Happiness

Happiness is right here when you make an effort to achieve it.

Happy, indeed, we live, friendly amidst the hateful. Amidst hostile men, we dwell free from hatred.

Happy, indeed, we live, in good (mental) health amidst the ailing.  Amidst ailing men, we dwell free from I'll.

Happy, indeed, we live, free from greed amidst the greedy.  Amidst greedy men, we dwell free from greed.

--- Dhammapada 197-199

thoughts

went swimming at downtown east and had really great experience. checked with the girl at the gate about when is the best time to visit the pool and she told be to avoid early morning before 9am as those old folks come in a group of about 10 to use the pool.  when i asked the lifeguard the same question (need to double check on things or might kannar Madoffed) and he told me the same thing.  all the time i did not get the feeling that they see me as one of the old folks!  that's reassuring .... unlike those kopi tiam people, kept calling me Uncle!!

told that to wife and she said since i am getting sensitive to being term OLD.  me sensitive? hardly right? i associate sensitive to Mimosa plant.  you touch the leaves and they close up.  Nah! i am not sensitive.  come to think of it, if anything like the mimosa, it will have to be the colour of the flower.  pinkish, bright.  see, i don't see RED when someone call me uncle.  i see mimosa pink only.  me sensitive? nah!

human beings are just funny creatures.  

you go swimming for relaxation and exercise.  then, you see someone swimming beside you.  if the person swims slower than you, you feel gooood.  if the person swims faster than you, you try to catch up and kick harder.  if you still can't catch up, you console yourself that you are long distance swimmer and the person beside you are just sprinting for a few laps and will soon 'pon chiag'.  then you realize that the person not only swims fast but also has great stamina.  you ended up with not so good a swim session.  Why are we so competitive?

i am just retired recently.  kind of retired.  call it provisional retirement.  you know, something like i have to wear this Triangle sign to tell me people that while i am retired, i am still learning to.  come to think of it, i did not get a cert or license, unlike passing driving test and you get a license, a provisional one.  you get proper license after one year of good behaviour.  all our life we get some sort of Proof that we have done something. you get yearly class photos even when in kindergarten.  you then get graduation photos and off course your parents go ga-ga on your K2 graduation day. then every year in primary school you get CAs SAs and report cards. PSLE.  O levels, A levels, now IB and what else...when you start working you get new name cards everytime you get promotions or when you change to a new job.  BUT, you don't get anything when you retire.  no certificate, no new name card.  I think i am going to design my own name card.  

HENG CHEE MENG

Retired -- provisional

The Good News -- Thich Ngat Hanh

They don't publish

the good news.

The good news is published

by us.

We have a special edition every moment,

and we need you to read it.

The good news is that you are alive,

and the linden tree is still there,

standing firm in the harsh Winter.

The good news is that you have wonderful eyes

to touch the blue sky.

The good news is that your child is there before you,

and your arms are available:

hugging is possible.

They only print what is wrong.

Look at each of our special editions.

We always offer the things that are not wrong.

We want you to benefit from them

and help protect them.

The dandelion is there by the sidewalk,

smiling its wondrous smile,

singing the song of eternity.

Listen! You have ears that can hear it.

Bow your head.

Listen to it.

Leave behind the world of sorrow

and preoccupation

and get free.

The latest good news 

is that you can do it.

Secret of Health

 

The Secret of Health is to be sick of sickness -- 71st verse of Tao Te Ching

LIVE

懂得看破的人不会计较
懂得欣赏的人不会嫉妒
懂得放下的人不会贪心
懂得开心的人不会生气
懂得快乐的人不在意失败
人生未必很累,
看你如何品味?
每天多寻快乐,
烦恼别去理会.
短短数十寒署,
何不潇洒面对!
大家经常联系,
别管电话消费.
闲时发个信息,
伴你开心开胃!

Words

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him. In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone..' The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.' The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.' The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.' The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything. 'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.'

Work

By Kahlil Gibran --

 

If you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.