The real meaning of "Suffering"...

It has been quite sometimes that every night before sleep, Eeanne will send her loving kindness to herself, mommy daddy and sometimes someone that she knows. And usually it will end as this way:
"May they all be well and happy, May they all be free from all kind of suffering"

There was once Eeanne asked:
"Mommy...what is suffering?"

And mommy gave Eeanne an scientific answer which she just "oh.." but mommy is not sure how well Eeanne understand.

Here is a short message from Auntie Joyce about suffering which mommy finds is very meaningful, practical and inspiring.

Here is to share with Eeanne and all who read this blog....

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Whatever is happening to us now mirrors our past karma. If we know that, and know it truly, whenever suffering and difficulties befall us, we do not view them particularly as failures or catastrophes, or see suffering as a punishment in any way. Nor do we blame ourselves or indulge in self-hatred.

We see the pain we are going through as the completion of the effects, the fruition, of a past karma. Tibetans say that suffering is “a broom that sweeps away all our negative karma.” We can even be grateful that one karma is coming to an end. We know that “good fortune,” a fruit of good karma, may soon pass if we do not use it well, and that “misfortune,” the result of negative karma, may in fact be giving us a marvelous opportunity to evolve.

~ Sogyal Rinpoche (Rigpa Glimpse of the Day for Oct 15 2010)
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When we view suffering as something bad, we naturally react with a defiled mind. That makes the things appear far worse than it is, and become far worse than it was. Moreover it conditions new negative karmas. In our delusion and ignorance, we may fail to see that much of the suffering we experience is not the result of the old karmas or any external conditions, but the new negative karmas that we're creating in reaction to them.

However, if we see the suffering as it is, wisely, we see that it is simply part of the natural phenomena of causes and effects. Just as when a storm happens, instead of cursing it, we just look for shelter if we can, and it passes naturally.

~ Ayasma Kumara
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Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu

The Power of Iphone

The recent media ad on Iphone is really hot and really can create temptation to most of people(mommy believe) which it has the impact on mommy myself now..haha

To be more rational, there were few conversations with daddy which we talk about whether to buy Iphone or Ipad and still deciding whether to spend this non urgent needs.

Then yesterday, in the car, suddenly Eeanne serious asked:

Eeanne: "mommy, do you want to buy Iphone or not?"

Mommy: "why? I still can't decide yet"

Eeanne: "Buy la..."

Mommy: "Then if I buy the Iphone, how about my Ipod?"

Eeanne: "you can give it away to other people" (tricky)

Mommy: "To who? who will want my Ipod?"

Eeanne: "you can give to your colleague"(doesn't make sense'

Mommy: "why colleague? why does my colleague need my Ipod?"

Eeanne: "or you can give to daddy lor" (making a round-a-bout :-p)

Mommy: "oh..so I can give to daddy la, then how about you?"

Eeanne: "can also....(i got you), but what for I need a Ipod?(still pretending)

Mmmm....it was really a tricky request. Actually Eeanne has been addicted to my Ipod games, see how attentive she is on the Ipod..

Mommy can't figure out what will be the next generation children in the IT world. The technology is so child-proof, no training required and all kids will get master on it...

Worry...worry...

Precious Baby...

Just now, while doing the coloring, suddenly Eeanne just stopped and ask:

Eeanne: Mommy, who is your daughter?
Mommy: Chim Eeanne lor...

Eeanne (with her two tiny hands waving in the air): then who is your precious baby?
Mommy(smiling): Chim Eeanne lor...
Eeanne: oh....(smiling too and continue her coloring)

Who else if it is not YOU....:-)

Attachment...

This morning when Eeanne first opened her eyes from her sweet dream, she asked:
Eeanne: mommy...you are off working today ar?
Mommy: yeah..today is Sunday, not working.
Eeanne: mommy..you stop working la!
Mommy: why? Then what shall I do?
Eeanne: to play with me at home.
Mommy: but I can't spend whole day just playing with you at home!
Eeanne: never mind, you can do whatever you like, just be at home with me...

Suddenly mommy felt so touched on Eeanne's strong needs on mommy. But how long will her this needs last?
Now mommy feels the warm of growing together with Eeanne but there will be one day Eeanne to have her own world which mommy can enter only if Eeanne let mommy. Aiyo suddenly mommy heart ached.

There was a time in mommy's life that I thought mommy had everything: youth, freedom on doing whatever I like, career that I enjoyed, adventurous travel and yet to fulfilled dreams of exotic places to visit, circles of friends, books of leisure reading and etc. Then with your arrival then only did mommy understand the absolute meaning of the word FULFILLMENT!

Today with Eeanne's this morning request, mommy doesn't know if Mommy has everything, but I have you! And that is more than enough.

Haha.. Attachment...attachment... Mommy is really grateful to have you.

Eeanne's First Horse Riding

This blog is a delayed post from last month Sept Raya trip to Penang.

"Where to stay?"

Daddy & mommy were so indecisive on which hotel to stay in Penang. During our past Penang trips, we always choose Gurney Hotel. 9 yrs ago, mommy & daddy stayed here after our registration and 2 yrs ago we brought Eeanne here for vacation, in between mommy daddy had made several trips here too....so Gurney Hotel has give us some sweet memorable moments. Thus we decided on this same hotel for this trip, but this round budget is the main factor for our choice, other hotels such as G hotel, Shangri-la, HardRock Hotel, Park Royal etc are incredible overpriced during this festive seasons.

Somehow Eeanne has inherit the daddy's addiction habit of loving to hotel stay! Everytime we traveled and stayed in hotel, Eeanne will keep jumping on the bed and acting very "tahn" (enjoy). See her "tahn" posture here....

Scenic view from hotel room (morning & night view)

Comment: After this stay, we really find that Gurney Hotel has been poor maintained and the room is DUSTY!! We may need to consider a different hotel stay for our future Penang trip.

Gurney hawker stalls - a definite must visit place every time we came to Penang. But this round we were too tired to try all the favourite food, we even "ta pao" some of the food to bring back to hotel as Eeanne was too tired after the play on the beach.

Fun time at Batu Feringgi Beach (at Park Royal Hotel)

Eeanne's first horse riding experience, galloping along the shore.

It is so costly of RM30 for just less than 10 min ride, later on mommy finds out Tasik Titiwangsa horse riding only cost RM10 :-/

"Ah...another big one" (wave)

Eeanne is enjoy building her sand castles

Inside the hotel lift

On our way back, we stopped by USM (University Sains Malayisa), where mommy graduated. It brings back so much sweet memories...youth is precious! Now mommy brought Eeanne there and instill the importance of eduction to her...("kiasu')

At the main entrance of USM.

On the way in, you may see the the white rock stadhuys at the mini roundabout with a sphere at the center. The sphere is 3 quarters with rough surface and 1 quarter with smooth surface (left bottom pic). But on the way out, it is another way round of 3 quarters smooth surface and 1 quarter with rough surface (right bottom pic)

So..what does it mean?

Before we enter into university, generally we are unequipped intellectually, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. During the years in university, we sharpen not only our knowledge, but our mini social skill in handling life issues in analytical way. By the time we graduated, our life are 3 quarters ready to face the outside social reality life, left the 1 quarter for us to gain from our working life in the outside unprotected society. Mmm...what a meaningful symbolic stone!

Going back to USM campus always trigger many youth memories that mommy really feels so grateful on the life path that mommy went through so far.

Top left & right: The hill view that used to be so panoramic but now is blocked by the 2 tower of condo...:-/

It used to be the place for most students to release their stress looking at the Penang bridge from far on this hill top.

Bottom left & right: 2nd library in USM

Outside USM library

The park around USM compound

Top left: Dewan Kuliah

Bottom left: Desa Harapan-the hostel mommy stayed during the first year in U.

Top right: Dewan Budaya

Bottom right: DTSP (Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra)-the assembly hall where the graduation ceremony take place

This is new....in front of the new library....wah...it looks romantic leh...

It was indeed a very fruitful trip with happy ending that overtake the unhappy events in the beginning of our trip.

What happened?

Before we started the trip from KL, mommy's car was ran out of battery and spent RM185 to change the whole battery and caused about 2 hours journey delay. Then after around 3 hours drive, mommy's car air-cond suddenly out of function!! We had to drive in to Ipoh, found a workshop to get it repaired, this cost us another RM1128!! We had to spend our time in Ipoh Parade's Popular bookshop while waiting for the car to be fixed, and finally we reached Penang at 8.30pm!! (from morning11a.m.!!). What a journey!! we thought....

We really had a bad foot start and thought of turning back initially which finally we still insisted to drive to Penang all just for Eeanne.

But....we never regret on the choice to proceed as we really had a good enjoyable time in Penang with Eeanne, all those adventurous experiences have leave so much memories for Eeanne, daddy and mommy, and we have almost forget about the unhappy incidents in beginning of the journey during the way back to KL..:-)