality is the result of our ego-self at work. When we believe we are separated from one another, we begin to compare when we fear we do not have enough; we begin to compete with one another when we believe in scarcity; and when we "win", we become self-centered, conceited and selfish. Comparing, Competing, and being Conceited keeps us separated. All the pain and suffering in this world is the result of all this separation. Our ego-self works overtime to keep us separated through a mentality of scarcity.

Oneness is infinite abundance.

In ancient Hindu text written nearly 4 millenia ago, it has been said:

“ In the beginning was Brahman, with whom was the Word;

and the Word was truly the supreme Brahman. ” (Rig Veda, holy Hindu scripture 1,700 B.C - 1,100 B.C.)

In the Holy Bible, in the Gospel of John, you will find:

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God;

and the Word was God. ” (John 1:1)

It has been further written:

“ Jesus spoke unto them, saying, 'I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness
but will have the light of life.' ” (John 8:2)

In the holy Buddhist scripture of Digha Nikaya, it has been written:

“ When a Bodhisattva descends from heaven,

there appears in the world an immeasurable spendid light

surpassing the glory of the most powerful glow.

And whatever dark spaces lie beyond the world's end

will be illuminated by this light. ” (Digha Nikaya, holy Buddhist scripture)

Our true nature is indivisible just as light is indivisible. Peace is indivisible, just as silence is indivisible. Oneness is indivisible. What is indivisible, is infinite. Oneness is infinite abundance.

Life's true infinite abundance is in the abundance of love, the infinity of peace, and the endurance of joy through the experience of Oneness. This divine connection is our true awakening. Eternal, Divine, and Beautiful.

Be Awaken, Be One with the Universe, Be Well, Be Joyful, and Be Blessed.

“ Wakefulness is the way to life.
   The fool sleeps
   As if he were already dead,
   But the master is awake
   And he lives forever.

   He watches.
   He is clear.

   How happy he is!
   For he sees that wakefulness is life.
   How happy he is,
   Following the path of the awakened.

    ...

   So awake, reflect, watch.
   Work with care and attention.
   Live in the way
   And the light will glow in you. ”

( Dhammapada, Sayings of Buddha )

8月24日

Oneness

Oneness

“ Go beyond
This way or that way,
to the farther shore
Where the world dissolves
And everything becomes clear.

Beyond this shore
And the farther shore,
Beyond the beyond,
Where there is no beginning,
No end.

Without fear, go.

Meditate.
Live purely.
Be quiet.
Do your work, with mastery.

By day the sun shines,
And the warrior in his armor shines.
By night the moon shines,
And the master shines in meditation.

But day and night
the man who is awake
Shines in the radiance of the spirit. ”
(Dhammapada, Sayings of Buddha)

When I wrote the blog entry “Now Here or Nowhere”, I also wrote a brief...

“ It's not in taking breaths that we are alive,
   it's the vacuum between our breaths.
   It's not our thoughts that make us think,
   it's the gap between our thoughts.
   It's not the beat of our heart that makes us feel,
   its the silence between our heartbeats.
   Breathe the vacuum,
   think in the gap,
   feel the silence;
   then there is a knowing,
   that we are one with the universe. ” (Billy Tan)

And I mentioned… “Find that space, and go there. There you will find the peace of being one with the universe. Eternal, Divine, and Beautiful.”

Well, I received email queries and comments asking about that space I called peace and oneness. Another asked about how to breathe the vacuum, think in the gap, and feel the silence between heartbeats.

First and foremost, yes, there is such a space within each of us where we experience Oneness.

What is that space, and why find that space? How do we go there?

The reason for finding that space inside of us is not about finding peace, although we will experience that beautiful timeless moment of bliss we will recognize as “peace”.

The reason is also not about being invigorated, although we will gain a tremendous sense of revitalization when we enter that space.

The real reason, or the “Raison d'etre”, is about making a connection with the divine Source that is our true nature. There are many names used to call this Source. Many call this “Divine One” or “Infinite Intelligence” or “Universal Wisdom”. Some metaphysician call this “Source Energy” while some philosophers call this our “Highest Self”, and many religions refer to this as “God” or the “Holy Spirit”. To me, all these terms refer to the same thing.

There are people who refer to God as though God is an external entity, a super being.

All the major religions really speak of the same thing. We commune with God by making the connection with the God within us. Not with an outside or external entity. Buddhists call this our true “Buddha Nature”.

“Look within, you are the Buddha” (Buddhism)
“Those who know themselves, know their God” (Islam)
“The kingdom of heaven is within you” (Christianity)
“God dwells within you as you” (Yoga, Hinduism)
“Heaven, earth and human are of one body” (Confucianism)
“By understanding the self, all this universe is known” (Upanishads, Hinduism)

Making that connection brings us to a new level of revelation and wisdom about our true nature, our true divinity. I call such a connection being “one with the universe”, or simply being in a state of “Oneness”.

We exist physically in the physical world of matter, the world of form. When we make conscious contact with our Buddha Nature, we experience Oneness by entering the world of the Spirit.

Our true nature is indivisible, when we are one with the universe. Oneness is indivisible. Oneness is in fact infinite abundance.

The only way to make that connection and experience divine oneness is through meditation.

“Learn to be silent.
Let your quiet mind
listen and absorb.” (Pythagoras, 580 B.C. – 500 B.C.)

There are several techniques to meditate with. One of the most common is to close our eyes, remain still, listen to our own breathe, and meditate on emptiness. To keep the mind absolutely still and concentrate on emptiness.

Before I learned how to do this properly, the biggest difficulty I had was my roving thoughts. I could never keep my mind absolutely still at first. My mind was so noisy, so full of chatter, endless streams of thoughts keep flooding my mind no matter how hard I concentrated.

Then I discovered Japa meditation technique through Dr Wayne Dyer.

Japa means “to say the name of God repeatedly”. What does it mean is to say the name of God repeatedly? And what is the name of God?

Throughout the history of civilization, Eastern and Western religions as well as ancient traditions have described God or Holy Spirit with these words…

Ra
Krishna
Rama
Ahdonay
Brahma
Siddha
Shiva
Mahavira
Atva
Kami Sama
Jehovah
Kali Durga
Yahweh
Allah
God

There is one obvious sound common amongst all of these words... and that sound is “aaah” spoken gently and with resonance; this is the sound of God common to all religions and traditions. It is also used to express a feeling of Love, Peace and Joy. The sound of God is synonymous with the sound of Love, Peace and Joy.

Japa meditation teaches us to use this sound to allow us to get into the gap between our thoughts.

What is the gap between our thoughts?

It has been said that our mind runs through an average of 60,000 thoughts a day.

If we can still our mind, slow our thoughts to a standstill, concentrate in the gap between our thoughts, chant the name of God or Holy Spirit in a meaningful way as we enter this gap, we will make divine connection with God in us and experience Oneness.

For me, to experience Oneness is to be one with the Buddha Nature in me, a connection so divine and so pure, it is beyond words.

7月30日

Let There Be Light

Faith and Divinity…
Let There Be Light

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose
of human existence is to kindle a light
in the darkness of mere beings.” (Carl Jung)

Peace. This is such a simple and pure word, Peace. Yet, it is one of the most powerful desires in life. The only other word I can think of that matches this word in power and meaning is Love.

Peace dissolves fear, just as light dissolves darkness. In a room of total darkness, even a single ray of light dissolves away the darkness.

Peace washes away doubt, just as the great ocean tide washes away the shoreline.

We dwell in such a chaotic world, for as long as our consciousness rules our thoughts, we will continue to experience troubles and struggles. Consciousness is driven by our sensory receptions, and these play havoc to our perception of the physical world of form. In the world of “form”, our senses receive “information”. It is such information (or “misinformation”) that distorts our perception of the world – both inside of our self, and outside. This is caused by our own attitudes, which creates a state of mind through which we filter information and make decisions about what we sense around us.

However, in experiencing troubles and struggles, it does not necessarily mean we cannot experience peace. Troubles and struggles come in all shapes and sizes to challenge us.

“Nobody, as long as he moves about among the chaotic currents of life, is without trouble.” (Carl Jung)

On the contrary. Troubles and struggles have a role in making us appreciate what peace we may find within our own self, and the troubles and struggles we experience do not always necessarily translate into suffering. It depends on the individual and his attitudes. Suffering is a state of mind.

“Struggle is a clever device through which Nature compels humanity to develop, expand, and progress. It is either an ordeal or a magnificent experience, depending on one's attitude towards it. Success and happiness are impossible - unthinkable even - without it.” (Napolean Hill)

We may never achieve success and find happiness without encountering troubles or experiencing struggles.

I have written two posts about troubles and struggles, you may find them interesting:

One of life’s greatest suffering any person can feel, is not to find peace in life. That is why there is so much suffering in this world, so many people have difficulty finding peace. Why is that?

I do not profess to have the answer, but from my experience interacting with people suffering from a lack of peace in their life, I have learned much about what may have gone “wrong” for these people. Nothing wrong with them personally, just with their perception of peace.

I have observed that people who have failed to find peace have looked for peace in the wrong places, and not only that, they may have looked for peace in the wrong way. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Firstly, people keep believing peace is an external condition, that peace is a set of circumstances. This belief can never be further from the truth. They tend to look outside of themselves to find peace. I am sorry to say, they will never find it. Peace is first and foremost, an inner phenomenon. We never have to go seeking peace anywhere, we do not need to look outside for peace. We simply look inside. How?

Try surrendering. This is simple enough to do.

Yes, surrendering to the infinite wisdom that created us by “feeling” within and not try seeking without, believe that we deserve to make this connection. What we seek, we are without. What we believe we deserve, and we endure and become, we are within. Peace is there within.

Surrender and you will receive the guidance to receive peace. Just put your trust in surrendering.

Such surrendering is called faith.

Close your eyes, allow darkness to bring peace. When you close your eyes, focus on your inner self without the distractions of your human sensory receptions, and concentrate. Concentrate on listening to your own heartbeat, the sound of the air flooding your lungs, the silence between your thoughts; and when you concentrate enough, you begin to feel connected with the source energy within.

Such connection is called divinity.

Secondly, we expect to find peace whenever we go seek for peace. There is an expectation. Such expectations sometimes turn into disappointments. Don’t expect. Just do it, and peace will arrive. Don’t expect. Just do, and trust in the infinite wisdom to provide. With faith in the divine, peace will arrive just as dawn follows the night. Have you ever doubted that dawn will follow the night?

“When you trust in your self, you trust the infinite wisdom that created you.” (Wayne Dyer)

When you trust, with no expectation, you will experience a knowing. A knowing bears no expectations. It is pure, it is serene, and it is the simple truth. But expectation is an uncertainty; expectations are uncertain phenomenons. Knowing is a certainty, the kind of certainty we call faith. Faith is knowing without needing proof.

“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

Peace is real, it’s not a dream. The peace you think you find in dreams is not real. The peace you find inside of you when awake is real. Look for it inside, look into your heart, and be awaken. Stop dreaming about peace, and end up letting all those delusions and illusions distract you from finding the real peace within.

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” (Carl Jung)

I have learned over the years, when we need to find something we believe we deserve, and not to expect it but rather to surrender ourselves to its arrival; not to look through external factors but to look deep within… there will be a knowing that what we believe we deserve is there just waiting for us to receive it.

Faith is all it takes.

“ Every prayer fills the air with hope, rising above the wake of rapids and din of the waterfall,

forming a magnanimous rainbow, beckoning the universe with its call.

When hope turns to faith and faith to deeds, powerful forces unleash,

moving mountains and reshaping valleys with mighty ease.

Crossing the plains reaching out, countless turns the river makes,

behind every bend, a divine miracle silently awaits.

Angels visit as the flowers bloom, singing songs of joy and hymns of glory,

as the river slows, deserving peace in witnessing this wondrous story. ”

(An Excerpt from the poem “From Source To Source”, Billy Tan)

7月23日

Now Here or Nowhere

Find That Space...

Go There!

Be Now Here or Be Nowhere

Last week, I conducted a motivational seminar for a group of young sales professionals. In the midst of my interactions with these young people, most of them in their mid 20’s, I came across a mixed bag of comments on what the meaning of life was for them. Being young and many of whom have barely begun experiencing professional success in any big way, it seemed interesting to hear a handful of them remark that life was uninteresting, that they had difficulty finding meaning in life.

I thought about this, and then I came across the post of my MSN spacer friend, Mares, who quoted from John O’Donohue’s Eternal Echoes:

“May You Awaken To The Mystery Of Being Here”

All this reminded me of a nursery rhyme… simple as it may seem, we often take its simplicity for granted and fail to realize the profoundness of its meaning.

“ Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream.”

How many of us have ever given this nursery rhyme a second thought?

The meaning of life will never reveal itself when we go seeking it, for what we seek we are without. The meaning of life reveals itself when we believe we deserve and we begin to endure what we deserve, for what we endure, we become and what we become we are within. The meaning of life is what we give it.

We are the master craftsman of our own destiny, we are responsible for our own life. As with any craftsman, the joy of craftsmanship is in the crafting, so is the joy of life in living the now. To live in the now, and to be present in the here.

This nursery rhyme reminds us we have to row our own boat, be true to ourself, not be someone else, and most of all not try to live out someone else’s dreams or mind someone else’s life, just our own.

“To thine own self be true and then it must follow, as the night then day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Shakespeare)

We have to row it gently, down the stream, not struggle, to treat our own life with respect, and not try to row it up the stream lest we tire ourself with all that strife. So we live our life in peace, and with ease, not struggle unnecessarily against the tide of change.

We must learn to be joyful, always to live life merrily and be joyful. After all life is a gift.

Joy in life happens each time we realize a worthwhile goal. So to keep our life one of continuous joy, it makes sense then to craft ourself a life made of progressive realization of worthwhile goals. To climb a higher mountain each time we have reached the summit of one, to craft for ourself the next bigger challenge as soon as we have finished with one.

We must never cease to find our own niche, our own voice, and endure our dreams. The joy of living is in the joy of endurance.

The simplest way to live and enjoy our own life and be joyful, is to live in the now and live in the here, to endure and be joyous about the endurance. To be “Now Here” otherwiae we be “Nowhere”.

To be now here is to find peace in being present. There is only a very small difference between being “now here” and being “nowhere”. That small difference is a space.

Find that space. Where?

That space is the gap between our thoughts, the vacuum between the breaths we take, the silence between the beats of our heart. Find it.

Remember that the little difference between being “Now Here” and being “Nowhere” is just that space.

May you find joy in rowing your own boat, and the eternal peace in that space. Go there my friends, go in peace, and be one with the universe.

7月15日

St. Albert

St. Albert

Tree of the Universe

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”

(Albert Einstein)

One does not need to be holy in the religious sense to be a saint. In my books, one of my greatest idol, Albert Einstein (I fondly call him “Ole ‘Bert”), is truly a saint by all means of definition.

He has performed miracles beyond human capabilities. No? How then could Ole 'Bert a mathematician by training, in 1905 write of Special Relativity theories on motion and speed of light travel which violated much of Isaac Newton's theories of absolute space and time and yet Einstein was proven right on all counts. Speed of light travel in 1905? Wow! And again in 1916, Ole 'Bert wrote about the General Theory of Relativity explaining the curvature of space and time, and their relationships with gravity, by simply staying put on earth just around the same era when the Wright brothers had just achieved human flight. This was long long time before space travel was even thought about.

E = M C ²

Many of Ole ‘Bert’s theories remain today so incomprehensible that only a handful of scientists can truly understand, and incredibly no one has proven any part of it wrong.

“No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; yet a single experiment can prove me wrong.” (Albert Einstein)

The amazing thing is, until today that has never happened. No one has successfully proven Einstein wrong on any of his major scientific works. In fact, on the contrary. Using technologies that never existed during the time of Albert Einstein, modern scientists today are only beginning to discover his theories absolutely right by setting out to prove him wrong! This is nearly a whole century after Ole 'Bert had written those theories!

Ole ‘Bert never claimed to be God or played God, in fact he was often accused of being an atheist, and yet his ability to comprehend the incomprehensible of universal forces, time-space phenomenon, black holes, quantum physics… (the list is quite endless) made him quite a divine being. Ole ‘Bert had always stated that “imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” (Albert Einstein)

Did Ole ‘Bert really use pure “imagination” to come up with all those theories? The truth of the matter is Ole ‘Bert had divine powers, though he never admitted it. In fact he was so shy of his own divinity he took every precaution to disguise it even to the extent of projecting a perception he did not believe in God.

“I am not an atheist and I don’t think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many different languages. The child knows someone must have written those books, though he does not know how, nor does he understand the languages in which they are written.

The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God.

We see a universe marvellously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellation.” (Albert Einstein)

One thing for sure Ole ‘Bert did not believe in is the notion of a “personal God”…

“I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modelled after our own – a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty.” (Albert Einstein)

Whether or not Ole 'Bert really believed in the existence of God was such a celebrated question that a Rabbi in New York once challenged him with the question by telegram and paid in advance for his telegram reply...“Do you believe in God? Stop. Prepaid reply fifty words. Stop.”

Ole 'Bert sent his reply with words to spare!

“I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, and not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and actions of human beings.” (Albert Einstein)

Ole ‘Bert had strong views on moral behaviour and the purpose of humanity; that love and compassion was an obligation born of our humanity, our human nature, and not something related to religion. That human nature was inherently one of love and compassion.

In one of his rare disclosure of what he believed in, it is incredible that Ole ‘Bert’s statements resemble the philosophies of Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and variants of ancient Vedic religions originating from the Indian sub-continent.

“A human being is part of a whole called by us the ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectations to a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” (Albert Einstein)

It was the workings of the universe that inspired a sense of awe in Ole ‘Bert, and he called this his “cosmic religion”.

“I call it the cosmic religious sense. This is hard to make clear to those who do not experience it, since it does not involve an anthropomorphic idea of God; the individual feels the vanity of human desires and aims, and the nobility and marvellous order which are revealed in nature and in the world of thought.” (Albert Einstein)

In later life, Ole ‘Bert continued to be vague although quite verbose about his spirituality.

“I am a deeply religious non-believer… This to me is somewhat

a new kind of religion!” (Albert Einstein)

In his later years, Ole ‘ Bert witnessed the destruction caused by the Atomic Bomb in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, an act of man he was very strongly opposed to.

“How vile and despicable war seems to me! I would rather be hacked to pieces than to take part in such an abominable business.”

“I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.” (Albert Einstein)

It was late in life when Ole ‘Bert became more verbose about his true spiritual beliefs.

“My religiosity consists of a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we can comprehend of the knowable world. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.”

“The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as of all serious endeavours in art and science.” (Albert Einstein)

Ole'Bert was an accomplished violinst!

It doesn’t matter to me if the Vatican never considered Albert Einstein a candidate for sainthood, and it doesn’t matter to me either that Albert Einstein was born a Jew, for it was clear this was the true calling of St. Albert.

“What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind…”

“More and more I come to value charity and love of one’s fellow beings above everything else… All our lauded technological progress – our very civilization – is like the axe in the hand of the pathological criminal.” (Albert Einstein)

St Albert had this to say about modern day religion…

“If the believers of the present-day religions would earnestly try to think and act in the spirit of the founders of these religions then no hostility on the basis of religion would exist among the followers of the different faiths. Even the conflicts in the realm of religion would be exposed as insignificant.” (Albert Einstein)

Finally, St Albert was asked if he could imagine what the creator of the universe looked like…

“I see a pattern, but my imagination cannot picture the maker of that pattern. I see a clock, yet I cannot envision the clockmaker. The human mind is unable to conceive beyond the four dimensions, so how can it conceive of a God, before whom a thousand years and a thousand dimensions are as one?” (Albert Einstein)

Ole 'Bert was onced asked by journalists to explain his theories on relativity in simple terms that lay people could understand.

“An hour sitting with a pretty girl in a park bench passes like a minute, but a minute sitting on a hot stove seems like an hour. That, my friend, is relativity!” (Albert Einstein)

I could go on forever, but I guess I will just conclude here on the divinity that is St Albert. If I had to say just one more word about St Albert, that word would be “imagination”.

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” (Albert Einstein)

The one and only... St. Albert!

BTW, I was born the same year St Albert met his maker (or his divine mentor?), and that has always had a special significance for me personally; I must admit that has created a special connection somehow.

For those who may disagree or feel offended by the sainthood of Ole 'Bert in this post...

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” (Albert Einstein)

7月7日

Spiritual Beings

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Blessings From A Divine Soul

Since my last post “The Higher Self – Stages of Adult Development”, I received several comments and also emails regarding the topic of the Spiritual Being.

Many of the queries asked about momentarily experiencing fleeting moments of the higher self, for instance from Nidhi (http://icysvolcanicworld.spaces.live.com)…“this is so enlightening..which stage I am as yet? But are they not mixed up many times? sometimes a raindrop or a passing cloud gives u that clear joy of spirituality, you feel one with that and other times we are so trapped in our physical world!”

While we may experience fleeting moments of the higher self and make divine connection, it does not mean we have become spiritual beings.

These stages of adult development are not “experiences” or what we are able to “do”. These are the stages of what we truly become, so it is more than experiencing them on a momentary basis. We are said to be at a certain stage only when we have predominantly become the person at that stage.

For instance, to become the person in Stage 3, the “Magnanimous Being” has already tamed his ego to the extent, most of the things he does in life is truly with the pure intention of benefiting his fellow being, and what he willingly gives to others, he gives from his heart joyfully without any other motives or self-serving intentions. The term "magnanimous" refers to the form of sincere generosity driven by love and compassion, and not by self-serving intentions or self-centered ego. There are people who appear to donate generously to charitable causes, but if deep within them they harbour the intention of seeking any kind of personal benefits from such "generosity" such as name, fame, power, profit, favours, or indebtedness of others, then such a person is not a magnanimous being. A magnanimous being gives purely out of compassion and benevolence, he gives from his heart, giving selflessly, and joyfully.

It has been written in the ancient Buddhist scripture of “Jatakamala” on the act of giving and
benevolence based on the teachings of Buddha.

   Giving is the noble expression of the benevolence of the mighty.
   Even dust, given in childish innocence, is a good gift.
   No gift that is given in good faith to a worthy recipient
   can be called small; its effect is so great.
                                                                     (Jatakamala 3.23)

In Christian scripture from the Holy Bible, in the book of Luke, it was similarly written:

   He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury;
   he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
   He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
   for all of them have contributed out of their abundance,
   but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.
                                                                      (Luke 21.1-4)

We reach Stage 4 and become the “Spiritual Being” when we completely shed off our ego-self, and we meditate regularly at least once or twice a day, constantly making connection with the divine source. Such a person is already on his way to true enlightenment or "buddha nature" or what others call the "god-like nature" of being. Even a priest or a spiritual teacher or religious teacher may not necessary have become a true spiritual being yet if he is still full of ego!

This is not about what a person does, but rather, what a person has become through believing, deserving, enduring and receiving from the divine source.

Recently I had the joyful opportunity to receive the discourses of a highly enlightened being, the Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and it was truly invigorating to be blessed by the Rinpoche.

What an honor to be blessed by the Rinpoche!

Please browse around the website of the Rinpoche:

“Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition” ( www.fpmt.org )

To enjoy some of the discourses of the Rinpoche: “Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche”

Feel free to check out: “A Short Autobiography of Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche”

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

The Rinpoche giving other devotees divine blessings...

One of the Rinpoche's favourite enlightened spiritual being is St Francis of Assisi. In one of his essays regarding natural disasters, the Rinpoche wrote:

“ There are many stories of the power of bodhichitta (the desire to attain buddhahood). How it can control and affect the elements. There are even examples in Christianity, as well as many examples in Buddhism.

There is one story about the great St. Francis of Assisi. One time he was living and meditating in a cave with his disciples. His disciples asked St. Francis to stop the water that flowed inside the cave and that was disturbing their meditation.

St. Francis went to the place where the water was flowing down the mountain and said, “Sister, my disciples can’t meditate.” Then the water stopped flowing from that time until the present day. It would be considered very inauspicious if the water would start to flow again. So the water stopped flowing due to the power of St. Francis’s bodhichitta. ”

Also mentioned further on in the same essay of the Rinpoche:

“ One time in Italy there was a wolf in the forest that harmed many people, and no one could go into the forest. St. Francis of Assisi said he wanted to go out and talk to the wolf. The people begged him not to go, but when St. Francis met the wolf, the wolf licked his feet, like a dog meeting his master, so happy to see his master, lying on his back and showing happiness.

St. Francis asked the wolf not to harm the people and that in return he would beg food for the wolf and give it to him. After that, the wolf stopped harming others. Because St. Francis’s mind was subdued and he had no ego, no self-cherishing thought, then even vicious animals could not harm him. ”

You can download the PDF file of the entire text of the essay: “Letter From Lama Zopa Rinpoche Regarding the Disasters of the Elements”. (Right click and "Save Target As...")

To enjoy more advise from the Rinpoche: “Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive”

The famous Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi is for me, personally, a powerful reminder of our true nature of being:

“ Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace.
   Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
   Where there is injury, pardon;
   Where there is doubt, faith;
   Where there is despair, hope;
   Where there is darkness, light;
   And where there is sadness, joy.
   O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
   To be consoled as to console;
   To be understood as to understand;
   To be loved as to love;
   For it is in giving that we receive;
   It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
   And it is in my dying that we are born to eternal light. ”
                                          (The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi)

May you always be well, be healthy, be inspired, and be blessed. Amen!

6月27日

Two Roads

Two Roads Diverge

In A Yellow Wood

“ Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. ” (Robert Frost)

I was just a young up and coming executive trying to carve my own niche in the world of corporate business 30 years ago, when I read for the first time “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. It intrigued me, at that time, as an insightful read urging me to trust in my own judgement (or “instincts”) to chose and explore an unknown path that I believe may lead to yet unseen outcomes. A bold new world awaits.

It was no coincidence just yesterday, it must have been some divine urging, that as I was searching for translations of excerpts from the Upanishads (ancient Hindu scriptures), when I came across once again this Frost poem. I re-read it from a fresh perspective, a spiritual perspective as I was in a very “spiritual” mood.

Two roads, two journeys, two outcomes. Inside our minds.

One leads to “samsara” (that's what the ancient mystics call it) the state of mind that turned outwardly lost in its projections, illusions and delusions. The other to “nirvana”, the world of absolute peace, pure bliss, and enlightenment as the mind turns inwardly into its essence, the source of all creations, to be one with the universe.

Each journey is led by a guide who will unconditionally (yes, unconditionally) take you to the respective outcomes. Mr Ego, and Mr Spirit.

The ancient Hindu scripture of the Upanishads can explain this better.

“ Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree,

intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same body.

The former eats the sweet and the sour fruits of the tree of life,

while the latter looks on in detachment. ”

(The Third Mundaka, Upanishad, 7th Century B.C.)

The path of samsara is likened to a Disney world holiday package led by Mr Ego. You get to experience all kinds of magical rides called “emotions”.

Mr Ego will warn you that there are many rules you must follow, you must conform or you won’t fit, many do’s and dont’s, and guidelines to follow. Do what Mr Ego tells you and you will enjoy the magic ride called “victory” or “success”. Break the rules of Mr Ego and all you get is disappointments, also known as “failures”.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking Mr Ego. I must say, I have had the most wonderful time of my life following Mr Ego on his holiday package, and by any standards, I have done well in the material world. Honestly, no regrets.

Mr Ego isn’t all bad, except there’s only one little detail about following Mr Ego. You tend to get really attached to where he takes you and what he shows you. You get attached to the success and the failures, the victories and the defeats, the sweetness and the sourness, the joy and the sorrow, the ecstasy and the pain. You cling to things, outcomes and circumstances. This is the real world of attachment.

Rabindranath Tagore has something to tell you about Mr Ego:

“ I came out alone on my way to my tryst.

      But who is this me in the dark?
     I move aside to avoid his presence but I escape him not.
     He makes the dust rise from the earth with his swagger;
     He adds his loud voice to every word I utter.
     He is my little self, my lord, he knows no shame;
     But I am ashamed to come to thy door in his company. ” (Rabindranath Tagore)

The other path to nirvana is a little different. Mr Spirit doesn’t say a word, never. There are no rules either, just a simple sign before you enter that says “Silence, Peace”. No, there’s no wrong spelling here… its not “silence please”… it is “silence, peace”. You can never make that journey without keeping absolutely silent, and your mind perfectly still.

This is the world of the infinite.

“ For him, the sorrows of this world are over.

      Though he posses a finite body,
      he remains united with the Infinite.
      His heart knows no anxiety;
      Such a man is said to be free even in this life. ” (Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya)

I am not qualified to write about nirvana, not yet as I am still a humble learner here, so I shall humbly stick to writing what I know innately. I will come back to write about Mr Spirit next time.

Mr Ego is our “little self” as Tagore put it, and we cannot take this “little self” along when we take the other path not taken because the ego so attached to the path of the physical world it cannot leave that behind.

The ego identifies itself only with the material world, the physical world of form, the world of the seen. Everything is finite. Therefore people with very strong ego tend to perceive the material world to have boundaries, borders, limitations, and restrictions. Hence, this perception of the limited material world spawns a mentality called “scarcity mentality”, which is opposite of “abundance mentality”. The more you cling to your ego, the smaller the world becomes. The more you are attached to things, outcomes and circumstances, the more difficult it is to experience abundance.

Scarcity mentality means everything seems scarce, there may not be enough to go round, so in order to do well in the material world, the player has to have the best, the most, the largest, the tallest, the fastest, the….whatever “…est”.

The ego is so attached to the material world of form, it is this attachment which drives human behaviour to do likewise, being attached to things, outcomes and circumstances. And to become dependent on things, outcomes and circumstances to define our identity. We are a “failure” if we do not succeed at what we wish to do, we are “underprivileged” if we are not materially wealthy, we are “unintelligent” if we do not have a high IQ. All these labels create differentiations, so much separation, so much segragation. This is called “dualism”.

Ultimately we tend to depend on external factors for our own identity, happiness, recognition, and so on. We look outside of us to find meaning and purpose when ego is in charge.

Every ego, or every person represented by his own ego, seeks to be uniquely and separately identified, resulting in a dualistic perception of this world, that every person is separate from one another because every ego is a separate entity. When ego talks, such terms as “you”, “I”, “he”, “she” become commonplace – every person is a separate individual entity, there has to be separation of distinction, or boundaries, for the world of form to clearly define itself.

The ego seeks to be right, to be the first, the strongest, the tallest, the smartest, to have the most, to be the best, to be heard, to become powerful, to be well known, to be everything and anything where “I” becomes the beneficiary. “I” for “importance”.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying ego is all bad or evil. I am merely pointing out the phenomenon of human behaviour under the control of the ego – attachment to material things, dualistic separation of identity, and desire for superiority.

The ego constantly prompts three distinct patterns of behaviour, the 3 “C” of dualism – Comparison, Competition, and Conceit.

Ego compares because ego needs to identify itself with outcomes and eventualities, ego needs to be attached to the outcomes to be satisfied. Comparison differentiates the identity and satisfies the ego.

Once identified, ego competes because ego needs to become superior, for ego thrives in superiority. Victory is the name of the game. Ego sees the world with a mentality of scarcity – there is never enough to go around, so each of us must get the most, the biggest, the best, the longest, the fastest, the widest. The one with the most, the best, and the greatest is more “successful” than the one with lesser.

Once it becomes superior, ego becomes conceited, for ego needs to be recognized by its claim to power and fame. Satisfying basic needs is no longer enough, ego seeks for needs of higher hierarchy to thrive. The psychologist Abraham Maslow has defined this pretty well with his hierarchy of needs.

So much for Mr Ego, I trust you find this information interesting. I will introduce to you what I know of as Mr Spirit one day. Its past my bedtime now… perhaps I may get struck by another inspirational thought from Mr Spirit before I sleep.

Oh, by the way, one small triviality. Mr Ego exists in the world of form, so anything you receive coming from Mr Ego is called “information”, derived from the root word “form”. Whereas you get from Mr Spirit pure “inspiration”, clearly derived from the root word “spirit”.

To be in spirit, to be divinely inspired, is to be one with the universe.

Good night… I go visit the path of Mr Spirit for some inspiration before I sleep, ya? Some call this “meditation”.

6月24日

From Source To Source

From Source To Source

(Oneness with the Universe)

“ When you are inspired by some great purpose,

all your thoughts break their bonds.

Your mind transcends limitations,

your consciousness expands in every direction,

and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. ”

(Patanjali, 1st-3rd Century B.C.)

An interesting poetic inspiration struck me last night just before I went to sleep. So I wrote this poem. ;-)

The course of our mortal life is like the flow of the river. Every river comes alive when water flows from a source, and at the end of its flowing, as the river fills the ocean, the life of the river is once again returned to its source. This is the unbreakable law of nature. And hence, this too is the unbreakable law of eternal universal abundance - from source, to source. Its about oneness with the universe.

From Source To Source (Oneness with the Universe)

Meandering through the course of life, the river gracefully dances,
   each passing moment is a drop in time, as the river takes its chances.
Good thoughts water the earth, touching lives, to nourish the growing and quench the thirsty,
   bad thoughts flood the plains, sometimes bringing unthinkable catastrophe.
Every word spoken wets the ground, leaving its mark, its vapors carried by the winds to a new form,
   sometimes to cast dewdrops or bring rain, sometimes a vicious storm.
Every deed done erodes earth from the banks, carving new ground in its range,
   meandering, shifting, striving and caressing, causing endless change.
Every prayer fills the air with hope, rising above the wake of rapids and din of the waterfall,
   forming a magnanimous rainbow, beckoning the universe with its call.
When hope turns to faith and faith to deeds, powerful forces unleash,
   moving mountains and reshaping valleys with mighty ease.
`Crossing the plains reaching out, countless turns the river makes,
   behind every bend, a divine miracle silently awaits.
Angels visit as the flowers bloom, singing songs of joy and hymns of glory,
   as the river slows, deserving peace in witnessing this wondrous story.
May the river gain strength gently down the slopes of time,
   flirting with the sun, dancing with the moon, with poetic rhyme.
When the living is done, and the flowing comes to an end,
   the river fills the great ocean and returns to the source once again.

Life is never about which river runs the fastest, widest or longest, or which comes first,

the ultimate destiny of the river is to be one with the universe.
May every river fulfill its destiny, running a harmonious course,
flowing in ceaseless abundance, giving life, from source to source.

May you enjoy reading this poem as much as I have posting it, and may you always find peace in Oneness with the Universe. Be well, be happy, and be blessed.

Billy

6月12日

I Slept & Dreamed

I Was A Butterfly...

“The thoughts of the day became

the dreams of the night.”

(Ancient Chinese Idiom)

I received several email responses to my last post “Believe We Deserve, Endure We Become” – there was one question “What if we need to be loved, why can’t we search for the love we needed?”

What we seek, we are without. Do not seek, just believe you deserve. Endure, and you will experience love. By “endure”, in this context, I mean “give unconditionally”.

If we believe that Life is the creation of a Divine Source, the Creator if you may, and that Life is created out of Love, it then follows that the Divine Source must be within each and every one of us, and since we are alive, that the abundance of Love is already within us. It is therefore no longer a matter of searching for Love, but a matter of deserving Love and the revelation of Love from within.

Love already exists in abundance within each and every one of us, therefore to truly experience it unconditionally, we just need to give it unconditionally. The experience of giving love is the experience of the most enduring love.

Poets have a way of writing about love. Let two of the greatest poets of recent times tell it in their words.

One of England’s most prolific writer, novelist and poet, D.H. Lawrence lived from 1885 to 1930, and wrote:

“Those who go searching for love only find their own lovelessness.
But the loveless never find love. Only the loving find love.
And they never have to search for it.” (D.H. Lawrence)

I bring to you the words of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet, philosopher, playwright, and composer, who lived from 1861 through 1941, and Asia’s first Nobel laureate. He wrote:

“He who wants to do good knocks at the gate;
he who loves finds the gate open.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

Tagore’s reference to “the gate” reminds me of “heaven”. Here’s something to provoke your thoughts.

Is Heaven a place on Earth, or is Earth a place in Heaven?

It has been said that dreams are the gateway to a parallel world. Heaven perhaps. Psychologists, neurologists, metaphysicists, philosophers, and theologians have been debating the phenomenon of dreams to no end.

Let me bring you more words from ancient wisdom, just to confuse you a little more. LOL!

In the 6th Century before Christ, in the land of Ancient China, there lived a mystical philosopher by the name of Lao Tzu, who founded the religion we come to know today as Taoism.

Lao Tzu wrote:

“ I went to sleep and I dreamt that I was a butterfly.
Then I awoke.
And now I don’t know.
Am I a man who dreamt he was a butterfly?
Or was I a butterfly dreaming it was a man?
I can never know. ” (Lao Tzu)

What is real? Did we dream what we dreamed, or are we indeed living out the dream of another? Do dreams take us somewhere beyond the realm of our physical world?

Perhaps one interesting twist in answering this question comes from an inspirational piece written by English poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

    What if you slept?
   And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed?

   And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven

    and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower?

   And what if, when you awoke,

   you had the flower in your hand?

   Ah, what then?

I believe… Heaven exists within each and every one of us, we get there by connecting with our higher self, the divine source of all ceation. Believe, Deserve, Endure, Become, and Go There. Where you will find an abundance of Love, Peace, and Joy. Every one of us deserves to go there. Just love unconditionally.

“Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment.

It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

Love, Peace and Joy be with you.

6月8日

Believe We Deserve

Believe We Deserve,

Endure We Become.

In my blog “My Life Is A Song” (18-Jan-07), I have written these words:

What I Seek, I Am Without;
What I Deserve, I Am Within.

The word “seek” means to “to look for” or “search for” or “try to find”. You try to find something because it is something that is not within you. You either never had it in you, or it is something you have lost. Either way, it is not within you. It is something that is external of you.

I trust you will note, across several of my blog postings in this space, that I have written how we may find love, happiness, peace, and growth from a source that is inside each one of us. The source of all our love, all our joy and happiness, all our peace and serenity, and all our learning and growth lies within us.

Miracles are inside jobs (ask Julia). Amen!

The universal laws of cause and effect ensures that all outcomes arise from causes and conditions. No cause and no condition, no outcome.

If a life of love, peace, joy and growth is the outcome we desire, then the cause must be the dreams we have of these desires, and the conditions are the thoughts we carry, the attitudes we have towards our dreams, and the things that we do to nurture the dreams and turn dreams into reality.

It begins with thought. Thoughts are causes, they are the seeds we sow and we may reap what we sow.

We invariably attract into our lives the things, the people and the circumstances that harmonize with our dominant thoughts.

Each one of us, has within us, the power of creative thoughts to imagine, the inspiration of unwavering faith to believe, and the motivation of deep passion to achieve what it takes to manifest our own destiny.

Believe we deserve, then endure and we become.

The first part is to believe we deserve. Believe with heartfelt passion. Believe it will happen, believe we can make it happen, but most importantly, believe we deserve.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen
or even touched; they must be felt with the heart.” (Helen Keller)

We must believe we deserve a life of love, peace, joy and growth. When we begin to believe, we begin to see it, visualize it, and manifest it in our day to day living. We don’t have to “see it” first to believe it… we simply believe it first, and we will begin to see it happening.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

The second part is to endure and we become.

If we turn our dreams of passionate desires into the goals of our life, we are already one step closer to realizing our dreams. Goals are the destination, and our endeavors make the journey.

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.” (Victor Hugo)

Not only we plan our work to accomplish our goals, we must also work our plans to turn goals into successful outcomes.

“Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act.” (Maxwell Maltz)

The word “endure” means to tolerate, to suffer, to keep on, to persist, to persevere.

I like the last word best, persevere. Perseverance is the will to succeed. No perseverance, no success.

“Endure” is also the root word of endurance. To finish running a marathon race, the runner must endure. No endurance, no accomplishment.

We may encounter obstacles in our journey to accomplishments. We may stumble and fall. We may err and fail in early attempts. Failing in attempts does not make us a failure. We may come face to face with defeat, but we must never be defeated. If we make every failure strengthen our resolve to succeed so we may eventually rise above all adversities and become, that is endurance.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” (Robert F. Kennedy)

If we believe we truly deserve something, we will never give up on it, we will persevere, we will endure.

We stay focused on our goals.

“Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life. Your vision explains how you are living your purpose. Your goals enable you to realize your vision.” (Bob Proctor)

If our faith in what we believe we deserve is unwavering, then our body, our mind, our heart, and our spirit will never fail us. They will perform in harmony to deserve the outcome, they will endure. Our life is a song in four-part harmony. All parts harmonize to form a perfect balance.

MY BODY

My body is the vehicle of my mortal existence,
it vibrates with energy.
It gives me the capacity to experience the physical world,
the power to act, and the discipline to endure.
With my body, I live, I deserve Health and Vitality.

MY MIND

My mind is my intellect, my will to think.
It gives me the patience to learn,
the freedom to decide,
the power of understanding and rationale,
and the capacity to imagine and to create.
With my mind, I have a life, I deserve Wisdom and Virtuosity.

MY HEART

My heart is the garden of my emotions,
within which I sow seeds of my passions.
It gives me the courage to grow,
the power to give and to forgive,
and the capacity for love and compassion.
With my heart, I am truly alive, I deserve Love and Compassion.

MY SPIRIT

My spirit is the sanctuary of my soul,
it manifests my conscience.
It embodies the serenity of my faith,
it is the inner peace that is my strength,
and it gives me the capacity for hope and prayers.
With my spirit, I experience humanity, I deserve Enlightenment and Peace.

I am not a human being seeking a spiritual life,

I am a spiritual being living a human experience.

Let our mind carry virtuous thoughts, our words bring hope and calm, and our actions give love and compassion. Think good, speak good, and do good. Be well, be blessed.

What I Deserve, I Endure;
What I Endure, I Become;
What I Become, I Am;
I Am Within.

5月31日

Windows Of The World

Windows Of The World

Are Covered With Rain

I was just starting to write another post when I heard this remake of the Bacharach song “Windows Of The World”, originally a solo performance by Dionne Warwick. This remake was performed by Dionne Warwick and friends with an interesting rap added to it.

The first time I heard “Windows Of The World”, it did not have that much of an impact on me. But this time round, as the verses were sung out, I felt compelled to do something about it... so here it is!

Windows Of The World

Music by Burt Bacharach; Words by Hal David.

Performed by:

Dionne Warwick, Angie Stone, Chante Moore, Deborah Cox, and Da Brat

The windows of the world are covered with rain.
Where is the sunshine we once knew?
Ev'rybody knows when little children play
They need a sunny day to grow straight and tall.

Let the sun shine through,
Shine through, shine through,
Let it shine through,
For me and you, for me and you.

The windows of the world are covered with rain,
When will those black skies turn to blue?
Ev'rybody knows when boys turn into men
They start to wonder when their country will call.
Let the sun shine through.

The windows of the world are covered with rain,
What is the whole world coming to?
Ev'rybody knows when men can not be friends
Their quarrel often ends where some have to die.
Let the sun shine through.

“ You can stand tall without standing on someone.

You can be a victor without having victims. ”

(Harriet Woods)

The windows of the world are covered with rain,
There must be something we can do.
Ev'rybody knows whenever rain appears
It's really angel tears.
How long must they cry?

Let the sun shine through...
For me and you.

“ In this world,

hate never yet dispelled hate.
Only Love dispels hate.
This is the law,
ancient and inexhaustible. ”

(Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha)

Love & Compassion At Work...

Orphans at the Linh-Son Buddhist Temple, Kushinagar, India

Orphans & Children at the School in Linh-Son Buddhist Temple.

Kasih Hospice Care Society Malaysia giving care to terminally ill patients.

May the sun never cease to shine through...

for the children of this world,

for all of mankind,
for me and you.

Be Blessed.

5月18日

Giving Connects

Giving Connects...

Joyfully!

Compassion & Benevolence For Mankind

"To Do Good Is The Greatest Joy"

(Ancient Chinese Idiom)

In my last post, “Dhamma Nite 2007”, I wrote about Kushinagar, and how poor that town is today despite its significance as one of the top heritage sites of Buddhism. The Linh-Son Buddhist Temple is a complex comprising the Buddhist Temple, Community Center, an Orphanage, a School for the orphans and also children in the neighbourhood who cannot afford to go to regular schools elsewhere, and a Monastery to train young Buddhist monks for missionary work.

Young children of the orphanage attending school

“Every child born comes with the message that the Creator is not yet discouraged of man.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

Every human being deserves a chance in life, regardless of race, religion, or culture.

Although the Linh-Son Temple was first started by missionary and its location in Kushinagar is an important Buddhist heritage site, the orphanage and school are open to children of all race, religion, and location.

Children from the Orphanage getting ready to receive food, clothing and books

prepared from donations raised by the Temple.

Giving and sharing out of compassion and benevolence to the needy is one of the most beautiful acts in life, something I have long been inspired by my dad to do from the examples he has set during his lifetime. I am not one who likes to follow in my father’s footsteps, cos I believe I make my own footsteps…

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.” (Matsuo Basho, 1644-1694)

But I must say, what I have seen the Banana King do in his lifetime has inspired me to seek likewise – to lead my life with acts of compassion and benevolence. Seeing how he has made such great sacrifices both with his financial means and also by his personal efforts, I do feel a sense of responsibility and delight (yes… pride, delight, joy, exuberance!) to partake in the act of giving out of compassion and benevolence.

“It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” (Albert Einstein)

Personally, I want my effort to become purposeful, something that can create the opportunity for the receiver to give something back in the future. For this reason, I have decided to fully sponsor three young student monks at the Monastery in The Linh-Son Buddhist Temple in Kushinagar, India.

It has been said that giving from the heart connects two people, the giver and receiver; and this gives rise to a sense of belonging. I am proud to introduce these three young student monks...

Dham Barkash, age 16, Grade 11

Dhosaram Veer, Age 15, Grade 8

Dham Ratan, age 14, Grade 6

It is my belief that it is not how much we give that really matters. It is not who we give to that matters. What really matters are two things.

Give from the heart, give selflessly, give joyfully – this is the true essence of compassion and benevolence.

Make the giving meaningful and purposeful – so that the giving does not end there and may create new opportunities for others.

So, by giving from the heart, giving selflessly, and making our giving purposeful, we create a virtuous cycle of value creating more value, and of growth and abundance, from compassion and benevolence that benefit mankind.

“Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.” (Princess Diana)

There is an ancient Buddhist scripture called the “Jatakamala” which wrote of the act of giving and benevolence based on the teachings of Buddha.

Giving is the noble expression of the benevolence of the mighty.
Even dust, given in childish innocence, is a good gift.
No gift that is given in good faith to a worthy recipient
can be called small; its effect is so great.
Jatakamala 3.23

From Christian scripture in the book of Luke...

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury;
he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
for all of them have contributed out of their abundance,
but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21.1-4.

There are no rules in giving. No need to distinguish between race, religion, cultures, geography, or whatever.

“True religion is real living; living with all one's soul,

with all one's goodness and righteousness.” (Albert Einstein)

Giving truly connects the giver and the receiver...

give from the heart, give selflessly, give joyfully.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen

or even touched; they must be felt with the heart.” (Helen Keller)

“If there is any religion that could respond to the combined needs of

modern science and humanity, it would be Buddhism.” (Albert Einstein)

“Teach this triple truth to all :

A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion

are the things which renew humanity.” (Gautama Buddha)