If only you understand..

With Buddha, 

all things are empty, 

only if you understand..

5 qualities that support being present

Five qualities that support the skill of meditation or how to be present with our experiences.

1. Confidence

2. Energy

3. Mindfulness

4. Concentration

5. Wisdom

Heard these over a podcast a while ago.. in the context of overcoming fear.. still digesting the information.. ;-)

T.H.I.S. - Singapore first Buddhist flim festival 2009

T.H.I.S. stands for Thus Have I Seen.

Happy to attend the Singapore first Buddhist Film Festival 2009 organised by Dharma In Action, a non-profit organisation.

Three films i've watched were:

1. Act Normal (Iceland)

2. Unmistaken Child (Isreal)

3. Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Iran/France)

Visit the official website at www.thisfilmfest.com

Empty Emptiness

Buddha teaches us emptiness. Out of curiosity i googled images for the word Empty and found the following pictures..

my first Buddhist study

i've never attended any Buddhist study before. Yesterday was my first! And it was a wonderful experience!!   ;-)

The class was organised by Soka at a member's home. It was cozy and the people were friendly.

I learned about how and the reasons to prolong one's life the Buddhist way.

Below's my understanding.. so my opinion.. not Buddha's..

Life is precious and valuable. And not just about humans.. all living things are precious. To live a long life is not the objective. However, to live long so that you can help more of others should be the objective. Having the right motive is most important. Always think about the three good - good for yourself, good for others & serve a greater good. 

Not easy to achieve but can be done. And to treasure one's life is also to take care of our own body - our health. i must admit i'm not too good at that.. really must disciple myself to eat well and exercise enough..

looking forward for my next Buddhist class..  ;-)

Alika - Buddha Music Video - Get Me Higher

recharging my Buddhism faith

today is both a happy and sad day for me.. morning had a little quarrel with my wife and noon attended a SOKA event. Sometimes i wondered when i will really be 'enlightened' and be able to handle all problems in life.. sometimes i feel i do sometimes not. It's a long and difficult journey to develop true wisdom and compassion for all beings. however, the journey must go on!

The SOKA event comprises some dance segment plus more importantly the testimonies of some of the members.. they shared their life stories - how they suffered and struggled thru their darkness days of their life. It recharged me upon hearing their testimonies. i feel that i could achieve more if i continue the journey under the guidance of Buddhism.

So, i shall work hard.. beginning with increase in my meditation practise. ;-)

Below, are some encouraging words from the event - in the form of a small homemade card gift..

"Life is a process of ongoing challenge. Those who lead lives of
boundless challenge realize boundless growth.
In a time of tumultuous change, what people needs most
is the vitality to challenge their circumstances
and the wisdom to open the treasure-house of knowledge
and to ceaselessly strive to create new value."

Tumultuous means conflict of emotions.

struggles of the lay Buddhists

it's really a struggle to be a lay Buddhist.. must admit after being a practicing Buddhist for the past few years. i know it shouldnt be a struggle if i have reached a certain level of 'enlightenment' but still.. ;-(

the world we live in is just different from the world i would love to live in.. this material world's influence is just too strong, and greatly shaped people's behaviour to think self-centric and act self-interest.. everybody's thinking how to climb the corporate ladder, how to be better than the guy next door,.. sometimes if i'm not careful, i also got suck into such thinking. i only manage to pull myself out when i start to think about Buddhist teachings and think abt the truth of life.. i have to remind myself to be mindful - be aware and beware of the things surrounding us..

lately, the pressure is much higher for me as i'm in a new environment with new people around me.. it's difficult to tell who's the good people and who's the 'questionable' ones.. just have to stay alert.. as politics aplenty, with people's personal agenda,..

Mmm.. why do i feel down lately? perhaps exhausted with all the work.. with all the pressure to do a good job.. perhaps i should be doing meditation now and more often.. perhaps that's what i should do.. Yup, i cant wait to go East Coast this Sunday to video my second MTV on Lynnette's dream song! ;-)