The Toad’s Tears

One day, a Dragon King held a banquet, inviting every imaginable fish there was.  They all gathered in his palace and ate and drank until they were full.  Everyone was having such a good time until something happened.  There was a drunken hair-tail fish was swimming here and there, swinging its tail, and he accidently hit the King in the eye, blinding him.

The King was furious.  “Bring before me every fish with a tail immediately,” he ordered the crab and the lobster.

The sudden change in the mood of the party frightened everyone and they ran away.  The crab and lobster searched and searched for the fish with a tail, but they failed to find even a single one.

Feeling very foolish, the crab and lobster went ashore in search of the fish.  Finally, they came across a ditch between two rich fields.  They heard someone crying, so they followed the sound and found a big toad.

“Why are you crying so sadly?” the crab and lobster asked the toad.

“Is it true that the Dragon King ordered every fish with a tail to be brought before him?”

“Yes, that is true.  But what’s the matter with you?  You don’t have to worry.  You don’t even have a tail.”

“Of course, I do not have a tail, but it reminds me of the time when I was a tadpole.”

Today is Chap go meh, the last day of CNY, 15^th day of the first lunar month in 2013.  We got invited for the Lion Dance troupe and breakfast in the corner restaurant of Putra Heights.  It supposed to start at 9am, so we went before 8.30am…in my usual Korean time psyche…But it started in 10 am!!!  Malaysian time psyche…after all these years, I am still not getting used to this huge time-gap between two countries… 

Anyway, we had a good, loud crackers’ explosion plus very colorful lion dance plus…simple Chinese foods and roast goat (instead of roast pork, because afraid to offend the earth god of the restaurant, who could be Muslim or Chinese…, that’s the explanation I heard…) But, I partook some oranges only.  After seeing all those crackers busting all over around the foods on the ground, though they are covered by banana leaves…I don't really feel like eating them…

After that, I went to the Korean temple in Ampang.  Their prayer starts at 10am and it is 40 minutes drives if no traffic.  Luckily the road was clear all the way to allow me 90 km/hr speed… still arriving barely before their prayer finish... At least I could enjoy their Korean vegetarian Chap go meh dishes and catching-up-chats with the temple friends.  Since I move to Putra Heights in January 2008, it’s not easy to go over their temple now.  Of course I wasn’t regular even before that.  Out of blue moon…I will drop by over there, like once every year or two…but whenever I go there, I get to release some of my homesickness.  

It’s already my 16^th year in Malaysia…and it was the first time in 21 year (added my US years) that I got to eat Korean-Chap-go-meh food!!! Our food of the day is a-5 grains rice and 5 kinds dried vegetables, traditional rice cakes and fruits…and it was very nice and happy meal though so much simpler in looking and taste than Chinese dishes.

Today, I felt like the toad of the story remembering my tadpole days…there was no King looking for the fish with a tail, nor I was crying with the sadness.  But then, after all these years…I am still finding the Korean foods suit me better over the Chinese foods…I guess no matter how much I look like a Chinese in my outlook by now, my inside is still very much a Korean, so is my English with Korean accent.

Anyway since the long Chinese New Year celebrations is finally over now, I wonder whether I could expect familiar faces returning to the Yoga studio…to lose all the extra pounds from the CNY…

Who will pass this “find a daughter-in-law” test?

Long ago, in a village of Korea, a rich, wise old woman had a son who was in a marriageable age.  With his parents’ riches behind, this handsome man was a target of every marriageable girl in the village.  But the old lady wasn’t into any conventional types of match making for her son.  She wanted a daughter-in-law who is capable of carrying on the legacy of the family, not just a pretty face or impressive family background.

One day she put up a test in the village notice board, 

“Whomever can live one month with 1 kg of rice, together with a maid, in an isolated hut, will be chose to be my daughter-in-law!” 

Of course almost all the girls in the village applied for the contest.  They tried to save rice as much as possible: some cooked very water porridges and eat it every other day.  But no matter how much they tried to save, because there were two persons (with the maid), sooner or later they ran out of rice.  They then lived only on water for some time, but soon all of them starved and had to be carried out in carriages long before the one-month deadline.

Then came this plumb girl with a not-so-pretty look but pleasant manners.  As soon as she entered the hut, she cooked a very handsome meal and dessert by using the whole 1 kg rice and ate sumptuously with the maid.  After that she ordered the maid to go around the neighbors to take orders for work—washing, sewing, cooking…she worked together with the maid and got paid in return.  Then she bought themselves more food for good meals.  Because she was reliable and hardworking, there were more and more work that poured in.  She was busy but could afford the best meals every day.  By the month end, she not only survived with a mere 1 kg of rice, but also has some savings for the household.  Of course, she became the daughter-in-law of this rich family.

This is a story I read when I was a child and somehow it stays in my memory until now.  Most of us are used to think in a linear way in solving life’s puzzles—if you follow A way, you will get B result or try C way, then D result…etc.  We faithfully try A, expecting B result, but sometimes get C, D or completely different Z result.  Then what do we do?  We get unnerved and complain of unfairness in life.  But to whom are we demanding fairness, and will life always be fair and even?  In reality, life is unpredictable and things or events seldom unfold according to our wishes.  But living does not stop just because it didn’t turn out to be the way our small minds have hoped for.  

Therefore, we need to adopt much flexibility in our attitudes if we do not want to waste our efforts and live in vain.  By adopting an open mind, you can see far and wide, thereby increasing efficiency in your action.  Let’s not be like the many narrow-minded village girls who starved themselves on porridges, but learn to be productive and creative like this heroic daughter-in-law.  Beauty fades, but being dumb is forever!

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

What I liked the most about Putra Height when I first saw; it was the lushness of green palm trees that were planted along the long winding road. For someone like me who grew up in a city that had mostly buildings only in Korea, and lived in apartment buildings since came to Malaysia, especially the rich forest of Bukit Cermin hill was a sight to behold!  So I fell in love with PH immediately. Without thinking twice, I booked two places; a shop for the new yoga center and a house for our new home nearby.  That was more than seven years ago.

And now, what was once the home of many monkeys and the favorite place for mountain bikers…became like a bold headed old man, with MCT busying themselves with their schools and premium housing projects.  No more trees, no more monkeys, and no more mountain bikers…but full of red earths, heavy construction beams, trucks, dust and stagnated rain waters all over on the field…  I am not sure how beautiful and premium hilly housing they are going to build…I just hope they don’t chop off even the green palm trees along the road.  We need more of trees and forest to enjoy more sane and healthy lifestyle, not more of bungalows, but some greedy people are ever hungry for more profits by maximising every inch of the space. How sad...

Among many yoga asanas, the tree pose (vrikshasana) is one of the most calming, elegant and comforting yoga poses. 

Vriksha means “tree” in Sanskrit.  The tree pose is a standing balance on one leg.  The foot of the lifted leg is placed on the inner thigh of the standing leg, and both hands are held above the head, palms joined together.  The legs represent the roots of the tree, buried underground, and the trunk of the tree begins at the trunk of the body, growing all the way up through the spine and the arms, which are the branches.  This pose enhances stability and strengthens the ankles, calves, and thighs.  It also stretches the muscles of the legs, groin and chest. 

Since ancient times, yogis have made the forest their favorite place for yoga practice.  The trees were their home, providing them with shelter and an abundance of food in the form of fruits and nuts.  The forest also symbolized a pristine world that was conducive to a life of contemplation without material possessions. The shade beneath a tree was thought to be the best place for a student to receive spiritual knowledge from a teacher.  

Tree pose represents the flowering of spirituality in a material environment.  In this pose, one foot is rooted deeply in the earthly soil, while the joined palms reach to the spiritual sky, channeling the blessings that come from above. The tree pose is a posture in which we imbue body, mind, and breath with the qualities of generosity, tolerance, strength, and balance.

Sadly, not only in Putra Height, but all over in the areas of city are fast becoming congested with ongoing developments for ever more housings, shopping complexes, buildings, LRT stations, etc. which means less and less trees around us. 

Thus, why not we stand in one leg to contemplate on the qualities of tree?  Tree pose offers a beautiful opportunity to meditate on a tree’s inherent qualities.  The tree is so tolerant that it even gives shade to the woodcutter who comes to cut it down with an axe.  The true yogi freely gives the fruits of spiritual wisdom and love as generously as trees offer us shade, flowers, fruits, and wood.

Many people were petitioning to stop the MCT housing projects since the landslide incidents few weeks ago…  However, it seems nonetheless they are going ahead with the projects as soon as they cleared the road for the residents.  If the development projects is already beyond the point of stopping, then, I wish they leave at least some of the trees in the hill tops, so that people who are living below the hills, can have some green relief when they raise their eyes to look up the sky…or else we just have to content with looking down one point in front of us, to search for the inner tree of wisdom and love…otherwise what else can we do...?

Grateful for just the way it is

I am not sure how many people have noticed that, of recently, the Yoga Studio has gone under some face lift.  Obvious change is the mirrors in the pillars.  Other than that…?  Not sure of what? 

Yes…not many have noticed the changes, except two persons.  The first was ML, who has notice the studio somehow brighter, but couldn’t tell exactly of what (the dead celling lights were replaced).  The second was Mr. Siau, who has immediately noticed the studio walls that were repainted, despite of the same color as before.  Other people…were too busy to rush in and rush out of the yoga classes, to notice or catch any changes in the surroundings…

The daily heavy downpours for the last few months brought the yoga studio some serious damages.  The cracks on the rooftop and window panels were inviting rain waters to the walls and wooden floors.  So the walls and pillars were showing ugly water stains with molds, and the floors were getting lifted off. 

Being Malaysia as you all would agree…the rooftop and wall leaking in buildings are quite common problem.  So I didn’t want to bother the landlord in every rainwater drips that was there whenever it rains heavily over the years.  But this time, it was getting too much.  So I called the landlord who is living in another state.   He knew of the leaking problem and he was planning to do major job to repair the roof once the rain stops.  However the sky didn’t seem to dry up with so much rains.  Seeing the studio walls and floor from prolonged rain…he apologized profusely. 

He immediately put himself in action with his contractor brother-in-law and very expensive waterproof painting from Singapore.  They couldn’t wait till the rain stop any longer, so they were working in-between-dry-sky over the last few weeks.  After that, they repainted almost whole walls and ceilings inside the studio, from landlord’s pocket, which is not small sum.  I am grateful for the landlord’s kindness generosity, though I am not quite sure whether it was his normal responsibility as the building owner.  Even if it is, it doesn’t matter.  I am still immensely grateful to him to make the studio so clean and nice.  The lights fix and mirrors are from my own pockets.

So that is why, the studio got fresh look like a new, though many might have felt the lighter moods even if they didn’t express it. 

It’s so encouraging, to know there are still good people in the world like my landlord, unlike some other ugly rich ones, who genuinely care for the tenant’s agony like their own affairs.  People say, it’s a dog-eat-dog world.  But, I find it otherwise.  There are still so many good people are out there.  The four instructor-trainee gals are another ones, who all are looking to do some good in caring for others despite their full spectrum careers.  And the many yoga students and friends from the past years till present, who were so supportive, kind, loyal and trusty, to this foreign origin… 

I do not know what kind of a person I would have ended up, if I haven’t met all these wonderful people through the yoga center.  I will be as bitter as the dried water tap like the Ampang people experiencing it right now. When I first came in Malaysia in 1997, I lived with a dried tap for 6 months because of the Commonwealth Game then.  The government was reserving water in our area for the Games.  It was a living hell then, for entire the first year.  I had gone through some serious depression and soul searching.  What pulled me out of the dark tunnel was Yoga…

So I feel particularly grateful for my landlord this year in making my yoga studio afresh, to remind me of those beginning years in Malaysia that I felt so touched by many kind gestures of friends who helped me to feel belong here. 

What are you grateful for today, this year?  Of lately I am seeing increasing number of cancer patients around me… to remind me stay ever grateful for life and good health and good company.  Maybe you could also start to feel grateful if you aren’t sure of what the New Year is holding it in front of you…

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”   ----Melody Beattie

The Five Monks

 An urgent call came to the great Lama of the North from the Lama of the South asking for a wise and holy monk to initiate the novices in the spiritual life.  To everyone's astonishment, the Great Lama sent five monks instead of one.  To those who inquired he said cryptically, "We will be lucky if one of them gets to the Lama."

The group had been on the road some days when a messenger came running up to them and said, "The priest of our village has died.  We need someone to take his place."  The village seemed a comfortable sort of place and the priest's salary was a handsome one.  One of the monks was seized with pastoral concern for the people.  "I should not be a Buddhist," he said, "if I did not stay on to serve these people."  So he dropped out.

Some days later they happened to stay at the palace of a king who took a fancy to one of the monks.  "Stay with us," said the king, "and you shall marry my daughter.  And when I die, you will succeed to the throne."

The monk was attracted to the luster of kingship, so he said, "What better way to influence the people of this kingdom than to become a king?  I should not be a Buddhist if I did not seize this opportunity to server the interests of religion."  So he dropped out too.

The rest of the group went on their way and one night, in a hilly region, came upon a solitary hut that was occupied by a pretty girl who offered them hospitality and thanked God for having sent the monks to her.  Her parents had been murdered by mountain bandits and the girl was all alone and full of anxiety.  Next morning, when it was time to leave, one of the monks said, "I shall stay with the girl.  I should not be a Buddhist if I did not practice compassion."

The remaining tow finally came to a Buddhist village and found, to their horror, that all the village had abandoned their religion and were under the sway of a Hindu theologian.  One of the monks said, "I owe it to these people and to the Lord Buddha himself to stay on here and win them back to the faith."

The fifth monk eventually got to the Lama of the South.

We had a wonderful New Year gathering last night in Titirat's house.  Her house was so beautiful and clean, like a resort in Thailand.  Her cooking and hospitality was superb like a first class Thai restaurant.  These four gals are the yoga instructor trainees; all with superb qualities of hearts and zeal for life.  Their smiles are radiant...every time this kinds of company, smiles, sharing...make our life so rich and worthwhile.  I hope we all can rejoice more of this kinds genuine and warm relationships in otherwise our so dull and flat-tire kinds of daily living...

I have trained quite numbers of yoga instructors previously too...but I don't know where all they went, except Wee Vien and Angie...we had such good times too while the trainings were on...but life is such, there are always unforeseen challenges, changes keep coming up to be able to live our inspirations fully.  But what to do.  That's life, constant flux of coming and going...wherever they are, whatever stage they are going through in their life, I just wish they are all fine and occasionally would remember those good days like this one...Happy New Year to all my previous yoga trainee gals, too!!