The world biggest jade Buddha in Penang (April 13)

THE Malaysian Buddhist fraternity will have a golden opportunity to view the world’s largest Jade Buddha statue in Penang in April.

The statue — Jade Buddha for Universal Peace — which weighs four tonnes and stands at 2.7m will be displayed at Penang Times Square in Jalan Datuk Keramat for 10 days starting April 6.

The event is organised by Chokyi Gyaltsen Centre (CGC).

CGC president Dr Daniel Yeoh said the event was aimed at inspiring the visitors on the importance of peace in their mind and heart.

“We expect to draw a 100,000-strong crowd throughout the days,” said Dr Yeoh in a press conference at CGC in Air Itam, Penang, on Tuesday.

Among the programmes are chanting sessions, relic blessings, Tibetan sand mandala exhibition and Pindapata alms round.

Rare gem: The world's largest Jade Buddha statue will be displayed at Penang Times Square for 10 days starting April 6

Dr Yeoh said the Jade Buddha statue came from an 18-tonne gemstone which was discovered in Canada in 2003 by Australian Ian Green who raised funds to buy it at US$1.5mil (RM4.56mil).

Green, who was present at the press conference, said the gemstone was shipped to Thailand where six renowned jade carvers created the statue modelled after a famous Buddha image at the Mohabodhi Stupa in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, India.

“The carving and polishing of the statue was completed in 2008 and since then, the Jade Buddha has been on a world tour to 14 countries including Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Australia, the United States, Canada, Germany and Norway.

“The statue will be on display in Kuala Lumpur in March before arriving in Penang,” said Green.

He said the world tour would continue for the next three years before coming to a rest at a permanent home at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.

Admission to the event in Penang is free. For more information, call CGC at 04-4285528 or visit www.fpmt.org and www.jadebuddha.org.au.

Just another weekend..

Nothing difference.. the week have passed with a hectic schedule and from an overseas trip. It is just work, work and work and trying to get enough rest to build up my energy again.  Life was so plain and uneventful as the days drags by into weeks and months and years.

If I look at life at a negative angle, it was boring and flat.Just like a plate of rice without salt, sugar or spice.  But, if I look at the things that I have contributed and done minute by minute then there was quiet an achievement.

As a contribution to my employer and the world, I have walk a little further to realized another project which provides employment and a steady livelihood to 6,000 people or more in a poor country like Bangladesh and these 6000 people can in turn feed a multiple of 5 times of the number of people and have a snowballing effect on the livelihood of people associated with the 6000 people.  This is the principle of multification or evolution.

I considered myself a builder and I contribute to the betterment of the society while there are people who are destroyer and they have have a role to pull me back or destroy what I have build. That is the optimistic view of my role and I want to make myself believe that I am useful and I can continue to useful to build the world a better place.  With this thinking, my past week is not lost and it is actually spend with a purpose.

I have told my staff,Ag that when we look at an object, we can see that this object will change in shape , size  and color if we move our angle to look at the object. Things are different when we see the object in different lights, angle and with a different color background.

If we are unhappy, than it is our choice to make ourself happy and this is up to us to change our choice of the feeling.  But, we have to be aware that to remained unhappy does not solved the problem and it makes it even worst. However, if we exercise our happy choice at less, the situation in better instead of dragging us into a more severe recession.

Just like this coming weekend, you can make the difference and decide how to spend it. If we choose to do nothing and that makes us happy, then by all means we should do it instead of bored ourselves out.


Namaste.

Growing old - insight

Subject: GROWING OLD.....

 

Growing old is Awesome when you look at it like this!!!

Some  very true words to ponder鈥�.I hope you  enjoy.

As  I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and  less critical of myself. I've become my own  friend.

 

I have seen too many dear friends  leave this world, too soon; before they  understood the great freedom that comes with  aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose  to read, or play, on the computer, until 4 AM,  or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to  those wonderful tunes of the 50, 60 &70's,  and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a  lost love, I will.

 

I will walk the beach,  in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging  body, and will dive into the waves, with  abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying  glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get  old.

 

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But  there again, some of life is just as well  forgotten. And, I eventually remember the  important things.

 

Sure, over the years,  my heart has been broken. How can your heart not  break, when you lose a loved one, or when a  child suffers, or even when some body's beloved  pet gets hit by a car? But, broken hearts are  what give us strength, and understanding, and  compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine,  and sterile, and will never know the joy of  being imperfect.

 

I am so blessed to have  lived long enough to have my hair turning gray,  and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched  into deep grooves on my face. So many have never  laughed, and so many have died before their hair  could turn silver.

As you get older, it  is easier to be positive. You care less about  what other people think. I don't question myself  anymore. I've even earned the right to be  wrong.

 

So, to answer your question, I  like being old. It has set me free. I like the  person I have become. I am not going to live  forever, but while I am still here, I will not  waste time lamenting what could have been, or  worrying about what will be. And I shall eat  dessert every single day (if I feel like  it).

 

MAY OUR  FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN  IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE  HEART

I love you, sweetheart-

I LOVE YOU, SWEETHEART">>>>>>>>>>There was a group of women at a seminar on how to live in a loving relationship with your husband. The women were asked, 'How many of you love your husbands?'>>>>>>>>>>All the women raised their hands.>>>>>>>>>>Then they were asked, 'When was the last time you told your husband you loved him?'>>>>>>>>>>Some women answered today, some yesterday,
some didn't remember. The women were then told to take their phones and send the following text: 'I love you, sweetheart'.>>>>>>>>>>Then the women were told to exchange phones>>>>>and read the responding text messages.>>>>>>>>>>Here are some of the replies.>>>>>>>>>>1. Who is this?>>>>>2. Eh, mother of my children, are you sick?>>>>>3. I love you too.>>>>>4. What now? Did you crash the car again?>>>>>5. I don't understand what you mean?>>>>>6. What did you do now? I won't forgive you this time.>>>>>7. ?!?>>>>>8. Don't beat about the bush, just tell me how much you need?>>>>>9. Am I dreaming?>>>>>10. If you don't tell me who this message is actually for, someone will die.>>>>>11. I asked you not to drink anymore. I'll leave if you are tired of me.>>>>>12. Whatever you want the answer is no!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Send this to all your married friends.>>>

Tiredness - my experience.

Just came back from a six days overseas trip ie 2 days in Singapore and 4 days in Bangladesh.  The time difference is zero hours for Singapore and 2 hours behind for Bangladesh.  However, I feel that travelling  for business and travelling for leisure is totally different.  For business, we are under stress and full load of assignments while for leisure, we are free as a bird and light as a feather.  This is a vast difference.

During travel, I notice that we have to rest deeply when we are sleeping and we should drink a lot of water and eat a lot of fruits to ensure that we have a peaceful time in the toilet. If we do not watch over our diet, we could end up high and dry while our waste will be totally blocked. 

Recently, I find that a glass of beer could do wonders when we are travelling under intense heat and this drink could cool down our body and make our body well and in balance.  A cold drink after under  under the heat has a very relieving feeling and wonderful feeling.

Yes, I am  feeling very tired due to the lack of sleep as foreign bed always keeps me awake and I am trying to get back the balance in my life , balancing between the Yin and the Yang.   It is a very complicated act but I have to do it for the sake of my well being.

Early sleep,  proper diet, lots of water and fruits  will do marvellous to my tired body. 

Namaste.

ED-Man's Most Dreaded Problem (extracts)

   If you think you could be having a problem, don't hesitate to get professional help. WHAT IS IT? Erections start in the brain. Yes, the brain! When sights, sounds, smells. Sensations or thoughts make a man sexually aroused, his central nervous system signals the arteries in his penis to relax. Blood flow to his penis then increases 16 times the normal rate, while the veins that carry blood away from the penis are blocked - hence, an erection. The extra blood stays in the penis as long as the man remains aroused or until he ejaculates. Sometimes, however, there's a breakdown in the process. If the brain doesn't send the right signals, if the nerves that pass the signals from the brain to the penis are damaged, or if the arteries can't respond to those signals, a man will be unable to have an erection. Contrary to popular belief, erectile dysfunction (ED) sometimes called impotence - is not inevitable with age (although it is more common in older men).   POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ED Many things can interfere with one or more of the steps necessary to achieve an erection, but medically speaking, it usually boils down to a problem of blood flow. If you suffer from ED, one of the following factors is probably to blame: 1. Cardiovascular disease: High blood pressure, atherosclerosis (narrowing or hardening of the arteries), and other disorders of the heart and blood vessels can hamper the flow of blood to the penis. 2. Medications: Many commonly used drugs can short-circuit the process that lead to erections by interrupting nerve impulses or blood flow to the penis. Some examples: antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilisers, appetite suppressants, and blood pressure medications like beta-blockers and diuretics. If you develop erection difficulties while taking antidepressants or blood pressure medicines, remember the reasons you're taking them. Stopping them isn't necessarily the answer. Always get your doctor's advice before you stop taking any prescription medicine. 3. Diabetes: Because this disease can damage nerves that control blood flow and blood vessels themselves, blood flow to the penis can be impaired. 4. Prostate surgery: Not long ago, almost all men had problems achieving erections after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. Such problems are still a common side effect of prostate surgery, as well as radiation treatment for prostate or colorectal cancer. But new surgical techniques can often spare the nerves to the penis, so sexual function need not be a problem for these patients. 5. Smoking: Cigarette smoking constricts and damages blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the penis. Research suggests that men who smoke and have other health problems, such as heart disease, are more likely to have trouble with erections. 6. Psychological factors: It's no secret that relationship problems have a direct effect on a couple’s sex life. Feeling or resentment or hostility harbored by either partner can derail intimacy. Stress, anxiety, guilt feeling, depression, and low self-esteem can all trigger or compound ED. 7. Other factors: Alcoholism, pelvic injuries (such as fractures), damage to the nerves that control blood flow to the penis, multiple sclerosis and below normal levels of testosterone can all lead to ED.    

Various types of cough - extracts

We all know that coughs are irritating and don't go away as easily as they come. A colleague returned to work after three days of being away because of a nasty cough. And although his workload ended up on my shoulders, by the end of the day, all I wanted was for him to go back where he temporarily belonged-at home. Not only was he passing the bug to everyone within germ-spreading radius, the constant coughing was driving me up the wall. WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF COUGH? The main type: • Productive cough: Also called an 'effective cough' as it expels mucous from the lungs. This type of cough is mostly acute in nature and is often caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. It should not be suppressed, otherwise recurrent or constant infection will remain since the purpose of the cough (to remove mucus) is suppressed. • Non-productive cough: Also called an ' ineffective cough' as it does not bring any secretions or mucous out of the lungs. It is a dry, irritating cough without phlegm. This type of cough is mostly chronic in nature and caused by dry irritation, dust, smoke or fumes, or due to oedema and mild secretion in the resolving stage of illness. It may be also due to weakness of the muscles of respiration, thick viscid mucus or diseases of the cilia, which helps mucous transportation in the airway. Other classifications of a cough: 1. Acute - not more than three weeks' duration. For example, infective coughs. 2. Chronic- more than three weeks' duration. For example, smoker's cough. 3. Dry cough- no mucous or secretions. 4. Wet cough - with mucous or secretions. 5. Cough from chest or from throat - productive or non-productive• Bovine cough - soundless cough due to paralysis of larynx. 6. Psychogenic cough - self-conscious activity of the patient to draw attention. Preventing A COUGH IS POSSIBLE Smoking and dust exposure. Working in areas with noxious fumes or polluted air. Cold food or drinks. Contact with infected persons. Continuous usage of nasal decongestant and cough syrups. Do Rest in a room with good ventilation. Drink plenty of fluids & water, expulsion. Eat light and small meals to reduce vomiting with oesophageal. Inhale steam to loosen phlegm. Take vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of cold or disease. Do you know: A cough is an explosive expulsion of air from the lungs, and can reach speeds of more than 100km per hour.