BON ODORI

Perhaps some of you reading this have heard or been to this festival. For me, I've only been to it once. But for those who heard of this festival or have participated in it before for many times already, do you know how this festival come about? Like all festivals, there is always an interesting story in it. Here's some info I got from another website.

The Bon Odori FestivalOver a two day period July or August many Japanese American communities celebrate the Bon Odori Festival. This Buddhist dance festival is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward their ancestors. Bon Odori originates from the story of a Buddhist disciple who envisioned his deceased mother in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts where she was endulging in her own selfishness. Greatly disturbed, he went to Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha advised his disciple to perform some charitable act in memory of his mother. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release for the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or Bon Dance, a time in which our ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
Today the Bon Odori Festival participants continue this custom as they dance in traditional Japanese dress, including kimonos, yukata (cotton kimonos), and hopi coats (short coats styled like a kimono top). The dances may include the use of fans, castinets, straw hats or cotton towels and recall both daily life in Japan and rememberance of ancestors.
There is also a variety of other activities to take part in at the festival. Many of the Buddhist Churches hosting the Bon Odori Festivals will offer tours of the church and explanations of Buddhist practices. There are also performances throughout the day by community music groups including band music and taiko, Japanese Performance Drumming. Usually a variety of Japanese foods and crafts as well as games for both adults and children are also offered.

For those who wants to experience it, there's one in Malaysia at Mashushitta Stadium on 12th of July at night. I'm not sure about the time it starts but i guess it's around 8pm. So go there and have some fun!!!

Pope & Ah Peh

About a century or two ago, the Pope decided that all the Chinese had to leave Italy. Naturally there was a big uproar from the Chinese community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Chinese community. If the Chinese wins, they could stay. If the Pope wins, the Chinese would leave. The Chinese realized that they had no other choice. So they picked a middle-aged man named Ah Peh to represent them. Ah Peh asked for one condition to be added to the debate. "To make it more interesting", he said, "neither side would be allowed to talk".The Pope agreed. The day of the great debate came. Ah Peh and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute. Then the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Ah Peh looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Ah Peh pointed to the ground at where he sat. The Pope pulled out a loaf and a glass of wine. Ah Peh pull out an apple.The Pope stood up and said: "I give up. This man is too good. The Chinese can stay."An hour later, the cardinals were all around The Pope asking him what happened?. The Pope said, "first I held up three fingers to represent the holy trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions.""Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us." He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us.”"I pulled out the wine and loaf to show that God absolves all sin. He showed me an apple to remind us of the original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"Meanwhile, the Chinese community had crowded around Ah Peh. "What happened?" they asked."Well," said Ah Peh, "First he indicated to me that all Chinese had 3 days to get out of here. I replied to him f**k off and not one of us was leaving."

"Then he pointed out that this whole city would be cleared of Chinese. I showed him that we are staying right here." "Yes, and then???" asked the crowd. "I don't know", said Ah Peh, "He took out his lunch, and I took out mine!!!"

Life of a football fan during the off-season

With the BPL already ended and other leagues have found their champion of the season, here comes the time where there's no football-- the off-season. It's the time when football fans won't get their constant dose of football news and thrill of watching the matches. So this leaves those extremely hardcore fans of football to be like a drug addict without it's constant supply of drugs. Well, that may be a little extreme but it's something like that.

So what does a football fan do during this period of time? Well it's not like football is all of their life, it's just MOST OF IT. Perhaps for a young fan, they'll just go on and play more football so that they can have more of the action as a substitute to that of the league matches. The more mature ones will probably have a game in more of games like Football Fantasy and Fifa '08. Well of course there's still many other things that they can do without football but they will still need some form of football. Of course, the next big event is coming soon, the EURO 2008. And before that actual event there are some friendlies so maybe you can call that the dose of football but come on, we all know that friendlies are not enough to thrill any football fan, it's like a warm-up or some sort of lower dose of medicine.

The football season may be quiet this period, but i'm sure football fans will have the creativity to know what to do. Till the next season comes, let's hope for a thrilling EURO ahead. And by the way, GO GREECE!!!!

Opinion on Parliment Live Telecast

The Parliment Live Telecast was shown for the first time last week and there are sparks among the MPs as they start to call each other names. After that incident, there were some suggestions to stop to live telecast of Parliment meetings as they felt ashamed to see the acts of the MPs. But this is a better way for the public to understanding the people that they have voted in to represent them.
The second live telecast was shown today. The MPs have shown significantly better behaviour and this shows that by showing the meetings through live telecast, the meetings can be done in a better manner as the MPs know that they are being watched and they will do their best.

The only thing that is dissapointing about the live telecast is that during the 30 minutes allocated for Parliment meeting, only less than 15 minutes were shown. Nevertheless, this is a great move by the Malaysian Government to be more transparent. So it should go on..

Oil Lamps for SJBA Wesak Day

As Wesak Day is approaching soon, Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (SJBA) is selling Oil Lamps at RM 20 each. This is for well wishing purposes as well as to fund SJBA's expenses such as temple activities and maintainence. Those interested can buy from SJBA which is near Summit USJ and beside BH Petrol station or can contact me- 016-9181680 to buy the oil lamps.

Wesak Day celebration will be on 18th May to 19 May at SJBA.

3 offerings

In Buddhism, the believe is that God is another being in heavenly planes and the Buddhist version of heaven is known as NIbbana. Now just to clarify this to everyone, the Buddha is not a god and there is a statue of the Buddha because it serves as a reminder that the Buddha is the teacher and the Enlightened One, meaning he or she has discovered the truth and the truth that the Buddha found out will enable us to lead a better life when we follow it. If you noticed, I used the words "he or she" when I was referring to the Buddha. This is because the Buddha is like the name of a new level, sort of like a title for a person who has reached the level of Enlightenment so the Buddha could be a male or a female.

Now you may be wondering, how could the Buddha unable to be confirmed as a male or a female? The answer is simple, in Buddhism, the believe is that there are rebirths in the cycle called Samsara cycle. So everytime rebirth occurs, it is believe that suffering occurs. So to end suffering is the aim in Buddhism and to do that is to gain Enlightenment and go to Nibbana out of the Samsara cycle. There are 3 offerings that is offered to the Buddha and they are namely, Light, Water and Flowers. All this serve as a reminder and a significant symbol. The Light is that to show the way in darkness and this means to avoid evil. Water brings that meaning of purity and thus reminds people to purify their minds to be as pure as water. Flowers simply remind people of impermenance as nothing is permanent.

This is just a small part of Buddhism, hope you have a better understanding after reading this.

Significance of WESAK..

The annual cycle of the Spiritual Festivals offers opportunity for people of all faiths to cooperate. Together, the three full moon festivals of Aries, Taurus and Gemini form a united spiritual approach by humanity to divinity.
The Wesak Festival has been traditionally associated in eastern civilization with the Buddha, divine intermediary between the highest spirtual center on the planet, Shamballa, and the Hierarchy. The Buddha is the expression of the Wisdom of God, the embodiment of Light and the indicator of divine purpose, cooperating at this festival with his brother the Christ, who represents the Hierarchy. The Buddha embodies the Principle of Light, and because of this illumination humanity was able to recognize the Christ, embodiment of the still greater Principle of Love.
Each year at the time of Wesak, two great streams of energy — one focussed through the Buddha and the other through the Christ — are fused and blended, and it is the task of world servers to precipitate this combined energy into the waiting world.
The Wesak Festival is indeed a great spiritual event, with a powerful effect upon humanity. Groups of aspirants can at this time become channels for the higher energies released through the medium of the two focal points — the Buddha, who represents the overlighting essence of subjective realities, and the Christ, representative of aspiring humanity.
This is symbolized in religious rituals where the priest acts as the focal point; here, however, the priesthood in this great ceremony of contact is not a separate entity. All can be priests, the single qualification being the capacity to align oneself and be en rapport with the Soul, and thus be able to cooperate with other souls.
Wesak is a time of unusual inflow of life and of spiritual stimulation, serving to vitalize the aspiration of all humanity. At the time of the festival, through the united effort of the Christ and the Buddha working in closest cooperation, there is opened a channel of communication between humanity and deity through which an approach can be made to Those Who guide our planet, so that aspirants and disciples are able to contact energies not otherwise easily available.
In mutual service to humanity, at Wesak the Buddha and the Christ bring about a linking that blends East and West, uniting the world's major religions in a shared holy day in which religious distinctions disappear. In the beautiful water ceremony of communion is portrayed the symbol of the new age which is upon us, the Aquarian Age, the age of the Water Carrier.
During the Wesak Festival the Buddha becomes the "absorbing Agent" of Will. He uses the magnetic power of Love-Wisdom to attract this force to Himself and hold it steady, prior to redirecting it. The Christ then — on behalf of the Hierarchy — becomes the "receiving Agent" of this potent energy and the groups of Masters Who work with the human and sub-human kingdoms (in response to His demand) become the "directing Agents" for the sevenfold expression of this force.
So around the Wesak Festival, expansions of consciousness are made possible that are not possible at other times. Those of goodwill are stimulated spirtually to take initiation, in order to penetrate more deeply and consciously into the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. These reveal more about the wonder of our divinity, and about the Plan to which humanity is conforming. Each year, the Wesak marks the beginning of a cycle for the New Group of World Servers, that comprise three-year cycles of crisis, tension, and emergence.
At the Wesak Festival we may honor the Buddha, as well as ourselves, as dedicated transmitters of the energy that can be contacted at the full moon in Taurus. Each year as we experience the Wesak more consciously, it's important to hold the space for the inflow and distribution of energies, through safeguarding.
The focussed interplay of many minds working together in meditation produces a unity of thought powerful enough to reach the Great Lives watching over and guiding our planet. And the combined aspiration, consecration, devotion and intelligence of the group carries everyone to greater heights than could be attained alone.
The greater the number of people who meditate at this time, the stronger the magnetic field of the group heart and its invocative, indrawing power. It's up to each of us to attune with ever greater clarity to the note being sounded — to quiet the mind and transmute individual desires that only cause confusion and chaos, into desire for the greatest good of all.
We know where we are aligned ... with the Source of all that is. That Source provides uniquely and cooperates with All who are tuned to Its note of Life.