My Quotes

Humanity
There are 4 things one needs to know about oneself: beliefs, passions, strengths, weaknesses.

No matter how old we are, there is a child in everyone of us. Bringing out the child in us is crucial because it is a place full of love and wonder.

When we lose faith (trust, confidence) we lose everything.

This body shall die but the legacy of our work lives on.

There are 2 sides in everyone of us - the dark and the bright side; it's entirely OUR CHOICE which side we wanna bring out.

Be the master of our future, not a slave of our past.

In boiling water
The carrot will soften
The raw egg will harden
Only the coffee bean will spread its fragrance
throughout the entire water
Which one will you like to be in this maddening world?

There are only 2 reasons why computers lag: virus and junk; likewise for the degradation of humanity - Purify yourselves with ethical immunity and a simple life!

Wisdom without compassion is of no use; compassion without wisdom will be abused.

Cowardice breeds injustice.

Truth
(for more quotes, read my article "On Truth")

Truth is liberating and liberation is the highest peace and happiness.

The different disciplines are just different windows to the same truth.

Truth never lies, or beats around the bush.

Education
To inspire and be inspired.

Education is the only way to salvage humanity.

Education should be empowering and is the only way to break any vicious cycle.

We truly learn only from our own mistakes.

Schools should be the places to make mistakes.

Love is the language of Education.

Mental Discipline
The hardest problem often has the simplest solution; the simplest solution often is the hardest to practise.
If you want it bad enough, you will do it good enough.

When you start doing things with conditions and expectations is when you should stop doing them.

The wise makes the best of what they have; the fools only complain.

The mind of a wise is flexible, the mind of a fool is fixed.

Multitasking breeds scatterbrains.

Anger is the defense of weakness.

A lot of things in our lives are not necessary.

Environmentalism
When you protect Mother Earth, she will protect you too.

Ask not what you should get but what you can give.

When you wait it may be too late.

Be the source of positive energies.


My Sources of Inspirations:
My life is my message - Gandhi
Live like you were to die tomorrow; learn like you were to live forever - Gandhi
Be the change you want to see - Gandhi
Always take the middle path - Buddha
All things are impermanent, strive on diligently - Buddha
My teaching is not to come and believe but to practise – Buddha
When you do good, people will still blame you, do good anyway - Mother Theresa
Don’t do unto others what you won’t do unto yourself – Jesus
Your mind makes your reality
Live and let live
Teach by example
First thing first
One thing at a time

"When you Know the Breath" – A Personal Experience of Anapanasati(1) in a Poem

When you know2 the Breath
Either general moving in and out3
Or moving sensations about a fixed point4
When you know the Breath

When you know the Breath
Either “see” it or feel it
As long as you know it
When you know the Breath

When you know the Breath
After a period of time
Colored nimita5 will appear
Continue knowing the breath

When you know the Breath
After a longer period of time
Sparkling white nimita will come
And unite with the breath

That’s when you know
You can let go of the breath
And know the nimita
Whole-heartedly
One-pointedly6


NOTES:

1. Anapanasati: Mindfulness of the Breath. The breath is one of the 40 meditation objects prescribed by the Buddha. It is simple enough to practice for all personalities to attain Jhanas (one-pointedness concentration).
2. Know: Meditation is just being mindful. Being mindful is just being aware, just knowing.
3. Moving in and out: this refers to breath inhalation and exhalation, taking the nostrils as the reference point.
4. A fixed point: this fixed point is usually a spot on the skin between the nostrils and the upper lip.
5. Nimita: Pali word for sign (of concentration).
6. One-pointedness, also known as single-minded concentration, is one of the jhanic factors.

For further technical analysis and understanding of meditation, please refer to a reliable Samatha Meditation manual for e.g. “Jhanas” by Ven. Dr. H. Gunaratana.

Destination Clear Blue Sky

Regardless of clouds is the clear blue sky
Absence of clouds is not its condition
A clouded sky, a perspective from Earth

To experience the clear blue sky
Not by clearing clouds from Earth
But by breaking free of its gravity
To raise above the cloud level

- dedicated in memory of my late teacher Peter Della Santina in 2006

Disentanglement

Untying a knot
The effect is no knot
No knot is not a knot
There is no knot in the first place

- written in 2006