Life and Death

Scissor Paper Stone

Just having some fun with Math using the classic game of Scissor-Paper-Stone (aka Rock-Paper-Scissor).

Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra 2

The second instalment of the wisdom of the Lotus Sutra seeks to define and understand what life is.

We use the word self [to refer to ourselves], but this word actually refers to the universe. When we ask how the life of the universe is different from the life of each one of you, the only differences we find are those of your bodies and minds. Your life and that of the universe are the same.

In the discussion on the philosophy of life, there are two common analogies used. 

The first described life as tree. With the source of life beginning from the roots or the stem, and each individual lives as the leaves or the flowers and fruits. In a sense, life begins from a foundational primal force and everything else is created from there. Such thinking is common in many mythologies and the Abrahamic religions. It tends to define the lives of each individual as having separate independent souls while being denominated to a common creator.

The Lotus Sutra, however, finds the above understanding of life lacking and aligned itself with the second analogy with views lives as waves on the ocean. Perceiving each individual life as even more closely related than merely sharing a creator, it views that each life actually common with the comic life itself.

For example, each of our lives is like waves on the ocean. We interact with those close to us constantly. And the winds (representing karma) influence us heavily. When we are born, it is like the wave riding high. And when we die, it is like the wave returning to the embrace of the ocean. But when we examine the nature of the waves, we find the same water that is the ocean. When we fully accept this interpretation of life, then true compassion can be developed. Because if every lives share the same entity, hurting another person would be like the cancer cells destroying their host body, they are hurting themselves ultimately.

What is life?

It is an entity which is simultaneously the infinite macrocosm and each of the microcosms that represent countless individual living beings. It is an enormous life-entity, always undergoing dynamic change and, at the same time, eternal and everlasting. The Buddha and the Mystic Law are names that we give to this undeniable entity--cosmic life. We are all embodiment of this sublime entity.

Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra 1

This year's YMD study focus is on the Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra. So here I am beginning to study this wonderful set of dialogues again. I should begin with the sharing of two segments from the opening instalment which provide the setting for my study.

First up, why do we study the Lotus Sutra?

Some people say that the prevailing mood in the world today is one of powerlessness. Whatever the case may be, we are all aware that things cannot continue as they are. Yet decisions about political, economic and environmental issues all seem to be made somewhere beyond our reach. What can the individual accomplish in the face of the huge institutions that run our world? This feeling of powerlessness fuels a vicious cycle that only worsens the situation and people's sense of futility.

At the opposite extreme of this sense of powerlessness lie the Lotus Sutra's philosophy of a single life-moment encompassing three thousand realms (ichinen sanzen) and the application of this teaching to our daily lives. The principle of one life-moment containing three thousand realms teaches us that the inner determination (ichinen) of one individual can transform everything. It is a teaching that gives ultimate expression to the infinite potential and dignity inherent in the life of each human being.

Basically, the core message in the Lotus Sutra is the empowerment of the individual. And we do need it more than ever this our contemporary world.

Another point to note is that the Lotus Sutra is described as the "King of Sutras". We have to understand here that "King" does not overwrite the other teachings. "King" here means to enhance the potential of all teachings. That means that the universality of the Lotus Sutra allows even non-Buddhists to benefit.

So how do we attempt to tap the wisdom of the Lotus Sutra?

German author and poet Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) write in his poem "Bucher" (Books):

All the books in the world 

Will not bring you happiness, 

But they will quietly lead you 

Back inside yourself.

There you will find all you need, 

Sun, stars and moon,

 For the light for which you search 

Dwells within you.

The wisdom you so long sought 

In books, 

Will then shine forth from every page-- 

For now that wisdom has become your own.

Books containing knowledge is only useful as far as we examine our lives against the teachings. With this, I turn the page.

Thoughts on Angkor

Year 2012 is upon us. Actually, it had already been a good ten-day since the start of the New Year. And it is also a traditional busy time with the evaluation of the previous year, preparing work plans and settling into a new rhythm.

Finally I had a small window of time to write about my vacation in the zenith of year 2011. I visited Cambodia with the fiancée in December 2011. Specially, Siem Reap. The main objective was to visit Angkor and Angkor Wat in particular. As an enthusiast in religious history, I was hyped to explore this largest singular religious monument.

In brief, Angkor Wat was originally built as a Hindi Temple. Centuries after Hinduism lost its influence in Cambodia, it is still maintained by Buddhists. A religious building is one of the greatest acts of cultural expression. And I believed that despite the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism, I believe that it is this respect for each other’s religious culture that allows Angkor Wat to survive today.

In contrast, the destruction of Sho-Hondo by Nikken due to his jealousy of the growth of Soka Gakkai seems utterly petty and immature.

But if you think that it is because Buddhism and Hinduism have common roots in ancient Indian philosophy that they can coexist, I beg to differ. Theologically, Buddhism was founded to confront the errors in the teachings of Brahmanism which is the predecessor of Hinduism. Hinduism is the evolution of Brahmanism to adapt to modern society.

But evidence of the conflict between the two faiths can be found a short distance northwest of Angkor Wat – Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the political centre of medieval Cambodia (Khmer). Khmer was mainly a Hindu civilization with a window in its history where Buddhism thrived. In the centre of Angkor Thom was the temple known as Bayon. There was a time when Bayon was an important Buddhist temple for the royal family. But when Buddhism lost its influence among the Khmers, Hindu fanatics attacked the Bayon and much of the grand structure was vandalized.

It is interesting to note that Angkor Wat predates Angkor Thom. Why was Angkor Thom badly vandalized but not Angkor Wat?

It is my belief that this is due to the fact that Angkor Wat was a religious centre while Angkor Thom was a political centre. In medieval society, it is not possible to divorce religions from politics. But there are fundamental differences. Both religions and politics are tools. Wield by the right people, they can be a force for either great good or evil. But political tools are focused on the creation of structures and environments for the people. It has great value. But it pales in comparison to religious tools which focused on values and culture.

In a revolution, structures and environments are reset and rebuilt from the ground up. But values and cultures are eternal.

Politics has become a common point of discussion in my country since the previous election. While I respect the good that good policies can have on people’s lives, it is more meaningful for me to impart positive values and humanistic cultures to the people around me. Schooled in Nichiren Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai tradition, I am convinced that I am equipped with the tools to influence others towards a more humanistic society. It is how I wield it that I must ponder deeply and with care that I will never be corrupted.

On a side note, the GCE O Level results were released 2 days ago. Technically, my students did not perform all that bad. But as any decent teacher would feel, I had hoped they would do even better. Best wishes to them for the next phase of their education!

Tribute to my godmother

On the morning of 8 October 2011, my godmother passed away. She was actually an aunt of mine. My father was hardly there when we were growing up. My mother had to work to support us. Hence, we were left in the care of this aunt when we were children. She was one of the primary caregivers of my childhood. Hence, it was natural that we acknowledge her as our godmother. I broke down in tears uncontrollably while performing my morning prayer that day after receiving the news as the magnitude of my debt of gratitude towards her overwhelm me.

She is a speaker of the Teochew dialect. And I belonged to the generation of Singaporeans which was discouraged from dialects. I can converse decently in Hokkein and Teochew dialects, but advance dialogue is beyond me. But she never needed to speak much with us. Her smile and shine in her eyes whenever we visited spoke clearly of her delight and pride at our growth into fine adults. Her love as she fussed over us is plain to see.

While coming to terms with her departure, the Buddhist concept of nine consciousnesses occupied my mind. The nine consciousnesses can be summed up as such:

1. The first five consciousnesses correspond to the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. This is the level that we generally relate to our environment and people around us.
2. The sixth consciousness integrates the perceptions of the five senses into coherent images and makes judgments about the external world. In other words, it is our attempt to makes sense of the information provided by the first five consciousnesses.
3. The seventh consciousnesses can be described as our awareness and attachment to the self. It is where we form our identity as an individual.
4. The eighth consciousnesses can be understood as our karmic storehouse. This is where the accounts of our thoughts, deeds, and actions are stored as karmic potential.
5. And the ninth consciousnesses represent our shared Buddha nature.

There are 2 lessons we can derive from the nine consciousnesses:

Firstly, every individual possesses their own nine consciousnesses. When we sleep, our first six consciousnesses actually enter a dormant state to “recharge”. And when we die, our seventh consciousnesses also enter the dormant state to “recharge”. But the eighth and ninth consciousnesses will continue to exist and will be carried forward to the next life.

Secondly, many people can understand that good causes beget good effect and negative causes beget negative effects. This account, as explained in Buddhism, resides in the eighth consciousnesses which transcend death. While alive, karma can be affected by our good deeds or evil deeds performed via the first seven consciousnesses. But in death, the only way to generate positive karma is through prayers and the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo via the ninth consciousnesses.

The funeral rites will be performed tomorrow (11 October 2011) at Block 2 Hougang Avenue 3. It is rites of the provisional Buddhism which is not the school of Buddhism I subscribed to in this latter day of the law. But there is no reason not to participate in it out of respect. And in my heart, I will be furiously chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with all my might to communicate to her via the ninth consciousnesses so as to quickly expiate her negative karma and for her to have the good fortune to acquire the Buddha’s body and attain enlightenment.

I love you, ma.

And my thanks to all well-wishers.

威风堂堂之歌

A sing-a-long music video I made for the song I mentioned in my earlier post.



And the minus one version...

Singing Gakkai Songs

最亲爱的前线同志，

Dearest frontline comrades,

我们都清楚创价学会有许多活动。活动变通是为了让会员们有新鲜感。修行久了便会发现所有的活动都环绕着信，行，学。例如题目会是为了鼓励与发挥信心而教学会是为了学习佛法。那座谈会呢？

We are all aware that there are many activities that the Soka Gakkai conducted. We have a variety so that we can keep things fresh and interesting. But those of us who practiced all enough would realized that all our activities are based around our three pillars of faith, practice and study in various degrees. For example, a prayer meeting is based on faith – encouraging faith and demonstrating faith. And our study meetings are based on study – to deepen our understanding of Buddhism. What about our discussion meetings?

先生常提醒我们座谈会是幸福的城堡。因此座谈会是分享幸福，也就是佛的“行”。

Sensei had often reminded us that our discussion meetings are to be the bastions of happiness. Therefore, our discussion meetings have to be a place where we share happiness. And the sharing of happiness is our practice of Buddhism.

我们的座谈会通常有以下的事项：

1.       活动报告
2.       动人体验
3.       文化
4.       御书

Our discussion meetings often have the following elements:

1.       Activity reports
2.       Motivating testimonials
3.       Culture
4.       Gosho sharing

活动报告是分享参于的幸福。所因不能只通知，而是要把喜悦呈现出来。

Activity reports are the sharing of the happiness of attending them. Which is why it should not just be telling of upcoming event, but to share the joy we had from attending them.

动人体验是分享显证的幸福。或说出人性胜利的故事。

Motivating testimonials are the sharing of the happiness of showing actual proofs. Or even to tell a story of the triumph of the human spirit.

文化下文会多加讲诉。

More on Culture later.

在座谈会的御书和在教学会的御书有些不同。教学会是为了深入了解。而座谈会的御书是分享把佛法生活化的幸福。

Gosho sharing at the discussion meetings are different from Gosho studies at our study meetings. In the study meetings, we are going for depth and understanding. But Gosho sharing is the sharing of the happiness of applying what we learnt into our lives.

所以座谈会的每一个事项都合了座谈会的目的—分享幸福！

So here we can see that every aspect of the discussion meetings is directed to our attempt to share happiness!

至于文化，我们常听司仪是为了暖身。那是针对新朋友，我们不需暖身。也有时候通过流行歌曲让青年分享，这是一个很好培养参与感的平台。好项目。但不是文化的真正意义。

As for Culture, we often heard the emcees telling us that a song is used to warm us up. This is only applicable to new friends. We don’t really need to warm up. And sometimes we use pop songs and have the youths to present. This is an excellent way to develop a sense of participation for the newer youngsters and should be done occasionally but it is not the true spirit of Culture.

座谈会上的文化不是表演，也不是娱乐。它是分享振奋人心的幸福。一首好的学会歌往往是通过内心许多的争扎而写成的。所以它们是常青歌。既然不是娱乐，我们不应该被动的听着。身为干事，我们应该能唱，肯唱，愿唱，一起唱。

Our Culture at discussion meetings is neither a performances nor an entertainment. It is the sharing of the happiness of rousing our hearts. A good Gakkai song is almost always written through great agony and spiritual struggle. That is why they are evergreen. And since it is not for entertainment, we should not just passively listen to them. As leaders, we ought to be able; be willing; be enthusiastic about singing Gakkai songs. And to sing together.

今天，就和大家分享其中一首常青歌 – 威风堂堂之歌。歌词解说如下：

Today, I would like to share one such evergreen song – The song of indomitable spirit. The lyrics (translated) are explained as follows:

第一段

我们要拯救那沉沦的人虔诚的心不移
纵然荆棘扑满大地不怕艰辛和阻挡
要自立要自强信心自强永不惜
要协力和衷共济威风堂堂讲信义

Stanza One

We want to save the drowning men with unwavering determination
Even with difficulties aplenty, we fear neither hardship nor obstacles
Must stand firm and strong un-begrudgingly
With unity and indomitable trust

这首歌一开始就声明我们是地涌菩萨来拯救那沉沦的人的。而日莲佛法是使命的佛法而不单是功德的佛法。使命的佛法就要“不惜”。只有“不惜”才能协力和衷共济达成真正的异体同心。

Right from the start this song announced our vow as Bodhisattva of the Earth save the drowning men and confirms that Nichiren Buddhism is a mission-based practice and not merely benefit-based practice. And a mission-based practice means to be “un-begrudging”. Only then can true unity (Itai-doshin) be achieved.

第二段

人生的道路坎坷又崎岖你要拿出毅力
奋起精神鼓起勇气冲破艰难和崎岖
要自立要自强发挥生命的潜力
点燃起神圣火炬威风堂堂性正义

Stanza Two

You need strength to travel the difficult winding journey of life
Rouse our spirits and courageously overcome them
Must stand firm and strong and live to our full potential
Light up our sacred torch with indomitable justice

这里继续问道为什么要异体同心。就为了奋起精神鼓起勇气 与发挥生命的潜力好让我们点燃内心的正义火炬。

Here we continue to ask why we need Itai-doshin. It is rouse one another’s courage to overcome the obstacles before us. And we rouse to our lives’ potential in order to light up the flame of justice.

第三段

我们把爱心散布在大地为了生命延续
但愿世界每个地区充满欢乐与和气
有信心有勇气前进所向皆披靡
高举起正义旗帜威风堂堂向前进

Stanza Three

Let spread our compassion for the continuity of life
May every district in the world be filled with joy and harmony
With faith, courageously advance into the difficult path
Rising high the banner of justice and advance indomitably

户田先生悟道佛性既是生命。那生命延续指的便是佛法血脉的清流。唯有佛法清流，才能使每个地区充满欢乐与和气。第二段的正义火炬涌现第三段的正义旗帜。

Toda Sensei was enlightened to the fact that Buddha’s nature is life itself. Here, the continuity of life also means the pure flow of ultimate heritage of the law. Without this pure flow, there can be no joy and harmony in the districts. That is why with the flame of justice from Stanza Two, we manifest the banner of justice to ensure the purity of the ultimate heritage of the law. 

捍卫佛法血脉的清流就是威风堂堂！

To protect the Law. This is the meaning of indomitable spirit!

庄顺贤                                 Raymond Chng
实龙岗南支部                  Serangoon South Chapter
男青干事                            Young Men Division Leader

2011 年9月                       September 2011

Prayers at 32

I attended the funeral wake of another outstanding comrade in faith last night. She had fought vigorously against cancer for many years and triumphed on countless occasions. Her perseverance and positive outlook had inspired many. I was told that she passed away peacefully in the midst of fellow members of Soka Gakkai who were gathered at her house for a prayer session. Attending a funeral wake never fails to prompt me to reevaluate my life and focus on what is really important. And as my mentor had taught, there is nothing more important than a good death. And a good death can only be achieved through a truly fulfilling life dedicated to the noble cause of bettering our society and communities.

And here, I would like to reaffirm my personal eternal prayers:

1. I offer my deepest gratitude to my mentor Daisaku Ikeda and pray that he and his wife enjoys good health, longevity and continued success in their kosen-rufu endeavours.
2. I pray for the happiness, good health and good fortune of my family and friends.
3. I pray for the advancement and purity of Singapore Soka Association and the happiness and growth of all our members.

And so I recall that I will be 32 in a few days time. It was the age where my mentor fought and won the historic Osaka Campaign. What will I achieve this year?

For starters, there is plan to marry the girlfriend. We have been “shopping” for a venue to hold the wedding over the past few weeks. Haven’t settled on the venue yet. I had also completed my Masters in Education course. Attended the convocation with the mother and girlfriend. No swearing by the valedictorian though. I would say that I still enjoy teaching after so many years. It is always heartwarming to watch young people grow into outstanding individuals. And any display of gratitude by the students for the work we put in for them is reward beyond description. However, beyond fulfillment in my classroom teaching, I have a nagging feeling of stagnation in my current career path. Need to find a breakthrough somewhere. But I am still bonded for another year. All I can do is to fulfill my current responsibilities for now and see how things pan out.

And the Lion King District campaign is in full swing. Hear me roar.

Current prayers reads:

1. I pray for a successful wedding and a positive start to my married life.
2. I pray for the growth of my students into outstanding individuals.
3. I pray for a clearer direction in my career.
4. I pray for the great success of the Lion King District campaign.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Aubade

I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.
Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.
In time the curtain-edges will grow light.
Till then I see what's really always there:
Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,
Making all thought impossible but how
And where and when I shall myself die.
Arid interrogation: yet the dread
Of dying, and being dead,
Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.
The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse
- The good not done, the love not given, time
Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because
An only life can take so long to climb
Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never;
But at the total emptiness for ever,
The sure extinction that we travel to
And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,
Not to be anywhere,
And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.

This is a special way of being afraid
No trick dispels. Religion used to try,
That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade
Created to pretend we never die,
And specious stuff that says No rational being
Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound,
No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,
Nothing to love or link with,
The anasthetic from which none come round.

And so it stays just on the edge of vision,
A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill
That slows each impulse down to indecision.
Most things may never happen: this one will,
And realisation of it rages out
In furnace-fear when we are caught without
People or drink. Courage is no good:
It means not scaring others. Being brave
Lets no one off the grave.
Death is no different whined at than withstood.

Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.
It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,
Have always known, know that we can't escape,
Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.
Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring
In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring
Intricate rented world begins to rouse.
The sky is white as clay, with no sun.
Work has to be done.
Postmen like doctors go from house to house.

~Philip Larkin

Courage and Wisdom

There is a Buddhist saying that goes: "Courage opens the door to Wisdom."
On the surface, courage and wisdom seems to be rather different virtues that have no relations with each other. But courage is the will to take action. And this is important for the development of wisdom. Why is that so?

Humans in their natural state are generally rational beings. But in the face of adversities, it is not common for us to make silly decisions. For example, we will be hard-pressed to find criminals who are not aware that their crimes are wrong. However, crimes are committed because these criminals are in a dire situation which they cannot handle. And when they do not have the courage to stop themselves, they ended up making irrational decisions.

Courage provided the calm needed to analysis our situations. And the practice of this calmness causes the development of wisdom.

So how do we develop courage?

From wisdom.

What?!

Wisdom is the capacity to discern right from wrong. When wisdom develops, we gain the confidence that our decisions are the right ones. And the more confidence we derive, the greater our courage in executing the decisions.

Wouldn't we obtain a cyclic logic then? How do we even begin to enter this cycle of courage and wisdom?

We know about satellites. We send them into orbit. How? We first generate a huge amount of energy to send the rocket carrying the satellite into the sky. This energy will help pierce through our atmosphere and bring the satellite into orbit. Once in orbit, it is a matter of tapping into the power of gravity.

In the same way, we first make a determined vow. This vow is the vow to have compassion for others. It is through this vow that our desire to improve our community, and the lives of the people around us meaningful.

Only this vow can help us to overcome our fundamental darkness and send us into the "orbit" of courage and wisdom. And tapping into the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is as though tapping into the power of gravity to keep us in the rhythm of constantly developing courage and wisdom.

"To be fearless no matter what happens--that is the root of true happiness. To move forward resolutely regardless of what lies in store--that is the spirit, the resolve, that leads to human victory." ~ Daisaku Ikeda

Voting and Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Like many fellow citizens, I have been actively perusing news on the election here in Singapore over the past two weeks. In between, I took a short trip to Hong Kong with the fiancée over the Labour Day weekend. Incidentally, we encountered a demonstration on the streets of Hong Kong by the unions. Sights we never see in Singapore. It provided some perspective on how unions are conducted in Singapore. Another key reason why this election is exciting for me personally is because, like many in my generation, this is the first time I will be getting to vote despite reaching the legal voting age more than a decade ago. I had participated in countless national events such as the National Day Parade and singing the national anthem in the old stadium and the Padang. But I am sure I will never feel more Singaporean as when I am in the ballot box.

I am grateful to the PAP for their contributions to the nation over the past fifty years. But the unprecedented support for the oppositions is real. Why is this so?

Let’s examine the Maslow's hierarchy of needs: Physiological , Safety, Belonging, Esteem and Self-actualization.

The PAP had been very successful in providing for the physiological needs of the citizens. They had some success with Safety. But as the nation progress, our needs grew. And now they struggle with providing for the Belonging, Esteem and Self-actualization levels of need. Despite surveys showing that bread and butter (Safety) issues are the main concern, a growing number of citizens are starting to be more concern about the meaning of nationhood (Belonging). It is at these levels that the rallies are revolved around.

There are many issues in those categories indeed. I do not feel the need to repeat them. They are readily available. I should just highlight one that concerns me the most. I am most bothered by the astronomical minister pay. It is not that the number is high that bothers me. It is that the bonuses are pegged to GDP growth. This resulted in an “economic-growth-at-all-cost” mentality. Economy growth is good. It is excellence in providing for the Physiological and Safety levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. But it fares badly at higher levels. This is the system created by the founding fathers of the nation because this is the system that worked and addresses these early levels of needs. But a paradigm shift is needed now. This system has permeated throughout our society and its negative effects are becoming evident. Personally, as a school teacher, I see students getting overly stressed over the “academic-success-at-all-cost” mentality that echoes the system that currently governs us. The system rewards those who churned out results and wins awards of various kinds rather than those who worked at developing a love for learning. This is the reflection of a government that gives more emphasis to businesses and individuals who can contribute to the economy instead of those who are trying to make this nation a home and a pleasant place to grow old in.

Many politicians claimed track records in this election. Honestly, I am annoyed by that. Track records mean nothing under the framework by which I make my decision. In fact, the whole purpose of having an election every five years is to “erase” these track records and have everyone start again on equal footing. So under this framework, what needs to be done?

The PAP needs to evolve. They cannot sing the same tunes over and over again. They have done well for the first two levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. But they cannot ignore the higher levels anymore. They are unfamiliar in those levels. In that sense, they are rookie, just like the opposition. There is the counter argument that there is no guarantee that opposition will be able to produce results. That is also true. There is no way of knowing the future. Some of them will succeed, some will not. So they are rookies, just like the PAP.

So what is the voter to do?

I simply vote for the one that tries the harder.