Best Wishes.....

WISHING ALL VISITING HERE

A

SUCCESSFUL, PEACEFUL & SAFE

2010

Connections....

This time, again I am so blessed that I have the opportunity to meet H.H. Karma Kuchen Rinpoche in Singapore. He is the 12 Lineage holder of the Payul Linage. Again I called this 'connection', my connection with the Payul Lineage. I suppose this connection started when I met the late H.H Penor Rinpoche in Bodhigaya, India. When my mother passed away, it was the Payul Rinpoche who did her Powa..... and now, without any pre arrangement, I met H.H. Kuchen Rinpoche, blessed by him and took Avalokiteśvara's initiation from him directly. I pray that Rinpoche lives long so that we all can benefit from his teaching.

I recalled it was during a Ningma Monlam celebration in Bohdigaya that I had the good connection to meet up with the late H.H. Penor Rinpoche. It was affinity and even after a hard day, the late H.H Penor Rinpoche was so kind to give us audience. Six of us met him and spent a few short moments with him. Because of this connection, the late H.H. Penor Rinpoche gave me a sliver bracelet. I valued it and kept it with care. Although I am not under the Payul Lineage, but Buddhism have no boundaries. The practices and basic are the same. I am grateful to the late H.H. Penor Rinpoche for instilling positive feelings in my heart. I will always remember him fondly.

The late H.H. Penor Rinpoche passing was a sad affair to all his monasteries monks, devotees, followers and other lineages too felt the lost. I heard of his passing unintentionally when I saw his CD and the shop assistant said that he passed away last night. I called this 'connection' because I came to hear it a few hours after his passing. All the more I rejoiced at the significant he left behind. During his passing, rainbows were seen all over the monastery and thousands have seen it. The butter lamps offered and petals like that of lotus appreared by itself. All these was wonderful, meaningful and gave so many hopes, joy and faith to ones' practices. Friends sent me the video clips on the holy appearances of rainbows and many others auspicious signs of an enlightened being. I pray for Penor Rinpoche swift return so that at this difficult times, beings will be able to be embraced by his compassion and teachings.

SADHU...SADHU...SADHU

Solstice...22nd December

Winter Solstice falls on 22nd December yearly. This is the time when Chinese people must pay back all the favors asked from Gods and Deities when the year started. People will rush to temples, offer incense and oil to show their gratitude for a peaceful and safe year. This must be done before 22nd December or on 22nd December, or else they are late in giving Thanks. After 22nd December, all Gods and Deities will return to Heaven. They will give a report of all the goodness and evils done by each household. Every household will receive blessings or being punished for badness done. So to avoid bad luck, Thanksgivings must be done for a good start when the new year begins.

This is also the day that Chinese families will eat rice balls boiled in sweet soup. Mum used to make these little balls in pink and white. The significant is to show that we will be one year older.

It is also family reunion day. This is a tradition as Solstice marked the start of Winter. Winter is cold, and families gathered around fire and warmed their bodies by eating warm food from hot pot or steamboat and have children, relatives, grand children, and friends with them.

We are fast losing this culture and the younger generations are not bother with traditions. Because we live in a non homogeneous country, we started following others culture, making them stronger but weakening ours, as in Chinese. I admire and envy the Malays and Indians for holding on to their culture.....

Losing a tradition is like losing bonds...and losing our identity. People are colder and they have no time to care about their folks, let alone others and become more self-centered.

This is much regretted!

Something to PONDER...

More thoughts from me...

A flower bloomed and faded, next year a flower blooms again…the look, the color, the size is exactly alike, is it the same flower?

A flower blooms, vibrant, colorful…standing with her face facing the sun and dances with the wind, do you see impermanence?

Live the moment, not worry about tomorrow and what will happen in the future. Tomorrow will take care of itself, the future is planned ahead…and if you lost this moment, you will never relive it again.

Appreciate your friends, they are here to keep you company, encourage you on the way, cry with you, laugh with you and standby you.

Accept your enemies. If they are not around, you will not know the sufferings of your enemies as well as yourself.

Others faults should be your mirror. You should check yourself with their mistakes and not criticizes their mistakes.

One’s faults, One’s Karma…what has that got to do with others?


Everyone wants happiness, so why are we adding our happiness to others unhappiness?

Live your life like a human; not like an animal. You will not survive in the animal world because there are even more ferocious animals than you.

You only live once. If you believe in reincarnation, plan what you want to be in your next life – a lowly person or someone with high-esteem?

Make hay while the sun shines, it may not shine for you tomorrow.


We have endless greed, so much anger…and bundles of ignorance. If we have lesser greed, curbed our anger and learn to be wise…life will be happier.

Happiness is inside you, it is yours, it is not given, no one can take it away from you BUT we always look for happiness externally, begging others to give us a little happiness, and blind to the fact that we owned happiness – how pathetic!

A man had a thorn embedded in his feet. He blamed the land he is standing on that it caused him so much pain. A friend offered him another piece of land to stand on, and yet he still feels the pain. So he flew off to another country, hopping that the pain will go away BUT he still feels the same pain? WHAT is the problem? The problem is not the land, the problem is the thorn – sounds familiar right? We always avoid the problem and putting blame on something else.

The lesser needs you have, a better person you are. Do you know why?


I rather be a WISE person, than an INTELLIGENT idiot!


Human works so hard for the money, fame as well as recognition. They spend all their times in chasing after materials gains – never have time to enjoy them. When they fell sick, they realized that they have neglected their health, their family and loved ones. When they die, none of the accumulated materials gains can they bring with them.

No matter how rich or how poor – the ONLY treasure you can bring with you when you die is your spiritual practices. It is a passport to THE OTHER SHORE.

A 2,500 years ago Teaching, live through Time and yet it is like it is written today. It is Timeless even for another 2,500 years because it is the Teaching of the Wise Teacher, My Teacher – the BUDDHA.

Hope the above sharing brings you Peace and Happiness.

REJOICE!!!

PoP...

My interest in Malay Pop Songs started when I was seconded to Indonesia. On and off I switched to listen and pick up some of the lastest and good songs. I will only post it on my site if the song is one that I really like. Enjoy the rap and girls dressed in sarong kebaya. The background setting is back to the 70s. Enjoy!

Cactus - Aloe Vera

Recently because of my free time, I have been trying all kinds of ad hoc cooking. I am not a good cook but at least my Mum taught me well - I can still manage to cook a pot of rice properly and of course I can cook yummy congee!

Cooking is not a FEAT but an ADVENTURE and IMAGINATION. When I saw a dish or taste a dish, I will ask myself what goes into it. I enjoy cooking but I cannot understand why some people find cooking stressful and troublesome.

Today I am not talking about these but I have taken interest in eating Cactus. The last time I posted something on Nopal or Mexican Cactus (edible cactus) but today I tried something different.

Yes, the famed Aloe Vera. I am not a fan of this Aloe Vera plant - not the supplement, not the drinks nor the desserts. However recently I bought the leaves of this plant on impulse. I have no clue as to how to go about it but intend to make a dessert out of it.

When cutting the skin, it emits a pungent smell. I don't like it as it smells like stale sweat. The next thing, it is only the small portion of clear 'meat' that can be eaten and it is all slimy and slippery. GOSH! what is all these gel? It is like mucus. I cut them into cubes, and using my own imagination put them to boil by adding water and melon sugar. Fortunately after the boil, that 'sweaty' smell no longer existed BUT the dessert is a bit bitter. I added a dash of lemon and yet the bitterness did not go away. I was wondering whether I over cooked it? It still taste good except of the bitter taste.

I vowed that I must succeed so I went to buy another lot of Aloe Vera leaves. I know I can go into Google to find the recipe but I wanted to try it out my way. This time I boiled water with rock sugar, let it simmer and when ready, I poured in all the cut Aloe Vera cubes and stirred mixed until the gel and water blended in a watery form. I left it to cool and VIOLA! I got my dessert. This time it is sweet and there is no bitter taste at all.

There are so much myths about this plant and you have to try it to know it. Nothing like eating it fresh. You can also blend the meat(with the gel, and anyway you can't get rid of the gel) with a spoonful of honey, add ice and when ready squeeze a few drops of lemon...you will find it refreshing and at the same time detoxifying. Try it...fresh and not from cans!

Aloe Vera is a cooling agent. We know that it is good in treating burns. We also know that Aloe Vera drinks are costly and making your own where you can eat to your heart content is wonderful. Women will love this plant as it has anti-aging agent and a good skin care products. After cutting the skin of the Aloe Vera, I use it to rub on my face. I can feel the gel cooling effect and after washing my face, I can feel the cleanliness, smoothness and also tenderness. Try it. So I eat the meat and use the skin for my beauty wash!

Talking about making good use of everything. All the remains can be fertilizer for your plants.

Forgive..and.....

I went 'Missing in Action' for days. I have been away for retreat and at the same time have been reciting the Golden Light Sublime Sutra. This is very new to me as I have never read it before or heard about it until lately.

A few friends are facing marital problems. It makes me wonder what is 'LOVE'. All the more it makes sense to Buddha's teachings. Buddha's teaching is not based on 'believes', or 'superstitions', or 'lies' but proven truth. It is timeless, whether 2500 years ago or today...we HUMAN have not changed at all but we are getting from Bad to Worst.

Actually I am in no position to give advice to anyone. What can a single girl said to friends who are experiencing pain, betrayal, confusion, sundials...etc. I also begin to wonder why women during Mum's time are so tolerant? Marriages are match-made and yet people produced children and live together to the end. I suppose they are happier because they know that they marry because they had to, it is nature's call, it is their duty, their responsibilities and one's lifetime 'work'...they did not marry because of 'LOVE'.

However we are different, we placed lots on the word 'Love'...and when we lost it, we become miserable. Till today I wonder whether we realized that 'LOVE' does not last? It goes deeper than that - it is responsibilities towards each other, it is a commitment we made to another being, it is something we wanted so much and yet we do not hesitate to stray or betray. If we have children, what right do we 'stupid' adults have to cause the children so much pain and make their growing up basked and baked with grudges, anger and retaliation by destroying their own life? I read a book 108 police case of murders, sexual and murder, shootings, killings for fun, friends killing friend as punishments...these people come from broken homes.

I told my friend, we all made a decision. At that point we are blissful, happy, in love and now it has turned sour. It is like walking in a tunnel...this tunnel can only be walked by two people and it belongs to them alone. Outsider like us cannot, even if we want to, to be a 901 rescue team. YOU have to rescue yourself. YOU have to walk this tunnel, from brightness to darkness BUT if you get out, the landscape is different. What type of landscape do you want all depend on you. You can plant it with lights, flowers, singing birds, you can built it around Stupa with spiritual lights, live with Buddha and his retinue OR you can have a barren land - 'cueless'. It is pulling oneself together and knowing what oneself wants. Buddha gave peace to the heart...what goes up must come down, what is sadness with find happiness, poor can be rich..work on it.

I learnt a lot from my master this week. I am also going through some obstacles myself. Life is short. Along the way we stumbles and falls. It is inevitable. As long as we have given our best shot and if it still 'die', meaning affinity is over.

I quote something I read somewhere....and hope it serves as an encouragement and motivation for all.

You cannot give, unless you have.
You cannot give, unless you are willing to give.
You cannot love, until you know the pain of Love.
You cannot love, unless you know how to love yourself.
You cannot make someone happy, when you are not.
You cannot make someone happy, if your happiness is not what he wanted.
You cannot share, if you close your heart.
You cannot share, if someone closes his heart.

I wonder can someone be happy knowing that one is not? - I do not think so. One can smile, go around one's routine, pretending it was a bad experience, but at the back of one's mind, one will not forget. At night when one sleeps, or at the most uncalled for time...one will remember because one have shared time together.

Not many people part amicably and become friends. In any parting, surely there is one party that is the most hurt.

Learnt to forgive yourself. By forgiving yourself than you can forgive others.