Technology 4 - The New Life?

Being made to move out to a new place has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The major one being that I was forced to take stock of my things and clear my clutter. Going through the stuff was like a journey through time over the last four years.
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What struck me was that over that period of time, technology have moved so fast that it has changed my way of life drastically. When I first came back to Singapore, I was desperately looking for networking events so that I can get to know more people. There were very few around. Then, as more networking events got organised, online networking came - and took over!! :) They are free, fast and arguably more effective, though it still have to be complemented with face-to-face meetings.
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I even find it easier to organise alumnis online via online social networks. That way, it reaches out worldwide. There is also no club to register, no Annual General Meetingss, no books to audit, no club house to maintain and no membership cards to print. Just organise events online, find a cafe or restaurant and congregate everyone for the event. And when I do meet them, I beam my name card to their mobile phones. I think paper name cards are wasteful and clumsy.
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Next, I was looking for magazines where I can contribute articles on 'information security'. It was difficult to get magazines to accept that - even when I offered to do it pro-bono. Now, I can write my articles have them linked with other relevant articles, add animation or videos to them, and have them read by the world via a blog. So I'm able to do more, better, faster and reach a bigger audience and it doesn't cost me any money.
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Four years ago, I used to keep in touch with friends by email - that itself was a quantum leap from writing snail mails, but now I get in touch with them instantly via sms and online chats. Doing any better would be telepathic.
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Taking it further, I now buy things online, and pay my phone and utility bills online. I have also asked the companies serving me to send the bills only by email. That way, I can store them without filling my house up. It's also easier to search for backdata.
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I now listen to songs online. All the songs I like to hear are online. So I don't need CDs too. Even if I do buy CDs, I will have them saved as a mpeg file and store them on my disk and mp3 player. Again saving space and time.

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Oh, BTW, I threw out my new Yellow Pages. These guys must be living in Stone Age.
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Besides exploiting the Internet and Cyberspace, I also use robots to help me to do the household chores. Besides the usual washing machines, coffee maker...etc. I use a robot vacuum cleaner. I work them hard everyday to keep my house clean, while I put my legs up and drink coffee.
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I believe there will be more robots coming up. Robots for different purposes. Robots to serve you tea, robots to keep you company, robots to be attached to one's arms/legs as we get older and weak...etc.
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See below, I have some videos about some interesting robots...



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Not sexy enough? Look at this...

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This one has more realistic facial features and expressions...
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However, to date, none of them can be self inspired. That means they cannot think out of the box. Which means that if we do not want to be inspired, we may one day realise that we are no better than robots.

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Besides robots, what is next?

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May be we will learn to communicate with our thoughts. Thoughts are energies and they travel, so communication is possible. Today, I thought of my friend Makarand out of the blue, then he called from India. Next I thought about a project I am working on, and my colleague call me at that very instance to ask about the progress. I am sure some of you have experienced this before.

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There are several instances when I can feel the symptoms of the people that I send Reiki Energies to. If you would like to read more, click Reiki 2- Letting Go. In those moments, I am like a radio connecting to the energy frequencies of the other person and playing his music. But I am not exceptional, there are other Reiki practitioners who have experienced the same.

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Extending my experience of Reiki, I found that I can feel the vibrations of objects in general. By focus and concentration, I can tell something about the objects and the stories related to them. If you would like to read more, click Psychometry.

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The Red Indians in the Americas are said to have learned the art of communicating with all living things. Here living things extend to even things that are not visibly moving and considered non-living by many people. If you would like to read more, click Tao.

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Considering what we can do, we would one day look back and find that even the Internet and what we can do on it, to be clumsy and slow. :)

A Break, A Move, and an Enlightened Builder

I was taking a break from the packing and meeting up with my Australian builder friend.

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The location was a local coffee shop. The kitchen chopper went a-chopping at the Hainanese Chicken Rice stall and the aroma of coffee was in the air. It was a little too sweet to me, but such is the norm - coffee here are sweetened with condensed milk.

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My friend told me that a local organisation had asked him if he could volunteer to build a church in Mongolia. While he is a Christian himself and loves his own church, he told them that it is more important to build basic shelters, schools and hospitals for these people, rather than churches. Also, he feels that it is not necessary to convert anyone, but rather just to live an exemplary life, and if the natives like you, they would want to follow you.

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At that point, I realised that some of the architects and builders in the Middle Ages in Europe had lived their life surrendered and as volunteers to build churches. Some did not even live long enough to see their churches complete. In effect, they pledged their life to the church.

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"I wouldn't do that to the church," said my friend, "... as I know there is an authority much more powerful than that."

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Moving

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I'm packing and clearing all the clutter. It's so liberating! I'll do it once a week here on. Also, I have resolved to:

1. Avoid using paper and printing.

2. Stop reading paper magazines.

3. Avoid collecting name cards.

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I will have my contact details beamed to the other parties' mobile phone and vice versa. If I do received paper namecards, I will have them scanned and digitised; then invite them to join the online business or social networking portal that I use. That way, they will also have the responsibility of updating their own records. :)

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Save some trees... and my time too!

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Clear my clutter, clear my mind, clear my conscience.

Remembering My Neighbour

My neighbour was a strong woman. When she was in her 70s, she was diagnosed with cancer and the doctor said that she had not very long to live. Defiant, she went on to eat only tomatoes everyday. After a year, she was off cancer.

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One day about ten years ago, I met her in the neighbourhood supermarket and though I greeted her, she didn't respond to me. I was shocked, but shrugged it off and moved on. Then a few minutes on, she called me and apologised and told me that her eye sight was failing and she couldn't see clearly.

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Her eyesight did not recover, but that did not stop her from moving around on her own. She did her daily morning walks in the woods at 9am every morning, rain or shine, or snow, without fail! So, during winter amid the snow and sub-zero temperatures, she would don her raincoat, boots and take her walking stick to go walking in the woods. She did that everyday, even when her eye-sight deteriorated so much that she became fully blind.

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Then some years later, she fell down at home and became bedridden. Then we stopped seeing her coming out for her walks in the woods. By now, she was already about 90 years old. I thought this time, she was going to die! However, after a few months, I saw her appearing in the garden on her wheel chair. Then yet a few more months, she was up on her feet! Then another few weeks, she was up going for her morning walks in the woods again.

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Her will to survive was remarkable. Everytime when I go through difficult patches in my life, I think of her will to live, and feel a lot more powerful to press on.

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Then last month, she fell sick. She must have been about 92 years old. Incidentally during that time, her husband got into a car accident and was seriously injured. He was then admitted to hospital in intensive care unit. On receiving the news of the criticality of her husband in the aftermath of the accident, she was so griefed, she passed away. The husband, however, survived the accident subsequently.

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The moral of the story here is that she died the moment she gave up her will to live, which she had persistently held on in the past. Her will was so powerful it overcame the physical ailments and accidents she had, and once that will was given up, the body dies.

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Note: The Will is more powerful than any physical force. Read about this in a recent Tao lecture I attended.

Bucky Group 14 - Sungei Buloh Bird Sanctuary Singapore

This is Sungei Buloh Sanctuary (opened in 6th of Dec 1993), tucked in the northwest corner of Singapore, this mangrove wetland is reserved for migratory birds to rest in the tropics during the Northern winters and for nature to florish. For a tiny and densely populated island like Singapore, setting aside 87 hectares for a bird sanctuary is a big sacrifice. Such effort by the government is commendable.

This is the boardwalk leading to the entrance of the reserve.

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The cafeteria hut in the reserve.

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This is water hyacinth. They grow fast on ponds and very quickly will take over the surface of the water.

These pink stuff on the stems are Apple Snail eggs. They will hatch and produce many little snails.

This leaf from the Sea Almond Tree kills bacteria that infects fishes in your acquarium. They are on sale in eBay for about $10 each. Here we find them in abundance. Who says money doesn't grow on trees? :)

Our fabulous and knowledgeable guide for the day, Pui San. He is a volunteer at the reserve and conducts tours and painting classes at the reserve.

This is a mangrove tree. There are 60 plus types of mangrove trees known in the world and Singapore is home to 50 plus of those species. We are very lucky to have this diversity as even Malaysia (many hundreds of times bigger than Singapore) does not have such diversity. They have more of some species, but not the diversity.

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This is interesting because it is the same for our marine coral life. We have about 200 plus species on our shores, while the Great Barrier Reef (about 3,000 as big as Singapore) has 400 plus species. Similarly, even Malaysia does not have the same diversity in their coral reefs.

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Does this apply to our human races and cultures in Singapore? Incidentally, we have more diversity than that found in many other countries. Pity divergent views are not encouraged nor allowed here very much.

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Back to the mangrove tree... it transpires excess salt through its leaves, giving a glossy glistened look on the surfaces. I tried tasting the transpired vapour on the leaves and they taste very salty. This is nature's own desalination plant. I am thinking if we can micmic this process and make commercial desalination plants out of this. This would be what Bucky calls "Bio-micmicry".
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These are the Whimbrels - migratory birds that are escaping from the Northern winters. Migratory birds come back to Sungei Buloh every year because they can find lots of food here.

We also saw Egrets, Herons, White Collar Kingfishers and Sandpipers in the distance.

For more info, click here

One of the idyllic ponds with a look-out point in the distance.
For some seriously beautiful pictures of birds taken at this reserve, click here



This is a pack of stray dogs. Part of the local wild life. :)
. This is an ant nest. Pui San said it is amazing to see a group of ants building their nest. Each of them seem to know what to do and where to fold the leaves and stick them together with their saliva.

This is a bird nest. Not a very refined one. You can tell what type of birds they are, but looking at their nests. Pui San said he ever watched a pair of Taylor birds build their nests over about 5 days. He said that the female bird does all the work - collecting the twigs, putting them together and testing the strength and size of the nest. The male bird just hangs around.

At that point, Vasu said that this is because if the man were to do it, the female would not be happy with it anyway. *Chuckles*

On a more serious note, Joo Hock shared that Bucky said that the female bird cannot conceive their young in the womb, as it will be too heavy for them to fly and look for food. Hence, it has to lay them as eggs and leave them in their nest. As such, the female takes her nest as an extension to her womb - like an external womb. This probably explains why she does all the work building the nest.

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This is the seed of the mangrove tree. The seed is germinated while they are still on the tree. The sapling will grow to a visible length before dropping to the ground. Seems that nature is helping the mangrove seed to grow amid the harsh conditions mangrove are in. As the germinated sapling hits the ground, it has a higher chance of survival compared to if it is a mere seed.


See how beautiful these mangrove roots are? That's how it help to protect coastal lands. We used to have 13% of our shoreline covered with mangroves, now it is about 0.2%.

The Bucky Group.

In the distant fiolage, those with the light skinned bark are the Apple Fruit Mangrove. The fruits are very popular with local fruit bats which are the main creatures that pollinates our Durain trees. So, if we do not have these Apple Fruit Mangroves, there won't be these fruit bats, and we may not have durains. In nature, everything is connected. We are all ONE.

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This is a freshly built ant nest. See how meticulously they are folded. The white sticky stuff is their saliva.
These are the red big ones that live in those nests.

We spotted a huge monitor lizard about 1.5 metres long.

This is the Yellow Candle Stick Flower. There are seven flowers in one bunch.

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This Torch Ginger Plant flower is so perfect that it looks plastic.

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This palm has starchy pulp in its stem. Indigeneous people harvests the pulp and eat them.

This is the Sea Holly plant. It has jaggard leavs at its edges to protect itself. The leaves in the middle of the shrub have smooth edges.
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These types of roots that sticks out in the air are called 'pencil roots'. They collect air during low tide, so that the tree can breathe during high tide when the water covers much of the plant.

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This is a mudskipper. They are very territorial. They will occupy their own puddle of water to attract the female. The bigger the puddle, the more attractive they are to the female. Sounds familiar? :)

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These green house structure could have been more cheaply made and better served by a geodesic dome.

Perhaps this should be what our proposed Bucky University should include - encompassing research and study of nature, then using nature's properties, we can either use them or micmic them to create dwellings and equipment to support and improve our quality of life in a sustainable way.

David Attenborough's comments...

If you are not familiar with Singapore, the following is a StarAsia TV programme about what you can find in Singapore's nature reserves and gardens. Not very deep, but a good intro.

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Star Asia programme about Sungei Buloh

ECHO

Got this video from a friend...

Tao 2

This is an excerpt of a talk by a Tao master on the 15th Nov 2007 evening in Singapore.

[1st draft status, still some typos...]

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Warning: This part contains opinions that may be considered unacceptable by some people. If you are easily offended by unconventional views about religion and spiritualism, then DO NOT READ FURTHER THAN HERE. If you do, then do it at your own risk! If you do not agree with the views expressed below, it does not mean that you have not 'arrived', rather it just mean that you 'do not agree'. Meanwhile, try to be open. There are lots to discover about ourselves when we are open. Do feel free to leave comments. BELIEVING IS NOT NECESSARY!

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Though I have written this post as a first person dialogue basis to make it more readable, it is not the actual words in ad-verbatim and any errors expressed are mine. I have however taken great care to keep the content as accurate as possible to my best ability.

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Me: Must energy always circulate? Can we stop energy from circulating? For instance, can we seal air in a bottle and stop the energy from circulating?

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This is a good question which I have ever discussed with a Brazilian physicist.

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Can we store air in a sealed bottle? Yes, we can because air is matter. We can store and move the matter, but did we move the space? Can we move space? [Matter and space are distinctly different.] If we can move space, then wouldn't there be a 'hole' in space? The reality is that we cannot move space.

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If we examine an atom, there is a space within the orbit of the electrons. What is this space? Is it vacuum, nothingness or emptiness? Up till today, scientists cannot determine what this space is.

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So what is 'energy'?

Energy is the movement of atoms and electrons. Nobody knows what is in the centre between the electron's orbit. This centre is the energy. But where does this 'energy' come from? It is an emptiness, but yet the source of all energy. But is it really 'empty'? This cannot be explained with science. This is beyond physics. This is energy beyond the physical form.

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The study of this 'energy' can only be done looking at the spiritual realm. This 'energy' is the spirit, the explosion of energy and therefore the 'will of god'. No one can stop energy. No one can dig a hole in space, so energy will always flow. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It only transforms.

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I have spoken to a construction engineer and he told me that if he mix cement and water, seal it tight with plastic, it will still dry and harden, without the water evaporating into air. So what happened to the water. This water has undergone chemical change with the cement and hardened, but yet not turned into ice. This is an evidence that energy can be transformed.

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There are two sides of 'energy', namely: The Physical form coming from electrons and the nucleus. We can break these energies; the other is the 'Will' (spirit). You cannot break spirit. Buddhists called this buddha-nature. This cannot be broken. It is more powerful than physical energy, even nuclear energy. Solar energy, the most powerful energy source in the solar system is still a physical energy.

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So, as energy cannot be created and therefore cannot be destroyed, the soul doesn't die. The soul doesn't die because it is not material. If you understand this, you would understand eternity. The soul lives on, but changes form (via reincarnation). These forms are your illusions, as the real soul cannot be seen.

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The physical body is an accumulation of molecules. However this accumulation requires a strength to put all these elements together. What is this strength? This strength is the spirit. Buddhists call this 'karmic force'.

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When we get the ancient cultures to explain these things, the ancient spirits explained it using ancient metaphors. In Western societies, the New Age cultures tend to explain it more scientifically.

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Me: Does the spirit gets recycled?

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Yes it does. The spirit gets recycled back into the same world, but with new activities. It is like the same teacher and classroom but with new lessons. Here 'world' does not just refer to the earth but to the dimensions. [Honestly, I am a bit lost here with the mention of world and dimensions. ]

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So, what is our purpose on Earth? Why are we here? What's our 'will', our 'goal'? If we do not have will or goal, we wouldn't be here.

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There are two pursuits: one is the earthly knowledge like science, the other is the spiritual knowledge. Both categories of knowledge are already here. The former propounded by scientists and the latter taught by spiritual gurus. If you have got both categories of knowledge, why are you still here? You are here to teach. To teach the many who hasn't attained those knowledge. Many are unaware of their 'will'.

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Buddhas' and sages' powers lie in the energy in meta-physics. It is in their wisdom. In their wisdom, there is energy and light. There are three dimensions of Light, namely:
- Solar, which is physical light
- Wisdom
- Love

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[My note: I never thought of 'wisdom' as power, but now that it is mentioned, it is obvious.]

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Light is an unstoppable flow. The dimension of Light that is most lacking in today's world is 'Love'. Love is very powerful. Where there is life, there is love.

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There is this hidden energy in everyone. This energy needs to be initiated. In Tao, we initiate this hidden energy so that you can realise your mission. It is like lighting up a candle.

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For instance, during the Vietnam War in the 60s and 70s, the Vietcongs unleashed their hidden energy because they were fighting for their country and their families. However, the Americans then didn't have the same vigour as their 'hidden energy' were not lighted up. So, the US Government motivate their troops by using 'glory'. Westerners like that. They can be motivated by 'glory'.

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Similarly, foreign labourer workers work very hard, because they are providing for their family. This lights up their 'hidden energy'.

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So what motivates sages?

Sages are motivated and stimulated by Love.

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Life

There is life force in everything - in trees, rocks and all material, even objects like cups. The American Red Indians are said to be able to communicate with trees and grass. But we don't know how to do the same. May be we will be able in future.

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In the example about the cup, there is no life in the elements that make the cup, but there is life force that put the cup together.

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Me: But does the cup have intelligence?

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Yes they do. But, what is 'intelligence'? All materials have their own nature and it can manifest itself, its intelligence. Otherwise, how can the clay become cups? Did we transform the clay into cups or it transform itself? They have their own nature.

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[My note: This is very close to what Bucky said about man-made material or alloys and that all materials are natural, for if nature does not allow it, the man-made creation cannot happen.]

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It is easier for us to think of something as alive, when we see it moves, when there are changes and activities. When it is at rest, we tend to think it has no life. Even if they are bacteria or cells, because they pulsate and move. But remember, the matter itself has no life. It is the force that puts it together that is life.

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During the Big Bang, there were no germs, no cells,...etc. Everything has no life form. There was only energy force. The first forms were elements. But life already exists. They exists in rocks, earth, the air...etc. So life force is everywhere. It is just that we can't communicate with them.

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There are religions that criticise the Buddhists for praying to idols. That there can be evil in the idols. If what they claim, then there is spirit in the idol (even if it is said to be an 'evil' one - evil spirit). However, likewise the Christians have the Cross. This Cross, symbolic of Christianity is also made of matter and so is the holy water. If these matter can be holy or spiritual, then the statues and figurines that Buddhists are also made of matter. They too can be spiritual. If the thoughts of its devotees are good thoughts, then there will be good spirits in the statues. Evil thoughts will manifest evil power. Likewise, the Christian Cross and holy water can also be evil, if the believers have evil thoughts.

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So, fundamentally, the 'Will' is the spiritual power.

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Nature

God created the world in nature. There was no human thought involved. In Tao, it is referred to as 'non-action'. That means that the natural system is not to be interfered with. We shall not dwell too much into what 'nature' is, as we have not discussed about its contents. We will talk more about that next time.

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If you don't want to believe in god, you still need to believe in 'nature'. If you believe in god, you still have to believe in 'nature'.

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In physics, all substances have their own usage, because they have their own nature. Basically, all substances are made up of the Five Basic Elements. When you are born, you have a combination of the Five Basic Elements. This combination determines your lifestyle and destiny. It creates all your manifestations.

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The elements of Spirit are: loyalty, filial piety, propriety and righteousness. That's why the educated ones in ancient China does not need to use force. Cultured people do not shout in meetings. In ancient China, they used to communicate using poems. If you don't know poems you cannot communicate with them. It is like you need to know the language before being ascended to talk at the cultured level. Like a lawyer needs to learn to speak legalese in the courts. So, if we do not have culture and use physical force, then we are reduced to the lower elemental levels.

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If you go against your own nature, you are destroying your own destiny. For instance, a happy person is constructive, whilst a sad person is destructive - destructive his own life and destiny.

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This is also reflected in facial features. In the world, Chinese facial features are more balanced than other races. Features are a result of culture, which is the lifestyle of the race. When culture changes, facial features of the race changes. So we see the younger generations in Singapore now have more refined features than us, and especially with the earlier generations. The older folks of the past have disproportionate facial features, like drooped eyes, buck teeth, crooked noses...etc.

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Even Chinese people who now live in different parts of the world look different. Chinese from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States look different.

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The Blacks in the United States are also becoming a more and more handsome race.

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Vietnamese today are short and thin, but in 20 to 30 years from now, they will be different, as their country's economy is now progressing well.

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So, to understand the destiny of a country, look at the facial features of the people.

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Generally, high-bridged nose persons, like the Greeks, are artistic. Those with pointed noses are perfectionists. If they are very narrow (not much flesh), it means that they don't have much money. Anyone that talks about art and philosophy are usually poorer. So you you meet one with very rounded and fleshy nose tip, don't try to talk philosophy and art with them. Chances are that they will not be interested.

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Cambodia today is a very poor country. But recently, they have discovered oil and other minerals in their country. In coming years, Cambodia will be on the way to become a rich country. Many other Asian countries will become rich. This is because they have resources, culture and spirituality.

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The West will get poorer, because they have little resources, weak culture and little emphasise on spirituality.

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[My note: Later on, I told the master that the Europeans do have cultures unlike what he said earlier, and the master replied that their prevailing culture however mainly surrounds Christianity and not embracing the wider philosophies of the ancient Greeks. Only the Greeks embraced deeper philosophies in their culture. My personal view is that most young people do not go to churches in Europe any more, and that the Christian practice generally do not encourage unceasing questioning and challenging of its own doctrines and beliefs.

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This is unlike the Eastern religions which are freer and open to debates. In particular, Buddha specifically asked its followers not to believe anyting he said unless they have experienced the truth themselves and are comfortable to accept them freely.

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However, this is not to say that Christianity is not true. Here we are referring to its practices. ]

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In the coming years, China will export its philosophy to the world, as a contribution to humanity. In history, the Chinese are very protective of their ancient philosophies, as they did not want such knowledge to benefit their enemies. But now, China has no enemies and it is time to export their philosophy and culture.

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Me: But I can't see that in China today.

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Yes, we can't feel that yet, as such philosophies are not inculcated to the masses yet.

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Blind spots
No one can see all angles of the world. This is so in individuals, cultures, religions, science...etc. This is because our views does not cover all dimensions. Thus, we have to compensate for this by using the views of others. Sometimes, we can view an issue from the animals, plants, Buddhas and sages points of view.
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The talk ended here. It lasted two hours.
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After that, while we had a light supper of pizzas, the master told us that we come to Earth for a purpose. But as we are reincarnated, we forget. So, as we went along we learned the lessons and face the challenges that we wanted to face. We only understand those lessons or challenges after everything is over. There are some who knows a bit before hand, but those are things they need to know. Perhaps the spirit gives some hints for us to move forward otherwise we will be completely lost.
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So the spirit is talking to us, but we have to listen. If it is something we have learned before, we will take it up very fast. Things which we have not learned before in previous incarnations, we will take longer to learn. There are also some who dare not thread into new realms of knowledge. Some Christians I have known are very uncomfortable with challenging their own doctrines. Some people who meditate are afraid when they reach a certain state of the mind. They are afraid to enter a new world where they are totally unfamiliar. So such is the adventure to re-discover ourselves.

Vacuum State

Deep in the esoteric we are in the vacuum state.

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We can't see this with our human body.

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In the human form, we exist in the physical plane. However, the physical plane co-exists with the other more subtle planes, which are not visible by the physical eye.

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Nothing exists in isolation. We are all connected. Hence there is no such thing as one's spiritual life separated from one's business life, the latter usually wrongfully perceived as necessarily ruthless unethical and uncaring.

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Business is about profits and about adding value to products that serves society. It has to create life supporting wealth in order to be sustainable. A business model needs to direct money to such values. The more value, the more people shall benefit and the more money and goodwill shall flow to the business.

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Sadly, in practice, many businessmen overlook what values they can add. Instead they focus at how they can win business deals, and if need be, to buy their way into the deals. This can mean sleazy entertainment or bribery, which is a result of fear. Fear of not winning. (Singlish: "kiasu"). It is this that gives many the perception that business need to be sleazy and immoral. Let's bring back business values. This is what sells best and is sustainable.

Design Follies

I have seen some design follies around. This one, the Esplanade in Singapore, almost became one. It was a glass dome in the tropics. When it was finished, they realised it was too hot and went to design those spikey shades, earning its nickname "The Durain", which ironically becomes an architectural marvel and charm.

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A design folly to me is one that has no specific purpose, or that it uses building material and energy excessively and inefficiently. However, there is allowance given to architectural merit and character of the design, so it is not all science.

This is the City Hall MRT exit to Raffles City Shopping Centre in Singapore. For reasons known only to the designer, this short span of space is supported by an excessively heavy and deep beam.

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For a single storey structure like this, the size of the beam is clearly an over-design, waste of material, space and it is unsightly.

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The other exit is better. This shelter has the same span as the one at Raffles City, but uses a lot less metal.

.It uses a truss structure. Trusses are efficient structures as they are consistent with the triangulation of forces in nature. Nature does not create structural members perpendicular to each other. Therefore the most basic structure is a tetrahedran. Like this...

With five toothpicks and four pieces of candy, you get three triangles in a tetrahedran. With six toothpicks and six pieces of candy, you only get two separate triangles. So you can literally have your extra candies and eat it! See the efficiency yet?

In a truss structure, there are only axial forces that runs along each constituent member. Therefore each member has only longitudinal stress, but no bending stresses, no shear stresses or torque. It is like a woman who only needs to work in the office and not having to rush home to take care of her babies and also clean the house. Much easier isn't it?

The next folly is my regular coffee shop at Pasir Ris, in Singapore. This one has a topee roof that tapers upwards and then an opening at its apex for ventilation. The idea of such geometry is so that as the hot air rises, it is compressed as the roof tapers and therefore hastening the air to exit through the opening at the tip of the roof. Thus creating a rapid convection current and refreshing the air underneath, cooling the sheltered area below.

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However, recently they renovated the place and very ignorantly built a false ceiling under the topee roof.

They even sealed the ventiation shaft. I think they wanted the false ceiling to insulate them from the sun, but I think it acts to the contrary. It now traps the hot air in between the topee roof and the false ceiling. That is using more to achieve less.
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The moral of the story here is not have anything stale in life. Energy needs to be circulated. Air needs to be circulated. Money needs to be circulated (by investments). I learn from Tao that as we circulate, what goes out will come back with more vitality. But this will only happen if we get our system correct.

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We need to fix the system though, as too many trees are cut now, and too much carbon dioxide are emitted from cars and industries.

The next folly is the Downtown East extension at Pasir Ris, Singapore. They have decided to cover the multi-storey carpark with this giant iron girdle. Look at the size of the girdle compared with the workmen. It has no useful purpose. I don't think it look very pretty either.

See how thick the metal pieces are in comparison with my bicycle?

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They could easily grow plants on the multi-storey carpark. If they did, it will look more like this building at the Singapore Management University downtown. It looks alot gentler and kinder; and also it would let out more oxygen.
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There are other follies around. I found many useless or frivolous parapet wall structures in many residential estates. Look around you. They are very common. They serve no purpose and have no architectural merit. Most of the time, they look unsightly. It also covers the earth with more concrete increasing surface run-offs during a storm, instead of the water percolating into the ground.

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The purpose of this post is to raise your awareness of the design follies around us. Poorly designed buildings use more to achieve less. Ask your architect how much the building he designed weighs and he probably doesn't know. Bucky asked that and got a blank look from architects. In these days of acute climate changes and threats of ecological damages done to Planet Earth, it is important to think of ecologically sustainable dwellings.

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The extra metal used at the Downtown East carpark could be better used for a bridge that will cut travel time or a telecommunications ground transmission station or a satellite dish, that will aid communications and reduce the need for excessive traveling. These deployments will serve more people and thus create more life supporting wealth.

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I used to think the 'market' will take care of everything, but now I beg to differ. A perfect market place does not exist, much as and because perfect information and knowledge of the market does not exist. Otherwise, we wouldn't have spewed so much carbon dioxide in the air thus far.

So look around you. Tell me if you spot any more follies. :)