MISUNDERSTANDING...

 

 

Tolerance of misunderstanding is like having a Mouth and it is Useless. It is like an itch inside you that verbalizing it makes it worst. You are caught in a situation that realizing all said is Fake even though it is the Truth. Something lost cannot be brought back by Words no matter how Sincere you are.

 

I admit my mistakes but no point making it Good. Because "To those who believe..no need to explain. To those who don't..more said more wrong".

 

I am sure many of us have been in this position before and no matter how painful, we lived with it. There are things that happened between human beings that are so complicated. You know why? It is our EGO!

 

We always think that we are right, we have been wronged and therefore we must retaliate or else others may think that we are weak. We do not allowed others to bully us. We are higher and better...etc..etc. WRONG! if only we stepped back, we can see the sky is blue and there are endless space out there.

 

If we think that others have wronged us, have we not wronged others before?

 

The worst is here..."in the eye of law, even if you are summon to hang, the law give you a chance to state your case". NOT misunderstanding, you are condemned with no chance to state your case.

 

Amendments are made for self awareness NOT for others approval.

 

These are my reflections!

INDIA TRIP 2015 (1)

This is a much waited trip for me. The last time I was there was like so so long ago but I never forget that I was there with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Late Ribur Rinpoche, Late Lama Konchok and Dharma friends. I was then ignorant and did not place important significant to this visit.

However after so many years, once again it rekindled my wanting to visit the Land of Buddha, walked the ground he and all Bodhisattvas paced, remember the merits and greatness of Buddha and thank him for leaving behind a legacy - the Path to Enlightenment.

We left on 1st October and returned on 16th October 2015. We are grateful to Khenpola Ngwang Gylasten and Lama Tenzin (both from Sakya, Daradun India) for guiding us on this meaningful trip. In all there are only 8 of us, a small but cohesive group. We set foot on this journey which brings more meaning and awareness to me this time. Khenpola is not a tour agent so we just follow our hearts to where we want to go.

Upon arriving India, we were booked into WangDu Guest House in Delhi which is ran by a Tibetan family. A small setup but consist of a fantastic eatery. We were here for 2 days.

1) Our 1st visit - SANKISSA. It is a long journey which took us early before sunrise and returned late at 9pm. The journey is even further than Agra and not easy to find. We asked around and the drivers took us to our destination. The place where Buddha descended from Heaven after teaching to his Mother and Beings of the heavenly realms. We did our prayers, offerings and walked the ruined. There is nothing much here but a small shrine, an elephant monument but it has a meaning. Buddha taught us filial piety.

 

2) The next day we left for Bodhgaya. In Bodhgaya we stayed at Kriti Lodge, 5 minute walk to Mahabodhi Temple. We spent 4 days in this location. We managed to offer robe to the Buddha and also pearls.

 

Mahabodhi Temple and the Seat of Enlightenment

 

3) While in Bodhgaya, we visited Sujata Village and Mahakala Cave.

 

 

 

Tracing history and reliving and recalling the Buddha teachings - Remembering the Four Noble Truth and not forgetting our Bodhicitta. (jounery to be continued)



“Buddha said
When you see through a person, you need not expose him”
By doing so you learnt the lesson of Forgiving
When you Dislike a person and keep your Cool
You will earn respect
In Living, there will be people you cannot agree with or people you dislike
Being Mature does not mean you have lived longer than others
Or you have taken more path or you have more failures
It is about LETTING GO
When you realized and let go, you are letting go Defilements
The Pain and Suffering of everyone
Will not be erased over time
It is whether one wants to share the sufferings
Some deep inner scars are hidden not because one don't care about it
It is silently facing the pain and pacifying oneself to understand the Truth
Coming to this age
It is not whom you are comfortable with or uncomfortable with
Even with Friends, so when one is tired just 'hibernate' and keep away
You will pass the age of Dislike and Like
It is easier to make oneself Happy than making others Satisfied
There is a saying…
I rather be Lonely than do things that is against my Principle
People who comes into my heart, I will keep them as Treasure
People who keep away, I will not beg -
when Affinity is low although my Love is deep
So when one is sad, there is not need to lament to others
They will not understand nor feel your pain
So look up at the Sky above
It is so spacious and endless and it embraces the whole YOU
So if one is sad…no need to lament to others
Because there are Pain which only you will know and feel
So if one is sad… no need to pretend that you are happy
Giving other happiness doesn’t mean you need to forget your own pain
So who have not suffered Pain, and
Who remembers?
Things passed is gone and will not return
If you really want to pretend, than be the one who is HAPPY
We walk this Path of Sufferings
and must learn to endure the Pain

May we All achieved inner peace

Ohm Mani Padme Hung

Still Hazzzzy

Singapore...is smoking again?

Well, this year smoking is driving us nuts. No amount of education to the Indonesian can make them understand that burning the forest or the plantations is not the only solution to clearing lands for agriculture.

The PSI is soaring. It caused health problems to themselves and neighboring countries. We are in this party together. As air knows no space, it pervades every nooks and corners. No matter where you are you "smoke". For us who avoid outdoor but staying indoor is worst and no government or countries can do anything. We have to suffered it out until the "Rain Gods" decide to take pity on us and give Indonesia a wash down.

In actual fact this is a standing issue. It happens yearly like a ritual. Their Government cannot solved the problem neither can ours. All lips services are lips services only. The people who burnt are only staff, they are just doing their jobs. The companies who permit these clearings are not bother, all they need to is pay fine.

I am actually sadden by these burnings. The weather is hot and it catches fire easily. The "Fire Gods" once ignited is not easy to appease unless you do it immediately and it is a small fire. The fire raged on. Animals and insects, reptiles, birds and all these died in fire. There are also people living in these places and they may be in danger too.

I pray..that it rain heavily on these "hot spots" or we continue to suffer. I am already having a patched throat and a headache.

Ohm Mani Padme Hung

7 Line Prayers to Guru Rinpoche

The 7 line prayers to Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava  is my daily supplication. It is a joy to hear it being sung in Choir. Sharing here...



ORGYEN YUL GYI NUB JANG TSAM
On the northwest border of the country of Urgyen

PEDMA GESAR DONG PO LA
In the pollen heart of a lotus

YA TSEN CHOG GI NGODRUP NYE
Marvelous in the perfection of your attainment

PEDMA JUNG NE ZHE SU DRAG
You are known as Lotus Born

KOR DU KHANDRO MANG PO KOR
And are surrounded by your circle of Dakinis

KYED KYI JE SU DAG DRUP KYI
Following you I will practice

JIN GYI LOB CHIR SHEG SU SOL
I pray you, come and confer your Blessings

GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG

OHM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG........

ELECTION 2015...

 

 

Once again the Election is here. I am no politician nor do I partake in any politics however I felt that being one of the citizen of this country, I need to be concerned.

 

This is the first time we are doing this without the Late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. How will the country be run? Mr Lee parting words is to "keep the country clean" and it is crucial. Till the end he still thought of this nation which he took from rags to where we are.

 

Being a Buddhist, I believe in Karma. This Election will see if Singaporean already ran out of their good Karma.

 

This is a good time for me to reflect and learn. Of course I will express my support to the Party I believe I can leave my life in their hands, not just me but my future generations as well.

I have a friend who told me..."I told my husband no need to come back and vote and no need to vote". At least we have a right to our HOME and a say to how it will be.

Chinese proverb : You can easily break a pair of chopstick but you will have a hard time breaking a bundle of chopsticks. Do not forget our National Pledge " We, the Citizens of Singapore.....pledge ourselves as one united people...

Everyone is interested in their own agenda. Many will promise this and that and will pick and point to weaknesses of others. The purpose is not the welfare of the Nation but to WIN. Anyway whether the people support the ruling government and party OR they believe that giving a few constituency to oppositions as a flagging stick to the current Government have yet to be seen.

I will take all promises with a pinch of salts. Singapore is a small country...and if we are so easy to break apart with simply a few diverse views and only our own interest matters than we really am running out of our good Karma.

This is your HOME, your COUNTRY and do not take the decision you make lightly.

Lunar 7th Month...a Month

The Chinese Lunar 7th Month or Ghost Month starts today. This is also a Filial Piety Month and Vasanna Month.

For those who know Kitsagarbra Bodhisattva (Sayi Ningpo or 地臧菩萨) knows the story of how she elevate her mother from Hell Realm. This is also a Filial Piety Month because this great Bodhisattva took the vow that if the Hell Realm is not empty, she will not attain Enlightenment. Her great compassion is a source of inspiration to me.

This is also a Raining Retreat Month (Vasanna) where in Buddha's time monks went into Retreat. The purpose of not walking around is also to avoid stepping and killing lives. Buddha spent 25 rainy months in retreat at Sarvasti, Jetavanna Monastery where many interesting teachings and stories took place.

When the Retreat Month is over,  we offer robes to Monks and dedicate this powerful merits to the happiness of Mother Sentient Beings.

Today for 15 days, many will be visiting ancestral shrines in temples. This is the time you remember Mother Sentient Beings and their sufferings too.

There is no special day to practice your compassion but certain months may make you reflect more on your love ones who have passed on and their contribution to your well being and to what you are today. Normally people visit as a whole family, some with siblings and relatives bringing food and drinks.

May Mother Sentient Beings be placed on the pedestal of liberation and be free from sufferings. Ohm Mani Padme Hum _()_ _()_ _()_

SELAMAT HARI RAYA PUASA

Wishing all my Muslim friends.....

Healthy and Yet Dangerous Food

I am not a health fanatic but I do try to eat healthy. The above food are things that we are drilled that they are good for us but wait till you see what they will do to you.

1) Celery Celery is a vegetable that we all love to eat it raw or cooked. Many of us usually have left over food which we eat the next day. Here is the problem...reheating celery will cause it to release a harmful nitrites which is poisonous to our body.

2) Virgin Olive Oil You may heat you frying pan with this and frying eggs, steak, bacon etc. However do you know that when the oil is heated to a point where smokes arise, that is when it becomes carcinogenic.

3) Hard-boiled Eggs These are cooked egg and therefore should be eaten if possible they day it is made. Many of us love Stewed Pork and Hardboiled egg and the eggs are reheated again and again. This is a no no because reheated eggs are toxic!

4) Mushrooms Fried it with oyster sauce of simply stir-fried and it is yummy. Well like the above, reheating these are also poisonous. If you have left overs, eat it cold.

5) Tomatoes We all love a tomato and they are not poisonous. However if you pluck it from your garden, make sure to do not eat the leaf and the stalk. It contains a toxic called tomatine.

6) Kidney Beans Some buy and some make it themselves. Well here is the bad news - It contain a poison named Phytohaemagglutin. Kidney beans need to be boil properly so suggestion is you buy the canned ones and don't take it lightly.

7) Rhubarb - Vegetable Fortunately this is not common in Singapore. The part that can be eaten in the stem and the part that kill is the leave. The leave looks like yam leaf .

8) Wild Almond Not common in Singapore. Anyway we travel a lot and please remember that wild almond contain cyanide when eaten in large quantity.

9) Cherry Well it is cherry season now. Plenty of them are sold everywhere BUT remember do not bite the pit/ seed. Don't break it because it contain hydrogen-cyanide which kills.

10) Green Potatoes No easily found here in Singapore. Like I said we travel a lot so be careful. It is not your mashed potatoes or your green French fries, it kills. These green potatoes contain a toxin named solanine and it will cause vomiting. I may also cause cardiac arrest if taken in large quantities.

11) Apple An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This healthy fruit also has it poison. It is in the apple seeds. The small seed contain a small amount of amygdalin when combined with our stomach enzyme will produce hydrogen cyanide. It takes 100-200mg of this to kill an adult with minutes. Be wary.

There are many more but I hope this will served as a reminder. All these food look harmless but they are not if eaten carelessly. Wishing all those reading this have a healthy life.

SABAH EARTHQUAKE...

Today Singapore is flying the National Flag at half mast in respect to those who perished in the Sabah Earthquake.

Now the Earthquake is moving closer to home. No one expect it will happened in Kota Kinabalu. These time it killed 8 Singaporean - one Teacher, one Guide and the remaining are 12 years-old students from Tajong Katong Primary School.

It is heartbreaking to the school, schoolmates, families and also Singaporean. There is still one teacher and one student missing and we pray for their safe return.

My prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved ones. These are young lives and they are going through a leadership program. They are the leaders of tomorrow but we lost them.

It is not the first time such program are held at Mount Kinabalu which is a favorite of people around the region. Its a nature reserved filled with flora and fauna. Unfortunately this place when boulders are hurled during the 6.1 quake provides no place to hide or avoid the meteor of stones because it is an opened barren area where there are no vegetation.

 



Actually my brother just came back in May from this same trekking. At times it is the timing and various factors that one has to be there at the specific point of time. Whatever, it is still heartbreaking to see the lost of young lives.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY....

 

Mother of Mine

where are you?

After you left this World

You continue to live in

our Hearts

We did not forget

But we moved on

In this process of

Moving

Our Thoughts are with

You

AND

Now it is Mother's Day again

We can only expressed

our Gratitude

in Words

WE send you Flowers

WE send you Love

We send you all our Misses

This is a Reminder

That we were Once

Curdled in your

Warm Embrace...

 

Wherever You Are

Be Well

Be Happy

Be Liberated

_(())_



 

PRAY FOR NEPAL...Earthquake 2015

As we watch with shock, our compassion and feelings went out to those sufferings. The damages are unimaginable and many lost their lives. When everyone scramble to help Nepal, we can only sit back and pray. We pray for those who lost their lives, we pray for those who are alive, we pray for those hurt and suffering, we pray for those who are still buried in rambles. We pray for those whose love ones are missing and we pray that all our precious Gurus are safe. When there is nothing one can do, one can only pray. When news and pictures flashed across the TV, Facebook, Twitter and media which in home country or news of other countries, one watch with helplessness. Again and again I am reminded of Buddha's teaching...all compounded things are impermanence. Our life is so fragile.

 

There are many fund raisings going on and I pray that people are not unscrupulous to make it rich in this way. These funds are for life saving. Don't think that no one knows but Karma never misses. OHM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIENDS...

This picture and the quote touched my heart. There are many types of people in the world and all our friends are not the same. Some are vocal, some emotional, some secretive and there are some who are not able to express their sufferings.

 

Many times we take friends for face value. They look fine to you and seems like all is going well in front but we never have the time in our hectic daily life to really care.

 

I thank friends who tell me they are going through a difficult time. It is not that they asked you for help nor do they need your advise. They just need a shoulder.

 

Recently a dharma sister told me that she had contacted virus and she ran a non stop fever for a few days. It hurts her breathing as well. We are not close friends but I knew she trusted me to tell me. I did not bombard her with SMS or call her zealously. Occasionally I dropped her a short SMS to see how is she. I am glad I saw her active and babbly again in the temple.

 

Another friend is going through a relationship breakdown. We knew but she is not telling. From her frame and the expression on her face and the way she avoided people, we knew. However we are not going to run after her and try to find out. We suffer in silent with her, watching her and ready to give her a hand when she needs it. We pray that she has the strength to pull through.

 

We do not know at any one time we may be in a situation which we need help. We should not assumed that all our friends are well. Therefore I stay alert.

All compounded things are impermanent
All stained emotions brings pain
All phenomena are empty
Nirvana is Peace

In Memory of the Late Mr Lee Kuan Yew..

We will always remember that SINGAPORE which is our Country, our Home is a precious legacy you left behind for us. You have done your best for us, holding our hands, protecting us and now we have to walk-on on our own but knowing that you have never left us.

SINGAPORE is mourning....

This morning Singapore woke up to the sad news that our Founding Father and the 1st Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed on at the age of 91.

When news of his health conditions worsen, many Singaporean prayed for his recovery. Singapore hoped that Mr. Lee will stay with us to see the SG50 celebration. Mr. Lee deserved the honor because he took us from rag to what we are today.

Below is what the late Mr. Lee said....

 

 He has given up so much for this Nation. We grew up safe and sheltered with his firmed hands. Now, we will have to see how we protect this Nation without the guidance of this wonderful man.

 

Thank you, Mr Lee, our family are forever grateful to you for giving Singaporean a safe haven. May you Rest In Peace.

 

Good Bye!

Missing in Action

It has been some time since I last posted. Many things happened and I cannot find time to do my posting.

In life we do on and off take a break from our normal routine. It is healthy. It is also human that we will look for new things to keep our interest and mind occupied.

Recently I changed a job and just started with them a few weeks ago. I have not done accounting before but this posting required me to use an accounting systems. This is something new to me but it is interesting. I just need to get use to it.

This is my first time working with a manufacturing firm and there are lots to learn about the products listing and the production line. The various products, designs, colors, fabric, accessories are something really new to me. The most important thing is, at least I am busy from the time I step into office and until I call it a day.

Finding a job sometimes need luck. I saw this posting online and decided to walk-in. This is a private company and therefore I met the bosses who happened to be around. Rarely people trust their judgement but they did not look at my qualifications. From our chatting they probably gathered my working experiences and my ability to fulfill their needs. From the minute I walked out, I knew I have the job.

This is also the blessings of the Buddha. I have prayed for a job with understanding Bosses. Tara's indications are it will happened naturally and no need to worry about it. True enough it happened. I completed my contract on 31st Jan 2015, interviewed this job on 3rd Feb and started work on 9th Feb 2015. There is no chance for a break and no chance to prepare for Chinese New Year.

Since this new posting is not a contract but a permanent posting, I will be able to work as long as I want. The Bosses are nice and I count my blessings. Do you like my new seat above?

Wishing everyone a peaceful and safe 2015.