Saturday, July 09, 2005

What being "holy" means?

I was taken aback when I mentioned about my Incovar friends to my not-so-holy friends (I meant dont-go-temple/church people). I was telling her about this hip hip dance class to be held, and how there's this boy (ahem referring to Alex) who can dance so sexy-yau yeng type (ahem *cough cough). Then you know what my friend commented??!

"Buddhist society friend? I thought they're suppose to be 'holy', just a masquerade..."

I was like, do you 'know' what it means by being "holy"? Where and how on earth people had the impression Buddhisty society members dont dance?! Its like, sometimes I wish people can be more open-minded, so to speak.

Remember when I was nicknamed "the holy one" by my ex-colleagues who are all non-religious, just because I started preaching about citizen's responsibility to vote, or not smoking. What do people at large really mean by 'holy'? Since when did I give the impression to people that I'm holy?

Anyway, if more general public were to discover more about Buddhist values, hmm... not a bad idea. More people to share my views with. Most of my friends are just clueless about the world and life, not like how I'd have the world of crap to yak about with them.

Blah - your say.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

What's heartbeat gotta do with it?

In the last vocal training lesson, our teacher asked all of us to count our own pulse rate. I kinda lost count as the 'clock ticking' sound was too distracting (yes, I get distracted easily), but I know my heartbeat is generally faster than normal people my age.

Teacher said that we should click or understand people better if they have the same heartbeat rate as you do. Hmm.. so I wonder who's rate is about 90/min? Teacher was guessing that I'm the sort of girl very impatient, couldn't wait to get things done, and get excited easy.

Yes, maybe because I had hyperthyroid? So she asked "What caused your hyperthyroid"? Well, that's like a chicken and egg question. How would I know, if "impatience" had caused my hormonal imbalance or was it the other way round where the bodily hormone changes that had affected me to be impatient?

Anyway, in Buddhism, we learn alot about meditation and staying calm. The teacher was teaching us the proper breathing method, focusing on expanding and shrinking the abdomen. At the end of our lessons, the teacher assured us that our waistline will be in shape! (*Ha, we'll see about that!) Last lesson, she explored further on the breathing, using the mind to imagine a beautiful picture outside the window, and that after a few times breathing, we all felt 'brighter'! Sei mei...

I was reflecting on how this heartbeat rate could relate to human lifes. Like for my case, if my heart keeps beating too fast, at the end, just like a battery, it will die faster. Its true! Remember once Mabel, sleeping beside me in camp saw how my bodily rise and fall is so much faster compared to hers. Losing breath is due to heart beating fast. Teacher said, by the time when we're in mid 30s we should maintain a pulse of 60-70. Wow, imagine I could achieve that. Actually that is what I aim to do, just try to be mindful always, just as what I've been learning all the while from Sunday school.

I hope through learning how to smile using 33% muscle, lift the "uvula", and talk like you're talking to a little child ^j^, I can be in tune with my body, mind and heartbeat. I see Dhamma in every answers that I try to find.

For now, let's see HOW can I lower my heartbeat.

Breath in......