tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356301532012-01-07T20:27:45.963-05:00Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22675795192031697472012-01-07T20:24:00.001-05:002012-01-07T20:27:45.967-05:00

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54624983413347958242011-03-25T20:28:00.000-05:002011-03-25T20:30:09.843-05:00

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-43544742322244667222011-02-22T19:48:00.000-05:002011-02-22T19:49:53.976-05:00

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-14942615789904027672010-11-04T18:47:00.002-05:002010-11-04T18:49:35.320-05:00

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-55507927080651935952010-08-21T23:03:00.004-05:002010-08-22T08:04:57.042-05:00

The Tampa Fo Guang Shan Dharma discussion group was formed several months ago with the tireless organizational effort of Sister Yu Tze and under the able leadership of Venerables Chueh Fan and Yung Kang, who later became the group's instructor, both from the Guang Ming Temple in Orlando. The group, comprising Buddhist followers and practitioners from the Tampa area, has decided to use the Fo

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54823204261450683632010-03-07T15:39:00.011-05:002010-03-07T18:15:35.798-05:00

We first read about the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace in the March 5 edition of the St. Pete Times. It reported that the Jade Buddha, a 10 ft high Buddha statue weighing 10 tons is coming to the Town N' Country area of Tampa. Reading on, we note that the Statue was sculptured by expert craftsmen in Thailand over a two-year period from a monolithic gem-quality jade found in Canada. The global

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-77744505818454295822010-03-06T20:01:00.007-05:002010-03-07T08:40:37.767-05:00

Since the start of this year, we have already visited the Fo Guang Shan Guang Ming Temple of Orlando twice. The first was on January 31, for the Lamp Offering Completion Dharma Service, the very first full Dharma service that I have ever attended. Until then, I had only accompanied Wify to these Dharma services but usually stayed in the library to catch up on my reading. However, since I have

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-16590818243887759742010-02-07T14:24:00.011-05:002010-02-07T18:45:23.662-05:00

As a life-long student that is, in the Buddhist school of inner peace, of serenity of thought, of compassion, of giving, of letting go, and of spiritual enlightenment, by undergoing the Taking of the Three Refuges ceremony.Hitherto I was auditing the Buddhist course so to speak, driving Wify to various venues of Dharma sessions, and mostly listening in along the way. Then on January 9, 2010, I

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22961778615712685992010-02-06T19:46:00.010-05:002010-02-06T21:39:17.305-05:00

Domestic Violence. Wife battery. Those were the initial thoughts occupying Venerable Chang-Hwa's mind one day when she was attending to a lady devotee who seemed visibly shaken at the Buddhist Temple she was stationed, not long after her ordainment as a Buddhist nun under the late Venerable Grand Master Sheng Yen. “What did Shi Fu teach us under this circumstance?”She continued to stall for time

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-2480110778031659472009-09-07T12:28:00.018-05:002009-09-07T16:02:19.812-05:00

The two pillars of Buddhist teachings are compassion and equality. And to attain a compassionate and non-discriminating mind, one must refrain from killing, help all living beings, and maintain a vegetarian diet. A compassionate mind is a Buddha mind that augments blessings and cultivates virtuous conditions. (The image to the right, the work of Wify, may seem familiar after a while).Releasing

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-11545552936988942772009-02-17T21:52:00.007-05:002009-02-19T07:07:58.450-05:00

Last Sunday, we sped along I-4 in the afternoon, hovering tantalizingly close around the speed limit. A minivan load of seven, me at the helm, was then making its way to Orlando to attend the memorial service for the late Master Sheng Yen. In my rush, I turned into the opposite lane at 408, necessitating a detour and a U-turn to head back to the correct direction, arriving at our destination, the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-76369389051214589952008-12-21T12:12:00.012-05:002008-12-21T18:38:34.070-05:00

We have participated in several local donation drives organized by the Orlando Chapter of Tzu Chi Organization, a world-wide Buddhist Compassion Relief headquartered in Taiwan, in the past years, as well as their roving tea gatherings in the homes of Tampa-based Tzu Chi volunteers. But this is our very first trip to their training camp focusing on the responsibilities and duties of Tzu Chi

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-71819129861932911072008-12-06T14:12:00.008-05:002008-12-06T14:58:38.678-05:00

The notion of ghosts has always been around in most cultures. While ghosts may be scary to kids, and make for excellent cautionary tales for the young, they are the subject of celebration too. For example, Halloween is a popular day of festivity in US while the Chinese have their own version of the Ghost Festival. In some religions, ghosts are not sacrilegious, but may have a different moniker

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-959583510690362322008-11-27T13:06:00.007-05:002008-11-27T13:35:51.809-05:00

Continuing from my previous post on Calming the Mind from Master Sheng Yen's book, I Send You My Blessings, this post deals with the Four Urges to Have as he further dissected the social psyche that has muddled our value system despite the advances we have made on the technology front. The flourish of materialism and the rapid upheavals in social structures result in our poor understanding,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-92009220224462403692008-11-26T18:44:00.008-05:002008-11-26T19:19:57.170-05:00

We often use the dichotomy between the haves and have-nots to illustrate the chasm dividing the affluence and the destitute present in our society, even internationally. The underlying simmer of the malcontent is all but waiting to flare up given the slightest provocation. Thus, concepts such as spreading the wealth, prospering thy neighbor, affirmative action have emerged to correct such

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-70980299958410179932008-11-22T15:35:00.006-05:002008-11-22T16:08:17.081-05:00

We attended the robe offering celebration organized by Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS) at Clearwater on the morning of Nov 8, 2008. Unlike the previous year when the event was held outdoor under a makeshift tent, this time it was held in the premises of Unity Church located next door, thanks to Leddy Hammock, Spiritual Leader and her congregation.In his opening speech, Bhante Dhammawansha,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-75496901969608955922008-09-28T10:47:00.005-05:002008-09-28T15:15:40.466-05:00

Due to the schedule conflict of our Dharma teacher, the monthly Dharma session organized by Middle Way Buddhist Association for September has to be canceled, leaving a kind of momentary void in my journey on the Buddhist path. Fortunately, I have started reciting the Heart Sutra, a highly condensed version of 260 Chinese characters that captures the essence of Buddhism, every morning. For now, I

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66792851500246668032008-09-13T12:19:00.007-05:002008-09-13T15:20:30.968-05:00

Many people are familiar with the manifestation of physical principles at work, the simplest example being perhaps gravity that enables us to stand firmly on ground. But we may only have a hazy idea when it comes to the theory underlying the principle, let alone being able to explain how it works. In fact, the surest way to kill a conversation is to invoke physics in a social setting, unless one

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-83866673488459053542008-08-31T13:19:00.006-05:002008-10-16T18:51:02.919-05:00

The 18th Dharma session under the aegis of Middle Way Buddhist Association started off on Aug 18, 2008 as usual with meditation. The Dharma teacher of the day was again Bhante Upananda, who instructed the attendees to breathe in joy and to breathe out pent-up emotions as a release, letting go of worldly attachments.The ensuing Dharma talk focused on Karma, a popular and yet confusing and poorly

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-7037844498362370522008-08-09T12:25:00.015-05:002008-08-09T22:25:16.113-05:00

Yesterday morning, after much ado about nothing (NBC, which purportedly paid $900 millions for the exclusive broadcasting rights of the 29th Olympiad in US, decided to delay the televised opening ceremony by 12 hours), we resigned to waiting for the delayed telecast by trying to occupy ourselves with other gainful pursuits to pass the intervening hours. For example, both Wify and I blogged about

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-10138599239181083422008-08-02T09:33:00.007-05:002008-08-02T12:25:38.363-05:00

As mentioned here, we attended three local celebrations of Vesak Day, an annual occasion to commemorate the life, the enlightenment, and the passing of Buddha. Other than the one held at Guang Ming Temple, Orlando, which follows the Mahayana (The Great Vehicle) tradition, the other two were held at the St. Pete area that practice the Theravadan (the Hinayana or the Small Vehicle) tradition.

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-8349032043066338312008-07-27T11:25:00.008-05:002008-07-27T13:06:57.630-05:00

We arrived early at the Pinellas Park venue of Middle Way Buddhist Association on July 19, 2008 to attend the 17th Dharma session. I took the opportunity to scan the immediate environs, taking in the serene setting and enjoying the fresh morning air permeating the space as far as the eyes could see, most of which was mental since this is right smack in the midst of a built up area.Then the throng

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-90502127405029119412008-07-12T12:13:00.012-05:002008-07-13T09:18:23.792-05:00

The scourge of widespread riverine flooding has hit the US Midwest region again. The weeks of torrential rains have tested the mighty Mississippi River and its many tributaries at its upstream end beyond their conveyance capacity (a jargon used in hydraulic engineering to denote the ability of a river cross-section to pass the upstream flow downstream without spilling its banks) such that the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-34214282883060304822008-06-29T09:50:00.008-05:002008-06-30T20:13:59.229-05:00

The fascinating topic of the Inner Consciousness, the cognitive and affective core of the human mind as Buddhism views it, was the chosen theme of the 16th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA) held on May 25, 2008 at its Pinellas Park venue. It was delivered by Bhante Upananda, by now a familiar Buddhist monk who has graced the MWBA Dharma sessions on numerous occasions.Bhante

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-46036252651503159092008-06-01T22:12:00.005-05:002008-06-01T22:50:42.781-05:00

That's the title of the Dharma talk delivered by Venerable Yung Han, Director of Fo Guang Shan Dallas Branch, at Guang Ming Temple on May 17, 2008. This was the second successive weekend that we were at the Temple, but this time with WT and CE, the previous one being on the occasion of Celebrating Buddha's Birthday and Mother's Day Festival on May 11, 2007.We arrived at about 1pm, just in time

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22847848375873146512008-05-27T12:57:00.023-05:002008-05-28T09:21:06.858-05:00

Yesterday was Memorial Day here in US, a day devoted to honoring all military veterans. To me, it's also a befitting day to hold in memoriam of a great Buddhist scholar-cum-practitioner whose single-minded quest for the universal truth has illuminated the path for those who come after him, especially those who wish to learn more about the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism relevant in the milieu of

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-6650686083800490642008-05-17T09:30:00.014-05:002008-05-18T13:39:22.727-05:00

The Month of May is a blessed month for Buddhists all over the world. It is in this month that Vesak Day is celebrated, commemorating the birth, the life, and passing of the Buddha. Hence, in May, Buddhist temples and centers the world over organize a rolling series of celebrations for local Buddhists and lay persons alike.As in past years, we participated in a couple, and will be attending

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-85248179020059674752008-05-11T20:12:00.009-05:002008-05-11T22:03:38.317-05:00

The third segment of the blissful day of April 19, 2008 (read here and here for the first and the second segments, respectively) comes in the form of our attendance at the 2008 Change Your Mind Day (CYMD) organized by the Tampa Bay Chapter of Buddhist Peace Fellowship held amidst the scenic setting of Phillippe Park, Safety Harbor.According to the organizers, "CYMD began in New York's Central

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-86246001207645226622008-05-03T13:51:00.007-05:002008-05-06T18:47:53.813-05:00

The Dependent Origination in Our Daily Life. That's the topic of the Dharma talk delivered by Venerable Chueh Fan from Guang Ming Temple, Orlando, on April 19, 2008 on the occasion of the 15th Dharma Session organized monthly by Middle Way Buddhist Association and held at its Pinellas Park venue. It was after our meditation session in the morning. Amidst our usual mutual introduction session,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-86768514686601261592008-04-27T10:48:00.007-05:002008-04-30T16:28:19.328-05:00

April 19 was the occasion of the 15th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA) held at its venue at Pinellas Park on a monthly basis. For the first time, we and all the attendees commenced the pre-Dharma talk meditation on our own, the absence of the guidance by the designated Dharma teacher of the day did not dampen the attendees' enthusiasm nor readiness. Also for the first time

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-51076967744858315112008-04-13T19:11:00.007-05:002008-04-14T05:01:01.240-05:00

Today (April 13, 2008)'s issue of PARADE, which is delivered every Sunday as a supplement to the St. Petersburg Times, carries a survey of how much American people earn (How does your salary stack up? by Lynn Brenner, pg. 3-17). This annual survey of a sample of wage levels spreading across the various occupations serve as a barometer on the state of the economy as well as a personal guide to

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-41009429564165859312008-04-05T10:25:00.014-05:002008-04-05T12:31:11.849-05:00

Taking a shower, or taking a bath as is more commonly spoken of from where I came from, is as natural as sleeping. The former is like a work-over for the body while the latter, the mind. So when we saw this movie title on the 4-in-1 DVD, the temptation to find out what the director can possibly cook up from this mundane aspect of life was too much to resist. And we watched it next, after the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-62003583219624022392008-03-30T11:19:00.008-05:002008-03-30T13:42:50.043-05:00

I'm usually attracted to action/thriller movie flicks when it comes to cinematic exploration. Seldom do I, or so I thought, have time or stomach for docudramas which I find to be slow moving. However, lately this notion of mine has undergone a paradigmatic shift as evidenced from some of the films in this genre that have been a revelation: Turtle Can Fly, A Bright Moon.This altered impression has

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-36733292969492786272008-03-22T22:48:00.014-05:002008-03-24T19:46:45.185-05:00

We attended a tea gathering (the literally translated version of “party” sounds a wee bit convivial while “meeting”, on the other hand, borders on matter-of-fact. “Gathering” then reflects both congeniality and informality) organized by the Orlando Chapter of Tzu Chi Organization, a Buddhist Compassionate Relief based in Taiwan and founded by Master Cheng Yen in 1966, at a Tampa venue today. This

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-74566806408130856292008-03-21T23:26:00.011-05:002008-03-22T19:11:20.458-05:00

As part of our monthly routine, we drove to Pinellas Park last Saturday to attend the 14th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA), in a continuing series of Dharma discussion of Buddhist wisdom, this time on suffering and impermanence. The discussion was to be led, as usual, by Bhante Dhammawansha, the resident monk of Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS). However, we were

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-36420504698537883592008-03-09T11:57:00.014-05:002008-03-15T15:32:17.754-05:00

The attendees started to stream in before 4pm yesterday to our home. And at about 5 minutes before 4pm, while we were looking out into the carpark expectantly through the kitchen window, two Buddhist nuns in traditional Chinese monastic wear stepped into view. They were Venerables Chueh Yen and Chueh Fan from the Buddha Light Temple in Orlando. They were here to grace our home for the Propagating

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-40622625388296851582008-03-02T20:05:00.005-05:002008-03-03T20:28:45.025-05:00

One of the benchmarks used to gage a country's development status, other than economic indicators such as per capita income, is literacy rate. In simple terms, it's the percentage of the populace who can read and write, two of the three Rs (the third being aRithmetics).With increasing affluence and the advent of video games, it seems that the passion for reading is waning, being replaced by

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-53548486801298694082008-02-23T19:02:00.007-05:002008-02-23T22:06:42.028-05:00

I tried a new approach to meditation in today's session, it being the 13th of the now monthly Dharma session organized by Middle Way Buddhist Association and held at its Pinellas Park venue. Previously, I have been using the Breath method, concentrating on the inhaling and exhaling to focus the mind, with some success. Then I read in Daniel Goleman's The Meditative Mind (Putnam Book, 1988, pg.

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-26605461572524200902008-02-16T20:52:00.007-05:002008-02-16T21:25:36.133-05:00

This evening we participated in the International Dinner and FundRaiser for the benefit of Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society (DWMS) to realize its aim of expanding its meditation hall. The event was held at the Unity Church of Clearwater, located just next to the DWMS venue, which also serves as the residence of Bhante Dhammawansha, the resident monk of DWMS.Wify prepared two dishes for the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-71540594968267989812008-02-10T11:54:00.000-05:002008-02-10T12:37:34.597-05:00

Garma CC Chang is a name that we first came across in an email from a Buddhist friend, inviting us to attend a two-hour special program delivered by his wife, Mrs. Helena Chang. We were intrigued by the brief biographical sketch of Prof. Chang given therein:“He went to eastern Tibet to study Buddhism at age 16 and stayed there for 9 years. Master Chang was professor of Eastern Philosophy at

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-52494147910831098192008-01-26T22:08:00.000-05:002008-01-27T19:34:15.561-05:00

We attended the 2007 Year End Appreciation and Blessing Dinner (well, perhaps a misnomer of sort since the event was held in the afternoon) organized by Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation U.S.A, Orlando Chapter held at USF today. This is our second time, the first being in 2005, a dinner held in the evening.Themed Gratitude, Respect, and Love and Reverence to Heaven and Earth for Merit

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66898969806020327992008-01-20T20:57:00.000-05:002008-01-20T21:53:05.857-05:00

One of the three unthinkable subjects in Buddhism (an assertion that Bhante Dhammawansha has repeatedly told in his Dharma talks that I have attended) relates to the immutable notion of Cause and Effect. Variously known as the Principle (some have used the more forceful term, Doctrine) of Causality, Conditioned Arising, Dependent Origination, Dependent Co-Arising, and the related widely popular

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-66620006883424971152008-01-12T21:49:00.000-05:002008-01-13T09:20:54.565-05:00

The extension in the title would have alerted readers to the fact that this is not a blog about the moon that is hung way up there in the nightscape, though its physical presence there has spawned many folklores and poems. Rather, it's about the legendary life of a man, a real one, who switched from living in one world to another world, albeit physically occupying the same space, seemingly just

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-70469537134563305642007-12-25T10:54:00.000-05:002008-01-01T18:02:27.245-05:00

An Anthology on Middle Contemplation and Life, a Chinese Buddhist book by Mr. Huang Kuo Tat, printed by the Buddhist Association of the United States (2005) has been in wify's collection of Buddhist books for some time now. We could not recall how the book ended up there, but chances are we must have picked it up at an exchange service of free Buddhist books, which is an integral part of many

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-20944362941922539542007-12-23T15:49:00.000-05:002007-12-23T17:27:10.908-05:00

We drove to St. Pete yesterday morning to attend the Meditation Retreat for a Dialog with our Minds conducted by Bhante Upananda organized by Samadhi Buddhist Meditation Center and held at the Southwest Florida Buddhist Vihara. But we were there only for part of the time, staying to listen to the Dharma talk on How to move to Vipassana from Samatha.We have been to the Vihara several times before,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-43399389815066705822007-12-19T23:14:00.000-05:002007-12-20T17:57:53.140-05:00

“ ... Love is nature's way of giving; a reason to be living ...”For those of us who belong to the so-called baby boomer generation, this is likely to be familiar lyrics; otherwise the tune itself, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, may also evoke a trip down the memory lane. Love can indeed move mountains. At the same time, love can be the source of untold misery too, when its twin brother, hate,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-81224733972363361322007-12-05T20:52:00.000-05:002007-12-05T21:38:39.516-05:00

Venerable Jiang Hu made a return visit to Middle Way Buddhist Association's venue at Pinellas Park at the occasion of its Tenth Dharma session to deliver the Dharma Talk entitled Buddhist Analysis of the Mind: Consciousness and the Self. As was the case during his first visit in July, the session was preceded by meditation at 7.00pm, and concluded with a Taking the Three Refuges ceremony at

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-67070799923780803422007-11-22T20:43:00.000-05:002007-11-22T21:02:55.603-05:00

I have taken to viewing Dharma talks on DVDs with wify, a habit she has cultivated for some time now. Previously I did stop briefly about my business and sat down to watch with her. But it was never sustained. This time, though, is different, largely because the delivery goes beyond the pedantic, the speaker often weaving life happenings into the wisdom lessons.So for the past few days we were

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-64451833829747359922007-11-11T18:28:00.000-05:002007-11-11T19:10:34.229-05:00

Reading an English Buddhist text can be a revealing exercise, in the sense that some of the Buddhist terms appear familiar. I'm referring to their similarity to romanized Malay words that we have learned since young, both in spelling and in meaning.The teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, who hailed from India, as embodied in the various sutras (scriptures) passed down through centuries, naturally

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-5006026764011150762007-11-03T17:42:00.001-05:002007-11-03T18:16:36.524-05:00

I recently finished Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra (HarperCollins, 2007), a feat stretching over several weeks of intermittent reading. The reading times occurred in relatively bigger chunks toward the end of the book, a reflection of perhaps my resolve to get to the author's conclusion as regards the epic journey of one of the greatest spiritual beacons there is.At the outset,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-38948046136829032422007-10-21T13:48:00.000-05:002007-10-21T17:14:17.639-05:00

We usually cover our car journey from our home to the usual venue of the monthly Dharma session of Middle Way Buddhist Association at Pinellas Park on the other side of the Tampa Bay in less than 35 minutes. Our usual route is by way of I-275, which can be notoriously jam-packed on weekdays, or on certain weekends when the Bucs, and lately the Bulls of USF, are playing their home games. Yesterday

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-12337164711529825392007-10-16T08:02:00.000-05:002007-10-16T12:59:38.906-05:00

Lately, I have been drawn toward the so-called buddoblogosphere, a term I first came across here with the definition "buddhist blogging outside walled social communities". On further exploration, I landed on several Chinese buddhist blogs, one of which has this great article, literaly translated, Mind's Medicine for Positive Living.Succumbing to my translation bug, here I'm at it again. The

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-34486539101770032822007-10-13T08:42:00.000-05:002007-10-13T09:08:40.361-05:00

What is 3 seconds? That's about the length of time it took me to type out the question. Well, it's also the title of a book I'm reading now by Les Parrott (Collins, 2007).At first read, it seems a compromise between Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and what has been touted as its flip side, Think by Michael R. LeGault.The spectrum of thinking encompassed by the three books becomes apparent if we were to

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-30415790366192239742007-10-08T19:42:00.000-05:002007-10-08T20:04:05.054-05:00

There has been a loss in the family. Wify's dad passed away yesterday, the unexpected news received via her brother on the other seaboard of US. Even though he had just undergone an operation to address the hernia problem recently, he seemed fine and was well on the road to recovery. The night before, he had complained about stomach pain but the next morning when he was preparing to be driven to

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-73291039307744191412007-09-30T10:35:00.001-05:002007-09-30T11:27:27.496-05:00

“This is a baby step for me in blogosphere ... So in humility, let's start the ride together.”The date was Sep 30, 2006, and the above are the starting and ending sentences of my first blog, aptly entitled Maiden Blog. One year since on the very day, it seems an opportune time to reflect on my virtual journey, and to project what the future holds, both as an individual and as a member of the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-19443109930457113802007-09-29T13:36:00.001-05:002007-09-30T10:35:24.927-05:00

Conversation is a human activity between two people: a speaker and a listener, during which their roles can interchange. That much everybody knows. Some are good speakers, while some are good listeners. We learn that too through engaging in our own share of conversations. But are we both a good speaker and a good listener rolled into one?I found some simple answers, not entirely surprising as we

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-72810740335694179602007-09-27T19:48:00.000-05:002007-09-28T05:57:44.330-05:00

This is a busy week for TV series premiers. Some are new seasons, while some are brand new shows, trying to earn our loyalty. I knew Criminal Minds, on CBS, was slated to premier last night. It being one of my favorite shows, having won me over in the last season, I made time for it at 9.00pm. And the usual BAU members were in their elements, profiling unsubs and catching criminals.When it ended,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-14716987910316027682007-09-23T14:55:00.001-05:002010-02-07T15:55:30.847-05:00

The 8th Dharma Session of Middle Way Buddhist Association was graced by Master Jian Zong, a Dharma instructor from the CT Zen Center of Sunnyvale, CA. Held on Sep 15, 2007 at the Pinellas Park venue of MWBA, the session followed the usual format of meditation , commencing at 9.30am sharp, followed by a Dharma discussion led by the guest speaker of the day, Master Jian Zong.Master Jian Zong first

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-47024515926819759472007-09-09T16:07:00.001-05:002007-09-09T16:17:44.257-05:00

We first met Master Hui Zhen when we attended his Dharma Lecture series on the Consciousness Only School of Buddhism held in Tampa last December. Since then we have been visiting his chinese blog regularly and came to know of his rendition which we have literally translated as HuiZhen’s Mindful Dispensation. He has so far written 20 such articles in his typical free flowing style. And we found

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-4278121149148453962007-09-08T08:57:00.000-05:002007-09-08T09:50:36.430-05:00

I chanced upon this Chinese poem written by Mr. Wen JiaBao, the Premier of China, here. According to the news story, Mr. Wen was meeting with university students and took the opportunity to dispense a few words of encouragement to the so-called future pillars of society, admonishing them not to focus only on the matters right “below their feet”. Instead, they should look up and around them, be

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-78287730804433829552007-09-02T13:20:00.000-05:002007-09-02T14:11:52.708-05:00

Looking strenuously through the swishing movement of the front screen wipers and beyond that, a translucent sheet of pouring rain, I gingerly drove to Clearwater yesterday morning. The warning signs were already present early in the morning: overcast sky darkened by ominous rain clouds. My passengers: my wife and her retinue of Buddhist friends. And the mission: release life activity followed by

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-80246305178922062862007-09-01T17:29:00.000-05:002007-09-01T17:52:12.826-05:00

Yesterday (Aug 31), Malaysia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence from the British. That year was 1957, and I was just a three-year old toddler, probably lost in my own little world. Since then, I have seen it grow, prosper, and start to make a name for herself on the world stage. Accolades like the world’s largest exporter of rubber and tin made it to my primary school

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-49906880851541712362007-08-25T20:33:00.000-05:002007-08-25T21:32:09.517-05:00

One of my wife’s Buddhist friends emailed us a story that we feel strongly about sharing it with others. Hence, this translated attempt. Personally I feel that the translated text seems uneven, even contrived, losing some of the smoothness, the pithiness, and the rhyming elegance inherent in Chinese prose, when delivered by a masterful writer. At the same time, I feel confident that the gist of

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-65253176922072019262007-08-22T20:00:00.000-05:002007-08-22T21:02:42.919-05:00

I learned early in life that I’m not the adventurous type, preferring to stay close to the beaten path and avoiding uncharted territory almost morbidly.Proof? I was not a boy scout, many of whom have participated in camping activities, not to mention the annual Jamboree sessions. Neither did I ever venture out at night, stake a tent, and sleep under the sky roof (literally).But this is as far as

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-735958732053579982007-08-17T20:50:00.001-05:002007-08-17T21:13:25.129-05:00

A subject is a class of study a student engages in school such as English, Maths, or History. A subject also refers to a citizen of a country such as the Queen’s subjects. In contrast, an object usually denotes an inanimate thing, unless we use it metaphorically such as an object of ridicule, which connotes a person who is a laughing stock by dint of action or word.By extension, in exam lingo, a

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-19650331694073411322007-08-11T12:20:00.000-05:002007-08-11T13:15:11.582-05:00

This is the concluding installment of my English translation of the Chinese article entitled A Simple Life Is A Beautiful One by Venerable Hung I that appeared in the May 2007 (#153) issue of Dharma Garden. Parts I and II, and III can be viewed here , here and here.C) A simple and pristine Buddhist practiceNot too long ago, while stopping over at HongKong for about a week, several Buddhist

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54520090570999290432007-08-09T18:12:00.000-05:002007-08-09T20:10:26.642-05:00

I have blogged many times here about our release life activities, the latest one being here. I have also tried to read up on this intrinsically meritorious activity, one which has instilling compassion in all of us at its core. At the same time, the potential for abuse exists as blogged here, which admonishes us to temper the conduct of the activity with wisdom. Therefore, the pros and cons of

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-67490881717966728702007-08-05T19:25:00.000-05:002007-08-05T20:21:25.741-05:00

This is the third translation installment of the Chinese article entitled A Simple Life Is A Beautiful One, by Venerable Hung I that appeared in the May 2007 (#153) issue of Dharma Garden. Parts I and II can be viewed here and here.B) A simple and pristine inter-personal ethosUnless we lead the life of a recluse, we will always interact with people and handle inter-personal matters. I believe

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-17721297042955036242007-07-28T19:58:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:25:12.913-05:00

Continued from where I left off, this second translation installment starts with the first simple lifestyle as enunciated by Venerable Hung I in his article, A Simple Life Is A Beautiful One, that appeared in the May 2007 (#153) issue of Dharma Garden.A) A simple and pristine habit of livingCraving for material possessions and emotional longing form the basics of life for ordinary folks. These

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-23010812933592407512007-07-27T21:17:00.000-05:002007-07-27T21:38:39.049-05:00

Thought of not blogging today since it being a working day, I felt kind of exhausted. Then while making a small correction to yesterday’s post, I see that I’m just one short of the century mark. So, what the hack, now is as good as anytime to reach that milestone.But what to write? Notice that I’m not asking how to write. After all the mechanics of writing should be behind me now, what with so

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-20494587967869183522007-07-26T19:42:00.002-05:002007-07-27T20:27:56.424-05:00

My elder daugter’s blogging about her meeting with Matthew Pearl, the author of The Dante Club and The Poe Shadow, her very first in her third sojourn in US, reminds me of a similar experience that I had, oh may be more than ten years ago, back in Malaysia.It was a technical talk organized by the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia of which I am a member. And the speaker was Prof. Henry Petroski (

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-50166545953516468032007-07-21T12:04:00.000-05:002007-07-21T12:44:44.391-05:00

Political polemics on a variety of issues continues to rage in Malaysia: Islamic Nation vs Secular Nation, Freedom of speech vs ISA/OSA, etc. At the same time, the rising crime rate reigns unabated. Then civil servants, including pensioners, got a big boost, the financial kind, purportedly portending the impending arrival of the general election. This is followed by the furor over the tightening

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-29609853811071574762007-07-20T21:56:00.001-05:002007-07-20T22:10:35.310-05:00

This is a translated excerpt from the article entitled Liang Qichao And Learning Buddhism that I just came across on the online Nanyang Siang Pau (many thanks to my wife for the alert):Toward the end of the Ching Dynasty in China, many scholars turned their attention from the traditional Confucian focus to studying Buddhism. This was a common trend then. Among them is Liang Qichao, a Chinese

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-76189484156668856942007-07-14T10:47:00.000-05:002007-07-14T13:46:44.090-05:00

One of the hallmarks of the knowledge era is the so-called leveling of the playing field, especially in the political arena, both in as much as the near instant revelation of any political shenanigans (the watchdog role), and the harnessing of public opinion to effect a desired political outcome (the community participatory role). Both are made possible by the decentralizing role enabled by the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-72921819244542162332007-07-04T14:45:00.000-05:002007-07-04T15:42:02.517-05:00

The Dharma Garden is a bi-monthly Buddhist periodical in Chinese published by Texas Buddhist Association, Inc. that we receive regularly. Each issue contains a featured theme that is explored by several authors from the Buddhist perspective, but shaped by individual experiences. The chosen theme in the May 2007 issue (No. 153) is A Simple Life Is A Beautiful One (my own translation of the theme).

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-23503139794331800852007-07-03T21:52:00.000-05:002007-07-03T22:35:39.069-05:00

After close to a month of inactivity, my wife has picked her Chinese brush pen again (read here about her previous, read maiden, foray) and the result is the following rendition of several famous Buddhist verses condensed from the Diamond Sutra that form the very essence of the Chan School of Buddhism. I don’t suppose I fully grasp the profundity of the verses. Nevertheless I will try to perform

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-82276017397964306262007-07-01T12:53:00.001-05:002007-07-01T17:42:54.523-05:00

For most of us distanced from the ravages of wars, we grimace at TV images of human carnage and suffering, but the impacts soon fade into oblivion the moment we turn off the TV. The assault on our conscience is a fleeting one, soon overshadowed by our daily grind.Consciously or not, we tend to shut off images of human suffering, presumably because such a state of mind is seemingly incongruous

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-81414189040451497132007-06-30T12:11:00.000-05:002007-06-30T13:47:38.407-05:00

Finally, we got to watch the Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith and his real son, Jaden, who also plays his son in the movie. [Note that the y in Happyness is not a wrong spelling, but the actual title used. More on the title, or our take of it, later]. It's a pre-viewed DVD that we bought from BlockBuster, at a discounted rate.The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, who

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-27792982091941056542007-06-19T18:43:00.000-05:002007-06-19T19:08:44.560-05:00

The 5th meditation-cum-Dharma session under the aegis of the Middle Way Buddhist Association (MWBA) was duly held on June 16 (Sat.) at its Clearwater venue.Bhante started the meditation session promptly at 9.30am, gently prodding the attendees to relax, to wish all beings to be happy, calm, healthy, and peaceful, to instill universal kindness for oneself and others, and to cultivate calmness,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-12035814380657851992007-06-16T21:24:00.000-05:002007-06-16T22:27:09.466-05:00

Rat race is a common term used to describe the hustle and bustle of life in our efforts to realize our life’s aspirations: fame, fortune, status, power, etc. Implicit in the term is a mad goal rush to the oblivion of others, the motto of many being the end justifies the means. At a personal level, this mad rush may also manifest in other worthy endeavors, at least in the eyes of others who are

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-15177610005277072042007-06-10T15:40:00.000-05:002007-06-10T19:21:57.517-05:00

We read about another Vesak Day celebration in the Bay area, scheduled for June 10, 2007, on the June 7, 2007 issue of St. Petersburg Times (Tampa & State, pg.4B).This time, the venue is Chua Phat Phap Buddhist Temple in St. Petersburg, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple that we have visited earlier as blogged here.However, this one has an addition: the display of a sand mandala. According to Wikipedia

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-1653960749330253372007-06-09T07:23:00.000-05:002007-06-09T08:56:31.377-05:00

While CY (our D at Oregon) and Dan were here vacationing recently, we had plans to bring them to the nature trails at Lettuce Park off Fletcher, just next to the Hillsborough River. But somehow we never got around to doing that (somehow is a very powerful and convenient English word. Used judiciously, it can convey a sense of "while many things are left unsaid, somehow (that word again) the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-12480442480133247752007-06-03T09:31:00.000-05:002007-06-04T19:36:03.391-05:00

On the heel of our attendance at the 7th Vesak Celebration on May 26, we headed for Sarasota yesterday to attend a similar celebration organized by Mitreya Center and held at Unity Church, Sarasota. The occasion was graced by Bhante Dhammawansha, the resident monk of Dharma Wheel Mediation Center whose members greatly assisted in organizing the propitious event.This is my first trip to Sarasota,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-68930445937257490492007-05-28T13:11:00.001-05:002007-05-28T14:39:22.457-05:00

Other than watching the two IMAX movies as part of our visit to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on May 23, 2007, we also took the bus tour that brought us closer to where the action is. Starting at the Visitor Center, the bus first took us to the LC39 Observatory Gantry. On the way, we passed by the signature building within the launching facility, a block-shaped building termed the Vertical

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-20044877982109201962007-05-27T18:55:00.001-05:002007-06-03T09:31:35.997-05:00

May 26, 2007 is an august day for Buddhists, both practitioners and novices alike, from the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete area for they were able to partake of the Vesak Celebration organized/hosted by the Dhamma Wheel Meditation Center (DWMC)/the Unitarian Universalists (UU) of Clearwater, the 7th in the annual series. For the very first time, the Amitabha Buddhist Group (ABG), of which my wife is a

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-88585323501031606332007-05-24T11:44:00.001-05:002007-05-24T17:33:43.420-05:00

“We choose to go to the Moon, we choose to go to the moon …, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.” That impassioned entreaty from JF Kennedy, which he made on a day in 1962 from the campus of Rice University, continued to resonate in me after we left Kennedy Space Center (KSC), FL, last evening.Nestled between Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean as shown in the image below, KSC occupies

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-89651260534439177782007-05-21T09:21:00.000-05:002007-05-21T13:49:32.843-05:00

The month of May is one of special significance to Buddhist practitioners. It’s in the Month of May, 25 centuries ago, that Buddha (then known as Siddhārtha Gautama) was born (the Vesak Day). It’s in the month of May, 35 years later, that Buddha became enlightened. So too it’s in the month of May that Buddha first taught us to become awakened. [According to Wikipedia, "On Vesak Day, Buddhists all

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-89983573757433336962007-05-15T19:45:00.000-05:002007-05-15T20:07:53.755-05:00

While yesterday’s rain has doused some of the haze hovering over the Sunshine State for the past few days, other issues loom large on the horizon. One pertains to the seemingly inexorable rise in the price of gasoline (or commonly called petrol in Malaysia).I remember when I first arrived here three years ago, the cost of gasoline (regular) was about $1.70 a gallon. Now is close to $3.00, and

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-54795417326224961412007-05-13T17:38:00.000-05:002007-05-13T21:12:29.516-05:00

One of the Chinese songs that we used to sing in school, elementary school that is, goes something like this when translated: In this world the only good thing is Mom. A child that has a Mom is like a treasure …Yes, the virtue of Mom. The selfless sacrifice, the ever protective Mom, who nurtures us single-mindedly, who takes care of our well-being unconditionally, and who showers us with love and

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-22056117691406224452007-05-11T19:29:00.000-05:002007-05-12T09:53:36.478-05:00

Just like that, it seems like I’m back in Malaysia. I’m referring to the haze that shrouds the entire length of the Sunshine State, turning it into the Sun-shorn state for the last couple of days, and the next few as well. And to complicate matter, the first tropical storm sat threateningly just offshore, even before the official beginning of the hurricane season on June 1.First, the cool air

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-20494360771441966642007-05-06T18:13:00.000-05:002007-05-06T19:19:37.193-05:00

Our D alerted us to an archeological find of an ancient wall mural depicting the life of Buddha in an inter-connected cave system up in the mountainous region of northern Nepal.The ancient mural purportedly dates back to the 13th and 14th century, and its relatively intact condition is attributed to the remote location of the cave system, helped no doubt by its high altitude at 4,300m. This is a

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-62276341660459452212007-05-04T21:31:00.000-05:002007-05-05T19:33:19.769-05:00

A practitioner in a professional field, be it medical, engineering, or legal, is distinguished by several qualifications that the public can reasonably expect such a professional to have attained prior to delivering the professional service sought for. One is the education achievement at a tertiary level as proof that the professional has acquired the specialized knowledge that underpins the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-76038092709335069462007-04-28T16:10:00.000-05:002007-04-28T16:49:34.908-05:00

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."Isaac Newton, Letter to Robert Hooke, February 5, 1675Most of us have seen this more than 300-year old quotation attributed to one of the scientific greats. It is premised on the truism that no man is an island, even in the realm of scientific inquiry and discovery that has its fair share of mavericks through the years. While a

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-84756114482835762892007-04-27T21:43:00.000-05:002007-04-27T22:31:09.519-05:00

Bom! Bom! Bom! Three heart-pounding sounds rang through our home, awakening me from my half-sleep stance on the couch, the TV showing a rerun of SVU of Law & Order, and sending my wife to the window to investigate.Then there was another burst of staccato sound waves, seemingly reverberating through our bodies. “Fireworks! Fireworks!” my wife shrieked in excitement from the up-stair window. By the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-50260319833900490072007-04-22T15:47:00.000-05:002007-04-22T16:35:03.683-05:00

As always, we can count on the folks at Google to come out with an original design of their logo in line with the significance of the day in question. Not long ago there was the green logo on St. Patrick’s Day, which I forgot to download. Then today, on Earth Day, is the icy logo (see left), symbolic perhaps of the consequential aftermath of a warming world.That was when I was googling the

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-40794464963566738572007-04-21T13:48:00.000-05:002007-04-21T14:58:10.783-05:00

Tomorrow, April 22, is Earth Day. And last night I happened to chance upon the ABC special program on Planet Earth 2007 hosted by Diane Sawyer, co-host of the Good Morning America (GMA) that I used to watch every morning before I left for work, but before we moved. Now I have to leave my premises before GMA goes to air in order to get my D to school in time. Yet another change in my old

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-46953940298096767722007-04-15T11:30:00.000-05:002007-04-15T17:25:40.527-05:00

I have been brought up to not to swear and use foul languages, in any language/dialect. Period. And I have largely stayed true to that aspect of oral/verbal “hygience”, until I came to the US that is. Lest you think I’ve since become profanity prone, I would hasten to add that I’ve only picked up the tendency to speak the “s” word, but in self cursing only, and not within the earshot of my

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-35687011731204283932007-04-08T14:40:00.000-05:002007-04-08T15:33:40.087-05:00

There have been several recent reported attempts to curtail the freedom of expression in the Malaysian blogosphere by the powers-that-be. First, the law suits against Jeff Ooi and Rocky, two notable local blog gurus based on the veracity, or the lack thereof, of their blog articles. More recently, there has been a call to register bloggers with the government before they can post their blogs in

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-9272499237798732122007-04-07T10:18:00.000-05:002007-04-07T11:54:13.146-05:00

Fresh from my own home buying and moving experience in the US, I could relate to the personal tribulations of the author of the online Chinese article loosely translated as My Insane US Moving Experience.And I’m happy to note that I have had the wherewithal to short circuit the author’s linear track of house ownership. Like me, the author and his family had their first liberated taste of being

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35630153.post-51348580527374961002007-04-01T11:04:00.000-05:002007-04-01T12:22:56.999-05:00

Today’s is April 1. That means April Fool’s Day. I’ve known the significance or triviality depending on your point of view, of April 1 since elementary school. And there were always some enterprising pranksters who would pull a stunt on two on unsuspecting souls. Even the newspapers were guilty, coming up with some make-believe headlines to beguile the gullible or the unwitting among us.However,

Say Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594983135290702175noreply@blogger.com3