Nyung Nay Retreat June 2014....

This is my second Nyung Nay Retreat. Deepest appreciation to the great kindness of  Khentrul Rinpoche which I did both my retreat with him leading. This is the first time the Sakya College nuns come to Singapore and it is their efforts that touched my heart.

Practicing Buddhists know that Nyung Nay is a fasting retreat and the main deity is Avalokiteshvara. We are doing the Thousand arms from Bhikshuni Palmo. The purpose of me doing this retreat is for purification. Let alone the benefits that this retreat will bring, I hope to enhance my compassion. It is beneficial to do 8 sets or more and I hope I have the opportunities to do so with my health. Life is short and I want to make the most out of it now when I am able. 

The retreat ended well although bodily I am tired from the 7 sessions of prayers and prostrations. Waking up at 3.30am and sleeping on hard floor is something this fat and pampered me need to get accustom to. Sharing the same wash area and waiting for my turn, sleeping in a big hall with people whom I do not know and with different sleeping habits is to check my tolerance. I thought the fasting of no food and not even swallowing one's saliva is the hardest however due to faith, all these are overcome easily.

This is Saka Dawa month and our retreat day ran into a few auspicious days making it even more meaningful. In this we practiced all the offerings which some of us did not get to do on our own. I have broken my vows along the way and this is the opportunity to confess and accumulate wisdom at the same time understand the suffering of beings from various realms is something I must do. We are achieving not just for our own sake, but for the sake of many beings.

Beautiful pictures taken by Norsang. If you ask me "how do you know your retreat is well"? What I can say is the happy faces you see in the pictures and the determination to come back for more said it all.

CHEERS TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS....GREAT JOB DHARMA BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

"African Leaves"...非洲叶

I do not know the botanic name of this plant that produces these wonder leaves. If you walk around housing estates, you will probably find them growing but you have to know them to identify the correct tree. (See picture)

“African leaves” or the Chinese named it “Fei Zhou Ye” is a medicinal plant. The attributes and wonder of leaves from this plant is circulated by words of mouths from people who have tried it and benefited from it. Once again because of health, I chanced upon this plant and think I should share it here.

So what so good about these leaves? You can try consuming this leave. I took it because of blood sugar and of course cholesterol and it did showed results when I went for my check-up. It lowers…

- Blood sugar and good for diabetic patients 

- Cholesterol 

- Blood pressure

- Detoxification

- prevents cancer, etc 

How to go about eating these leaves? 

1) These leaves can be eaten raw after you plucked it from the tree. One leave a day, keep chewing and I have to warn you that it is super bitter. It is bitter than bitter gourd and the bitterness lingers in your mouth for a long long time. However there are people who reported that their blood sugar went down to normal…. OR 

2) Plucked the leaves and wash it clean. You lay newspapers on the floor and wind dry the leaves (you cannot sun it). You know when it dries because it curled up. Store them in a box neatly and every night before you go to bed, take 5 leaves, pour boiling water and soak it over night. Next morning when you wake up, drink a cup empty stomach. You can still taste the bitterness but not so much as you chew it fresh. 

Other than those mentioned, looks like it will also help to wash down fats and help in weight loosing. People who have joints pain due to urea acids said it helps to reduce the pain too. These leaves are good for prevention of stroke or people who have recovered from stroke. There are many more effective results for various illnesses i.e headache etc. So much for these magic leaves. 

I have not seen people selling these leaves in Singapore. In actual fact you need not buy because you can take a stalk and plant it. It grows readily and anyone who grows it will be willing to let you have some leaves. I have a picture of the plant above. The tree itself won’t die after you plucked the leaves. I plucked about 200 – 300 leaves and until I went back for more, the leaves are all grown (there are other people plucking from this tree too so you can see the leaves grow very fast). 

Add this to your medicinal plant knowledge. If so many people eat it and did not die from it, me too so it is consumable. Do the portion as mentioned and don’t overdo it. If you are already sick, it will gradually heal. If you are well, take it for prevention purposes. Nothing is magical overnight, it needs time…so let African leaves get you back to health. 

Saga Dawa Düchen ....

Today marked the Tibetan calendar of Saga Dawa - 13 June 2014. It celebrates Buddha Sakyamuni's birth, enlightenment and also his passing away. This is an auspicious day to the Tibetan and also those who are practising Vajrayana Buddhism.

Actually the whole month of June 2014 is consider a holy month. All meritorious activities are 100 millions times multiplying and therefore try to do good and avoid doing anything with negative karmas.

Today is also Amitaba's day which makes it even more holy. Therefore I pray for the safety of all Beings. I pray for World peace. I pray for the happiness of all Beings. I pray for the long life of my Guru, Tempai Ningyma Rinpoche and all Gurus whom I have affinity, whichever way we are connected. I pray for Gurus who passed on that they may return swiftly for the benefits of Beings. I pray and thank all Protectors, both seen and unseen and may they attain enlightenment. I pray for those suffering in this World or World Systems and may they be liberated from sufferings. I pray for those sufferings in the three (3) lower realms, may all of them be free from sufferings on this auspicious day and may they gain insight to the kindness of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and have thoughts of regrets so to free themselves from suffering engagements and be born in a better realms. I pray for all Beings in the Bardo stage and may they take better rebirth. I pray that the Triple Gems remain in Samsara and not disappear for the benefits of all Beings happiness and liberation.

I pray for Sharmapa Rinpoche who passed on to nibbana yesterday morning. May he remains in clear light and all those that connect with him directly or just saw or listen to the news of his passing receive blessings so that their Dharma practice remains unshakable. May Rinpoche quickly return and continue to benefit Beings _()_ _()_ _()_

Here is a beautiful recitation of OHM AMIDEWA HRI dedicated to Rinpoche and the well being of all Sentient Beings!

Rice Dumpling....

It is here again, once a year Rice Dumpling Festival or we locally call it Bak Chang Festival. It is today, as in the lunar Chinese month and day : 5th month 5th day

The yummy delicious rice dumpling comes in a varieties of flavor - for those who love savory and for those who love it sweet. There are others which are bland and you eat it with sugar or syrup.

Different ethnic Chinese make their rice dumpling with different fillings. The Cantonese love to fill it with beans (mung beans or soya beans) and pork belly meat. When you break open the rice dumpling, the fragrance of the beans and fat meat fill your nostrils and fire you taste buds. You do not need any dressings to go with it, it is simply delicious on its own. The Teochew's will have chestnuts, mushrooms and lean port meat. They are marinated with black sauce and therefore the dumpling is dark in color. The Nonya's rice dumpling is one of the favorite because of the spices. Mum used to make Pillow Rice Dumplings, some also called it Cantonese rice dumplings. I do not know the origin but some say it is HongKong style and this rice dumpling is huge (it is like a small pyramid) . In it you will find roast duck, roast port, roast meat, mushrooms, chestnuts and salted egg yoke. You can try eating it yourself or you can share it with another person.

Preparations to make this takes weeks. My mum used to buy glutinous rice, sort out the husks and soak them in water. Mum will also buy all the ingredients and have them marinated and ready for the wrapping. This rice dumpling will not take shape without the rice dumpling leaves and grass strands. Nowadays people use nylon strings which is cheaper but I still think the grass strands are more natural and give out a natural scent. You need one leaf to make one bak chang or if the leaves are smaller you will need two. This again will depend how big you want your bak chang to be.

How do you go about making a bak chang? You take a dumpling leave, twist it into a cone, fill it with some rice, add in all the ingredients like meat, mushrooms, chestnuts and top up with rice again. When you feel it is enough, wrap the balance leave over the rice and tie it with grass strands. You need to secure it tightly or else the rice will spill out once you put it into boiling water. People normally tie 5 BakChang in one bundle, it is easier to count the quantity.

The other type of rice dumpling are the ones we locally called it KeeChang. KeeChang is made from a different type of glutinous rice. Not many young people love KeeChang because of its blandness however it taste good with sweeten read bean paste. Some of my friends eat it with durain puree. These KeeChang are half the size of the BakChang or they are only bite size.

This festival is to celebrate DuanWu. In places like China and HongKong you will still see Dragon Boats competitions but Singapore no longer celebrate it with such activities. DuanWu is a Chinese culture type of festival tie to a folklore. You can read it online.

Today also reminds me of Mum, if Mum is around it is her birthday.

Exotic Fruit....Red Bayberry (Myrica rubra)

This time around I was fruits shopping at the wholesale market and chance upon this wonderful berry. I have been eating this fruit in the dried form and we called it Yang Mei (扬梅） but the name Red Bayberry is not known to me. The sour sweet taste of the dried version is appetizing and thirst quenching.

I have not seen this fruit in its fresh form in any of the supermarkets I went to. This is probably because of its cost and seasonal. The size of the fruit is round and size of a 20 cents coin. It is red to maroon/ purple color and the texture is knotty with a small seed in the center.

Red Bayberry is a native of Asia and you can find them growing in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea etc. It was recorded that this berry has been around for more than 2000 years. The tree itself is used in garden horticulture landscaping so it goes to show that this is a beautiful tree. 

Red Bayberry medicinal properties...

Quote...is unusually rich in oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), the most powerful class of free-radical-scavenging antioxidants. OPCs are believed to support every metabolic system in the body by protecting it against internal and environmental stresses.

Twenty times more powerful than Vitamin C and 50 times more potent than Vitamin E, OPCs are said to defend against cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases, and premature aging.

OPCs have also been shown to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and help lower LDL cholesterol levels. OPCs also increase the strength and elasticity of blood vessels while slowing down the collapse of collagen, keeping skin firm, and inhibit the growth of cancer cells (3)....

Due to my persisting cough which my doctor told me that medicine is just to numb the throat so it is better to let it cough and clear the lungs. Too much coughing started me looking for fruits that will nourish my internal organs which we Chinese believes play an important part in balancing our energy.

Enjoy reading and if you are able to buy this fruit in its fresh form, I am sure you will enjoy it. One more thing, I soak these berries in salt solution to clear insects that may be hidden in the knotty texture and the fruits are even more yummy!!! 

Vandalism...

When looking at these graffiti scribbled across HDB amazed me. These youths risking their lives to do something dangerous and what is their motives. Are they asking to be seen, to be heard or they  are having some grievances with the authorities?

At 17 years of age, and since they are considered minor, shouldn't they be doing something minor should be doing. If this is the case, than the law do not need to deal with them. Did they know that vandalism is against the law? They obviously know but probably felt that they won't be caught, unfortunately they did.

They scribbled something about the ruling party, at 17 what do they know about the ruling party? Are these the imprints that adults left on the youths? I wonder what sort of parents they have, the school and education they attended....and....what are we breeding?

So the locked-up and exposures are seen by some public as not protecting the minors. I wonder what is the agenda behind these adults? What they mean by protecting? To me protecting is protecting them to do the right thing at the right age. They can have their say about the Government, ruling party, authorities when their age is right. If they want to grow up before their time, than they have to take whatever punishments that comes with it.

To me it is really the hardest hit will make a person grow in terms of wisdom and character. As adults we want to protect the minor but not in interfering when they need to learn. These are not your children and it makes it so easy to point fingers but wait till it is yours. Tell us what is reputation, future and the breed your child is becoming! Unhappy, sent them to another country, let them do what they like...let them take charge of their lives. They either go up or they go down like a dump..it is their lives, is that right? Isn't protecting them our duty to show them the correct way of growing up?

Do not mistake me for going against the minors, neither am I going against the authorities. Youths are so precious and should grow up healthily in both body and mind.

I am sure the authorities have a reason for doing what they did and don't be so ready to criticize.

graffiti

graffiti

My tribute to Mothers...

...all Mothers, who somehow in some lifetimes have been my Mother. Do I know you Mother, when we meet again in this life? I myself, who also have been a Mother to others in some other lifetimes, do I know who were my children?

Mothers…the figure of Love, Care, Concern, Ever Giving, All Forgiving, All encompassing, silently sufferings and the list goes on. Mothers, she concealed us in her body for 10 months. Within these 10 months, she accepted the discomfort, the anxiety, the danger and lovingly nature us – do we know? Are we thankful? Our birthday is actually the suffering day of our Mothers but she bore with the pain and traumatically waited for our arrival and the suffering is only beginning.

Mother…gives her life to protect us. When we come into this world, we are helpless little thing. Mother feed us with the milk she produces and we happily suckle at her breast. All the food she took is ours to take and take for granted. She woke up all nights if we are sick, she carried us in her arms and forgo her own rest – yes, she is that great! Mothers watch over us carefully, feed us, clean us, provide for us, dress us and watch us grow. In the course of our growing, she worried about our health, our safety, our education and our future. She is afraid that we grew up wrongly and without love. Mothers of today and yester years, in whatever era have not changed – their qualities remain the same. 

Many of us thought that Mother is only the current maternal Mother of ours. Actually, all the women we know are/were our Mothers before. Do you believe? The amount of merits our Mothers did for us, the greatest is she gave us Life. With this and all said, if you carry your Mother on your shoulder and run 10 times around the world, you are not able to pay back her kindness. So if you have not been nice to your Mother, please go and give her a hug and say “thank you” before it is too late.

Mothers, is not only human Mothers. I saw a documentary how birds guard their eggs. In the heat of the day, in the cold of the night, in heavy downpour and in time when the bird of prey stooped down, they never leave their eggs. Day after day they sit to hatch and father birds take turns. Until the eggs hatched and the chicks appeared, Mothers birds will be busy feeding the hungry mouths. It is heart warming to see how Mothers encouraged the chicks to fly, taught them how to hunt and only leave them when they are grown. 

The documentary also brought tears to my eyes when a Kingfisher who built her nest by the riverbank did not leave her eggs during heavy downpour which finally overflow and filled her nest with water killing the egg and the Mother Kingfisher. This is the love of a Mother.

I also remember the Szechuan Earthquake, a mother and father sandwiched their child protectively between their bodies by hugging each other tightly. This selfless love gave the child life....but both parents perished. Do you still question your parents love for you?

Therefore, in many many life times, we have accepted the kindness of our Mothers, no matter what form she took. In many many life times we have also been Mothers to various life forms too.

I miss my Mother. Now that she is gone, I wished that I could have been a better child. It is always when something is lost than we realized how much it meant to us. My parents gave me what I am today.

I am forever grateful to all my Mothers. As I am striving for realization, may I always carry them on my shoulder. May all my Mothers be happy wherever they are and one day when I reached the "yonder shore", may all Mothers reached the "yonder shore" with me too. In all my lives, may I not forget the kindness of Mother Sentient Beings.

As we enter into the Month of May... I wish Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers who have been my Mother in whatever forms I have taken. May you all be Well, be Happy, be free from Sufferings and comes under the blessing aura of all the Buddhas.

OHM MANI PADME HUM...