Perception is not reality. What appear to be faults in others may actually be reflections of our own emotional afflictions. I don't have an attitude problem; you have a perception problem.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Impermanence
"Some people, sweet and attractive, and strong and healthy, happen to die young. They are masters in disguise teaching us about impermanence." ~HHDL
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Live on TV
The sunny California sun was beating down on my pastel Minnesota winter’s skin. As if a jolt of electric current when down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck erected, and I had the clothes on my back yanked. There was something in the air that day; the sultry scent of palm trees and the gentle chirp of seagulls were not it. The city of San Francisco was in full spirit of it’s political activism. With the running of Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch, the city manifested into the epicenter of the World. Crowds of more than ten thousand spectators and protesters had gathered at the waterfront. The Olympic essence was truly on display as advocates of numerous political society united to be seen and herd in the media spectacle that is the Olympic torch relay. Advocates of Human Rights, Darfur, Falun Gong, Tibet, Anti-China sentiments, Burma and Democratic China were determined to make much ruckus as possible. This was destined for becoming a protest of Olympic proportions. Coming for the spectacles, I hadn't planned on being one of the spectacles.
With a painted bloody wrist and a plaything handcuff that was bruising my two joints, I was symbolically dressed as a Tibetan Buddhist Monk with my last-minute improvised maroon robe. With thousands of pro-Tibet and pro-China demonstrators who had lined the expected Olympic torch relay route fueling my fire, I screamed at the top of my lungs like a revolutionist, “Free Tibet!” I was reenacting the significant moment of Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 with just some few twists here and there. I shouted out pro Tibetan propaganda soundbites that the media could grasp. All around the San Francisco waterfront I played my character as a outspoken but voiceless, and a defiant but devoted lama getting thrashed by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) and then run over by a miniature wooden tank. Most of the acting were all spontaneous and unpleasant. With no early arrangements, the mutual connection between the mock soldiers and the pretend lamas was non-existing. As some of the violent scenes were being played out, the soldiers were compellingly hitting me and choking me with the plastic batons. Deep inside, I was anxious as if I was seconds away from being pulled over, but momentarily I realized that what I was symbolizing what was vastly more important than my eggshell self-conscious.
People of both spectrum of passion to China clashed at the waterfront; I was in the middle of it. Yelling, spitting, finger pointing, waving of Chinese and Tibetan flags, pounding of loud traditional Chinese drums, and nudists running down streets were some of the sites and sounds of that day. Emotions were blistering on each sides, and the size of the cluster seemed to be intensifying. the scenes seemed barbaric like in the middle when huge crowds from each faction rallied and argued over politics. Fortunately, nothing big went down.
Due to my dramatic and symbolic gestures, the media were all over my act. “What’s your name?” one reporter asked while on the move. “I don’t have a name. I represent the oppressed people of Tibet,” I replied. Not satisfied with my answer, “Come on, man, you know where this will be tomorrow? This is BIG!” I didn’t want to give my name because I thought that was irrelevant, and already in the The Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program (DEP), I assumed that I had lost my First Amendment Right after signing that death wish. Pictures where being taken form every corner, and I was in the midst of it. Few tears here and there, I carried on my act until the protest died out.
In the end, the olympic torch run turned into a hide-and-seek game where the torch was never seen by the spectators or protestors. Looking back, I felt content with my actions and my courage as if my testicular fortitude grew like puberty. Plus, the air-time on CNN and many other news channels, and landing a small section on the front of USA Today Newspapers doesn't hurt.
A Letter to Myself
You are in the hospital looking half-dead and confined in bed. With an unwinking gaze at the smoggy, congested traffic outside, you look down on your last liquid diet meal. Your body cringes as you stare at the beef broth slowly turning cold, eating you little by little. Grasping your last air, you slowly murmur your last words to your loved ones who cared to show up for this sorry moment. You ponder on the lifetime you have spent on this foreign world and all the life experiences that you have missed out on. You realize that your dreams have become distant apparitions as time flew by. As nostalgia creeps in, you repent your ways because you realize that all those times you were killing Time, Time was killing you. Cold sweat perspires as you fathom the jaws of death. Petrified, you yearn to revel once more. Crying one’s eyes out, “I want more time.”
Death is inevitable; you cannot escape the reality. In anyones story, time is the most powerful antagonist of all. When time comes for you to pass away, embrace death as it’s your ending to a great novel because death is the only thing you can be certain of. You are the author of the blank page before you. The high spirited child inside of you has diminished over time. Your aspirations have withered away like the leafs on autumn. Every morning it’s the same: you wake up, do your morning rituals, settle your duties, rest, and repeat it all over again the next day. You are shackled by your daily routines in life, confining yourself with repetitive activities and unimaginative pleasures. With it comes the uneasy feeling of, no matter who we are, that there is something more. Wanting to believe in hope, we take a leap of faith and let everything ride on chance. Life can be so much more.
- Explore the frontiers and the wonders of this world. You will be awed by the breathtaking natural and the man-made wonders. The diversity in lives and cultures in our world is compelling. Stimulate your senses by experimenting rich cultures and meeting new people who have a different point of view. It will help you grow as a person and understand the world we live in- on such a deep level. Most importantly, tantalize your taste buds with the strange new and interesting food which you’ve never imagined that could be digested.
- Immerse yourself in the world of enlightenment. Illuminate your mind by educating yourself. Be a sponge, and absorb the wisdom and knowledge that is the book. Read fiction classics that will enchant you into the world of the authors imagination. With books you can travel without moving an inch. Read biographies of great individuals who have walked on the same soil as you. Grasp their deeds and attributes that has made them so beloved, and implement them. Understand the world around you by being well-informed with current issues and foreign policies.
- Live everyday as it’s your last. Challenge yourself to learn something new everyday, weather it’s a new word, magic trick, or to be a jack of all trades. This will boost your sense of accomplishment and independence. There’s always something new to learn and time to implement it in real life. Ask yourself, “How bad do I want it?” Don’t be afraid to fail because everyone fails. “When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”~H.H. the Dalai Lama
- In life, sometimes, simplicity is the key. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life and appreciate the little things. Don’t become attached to material comforts, or you will never be content in life. Life is not about having what you want, but wanting what you have.
- When we live our lives, questions often come up: “Why are we born? What are we born for?” Though these question may go unanswered, you can still live a wholesome life by finding a cause that is vastly more important than yourself. Commit to a cause that will give you a purpose in live. Save a tree, adopt an abandoned dog, build a shelter, mentor a kid, save a live, or fight for a needy cause. Each and every act of compassion will make your life more fulfilling.
Life is beautiful; marvel on the sheer possibilities in the feat of living. Before your kick the bucket, carry out your bucket list. Do what you always wanted do; become what you were meant to be. If not now then when? “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”~Steve Jobs.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Tibetan Wind Horse
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