An Eventful Sunday
Hi readers! Surprise surprise, I updated my blog the week following my previous post! Obviously, there's something in my mind that I can't contain and have to pour out somewhere.
Well, what would it be today? Actually, there is nothing much. I just feel that my day this Sunday is rather... extraordinary? Firstly, this Sunday the speaker (a Bhante) in the vihara I visit delivered his talk in Chinese...!! I was actually rather glad; in fact I've been welcoming any opportunity to improve my Chinese, impromptu or not. It got even better: there is an informal English translator (just one of the Dayakha there) so I can check if what I understood was correct. For me, it was an extremely unique and interesting opportunity to have.
From the talk, I also learned a few interesting things. For background story, let me elaborate to you what the talk was about. It was basically about the night the Buddha achieved enlightenment. The night was generally divided into three, (disclaimer: the 汉字 could (most likely) be wrong) 初夜， 中夜，and 后夜. 初夜 is the period between 6-10pm, 中夜 is between 10 pm-2 am, and 后夜 is from 2 am to 6 am. The talk was especially on 初夜，or as the translator translated it; the first watch. During that period, on the full-moon night of the 5th month of lunar calendar (feel like a storyteller already), the night the Buddha obtained enlightenment, during the 初夜 (first watch), the Buddha was said to be going through ALL of his past lives.
From looking through all these past lives, the Buddha realized some truths, and for one, that the Bhante alluded to us, was that to associate with the wise and not with fools. And that was when it hit me. How the Buddha obtained all the knowledge he shared with us. It was not rocket science. It does not require some supernatural power (though it did facilitate the Buddha to realize the truths). The Buddha basically observed his past lives, see relationships between those, and take some conclusions from it. Which is exactly what normal people do in their daily lives. We see what people in our community act and behave to take conclusions what are acceptable and what are not. Or just like what scientists do. Make observations, do experiments, try to see some relationships between the observations, and take conclusions from it. It is not some prophet, being "the chosen one", given a message by some deity to herald truth to the whole world. In fact, the Buddha initially hesitated to share his knowledge, doubting that people would be able to understand what he had discovered. Just like Galileo being "misunderstood" (read: persecuted) for knowing better (that Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way round). If not for Brahma Sahampati, the Brahma who went down to Earth to beg the Buddha to share what he discovered, the Buddha's discovery would have gone with His death (or as we Buddhists believe it, His parinibbana). If you think about it, it was actually really cool, touching, and amazing all at the same time; worth making a Hollywood movie for. Someone who knows everything but refused to share his knowledge as people may not be able to swallow the truth, but his best buddy convince him otherwise; that it is better to know the bitter truth than to live with blissful ignorance; that life is basically a cycle of suffering (dukkha), and the only way to end it is to stop being reborn. Include the stories of the lives when the Buddha is fulfilling each of his Parami, we have a blockbuster movie of the life of the Buddha already. But I have mused too much.
Regardless, the fact that what the Buddha did was not actually extremely extraordinary thing, it gave me renewed motivation to practice the Dhamma. It was not some truth that I have to believe unquestionably. It is just a bunch of observation report made by the Buddha after observing his past lives, retold and rewritten by His disciples. You may believe it like believing stories told by your friend, or alternatively you can be more critical and try to find the truth yourself, and see if that buddy of yours is telling the truth. Ehipassiko.
Anyway, enough of the Dhamma talk in this post. Or maybe a little bit more. There were a handful of Tzuchi's volunteer in the Vihara, requesting for donations for the Nepal Earthquake relief effort. Just (NOT) nice, I forgot to withdraw money, and I only have a few coins in my wallet (not even a dollar!) So shameless (or shameful)-ly, I approached the Tzuchi volunteers with their donation boxes on their hands, and reached out my hand to the box, when I notice they bowed down so low, they actually avoid looking at my hand when I was inserting those embarrassing coins into their donation box. I appreciate their gesture so much, really. Don't judge a donor by their money. Judge a donor by their intention. Don't look at how much they donate. Just know that they DO donate. My salute to you, Tzuchi!
Okay, so for real, enough of the spiritual things for now. After leaving the vihara, I went down to an arcade at Clementi to play a game I have not played since forever (read: 2 years+ ago): Maximum Tune! Just realized I totally skipped playing Maximum Tune 4 (the last time I played it was still Maximum Tune 3DX+, now it is already Maximum Tune 5). It was so much fun, so much memory of my teenage time relived! (not that it has been THAT long since my teen, but yeah). The funny thing is, I checked my "cars", and as it turned out, one of my car's story was still stuck at the last story of Maximum Tune 3DX+ game. I remembered playing that same track 3-5 times in Indonesia without success, perhaps it was because the machine was already spoilt anyway. I tried it again and beat it in one try. So after I beat the track, the credits scene starts playing and there I was, sitting there slouched on the machine, reliving my teenage years in my mind. I should not play it too often though. It is too expensive of a habit to be maintained. ($1.50 per game. That's only 7 games for $10.50!)
Another thing, finally a Computing friend of mine open his mouth regarding his life that he has been keeping from me for... months? Haha anyway, as I suspected, it was about a crush to a girl. Though I guessed the wrong girl. But what made his confession interesting is to whom he shared his feelings to before sharing it to me. I learned quite a lot about my faculty friends from his story; sharing his feelings to them and what advice they gave to him. But I am not gonna spitting out everything after the promise I have given him (which is, of course, to keep it a secret).
It is getting late (not really, I just start to get exhausted writing) so I shall end my post here. Thank you for reading and.. Good luck in your future endeavours! =D
Well, what would it be today? Actually, there is nothing much. I just feel that my day this Sunday is rather... extraordinary? Firstly, this Sunday the speaker (a Bhante) in the vihara I visit delivered his talk in Chinese...!! I was actually rather glad; in fact I've been welcoming any opportunity to improve my Chinese, impromptu or not. It got even better: there is an informal English translator (just one of the Dayakha there) so I can check if what I understood was correct. For me, it was an extremely unique and interesting opportunity to have.
From the talk, I also learned a few interesting things. For background story, let me elaborate to you what the talk was about. It was basically about the night the Buddha achieved enlightenment. The night was generally divided into three, (disclaimer: the 汉字 could (most likely) be wrong) 初夜， 中夜，and 后夜. 初夜 is the period between 6-10pm, 中夜 is between 10 pm-2 am, and 后夜 is from 2 am to 6 am. The talk was especially on 初夜，or as the translator translated it; the first watch. During that period, on the full-moon night of the 5th month of lunar calendar (feel like a storyteller already), the night the Buddha obtained enlightenment, during the 初夜 (first watch), the Buddha was said to be going through ALL of his past lives.
From looking through all these past lives, the Buddha realized some truths, and for one, that the Bhante alluded to us, was that to associate with the wise and not with fools. And that was when it hit me. How the Buddha obtained all the knowledge he shared with us. It was not rocket science. It does not require some supernatural power (though it did facilitate the Buddha to realize the truths). The Buddha basically observed his past lives, see relationships between those, and take some conclusions from it. Which is exactly what normal people do in their daily lives. We see what people in our community act and behave to take conclusions what are acceptable and what are not. Or just like what scientists do. Make observations, do experiments, try to see some relationships between the observations, and take conclusions from it. It is not some prophet, being "the chosen one", given a message by some deity to herald truth to the whole world. In fact, the Buddha initially hesitated to share his knowledge, doubting that people would be able to understand what he had discovered. Just like Galileo being "misunderstood" (read: persecuted) for knowing better (that Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way round). If not for Brahma Sahampati, the Brahma who went down to Earth to beg the Buddha to share what he discovered, the Buddha's discovery would have gone with His death (or as we Buddhists believe it, His parinibbana). If you think about it, it was actually really cool, touching, and amazing all at the same time; worth making a Hollywood movie for. Someone who knows everything but refused to share his knowledge as people may not be able to swallow the truth, but his best buddy convince him otherwise; that it is better to know the bitter truth than to live with blissful ignorance; that life is basically a cycle of suffering (dukkha), and the only way to end it is to stop being reborn. Include the stories of the lives when the Buddha is fulfilling each of his Parami, we have a blockbuster movie of the life of the Buddha already. But I have mused too much.
Regardless, the fact that what the Buddha did was not actually extremely extraordinary thing, it gave me renewed motivation to practice the Dhamma. It was not some truth that I have to believe unquestionably. It is just a bunch of observation report made by the Buddha after observing his past lives, retold and rewritten by His disciples. You may believe it like believing stories told by your friend, or alternatively you can be more critical and try to find the truth yourself, and see if that buddy of yours is telling the truth. Ehipassiko.
Anyway, enough of the Dhamma talk in this post. Or maybe a little bit more. There were a handful of Tzuchi's volunteer in the Vihara, requesting for donations for the Nepal Earthquake relief effort. Just (NOT) nice, I forgot to withdraw money, and I only have a few coins in my wallet (not even a dollar!) So shameless (or shameful)-ly, I approached the Tzuchi volunteers with their donation boxes on their hands, and reached out my hand to the box, when I notice they bowed down so low, they actually avoid looking at my hand when I was inserting those embarrassing coins into their donation box. I appreciate their gesture so much, really. Don't judge a donor by their money. Judge a donor by their intention. Don't look at how much they donate. Just know that they DO donate. My salute to you, Tzuchi!
Okay, so for real, enough of the spiritual things for now. After leaving the vihara, I went down to an arcade at Clementi to play a game I have not played since forever (read: 2 years+ ago): Maximum Tune! Just realized I totally skipped playing Maximum Tune 4 (the last time I played it was still Maximum Tune 3DX+, now it is already Maximum Tune 5). It was so much fun, so much memory of my teenage time relived! (not that it has been THAT long since my teen, but yeah). The funny thing is, I checked my "cars", and as it turned out, one of my car's story was still stuck at the last story of Maximum Tune 3DX+ game. I remembered playing that same track 3-5 times in Indonesia without success, perhaps it was because the machine was already spoilt anyway. I tried it again and beat it in one try. So after I beat the track, the credits scene starts playing and there I was, sitting there slouched on the machine, reliving my teenage years in my mind. I should not play it too often though. It is too expensive of a habit to be maintained. ($1.50 per game. That's only 7 games for $10.50!)
Another thing, finally a Computing friend of mine open his mouth regarding his life that he has been keeping from me for... months? Haha anyway, as I suspected, it was about a crush to a girl. Though I guessed the wrong girl. But what made his confession interesting is to whom he shared his feelings to before sharing it to me. I learned quite a lot about my faculty friends from his story; sharing his feelings to them and what advice they gave to him. But I am not gonna spitting out everything after the promise I have given him (which is, of course, to keep it a secret).
It is getting late (not really, I just start to get exhausted writing) so I shall end my post here. Thank you for reading and.. Good luck in your future endeavours! =D
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