遇見更好的自己 - 黑幼龍, 書軒講座

黑幼龍書軒講座：遇見更好的自己

影音網址：

20100814-1《靜思書軒。 心靈講座》遇見更好的自己 (上)

20100814-2《靜思書軒。 心靈講座》遇見更好的自己 (上)

20100821 1《靜思書軒。心靈講座》遇見更好的自己 (下)

20100821 2《靜思書軒。心靈講座》遇見更好的自己 (下)

Spoilt for Choice, to the Max

From a friend via email:

Once while visiting a very rich friend, the maid approached me and.....

Question : "What would you like to have....? Fruit juice, Soda, Tea, Chocolate, Capuccino, Frapuccino, or Coffee?"

Answer : " Tea please"

Question : " Ceylon tea, Indian tea, Herbal tea, Bush tea, Honey bush tea, iced tea or green tea?"

Answer : " Ceylon tea"

Question : "How would you like it? Black or white?

Answer : "white"

Question : "Milk, or fresh cream?

Answer : "With milk"

Question : "Goat's milk, or cow's milk"

Answer : "With cow's milk please.

Question : "Freezeland cow or Afrikaner cow?"

Answer : "Um, I'll just take it black."

Question : "Would you like it with sweetener, sugar or honey?"

Answer : "With sugar"

Question : "Beet sugar or cane sugar?"

Answer : "Cane sugar"

Question : "White, brown or yellow sugar?"

Answer : "Forget about the tea, just give me a glass of water instead."

Question : "Mineral water, tap water or distilled water?"

Answer : "Mineral water"

Question : "Flavored or non-flavored?"

Answer : "I think I'll just die of thirst"!

Death in Hard Perspective

I did a quick math yesterday, and the answer is quite revealing.

We know the world population is about 6 billion. Assuming average lifespan of 80 years, we know that after 80 years, the entire population will be dead. Here is the statistics that follows:

World population	6,000,000,000
Death per year (÷80)	75,000,000
Death per day (÷365)	205,479

That means everyday about 200 thousand people die everyday. That is about the number of people that was wiped out during the last South Asia tsumani. It is like that terrifying tsunami happening everyday.

We are not aware of this number because it is not reported in the media, simply because those deaths are not newsworthy.

But it is happening everyday and all of us will be the part of the statistics one day, regardless of who you are and what you have.

Copy Exactly

“Copy Exactly!” is a philosophy used by some companies, notably Intel, to quickly duplicate the process capabilities that are proven working in the lab into the production environment. The “!” mark behind the two words emphasizes the unquestionable copying – just copy, don’t think!

The key benefit is fast volume ramp. However, some time this sort of practice can be a laughing stock. There were times that you find some computers used in the production floor having full multimedia features, just because the computers used in the lab had them.

Nowadays Copy Exactly is frowned upon. That term has gained a bad name because it didn’t allow people to think. People have learnt its wisdom and benefit, and have let go of it.

Brand Awareness

The Art of Learning

I can’t put “The Art of Learning” down once I started reading it. It answers so many of my questions about learning. Since I name this blog “Growinglane”, you can guess how serious I am about personal growth.

Here is what you can (and should) do: (i) watch the video “Searching for Bobby Fischer” – it’s about how Joshua learn and excelled at Chess; (ii) Read more about Joshua on the internet – in Wikipedia, and his foundation website, (ii) read “The Art of Learning”. (iii) After you are through reading the book, watch this video:

Tzu Chi Recycle at Desa Relau 1 (14 March 2010)

<From Tzu Chi via email>

Please be informed we will have the Recycling Program on coming Sunday morning. 
Date:            14 March 2010   (Sunday)
Time:           9.00 am - 12.00 pm
Venue:          Desa Relau I (Taman Desa Relau, 5-storey apartment) ( Address: 1, Lebuh Relau 2, Taman Desa Relau,11900  Penang) 

Here are the recyclable items:-
1.         紙類 Paper   
2.         塑料 Plastic  
3.         鋁罐 Aluminium can                           
4.         鐵罐/鐵類 Metal can/Iron item
5.         玻璃瓶 Bottle   
6.         舊衣物 Cloth     
7.         舊家電 Electrical Waste 
8.         乾電池 Battery   
You are welcome to invite your friend to join this event.

Bliss is Intense Focus

It is not difficult to see this pattern: when we immerse in activities that draw our full attention, we experience the ultimate happiness – the bliss.

The top of the list:

• Travelling to a new attractive place
• Playing computer games
• Watching very interesting movies
• Playing board games, such as chess
• Playing intensive sports, such as football, badminton, table tennis, etc.
• Practicing Tai Chi, Yogo
• Totally absorbed in your breathing during your meditation
• Writing an article
• Programming a software
• Engaging in an intresting SMS or IM
• Reading newspaper in the morning

Our minds fell most at home in absolute absorption. It is like fish dwells in water. The more our minds concentrate, the more joy we experience.

Actually, the mind is not that difficult to please. Have you noticed a child can get totally satisfied when given a new toy? The mind of the child will be totally absorbed in exploring the new toy – at least for a while. That short while is his/her happiest moment.

Even though we have grown up, that propensity of the mind has not gone away. We keep giving ourselves new toys: latest clothes, hair styles, phones and gadgets, latest novels and movies, and latest seminars. Some of us who are more adventurous go further: latest sport cars, latest jobs, and latest vacation tour, latest girl/boy friends, latest religion, and latest businesses.

But the real deal with the mind is simple: as long as it is given a chance to fully engage with something, it is happy. It doesn’t know the difference between luxury and simplicity. That explains why many poor people are happy.

Yet not many people understand that. Most of us still think that better and more expensive toys make us happier. We should not be surprised at all. The capitalist society is designed to make us desire for more and more, so that the GDP will continue to rise. The advertisements keep telling us we will be happier if, and only if, we eat at McDonald, ware Poh Kong jewelry, drive a BMW, use iPhone, have totally flawless and silky hair with Pantene, be a Manchester United fan, and etc.

Until we find a better ideology that is better than capitalism, we will need to understand and manage the effects of capitalism on us – it will keep telling us that we will be happy “only if …”

In short, happiness is not a function of the “toys” we have. Marketers will keep telling us it is. The mind is simple and unsophisticated thing, just give it something meaningful to engage, it will be happy, and we in turn will be happy.

Turn a Hypocritical CSR to Genuine One

This is posted about two months ago: Michael Porter talked about how we can genuinely and effectively carry out CSR. The good news (and the key message) is that CSR is not in conflict with profitability, rather, they support each other.

Retreat goes Online

Firstly, our family duties often prevent us from being absent from home for several days. Secondly, we might not be able to find a suitable teacher. Note that I avoided saying “good” teacher because different people find some teachers more helpful than others. One very important factor for learning in spiritual development is the language. For instance, most English-speaking people have problem understanding translated texts/speeches, and vice-versa.

Time has changed. Now you can go online for retreats. I have been following the US medication community for some years now. One of my favorite teachers and authors Sharon Salzberg is leading an online retreat.

If you haven’t got chance to go for retreat, maybe you can give it a try, here.