the youth training program is not something that we should stop or interfere. rather, it is about how, we, as leaders, should encourage, cheer and support this initiative. the beauty of this program is the spirit of enterprising and self-initiative. these are the qualities of future leaders. instead of becoming stumbling blocks, we should strive to support and open the way in whatever capacity, and never hinder the development.
we should only be concern if the group or leaders in the group has ulterior motive, or trying to exploit the organisation. situations like direct selling, insurance or any form of business partnership can pose serious problems to us. it affect the faith our members directly. in such situation, then we must interfere and bring the group back to the organisation.
this is my firm believe. i am open to alternative thoughts and reasoning. please bring up your point if you disagree. i am listening. i will try very hard to view things from an objective perspective, and suspend my arguments for the time being. i am not always right. and this may not be the best idea or strongest argument available. this i must constantly remind myself to prevent the doors and windows to my thinking faculty from closing.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
points for lion dance [martial arts]
dancing lions
1. physical training
it's not about pushing oneself to the extreme, but to slowly build up the stamina over a long period consistently and incrementally. to achieve this, it is important to have self-discipline.
without physical toughness is like a building without foundation. to be able to perform and compete at the highest level, it is crucial that we have a solid foundation. we are aiming to compete and to be the best in two years from today. train your physical body on a daily basis. alternating between strength and stamina training.
2. mind training
the gosho states, 'exert yourself in two ways of practice and study. there can be no buddhism without practice and study.' it is important to read as many sensei guidances as possible. only then, we will be able to understand the correct spirit of mentor and disciple, the lifeblood and backbone of the organisation. without this correct understanding, it is easy for us to lose our way. when we become good and develop some abilities, we can easily grew arrogant and look down on gakkai. thus, all the training and effort we have put in will be meaningless. thus, we must read the flow and cosmic. consistently.
3. faith training
the best form of faith training is chanting daimoku. chant and chant and chant. it is only through chanting that we can develop our concentration, focus and endurance. without which we will never succeed in anything we do. the purpose of chanting is also to remind ourselves, to believe wholeheartedly ourselves, that we are buddha. each and every one of us.
'though it is thought that Sakyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent for the sake of all of us living beings, but that is not so. on the contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the three virtues.'
4. common sense
-no smoking. never ever do that. since we are training our body, it will be double blow if we smoke.
-develop rhythm in our daily life. regimented living. set certain time for daimoku, study, training, etc.
-no carbonated drinks or chilly before training. it's difficult to do streneous physical work after consuming these foods.
5. compare with oneself, not others
we must always remember this - if we cannot defeat ourself, we will never defeat others. but defeating oneself is the most difficult task of all. we must overcome our own weaknesses. we may be irresponsible, careless, lack discipline, lazy, arrogant, greedy, etc. it is our weaknesses that will destroy us. so, we must be able to win over ourself. win over the you, yesterday, today.
6. gratitude
everything is possible because of the organisation. and the organisation is in malaysia due to ikeda sensei. he fought with his very life, every single day for the past 50 years, unceasingly, to bring this buddhism to every corner of the world. thus, we must always remember that everything is possible because of sensei, sgm and the pioneers. what we have done, our efforts, are really very little. we must always appreciate and repay our gratitude to sensei. how do we do that? by becoming victors in life. by gaining trust in society and by spreading the ture greatness of our mentor and the daishonin's philosophy to as many people as possible. without a sense of gratitude, we are even worse than animal.
1. physical training
it's not about pushing oneself to the extreme, but to slowly build up the stamina over a long period consistently and incrementally. to achieve this, it is important to have self-discipline.
without physical toughness is like a building without foundation. to be able to perform and compete at the highest level, it is crucial that we have a solid foundation. we are aiming to compete and to be the best in two years from today. train your physical body on a daily basis. alternating between strength and stamina training.
2. mind training
the gosho states, 'exert yourself in two ways of practice and study. there can be no buddhism without practice and study.' it is important to read as many sensei guidances as possible. only then, we will be able to understand the correct spirit of mentor and disciple, the lifeblood and backbone of the organisation. without this correct understanding, it is easy for us to lose our way. when we become good and develop some abilities, we can easily grew arrogant and look down on gakkai. thus, all the training and effort we have put in will be meaningless. thus, we must read the flow and cosmic. consistently.
3. faith training
the best form of faith training is chanting daimoku. chant and chant and chant. it is only through chanting that we can develop our concentration, focus and endurance. without which we will never succeed in anything we do. the purpose of chanting is also to remind ourselves, to believe wholeheartedly ourselves, that we are buddha. each and every one of us.
'though it is thought that Sakyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent for the sake of all of us living beings, but that is not so. on the contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the three virtues.'
4. common sense
-no smoking. never ever do that. since we are training our body, it will be double blow if we smoke.
-develop rhythm in our daily life. regimented living. set certain time for daimoku, study, training, etc.
-no carbonated drinks or chilly before training. it's difficult to do streneous physical work after consuming these foods.
5. compare with oneself, not others
we must always remember this - if we cannot defeat ourself, we will never defeat others. but defeating oneself is the most difficult task of all. we must overcome our own weaknesses. we may be irresponsible, careless, lack discipline, lazy, arrogant, greedy, etc. it is our weaknesses that will destroy us. so, we must be able to win over ourself. win over the you, yesterday, today.
6. gratitude
everything is possible because of the organisation. and the organisation is in malaysia due to ikeda sensei. he fought with his very life, every single day for the past 50 years, unceasingly, to bring this buddhism to every corner of the world. thus, we must always remember that everything is possible because of sensei, sgm and the pioneers. what we have done, our efforts, are really very little. we must always appreciate and repay our gratitude to sensei. how do we do that? by becoming victors in life. by gaining trust in society and by spreading the ture greatness of our mentor and the daishonin's philosophy to as many people as possible. without a sense of gratitude, we are even worse than animal.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
farewell, ausmat 2009
Good morning ausmat 09!
Time flies… yeah, yeah, so cliché right? It’s been one helluva journey, and I wanted to say thank you. Wonderful encounter indeed. You are truly hilarious people and sharp partners in this roller coaster journey. Thank you. I really enjoyed myself.
Confession – despite the few months period, I still have troubles putting a name to some faces. Please accept my sincere apology. I was having too much fun and neglected storing all your names in my long term memory. At times, I even miss the TEE altogether.
It is not that you are any less important. Each of is an irreplaceable, most precious, and unique treasure to me. And each name is in my prayer every morning.
I am doing this in hardcopy because I felt electronic means are a little impersonal. It lacks certain things… Feelings just not ngam. Maybe it’s impermanence. And a hardcopy is more lasting. Old school.
My intention here is state the things that truly mattered to me – that you will lead a truly meaningful, happy and fulfilled life. The first step to achieving that is to possess a solid life philosophy. This acts like a compass as we chart into new territories in our life journey, and along the way, every now and then, we will be encountering calm seas, storms and Tsunami.
Having some form of compass in life, I feel, is indispensable. Otherwise, we can be easily swayed or swept away by the winds of society.
A short recap on these philosophies…
Love your parents and be genuinely concern for them. This is the most elemental quality of a human being. Don’t cause them worry and spend as much time as possible to be with them, talking with and listening to them. Don’t stop when we grow old. If you only learn one thing from our encounter, I hope this is it.
Set a goal in your life, be ambitious and think hard as to how we can contribute to society. The purpose of education is to enable us to serve the underprivileged, the weak and the poor. Each of you has an important role to play, call it a mission, and each is unique. The thing is that you need to figure out yourself what that mission is and live true to it.
A person who has firm goals is streets ahead of a person who has none. Setting goals is the starting point from which the construction of our lives begins. Youth is a struggle to develop and shape oneself; it is an ongoing challenge to train oneself spiritually, intellectually and physically.
There is a time for everything. Youth, for example, is a time of construction. It is a time that largely determines the whole course of your life. That’s why it’s so important.
To contribute to society, to assist the weak, and to be compassionate, we must be strong. We must be successful in whatever we choose to do in life. And to be successful, we need two things – discipline and passion. Nothing can be achieved without self-disciple. And no one excel in anything without passion.
Being successful does not simply mean being a CEO or having lots of money. So long as we sincerely dedicate our lives for others regardless of the limelight, rewards or status, we will be respected and loved by our friends and community. And that is the true meaning of success.
One thing all great people have in common is their modesty. Arrogance is a sign of one’s lack of true ability.
Distinguish between pleasure and joy. Pleasure comes from consumption and it is fleeting. Indulging in pleasure will only make us weak and lazy. In the end, we will end up living a sad, empty and meaningless life. True joy derives from helping others. True joy comes from leading a meaningful life. It comes from striving each day to the fullest and minimizing the chance of regrets in future.
Never allow money, power and status to corrupt you. These things, however, can be put to good use. Use it if you have it. The important thing is to control and make it work for us, and not become a slave to it. Single minded pursuit of money for its own sake will only lead to empty and meaningless life. Money is only good if we use to for a good purpose.
Friends are important. Make many when you are young and keep them. You must be sincere and earnest with others. Always help out one another.
Friendship is not about strategy or superficial interactions (read facebook). It is a relationship built on the genuine sincerity of those parties involved. Friendship is the most beautiful, most powerful, and most valuable treasure in life. It is your true wealth.
Health is a prerequisite for our happiness. Take good care of your body. Everything in nature has a rhythm. So does our body. Sufficient rest, moderate and balance food intake and discard the sedentary lifestyle. Work your heart regularly and for girls, you must run more and do weight bearing exercise to build more bone density. This is the only way to prevent osteoporosis later on in life.
I better stop here. This sound like a man about to die. Hah! I have no plan to die so soon, but I do have the spirit that each time we meet, it is my last opportunity to meet you. That’s why sometimes I can be quite cheong-hei.
Let me add just one more. Of all the things that I learnt, 98% I learn from this person Daisaku Ikeda. I am sure you are familiar with this name by now. If you are interested to learn more, you can visit the following websites:
http://www.daisakuikeda.org/
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/
http://www.ikedacenter.org/
Well, I guess I really should pen(finger)-off now. I wish you happiness, health and a life of adventure, excitement and victory. I also wish you courage, wisdom and hope.
One last quote from my sifu. This I kept very close to my heart.
Do not compare yourselves to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might. Even if you are ridiculed, even if you suffered disappointments and setbacks, continue to advance and do not be defeated.
Bye-bye, farewell, and jumpa lagi.
10 November, 2009
Time flies… yeah, yeah, so cliché right? It’s been one helluva journey, and I wanted to say thank you. Wonderful encounter indeed. You are truly hilarious people and sharp partners in this roller coaster journey. Thank you. I really enjoyed myself.
Confession – despite the few months period, I still have troubles putting a name to some faces. Please accept my sincere apology. I was having too much fun and neglected storing all your names in my long term memory. At times, I even miss the TEE altogether.
It is not that you are any less important. Each of is an irreplaceable, most precious, and unique treasure to me. And each name is in my prayer every morning.
I am doing this in hardcopy because I felt electronic means are a little impersonal. It lacks certain things… Feelings just not ngam. Maybe it’s impermanence. And a hardcopy is more lasting. Old school.
My intention here is state the things that truly mattered to me – that you will lead a truly meaningful, happy and fulfilled life. The first step to achieving that is to possess a solid life philosophy. This acts like a compass as we chart into new territories in our life journey, and along the way, every now and then, we will be encountering calm seas, storms and Tsunami.
Having some form of compass in life, I feel, is indispensable. Otherwise, we can be easily swayed or swept away by the winds of society.
A short recap on these philosophies…
Love your parents and be genuinely concern for them. This is the most elemental quality of a human being. Don’t cause them worry and spend as much time as possible to be with them, talking with and listening to them. Don’t stop when we grow old. If you only learn one thing from our encounter, I hope this is it.
Set a goal in your life, be ambitious and think hard as to how we can contribute to society. The purpose of education is to enable us to serve the underprivileged, the weak and the poor. Each of you has an important role to play, call it a mission, and each is unique. The thing is that you need to figure out yourself what that mission is and live true to it.
A person who has firm goals is streets ahead of a person who has none. Setting goals is the starting point from which the construction of our lives begins. Youth is a struggle to develop and shape oneself; it is an ongoing challenge to train oneself spiritually, intellectually and physically.
There is a time for everything. Youth, for example, is a time of construction. It is a time that largely determines the whole course of your life. That’s why it’s so important.
To contribute to society, to assist the weak, and to be compassionate, we must be strong. We must be successful in whatever we choose to do in life. And to be successful, we need two things – discipline and passion. Nothing can be achieved without self-disciple. And no one excel in anything without passion.
Being successful does not simply mean being a CEO or having lots of money. So long as we sincerely dedicate our lives for others regardless of the limelight, rewards or status, we will be respected and loved by our friends and community. And that is the true meaning of success.
One thing all great people have in common is their modesty. Arrogance is a sign of one’s lack of true ability.
Distinguish between pleasure and joy. Pleasure comes from consumption and it is fleeting. Indulging in pleasure will only make us weak and lazy. In the end, we will end up living a sad, empty and meaningless life. True joy derives from helping others. True joy comes from leading a meaningful life. It comes from striving each day to the fullest and minimizing the chance of regrets in future.
Never allow money, power and status to corrupt you. These things, however, can be put to good use. Use it if you have it. The important thing is to control and make it work for us, and not become a slave to it. Single minded pursuit of money for its own sake will only lead to empty and meaningless life. Money is only good if we use to for a good purpose.
Friends are important. Make many when you are young and keep them. You must be sincere and earnest with others. Always help out one another.
Friendship is not about strategy or superficial interactions (read facebook). It is a relationship built on the genuine sincerity of those parties involved. Friendship is the most beautiful, most powerful, and most valuable treasure in life. It is your true wealth.
Health is a prerequisite for our happiness. Take good care of your body. Everything in nature has a rhythm. So does our body. Sufficient rest, moderate and balance food intake and discard the sedentary lifestyle. Work your heart regularly and for girls, you must run more and do weight bearing exercise to build more bone density. This is the only way to prevent osteoporosis later on in life.
I better stop here. This sound like a man about to die. Hah! I have no plan to die so soon, but I do have the spirit that each time we meet, it is my last opportunity to meet you. That’s why sometimes I can be quite cheong-hei.
Let me add just one more. Of all the things that I learnt, 98% I learn from this person Daisaku Ikeda. I am sure you are familiar with this name by now. If you are interested to learn more, you can visit the following websites:
http://www.daisakuikeda.org/
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/
http://www.ikedacenter.org/
Well, I guess I really should pen(finger)-off now. I wish you happiness, health and a life of adventure, excitement and victory. I also wish you courage, wisdom and hope.
One last quote from my sifu. This I kept very close to my heart.
Do not compare yourselves to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might. Even if you are ridiculed, even if you suffered disappointments and setbacks, continue to advance and do not be defeated.
Bye-bye, farewell, and jumpa lagi.
10 November, 2009
test of fire
they are not interested in learning.
they don't care about the materials presented during lecture.
and they certainly have no clear idea why they are sitting in the lecture hall.
well, this is the group i am facing today. perhaps, i shouldn't blame them. after all, they are the product of our national education system. six in primary and another five in secondary, eleven years in total of conditioning. i guess the long years wipe out any trace of curiosity in them. growing up in a relatively comfort environment compounded the mindset further.
i am into my week ten of my lecture now. my message to them is very simple. at this level (tertiary) you must be responsible for your own learning. you cannot just wait and expect to be spoon fed. it does not work that way.
independent learning is critical. unless you develop this skills, you are not going to survive in our knowledge economy today. but some, or most, insist on retaining their status as idiots. flatly and politely refused my arguments. one word sums up my feeling now - frustration.
this is the third semester i am teaching year one students. i tried twice, and failed twice. this is the third attempt. i don't think my chances are good, with another four weeks to go. what to do?
i think over and over again - how can i get them to be interested in their study? how can i get them to take their study seriously? how can i make them understand that what they do, or don't do, today will have a significant impact on their life later on? i have a few options...
option one
continue to play mr nice guy, tell jokes in lecture, encourage them to prepare for tutorials and persuade and sweet talk them like little kids for the rest of the weeks.
option two
play mr cool. no more jokes. everything is business as usual. and no more encouragement or stories. just deliver my lectures in a businesslike, no nonsense, tone. no reprimanding them for not doing their work.
option three
have a grand sale. mark the entire class down. give the top student a 'C', and proceed to fail one third of the class. having done that, fail them again in their resits. that way will make them sit up. in times like this, there is little choice but to execute great compassion for my students. great compassion is also called ruthless compassion.
well, i expect some to hate me. it doesn't matter. after all, this is not a popularity contest. teachers are entrusted by the parents to educate their kids. and this is what we should do. if they hate it, so be it. after all, good medicine are usually bitter.
i just love the verse that said 'Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire will make fine steel.'
Respected Teacher,
My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true.
But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.
It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can,
that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.
Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.
Steer him away from envy, if you can.
Teach him the secret of quite laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books
but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery
of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill-side.
In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd
when every one is getting on the bandwagon.
Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad.
Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders;
but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob…
and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.
Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself
because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order; but see what you can do.
He is such a fine little fellow, my son.
Abraham Lincoln.
they don't care about the materials presented during lecture.
and they certainly have no clear idea why they are sitting in the lecture hall.
well, this is the group i am facing today. perhaps, i shouldn't blame them. after all, they are the product of our national education system. six in primary and another five in secondary, eleven years in total of conditioning. i guess the long years wipe out any trace of curiosity in them. growing up in a relatively comfort environment compounded the mindset further.
i am into my week ten of my lecture now. my message to them is very simple. at this level (tertiary) you must be responsible for your own learning. you cannot just wait and expect to be spoon fed. it does not work that way.
independent learning is critical. unless you develop this skills, you are not going to survive in our knowledge economy today. but some, or most, insist on retaining their status as idiots. flatly and politely refused my arguments. one word sums up my feeling now - frustration.
this is the third semester i am teaching year one students. i tried twice, and failed twice. this is the third attempt. i don't think my chances are good, with another four weeks to go. what to do?
i think over and over again - how can i get them to be interested in their study? how can i get them to take their study seriously? how can i make them understand that what they do, or don't do, today will have a significant impact on their life later on? i have a few options...
option one
continue to play mr nice guy, tell jokes in lecture, encourage them to prepare for tutorials and persuade and sweet talk them like little kids for the rest of the weeks.
option two
play mr cool. no more jokes. everything is business as usual. and no more encouragement or stories. just deliver my lectures in a businesslike, no nonsense, tone. no reprimanding them for not doing their work.
option three
have a grand sale. mark the entire class down. give the top student a 'C', and proceed to fail one third of the class. having done that, fail them again in their resits. that way will make them sit up. in times like this, there is little choice but to execute great compassion for my students. great compassion is also called ruthless compassion.
well, i expect some to hate me. it doesn't matter. after all, this is not a popularity contest. teachers are entrusted by the parents to educate their kids. and this is what we should do. if they hate it, so be it. after all, good medicine are usually bitter.
i just love the verse that said 'Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire will make fine steel.'
Respected Teacher,
My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true.
But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.
It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can,
that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.
Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.
Steer him away from envy, if you can.
Teach him the secret of quite laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books
but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery
of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill-side.
In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd
when every one is getting on the bandwagon.
Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad.
Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders;
but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob…
and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.
Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself
because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order; but see what you can do.
He is such a fine little fellow, my son.
Abraham Lincoln.
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