Friday, April 30, 2010

The first morning in Asna

The Banana Trees Field:







The Five of Us from North America.












We got to see sunrise like this every morning...











--

Thursday, April 29, 2010

U of T - May 14 & 15: Buddhism and Diaspora Public Lectures at UTSC

In case you are interested:

Tung Lin Kok Yuen Perspectives on Buddhist Thought and Culture is pleased to be bringing two special guests to speak at University of Toronto Scarborough this May. Everyone is welcome to attend and admission is free.

On Friday, May 14th, Dr. Victor Hori will be speaking on “Buddhism: The Religion of Dispersion” at 7pm in Room AA 112 (Arts & Administration Building). There will be a free shuttle bus available to pick up attendees from the downtown area and return them back downtown after the lecture. The bus will leave from Hart House Circle at 5:30pm and return when the lecture is finished.

On Saturday, May 15th, Dr. Will Tuladhar-Douglas will be speaking on “Diaspora Buddhists Under a Scottish Nationalist Government” at 5pm in Room AA 112 (Arts & Administration Building). There will be a free shuttle bus available to pick up attendees from the downtown area and return them back downtown after the lecture. The bus will leave from Hart House Circle at 4pm and return when the lecture is finished.

***Space is limited for these lectures. Please RSVP to AEP to confirm your seat(s). ***

Our campus is located at 1265 Military Trail (Military Trail and Ellesmere).


If you have any other questions, please contact our office at 416 208-4769 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              416 208-4769      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email AEP


For more on Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, see http://buddhiststudies.chass.utoronto.ca/


------ The content of this message does not represent the views or opinions of the University of Toronto.

--

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Iceland Ash: More from Eyjafjallajokull

Sharing the following link with you:

As ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continued to keep European airspace shut down over the weekend, affecting millions of travelers around the world, some government agencies and airlines clashed over the flight bans. Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed now as airlines are pushing for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward, if at a slightly diminished rate now, as the dispersing ash plume has dropped closer to the ground, and the World Health Organization has issued a health warning to Europeans with respiratory conditions. Collected here are some images from Iceland over the past few days.


http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

U of T: May 3, 7-9: 'Living in the Face of Death: The Tibetan Tradition' with Glenn Mullin

In case you are interested:

Glenn H. Mullin is a Tibetologist, translator of classical Tibetan literature, and Buddhist writer and teacher. He is the author of over 20 acclaimed books on various aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, including the lives of the fourteen Dalai Lamas, tantric meditation systems, pilgrimage in Tibet, Buddhist art and ritual dance. In addition to his work as a translator and author, he has worked as a field specialist on several feature length films and several television documentaries dealing with Tibet, co-produced five albums of Tibetan ritual music, and organized Tibetan and Mongolian artist and monk tours across North America and Europe. Glenn Mullin continues to publish and tour regularly, as well as lead pilgrimage and cultural tours through Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia.

In this free public lecture, on Monday, May 3rd, 2010, from 7-9 pm, at the Jackman Humanities Building, Rm 100 (170 St George Street), Glenn Mullin will speak about topics from his new book 'Living in the Face of Death: The Tibetan Tradition'.

From the book: Whereas Western society views death as the last taboo, the Tibetan tradition incorporates meditation on death into everyday life. Tibetan Buddhists believe that a conscious awareness of one's own impermanence allows a person to live a happy, fulfilled life. 

Over the centuries the Tibetans have developed a wide-ranging literature on death, including inspirational poetry and prose, prayers, and practical works on caring for the dying.

This fascinating book presents nine short Tibetan texts. Important writings by the Second, Seventh, and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas, and by Karma Lingpa, author of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, are included. It covers topics such as meditation techniques to prepare for death, inspirational accounts of the deaths of saints and yogis, and methods for training the mind in the transference of consciousness at the time of death.

This event is sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Religion at the U of T.

For more news on Buddhist Studies at the U of T, please see our new website, at http://buddhiststudies.chass.utoronto.ca/

------ The content of this message does not represent the views or opinions of the University of Toronto.------

--

Monday, April 26, 2010

How to make some fresh air indoor...

This short TED.com video shows you how to use 3 common plants in the building to produce clean air. This is very important if you have allergy or respiratory problems.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/chi_hant/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air.html


--

Sunday, April 25, 2010

AT ASHA

Looking out from the room...





Inside the residence...















On the left is the Kitchen tent,
In the middle is the Dinning Hall,
On the right is the Yoga Hall.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

On the way to ASHA



At the train station, holy cows everywhere...













The fancy tour bus...









Taking off the shoes before entering the temple...

Friday, April 23, 2010

Amazing Anagrams

This has got to be one of the cleverest
E-mails I've received in awhile.
Someone out there
Must be "deadly" at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)!



PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER



ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER



DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT



THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE



GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE



THE MORSE CODE :
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS



DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM



SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME



ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY



ELECTION RESULTS :
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT



SNOOZE ALARMS :
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS ! NO MORE
Z'S



A DECIMAL POINT :
When you rearrange the letters:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE



THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE



ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE




AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:


MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER


Bet your friends haven't seen this one ! ! !

DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THIS

--

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"SHOULD I CHANGE TO PLEASE EVERYONE?"

I wrote a short note to my friends through email.

Beverly said that my message was too blunt.

So I reply with half joking, half seriousness: it is my habitual tendency, "SHOULD I CHANGE TO PLEASE EVERYONE?"--- that's my existential quest for today...

Beverly wrote back: " Well, I was making fun of you because I thought it was cute.
When you are the eldest of 5(or 6?) siblings and the mother of 5, you 've got to be "blunt" to get things done around the house!"

Anthony commented: "Which message was blunt? I guess I am so used to your bluntness that I don't notice anymore.

There are a few questions to raise your doubt:
SHOULD I CHANGE TO PLEASE EVERYONE;
IS IT DESIRABLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE, OR ANYONE;
SHOULD EVERYONE MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO PLEASE ONE ANOTHER;
these are some of the questions to ponder."

I felt so good to have friends that you can tease one another with...

----

Monday, April 19, 2010

It's a beautiful day today

Sharing the following email with you:


It's a beautiful day today

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.

He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.

He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.

He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said, but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.

The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.

Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?


Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what you have.

Be creative.

Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret.

Handle your present with confidence.

Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear.

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling.
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

Like it, share it ...

--

Sunday, April 18, 2010

40 yrs. later - The Vop Trapp Family

Sharing the following email with you:


40 Yrs Later: The 7 Children In 'The Sound of Music'

'The Sound of Music' won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced.

Remember the 7 children of the Von Trapp family?

They were having a reunion after 40 years
and all were looking healthy and amazingly well...


CURRENTLY...

It wouldn't be funny if it weren't so true... Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favourite Things" from the legendary movie "The Sound Of Music."

Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favourite things.
Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things..
When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favourite things..
Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,
When we remember our favourite things.
When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Ms.. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores. Please share Ms. Andrews' clever wit and humour with others who would appreciate it.

-- -

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The next morning...

Everyone loves taking pictures...




Luck that we could use a cart for luggage this time.


















The newspaper hawker.


--

Friday, April 16, 2010

Inside the train...

Getting ready...




The inside cabinets.













The hallway cabinet...

I don't think I will ever take an overnight train ride again. Once in a life-time is good enough.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Waiting for the midnight train...

I was amazed how people could sleep any where...




Some hard-earned money...



















It was a long wait.




--

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A Day of Mindfulness Meditation Retreat - May 8, 2010

In case you are interested:


Mindfulness and Insight Meditation Retreat
With Bhante Saranapala – Buddhist Monk & Meditation Teacher

Phap Van Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Centre of Ontario
420 Traders Blvd. (Off Kennedy Rd. – on Traders Blvd.),
Mississauga, ON L4Z 1W7

May 8 (Saturday), 2010

PROGRAM

9.00 a.m. Administering of 8 Precepts

9.15 a.m. Mindfulness (Samatha & Vipassana) Meditation (Introduction)

10.00 a.m. --- Break ---

10.15 a.m. Mindfulness Meditation Practice (Guided)

11.15 a.m. Meditation in Chanting (Offerings to the Buddha)

11.30 a.m. --- Lunch Break --- (Taking Lunch with Mindfulness)
--- Have your own lunch ---
12.15 p.m. Walking Meditation (Introduction & Practice)

1.00 p.m. Discourse on the Theme

2.00 p.m. --- Tea Break --- (Sipping Tea with Mindfulness)

2.30 p.m. Insight (Vipassana) Meditation (Silent)

3.30 p.m. Loving-kindness Meditation (Metta Bhavana)

4.00 p.m. Retreat Ends
________________________________________________
West End Buddhist Cultural Centre Dhamma-dana Project - May 2010
1569 Cormack Cr., Mississauga, ON L5E 2P8
Tel / Fax: 905-891-8412 E-mail: info@westendbuddhist.com
Web: www.westendbuddhist.com

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Chinese Community - Vipassana Info Session

In case you are interested:


Dear Chinese Students,

Information Session for Chinese Community

As most of you know, we are having a second Mandarin/English course this summer at the Vipassana Meditation Centre, June 30 - July 11, 2010.

We are providing an introductory talk by Goenkaji, explaining Vipassana meditation. Goenkaji's talk will have Chinese subtitles. There will also be a slideshow of the centre so that people can see what the centre looks like.

Date and location:
Wednesday, April 21
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.
Milliken Mills Library
7600 Kennedy Rd., Unit 1, Markham

(West side of Kennedy Road just South of 14th Avenue)
map

Please bring your friends to this talk if you think they might want to take a course in Vipassana meditation. It will help them understand what the course is about.

Link to poster and contact info

With Metta,
Your Friends at the Centre

info@torana.dhamma.org
www.torana.dhamma.org

--

Monday, April 12, 2010

A little poem...

from lkw:

splendid wonders of nature

All these natural happenings, so wonderful;
Us human beings, being here, is a miracle;
our universe itself is an even bigger miracle;
are all these complexities coincidental,
must all mysteries be miserable?
must things we don't understand be impossible?
and should our sky be purple?

lkw

--

Sunday, April 11, 2010

CAR JACKING TECHNIQUE

Sharing the following email with you:

Just last weekend on Friday night we parked in a public parking area. As we drove away I noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When I took it off after I got home, it was a receipt for gas. Luckily my friend told me not to stop as it could be someone waiting for me to get out of the car. Then we received this email yesterday:

WARNING FROM POLICE

THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN

BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE--
NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)'

Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating.... You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse.

When you look into the rear view mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view.. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car.

So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!


BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.


If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.

--

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The movie - "The Buddha"

My friend recommends the following DVD to me:

"The Buddha" a documentary film will be shown on PBS Houston (Channel 8) on April 7, 2010 at 7:00 PM Houston time. The film will be narrated by super star Richard Gere. I heard it is a good movie. Please look forward to it. And please forward to your friends who may be interested in it

For more info, please visit

http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/

--

Friday, April 9, 2010

Why we forward emails...

Sharing the forwarding email with you:

Sometimes, we wonder why?
friends keep forwarding emails to us without writing a word,
maybe this could explain:

When you are very busy,
but still want to keep in touch,
guess what you do - you forward emails!

When you have nothing to say,
but still want to keep in contact,
you forward emails!

When you have something to say,
but don't know what,
and don't know how,
you forward emails!

To let you know that:
you are still remembered,
you are still important,
you are still loved,
you are still cared for,
you are still wanted,
guess what you get?
A forwarded email from me.

So my friend, next time if you get an email,
don't think that I have sent you
just an email, but that...

I Have Thought of You Today!

Please Send This To Your Friends

To Let Them Know You're Thinking About Them.

And Don't Forget .....

Send It Back To Your Friends

Who Sent It To You To Let Them Know

You're Thinking About Them Too!

---

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Uof T -Buddhist Studies presentations.

In case you are interested:


University of Toronto/McMaster University Yehan Numata Program in Buddhist Studies presents

Friday, April 9, 2010
4-6 pm
Professor Isabelle Henrion-Dourcy (Université Libre de Bruxelles)
“From Page to Stage: A Few Thoughts on Tibetan Buddhist Drama (a-lce lha-mo)"
The Multifaith Center (Located in the Koffler House), 569 Spadina Ave

Saturday, April 10, 2010
4-6 pm
Marc des Jardins (Concordia University)
"Contemporary Bon and the Dynamics of Renewal in Eastern Tibet and A mdo"
The Multifaith Center (Located in the Koffler House), 569 Spadina Ave.

These lectures are being held in conjunction with the North American Buddhist Studies Graduate Student Conference, April 9-11 at the University of Toronto. See http://www.bsgconference.com/schedule.html for more details.

--


Sunday, April 4, 2010

How much do I know...

The other night my kids played a silly game. They asked one another a simple question: "Do you like A or B better?" The respondent had to answer as quick as possible with no or little thinking.

Silly questions like: "Do you like blank or white better", "Do you like romance or suspense movies?"

They asked me a few questions and I gave the answers as they expected, knowing the kind of person I was and being familiar with me.

Then they posted me this question: "Do you like rice or bread better?" I was stucked, I liked them both and could not pick a choice. It took me a long time to think and said: "I am indifference to both."

Few days later I told my mom this game and question. She surprised me by telling me that;" Of course you love bread much better. You eat spoonful of rice each day, and always give your rice to others. When it comes to bread, you can keep on eating until you are full."

She is right. Her perception is so true. How little do I know about myself or I should say: how little am I aware of my self.

The moral of the story is: being with myself all my life, I understand myself so little...

There are so many blind spots with our character and personality, it is only through the eyes of others (like a mirror) that we can discover our weakness and improve our strength.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

GOD exists

The other night I read a book on Bhagavadgita, the author mentioned that Bhagavad stands for GOD. G stands for Generator, O- Operator, D- Destroyer.

Generator is the force of creating/generating, Operator is the force for applying/operating, Destroyer is the force of destructing/destroying.

In certain tradition of Hinduism, Lord Krisha is the Generator, Lord Vishnu is the Operator and Lord Shiva is the Destroyer. In their temples, there are 3- storey for the 3 lords. Krisha in the upper level, Vishnu in the ground/main level, and Shiva in the underground/lower level. The 3 statuses of the 3 Lords are situated vertically in the same column on the 3 levels, they represents the 3 forms of GOD or Surpreme Being. For any being or any form that exists it will have these 3 attributes of GOD.

In this definition of the term GOD, it is the TRUTH and it always exists. Nothing with forms can escape the process of generation, operation and destruction.

--

Friday, April 2, 2010

Western Cafe


Finally something modern...














So happy we can have a coffee...











A Latte indeed...

Thursday, April 1, 2010