'The World Is Yours to Change' (Part Four)

Poverty

Something to very SERIOUSLY think about.

'The World Is Yours to Change' (Part Three)

Video by NYPSD for SD Concert 2007

'The World Is Yours to Change' (Part Two)

Just waiting for my actual In-Camp Training from 20th September to 6 October. The prospect of entering an alternative life for slightly more than 2 weeks creates an unreal sense of existence. It is weird.

Will be blogging more after 6 October. At the mean time, check out http://theworldisyourstochange.wordpress.com/

Save the World!

You can, if only you believe it.

Too Easy

Going back camp for a route march today. Really.. What's the point? It's too easy.

Teachers Day 2007

On the evening of 1st September, I attended a concert by Mr Nestor Torres who flew to Singapore to encourage our local Soka Gakkai members with his music. Among the music played was the “Wonderful Law of Life” which was inspired by the Lotus Sutra.

During the concert, he also shared that our lives contain the Buddha Nature like the sun (Good). And it is only when the sun struggle to shine through the dark clouds which represent our fundamental darkness (Evil) can we enjoy the beautiful rainbow of hope and values. It was a brilliant analogy.

That evening, as I thought about this year’s Teachers Day, I decided to write again to the man who had influence me most in my life. This man is my mentor, Dr Daisaku Ikeda. He is definitely the most important teacher in my life.

Sensei! Happy Teachers Day!! And thank you for all that you had taught me.

What makes us happy?

According to recent scientific studies, one of the greatest sources of happiness is the ability to feel gratitude. In the studies, feeling gratitude is shown to improve health and bring about a speedier recovery of people with chronic diseases. Most grateful people have high self-esteem and low rates of depression, stress and negative moods. They are more likely to be resilient, and they seem to have an easier time overcoming obstacles. They are also less likely to make negative comparisons with others or what others have.

Gratitude cultivates an individual’s sense of interconnectedness and strengthens social ties. It also increases one’s sense of personal worth.

Gratitude is more than a pleasant feeling; it is also motivating. Gratitude motivates people to do good, to share and increase the good and kindness they have received. Individuals who can feel grateful, engage more frequently in kind, supportive and helpful behaviors. Life becomes complete when we are able to give to others what we ourselves received in the past. In short, it is gratitude that enables us to be fully human.

I am really grateful to my mentor.

Please allow me end this entry by sharing another poem by my mentor:

Having battles to fight
makes life exciting.
Encountering great difficulties
provides us opportunities
to develop our Buddhahood.
By confronting and
overcoming every obstacles,
we enable our Buddhahood
to shine brilliantly within our lives.

Post Exam Review Thoughts

The criteria for Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) to be promoted to Secondary 5 Normal (Academic) is way too lenient. It is only going to hurt the poor students by giving them more avenues to feel disappointed and receive a hit in their self-esteem.

I recalled something my former VP shared, that a politician mentioned that all our Normal (Technical) students are guaranteed a place in the ITE. Is this politically driven policy going to help motivate the students to better themselves?

'N' Level Prelims 2007

My boss dropped me a message telling me that my class did badly for the examination, and asked why that is so. Seriously, I wished I knew, but I don't. I would be the first to desire them to do well.

Recently, he has been emphasizing that curricular teaching is our core business and that teachers’ performance will always be tagged to the academic achievements of his/her students. Honestly, it irritated me somewhat within.

I do want my charges to do well. I really do. But then, I find myself sometimes cursing the fact that I am inheriting classes which already have their so-called "value-deducted" (academically). To a certain extend, it feels rather unfair. But it does help to train me personally as a educator.

I know complaining helps with nothing, but sometimes I really can’t help it. Already I’m thinking more and more often of leaving the service where once I really held high ideals about education. Must reflect and ponder deeply.

拼了！

Last week on the 9th August, Singapore celebrated her 42nd National Day. Out of the 7 main performing items in the annual national day parade, Singapore Soka Association was involved in 3. We are indeed everywhere. Cheers!

We are not professional performers!
We do not have attractive appearances!
We do not have outstanding singing voices!
We do not have enchanting artsy mobility in dancing!
We only have passion!
And passion means to give our all…

拥有“拼了！”的决议，那就是胜利的秘诀。

'The World is Yours to Change' (Part One)

To desire peace, to wish for the happiness of one’s family, to seek a secure and safe life – these are the shared sentiments of people everywhere. There is no parent anywhere who does not grieve at the death of a child in war.

* * *

"I don’t want toys or chocolate. All I want is peace and freedom. People of Europe, people of the world, please find the humanity in your hearts to put an end to this war!"
– A young girl of the former Yugoslavia

* * *

If we think about it, people are not born Turks or Americans. They are not born Palestinians or Jews. There are merely labels.Each of us is born as a precious entity of life, as a human being.

Our mothers didn’t give birth to us thinking, “I’m giving birth to a Japanese” or “I’m giving birth to an Arab.” Their only thoughts was “May this new life be healthy and grow!”

In any country, a rose is a rose, a violet is a violet, people are people – though they may be called by different names.

Perhaps the clouds and winds high above the blue waters of the Bosporus are whispering among themselves as they gaze down upon humanity: “Wake up! From up here, it is clear that the world is one. You are all citizens of Earth. There is no such thing as Americans, no such thing as Iraqis. There is only this boy, this life called Bob, who happens to live in America; there is only this boy, this life, Mohammed, who happens to live in Iraq. Both are children of Earth. And yet they are divided by the names of their countries and taught to hate each other! Wake up from this foolishness, this arrogance, this cruel habit of passing hatred and resentment on to the next generation.”

We need to awaken to a common conscious of being all inhabitants of Earth. This consciousness is not to be found in some distant place. It will not be found on a computer screen. It lies in our hearts, in our ability to share the pain of our fellow human beings. It is the spirit that says: “As long as you are suffering, whoever you are and whatever your suffering may be, I suffer also.”

* * *

The above is one of the many essays written by my mentor - Dr Daisaku Ikeda, in this wonderful book. It is also one which touches me really deeply. Each year in Singapore, we celebrate Racial Harmony Day in our schools. But in my heart, I always felt that harmony, although important, is pretty superficial compared to the cries for a common consciousness of all humanity. Only by developing this compassion to penetrate through our differences, can be achieve true peace towering even the harmony we had already attained. This is the compassion of the Buddha!

* * *

She still looked at him as if she did not understand. The sergeant repeated–
“What party do you belong to?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you with the Blues? Are you Whites? Who are you with?”
“I am with my children.”
- From Victor Hugo’s Ninety-Three

Like the Waterfall

I would like to share another poem by my mentor:

Like the waterfall, fierce

Like the waterfall, unflagging

Like the waterfall, unfearing

Like the waterfall, merrily

Like the waterfall, proudly—

A man should have the bearing of a king!

~ Daisaku Ikeda

To date (31 July 2007), he had been nominated for 232 honorary doctorate of which 215 had been conferred. He has 530 honorary citizenship, conducted 1600 dialogues with intellectuals, scholars and political leaders, of which 50 of those dialogues had been published. His collected works numbered 101 volumes and had been a bestseller for 19 consecutive years.

A truly remarkable and unprecedented achievement!

I am truly proud to acknowledge this man as my mentor.

DAIMOKU

The girlfriend gave me a new set of crystal prayer beads last night (or her daddy rather, =p ). I am determined to use it to begin another personal Daimoku campaign.

Sharing a poem about DAIMOKU by my mentor – Daisaku Ikeda:

If you underestimate the power of Daimoku,
And use another strategy;
You will lose in the end.

You can accumulate good fortune only when
You fight for Kosen-Rufu without begrudging your life.
Unless your prayers are united,
The fight for Kosen-Rufu cannot gain momentum.

No matter what anybody says, or does,
Nothing can defeat the power of Daimoku.
But without action, you cannot call it faith.

The Gohonzon can penetrate through everything.
The word “faith” is very mystic
And once you become serious, you can gain
One thousand times or ten thousand times more benefits.

When you chant abundant Daimoku,
You have the power to open the heaviest iron door
That stands in your ways; that is,
You can overcome the most massive obstacles in your life.

You can definitely change your negative karma.
The world of “faith” is the place where many of us,
Chant powerful Daimoku in unity,
Thus create the power like the huge force of the wind.

There is nothing but the Daimoku.
Daimoku determines everything.
Daimoku has more power than one million guidances
Or one million books of philosophy.

Chant abundant Daimoku and pray to the Gohonzon.
Ask the Gohonzon for whatever you need.
Everything will come true as you wished
And the path of Kosen-Rufu will open up in front of you.

Everything depends on how much Daimoku you chant.
When you chant a lot of Daimoku,
Your work will become fulfilling.

There may be many nights when tears will not stop flowing
There may also be many times when you are terribly hurt.
At such times, my heart will open to you.
I am always here to listen to you,
I, too, will share your tears with you.

You don’t need to tell me anything.
If you care happy, I can just tell by looking at your face.
Just tell me about the problems and pains that you have,
I will carry half of your heavy burden,
And walk together with you.

Take Responsibiliy For Our Lives

Teaching can really be a thankless job sometimes. In our contemporary schooling system, out of 10 students, there may be only 1 who appreciated your efforts. It is truly important to hold on that the thought of that one.

The celebration of the YMD formation took place today. 835 YMD representatives gathered at Senja Soka Centre today. Incidentally, my new car plate number is 835. Does this signify a new beginning for me? To live as a true YMD!

From the time we were born, we were taught reliance. As a baby, we depend heavily on our parents. Then as we grow older, we seek constant approval of our friends. Advancing into adulthood, the views of our spouses take precedence. And for some people, the concept of being responsible is so foreign that they attribute everything to the divine and seek approval from god all the time. In the process, many people fail to learn how to take responsibility for their lives.

All of us heard the golden advice of taking charge of our own lives before. But in reality, when we meet with a difficulty, we look to our parents, or bosses, or friends, or husbands and wives for help. We blame the clients, the partners, the system or even the government. Basically we are conditioned from young to identify where the fault lies when something goes wrong. And mostly, we are never at fault. Why? Everything we do, we subconsciously seek approval for them. We did that since we were children!

But the problem is, when we blame our situations on our environment, we are giving up the power to correct the problem. Only when we decided that we are the problem can we take an active step to improve the situation. But then again, admitting that we are the problem is a serious stab in the ego. It means we lose the “approval” of our conduct we are trying to obtain from everyone.

Hence, to take responsibility for our lives is one of the most fearful things. It takes tremendous courage. That is why many people are frightened when others have high expectations of them. They simply do not believe in their innate potential to excel and do not want to take responsibility for that weakness.

How I applause the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin who taught clearly that once we take responsibility for our lives, we are bound to be able to change it for the better. It is a wonderful philosophy! Yet I can perfectly understand why many people are resistant to it out of the fear of taking this responsibility. I pray for courage.

Oneness of Man and Environment

The SSA 40th Anniversary Meeting at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 7th July went well. I represented SD in the March Past and was duly reminded of the significance of the institution.

Work is piling up since I school reopened after the midyear holidays. In fact, it had gotten so hectic that I admitted being slightly overwhelmed. I find my life-force slipping away and even missed a couple of meetings I really did want to attend on hindsight.

Then last Friday, during the MOE ExcelFest, my new car of barely a week old earned a dent at the carpark. That jotted me. Based on the principle of the ONENESS OF MAN AND ENVIRONMENT, it was clear as day that my life-condition is way too low and unacceptable for a Boddhisattva of the Earth. Once awaken to that, I immediately sms-ed the girlfriend that I needed to increase my daimoku. She readily supported.

I am grateful.

And I started today, going for the weekly Sunday morning Gongyo sessions and then the bimonthly evening Gongyo sessions. It was truly revitalizing. I feel ready to march forth again.

I just re-read “The Buddha, Geoff and Me” over the weekend. An amazing book! I loved it.

1 to 100

It was a warm day. It was always a warm day when one is feeling lazy. The children were getting restless and the teacher did not like it. The younger teachers were telling him that children are to be nurtured, not disciplined. It benefited the society better if the potential of the youths are cultivated instead of controlled. They called it good pedagogy. He did not care. He was caned constantly by his elders when he was a child and he turned out fine. So why should now be any different.

“Maybe I should just give something for the children to work on. Keep them busy. That way, I get my peace and wait for the sun to set. The heat was getting unbearable.”

Thinking himself rather clever, he called the children over and promise a prize for the first person who can sum up all the numbers from 1 to 100 without error. Most of the excitable children immediately took up their writing pad and begin calculating furious. The teacher then returned to his seat. Just as he was about to get comfortable and fan himself, a skinny boy from the back of the room shouted the answer, “5050!”

“What? Someone did the sums within a couple of heartbeats,” the teacher was in disbelief. Storming angrily to the child, he growled that the boy must have cheated.

The boy then calmly explained, “but sir, I just have to pair the 100 numbers into 2 groups of 50, matching 100 with 1, 99 with 2, 98 with 3 and so forth, I get 50 groups of numbers that add up to 101 each. Therefore, 50 times of 101 will give me the sum of all the 100 hundred numbers which is 5050.”

There was a pause. And then the teacher conceived. The younger teachers were right, the youths have great potential.

Back to School

The staff meeting today signifies the end of the midyear break. But in truth, it hardly felt like a holiday. I was back to school almost 50% of the time. Despite that, work never seemed to be completed.

I have some work with regards to the Speech Day to prepare, basketball tournaments and remedial lessons for the graduating classes are on-going, coursework marking is yet to be completed and to top it off, there is the NDP which I’m involved in. overall, I foresee a pretty hectic time ahead.

But it is not all bad news. On the Gakkai front, I would say NYPSD had a great MILKRUN campaign. We exceeded our original target of a hundred youths by a mile. It is heartening to see many of the CICs taking responsibilities to make sure that the event will be a success. In particular, I am seeing the Kenji standing up to be counted among the disciples of Sensei. I am truly happy for him.

Zhong Kai was admitted to the hospital for an operation to remove excess fluid in his brain. I am praying that this experience will be a catalyst for him to truly develop himself.

Hate vs Respect

There are some people I don’t like. No matter how hard I try, I simply get myself to like them. Is this OK? How should I handle this?

The worst case of not liking someone is Hate. And one thing many people fail to realize is that hating someone causes you to be more miserable than the person being hated. Hating someone is a kind of suffering. Being hated is not. Hate is merely an extension of anger. Anger is a selfish, greedy, distorted ego that is determined to best others at all costs and seeing everything as a potential threat to oneself. In this state, we value only ourselves and tend to hold others in contempt. A sense of self-importance and superiority rules to the point that we cannot accept anyone who exceeds us.

SGI President Ikeda says: “Just as there are some foods that you find distasteful, having people in your environment whom you dislike is an unavoidable part of life. While there’s nothing wrong with not particularly liking certain people, it is wrong to put them down or behave in a hostile way towards them. They have the same right to exist as you do and to have their own opinions and ways of doing things…. Also, Buddhism teaches the interrelatedness of all people and things, and how we treat others will affect our own lives – so it is important to be respectful in our behavior both for others’ sake as well as for our own.”

It is OK not to like some. But it is not OK to hate someone. So that key is to prevent our dislike from slipping into the devilish state of hate. We do that by understanding that conflicts are a result of the fundamental inability of people to accept, respect and live with people who are different from us. Hence, the important thing is to cultivate our ability to respect others because every life is equally indefinitely precious.

Bang!

Exactly one week ago on 22 May 2007, I met with an accident. I was driving along Upper Thomson Road towards SLE when I collided head-on with a TIBS bus. I was approaching the junction when I carelessly just proceed to turn right as I spotted the green arrow. The bus opposite actually attempted to beat the red light and sped up. As both vehicles were moving, the impact was rather huge.

I was knocked out cold immediately after the impact and my entire body was shaking involuntarily. I remembered reaching out for my Omamori Gohonzon and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I lost track of time until a passerby knocked on my window to encourage me to come out of my car. My door was jammed though and I had to crawl out of the car from the back.

The airbag was activated. If not, I would be in big trouble. I was truly fortunate and grateful to the Gohonzon.

Ambulance was suggested as my vehicle was badly damaged, but I escaped with only minor cuts and bruises. In fact, after my car was towed to the workshop, the mechanic, being experienced with accidents, was really amazed that I am perfectly fine.

I just wish to restore my mode of transport as soon as possible so that convenience can be returned to me.

I am convinced that it is my previous efforts for Kosen-Rufu and accumulation of good fortune that saved me. I am grateful for the chance to be able to practice the Lotus Sutra which lessens my karmic retribution.

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

An Inconvenient Truth

It had been almost 2 ten-day since I last wrote something. That could only mean one thing, work overcame me. As a member of the DATA team, post-exam had always been the busiest time of the academic year for me. But I guessed I am getting the hang of it. It gets easier each time.

Besides post-exam results processing, I was also busy preparing for the SL Selection Camp. This would probably be my first major project under the SL committee. It was not a difficult task, just time-consuming. Another easy but time-consuming task is the slides I have to prepare for the Speech Day. I was not expecting that as I was supposed to be involved in NDP. It was mentioned that duties for NDP, Speech Day and SYF should not overlap. But I learnt that management just has to say something to pacify our emotional vexations.

At home, my father is finally home after more than a decade. In those years, seven was spent in prison for mistakes he made in the past. A couple for prior to these seven years was spent on the run from the law. But he suffered from a stroke and is home now. We had to hire a domestic helper to take care of him. Dynamics at home is altered but I believe everything will settle into a comfort zone soon.

Recently, I watched a documentary titled “An Inconvenient Truth” produced by Al Gore. I raised both thumbs up for it and would recommend it to anyone. It was a comprehensive presentation highlighting the need for action in order to save our planet. Environmental Issues are real and important. I am proud that Soka Gakkai International had always been a supporter for conservation of our Earth. Based on the Buddhist principle of Oneness of Man and Environment, we cannot allow our pollution to continue. It is the suicide of humanity if we do not do anything about it.

I especially like the conclusion where Al Gore shared that the only solution to our environmental problems is to share them with as many people as possible. To create the awareness one person at a time, and to cherish hope that with enough support, politicians and industrialists can finally be enlightened to the fact that a Healthy Environment far outweighs the gains of Economic Wealth in terms of importance to humanity. This is also the commitment of the Soka Gakkai to conduct one dialogue after another to promote Peace, Culture and Education as taught by Dr Daisaku Ikeda.

Locally in Singapore, there is a campaign that calls for us to bring our own bags when buying stuff. This initiative came about because Singaporeans are guilty of being excessive users of plastic bags. As a small nation, we do not have landfills; hence, all our disposed plastic bags have to be incinerated. And incineration contributes to pollution.

I am going to support this movement with all my heart. People who opposed such acts of saving our environment should seriously do some soul-searching and reconsider. Humanity must stop our suicidal acts of hurting our collective home.

You may learn more about the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” at http://www.climatecrisis.net/.

On Prayers

Scene 1:

The hunters were gathering. The long sticks they carried were carefully sharpened with stones. Among them were boys who would be joining their fathers for the first time. Anxiety showed plainly on their smooth faces. Many had their faces painted with dyes to mask their weaknesses. They cannot be weak now. The harsh winter was coming and their families depended on them to bring the meat home, without which, their younger siblings may not survive to see the flowers bloom come spring. Together, the hunters huddled together and prayed.

Scene 2:

The baby was slowly losing her will to cry. Crying simply took too much effort. She had not eaten for days and she was cold. Her mother held her tightly humming a soft tune. The pain in her heart was excruciating and it numbed all her senses. She too, was hungry and cold but she was determined to be strong for her child. Nothing will prevent her from making sure that the last moments of her child’s life was as comfortable as possible. Stroking the face of her baby gently, she cried out a prayer for the baby.

Why do we pray?

There is nothing more nature and more human to pray. Many times, especially in our contemporary society, we often confuse prayers with the divine or the mystic. But the truth is that prayers are more deeply rooted in humanity than anything we will ever know.

Prayers, in simple terms, are the expressions of our deepest human desires. When there is something we want so strongly, prayers will be an evitable result and as long as we draw breath, it is not possible not to have desires.

However, with the evolution of civilizations, many people had come to associate prayers with a certain protocol of rituals which varies according to different religions. But often, such prayers lose their purpose when they are detached from humanity and concentrated only on the divine and mystical. This is never a chicken or egg relationship. Prayers are always first before religions. Prayers are natural human inclination. And religions are merely devices started by thinking men of the past to help us focus our prayers.

What do we pray to?

Since the earliest civilizations, men had devised countless objects of devotion. There are people who prayed to anything as long as they have some kind of association with what they are praying for. For example, farmers and fishermen prayed to the forces of our natural world for favorable weathers, hunters and soldiers prayed to certain beast with distinctive features, and women prayed to symbols representing fertility and vitality.

However, much of these prayers require men to ask for help, help which cannot be rendered by other humans. Hence, they seek help from elements beyond their control and understanding. They envisioned deities and gods of all kinds of nature extending help to them in time of their need. These kinds of prayers, however, often have the potential to become ritualized and lose their initial meaning eventually.

People who pray in this way often grow dependent, passive and weak. They will often feel insecure and frustrated because they separate the solution to their problems with their own capacity and hence, surrender control of their destiny. The main characteristics of this type of people are low self-esteem and low self-worth. They are often thinking that they are never good enough and their continuous begging with the divinity will purge them deeper and deeper into the destructive feeling of insignificance.

Therefore, it is important to identify the right thing to pray to. By returning to the basics, we realized that praying is an expression of our desires. Therefore, would it not make sense if we are to pray for the capacity to fulfill our desires?

The best forms of prayers are those that empowers ourselves. Hence, it is of great importance that we identify humanity’s limitless potential. And by tapping that potential in the depths of our own lives, we grow independent, and regain the confidence to actively pursue a solution to our problems. And by taking such responsibility, we control our lives and our karma. Hence, prayers should always be directed inwards to our innate humanly goodness and limitless capacity.

How do we pray?

We need something to help us manifest this innate humanly goodness within us. Returning to the basics of prayers once again, we should realize that there is a need to give expression to our prayers. Knowing that we are trying to manifest our innate goodness and cultivate our capacity, we must now need an object of devotion with represents this innate goodness.

In other words, the correct object of devotion must be something which identifies and represents our lives. It had to be able to reflect the truth of our limitless potential.

Following that, we need to express our prayers and direct them towards this object of devotion. Observing human nature again, it is not difficult to conclude that the most nature way for human to express themselves is through their voices. Hence, invocating our prayers is the most direct form of prayers.

Conclusion

It is with this understanding of the purpose of prayer that I began to analyze the way I pray once again.

I pray to the Gohonzon. The Gohonzon is only a piece of paper. But so are many important things such as money or our degree and diploma. But because of what is printed on the paper, the paper takes on different value. So it becomes necessary to understand what the Gohonzon represents.

Nichiren Daishonin states, “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself.”

What he meant here is that the Gohonzon really represents the depths of our own lives. That within the depths of our lives included the innate goodness and limitless capacity and potential. In terms of the Gohonzon, these inner being is described as the Buddha.

Nichiren Daishonin also taught, “When we revere Myoho-renge-kyo inherent in our own life as the object of devotion, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”

The Buddha nature within us is identified as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Hence, that phrase is the most obvious choice of invocation necessary to express our prayers. And by directing this invocation at the Gohonzon, which represents our inner lives, we have the mode of praying that perfectly make sense to me.

Dreams and Goals

... an excerpt from a untitled novella I'm working on in my free time... (as in.. when I'm really really damn free... haha..)

Old Grikas was a lowly blacksmith under the House of Damok, which was the largest clan of wari north of Dalan. The clan had over three hundred staff under its household and operated a war academy, a Domon Temple, a weapon workshop, six plots of farmlands, and a bank. Its riches were unfathomable to orphans like Hamas. But Hamas had a glimpse of it by being under the tutelage of Grikas.

Being a staff, Grikas was able to arrange for Hamas to be schooled in the Domon Temple. Hamas was a diligent student and excelled in all the subjects taught. He was soon proficient in letters, poetry, history, geography, fencing, archery and horseback riding. His thirst for knowledge grew intensively as his teachers at the temple soon ran out of things to teach him. Even Grikas soon found out that there was little more he could impart to Hamas on blacksmithing. But what Hamas really wanted to learn was Philosophy and Art, the two subjects available to only the nobles in the House. Hamas was never to be allowed into the classes for these subjects.

Once, in a letters lessons, the students was required to compose a letter detailing their personal future. Hamas boldly wrote about his desire to become foremost in philosophy throughout Dalan. His tutor in letters reproached him severely when he read what was written. In his rage, he had Hamas whipped and made him redo his letters or he will be given a failing grade and be expelled from the temple.

The night was a long one for Hamas as he thought about his dream. The House of Damok was not his future. He needs to pursue his dreams boldly. Later that night, he sought out his Grikas, kneeled down and bowed respectfully to offer his thanks for taking him under his wings. The next day, he returned to the temple with a message for his tutor in letters.

“You can change my grades and expel me from the temple-school. But I cannot change my dreams. I will leave the House of Damok and seek my fortune elsewhere. You have my gratitude for teaching me much.”

= = = = =

Sometimes, we need to advance boldly towards our dreams.

Without dreams, we are but ships without compass,

ready to be devoured by the storms.

Without goals, it would be like running up and down the football field,

but never attempting to score.

How can we expect to win in life without dreams and goals?

Health and Sickness

“There is no need to fear illness but at the same time, we must not take it lightly.” – Josei Toda

Origin of illness

1. Disharmony of the four elements
   According to many philosophies, nature and things in the universe, including our human body consist of the four elements of fire, earth, wind and water. Disharmony of these elements refers to unseasonable weather and other conditions of discord in our natural world exerting a powerful influence on our human body, causing it to be ‘out of sync’.
   
2. Improper eating and drinking
   This cause of illness is easily understood. I believe we are all familiar with situation where we fall ill from not eating sufficiently or overeating. Eating unhygienic food and food which are not properly prepared will also cause harm to our human bodies.
   
3. Inappropriate practice of seated meditation
   Seated meditation is only a metaphor here. What this means here is that our health will be affected due to bad posture, insufficient sleep, exercise and simply being out of rhythm with everyday living.
   
4. Attack by demons
   Demons generally refer to external functions in our environment affecting our daily lives. These include effects due to the workings of microorganisms such as bacteria and virus, or even stress affecting our mental health.
   
5. Work of devils
   Devils, in contrast to demons, refer to internal functions in our lives affecting our daily lives. These include various inner impulses and obsessions resulting in bad judgments and wrong decisions.
   
6. Effects of karma
   The work of karma refers to causes derived from the inner depths of our life. They are inherent due to the karma committed in the past and are manifested as illness.

Preventive Measures against Illness

Naturally, no one wants to be sick. Understanding the above six causes of illness, we can then take proactive steps to prevent illness.

The first thing is to dress according to the changes in our environment by having warm clothes for cold days and cool clothes for hotter ones. We should refrain from overindulging in food and drink. We should also try to have enough sleep and exercise. In this way, we can avoid the first three causes of illness.

The fourth kind will require collective wisdom of the human species. By that, I refer to knowledge and discovery of medical science.

The fifth kind will require a deeper sense of self-discipline. By living a life dedicated to a noble cause and focusing our energies, we can prevent devils from taking advantage of our humanly weaknesses.

Illness from karma however, is rarely prevented. Instead, they are meant to be overcome.

Illness Arising from Karma

There are generally two types of illness which usually occur with respect to karma. They are terminal diseases and chronic ailments.

For terminal diseases, it is important to muster deep conviction and true courage to face the diseases. Hope is a prerequisite to achieve victory. It had been proven that a hopeful patient has a higher chance of recovery than a pessimistic one. The key is to realize that when we suffer from a serious illness, it means that we have a profound mission. The deeper our suffering, the more we can demonstrate the tremendous power of Buddhism when you surmount that suffering and the more you can contribute to kosen-rufu.

Chronic ailment sufferers, however, often find it harder to arouse strong resolve to recover. It is thus, very important to adopt a positive mind towards our chronic ailments and make progressive efforts and at the same thing, summon the expansive life state to be able to take the bad times for granted. It is important to note that no ailments can be an obstacle to our happiness and our efforts for kosen-rufu as long as we can summon the ‘Lion Roar’.

“At life’s most fundamental level, health and sickness are one. There are times when our life manifests a healthy condition and times when it manifests illness. The two conditions are interconnected. Thus, by making earnest efforts in faith, and fighting against illness, we can establish a state of genuine health both mentally and physically.” – Daisaku Ikeda

Wishing all readers of my humble blog good health! =)

Faith for a Harmonious Family

One of my first prayers will be for family harmony. And there are two aspects to it -- Maintaining harmonious family with my parents and siblings as well as to work towards starting a nuclear family unit of my own.

My father was hardly around as I was growing up. But my mother was a thorough woman and her way of bringing us up reaped benefits. I would proudly say that her children all turned up pretty well and I love her deeply for that.

My elder brother is dependable and mature. Without a father figure in my growing years, he was the one I looked up to for a manhood example. I would like to think that I am pretty independent, and hence, did not have much need to call upon my elder brother, but he was there when necessary. He had since married and became a major care-giver for the rest of us.

My younger sister and I were much closer in terms of age compared to the age gap with my elder brother. Hence, there were many times that I think of her as my peer rather than a junior member of the family. In fact, as we grow from childhood to adulthood, there are times when her maturity exceeds me. The only thing that my sister lacked compared to the rest of the family is the spiritual depth of our faith which we hoped she would develop.

Being a nature introvert, I would claim that I am never the most active element in my family dynamics. But harmony is prevalent and is also the first of the Golden Guidelines of Faith offered by Toda Sensei.

I read segments of the Song of Triumph chapter of the New Human Revolution today. In it, Sensei presided over the marriage of two pairs of young couples. He had shared before that if a man and wife could work hand-in-hand for Kosen-Rufu, they will be able to create tremendous energy in bringing happiness to the people around them as well as themselves.

My life is dedicated to Kosen-Rufu. I made that vow to my mentor before and I would not forget it. And I am truly and deeply overwhelmed with gratitude that the girlfriend also cherishes the same conviction for Kosen-Rufu and I have been offering my thanks before the Gohonzon. Sensei may not be able to preside over our union, but I am sure he is watching over our growth. Our relationship may be new and is only budding. But I will do my utmost to make it a value-creating one.

Pulsating Waves

Dinner at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar;
Phantom of the Opera at the Esplanade;
Capped with a stroll by the beach at Sentosa;

remembering 14 April 2007...

Gentle breeze, silent stars
Yet the pulsating waves raged on
Bringing in the tides
And pounding in the heart

Gentle fingers, silent gaze
Yet the pulsating waves raged on
Fearing the unknown
And sounding in the soul

Gentle voices, silent smiles
Yet the pulsating waves raged on
Promising to be worthy
And vowing to be true

Genie Series # 1

Once upon a time, there was a genie named Juken. Juken was fresh out of the Magick Academy and was really eager to start using his magical ability to help people. So he was walking down the street one day and found a pathetic, ugly looking beggar by the roadside and decided to help this poor fellow.

So he approached this beggar and asked how he could help him.

The beggar looked up and grinned. It was a really ugly grin as his teeth were all crooked and decaying. And then, without much hesitation, the beggar asked for money, lots and lots of money. And so, Juken snapped his fingers, and a nice little box appeared in his hands.

“This is an unlimited personal automated teller machine, also known as the UP-ATM. You can withdraw unlimited amount of money with it.”

And so with that, Juken left the beggar.

Two weeks later, he visited the beggar again. This time, the beggar had beautiful clothes and living in a magnificent castle. After a few words of thanks from the beggar, Juken asked if the beggar was happy.

The beggar thought for a while and answered, “I may be rich. But I am ugly and sickly. The women only tolerate me because of my money. Make me handsome and healthy”

Juken thought for a while and made the beggar a pretty boy with a healthy and sporty body like the ancient Greek gods.

Another two weeks passed. This time, the beggar’s castle was filled with beautiful women who seek his attention. Each one of them will listen intently to all he said and giggled at all his jokes.

“So are you happy now?” asked Juken.

The beggar thought for a while and answer, “I have no friends. No one really think highly of me despite my good looks and wealth. I think I would be happier if I were to have some kind of talent.”

And so Juken gave the beggar the ability to compose wonderful poetry to impress his friends.

Another two weeks passed. Before Juken could enter the castle this time, the beggar rushed out of his house to meet him. He was crying.

“I have wealth, I am healthy and attractive, and I am the royal poet and everyone loves me. Yet I feel something is lacking and I am miserable. Can you give me happiness?”

Juken thought hard about it. The gift of happiness was not taught at the academy. But just as he was about to give up, he remembered. And he snapped his fingers. The castle was gone, the UP-ATM was gone. The beggar is ugly and sickly again and he could not even speak properly. The beggar was the beggar again. And then Juken left.

The next two weeks was the longest and most miserable for the beggar. And when Juken came to visit him again, the beggar hugged Juken and cried.

“I finally know what happiness is,” the beggar exclaimed. Juken looked intently at the beggar and waited for the answer.

After wiping off his tears, the beggar finally said, “Happiness is to cherish a sense of appreciation. Thank you for teaching me that.”

Juken smiled and winked. “I am a genie. I help people.”

= = = = = = =

There are people who wanted so much to have my job. They are praying for it day and night. Although it is tough and difficult, I should still appreciate that I have this job. And I should strive to do the best that I can.

3 + 4 = 7

Dawn. Refresh.

It had come to pass that I am starting another new blog to commemorate a new departure for me -- a quantum adjustment to my personal life where I cast aside my past and march forth to the future again.

Prior to this incarnation of my blogging experience, I ran two separate blogs at:

• RA-RANT
• MRC-University

One of them details random ranting by me and the other houses various inspirations I obtain in my journey through life which I wished to share with my students. Maintaining two separate personas, of which one is that of me as a private man and the other of an aspiring educator, had been a challenge. But recently, I had come to realize that such is not necessary. I am, but one man. I am who I am... no point splitting myself up. There are many identities we may assume but the one that gives me the greatest pride is that of a disciple of a truly great man – Dr Daisaku Ikeda. It is from him, that I learnt everything I needed in life.

As this marks a new departure, I thought it necessary to give my own life a simple appraisal and to reintroduce myself to the world. Personally, I would rate myself with an interesting contrast of high spirituality and low emotionality.

I prided myself in my attainment in the spiritual realm. I am a Buddhist. To be more specific, I practice Nichiren Buddhism, which is the school of Buddhism that focuses on the Lotus Sutra, considered to be the highest teachings of all Buddhist doctrines. And I practice them with the Soka Gakkai, an international organization which had inherited the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, the founder of this school of Buddhism.

I remembered that as a child of maybe about five, I started to question the adults around me on the concept of life and death. It did not take long for me to realize that even the adults do not have a ready answer for such a question and my desire to understand my mortality begins.

As I grew a bit older, I was given formal education in mission schools. The experience provided me with quite an adequate understanding of the Christian faith. But as I compared what I had learnt with my observation of the world around me, I find the teachings of the bible unsatisfactory for my spiritual quest. In the midst of my journey, my mother started to collect a lot of literature on Nichiren Buddhism. I devoured those books with fervor and soon, I started to realize that many of my doubts are clearing. But my seeking mind to ever learn more about religions never waned. When the issue of global terrorism rises to the forth to become a major problem in our contemporary civilization, I took to studying Islam as well to forge a better understanding of my fellow human beings.

I had always cherished the dream of becoming a writer. Which is one of the main reasons why I blog. I love to write. The irony is that I was denied the chance to study Literature when I was in school. But my passion for churning out tales had not diminished and I may proceed to include some of my flash fictions here. Anyway, failing to become an author, I eventually became an educator, teaching mathematics and computer applications in a secondary school (high school in some parts of the world). Education had become an axel from which my life revolves.

My romance with the idea of being an educator took concrete form when I come to realize that thoughts are the only thing that last. As a lover of historical tales, folklore and legends, it had come to pass one day, that all the great empires and achievements in the past count for nothing in light of eternality. The greatest heritage from our past is not the mighty architectures from the Mayans, the Ancient Greek and Romans, the Great Indian and Chinese Empires. They pale in significant to the moral ideals, the system of thoughts and inspirational ideas that are perpetuated to the future. And education is the process of sharing the thoughts with the next generation.

Phew, I guess the above will suffice as an introduction to this new literary journey of mine. The following may not have been mentioned in this entry, but I thought I would just like to list the various categories of things I would be likely to write about here.

1. Daily_Life (This is mainly my mundane everyday activities.)
   
2. Loves (And hates too! But I will try to be positive. =p)
   
3. Tales (of any kind really when imagination goes on wanderlust.)
   
4. Religion (My spiritual gymnastics.)
   
5. Peace (Yes… I am a pacifist!)
   
6. Culture (Where art and science fused with meaning and aesthetics.)
   
7. Education (The teacher, the sovereign, the parent.)