Jade Lesson

Today I read one news from the Eleven Journal website with some associated photos. The news indicate that the Vietnam is boasting to launch a project of world's biggest jade statue of Buddha. What is it concern with us then? Of course it's related to our country as the raw jade that is supposed to be used in this project is imported from Myanmar. The news come with the exact dimension and reliable photos and it's popular journal in domestic. According to news, the Jade dimension are as follow:-

Length: 6' 6"
Width : 6' 6"
Hight : 10' 0"
Weight: 35 ton

What a huge dimension as a single solid precious stone? I am very impressive to read and see this stone while I felt a bit stingy to lose it to other country. Why we cannot make it for our own goodness? We sold it for US $ 2 million and it's quite affordable by our Government or local magnates. The different would be the attitude of people and I can see nothing else. with my tiny brain. In my opinion, our country is most developed country in term of Buddhism. I don't know what is Vietnam's core religious exactly. Hopefully they are modified Buddhism as their culture and china is similar. Now they are boasting to show world that they are on the right track to do World's biggest Jade Buddha statue and even intend to be listed in Genes Book. The group of 50 Artistes will convert it to a Buddha Statue and launching ceremony is attended by the president with the proud face. After finish it, the Statue would be 9ft 8in in height and 20 ton weighted. The current biggest jade Buddha statue in world weighs only 4 ton and 9ft height only.

If this project is happening on our own land, of course, I also would be very proud of being Myanmar citizen. To be optimistic, the fact would be always there that the Jade is from Myanmar and it seems telling world how rich our country's natural resource are and how good quality our products are. It doesn't matter where the Statue is existing, the history will remain unchanged despite the time goes by. Hopefully I can have a chance to witness it by the time this project is finished on near future.

A value of a step

If we think time is money in Singapore, then a value of step cost us some in different aspect. On the day 1 of 2010, I moved out to a place nearby my wife's office and I enjoy the taste of rush hour ridership. Since my new place is located on the Northern west and my work is at the Southern East, I need to travel through the whole city area to get my work. In this process, I notice some habit and behavior of fellow commuters.

It's a human nature that people want to do things on the margin. Most of people left home at the last minute for work. I also one of those and I will have to rush all the way to work. Walk faster to catch the train & bus as early as possible. I am staying on the NS line and my last destination end at EW line. So basically I need to transit at one interchange station. But I noticed on having some special trains that can travel all the way beyond its designated end station. I mean is NS train doesn't end at Jurong East station and continue driving on the EW line and terminate at Pasir Ris station. I never heard before such a kind of service until my first day experience and I intended to take fully advantage of this availability.

So I can't afford to walk slowly as 1 min late can cost me 15 minutes because this special train interval during peak hours is about 15 minute. So I usually walk quite fast on the way to station and queue for free morning paper at the station. It would be boring trip to travel over an hour without a paper to read and so I used to take my paper to avoid it. Sometime I need to judge myself as training is approaching within 1 minute once I just arrive to station to Q. I can't afford to take both and I understand the value of time more at that point.

Some day I can't simply aboard the train despite I catch it because train is full of passenger and I would be left behind and how upset it is to see train going? Again, I realize the value of a step when I am the first commuter to be left. So I decide not to Q at the paper once I encounter such a bitter experience. But the following day, I'll automatically Q again as I have become a paper addict. I feel something empty inside if I do not read a paper early morning. I hope it secretly became my habit since I arrived in city state.

I noticed that even in a small thing like taking a paper and train, there is some risk involved regarding time consuming and I am aware of that. No wonder we can't avoid such a risk in our daily life routine and we should learn how to settle them instead upsetting. I thanks my wife for changing our room and give me a chance to learn how people are maneuvering in their daily life. Hopefully I can gain some good lessons from my daily route.

Reincarnation

BEING a Buddhist, I believe in cause and effect, existing of past life & next life basically. We are understood that whatever we are possessing in this life is the result of our activities in past life. And the current life's behavior and manner will mold our next life. We were shown the right way to practice and it's up to us whether we value it or not. Most of us will think of it's too early to practice or comply the basic principles of our Buddha's method and I also still a traditional buddhist man. Nothing more than that.

In this topic, I would like to think about the word of "reincarnation". Probably we all have heard some stories regarding with reincarnation of a person in our surrounding in the form of either verbal or through books. Anyway we all are interesting such a kind of story once we hear or read it. About one year ago, I read the head news of the famous newspaper entitled that "Reincarnation of Buddha". I think this news was very popular among Buddhist unless it is happening among other religions. Of course I read it with a full of excitement and think of myself it is possible or not. In this incredible world everything can happen at any time and any where. Most of thing can be tested while only few things out of imaginary.

These news was coming from a Nepal country where our Lord of Buddha was delivered. What a coincidence? According to the media, the young man who is supposed to be claimed return of Buddha. I don't know he claim it himself or media label him or people around him simply assume. Anyway this news become a breaking news all over the world. He is meditation inside the forest and usually he avoid to meet audience and he has some companions who are assisting in what he needs. What I saw him in newspaper was just an ordinary man who is seriously taking meditation practice only. I mean is he is not totally look like a monk. So I noticed other comments that are come out with an attached photos. In the photo, the monks are going to see him and paying respect him in the belief of our Buddha. In this case, some people speak up for why some monks are paying respect to a normal man who is supposed to be an inferior to them.

Few days later this young man disappear to a forest. His management claimed that they also didn't know when he go and where he is heading to. This breaking news was effectively disappeared since then and I never notice the young man come out again till now. This is one story I have learn in my past and now I am apparently facing a similar incident to my own. My wife and I also not very sure but we are in the half belief of that. The story came to us togetherness of getting a baby inside my wife's womb. Let me explain a bit here so that you can understand why I am talking about this. I have a very close friend in my life and he passed few years back exactly about 3 year something. Once he died, I was still single and already worked in another country. So I was saddened to heard his sad news and time make me forgot about him.

After 3 year from that time, I got married with my wife who is also friend of my close friend. Few months back, we dreamed about him without remembering and he is always saying that he want to come with us. Actually we don't have plan to take a baby as a newly weds and the dream was almost the same to my wife as well. Early morning, we used to exchange about the overnight dream and we were amazed to see him through dream. This kind of dream happens to us for a month and now my wife is pregnant. What a wonderful experience? We were surprised to learn that my wife is positive to pregnancy test because it's not planned one. Anyway we are happy and trying to do our best to welcome our baby. It really doesn't matter whether the baby is our friend or not. We would be glad to see our new generation in new year and hopefully the baby of this tiger year would possess a good fortune according to a Chinese traditional.

A thought related with a public transportation

I WAS surprised to view double decker bus in Singapore's roads. I thought only in London metro line has such a kind of bus in this world. May be England capital city's bus service is famous for pioneer and longest in the world's transportation sector. And media used to highlight the goodness of UK's management system in every angle and we world people follow English way as a standard. I think Singapore is one of those countries who follow English method. Anyway I am currently working and staying in Lion City and enjoying it's effective transport system.

I equally impress City State's metro line in experiencing and can't imagine how to handle and manage such a kind of advance technology by a tiny country. In this global world, size doesn't matter in developing a state and there are so many example to proof that. I just simply cannot estimate/ forecast when my own country will possess the same kind of public transportation. I don't think you have a proper answer to this question as well. Ok lets leave it as it is bcz I am now paying attention to Singapore's public transport system.

I am currently staying in northern part of Singapore and my workplace is located at the eastern part. So the traveling distance of my daily route measure to a double digits miles. In favor of Technology, I don't need to worry about that distance as Singapore has an effective public transport system that can carry people from and to the desire destination without troubles. We can't count on traveling fees as long as our daily route is run smoothly and we are enjoying the advantage of high tech adopted by Govt.

I don't know how much efficient the transportation system is in the first world countries bcz I never been there before to date. What I can compare now is within my knowledge or past experience. I fortunately have a wonderful experience in another country apart from my native land. It was Malaysia who is also region heavy weigh among ASEAN countries in term of rich and development. Once I first time see on M'sia, I was also amazed to learn their development on public related places such as express way, university, airport, health care, etc. After 3 years working in M'sia, I entered S'pore and encountered the better world. Almost everything I saw makes me WOW. I don't know if I may have a chance to go another developed country like US/ EU countries in future and again WOW as I had been in previous 2 countries.

I am so much impressed in witnessing their developing because I have been used to a poor public infrastructure in my country. I don't know what make things so much different between my country and theirs. Generally my country is richer in natural resource than any other country in this world. But we are still surviving in the poor living standard. To be honest, I am still loving my country despite I am currently out of my land. I increasingly understand life's value by working and staying in oversea as I can't find loving kindness among society in this country. I can't consider myself how to survive my older days within a community of such kind if I am forced to convert my citizenship. Last time I though in different way and valued oversea life as I don't know the situation of real life. Now I understand a bit more about the real value of life and will not hesitate to go back my country once the right time come. It really doesn't matter whether my country's life style has improved or not.

The life's real value shouldn't be only measured by a physical development.

Seeing you moving makes me excite...

Jan 9, 2010, my wife and I went the Gleneagle Hospital clinic for second consecutive visit to consult with an OG. This time we are going with the prospect of unpredictable result from the first time screening result that indicated some bloods outside the ovary. Another thing to be worried is how much the fully screening test & operation cost will cost to us. Once things come to the way of our baby, we automatically brave ourselves and again we tried to go on the appointment date.

Luckily, the ultra screen show bloods are moving away from the baby and it become less risk to our baby and OG only suggested us not to move so much around. This time pregnancy is 9 weeks and we can see the baby is moving via monitor screen. Also the leg and hand are appearing in the screen. By the time we go for 1st time at 6 weeks, we just able to see a 9mm size of a solid thing. Nothing else. This time the baby is bigger to 2.57cm in size and we emotionally saw he/she is moving by shaking his/her legs & hands. How amazing is it to see the baby is moving and at the same time I understood that we have to take extra care in whatever we eat/move at all time.

What a wonderful parental love? I have heard a lot about parent-child relationship before but didn't understand until my own come. What an amazing feeling to think of having own biological child in this year 2010. The OG double confirmed due date that won't change from its initial forecast date of 10th August, 2010. What a coincident again? Twenty ten is special year for Myanmar nationals as there would be hold much anticipated election and the baby come such a period. Plus due date time fall on August that is always milestones month in Myanmar's history. Hopefully our baby come to us at the right time for the benefit of everybody.

I am adding one more wish in my prayer and that special wish is to ensure our incoming baby is good in health and possess all standard package as a normal baby. I hope my wish would be fulfilled in the mid of August, this year.....