Ghost Month

Hi all,

As the lunar seventh month is approaching, so called the Ghost Festival Months where you will see some Chinese people burning incense paper and give offerings to the spirits or ghost, let me share a story. Many months ago this time, I happened to do an Yi Jing Divinations for a young boy and I got this divination of Hexagram 18 Gu or Decay.Now this Hexagram 18 Decay蠱 in the Yi Jing, the word is also associated with a black magic spell using worms to cause death and to acquire wealth apart as a love spell too. As the hexagram had implied, decay from within however though inasuspicious, with this warning one can be cautious and take action as with the ying and the yang. The interesting thing was that I know this young boy` s father who had for no rhyme or reason commited suicide out of the blue and I was probably thinking of this when I was doing this divination and the Yi Jing as usual had rebuked me by giving me this Hexagram. At that time of before his death, it was rumoured that he had got to know a Mao Shan practitioner and had behaved strangely. Interestingly, Richard Wilhelm (1967:75) translates "Setting right what has been spoiled by the father" for this hexagram."The Judgment" (tr. Wilhelm 1967:75): "WORK ON WHAT HAS BEEN SPOILED＂ has supreme success.

This bought to mind this black magic spell which though have no relations to the Ghost month but nevertheless thought I would like to share with you people here to spook you up for the coming month, ha-ha, me BAD.

The word蠱 also means insanity shows three worms虫in a bowl皿.This spell originates from the Miao tribe from Yunnan, China. Those black magic stuffs you see in Movies associated with Thai master also originates from the Miao tribe as they are just at the Border of Laos. It is believed that those Thai Black magic masters have links with Laos where the remnants of the Miao Tribe are now in.

Anyway this black magic spell was a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particularly Nanyue. The traditional preparation of Gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures (e.g., centipede, snake, scorpion) into a closed utensil, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor. Gu was used in black magic practices such as manipulating sexual partners, creating malignant diseases, and causing death. It is believed that the remaining survivor is then grounded into a white powder substances and then put into foods or drinks of the victims. It is believed that the body would then creates this worms out of the substances taken from the victim, ever see maggots from nowhere coming out from a dead decomposed body.There are different types of Ku depending on the insects or creatures used. The most lethal type is believed to be of blood spell 金蠶. gold silkworm spell. These gold silk worms are believed to be parasites from a special tree found only in the vicinity of this tribes, it cannot be killed and mutiply rapidly once awaken. These worms spent most of their time sleeping and once awaken would start eating into the host, the tree non-stop and go back to sleep. The word pronouced as Ku or Gu 蠶also sounds like the meaning of a drum. This worms are captured by the witch doctor and put into a covered bowl and then allowed to sleep. The witch doctor would then use a special drum to sound and awaken the worms after which the worms would eat each other as there is nothing else to eat apart from some dead poisonous toads or other insects added into the bowl.The remaining surviving one would then be ground into powder for uses on intended victims. This particular worms are believed to be invulnerable to any kind of Poisons or Heat or Cold and cannot be destroyed. Once assimilated by the victim, the witchdoctor would activate it by hitting the drum which the original worms were subjected to before being turned into powder potion and it is believed that this drum make from special skins would hit a certain frequency that even if you are on the other side of the world, the worms virus would then recreate itself from the powder assimilated by the victims and start to eat into the organs of the victims until death releases the victims from the gnawing pains. Ever heard of `Energy cannot be destroyed right? It would just change to another Form.`

Believe it or not, I leave it to you readers but don`t panic there is a remedy for it. In pharmaceutical literature, drugs of a plant, animal or mineral origin were described as effective against ku poisoning. The Buddhists recommended prayers and conjurations, thus utilizing the same methods as practitioners of demonic medicine. Adherents of homeopathic magic recommended the taking of centipedes, since it was known that centipedes consume worms.

So I hope that you people would not think that being a Feng Shui Master is very glamorous or lucrative as you would be meeting stuffs like that, : (

Arrrggh，its midnight here, I am going to bed.

Growing Up?

If you are here and feeling mellow like me, : )

Aging Gracefully,

The Greatest Benefits of Being Over 40

- Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

- People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"

- Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

- People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

- There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

- You can eat dinner at 4 P.M.

- You enjoy hearing about other peoples operations.

- You get into heated arguments about pension plans or the government latest CPF
plans.

- You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.

- You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

- You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

- Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car mechanic.

- If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

- You sing along with elevator music.

- Your eyes won't get much worse.

- Your investment in health insurance or Medisave is finally beginning to pay off.

- You can't remember who sent you this list.

一生何求 The Search In Life




Thinking of Retirement? Read this first....

Neighbors in Montana

A successful business man became disenchanted with the stress of the fast life in the big city and decides to chuck it all. He takes his savings and purchases a large ranch in the middle of nowhere in Montana.

After a couple of months of enjoying the solitude but feeling a bit bored, he hears the drumming of hoofbeats outside his cabin. Grabbing his rifle he challenges the man riding up on the horse.

"Hold it neighbor" the man says, " I'm your neighbor, I have a ranch only six miles from here, and I want to invite you to a Welcome Party I'm throwing for you next Saturday. There's going to be music, dancing, hugging, kissing, drinking, fighting.... We'll have a great time".

Glad to find a new distraction from the usual routine, the new rancher lowers the rifle and ask's " Any dress code, formal or informal?"

" Aw, don't matter" replied the friendly neighbor, " Only gonna be the two of us".

Ha-ha....

Till-then, cheers. ^________^ for my facebook friend, Kimn.

What do you want in Life?

The New Age



'The Meaning of Life is to give Life a Meaning.'

As usual, a story first.

Contact Lens

The teenager lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway. After a fruitless search, he told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found.

Undaunted, she went outside and in a few minutes, returned with the lens in her hand.

"How did you manage to find it, Mom?" the teenager asked.

"We weren't looking for the same thing," she replied.

"You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150."

Sometimes in Life, we wish to have this and that but ultimately when we have it, we had lost something else instead which we can't buy back with the money we managed to have finally. I am really bored and not wanting to have any unnecessary responsibility, told myself not to accept any feng shui audit as no matter how desperate any referral was, Me Bad. : ( You know as in the I Ching, there is no ending to anything.(Pun intended), Hex 64 Wei Ji No Ending and Hex 63 Ji Ji Ending.) Yes, it amuses me that some translation(They weren't wrong) have it as After Completion 63 and Before Completion 64 in the I Ching as I had felt that the more appropriate meanings would be as what I have said.

Interestingly, a few years back, I was asked to do an I Ching divination for a person' s mother who is sick and I got this hexagram of 64 Wei Ji No Ending, a Wandering Soul Hexagram and only later on, which then I found out that the mother had a relapse of stomach cancer which was supposed to be cured after surgical operation and chemotherapy . Anyway, it had left a sort of bitter taste in my mouth as she had passed away shortly after that and recently having again come across another case where the father had just passed away from cancer had given me sleepless nights. I had not done any I Ching reading then for the case as the result were already at stage 4 and he was given 6 months left to live. The son's concern however, had just wanted to make sure that the father would be comfortable in his house, sleeping in the right feng shui sector when back from the hospital, to make it short, to go in peace without the sufferings that most cancer patients have to go thru. 人老病死阿. Out of the blue, a week before (Must be The Yi Jing again that prompted me), I had asked him whether the father had found out about it as prior to that when the father was hospitalised, it was agreed in their family to keep it from him, he say that the father later found out about it and coincindentally had passed away shortly after that. If some of you had read my posting in the 5arts forum on cancer would know what I means.

Anyway, I had just found out that a person who had made a significant influence in my life had passed away last year. Surprised? Not really, as it was many years ago that I had know him from working for a company selling his Motivation concept in Life and I had resigned from that company after his inspirational courses that had made me go into the art of running companies dreaming of big houses and ferraris, lamborghini wasn't that the hype in the eighties then. The curious thing was that the beginning of this year out of the blue, I had kind of kept thinking about him though I don't really know him except through his programs that I was selling, must have been my dear Yi Jing again teaching me another lesson in Life as I have been bored lately, not knowing what I want in Life.

Tonight, as a tribute, I would like to talk about him and his concept for a better life. It is a franchise that was owned by this American called Mr. Paul Meyer and the name of that company is Success Motivation Institute Inc, USA. To be frank, I think it beats most of what most metaphysics course have to offers with its concept to improve your life. Interestingly, I remember he had a diagram of the six important areas in Life quite similar to the six relationships in Chinese Metaphysics however it offers you a better chance to improve your life with faster results provided you follow his guidelines.(My personal opinion)

Interestingly, this core principle is a circle divided into six sectors in a circle or wheel with the centre or spoke as YOU. Each sector covers a specific area in your life such as Wealth, Family, Health, Education or self-improvement and so forth. You then rated your satisfaction level in each zone to a scale of ten. Those that falls into 5 or below would need then needs some working on (to balance the wheel) or what you would refer to as your purpose for your existence in life if you are thinking of contemplating suicide having lost your meanings in life, ha-ha, just kidding. Overall, it is to give your Life a Meaning, OK?

Interesting?

I would come back on it again as I had actually not thought of blogging tonite but unfortunately had waken up at this hour with nothing to do, : (

Good morning. : )

A film about Chinese immigrants to the Hong Kong colony in the 80's who grew up with Teresa Teng's songs and her death in 1995.

Reincarnation

It is sad that Some Times in Life, Moving on with the Rest of your Life start with saying Good-Bye.'

Saw the following MTV on this warm lazy Sunday afternnon providing the mood,



Thought I would talk about Buddhism, Arrggghhh....

A young woman on being told the buddhism belief of being reincarnated as animals in the next life:

Life as a bear

In my next life -- I Want to be a Bear...

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them, too. I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup..... I wanna be a bear.

: )




From Takashi Tsuji on Reincarnation

Do you Buddhists believe in rebirth as an animal in the next life? Are you going to be a dog or a cow in the future? Does the soul transmigrate into the body of another person or some animal? What is the difference between transmigration and reincarnation? Is it the same as rebirth? Is karma the same as fate? These and a hundred similar questions are often put to me.

A gross misunderstanding of about Buddhism exists today, especially in the notion of reincarnation. The common misunderstanding is that a person has led countless previous lives, usually as an animal, but somehow in this life he is born as a human being and in the next life he will be reborn as an animal, depending on the kind of life he has lived.

This misunderstanding arises because people usually do not know-how to read the sutras or sacred writings. It is said that the Buddha left 84,000 teachings; the symbolic figure represents the diverse backgrounds characteristics, tastes, etc. of the people. The Buddha taught according to the mental and spiritual capacity of each individual. For the simple village folks living during the time of the Buddha, the doctrine of reincarnation was a powerful moral lesson. Fear of birth into the animal world must have frightened many people from acting like animals in this life. If we take this teaching literally today we are confused because we cannot understand it
rationally.

Herein lies our problem. A parable, when taken literally, does not make sense to the modern mind. Therefore we must learn to differentiate the parables and myths from actuality. However, if we learn to go beyond or transcend the parables and myths, we will be able to understand the truth.

People will say "If such is the case why not speak directly so that we will be able to come to an immediate grasp of the truth?" This statement is understandable, but truth is often inexpressible. [Ed comment: we as human beings are limited in understanding "Buddha Knowledge". We cannot speak TRUTH, only words ABOUT Truth] Thus, writers and teachers have often resorted to the language of the imagination to lead the reader from a lower to a higher truth. The doctrine of reincarnation is often understood in this light.


Traditionally, Buddhism teaches the existence of the ten realms of being. At the top is Buddha and the scale descends as follows: Bodhisattva (an enlightened being destined to be a Buddha, but purposely remaining on earth to teach others), Pratyeka Buddha (a Buddha for himself), Sravka (direct disciple of Buddha), heavenly beings (superhuman [angels?]), human beings, Asura (fighting spirits), beasts, Preta (hungry ghosts), and depraved men (hellish beings).

Now, these ten realms may be viewed as unfixed, nonobjective worlds, as mental and spiritual states of mind. These states of mind are created by men's thoughts, actions, and words. In other words, psychological states. These ten realms are "mutually immanent and mutually inclusive, each one having in it the remaining nine realms." For example, the realm of human beings has all the other nine states (from hell to Buddhahood). Man is at the same time capable of real selfishness, creating his own hell, or is truly compassionate, reflecting the compassion of Amida Buddha. Buddhas too have the other nine realms in their minds, for how can a Buddha possibly save those in hell if he himself does not identify with their suffering and guide them to enlightenment.

We can learn a valuable lesson from the teaching of reincarnation.

In what realm do you now live? If you are hungry for power, love, and self-recognition, you live in the Preta world, or hungry ghosts. If you are motivated only by thirsts of the human organism, you are existing in the world of the beast.

Consider well then your motives and intentions. Remember that man is characteristically placed at the midpoint of the ten stages; he can either lower himself abruptly or gradually into hell or through discipline, cultivation and the awakening of faith rise to the Enlightened state of the Buddha.

Namaste, my friends.

Inspirations

Yap, yap, nobody likes to grow old except kids. Well, got some inspirations from the above aerobic exercise. Give it a try, its good for your bones. Who says Guys can't learn aerobic.I have got tired of the potato sacks exercise : )

Let' see if my inspiration is back as I try to blog as I've been getting bored lately, nothing to do with the Soccer World Cup.

A Story first,

Nothing To Do

A man drives to a gas station and has his tank filled up. The gas attendant spots two penguins sitting in the back seat of the car.

He asks the driver, "What's up with the penguins in the back seat?"

The man in the car says "I found them. I asked myself what to do with them, but I haven't had a clue."

The clerk ponders a bit then says, "You should take them to the zoo."

"Hey, that's a good idea," says the man in the car and drives away.

The next day the man with the car is back at the same gas station. The clerk sees the penguins are still in the back seat of the car.

"Hey, they're still here! I thought you were going to take them to the zoo."

"Oh, I did," says the driver, "And we had a swell time. Today I am taking them to the beach."

Still can't get the inspiration, another story.

Life Without Email...

An unemployed man goes to apply for a job with Microsoft as a janitor. The manager there arranges for him to take an aptitude test (Section: Floors, sweeping and cleaning).

After the test, the manager says, "You will be employed at minimum wage, $5.15 an hour. Let me have your e-mail address, so that I can send you a form to complete and tell you where to report for work on your first day."

Taken aback, the man protests that he has neither a computer nor an e-mail address. To this the Microsoft manager replies, "Well then, that means that you virtually don't exist and can therefore hardly expect to be employed."

Stunned, the man leaves. Not knowing where to turn and having only $10 in his wallet, he decides to buy a 25 LB flat of tomatoes at the supermarket.

Within less than 2 hours, he sells all the tomatoes individually at 100% profit. Repeating the process several times more that day,he ends up with almost $100 before going to sleep that night.

And thus it dawns on him that he could quite easily make a living selling tomatoes. Getting up early every day and going to bed late, he multiplies his profits quickly.

After a short time he acquires a cart to transport several dozen boxes of tomatoes, only to have to trade it in again so that he can buy a pickup truck to support his expanding business. By the end of the second year, he is the owner of a fleet of pickup trucks and manages a staff of a hundred former unemployed people, all selling tomatoes.

Planning for the future of his wife and children, he decides to buy some life insurance. Consulting with an insurance adviser, he picks an insurance plan to fit his new circumstances. At the end of the telephone conversation, the adviser asks him for his e-mail address in order to send the final documents electronically.

When the man replies that he has no e-mail, the adviser is stunned, "What! You don't have e-mail? How on earth have you managed to amass such wealth without the Internet, e-mail and e-commerce? Just imagine where you would be now, if only you had been connected to the Internet from the very start!"

After a moment of thought, the tomato millionaire replied, "Why, of course! I would be a floor cleaner at Microsoft!"

In Memory,





The End