It is really nice to meet up with u all. I dunno whether i talk too much again on my own experience. I felt i like to share the sorrow i have went through with people. Please feedback to me, ok?
Sis Pei Fuen is really shuai4. One word to summarize from me-"Enlightened" (light bulb, tink!) I really liked to listen how she analyze things, brief yet so true, straight to the point.
Wow, really learnt a lot from her. She is really a good role model to learn from.
Kalyana Mitra, my happy beautiful friends. I love all of you. Muaks...
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Feedbacks from GLs
Dear all,
I have conducted a short debrief with the GLs and the following were their responses:
1. What is good about the workshop which have helped you a lot during the camp?
- mentally prepared for the camp
- sharing of past experiences from ex-GLs
2. What could be done to better equipped the GLs or the difficulties faced during the camp?
(a)What should GL do during OTOT time? Should GL be bossy or just relax?
A: This depends on experience. If the participants are tired, just let them rest, do not have to control of supervise them all the time.
(b)Some participants are so quiet that even GLs tried their very best, they still kept quiet.
A: If this is the case, then do not have to force them to speak. As long as they are paying attention to classes, thinking on the issues. It is sufficient as we have achieved the objective of imparting Dhamma to them and let them contemplate on it.
(c)My group has three resource persons. Most of the time they are disappeared and our group are very lonely.
A: Reflect to the main comm and do not put all the subcomm of the same department under one group, distribute them.
(d)As GLs, we are not briefed on the programmes until the very day itself. (after further questioning, no meeting on every night to debrief the camp and prepare for the next day programmes)
A: Reflect to the main comm it is a need to have a meeting every night to brief the GLs on the next day programmes. This is to ensure that the GLs are more prepared and they could convey the message to the participants well. GLs reflected that when they were asked about the programmes, they could not answer.
(e)They are no communication between main comm and GLs. GLs did not know the objectives and theme of activities. One GL reflected that he/she only knew the theme of dhamma talk after Venerable said it. Also, one GL frustrated that main comm did not want to eat together with GLs, no team spirit.
A: Reflect to the main comm on the last day of the camp to reflect the importance
of communication in a team.
3. What is the best experience you have after four days of camp?
- bonding, friendship
- every moment in the camp
- welfare visit to Bishan Home
- one GL received feedback: "You are not a bad GL"
- satisfaction because group is responsive
A: Keep the friendship going even the camp has finished. Organise outings or meals together with members.
I have conducted a short debrief with the GLs and the following were their responses:
1. What is good about the workshop which have helped you a lot during the camp?
- mentally prepared for the camp
- sharing of past experiences from ex-GLs
2. What could be done to better equipped the GLs or the difficulties faced during the camp?
(a)What should GL do during OTOT time? Should GL be bossy or just relax?
A: This depends on experience. If the participants are tired, just let them rest, do not have to control of supervise them all the time.
(b)Some participants are so quiet that even GLs tried their very best, they still kept quiet.
A: If this is the case, then do not have to force them to speak. As long as they are paying attention to classes, thinking on the issues. It is sufficient as we have achieved the objective of imparting Dhamma to them and let them contemplate on it.
(c)My group has three resource persons. Most of the time they are disappeared and our group are very lonely.
A: Reflect to the main comm and do not put all the subcomm of the same department under one group, distribute them.
(d)As GLs, we are not briefed on the programmes until the very day itself. (after further questioning, no meeting on every night to debrief the camp and prepare for the next day programmes)
A: Reflect to the main comm it is a need to have a meeting every night to brief the GLs on the next day programmes. This is to ensure that the GLs are more prepared and they could convey the message to the participants well. GLs reflected that when they were asked about the programmes, they could not answer.
(e)They are no communication between main comm and GLs. GLs did not know the objectives and theme of activities. One GL reflected that he/she only knew the theme of dhamma talk after Venerable said it. Also, one GL frustrated that main comm did not want to eat together with GLs, no team spirit.
A: Reflect to the main comm on the last day of the camp to reflect the importance
of communication in a team.
3. What is the best experience you have after four days of camp?
- bonding, friendship
- every moment in the camp
- welfare visit to Bishan Home
- one GL received feedback: "You are not a bad GL"
- satisfaction because group is responsive
A: Keep the friendship going even the camp has finished. Organise outings or meals together with members.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Buddhist Film Festival in 2009
Hi Guys,
Some updates on one of the stuff I've been involved in these few months.
A group of us have organised a Youth Conference this year to try and get together the various Buddhist youth groups to discuss on how to move ahead. The conference was pretty good, and we're moving on to our next project. See the conference details here: http://www.dharmainaction.net/
Our next project is to organise a Buddhist Film Festival in Singapore for 2009. Some of you may know of the previous International Buddhist Film Festival that was held in 2007. That particular event was quite a success and all 5000 seats were sold out very quickly.
What? Films that showcase Buddhist values and culture that have been released recently. The slant would be towards Asia and other traditions of Buddhism, and slightly away from Western-made films and less about Tibet, cf. with the 2007 one.
When? Targetted either the long weekend in Sep 2009 or Nov 2009.
Who? Target audience is whoever interested in this genre of films: artsy people, film buffs, practising buddhists, nominal buddhists, non-buddhists but interested in buddhism, tourists and foreigners, general public looking for some uplifting recreation for that weekend.
Why? We are a network of engaged Buddhists from various professions (not me, I'm the only student here) and various Buddhist groups who will do projects for the community that other groups dare not do or have stopped doing. In the future we plan to branch out into other services for the community and so we need some working funds, e.g. for our next conference in 2010. In short, the net profit from the ticketing and sponsors will go into Dharma work to benefit the community. A new way of fund raising compared to organising 法会s and fun fairs.
How? There are four work groups currently in this project, comprising of over 20 people.
Fund-raising: to solicit sponsors and funding. Headed by a former manager of fund raising from Man Fut Tong nursing home, other members include a member of the Rotary club, a manager from the NVPC and a team leader for Buddhist overseas expedition project group Firefly Mission.
Marketing: to work out a publicity campaign and create adverts for this event. Headed by a volunteer from the performing arts scene, joined by a creative designer, a lady from the National Library Board, and yours truly.
Film Selection: explains it all. Headed by Shen Shi'an, founder and editor of The Daily Enlightenment e-newsletter, who often writes Buddhist film reviews, contributor for BuddhistChannel.tv and reflection blog MoonPointer. Joined by a volunteer from the National Youth Council and some other self-proclaimed Buddhist film buffs.
Ticketing and Merchandise: somewhat laggard group being formed right now.
We have engaged a consultant from the Singapore Film Festival. Our target is to sell 10,000 tickets for 14 films over a weekend of 3-4 days. Films selected will be the uplifting, inspirational, warm-and-fuzzy, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel kind, and not the Cheh-Cham depressing dire straits kind, so that everyone can feel a bit of hope in these dreary times of economic slowdown.
We are actually still fully open to volunteers joining our committees, especially in publicity and marketing. In particular we need a secretary to help with the overall meetings and co-ordination. If anyone is interested, please let me or Puay Kim know!
In the meanwhile, I'd be away from 12-20 December for a Zen meditation retreat in Johor. See ya at the next gathering!
Some updates on one of the stuff I've been involved in these few months.
A group of us have organised a Youth Conference this year to try and get together the various Buddhist youth groups to discuss on how to move ahead. The conference was pretty good, and we're moving on to our next project. See the conference details here: http://www.dharmainaction.net/
Our next project is to organise a Buddhist Film Festival in Singapore for 2009. Some of you may know of the previous International Buddhist Film Festival that was held in 2007. That particular event was quite a success and all 5000 seats were sold out very quickly.
What? Films that showcase Buddhist values and culture that have been released recently. The slant would be towards Asia and other traditions of Buddhism, and slightly away from Western-made films and less about Tibet, cf. with the 2007 one.
When? Targetted either the long weekend in Sep 2009 or Nov 2009.
Who? Target audience is whoever interested in this genre of films: artsy people, film buffs, practising buddhists, nominal buddhists, non-buddhists but interested in buddhism, tourists and foreigners, general public looking for some uplifting recreation for that weekend.
Why? We are a network of engaged Buddhists from various professions (not me, I'm the only student here) and various Buddhist groups who will do projects for the community that other groups dare not do or have stopped doing. In the future we plan to branch out into other services for the community and so we need some working funds, e.g. for our next conference in 2010. In short, the net profit from the ticketing and sponsors will go into Dharma work to benefit the community. A new way of fund raising compared to organising 法会s and fun fairs.
How? There are four work groups currently in this project, comprising of over 20 people.
Fund-raising: to solicit sponsors and funding. Headed by a former manager of fund raising from Man Fut Tong nursing home, other members include a member of the Rotary club, a manager from the NVPC and a team leader for Buddhist overseas expedition project group Firefly Mission.
Marketing: to work out a publicity campaign and create adverts for this event. Headed by a volunteer from the performing arts scene, joined by a creative designer, a lady from the National Library Board, and yours truly.
Film Selection: explains it all. Headed by Shen Shi'an, founder and editor of The Daily Enlightenment e-newsletter, who often writes Buddhist film reviews, contributor for BuddhistChannel.tv and reflection blog MoonPointer. Joined by a volunteer from the National Youth Council and some other self-proclaimed Buddhist film buffs.
Ticketing and Merchandise: somewhat laggard group being formed right now.
We have engaged a consultant from the Singapore Film Festival. Our target is to sell 10,000 tickets for 14 films over a weekend of 3-4 days. Films selected will be the uplifting, inspirational, warm-and-fuzzy, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel kind, and not the Cheh-Cham depressing dire straits kind, so that everyone can feel a bit of hope in these dreary times of economic slowdown.
We are actually still fully open to volunteers joining our committees, especially in publicity and marketing. In particular we need a secretary to help with the overall meetings and co-ordination. If anyone is interested, please let me or Puay Kim know!
In the meanwhile, I'd be away from 12-20 December for a Zen meditation retreat in Johor. See ya at the next gathering!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Hindu Stranger at Border's
The other day I was browsing around in the Border's at Wheelock Place with Chue Wei.
Naturally, I was in the Buddhist books section for some time, getting excited over the occasional book and mumbling to her about some stuff as I came across it.
An Indian man was also moving in between those shelves. I didn't notice him much, except that he was middle-aged, very thin, had straggly, long hair and was dressed in shabby loose shirts and jeans. (Chue Wei noticed an unwashed smell, and stayed away from him; I didn't.)
Chue Wei showed me a paragraph from a book on Mindfulness for Busy People, where it said something like, "...relate from the centre, not from 'you' or 'me'..." and I was telling her how Ajahn Brahm's Simply This Moment! also said similar things: to relate to people from the centrist position of mindfulness.
Then he suddenly asked me a question, startling me, "Excuse me, do you really think that such a mechanical set of instructions as in meditation can bring about spiritual liberation?"
The question was very thought-provoking indeed. He went on to elaborate further: how can such a mechanical series of step-by-step procedures being about something as abstract and amazing as enlightenment? How can something so technical promise such a spiritual result?
I told him that I supposed there were many different teachers with many different temperaments and many different methods, so the many different students with many different affinities had to find the right teacher and right method to suit them. For example, I asked him, whether he had heard of S. Goenka? He did.
He asked, what is needed before one can sit in meditation?
I told him that usually we are thought that morality and virtue can to be practised before meditation. This answer seemed to strike him as very unique, and I saw his facial expressions change.
I told him that only with a clear conscience and being lightened of guilt can a mind find joy and calm itself down. And only a calm and stable mind can then proceed to watching.
Yes, indeed, he said. He'd read so many of the poems by Masters claiming to be enlightened, and they sound so "inspired" to him but abstract. I agreed: such writings are the manifestations of the mind that saw, which would sound wondrous to us but yet at the same time we can't really quite grasp at it, but feel it.
Last question, he said. By now Chue Wei was amused but standing off to one side.
The meditation instructions in books are often so dry, so cold, so unfeeling. Is meditation really like that? Doesn't Buddhism teach any love at all?
I told him about the Meditation on Loving Kindness, and explained it to him. He seemed to get it, understanding that love in this case was broad, and not so narrowly defined.
He thanked me, and I wish I had thanked him too. Our short exchange lasted no more than ten minutes, but I could see in his wild eyes, that might look half-mad to some people, a kind of longing for truth, longing to see what the enlightened see. His red mark between his eyes told me that he was a devout Hindu, the kind that would have spent hours in temples and holy sites, hoping that the gods would show him some way to a holy life.
As I walked away, I had some regret. Regret that I could not tell him more, regret that he might not find his answer. So many other things I could have told him.
And while I have the good fortune to come across the Noble Path, I am not pursuing it all the way through.
Naturally, I was in the Buddhist books section for some time, getting excited over the occasional book and mumbling to her about some stuff as I came across it.
An Indian man was also moving in between those shelves. I didn't notice him much, except that he was middle-aged, very thin, had straggly, long hair and was dressed in shabby loose shirts and jeans. (Chue Wei noticed an unwashed smell, and stayed away from him; I didn't.)
Chue Wei showed me a paragraph from a book on Mindfulness for Busy People, where it said something like, "...relate from the centre, not from 'you' or 'me'..." and I was telling her how Ajahn Brahm's Simply This Moment! also said similar things: to relate to people from the centrist position of mindfulness.
Then he suddenly asked me a question, startling me, "Excuse me, do you really think that such a mechanical set of instructions as in meditation can bring about spiritual liberation?"
The question was very thought-provoking indeed. He went on to elaborate further: how can such a mechanical series of step-by-step procedures being about something as abstract and amazing as enlightenment? How can something so technical promise such a spiritual result?
I supposed that, from a Buddhist point point of view, watching the rising and falling of phenomena is supposed to lend direct insight into the nature of existence, and hence lead to enlightenment and therefore liberation.
He was pretty impressed (?) to know that I was a Buddhist. He mentioned that he had tried a meditation retreat before in Nepal but he couldn't take sitting in meditation for 12 hours a day.
I told him that I supposed there were many different teachers with many different temperaments and many different methods, so the many different students with many different affinities had to find the right teacher and right method to suit them. For example, I asked him, whether he had heard of S. Goenka? He did.
He asked, what is needed before one can sit in meditation?
I told him that usually we are thought that morality and virtue can to be practised before meditation. This answer seemed to strike him as very unique, and I saw his facial expressions change.
I told him that only with a clear conscience and being lightened of guilt can a mind find joy and calm itself down. And only a calm and stable mind can then proceed to watching.
Yes, indeed, he said. He'd read so many of the poems by Masters claiming to be enlightened, and they sound so "inspired" to him but abstract. I agreed: such writings are the manifestations of the mind that saw, which would sound wondrous to us but yet at the same time we can't really quite grasp at it, but feel it.
Last question, he said. By now Chue Wei was amused but standing off to one side.
The meditation instructions in books are often so dry, so cold, so unfeeling. Is meditation really like that? Doesn't Buddhism teach any love at all?
I told him about the Meditation on Loving Kindness, and explained it to him. He seemed to get it, understanding that love in this case was broad, and not so narrowly defined.
He thanked me, and I wish I had thanked him too. Our short exchange lasted no more than ten minutes, but I could see in his wild eyes, that might look half-mad to some people, a kind of longing for truth, longing to see what the enlightened see. His red mark between his eyes told me that he was a devout Hindu, the kind that would have spent hours in temples and holy sites, hoping that the gods would show him some way to a holy life.
As I walked away, I had some regret. Regret that I could not tell him more, regret that he might not find his answer. So many other things I could have told him.
And while I have the good fortune to come across the Noble Path, I am not pursuing it all the way through.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Starry Starry Night...
December is a lovely time for the Northern Hemisphere... Cute snowflakes fall and people are in good cheer. Even with a financial crisis purported to be the greatest since the Great Depression, having Christmas around the corner buffers everything with a soft white mood...
A year ago, I celebrated the Bodhisatta Siddharta's birthday with a Silent Night.
This Christmas, I would like sing this song for the Buddha's enlightenment:
Starry Starry Night.
or "Vincent" by Don McLean.
Vincent Van Gogh, for whom the song was dedicated to, wasn't a Buddhist at all. In fact, he was a son of a priest and was a preacher himself. But as we read these lyrics, we can paint a different picture from his...
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
On the 39th night of sitting under the Pipala tree, the Buddha was perfecting his practice of Vipassana... From the 1st watch of the night to the 4th, he recalled his past lives and the past lives of others, and penetrated into the interdepedent arising of all phenomena. In doing so, he destroyed the cankers that held him to the Wheel of Rebirth. What did these enlightened eyes see when they were first opened on this world after kalpas of darkness?
Master Thich Nhat Hanh put it beautifully.
He saw a heart-shaped leaf of the Pipala tree against the starry, starry night sky. And within the leaf he saw that the stars and suns of the universe were in it, for the leaf used light to nourish itself.
He saw the grey clouds against the blue sky, and within the leaf the clouds also existed. For the leaf needed the rain to grow and thrive.
A starry starry night, a palette of blue and grey... That was what the enlightened eyes saw...
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
... and the enlightened eyes also saw the darkness in the souls of men... the dust in our eyes that prevented us from seeing what the Tathagatha saw...
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Beauty was what the Enlightened Ones see... Simplicity in the wonderous world, where everywhere there was something to marvel and be contented about.
Now I think I know...
...what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity!
How you tried to set us free!
We would not listen, we're not listening still.
Perhaps,
We never will...
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