Friday, December 31, 2010

May All Beings...



May all beings be free,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be free from the causes of suffering.

May all sentient beings in the ten directions be well, happy and peaceful

Today is the last day of 2010. It has been an eventful year.

Goodbye and thank you so much for all the blessings that you have given us...

Cheers!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Life is Sacred



The world is facing many challenges as the 2010 draws to an end.

There are climate change, inequality, poverty and starvation, religious and ideological persecutions, mass migrations and war.

How did we end up in this reality?

Perhaps, it is because each of us, individually, is so caught up in our selfish and relentless pursuit of happiness.

This is manifested by our need to accumulate material things, in the greed that we see in Wall Streets and in our desperation to keep up with the Jones next door.

Faced with the clear consequences of our choices, many of us justify our decisions and increase our denial by saying that there is little that we can do to change the world.

That is not true!

Each of us have to step up to save the world. We have to start seeing that everything in life is sacred, each with its own holiness.

It starts with each of us making crucial changes in our attitudes and behaviors, through being open to our spiritual selves, supporting and encouraging each other.

We have to begin seeing all of life as sacred, starting with ourselves and our fellow human beings. It also extends to other species and the very planet earth itself.

Respecting and protecting the gift of life unconditionally is an inclusive path. It does not reject people who are different from us, who have different values from us or with ways of living different from us.

There are no excuses of violence and social injustice like racism or misogyny.

It is a path of love where we appreciate our own gift of life.

So start today. Begin with yourself by resolving to appreciate all that life is manifesting in front of us.

Make little steps to practise compassion and to love all sentient beings.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Life Priorities



"More than ever,
We have big houses and broken homes,
High incomes and low morale,
Secured rights and diminished civility.
We excel at making a living,
But often fail at making a life."
- David Meyers, pyschologist


As the year comes to an end, perhaps it is a good time to pause and reflect how we have lived throughout 2010.

We some times forget to consider what exactly are our needs instead of our wants.

We chase after what we desire rather than be grateful for what we already have in front of us.

The happiest people are those who need the least, not those who want to have the most.

Don't make the mistake of spending money buying stuff to impress people, to make yourself feel important. These are transient.

Thousands of people work long hours to earn a big income to pay a big mortgage on their beautiful house. They do not really enjoy the house because they are not home much as they have to work hard to pay for it.

Yet, life is actually very simple when you priorities on your needs.

Your personal, financial and emotional safety should be your first priority.

All other things are just your wants that cannot make you happier than you already are.

Celebrate the simple things in life - spend time with your love ones, watch a beautiful sunrise or stop to smell the flowers.

These experiences are priceless...

Saturday, December 25, 2010

It's Christmas Time



It is Christmas, the happiest day of the year...

It is a magical time for the innocent children who still believe that Santa Claus will deliver presents to them because they have been good.

It is a stressful time for adults, who rush about doing last minute shopping and preparing for the usual feast.

It is a time to be grateful for all the blessings that we have been given throughout the year.

And it is a time to think about the less fortunate who are suffering during these holidays, still struggling with the results of the Great Financial Crisis, the impact of foreclosures and the depth of bankruptcy.

Spare a prayer for the poor mother who has no money to buy a present for her child.

Help someone who has to spend the holidays in the bitter winter cold.

Be generous and donate what you can to those who are less fortunate than you.

It can be money, it can be your time and it can even be a simple kind word for your fellow-man in need.

Have a blessed Christmas - may you all be blessed with peace, prosperity and happiness during the holidays.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Winds of Change




'The winds of grace are always blowing, but to catch them we have to raise our sails'
- Sri Ramakrishna (Indian Mystic)

Yes, opportunities are all around us. It is only when we recognize the winds of opportunities and take concrete actions would we be able to reap its rewards.

It is up to us to accept that changes comes into our lives everyday.

We can neither deny it nor reject these changes.

We just have to have the grace to accept these changes and believe that we will reach a better place because of what we did.

So, do not be afraid of the winds of change.

Instead, welcome it, rejoice in it and be thankful for the new opportunities that comes with it.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Cats Playing



Amazing!! These cats are so intelligent and aware.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Hallelujah by Opera Company of Philadelphia



The Opera Company of Philadelphia had an impromptu performance at the city's Macy store.

What a beautiful presentation of the sentiments for the Holidays!! Everybody is so moved that they spontaneously join in the joyous singing. Glorious!

Enjoy!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Listen For The Quiet



With the holiday seasons upon us, many of us are busy making plans on how to celebrate the coming Christmas and New Year.

There will be many presents to buy, parties to plan and invitations to send.

There will also be the worries of how much money we can afford to splurge during these holidays. And of course, you are also faced with the various challenges of shopping for presents in the crowded malls.

It is at these times that we feel very stressed - stressed with the lack of time, the crowds everywhere, the difficulties finding a parking space.

And also wondering how to maintain the holiday cheers amidst being frazzled with all that needs to be done.

There are unspoken expectations to fulfill - from your spouse, from your children and from your family; expectations that everything will be perfect - the perfect present, the perfect party, the perfect good cheer.

When you are stressed and tense, go somewhere to find 30 seconds of quietness. Spend the time to gather your thoughts and calm yourself.

Let calm thoughts permeate through your mind. Picture calm scenes that you have previously encountered, perhaps a favorite holiday.

Listen for silence in the midst of all the Christmas carols.

Listen for the quiet that you find in unexpected places.

And find your sanity in all these madness.

Awaken to the beauty that money cannot buy in the shopping malls...

Friday, December 10, 2010

The Purpose of Life



I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy.

From the very core of our being, we desire contentment.

In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.

Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter.

It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone.

The key is to develop inner peace.

~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Thursday, December 9, 2010

All About Gold

Who’s Got All The Gold and Who’s Mining It [Infographic]
Don’t have enough money to buy gold? Start saving your money into Online Savings Accounts. [Source: Money Hacker]

Some Insights into the data on our infographic:

All Gold Ever Mined – The total amount of gold ever mined is estimated to be worth around US$5 trillion.

How Gold is Used – You might have though (like me) that most of the gold in the world stored in bank vaults and lock-boxes? Actually, 78 % of the worlds’ gold is made into jewelery. Other industries, mostly electronics, medical, and dental, require about 12%. The remaining 10% of the yearly gold supply is used in financial transactions.

Producers and Owners – The starkest contrast is South Africa: number 27 on the list of nations that own the most gold list despite producing the most gold in the world per year from its mines.

Gold production in the United States – The State of Nevada has the world’s lowest cost and most profitable gold mines. The mines average output is about 7 million ounces per year.

The Fed’s Vault – The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has the largest accumulation of monetary gold. The vault is 25 meters (80 feet) underground and holds $147 billion worth of gold bullion.
Current gold price trading on Wall Street:

If the value of gold on the New York stock market is anything to go by then you can see how much its been a safe haven for investors:
And now for some facts and factoids about gold:

Gold Discovery – The first discovery of gold in the USA was an 8 kg nugget of gold found by the son of a farmer. He and his father were using this stone as the support for a door until the local jeweller noticed it. And the owner sold this stone for $3.5. Finally the farmer understood this piece was very valuable and opened the first gold-mine in the country.

Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found – The largest gold nugget ever found was in Australia in 1869. It was named “Welcome Stranger,” It weighed 78 kilograms. After it was melted down 71 Kg of pure gold was left.

The US Gold Drain – When the American dollar was first pushed as the world de-facto currency it was backed by gold. One ounce of gold was worth $35. After 25 years of the American’s continual printing of money however, $35 was no longer worth an ounce of gold. In actual fact one ounce of gold was worth $105. As a result foreign countries, beginning with France in the late 1960’s, started to buy gold at $35 until the United States Government stopped selling its gold, thus removing gold backing from its dollar.

Private Gold Ownership Banned in the USA – Private ownership of gold was banned in the United States for 41 years. It lasted from 1933 to 1974.

Gold Refined and Rare – If all the gold that had been refined in the world was put into a cube, its sides would be roughly 20 metres long but would only weigh 1/10 of the Washington Monument.

Gold Nugget – Gold nuggets are actually quite rare. A gold nugget can sell for up to 4 times the worth of the amount of gold in it.

Gold Leaf – Gold leaf is commonly 0.18 microns (seven millionths of an inch) thick. It’s so thin that a stack of 7,055 sheets would be no thicker than a dime.

Largest Gold Nugget Still in Nugget Form – The ‘Hand of Faith’, is the largest gold nugget still in existence. It weighs 27 Kg (60 pounds) and is currently on display at the Golden Nugget hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

Gold and Medicine – Thousands of rheumatoid arthritis victims have chemically liquefied gold injected into their muscles. It is said that the treatment is successful in seven out of ten cases.

The Heaviness of Gold – Gold is so heavy that one cubic foot of it weighs half a ton.

The Malleability of Gold – A single ounce of gold can be drawn into a wire 60 miles long.

Gold in Water – The worlds’ largest stock pile of gold is actually in the oceans. For every cubic mile of sea water there is 25 tons of gold! That’s a total of about 10 billion tons of gold in the oceans; unfortunately, there’s no known way to recover it economically.

Artificial Creation of Gold – Gold can be transmitted from platinum by nuclear reaction. But, because of the rarity of platinum, it is far too costly.

Gold in Space – The visors of astronauts’ space helmets receive a coating of gold so thin (0.00005 millimeters, or 0.000002 inches) that it is partially transparent. The astronauts can see through it, but even this thin layer reduces glare and heat from sunlight.

Gold in the Bible – You may be interested to know that gold is mentioned 417 times in the Bible. And, the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation states that in the New Heavens and New Earth the streets will made from pure gold!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The 4 Standards of Truth




The Four Standards of Truth (Siddhanta) are another guide to help us understand the Buddha’s teachings

The First Standard is ‘the worldly.’ The teaching is offered in the language of the world so that those in the world will be able to understand. We have to take into account the contemporary cosmologies, arts, philosophies, metaphysics, and so forth and deal with them. For example, we call the days of the week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. We divide time into days, months, and years to express truth relatively, for our convenience. When the Buddha tells us that he was born in Lumbini, it is in accordance with the First Standard.

The Second Standard is ‘the person.’ We must remember as we read the Buddha’s discourses that his words varied according to the needs and aspirations of his listeners. When the Buddha taught, he was deeply aware of the particular assembly, and what was specifically addressed to them.

The Third Standard is ‘healing.’ When the Buddha spoke, it was always to cure the particular illness of those he was addressing. Everyone has some illness that needs to be healed. When you speak to express healing, what you say will always be helpful.

The Fourth Standard is ‘the absolute.’ The Buddha expressed absolute truth directly and unequivocally. He said there is no self even when people did not believe or agree with him. He said it because he knew it was true. Fifteenth-century explorers said the world was round even when the community threatened to imprison them for saying so. We can use these Four Standards of Truth to understand the Sutras as we read them.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Difference Between Having and Living



Every year, there are huge sales everywhere in USA stores, where merchandises are marked down by 50% - 90%.

This usually happen the day after Thanksgiving and that day is known as Black Friday, as it is the one day of the year that retailers may have so much sales that it can help them stay in the black (profit)for the rest of the year.

The above is a video of people rushing through Walmart when its doors were thrown opened. Many people stumbled and got trampled in the melee.

Below is another video of another Walmart location where shoppers are tearing down the store in their greed to grab the best deal.



What is it with human beings that we behave like animals just to save some money?

What is the compulsion to accumulate material things?

Would getting a flat-screen TV for 50% off make you feel fulfilled and happy? Is getting the Wii or IPad like achieving nirvana? Can wearing the latest branded clothes with a 90% discount make you feel better and more adequate as a person?

Hey, people!! Take a step back from your madness.

Look at other God's creatures big and small. Each is happy with what the Universe has provided for them.

You do not see any animals scavenging for food and stock-piling it some where because of greed? They just eat what they need and when they are satisfied, they stop.

And the animals are so zen and peaceful about their lives.

Realize that there is a big difference between having and living.

Having too much material things will only clutter your life and waste your energy accumulating them. These things will only weigh you down

Better to live simply and enjoy the Present now...

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Questions in the Heart



“I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart, and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.

Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them.

The point is to live everything. Live the questions now.

Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”


- Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903


The above philosophy resonates a lot with me.

A lot of times, we plan, we scheme and we act because we want to attain some goals, to reach some objectives or to realize some achievements.

And in the process of doing that, we face failures and inadequacies because we force the outcome that we desired and the results that we want.

However, your time-table for certain things to happen in your life is not the time-table that the Universe is following.

The Universe, in its infinite wisdom, will unfold the events when the time is right.

Therefore, when you feel that things are not going well in your life, perhaps, it is time to step back and put the questions into your heart.

Accept that the timing is not right now for you to realize your ambitions.

Accept that the Universe knows that you are not ready yet to accept the outcome yet.
The Universe knows that, perhaps you do not have the necessary life experiences or skills to deal with the situation now.

So, surrender to the unknown and live your life now, in the Present.

And know deep in your heart that the many questions and yearnings that you have in your heart will manifest the solutions and answers to you when you are at the right place in life and the timing is right.

Feel the freedom of surrendering to a higher power.

And be awaken to all the possibilities...