24 December 2010 · ·
You and Kec Crownclown like this.
Vienna Looi Dear AhYap, where would this be? It has a mesmerizing and calming effect to me. The image plunged me into deep thoughts.
3 hours ago ·
AhYap.com Myanmar, a place they said without democrazy, without freedom and yet they are free in their mind. We are the opposite. Proof - they feel nothing when a camera is pointed at them, try to point a camera at a city man and see how uncomfortable he is. We have so many things to hide and always need to pretend to be something. They are just them, their real being.
2 hours ago ·
Vienna Looi
My reserved guess was right - that this is Myanmar.
Ah Yap, I understand where you are coming from. I value authenticity as the most important value of a being (alongside wisdom and compassion).
Having studied in Washington DC for a year, I've came across many unreal being you spoke of - pretentiousness and superficiality.
I think this is caused by the conventional societal perception and definition of a nation's growth - economy - the amount of goods and pretty buildings you have.
Economy is supposed to serve people; not the other way around. Emphasis of goods over people, superficial beauty over substantance/substantial beauty, and apparent reality over actual reality imprison people's mind.
All this promise of democracy are lies, fallacies, fake realities that many are deluded into believing,
when in actuality it is constructed through mutual fear and mutual military threat with only ever increasing annual budget on defense technology and armed forces from every nation in the world.
We are not free, never will we be free that way.
Also, never will individuals be free when their minds are imprisoned and entrapped.
Having said that, I find still a ray of hope in the world through my own actions and research.
I find direction of what I think is the benchmark of real progress for any nation including Malaysia in Bhutan's Gross National Happiness (GNH) economic model.
Also, like Aung San Suu Kyi commenting on her long confinement and isolation, during which she was not allowed to meet her dying husband, “Isolation is not difficult for me. Maybe it’s because of my Buddhist upbringing” and Vipassana meditation practice.
I think Buddhism and meditation has freed my mind quite a bit :)
But like Aung San Suu Kyi on Myanmar, I will not give up on Malaysia and its people. I hope you too :)
Thoughts:
1) That image still mesmerize me. I am drawn to such calm and tranquil image. Such calmness and tranquility is the exact feeling I got during or after meditation.
*smiling from my heart*
*smiling from my heart*
2) I value the old, the cultural, the vintage. I treasure a place which its people are true to themselves, and their cultural heritage without being engulfed by 'modernization' or capitalism. (Ie: Bhutan and India are on my travel checklist - if I will ever travel soon.) I have tried to plan a family trip to India to volunteer in the past; alas, my efforts were to no avail. While my family and I drove past one of the old historical town near Teluk Intan this weekend, I was immediately drawn to those colonial-age building, verbalizing "these are so beautiful :)" The KLCC might fascinate me for 30 minutes, but I admire, appreciate and am deeply fascinated by beauty these buildings for a lifetime - falling for it over and over, time after time again.
3) While writing the Facebook comment on the picture, I was reminded of my thoughts before attending Bersih. I never intended to be brave, heroic, etc, I merely want to support and stand up for what I believe in. I don't know what I would achieve, but I was also not oblivious of potential consequences, that of which includes getting arrest, detained, injured or even death. :) I accepted that there is a possibility that I might get detained under ISA to Kem Kamunting. But I think many have little acquaintances with Vipassana meditators :) Like Aung San Suu Kyi, personal isolation should not a big problem for me - at least I know it would not be for a good 10 days. I have meditated 10.5 hours a day - that's about 100 hours in 10 days - without speaking to anyone (except a 2-10 minutes session asking the teacher questions to clear doubts) for 10 days. What better joy to be able to practice to understand, experience, and improve our mind than in solitude - while getting feed (I hope)?
After contemplating and accepting potential worst case scenarios, I decided to proceed with my plan. I do advise anyone who cannot accept the potential consequences (or anyone who has little control of their mind while facing adverse conditions) to not make rash decisions - just in case things go wrong. But my decidions are never blind; any decisions that one make must never be blind. But it is just natural for me to never extrovert these thoughts and worries to anyone.
Who does it benefit? I am not convinced that me or any other individual will benefit from these worries; one exception, I might share with individuals who I think are ready/mentally strong enough, and that sharing my thoughts and worries with such individuals would benefit and better prepare them :)
3) While writing the Facebook comment on the picture, I was reminded of my thoughts before attending Bersih. I never intended to be brave, heroic, etc, I merely want to support and stand up for what I believe in. I don't know what I would achieve, but I was also not oblivious of potential consequences, that of which includes getting arrest, detained, injured or even death. :) I accepted that there is a possibility that I might get detained under ISA to Kem Kamunting. But I think many have little acquaintances with Vipassana meditators :) Like Aung San Suu Kyi, personal isolation should not a big problem for me - at least I know it would not be for a good 10 days. I have meditated 10.5 hours a day - that's about 100 hours in 10 days - without speaking to anyone (except a 2-10 minutes session asking the teacher questions to clear doubts) for 10 days. What better joy to be able to practice to understand, experience, and improve our mind than in solitude - while getting feed (I hope)?
After contemplating and accepting potential worst case scenarios, I decided to proceed with my plan. I do advise anyone who cannot accept the potential consequences (or anyone who has little control of their mind while facing adverse conditions) to not make rash decisions - just in case things go wrong. But my decidions are never blind; any decisions that one make must never be blind. But it is just natural for me to never extrovert these thoughts and worries to anyone.
Who does it benefit? I am not convinced that me or any other individual will benefit from these worries; one exception, I might share with individuals who I think are ready/mentally strong enough, and that sharing my thoughts and worries with such individuals would benefit and better prepare them :)
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