Shakie, Shakie, Shakie

Forest Gym

Hao Ran, 10-weeks old, exploring the forest gym - gift from Grandma's friend.

Seems fascinated with the giraffe hanging from a tree branch...

Hang on, what's a giraffe doing hanging from a tree branch?!

Can't wait to show him a real giraffe...

A for Apple

"Of course we have to use words and thoughts. They have their own beauty - but do we need to become imprisoned in them?"

- Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose"


"The quicker you are in attaching verbal or mental labels to things, people, or situations, the more shallow and lifeless your reality becomes, and the more deadened you become to reality, the miracle of life that continuously unfolds within and around you."


"The fact is: You don't know what it is. You have only covered up the mystery with a label. Everything, a bird, a tree, even a simple stone, and certainly a human being, is ultimately unknowable."

Who am I?

Hao Ran and Nyla...five days apart.

Thank you, Nad and Des, for the precious gift, they both look good in it!


'What you usually refer to when you say "I" is not who you are.'
- Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose"

Where am I?

"Heaven is not a location."

- Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose"

Ear!

Ear is for listening...

Ear is for listening closely...

Ear is for listening for the heart's deepest desires...

Ear is for listening to the silence, to the gaps between words...

One with Life

"There are three words that convey the secret of the art of living, the secret of all success and happiness: One with Life.

Being one with life is being one with Now. You then realize that you don't live your life, but life lives you.

Life is the dancer, and you are the dance."

by Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose."

A New Earth

"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.

How do you know this is the experience you need?

Because this is the experience you are having at this moment."




"When you yield internally, when you surrender, a new dimension of consciousness opens up.

If action is possible or necessary, your action will be in alignment with the whole and supported by creative intelligence, the unconditioned consciousness which in a state of inner openness you become one with. Circumstances and people then become helpful, cooperative. Coincidences happen.

If no action is possible, you rest in the peace and inner stillness that come with surrender. You rest in God."


by Eckhart Tolle in his new book "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose"

Happy Vesak Day!

My first hair-cut, 8 weeks after birth.

Took three people to do it - grandma holds me, mum cuts and grandpa collects the cut hair, in case we want to turn them into a calligraphy brush in the future. I was sleeping quite soundly then. Do you like it? Grandma thinks I look even more boyish and grown-up with this crew cut...

Happy Mothers' Day!!!

Hi! Hi! Hi!!!

Hey-o, hello, hello...

Mr and Mrs Eyrich,
I just want to tell you...
what I'm trying to say...
now let me see if I can
find the words to say it...

Hi! Hi! Hi!

Well, what I mean
to say is, "THANK YOU!!!"

For your lovely elephant card!!!

My mummy and daddy,
and grandpa and grandma,
everyone likes it very much!
So do I!!!

Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

Mmm...If I can get my hands on it,

I'll like to lick it and

find out how it tastes like!

Mum, where's my dinner?!

Heh-ay!

Please help these three-year retreatants!

Please help the three-year retreatants
at Vadra Mountain Meditation Centre Bodh Ashram
in ALMORA, INDIA!!!

See appeal below from Lenny Lim:

Dear Dharma Friends,

TASHI DELEK!

We seek your help, your kind contribution towards the extension of VISA for 4 RETREATANTS, namely Grace Yeo, Foo Yam Koon, Toh Soo Ming & Chevy Tan.

They are now in their 3 YEARS SOLITARY RETREAT in Vadra Mountain Meditation Centre Bodh Ashram in ALMORA, INDIA, with effect from 15th January 2008 . Their daily schedule includes various practices starting 4am til 10pm.

For more info on the 3 years retreat they are in, please visit : http://drikung3yearretreat.com

Currently they are only granted with a 6 months tourist visa which will be expiring soon. They are trying various ways to get their VISA EXTENDED TO CONTINUE THEIR 3 YEARS RETREAT.

To do so, all of them needed a total of at least SGD $10,000, TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. (about SGD $2, 5000 each)

It's quite difficult to obtain the student visa. Also, X visa which are only applicable to those doing social/religious work could be difficult to obtain and are subject to interview at the consulate in Nepal, especially with the unpredictable political climate now. Currently, the time left for the renewal of visa is very limited.

In addition, the chances of getting it approved if they don't know the inside people' is very very slim. Hence, they need to engage agent to get the deal done at the consulate, resulting in high cost involved in the extension of VISA. When all fails, they will have to return to SINGAPORE and their efforts would be fruitless.

Since they obtained the precious opportunity to practise Buddhadharma in soliditary retreat in a holy place, we would like to seek your help and support to create the conditions for them to complete their retreat. Please help for a good cause, a little support to those great retreatants. Their practice and completion of the 3 years retreat will be the greatest form of gratitude and repayment towards all kind Dharma friends and mother sentient beings.

We hope to raise the funds for them by 8 May 08 and transfer the money over as soon as possible.

FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO HELP, please forward your name, email & amount contributed, to:

Name: Lenny Lim
Mobile: 9799 8292
Email: bilberry@pacific.net.sg
Fund transfer to Acc No: POSB 050-10085-5

All funds collected will be accounted for and will be informed to all kind sponsors and the retreatants will be informed of your kindness. We thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity.

For any further enqueries or clarification, please feel free to contact Lenny Lim @ 9799 8292, or Kenneth Tan @ 9879 9380.

May all be blessed by the Triple Gems. Om Mani Padme Hung!

With Prayers
Lenny Lim

P.S. PLEASE DO NOT TRANSFER ANY FUND TO THE ACCOUNT NO. ABOVE AFTER 8TH MAY 08 TO AVOID COMPLICATION!


More details are as follows:

Dear Dharma Friends,

Through the many kind queries concerning about the retreatants and their visa issues, we hereby would like to share more about it to all kind Dharma friends who are keen to help, to the best of our knowledge.

VISA ISSUE
As they were granted only with a 6 month tourist Visa which is the usual maximum period that could be obtained here, the extension of their visa can only be done in India or Nepal. Application for a 3 years visa is not easily obtainable, reasons as follow. The retreat centre they are in is not a registered centre, hence application for student visa or spiritual social work visa are not applicable. As a result, they have to seek help from a recommended Agent, situated in Nepal who know people from the consulate who can get things done. Hence due to the agent fee, the extension for a 3 year visa are more costly. All of the retreatants including foreigners from other countries have to do their visa extension there through their own means. There are five retreatants from Singapore which one of them already have had his fund ready and that's why we are trying to raise fund only for the four of them. Once the fund are transferred over, they will travel down to Nepal to meet the agent and get their visa extended soonest they could.

MORE ABOUT THE RETREATANTS
For those questions about the retreatants, we would like to share a little more with our own findings and perception. They are namely Grace Yeo, Foo Yam Koon, Toh Soo Ming, Chevy Tan and Leslie Khoo. All of these 5 Great Retreatants have had attended many years of the 100 Million Mani Recitation Retreat in Singapore which was led by H.E. Drubwang Rinpoche, Tulku Rabsang Rinpoche, H.E. Thritsab Rinpoche & also the most recent one by H.E Garchen Rinpoche before they depart in January 2008. Most of them have had received many other Dharma teachings from many Great Vajra Masters from various lineage through the past many years, also have had done and or completed many other short retreats in Singapore and overseas. Also, most of them have had already completed and or started their Ngondro, the four foundation? or called the preliminary practices? Five Fold Mahamudra? Khandro Nyingthik? and so forth commitment? We have seen their faith and diligent effort in learning and practicing the Dharma through the years, also volunteered in many Dharma and care centres, leading a very simple life in accordance with the Dharma through the years.

3 YEARS RETREAT APPLICATION
As there are only limited vacancies for the 3 years solitary retreat conducted every 3 years, the application to be in the retreat wasn't an easy task itself. They have to do their application, being interviewed and checked on their past learning, their practices and masters before they are qualified for the retreat.

To the question of why not approaching their own family members for help as the reason could be :- They are supposed to leave some money for their dependant which was one of the requirement, especially for those retired parents. Also, it could be their family members who are not Buddhist and are of other religion and hence don't really understand what they are doing, or maybe their family have limited resources. Anyway, we are all from a big Buddhist family and are contributing for the sake of Dharma.

THEIR PRACTICES, OUTER AND MIND CONDITIONS IN THE RETREAT

Their good practices have left them with a good condition to be in such great solitary retreat, to condition themselves further and much closer towards enlightenment for the benefit of one's own parents, also past parents whom are sentient beings in the six realms.

Cutting themselves off from all worldly concerns and activities, leaving their career, close ones, family and friends, preparing and are going through the intensive practices in the retreat despite all mental, physical and emotional pains with true renunciation.

Their practices starts at 4am and end 10pm which they have to prepare their own simple meals, still maintaining and consume only self made vegetarian meal despite the strenuous practices engaged.

All activities will be done alone in their own room which include cooking, washings, daily practices and also bearing the pains from the change of climate as there isn't any warm heater during winter nor air-con and not even a fan during the hot summer. Our most simple plain vegetarian meal here are not what they can get to enjoy there.

CLARITY OF THE FUND RAISED
The funds received will all be accounted for and mail will be send to all kind Dharma friends with name and amount contributed while forwarding the mail to kind Venerable, to be name later after the fund are transferred.

Sorry as we have to keep these mails very transparent as we are not organisation but just Dharma Friends whom initiated this due to their URGENT NEED WITH LIMITED TIME and hence sorry for exposing all email addresses. We apologise should this cause you any inconvenience.

Also our apologies to them for disclosing their identities as we initiated this fund raising for them without having their approval as communication is very difficult due to their tight schedule and urgency but with the motivation of keeping them in the retreat, also a better peace of mind for a better concentration on their retreat.

So dear Dharma brothers and sisters, we do hope you have a better understanding after reading and can stretch out your compassionate hands spontaneously to help them clear this little obstacle, for a good cause wishing them also with our good prayers for them to continue and complete the retreat successfully.

With their appreciative mind, we are very sure they will receive any little contribution with much gratitude, also our good wishes will be great encouragement to them. Thank you for all the questions, time reading this mail and all your kindness too. Please help to forward out this mail as we are running short of time.

May all of us progress positively and swiftly with the blessings from all Gurus, the Triple Gem.

With Prayers and gratitude,
Lenny Lim & Kenneth Tan

Hic...

Hao Ran getting ready for his afternoon nap on the rocker...

Apparently unaffected by the pounding noise of renovation works in one of the flats in our apartment block. Or by his hiccups. Cutely enough, he was trying to carry on his conversation with me through his hiccups. Makes me laugh...

Hao Ran at 7-weeks-old

Playing with musical mobile this morning.

Popiah Wrap

Week 3 - Swaddling after a bath.

Please note: No baby is abused during the filming of this. Swaddling helps a baby feel tight and secure, as if back in the womb. Just like adults, when our mind feels unsettled, having a fixed routine in life helps to settle us down and make us feel secure.


This video and the one previously "Smiling in Grandpa's arms" were taken when he was three weeks old. Was not successful in uploading them onto blogspot then. The idea of posting them on YouTube and then embedding the links here came to me just yesterday.

He is now 7-weeks-old and whooping 4.3kg (weighed 4 days ago at Kinderclinic) and 56cm in height (which is 1/3 my height at less than 2-months-old!!!) More videos coming up...


Want to thank Michael, Linda and Evan for their generous and thoughtful gift of a digital camera when I was at Diamond Mountain last Fall, still pregnant with Hao Ran then. Your gift has allowed me to record these precious moments with Hao Ran, and to share them online with friends. A million thanks!!!

Smiling in Grandpa's Arms

Unconditional Love

When you cry, we feed you.
When you cry after we feed you, we burp you.
When you cry after that, we change your diapers.
When you cry after that, we entertain you.
When you cry after that, we hold you until you sleep
When you wake up and cry after we put you down in your bed,
we continue to carry you in our arms until you fall asleep again.
When you cry again after we put you down in your bed,
we carry you some more, and again, and again and again...
until you finally stay asleep in your bed.

8am in the morning,
11am in the morning,
2pm in the afternoon,
5pm in the evening,
8pm at night,
11pm at night,
5am in the wee hours...

Whenever you need us, we are there for you.
When your mum is asleep, eating, taking a shower,
using the toilet, out with friends, on the internet,
we are there for you and
we are there for her.

When you are not crying, I play with you.
When you are crying, I still play with you.

Someone told me once, "When you have a baby,
you'll develop bodhicitta."

Now that I have a baby,
I discover the
incredible kindness of my parents.
Repay them?
Impossible!

天地有正气，于人曰浩然

Recently, his dad revealed another meaning to his name.

Hao Ran 浩然，in an ancient poem 《正气歌》 written by a famous Song dynasty general Wen Tian Xiang 文天祥 in a prison cell in 1281，means roughly this:

"The (positive/righteous) energy of heaven and earth as it manifests as a human being."



《正气歌》为南宋名臣文天祥所作。宋末帝赵昺祥兴元年（1278年），文天祥在广东海丰兵败被俘。次年被押解至元大都（今北京）。文天祥在狱中三年，受尽各种威逼利诱，但始终坚贞不屈。1281年夏，在湿热、腐臭的牢房中，文天祥写下了与《过零丁洋》一样名垂千古的《正气歌》。他在自序中说道：

余囚北庭，坐一土室，室广八尺，深可四寻，单扉低小，白间短窄，污下而幽暗。当此夏日，诸气萃然：雨潦四集，浮动床几，时则为水气；涂泥半朝，蒸沤历澜， 时则为土气；乍晴暴热，风道四塞，时则为日气；檐阴薪爨，助长炎虐，时则为火气；仓腐寄顿，陈陈逼人，时则为米气；骈肩杂遝，腥臊汗垢，时则为人气；或圊 溷、或毁尸、或腐鼠，恶气杂出，时则为秽气。叠是数气，当之者鲜不为厉。而予以孱弱，俯仰其间，於兹二年矣，幸而无恙，是殆有养致然尔。然亦安知所养何 哉？孟子曰：「吾善养吾浩然之气。」彼气有七，吾气有一，以一敌七，吾何患焉！况浩然者，乃天地之正气也，作正气歌一首。

《正气歌》

天地有正气，杂然赋流形。下则为河岳，上则为日星。于人曰浩然，沛乎塞苍冥。
皇路当清夷，含和吐明庭。时穷节乃见，一一垂丹青。在齐太史简，在晋董狐笔。
在秦张良椎，在汉苏武节。为严将军头，为嵇侍中血。为张睢阳齿，为颜常山舌。
或为辽东帽，清操厉冰雪。或为出师表，鬼神泣壮烈。或为渡江楫，慷慨吞胡羯。
或为击贼笏，逆竖头破裂。是气所磅礴，凛烈万古存。当其贯日月，生死安足论。
地维赖以立，天柱赖以尊。三纲实系命，道义为之根。嗟予遘阳九，隶也实不力。
楚囚缨其冠，传车送穷北。鼎镬甘如饴，求之不可得。阴房阗鬼火，春院闭天黑。
牛骥同一皂，鸡栖凤凰食。一朝蒙雾露，分作沟中瘠。如此再寒暑，百疠自辟易。
嗟哉沮洳场，为我安乐国。岂有他缪巧，阴阳不能贼。顾此耿耿在，仰视浮云白。
悠悠我心悲，苍天曷有极。哲人日已远，典刑在夙昔。风檐展书读，古道照颜色。



And as the brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor discovered (see here), we are all energies manifesting in different forms. The boundaries we draw around what is ours and what is not ours are just that...boundaries we set up. Peace reigns when we drop the boundaries...

"Dropping"

Writing by Asako Takami, discovered by Ralph, her boyfriend, after her passing on. Sharing courtesy of Jaki-Hla.

We recovered some writing from asako, written a year or so after she started dancing, discovered odissi..

"Dancing" Asako Takami
May 1983 Tagore festival

"There is no single day that I do not think about poetry."

This is a quote from the poet, Daigaku Horiguchi, that I read in a newspaper a long time ago. It has been in my heart all this time and won't go away.I think his heart, kokoro, is so beautiful because of what he says in this single line.

Someone who always puts his/her thought deeply on one thing, no matter what it is about, I think that is beautiful. Whether one thinks about poetry or dance, it will take us to the same place.

Recently I feel something is dropping from my body while I dance. There is something dropping from my soles and the tips of my fingers. Now, I can say that dancing is the work of "dropping" to me. As I am dropping with all my effort, I am feeling certain things; what is the most important thing in everyday life, which direction I shall go, will all take a clear form.

"There is no single day that I do not think about dance."
Someday, I wish to say that from my heart.



And Ralph concluded at the end, "and finally, there was not a single day she did not think about dance."

Thank you for teaching us all the time, Asako-Hla!
Even when you are not physically here with us,
your thoughts and teachings will stay in our hearts forever...

Simple Life, Great Master

I cry when I'm in discomfort.
I smile when I'm happy.
I eat when I'm hungry.
I sleep when I'm tired.

Every moment is as it is.
Life couldn't be simpler.