A Walk With The Wise II

22nd Jan 2009
Penang, Malaysia

Today I saw my mentor again and I like what he shared with me. Some little piece of wisdom that I in turn will share here. *smile*

He asked me as we were chatting, "Jenn, if there is a bottle of water and a bar of gold given to you, which one will you pick?". Knowing my mentor over a decade I think for a while before answering, my mind turn complex...there were all kinds of thoughts running thru my head. Some of my fellow Dharma farers of course each made their pick - water or gold. I smile and I replied, "I don't know, Rev Sir".

What is the wisdom in it?

He smile and said to us, "If you are on a ship and the ship is sinking - grab that bottle of water. If you are well and your basic need are met - take the gold. It can serve you better or improve your life"

Ahuh! We all looked at him and nod in agreement.

Most things and object in life are of neutral value. One man's meat the other man's poison so the saying goes. At every moment we got a choice - to pick the best thing for our growth or the best thing for our down fall. Ironically, some will pick gold when the ship is sinking and some will pick water even when they do not need it because they think is 'spiritually' wrong to pick the gold. Both are not wise and they might have done the decision in the spur of the moment too.

However, some are like me *grin* at this point - so afraid of making mistake - remain staring at both items trying to rationalize and probably even by pass the opportunity of making a choice. Ended up still staring!



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The Speech of the Year by Barrack Obama

20th Jan 2009
Penang, Malaysia

Today marks an important date in history as Barrack Hussein Obama, the first African American is install into one of the most important position in the world - The President of the United States of America.

Watching the inauguration live reminds me of the time spend in Washington with Yen Wei and Dean. It was one of the best trip in my life. *wink*

Anyway, what touch my heart and the heart of most americans and the whole world I suppose is the inauguration speech. A speech delivered by the man himself with full of passion, hope, honesty and inspiration.

However, what I'll say here is that lets not get carried away with just words and admiration for this man. For no doubt he deserve all of it. Let us not just get to the stage of inspiration. Let us not just hope he will make a difference. Rather that, we should all be putting our part in - we should emulate, walk the talk and put in our fair share in building this world of ours. Lets get beyond inspiration and start the CREATION! Thus making us a true global citizen.



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No Two Consecutive Seconds Are The Same

19th Jan 2009
Bangkok, Thailand

Everything in the world is in a state of flux. Change is the only constant. If we realise our body dies at every single second (cells etc) as it is born at every seconds (tissue regeneration etc) we know who we are a moment ago is no longer who we are NOW. *smile* Do I make sense? It also means I am no longer who I am when I started this entry.

Therefore, we must realise that every single second of our life is a new moment for us. It is our chance to make a new choice - at every point we can choose a new path.

As a Buddhist one believe that a very bad man can turn to be someone good at the same point a very good man can turn to be someone very bad. The choice has always be yours!

The next time before you say. "I have go NO choice" - THINK AGAIN - you might have just chosen the NO CHOICE PATH!



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Creating Spaces

19th Jan 2009
Bangkok, Thailand

Kahlil Gibran, my favourite poet of all time mention of this in his masterpiece
"The Prophet" - "but let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you...and stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow"

or

the famous Zen Buddhism story that talk about "being an empty tea cup in order to be able to be filled"

The similarity falls on being able to create spaces in our life - better still an empty space. When we allow this space in ourselves we created spaces for people around us to express themselves. The neutrality (without label or judgement) of a space allow for people to be who they truly are or express what they truly feels.

That is the most comforting thought!


Just for this moment:
Take a good look at your spaces. The ones you provide and the ones that people created for you. What are in those spaces?



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Friendship

18th Jan 2009
Bangkok, Thailand

We are now on our annual best friend trip in Bangkok, Thailand. Therefore, I cannot think of a better way to commemorate this beautiful time together than using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 'The Arrow and The Song' to express our friendship after being together for more than a decade.

I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For who has sight so keen and strong,

That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of a friend.

Thanks again for the nothing but the friendship! ;-)

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Searching of Our Individuality

17th Jan 2009
Bangkok, Thailand

Thus is hard to calm out the monkey mind. What is harder is that when we don't see how the mind had lead us all along. Then we'll be going around searching and searching just to find out who we are. We try looking for oursleves in the places we go, the things we buy, the things we accumulated. Can we?

I was not successful at this method myself so I cannot tell. However, I know what works for me...I STOP. When I stop the search, end the pursuing and just BE .... I just have to rememeber, recall who I am. Ah.... that makes it all so much easier.


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Dream Big or Being Realistic?

12th Jan 2009
Penang Malaysia

Today Kuan Yin come through with this beautiful message during a channeling session:


"What is it for one that is dreaming of a dream of building a 20 storey high building but is not even willing to find the first brick?"




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