Thank you Venerable

 

To celebrate Thich Nhat Hanh's life and to remember him by; these are his quotes I like or still pondering over:

• It is normal for human being to identify with their own separate self. The problem is that we get caught in that notion of ourself as a separate individual and caught in that individual self's agenda.
• True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self elements. There's no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected. Once you are aware of that you are no longer caught in the idea that you are a separate entity.
• If you can feel that Mother Earth is in you, and you are Mother Earth, then you are not any longer afraid to die because the earth is not dying. Like a wave appears and disappears and appears again.
• Usually, people have a tendency to be caught in the worries concerning the future or in the regret concerning the past. There is some kind of energy that is pushing them to run, and they are not able to establish themselves in the present moment.
• Only the present moment contains life.
• Most of us experience a life full of wonderful moments and difficult moments. But for many of us, even when we are most joyful, there is fear behind our joy.
• The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.
• To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.

Thank you Venerable. I shall try to understand your words and live by them.

Do not "Languish"

 

Due to the Covid pandemic, the government limits household visits to 5 visitors per house per day. It also advises people to refrain from visiting more than one household per day during the coming Chinese New Year holidays. 

My husband is one of 4 sons living in Singapore. It has been customary for the sons and their family to gather at my mother in law's house on the first day of CNY for lunch. Last CNY due to visiting restrictions only the sons and their wives visited leaving out the children and grandchildren. Sad to say the restrictions has increased this year such that only the sons can gather around her at the same time. My mother in law is well into her eighties and every year of enjoying the festivities surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grand children is dear to her. 

 A survey conducted by SMU last year found that the number of elderly residents who reported being satisfied with life dropped when the Covid situation worsened. I think the loss in the well being of the elderly amplifies as the pandemic continues simply because every year is precious in their remaining years. 

Even for baby boomers like me, every year of good health that allows for overseas travels and adventure counts. Thus every year of travel restriction is a significant loss as illness, cognitive decline and loss of body functionality can strike any time. Reflecting on this however does incentivize me to keep fit. On the other hand there is an overhanging "languishing" mood as Adam Grant psychologist and professor at Wharton School Penn U describes it. It is a numb feeling of going through life without much excitement or enjoyment.  It exacerbates with news of new variants and further restrictions dousing hopes of a return to normalcy.

However, we can learn from the younger generation. In line with the youngster's fashionable YOLO (You only live once ) mentality, the  urgency to fulfil dreams and wishes becomes more compelling. I guess to avoid ourselves being trapped in 'languish' we have to think of activities which make us come more alive, be it playing mahjong, gardening, sewing, hiking or any hobbies that we love. We then have to be proactive or disciplined in pursuing it. 

This is called self care to ensure we stay fit mentally and physically. Yes, we must tone both body and mind muscles to be ready for the excitement and adventure when the end of Covid finally arrives. 

The Tree

 

A wellness class teacher advised that hugging a tree can generate positive energy. Since I have a 20 year old mango tree in my garden, I follow the teacher's advice and place my palms on the tree trunk for 7 minutes each morning. I also do that barefooted.

As it can be quite boring doing that I set my gaze on different parts of the garden simultaneously, surveying the plants. Of late I decided to scrutinise the bark of the trunk and the canopy of leaves above. Usually there will be small ants crawling on the trunk and I have to shift my palms to avoid them. Moss lightly covers some parts of the trunk. A small orchid plant which we have implanted winds its roots round a thick branch and reaches down onto the tree's "chest". On a wet day the roots take a greenish hue with the tip of one such root turning maroon red. It looks like a heart artery. 

As time goes by I began to smell a natural freshness that seems to emit from the tree. Being in close contact noticing the furrows and cracks of the rough trunk I begin to feel its strength. Once I felt the slow throbbing pulse of my palm and I was a little afraid. I diverted my mind away from  stories  about tree spirits. Nevertheless the tree does exude a reassuring aura of stability and strength. In the beginning I would quickly shake off any ants that crawl onto my palms. After awhile I realise it was me who got into their way and not the other way round. Now I try to ignore the tiny bite and let the ant finds its way back to the trunk which it sure does.

I am learning from the tree. It supports multitudes of living things in various ways. 

That, is its dharma.