Music & piano pieces
Blig,
Piano music & other music is just intense. It evokes certain emotional parts of me I cannot describe.
1)Discovered : Madoka's piano files
Mami Ishizuka
Plan of action: Transcribe it on music sheet
2) Enjoy : Songs for a lazy sunday-winter 2002 edition
Feature: Nat King Cole, ella fitzgerald, andy russell, stan getz, sarah vaughan, duke ellington, frank sinatra, peggy lee
Plan of action: To BUY
Sometimes, we need to give some time for feelings :)
Labels: Feel-good-entry
Suttas
Blig-
Listening to: Classics, lazy to list em.(ie,moonlight sonata, nutcracker, etc etc)
Been: organizing, planning, thinking (slowly), enjoying the peace & tranquility.
I know-this is the best time for meditation,but, the willpower to get one to sit down and sit still is, huge. I guess taht is what is meant by Sila,Samadhi,Panna. Sila,to get the morality right is the first part,the foundation. Samadhi, takes another level of commitment and effort. Only then,wisdom arises.
I look at this blog and am not sure what I want to write. But suttas are nice reminders so I will type it in:
Metta Sutta (Loving Kindness Discourse)One skilled in good, wishing to attain that state of peace should act thus:
He should be able, straight and upright,obedient, gentle and humble
He should be content, easy to support, with few duties, living lightly, controlled in senses, discreet, not impudent, unattached to families.
He should not do any slight wrong for which the wise might censure him.
May all beings be happy and secure.
May all beings have happy minds.
Whatever living beings there may be-without exception, weak or strong, long, large, middling, short, subtle, or gross.
Visible, or invisible, living near or far, born or coming to birth--
May all beings have happy minds.
Let no one deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. Neither in anger or ill will should anyone wish harm to another.
As a mother would risk her own life to protect her only child, even so towards all living beings one should cultivate a boundless heart.
One should cultivate for all the world a heart of boundless loving-kindness, above, below,and cross, unobstructed, without hate or enmity.
Whether standing, walking or sitting, lying down or whenever awake, he should develop this mindfulness; this is called divinely dwelling here.
Not falling into erroneous views, but virtuous and endowed with visions, removing desire for sensual pleasures, he comes never again to birth the womb.
By the power of this truth, may I always enjoy well-being.
Sadhu,sadhu sadhu....!!!
Labels: Buddhism
Mayada - Daughter of Iraq
Blig,
Just finished reading an intriguing book. A very sad one too. It's her life story,Mayada Al-Askari. Author: Jean Sasson
Oh, Happy New Year 2009. :) Songie pongie mongie - Happy new year!
Back to this book. Initially, I thought it is an autobiography,well, it is, sort of. The book describes her (Mayada) powerful and influential background, dated generations before her.More importantly, her inprisonment in Baladiyat and her mingling with other shadow woman (I still do not understand why she describes fellow inmates as shadow woman???) and their lives. I admire the author for being able to slip in softer shades of mood, in between terrible moments of torture descriptions and terrifying sections of human evil-ness. (Particularly Saddam's family events, which depicts greed,evil....etc etc)
Firstly, I come to feel very very sorry for the Iraqis. Why is it, in this very same world we live in, there are great disporportionate of food distribution, wealth and level of freedom? Almost immediately, it reflects back on my life, my family and friends and the people around me. Boy, are we lucky.
Why do I read such kind of books? Because these are real. Real events, real people. Of course, it can be biased, but the more I read books like these, the more intrigue I am of people and their lives.
Some ppl would love to travel the world and see different places. As for me, I would love to know people's lives, and venture into different years of existence and see what they see, hear what they hear, and know what they know. Be it a,traveller(Sarah MacDonald), a famous geisha, sister of a famous singer (Maria Callas),granddaugther of a warrior (Mayada/Jafar/Sati...), my living friends and family...
Okay, enough wandering thoughts.
New Year's eve was an exceptionally special day for me. Special night. I hope I do remind myself of how good it felt and retain the happiness from within, for as long as I can. Nice weather, "nice" sitting session, inspiring Dhamma talk from A.Kalyano & one of A.Chah's disciples.
Ah,bliss. I shouldn't complain for I am content today.
Labels: Happiness
