The small one's birthday is coming up... and he made 2 requests:
1. The location for his party
2. A microphone ... a real one! (???!??)
Anyway, since he's on this mode of making decisions for himself, I made him list out the friends he wanted to invite, by himself, with minimal interference from me.
I'm done with booking #1 which was easy... but have no idea where I can get #2 - yet.
Just yesterday, I finished creating the e-invite card and told him about it... to which he said, in an I-Know-Better voice "How can I send it to my friends if it's inside your laptop? Can you get it out of your laptop? Or else I have to carry your laptop to school to show them!"
Right! Mr Bossy, Next year, you can make your own list PLUS your own invitation cards!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
What is NOT meditation
From HERE
(1) Meditation is NOT Concentration
A big MISCONCEPTION : Meditation is just one form of concentration.
When you concentrate, you constantly project your attention towards a particular task or activity whereas in Meditation you do not project your attention towards a particular task or activities. You just remain aware of the moment without choosing anything to concentrate upon. Concentration is important for learning meditation. It will greatly help you (particularly in the initial phase) in learning mediation. However, it is not Meditation
(2) Meditation is NOT Relaxation.
What does relaxation do ?
It relaxes you, makes you calm, gives a sense of serenity and rejuvenates you.
Meditation also makes you relaxed. But Meditation is not Relaxation When you meditate....... its natural outcome is relaxation.
(3) Meditation is NOT a serious religious practice
Meditation is not a specific ritual demanding sitting in a particular posture, chanting some specific Mantras (powerful words having phonetic significance) or burning incense. Neither it means doing a particular exercise in a particular pose. Meditation is a quality of our existence. When you are aware of your true 'self' and perform anything (yes I mean anything ) with awareness, it becomes meditation
It is true that it takes some time to learn Meditation and it requires some genuine effort on the part of seeker to learn meditation, but it does not mean that Meditation is connected with any specific religion or ritual. Anybody, irrespective of his background, religion, caste, creed or nationality can do it. Meditation is not even a serious thing. One you understand it, it will be a pure fun to meditate.
(4) Meditation is NOT a state of mind.
Rather - It is a state of no mind.
Many gadgets are available in the market that promise to take us into a meditative state (often known as the alpha state of mind). Scientists have observed that there are basically 4 states of mind depending upon the frequency of mind waves. These states are alpha, beta, gamma and theta. Beta is the state in which we live and perform all our day-to-day activities. Alpha is the state just below Beta. This (alpha) state is often known as the state of Meditation. Gamma and Theta are the other states of mind in further depth.
Now what all these scientific Gadgets can do is to take us into the state of alpha. In the alpha state one become still, tranquil and calm. There is no tension, no stress. Your whole inner being becomes peaceful.
But please note that alpha state itself is not meditation. Alpha is the state of mind in meditation. Meditation is the awareness of our true self in alpha. You will be in meditation if you remain awaken and aware of the present moment in the alpha state of mind i.e. in the state of absolute calm. No Gadget or mechanical device can create 'awareness'. They can only create right condition for us to realize what is 'true awareness'.
(5) Meditation is NOT self-hypnosis
In both Self-hypnosis and (in many techniques of ) meditation at least an initial period of concentration on an object is required. However in meditation, the meditator maintains an awareness of here-and-now and stay conscious of the meditative process which is not exactly the case in hypnosis. In hypnosis the person enters into a state of semi-conscious trance and become unaware of the moment which is not the case in meditation.
(6) Meditation is NOT thinking
Rather it is the process of transcending the thought process. Our mind is a non-stop chatterbox that continues to create all sorts of good/ bad, relevant /irrelevant thoughts incessantly. In meditation we realize that we are not just our body and mind. There exists in us an awareness independent of all kinds of thoughts. Knowing this awareness is what meditation is all about.
From a meditator's point of view the saying of Descartes - "I think, therefore I am" is not true. A meditator will say - " I am, therefore I think"
(1) Meditation is NOT Concentration
A big MISCONCEPTION : Meditation is just one form of concentration.
When you concentrate, you constantly project your attention towards a particular task or activity whereas in Meditation you do not project your attention towards a particular task or activities. You just remain aware of the moment without choosing anything to concentrate upon. Concentration is important for learning meditation. It will greatly help you (particularly in the initial phase) in learning mediation. However, it is not Meditation
(2) Meditation is NOT Relaxation.
What does relaxation do ?
It relaxes you, makes you calm, gives a sense of serenity and rejuvenates you.
Meditation also makes you relaxed. But Meditation is not Relaxation When you meditate....... its natural outcome is relaxation.
(3) Meditation is NOT a serious religious practice
Meditation is not a specific ritual demanding sitting in a particular posture, chanting some specific Mantras (powerful words having phonetic significance) or burning incense. Neither it means doing a particular exercise in a particular pose. Meditation is a quality of our existence. When you are aware of your true 'self' and perform anything (yes I mean anything ) with awareness, it becomes meditation
It is true that it takes some time to learn Meditation and it requires some genuine effort on the part of seeker to learn meditation, but it does not mean that Meditation is connected with any specific religion or ritual. Anybody, irrespective of his background, religion, caste, creed or nationality can do it. Meditation is not even a serious thing. One you understand it, it will be a pure fun to meditate.
(4) Meditation is NOT a state of mind.
Rather - It is a state of no mind.
Many gadgets are available in the market that promise to take us into a meditative state (often known as the alpha state of mind). Scientists have observed that there are basically 4 states of mind depending upon the frequency of mind waves. These states are alpha, beta, gamma and theta. Beta is the state in which we live and perform all our day-to-day activities. Alpha is the state just below Beta. This (alpha) state is often known as the state of Meditation. Gamma and Theta are the other states of mind in further depth.
Now what all these scientific Gadgets can do is to take us into the state of alpha. In the alpha state one become still, tranquil and calm. There is no tension, no stress. Your whole inner being becomes peaceful.
But please note that alpha state itself is not meditation. Alpha is the state of mind in meditation. Meditation is the awareness of our true self in alpha. You will be in meditation if you remain awaken and aware of the present moment in the alpha state of mind i.e. in the state of absolute calm. No Gadget or mechanical device can create 'awareness'. They can only create right condition for us to realize what is 'true awareness'.
(5) Meditation is NOT self-hypnosis
In both Self-hypnosis and (in many techniques of ) meditation at least an initial period of concentration on an object is required. However in meditation, the meditator maintains an awareness of here-and-now and stay conscious of the meditative process which is not exactly the case in hypnosis. In hypnosis the person enters into a state of semi-conscious trance and become unaware of the moment which is not the case in meditation.
(6) Meditation is NOT thinking
Rather it is the process of transcending the thought process. Our mind is a non-stop chatterbox that continues to create all sorts of good/ bad, relevant /irrelevant thoughts incessantly. In meditation we realize that we are not just our body and mind. There exists in us an awareness independent of all kinds of thoughts. Knowing this awareness is what meditation is all about.
From a meditator's point of view the saying of Descartes - "I think, therefore I am" is not true. A meditator will say - " I am, therefore I think"
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
"...500 kilometres away from Bangalore"
So I've committed myself to attending one of my Indian colleague's Indian wedding in India. Only I had no idea his home was 500 kilometres away from the nearest international airport! Right... anyone's been to Maravanthe in Karnataka?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Death and 5-year olds Part 2
The old man told the small one that he was going to die soon.
The small one replied, "I know. "
Death is not much a mystery to a five year olds
It's simply a matter of fact
It's simply a matter of fact
Let us not forget
It's that simple
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Work for food.
".... later ants will come."
The small one: I know. The ants help clean up the house! They come and eat up the food on the floor.
???!???!?!
The small one: I know. The ants help clean up the house! They come and eat up the food on the floor.
???!???!?!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cafe run by robots
I didn't know that this salad place I go to - quite frequently now that I'm a grass-eater - had a staff who is actually a robot! This robot looked so human-like! So advanced was this robot that it could interact with customers exactly like a human being! It can take your order, give you the correct change and even deliver food to your table through its face-recognition software. When you are done, it'd say, "Thank you!", flash a nice smile and clear away your tray. It was so flawlessly human and unique, I could have never guessed it's true nature if it wasn't for what occurred today.My colleague choked on his food. Face turn red. I rush to get a glass of water for him....
Me: Can I have a glass of water please?
Robot: No. We don't serve water here.
Me: How about just half a glass?
Robot: No. We don't serve water here.
Me: Someone's choking. Can I have a glass of water?
Robot: No. We don't serve water here.
Me: *incredulous by now* Can't I just have some water? Tap water?
Robot: No. We don't serve water here.
Me: *quite loudly now* LOOK! Someone's choking! CAN I HAVE SOME WATER!!!!???!!!!"
Thank God the human owner, possibly alerted to the short circuit signal, came by and gave me a glass of water.
Will I eat there again?
>>> Not when I know that that darn robot would watch me choke to death!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My Rolex
The boy has been 'learning' how to play the violin for almost 2 years now. He's still working on his Suzuki Violin Book Number One. At $140/mth for fees + books + instrument & accessories, this works out to S$2,000 / year. By the time he's done with his Book 1, it would have cost me "My Rolex".
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Gentle heart.
2 days ago... I received a call from his teacher.... who wanted to report an incident that happened in school. The little one and his classmate had an 'argument' , quarrelled and the classmate scratched the little one. There was some scratches and some blood on his face. I think my response was , "Oh, it's ok. Did he fight back?" The teacher said no.
Quite disappointed.
This boy of ours just doesn't know how to protect himself, much less fight back. I have never seen him return a push or a shove!
Not that I want him to hurt somebody else but at least, hey, avoid being scratched with some defensive moves or something.
Yesterday, I asked the boy if they were friends again. He said yes and that he told her a joke and made her laugh.
I'm like? Huh? (****Thinking silently... This monster girl disfigured your face and you told her a joke??? And made her laugh????!??!??)
His gentle heart makes me wonder ...
...who's supposed to teach who?
Quite disappointed.
This boy of ours just doesn't know how to protect himself, much less fight back. I have never seen him return a push or a shove!
Not that I want him to hurt somebody else but at least, hey, avoid being scratched with some defensive moves or something.
Yesterday, I asked the boy if they were friends again. He said yes and that he told her a joke and made her laugh.
I'm like? Huh? (****Thinking silently... This monster girl disfigured your face and you told her a joke??? And made her laugh????!??!??)
His gentle heart makes me wonder ...
...who's supposed to teach who?
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