Where should I place my COMPASSION...

Recently I am becoming more and more aware of the sufferings beings are facing. With so many calamities around the world, the pain face by human alone is already unspeakable. Although it is believe to be group karma, but one cannot think that way or else we will become inhumane.

In fact, it is difficult for one to feel the pain and suffering of another If one does not see, does not hear, does not feel, does not fear….one will think that the life one leads is similar with all others. This is not true and one’s sufferings are different from another. One’s enjoyment of peace and prosperity is not equal to the person standing next to you. Therefore you should count yourself lucky. Do not wish more or wish less of one self, just be happy with what you are now and what you have now, where you stay now and the safety and environment you are immerse in. We are always complaining that grass is greener on the other side, is that so?

Singapore is a very small island. You hardly see it on the map. Many know who we are but there are many more who do not know us. we are a safe little island and away from the typhoon that wrack havoc around our neighbors. We are away from heavy rainfall that flood a country causing landslides and burying everything as it goes. We experienced tsunami, a very minor one causing minor damages as compared to other neighbors around us, and we have a big heart to always donate as much as we can…after all we are only a small island.

I saw the sufferings and it pains my heart. The 911 bombing in USA, the 512 earthquake in Sizhuan, the flood in Myanmar, the tsunami hitting so many countries around South East Asia and Asia Pacific and now Typhoon Magi killing so many in Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan – can I ignore these? I cannot because I watched news and the reports and pictures are enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Animals have their fair share of woes. The earth is no longer a safe place for them. Humans need more and more places to put up homes and for agriculture and these animals are force out of their natural habitats. On top of that, they are food for our survival. As if these are not enough, we killed them for their fur. If you see how brutally they are killed for ‘’good to have” items and not “must have” items, you probably will be indifferent about it because it does not involve you. WRONG! It will because once these animals go into extinction, the future generation will not know what they are. There are people who buy all these so called exotic goods…expensive and they pay through their nose for it. Of course, because it caused other people’s life to get the goods on their body as accessories or food.

Now Singapore is facing their yearly HAZE, so bad that buildings around are visually covered in mist. These are burning of lands or plantations in neighboring Indonesia. Again animals are roasted alive, whether on the ground or below the ground with extensive heat, and neighbors are inhaling all these polluted smoke. Talking about being environmental... it is about survival for Indonesia.

I am no kinder because I am not a vegetarian nor a vegan. I am aware and I eat only what I need. There are many food on the table and many ways to cook them, I do not need exotic animals meats. I do not need shark fins, I do not need to eat a fish fried alive, I do not need to eat a fetus with its placenta attached to prove that I am virile, I do not need to eat dog meat to keep me warm, I do not need to eat crocodile head boiled with all kind of herbs to help me perform on bed… I just eat simple food and it is bad enough because there are chicken, pork, mutton and beef. I have stopped all seafood except for fish. I am not preaching that anyone or everyone must be a vegetarian BUT at least do support unnecessary killing.

Recently again it came to my email on the killing of dolphins on an island off Denmark. Friend told me that it is not dolphins, it is whales and again this island is not part of Denmark and neither is it under UN…It actually does not matters to me who and what they are. Will people have no feeling when they see this sea of blood? The people who kill, did they feel it when the animal struggle to live?

A friend said that people who kill chicken and pigs, sheep and cows for our consumptions are just as bad, so I should not discriminate. To be frank, from the bottom of my heart…I have no right to discriminate as I eat these meats too. IT IS COMPASSION…and I am wondering whether I have no right to being COMPASSIONATE because I eat meat? So where should I placed my COMPASSION.

I felt disgusted when I see the sea of blood. If I do not feel …COMPASSION…I have lost the ground to practice Buddhism.

That is why I pray before consuming my food – I thank the animals for being food for me. They have provided me with the energy to survive so that I have wisdom to practice. When I attained my wishes the merits goes to them and may they be liberated from sufferings too. For all those who make it possible for the food to be on my table, I wish them same. For all those who cook and make it consumables, I pray same. May I eat with awareness, with gratitude, with wisdom and fulfilled my ultimate goal to benefit beings.

In the name of the merciful Amitofo….

HALLOWEEN DAY…

Halloween 2010 falls on 31 October. This event is not a popular celebration in Singapore but there are events organized for those that are interested to participate in theme parks etc.

The word ‘hallow’ to me means Death and Halloween to me means a day for the dead to come into the world to haunt it. It is a night where people will come out at night, dressed in all kinds of frightening costumes to try and frighten the frightening or vice verse. I love the pumpkin most. With the cut round eyes and a tooth, it looks adorable and yet a bit spooky. To think pumpkins are used in fairy tales and an important decoration for Halloween.

All Halloween goodies are out by now and parents surely have a hole in their pockets. Kids probably are the happiest. They are all ready with their scary make up, pumpkin lanterns and waiting to join their friends on this night to walk around neighborhood. It is a good community event and for networking.

So what comes into your mind for Halloween? He is Count Dracula of course. The story of the blood sucking count is a character we are familiar with, on the movie set as well as novels. He sleeps in a coffin, wore cloak, had a pale face, frighteningly handsome and he had ‘fangs’ for easy access to the blood vessels on your neck. It is funny that he sucked blood from females, maybe because they are the weaker sex. It is full moon night, when he flew around and comes into the balcony of the heroine. Those bitten became Dracula as well and life goes on in bloody account.

The next favorite is a visit to haunted houses. I suppose on this night the spooky will come out and party in full force. Do not try anything even if you think you are a hero. An eerie thought strikes me – what if one walks around in a frightening dressed up and come face to face with a real one? For me I probably will not be frightened because I will take it that it is another human dressed up as a spooky…ha.a.a.a. This is the best time to make friends with the spooky because there is no lines drawn. So much for my crazy, wild imaginations!

Halloween is said to be a Celtic Festival. It is actually to celebrate the end of Autumn or harvest. The good part of the year to plant, sow and harvest are over and now getting ready for winter. It is time to take stocks of food and all necessities for Winter. The crossing over to cold period ends in 31`October and according to folklore, the energy is weakest between the human world and spirit world. To ward off these spirits, one dresses up as one of these spirits so that one will not be harmed.

There is a certain similarity between Halloween and the Chinese Lunar Seventh Month when we celebrate the Chinese All Souls Day. According to believe, the Hell Gate was opened for 15 days to allow the dead to come back to human world. To appease and to entertain them, we did streets wayang and temples organized prayers sessions to elevate those that are still suffering in the lower realms. To the businessmen, such events generate income.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN DAY to all visiting friends to my Blog.

(Attached is a picture of my Farm at Farmville. I got myself a haunted house, pumpkin house and all the goodies to be a part in this celebration.)

Thoughts...More

* Who do you think you are? You are nothing but a pile of bone, stinking flesh and a walking graveyard. Why? because you eat carcasses!

* RELIGION...practice correctly brings JOY; practice wrongly becomes a stumbling block...it rolls you to Hell.

* Friends either make you OR break you.

* YOU need things to prep you, the more the better, the branded, the glitters, the money, the women, the people, all the material things…WHY? JUST to prove that you are living and around.

* HUMAN scrubbed and perfumed themselves with the most expensive toiletries. No matter how hard they tried, they will smelled the next second. WHY? It is the dead (food) buried in their bodies and when it went into the blood stream, it cannot contain. It comes out as perspiration urine and shits.

* What can be wild? Human or Animals?

* The joy of seeing a flower blooms brings happiness only when it is shared.

* All worldly possessions only brings conflicts. It breaks a family when they fight over it after you are dead or it started long ago even before you are dead.

* No amount of riches, power and fame brings you to heaven. Heaven is only for the virtuous.

* In history, Kings and Noblemen, normal human beings died under the hands of a WOMAN. The lesson is never learned because people still cannot stop themselves for indulgence in a WOMAN.

* Behind every successful man is a Woman…Behind every downfall man is also a Woman.

* Which is more frightening? A Human or a Ghost?

* Is there a word called IMPARTIAL? In this world, this word do not exist… the word of all time “mutual benefit”.

* Who is more selfless than Buddha and Bodhisattva?

* You are born pure BUT as you grow, you become more and more contaminated.

* Can there be true equal between Woman and Man? It can never be…Woman is made in such a way that she is the one who bear the pain.

* Words are just Words…did you see the wisdom when they said “Called a Rose by any other names and it smells just as sweet”.

* As Human becomes more sophisticated…illness becomes more sophisticate This is call balancing of the Karma.

* Do you believe in Karma…Buddhist do not have the sole proprietorship to this word. Karma is Universal.

* I have seen the Cause and Effect of bad deeds done. Do not think that it is just a God fearing word. It is not. So DO NO EVIL because when the effect comes, it is too late to regret.

* Still I want to say this…”Death is Inevitable”… All merits you have done, both good and bad are your companion until you attain Enlightenment.

* Does the Preacher believe in what is preached? Does the Preacher practice what is preached? Look beyond the surface and you will have the answer.

* We see what we choose to see.

* No amount of Rights can right a Wrong…with only sincere repentance will it be lighten. You do not repent to the person you wronged BUT to yourself for doing such silly thing. Repentance is effective only when you are aware BUT to many, they did not even accept the fact that they have wronged.

* I see, I do, I conquer…MYSELF and not others.

* Take a pen, be honest, write down all your negative characters and your positive characters and see whether it balance.

* When you look at a problem, you should take a helicopter’s view…not a one sided view.

* When you are face with a problem, solve it and not put the blame on others. Remember, when you point a finger at another, four fingers are pointing at yourself.

* Compassion arises only when there is a target…actually one should maintain a compassionate heart all the time and to all beings.

* Do you feel offended when someone ignore you? Why? Because your EGO is hurt. Self worth is not based on what others perceived of you. EGO is nothing but a pile of bones.

* In this mundane world, everything is a test subject…we all have a worst part of our self that we need to right.

...more Thoughts from myself for myself and those that are interested to ponder.

Late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew - 1920-2010

Like many Singaporean, the passing of Madam Kwa Geok Choo or better known as Mrs Lee Kuan Yew is a National mourning to all of us. In her I saw a woman of virtue and an example of a good wife, a wonderful mother and a much respected public figure. Behind a successful man is a woman and we see this in the Late Mrs Lee. She was always beside MM Lee, she never come to the front or try to outshine her husband, she silently support and that is what I feel the most remarkable about her. She inspires. I like to pay my respect to this remarkable Lady, may she rest in peace.

For MM Lee, we know that he is hospitalized for chest infection and now with the passing of Late Mrs Lee, we pray that he stays strong for the sake of Singapore. I appreciate all the things that MM had done for Singapore. In such a moment, we can only pray - that the Lee family gathers strength and move forward.

Condolences from me and my family to MM Lee and PM Lee and Family. Thank you for everything you have done for us and many appreciative Singaporean.

Gentle Giant...Elephants

Yes, I am talking about elephants. This animal probably have been around since prehistoric time. I supposed at that time they have saber tooth, and long furs, long trunks and were much bigger. However cartoonist always drew it cute looking, like in ICE AGE.

There are different types of elephants and it varies from countries, maybe due to its feeding. A Thai elephant is different from a Sri Lankan ones or the African ones. Do not be misled to think that elephants are tame, and you will be in trouble if you do. We are weary of strangers and will not allow strangers to come close to us, so do the animals. This is the fear or being harmed. However you better be careful if it is a mother animal and there are babies around. This is the instinct of motherly protection and she may charged at you.

Those that had been to places and seen elephants or ride on one, it is because the tamer is there. Don’t try anything funny if the tamer is not there. I sympathizes with elephants that are made to work, entertain human and killed for its tasks. Even its skin are made into wallets, shoes, bags and anything imaginable that is fashionable.

I remembered I was in a country with friends and we drove into this animal sanctuary. We saw elephants and were very excited. These are the tall, big ones with black skin and supper big ears like fans. Initially our intention is to move nearer to take a better look and also to take pictures. I think the two jeeps created some discomfort among the animals. In any animal group there is a leader and we saw this big elephant stood out and looking at us. The guide immediately off the jeep’s engine, we sat silently and dare not even breath loudly (as if our breath will disturb them). The group of elephants started to move towards the two jeeps and surrounded us. This is no fun anymore and the tension in the air intensified. The animals were sensing our presence and we hope to give them the impression that we meant no harm. We dare not start the jeep and run for life because the animals will be frightened and will definitely charged at us. I noticed there were little ones and maybe that was also one of the reason. This is a frightening experience and we forgot that these were WILD ELEPHANTS!.

Elephant have long memory – meaning it can remember you, so never do anything bad to it. In any case we should not do any harm to animals, whether they have long memory or not.

In Thai history, elephants are use for warfare. They were the ‘horses’ of army generals. If you saw Lord of the Ring, all the mammoth elephants were killed in the fights. Although it is a movie, and of course we all enjoyed the scene but too much killing for my liking.

Elephants are much love by both adult and kids. As a kid, somehow or rather we just felt that elephants are kids’ best friend. Any toys, hard or soft elephants appealed to us. I have one pink one from Jim Thompson sitting on my hard disk on top of my worktable. I have an abstract one in granite which is one of my favorite and I treasured it. I picked it up at a nursery – I would carry the whole family home if the space in my home permits.

Elephants should live in its own natural habitats but because of its gentleness, since long ago it is one of the animals in circles as well as other type of entertainment industry. I was told that once an animal come into contact with human and live along side human, it can never go back to its natural habitats. This is because its habit changes, its nature change and because it is well looked after by human, it lost it sense of survival in the wild and even its own type will distance themselves. Very much like human, isn’t it. Once we moved away from familiar ground, we do not know the danger that is facing us.

I love these creatures. I cannot bring myself to ride on one. How can anyone bare to kill this gentle giant? Please protect animals so that our younger generation gets to see them and appreciate them. Many animals are extinct now and if we go on senselessly killing, our future generation will not know what is an elephant.