Weekend of learning

Friday night

Started my first yoga class. Barely made it on time thanks to a long-winded lecture (sigh). The class was small which was good for beginner like me. We began with simple breathing exercise before moving into the harder positions such as cobra. It was quite a struggle for me. By the end of the class, I was totally soaked in sweat. Even though my body was sore from the exercise, I had a lot of fun and am looking forward to the next class.

Saturday night

Theory of enough - This was the last phrase to appear on the presentation slides. It carried simple meanings but significant enough to to make an impression.

The theory is linked to our realisation of divine intervention in our life. Most of the time, we find ourselves unable to control things that happen around us. In addition, as we grow older, we find our options in life decreasing. If these are facts of life, what else can we do? Do we sit around and accept our fate?

Not necessarily. There are things which are still within our control which may or may not have an impact on divine intervention. Firstly, do good things - What goes around comes around. Mom has always told me that if a person thinks evil things and do evil things, God knows and God will make sure the person receives the right punishment even though the punishment may only come very much later in life. So, if ever someone does something unkind to us, we should not retaliate by behaving in similar manner as that person. Rather, we should continue doing what is right.

Second, do only the white things, never the grey nor black. Once we decide to do something that falls in the grey area, we will become more acceptance of the grey things and without realising, we might have moved into the black area. This reminds me of a chinese saying - To become bad takes 3 days, to become good takes 3 years.

Third, self-renewal (solitude and reflection) and the theory of enough. The theory is about considering what is enough in your life. For example, you need a house to stay in, a car to drive to work, a secure job etc. When you have accounted for all the things that is enough for you, then anything beyond those are a blessing. It is only when we know what is enough that we can be grateful with that we have. And when we are able to be grateful, we will be happy.

The theory really made me think about my life. I have come to realise that for awhile, I was consumed by my desire for more. To me, I still don't have enough when in actual fact, I am already a blessed person. I may not be rich but I have all the basic necessities in life. I have my family with me. I am learning to appreciate everything I have now. I hope this is a lesson I will never forget.

Sunday morning

I was at the temple this morning. While my previous intention for going to temple was to pray for a desire, today was different. It was to express my gratitude for things that I have in life.