Thursday, December 28, 2006

 

Tarot


You are The Sun


Happiness, Content, Joy.


The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.


Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.


The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.


What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.


Wednesday, December 27, 2006

 

Xmas 2006

The Moving Forward team from the SD Kenshu had a gathering at Guoliang’s place on the 25th December. I am glad that so many juniors spoke of the things they learnt from the kenshu. Can really feel that they had grown.

The Daishonin declared that the assembly at the Eagle Peak had not yet dispersed. Remember that we will only have opening ceremony for the Kenshu but never a closing ceremony because the Kenshu will never end if we would only maintain a seeking spirit.

Every article you read, every story you heard, will be as inspirational as it did at the Kenshu as long as you muster the spirit of the kenshukai… lalala…

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

 

Xmas Eve 2006

The rain drifted down instead of pouring as it always did here in Singapore. It did indeed felt like snow. Maybe it had to do with the mood. My mood was rather light-hearted. I was determined to enjoy the day. I had not had the chance to relax for quite some time. It was one of the busiest holidays I ever had and it just went passed so quickly.

The wait did not take too long. Honestly. I was entertaining myself sufficiently observing the droplets of rain floating without a care and landing on my windscreen. She had some matters from work to settle and was delayed. It did not matter really. The rain was refreshing. Although the damage to certain areas in the region due to flooding was upsetting, I was sure all will be fine in due time as I offered a short prayer for those affected by chanting daimoku in my heart for a little while.

The floods reminded me of the importance of an effective drainage system. It is not only for torrent rain, but also for human emotions. Having the burden of emotional baggage is as destructive as the flood. Viewed in light of the eternity of life, the ability to refresh ourselves is the only way to advance. Recalling the lessons learnt from Sensei’s NHR on the chapter of “Moving Forward”, even the obstacle of death cannot stop the flow of spiritual and emotional growth. That is the beauty of human revolution. She arrived shortly after I completed my musing.

The evening began with a light snack at the Starbucks. She had her lunch, so I was surprised when she returned from the order counter with a raspberry cake and a cheesecake. The cheesecake was delicious but the raspberry was a little tough. But somehow we finished both cakes. The stomachs were filled. That was a good way to start a day any day.

Gossiping over coffee and cakes was fun. As least it was fun enough to miss the first ten minutes of the movie “The Curse of the Golden Flower”. The show was interesting. The first observation was the setting. Everything was so bright and the colors were so strong that there was a fantastical feel to the movie. I believed that was the director’s intention and it worked. There was tension throughout the show as the plot rolled out. The acting by veteran actors Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li was also outstanding. I was entertained.

We tried to get something to eat after that. It was not easy. The crowd had started to arrive and Orchard Road was soon packed. We decided to just randomly move from building to building hoping to chance upon something decent to eat. Navigating through crowds of partygoers was an art. It was like a dance, waltzing through groups after groups of strangers. I could usually follow my nose to the next meal but the smell of human filled the district. We needed food.

She sent me a SMS to wish me a merry Christmas while eating her dinner right in front of me. Interesting, I was rather amused. We ended the night with beancurd at Selegie and shook hands when the clock struck twelve before I took her home.

We talked about her work quite a bit. She was having some difficulties in her work with a bank. Her workload was becoming enormously huge that all she could do was to collapse into bed after work. As a result, she slept whenever she had a chance. So much so, that a headache developed.

Remembering the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism, the way out of her problems both at work and in the Gakkai may very well be to develop her confidence in her faith. The only way is the tried and tested pillars of Faith, Practice and Study. She had promised to start reading a little more. That was very courageous of her to admit that to me. I believed I have a pretty good memory for this kind of promises and might nag her to death about it. *looking smug*

Saturday, December 16, 2006

 

Moving Forward

It had been a heretic week with preparations for the SD Kenshu. Studied the NHR chapter on “Moving Forward” for this Kenshu.

General Plot:

Takao Okajima was a student division member who was highly resistant to the practice of religion until his poor health escalated and had a near death encounter. Friends from Soka Gakkai continued to encourage him and he finally realized that nothing is more important than living a noble life dedicated to the highest human ideals.

He worked hard to share his enlightenment and wrote courageously to encourage others of their mission just as Sensei did. He finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a teacher after he graduated.

Five months of teaching and touching lives, he passed away in an automobile accident. But his legacy lived on and countless continued to be inspired by his example.

Shizu suffered most of her life, losing two sons and a daughter. Her despair continued after her family incurred huge debts. But after she began practice of Buddhism, her life started to improve. Eventually, she overcame her grief and repaid all her debts.

With a deep sense of gratitude, she continues to seek out her mentor in life and studied diligently on Buddhism. At the advanced age of 72, she passed an examination and Buddhism with flying colors.

Extracts:

“I don’t think we’d be living up to our mission as genuine disciples if our reaction to the news of President Yamamoto’s upcoming visit was joy. We should welcome President Yamamoto with a victory. I’d like to suggest that we start an all-out campaign to increase Seikyo Shimbun readership, since that’s one of the best ways to promote understanding of the Soka Gakkai in our community.”

No challenge is more exhilarating or causes one’s fighting spirit to burn more brightly than a challenge that comes from one’s own initiative.

Those who strive the hardest savor true joy, vitality and fulfillment.

We all have 24 hours a day. How we use that time, though, can make a huge difference in the way the future unfolds. Still water stagnates and a stationary wheel rusts. Constantly moving forward is the key to a bright and hopeful future.

“I’ll fight my hardest, until my frail body collapses, I’ll do my best, until my bones crumble to dust. And I’ll continue, firmly believing that that day will arrive when the golden sun shining in the east will rise high and illuminate the entire sky.”

The Soka Gakkai’s real strength lies in the fact that it is a group of ordinary people joined in spiritual solidarity with Shin’ichi in the lead. The father of Ghanaian independence and the nation’s first president Kwame Nkrumah (1909—72) declared: “There is no force, however formidable, that I a united people cannot overcome.”

Ordinary people, so often consigned to the sidelines of society, had awakened to their role as the emissaries of the Buddha and stood up courageously to carry out their mission of bringing happiness to humanity, uniting firmly in their cause. That is the Soka Gakkai. The Soka Gakkai is not an alliance bound by self-interest; it is a network joined together by noble and joyous life-to-life connections. That’s why it is so strong and invincible.

In the Gakkai, everyone is the president as long as they have firm resolve and are committed to realizing kosen-rufu. That’s what Nichiren Daishonin means when he says that his disciples and lay supporters should transcend all differences among themselves. That spirit itself is the sources of the Gakkai strength.

We who embrace faith in the Mystic Law have nothing to fear. The most important thing is to summon forth the power of faith and practice. Making ‘Daimoku First!’ our byword, let us continue moving forward, living lives of tremendous victory that are centered on vigorous daimoku. In other words, even should we face aneroid in our lives of great misfortune, if we have faith in the Lotus Sutra (the Gohonzon); we have nothing to worry about.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

 

Fighting Sansho Shima

28 November

Ivan convinced Chang Long to attend the SD Kenshu.

29 November

Chang Long was knocked down by a car in the morning. Admitted into Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Zone Daimokukai was called forth.

A blessing from Gohonzon. He missed hitting a bus by only a metre at most. Would have lost his life if he did so. The lady who was knock down with him passed away.

Had his first operation to control the internal bleeding. Unable to operate on broken bones until the bleeding stops. Curbing pain through morphine.

He roused from his coma in the evening.

30 November

His case was reported in the newspapers.

Chang Long had a second operation to control his internal bleeding. Visited him with Ivan. He was resting after the operation. NYPSD called a Daimokukai for him.

Chanted at TBSC. Explained Chang Long situation to the WDs there. Full support for his recovery begins.

1 December

Led a team of NYPSD members to visit Chang Long. He was removed from ICU because his internal bleeding had stablised.

Will know the full extend of his bones and spine injury tomorrow.

Shared with him that this accident is a sansho shima towards his participation of the SD Kenshu. Encouraged him to challenge and recover in time for the Kenshu.

Declared this determination of NYPSD and reported to Zone side.

== Will Update again soon. Thank you everyone for sending prayers. ==