Moonpointer : Grey

Archives

This is the archive for November 2003

Greetings : How Far?

There's this old lady at a temple. Whenever our paths cross, she would put her palms together in reverence to say Amituofo (Chinese name of Amitabha Buddha) as a greeting. Seeing her do that, I would do the same in return. Both of us would be grinning away happily at each other.

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Zen : From Mountain Top

The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.
— Robert Pirsig

Sometimes you need to find your Zen at the top of mountains.
— Stonepeace

Happiness is not in a place, thus easily misplaced, mistraced.
— Zyrius

Sacrifice : Selfless Service

The highest sacrifice is self-sacrifice —
not by killing yourself;
but by realising the falsity of your “self”,
giving up the delusion,
and becoming of selfless service to all.

Genuinely: Busy?

A woman sat next to me on the train. She was incredibly busy, doing endless small tasks, one after another. First, she figetted to sit comfortably. Next, she flipped through a newspaper impatiently, seemingly not really reading any news or genuinely interested in any article, not knowing what to expect while going through motion as if it is simply something she had to do, as part of her routine.

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Blocker : Thou Shalt Not Block

I see a man standing smack in front of the subway door in the train during peak hour. When she has to move aside to let commuters in and out, she wore a displeased scowl on her face. It's funny she saw others being in her way when it was the other way round. After letting others pass through, she would shift herself back to her central blocking position. This is another classic example of thinking the whole wide world is wrong while oneself is right — the failure of looking at one's own fault.

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Wallet : Losing it Not

How not to lose a wallet —
Don't keep one.
Let your pocket be your body wallet.
When there is no distinct entity from yourself,
you can't lose anything.
Even better, lose your “self”.

Vanity : Blogging

To assure myself this is not a vanity blog, I will not talk much about myself here. Anyway, let's face it. It's not me you are interested in, even if you think so. It's what I think — about you, me, the world we live in, life, love, enlightenment.

Phone : Virtually Wireless

Now the wire is so long, it is virtually a cordless phone —
because you can take the phone anywhere in the office.
Haha.

Budgeting : Like A Game Of Golf

Good Budgeting is like playing a restrained game of golf —
Keep as close as possible to the hole, so that it's easier to hit the ball in.
But only get the ball as close as possible, without hitting it in.

Re : (No Subject)

When you reply to an untitled email, the recipient sometimes gets the reply with the above as the subject header. It's funny to me — that “no subject” has to be the subject. If the sender did not need a subject when he sent it, will he need a “changed” subject back? Will he recognise it? Sometimes automated help without much thought is less than helpful?

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Download : The Latest

A rule of thumb when sharing the task of web-updating — Whenever amending any webpage, always download the version online first — in case the one in your harddisk is not the latest, or if someone else had just edited and uploaded that particular page.

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Fascination : Sex & Violence

The perpetual fascination:
Sex and violence
Guns and roses
Love and rockets
Peace and war

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Focus : Stay Focused

To Swirl, “You are right — I am lazy. Damn, but last night felt good — I was focused on blogging. I have to remember it feels right to be focused — and use this to motivate my meditation too.”

Mantra : Ooom

Ooom poppa chikamaga wana sing gow
Do lomma sinnigama mana ching jow
Inimana choogamaga wana sing gee
Finimana foonimana one is now free

— This is Ponderous (by 2nu, from 1990)

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Precept : No Fixed Rule

There are no fixed rules.
All rules are flexible, however, except this one.

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Cold : Wakefulness

Sometimes, the lecturer drones on and on and I almost fall asleep. Am grateful that the sweeping air-conditioner flap directs some cold air to me periodically. It keeps me awake. Makes me think of myself being too comfortable and complacent like the gods, needing a pang of suffering once a while as a wake-up call to be mindful, to wake up, physically and spiritually.

Lesson : Small Talk

Attending a short class with strangers, and I shy from them during tea breaks and lunch time. I see no much value in making small talk and striking up short relationships with people I am not genuinely interested in. But hey! Am I short-sighted! Who knows how things can develop between strangers. I should develop skillful means to bring Dharma to strangers — and to learn from them too.

Disgust : With Compassion

L: Just gave a man a look of disgust for his spitting on the floor.
Z: Be mindful not to do it with hatred, but with Compassion to “wake up his idea!”

Blog : Vainly In Vain

Life is too short for blogging vainly, in vain,
for reading vanity blogs, in vain.

Orchestra : Play It Right

I see some guys from Singapore Chinese Orchestra performing drums on TV. They were straining hard, looking at their music scores. They seem afraid to miss a beat. So tense that they don't seem to be enjoy playing their part, much less appreciating the masterpiece they are part of. I think it is tragic — when musicians forget to busk in their own music and have fun. In taking care of the details, let us not forget the big picture.

Archives

Greetings : How Far?

Zen : From Mountain Top

Sacrifice : Selfless Service

Genuinely: Busy?

Blocker : Thou Shalt Not Block

Wallet : Losing it Not

Vanity : Blogging

Phone : Virtually Wireless

Budgeting : Like A Game Of Golf

Re : (No Subject)

Download : The Latest

Fascination : Sex & Violence

Focus : Stay Focused

Mantra : Ooom

Precept : No Fixed Rule

Cold : Wakefulness

Lesson : Small Talk

Disgust : With Compassion

Blog : Vainly In Vain

Orchestra : Play It Right

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