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| Hello People. As the exams draw near and i start to wonder what im doing all this intense studying for, i just thought about this for abit. As you should know, buddhism is all about living in the present, enjoying the moment. How are we to do so though, when all of us are always living for the future, whereby exams are just a means of proving that we are capable of achieving, working is just so that we can get our pay at the end of the month. I dont know, but it doesnt seem like we can do anything anymore simply just for the sake of doing it, simply because we enjoy doing it. Everything we do nowdays seems to be justified by an end in mind. Society has become far too complex such that if we were to cut ourselves some slack we would be left behind, kicked out from this world that is constantly moving forward. If we are to live for the present we shouldnt have to keep planning for the future right? But maybe this might be taking things too far. 
anyway. read baby blues when all else fails[: G. | | |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM4bw9Ghv28&feature=player_embedded
ENJOY!
Peace out,
Bin
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| Hey peeps!
I hope you had as much fun, joy and laughter as I did at last weekend's camp. Its the middle of the 1st week of the June holidays and you guys are probably in the midst of a host of activities which are more varied than I can imagine. For example, Perry, Carene, Junxian, Sergin, Xuan, Rit and I are preparing for the L.I.O.N.S camp this weekend. On the other hand, O Level people like Ethel, Xuan are taking a short breather from the Mandarin exams and JC peeps like Jiaxian and Jen are probably getting into the swing of project work meeting and eventually promos. Not forgetting the poly students like Hao, Justin, Jasmine and Xinhui who are not quite having holidays at the moment, where work returns back to normal. Of course, some of you are pursuing CCA related stuff like Jenny (prefect camp) and Junxiang (canoeing training).
Nevertheless, with all the colourful memories from the camp vividly etched in your mind, I would like to call on you campers to contribute the little moments which made your camping exerience complete.
It could be the STOMP segment which relieved your childhood obsession of experimenting with "household percussion". Though now it is now on a large scale, akin to a symphony. Or perhaps getting acquainted with the kute chew-ren / Kor and Jie through exchanging riddles and games during "idle time". I remember hearing the "guess the finger's number" game countless of times until whenever someone approaches me with the open hand and say "If this finger is 1, that is 2, that is 3 ....", I would shout STOP! It could even mean sweating it out under the Sentosa sun trying to find that elusive spot which is shown on the picture clue or jostling with other Sentosa tourist for those limited tram seats in a bid to win the Amazing Race.
These moments are too many to mention and vastly unique between individuals. That's what make your contribution beautiful and worth sharing. Sent me your entries to me at teohbin89@hotmail.com I will collate it from there and publish it on the blog. Don't be shy! =D
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| Resolutions: The Months Ahead.
Four months have passed since the start of the new year. And every new year, many people around the world make resolutions; resolutions to get slimmer, resolutions to promote, resolutions to be more spiritual, etc. Resolutions are good, great in fact. They give the mind something to think about, to look forward to. People with no resolutions are boring people, always just going along with the flow, never having any aims in their lives.
But, therein lies a problem. According to the dictionary, a resolution is, as quoted, “a great determination”. However, how many of us lose steam through the endeavour? We do tend to push our so-called resolutions aside sometimes when the going gets too tough. To me, breaking a resolution is like breaking a promise you made to yourself. Is it, then, to be considered lying to yourself? And if it is, that is bad, for it breaks one of the five precepts.
Take this for an example: at the start of the year, you make a resolution to do some exercises everyday, no matter how tired you are. Then you keep it up for a few weeks, months maybe. Then one fine day, you come home from work, feeling extremely drained and exhausted from the bad day at work. You decide that you really are too tired to do anything, and thus give yourself the excuse to stop once, just that once. But, this one time then snowballs, and soon, once becomes twice, twice becomes many, and you stop it altogether. All because you stopped once, it gave you the incentive to stop again. So, is this considered breaking your promise to yourself? In my opinion, I believe it is. But it alters from person to person, whom all might have differing thoughts.
How then, do I keep my resolutions? Personally I like to keep the end of the tunnel's light bright in my head. In other words, I remember why I made those resolutions in the first place. “I want a slimmer looking body”, “I want a better pay so I can buy that car my dad always wanted for him”. These reasons must all be remembered. Also, they must be reachable and realistic. Don't make resolutions like, “I am going to earn a diploma in piano playing in a year” when you don't even know what a piano looks like. Make it realistic. That is all there is to it. These should be able to last you through the year.
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| My crazy days - Crazy is relative to the norms of the society. It cannot be measured. - Ajahn Catamalo's "crazy days" invovled taking substances. Why? To get away from the reality beacuse it hurts. - However, once the effect of those substances wear off, reality hits back and one is forced to face the stark truth of reality once again. Meditation - Reinforement of present mind awareness. "A good meal is best enjoyed when it is being eaten" - Chanting and focusing on the different body parts are "anchors" in order to cultivate mindfulness towards the subtle breathe. For the untrained mind, conentrating on breathe alone will probably bore one to sleep or feel a strong urge to get up and do something more stimulating. Hence, occupying one's mind with a few actions is more beginner friendly. - The Buddha encourage attachment to wholesome happiness such as bliss from meditation and doing meritous deeds which would make everyone's lives happier and more meaningful. Bliss through the five senses is discourage and we should learn to dettach ourselves from these pleasure. Rebirth (how to prove it exist?) - Ajahn Catamalo firmly believes in rebirth - However, it cannot be proven on scientific basis only by occasions where young children recall their past lifes. Suttas (how do you prove its authentic?) - View the teachings which appear multiple times in the different suttas. Paying attention to the "less appeared" teachings is less important as as there more than enough "commonly appeared" teachings for one to follow. - In addition, always ask yourself whether following those teachings will result in wholesome deeds and greater happiness to the people around you. - Lastly, it is not wise to just read about suttas but rather practise the teachings in your everyday life. One can spend a lifetime doing scholarly work and debating about what buddha said but will that really enrich one's life? By Bin | | |
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