Dharma quotes

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

by Lama Yeshe

To have an easy, happy life you have to be willing to correct your behavior and attitude and then make the effort to do so.

by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This is very important in order for us to know clearly about the eight worldly dharmas. If you don't fully know, discover, recognize, there is no way to make pure Dharma Practice.

In the West, some people believe that you get rid of your anger by expressing it, that you finish it by letting it out. Actually, in this case what happens is that you leave an imprint in your mind to get angry again.

The path is the holy Dharma and the essence of the path is the good heart.

Buddha has already fulfilled his responsibility by revealing the path. Now its up to us.

The real practice of Dharma, the real meditation, is never to harm others. This protects both your own peace of mind and that of other beings. This is true, religious practice practice, it brings benefit to both yourself and others.

Use your wisdom to analyze what is most beneficial for yourself, the world and all other sentient beings ~ not just for now but also for the long distant future ~ and on the basis of that, decide how best to lead your life.

This good heart should be our prime concern in life.

For happiness cherish others.

The door of dharma practice is observing karma.

Daily Reflections" by Geshe Chonyi ~ from ABC centre

 

"From the moment you consider yourself to be a Dharma practitioner, you should always relate the teachings to the state of your mind and check if you are working to defeat your afflictions. Whatever you do - be it listening to the teachings, doing your daily commitments, practising generosity and so forth - you should check: "Will doing this help to weaken or even destroy my negative emotions?"and set the motivation, "I am doing this so that I can subdue my afflictions." By sincerely setting such a motivation, the process of destroying our afflictions has already begun."
 

Buddhism & 5 Precepts

DANA
 ~ Practice generosity by helping others



SILA
 ~ Cultivate morality by observing the 5 percepts



BHAVANA ~ 
Acquire wisdom through meditation






The 5 Precepts
 

To abstain from harming or killing any living beings


To abstain from taking what is not given.

To abstain from sexual misconduct


To abstain from lying and false speech.


To abstain from the abusive consumption of intoxicants and drugs.

Peace ~ Happy Vesak Day 2011

This year, I had the privilege to visit 2 temples this year ~ Sakya Tenphel Ling @ Pasir Ris and Thai Temple at Bedok. I also shopped for many interesting dharma books, plus help in tear down (only 4 hours) of the tentage outside of Aljunied MRT - organized by ABC. The set up was least 2 weekends of hardwork by dedicated people. I had fun despite the hot hot singapore weather.

Bathing the Buddha is a practice during the vesak day to represent one's purification of the body, speech, and mind. Its never a worship mentality - which most misunderstood mindset perceives.

Previous previous year, I picked up three bookmarks from the Burmese temple in Singapore. It says:

Peace is not the abscence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for love, honesty and trustworthiness.

Live now, the past is gone, the future has yt to come. Live this day as if it is your last, you will discover the true priorities of your life.

Kamma: Each action is a seed planted, that will grow when conditions are right. Thus as you sow, you shall reap.

~

A dedication to all,
I have been very blessed with many successful achievements so far. So, I take this day to make a appreciation and thank you to all that has given me this opportunity, helped and supported in thoughts, speech and mind, directly and indirectly.
May I be able to have multiple opportunities to continue to rejoice in all my service, offerings, in body, speech and mind.

May all that I do bring benefit to all beings, in all levels, in all realms, in all level of consciousness. May we be able to continue to follow our path in truth, with much blessings, for the benefit of all.
So, May all my merits accumulated be dedicated to all. May we all who rejoice in the path of the highest truth, even with the slightest thought, always be blessed with the good fortune and auspiciousness to thread this path of sugata* in all that we attempt, and continue in this endeavour with clarity, vigour, patience, virtue, perserverence and courage.

May we all continue to have the courage to walk the warrior path to live in this exalted wisdom & clarity in our endeavour in this very lifetime ~ so that we can be our own best example through our own discipline, practice & leadership.

May all who come in contact with the peaceful practitioners be blessed with the same or more in all that we have and hope to achieve.

* sugata is sanskrit which is synonymous with Buddha (The Blissful One). This word is made up of two elements: Sukha meaning "bliss" and gata meaning "arrived." The attainment of this blissful state has two aspects: realization and elimination.

~

Many will practice the 5 precepts on this day.

~ namaste

My Poem ~ Quietness

Quietness
that which i was born with
a gift i have embraced
a gift i have within me always

Sex Education ~ for Ladies

Perhaps we should all know all these stuff! ; )

http://www.scarleteen.com/


http://www.scarleteen.com/article/body/anatomy_pink_parts_female_sexual_anatomy

My Poem ~ Fitness

Fitness in the body, mind, spirit

~ thats what this year is going to be about.

fitness in the body, mind, spirit

~ thats what this year is going to be for

fitness in the body, mind, spirit

~ thats what which expands our heart, intuition, aura

fitness in the body, mind, spirit 

~ focusing out and have that manifest in plenty fold for all

fitness in the body, mind, spirit 

~ with concrete baby steps

fitness in the body, mind, spirit 

~ let's get going!

Torma

Torma Display and Demonstration 
by monks from Jamchen Lhakhang Monastery Nepal
was held @ Esplanade Singapore 15-17 April 2011


I liked the explanation given in the brochure:

Tormas, made of barley flour, brightly decorated with coloured butter and shaped according to rituals requirements, are sacrificial cake-offering in Tibetan Buddhism. These beautiful sculptural cakes are imbued with much symbolic meaning, and are offered to various spiritual entities from the protectors of Buddhist law, who are said to shield all sentient beings from malignant forces, to the bodhisattvas that delay their own enlightenment in order to help others along the same path. For the Tibetans, the practice of offering tormas is an important aspect in the generation of merit towards their journey to enlightenment.


The word torma - the first syllable, tor, is a verb that means to throw out: Tormas are placed outside as a gesture of making offering - a gesture of generosity. Almost invariably it can also be scattered for eating by birds and animals after the ceremony, and occasionally be consumed during the ritual. In an inner sense, the notion of throwing out can be understood as severing attachment to the desirable things. That is, cutting through entrapment in desire. It may also be thought of as throwing out kleshas - severance of conditioned emotional reactions that cause suffering.


The second syllable, ma, is a feminine ending. It evokes the maternal, a nurturing quality. Understanding the true meaning of this simple syllable is a means of cultivating loving kindness for all beings much as a mother feels love for her children. So, in a way, with the first syllable one severs attachment to self-centeredness. Having cut that, with the second syllable one radiates love and sympathy to others. This is the inner sense of offering torma.

When I loved myself enough

by Kim McMillen with Alison McMillen
Published by Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 0-283-07337-3. www.panmacmillan.com
Kim McMillen was a writer, teacher, consultant in organizational development and a volunteer chaplain at Boulder Community Hospital.

This book began as one woman's gift to the world, hand-made by Kim McMillen and given to her friends. As word spread, its heartfelt honesty and universal truths won it a growing following.

When I Loved Myself Enough is a collection of wisdom that is startling in its simplicity. By the end of the book the message becomes clear: loving yourself holds the key to loving others and having others love you.

By sharing insights, Kim McMillen teaches us how to fill our life with peace and quiet joy. Moved by the insights and the story behind them, all who have read this special book have been illuminated by it.

Where The Truth Is

“Some disciples are always asking where the truth is,” said Maal-El.



“So one day I decided to point in one direction, trying to show them how important it is to follow a path, and not just to think about it.

“Instead of looking in the direction I had pointed, the man who had asked the question started examining my finger, trying to find out where the truth was hidden.


“When people seek out a master, they should be looking for experiences which can help them avoid certain obstacles.
“But unfortunately, reality is different: they adopt the law of minimum effort, trying to find answers to everything.”


“The person who accepts, without question, the truths of his master, will never find his/her own path.”

this is an excerpt taken from http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/04/14/truth/

Reverse Psychology!

I am a kind of paranoid in reverse.
I suspect people of plotting to make me happy. J.D. Salinger
* * *

My Poem ~ Lati Rinpoche 1st Anniversary

Tonight, my heart was with my dear guru.
It is Lati Rinpoche's first anniversary
I heard his voice on the videos' rewind

I could not split myself either or 

Here i am i say, dear guru

Walking a path that 

I asked to be aligned, be an embodiment 

Of exalted wisdom and truth

I asked, what is a warrior's path?

A genuine path

Is it the same

As being in spirit all the time?

Being in channel  

Being in devotion 

But yet being in attachment

Is this the same?

Being with presence

Being in awareness

Yet attaching to love, to belong

Is this the same?

Is the dual self one, 

Or is the dual self in twos, 

In one sitting, in the same presence

Is it possible, is this the same?

What is and what isn't

What's the end that i desire?

Isn't desire one of the six hindrances

One of the mental defilement

Awareness and knowledge

Brings us out of our house

To see beyond

To see what's true

Attachment, once caught up

Brings us out of spirit

I thought it did 

I think it does

Can we love freely? 

Let go, it came freely

Can love give freedom

Let go, it came to give freedom 

It is such that we cannot hold 

If we tried, it meanders bold

Like a strong river cold

It's own nature holds

Tonight, my heart was with my dear guru

He was all i felt 

I remembered his voice

I remembered my vow

I remembered my path

Tonight, my heart was with my dear guru

It was a natural phenomenal

It was the warmest blessing

To be within this embodiment 

This is what i asked

This is what i seeked

This is what i choose

This is my path

music & laughter

There are two things that don't have to mean anything; one is music, the other is laughter
- Immanuel Kant
(to give deep pleasure)

The Best Love ~ The Notebook

The Notebook is one of the most romantic movie i've watched. 

Here's sharing links to some clips & a beautiful quote:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/
Summary: A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. 
They soon are separated by their social differences.

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, 

or makes us reach for more, 

that plants fire in our heart and peace in our mind.

...nothing is ever lost or can be lost

~~~~~

Scene Young Love 2

http://youtu.be/aNsk5tuluyY

If you're a bird, I'm a bird

http://youtu.be/EdwkSYsUvBs

Chasing Cars

http://youtu.be/3am2em-PxaY

Notebook 12

http://youtu.be/dplcTNF-Jeg

The Notebook - clips with music

http://youtu.be/aQs0ZqoDm8w

Birth Stones

Jan     Garnet ~ Constancy     (Red)
Feb   Amethyst ~ Sincerity    (Purple)
Mar   Aquamarine ~ Courage   (Blue)
Apr   Diamond & White Zircon, Innocence  (Clear)
May   Emerald & Jade ~ Success in Love  (Green)
Jun   Pearl & Moon Stone ~ Health, Wealth   (White)
July   Ruby ~ Contentment  (Red)
Aug   Cat's Eye & Peridot ~ Conjugal, Felicity (Green)
Sept   Sapphire (all colors) ~ Wisdom
Oct   Opal & Pink Tourmaline ~ Hope, Faith (Purple/Pink)
Nov   Topaz & Citrine ~ Fidelity  (Yellow)
Dec   Blue Topaz & Turquoise, Star Sapphire ~ Prosperity  (Blue)

My Poem ~ i will let go

~

om mane padme hum ...

i will begin my day right with Thy first breathe.. 

i will rise with a clear motivation, in each dawn

i will remember each beat, as life pulses away  

i will pen today, tomorrow, for yesterday i wrote my future

i will be present this moment, for the next is next

i will watch the mind play, in likes and dislikes,

i will taste the nectar, an impermanence

i will embody Thy qualities, for this exudes beyond i

i will be in Spirit, in Light, remembering Thy purest nature

i will walk Thy Path, for there's no other Truth

i will be you, as you are me, in endless form

i will be Thy Witness, Thy Channel, Thy Union

i will be Nothing, for i was Nothing

let go

its time to go ... 

i will

~

namaste

Om Mane Padme Hum

in tibetan script

ओं मणिपद्मे हूं

in sanskrit

OM a symbol of impure to Pure exalted Body, Speech, Mind of purest qualities

MANE means jewel = the factor of Method = the altrustic intention to become enlightened, compassion, love

PADME means lotus = Wisdom that realizes the emptiness of inherent existence (which encompases wisdom realizing impermanence, wisdom realizing that person are empty of self-sufficient or substantial existence, wisdom of emptiness of duality)

HUM the indivisiblity (incapable of being divided) Unity of method and wisdom. In full form, ones conciousness becomes immovable, unfluctuating.

Thus the six syllables, OM MANI PADME HUM, mean that in dependence

on the practice which is in indivisible union of method and wisdom,

you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure

body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.

explanation is my summary from His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet text link:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/omph.htm

~ Namaste ~

Detach - be free

R ~ Being a Channel

Being a Channel

I am love, and I represent love.

I transcend the human world, I can give love to all. 

It is my channel from above and love comes through me to you.

Sometimes I represent healing too. This is quite natural to those who allow themselves to be channel. You and all have all these qualities too. Thats why we attract.

Thy love will not stop, and its not a possessive kind of love. Let it go. Love with no expectation. It doesn't matter. Its there always for you when you or others need it. 

~ by Si-Y

Ethics intersects etiquette

Ethics intersects etiquette. Our act has an ethical component, since it requires attention and consideration.

....

"The principal form that the work of love takes is attention."

—M. Scott Peck

"A human moment occurs anytime two or more people are together, paying attention to one another."

—Edward M. Hallowell

"Every action done in company, ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present."

—George Washington

We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

—Paul of Tarsus

.....

The Three Strikes of Incivility

The rude act—a lack of acknowledgment—causes harm in at least three ways. 

1) It may inconvenience others in some way in the act. Since the acknowledgement was needed for a reason.

2) Dismissal of other's presence is telling others "their existence didn't matter. The loss of face can make one perturbed and resentful.

3) If one being rude at - feels that they should do something to redress the slight, this will perturb them as well. They will wonder whether if they really want to bring the issue to the person's attention. Is it worth the while? Will an unpleasant exchange ensue? Is the incident going to escalate? If they don't react, is it being cowardly? 

So, rudeness begets conflict with others but also conflict within ourselves, and the latter can prove as hurtful as the former.

We can, however, do without the invisibility game. It is insincere and petty. Let's at least nod each other into existence. And let's not play another game, either, that of waiting to be acknowledged before acknowledging in turn. I hope that we will always have enough self-esteem to feel that being first in greeting doesn't entail loss of face.

..........

Acknowledge others' existence, their importance to you, their feelings, and the things they do for you. Acknowledgment comes in many forms: remembering someone's name, paying a thoughtful compliment, summarizing what was just said for a newcomer to the conversation, holding a door open to let someone through, welcoming, thanking, and just plain saying hello. A simple "Hello" or "Good morning" is the most basic form of acknowledgment. 

..........

and Going through life rude and angry can make you sick.

source is from www.oprah.com

My Poem ~ Kitty Maui

Here's my first try...

I stand and stare at her time to time,

she twirls her tail to say 'au revoir' every time,

she means ~ I care for her existence more than she does for mine

And yes she does that all the time!

When I stand and stare at her, I ask, 

should I not have a life, oh what am i doing here? tsk!

for everything she does is usually quite the same, 

yet, amazingly, I adore her simple silly game!

so, i suspect this is how mother nature turns the wheel 

does creation exist when our will strikes a deal

do we will ourselves to exist as individuals, so thus we exist,

or are we created for another, who wills us to exist?

I stand and stare at her this beautiful Sunday,

a challenging affair ~ a good shower day!

A WHAT?!! Oh! As always, she throws a fit!!

Well, her greatest fear comes even at a sprinkly bit!

I stand and stare at her now at midday

she purrs thankfully, her warmth reflects the sunny rays 

poised to show off her glowing whites, yes! a big basking day

to stay clean, cuddly, soft and fluffy, I hope thats her only agenda today!

Years ago, I stood and stare at her before, 

a lost tiny kitty in a busy food court, frantic on fours ~

with orange fur, white chest and socks, crying away

frightened, shaken, no Mummy to take her away.

I stood and stared at her ~ a long fateful day for me

I'm still allergic to fluffs no matter what, you see,

What a joke this'd be! But I was tempted to see

If co-existence could work ~ if it was meant to be.