May all beings be well and happy.
The teaching of the Lord Buddha has have a great impact in shaping who I am and the way I live my life. Today, we commemorate the birth, Enlightenment and Passing away of the Buddha, the Teacher of Gods and Men.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Happy Vesak Day
Happy Vesak.
May all beings be well and happy.
The teaching of the Lord Buddha has have a great impact in shaping who I am and the way I live my life. Today, we commemorate the birth, Enlightenment and Passing away of the Buddha, the Teacher of Gods and Men.
May all beings be well and happy.
The teaching of the Lord Buddha has have a great impact in shaping who I am and the way I live my life. Today, we commemorate the birth, Enlightenment and Passing away of the Buddha, the Teacher of Gods and Men.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
From Prince Siddhartha to Lord Buddha
Counting down to Vesak Day, the most important day on the Buddhist calender.
A choice Vesak
From Piya Tan
A choice Vesak
Vesak day marks the birth, awakening and passing away of the Buddha, the most highly evolved of beings in our universe. We all evolve as a species or group so that we become better at what we are doing, in our case, as humans. At this point in our evolutionary history, we have used our common wisdom and abilities to be able to live together in highly complex groups, called society.
This is as far as biological evolution brings us. We have evolved as perhaps the most intelligent and successful group of beings on earth. We can be good at almost anything we put our minds to it. We are highly capable to doing good as well as bad things. We desire pleasure and happiness, and reject pain and suffering.
On a broad level, we can define “good” as what brings pleasure and happiness to us as individuals and as a group (society, country, and world). “Bad” is what brings us pain and suffering. Let us use the word “morality” for all these ideas about good and bad to facilitate our discussion.
There are two kinds of morality: the worldly and the spiritual. Worldly morality is the kind of behaviour we show or put up with because it is right (the law), it is proper (etiquette), it is to our advantage (politics), and so on. The difficulty here is that different societies, even different individuals, define this kind of morality in their own way, such as, which side of road to drive on, or how to dress properly for the occasion.
There is a higher kind of morality, the spiritual, which is more of an individual nature. This is the ability to understand and accept the fact that we cannot really be happy all by ourselves when there is suffering around us. Just as we do not like suffering, others too feel the same.
It is for this reason that prince Siddhattha gave up all his worldly happiness and pleasures, his family and status, to seek the truth that would liberate us from suffering. With his awakening as the Buddha, we can say that he did not really give up his family at all. He merely left behind the narrow, biological concept of family for a broader, unconditional idea of a spiritual family.
This notion of a spiritual family is still seen today in the monastics who keep to the Buddha’s teachings. As a rule, they are available to us whenever we need them. In our troubles, we can approach them for spiritual comfort and counselling, which our biological family is unlikely to be disposed to give.
A community of lay Buddhists who, guided by the Buddha Dharma, consistently shows wisdom and compassion, too, is a spiritual family. Such Buddhists, when their lives are touched and moved by Dharma are capable of giving spiritual comfort and counselling to anyone who needs it.
In the Buddha’s teaching, wisdom is the proper understanding and use of knowledge. We may know a lot of things but we may be selfish with them or do not know how to use them for our happiness and the happiness of others.
Wisdom starts with the willingness to accept ourselves just the way we are, and others just the way they are. In doing this, we are also showing compassion to ourselves and to others. For, compassion is being kind to ourselves even when we do not deserve it, to others even they do not deserve. (Kindness shown when the other party deserves it is called “gratitude.”)
As Buddhists, we choose to see others as mirrors of ourselves. We love life and fear death, so do others. We desire happiness and owning things, so do others. We value pleasure and love, so do others. We need truth, so do others. And our minds must be calm and clear to enjoy all these things. That is why the Buddha recommends us to keep to the five precepts.
Vesak Day is a reminder to us of the Buddha’s boundless compassion. He freely taught the liberating truth in an age when religious knowledge was monopolized by a priestly elite. But as Buddhists, anyone can study the suttas, meditate and associate with others. We often take this for granted, even forget about such basic nature of the Buddha’s teachings.
At least once a year, especially on Vesak day, we should get down to the basics and ask ourselves basic questions and answer them in meaningful (not speculative) ways. What is the meaning of life? -- Things are never perfect or satisfactory, no matter where you look. What is the purpose of life? -- To learn from all this, so that we can find true happiness and liberation.
May you have a choice Vesak!
Piya Tan ©2010.
A choice Vesak
Vesak day marks the birth, awakening and passing away of the Buddha, the most highly evolved of beings in our universe. We all evolve as a species or group so that we become better at what we are doing, in our case, as humans. At this point in our evolutionary history, we have used our common wisdom and abilities to be able to live together in highly complex groups, called society.
This is as far as biological evolution brings us. We have evolved as perhaps the most intelligent and successful group of beings on earth. We can be good at almost anything we put our minds to it. We are highly capable to doing good as well as bad things. We desire pleasure and happiness, and reject pain and suffering.
On a broad level, we can define “good” as what brings pleasure and happiness to us as individuals and as a group (society, country, and world). “Bad” is what brings us pain and suffering. Let us use the word “morality” for all these ideas about good and bad to facilitate our discussion.
There are two kinds of morality: the worldly and the spiritual. Worldly morality is the kind of behaviour we show or put up with because it is right (the law), it is proper (etiquette), it is to our advantage (politics), and so on. The difficulty here is that different societies, even different individuals, define this kind of morality in their own way, such as, which side of road to drive on, or how to dress properly for the occasion.
There is a higher kind of morality, the spiritual, which is more of an individual nature. This is the ability to understand and accept the fact that we cannot really be happy all by ourselves when there is suffering around us. Just as we do not like suffering, others too feel the same.
It is for this reason that prince Siddhattha gave up all his worldly happiness and pleasures, his family and status, to seek the truth that would liberate us from suffering. With his awakening as the Buddha, we can say that he did not really give up his family at all. He merely left behind the narrow, biological concept of family for a broader, unconditional idea of a spiritual family.
This notion of a spiritual family is still seen today in the monastics who keep to the Buddha’s teachings. As a rule, they are available to us whenever we need them. In our troubles, we can approach them for spiritual comfort and counselling, which our biological family is unlikely to be disposed to give.
A community of lay Buddhists who, guided by the Buddha Dharma, consistently shows wisdom and compassion, too, is a spiritual family. Such Buddhists, when their lives are touched and moved by Dharma are capable of giving spiritual comfort and counselling to anyone who needs it.
In the Buddha’s teaching, wisdom is the proper understanding and use of knowledge. We may know a lot of things but we may be selfish with them or do not know how to use them for our happiness and the happiness of others.
Wisdom starts with the willingness to accept ourselves just the way we are, and others just the way they are. In doing this, we are also showing compassion to ourselves and to others. For, compassion is being kind to ourselves even when we do not deserve it, to others even they do not deserve. (Kindness shown when the other party deserves it is called “gratitude.”)
As Buddhists, we choose to see others as mirrors of ourselves. We love life and fear death, so do others. We desire happiness and owning things, so do others. We value pleasure and love, so do others. We need truth, so do others. And our minds must be calm and clear to enjoy all these things. That is why the Buddha recommends us to keep to the five precepts.
Vesak Day is a reminder to us of the Buddha’s boundless compassion. He freely taught the liberating truth in an age when religious knowledge was monopolized by a priestly elite. But as Buddhists, anyone can study the suttas, meditate and associate with others. We often take this for granted, even forget about such basic nature of the Buddha’s teachings.
At least once a year, especially on Vesak day, we should get down to the basics and ask ourselves basic questions and answer them in meaningful (not speculative) ways. What is the meaning of life? -- Things are never perfect or satisfactory, no matter where you look. What is the purpose of life? -- To learn from all this, so that we can find true happiness and liberation.
May you have a choice Vesak!
Piya Tan ©2010.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Closer Singapore-Malaysia ties
Our ties with our northern neighbour must surely be improving, when Malaysia has finally agreed to move the station and the immigration checkpoint from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. This is significant, as the KTM has always been a deadlock issue and a bone to grind, most intensified during Mahathir's later years as Prime Minister of Malaysia. It's a good thing we are moving in the right direction with our bilateral ties with Malaysia. We share too much of our history and heritage to be at odds with each other.
I went on a film shoot at the train station two years ago and found it sad that a historical icon was terribly rundown and under-utilised. What it would be used for is still not known though there are chances it could be tear down to make way for commercial buildings. It will be a real pity for many Singaporeans, especially the older generation. This is the same train station which gives me one of my strongest childhood impression, where I saw my grandmother met her brother for the first time in 40 years, only to bid him goodbye for the last time in their lives as siblings. The historical value and nostalgia of this train station cannot be replicate elsewhere once it is being torn down.
I went on a film shoot at the train station two years ago and found it sad that a historical icon was terribly rundown and under-utilised. What it would be used for is still not known though there are chances it could be tear down to make way for commercial buildings. It will be a real pity for many Singaporeans, especially the older generation. This is the same train station which gives me one of my strongest childhood impression, where I saw my grandmother met her brother for the first time in 40 years, only to bid him goodbye for the last time in their lives as siblings. The historical value and nostalgia of this train station cannot be replicate elsewhere once it is being torn down.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
meeting the kungfu master
Just before I left, I excused myself for a fanboy moment, “我们华裔的男生都是看你的电影长大的。” He didn't say anything, except returning an appreciative smile.How much do I rate my chances? Not high actually. He told me that the movie business is messy and movie executives are too difficult to handle for a fresh graduate like me. Definitely not an easy task for someone without much prior working experience. Plus I don't think I did justice to my passion in filmmaking.
I left the restaurant thinking if this is the only chance, and the closest I could ever get to enter the mainstream HK/Chinese film industry.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
elated yet confused
I'm elated, excited yet confused. I received a phone call today from Hong Kong, about the job that may bring me closer to my dream job. Not that dream job that allows me to serve my country, but the other dream job, the one that keeps me raving, of heartbreaks and moments of inspiration. It still isn't a dream job, but it will bring me so much closer to what I want to do eventually. I am honoured, extremely honoured, but I'm confused. Which one do I give up? I've made up my mind to serve this country in a uniform, at least while I am healthy and fit, while pursuing the other dream as a hobbyist. But now that this has come along, I am swayed. But doing so will be a great risk, having to give up my aspiration of serving the country and the low budget feature film project.
My Chinese horoscope is a bull, one who refuses to leave the comforts of its surroundings. But I always want to challenge such notions, especially what I think could be my weakness, my stumbling blocks. The prospects of graduation is an exciting time, a big bang of all your dreams and ambitions against the volatile real world.
So what's my next step? Frankly I don't know. Lets just wait and see.
My Chinese horoscope is a bull, one who refuses to leave the comforts of its surroundings. But I always want to challenge such notions, especially what I think could be my weakness, my stumbling blocks. The prospects of graduation is an exciting time, a big bang of all your dreams and ambitions against the volatile real world.
So what's my next step? Frankly I don't know. Lets just wait and see.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
I just need a short time to rant, to explode and then I will bounce back quickly.
I credit this, and many other good in my life to my Buddhist upbringing and its emphasis on the training of the mind. To be constantly mindful of you emotions and learn how to cope with it. After all, the Buddha says, "the mind is the forerunner of all things".
I guess that's why the BBC reported that Buddhists "really are happier".
I credit this, and many other good in my life to my Buddhist upbringing and its emphasis on the training of the mind. To be constantly mindful of you emotions and learn how to cope with it. After all, the Buddha says, "the mind is the forerunner of all things".
I guess that's why the BBC reported that Buddhists "really are happier".
Monday, May 17, 2010
crushed
If there is a God, he must really hate me.
Small obstacles always amplify and destroy everything that I worked hard for.
Fortunately, I believe I re-bounce quickly. Lets wait and see.
Small obstacles always amplify and destroy everything that I worked hard for.
Fortunately, I believe I re-bounce quickly. Lets wait and see.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Dr. Goh Keng Swee is the man my generation only read in the history books but Singapore is surely not what she is today, without Dr. Goh's shrewd and meticulous policy planning. JTC, an industrialized economy, a world-class fighting force, a world class education, etc.
I think all Singaporeans owe him one-minute of their time today, to reflect upon the greatness of a man on the great development of a small tiny island-state from third world to first.
Goodbye Dr. Goh
The pasing away of an Old Guards, the brilliance behind the success of many of our early economic and education policies.
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Singapore's economic architect Goh Keng Swee died early on Friday morning after a long illness. He was 91.
Source: The Straits Times
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Singapore's economic architect Goh Keng Swee died early on Friday morning after a long illness. He was 91. Dr Goh Keng Swee will be remembered, above all, for his role as one of the prime architects of Singapore's economic success. Many of the key milestones in Singapore's journey from Third World backwater to globalised, First-World city can be found in the story of his life, vividly portrayed in the new book Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait by his daughter-in-law Tan Siok Sun.
The son of a rich Malacca family - his father, Goh Leng Inn, was a manager of a rubber plantation, his mother was from the family that produced famous Malaysian politicians Tun Tan Cheng Lock and his son Tun Tan Siew Sin - Dr Goh joined the Department of Social Welfare in 1946, and was active in post-war administration.
He resigned from the civil service in 1959 to enter politics and was elected as the People's Action Party representative for Kreta Ayer, his constituency until he retired in 1984.
He had one word to describe the state of the economy when he became finance minister in 1959: 'Wretched'.
Upon Singapore's independence in 1965, Dr Goh also became Minister for the Interior and Defence until 1967, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore's military and domestic security capabilities. A key policy was the creation of National Service, a mandatory conscription system for able-bodied young males.
In 1979, Dr Goh moved on to the Education Ministry, where his Goh Report greatly influenced the development of Singapore's education system, introducing key policies such as streaming and religious education.
Dr Goh retired as Deputy Prime Minister in December 1984, due to personal reasons.Source: The Straits Times
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Dream Job
Less than 12 hours to the entry test of my job dream, the other one besides filmmaking. Please let me get through! Nothing beats waking up every morning with a purpose.
The plan to take one year off to make a feature film and enrolling into grad school still remains. I will never give up on filmmaking. It is a passion that will follow me all the way.
The plan to take one year off to make a feature film and enrolling into grad school still remains. I will never give up on filmmaking. It is a passion that will follow me all the way.
WKWSCI Class of 2010
What is the Problem?
WKWSCI will be having its Convocation Ceremony combined with ADM. However a directive from the President of NTU states that there can only be one Valedictorian Speaker for each Ceremony. ADM will have its Valedictorian Speaker which means we from WKWSCI will have no representative to speak of. It would be nice that the ADM cohort will be sending their representative but as students from WKWSCI, our experiences will be vastly different and we may not be able to relate as well to their Valedictorian speech.
From what have been going around, Dr. D and the faculty of WKWSCI have tried to get ourselves our Valedictorian Speech and we should definitely acknowledge their efforts and thank them for it. But since the efforts of even our Chair cannot convince the university, then it is up to us to let the university know that the Valedictorian Speech is important to us.
Why is it Important?
A valedictorian is very significant. He/she represents the entire class of students as the most promising and brightest amongst the entire cohort. He/she will carry and represent the culmination of all the good that we have created and shared in our 4 years here in WKWSCI, and also the passion, drive and ambitions we have for the future. As of now, 5 students have been nominated and one of them will represent our Class as valedictorian.
The valedictorian speech is a great tradition to sum not only our 4 years of education here in NTU but also our long journey of formal education. After 4 years, NTU cannot expect us to have nothing to say – to just sit and listen to others speak of their experience. Our education here would have failed, if we have not grown to become men and women of convictions. How good then is an education, if we have no passion, drive and imagination?
Fortunately, that is not the case. To have my valedictorian speak in front of my peers and myself during our convocation will be the perfect end to our education journey here – a celebration for all the great teachers in our lives, who have given us the greatest gift of wisdom and truth, and our fellow peers, friends who walked with us hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder in this long but meaningful journey.
The valedictorian speech by our very own valedictorian is thus of utmost importance and significance to the graduating students. His/her speech will contain all the sentiments, achievements, history and memories of the entire class as a whole. This speech is thus unique and irreplaceable by any other than our own.
What We Can Do?
There is still a good estimate of 2 months to go before Convocation. We should seek and clarify our position with the university. The valedictorian speech is a privilege, not a right. It is, however, a privilege that we should feel strongly for. The University definitely has its valid reasons (I hope) for allowing only one valedictorian for one ceremony, but if we feel strongly for this issue, we should let the University knows that we want a nice and meaningful farewell to the school that has groomed us to become men and women of tomorrow, ready to face the world with all our dreams.
We should take a matured and rational approach to this matter. Most of the time, conflicts arise because of misunderstanding and miscommunication. This is one area we should avoid. We need to tell the University not only what we feel, but also that we want to solve the problem together. We are not here to demand for our wants, only to neglect what may be the pressing issues, the bigger picture that the University may be facing. We need to show the University that we can respond and give feedback and support that can help the university formulate alternatives to this issue. The University’s problems are also valid to the students.
We can use this Facebook group to communicate with all the students of WKWSCI Class of 2010, so that we hear everybody’s views. Those who feel strongly for the issue, and those who may feel that it is a privilege we can do without.
Everybody’s views matter. Only when we have a general feedback from the Class of 2010 can we then let the university knows our stand and what we feel. Only then can we give a proper feedback to the university and see how things can work out.
I want to have a happy and memorable convocation with everyone, so lets work things out positively together!
Join the Facebook Group now to make your stand!
WKWSCI will be having its Convocation Ceremony combined with ADM. However a directive from the President of NTU states that there can only be one Valedictorian Speaker for each Ceremony. ADM will have its Valedictorian Speaker which means we from WKWSCI will have no representative to speak of. It would be nice that the ADM cohort will be sending their representative but as students from WKWSCI, our experiences will be vastly different and we may not be able to relate as well to their Valedictorian speech.
From what have been going around, Dr. D and the faculty of WKWSCI have tried to get ourselves our Valedictorian Speech and we should definitely acknowledge their efforts and thank them for it. But since the efforts of even our Chair cannot convince the university, then it is up to us to let the university know that the Valedictorian Speech is important to us.
Why is it Important?
A valedictorian is very significant. He/she represents the entire class of students as the most promising and brightest amongst the entire cohort. He/she will carry and represent the culmination of all the good that we have created and shared in our 4 years here in WKWSCI, and also the passion, drive and ambitions we have for the future. As of now, 5 students have been nominated and one of them will represent our Class as valedictorian.
The valedictorian speech is a great tradition to sum not only our 4 years of education here in NTU but also our long journey of formal education. After 4 years, NTU cannot expect us to have nothing to say – to just sit and listen to others speak of their experience. Our education here would have failed, if we have not grown to become men and women of convictions. How good then is an education, if we have no passion, drive and imagination?
Fortunately, that is not the case. To have my valedictorian speak in front of my peers and myself during our convocation will be the perfect end to our education journey here – a celebration for all the great teachers in our lives, who have given us the greatest gift of wisdom and truth, and our fellow peers, friends who walked with us hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder in this long but meaningful journey.
The valedictorian speech by our very own valedictorian is thus of utmost importance and significance to the graduating students. His/her speech will contain all the sentiments, achievements, history and memories of the entire class as a whole. This speech is thus unique and irreplaceable by any other than our own.
What We Can Do?
There is still a good estimate of 2 months to go before Convocation. We should seek and clarify our position with the university. The valedictorian speech is a privilege, not a right. It is, however, a privilege that we should feel strongly for. The University definitely has its valid reasons (I hope) for allowing only one valedictorian for one ceremony, but if we feel strongly for this issue, we should let the University knows that we want a nice and meaningful farewell to the school that has groomed us to become men and women of tomorrow, ready to face the world with all our dreams.
We should take a matured and rational approach to this matter. Most of the time, conflicts arise because of misunderstanding and miscommunication. This is one area we should avoid. We need to tell the University not only what we feel, but also that we want to solve the problem together. We are not here to demand for our wants, only to neglect what may be the pressing issues, the bigger picture that the University may be facing. We need to show the University that we can respond and give feedback and support that can help the university formulate alternatives to this issue. The University’s problems are also valid to the students.
We can use this Facebook group to communicate with all the students of WKWSCI Class of 2010, so that we hear everybody’s views. Those who feel strongly for the issue, and those who may feel that it is a privilege we can do without.
Everybody’s views matter. Only when we have a general feedback from the Class of 2010 can we then let the university knows our stand and what we feel. Only then can we give a proper feedback to the university and see how things can work out.
I want to have a happy and memorable convocation with everyone, so lets work things out positively together!
Join the Facebook Group now to make your stand!
Gentleman Politics
David Cameron is well-known for his cheeky antics as the leader of the opposition in the British parliament. But his first speech as Prime Minister reflects the gentleman politics in acknowledging the former Prime Minister and his government, the same way he did with Brown's predecessor.
And farewell speech to Tony Blair.
No hard feelings:
And farewell speech to Tony Blair.
No hard feelings:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Phocus Academy
Prices of DSLR cameras are so low now that practically everyone on the streets own one. But if you want to learn more about the camera and the techniques of shooting at an affordable price, Phocus Academy is a good place to go.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
You are a Buddhist, remember that.
Everything you do, every activity and work you volunteer, always ground yourselves in the teachings of the Buddha.
Even when you're not in the temple, be mindful that the Buddha is your teacher and his teachings your guide in life.
Don't ever forget that.
Let wisdom and compassion be a guiding light in your life.
May you all abide in the 5 Precepts diligently.
Always be mindful of the Noble 8 Foldpaths.
Know that the Buddha-Dhamma gives you solace and respite in a world that is just like a roller-coaster ride, ups and downs, the thrills and the monotony.
The group will only grow, the community will only strengthen, if the faith and spirituality of the Buddhist youth are strong.
For those who are already practicing on a daily basis, please keep it up. For those who still don't see the need to practice, do give yourself at least 5 minutes everyday before bed to reflect upon your day and then do your homage to the Buddha. We all need some form of spiritual discipline in our lives.
Most importantly, Buddhist practice does not start only in the temples of the Dhamma centres. Your practice begin from the first moment you are awake, on your journey to school and work and your daily interaction with your fellow human beings, animals and the environment. Buddhism for lay people is not about taking 1 month away from the city into the forest for intense cultivation. It should be a daily process of everyday mindfulness in everything that we do.
Saw this online, where a Chinese national student at NUS suggest that Singapore can consider a merger with China. This is however not an anti-China post. I like China and admire its political leaders and history. But this post contains a powerful retort from a Singaporean undergrad (Li Lianjie, Jet Li?) that resonates with me and I hope can make us all feel very proud to be Singaporeans. Link.
Heading : Academic Discussion
From : JIN XU Date : 07-Feb-2010 01:44 PM
Topic : merger with China
Hi all,I just wonder if there is a possibility for Sg to merge with China, since so many people here are Chinese in race, and a strong hinterland of the Chinese mainland is obviouly beneficial for the singapore’s economy. Why not Singapore just assume Hong Kong’s module and join China, while maintain its self-governorship?
Originally Posted by yandao07
Heading : Academic Discussion Msg 8 of 20
From : LI LIANJIE ANTHONY Date : 07-Feb-2010 05:55 PM
Topic : Re: merger with China
I highly doubt that will be possible for 4 main reasons:1. As stated earlier in previous posts, we are geographically too far apart from one and another. This implies that never in the entire history of mankind was this piece of land ever owned by the Chinese. This distinguishes Singapore from countries like Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. Even if we are to merge, the more logical one will be with Malaysia.
2. The Singapore government has spent 45 years to build up this nation that guards it’s sovereignty and beliefs strongly. We are not about to relinquish it easily. Don’t talk about merger with China, even the more logical option which is that of merger with Malaysia is regarded as absurd by most Singaporeans.
3. The difference in political structure of both nations is bound to cause much conflict. Racial and religious tensions are bound to be at a high once again because when Singapore is adopted into the China system, there is bound to be widespread discord among the different racial groups. On that note, I just simply cannot imagine the idea of Malays and Indians singing the China national anthem. One is then bound to retort: why is our anthem than sang in Malay?. Well, our anthem is in Malay because these lands were probably once dominated by Malays and it was a symbol of respect to the Malays. This further validates the fact that there is no official reason for China to claim sovereignty over this piece of land.
4. The high proportion of Chinese in these lands cannot be justified as a reason for merger between Singapore and China. If this logic work, China can start staking claim in many states or parts of other countries and world since the number of Chinese immigrants around the world far outnumbers that of other races and nationalities.
On a very personal note, I am a Chinese. I am proud to be a Chinese but as a Singaporean Chinese, not a China Chinese. I love my roots and I acknowledged that my ancestors crossed over less than a century ago from China. However, i have no emotional attachment to China. I did not grow up there. China did not groom me. Singapore did. One can say that maybe I am brainwashed by propaganda but that is not true. I love this land, not because I have a particular liking for a piece of flag or because I like to live on a red dot. Neither is it because I like PAP. In fact sometimes I feel that being associated with a red dot quite suit the way I work because I like it when people underestimate what we can do. The most obvious reason why I would like to stay here because my family is here, my friends are here and most importantly, my home is here. I will shake hands and be friends with a China Chinese but I am not ready to kneel down and offer two generations of Singaporean hard work to a China Chinese. I do not have the kind of patriotism nor that kind of pride China Chinese has. Frankly, I think loyalty to country is a blind and nonsensical notion if the country is using such notions to pull it’s citizens by the nose and getting nothing done for the collective good. However, having my ideals and beliefs shaped as per such, I only wish to continue to live a peaceful and prosperous environment built on the basis of a colour-blind society that I have enjoyed since young and I am not ready to relinquish it. Enough said, I think you will probably know what I will vote for if there is a referendum on merger.
How did the Buddha really look like?
From Piya Tan
The beautiful Buddha image we often see today with a full head of wavy hair, an angelic face, a toga-like robe with flowing pleats, and of course the halo, are the legacy of Indo-Greek Buddhist art of north-western India, which was in turn the result of Alexander the Great’s campaigns in north-western India (4th century BCE). The Buddha in no way ever looked like such an image, nor any other image we see around today, certainly not like the 71-metre Leshan Buddha from China (said to be the biggest in the world) who will be in public gaze for Vesak this year (2010).
So how did the Buddha image arise? One very likely source of the ancient Buddha image is the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom (250 BCE-130 BCE), located in modern-day Afghanistan, from which Hellenistic culture diffused into the Indian subcontinent with the establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom (180-10 BCE).
Under the Indo-Greeks, and then the Kushans, the interaction of Greek and Buddhist culture flourished in the area of Gandhara (today’s northern Pakistan), before spreading into India, influencing the art of Mathura (about 150 km south of modern Delhi), and then the art of the Gupta empire, which was to extend to the rest of South-east Asia. Graeco-Buddhist art influences spread northward into Central Asia, shaping the art of the Tarim Basin, and then the art of East Asia.
Greek influences on Indian Buddhist art and Buddhist art in general are seen in the wavy hair, symmetrical angelic face, the gentle flowing pleated robes and Apollo-like torso. The Mathura school of Indian Buddhist art, on the other hand, produced a similar Buddha image but with a shaven head (more true to reality, but with less aesthetic appeal). The image failed to catch on, and the tonsure was covered with whorled hair, reflecting one of the lesser marks of the “superman.” [Note 1]
How did the Buddha really look like? We can know this for certain from the early Indian suttas. From the Vinaya and the Suttas, we are often given the clear impression that the Buddha looked very much like any other bona fide monk. Just as the Buddha made the Vinaya rules, he kept to them, too: “As I say, so I do; as I do, so I say.” [Note 2] In other words, the Buddha kept his head shaven, and wore rag-robes just like any other good monk. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that on many occasions not everyone is able at once recognize the Buddha on seeing him.
Let me quote two very famous historical cases. The first case is recorded in the Samannaphala Sutta (Digha 2), which recounts how Ajatasattu (the king who killed his own father, Bimbisara) had to ask his physician Jivaka which of numerous monks in the assembly before him was the Buddha. Jivaka had to point out the Buddha to the king (that the Buddha was the one sitting against the pillar facing the east) (D 2.11/1:50). [Note 3]
The second case is that of a monk’s inability to recognize the Buddha, recorded in the Dhatu Vibhanga Sutta (Majjhima 140). The monk Pukkusati, on his journey to meet the Buddha, spends the night en route, in a potter’s hut. The Buddha decides to meet him there, but Pukkusati cannot recognize him -- that is, until midway in the Buddha’s teaching to him! At the end of the discourse, he apologizes and acknowledges the Buddha as his teacher. [Note 4]
The Introduction to the Kalinga Bodhi Jataka (J 4:228) records the Buddha as rejecting the use of any bodily relics and dismissing even memorial forms (objects representing him) as “groundless and fanciful,” as they are arbitrary. He allowed only the use of the Bodhi tree to represent him. A similar prohibition is alluded to in chapter 48 of the Sarvastivada Vinaya (see AK Coomaraswamy, Elements of Buddhist Iconography, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935:63 n4).
When a wise Buddhist bows before a Buddha image, he recollects the Buddha’s virtues that would help him collect and calm his mind. When we learn to calm our minds, it becomes clearer so that we understand ourselves better. A strong mind can solve any problem.
Buddha images and Buddhist images should not be treated as fetishes (magical objects). They have no power of their own, except for what we attribute to them. Or better whenever we bow before one another, we should visualize the Buddha image; for, this reminds us of our potential for self-awakening.
Revisioning Buddhism 17
[an occasional re-look at the Buddha’s Example and Teachings]
Copyright by Piya Tan ©2010
[Note 1]: See The Body in Buddhism = SD 29.6a (7.2): http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/29.6a-The-body-in-Buddhism-piya.pdf
[Note 2]: Digha 2:224, 229, 3:135; Majjhima 1:108, 109; A?guttara 2:24; It 122; Sutta-nipara 357 (Nigrodha,kappa); Jataka 326/3:89.
[Note 3]: Samannaphala Sutta: see http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/8.10-Samannaphala-S-d2-piya.pdf
[Note 4]: Dhatu Vibhanga Sutta: see http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/4.17-Dhatuvibhanga-S-m140-piya.pdf
The beautiful Buddha image we often see today with a full head of wavy hair, an angelic face, a toga-like robe with flowing pleats, and of course the halo, are the legacy of Indo-Greek Buddhist art of north-western India, which was in turn the result of Alexander the Great’s campaigns in north-western India (4th century BCE). The Buddha in no way ever looked like such an image, nor any other image we see around today, certainly not like the 71-metre Leshan Buddha from China (said to be the biggest in the world) who will be in public gaze for Vesak this year (2010).
So how did the Buddha image arise? One very likely source of the ancient Buddha image is the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom (250 BCE-130 BCE), located in modern-day Afghanistan, from which Hellenistic culture diffused into the Indian subcontinent with the establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom (180-10 BCE).
Under the Indo-Greeks, and then the Kushans, the interaction of Greek and Buddhist culture flourished in the area of Gandhara (today’s northern Pakistan), before spreading into India, influencing the art of Mathura (about 150 km south of modern Delhi), and then the art of the Gupta empire, which was to extend to the rest of South-east Asia. Graeco-Buddhist art influences spread northward into Central Asia, shaping the art of the Tarim Basin, and then the art of East Asia.
Greek influences on Indian Buddhist art and Buddhist art in general are seen in the wavy hair, symmetrical angelic face, the gentle flowing pleated robes and Apollo-like torso. The Mathura school of Indian Buddhist art, on the other hand, produced a similar Buddha image but with a shaven head (more true to reality, but with less aesthetic appeal). The image failed to catch on, and the tonsure was covered with whorled hair, reflecting one of the lesser marks of the “superman.” [Note 1]
How did the Buddha really look like? We can know this for certain from the early Indian suttas. From the Vinaya and the Suttas, we are often given the clear impression that the Buddha looked very much like any other bona fide monk. Just as the Buddha made the Vinaya rules, he kept to them, too: “As I say, so I do; as I do, so I say.” [Note 2] In other words, the Buddha kept his head shaven, and wore rag-robes just like any other good monk. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that on many occasions not everyone is able at once recognize the Buddha on seeing him.
Let me quote two very famous historical cases. The first case is recorded in the Samannaphala Sutta (Digha 2), which recounts how Ajatasattu (the king who killed his own father, Bimbisara) had to ask his physician Jivaka which of numerous monks in the assembly before him was the Buddha. Jivaka had to point out the Buddha to the king (that the Buddha was the one sitting against the pillar facing the east) (D 2.11/1:50). [Note 3]
The second case is that of a monk’s inability to recognize the Buddha, recorded in the Dhatu Vibhanga Sutta (Majjhima 140). The monk Pukkusati, on his journey to meet the Buddha, spends the night en route, in a potter’s hut. The Buddha decides to meet him there, but Pukkusati cannot recognize him -- that is, until midway in the Buddha’s teaching to him! At the end of the discourse, he apologizes and acknowledges the Buddha as his teacher. [Note 4]
The Introduction to the Kalinga Bodhi Jataka (J 4:228) records the Buddha as rejecting the use of any bodily relics and dismissing even memorial forms (objects representing him) as “groundless and fanciful,” as they are arbitrary. He allowed only the use of the Bodhi tree to represent him. A similar prohibition is alluded to in chapter 48 of the Sarvastivada Vinaya (see AK Coomaraswamy, Elements of Buddhist Iconography, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935:63 n4).
When a wise Buddhist bows before a Buddha image, he recollects the Buddha’s virtues that would help him collect and calm his mind. When we learn to calm our minds, it becomes clearer so that we understand ourselves better. A strong mind can solve any problem.
Buddha images and Buddhist images should not be treated as fetishes (magical objects). They have no power of their own, except for what we attribute to them. Or better whenever we bow before one another, we should visualize the Buddha image; for, this reminds us of our potential for self-awakening.
Revisioning Buddhism 17
[an occasional re-look at the Buddha’s Example and Teachings]
Copyright by Piya Tan ©2010
[Note 1]: See The Body in Buddhism = SD 29.6a (7.2): http://dharmafarer.org/
[Note 2]: Digha 2:224, 229, 3:135; Majjhima 1:108, 109; A?guttara 2:24; It 122; Sutta-nipara 357 (Nigrodha,kappa); Jataka 326/3:89.
[Note 3]: Samannaphala Sutta: see http://dharmafarer.org/
[Note 4]: Dhatu Vibhanga Sutta: see http://dharmafarer.org/
Monday, May 10, 2010
Ah Niu's thank you note
54. Ice Kachang Puppy Love may have its little cheesey romantic moments but it is still one of the most sincere films I've ever watched. I hope it isn't the end of Ah Niu's cinematic journey.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Thank you everyone, cast and crew who have helped made this film with us. There are so many of you that I cannot thank individually but rest assure everyone of you have a special place in my heart, memory and in the making of this film. We are going into further colour correction next week and will promise everyone a DVD real soon.Filament 2010 has been a blast! It felt surreal, having been attending Filament since Freshmen year and suddenly, you saw your own film on the big screen and that which finally bids farewell to your life here as a student.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Filament 2010 was significant and important to me because of the presence of you guys. Your attendance and support meant a lot, because all of you are the people who believed and supported my dreams since the first day I began my education here in NTU. Big Guy and your fellow alumni, peers of 2010, Hall 6 Raiders and the lovely Sunshine Club. SBM Youths.
And not forgetting the Juniors, and the Shinigami chasing after this dreams in Taipei now.
Thank you everyone.
And not forgetting the Juniors, and the Shinigami chasing after this dreams in Taipei now.
Thank you everyone.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
The Silence by Ingmar Begman.The next step into the unknown. It is daunting but I will try. Frankly I am still confused with my options. This or that? Should I or shouldn't I? I wish there is an answer but there isn't one. Not yet. Someday, we'll know. I don't want to live my life with regrets. I want to live life to the fullest, fulfilling every dream and every ambition. Am I asking for too much?
These are times when I ask myself if I should really help, when what I would only get back is trouble after trouble. These are times when I feel helpless, vindicated and wonder if there is anyone who is willing to go the extra mile for me.
A deeper reflection tells me that are but few friends who will do so. A timely reminder for myself to cherish these extra special friends and not take them for granted.
A deeper reflection tells me that are but few friends who will do so. A timely reminder for myself to cherish these extra special friends and not take them for granted.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
The Roar of an Asian Tiger: On Singapore's Rapid Growth
The source of this news isn't from the local media, and something the new media skeptics continuously leave out of their content.
It is encouraging to see 32.1% growth coming out of the fog of a global financial crisis. It is more encouraging to see a government that is ready to move swiftly to stem the tide of runaway growth (and runaway inflation). The house has put its money on the table…and with Singapore in its cards, it’s got a pretty good hand.
Read more here.
It is encouraging to see 32.1% growth coming out of the fog of a global financial crisis. It is more encouraging to see a government that is ready to move swiftly to stem the tide of runaway growth (and runaway inflation). The house has put its money on the table…and with Singapore in its cards, it’s got a pretty good hand.
Read more here.
CAMP LIONS
CAMP LIONS - Leading & Inspiring Young Buddhist in Singapore
It started with a small but sincere idea of uniting Buddhist youth groups in Singapore two years ago. And through a leadership camp, inspire the next generation of youth leaders to lead a meaningful life full of wisdom and compassion, and be motivated to want to serve the Buddhist community.
The Lion as the national symbol of our country and a reminder that we as Buddhists leaders have to serve and be mindful of our national duties and the religious and cultural diversity of our nation.
The Lion also has a very special in the Buddhists texts. In the Discourse on a Rhinoceros Horn (Khaggavisana Sutta), the Buddha said:
Not startled, like a lion at sounds.
Not snared, like the wind in a net.
Not smeared, like a lotus in water:
wander alone...
The Pioneer British monk, late Venerable Nanamoli wrote of the lion as "universally recognized to be their (animal kingdom) chief. The living embodiment of self-possessed power, he is the most regal in manner and deportment, the mightiest, the foremost with respect to speed, courage and dominion. The expression of the lion's supremacy is its roar — a roar which reduces to silence the cries, howls, bellows, shrieks, barks and growls of lesser creatures. When the lion steps forth from his den and sounds his roar, all the other animals stop and listen. On such an occasion none dares even to sound its own cry, let alone to come into the open and challenge the fearless, unsurpassable roar of the golden-maned king of beasts.
The Late Venerable NanamoliThe Buddha's discourses, as found in the ancient Pali canon, frequently draw their imagery from the rich and varied animal life of the luxuriant Indian jungle. It is thus not surprising that when the Buddha has occasion to refer to himself, he chooses to represent himself as the stately lion and to describe his proclamation of the Dhamma, bold and thunderous, as a veritable lion's roar in the spiritual domain. "
Lets all start by learning to be a brave-hearted lion in our lives, firm in times of crisis, wise and mindful of every moment. Standing tall with wisdom and compassion. The inaugural CAMP LIONS 2009 was a success. May CAMP LIONS 2010 reach a higher level. May it have the blessing to take root and bear fruit for more to come.
"The success of Singapore came from the hard work, resourcefulness and ingenuity of your forefathers and their leaders. You are the descendants of these lion-hearted pioneers."
One of my favourite quote and something I always keep inside to inspire and to remind myself of the things I can do and need to do.
One of my favourite quote and something I always keep inside to inspire and to remind myself of the things I can do and need to do.
NO!
MUST SAY NO!
But not easy to be taking some time off. Lots of commitments lining up and it's a good reminder for me to learn to say no, even though there are so many things in this world I want to try and do.
I need a break, I need to be fair to myself.
Yet at the same time, I am young only once and deserve this one last sprint.
MUST SAY NO!
But not easy to be taking some time off. Lots of commitments lining up and it's a good reminder for me to learn to say no, even though there are so many things in this world I want to try and do.
I need a break, I need to be fair to myself.
Yet at the same time, I am young only once and deserve this one last sprint.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
The power of the mind
by Mabel.
An average human uses 3-5% of their minds.
An average human uses 3-5% of their minds.
Einstein used 10%.
Scientists predict that if we even used 20% of our brains, we could have powers like flight. whee.
An interpretation of why Buddha has such psychic powers is because of his ability to train his mind so much that he was able to harness a greater percentage of his brain than normal humans do.
Did you know that if you imagined yourself doing a sport/exercise perfectly before you do it, you shed 30% more calories than if you didn't?
And then there's the placebo effect, where people recover from illnesses thinking that they were given cures but it's just mentos sweets.
With the power of our mind, the concentration that we have, we can harness so many abilities innate in us. Our perseverance, our determination, our strength, motivation, many many many things.
Not only in terms of physical excellence, with the control of our minds, we also control our emotions. We convince ourselves that we can choose to be happy or sad, satisfied or dissatisfied, jealous or appreciative, angry or understanding.
The Buddha's teaching has taught us why there is no need to feel sad, dissatisfied, jealous or angry. Because of the impermanence of things, because of the conditional nature of things, because of the ever-changing nature. Things are bound to change and we feel upset when there is a change that we cannot adapt to.
How do we train our minds to be of such great powers??
We meditate!
Meditation can help us to train our minds to concentrate, we focus on something and try not to get distracted by the many many many thoughts that go through our heads daily.
Scientists have even proven that meditation helps to grow the frontal lobe of our brains, which helps us to differentiate right from wrong and helps us to learn social skills. A research has even shown that criminals have smaller frontal brain lobes than average humans!
Meditation has also proved to be able to change the paths of our neurotransmitters. Our neurotransmitters get used to travelling in a certain pathway and hence we start to develop habits. With meditation, we train these neurotransmitters to travel in different paths, hence slowly ridding of habitual tendencies.
Not only so, I personally feel that because meditation helps us to learn to be mindful of our emotions, actions and thoughts, it is necessary for us to harness the great abilities of our brains!
Imagine if we didn't even realise that we were angry, how are we going to use our brains to tell us there is no point in being angry??
Kudos to Vicky for the sharing, despite being sick for the previous week round. It must have been the power of the mind that convinced him that he is feeling well enough to do the sharing preps!!
Cheers,
Mabel
Scientists predict that if we even used 20% of our brains, we could have powers like flight. whee.
An interpretation of why Buddha has such psychic powers is because of his ability to train his mind so much that he was able to harness a greater percentage of his brain than normal humans do.
Did you know that if you imagined yourself doing a sport/exercise perfectly before you do it, you shed 30% more calories than if you didn't?
And then there's the placebo effect, where people recover from illnesses thinking that they were given cures but it's just mentos sweets.
With the power of our mind, the concentration that we have, we can harness so many abilities innate in us. Our perseverance, our determination, our strength, motivation, many many many things.
Not only in terms of physical excellence, with the control of our minds, we also control our emotions. We convince ourselves that we can choose to be happy or sad, satisfied or dissatisfied, jealous or appreciative, angry or understanding.
The Buddha's teaching has taught us why there is no need to feel sad, dissatisfied, jealous or angry. Because of the impermanence of things, because of the conditional nature of things, because of the ever-changing nature. Things are bound to change and we feel upset when there is a change that we cannot adapt to.
How do we train our minds to be of such great powers??
We meditate!
Meditation can help us to train our minds to concentrate, we focus on something and try not to get distracted by the many many many thoughts that go through our heads daily.
Scientists have even proven that meditation helps to grow the frontal lobe of our brains, which helps us to differentiate right from wrong and helps us to learn social skills. A research has even shown that criminals have smaller frontal brain lobes than average humans!
Meditation has also proved to be able to change the paths of our neurotransmitters. Our neurotransmitters get used to travelling in a certain pathway and hence we start to develop habits. With meditation, we train these neurotransmitters to travel in different paths, hence slowly ridding of habitual tendencies.
Not only so, I personally feel that because meditation helps us to learn to be mindful of our emotions, actions and thoughts, it is necessary for us to harness the great abilities of our brains!
Imagine if we didn't even realise that we were angry, how are we going to use our brains to tell us there is no point in being angry??
Kudos to Vicky for the sharing, despite being sick for the previous week round. It must have been the power of the mind that convinced him that he is feeling well enough to do the sharing preps!!
Cheers,
Mabel
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Spent Saturday helping the Juniors with their 48 Hour film challenge. It was always a great feeling. I always like to volunteer and work on student/hobbyist film sets. There's so much passion involved. Plus this is the first time on set with Jinyong, Pamy and Amos, despite us raving over the same craft together for more than 3 years.
Time 2010
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is on TIME 2010's 100 people with the most impact on the world.
Historians have been debating, it seems forever, whether individuals shape events or are their register. There can be no doubt about the answer with regard to Lee Kuan Yew, 86, Minister Mentor of Singapore. For 50 years, he has shaped the fate of Singapore. He became Prime Minister when an obstreperous city was ejected from the Malaysian Federation on the theory that it would have to come crawling back. Lee had a different vision. The mark of a great leader is to take his society from where it is to where it has never been. When Lee took over, per capita income was about $400 a year; now it is close to $40,000. Lee inspired his polyglot population to become the intellectual and technical center of the region. Because of his leadership, a medium-size city has become a significant international and economic player, especially in fostering multilateral transpacific ties. On his periodic visits to Washington, Lee Kuan Yew is received by the President and leaders of both parties. There is no better strategic thinker in the world today. Two generations of American leaders have benefited from his counsel.
Historians have been debating, it seems forever, whether individuals shape events or are their register. There can be no doubt about the answer with regard to Lee Kuan Yew, 86, Minister Mentor of Singapore. For 50 years, he has shaped the fate of Singapore. He became Prime Minister when an obstreperous city was ejected from the Malaysian Federation on the theory that it would have to come crawling back. Lee had a different vision. The mark of a great leader is to take his society from where it is to where it has never been. When Lee took over, per capita income was about $400 a year; now it is close to $40,000. Lee inspired his polyglot population to become the intellectual and technical center of the region. Because of his leadership, a medium-size city has become a significant international and economic player, especially in fostering multilateral transpacific ties. On his periodic visits to Washington, Lee Kuan Yew is received by the President and leaders of both parties. There is no better strategic thinker in the world today. Two generations of American leaders have benefited from his counsel.
Kissinger is a former Secretary of State
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