Sight to Insight

One word kept ringing out from Ajahn Brahm's talk at the Singapore Buddhist Fellowship is gratitude. Indeed being grateful for every small things is the best medicine for peace and happiness. His talk was so well attended that the dharma hall was full and it has to be broadcasted to the other floors. Perhaps it demonstrates the spiritual hunger for answer to live within a globalized country where competition is so keenly felt by people. The Christians have a hymn with the lyric, "count your blessing one by one" which amplifies this simple but oft forgotten lesson of being grateful for all that we have. Ajahn Brahm's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Brahm ) reminder is apt and timely - be grateful. His latest book, "Simply this Moment" is a collection of his talks where the basic principles of life are once again expounded. For those who are well read in Buddhism, they are easy to understand and that is the essense of any talk - to be understood. This book...

Boxing day or rather night was the reunion of five of us from Bentong Gospel Centre (BGC). I have not met them for over a decade. Imperial Palace, at Subang Jaya was the chosen location. The food quality was not great, but the conversations were. The bonding as friends is as remarkable as the religion that made us "brothers and sisters". It is an evening that I will remember for a very long time. Memories and names of people have to be dragged out from cells which haven't been working for a very long time. It is an exercise that could delay Alzheimer disease, I am sure. But it was all worth it, to link back names and events that have happened so very long ago. They bring back sweet memories. I started with BGC when I was 15 years old, and that was almost 4 decades ago! I remember Roger Dalhberg, the missionary from Wanganui, New Zealand, who started it up with his family. He is now in the Philippines, continuing with his missionary work. What a remarkable man, who brough...

I am a late comer to investing in the stock market. I am not a big risk taker when it comes to growing my cash. Especially now that I am near retirement age, to err on the site of caution is better than having sleepness nights on your potential losses in the unforgiving equity market. In the decade that I was involved in managing my own fund, my investment in the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) has been very positive. I have good return on investment. There is no necessity to reveal number. What is a good return to me? I use the bank interest rate (fixed deposit) as the risk free return. The banks in the best of times have only given me 3.2% interest per annum. This is under the condition you deposit about $50k - $100k of cash. There are not that many people who have that kind of spare cash. When I first started thinking about investing, I have to do the investigating! I have scan knowledge of it. I was a novice, and I was already in my forties! Yes, before that I had put money in the M...

Last night my family went to see Spiderman 3. We enjoyed the show firstly as a family outing and secondly as pure entertainment, with such good sound system. As a philosopher by nature, I tend to project the sight (what we see) into insight (what we can learn) from the movie. Here is a good hero, adored by many for bringing to justice of people who find it difficult to bring happiness to others. That good feeling soon turned into pride, and a desire to even want more attention was helped by the 'black rubbery creature' from outside the earth. The 'dark side' as I will call this creature, provided even more power and attractiveness. Few can resist this "positive change" in image, as he walked around with eyes constantly darting in his direction. Soon he found himself having difficulty to let go of this new found power, as he battles with his 'intrinsic goodness'. The word that came ringing loud and clear is 'choice!' That one has a choice to ...