Peace Is All We Need & Strive For In Life

Sha and Jen were visiting from Kuala Lumpur (KL). While Sha is a frequent visitor to this retro Penang island (that I can almost crown her as a half Penangite by now), Jen had not been up here close to a decade already. And so one of the places Jen wished to visit for this trip (she wants to visit again), was the Kek-Lok-Si temple.

Clockwise from left :
The pagoda of Kek-Lok-Si ; View from inside the incline-lift looking down from top ;
The Omnipresent Bodhisatva deity statue ; Stone carved rabbit from the 12 Chinese zodiac animals

The towering 30.2m Goddess of Mercy statue

Kek-Lok-Si with its famous pagoda, temples and of course, the definite star attraction – the Goddess of Mercy bronze tall statue.

Some of the deities' statues...

'Wishing-Ribbons' - purchase a strip of ribbon, different color represents
different wishes-offerings, write a person's name on it, tied it on the wishing-tree'

I've always like to play tour guide to newbie explorers coming to this historical and cultural place of interest. Explaining the history, touring every floor leading up to the temples, going in to every memorabilia shops - in short, checking out every corner of the huge multi-tiered pagoda and clustered temples. And all these activities will usually eat up 2-3 hours if I do make the ‘tourists’ aka friends, to really explore, admire, snap photos and taking short rests in between.

The pavilion built over a man-made pond with its beautiful koi fish

The serene and well-kept lawn beside the pavilion

By then, I usually don't have the time or energy left anymore to take in the beauty and serenity of the place for myself. And I don’t go visiting on my own unless I have an unofficial ‘tour guide’ task to perform.

But, this time around, Sha was there and had been to Kek-Lok-Si a few times. She knew the way around. So she guided Jen with her. With that, I had time – actually quite much time to myself. And I took the chance to do some quiet reminiscences and retrospections while walking around.

Candles offering area, just outside the prayer hall where i was in.

I ended up strolling into one of the prayer halls located at the mid level of the temple area leading to the main pagoda. The prayer hall was empty. The monks had already finished their chanting I guess. They do that a few times a day as I understand – prayers and blessings for the devotees.

A photo file from a few years back - taken when the monks were chanting prayers
in the exact same prayer hall.

The moderate spacious hall felt quiet and remote amidst the noises, hustle and bustle of people’s interactions just outside. The visitors and tourists were all slow-walking around the hall but no one step a foot in although some did peep inside but that was all. And of course by then I realised I was the only one in there. I decided to ignore the outside distractions. So I chose a spot at a corner of the hall to sit. I sat facing the deities.

I captured this moment, from where I was sitting, at the corner

I had wanted to relax, to meditate a bit. I almost succeeded when someone, just at the exact moment, had to hit the temple’s suspended gong nearby. And the resulting gong’s sound-wave reverberated into the hall, ending in echoes. I could feel my eyes darting around the hall, up at ceiling and down to the tiled floor, resonating with the echoes. I lost focus.

Somehow I decided I didn't want to be at present with the moment anymore. So I let my thoughts fly - aimlessly. And it wandered briefly before settling on a distant memory of some 15 years ago. My heart sorrowed and I debated whether I should dig in on the memory further. I relented.

Why did the memory came back so clearly after such long years had passed? Well actually, I caught the sight of a few kneeling-stools lined in a horizontal row - right in the middle of the hall - directly facing the Gods. The stools.

It brought me back to that precise day – where he was kneeling on one of the similar stools, placing his palms together upright, head bowed with eyes closed in prayer mode.

I asked him after he had finished praying, “Why did you kneel and pray to the Gods – Chinese pagan Gods!” I wanted him to explain, also in part wanting to chastise him because he’s a Christ follower. And so am I. Only difference is, he was a born Christian, while I, a convert - from the same Chinese pagan Gods religion – the exact same one which I’m chastising him for.

He looked at me blankly. He was still in kneeling position. He stood up and said ‘‘They are all the same. When I pray, I’m not praying to the statues. I’m praying to the omnipresent force which is beyond the statues, in which the latter is only an embodiment of the force, nothing more.”

Some sense had been put in me. Somehow deep in me, I knew it was a truth, a truth I knew almost all along.  But I was still livid. Maybe my newly self-superiority ego had been put in place. And I didn’t like it, cause I was a new convert at that time. I had to ‘show’ something of myself to prove it.’

But also at the same time, came a little silent question that bugged me in my head. Had I turned into one of ‘them’? ‘Them’ - the exact kind of people, the-holier-than-thou attitude that had once repelled and deter me from converting in the first place? …….

Time must have elapsed quite much. My mind had flew too far, too deep, causing me to jolt when my phone buzzed. A message from Sha, prompting me to head to the main entrance of the main temple outside. She and Jen had finished their walkabout in the temples and pagodas and they were waiting for me.

I got up. Before I put my foot out from the hall, I turned around and looked once again to the stool and thought, I've grown so much mentally, emotionally and spiritually since. And yet I've still so much to learn.

Though my journey with EW, the very man that knelt on that stool, had far long ended. But my journey with omnipresent God is still a beautiful on-going journey. A story that has so much more still to be told.

The resident chubby cat of Kek Lok Si - staying close with its owner in one of the
memorabilia shops.

(will be continued - Snippet 2 …)

Soul Nurturing - My Top Three Songs For The Year

*LOVE*

*PEACE*

*LIGHT N BLESSINGS*

I Have Surrendered My Puffs

photo credited - www

It had just crossed my mind that I had not held a ciggy to my mouth for like more than couple of years already. Off lately, somehow the lips and lungs feel like want to acquire back the taste of the smoky inhalation.

And it has to be a menthol. Either Salem or Dunhill will be fine. No, no Marlboro though. Don't like and don't know why. Not brand prejudice, just not the acquired taste.

Other names ? Never tried, never wanted to try anyhow. Just one thing - inhaled once a Gudang Garam (eon years back) - yanked out that alien stick from my mouth immediately - I would've spit it out unladylike-ly if not for my formal office suit I was donning --> have to preserve working image (*smirk*), some more was at my working place - which has a, so called - 'prestigious' ambiance. (*double-smirk*)

That taste from the Gudang Garam (GG) brand is foul - at least to me ! Unspeakably strong. And people say this production had more tar in it than others. Whether verified or not - I don’t know.

And that once you get accustomed to GG's inhalation, you will find that other brands are too mild in comparison, and just don't have the same 'KicK'. So, in the end, you will be going back to GG more and more, and MoRE !

Therefore, it's very bad, very very bad - to health. Not that smoking other brands is not as bad - it is. Just that perhaps GG may be far more detrimental. So, if you are already an existing smoker, but yet a GG acquired - stay away okay? Why put yourselves in a deeper health scare than you probably or may be already in. (*triple-smirk*)

I know - that includes me. But no, I am not a heavy or chain smoker, just a social smoker - if you know what that terminology means. Well, like - one pack of ciggy of 14 sticks (during those days they have that) - I will only 'use' half of it in a duration of say - a month? And the rest will be left to 'rot' .. i.e. become soggy, cause most of the times I don't have the urge to puff. Unlike commonly for most serial or serious puffers - I deal with stress in a different way ..

Well? Still can't comprehend?  Try again. Hmmm ...

Welcome 2012 !!

A new year has dawned, 

Farewell 2011,

Hope year 2012 will be a better one for me.

Welcome New-Year, Welcome New-Beginnings

(^_^)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, will you? Please ?

Will you really promise me not to smoke Gudang Garam cigarettes again? It is very strong - I don't want you to be further addicted to smoking than you already are now. It is not good for your health. 


I know you had said you won't smoke it again - and I hope you can keep your word on this. Cause this concerns your health. And I don't want to have your health deteriorated prematurely. I want to be able to see you around, be near me, until you are well into your golden age. 


So, will you? Please ?

What A Women Wants, If Only Men Realise It

Women generally just want to be made to feel she's important, cherished, appreciated, loved, cared, a priority (not necessary need to be the highest) in their loved one's life, heart and actions ...

 ~ eVe ~

That's not too much to ask for, is it ? 

A male acquaintance commented that .. "we (women) are asking for the sun"... 

I told him, "No, we are merely asking for a normal sunshine." 

I Went Away ..

The more than a week long holidays that I had taken recently, was really good to my emotional wellbeing. Though I had put on a bit of weight during that time from feasting too much, overloading my stomach. 


But I had a great rest – a mental one that is. People say if you find yourself in a rut whether mentally, emotionally or even spiritually – it's best to go away somewhere – for a breather, sort of like removing yourself from the uninspiring place that you are in, to another place with different view, different scenery, different surroundings, and that it might just channel your mentality, emotionally or spiritually into a more focused state. For spiritual aspect, you have got to find a more serene quiet place.


Back to me, I had felt I had been able to conclude on a few decisions that had to be made, on some issues of my life, issues I felt had been hovering over my head – waiting and lingering for an answer, in which I had difficulties coming to one. So, it worked out well in the end. I do think now I have a clearer inkling on where I should be heading now at this point of my life – mentally, emotionally and spiritually.


Below are a few pictures of my getaways ..


1) I-City

2) Colmar Tropicale

God Bless The Japanese Tsunami Victims

The recent earthquake (on March 11, 2011) in Japan that resulted in a major tsunami which caused a terrible massive flood is indeed utterly devastating. Nature's wrath is indeed unpredictable and unforeseeable.

That goes just to show what we have long known but choose to take it lightly – that human life is really fragile. One minute we're breathing, the next minute we might probably be gone. Well, the old time sayings of 'Take each day to enjoy it as if it's the last day of your life' may hold useful and relevant come to think of it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan – especially the ones who are directly suffering the calamities and the ones indirectly suffering in which perhaps their loved ones are greatly affected.

My prayers to the victims ...

Amen.

My Focus !

One thing I would like to thoroughly change myself is to have the mighty ability to remain focus on the current state of tasks or thoughts or even moods/emotions ESPECIALLY when I sit down to write.


Thoughts, ideas, inspirations seem to come as fast as they could go too. That's what usually gets me very, very frustrated. I could not hold on to it fast enough to narrate it down. My focus ... The first few sentences are often the toughest ones for me. That's why I can never be a technical writer.. I excel very much in creative writing.

Gone were the days when carefree leisurely mood dictates my writings of stories/topics. Or perhaps I haven't dug enough deep down inside just yet. Or perhaps I'm afraid too. Or maybe I'm unconsciously evading because I don't want to? But then I will have too..

Because my writing desk has a nice and inspiring view now that I've shifted it near the window.

I could see sunrise, Komtar, Pg Bridge, Pg ferry (albeit 2cm in size - ^.^), planes cruising over and by, birds flying high, the blue sea, view of Seberang Perai, and last but not least, the best part - large white clouds in a vast of clear blue sky just above me whenever I lift my head up high...

I have no excuse now not to write more and write better as well ... I'll force myself if I have too..

Au Revoir 2010 ; Happy New Year 2011 ..

This Year 2011 is my Year -> Rabbit !! So, everyone - be NICE to me !!

Esp Tiger n Dragon - or I wont give u carrots... Hehe..

As for Horse n Snake - I juz want to say I adore u both ..

And as for my Pig (well, wat more can I say) - "Te Amo".. very absolutely !!!

Other animals - hmmmm... I'm ok wz all of U.. !!

AND ultimately - to all my fellow Rabbit-ians ... It is our Year !!! Lets stand United - may tis year bring more luck, health, love n prosperity to us ALL !!! .... Hahahahaha!!!

By the way ... what do u think of my new NEW YEAR shirt arh ??? (^o^) ..

Happy New Year everyone !!! ♥ ♥ ♥