เจ้าของชายสี่บะหมี่เกี๊ยว ให้ข้อคิดสอนใจเรื่องสติกับการดำเนินชีวิต

• ตอนนี้เป็นเทศกาลประกาศผลเอ็นท์ มีข่าวเด็กฆ่าตัวตาย
  
• ในขณะเดียวกัน สื่อต่าง ๆ ก็ไปสัมภาษณ์ผู้ประสบความสำเร็จในชีวิต ที่ไม่ได้จบการศึกษาจากสถาบันที่มีชื่อเสียงที่ต้องเอ็นท์เข้า
• ส่วนตัวแล้ว อ่านความเห็นเจ้าของชายสี่ บะหมี่เกี๊่ยว แล้ว ชื่นชมที่สุด ขอยกให้เป็นฮีโีร่ (ถึงแม้จะชอบบะหมี่ปูเฮียอ้วนปากซอยสุขุมวิท ๓๘ เพราะคิดว่าอร่อยกว่าก็ตาม :) )

ที่มาข่าว: http://www.manager.co.th/QOL/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9500000055227&#Comment




















พันธ์รบ กำลา เจ้าของธุรกิจแฟรนไชต์ก๋วยเตี๋ยวร้อยล้านชื่อดัง “ชายสี่ บะหมี่เกี๊ยว"

พันธ์รบ กำลา เจ้าของธุรกิจแฟรนไชส์ก๋วยเตี๋ยวร้อยล้านชื่อดัง “ชายสี่ บะหมี่เกี๊ยว" นักศึกษาดีเด่นของสำนักบริหารงานการศึกษานอกโรงเรียน(กศน.) ซึ่งศึกษาจบเพียงชั้น ป.4 ก่อนจะมาเรียนต่อกับ กศน.จนจบระดับชั้นที่สูงขึ้น

พันธ์รบ ไม่เคยเข้าเรียนในมหาวิทยาลัยชื่อดังเช่นกัน

เจ้าของธุรกิจก๋วยเตี๋ยวร้อยล้าน ให้แง่คิดว่า ชีวิตคนเราไม่ได้ขึ้นอยู่ว่าจะได้เข้ามหาวิทยาลัยหรือจะเรียนจบจากสถาบันไหน แต่สำคัญที่ว่าเรามีความรู้หรือไม่ ซึ่งความรู้ก็สามารถหาได้จากแหล่งต่างๆ มากมายไม่เฉพาะในมหาวิทยาลัยเท่านั้น

“ทั้งโทรทัศน์ หนังสือ หรือการเรียนรู้จากโลกภายนอกล้วนเป็นห้องเรียนให้เราได้ทั้งหมด ไม่จำเป็นต้องเรียนในมหาวิทยาลัยอย่างเดียว โดยเฉพาะอัตชีวประวัติของบุคคลต่างๆ ล้วนเป็นแหล่งความรู้ชั้นดี หากสอบเข้ามหาวิทยาลัยไม่ได้ก็ไม่จำเป็นต้องเสียใจ เราก็ไปเรียนในมหาวิทยาลัยที่เปิดให้เราเรียน
คนเราจะเก่งไม่เก่งอยู่ที่ตัวเรา แม้เข้าไปเรียนในสถาบันมีชื่อ
แต่ตัวเราไม่หมั่นหาความรู้ก็ไม่มีประโยชน์”

พันธ์รบ ฝากถึงน้องๆ อีกว่า อยากให้กำลังใจน้องๆ ทุกคนและให้คิดเสมอว่า ชีวิตเรามีคุณค่า คนพิการแขนขาดเขายังหาใช้ฝ่าเท้าซ่อมรถจักรยานยนต์หาเลี้ยงตัวเองได้ จึงขอให้เด็กทุกคนมีความมานะอดทน เพราะโอกาสของชีวิตยังอีกยาวไกล

“ตอนนี้เราสอบเข้ามหาวิทยาลัยไม่ได้ ก็ไม่เป็นไรเพราะชีวิตน้องๆ เพิ่งจะ 7 โมงครึ่ง เรายังมีเวลาอีกมากที่จะศึกษาหาความรู้
กว่าจะถึงบ่ายโมงเรายังสามารถทำอะไรได้มากมาย
ที่สำคัญเราต้องพยายามช่วยเหลือคนอื่นให้มากที่สุด
การช่วยเหลือคนรอบข้างจะทำให้ชีวิตเรามีคุณค่า
และเราจะรู้สึกว่าตายไม่ได้ เราจะคิดถึงแม่
คิดถึงคนในครอบครัว คิดถึงเพื่อน
เราต้องอยู่เพื่อตัวเราและเพื่อพวกเขา การตายไม่ได้ช่วยแก้ปัญหา การเรียนมหาวิทยาลัยเป็นสิ่งที่ดีถ้ามีโอกาส
แต่ถ้าไม่มีโอกาสก็เรียนรู้จากที่อื่น ซึ่งการเรียนไปด้วย ทำงานไปด้วยถือเป็นการเรียนรู้ที่เต็มรูปแบบมากที่สุด”

พันธ์รบ บอกอีกว่า การไม่ได้เข้าเรียนในมหาวิทยาลัยไม่เกี่ยวกับความสำเร็จของมนุษย์ เพราะคนจบดอกเตอร์ไม่ได้เป็นคนดีทุกคน
และคนจบดอกเตอร์ก็ไม่ใช่คนเก่งทุกคน
การจะประสบความสำเร็จได้ต้องสร้างความเชื่อถือ
ให้เกิดกับคนรอบข้างว่าเราเป็นคนดี
นั่นคือ พูดดี คิดดี และทำดี ซึ่งสิ่งเหล่านี้ต่างหากที่เป็นบันไดที่จะพาชีวิตไปสู่ความสำเร็จ ที่สำคัญการมีความรู้อย่างเดียวไม่เพียงพอ ยังต้องมีความคิดควบคู่ไปด้วย เมื่อชีวิตมีอุปสรรคก็อย่าไม่ท้อถอยต้องรู้จักหาวิธีแก้ปัญหาด้วยสติ

College Kids Scores 0/100 On a True or False Final. PHOTOS

"...What can WE learn from this?..."

• Spontaneously, I think we all laughed at first. With disbelief, that is.

• But I really feel sorry for the guy in question, if this is his real answer sheet, unless of course he thinks it is cool to broadcast to the world his usual technique to pass a test.

• But when we all look deeply into this phenomenon, I think we should be aware that this is not a rare thing to happen. It does reflect something of today's young generation, or may of be of we all, for that matter.
  

• We do pay less attention to things around us.

• We start to lose our ability to see thing as it is. In this case, it is the instruction for the exam. Or, looking deeply, the heart of the matter is the responsibility of a student, that is, to study and be prepared and be ready for an exam and to try your best at reading and answering the exam in question so that your grade might relatively reflect your academic capability comparing to others in the same situation.

• Instead, we have more of a careless generation overall. Careless in how to live a responsible life, a purpose-driven life.

• So, I'l go back to my question at the beginning of this blog:
  

"...What can WE learn from this?..."

• In the spirit of post-modernism, I'll leave it open for you to answer. Yes, this one is an open-ended question. Don't bother to give me all the Cs for your answer. No, I won't fail you if you do. I don't have the authority to do so. But may be you would only fail yourself, the same way this young gentleman just did.

**************************

From: http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1730017

Check out this exam my friend took the other week.

100 question True/False Communications Final

His professor sent him an e-mail the following day:

Dear Michael,

Every year I attempt to boost my students' final grades by giving them this relatively simple exam consisting of 100 True/False questions from only 3 chapters of material. For the past 20 years that I have taught Intro Communications 101 at this institution I have never once seen someone score below a 65 on this exam. Consequently, your score of a zero is the first in history and ultimately brought the entire class average down a whole 8 points.

There were two possible answer choices: A (True) and B (False). You chose C for all 100 questions in an obvious attempt to get lucky with a least a quarter of the answers. It's as if you didn't look at a single question. Unfortunately, this brings your final grade in this class to failing. See you next year!

May God have mercy on your soul.

Sincerely,
Professor William Turner

P.S. If all else fails, go with B from now on.
B is the new C

read more | digg story

Queen pokes fun at Bush gaffe

• I really like Her Majesty's sense of humor! :-) It really has class, don't you think?
  

• What's more, I think it reflects forgiveness, a virtue of a ruler. Her Majesty chose to not paying attention to Bush's obvious blunder, including his improper behavior of winking to her and suggesting her look to him was like a mother's look to a child.
  

• I believe that if world leaders could learn from Her Majesty, and be more relaxed and know when to forgive and not get too stuck up with "labels" or Upathana Kandha in Pali language, the world would definitely be a much better place.
  

----------------------------------------------------------

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/09/wqueen109.xml

By Tom Leonard

Last Updated: 2:06am BST 10/05/2007

The Queen got her own back on President Bush last night for his gaffe on Monday, in which he almost suggested that she was around in 1776. The Queen demonstrates a wry sense of humour Opening a toast at a black tie dinner at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington, the Queen said: “I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, ’When I was here in 1776...’, but I don’t think I will.” The 104 guests, who included Hillary Clinton, erupted in laughter along with Mr Bush, who remarked later that “I can’t top that one” at the beginning of his toast. In her last engagement before she flew home to Britain, the Queen thanked Mr Bush and his predecessors for their contribution in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. She said: “I would also like to take this opportunity, on the day that has seen the formal transfer of power to the developed Northern Ireland Government, to thank you and your predecessors for your contribution to bringing peace in Northern Ireland.” Of her US visit, she said: “Over our six days in the United States we have much enjoyed the chance to dwell on the history of the relationship between our two countries as well as celebrating its present strength an vitality.” Mr Bush also mentioned Northern Ireland, saying: “This morning the world witnessed yet another advance for freedom and peace. "The people of Northern Ireland took control of their future when Catholics and Protestants came together to form a new government that offers the prospect of peace and reconciliation after years of violence and division. "In Belfast today, we’re seeing once again how democracy and freedom can help heal a wounded world.” After the dinner, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh boarded a chartered British Airways jet at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington to fly home. read more | digg story

Gmail Users are Younger, Richer, Good in Bed

Gee, now that's official! My not-so-well-guarded secret is out! hee hee hee :-)

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the latest stats show that Gmail users skew younger and richer than those on Yahoo Mail and Hotmail. See, my guts feeling has always been right! I knew I was onto something very sexy and irresistible when I signed on GMail a few years ago! hee hee hee

What's your take?

p.s. If you are readers from Thailand, you won't have access to the original news report because it is blocked for some security reason, folks. Sorry.

read more | digg story

Japanese vending machine offers free drinks for watching ads

In a marketing case that just sounds too good to be true, vending masters Apex Corp. have purportedly laid out plans that will bring free or subsidized non-alcoholic beverage to thirsty consumers who are willing to watch a 30-second commercial before partaking. It is aiming to be launched in Japan next month.

I guess this would only work in Japan, though, because the Japanese really have high integrity, and would really watch the ads. I doubt if we Thais would be honoring the deal the same way? Correct me if I'm wrong!

read more digg story

Starbucks' Religious Message on Coffee Cup Causes Uproar

Coffeehouse giant Starbucks is standing by its campaign to put thought-provoking messages on its coffee cups despite a national uproar and threat of boycott over messages from its customers that it prited on its paper coffee cup.

Some messages were felt as "Anti-God," while some were felt as too much "Pro-God."

After I read this news, I can only feel that the American people are really sensitive about this issue, bordering on being very edgy about things. And I believe America tends to be a society that likes to talk about spiritual things or like to engage in activities that deem "spiritual."

From a sociological point of view, I think this is definitely the sign of Protestant-Capitalism Work Ethic, as Weber rightly saw it. Unfortunately, it is severely single-minded and fails to take the world view as things "actually are" into account.

As a result, I genuinely feel sorry for the American people. Just look at the "flame" comments they left after they read the story in Digg. If only they knew that this kind of thing is an endless karma! That's why their suffering never ends! This is one of the prime reasons their society has so much stress!

read more digg story

Executed man's last request honored - by the people!

As a followup to the recent Digg story. The State of Tennessee refused to fulfill the last request of a man on death row - to give his last meal to a homeless person. The story, however, motivated thousands of dollars worth of pizza donations to local homeless shelters!


What is alarming, though, is the kind of angry comments I found on "Digg" web site where most people do not agree with the kind, final gesture of the condemned man whose conviction was controversial to say the least. If this is the mentality of the American majority, it is a really sad state of affairs indeed.

read more | digg story

Fellow Sufferer

A Wee Snack
Originally uploaded by Tiffibunny.

The photo of this cute little squirrel touches me profoundly. For it reminds me of Lord Buddha's teaching of, "Be compassionate to fellow sufferers."

We hardly stop to think that we are actually no different from this little wide-eyed rodent.

Each day, we work, scrounging for food, living amidst fears of dangers that are imminent around us.

Just look at this little one. Look at how its hands ears are all perked up and so is its tail, its wide-eyes never left you while its tiny paws clutching on the little nibbled biscuits.

Its expression is similar to human's. You could almost see the question that goes on in its mind that it is asking itself whether the creature in front could be trusted.

In life, we do meet people everyday, and we also go into auto-pilot judging mode like the squirrel. But the difference is, for the squirrel it could be the difference between life and death. Or may be this could apply to us all, too. We would never know.

Dear squirrel, hope you enjoyed your snack. And that may you live happily, peacefully and may you one day be able to reach the end of all suffering.

Thanks to http://flickr.com/photos/tiffibunny/ from http://www.flickr.com for sharing this wonderful photo. :-)

How to Find "Blog This" Function in New Goolge Toolbar

I know I'm not the only one who use this feature. Google just updated its toolbar today. So i guess many people has the same question. I found the answer in Google's help. So here it is.

--------------------------

Google Toolbar Help: "The BlogThis! button has disappeared from my Toolbar. What happened to it?

Please be assured that we haven't removed the BlogThis! functionality from the Toolbar. Instead, we've added even more functionality. The Google Toolbar's new 'Send to' button offers all the same features that we offered in our 'BlogThis!' button, along with the option to send information through Gmail and SMS.

To access this new feature, please follow the instructions below:

1. Click the 'Settings' button on the far right end of your Toolbar.
2. Select 'Options' from the drop-down menu.
3. Select the 'Features' tab and check the box next to 'Send to.'
4. Click 'OK.'

To create a blog post that points to the webpage you're visiting, simply click on the 'Send to' button in your Toolbar and select 'Blogger' from the drop-down menu. If you highlight text on the webpage, that text will appear in your blog post, too. The BlogThis! button has disappeared from my Toolbar. What happened to it?

Please be assured that we haven't removed the BlogThis! functionality from the Toolbar. Instead, we've added even more functionality. The Google Toolbar's new 'Send to' button offers all the same features that we offered in our 'BlogThis!' button, along with the option to send information through Gmail and SMS.

To access this new feature, please follow the instructions below:

1. Click the 'Settings' button on the far right end of your Toolbar.
2. Select 'Options' from the drop-down menu.
3. Select the 'Features' tab and check the box next to 'Send to.'
4. Click 'OK.'

To create a blog post that points to the webpage you're visit"

Attractive pupils perform better in exams, say scientists

Attractive pupils perform better in exams, say scientists (Yeah, Right!)

20:04pm 9th July 2006

Daily Mail--Good-looking people do better in exams than their plain or ugly counterparts, new research has revealed.

They achieve superior results in oral and written exams which are marked anonymously and take no account of physical appearance.

This suggests that the success of people with devastatingly good genes is not just down to lecturers favouring attractive students but also to superior ability.

Researchers also believe that attractive children may get more attention from their parents which boosts their self-esteem. They may be more confident and therefore reap the benefits later in life.

Academics at Verona University, Italy, studied the exam results of 885 economics students at an unidentified Italian university over three years from 2001. Half were female.

Five professors studied a close-up photograph of each student who was rated for their looks on a scale of one (most homely) to five (beautiful or handsome).

Giam Pietro Cipriani, associated professor of economics, and his colleague, Angelo Zago, matched the ratings against the exam results.

They discovered that those graded four for looks achieved a 36 per cent better performance than those graded two. The impact of looks on performance was 'significant' for male students.

Better-looking students also did better in the written exams. This means that the 'effect of beauty on academic performance cannot be ascribed to pure professor discrimination'.

The report, Beauty and the Exams, says: 'We have shown that physical appearance has a significant and economically meaningful effect on the performance of students.

'First of all, being handsome increases the probability that a student in fact takes and pass exams. Second, and more important for us, better looking students have better performances than other students.'

It adds: 'The higher productivity of attractive people could be the result of pure discrimination because of parental (and teacher) solicitude or of social stereotypes that affect self-esteem and motivation and hence productivity via a self-fulfilling prophecy.'

Meanwhile previous research has shown that better-looking people go on to earn more in the workplace.

A study of 11,000 33-year-olds by London Metropolitan University found that unattractive men earned 15 per cent less than those who were attractive. Plain women earned 11 per cent less than their prettier colleagues.

And researchers from Lafayette College, Pennsylvania, and the Minnesota University, discovered that there is a 'wage penalty' for obese women.

They have lower family incomes than women who are within 'recommended' weight ranges.

Celebrities who combine brains and beauty include actress Rachel Weisz who attended St Paul's Girls' School before studying English Literature at Cambridge University

Model Laura Bailey, who is currently fronting the successful Marks & Spencer campaign, graduated from Southampton University in 1995 with a First in English Literature.

And Britain's most successful teenage model, Lily Cole, 17, a student at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, West London, is planning to study psychology at New York University next year.

Tim Hands, headmaster of Portsmouth Grammar School, said he did not think good-looking pupils performed better in exams.

He added: 'Although I have never hard it debated in academic circles at university or in schools, I suppose it could have to do with the inner confidence one would have going into exams.'

But Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, yesterday cast doubt on the research.

He said: 'It does seem as though some people are very lucky. They're good-looking, they're talented and so on but it's quite difficult to stand up.

'Attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder so it's difficult to claim that there can be a universal effect.'

Long Live the King! Happy Diamond Jubilee!

It it such a joyous time to be a Thai! Our King, one of the most beloved in the Kingdom's history, is celebrating his Diamond Jubilee on a throne this month! He is the longest living monarch in the world now. But the length of his reign is not the reason why we Thais love him so much. It is his unconditional love and dedication in working to improve the life of all of us in the country since the day he took the throne.

To all of us, he is the hardest working person in the Kingdom. We grew up seeing him working everyday in the remotest area of the country while we watch the evening news from the comfort of our home. For my generation, we also had the rare chance of receiving our college degree right from his hand! We would not forget the most memorable moment of our life. I mean, not many people in this world could say that they received their degree from their King, right?



The above photo is from www.manager.co.th where you could join millions of Thais who give His Majesty their best wishes. We all love him very much. Long Live the King! Chai Yo! Chai Yo! Chai Yo! :)

Mater Dei Alumni Remembers HM the King

From today's Thai Rath.

http://www.thairath.co.th/news.php?section=society&content=6169

Geothe on Importance of "The Present"

I found this quote from Reference, Facts, News ... Free and Family-friendly Resources

"We usually lose today, because there has been a yesterday, and tomorrow is coming." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German Poet, Dramatist, Novelist

So What Did I Learn in 2005?

I guess this is the classic question bloggers all over the world is asking themselve, eh?

Do I have a satisfying answer? Hmm....

2005 has been billed by many as the year of, well, many bad things to be remembered. I quite agreed. In fact, I wrote in before the journalists put it in their year-end review even! It was in the first chapter of my thesis. I borrowed Queen Elizabeth II's term when she called 1992 as her Annus Horribilus year.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, war, terrrorism, etc. The world has been an unhappy place indeed in 2005.

I did grow up quite a bit, I think. Figuratively. From all the things I did. I think I worked quite hard this year: teaching at Chula, volunteering in Chiangmai, writing for Bangkok Post, studying & taking Japanese exam, studying & taking Buddhist Studies exam and translating a book. This has left me very little time to make more progress on my thesis as it should have been.

Nevertheless, I think I made up for it in December when I think I started to speed up on my thesis and sort of start to put things in perspective and attack the books again with more gusto, planning it again in more details, entering the football field with more game plan, so to speak. I feel pretty good about it, actually.

Not that I can see that the end is near in sight. In fact, I think it's still very far from the end. But at least it's moving. Everyday. And that alone means so much to me already. Because the fact that it didn't go anywhere all year made me so stressed.

Another really good news to cap off the end of the year is that I got a research grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to do research at Waseda University next year for several months! Cool! Ooh, I can't wait! I love Japan. And I really want to make the best out of my trip there.

Well, what did I learn, in light of Buddhism? I learn that there is suffering everywhere in every stage of life of human being. Even in the middle of happiness, there is suffering. I also learn that I should try harder on my mindfulness practice. And I found that I could push myself to give food to the monk every morning if I really want to. And that makes me feel great.

I also learn to let go of many things, one being books. Normally I love books and I hold on to all my books as if it's my dear life. But this year I donated my books to my university library twice already and I felt good about it.

I also learn to let go about my feelings. I learn to let go of the fact that I should not expect too much from people. Many people would simple not be ready to go to meditation. I promoted the course in Chiangmai much less this year. I didn't know whether it was out of my laziness or whether it was because i knew better about people. Well, I hope it's the latter!

Hmm...what else? Let's leave it as this for now. If I could think of anything else, I would add again. For now, happy new year to anyone who comes across this blog. May you be happy, healthy, and free from suffering. And may 2006 be the year that you live and learn to your fullest capacity! :)

Just Back from October Retreat

I'm back, folks! Oh, how I miss you all. :)

It's dreadful to see how much work is piling on my desk. After one full week of dedicating myself for a very good cause, how I wish i could have had a magic wand to wave off all the overdue work from my desk! hee hee hee

Anyway, going to Chiangmai is always good to me. Not only the clean weather purified my lung that desperately needs something fresh, crisp and clean, but the meditation itself sort of cool me down tremendously. And although i tried hard not to believe in miracle, it did happen again. I could translate almost a whole chapter of the monk's book that has been stranding me for months!

Well, come to think about it, he DID ask me to meditate first before I translate so that I could "unlock the hidden code" in his writing properly. I don't know yet whether i could unlock it properly or not, but I did unlock it all right. If I didn't choose to spend time helping out and meditating as much as I did this time, I swore I could have finished translating the whole book while I was there! And if this is not a miracle, then what is? Suddenly my brain is working again! How awfully nice! As if something jumped starting it. I hope nothing stops it again. At least not yet. heh-heh

Well, what else. The weather was good. The food was excellent. No, it was Michelin Guide's Five-Star's Extraordinary I had such a hard time trying to control myself not to overeat! I had to ask my teacher whether it was me alone that felt the food tasted even better (how could it be, it was already so good before), and the teacher said, yes, it tasted even better. Must be the sweeter taste of winter-time vegetables, you see. The northern charm never ceases to amaze me. And I could sleep very well like a baby without having to use any medication at all. That in itself is another miracle, given my medical history!

And plenty of exercise for me, too. Beside leading the morning exercise. Oh, yes, I lead the ancient Chinese exercise with mindfulness in the morning. Sort of moving meditation before walking meditation and sitting meditation. That is before sunrise. It was serene. I love this before-dawn session when things are totally quiet except for occasional rooster croaking and fish jumping from the surrounding pond and (very) early birds chirping. In the distant forest the sounds of night time insects still prevails. Oh, the beauty of nature at its simplicity. I really, really don't want to come back to Bangkok. Really.

Then, there are other pluses in this course. What made it even more special to me is that I got to do what I love to do most--to bring people who have been kind to me, who have cared for me, who have given me my knowledge, who have made me what i have, to meditate in Chiangmai. This trip i got to bring two of my high school teachers, and one made it through the end of this 7 days course. Although it is designed for people of all age and health history, it is not for the fainted heart. You really have to have certain determination to complete the course. It is not designed for, in short, a quitter.

My teacher in Chiangmai always said that those who have completed this course would always be able to achieve anything thereafter in their life because once you can learn how to get over your mental barrier, you will know how to achieve almost anything. Well, at least the Dhamma or the wisdom that would come to your mind will show to you your true nature, your true limit. You will know your capability and you will know how to get what you want and when to stop and how to treat your heart and let go smartly and bravely when you get disappointed, etc.

It is a boot-camp designed for the braves in my opinion, almost like a US navy's elite SEAL training course, if you ask me. The physical training may not be that vigorous, but the mental training will be equally hard. First you have to learn how to conquer the enemy within. And that's your own mind. And that, ladies and gentlemen, would be the title of my dissertation, "Taming the enemy within: Round-the-Clock Mindfulness Training of Samurai in Japan during Peace Time (Tokugawa Period)" Bansai! (Not Kanpai!)

Sayonara!

Oops, almost forgot, the photos.

Here is me with my high school teacher at Chiangmai Airport on the way back to Bangkok. Sorry I was really busy working during the course and no time to take photos at all. This one was also taken in a hurry by myself with my Sony-Ericsson k750i phone while we are walking to board the plane back and i realized I didn't have a photo of me and my teacher for my blog!

Me and my student that just graduated from a master's program at Chula. She just lost her mom during the semester and felt down and i cheered her up and she ended up bringing her elder sister along also. Both of them felt better and happier at the end of the course and of course I was very happy about it.

Life is so uncertain. Please don't wait until you lose your mother until you think about attending a meditation course. Because most people would want to go home and tell their mom how happy they are and want to bring their mom along also next time. Well, at least i did. And my mom loved every minute of it.

A Note from a Recovering Ward...

A recovering me saying hi to all of you via my camera phone... (Obviously a lousy self-portrait ). Hey, I'm not Mr. Van Gogh, ok?

Do you believe in the power of love? Oops, wrong heading! hee hee hee There! At least I got your attention, right? Well, nothing much. I'd just finished my final Japanese language exam and would like to say hi and thanks to you all who were kind enough to send emails or call. With the power of your positive vibes, I recovered fast. Although still basically frail and tired and having a few more diseases to tackle, namely fibromyoalgia (don't trust my spelling), I'm struggling along just fine.

Life is short and so full of exams, my friends. The real ones and the daily ones. I still have to be the one who give exams to my Chula students on the 24th. May the forces be with them! Oh, how I enjoy designing my exam for others!

Then, on November 20-21, I have my ธรรมศึกษาโท exam. You know, the same one like the Thai monks' นักธรรมโท. But theoretically, and I repeat, theoretically, before that I should have gone up to defend the title of my dissertation at Ram U (what a nice abbreviation for my school, eh?) by Oct 31, the Halloween.

And as if life is not beautiful enough, I am taking the Japanese equivalence of TOEFL exam on December 4. Don't cry for me, Japan. Luckily, like all things Japanese, the system is quite rigid. You have to climb up the corporate ladder. So what I would take would be like the primary school, grade 1, kind of language exam. (Or so i think!) Only 100 kanji (Chinese-based Japanese letters) and 800 Japanese words, plus some basic (that's what they think) grammar. Did I mention the listening comprehension, too? Ooh, this would be the most interesting part. Because although I recently invested in subscribing to the NHK channel and found out that I'm pretty hopeless, to put it nicely.

Anyway, life goes on, until it ends. Wow! This is the one for the quotation book! So my friends, if I die please help put this quote and my name in the quotation book for me, too! Wait, why do I have to wait until I die? May be some editor will see this quote and quote me someday and I'll be famous and win my Nobel Prize for Literature. No, the Nobel Peace Prize sounds sexier, don't you think?, considering the list of previous winners. You know, Dalai Lama, Henry Kissinger, etc...

My best wishes to all of you to the trials and tests you have to go through in your own daily life, my friends. For me, I have plenty. And, believe me, it's much more difficult than my Japanese language exam. Last, but not at all least, I don't know how much longer I will live, folks. So, if you haven't don't so, please book your vacation to spend some time to >> meditate in Chiangmai << with me. It's probably the last thing I can do in this life to thank you as a friend for everything you did for me in this life and previous lives, about which both of us conveniently forgot.

Time is running out. Tick..Tock...Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock....

Asalha Bucha

Dhamma Day
by Anthony Flanagan,

Dhamma (or Asalha) Day is one of Theravada Buddhism's most important festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's teachings, which were first given to the world shortly after his enlightenment. This first sermon is often referred to as 'Setting into Motion the Wheel of Dhamma'. In this context the word dhamma means teaching or doctrine which is encapsulated for Buddhists in the four noble truths.

Four Noble Truths

These represent the bedrock of Buddhist thought and practice. In them the Buddha explains that the world is a place of suffering and dissatisfaction (dukkha) and that this suffering is caused by craving (tanha).


He goes on to explain that there is a 'state' beyond suffering and craving he terms nibbana - which is synonymous with enlightenment - and that this can be attained to by following the eightfold path. Whatever differences there may be between various schools and traditions of Buddhism, the four noble truths remain at the core, sold and firm.

This first sermon was not delivered to fervent multitudes hungry for the Buddha's message. On the contrary, there were only five people present, his former associates whom he had abandoned when he realized that extreme mortification was not conducive to winning enlightenment. As the Buddha approached them, they were no doubt cynical, thinking that he had abandoned the quest for sensual pleasure. However, it soon became apparent that the Buddha was different in some way and they were quickly convinced that he had found true enlightenment, the ascetic named Kondanna in particular.

The Rainy Season

In early Buddhism, the time around what has now become Dhamma Day - the eight lunar month in the traditional Indian calendar - marked the beginning of the rainy season. At this point, the Buddha and his monks and nuns would suspend their itinerant lifestyle for a period of three months. They would retire to a monastery until the monsoon season was over. This was a time for further meditation and reflection. At the end of this, they would resume their wandering, passing on the Buddha's teachings to all who were interested.

The Essence

Along with Buddha Day, Dhamma Day celebrates the very essence of what Buddhism is about. It also celebrates the day on which the compassionate Buddha, at a specific time and a specific place, brought to the world a simple but nonetheless incredible teaching that would offer an explanation of the nature of existence and a means of bringing suffering to an end.

My Beautiful Mom

My Beautiful Mom
Originally uploaded by nashara.

It's a weekend and I miss my mom. :) Gonna call her today.

Monday Moaning...

DSC_9979
Originally uploaded by junku.

I've got so much to do today! Gosh!

I found this cute picture on Flickr from my favorite photographer, Junku.

How I wish I could have such a neat working station just like him! So clutter-free! What's his secret?!

And how I wish I have such a cute, expressive cat looking at me working like this Miss Fuwari, his lovely cat!

Sunny Sunday

JAP88_739
Originally uploaded by MicMacPics1.

Yes, time flies.

And by the time I realize it, it's another Sunday!

But Sunday doesn't mean relaxing for me. A Ph.D. student's work never ends!

I'm gonna call my mom also today. Have been missing her a lot lately.

As for this picture, I chose it not because I like its zen-like look, but I feel it's very Sunday-ish. :)

So, dear readers, may your Sundays be peaceful and sunny like this picture! :)