A Solution Will Present Itself
Problems are simply challenges waiting for solutions to meet them. The two are partners. Think with resolve that a solution will present itself and it will.


- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Save the Sinking Boat
Do good and forget about it. Do not have grudges in your mind for anyone. Save the sinking boat with the anchor of your pure thoughts. The greatest art is to bring your mind onto this auspicious path. Think good .... Do good.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Higher Than the Sky
Keep wearing virtues as your ornaments. Keep loving others. Keep giving regard. You have to go beyond the stars. Keep thoughts higher than the sky, and abundance of patience like the earth. Keep spiritual love in your eyes.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Respect
When I learn to respect myself, other people will respect me. How can I develop respect for myself? By keeping my mind positive and encouraging myself to grow and change for the better. Demanding respect because of my position or background is simply arrogance. On the other hand, listening with humility and valuing other people's advise naturally earns me respect. I get back exactly what I give out.




- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Offer Up
Free yourself from forcing, expecting or wanting someone to receive what you think they should take - it could be your idea, opinion, or an opportunity you think they should accept - you can't make anyone take anything - your own experience probably confirms this. Offer humbly. Offer gently. Offer as if you are a master, and then let go, and retire like a shy child. When you can dance the dance between being master and child, you'll be surprised how much more others will accept what you have to say, and how much more they appreciate your offerings.


- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Clean and Tidy
The most important places to keep clean and tidy are my mind and heart. If I allow thoughts to flourish that I wouldn't want to see the light of day, I can never have any real self-respect. By starting each day in quiet reflection and pouring positive, loving thoughts into my mind, I gradually clean out cynicism and unkindness.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Be quick to forgive any form of insult, and slow to forget the importance of a big heart.




- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Consider time to be a great treasure. Never waste a second.




- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Peaceful Soul
Always maintain the awareness - I am a peaceful soul, and allow peace to influence your thinking and judgment.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Glasses of Seeing Only Specialities
Nowadays it is a fashion and also a compulsion to wear glasses. So wear the glasses of seeing only specialities. Nothing else should be visible. For instance, when you wear red glasses, even something green will appear to be red. So when coming into connection with everyone, adopt the vision of seeing only their specialities and you will become special.




- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Perfect and Pure
There is a part of you that is perfect and pure. It is untouched by the less-than-perfect characteristics you have acquired by living in a less than perfect world. This part of you is a still and eternal star. Make time to reach it and this will bring you untold benefit.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Loneliness comes when I forget God is my Supreme companion.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Rest Comes With Waking
Rest does not come with sleeping, it comes with waking. When we are enlightened we realise that real rest is possible only when we become free of illusion and we no longer struggle against life. Illusion is the idea that people should be, and do, what we want them to. The truth is, all is as it should be, despite appearances or our perceptions of others to the contrary.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.



- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

A racing mind that reacts sensitively to little things indicates thinking that has lost its spiritual strength. Meditation restores that power.


- from Copyright © 2006 Thought for Today -

Opportunities are never lost - someone will take the ones you miss!



-Author Unknown-

Whatever you give comes back to you. Whatever you take will not stay with you.



-Author Unknown-

Resent Not
There are no justified resentments. To resent someone is to fall under the illusion that they are the cause of our suffering. No one can die from a snake bite. It's the poison that kills them. You may receive the poison of another’s words, or even just in a glance, but you don’t have to absorb it or allow it free passage through the veins of your consciousness. The consequence of not absorbing the poison of others is you never experience enmity towards others. And people notice when you have absolutely no enmity. It draws them close, it empowers them, it builds trust, it enables harmony to break out!


-Author Unknown-

Love is the ocean which accepts all manner of rivers without questioning their origin.


-Author Unknown-

Treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a gift... That's why it's called the present.


-Author Unknown-

Courage
I cannot discover new oceans unless I have courage to lose sight of the shore.


-Author Unknown-

Be Creative
Every day is an opportunity to be creative - the canvas is your mind, the brushes and colours are your thoughts and feelings, the panorama is your story, the complete picture is a work of art called, 'my life'. Be careful what you put on the canvas of your mind today - it matters.



-Author Unknown-

The Colour of Flowers
Leave worries aside and you will be surprised by the beauty of the sky and the colour of flowers, of the freshness of the breeze and the generosity of the sun. You will feel you are part of creation, and life will start to make sense. The greatest wealth is to appreciate what we have and what we are.



-Author Unknown-

Dance In Happiness
The easy way to remain happy is to remain constantly light. Pure thoughts are light and waste thoughts are heavy. Therefore, keep your intellect busy with pure thoughts and you will become light and continue to dance in happiness.


-Author Unknown-

Contentment
Contentment is a great virtue, though it may not attract one's attention at first. Those who are truly content are usually quiet about it. It is a pleasure to be in their company, because they are full, peaceful, and generous.


-Author Unknown-

Honesty & Clarity
Honesty does not mean simply speaking your mind. Honesty means to be very clear about everything going on inside you. Where there is honesty, feelings become pure and clean. Honesty is where there are no other thoughts or feelings inside, other than those that God himself would have. Such clarity is reflected in your words; they will be filled with the power of truth, and spoken with ease and without hesitation. The genuine honesty cultivated within you is what will reach out and touch others.

-Author Unknown-

Thoughts are like seeds
When you sow a thought you reap an action, when you sow an action you reap a habit, when you sow a habit you reap a character and when you sow a character you reap a destiny. Thoughts are like seeds. You cannot sow the seed of one plant and get another: thistles will never produce daffodils! When your thoughts are positive, powerful and constructive, your life will reflect this.

-Author Unknown-

Why Worry, Have Faith.
I can make a hobby out of worrying. I worry about the noise and then complain when it is too quiet. I worry about having too many sunny dry spells and then complain when it rains. I may even be worried about worrying too much. It is essential to take an honest interest in what goes on around me, and of course it is always wise to analyse a situation and take the necessary precautions to avoid being influenced by anything negative. However, when all is said and done, my tense and burdened mind will not be able to function clearly enough to arrive at a suitable solution to a problem. Maybe I should just do the best that I can and beyond that leave it in the hands of God. To have faith in the self, faith in God and faith in God's plan is a sure way to remain clear and free of burdens.

-Author Unknown-

Determined
Single minded but flexible, like a river forging its eternal route, I am dedicated to completions and natural conclusions. There is nothing that cannot be achieved. There is nothing that remains permanent. I keep on moving with love and purpose towards my destination. My resolve is firm, my aims are clear.


-Author Unknown-

First Thought

Each morning before I begin the journey of my day let me sit still, in silence, and sow the seed of peace. Peace is harmony and balance. Peace is freedom - freedom from the burden of negativity and wastefulness. Let peace find its home within me. Peace is my original strength, my eternal tranquility of being. Let my first thought of the day simply be peaceful.

-Author Unknown-

Theatre Of Life
Ignorance makes us believe that life functions haphazardly. Wisdom teaches you that everything that happens in this theatre of life has profound significance. What we see today is not the fruit of chance but a fruit from seeds planted in the past. Plant seeds of peace now and you will create a life of peace in the future.


-Author Unknown-

The Beginner's Luck!

It is about a month ago out of pure curiosity, I read a book with its central theme being of instant transformation. Book with attractive title sells, especially with this atomic age of our fast food society when the desire of instant gratification firmly embedded in our psyche. People who has engaged themselves on this path must have been shopping and looking around of all sorts of programs, but would soon find out that the path of transformation is neither instant nor effortless.

To be fair to all the new age programs cropping up market, I want to point out that there is a part of our mind that is quite mysterious and work in synchronicity with whatever new program that we are engaging in, at least for a short period of time. I found out that whenever I review the customer testimony of a program, there is a common denominator in those messages basically saying that users often got positive result shortly after using the program. The testimony usually sent in the first three months of trying out. The phenomenon is called the beginner's luck. I will not be surprised if majority of people using whatever self-help program will undoubtedly abandon the program and start looking for another guru in short order.

The book that I read stressed that you need only get in touch with your feeling and the feeling itself is enough to unleash the blocks and the complexes that ailing us mentally or physically. What the book fails to mention is the fact that in order to achieve such intimate level of sensitivity and exude clear observer's detachment for the transformation to take place, it would take a life-long sustained effort. The beginner's luck is only the thunder that awakens the mind, it takes persistent and ongoing shower to make flora and fauna flourish.

Seven Year's Inner Climb

I have been walking the path of self-development for many years, but most intensive and consciously aware period was of the last seven years when I first discovered Dr. Jonathan Parker's Enlightenment Series in early year of 2001. At the time, I threw my heart and soul into the frenzied endeavor of trying to get rid of varied unwanted habits, to resolve the cluttered past bruises and wounds with the hope of transforming myself into a new and a better version.

For the first three years, my life was like a beautiful river flow; smooth, restful and unhurried. I had encountered many astral travel experiences that expanded my vision of reality into a world of mystics. I was constantly elated by my night travels, and through these inner experiences, I am convinced that we are not merely our body and senses. There is more to life than meets the eye.

The last four years have been difficult for me. No matter how wonderful my inner life is, eventually I will have to come face to face with the reality of living. In a way, I am grateful of how the way the difficulty emerged, it emerged when I was most ready to face it. I was equipped with three years worth of understanding of how the body, mind and soul work together to support our existence and the treacherous journey of our soul's evolution. This simple understanding was a gift to me. It shielded me from being thrown into vortex of highly charged emotional tornado that I had no control whatsoever. The past had lived and gone, but it haunted me day and night. I have now fully realized how timely my metaphysical training was, it was god send.

Life's challenge is undoubtedly ongoing. Whenever I believe I have climbed over the peak, there is always another one looming large above the horizon..

When Huai Flowers Bloom - A Book

On May of 1966, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched by the Chairman of Communist Party of Mao Zedong in China. The entire People's Republic of China was plunged into waves after waves of maelstrom of struggle and chaos. It was in this era of extreme cultural shock that the author, Shu Jiang of the book, "When Huai Flowers Bloom" told the mesmerizing stories of her experience of growing up in that momentous trying time.

Shu Jiang Lu is a wonderful storyteller. From her stories, the cultural revolution wasn't just some abstract historical moment, it was rather significant torturing event uprooted, overturned, and destroyed many families and lives. In the heat of the inferno, anything representative of old culture, old tradition and class of intellect was the target of inquisition. Many suffered from emotional and psychological breakdown due to the forced public display of repeated self-criticism and humiliation.

The book read like a beautiful poem, so meticulously exquisite; and I was despondently moved by the bewildering and grief-stricken fate oppressed upon the characters in the book.

The Spiral Staircase - A Book

I first read a book written by Karen Armstrong a year ago, I had good impression of her great literary talent and her scholarly in-depth research on the subject. It actually prompted me to write an article of honoring all faiths. Little did I know at the time that a year later, I would, through my love to read, establish a kind of affinity with her from her akin to autobiographical work revealing her struggle out of cocoon of spiritual darkness.

Hers was a life of uncommon path. She had experienced seven years of excruciating mental and spiritual pain and suffering as a Catholic nun, and another ten more years difficult time of searching for her own identity after leaving the convent and trying to find her place in a secular life. With decades of long and hard soul searching and bitter-sweet score settling with her past, she was finally able to appreciate that all the suffering she had undergone was spiritually necessary for her to break out of the narrow confine of the convent and reach out to all the world religions with equal revere and understanding.

The book that I read a year ago was "Mohammad - A Prophet for Our Time". After the momentous event of 9/11, the western world was still naive of Islamic world. We are fearful of the power of Islam, believing that Islam was fundamentally a violent and hateful religion. The Muslims were just a bloodletting mob always stand in the ready to instigate conflict and terror. This distorted view was further stereotyped by the five decades long of Middle East conflict. The book about Prophet Mohammad was needed to restore the true spirit of Islam, and Karen did a great job bringing the truth of Islam to the western world.

Now that I have finished reading the book, Spiral Staircase - My Climb out of Darkness, I have gained further understanding of her motive and contribution of writing several books in regards to the fundamental principle of world religions. Other than ritualistic difference, most of the world religions have shared common value and morality in its core. The book, Spiral Staircase was a journey of eventful life. Not many of us can live through life of trial and tribulation unscathed, but reading her book make me realize that at time, we can be remarkably resilient against all odds.

Blasphemy - A Novel

I don't remember how that I got hold of this novel. At the time, I was searching other books in Amazon.com. The Internet certainly has ways of sidetracking what I intend to do. I think it is one of the greatest distractions of all our invention. But on the other hand, sometimes I can be pleasantly surprised that after rummaging through the garbage, a gem can be unexpectedly found in a unsightly pile.

I took a good look of the name, and naturally I was curious of a book with such a profane title. With my entire being dedicated in searching the truth of our existence, you will think I toss the book in a mindless second. But my training in metaphysical study, especially from Jonathan Parker's Enlightenment Series, has taught me a kind of inquisitive marvel of well-rounded approach on all things metaphysical.

So, I checked it out in my local library, and was sufficiently amused for the next few days. Is science/technology really at odds with religion? Can they compliment each other with science peeling away and poking open the veil and the mystery of religion? The story in the blasphemy was mostly religion-bashing and understandably so. We have enough of the occultist's incitement causing colossal conflagration incinerated many thousands of lives throughout human history. Now the scientists, with high tech gadget and voluminous funding, is attempting to take over the role of religion with this four billion dollar project. I thought the story is a bit embellished but yet not overly impossible given the age in which we found ourselves with instant communication round the world through Internet making mobilizing mob demonstration an imminent possibility.

The novel is quite entertaining if not anything else. It is interesting that the last chapter is dedicated to accommodating the entire communication between Isabella and the scientists on site. I guess at the end of the day the author, Douglas Preston, does not want the reader to forget his new vision of god.

Change

Have you ever made a solemn new year resolution determining to eradicate some unwanted habit or to establish a more healthier one? For the first two weeks , you are buzzing with excitement and almost all the world could read your mind of what you are about to do. Yes, it shows, loudly and clearly in the twinkling of your eyes. The enigmatic beginner's luck kicks in and you are invincible. Everything you do seem to resonate with your newly forming habit.

As the humdrum daily routine set in, strangely, in a mysterious and subtle way, you find yourself gradually become unable to keep up with the demand of forming the new habit. You start to slack off, to make excuses for yourself. At the same time, the newness wears off, the excitement loses its steam and before you realize what is happening, you are squarely back to your good old self.

I often contemplate of why it is so hard for us to change. Psychotherapist's research informed us that the majority of our mental programming is hard-wired in our psyche through many years repetitive reinforcement and they reside not in our conscious but in a deeper recess of the mind where sheer determination has not shown much effectiveness to alter its course.

Over the years, the self-development community has devised some effective techniques dealing with this invisible beast of ours. There are worthy techniques like hypnosis, affirmation through alpha state, subliminal programming or other new age methods. All of them might have some measure of success. I personally enjoy using affirmation through alpha state as a way of hopefully creating a lasting change without hypnotherapy's help or the need to acquire some expensive gadget. Whichever method we choose, there is a common thread of persistent and sustained effort that is required on all fronts to ensure the success of our endeavor.

The year 2008 has gotten underway, I have once again set sight just high enough for me to mull over lest I should fall into a state of ignorant contentment.

Halfway Up the Mountain....

"Halfway up the mountain" is a book published in 1999 by Mariana Caplan. This book pointed out the numerous pitfalls and erroneous conception of what the spiritual enlightenment was all about. Many half-baked seekers driven by grandiose and pompous disillusion of showing off the psychic powers mistakenly believed that exhibition of psychic senses is equivalent to reaching enlightenment. Well, not so fast, my friend!

We have come of age with informational explosion through Internet, the once arcane wisdom and esoteric knowledge secretly guarded by the most hidden and impenetrable group of society can now be readily available through online stores with affordable installment payments. There are pseudo masters every where you turn with any topic of your choosing, including the invisible and unmeasurable spirituality.

Science offers concrete evidence and measurable result. Medicine cures and heals. But what exactly spirituality does? I can not pretend that I have the answer. I am very much committed on the path of self development. After seven years of on and off meditation, read dozens of books related to metaphysical teaching and most importantly enlightened by the knowledge and wisdom of mystical nature from Jonathan Parker's Enlightenment Series, I still feel I have some stubbornly unresolved neurosis. There is no quick fix, no fast food way to reach any level of self mastery.

One of the biggest traps of modern spirituality is the issue of ego. Ego is the final frontier that the inspiring aspirant is supposedly trying to confront and conquer. But with our society full of abundant materialism and with fame and fortune waving incessantly in the headline news, there aren't many who can resist the temptation to make a name of himself or herself in the realm of spiritual masters. In the process, Ego got bigger and stronger, the fall from grace is eventually inevitable. For the average seeker, we need not worry about falling from grace yet, but we do need to heed the danger of falling into the habit of perpetual spiritual shopping.

Overcoming Life's Disappointments- A Book

Most of us probably had seen the old movie " The Ten Commendments", made in 1950s, quite a long drawn movie, the runtime of almost 4 hours. I remember at time I fell asleep in the middle of it. But, I managed to wake up in a nick of time when the pivotal point of the movie just about to flex its theatrical prowess.

In order to demonstrate the awesome power of God in a way of intimidation to the Pharaoh of Egypt, Moses magically transformed the staff he carried into a viciously looking serpent. While desperately in need of crossing the Red Sea with Egyptian army hot in pursuit, Moses divided the sea for Israeli people to pass in safety. When the Pharaoh's army tried to follow them to pass the Red Sea, Moses again testify his almighty power by causing the roaring sea waves crumpling down, swallowed and drowned all of the enemy troop. In an era without computer generated special effect, I thought the visual and sound effect is no less powerful than the film made today.

We see the legendary hero like Moses not as a mortal human being like us, but a lot more like super human with a supernatural ability that can be bordered God-like, faultless, impeccable and virtuous. Well, you are about to change your perspective after reading this book of "Overcoming Life's Disappointment" about Moses or about any of our revered so-called saints. I can safely say that no one is really perfect in the land of living.

However, the point of the book is to use Moses's life as an example, showing us that in the course of our life, we are bound to encounter some minor inconveniences or other major tragedies that could throw us into the abyss of despair and disappointment. Life is not meant to be rose garden everyday, even rose garden does not bloom in all seasons. Moses had plenty of his share of exhibiting the dark side of human emotional roller coaster rides. If Moses, a hero favored by God, endowed a supernatural gift by God could fall into anger, despair and jealousy, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves when life does not turn out the way we wanted and as a result we display some unwanted negative emotions.

It is not so much the destiny that we arrive that defines us, it is the struggle and the way we handle the struggle that really makes a mark of our existence. In a way, we are heroes in our spheres of influence that make up of our own unique world. Rabbie Harold S. Kushner has made a great contribution by showing us how we can overcome all of the life's disappointments and emerge in the end as a person wiser, and fulfilled knowing that we have risen above the circumstances however difficult it may be.

Six Principles of Enlightened Living - Buddha Mind, Buddha Body

This is a small part of the text in the book of "Buddha Mind, Buddha Body". I borrow most of my books from County Library, therefore I do not possess the book to refresh my mind of what I have learned six months later. The way to help me practice this profound teachings of "Buddha Mind, Buddha Body" is to painstakingly copying down in my journal so that I can remind myself from time to time. I found the message down-to-earth common sense. But in the midst of my busy daily living, how easily I forget them.

" You Must Know Yourself, Know Your Weakness" - E. J Gold
--------------------------------------------------------------------

• Giving

The first practice is the practice of giving. It is wonderful to give. When you are angry with someone, you have the tendency to punish him or her. You want to deprive him or her of this and of that; that is our natural tendency. But if you can bring yourself to give him or her something, your anger will vanish and you will go to the other shore right away, the shore of non-anger. Try it. Suppose from time to time, you get angry of your partner and you know that it will happen again in the future. So,you go and buy or you make a gift and you hide it somewhere. Next time you get angry at him or her, don't do or say anything, just take the gift and give it to him. You will no longer be angry with him. That is the recommendation of the Buddha.

The Buddha taught us many ways to deal with our anger, and this is one of the ways. When you are very angry of someone, give him something, give her something; practice generosity. You don't need to be rich in order to practice giving. You don't have to go to supermarket in order to make a gift. The way you look at him is already a gift. There is compassion in your eye. The way you speak is a gift, because what you say is so sweet, is so liberating. A letter you write her can also be a gift. We are very wealthy in terms of thinking, in terms of speech, in terms of action; We can always be generous. Don't be thrifty. You can give at anytime, and that will inspire the happiness of people around you. Always give, and you become richer and richer every moment. That is the first practice of giving.

• The Mindfulness Training

The second practice is the practice of mindfulness training. The practice of mindfulness training is also a gift- a gift to you and a gift to people you love. If you abide by the practice of mindfulness trainings, you protect yourself, you make yourself beautiful, you make yourself wholesome, you make yourself safe, and that will support the happiness of the other people. By practicing the mindfulness trainings, you are protected by the energy of buddha, the dharma, you will not create suffering for yourself and for people around you. The mindfulness training deal with integrity, honesty and compassion. They encompass protecting life, preventing war and destruction of life, practicing generosity, preventing sexual misconduct, practicing mindful, loving speech and deep listening, and practicing mindful consumption.

• Inclusiveness

The third principle is the practice of inclusiveness, the practice of helping your heart to grow larger and larger all the time. How can we help our hearts to grow eneryday , to be able to embrace everything? When your heart is big, you have a lot of understanding and compassion, and then there is no problem, you don"t suffer, and you embrace him or her because your heart is big. We suffer because our heart is small. And we demand that the other person should change in order to be accepted by us. But when our heart is large, we don"t put forth any conditions, we accept them as they are, and they have a chance to transform. The secret is how to grow our hearts.

Helping our heart to grow big is the capacity of embracing everyone, everything, you don"t exclude anyone. Whatever a person's color, religion, or political beliefs, you accept them all with no discrimination whatsoever. Inclusiveness here means nondiscrimination.

• Diligence

When we study consciousness in buddhism, we understand the meaning of diligence in terms of Store consciousness (Subconsciousness), in terms of seeds. In our subconsciousness there are seeds of suffering and seeds of happiness, wholesome and unwholesome seeds. The practice of diligence consists of watering the wholesome seeds.

First of all, arrange your life in a way that the bad seeds will have no chance to manifest. This takes a little bit of organization. We have to organize our life, our environment in such a way that the seed of violence, the seed of anger, the seed of despair in us has no chance to be watered. There are those of us who live in the kind of environment where negative seeds are watered every day. And of by chance the negative seeds have been watered and manifest, what should you do? Arrange so that they can go back to their form of seeds as quickly as possible.

• Meditation

Meditation means to generate the energy of mindfulness and to maintain concentration. With mndfulness you can get in touch with the wonderful events of life for your nourishment and healing. Concentration helps you to look at everything deeply in order to discover the nature of impermanence, non-self and inter-being.

• Wisdom

We cultivate mindfulness, we cultivate concentration and understanding, and wisdom is the fruit of our cultivation. Wisdom is the fruit as well as the means to reach liberation. When w live deeply every moment with mindfulness, concentration and understanding, your insight grows. It is our understanding that brings compassion, that liberate us from afflictions like fear, like anger.

Missile Launch - A Meditative Experience

I was deep in meditation, sitting in a Burmese position for over an hour. I had no usual sweet swirling feeling on my head. My attention was focused on the third eye and crown chakra with very little thought popping in and out of my mental screen. To meditate without any intruding thought is still very difficult for me, but I manage to fend off most of them, keep them at bay without interfering my sense of tranquility.

All of a sudden, my entire being was vibrating and I felt I was catapulted upward as if a rocket was launched into space. I sensed the motion of spiraling towards the sky, when I looked down, the earth was dizzily whirling smaller and smaller beneath. Gradually I reached a higher altitude, and started falling down from above the cloud. As I slowly sky diving, I watched the barren sandy field, the stream and the waterfall got larger and closer to the ground. As my feet touched the solid earth, all the scene of desert, sand dung, the tiny stream vanished in an instant. I was back to my senses and found myself still in a sitting meditative posture and my mind immediately conjured up the phrase "Missile launch". The entire scenario lasted only seconds.

Buddha - A Novel from Deepak Chopra

When I got hold of this book a week ago, I wasn't convinced of anyone who lives in the 21st century largely insulated by modern technology and everyday convenience would have the necessary insight and penetrating understanding of how Buddha stumbled and struggled to achieve enlightenment in an era of hard and difficult living.

The name of Buddha is now a term universally recognized in four corners of the world. I can imagine the challenge of accurately portraitng a being vastly beyond our comprehension and is consider a supreme God in some culture. Well, I wasn't disappointed of Chopra's accomplishment. The story is very well plotted, but much more amazing feat is the Buddha's teaching weaving seamlessly in the tale of adventure seeking to end suffering for all humanity.

The book is read like a beautiful poem, blending philosophy, psychology and metaphysics in a panorama of mankind's evolution condensed and culminated in Buddha's life. Some sections of the story is like Zen meditation, it's paradoxical and yet it rings true to our inner self. I have to read several times to grasp it's profound meaning. The book is delightful to read as it is inspirational to the musing of the mind.

Spiritual Warrior !?

Whenever I look into the subject of spiritual advancement, I encountered several times a curious term called 'Spiritual Warrior", describing a fearless composure of an adept battling one's ego to reach higher order of mental plane. The term is oxymoron and it is kind of like saying a person is "cruel kindness", or "benevolent dictator", quite self contradictory in my humble opinion.

The history of mankind is riddled with conflict, dispute and warfare, it is hardly an appropriate way to label a person "warrior" when one's lofty goal in life is simply to achieve a sense of oneness, peace and tranquility in harmony with one's environment and to broaden the capacity of empathy in one's daily encounters.

After all, the major advancement in spirituality is not about doing battle with others externally or dragon slaying of our personal sin complex internally. It is more like letting go of our self- important ego; the ego that prevent us from seeing others as ourselves. A person who walks on the path of self discovery is merely trying to polish a mirror filled with a thick layer of greasy dust accumulated over thousands of years. Underlying that filthy dust, lies a shining, glittering mirror of perfection, some call it our "Buddha Nature".

The way I see it, the words of "Spiritual Warrior" probably come from our warring nature in the affair of the world. We seem to be constantly doing battle either with ourselves or with others. In this context, the realm of spiritual is considered one of the invisible domains that can be conquered at will by the earnest devotee. But still, "spiritual warrior" is unequivocally paradoxical to my understanding of the way of the spirit.

A New Day - Song That I Haven't Sung for Years!

MORNING HAS BROKEN

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

How Starbucks Saved My Life - A Book

For all the self help books in the market, none can compare to this funny real life experience of a corporate high roller descended down to a lowly worker serving coffee in a busy New York neighborhood store of Starbucks Coffee.

Michael Gill did not live an ordinary life in his youth like most of us did. After graduated from one of the Ivy League, he joined a prestigious advertising company as an executive. Life was good. But through series of mysterious life events, he was brought down from an executive to having to look for a job to survive. It was in Starbucks, he truly realized the emptiness and shallowness of chasing rainbow in the corporate world. It was in Starbucks, he found genuine friendship, simple joy and profound happiness.

it is a fun book to read, delightful and full of humor.

Born on a Blue Day! - A Book

About a week ago, I accidentally stumbled on this book in my local library. To be honest, I had no idea what Autism was. I had to look up the dictionary to find its meaning. After reading several pages, I started to associate Daniel Tammet's Autistic symptom with that of the character in the movie "Rain Man" which was one of my all time favorites.

Read about Daniel's upbringing as an Autistic Savant was most fascinating. He described how numbers have soothing effect on him; he felt calm and happy around numbers and every number has distinctive color, shape, textures and personality. Somehow magically, he can do complex calculation in seconds without any mental exertion. Whenever he felt anxious, he will count numbers to himself. With numbers floating around his mental screen, he is sound and safe again.

People has Autism Spectrum Disorder live most comfortably with rigid set of routine, order and familiarity. Any sudden change in routine could cause severe anxiety. Normally, social interaction and communication proves to be impossible for people with ASD, as a result, most of them are institutionalized for life. But Daniel is different in a sense that he is able to interact and communicate with others. Not only that he has a brilliant mind in mathematical calculation and a phenomenal photographic memory, but also in the age of only 20something he now leads a normal functioning life without the need for institutional support.

This book, " Born On a Blue Day" takes us to the fascinating world of Daniel Tammet that is quite foreign to our own and yet very awe-inspiring. The mind of Autistic Savant is so out of this world that scientist still can not explain how an Autistic Savant is able to calculate large series of numbers in lightening speed.

How Am I?

Year 2007 is rapidly coming to a close. I found myself asking, "what have I achieved in my inner world of experience?" I consider myself an explorer of human consciousness and yet the vast sea of consciousness is still elusive to me. The water is uncharted and off-limit as if there is an invisible veil stubbornly and steadfastly unyielding to my insistent probe.

Over the last six years, I have enjoyed many good books and filled my brain with all sorts of intellectual understanding of the most profound phenomenon found only in the mind of a mystic. In the depth of the night, I occasionally experience a brief but mind exhilarating out of body experience where I travel to unknown locale sampling what I can only describe as first hand experience of our timeless, ageless energy body. There is no book, however meticulously and vividly narrated, can give me a taste of what is like to be experiencing an invisible, non-physical part of me. It is the knowing that is beyond belief.

It is comforting at least to have a glimpse of my invisible self. Last several months I found myself losing that ability fast. On one hand, I am afraid that my sense of connection with the invisible plane could fail and I will be back to square one as a kindergartener learning baby steps in my advancing age. But on the other hand, I just come to realize that whatever experience and non-experience that come my way, it must be a part of the necessary learning on my inner development. No growth is going straight up to the roof. Growth is more like a gentle wave moving in a formation of a spiral. Some said that inner journey of awakening and transformation is like climbing a wilding mountain; one can easily get lost without proper direction and guidance.

" Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars." - Les Brown

Energy Surge in Meditation

All life form have energy body that is best demonstrated by Kirlian photography. The dictionary definition of Kirlian Photography is a photographic process that supposedly records electrical discharges naturally emanating from living objects, producing an aura like glow surrounding the object on a photographic plate or film with which the object is in direct contact.

There are times when I am in a deep meditation, my body is asleep and relaxed, but my mind is sharp and focused. I can detect the slightest sound and stir in my room. After maintaining this focused mental state in a duration of an hour or so, I would experience a surge of energy pulsing through my body accompany it with a warm sensation. It happens when I am able to hold my body-mind in a still state for at least an hour.

There is not much information about energy surge during meditation. I am speculating that meditation is a very personalized practice, and not everyone experience the same kind of phenomenon due to the uniqueness of our individual life experience. Could it be that the energy body of ours is most likely to surface even in a minuscule second when mind-body is in an intensely aware and profoundly relaxed state? It is a glimpse of our true being, the essence of who we really are.

Lost My Way in Corporate World - A Dream

I am leisurely walking down the mass hall of the company that I am working for. One end of this mega company is in one city and the other end happens to be in another city, the length of the corporation stretches over several miles long.

It's been known that each department has its own unique architectural design. marketing department particularly, is hailed as one of the marvels of technological prowess and I have not gotten the chance of witnessing it until now. I walk a long way down and finally reach the marketing department. I swear I have not seen the inside of Plaza Hotel in New York, but the spectacular lighting, high ceiling with exquisite design and sparkling floor give me the impression of what Plaza Hotel must look like.

My accounting department is usually a quite place. We are a bunch of unassuming, down-to-earth people spending hours immersing ourselves in seemingly endless number crunching loop. But not here in marketing department. This is the place buzzing with people coming and going with posters and notebooks in their hands, walking with great sense of posture and purpose. The scene seems to have a dizzily hypnotic effect on me.

Suddenly, I remember that I have a 10:30 meeting to attend and it's time to get going. I search my mind for what is the fastest way to get back, instantly my logic ( however faulty it is ) tells me to get on a train ride. But I don't know which train I should be taking, so I ask one of the conductors for the correct train number, I do not receive any verbal confirmation but I get on the first train that roll on the station anyway. When the train is moving out of the station, I suddenly realize that it is heading the wrong direction toward Hollywood. I start to panic and feel anxious that I would not be able to get back in time for the meeting.

As the train snail its way, I see rundown inner city littering with trash and graffiti, with youths carrying an air of idly, indifferent attitude chatting away on the sidewalk looking rather bored! It is definitely not scenic for my taste. Gradually the scene fades, I regain my senses and wake up with a great relief that I am soundly in bed and there is no meeting. The time is 4:35 am.

A delightful Surprise - Fluff's New Behavior

One of the headaches of taking care of bird is that I can't train it going to specific place to poo like most of dog or cat do. I gather that may be it's because of its puny sized brain that it couldn't comprehend such a civilized habit like our designated bathroom as a place to relieve ourselves. Under normal circumstance, after a passage of a full week, Fluff's cage would be full of shit (not a curse) that cleaning her cage is the last thing I want to spend my weekend on. But obligation is obligation, there is no way out except the times that James volunteered for the chore, which is not a common occurrence.

I always tried to avoid having Fluff standing on my shoulder too long because I know that the bomb shell can drop on my somewhat clean shirt in any moment without notice. It was quite embarrassing walking around with bird poo on my back. I have personally experienced several awkward moments like that so I am now making darn sure that there was none of those ugly stuff on my clothes before I walk out of the door to my office.

Fluff is now busy hatching almost 24 hours a day saved the time we take her out for a little break and for her humongous-sized pooing opportunity. For the last three weeks, I was excused of cleaning her cage. Why? Because Fluff is suddenly very conscientious of her hygiene in the cage. I can not see even a single drop of poo in the cage in the last three weeks. I can't say the cage is sparkling clean, but it is unstained and unpolluted. It is nothing like what we have known of her the last twelve years. It is amazing that laying four eggs have totally changed her pooing behavior.

Nature has inbuilt certain safety net into Fluff's instinct, when event triggered that sensor, like laying eggs for reproductive purpose, she instinctively knows what is good and what is bad for her upcoming offspring even though the eggs will not be hatched because they are infertile. But Fluff doesn't know it yet. She is willing to sacrifice her carefree bomb dropping habit to ensure that the eggs are not contaminated by her own excrement.

Just for the fun of it - My Name

Name Analysis: Ming Fong Chen

Your name at birth was a set up! It set the stage for who you would become and the people and events you would be likely to attract. It helped to shape your perspective of life, your energy level and your attitudes. It helped to determine your level of self-esteem and your future potential for success or for struggle. Everything is energy in motion. Everything, including you - is like a powerful, broadcasting satellite - emanating distinct, vibrational frequencies that magnetically attract your experiences. What frequency is your name set to?

Expression: 7

The Expression number shows us who we truly are, what we came into this life already knowing. This is where we feel most comfortable and how we automatically act. We attract people and situations to us that require our Expression so that they can further evolve. In this way we play the role of teacher. Naturally we are attracted to occupations that we resonate to, so the Expression number can be a strong factor in our choice of a career as well. Our Expression is the vehicle, with all its virtues and vices, that drives us along the path of our Destiny. It is the essence of our identity.

Yours is the path of the mind. Silence and solitude are your doorways into the deep recesses of the mind and the universe. You are the philosopher, the analyst, the seeker and if you'd be willing, the teacher. The time and energy that you spend discovering the microscopic core of things has gifted you with the ability to tap into psychic energy. It is with this energy that you can separate the true from the false.

Soul Urge: 2

The Soul Urge number has also been called Heart's Desire and Spiritual Urge. It is our secret, innermost longing. Our dream, our motivation, the fuel that energizes our journey. The Soul Urge number reveals what we secretly strive to be or accomplish. Some have said that this number tells us what we have been in previous lifetimes, the accumulated growth of our soul.

Peace and harmony is your desire. You are a natural mediator as you are genuine, tactful and adaptable. You tend to put your own will aside for others and it is difficult for you to make decisions. This may cause others to see you as shy, or lacking confidence. Your sensitivity and gentleness can be a great healing force bringing harmony and support to others.

Persona: 5

The Persona number describes the way we appear to the outside world, the first impression people have of us. We may not even be aware of how we are perceived by others because we are so often focused on our inner world, and many times the inner does not match the outer. Persona gives us a peek at some hidden talents we have. The talents that we use to get along in the world and in some instances, protect us from it. It is likened to a bag of tools (jewels) that we carry with us along the way.

You've got charisma, and a following to prove it. You live by your belief that change is progress, and so there tends to be a quick turn over in your relationships, jobs and even educational interests. You are the proverbial, " jack of all trades-master of none.", and this gives you a multi-dimensionality that befriends you to people of every walk of life. You are colorful in your dress and possess a magnetic sensuality.

Kite Runner - A novel

It was a chance encounter that I had the opportunity to read this book. Ever since Starbucks Coffee raised its coffee price, forever conscientious of how I spend my money on luxurious indulgence, I have not set foot to the store for over several months. But on one of the recent Sundays, weather was hot and humid, I suddenly remembered how refreshing and invigorating a cup of ice Coffee would do to jump start my precious, fleeting weekend.

Not only was I satisfied with that particular cup of coffee that cooled and flavored my Sunday morning, I also came away with an introduction of a book called Kite Runner. A story that was so engrossed that I even dreamed of some characters as if I was a part of it. That had never happened before. I have read countless books over the years, but not many books were so gripping that it will occupy my mind almost day and night even after I have finished reading it.

The background of the story is in the war torn era of Afghanistan. The novel brilliantly embodied and illustrated the whole array of human emotion of friendship, acceptance, humility, loyalty, betrayal and redemption in its most vivid and engaging plot that will hold your attention and interest all the way to the end.

Life is a boomerang after all!

Barometer of Spiritual Progress

In the world of money worship, power seeking and success materialization, we mortals tend to measure our worthiness against these yardsticks. I bet most of us will look down some of the following situations as undesirable, unbearable and could consider them outright failure. Are they really?

The following list is unbelievably short and there are as many ways to count our misery and misfortune as of billions of population living in the planet earth.

Let's see what the wise man from India had to say about our soul's progression through adversity.

"Here is an infallible barometer to find out the degree of your spiritual progress. How would you feel, if:

1. Your clean hands or best clothes are stained.
2. You stumbled down or commit a blunder and are laughed at.
3. You are hurt accidentally or stung by an insect or scorpion.
4. You suffer from illness or pain.
5. You do not succeed in your efforts.
6. You do not get a thing that you want, or find that some thing you possess is missing.
7. You are kept waiting for a long time by some other person.
8. You are insulted or abused for no reason.
9. Others fail in their duties towards you.
10. You suffer a loss or bereavement.

If none of these can disturb your peace of mind and you are indifferent to them, you have won the struggle and achieved 50% self control.

God sends trials and troubles to strengthen your character: Greet them and test yourself." Swami Sivananda

The Forgotten 500 - A book

The World War II was an incredibly magnificent event in human history. Up to this day, the war had ended over six decades ago, there are still many untold heart warming stories guaranteed to lift up your spirit and make your day. This is the story that you will not want to miss. "The Forgotten 500" is such a mesmerizing book that it will take your breath away. You will not want to put it down till the end.

The background was in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia during the war. American airmen were trapped behind enemy lines. An innocent, casual conversation between husband and wife set the stage of major clandestine rescue mission. Author, Gregory Freeman, did an extensive study and meticulous research interviewing the downed and survived airmen, some of them are now in their eighties and nineties. The story unfolded in stunning suspense with heroes being slayed and lies, glorified. While reading it, I couldn't help but shaking my head with disbelief of how convenient that the truth be swept under the rug of propaganda to serve the Superpower's agenda. It is a story that could stay with you for years; a tribute to the greatest rescue mission of World War II.


"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible"

A Revelation - Fluff's Identity

On one of the beautiful days of Autumn back in 1996, our family welcomed a new member to our home, a lovely yellow-orange colorful hand-fed Cockatiel. it was a gift given by my sister and James cousin. The Cockatiel was boarded on an airplane with my parents flying over 3,000 miles across the US continent in a cardboard box. We in Walnut, California were excited but weren't prepared of what to do.

At the time of his arrival, Fluff was only four months old. We adored him very much but weren't sure how to handle him, and he was visibly nervous and agitated being in an unfamiliar environment. As time went on, we adapted to each other. He loves eating from our palms, hanging out on our shoulders, snuggling and rubbing his head against our hair. He is especially fond of us giving him message on his yellow head and orange cheeks.

Every weekend like clockwork, he will be whistling out loud early in the morning and make sure we take him out of his cage. Time passes and in a blink of an eye, Fluff is now twelve years old. He is always in good health and we make sure he has a lot of exercise by having him flying around the house several rounds a day. Occasionally, James will take him out of the cage and do a wrestling match. We ( James and I) always enjoy several rounds of frivolous provoking of Fluff, the idea is to stimulate his senses lest it should become senile since he is fast approaching the advancing age. On average, the Cockatiel's lifespan is about fifteen years.

Two weeks ago, he started a very strange behavior. He chewed up all the newspaper covering the bottom of the cage and curl up itself in a protective posture. Every time we tried to get him out of the cage, he attacked us vehemently. We thought Fluff was crazy and we joked that Fluff might be depressed since he now entered into the midlife crisis. We simply brushed off his odd behavior offhandedly.

Last Sunday night, while James and I were again curiously observing his behavior, suddenly when he was ready to attack, James looked, Lo and Behold, there were two eggs in the cage. We were both shocked and incredulous of what's happening. Fluff, a "He" that we were so sure of for the last twelve years, laid two eggs. I told James, this is serious. How could a single male Cockatiel lay eggs? We immediately searched the Internet for answer, and it turns out that "he", is definitely a "she", and it was not uncommon for single female to lay eggs at all. The fact that Fluff has very bright, unfading orange cheeks and yellow feather for all these years fooled us all.