SIMPLE TRUTH 6 Jan.

Quieten your Mind
Reflect
Watch
Nothing binds you --
You are free!

--- The Dhammapada (The Buddha)

So simple and so true! It is amazing that a relatively "simple"
(as compared to the other sutras) sutra like the Dhammapada,
has infinite dimensions that affect us in different ways,
in different situations, Rediscover!

BELIEF 4 Jan.

There is the belief we believe we believe
and then there is what we really believe.
What do you really believe?

Be honest.
To Seek the truth, and True Happiness
You have to be honest to yourself.

Be honest --
Do you honestly believe you are a Buddhist at heart?
If yes, what is it you do that makes you Buddhist?

MAGIC 3 Jan.

There seems to be less and less magic that we can experience as we grow older and older. I guess it is because we have this nagging feeling whenever we wake up to this world in the morning that we have seen it all.

Nothing is really interesting anymore. Even close relationships can become unbearably lifeless. Best friends and lovers can even run out of subjects of interest. I figure the point is not to seek more new exciting experiences, but to realize that the same old stuff is mostly good enough.

Yes, that might be “boring”. But if we live each day reborn, cleansed of yesterday’s prejudices and unnecessary judgement, this same old world becomes new. Magic is abound. Watch out for that rainbow you haven’t seen for years. How many of you guys really saw the full moon last night? Isn’t it still as magical as when you first saw it? An old heart is one without the magic of awareness – are you feeling old? The mindless babbling of a baby on the bus is magic to my ears. And to babies, everything is magic – even this guy who is me, who is standing looking mindlessly at a baby, is magical to him. I’m not trying to mystify anything – the path of Enlightenment after all is a journey to clarity. The point is many of us haven’t really seen “anything” yet (“seen’ referring to “having realized the essence”). The Buddha’s Enlightenment is like magic – so much so that He cannot explain it to us. But He knows the “trick” – how everything is conjured. To all you guys out there feeling old and tired – remember that the Buddha was ever young at heart, from His search for Enlightenment to His last moments. We haven’t uncovered the truth of the trick behind all things yet. Till then, cease not to be amazed by everything. Nothing is what it seems. The age increases, but the magic remains. Don’t get bored, get enlightened!

WAY OF THE BODHISATTVA 2 Jan.

The kindest thing you can do
Is to be so kind to yourself
That you realize the value of kindness so much
That you actually share it with everyone else!This is the way of the Bodhisattva, the Buddha-to-be!

MINDFULNESS 1 Jan.

Mindfulness* should be the most natural thing in the world-without any unnecessary strain or effort. But for us, habitually unmindful beings, begin mindful might be a daunting task. The more mindful we become, the more habitual it becomes, and attaining mindfulness soon feels near impossible. How scary! Let’s all guard our minds more carefully from now on.

I was walking to the subway station in the near noon sun. I remembered my promise to myself to be as mindful as I could the whole day. The sun felt hot. I caught myself screwing up my face, frowning in its glare. This, I realize, only when I realized I was having mild dizziness. The mindfulness came this “late.” Suddenly, I wasn’t sure whether it was the heat of the sun that made me dizzy or that it was I feeling contempt for the sun that made me dizzy. Funny. I think the latter that is true. The sun meant no harm. It was me to be blamed ultimately. I should have experienced the heat mindfully without attachment – that’s all – no need to grumble about it inside.

About The Daily Enlightenment.

The Daily Enlightenment (TDE) is a free Dharma Emailing List that you can subscribe to, as a member, you can receive daily, an email of Latest News of the Buddhist Community, a Buddhist Quote, a Realization, and a Book Except, Everyone is welcomed to contribute articles. The aim of TDE is to encourage everyone to live each day fruitfully, with the thought of seeking spiritual progress day by day.

Currently, TDE serves more than 2,000 members worldwide. To subscribe, please email amituofo@singnet.com.sg or visit the TDE Archive at
http://www.egroups.com/group/thedailyenlightenment

“What you are reading now is ‘The Daily Enlightenment 1 January to June,’ the first compilation of past TDE Realizations, “The Daily Enlightenment 1: July to December” will be published in the near future, along with Book II, III… This will be possible only with your support, as a TDEr, why not only reads, but writes in too. Join the mailing list today!”

Yours in the Dharma
BY “Bro. Shen Shi’an (TDEditor)

Dedicated to all,
May all have daily enlightenments,
Steadily leading towards total Enlighment.

With gratitude to
“Light, Di, Vajra, n, Ana, Meng, Karuna, Interstellar1, Susan Gallardo,
Unseen, Shiqin, Clyde, Zeph, Woo Kok Khuan… and everyone else.”

P/S:- Start by tomorrow, I will post “The Daily Enlightenment” NOTE in my blog.

美丽的爱情.

每段故事都有一篇剧情
每段爱情都像动人旋律
一颗真心却只向着你前进
也许爱 越单纯越着迷
你是窗外另外一片风景
在你眼里我是什么关系
你的呼吸藏在我的爱情里
何时能诚实面对自己
那一句我爱你
我们从不开口那个言语
永远像少了勇气
别人都说
我和你之间的关系
没有人相信只有关心
我们从不正视那个问题
那一些是非题
总让人伤透脑筋
我会期待
爱情盛开那一个黎明
一定会有美丽的爱情

我和同事拍的照片.

Wednesday 19th Decmber 2007

孙燕姿Stefanie's photos.

用Nokia N73 handphone作出来的孙燕姿的相片.
Width 240 x Height 320.

Christmas Tree at Jurong Point.