Arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal

It has been 4 days since Dana and I arrived in Nepal. Initially, I felt like in a daze, a dream. Because I have been here before, everything looks and felt distinctly familiar, yet at the same time, foreign and exotic. The dust and the noise can be disturbing yet I felt like being in Nepal was like being given a fresh of freedom and spirituality.

Everything here moves at a much slower pace and I'm learning to slow down the pace of my footsteps and mind activities. In Nepal, I'm able to take time to do nothing and day-dream again, a skill I think I have forgotten as I grew up and life became hectic. It is true that the living standards here are lower than what I'm used to back home but my heart feel lighter and happier here.

Slowing down my footsteps

Things I realise only after I slowed down my footsteps-

1. Just after the sun sets and just before the sky becomes dark, the colours of the sky are the same as the colours of a rainbow. Starting from nearest the ground to rising into the sky, in the exact order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. I think it has always been like that, just that I never had time to look at the sky carefully.

2. People are generally nice and many people make a sincere effort to help others. For example, the counter guy at the airport who put my backpack carefully in a tray and assured me that it'll be well-taken care of and it'll reach my destination safely. And the lady at my guesthouse who went beyond her call of duty and helped me make a phone call to book the guesthouse in my next destination and even wrote down some instructions in Thai for me so that I can use it to ask the locals for directions. And the locals who waved and smiled at me cheerfully as I walked by. And so many more, their little acts of kindness made my days bright and I'm truly grateful to them. All these may have happened everyday of my life, but I may have been too busy rushing off somewhere else to think of them.

3. Beautiful wild flowers (often nice-smelling as well) grow along the roads everywhere, even in the dusty corners. I have never taken time to really appreciate them. What a waste, I must have missed so many beautiful sights.

4. It is actually difficult to just do nothing, even though it is what I set out to do. The monkey mind just refuses to be quiet and jumps around to try to get attention all the time. I realized that peace really starts from the mind. Even in a very conducive, quiet and serene environment, if the mind cannot be tamed, peace is unattainable. Now, I have to learn to control and calm down my mind.

Experiencing life slowly, mindfully is really a new and interesting journey. Do try it!

Things that made me happy today...

15 May 2012, Bangkok

1. I safely crossed many huge roads and am still in one piece. I understand perfectly well now why the Chinese have a saying that roads are like tigers' mouths. At the major roads, although the pedestrian green lights were on, and the cars perpendicular to me have stopped, but somehow there are still many cars coming from many other directions. Every time I have to cross the roads, I think of YY and wish she was around to hand my hand and guide me across. ( Yy, if u are reading this, you'll know how much I miss you) But oh well, now when I cross a major road, there's a few steps that I perform: I take a deep breath, chant a mantra under my breath, grit my teeth and walk across looking calm, trying to ignore the cars that seem to be coming dangerously close to me. So far, it worked perfectly.

2. Meeting a Thai pediatrician at the entrance of a temple. She was attracted to my orange Mani wristband and thought it was the one distributed in Thailand during the King's birthday celebrations. She started talking to me for some time in Thai before she realise I was giving her a blank look. When she found out that I was a foreigner, she v enthusiastically brought me into the temple and introduced the temple and some Thai culture to me before planning a whole day's itinerary in Bangkok for me. I'm very touched, unfortunately, I have limited time and money in Bangkok this time, will have to leave the itinerary for the next trip.

3. Seeing many Thais making food offerings to the monks in the marketplace early in the morning and having a chance to do so myself. And then going to a Wat and do a short meditation with the monks and a few laypeople who looked like they came by before heading to work. It's v encouraging to see people trying to include Buddhist practices in their daily life.

4. Finding a Thai vegetarian eating place where I had a v yummy, hearty and healthy local lunch.

5. Visiting the Golden Mount temple and finding a Buddha statue there that I really like a lot and felt a sense of calm when I was sitting with that Buddha statue. Also hang 2 bells at the top of the chedi which contains the Buddha's relics. One was to wish for the continuation of the 100 Million Mani Retreat in Singapore annually to benefit all sentient beings and the other is to wish for the well-being of my family. Hope both bells will resonate loud and clear in the wind and send my aspirations to all the protectors and devas in Thailand.

6. Fellow tourists who helped me take my photos at various places, putting in effort to help me find the right angle for the best shot and sharing with me some spots where I can take very artistic photos. Nice people are really everywhere.

7. Watching a group of people from all ages, male and female exercising to the tunes of hip music like "nobody nobody but you", "Starry starry night" etc in a local park and really enjoying themselves. Their joy is so infectious that I find myself immersed in their simple pleasure too.

I am a happy girl today. :)

Living each day mindfully, joyfully and gratefully

A friend wrote  this in my huge “WAH!” card (given to me by my dear colleagues just before I start my long leave), “出走是需要勇气和决心的”(translation: Embarking on a long journey requires courage and determination). I agree with the statement but I also have more sentiments to add.

Embarking on such a journey requires courage, determination and the coming together of many conditions. My courage comes from the support and encouragement of my parents, my teachers, my family, my employers, my friends and many others… Some of these people may not really understand why I need to take this route, but nevertheless showered me with their blessings and love. My determination stems from my belief that a human life is so precious and short and therefore, I should live my life without regrets. To me, the coming together of all the conditions that make my journey possible is because of the blessings of the Triple Gems and the aid of many beings (seen and unseen). Without any one condition, this trip will not happen.

Therefore, I intend to experience this 1 year mindfully, joyfully and with deepest gratitude. I don’t know if and how this trip will shape me, but I hope that I will return wiser and more compassionate (to bring benefit to more sentient beings). It seems to be the best manner to repay all who have helped me in one way or another.

猫要出走了！And once again, a deep heart-felt THANK YOU to all.

Journey to Cambodia – Journey of Reflections (Part 2)

Day 3 – Rest & shop

We were all a bit worn-out from the long day yesterday and decided to take it easy on the 3rd day. In the morning, we were watching TV programmes on cable TV and DVDs that we could borrow for free from the guesthouse. A little about the guesthouse that we stayed in at Siem Reap, called Rosy Guesthouse. It’s a small, cosy guesthouse with a very homely feel. At the ground-floor, there’s a pool table, darts board, books and DVDs which guests can use FOC. There’s also a small bar and café. At the 3rd level, there are sofas and hammocks, which overlook the river, where guests can hang out and relax. There are several types of rooms available, from the budget bunk-bed, shared toilet kind of rooms to family suites. We stayed in the family suite. Each suite can take 3 people and comes with air-con, cable TV, DVD player and ensuite bathroom, all for the cost of US$20 per night. The rooms are spacious, clean and the facilities are quite new. I would highly recommend it for budget-conscious travellers who want a comfortable rest-area at night.

In the afternoon, we took a 20 min walk along the river to the Old Market where there are rows and rows of shops selling a wide variety of stuff. From food (cooked and fresh products eg meat, vegetables and fruits) to clothes to souvenirs to books, you can all find them here. We had quite an interesting time bargaining for our products. In the evening, we walked over to the Night Market. The Night Market is very small and very nice compared to the Old Market. All the stalls in the Night Market are in individual hut-like structures. Looks very neat and beautiful but at the same time, too ‘touristy’. I prefer the Old Market where locals and foreigners all crowd together under one roof.


Day 4 – Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei & Floating Village

Kbal Spean is about 50km away from Siem Reap and it takes about 2 hrs by car to arrive. The last 45 mins of the journey is along a dirt path and very bumpy. I have never been more glad that I’m sitting inside an air-con van because the plants along this dirt path were all caked with a thick layer of red-mud (Imagine a ‘clay-dified’ me if I was taking a open-air tuk tuk on this path). After arriving at Kbal Spean, it takes about ½ hr (~1.5km) of uphill trek to reach the destination, which is a spectacularly carved riverbed.

Kbal Spean is an elaborately carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle. It is commonly known as the ‘Valley of 1000 Lingas’ because the ancient Khmers have carved reportedly around 1000 linga images into the exposed stone riverbed. The linga is a simple phallic shape, the symbol of the god Shiva and his powers of creation. They probably served a purification purpose. In addition to the lingas along the riverbed, there are bas-relief carvings in many of the boulders along the stream. The carvings end in a small but pretty waterfall that apparently was once used as a ritual bathing spot by the king. -> Info taken from http://asiaforvisitors.com/cambodia/angkor/angkor-wat/kbal-spean.php

Carvings of Shiva and his mount, Nandi

Carving of Vishnu on the rocks by the upper cascade

Lingas (the round shapes) arranged in formal patterns; aligned to the compass

More lingas. Can see why this place is called the 'Valley of 1000 Lingas' right?

I'm not sure who this carving is depicting but i think it's very gracefully carved

A mini Kbal Spean waterfall

Although it was a long and tiring trip to Kbal Spean, I still think the visit was worthwhile. The combination of the water and the carvings, in the middle of a jungle, gave the whole place a very peaceful, mystical, beautiful and marvellous feel.

Banteay Srei
It took another 45 mins along the bumpy road to get back to Banteay Srei. Banteay Srei is considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it is cut from stone of a pinkish hue (the guide we had on the 2nd day told us that when the craftsmen cut the stones from the mountains, they will put aside those that are pink, so imagine the number of mountains that have to be cut before enough pink stones are accumulated to build Banteay Srei). Banteay Srei is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in stature. Many of its carvings are 3-D, well-preserved and are the finest seen anywhere on the planet. -> Info taken from Lonely Planet, Cambodia.

Lonely Planet’s description may sound a bit exaggerated but Banteay Srei is really lovely and charming. It’s my personal pet favourite among all the Angkor temples too. There are exquisite carvings on every inch of the temple (except the ground). And the pink stones give the place a very lovely, lady-like and pretty feel. In fact, the name Banteay Srei means ‘Citadel of the Women’ and it is said that it must have been built by women as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the hand of men.

See? I'm not kidding when i say every part of the temple, except the floor, has carvings.

I'm really impressed by the intricate carvings and can just spend a long time looking at the details of the carvings.

In the evening, we visited the Floating Village of Chong Kneas. To get around the floating village, we have to take motor boat. This is a village complete with shops, restaurants, schools, neighbours, hospital, police station and a basketball court (all floating of course). The interesting thing about this floating village is that it moves depending on the season. During the wet monsoon season, the rains overfill the Mekong River, causing the Stung Sap to reverse its flow from Phnom Penh back a hundred km into the Tonle Sap swelling the lake from 3000 sq km to over 13,000 sq km. So, between the wet and dry season, the children may row their boats to school one day only to discover that their school has ‘moved house’ overnight.

A mobile, floating convenience store

The boat-homes

A very cute boy and his mum who was trying to sell a bunch of bananas to us. We just couldn't resist his charming smile. Btw, the "thing" around his neck is a real snake!

Sunset from the boat over the floating village

Reflections from my visit to Angkor Temples:

1. Cambodia is a country with a very glorious past and also a very tragic recent history. I think one important factor that determines the progress of the country is the person taking the leadership. The Angkor temples are the long-standing representations of the good, righteous and caring past Kings of Cambodia while the Killing Fields and the poverty of the people are painful reminders of the cruel, ruthless leader – Pol Pot. Our tour-guide told us that most likely, the craftsmen who built the Angkor temples were not given payment. They probably did it as a show of respect for their religion and King and as a show of gratitude for the ample shelter and food that they were having at that time. Contrast this to the stories of Cambodians who were full of fear and always hungry during the reign of Pol Pot. The importance of having a fair, far-sighted and compassionate leader cannot be more emphasized.

2. The guide told us that the Khmer culture was at its peak during the Angkor era, after that the artistic aspects of Cambodia just keep going downhill. Isn’t this a reflection of impermanence? Nothing can stay constantly at the top no matter how supreme it may be. May sound depressing but actually, not so. Based on the same theory of impermanence, nothing will constantly go downslope as well. There’s always hope and potential for Cambodians to recover and even progress in terms of their artistic capabilities. I’m looking forward to seeing an even more majestic ‘Angkor Wat’ in Cambodia.

Journey to Cambodia – Journey of Reflections (Part 1)

I just came back from a 9-day backpacking trip in Cambodia. It's my 2nd trip together with my gang from KMS YM. The 1st trip was to Nepal. Thinking back, the Nepal trip was a self and spiritual-discovery journey. This trip to Cambodia is a journey of reflections. A lot of things that I saw and experienced during the trip made me reflect back on my life, on the current situation in Cambodia and other developing countries and compare it to their past glorious history. Of course, the long bus journeys from one place to another gave me lots of spare time to think as well (i sometimes feel that in the midst of my busy, hectic life in Spore, i have deprived myself the time to quietly reflect, think and day-dream.) And i'm inspired to blog my journey after i read a friend's travel blog which i found very informative. So well, here's part 1 of i dunno how many parts. :)

Day 1 – Arrival in Cambodia
Arrive at Phnom Penh and took a 7 hr coach ride to Siem Reap.
The Silkair in-flight magazine describes Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) as the city that is ever-changing, modernizing and looking forward into the future while Siem Reap (the province where the Angkor temples are located) as the city which is guarding the grand past of Cambodia. Siem Reap is seen as the gateway to Cambodia’s spiritual and cultural heartbeat.
Two very contrasting cities existing in the same country, both interesting in its own way.

Street vendors at a stop-point during the bus ride

Day 2 – Tour of the Angkor temples
A brief introduction to the temples of Angkor:
The temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire, are the heart and soul of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a source of inspiration and national pride to all Khmers. The Angkorian period spans more than 600 years from AD 802 to 1432, during which the temples of Angkor were built and the Khmer empire consolidated its position as one of the great powers of SEA (the Khmer empire at its zenith was a vast political, religious and social centre that stretched from modern-day Burma to Vietnam). –> Info taken from Lonely Planet, Cambodia.

The temples of the Angkor area number over 1000, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. In 2007 an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that Angkor had been the largest pre-industrial city in the world with an urban sprawl of 1,150 square miles. –> Info taken from Wikipedia – Angkor.

Left our guesthouse at 5.30am to watch sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is known as the mother of all temples. It was built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, then Buddhist. The construction of Angkor Wat signifies one of the high-water marks of Khmer civilisation. Today, it has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag.

National flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temples. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 km long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous Apsaras (heavenly dancers) adorning its walls. –> Info taken from Wikipedia – Angkor Wat.

My 1st hazy view of Angkor Wat at dawn

Watching the sun rise behind the magnificent Angkor Wat

The beautiful carvings that adorn the walls of Angkor Wat

Carving of Apsaras can be seen in many of the Angkor temples

I was awe-struck by my 1st view of this glorious temple. It’s amazing that more than 900 years ago, such an imposing, grand and yet exquisitely carved stone temples can be built. Even up till today, most of the bas-reliefs and decorative flourishes can still be clearly visualized. It is absolutely fascinating and quoting the Silkair magazine, it gives “the optimism that if the ancient Khmers were capable of building such grand temples, Cambodians are capable of doing anything.”

Visited the Great City of Angkor Thom.
- The Bayon (See intro below)
- Jayavarman VII’s royal palace
- Tep Pranam & Preah Palilay (temples which used to house huge Buddhas.)
- Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King (2 huge, gloriously carved terraces which were used as viewing platforms by the king.)

Terrace of the Elephants

Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late 12th century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around. –> Info taken from Wikipedia – Angkor Thom.

One of the majestic gates at the entrance of Angkor Thom city

The Bayon was built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. It stands at the exact centre of the city of Angkor Thom. The Bayon consists of 3 levels. The 1st two levels are square and adorned with bas-reliefs depicting historical events and the everyday life of Cambodians in the 12th century. The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers (originally 54 towers but only 37 remain) which jut out from the 3rd, circular level. –> Info taken from Wikipedia – The Bayon. Each tower supports 2, 3 or most commonly 4 enormous faces of Avalokiteshvara.

One of the bas-relief that depicts the King & his warriors marching out to war

Huge faces of Avalokiteshvara Boddhisattva on the towers of the Bayon

Visited Ta Prohm
One of the most popularly known facts about Ta Prohm is that it is the venue where 'Tomb Raider' by Angelina Jolie was filmed. Much of Ta Prohm is ruined but to me, Ta Prohm is very unique in that it seems like in this place, nature and the man-made structures come together to form a master-piece with a very different feel from the grand Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom. Quoting from Lonely Planet, “There is a poetic cycle to this venerable ruin, with humans first conquering nature to rapidly create and nature once again conquering humans to slowly destroy.”

The merging of nature & man-made structures. I was captivated by these beautiful old trees.

Took a ½ hr hike up to the hilltop temple of Phnom Bakheng to watch sunset.

In the night, went to watch Dr Beat Richner’s cello concert – Beatocello in Concert.

Dr Beat, a soulful & at times, an amusing cellist

Dr Beat (a Swiss) is the director of the 4 Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Cambodia. These 4 hospitals provide free medical treatment for Cambodia children; since the families in Cambodia are simply too poor to even make a small contribution towards these medical costs. Dr Beat believes that every child has a right to correct medication unhampered by corruption. All of the staff at Kantha Bopha earn a modest living on which they can get by. By paying the staff a living wage seem to be a successful way of fighting corruption which otherwise is widespread in Cambodia. To this day there have been no thefts at the hospital, no cases of medicine simply vanishing into thin air rather than being administered to the patient in need, no money taken under the table from patients’ families. Most of the funds needed to run the hospital come from well-wishers all over the world, esp Switzerland. In Siem Reap, where one of the hospitals is located, Dr Beat holds his concert every Sat night to raise awareness regarding the plights of the Cambodian children and to raise funds for the hospital.

I greatly admire Dr Beat’s work and was very touched by his concert-cum-presentation. The Kantha Bopha hospital in Siem Reap is a clean and new hospital with modern facilities. It is the hospital’s belief that every child has a right to correct medication. This, in turn, can only be achieved with the assistance of modern and fully functioning equipment, proper and effective medicine, correct and sufficient medical one-way material, all of which has very little indeed to do with luxury and even less with first-class medicine.

Some of the things that Dr Beat said in his presentation struck some cords deep in me and made me ponder and reflect.
1. Many dignities from 1st world countries who visited the hospital and saw the modern facilities commented with disapproval that the equipment and medicine used should be in accordance with the financial situation of the country. Simply put, they believe that only cheap equipment and medicine should be used to treat Cambodian children irregardless of whether these techniques or medicine are effective and have undesirable side effects of not. This is unfair, arrogant and irresponsible thinking and behaviour. Inferior equipment may lead to the wrong diagnosis and inferior care and medication may cause severe side effects (both acute and long term). Is this fair to the patient, especially in this case, an innocent child?

2. In recent months, dengue fever has become an epidemic in Cambodia. Everyday, more than 1000 children are inflicted with dengue fever in Cambodia. Dr Beat made a comparison with the situation in Spore. Once a dengue case happens in Spore, authorities are immediately sent down to the area to track down the mosquitoes in the vicinity. But in Cambodia, nothing is being done about the situation at all although the addresses of the inflicted children have been submitted to the authorities. In contrast, when a single bird-flu case was discovered in Cambodia, the very next day, the press from all over the world came down to report on it. Why??? Because bird-flu has the potential to spread around the world while dengue mosquitoes only have a range of 120metres. What he said made me reflect on 2 things. One is that it’s truly a blessing to be in Spore where there is a protective and efficient government. Two is that humans are really selfish. Our main priority is always ourselves. How many of us care whether hundreds of children are dying from dengue in Cambodia so long as the single bird-flu case is eradicated and the virus will not reach us? I was really ashamed of myself because my ignorance has made me one of the selfish humans.

3. Dr Beat also touched on the topic of corruption in Cambodia and the reason why he is determined to keep the treatment in Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital free of charge. He believes that every child should have equal access to healthcare services regardless of their financial status. He also believes that only with equality will there be true peace.

4. The presentation made me think about how I can help, other than giving a small donation. I figured that the least I can do is to raise awareness among people around me regarding the situation in Cambodia. For more details and to make a donation to the hospital, pls refer to the Dr Beat’s website http://www.beatocello.com/index.html I also bought Dr Beat’s autobiography about his work in Cambodia, so if anyone is interested, can borrow it from me.

Reflections on A Precious Human Rebirth

Hmm.. Haven't blogged for an extremely long time. Not sure why too, just didn't have the mood to blog although lots happened in my life. Today, i'm on MC at home and just decided to revive this blog with some reflections. Aster requested for a personal reflection abt anything so that she can put it up on the Lotus pillar for Vesak at Orchard this year. I didn't have any idea what to write about when she asked me to. However, in a span of just 2 days, through a conversation with Ven Chuan Guan and after a discussion abt KMS Youth group, a very strong feeling hit me and i knew i just have to write about it.

A Precious Human Rebirth

The Buddha gave this analogy of how very difficult it is to get a human rebirth and to be able to learn the Dharma:
There is a huge vast ocean and in it lives one tortoise that is blind. He is usually at the bottom of the ocean and comes up only once every hundred years. There is a round tube floating on the ocean. What is the chance that this tortoise have, coming up once every hundred years and being blind, to stick its head through this tube? Pretty low since the ocean is so vast. He might be thousands of miles away or only a foot away. But still, it doesn't matter, he missed the tube. So he has to try again after another hundred years.
The way the analogy relates is: the ocean is like the ocean of cyclic existence. The tortoise is like us. Being at the bottom of the ocean is like being born in the unfortunate realms, all the situations where it’s very difficult and there’s much confusion and pain. Coming up once every hundred years is like getting a good rebirth as a human. The round tube is the Buddha's teachings. More often than not, we are blinded by our ignorance and are usually in the unfortunate realms, only coming up to the surface once every hundred years. Putting our head through the round tube of the Buddha’s teachings is like getting a precious human life with the opportunity to learn the Dharma.

The Buddha said in the Dhammapada that “The gift of truth surpasses all gifts”. Recently, through a conversation with a Venerable, I’m once again reminded on how rare and difficult it is to be able to get a precious human rebirth and to have the conditions to receive the precious gift of the Dharma. I view it as a great opportunity to be a Buddhist and I am determined to use the opportunity wisely, get myself together and not waste the valuable, limited time I have in this lifetime. At the same time, I have the deepest gratitude to my parents, for giving me human life and for opening up the doors for me to come in touch with the Dharma, and to all my teachers who patiently and compassionately taught and showed me how to integrate the Dharma into my life.

May all sentient beings have the good conditions to learn the Dharma.