Undoing psychological conditioning

i never regretted giving up my business studies to take up psychology, because it gave me the very foundation on which to study the Dharma.

the basic concept of conditioning. once you understand the basis behind conditioning, the more curious of you will wonder, how much of what i am, what i know today, what i believe in and work hard for, is due to conditioning? Conditioning by the family, by friends, teachers, society, institutions,etc.

once you remove conditioning, what do you see? what do you hope to see? who do you see?

i cant answer that question for you, because we each might see or become different things/persons, but once on the path of undoing conditioning, that very same path will lead you to self-discovery

Ignorance is bliss?

I used to partially agree that ignorance can be blissful. but i beg to differ now, tho it would still depend on the level/type of ignorance, and maybe your preception of life on a whole.

there are a lot of levels to ignorance. there is ignorance about an issue/situation, ignorance about your family circumstances, ignorance in your whole life, as well as ignorance about ignorance. From different angles, the different types of ignorance can vary in terms of "importance".

personally, it is ignorance about ignorance that is the most scary. if you are ignorant about something, that something can turn around and cause you harm. but if you are ignorant about ignorance, where will that take you? if you do not know about something, you will never want to learn about it, much less correct it. It means that you will never know of ignorance, and continue to live your life in its current state. (which some might argue is all and well)

but if that ignorance is the cause of your suffering in the first place, wont you want to understand it and correct it?

2009 : Year of Transformation

I picked an Angel card in a reading for 2009, and the angel that came into my life was the Angel of Transformation. The card was picked in Dec(?) 2008, and till date, I must say that it have been a really great time so far, and the numerous transformations in my life are astonishing!!!

There are so many lessons learnt, that I fail to translate them into words here, or that words can fail me in trying to explain what it is that i have gained in my wisdom and knowledge. (but i have been trying. certain things need to be experienced and practiced before you can truly gain an appreciation and understanding)

time and place have also worked in my favour, bringing all that i need, the teachers that i can learn from, the situations and circumstances for my experiences. all that is left to say is THANK YOU!

i firmly believe that in living a life of gratitude, you will always be abundant. It is in giving that you receive.

this entry really reads like one that is wrapping up the year ; )

Impermanence - after death belongings

"What do you bring with you after you die?"
That is a common enough question that people will get you to ponder on, about the direction and meaning of your life.

Depending on your perspective, it can go along the "money and external objects are not something that means much to me, or that i can bring with me after death, or that people will not remember me for how much i have earned, etc" lines

Or similarly, it can be reflected in terms of impermanence.
Upon death, nothing of yours is yours. Not even your body. (This is definitely an Universal truth) That being the case, is there a need to be attached to material objects, to your identity, to your body? When viewed from a broader perspective, one will realise that everything that is seen, touched, heard, tasted, enjoyed, etc, means nothing when you pass on. If you can understand that fundamental truth, and hence live your life in accordance, ie understand that all is not "real", hence there isn't the need to be obsessed with "anything", life can be a more peaceful and happy one, and you would be one step nearer to enlightenment.

when you take time out of your busy life to meditate/think about impermanence, you will gain more insight into your life, as well as more joy and peace

How much time do you have?

Do you know when you will/are going to die?
Or did world statistics on average life expectancy fool you into thinking that you can live up to your 80s?
It is NOT confirmed that you may live up to your 80s or even 50s, so why does mankind have the mindset that they need to plan for the future, that there is always tomorrow.

For some, that tomorrow never comes! what makes you think that you wont be the next one?
And after/when you leave this world/this lifetime behind, will there be things, issues that you have failed to accomplish, to achieve or to do, in order to leave peacefully or guarantee a good rebirth?

New age authors have taught about living in the NOW, so did the Dharma.
Living in the present, with mindfulness and awareness, that beats living each and every day for the sake of tomorrow. In your pursuit for your happiness in the coming tomorrow, you might be missing out on the happiness and peace of today. Why would one choose to give up what is in front of you for something that you might never attain?

What you can find in today, is exactly the same as that in tomorrow....

Housewives have it best - Mindfulness

I have started to prepare more meals at home, and it struck me today that cooking is actually a good practice of mindfulness.
Because once you decided to cook, and once you start, u typically do only cooking until the meal is prepared. At least it is the case for me. I do not watch tv or listen to the radio while cooking. my whole mind and concentration is solely focused on the cooking task at hand, be it chopping, slicing or boiling.

Housewives might think that they have no life, but this practice in mindfulness is worth much more than the high paying salary that your husband is earning, or the glamorous lifestyle of your peers....

Choice between suffering and liberation

When the Buddha was still Prince Siddhartha, he left his family and new born son behind to seek the truth about death and impermanence.
I have a friend who was quite upset over it, because "how could he be so irresponsible as to leave his son and wife behind"...

i suppose under normal circumstances, the departure of a father from his new born son would be considered an irresponsible act. but if you were to view Prince Siddhartha's choice in context, it have turned out to be the right choice.

if he did not leave to seek the truth, where would a lot of us be today? there would be no dharma /teachings to follow, no "one" to point the way out of suffering, no "one" who could truly understand that what we are going thru, is suffering.

i applaud Buddha's actions, because if it was me, i would have done the same. only times are a little different now.
given the choice between forever suffering, and the chance to gain liberation, it only makes sense (at least to me), that one would pursue liberation. afterall, liberation is forever, and so is suffering

Do you have a home?

Every one of us needs a home. The world needs a home. There are so many young people who are homeless. They may have a building to live in, but they are homeless in their hearts. That is why the most important practice of our time is to give each person a home.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

http://www.plumvillage.org/

Apparently the Master will be coming to Singapore in March. i cant wait to attend/listen to his teachings.
a home in our hearts...what exactly does that mean? how can you have a home in ur heart?

guess that depends on how you define home. home versus house. hope the distinction is clear to you. [i get a little confused too]

but a home in our hearts is quite different from the physical home, feelings of home for our house...

hm..if you ask me, a home in our hearts, is some place deep within, where i can take refuge when the storm is brewing, when i am faced with suffering, where i can find peace and inner stillness.

even when the mind is thinking all sorts of random thoughts, as long as i have my home in my heart, my journey and direction will be clear, and taken in peace.

may the same be true for you!

of course, than you might have the question of "how do i find that home in my heart"? my reply would simply be "ask your heart"

science might say that the heart has no consciousness. guess it is how u look at it. i m sure that there are times when your heart and mind are on opposing sides. once u can identity how ur heart speaks to u, whether it be that nagging feeling, that gut feeling, that fluttering thought, etc, you can listen to it, and make more conscious decisions, actions.

however, i think the Master was referring to something else (just sort of a different method) above. the use of mindfulness to find that peace, that home within you. when you are mindful, you will not be lost. when you are mindful, every single thought, action brings you great joy. when you are mindful, the tiniest things brings your boundless happiness. when you are mindful, you will know what it is that you are here for, that you are living for, what it is that happiness means to you.

pls begin to be mindful from today now. mindful means enjoying your coffee and not worrying about the endless tasks that are lined up behind you. mindful means living in each and every moment, savouring it for its beauty and loveliness.

i can only pray that you were mindful while reading this

Is life a play?

when i was young, i read somewhere that god is in heaven laughing at us.
and from than on, there were times where i thought that life is a stage (as per Shakespeare)

i have always enjoyed watching plays, musicals, etc. Enjoyed that moment where i felt as it i was part of the story...
but recently, that feeling changed.

i was at esplanade watching a play, and instead of being part of the story, i could feel myself viewing the scene from the eye of a third person (or maybe second person). but the key point is, i wasnt in there (in the story) anymore...

and i thought to myself, is that how life is supposed to be?
from the Buddhism angle, once you realised the truth about suffering, you could be able to "withdraw"/distance yourself from it. and that felt like me, standing beyond the stage, looking at my life unfolding. looking with indifference.

from that play, i was able to pull myself outside of it, outside of my life. it is as if what i was seeing was there, but yet not there. i understood intuitively what i was learning (it's just harder to put it in words here), that your life is one major play where you think you are feeling and going through all those emotions and actions. but in reality, those are all false. those are the stage, where you think you are, but actually, you are off the stage.

you are on stage, "enjoying" the suffering because you think that is how life is/should be, but in reality, you are off the stage, only you do not know it yet.

or maybe you can see it as each lifetime being played out on stage, but the bigger purpose of your existence, or your wider existence, is that off stage

so do you wish to be on or off stage?

Friday 13th

It's Friday the 13th today. Do you believe in bad luck???

What i want to share today, is about thoughts.
There are a lot of books, sharings out there, which fundamentally tells us that when you can change your thoughts (typically towards the positive), you can change your life.

honestly, i think that your thoughts make up your life.
without your thoughts, what will u be, who will u be???
is ur name your identity? or are your thoughts on who you are, that which defines and shapes who you are? [it sounds circular i know, but it makes sense]

i believe that words have energy, and so do thoughts.
think of all the potential positive/healing energy in your words, in your daily conversations.
think about it. when you scold someone stupid, u do so probably in irritation and anger, and there is tremendous (negative) energy that is directed out. consequently, the person will also feel the energy, be it your anger or his own.
think of all the good energy and work that can come out of using loving speech (it doesnt even have to go to the extent of actions). you feel good and happy, and the listener feels the same and is appreciative.

when you wake up in the morning and tell yourself in the mirror that it will be a happy and fulfilling day, chances are, it will be one. you might think that it is just a self fulfilling prophecy. ok fine, but so what. what's the big deal in it being self fulfilling when you want and will get a happy day in return?

when you tell yourself that you are happy and enjoying life, and act as if that is the case, you will get what you asked for. isn't that great...