What's on my shopping list...

I am this hedonistic fella and I have been thinking of getting a Prada bag like this one for work. I really like this one with the army fatigues that was a few seasons back. Most Singaporean guys my age wouldn't appreciate it because it reminds them of national service but I don't care, its real cool. But anyway, its just too bad because they don't have this anymore. 

Laduree flew from Paris and set up shop in Ngee Ann City on orchard I heard. Those yummy macarons are now available at a crazy $3.80 per macaron. Well, the last time I strolled over to Ngee Ann was a long time ago but what the heck, I might try going there this weekend. I have a sweet tooth especially after a workout. Wish the packaging was not so girly though. 

After Yong He Gong in Beijing, I am really inspired to invite a Lama Tsongkhapa statue. I read on the net that Lama Tsongkhapa is particularly powerful blessing to ensure harmony of the family and stability of livelihood at home. Will take one of those strolls to Fu Lu Shou to check out the shops there. I heard they do have quite a good selection of Tibetan statues. 

I know I have a strange mix of hedonism and spirituality on my shopping list. That's just very much like me, a spiritual hedonist! A sort of paradox. ; P

Yong He Gong Lamasery

The grand imperial entrance to Yong He Gong Lamasery, a rather impressive Chinese Tibetan Buddhist monastery...

Over the weekend, I was in Beijing for a business meeting with a client there. I heard so much about Yong He Gong and I decided to go check it out while I was there. What I saw blew my mind away as I didn't anticipate so much Tibetan Buddhism is entrenched in Chinese history and culture in such a big way like this. 

Apparently, Yong he Hong was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi known to the Tibetans as the incarnation of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen or better known as Dorje Shugden, initially as a palace quarters for eunuchs and then as the residence of the Royal Prince, Prince Yong. When Prince Yong ascended the dragon throne as the Emperor Yongsheng, he converted his royal quarters into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in honor of his parents. 

I had the honor to discover this in Beijing and was delighted to pay homage to the Chinese Lama Tsongkhapa image enshrined in the huge Falun Hall. I made prayers there for my parents and loved ones and took a stroll around the temple complex.

Lama Tsongkhapa just looks resplendent here and represents a very powerful link between the Chinese people and that of Buddhadharma. Perhaps one day, an image of Dorje Shugden would be constructed by the temple authorities when the ban comes down. 

This 18meters tall statue of Maitreya rendered in the Indo-Tibetan style is just spectacular. Apparently, it is carved out of a single trunk of a large Sandalwood tree. This is also the largest statue in this temple. I fortunate enough to be able to capture almost the entire statue within this picture. 

Halls with shrines to the Tantric deities and the great Dharma Protectors of India, Tibet and China. These living evidence of Tantra having been practiced by the great Sangha of Yong He Gong. 

The temple museum showcases some of Yong He Gong's most refined statues of the Yidams and Dharma Protectors. According to inscription, the statues were mostly the result of some of the finest Nepalese, Tibetan and Chinese craftsmen. The fusion of style has resulted in these fantastic devotional statues. 

Made good prayers here but I had to rush off as this was just a short trip but will plan future trips to a more lengthy prayer and sight-seeing around the temple complex. All in all, Yong He Gong came out to be a nice end to a hectic business trip to Beijing. 

Dorje Shugden in Bodhgaya

I posted this on the dorjeshugden.com forum a few months ago and I recently rediscovered it on the forum and I thought I blog about this as well to keep it for posterity sake. I might do something like this in Singapore... well discreetly-la! 

For New Years 2013 this year, I went on a pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, the land of Buddha's enlightenment. Just prior to flying, I had just received a whole shipment of Dorje Shugden comic books from the eShop. At the stupa, I managed to make a lot of offerings, prayers, prostrations and mantras at the Stupa. While circumambulating, I had a sudden thought. 

I went back and discreetly brought the comics along with me and went on a distribution round by quietly offering the comic books to some of the pilgrims there. I even managed to capture the couple, reading the comic book right after they finished their meditation. On top of that, I managed to perform a whole Dorje Shugden puja every time I went to the Stupa. I love coming to Bodhgaya and would from time to time travel to Bodhgaya with some friends for pilgrimage.

PS: If you are the person in the picture, do drop a message to let me know if you read the comic or not. ; ) Thank you. 

Qing Ming - All Soul's Day

Over the weekend, I followed my parents back to Malaysia to visit the grave site of my dad's ancestors in Kuala Lumpur. I don't normally follow but I had some time to kill so I followed and to also see my Malaysian relatives, which I have not seen in the longest time.

Qing Ming is quite a popular practice of visiting and paying respects at the grave site of a patriarch or matriarch of the family. We did it early in the morning and it took a longest time to reach the grave site which was out of Kuala Lumpur. I can't remember the name right now but all I remember it took the longest time to reach. We took some time to clean up the weeds and then placed some colored notes on top of the tomb, which was held down by a stone. Then, we had a sort of picnic with the dead. The only thing was only the dead ate and the rest of us just drank Yeo's packet drinks to keep hydrated.

I didn't manage to take pictures but I saw some really cool vintage photos on the Straits Times website, which I thought I shared here. These were photos taken during the 1950s and were done in lavish style in the earlier days.

I am guessing this was a funerary procession for a rich family towards a family grave.

A modest Chinese family tombstone.

Now, this is a rich man's tomb that is big enough to accommodate family members.

This is the only picture I had and well, it was not really nice because it's a shot of my aunties behinds. Hehe! 

Dorje Shugden practitioners not allowed into Gaden Tripa's teaching!

The current 102nd Gaden Tripa Kyabje Rizong Sras Rinpoche is coming to Malaysia at the end of next month to lead a Lamrim retreat. A colleague of mine emailed me this interesting flyer a few days back. I have always wanted to engage in a Lamrim retreat and well, a lamrim teaching beforehand of course. So, I got a little excited about this proposition and everything was fine until I read the fine print of the rules and regulations. Guess what I saw?....

Dorje Shugden practitioners are not allowed to participate. 

I can't believe my eyes! I read about this happening within the Tibetan community in India but I would not think that they would actually do this in this part of the world! This is the first time for me and I must say I am very disappointed. This is clearly discrimination of the highest order and they have no right to enforce this. After all, this is the Gaden Tri Rinpoche and not the Dalai Lama. WHY do they need to enforce such an stupid ban? On what basis do they have the right to enforce this ban?

You know, the Gaden Tripa is such an eminent master, shouldn't they allow everybody in including practitioners of Dorje Shugden. If Gaden Tripa recites prayers and dedicates to all sentient being, I am a sentient being too, right? I should be allowed to receive teachings because the spirits and ghosts are allowed in to be blessed by the lama and the teachings. Why not me and others like me? If Dorje Shugden practice is so bad and evil, shouldn't we be allowed in even more? Shouldn't we be showed even more compassion? 

It would be cool if I could go and protest right in front of the teaching but it wouldn't be powerful if its just me alone and I am Singaporean. I am not sure if the Malaysian police would be too happy if I did that. 

PS: The above line was taken from the registration information and rules column of their website:-

http://bodhilamrim.org/activities/2013-lamrim-meditation-retreat-registration-information/

Rap song on Dorje Shugden?

This is one real cool rap on Dorje Shugden that was probably created by a fan of Dorje Shugden and is now on YouTube. I am not sure if this is sacrilegious but I find it really cool. After all, rap is just a modern take on poetry. Didn't the old pandits and scholars of ancient India and Tibet composed praise and poems of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I don't see how different this can be but I do like the fact that this is the only one of its kind on Dorje Shugden. I am not even sure if they did it for other lamas and Buddhas but there is one for Dorje Shugden. This is real cool and here's the lyrics for you to check it out:-

It's the D-O-R-J-E, Shugden / (Dorje-Shugden)

You know how he gets it all under his control

Peace in the place where we be livin' in

Don't worry he'll be there in a little bit

Yo, I'm not here to try bring out dysfunction

I've got peace in my heart and I'm feeling one with

Dorje Shugden not an ordinary man

It's a surprise to see what Dorje Shugden can

So many years ago Dorje Shugden came here

Protector of Nagarjuna's Middle view, yeah

It matters to me coz he's so sincere

I see him walking by and I don't have no fear

If I'm having trouble on the double he'll come in

Opposing oppositions makes a loss into a win

Next thing you know, he's gone with the wind

Then I wonder if I'll ever see him again

Connecting me with my brothers, we're here for each other

Spiritual and the physical there is no other

He can help us avoid things that try to keep us down

And turn a smile from what used to be a frown

You know how he gets it all under his control

Peace in the place where we be livin' in

Don't worry he'll be there in a little bit (x2)   

Images of Bruce Lee

I have always been a fan of Bruce Lee since I was a kid. He is damn famous, everybody knows him and has since become a sort of screen legend for his nationalistic portrayal of the Chinese in a few Hollywood flicks. I can't remember how many times I have watched Enter the Dragon and all the vintage episodes of the Green Hornet. I saw the recent remake of the Green Hornet last year but I must say Jay Chou was such a disappointment. He is nothing like Bruce Lee and his hair was pretty weird, almost like a helmet. 

I did martial arts in school but not Jeet Kune Do. I did Korean Taekwando till I was brown belt till I got distracted by other aspects of college life. I have always wanted to own one of those nunchakus. I am not sure what they are called in Chinese though. However, these days, the only martial arts I do these days are Body Combat classes at the gym, which is a far cry from the real deal but enough to keep my body in shape. 

Here's the classic martial arts movie Enter The Dragon:-