our neighbors are very special people. they mostly are people we don’t know of, yet they might affect us much greater than our family members or relatives who don’t live close to us :

we hear their conversations / music they play;

we smell foods they cook;

we know if there is an argument / heated debate / children yelling…

we know when they sleep, shower, walk, do works that make a noise (e.g. drilling…), play an musical instrument…

their life style affect us quite a lot particularly if the building materials not quite sound proof, flats are very close to each other, and people r not really considerate / conscious.

we have the luck to have an upstairs neighbor who stay up late until 3 – 4 a.m. each night and like particularly listening to music very loudly.

it was so unbearable at the beginning that we thought of moving out very shortly after we moved in. even 1 night was intolerable as they kept making noises throughout the night despite our repeated efforts to solve the problem. i was devastated.

calling the police was the last resort we still have not done till now.

the amazing thing is, Eckhart Tolle also came into my life around the same period, and i did use this opportunity to practise totally acceptance / surrender…

the result being we are still here after almost 3 years. our neighbour do improve a little yet the basic pattern remain the same. i thank them for the wonderful lesson that made me much more conscious and present than before.

i have read :

people come to you

for a reason;

for a season;

for a life time.

may we respect all life forms that come to us anytime, and see the positive despite possible challenges / “bad” on the surface. for there is always a deeper meaning to all that happens, particularly sufferings, which very often is the teacher of awakening.

Namaskar

Sat Nam Deep I

i seldom watch movies in languages that i don’t understand. recently, somehow, managed to watch “Cold War” with my daughter.

we were both super impressed not only by the story, music, how everything is arranged.. .but the lightness about how this rather painful experience of the director’s parents is presented.

there were no bloody scene, dramatic emotional display, .. .but full surrender, constant adaptation, immense power within the 2 seemingly helpless individuals.

again, after all the dramas, only love remains to be remembered / cherished.

to the director : heart felt appreciation for sharing the story . congratulations to your wonderful work

to your parents : Namaskar. may you rest in peace. The wisdom, love and power u both demonstrated will always be remembered.

Sat Nam Deep I

my daughter is a great fan of super hero movies. over the years i have been also been “educated”!

only very recently however, did she show me a very interesting personal gesture of the actor who played Captain America : he very often lol !

turned out this special “icon” is quite infectious. now it has become a great reminder and response for us esp. when we come across rather challenging people / unconscious behavior.

salute to you, Cap!

thanks a lot for helping us to lighten up, shake it off, and always maintain a sense of humor, which is absolutely essential for a joyful, healthy, balanced life.

Namaskar

Sat Nam Deep I

it’s sometimes hard to believe how things that happened so long ago can be so clearly remembered. like being recorded by a video camera, the images very deeply imprinted into the memory.

my grandma (dad’s mom) lived together with my parents, sister and me until she passed away when i was 4/5 . i can still clearly “see” the flat, my cot, her bed… even how i saw her lying in the funeral parlour. no fear. just very peaceful like sleeping. she was the one who spend most of the time with me when i was small. watching me coming back from kindergarten from a window, accompanied by another lady. …

i never felt she left me even after she was not in the physical body 40+ years ago. quite the contrary, i sense her presence all the time. a very loving, embracing, unconditional type.

my other grandparents lived close to our home then. we visited them often and share a big meal every week. the scenes, even the smell and look of the foods still very vivid.

my uncle and aunt, finally much better off than my parents, invited us often to their home, took us to swim in luxurious clubs, boat trips, resorts..

Heartfelt thanks to you all those for all your love, generosity and kindness. no kind thought /word / deed will be forgotten no matter how small.

Love never dies. Only love is real.

Namaskar

Sat Nam Deep I

i have the privilege to have met a few people in my life who instantly connect. there appear to be sense of deep trust and familiarity even at the very first encounter.

we normally share a period where we attend some lessons /events regularly, then sooner or later , we part.

often we don’t connect even online for a long time, yet whenever there is a chance to meet up, the wonderful feeling is still the same.

yes, to lay down our mask and open up is sometimes risky and make us vulnerable, but that should not prevent us from reaching out.

i agree with the saying that ultimately it is how many hearts that we have touched that matters most instead of money, fame, …

May we all have stronger, bigger, more resilient hearts so that we can fear less and love more.

Namaskar

Sat Nam Deep I