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Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Amid The Haste


Today, I was in a hurry on my way to my acting audition. Actors are usually a tad more nervous before audition, as they don't know what to expect and also (ironically) their need to remain calm so that it is conducive to remember the lines and get into character. On top of that, I was lugging a camera, a tripod and a spare laptop as part of the logistics for a talk on "Learning Difficulties" that was to start right after the audition in another venue. Rushing and finding my way around for the correct exit in the subway amid the crowd, the tropical heat and humidity was thus very daunting.
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Amid this whirlpool of rush and haste, my phone rang. It was John. John seems to have the habit of ringing at the wrong time and wrong place. What's worse, I could hardly hear him as the signal was poor and he mumbles his words, this despite him being an English language teacher. To make matter worse, John was bidding around the bush as he talked and there wasn't any coherence.
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Frustrated and now even getting angry, I retorted, "John, can you get to the point and get on with what you want to say?!"
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There was a pause of silence. Then John softly replied , "Mike, I just wanted to speak to a Singaporean whom I can relate easily to, to say how lucky and grateful am I to be in Singapore alive and well, as if I had been in Christchurch, where I was born and grew up in, I might have been dead by now or had my house completely destroyed, as one-third of buildings there have been destroyed by the earthquake."
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At that point, it was my turn for the pause of silence. I was embarrassed. Amid the haste, we often forget... Haiz.
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Thursday, November 06, 2008

Autumn Colours 3


How do you feel when you see this pix?
(You can click on it to enlarge.)
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I feel peaceful. Several of my friends who saw this pix told me it is beautiful and likewise they feel tranquil and peaceful after looking at it.
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A few days ago, a friend asked me, via instant messenger, how I am. I decided to depict it with this pix and sent it to her. I told her I felt like in the pix. Then, to my surprise...
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She: So sad!
Me: Why?
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She: The leaves are dry and the trees are dying. So sad!
Me: The trees shed leaves to be efficient during winter and the leaves fall and enrich the ground. How can it be sad?
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She: 'Sad' means SAD. Why so defensive? It's a feeling you have.
Me: *puzzled* I don't think I am sad and the pix is very beautiful.
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She: Admit it and take a deep look at your subconscious. It will help.
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At that point, I decided to leave the conversation.
We only feel what we are inside and what we see is a reflection of ourselves. So, we have the same pix, but two diametrically opposite emotions resulted.
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Note: I shot this photograph during one of my daily walks in the woods behind where I stay. I love the colours of autumn.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Reflections - by Ajahn Chah

Got this booklet "Reflections" by Ajahn Chah, from a free book stand at Fu Lu Shou. Very inspiring. It is so simple and yet so profound. One paragraph that moved me most is:

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"At first you hurry to go forward, hurry to come back, and hurry to stop. You continue to practise like this until you reach the point where it seems that going forward is not it, coming back is not it, and stopping is not it either! It's finished. Right there you will find that there is really nothing at all."

Also, there is something about celebrating Christmas. What? In a Buddhist book???
Yes, it is.
"It was Christmas and the foreign monks had decided to celebrate it... Why, they asked are Buddhist celebrating Christmas? ... As far as I understand, Christianity teaches people to do good and avoid evil, just as Buddhism does, so what is the problem?... However, if people are upset,... then let's called it Christ-Buddhamas. Anything that inspires us to see what is true and do what is good is proper practice. You may call it any name you like."

Towards the end of the book, Ajahn Chah extends his invitation:

"All that I have said up to now has merely been words. When people come to see me, I have to say something. But it is best not to speak about these matters too much. Better to begin practice without delay. I am like a good friend inviting you to go somewhere. Do not hesitate, just get going. You won't regret."

This simple booklet contains 182 paragraphs. It will be good to have a Bucky Group style discussion over its content. Anyone interested? Perhaps we can meet at East Coast Park on Saturday mornings for a jog, discussion, then breakfast.
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