Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year 2012



Happy New Year!! A Wonderful Welcome to 2012.

The above is the fireworks going off at 9 pm in Sydney Harbour.

Enjoy!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Merry Christmas



2011 has been quite a tumultuous year.

There had been earthquakes, tsunami, hurricanes, drought and famine.

People everywhere has awaken to their right to freedom to pursue their own happiness, leading to the fall of dictators in many countries. There has been a lot of atrocities committed in the name of "righteousness".

The USA has pulled out of Iraq, bringing an unpopular war to an end. But what of the people of Iraq - they are left with a country that is still not fully functional, with a lot of tribal strife and power struggle.

Europe is suffering from its excesses with their economies in the dumps and deteriorating each day.

In the midst of all these, it is some times difficult to feel the joy of the holidays.

Nonetheless, we still must give thanks to all that we have, be grateful for all the blessings that we have received and the abundance that we had enjoyed through out the year.

So, let the above be a guide to living well and compassionately.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here is wishing 2012 will be a year of healing, a year of blessings and a year of abundance.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

10 Things You Should Be Able To Say Before You Die



1. I followed my heart and intuition.

As our friend Steve Jobs says:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

This is your life, and it’s a short one. Don’t accept false choices. Don’t let others put a cage around you. Try what you want to try. Go where you want to go. Follow your own intuition.

2. I said what I needed to say.

Everyone has this little watchdog inside their head. It’s always there watching you. It was born and raised by your family, friends, coworkers, bosses and society at large, and its sole purpose is to watch you and make sure you stay in line. And once you become accustomed to the watchdog’s presence, you begin to think his opinion of what’s acceptable and unacceptable are absolute truths. But the watchdog’s views are not truths, they’re just opinions – forceful opinions that have the potential to completely brainwash you of your own opinions if you aren’t careful.

Remember, the watchdog is just a watchdog, he just watches. He can’t actually control you. He can’t do anything about it if you decide to rise up and go against the grain.

No, you should not start randomly cussing and acting like a fool. But you must say what you need to say when you need to say it. It may be your only chance to do so.

Don’t censor yourself. Speak the truth. Your truth.

3. I did what I needed to do.

Every morning you are faced with two choices: You can aimlessly stumble through the day not knowing what’s going to happen and simply react to events at a moment’s notice, or you can go through the day directing your own life and making your own decisions and destiny.

The greatest gift extraordinarily successful people have over average people is their ability to get themselves to take action – to physically do something about getting from where they are now to where they want to be. And no, it won’t be easy. But in the end, suffering from the pain of discipline while you do what you need to do is a whole lot easier than suffering from the regret and disappointment of never fulfilling any of your dreams.

4. I made a difference.

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.

In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less.

Doing something nice for someone can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world.

5. I know what true love is.


Finding a companion or a friend isn’t about trying to transform yourself into the perfect image of what you think they want. It’s about being exactly who you are and then finding someone who appreciates that. Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason.

As with all things of the heart, there is an ingredient of magic in finding love. There are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Love is beautiful and unpredictable. The best thing you can do is to start to become the most outstanding person possible. The universe will know when you are ready, and when you are, true love will happen, unexpectedly.

6. I am happy and grateful.

Very little is needed to create happiness. It is all within you, in your way of thinking. How you view yourself and your world are conscious choices and habits. The lens you choose to view everything through determines how you feel about yourself and everything that happens around you. You must choose to be happy.

A big part of this is simply being grateful for what you have. As Mick Jagger once said, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.” Look around. Appreciate the things you have right now. Many people aren’t so lucky.

7. I am proud of myself.


You are your own best friend and your own biggest critic. Regardless of the opinions of others, at the end of the day the only reflection staring back at you in the mirror is your own. How you feel about this person is vital to your long-term well-being.

Being proud of yourself is also known as having strong self-esteem. People who are proud of themselves tend to have passions in life, feel content and set good examples for others. It requires envisioning the person you would like to become and making your best efforts to grow as an individual.

Being proud isn’t bragging about how great you are. It’s more like quietly knowing that you’re worth a lot. It’s not about thinking you’re perfect – because nobody is – but knowing that you’re worthy of being loved and accepted. Boost your self-esteem by recognizing your accomplishments and celebrating them. Acknowledge your positive qualities, and when you come across a quality in yourself that you aren’t proud of, don’t sulk in your sorrows, proactively work on correcting it.

8. I became the best version of me.

It’s a good idea to be yourself, not only because everybody else is taken, but because trying to be anything else doesn’t usually get you very far. Trying to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. Strength, success and contentment come from being comfortable in your own skin.

Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.” Live by this statement. There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes. The only shoes you can occupy are your own. If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.

Remember, at any given moment, you are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be.

9. I forgave those who hurt me.

We’ve all been hurt by another person at some point or another – we were treated badly, trust was broken, hearts were hurt. And while this pain is normal, sometimes that pain lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go.

This causes problems. It not only causes us to be unhappy, but can strain or ruin relationships, distract us from work and family and other important things, make us reluctant to open up to new things and people. We get trapped in a cycle of anger and hurt, and miss out on the beauty of life as it happens.

Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.

10. I have no regrets.

This one is a culmination of the previous nine headlines…

Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Do what you need to do fulfill your dreams. Say what you need to say. Be kind to others. Offer a helping hand when you’re able. Love those who deserve to be loved, and cherish the bond you share. Appreciate all the things you do have. Smile. Celebrate your small victories. Learn from your mistakes. Forgive. And let go of the things you can’t change.

Extracted from : 10 Things You Should Be Able To Say Before You Die

OCTOBER 23RD, 2011 @ 2:13 PM BY: MARC

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Jelly Beans



The above is an incredible video that took more than 288K jelly beans and more than 2 years to make.

Enjoy the song : "In Your Arms". The singer, Kina Grannis appeared on The Ellen Degeneres show and also got a recording contract.

Below is a video of how was made : -



They are really so creative and dedicated to their art...

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Oh Wow!!



In the beautiful and touching eulogy, Steve Job's sister, Mona Simpson, wrote about how his brother prepared for his death.

As he knew that he was dying soon, he prepared for it by meeting the people that he wants to meet, saying goodbyes to his friends and treasuring each moment with his family. He approached his impending death with equanimity, knowing that death is as natural as life.

His last words as he drew his final breaths were, "Oh Wow!! Oh Wow! Oh Wow!!".

In his death Steve Jobs shows the person that he is. He faced it with courage and acceptance. He also let go of all his earthly attachments, simply just welcoming his final journey.

Even with his last breaths, he demonstrated his fearlessness because as a Buddhist, he knew that there was nothing to fear about death.

His final exclamations seems to indicate the beautiful rewards that he was going towards.

Because he has done so much for the world, the kinds of gifts that he has given to man-kind and the life that he lived, Steve Jobs generated a lot of good karma.

Therefore, when he died, he was shown the kind of paradise that his good karma has prepared for him. And that is why he go towards his next journey with no fear, with no reluctance and at peace.

And that is a good way to die...

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Dealing With Regret




On one occasion this [elderly] monk asked the Dalai Lama for initiation into a particular set of demanding practices. The Dalai Lama demurred, saying that they were meant for younger monks, that they were vigorous and demanding exercises that he wished to spare the man from undertaking. The next thing he knew, this monk committed suicide, hoping to be reborn into a younger body with better stamina. The Dalai Lama was asked… how he dealt with his regret, how he made it go away. 'It didn't go away,' the Dalai Lama replied, a little perplexed by the question. 'It is still there.'…

The psychiatrist [questioner] was operating from the point of view of fixing the pain rather than feeling it. The Dalai Lama, for all his good humor, had the fortitude, and the faith, to accept his regret without looking to heal it. This is the essence of the Buddhist approach to psychological change.Striving to rid of the pain only reinforces it, while acceptance of the truth deepens our capacity for tolerance, patience and forgiveness. The Dalai Lama was forever changed by the loss of his friend and by his part in it. How could he not be?

In Buddhist psychology two mental factors, called shame and dread, are considered to be skillful qualities that increase with meditative awareness… Would we not want to free ourselves from them, as we do from anger or fear?… Their function is to make us shrink from unskillful actions, to recognize the negative consequences of our deeds, and to develop a wariness toward repeating our mistakes. The Dalai Lama was honest enough with himself to recognize the role he had played, however unwittingly… I would attempt to rationalize the situation, to excuse myself, or, at the very least, to grieve my loss and move on.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif But in the Buddhist view, this desire would, in itself, be clinging. If could redirect my awareness from my regret to my abhorrence of it, I would have a chance of seeing my own clinging in action. Seeing this clinging is what frees the mind.

- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Sunday, October 23, 2011

How To Quit Your Job



This video is so good.

Yes, quit your sucky job in style

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Simple Wisdom



Wisdom to live by.

Celebrate life in all its glory. Be Present...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Life Happens




I meant to do my work today
But a bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me,
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shiny hand -
So, what could I do but laugh and go?


Don't be so tied up to your routines.

Take a moment to savor the beauty around you.

When life calls, respond spontaneously and be happy.

Be present, be here and be alive!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Occupy Wall Street



Wondered what "Occupy Wall Street" is about?

This young guy, in his very passionate speech, summarizes the main points best. He tells the truth, not the propaganda printed in the newspapers.

99% of the Main Street have the righteous anger to take action against the corrupt, greedy bankers in Wall Street.

Good for them...

And here are the reasons that people are occupying Wall Streets : -

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Understanding Liberals




The liberal vision of government is easily understood and makes perfect sense if one acknowledges their misunderstanding and implied assumptions about the sources of income. Their vision helps explain the language they use and policies they support, such as income redistribution and calls for the rich to give something back.

Suppose the true source of income was a gigantic pile of money meant to be shared equally amongst Americans. The reason some people have more money than others is because they got to the pile first and greedily took an unfair share. That being the case, justice requires that the rich give something back, and if they won't do so voluntarily, Congress should confiscate their ill-gotten gains and return them to their rightful owners.

A competing liberal implied assumption about the sources of income is that income is distributed, as in distribution of income. There might be a dealer of dollars. The reason why some people have more dollars than others is because the dollar dealer is a racist, a sexist, a multinationalist, or a conservative. The only right thing to do, for those to whom the dollar dealer unfairly dealt too many dollars, is to give back their ill-gotten gains. If they refuse to do so, then it's the job of Congress to use their agents at the IRS to confiscate their ill-gotten gains and return them to their rightful owners. In a word, there must be a re-dealing of the dollars or what some people call income redistribution.

The sane among us recognize that in a free society, income is neither taken nor distributed; for the most part, it is earned. Income is earned by pleasing one's fellow man. The greater one's ability to please his fellow man, the greater is his claim on what his fellow man produces. Those claims are represented by the number of dollars received from his fellow man.

Say I mow your lawn. For doing so, you pay me $20. I go to my grocer and demand, "Give me 2 pounds of steak and a six-pack of beer that my fellow man produced." In effect, the grocer asks, "Williams, you're asking your fellow man to serve you. Did you serve him?" I reply, "Yes." The grocer says, "Prove it."

That's when I pull out the $20 I earned from serving my fellow man. We can think of that $20 as "certificates of performance." They stand as proof that I served my fellow man. It would be no different if I were an orthopedic doctor, with a large clientele, earning $500,000 per year by serving my fellow man. By the way, having mowed my fellow man's lawn or set his fractured fibula, what else do I owe him or anyone else? What's the case for being forced to give anything back? If one wishes to be charitable, that's an entirely different matter.

Contrast the morality of having to serve one's fellow man in order to have a claim on what he produces with congressional handouts. In effect, Congress says, "You don't have to serve your fellow man in order to have a claim on what he produces. We'll take what he produces and give it to you. Just vote for me."

Who should give back? Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart, Bill Gates founded Microsoft, Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer. Which one of these billionaires acquired their wealth by coercing us to purchase their product? Which has taken the property of anyone?

Each of these examples, and thousands more, is a person who served his fellow men by producing products and services that made life easier. What else do they owe? They've already given.

If anyone is obliged to give something back, they are the thieves and recipients of legalized theft, namely people who've used Congress, including America's corporate welfare queens, to live at the expense of others. When a nation vilifies the productive and makes mascots of the unproductive, it doesn't bode well for its future.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Gone Too Soon



Steve Jobs passed away yesterday, on Wed, Oct 5, 2011. In his passing, the world has lost a visionary and a beautiful leader who has changed the world.

His legacy lives on in the way he impacted our lives. Everybody here on earth owes him a debt of gratitude for his creativity that has changed how we live.

Here is a tribute to Steve in the Wall Streets Journal : - Wall Streets Journal Tribute

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ” Mr. Jobs said in a commencement speech at Stanford University in June 2005, almost a year after he was diagnosed with cancer.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Here is a transcript of his speech : - Commencement Speech


No many people know that Steve Jobs was a Buddhist - he converted to Buddhism when he was in his early 20s, after visiting India and exploring Eastern religion. He was also a vegetarian. You can clearly tell that he has not much attachment - he accepts death as a gift to live life fully.

All his belief systems and values shows up in his words of wisdom. And in the way that he directed Apple to not be attached to its past successes. In his inventions, you can feel the intuitive design that he incorporates into his products.

Follow his teachings and live abundantly and mindfully.

Rest in Peace, Steve - may you be reborn in Western Paradise. And thank you for all the unique gifts that you have shared with all of us. You have made a beautiful difference to the world...

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

20 Words



These words can really change your life.

Believe in it, visualize it and act on it...

Friday, September 30, 2011

Is The Buddha Just A Man?



If the Buddha is a mere human being (which he is not),
Who was born and died like us,
How can he guide us to become Buddhas,
Who are beyond birth and death?


- Stonepeace

According to the Dona Sutra, the brahmin Dona was walking along when he sighted the Buddha's footprints. Amazed by their auspicious details of wheels with a thousand spokes, with rims and hubs, it occurred to him that they could not belong to a human being.

Tracing the footprints, he encountered the Buddha, who was seated under a tree, radiating and inspiring confidence and tranquillity mindfully.

Curious, he went forth and asked if the Buddha was a deva, a godly being, to which the Buddha said he was not. Next, he asked if he was a gandharva, a lesser godly being, to which the Buddha also replied that he was not.

Dona then asked if he was a yaksha, a demon, to which the Buddha again replied that he was not. Stumped, Dona finally asked if he was a human being, to which the Buddha too replied that he was not.

Out of further imaginable options, Dona finally asked, 'Then what sort of being are you?'

The Buddha answered that he had abandoned fermentations that conditioned rebirth as a deva, gandharva, yaksha or human being, similar to how a palmyra stump is totally uprooted. As such, he is no longer any of them or subject to being any of them again.

Just like a lotus flower that blossoms untainted and stands above muddy defiled water, though he was born in this world, he overcame its taints to become 'awakened'. This was when the Buddha defined himself for the first time, when he said, 'I am awake', or 'I am Buddha'.

The word 'Buddha' means an 'awakened one', one who was awakened from the taints of attachment, aversion and delusion, the muck and mire of Samsara.

Having described himself to be like a lotus, this is how the lotus became the symbol of purity in Buddhism, the goal which all Buddhists aspire towards, away from all fermentations and taints that condition rebirth.

The Buddha did not state that was not a mere human being in just one instance. He repeatedly taught that fully awakened ones cannot be defined as adhering to conditions which bind beings to the cycles of rebirth.

While their minds cling to those conditions which define them, his mind does not cling to any of them, just as a lotus flower rises above pure, unconditioned by the dirt where its roots were.

Greater than humans and gods, both of whom are still bound by rebirth, one of the traditional titles of the Buddha is 'Teacher of humans and gods', as it is he, who is free from rebirth, who discerned and walked the path to this freedom, who is capable of teaching all along this path. The Buddha was human when he was still Prince Siddhartha and Ascetic Gautama, but having evolved spiritually and perfectly in compassion and wisdom, he joins the 'race' of all other Buddhas, who are equally supremely enlightened!

Having transcended all constraints,
the Buddha can skilfully manifest as
devas, gandharvas, yakshas, humans or any other beings
to guide them to Buddhahood.


- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Adele - Someone Like You



Love this version of Adele's song.

Enjoy!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Promises Unleashed



This is a good documentary on how the banking systems is so screwed up that it caused the global financial crisis.

If nothing changes, the contagion will always be with us...

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Monday, September 19, 2011

Even Gods May Fall




Whoever has accumulated much merit, after his rebirth in the Deva-realms [heavenly planes of gods], lives there till the end of the life-span of that realm is attained.

If, however, the force of the meritorious deed [good karma] that caused his rebirth onto that realm [which is limited] is exhausted before the end of the life-span of that realm, is reached, he dies [and resume rebirth within Samsara, if not yet enlightened].

Some devas sometimes so indulge themselves in the pleasures and enjoyments of the Deva-realms, that they forget to take their food at the due and proper time. Consequently, at last, they come in for a fainting fit and then pass away. Some others die due to extreme anger caused by jealousy against another’s prosperity.

That is because their subtle bodies cannot endure the burning that their anger generates within themselves, so their bodies are consumed and wither. (This description is given in the story of Ghosaka in the commentary of the Dhammapada.)

In describing the actual manner in which death occurs in these Deva-realms, we are told that when death is approaching and a deva is destined to fall away (die), five signs of warning are shown to him: (1) His garland fades, (2) his garments become soiled, (3) sweat exudes from his arm pits, (4) his body becomes ill-coloured, and (5) he feels no delight in his seat even as he remains seated.

It is also of interest and significance to note that from the moment of birth in a Deva-realm to the moment of death, neither the decaying and breaking of teeth, nor the greying of hair seems to occur. A heavenly female being (devi) for instance, maintains the appearance of a sixteen year old maiden all throughout her life, and a male has the appearance of a twenty year old youth.

At the last moments preceding death, however, their bodies lose their colour, they feel exhausted and faint. Up to this last moment they never feel tired. When they near death, they begin to yawn… Only a few of the devas who are the wisest among them know what is about to happen… When devas die, their mansions too vanish and no residue remains, just as when a piece of camphor is burnt.

[Editor: As such, the mere doing of good to create merits for heavenly rebirths is dangerous, as wisdom is needed too, while the safest place for rebirth is a Buddha's Pure Land, where enlightenment will be eventual, where there is no possibility of sensual indulgence, rise of defilements like anger, spiritual complacency, ageing, disease or untimely death.]

- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Thursday, September 15, 2011

R U OK Day



Today, Australia has launched the "R U OK" day.

It is to highlight the many cases of suicides that had occurred over the years.

The intent is to prevent anyone from considering suicide by just being concerned about the people around you, by just asking a sincere question of how they are doing.

A simple question like "R U OK" and just taking the time to be present and listen to them would perhaps be the very thing that a depressed person needs to stop him from taking the drastic step of ending his life.

So, take a minute to ask your friends, family and acquaintances if they are OK. Be genuinely interested in them and really be there for them.

Help your fellow man and prevent the senseless loss of a beautiful human being from taking their own life.

Life is beautiful - live it fully.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Have You Washed Your Bowl Yet?



In the Zen tradition, a classic dialogue between a teacher and a student is called a ‘mondo’ (in Japanese and Chinese: ‘問答: question and answer’). It is considered classic as it is an illuminating exchange. Whether it is enlightening to one who hears it, however, depends on how deeply one connects to it.

With Zen’s focus on direct experience of the essence of the Dharma in everyday life over looking for it in sutras, mondos are both records of realisations and instructional guides.

One such mondo is called ‘Joshu washes the bowl’, as recorded in ‘The Gateless Gate’ by Zen Master Mumon (Wumen)…

A new monk asks Master Joshu (Zhaozhou), ‘I’ve just entered the monastery. Please teach me.’ Joshu enquires, ‘Have you eaten your porridge?’ The monk replies, ‘I have eaten.’ Joshu says, ‘Then you had better wash your bowl.’

Upon hearing this, the monk became enlightened.

The mystery of this mondo, for musing over, or rather, contemplating, would be why he became enlightened and why we are not likewise so, despite having ‘heard’ the same words! Speculating or rationalising, instead of realising the mondo’s significance would not count, as this is the opposite of directly experiencing the mondo, like the monk did.

Mumon commented on the mondo in verse – ‘It is too clear and so it is hard to see. A dunce once searched for fire with a lighted lantern. Had he known what fire was, he could have cooked his rice much sooner.’

So much said earlier, here are some speculated and rationalised possibilities of what Joshu and Mumon could be conveying. Warning! Mondo ‘spoiler’ ahead – though you might disagree!…

Zen, or rather, the essence and actualisation of the Dharma, is about doing what is supposed to be done in the moment. Though Joshu’s question and instruction seemed out of point as replies to the monk’s request, what he uttered were really the best answers in the moment.

Joshu asked if the monk had eaten out of concern. The question itself was guidance that the monk sought – exemplifying how to practise the Dharma – by being caring, by expressing compassion, to a newbie too! Perhaps the monk didn’t realise this yet, as he answered conventionally, in a way he expect he should.

The Master’s next response was an expression of wisdom, though also based on compassion, helping him to see more clearly what he should do – a skilful and direct instruction. There were no wasted words or efforts. So… why go wash the bowl?

Zen is not about doing or reaching towards something special or mystical. It is down-to-earth and practical, about doing what should be done in this moment – even if it is an ordinary, routine and so-called mundane task.

When we look for something extraordinary, we have forgotten that the extraordinary enlightenment arises from taking care of the ordinary. To focus on doing what is appropriate in each moment with an ‘ordinary mind’, that is not cluttered or distracted with the unnecessary is Zen practice.

Joshu’s replies was Zen in the moment too – what was appropriate there and then. Everyday matters done properly with mindfulness, compassion and wisdom would amount to good Zen practice – beyond just sitting well on the cushion during a meditation session.

Now… we all have our food to eat when hungry, bowls to wash after eating, bodies to bathe at the end of the day… How Zen are you making these activities to be? Now that you have read this article, what is the ‘bowl’ you should ‘wash’ – that next appropriate thing to do? The way of Zen is so clearly before our eyes that we overlook it, as if foolishly looking for glasses while wearing them.

If we lived and breathed Zen all this while, we would be Zen Masters already!

- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Monday, September 5, 2011

A Journey With Nature



Time-lapse video of Mother Nature.

So beautiful.

It takes a lot of dedication to film these in remote places. Our thanks to the author for sharing the beauty with us.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Bruno Aveillan - A Beautiful Artist



Here are some other examples of the beauty that he sees :












Go to YouTube to see more of his work.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Do Not Go Gentle Into The Night



Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mad World



This is such a beautiful song.

It just sums up the state of our world - the strife, the suffering and the pain.

Here is the singer Gary Jules, singing live :

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Glee Project



Here is The Glee Project cast performing "Don't Stop Believing". Beautiful song...

I like this better than the original as their energy is so much better.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Karma



Here is a very good discussion about "Karma" by Eckhart Tolle :

Everybody is born into a certain external environment. Also, everyone is born with certain predispositions – they may be partly genetic, they may be other things. A person is born with certain patterns, in other words. We don’t need to examine where they come from, but the fact is that a human being is born into a certain environment. It may be violent, or it may be relatively peaceful. A person is born with inner patterns that you inherit. Even pain-body is partly inherited.

There’s a whole set of conditioning that happens when you come into an environment. The environment conditions you further, and there’s no choice involved – it’s just influences. You find yourself in this world with certain unconscious patterns that have become the conditioning of who the person is. Karma, as I see it, is the unconscious conditioning that runs your life. Karma is partly collective, and partly personal. You can only understand karma not as an abstract subject external to yourself, you can only understand it by observing yourself, and then you know many other things. If you want to understand karma, you need to look at yourself.

I began to understand what karma is when something arose that was not part of karma at all. Here is the key – the arising of consciousness, or Presence, or spiritual awakening, is not part of karma. It is another dimension that breaks into the karmic realm. You do not become awakened by accumulating, as they sometimes say in the East, “good karma”. That’s fine on this level, you can make the walls or furniture in your prison a little more comfortable, but there’s something totally from beyond karma, that can come into your life at any point.

Re-birth is of course part of karma. The deeper meaning of re-birth is identification with form. We don’t need to even believe in transmigration, or whatever, you can look at re-birth in your own life. Every time you identify with a thought that arises, which is form, you are born into that thought. Your identity, your sense of self is in it. That’s karma. Your karma is the unconscious identification with these patterns that you have inherited – the conditioned. It is complete identification of consciousness with the conditioned patterns. Consciousness is dreaming, one could say. That is why we use the word “awakening” in many spiritual traditions. Consciousness is awakening, consciousness is in a dream-like state, when you are identified with the unconscious patterns. Many times a day, you are re-born into an emotional or mental reaction, into thoughts that arise.

Karma creates, in the external, confirmation that it is correct. So if you think the world is full of evil people, you will meet many evil people – in other words, unconscious people. Even people who are halfway between being conscious and unconscious, your belief will pull them into unconsciousness. Karma is the complete absence of conscious Presence. It is automatic. It plays itself out.

Time does not free you of karma. That is a mis-perception, that if you only spend enough time, eventually you can become free of karma. Karma renews itself and repeats itself. The only thing that can free you of karma is the arising of Presence. At any point in the wheel of karma, Presence can come in. It can happen to a criminal in prison, condemned to death. It can happen to somebody who’s never heard of anything spiritual. It can happen to somebody who’s been meditating for thirty years.

Presence frees you from karma. Not all at once. Karma has an enormous momentum. The thought patterns, the emotional patterns, the reactive patterns. As Presence arises, gradually karma diminishes and you will experience a fading out of those patterns. Not that it matters that much anymore, because once you are present, those thought patterns may still arise, but it is no longer problematic. They no longer cause the suffering that they would have caused before, because they are seen in the light of awareness. In the light of awareness, the patterns no longer dominate your life.

Painbody is part of karma, which may be strong in some and not so in others. As Presence arises, you are freed from karma. Then you have another completely different factor coming into your life. For example, for a person to become free of collective karma, you need a considerable amount of Presence for that to come in. It then will remove you, either internally or you may find yourself somewhere else.

For a person who is born into vast collective karma, it requires considerable Presence for one not to be drawn into that. When Hitler came into power, not many people were able to remove themselves. Some were, and they left. They could see what was happening and they were strong enough not to be identified with the collective. To take yourself out of that collective karma requires considerable Presence – and some people had it. It is our destiny, then, to go beyond karma by being the receptacles for Presence.

Everyone who is awakening will find that sooner or later that they become a kind of teacher to others. What a spiritual teacher does is point out the possibility of awakening out of identification with unconscious patterns. The spiritual teacher teaches you to go beyond karma. That is your function, and will become increasingly so, whether you become a formal teacher, or an informal teacher.

Spiritual awakening and stepping out of karma are the same thing. Many people will be drawn to you. Anybody who is going through the awakening process is already a teacher. Teaching means you find yourself listening from spaciousness, when somebody speaks or asks a question, or tells you about their problems. You may find that the answer comes out from that Stillness in which you listen. You don’t have a sense that “I’m going to teach this person now”. You will find that teaching is spontaneous. You will help people to step out of identification with unconsciousness, which means going beyond karma. This applies to everybody who is awakening.

As you teach, Consciousness is becoming aligned with your mind. Your mind is able to tune in to the deeper Consciousness and can be used as an instrument. Then the words come out of your mouth. There is ultimately really only one teacher, the awakened Consciousness is the teacher. It can only teach those in whom there is a degree of readiness. The teaching needs to be received. If there is only a density of mind, the teaching won’t happen.

You will be amazed when people are drawn to you – people who are ready – and you find yourself saying something that you didn’t even know yourself. It’s only when the question was asked, that the Consciousness responded. As you teach, you learn. Realizations come. Teaching and learning is the same process. A deepening happens, as you teach. You are here to help people go beyond karma.

The important thing to know is that time does not free you of karma. The egoic mind says “I need more time to become free”. The only thing that people may need more time for is that they need time to realize that they do not need time”. It may be another twenty years of suffering for them to realize that they do not need time. They may need to suffer a bit more before they realize the power of the timeless. The timeless is of course the end of karma.

- by Eckhart Tolle

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Is There A Creator?



Buddhism refutes the possibility of something independent that does not depend on a cause.

Everything is interdependent. No phenomenon arises autonomously, suddenly deciding, so to speak, that it will manifest.

If the primal substance were the cause of everything it gives rise to, then it would have to be produced itself. But as it is not itself created, how can it create anything?

Buddhism teaches that everything arises from causes and conditions and that there is no such thing as an un-caused cause.

If there were such a thing, then everything could be said to arise from nothing! Alternatively, the primal substance would have to be constantly giving rise to (causing) something. But as we can see, phenomena sometimes manifest and at other times do not. This is because the causes and conditions on which they depend sometimes come together and at other times do not.

If the cause were independent and able to create constantly, then of course its results would also have to be constant.

Since the results are not constant, we can argue that their cause also is not constant: it is impermanent. If there is such a thing as an independent creator, which in consequence is alone and all-pervading, all its manifestations or results should be permanent.

Belief in such a creator is simply not logical.

- Extracted from : The Daily Enlightenment

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Prajna Paramita



Prajna Paramita is the Perfection of Wisdom, as preached in the Heart Sutra.

When we realize and can perceive that the 5 aggregates (form, feeling, pereception, mental formation and consciousness) are empty, we would have developed Prajna Paramita.

Without Prajna (wisdom), we cannot understand the principle of emptiness.

Developing Prajna is not about secluding yourself in some remote retreat to meditate and chant the Heart Sutra. Wisdom emerges in the midst of the ordinary activities of our daily lives. It is there while we are eating, walking, sitting, sleeping or interacting with our environments and other people.

Here is a beautiful story that illustrates this.

Once, there lived a monk who visited a great Chan Master well known for his wisdom and enlightenment.

He stayed with the Master for more than ten years, serving him faithfully and taking care of all his mundane needs.

One day, he approached his Master and told him that he wants to leave.

The Master asked, "Where do you want to go?"

The young monk answered, "I want to go in search of the existence of the Dharma."

The Master answered, "There is the essence of the Dharma right here. Where else do you want to search for it?"

The young monk replied, "I have been here for more than 10 years, serving you faithfully. You have never explained anything to me about the Dharma. So, how can it be here?"

The Master was astonished, "How can you say that there is no essence of the Dharma here? When you came to offer me tea, I always accepted it and drank it. When you brought me food, I ate it. When you joined your palms and bowed down to pay respect to me, I have nodded my head in response. All these things tell you about the essence of the Dharma. How can you say that the essence of the Dharma is not here? All these are the essence of the Dharma. They stand for the parjna in our daily life!"

The young monk answered, "Oh! This is Prajna! Let me think this over."

The Master said, "Don't think. Thinking arouses differentiation; thinking is no longer prajna."

The moment the young monk heard this sentence, he became enlightened.

So, what this story illustrates is that prajna is everywhere, and Buddhist teachings is everywhere around us. It is when you live mindfully that you will understand prajna.

If you have prajna, then you can clearly see that the 5 aggregates are empty. Once we understand that these aggregates are empty, then we are able to cross the ocean of suffering and achieve enlightenment. We will no longer be consumed by the differentiation of our lives, the dualities of existence.

We can then see that everything is emptiness and this world is illusory...

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Reminders For The Coming Tough Times



Here are 75 reminders to help motivate you when you need it most.

Tough times never last, but tough people do.
- Robert H. Schuller


1. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
2. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
3. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
4. Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect. Nobody has it easy. You never know what people are going through. Every one of us has issues. So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else. Everybody is fighting their own unique war.
5. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you’re alive and full of potential.
6. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. (Read Unstoppable.)
7. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
8. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Let it go.
9. Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.
10. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
11. Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
12. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
13. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
14. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
15. Give up worrying about what others think of you. What they think isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.
16. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
17. When other people treat you poorly, keep being you. Don’t ever let someone else’s bitterness change the person you are.
18. You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
19. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by. But that feeling is a lie. And if you just hold on, someone will find you and help make it better. Because we all need a little help sometimes – someone to help us hear the music in our world. To remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there right now.
20. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
21. Sometimes we accidentally allow small problems to escalate and dominate our lives. If we get overcharged a few cents, it is irritating, but don’t let it ruin your day. There will always be small issues that irritate us; the secret is to be able to give them the miniscule level of importance they deserve.
22. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go. (Read The Dip.)
23. Ask yourself whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up. Surrounding yourself with positive, loving people is half the battle of living a happy, successful life.
24. Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to impress.
25. There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, a good read, a good walk, a good hug, a good smile, or a good friend.
26. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long. Right now is life. Live it.
27. No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say. So just say what you need to say.
28. In order to be creative, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
29. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
30. To be great does not mean you have to dominate others. It means you have to dominate your own potential.
31. If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
32. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
33. Forgiveness is one of the primary keys to happiness.
34. The best revenge is happiness, because nothing drives your adversaries more insane than seeing you smile.
35. Stay positive when negativity surrounds you. Smile when others frown. It’s an easy way to make a difference.
36. If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
37. Don’t regret intimate relationships that don’t work out. Because they will only help you find the right partner for you, and better appreciate them for everything they do and everything they are.
38. What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
39. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done. And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.
40. Never lie – not even a white lie! When you steer away from the truth, you steer away from your soul. Be honest, be real and tell the truth. This awareness forces you to make better choices and be a stronger person.
41. Feelings, good and bad, always come and go.
42. Don’t get caught up in wasted potential from years past. Potential is all we ever have.
43. We are not alone. No matter how bizarre or embarrassed or pathetic we feel about our own situation, there will be others out there experiencing the same emotions. When you hear yourself say “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie so you will continue to feel sorry for yourself.
44. It is okay to be angry. It is never okay to be cruel.
45. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
46. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
47. Money is a renewable resource. If you lose some money, don’t sweat it. You can always make more. However, if you spend valuable time stressing over money, or lost opportunity, you’ll never get that time back. Time is more valuable than money – time is the greatest constituent of life.
48. Never let people know that they got to you. Ignore them. Hold your head up high and pretend all their negative remarks don’t even phase you, and someday they actually won’t.
49. There is nothing to hold you back except you. And there is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” Think about it.
50. Life is way more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.
51. It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
52. When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
53. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
54. You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished, or expected them to be.
55. Even when you feel like you have nothing, someone else likely has far less. Find them and help them. You’ll see why.
56. Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often. Find the humor in whatever situation you’re in.
57. If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have that money can’t buy.
58. Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
59. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
60. You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s just a matter of wanting it bad enough.
61. It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance. You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work. But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Sometimes you just have to go for it!
62. If it were easy everyone would do it. This is why get rich quick schemes will never be true. If it was so quick and easy then everyone would be millionaires. Accomplishing great things is hard work, but well worth it.
63. Notice and cherish life’s surprises. Just because it’s not what you were expecting, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.
64. Be vulnerable. Allow yourself to feel, to be open and authentic. Tear down any emotional brick walls you have built around you and feel every exquisite emotion, both good and bad. This is real life. This is how you welcome new opportunities.
65. You must create and look for opportunities. Opportunities rarely ever come knocking on the door of someone who’s not seeking them. You have to create and seek opportunities for yourself. You have to take the initiative to get the ball rolling and the doors opening.
66. If it’s out of your control, why fret about it? Concentrating on things you can control is how you make good things happen.
67. Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. (Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)
68. No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible. Or they may incessantly suggest that the idea or dream as a whole is utterly ridiculous because nobody really cares. When you come across these people, don’t try to reason with them. Instead, forget that they exist. They will only waste your time and energy.
69. If you spend 80% of your time focusing on the problem and only 20% on the solution, what do you think is going to happen?
70. No matter how badly you think your life may be going, or how messed up you think you are, there is at least one thing you are doing right in your life or you wouldn’t be alive reading this.
71. A problem is a chance for you to learn.
72. The greatest struggle is to be something different from what the average man is.
73. In times of great stress, it’s always wise to keep busy, to plow your anger and frustration into something positive.
74. One thing is for sure: Regardless of the situation, life goes on.
75. Everyone wants a perfect ending. But over the years I’ve learned that some of the best poems don’t rhyme, and many great stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end. Life is about not knowing, embracing change, and taking a moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.

Oh, and…

You wanna know who’s awesome? Read the first word of this line again.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Secret of the Buddha's Smile



One of the most iconic images of Buddhism is surely that of the Buddha sitting silently under a tree, with his eyes half-closed, while beaming the most beautiful, kind and understanding smile ever.

So enduring is this depiction of deep peace and composure, that the Buddha, be it in the form of statues or pictures, is the most reproduced image in the world. It is appreciated not only by Buddhists, but by people from various cultural walks of life – to the extent that Buddha images have become home decor must-haves for many!

Yet, as alluring as the Buddha’s smile is, many of us are still puzzled by it, for it presents many a mystery… Why is the Buddha smiling? What is he smiling about? How did he manage to attain the True Happiness that his smile represents? Perhaps most importantly, can we smile a similar smile too?

Of course we can! Is that not the deeper reason why we venerate the Buddha – so as to draw inspiration from him, so as to emulate his perfect compassion and wisdom? The good news is that ever since the Buddha smiled his ‘magic’ smile, he shared on how we can too.

The Buddha smiles because he has made peace, not only with himself, but with the rest of the world too.

This should not be mistaken as constant abiding in a state of complacent inactivity, for Buddhahood is realised through the active perfection of compassion to benefit all beings, and of the perfection of wisdom to know how to best help them. What the eternally seated Buddha represents is the state of enlightened bliss that the Buddha abides in – even as he does his best, which is whatever is necessary in the moment, to guide beings to the same enlightenment (synonymous with True Happiness).

The secret of the Buddha’s smile lies in the mastery of his mind – through the practice of meditation. The pose we see Buddha images in is usually that of the Buddha in the classic meditation posture. There are many forms of meditation taught today, with just as many varied purposes as techniques, just as in the Buddha’s time.

The Buddha himself mastered meditation from the greatest meditation teachers available then – before realising their methods were inadequate for realising enlightenment.

What then, sets the Buddha’s meditation methods aside? The Buddha too taught many forms of meditation, as part of the Noble Eightfold Path to liberation. In this sense, the Buddha never really taught any meditation technique for its own sake, as the long-term goal is always nothing less than perfect enlightenment.

Buddhist meditation thus should ideally not be practised merely as a feel-good relaxation exercise, as if one is doing yoga only for fitness. It would be a great pity to shortchange ourselves of meditation’s full benefits! However, it is nevertheless true that what the Buddha taught can still benefit many who do not yet aspire for enlightenment. All in good time?

A good example of a Buddhist meditation method suitable for all, be one Buddhist or not, is the practice of loving-kindness (Metta) meditation, whereby one systematically cultivates thoughts and energy of loving-kindness, first within and for oneself, before it overflows and radiates to the world.

Often mistaken as a simple visualisation exercise, when Metta is trained well, transformative waves of loving-kindness can truly be generated, felt and extended. Strong metta is a soothing balm not just for one’s troubled mind, but heals beyond – through loving words and deeds too. With more Metta for all, you will get closer to the Buddha’s magic smile too!

One of the most common misconceptions of meditation is that it is dangerous – which unfortunately keeps some a perpetual distance from attaining the Buddha’s smile. This is a very general misconception indeed… that easily applies to virtually everything else in life. For instance, it is dangerous to drive too, as one might have a fatal crash, just as it is dangerous to swim as one might drown? The truth is, nothing is dangerous if it is learnt properly from a skillful teacher. Just as a masterful driver and swimmer is always safe, likewise is a good meditation practitioner.

Someone remarked to a friend new to meditation that though meditation may bring benefits according to many independent scientific reports, it is dangerous as demons may infiltrate his mind! Though well-meaning, the truth is that meditation, when practised properly, is precisely to learn how to mindfully protect one’s mind from inner demons, which are our spiritual defilements like attachment, aversion and delusion (which cause unhappiness), and outer demons (in terms of any adverse external circumstances). In this sense, it is more dangerous not to meditate!

As meditation always involves mindfulness, when the practitioner is mindful, the person is not only in control, but in control greater than usual. As such, it is not possible to ‘lose one’s mind’ through meditation. In fact, one becomes a better master of one’s mind. That said, there are some who might be less suitable for certain forms of meditation due to mental ailments. Yet, there is always at least one method suitable for everyone. Just as a doctor can prescribe the right medicine for physical ills, a good meditation teacher can likewise prescribe the best method.

Meditation is also not about making the mind blank – as mindfulness is always required. As such, it is not about doing nothing or daydreaming. Once again, with the presence of mindfulness and control, there is no need to worry about being brainwashed! It is only by surrendering mindfulness that brainwashing can happen. In contrast, whenever we live our lives unmindfully, in a state of haze, we are already somewhat ‘brainwashing’ ourselves! Meditation thus reverses this tendency and reconnects us with genuine conscious living.

Another common misconception of meditation is that it is very difficult to practise. Using the driving and swimming examples again, it is almost always challenging at first, for anyone who is new to any skill, to master it. When the going gets a little tough, we should remind ourselves of the immeasurable worth of mastering our minds – that very source of our happiness and unhappiness. The good news is that practice does make perfect. Let us practise diligently then! It is also appropriate to start simpler by learning foundational meditation techniques such as mindfulness of breathing (Anapanasati).

It is worth noting too, that the practice of chanting done well is also a meditative practice, as it too has effects similar to other meditation techniques – in cultivating calmness and clarity of mind. That chanted can include sutras (discourses of the Buddha), mantras (strings of sacred syllables for invoking pure states of mind – such as the mantra of compassion – ‘Om Mani Padme Hung’) and general prayers. The chanting of ‘homage to’ or ‘refuge in’ (Namo) various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is practised too, the most popular of which is ‘Namo Amituofo’ (Amitabha Buddha). The benefits of these practices are tremendous as well.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not at all a dull activity. In fact, it is the doorway to the greatest inner adventure ever – to discover and actualise the hidden potentials of the mind. The practice of meditation eventually leads to mastery of both the inner and the outer world, as we increase in fortitude for facing the vicissitudes of life, to be able to remain smiling like the Buddha in the eye of the storm! Through meditation, may we spring to greater life with mindfulness, as we master the smile of the Buddha!

Heedfulness is the path to the deathless (Nirvana; liberation from suffering of rebirth).
Heedlessness is the path to death (and rebirth).
The heedful die not (as they are alive with mindfulness).
The heedless are as if dead already (as they live mindlessly).

- The Buddha

Extracted from : - The Daily Enlightenment

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Increase Your Perception



Ken Dyers gave a very enlightening lecture about how your perception forms your reality.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Skill In Means Sutra


Then the Lord [Buddha] again addressed the Bodhisattva Jnanottara:

“Son of the family: Once a upon a time, long before the Thus-come-one, the Worthy, the fully perfected Buddha Dipamkara, there were five hundred merchants who set sail on the high seas in search of wealth.

Among the company was a doer of dark deeds, a doer of evil deeds, a robber well-trained in the art of weaponry, who had come on board that very ship to attack them. He thought, “I will kill all these merchants when they have achieved their aims and done what they set out to do, take all possessions and go to Jambu Continent.”

“Son of the family: then the merchants achieved their aims and set about to depart.

No sooner had they done so, than that deceitful person thought: “Now I will kill all these merchants, take all their possessions and go to Jambu Continent. The time has come.”

At the same time, among the company on board was a captain named Great Compassionate. While Captain Great Compassionate slept on one occasion, the deities who dwelt in that ocean showed him in a dream: "Among this ship’s company is a person named so and so, of such and such sort of physique, of such and such, garb, complex, and shape—a robber mischievous, a thief of others’ property. He is thinking,” I will kill all these merchants, take all their possessions and go to Jambu Continent.”

To kill these merchants would create formidable evil karma for that person.

Why so? These five hundred merchants are all progressing toward supreme, right and full awakening; they are each irreversible from awakening. If he should kill these Bodhisattvas, the fault—the obstacle caused by the deed—would cause him to burn in the great hells for as long as it take each one of these Bodhisattva to achieve supreme, right and full awakening, consecutively. Therefore, Captain, think of some skill in means to prevent this person from killing the five hundred merchants and going to the great hells because of the deed.’

“Son of the family: Then the captain Great Compassionate awoke. He considered what means there might be to prevent that person from killing the five hundred merchants and going to the great hells.

Seven days passed with a wind averse to sailing to Jambu Continent. Without wind during those seven days he plunged deep into thought, not speaking to anyone.

“He thought, ‘There is no means to prevent this from slaying the merchants and going to the great hells but to kill him.’

“And he thought, ‘if I were to report this to the merchants, they would kill and slay him with angry thoughts and all go to the great hells themselves.’ “And he thought, ‘if I were to kill this person, I would likewise burn in the great hells for one hundred-thousand eons because of it. Yet I can bear to experience the pain of the great hells, that this person not slay these five hundred merchants and develop so much evil karma. I will kill this person myself.

“Son of the family: Accordingly, the captain Great Compassionate protected those five hundred merchants and protected that person from going to the great hells, by deliberately stabbing and slaying that person who was a robber with a spear, with great compassion and skill in means.

And all among the company achieved their aims and each went to his own city. Son of the family. At that time, in that life I was none other than the Captain Great Compassionate. Have no second thought or doubt on this point. The five hundred merchants on board the five hundred Bodhisattvas who are to gain supreme, right and full awakening in this auspicious eon.

“Son of the family: For me, Samsara was curtailed for one hundred-thousand eons because of that skill in means and great compassion. And the robber died to be reborn in a world of paradise. The five hundred merchants on board are the hundred future Buddhas of the auspicious eon.

Son of the family, what do you think of this? Can curtailing birth and death for one hundred-thousand eons with that skill in means and that great compassion of skill in means be regarded as the Bodhisattva’s obstacle caused by past deeds? Do not view it in that way. That should be regarded as his very skill in means.”

The Skill In Means (Upayakausalya) Sutra [Excerpt above]
Translated by Mark Tatz

- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Whoopi Goldberg's 2011 SCAD Commencement Address



Whoopi Goldberg is such an inspirational speaker.

She has lived her life on her own terms. Her wisdom shines through as she urged the new graduates to be bold and claim the world for their own.

She advised them to be bold, to believe in themselves and in their dreams.

That is what makes life interesting - the courage to push the boundaries and make discoveries about yourself and share it with the world.

That is how the world has progressed, how humanity has grown and how the creativity of our society has increased.

Sweet Revenge Song



This Canadian singer took a United Airlines flight and saw the ground workers throwing his guitar when loading it into the cargo hold.

When he arrived at his destination and found that his guitar was damaged, he approached United for compensation. However, he was given the run-around and United denied any responsibility for the damage to his guitar.

So, what did he do?

He wrote a song, made a video and posted it on YouTube.

The video became a viral hit and attracted so much bad publicity for United that the airline quickly contacted the singer to reimburse him with a new guitar.

However, damage has been done and United's reputation was dragged through mud. Such a small act of listening to your customer and taking pro-active actions to address their grievances could have prevented a huge brand destruction of their name.

Sweet revenge indeed...

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Real Meaning of the Dharma



The real meaning of the Dharma…
must be directly experienced.

~ Siddhi Nagarjuna

Personal experience is…
the foundation of Buddhist philosophy.
In this sense, Buddhism is radical empiricism or experimentalism.

~ D.T. Suzuki

The Truth itself…
can only be self-realised
within one’s own deepest consciousness.

~ The Buddha

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Doing What is Possible



“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt


The above quote from Eleanor Roosevelt is so inspiring to me.

Often, we are defeated before we even do anything because our mind tell us that we cannot do it.

What we think actualize the reality of our lives.

So, when you think you cannot do something, invariably, you will not do it.

Why? Because your internal voice has already told you that it cannot be done. Therefore, why even try?

However, true courage means that you face up to what you fear, what you think you do not have the capability to do.

A lot of times, we sell ourselves short - we convince ourselves that we do not have the talent, the ability, the skills to do the things that we need to do.

The warrior spirit within us tells us that we can. We need to listen to it and say to ourselves that whatever the outcome, I am going to give it a go and try my very best to succeed in what "they" say cannot be done.

That is the achievements of the human race - every breakthroughs and new inventions comes about because the courageous human spirit refuses to believe that it cannot be done.

So, listen to your internal warrior - do what you think that cannot be done. Strive on despite whatever challenges is in front of you.

When you succeed, when you crossed over to the other side and when you realized the victory of the battle, you will be glad that you have done that...

So, live your dreams big!!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Ocean Sky in Australia

Ocean Sky from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.



Beautiful night skies in Australia.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Life is A Gift


Today before you say an unkind word -
Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food -
Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife -
Think of someone who ' s crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too early

Before whining about the distance you drive
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job -
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -
Put a smile on your face and think :

You’re alive and still around.


It is important to count your blessings everyday. Give gratitude to all the blessings that you have.

Live fully now and be grateful for even the smallest miracles of life...

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Running Across America



Marshall Ulrich ran from California to New York, running nearly 5000 kilometers across USA in just 52 days.

The human spirit, when challenged, will soar...

Virtual Choir 2.0



Composer and conductor Eric Whitacre brings together 2052 singers from 58 countries to create the largest ever online choir.

The performance of his composition "Sleep" is beautiful and showcase the wonders of the Internet - its ability to bring together people all around the world to produce beauty...

Friday, July 1, 2011

Beat The Wind



The freedom of running...

Giving With Wisdom



A long time ago there lived a Bodhisattva of great diligence who wanted to achieve Enlightenment as soon as possible.

In his practice, he emphasized the core principle of having no attachments even though he was very rich and prosperous. Therefore, he announced publicly that he would give away everything that he has.

Many people came to him and he gave generously - money, food and anything that anyone asked him for. Those who benefited from his generosity praised him for his kindness and his non-attachment to his wealth and property. The Bodhisattva was pleased.

One day, a rather disagreeable beggar came and asked him, "Is it true that you are ready to give away anything that people ask you for?"

The Bodhisattva replied, "Yes, I will give freely away everything I have, whatever you ask for."

The beggar then said to him, "Give me your right hand."

The Bodhisattva took a knife, cut off his hand, and gave it to the beggar with a smile.

The beggar then said. "I could never accept something given with the left hand. This is really improper!"

In that instant, anger arose in the Bodhisattva. "You are so ungrateful!" he shouted at the beggar.

And with that he abandoned the Bodhisattva path...

True giving is all about giving without attachment. Even if the recipient rejects your gift or treat it with disrespect, if you have given generously, with great wisdom, the response would not have mattered to you.

The karma would have be upon the recipient. If he is very grateful, he would have generated good karma. Being ungrateful and unappreciative would cause evil karma to be visited on the recipient.

So, the giver would have generated lots of merits if he gives with wisdom, gives without attachments and gives with equanimity...

Once the act of giving has taken place, the result of the giving is inconsequential to the given. That is giving with wisdom.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Map of The Four Noble Truths



The First Noble Truth is the effect of suffering.
The Second Noble Truth is the cause of suffering.
The Third Noble Truth is the effect of the end of suffering.
The Fourth Noble Truth is the cause of the end of suffering.


The First Noble Truth
is about knowing your current situation
(of being lost in suffering),
For if you don't know where you are,
As a reference point,
Even the best map (of the Dharma) is useless
(as you might assume you're elsewhere).

The Second Noble Truth
is about knowing what cause your current situation
(attachment, aversion, delusion),
For if you don't know why you are where you are,
As a reference point,
Even the best map is useless
(as you'll remain stuck where you're).

The Third Noble Truth
is about knowing the situation you wish to be in
(away from suffering; Nirvana),
For if you don't know where you are going,
As a reference point,
Even the best map is useless
(as you can't reach there).

The Fourth Noble Truth

is about knowing how to be in the situation you wish to be in
(by walking the Noble Eightfold Path),
For if you don't know how you are going there,
As a reference point,
The best map is useless
(as you won't be using it as a guide).

Just as realisation of the Noble Truths ennoble,
ignorance of them is to remain ignoble.


Extracted from : The Daily Enlightenment
- Stonepeace