Sepang Retreat

We did not reach Sepang Gold Coast by sunset as intended, as our car was somehow infested with ants in Singapore and we had to stop by to get rid of those pesky creatures. I think a nest must have dropped off from the tree the car was parked under. I take it that the car must have been cozy for living creatures.

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It was already dark when we reached the resort. This time we were greeted by the illuminated Christmas archway.

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This is the sea villa that the girls stayed in for the evening. I took the one-room villa opposite.

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This is a single room villa. I love the steep pitched attap roof. It reminded me of my grandmother's house in the old days in Singapore - back then when we still had kampungs.

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We stayed up chatting for a while, but I went to bed earlier to catch sunrise in the morning.

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Where the villas are, it is possible to watch sunrise in the morning at one side and sunset in the evening from the other.

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The entire resort, other than the restaurants and offices are built in the sea on stilts. This allows the water underneath to flow without disturbing the ecology. In fact, the villas offer a good shelter for marine life, such that local fishermen have said that there are more fishes along the coast since the resort was constructed. Oysters also grow on the stumps underneath the villas.

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The chairman and owner of the resort has planned it all along that the construction do not disrupt the ecology of the surroundings. "We must have the resort in harmony with nature. That way nature will help us, because man is also part of nature," he said. This philosophy goes well with Tao, that man exists in balance with nature in respect to the Natural Laws, and all in nature circulates and transforms in harmony.

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This half completed building in the background will be a multi-purpose hall, which the girls are planning to organise an International Latin and Ballroom Dance Competition in August 2010. I suggested that they make Sepang Gold Coast the Blackpool of Asia (Blackpool has hosted such international dance competitions for 80 years!).

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This is the villa balcony. In the distance, are other huts.

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They look like this close-up.

.This is the dining area, but we did not have time to have breakfast here, as we have meetings at Shah Alam at 12noon.

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A flower dish in the showroom. Isn't it lovely?

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This is the model plan of the resort - a palm tree stretching out to the sea.

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We managed to reach Sepang Gold Coast's Shah Alam's office at 12noon, in time for a lunch treat! By then we were hungry, having skipped breakfast so that we had more time to find our way around.

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After Shah Alam and our meetings done, we headed for Malacca, with yours truly as the driver. However, the idea of a Peranakan dinner at Malacca soon petered out as it got dark and we felt that it will be too much of a detour. It was prudent that we get back to Singapore not too late as one of us had a morning flight the next day to Macau to judge a dance competition! Otherwise, a sumptous Peranakan dinner at Malacca would have been nice.

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We opted instead for a Teochew porridge dinner along our route at Seremban. The Teochew porridge restaurant was said to be near the town's Teochew Association, so our mission was to find the association building.

We were told that the association's building is behind this old Portuguese-Peranakan styled building of antiquarian charm.

This is the town's cinema - still a single screen theatre (as opposed to a multi-theatre cineplex). The last single screen theatre in Singapore, incidentally also called 'Capitol', closed down many years ago!

Finally, we found the Seremban Teochew Association!!! Hurray! But no restaurant, as it opens only during the day! So no dinner!

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Oh dear, we should have gone to Malacca!

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So from here, it was a straight speedy track back to Singapore. Once back, we headed straight for our favourite Wanton noodles at Lavender Food Centre. There was a long queue at the stall, but we needn't have to queue. For us it was special! Frequent customer privilege! :)

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For our previous trip to Sepang Gold Coast, click here.

Holistic Sunday

Date: 24 October 2009 (Sunday)

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A 'holistic day' for me...

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1000h-1300h: The Holistic Fair

Woke up early to go to Fort Canning for the Body Mind Soul Fair, also known here as the 'Holistic Fair'. Once a year, such a fair is organised gathering holistic healers, meditation groups, tarot card readers, innovative health products,...etc. Of course discretion is needed when choosing what services to engage. Personally, I would raise a red flag on 'gurus' that display:

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1. Personality Cult

It is not uncommon for gurus to allow their followers to paint a glorious and larger than life picture of themselves. Some of these unquestioning followers work as unpaid volunteers to the guru. Remember you are there to listen to the song and not to worship the singer.

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2. Nerve

A guru would be one who is peaceful and calm. I would be uncomfortable with one with a nervous twitch and volunteer their unsolicited opinions about people around them. (Who asked for your opinion anyway?)

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3. Magic

When they demonstrate 'magic' to capture your belief.

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4. Exclusivity

That only through him, through their method or their product/service can you achieve a higher consciousness.

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5. Content

Strip away the robes, long beard, batik sarongs,...etc and check if there is any content left. For instance, I had heard of a guru telling someone that she was on the right path. Is there such a thing as a 'right path'? Everyone is surely on their own (unique) path, but there is no 'right' or 'wrong' paths. I know of a drug addict and trafficker who had served time in jail, but after that created an enterprise ark to help, train, hire and counsel ex-offenders. Is his path more 'right' than my less dramatic path?

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However, there is sub-conscious evolution and conscious evolution. For the latter, we need awareness to consciously lead the path of self elevation of consciousness (salvation).

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6. Money

Follow the money. Is there a large donation required at some point?

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7. Sex

Follow the sex. Sex sells - even in the 'spiritual business'! For instance, if the yoga school is more into sexy tight fitting fashionable gear and emphasize more on looking good than the true meaning of union of body and soul, then something is amiss.

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1400h-1730h: Tao

This is an excerpt of a talk on "What is religion?" by a Tao master. This post is written as a first person account for readability reasons only and is not an ad-verbatim record of the speaker. Any distortions or omissions are mine and most likely accidental and definitely without malicious intent. As such, please do not quote from this post.

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Life is short, so what is the meaning? Buddha asked if the animal has meaning. The animal like everything here has value, so it has meaning to itself. Hence we can't judge.

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So what is your value? None one else can tell you except yourself.

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What is religion and what is philosophy?

'Philosophy' is a recent name. In ancient times, they are merely wisdom derived from life. Before the existence of 'religion', there was still meaning. From mere survival, mankind has started worshipping nature, mystics and even devil spirits. It is only when mankind's consciousness is reasonably developed then would it be able to grasp the concept of mysticism. Such practices were meant to alleviate sufferings.

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Then came prophets who (perhaps not intentionally) the concept of religion. So the difference between a religion and a philosophy is that the former has a prophet. [ My note: However, according to Wikipedia, the difference between religion and philosophy is that the former essentially involves some beliefs and faith. ]

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Religion led the world before science. There arise different religions due to different cultures and geography. Contemporary religion is more scientific and less ritualistic. There are attempts now by the contemporary religions to offer scientific explanations. This is perhaps to cater for the younger generations (brought up more in sciences) who are generally less religious.

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But science has developed very fast. It is also important to note that science do not operate in a vacuum devoid of the natural laws. On the other hand, traditional religions are too old fashion and could not explain science using the natural laws.

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Philosophy is between religion and science. It is mostly derived from Love and is also not completely scientific. There is also a difference between Western (Greek) philosophy and the Eastern (Chinese) philosophy.

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Greek philosophy is propounded from idealistic thoughts of what life should be, whilst Chinese philosophy is based on the natural laws of being (Tao).

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What is the difference between Buddhism and Tao?

Before Buddha, there was no Buddhism. During Buddha's time, it was known as Buddha's teachings or teaching for enlightenment. Enlightenment is to realise one's true nature.

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Tao is basically true nature reasoning. It is 'the way'.

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Is there any meaning to ancestor worship?

Traditionally, there has always been 'ancestor worship', but they are punctuated with the arrival of Western relgions. There is still a relationship between our ancestors and us, if they (the ancestors) have not reincarnated yet. So they are still able to help us.

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[I asked: So what if they are reincarnated?]

Then they wouldn't recognise the relationship anymore.

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Are religious people better off than atheists?

Traditionally, people merely prayed for peace and protection. Nowadays, there is less need to pray for those reasons, so we pray for guidance. Atheists have no religions, so they have to find their guidance elsewhere, as they don't follow religious morals/ethics and may lack clarity.

[My note: Having no religion, is a religion itself.]

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How does destiny come about?

Some destinies can be read. Those have forms. There are also those that are formless, like our consciousness. Charity work with evil hearts will not work, because it is the 'cause' that will lead to 'destiny'.

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Why are there rituals?

All religions have rituals. They are a submission to a higher power.

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Can Christians cultivate Tao?

If you ask your pastor, he'll probably say 'no'. Conversely, if you ask him if you are a Tao cultivator and he would like to be a Christian, he'll probably say 'yes'.

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So it depends on you. Why do you want to cultivate Tao? Is it because the words in Tao are meaningful to you, is it the experience or is it your quest for enlightenment?

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Jesus asked his followers to seek the Truth. A Tao cultivator also seeks the Truth. Christianity, in Chinese, is translated into 'Saviour's Teachings'. So Christians are disciples of the Saviour. Likewise, in different times and places in history, there were Mohammed, Buddha and others who were to save their people from ignorance. This can be done only by seeking the Truth.

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Is there any difference between a Tao cultivator and non-cultivator?

A cultivator becomes more peaceful, calm and harmonised over time. It is the process of letting you find your true nature.

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I don't belief in Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed or any of those Prophets/Saviours, but I believe in myself. Is that ok?

Ok, as long as you don't fall down. Religion is not a crutch that you must have throughout your life. You can also believe in money. Nothing wrong about that, but that will be limiting. For instance, money alone cannot buy you happiness or good health.

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Without a religion, you can still reach enlightenment. One can be free from the perception of God and from the (perceived) God's control. When Buddha attain enlightenment, he was free from any limitations and perception of God.

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Am I free from Cause and Effect if I don't believe in it?

Try giving a tight slap to someone and you will see if there is an effect. Cause and Effect is scientific. It is one of the Universal Law. You believe this more as you get older and witness people getting what they sowed. Hence the explanation for why some people are born pretty, ugly, rich, poor,...etc.

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What is 'split personality'? Is that good or bad?

Some people have not just two, but multiple personalities. But there is a difference, if it is different personalities within one soul or multiple souls. Many of us behave different in different environments. One behaviour in society, another in your religious organisation, another in the family,...etc. Some people work so long in the jobs that they bring their workplace behaviour into the family. So which one are you? So don't get yourself to become too complicated.

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Famous actors and singers have the problem to remember their true self. As they get famous they are more and more afraid to lose their fame, as deep down they feel that they are merely an ordinary person going on a ride.

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Where split personalities is due to possession, the the person can speak in different voice, sometimes voice of a different gender, a different language.

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A person will a split personality leads a contradictory life. It can be stressful.

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It was an enlightening talk of about 3 hours. It overran, so I had to rush down for my next appointment with a friend from the Eckangkar religion.

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For other posts on Tao, click here.

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1800h-1900h: Discussion with an Eckangkar initiate

I first heard about Eckangkar by chance, amid a conversation about 'soul travel' with my Muslim friend. He told me a friend of his can do that and that friend is from 'Eckangkar'.

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After that, nothing else happened, until about two months later, another friend called me out of the blue to meet up for a drink. During our meeting, this friend wanted me to read his character and behaviour based on his date of birth. (I have learned to do that through the 'Power of Numbers' course I attended recently. For more, click here.) As I was doing his reading, he whipped out a small booklet from Eckangkar. I told him I have heard it before and had visited their website but had not taken the effort to visit them.

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"How about visiting them now? They have a "Hu" chanting session today (Sunday), " he said. And so off we went. It was on that day that I attended the first "Hu" chant. After that session, I didn't go back. Before I left for that day, an Eckist asked me to block a certain Sunday off, as they will be having a seminar and will be delighted if I can attend. So I dutifully put it on my calendar on my mobile.

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Again a few months lapsed and then one day, my mobile calendar beeped and showed that the Eck seminar was to happen the next day. But I didn't even have any confirmation nor the details yet and had to ask the Eck guy to confirm the time and place of the event.

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The next day on the way to the seminar, I had a stray thought that during the seminar, my Muslim friend whom had first told me about Eckangkar, will call me during the seminar and I will tell him that I am at an Eckangkar seminar to surprise him. Curiously, he did call during the seminar and I did tell him exactly that!!!

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During the seminar, I bought a book about "Spiritual Dreaming", I had been journaling my dreams and would like to find out more about the significance of dreams. In it, it suggested some exercises, among which is to chant 'Hu' before the sleep to better connect with the dream. I have been doing that and indeed, it seems to work. ( I have some posts about dreams. Click here.)

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Curiously, there is also a gentle and comfortable resonance through the body when I chant 'Hu'. I can also hear the different frequencies that comes out from the single chant of 'Hu'. Very strange!

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Also incidentally, just today, during the Tao session, I just told another Tao cultivator that I have plans to fast once a week to let my stomach rest. Then surprise surprise, when I met my Eck friend in this appointment, he told me exactly that!

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During the conversation, I asked him about Eckangkar's opinion towards vegetarianism and the act of taking away life. My Eck friend then replied that we can never kill the soul of an animal, because the soul is eternal. Also, we must depart from the emotional aspect of killing the animal. However, if one is to kill an animal, he is stopping the animal in its incarnation to experience its life on Earth. This will have an impact on one's karma. The more evolved the life form is, the bigger the karmic debt. But, it is not necessary to be vegetarian as an Eckist.

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It has been a series of coincidents in my meeting of Eckangkar. However, I believe nothing in life is coincident. We call it co-incidents because we cannot explain it. I mentioned these 'coincidents' just as a matter of curiosity. It is not to elevate that my meeting with Eckangkar is the only thing special in my life, nor are they the only coincidents. In fact, when our minds are still, we will begin to notice more of such 'coincidents'. So keep your eyes open! :)

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The one hour passed very fast and soon I had to rush to the next appointment, which was a talk on Light and Sound meditation, which sounded very similar to Eck.

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1900h-2100h: Talk on meditation on Light and Sound

I managed to sneak into the seminar hall minutes after the talk started. Actually, it was more like a course preview. The speaker did not describe the process to get into the meditation per-se and there was no practice during the talk.

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I have two disagreements with the talk.

1. That in this meditation, the meditator is supposed to abstain (among other things) from spiritual healing because it would be an interference to one's karma.

I find this an overly simplistic explanation about karma. The 'ecosystem' of karma is far more wide reaching, complex and involves an immense number of actions, people and beings. How can it be reduced to a one-to-one action-reaction? Which in this case simply involved healer and person to be healed? The speaker said that allowing ourselves to receive spiritual healing means interfering with our karmic debt. (You can read about Reiki healing here.)

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"So how about medical healing?" I asked.

"That is still an interference, but a smaller one to the karmic debt!" the speaker replied.

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Who is he as a single human being to judge if it is an interference or an act of compassion? This resignation to the fate of karma is one of the reasons why some poor communities are left to rot, because the richer ones in their community abandoned them to suffer.

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This is counter-intuitive! How can turning a blind eye to poverty go with the universal flow of Love? The heart instinctly jumps up to help and yet corrupted beliefs stopped it from doing so!

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I believe that if we put Love first, everything else will be sorted. Also, we must learn to be human first. If we cannot live our life as a loving human being, what chance do we have to live our divinity?

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2. That after meditation, we should do a Self Analysis on our negative characters like: anger, lust, greed,...etc.

Meditation brings us peace and tranquility. When we are peaceful and tranquil, there are no negative characteristic traits in that moment. That is, when there is light, the shadows disappear. So why bother analysing the shadows? Over time and over repeated meditation, our negative characteristics will gently fade away without our notice. There is no need to re-visit them and remind ourselves of them. It wouldn't help, as you cannot remove any shadows by focusing on shadows. In fact, if you continue to focus on your negative traits, they will grow. The thoughts that you feed more will grow and truimph over the ones that you don't feed. So, focus on the light. Just meditate and then enjoy the peace.

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But shadows do have their purpose! It makes us realise the divine aspects in ourselves that we have forgotten. Similarly shadows make a photograph beautiful, without shadows there will be no picture to take, as there is only light.

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I voiced my opinion to the speaker and he replied that perhaps their method does not suit me. To me, it is a refusal to reassess what he believes in, in clearer light.

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It was a long day! I didn't plan it like that, but it just turned out impromptu like this. I had some 'high' moments and 'low' moments.

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However, here are my (harsh) opinions...

I think that gurus should be more responsible and think carefully before they start a 'spiritual group'. If they are half-baked themselves, where will they lead their followers? What value will they add to their students' spiritual journey?

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I suspect there is a lot of ego going around, and in some cases, it has a lot to do with money! *sigh*

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Tao - What is masculinity?

18 Aug 2009, Singapore

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This is an excerpt of a talk on "What is masculinity?" by a Tao master. This post is written as a first person account for readability reasons only and is not an ad-verbatim record of the speaker. Any distortions or omissions are mine and most likely accidental and definitely without malicious intent. As such, please do not quote from this post.

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What is 'self'? There are professors in university that have amassed a lot of knowledge but are yet to understand what is 'self'.

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Tonight, we are going to discuss about what is meant by being male. Masculinity as dictated by the natural law and not dictated by culture. For instance, there are tribes in parts of Asia that allow their men to kill their womenfolk if the latter are found to have dishonoured the family. In their culture, if a man cannot control his women, then he is no longer considered a man.

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[The master then asked a member of the audience to describe what he thinks are the roles of a man.]

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Member of audience:

According to the ancient Greeks, a man has to responsiblity of solving problems and to protect the home and offer safety...etc.

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[He then continued to list nine points of morality and virtues that a man should attain.]

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[Back to the master...]

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This Greek philosophy is an idealistic perception of masculinity. How do we achieve all these nine points? If you cannot achieve all the nine points, does it mean that you are less of a man? How about a mentally retarded male? Can he achieve all the 9 points?

If not, does it mean that he is less of a man?

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Not many men can achieve those nine points and score distinctions in them.

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The Natural Law embraces the imperfection of men. For if we are perfect, we will not be in the present physical existence and dimension. Within the Natural Law, we can check our 'lack' and work on those. That is also why people who are seeking their spiritual path go to different religions that resonates with them.

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We have to distinguish between the idealism we read from books and our everyday reality. There is lack and we want to move towards 'full'.

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We live in a world of complementary needs. While the typhoon has wrecked havoc in Taiwan recently, it must also be recognised that there will not be rain without wind (convection currents). What men lack in their character traits, they would look towards women to fulfill these lacks. For instance the physical strength of men longs to be complemented by the tenderness of women. Conversely, women like the strength and confidence of men, and longed for men's protection.

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There are some more evolved people that have already attained the strengths of both the masculine and feminine traits. They are balanced individuals - self-sufficient, and therefore have no desires for marriage.

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Imbalance causes circulation. So what is your imbalance? What is your 'lack'?

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Similarly, as a leader, you must have certain strengths that your followers lack. Otherwise, they wouldn't follow you. A leader therefore has to be an honourable and good man.

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So show your qualities. When a man show his masculine qualities, he gets admiration and respect from women. Know your weaknesses, otherwise they will surface and cover your qualities.

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However, there are also women in leadership. This is because they are brought up in an environment conducive for leadership and also they are born in certain dates and has a lot of 'yang' energy in them.

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The Chinese Bazi calculates your character and behaviour based on your birth dates. From there, you can understand your strengths and weaknesses better. Then you can adjust and balance yourself ('learning'). Charitable work can also cleanse undesirable characteristic traits.

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I'll tell you the story of the owner of a famous biscuit factory in Singapore. This man came to Singapore to escape the ravages of poverty in China. When he got his first job, he told his employer that he was willing to sell himself as a slave for 40,000 dollars, so that he can feed his family back in China. The employer refused and instead paid him 40 dollars a month.

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Despite the meagre salary, he endeavoured, saves and invests, and eventually built the biscuit empire that he has now.

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Then when China opened up their market, he was already old, but decided to open a new factory there after a feasibility study. Some people were surprised and asked him why he decided so as he was already very wealthy and advanced in age. He then told them that it was not about the money, but that once the factory was opened, six thousand people will have jobs and income to feed their family.

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At his age, he won't need to set up the factory by himself, but he knew that he can help these new workers by a mere a nod - of approval to go ahead with the investment in China.

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So we need to know that we can be in instances when a mere nod from us can already help many.

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Men's roles are in the society and women roles are mostly domestic. The latter requiring the refinement of feminity.

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There are also masculine women around. This can have something to do with past life karma. There are also more and more 'neutrals' (balanced masculine and feminine traits) around.

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There are also gays.

Let me tell you a story from a movie I have watched.

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There were these two US soldiers in the Vietnam War amid the impending gore and pains of war, who could face death anytime and they did not know when they could be killed. So one of the soldier asked the other one if he could do him a favour if he was killed first. He then gave him a photo of a girl and said that should he die first, to please take care of the girl for him. He said that this was a very special girl.

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Eventually, the soldier was killed and the other soldier carried out his promise to find the girl and to take care of her. He managed to locate the girl and found that she was a singer in a pub. He then went to the pub regularly to listen to her singing and observe what she does. Then finally, one day, he approached her and revealed that he was the friend of the soldier who died in Vietnam.

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Soon the girl and him became good friends. He found her to be a very understanding person and congenial. Soon he developed an interest and then special feelings for her. Then one day, he asked if she would marry him. She paused, but then agree to marry,... and so they did.

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On the wedding night, when disrobed, he was astonished to find out that the girl was actually a MAN!!! Angry, he yelled at her for cheating him, but She refuted that she did not ask for the marriage.

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In anguish, he left the 'girl' and went far away. In distance from the 'girl', he found himself in an extreme state of confusion. He was shocked to find that he actually longed for her company. He knew that he was not gay, but couldn't understand why he was longing for this 'girl'. Against a much troubled mind, he decided to go back to the 'girl'.

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On meeting 'her', he realised that it was not the flesh that had attracted him to her, but the need for the complementary soul mate that attracted him.

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Audience: But there are gays who have sex...

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Yes, there are. From my conversations with some gays, they have told me that there are broadly three categories of gays:

One who are like prostitutes and are promiscuous.

The Second category, the live like normal 'male-female' couple (they have sex).

The Third category, live complementary lives to each other and do not have sex.

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[end of story]

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So do men and women have equality?

It depends on which area. Each gender has their own strengths and weaknesses and contribute to the society and family. For instance, usually women are better at teaching the child, however , if it turns out that the man can do better, then let him do it. Let him do what he does best. So it is not a question of equality or not, but the role best suited for that person.

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[end of seminar]

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Read about other Tao talks, click here

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Cat's Play 2b - Up the tree

I was in the kitchen when I saw my neighbour's cat sitting there waiting and meowing, trying to tell me something. As soon as I opened the door, he went around my legs. I thought he needed a cuddle and picked him up, but when he was in my arms, he struggled, jumped down and ran towards the tall pine tree. He then leaped up the tree for about 1.5 metres then came back down on the ground and looked up the next tree.

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Up the tree was about five storeys high, was... guess who? My silly kitten, crying for help! Haiz! Will she ever learn? This is the third time. I will wait till I later to bring her down. Right now, I was busy.
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About half an hour later, I went to the tree to take a picture of my kitten, but to my astonishment, she was gone! Did she jump? I looked around, and to my relief, saw her playing with the neighbour's cat in the far end of the garden. Saves me the hassle of climbing up the tree with a basket again! So she has finally learned how to back track down the tree. Not so silly after all! :)

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These is about what it looks like (re-enacted pixs):

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What amazes me was the clarity of what my neighbour's cat communicated with me. It was just that we don't have a common language to talk to one another.

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A Tao master once told me that everything (including the so called 'non-living' things) around us have intelligence. Their intelligence is their nature. But at present, we don't know how to communicate with them. For more of the Tao master's talk, click here

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The hero

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For other Cat's Play posts, click here

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Tao 3 - Wealth and Love

The following is what I learned from a Tao lecture...

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About Wealth

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During the days of the legendary Emperors in China, successors to the throne were not chosen based on bloodlines, but rather that the person had attained Tao. In old China, an Emperor was one who had the mandate from Heaven to rule. Heavens will bestow all the wealth of the land to the man who has attained Tao, as he will have the compassion and wisdom to manage the wealth for his people.

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However, as time went, due to the greed of humankind, successors to the throne became the sons of the Emperors, and sometimes the son who managed to survive the fights and assasinations.

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So if we want to seek wealth, we should only seek the wealth that is within. When we have attained Tao within, wealth will come, as we will then be wise and responsible enough to manage the resources to the highest good of humankind.

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In the Bible, it is said that "... those who have it, more will be added to you, and those who do not have it, more will be taken away from you...". This does correlate well with this Tao teaching.

About Motherly Love

Once upon a time in a village in Singapore where the Tao master used to live in, there was a mentally insane woman. Her husband had left her and she was alone to take care of her two kids. Her mind was so deranged that she would use the planks of her wall of her hut for the fire for cooking. Isn't that mad?

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However, while she was mad, she remained a fantastic mother. She knew how to feed the kids, care for and protect her kids. This is because loving her children and motherly love is an instinct, and not an action for calculated returns. If it is one of calculated returns, then all mothers will be running at a huge loss, as such repayments can never be fulfilled no matter how much the children would want to pay.

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The children of this mother were also teased in school. The other kids called them mad children, but that didn't upset them, because they were very young and at that age, their mother is the greatest person in the world - the one who love and cared for them most.

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Babies and very young children also would not say that their mother is ugly, even if she is deformed, untidy and unpresentable to many people. To them, there is no such thing as an ugly mother. The mother they know of is the most beautiful person in the world. When they are bullied by other children, they will run to their mother, no matter how ugly other people would perceive her to be.

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It is perhaps later when children 'grow up' and are subjected to external influences that they gradually feel ashame of their mother. Ashamed when they turn up in their college, or work place, since some mothers, by then, would have grown old and even haggard. By then, sadly, these children would have forgotten that it was their 'ugly mother' who loves them so much and brought them up. In short, these children have forgotten about their true nature, their instinct, which is to love their mother and love them unconditionally.

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.

Tao

[Note: Undergoing typos and grammar checks...]

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This is the first time I listen to a Tao Master. This Master leads a group of Tao cultivators. It is a religion-free talk. Very profound.

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Note: This post is written in the first person, but it is not recorded ad verbatim to what the master spoke. Besides, the Master spoke in Mandarin, and I am writing in English here.

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Let us go through some of the topics that your group had discussed about in your previous session.

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Complaints

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Let's talk about 'complaints'. Does anyone here know why people complain?

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[I said: "Because of dissatisfaction?"]

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There are complaints that are about not having basic necessities, like food, money, jobs...etc. In other words, complaints about what you do not have. Other people are willing to accept such complaints and may even help you.

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There are also complaints due to dissatisfaction with what you already have but that you demand more. These complaints are luxuries. But can they be considered complaints? Yes, they can be considered as complaints, as they are expressions of dissatisfaction. These are complaints other people would not like to listen to or accept. For instance, it could be a complaint even you have a job, or when you have rice to eat and still complain about the taste.

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These complaints are due to a lack of emotional satisfaction and cannot be measured. So others cannot help to fulfill the demands of these types of complaints because your emotions cannot satisfy the heart and vice versa. Such emotional demands are due to an un-peaceful heart. Material alone cannot bring a peaceful heart.

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It is most difficult to satisfy emotional complaints, because emotions are personal feelings that cannot be felt by others. They can't be easily settled.

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So when you want to complain, be aware of what you want to complain. Check if they are emotional complaints. If they are, then it may be unfair to others because they cannot feel your emotions.

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If a complaint is due to money, for instance, they can be satisfied as there will be a sum that when reached will satisfy the need. There is a quantification.

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When there are emotional complaints it is so difficult to live with one another, as they cannot be quantified and resolved.

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Complaints represent the unstable emotions of a person. They are not violent. A person can have an unstable emotion because he is not loved, not respected, not appreciated etc.

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Complaints from people from different environments will be very different. For instance, complaints from Cambodians would be very different from those from Singaporeans. In Cambodia, it would be about basic necessities like food and shelter, whereas in Singapore, it would be about the lack of opportunities to be able to develop one's ambitions.

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Similarly, complaints from Tao cultivators would be very different from lay people.

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Complaints from cultivators would be about ideals, opportunities to manifest their talent...etc. In other words, they are luxury complaints, in contrast with lay-people who would tend to have complaints of basic needs. 'Luxury complaints' cannot be satisfied, as there is no feedback as to how much is being satisfied, as emotions are not quantifiable.

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Therefore, you can raise a complaint only if it can be fulfilled by others, because unsettled complaints will create chaos. A frequent complainant complains because he does not have the ability to manifest what he wants and rely on others by complaining. An able person does not need to complain, as he can easily manifest what he wants. Sometimes, the more you care for a person, the more that person complains to you, which means that this person has become reliant on you.

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Also when you want to raise a complaint, ask yourself if you are voicing a dissatisfaction or are you actually asking for help? If it is the latter, then just for help. Don't complain.

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[I asked: Are unspoken complaints considered complaints?]

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Even when not spoken, they are complaints. Refusal to take prescribed medicine is a way of complaining; refusal to corporate is a way of complaining; or turning to acts of terrorism are also unspoken complaints.

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A peaceful heart will have no complaints. But how do we cultivate a peaceful heart? The answer is to have a correct mindset. When you lose our concept of correct mindset, then we do not have a peaceful heart. In today's world, there are lots o information. Societal values have become too complex. This has misled the concept of mindsets. Concepts are derived from cultures and religion. So we must be careful with what we choose from religions and cultures.

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For instance, Chinese and Indians have different outlook in life due to their respective religions, cultures and teachings. Both races are in pursuit of concepts that can satisfy them.

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For instance,

A poor man pursue God, in the want for consolation from somebody or somewhere;

A rich man pursue God, in the search for a 'guarantee' from somebody or somewhere.

Both are in search of concepts to satisfy themselves.

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"Fang Kwei Si Tong"

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To understand more about Black Box, let us look at "Fang Kwei Si Tong" (FKST), which the group here has interpreted it as "Mutual Exchanges in Reciprocity". It is important for all of us here to have a common understanding of FKST.

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There are many explanations for "Fang Kwei". Nowadays, many of the explanations are expressed from the technical perspectives.

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"Si Tong" means "System". Systems essentially need to have interconnections within itself. Without interconnections, there won't be a system. Take our body for instance, there are subsystems and all of them are connected to form our body system. In our body, blood is pumped out from the heart and returns to the heart. This return flow is a feedback to the source of the flow. Essentially, this blood comes from the source, hence the meaning of "Fang Kwei". In your interpretations, you have used "mutual exchange" - that implies one party sending the energy to another party and vice-versa. In "Fang Kwei", the energy is sent and received by the same source/destination.

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However, blood flowed out is different from that of the return flow.

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Similarly in business, money flowed out (investments) are different in value to the returns (profits). In fact, for everything we do, that is what we want to have a flow out and return flow at higher values. Even Buddhists want a positive return in whatever they do, even if it means just a peaceful heart; even if the peace is realised in the next embodiment.

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But sometimes, we don't get positive returns. For instance, you may invest $10k and get back only $6k. Why? That is because the feedback System has a problem. If you look around, you will also realise that there are many feedback systems that are in chaos. That is because we don't understand the systems.

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Feedback, or feed-back, implies "feed", what we 'eat' or take-in. To "feed" and to "feed me back".

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Universal energy all have feedbacks. The tree takes water and sun and produces oxygen...etc. This works very well.

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However, the human feedback is not working as desirably as other universal systems. We ought to get desirable feedback as we are part of the Universal System.

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Feedbacks can be constructive or destructive. However, why are there more destructive feedbacks than constructive feedbacks. It is system that is having problems, as the objective of the system has not changed, since all human beings want peace. All religions advocate peace but we result in war.

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In the education system, we have a teaching system which is well trained. However, we also have a learning system, which tends to be not well trained. So sometimes, we don't produce good students. University students are well-trained in learning. That is why best students may not have best teachers.

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So a teaching system must be synergistic and complementary to the learning system.When the Buddha teaches, he use a high system of Dhamma to teach the high level consciousness to suit their learning processes; and will use a low level of Dhamma to teach the lower levels of consciousness. Therefore, systems are very important, especially learning systems.

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There are also problems in systems in religions. We all have our own systems and should not impose on others if we have not checked if the system is problematic, or that it cannot be accepted by others. Two different systems from individuals, organisations or entities must match. We can't be egoistic and impose our system on others. We must open up to other systems and become a multi-system system.
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Singaporeans have this concept of multi-system system, as we live in a society of many races, cultures and religions. That is why we adapt well when we go to foreign countries. We adapt well because we don't have a culture. We don't have a culture yet. May be in 50 years' time, Singapore will have its own culture and the language will be Singlish (said in jest)...

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Black Box
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A Black Box is a secret. An unopened message. Secrets exist in government, in companies and in individuals.

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A Black Box has secret activities inside. How do you find out these secrets in your Black Box and in other people's Black Box?

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Everyone has secrets. Some secrets are even not known to ourselves. These secrets are stored in our sub-conscious, some from experiences in our previous embodiments. Through the Chinese Ba-Zhi reading, Face Reading, palm reading, hypnosis,... etc, we can find out about the contents in our Black Box. Our destiny is in our Black Box.

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We can also observe our own behaviours and emotions, record them and we'll know all our own secrets. Knowing how to open Black Boxes can be useful. For instance, if you are a boss at work, you would want to know who are the talented ones for the specified work and who are more loyal ones.

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How do we know that?

We can know by looking at the feedback. So we give the employee a position, the authority and tests, and allow him to operate in freedom.

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In freedom, you observe. Different people will give different feedback. For instance, you can trust a particular person and he will become more trustworthy. He feels obliged to be more trustworthy than he already is, because you trust him totally. However, for another person, as you trust him, he becomes tempted to betray you and then finally he betrays you. Before trusting this second person, you didn't think that he would betray you. More surprisingly, even that person himself did not know that he would ever betray you. So it is a surprise even to that person, as he didn't even know this secret in his own Black Box.

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In other words, you have put things in his Black Box to receive feedback. In the preceding example, you have discovered the secrets of two different persons by trusting two different persons. If trusts were not given, there will be no understanding of their Black Boxes, as Black Boxes can be opened only when there is full freedom.

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We all have total freedom to open our own Black Boxes.

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In history, societies are much controlled. The wayward man will not do evil things. Likewise, the upright man cannot do great things.

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Conversely, look at the United States of America, there are great achievements, but also high crime rates. That is because in the USA, people are given more freedom than elsewhere. With full freedom, Black Boxes are open to realise their potentials.

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Chinese people can tell the destiny of a baby when he is 3 years old or younger. At that age, they are fully spontaneous and don't have a Black Box. When the 3 year old are fully natural, we can tell where his destiny lies. As he grows older, he gradually creates a Black Box.

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So human potential is not fully manifested. Every topic is related to self and your life, from the system of feedback.

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DNA

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DNA are codes carried over from our previous embodiments. They are like memory. These codes are lengthy. Research done to date discover enough DNA code to fill up 40 phone directory size books. Each code, like a phone number in the phone book, forms part of our experiences.

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So if you can pull out the Buddha code, then you can be Buddha now.

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That's why you see some people grew from young to old age, then return to child-like behaviour again. They have pulled some parts of their DNA of childhood.

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Similarly, when we play with children till we are fully immersed in the games, we have pulled out the child-code in us.

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So we can live a cultivated life and pull out the cultivated code.

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For those of you who are about 50 years old in Singapore, you have been in the military service 30 years ago. During that time, you probably listened to Teresa Teng's songs, dance the Ah-Go-Go and other trendy activities during that time. So if you are now exposed all these experiences that you had 30 years ago, that is Teresa Teng's songs, Ah-go-go...etc. It would instantly remind you of your army days. You will feel as if you are there and then.

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That is why some professionals, though live much of their life in their profession, suddenly decided to turn to the monastery and decided to turn to monk hood. Perhaps he had heard chants, seen certain statues, or been to some temples...etc. That is because in his past embodiments, he had ever been a monk and has now pull out the code embedded in his DNA.
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So which DNA code we pull out depends on the environment we are in. So, to change the world, you have to change your practice and change your culture.

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People who change themselves can change others. You would need a new practice to change yourself. Then your future will change.

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For instance, Western societies have changed the lifestyle of Asians; and the West will be changed by Asians philosophies. So we need a conducive environment. One that we can cultivate ourselves and over time, we will change our DNA.

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Ok, it is getting late and I think we should stop here. We have covered only a few terms we want to cover. We shall leave the other terms for the next session. We have only covered terms now. After that we will discuss about whole phrases, then whole books. :)

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Thank you for listening so patiently to what I say. Such topics do need much concentration.

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The talk ended here. It lasted slightly over two hours. I will be back for the next session.

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