Friday, February 15, 2008
Soracco performs at the Poh Ern Shih (PES) Charity Gala Dinner tonight. The dinner is held to raise funds to support the completion of Phase 2 of the temple complex – in other words, the main temple complex that we see currently in construction. The highlight of the evening is an auction for five pieces of art – two in the medium of photography done by Mr Kwek Leng Joo, an avid photographer in his spare time, as well as the director of City Developments Limited (CDL) which owns the Grand Copthrone Waterfront hotel whose ballroom we are seated in at this moment. The other three pieces of tapestry are done with locally-born but internationally-renowned fashion designer Benny Ong.
* * *
Ajahn’s talk tonight is not so much about the dharma, but generally to grace the occasion. Yet there are some points that I want to put up: namely, about learning to relax and let go; about generosity and kindness; as well as some information about symbols.
I take heart the very first thing he mentions. A temple, or any religious site of worship, is not just a structure. It is about the people who make it function, who maintain it as a spiritual sanctuary.
Point 1: take things at a slower, more relaxed pace
Slow down, enjoy life. Like a piece of artwork, take your time to do it, pay attention to the details.
Ajahn tells us a story that took place when he was still a novice monk in Laos.
This friend of his goes to an eatery in Luang Prabang, the second-largest city in Laos, for lunch. At one table sits a group of government troops, rifles propped up against the rattan wall of the restaurant.
Suddenly, members of the Pathet Lao (the Laos Communist Party) show up at the restaurant. The friend panics, and is about to dive under the table, for the fear of what might ensue.
The Communist troops simply head for another table, prop their rifles against the wall, and order their food. There is no fighting.
In Laos, war stops for lunch.
Point 2: generosity and kindness
Acts of generosity and kindness inspire us – they inspire us to want to do the same.
Ajahn tells the story of this Laotian lady who fled the country with her family in the midst of the Indochina war. The family moved to Oregon, USA, but a clerical error caused the lady – then a young girl – a passage to Australia. Hence she was separated from the rest of her family.
Years later, her brother sends a telegram stating that their mother did not have long to live. He requested his sister to come to the States to visit their mother for possibly the last time. The young lady was distraught because she was a refugee who could not afford the air passage to the USA. She went to see Ajahn Brahm.
At the same time, there was a nurse who had been out-of-work, and she, too, had just sought counsel from Ajahn. As she left the room, she heard the plight of the Laotian woman. She returned, and without hesitation, wrote a blank cheque and passed it to the woman. ‘Here, take this cheque and go see your mother.’ She sponsored the Laotian woman’s trip, even though she was unemployed and in financial uncertainty herself. If we are wearing the shoes of the Laotian woman, our gratitude will never cease.
What happens when you cannot afford to give money? Give your life! Give your life to serve other people, to help them out of their difficulties. Like Ajahn himself, who cannot handle money.
Ajahn then goes on to describe a little about the symbolism each of the five art pieces represent. The first artwork contains the silhouette of the Buddha’s head over a golden background. The Buddha’s head is a symbol, Ajahn explains. When we bow to it, we are not just bowing to the statue. Instead, we are bowing to peace, compassion and virtue. Ajahn tells about a Christian school principal (his former boss – he used to be a teacher before he ordained as a monk) who had a Buddha statue in his office. When queried, the principal replied it was a symbol of peace.
The other art pieces contain similar images – a hand and butterflies. The butterfly is a symbol of enlightenment – it is liberated and free. From the hand comes the source of liberation – it allows the butterflies to go their own ways.
* * *
The auction is fun at the beginning, as the hosts attempt to whip the enthusiasm of the crowd, encouraging them to purchase one of the art works as acts of generosity and kindness. The hosts are Henry Heng, a local comedian for television, as well as this Indian lady, Sumadhi (not sure if the spelling is correct, but this is how it sounds) who can speak fluent Mandarin, that puts many of us to shame!
Unfortunately she goes a little overboard into her conduct of the auction. Instead of focussing keeping the auction going on and ending in good time, she keeps engaging in a bit too much witty repartee with her co-host Henry Heng, a local Mandarin TV comedian, eventually irritating him as well as he is trying to get people to raise their hands to bid rather than listen to her talk on and on. Some of us at the table murmur that we will ‘gladly pay money for her to shut up’. Come on, get on with the auction! That’s what an auction is; this is not some 相声! (Xiang Sheng: exchanges of wits between two equally apt comedians or public speakers) To make matters worse, the air-conditioning is not very well done, and the ballroom is pretty badly crammed, with just enough room for one waist to slip past the narrow crevice between chair to chair. Some of our friends feel faint and very stuffed up. And they have to contend with nonsense that can be avoided. It just makes one feel frustrated. My stage manager friend is not happy about it either, complaining that she is taking her own direction rather than following the tasks she is expected off.
The bids begin slowly at first, increasing in tempo as time (and price levels) wear on. One of the bidders, in a great act of generosity, tells us all that he intends to donate the artwork which he has just won to another auction!
During the auction, Wenjie tries this on our unsuspecting friends. ‘Come, come. Can you help me call the waiter?’ just as the nearest waiter is not anywhere near (within a radius of one table), and just as Henry Heng hollers, ‘$20,000! Anyone higher than that?’
* * *
Over-reliance on a remote-control is detrimental, especially when the battery goes kaput.
This is what happens to the control for the locking mechanism of the BF van. The driver, Mr Chua, tells us that the control won’t work. We have to use the key to unlock the vehicle’s doors – and it sets off the alarm as well. It doesn’t work to shut the door and lock it, because the alarm won’t stop. The last resort is to find some device inside the vehicle which can stop the alarm, because it is causing much distress to everyone inside the basement, and it’s such an embarrassment. What seems like the right button, located on the dashboard on the driver’s side, turns out not to work. Perhaps it’s not the right one. We call Brother Eddie, he says that there’s a button underneath the driver’s consol, around the area of the footpedals.
Uuugh! Where is it? We just cannot find!
I cannot recall what eventually solves the problem, but we have the front doors opened. Wenjie eggs them to get in and drive away! We certainly have no wish to try something else that will jeopardise the peace and sanctity of the hotel basement!
¶ 2/15/2008 11:56:00 am * * *
Ajahn’s talk tonight is not so much about the dharma, but generally to grace the occasion. Yet there are some points that I want to put up: namely, about learning to relax and let go; about generosity and kindness; as well as some information about symbols.
I take heart the very first thing he mentions. A temple, or any religious site of worship, is not just a structure. It is about the people who make it function, who maintain it as a spiritual sanctuary.
Point 1: take things at a slower, more relaxed pace
Slow down, enjoy life. Like a piece of artwork, take your time to do it, pay attention to the details.
Ajahn tells us a story that took place when he was still a novice monk in Laos.
This friend of his goes to an eatery in Luang Prabang, the second-largest city in Laos, for lunch. At one table sits a group of government troops, rifles propped up against the rattan wall of the restaurant.
Suddenly, members of the Pathet Lao (the Laos Communist Party) show up at the restaurant. The friend panics, and is about to dive under the table, for the fear of what might ensue.
The Communist troops simply head for another table, prop their rifles against the wall, and order their food. There is no fighting.
In Laos, war stops for lunch.
Point 2: generosity and kindness
Acts of generosity and kindness inspire us – they inspire us to want to do the same.
Ajahn tells the story of this Laotian lady who fled the country with her family in the midst of the Indochina war. The family moved to Oregon, USA, but a clerical error caused the lady – then a young girl – a passage to Australia. Hence she was separated from the rest of her family.
Years later, her brother sends a telegram stating that their mother did not have long to live. He requested his sister to come to the States to visit their mother for possibly the last time. The young lady was distraught because she was a refugee who could not afford the air passage to the USA. She went to see Ajahn Brahm.
At the same time, there was a nurse who had been out-of-work, and she, too, had just sought counsel from Ajahn. As she left the room, she heard the plight of the Laotian woman. She returned, and without hesitation, wrote a blank cheque and passed it to the woman. ‘Here, take this cheque and go see your mother.’ She sponsored the Laotian woman’s trip, even though she was unemployed and in financial uncertainty herself. If we are wearing the shoes of the Laotian woman, our gratitude will never cease.
What happens when you cannot afford to give money? Give your life! Give your life to serve other people, to help them out of their difficulties. Like Ajahn himself, who cannot handle money.
Ajahn then goes on to describe a little about the symbolism each of the five art pieces represent. The first artwork contains the silhouette of the Buddha’s head over a golden background. The Buddha’s head is a symbol, Ajahn explains. When we bow to it, we are not just bowing to the statue. Instead, we are bowing to peace, compassion and virtue. Ajahn tells about a Christian school principal (his former boss – he used to be a teacher before he ordained as a monk) who had a Buddha statue in his office. When queried, the principal replied it was a symbol of peace.
The other art pieces contain similar images – a hand and butterflies. The butterfly is a symbol of enlightenment – it is liberated and free. From the hand comes the source of liberation – it allows the butterflies to go their own ways.
* * *
The auction is fun at the beginning, as the hosts attempt to whip the enthusiasm of the crowd, encouraging them to purchase one of the art works as acts of generosity and kindness. The hosts are Henry Heng, a local comedian for television, as well as this Indian lady, Sumadhi (not sure if the spelling is correct, but this is how it sounds) who can speak fluent Mandarin, that puts many of us to shame!
Unfortunately she goes a little overboard into her conduct of the auction. Instead of focussing keeping the auction going on and ending in good time, she keeps engaging in a bit too much witty repartee with her co-host Henry Heng, a local Mandarin TV comedian, eventually irritating him as well as he is trying to get people to raise their hands to bid rather than listen to her talk on and on. Some of us at the table murmur that we will ‘gladly pay money for her to shut up’. Come on, get on with the auction! That’s what an auction is; this is not some 相声! (Xiang Sheng: exchanges of wits between two equally apt comedians or public speakers) To make matters worse, the air-conditioning is not very well done, and the ballroom is pretty badly crammed, with just enough room for one waist to slip past the narrow crevice between chair to chair. Some of our friends feel faint and very stuffed up. And they have to contend with nonsense that can be avoided. It just makes one feel frustrated. My stage manager friend is not happy about it either, complaining that she is taking her own direction rather than following the tasks she is expected off.
The bids begin slowly at first, increasing in tempo as time (and price levels) wear on. One of the bidders, in a great act of generosity, tells us all that he intends to donate the artwork which he has just won to another auction!
During the auction, Wenjie tries this on our unsuspecting friends. ‘Come, come. Can you help me call the waiter?’ just as the nearest waiter is not anywhere near (within a radius of one table), and just as Henry Heng hollers, ‘$20,000! Anyone higher than that?’
* * *
Over-reliance on a remote-control is detrimental, especially when the battery goes kaput.
This is what happens to the control for the locking mechanism of the BF van. The driver, Mr Chua, tells us that the control won’t work. We have to use the key to unlock the vehicle’s doors – and it sets off the alarm as well. It doesn’t work to shut the door and lock it, because the alarm won’t stop. The last resort is to find some device inside the vehicle which can stop the alarm, because it is causing much distress to everyone inside the basement, and it’s such an embarrassment. What seems like the right button, located on the dashboard on the driver’s side, turns out not to work. Perhaps it’s not the right one. We call Brother Eddie, he says that there’s a button underneath the driver’s consol, around the area of the footpedals.
Uuugh! Where is it? We just cannot find!
I cannot recall what eventually solves the problem, but we have the front doors opened. Wenjie eggs them to get in and drive away! We certainly have no wish to try something else that will jeopardise the peace and sanctity of the hotel basement!
