People dies, nation falls, economy collapsed, glory never last. All this are not negative of life but facts of ever-changing time. Nobody holds and nothing stays.
Changes is there even without human intervention.
Time goes forward even without divine intervention.
Life shall pass even with moments of regrets.
We make changes not based on how we change things,
but based on how things change us.
In reality, words in present tense forms no meaning.
Ability to make changes is a means of condolence
when just happen that our changes goes with other changes.
Yet, its changes that makes hope possible.
Life can go on.
Happiness only choose to befall on
people that embraces change with open arms.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Bhutan
Another 1/2 of the fifth filming!! An rather inside full bird eye view of Bhutan. Discussing on various development happening in Bhutan. It is rather anticipative to see how years down the road the possibility of the rest of the world uses Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
I totally support usage of GNH but how do we quantized happiness? And it is also about the time needed to change a total economical significants altogether.
We never fails to get what we think. When our economy's measure of prosperity is by production and consumption, thats the reason why the world has over produced and over consume. We are consuming more from the environment than the rate of repair.
Another strange observation is the significance of beauty. As I was on my way home after the show, I pass the department stores with their shelves of nice bright and fashionable clothes. But behind these colours is the sacrifice of even more resources. I think thats more ungliness to beauty.
Happiness itself last longer and better when its from the inside then the exterior materials. Why so? Now at the current point of time, if I were to loss my job, all the social status, financial security and love will disintegrate rather instantaneously. Happiness that rely on external factors is instable. As when the factor is removed, happiness is abducted. Genuine happiness from compassion, empathy, equanimity and loving kindess are definitely more enduring and positive towards personal cultivation.
I totally support usage of GNH but how do we quantized happiness? And it is also about the time needed to change a total economical significants altogether.
We never fails to get what we think. When our economy's measure of prosperity is by production and consumption, thats the reason why the world has over produced and over consume. We are consuming more from the environment than the rate of repair.
Another strange observation is the significance of beauty. As I was on my way home after the show, I pass the department stores with their shelves of nice bright and fashionable clothes. But behind these colours is the sacrifice of even more resources. I think thats more ungliness to beauty.
Happiness itself last longer and better when its from the inside then the exterior materials. Why so? Now at the current point of time, if I were to loss my job, all the social status, financial security and love will disintegrate rather instantaneously. Happiness that rely on external factors is instable. As when the factor is removed, happiness is abducted. Genuine happiness from compassion, empathy, equanimity and loving kindess are definitely more enduring and positive towards personal cultivation.
Zen Buddhism
1/2 of 5th film is a rather interesting introduction to zen meditation.
It is a group of korean buddhist nun going on a 90days meditation retreat up the cold countryside. The film goes into various stages of a typical yet simple meditation retreat.
I suppose the chantings are done in korean and thats why I don't catch which chants they are chanting. Now about what I have learnt.
Meditation makes one face looks pinkish and health!! Plus the korean eat nice food. Any way....a day of a monastic is not just about meditating all day and meditation is not just seating, walking and various posture. Its is about being mindful and concentrating in your daily chores.
A well discipline behaviour cultivates the mind and with an alert mind, sees things as they really are.
It is a group of korean buddhist nun going on a 90days meditation retreat up the cold countryside. The film goes into various stages of a typical yet simple meditation retreat.
I suppose the chantings are done in korean and thats why I don't catch which chants they are chanting. Now about what I have learnt.
Meditation makes one face looks pinkish and health!! Plus the korean eat nice food. Any way....a day of a monastic is not just about meditating all day and meditation is not just seating, walking and various posture. Its is about being mindful and concentrating in your daily chores.
A well discipline behaviour cultivates the mind and with an alert mind, sees things as they really are.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Act normal
4th screening! And a rather "personal" one I would say. Its quite a dry film where its all about the life of a monk who is an english man, decided to derobe one day and return to the status of a lay person. After going through the civilian life, get married, divorced and womanizing around, found that civilian life is not for him. Later on went back to be a monastic again with a fresh yet mature idea and conviction to carrying on the practise.
"Personal" I would say its all about our individual cultivation. Why so?
1) Some who never experienced might not be learned. Buddhist often fell into a trap...ah I am from which temple. Which temple feels like home? I am close to which Shifu or since I learned Buddhism I have been in this temple and I am comfortable.
Our wise Buddha even for his unmatched wisdom seeks teachings from various teachers.
Seek and your doubt will be answered. Yet seek again since we can never learn everything.
2) Be mindful of our mind. I believe if the monk does not observe his mind, either he will just be contented being an immatured monk or it marks the end of his monastic cultivation.
3) Lust is just an amplification from love. Love thats uncontrolled turns into ignorance and attachment.
4) To let go is to receive more. Without taking the bold step to derobe, he will never become a wise and learned monk, contributing more to the world.
5) Live is full of uncertainty. Buddhism is indeed an active religion. Instead of surrendering all your life to a supreme being, buddhists understands that no joy is permanent as well as no suffering is everlasting. There is no such situation as predetermination and we should all cherish every moment.
6) Monks get VIP treatment at Bangkok's airport!! :)
"Personal" I would say its all about our individual cultivation. Why so?
1) Some who never experienced might not be learned. Buddhist often fell into a trap...ah I am from which temple. Which temple feels like home? I am close to which Shifu or since I learned Buddhism I have been in this temple and I am comfortable.
Our wise Buddha even for his unmatched wisdom seeks teachings from various teachers.
Seek and your doubt will be answered. Yet seek again since we can never learn everything.
2) Be mindful of our mind. I believe if the monk does not observe his mind, either he will just be contented being an immatured monk or it marks the end of his monastic cultivation.
3) Lust is just an amplification from love. Love thats uncontrolled turns into ignorance and attachment.
4) To let go is to receive more. Without taking the bold step to derobe, he will never become a wise and learned monk, contributing more to the world.
5) Live is full of uncertainty. Buddhism is indeed an active religion. Instead of surrendering all your life to a supreme being, buddhists understands that no joy is permanent as well as no suffering is everlasting. There is no such situation as predetermination and we should all cherish every moment.
6) Monks get VIP treatment at Bangkok's airport!! :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Dhamma Brothers
More like a documentary then a story, and thus the show was a more factual ones.
The setting is in the Alabama prison where it mostly houses state criminals and mainly criminals facing life imprisonment. And of cause it is the den of many angry people. The pyschiatrist tried to use Vipassana in hope to help the inmates. It was a challenging idea as it is about infringement of religious interest in a state where most citizen is christians.
But after the 10 day Vipassana retreat in the prison, the inmates learnt how to control their emotions and brought peace back to their mind. Even after several years, these group of inmates that joined the retreat still practices meditation on their own.And because of their good conducts, some where even transfered to normal prisons.
It is so delighting that people found peace and most importantly themselves by practising meditation. The prowess of meditation could even tame the hardest to tame in a gentle loving way. I was not surprise with the positive efficacyt of the teachings of the Buddha but rather to be beneficial also to people that has done grave mistakes and condemned by the world.
The power of meditation calms the mind and makes one sees themselves and their problems actively.
The setting is in the Alabama prison where it mostly houses state criminals and mainly criminals facing life imprisonment. And of cause it is the den of many angry people. The pyschiatrist tried to use Vipassana in hope to help the inmates. It was a challenging idea as it is about infringement of religious interest in a state where most citizen is christians.
But after the 10 day Vipassana retreat in the prison, the inmates learnt how to control their emotions and brought peace back to their mind. Even after several years, these group of inmates that joined the retreat still practices meditation on their own.And because of their good conducts, some where even transfered to normal prisons.
It is so delighting that people found peace and most importantly themselves by practising meditation. The prowess of meditation could even tame the hardest to tame in a gentle loving way. I was not surprise with the positive efficacyt of the teachings of the Buddha but rather to be beneficial also to people that has done grave mistakes and condemned by the world.
The power of meditation calms the mind and makes one sees themselves and their problems actively.
Mekhong Full Moon
A rather atypical buddhist film or even a religious one where the director touches on blind faith and questions the suitability of lying in Buddhism by the very own Buddhist monk.
The story was about an annual folk event where the Naga of the Mekhong river will breath fireballs up the sky to worship the Buddha. This phenomena arouses the interest of the scientific community and scientist comes up with analysis and mainly hypothesis on the nature of fireballs. The fireballs were actually made by the local monks in hope to keep the tradition. Being haunted by his own conscious, the lead gave up the task of diving and planting the "fireball" setup on the river bed. The film also shows numerous folk belief in a very humorous way.
At the first half of the show, I confess I did question on what meanings the film wants to deliver. But something shook me when I realised that the monk despite knowing that lying was bad, he persist in keeping the culture.
Buddhism is all about attaining the wisdom to see the truth and Buddha even states that we should question any teachings even to those that were said by him. But from the show, I got another perspective of what is truth. To us Buddhist, the law of Karma is the truth. But to a Christian or any other religion, its not the truth.
I remembered on my younger days, I would just strike on followers of any religion and tries to break their faith (unintentionally of course). I came to realise that if some faith or belief that is dearest to that someone, then don't argue over it with them. We might just be breaking their source of confidence or even reason to be alive.
Decades ago, a flat world is the truth and now a spherical slightly eliptical world is the truth. The truth is nothing when it is not the truth of the perceiver. As a Buddhist, when we are asked by someone or our parents to follow some traditions, non buddhist prayers and burning of joss sticks, indeed it might carry little Buddhist ideas. But by doing what we are told, we respected our parents and establishes a hormonious family. And most importantly, we helped to settle our parents troubled mind.
Maybe towards personal cultivations, we should earnestly follows the Buddhist way. But towards interacting with others, we should always spare a thought for others and be flexible in our reaction towards the matter. Wisdom could only be shared and not through force.
The story was about an annual folk event where the Naga of the Mekhong river will breath fireballs up the sky to worship the Buddha. This phenomena arouses the interest of the scientific community and scientist comes up with analysis and mainly hypothesis on the nature of fireballs. The fireballs were actually made by the local monks in hope to keep the tradition. Being haunted by his own conscious, the lead gave up the task of diving and planting the "fireball" setup on the river bed. The film also shows numerous folk belief in a very humorous way.
At the first half of the show, I confess I did question on what meanings the film wants to deliver. But something shook me when I realised that the monk despite knowing that lying was bad, he persist in keeping the culture.
Buddhism is all about attaining the wisdom to see the truth and Buddha even states that we should question any teachings even to those that were said by him. But from the show, I got another perspective of what is truth. To us Buddhist, the law of Karma is the truth. But to a Christian or any other religion, its not the truth.
I remembered on my younger days, I would just strike on followers of any religion and tries to break their faith (unintentionally of course). I came to realise that if some faith or belief that is dearest to that someone, then don't argue over it with them. We might just be breaking their source of confidence or even reason to be alive.
Decades ago, a flat world is the truth and now a spherical slightly eliptical world is the truth. The truth is nothing when it is not the truth of the perceiver. As a Buddhist, when we are asked by someone or our parents to follow some traditions, non buddhist prayers and burning of joss sticks, indeed it might carry little Buddhist ideas. But by doing what we are told, we respected our parents and establishes a hormonious family. And most importantly, we helped to settle our parents troubled mind.
Maybe towards personal cultivations, we should earnestly follows the Buddhist way. But towards interacting with others, we should always spare a thought for others and be flexible in our reaction towards the matter. Wisdom could only be shared and not through force.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
一轮明月
This show made a great start to the following series of movies in this years Buddhist Film festive. Hope to blog down some thoughts to remind myself what I have learnt and also share with any passerbys :)
Not going into the details of the show but basically the show depicts the life history of Great Master Hong Yi. The director has successfully bring out the chaotic situations during the wars, nature disasters, sufferings as well as cultures and tradition of the revoluntionary time of china. It does not use lotsa colourful effects or filming techniques but I would say their chinese language used are rather hard to follow. But anyone will not feel hard to grasp the important meanings behind the show.
Usually when talking about religious figures we tend to mystify or "godify" a character to make in more profane and worthy of respect. But this show never did any of those. Ven Hong Yi, like most young people, wild our time in non productive activities and romances. But it is the ability for him to truly see and acknowledge himself for who he is makes us so different from him.
In seeing how fame and good times never last more than a moment, he renounced and joined the Sangha. It might be very easy to conclude that he was so selfish to abandon his wife. There was a scene when he has taken the tonsure. His wife asked ven Hong Yi whats "LOVE" and his reply is "Love is compassion". He has going forth to be a monk because he has great compassion far surpass our mundane passions.
Although the sufferings caught in the film makes me emotional but i remember the part when my eyes were wet is when some devotee ask the masters to seat on the sedan. The masters replied saying "How can I seat when seating on the sedan is on the expense of the sweat by the carriers".
I find that what makes the great different from us is the great and wise thinks of others before self. And they conduct their life in the strictest possible way never to slack in their way.
No matter how much we studied the Dharma or helps out in Dharma propagation, nothing ever comes near even to a novice monk that have decided to renounce the earthly longings and go forth to the homeless.
This show push me futher to rethink whether the goals and beliefs I have hold deeply needs some revamping work!
Not going into the details of the show but basically the show depicts the life history of Great Master Hong Yi. The director has successfully bring out the chaotic situations during the wars, nature disasters, sufferings as well as cultures and tradition of the revoluntionary time of china. It does not use lotsa colourful effects or filming techniques but I would say their chinese language used are rather hard to follow. But anyone will not feel hard to grasp the important meanings behind the show.
Usually when talking about religious figures we tend to mystify or "godify" a character to make in more profane and worthy of respect. But this show never did any of those. Ven Hong Yi, like most young people, wild our time in non productive activities and romances. But it is the ability for him to truly see and acknowledge himself for who he is makes us so different from him.
In seeing how fame and good times never last more than a moment, he renounced and joined the Sangha. It might be very easy to conclude that he was so selfish to abandon his wife. There was a scene when he has taken the tonsure. His wife asked ven Hong Yi whats "LOVE" and his reply is "Love is compassion". He has going forth to be a monk because he has great compassion far surpass our mundane passions.
Although the sufferings caught in the film makes me emotional but i remember the part when my eyes were wet is when some devotee ask the masters to seat on the sedan. The masters replied saying "How can I seat when seating on the sedan is on the expense of the sweat by the carriers".
I find that what makes the great different from us is the great and wise thinks of others before self. And they conduct their life in the strictest possible way never to slack in their way.
No matter how much we studied the Dharma or helps out in Dharma propagation, nothing ever comes near even to a novice monk that have decided to renounce the earthly longings and go forth to the homeless.
This show push me futher to rethink whether the goals and beliefs I have hold deeply needs some revamping work!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Purity in works and deed
Came across a video on FB showing group of people going into a poverty stricken village. The group was commenting how such poverty could happen and how main stream religious groups is neglecting to save them. The focus was also a child that was as skinny as sticks crawling on the floor in hunger.
First instant was, I felt very sorry for the poor child and her only sister. But as I watch further, I felt sad for the group instead. Besides commenting on the poor child and start feeding her, what was done is continual filming and commenting their religion could save them.
My personal feel is, the girl can not wait for something almighty for rescue and what she hope for is STOP filming and do something practical like giving some soft food. I do not suspect the misfortune and existence of such poverty but I do not think doing charity and salvation work to spread owns ideology is right.
The world is in need for more genuine love to pass around. Try shedding some tears when u see such situation and feel deep down the heart. Feel for them and only then the world can be more blissful.
First instant was, I felt very sorry for the poor child and her only sister. But as I watch further, I felt sad for the group instead. Besides commenting on the poor child and start feeding her, what was done is continual filming and commenting their religion could save them.
My personal feel is, the girl can not wait for something almighty for rescue and what she hope for is STOP filming and do something practical like giving some soft food. I do not suspect the misfortune and existence of such poverty but I do not think doing charity and salvation work to spread owns ideology is right.
The world is in need for more genuine love to pass around. Try shedding some tears when u see such situation and feel deep down the heart. Feel for them and only then the world can be more blissful.
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