Spirits Fly To Me

 By: ryan    2:14 PM  Buddhism, Dear Diary   2 comments

All the while, Buddhism is much important to me. But my religious spiritual sensitivity is so high during these two months. Thanks to Kechara on their many exciting activities which bring me much closer to Buddhism especially Tibetan Buddhism. Because of Rinpoche teaching's which I read from his book (Compassion Conquers All), I understand what I had practice and learned so far are uncertain, vain, imperfect and in result, everything doesn't cultivates any merits. I just love one phrase that His Eminence said, "When we never make the first step, everything is impossible". I had made this my "daily mantra" and had it instilled in me. The outcomes of this that I had becomes stronger in wills, braver in taking actions, more confident in making decisions and more determined to complete something given or unfinished. Since then, I can do anything on my own without having others with me then only I can start or complete on doing something those kind of attitudes. How silly I am. 

If I am still the previous me, I am still the very skeptical on evrything. Anything which I going to do, I will think of many bad and negatives outcomes without even try to attempt on it. Such as, "If I do this, that will happens", "If I go there alone, it's so embarrassing, I need someone to accompany me", "I will do this later, since there is lots more opportunities", those kind of thinking. I am stressing it here that, if you do have such thinking, you're really wasted lots of time and opportunities. Believe me, opportunities doesn't comes often.

Knowing this, I made no more hesitation and procrastinate on opportunities that doesn't come always. Having this strong enthusiasm, I registered myself in Kechara's mini tour. Remember "When we never make the first step, everything is impossible" phrase? Even though the tour only took about short three hours, I really enjoyed all the things from the friendly tour guide, Nicholas Yu and KMP's Yek Yee had shows us, sharing and explained to us. Since then, I made a silent promise in my heart that I want to spend more time on Dharma instead of wasting my time on something useless and ineffective. 

Subsequently, I asked all of my house-mates permission on setting up a bigger altar since I am staying in a rented house and they happily agreed without having any objection. All the while I had my mini altar in my own room but nothing is more convenient and better by setting up a bigger altar in a living room, where I can have more space to perform prayers, makes offerings, and do prostrations. having altar in the living room, this not only benefits me but to all my house mates too as everyone can share the vibes and compassion of Buddha. Each day, I will spend more and more time on my altar by cleaning, changing and washing the water and offering bowls, lighting candles and incense. This may sound very easy to do but with these simple chores we must do it correctly and then only we can cultivate our minds by doing all these chores mindfully. (Read here for more).

Since the commitment had been made, things don't stop here. Is been a long time where I likes Buddhist arts moreover now I have the opportunity to do it myself. Coincidentally, KSA is offering Buddha's statues painting class, so without hesitate, I enrolled into it.  The classes come in three-week program. Every weeks not only I learned something new and what is happier than made friends that share the same interest? Lily, our instructor for most of the classes is so generous that she gave me a book, titled Guru For Hire, Enlightenment for Sales, by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. (Thanks Lily, the book is really great to read). 

During the last class, I was struggling to mix the colors to match the statues without having ruined the beautiful Tara over painting it with overmatching colors. But eventually, the effects end up really matching and Lily told me this, "Here we learned something that in real-life, never dishearten or discourage when things are unfinished. Be bold and try it as we never know what the outcome will ever be. If it's good, we learned and appreciate but even it's bad, we still learned and keep it as an experience". How beautiful and true. 

Here are the pictures which I took during the classes.

(This batch of pictures is taken during the first class, where to base-coating the face)
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 (Our pretty instructor, Miss Lily, in blue shirt) 

(While here are the pictures from second class, base-coating the whole statue) 

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(And finally the last class)

(Here are the last week pictures. Suppose to complete paint the whole statue but this is only what I managed to paint. Overall, very satisfied with the color matched) 

Even though the classes are held only in short period of time, but I do learned many valuable subjects yet I also acknowledged that to complete a Buddha statue before it was ready to be invited home by devotee’s indeed hard work, patience and a lot of commitment are needed to give in. Moreover by doing the paint job personally, I am more appreciating not only it as a statue but the iconography; why The Buddha/deities are in such position, their hand-gesture, and his/her expression more deeply. Please notice that Buddhist needs statues not because we pray or worship to the statue but we need a statue for us in order correct visualization is there. When we pray or meditate having the correct visualization, only merits are accumulates.

So coming these weekdays, I try to complete the painting even the course has ended last week. To left an unfinished work is bad enough what say more on holy item? Last but not least, I really feel that I am having a good karma to learn and realized so much from Rinpoche's teachings, Kechara's members and friends. Even though I started late to realize the Dharma is actually so near to me yet I fail to acknowledged them but I am more than happy to know that I had already made my first step, so how about you?