The Power by Rhonda Byrne

 By: ryan    11:57 AM  Books, Rhonda Byrne   No comments

Title: The Power
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 9781439181782

Back Cover text
You Are Meant To Have An Amazing Life!

In this book I want to show you the way to an amazing life. There is so much for you to know about life, and it is all good. In fact, it is beyond good. It is phenomenal!

Life is so much easier than you think it is, and as you come to understand the way life works, and The Power you have inside you, you will experience the magic of life in its fullness and then you will have an amazing life!

Now let the magic of your life begin.

Side Cover text
This is the handbook to the greatest power in the universe, The Power to have everything you want.

Without The Power, you would not have been born. Without The Power, there wouldn't be a single human being on the planet. Every discovery, invention, and human creation comes from The Power. Perfect health, incredible relationships, a career you love, a life filled with happiness, and the money you need to be, do, and have everything you want, all come from The Power.

The life of your dreams has always been closer to you than you realized, because The Power to have everything good in life is inside you.

To create anything, to change everything, all it takes is just one thing....

About the Author
Rhonda Byrne's intention is: Joy To Billions


She began her journey with The Secret film, viewed by millions across the planet. She followed with The Secret book, a worldwide bestseller now available in 46 languages.

Now with The Power, Rhonda Byrne continues her groundbreaking work, as she reveals the single greatest force in our universe.

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My friend just gave me this copy of Rhonda's second book which released on 1st August 2010. The Power is the follow up of the mega-phenomenal bestseller, The Secret.

The Secret capture many hearts out there with The Law of Attraction. After go through the book, I found out that this book is more about handling our mind in love, emotions and desire on getting what you want in life. Many had reviewed the book since it release and the feedback received are mostly negatives. Most of the reviewer asked this question:
"If "The Secret" worked....why would need a sequel??" Well, this is a very argumentative question.

To me, all is about timing. When a person read Rhonda's The Power at the right time, he or she will definitely agreed on what she had said in the book, while for others, someone like me, don't think that this book suit me yet. Still, I like The Secret more.

But a few different aspects that you might like to go for this book if you want to change your relationships, happiness, health, money, career and your life. Maybe Rhonda came out with this book so that together with The Secret, they will give readers a path to total successful, happiness and prosperity life. I don't know. Why not give it a try?
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For more info about the book, visits:
TheSecret TV
BusinessEdition
NewsWeek

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Rich Brother Rich Sister

 By: ryan    2:53 PM  Books, Buddhism, Emi Kiyosaki   No comments

Title: Rich Brother Rich Sister
Author: Robert Kiyosaki and Emi Kiyosaki
Publisher: Vanguard Press
ISBN: 9781593154936

Back Cover text

Two Lives Two Journeys

Together, then apart, then together again, as a brother and sister discover the riches of life. Rich Brother Rich Sister combines the inspirational, true life stories of Robert Kiyosaki and his sister Emi Kiyosaki (Venerable Tenzin Kacho) into a book that will reaffirm your belief in the power of purpose, the importance of action, and the ability to overcome obstacles in a quest for a rich life.

In 1962, the United Stated detonated an atomic bomb ten miles off the coast of Christmas Island in the South Pacific. From that moment, two people, born of the same parents into the same household with the same childhood experiences, found themselves on distinctly different paths toward God, money, and happiness. Robert became a world-famous entrepreneur, author, and teacher of all things financial. Emi became a highly devout Buddhist nun, author, and teacher of all things spiritual.

Their lives took them from the Big Island of Hawaii to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, to the hippie communes in Haight-Ashbury and to a monastery in India, to private encounters with Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, to a seat at the foot of His Holiness Dalai Lama, and ultimately back together again. Robert faced death in war, and Emi faced it in the form of cancer. They took risks, made mistakes, learned life's lessons, and found their own truths. They discovered the peace, the happiness, and the wealth that come through living the lives they were meant to live, the way they were meant to live them. This book will inspire you along your own life's journey as you search for your own truths, purpose, and path to wealth, both financial and spiritual to achieve all the riches of life that were meant for you and for us all.

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For sure many of you should have heard or read Poor Dad Rich Dad by Robert Kiyosaki but this book, Rich Brother Rich Sister does not reveals any guides nor financial tips. It's all about Kiyosaki's background and family history. The reason why I read this book is the book's cover hold my interest and by no mean I I am only interested on how Emi's (the lady in the saffron robe) seek spiritual fulfillment and her decision to become a Buddhist nun. 

Overall, they share a fair good lessons about life, learning and seeking help. If you're interested in finance, then Robert's others books are the one you should read else this book dealt only with memoirs, spiritual journey and life's challenges. Happily I enjoys the book more into the spiritual side of life. 

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Half The Sky: How To Change The World

 By: ryan    2:47 PM  Books, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl Wudunn   1 comment

Title: Half The Sky: How To Change The World
Author: Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl Wudunn
Publisher: Virago
ISBN: 9781844086825

Back Cover text
A Call To Arms Against The Most Shocking And Widespread Human-Rights Violation Of Our Age

• In The Nineteenth Century The Central Moral Challenge We Faced Was Slavery
• In The Twentieth Century It Was The Battle Against Totalitarianism
• In The Twenty-First Century It Is The Struggle For Equality For Women And Their Daughters Around The World.

Half the Sky, the groundbreaking bestseller, takes us on a journey through Africa and Asia to meet an array of extraordinary women. There is Rath in Cambodia, who escaped from the brothel she had been sold into and now runs a thriving retail business that supports her family. There is Mamitu, who grew up without an education in a remote village in Ethiopia and now trains surgeons in Addis Ababa. And there are countless others amazing women who have overcome unimaginable hurdles in order to change the world.

How do we tackle poverty, disease and conflict? Half the Sky shows that women are the solution. As the chief economist of the World Bank once wrote: "Investment in girls education may well be the highest-return investment available in the developing world."

Fierce, pragmatic, full of inspiring stories of courage and determination, Half the Sky is essential reading for every one of us, whichever our gender, wherever we live. 

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Half the Sky is a book about women. This book will definitely change the way that you think about girls, women and ladies around the world. The books comes in many true encounters from girls around Africa and Asia that been through incredible, evil tortures, discrimination and great injustice that you will never had imagined. 

You will read about kidnapping, human trafficking, raped, honor killing, slaves and genital cuttings. Hearing all these unwanted and unbearable suffering already make you uneasy. The authors also point out oppression of women not merely originate from men and women play great roles in a country's economic. The author also create awareness of women's right and make leaders note the importance of bringing gender-quality to ensure better development. 

This is one of the great books I have read. This book really changes my views and an eye-opening.
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(Image from: http://blogs.cornell.edu) 

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To Kill A Mockingbird

 By: ryan    12:09 PM  Books, Harper Lee   No comments

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
ISBN: 9780446310789

Back Cover text
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win Pulitzer Price in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into ten languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
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Chords of Strength

 By: ryan    2:41 PM  Books, David Archuleta   No comments

Title: Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance
Author: David Archuleta
Publisher: Celebra
ISBN: 9780451230188

Back Cover text
Singing sensation and American Idol favorite David Archuleta tells his inspiring personal story, includes in full-color photos!

A runner-up on Americal Idol and successful music artist, David Archuleta was named one of the "breakout stars of 2008" by Forbes magazine and landed the number two spot on the Billboard charts.

In Chords of Strength, David shares his unexpected and inspiring journey, including how he overcame vocal cord paralysis to achieve his dream of being a singer. he reveals insecurities he felt about his voice before he realized that he loved the way singing made him feel more than he disliked the way he sounded. In this  personal memoir, David opens up about the strength he draws from his unshakable faith and unyielding family. He pay tribute to those who continue to inspire him and through their example help him believe in himself, his talent, and his abilities.

Intimate and uplifting, Chords of Strength allows a unique glimpse of the man behind the music and offers hope to anyone with a passion and a dream.
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Glad that Chords of Strength is finally selling in local bookstores. Had no intention on buying this book but after a few flips through the pages, it feels that "David" is standing near you and talking to you. Though only at the age of 19, David has a lot to teach and inspires us with his mature, profound and resonate words. This book ain't only about David's autobiography but it really gives us the side of David that makes him an amazing person. You will smiles, laughs and even touched at times. This book is another book that will be read over and over again.

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Where to buy:
MPH Bookstores - RM87.20
Kinokuniya Bookstore - RM88.08 


**(all pictures are from Google.com)

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Calling All Sa Ding Ding Fans

 By: ryan    10:38 AM  Worth A Read   No comments

Have you heard of this talented singer from China, Sa Ding Ding? She is well known for singing in languages including Mandarin, Sanskrit, Tibetan, as well an imaginary self-created language to evoke the emotions in her songs. Some of the songs from her are adapted from Buddhist's mantra such as  万物生 (Alive) which is Vajrasattva's mantra and Xi Ran Ning Po, the Heart Sutra. So far there are only three albums under her belt and she is already well known all over Asia. 

Her albums:

• (2001) Dong Ba La (咚巴啦)
• (2007) Alive (万物生)
• (2010) Harmony (天地合)

Here's the deal. Popular Bookstores are having these crazy deals on promoting her latest album, Harmony (天地合). 

 Click on the poster for more info. 

Click on the poster for more info. 

Do you spot anything from the poster? In case you miss it, from the first poster, if you get Sa Ding Ding's latest album (NRP: RM29.90 nett), you're entitle for a pair of FREE tickets to her Live Performance in KLCC on 11 September 2010. Yes is FREE. 

Greater deals on the second poster as buying any CDs set above plus together with Sa Ding Ding's album you are entitled for 4 FREE tickets. Greater deals right? For me, I already bought the Kitaro's set (3CDs). For only RM43.90, I get 4 great CDs. All great masterpieces from Kitaro. 

So don't miss out these deals if you're fans of Sa Ding Ding. Grab this opportunity to catch her perform LIVE in Malaysia. (Sound like promoting for Popular)

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To get you know more about her and her musics, here are some links and videos: 
Wikipedia
KLUE

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BookXcess 3rd Anniversary Sales

 By: ryan    9:51 AM  Worth A Read   No comments

Calling all book lovers around town!!

 Bookxcess is celebrating their 3rd Anniversary by having a three days sales from 13th - 15th of August 2010. Click on the pics below for more detail.

Good things never stop here. Another reason you should visit BookXcess this weekend is because their latest shipment had arrived too. Can be said, double treats. I am definitely going to pick up so I won't miss some interesting titles to fills up my shelves. You know what, this bookstore here, it's Heaven!!

In case you're asking what titles are going sales on 30%, check it here: 
The Releases of 100 Titles

And just yesterday, they announced this:
"In conjunction of BookXcess 3rd Anniversary celebration, Reissued would love to spoil you too!! For normal promo, when you buy 10 magazines, you'll get 1 copy for free. But specially for this weekend, 13 - 15 Aug, only buy any 5 magazines, you'll get 1 copy free!!"

All rights, to all major bookstores out there, Malaysia Megasale sound really great but you guys did nothing greater compares to BookXcess here and this's what we called MEGASALE!! 

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Visits these links below for more info about BookXcess:

BookXcess.com

BookXcess's Blog

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What Do Buddhists Believe?

 By: ryan    10:40 AM  Books, Tony Morris   No comments

Title: What Do Buddhists Believe? 
Author: Tony Morris
Publisher: Walker & Company
ISBN: 9780802716552

Back Cover text
Buddhism is one of the world's oldest and most widespread religions, with a history spanning some twenty-five hundred years. It has nearly four hundred years. It has nearly four hundred million adherents, and there are Buddhists today in almost every country in the world.

In What Do Buddhists Believe?, Tony Morris gives readers a sense of the most important and interesting facets of Buddhism and some of the reasons why, in an age that seems increasingly disenchanted with traditional ethical and religious teachings and organized religion, Buddhism is thriving.

The teachings of Buddhism are vast and various. At its core, though, is a simple set of propositions and practices. Its emphasis has always been, and remains, how to live a wise, happy, compassionate, and fulfilled life. Complete with a useful time line, suggested further reading , and a list of contacts, What Do Buddhist Believe? is the ideal book for anyone wishing to acquaint themselves with this ancient and fascinating religion.
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Tony Morris is a history publisher, dedicated walker, and former board director of the Theatre de Complicite. He grew up in Belfast, studied at Cambridge, and now lives in London with his wife and their young daughter.
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Where you can buy it:
Bookxcess
Kinokuniya

For more info about the book, please visits
Spiritual&Practice   
Barnes&Noble

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Bringing The Buddha Home

 By: ryan    4:47 PM  Buddhism, Dear Diary   No comments

Saturday, 31 July 2010 was a very special day for me. This very day, I received precious gifts from my friend. He gave me something which are so precious and holy that me myself can't believe I can have it and even hold them with my bare hand. It is the Buddha Shakyamuni's relics. My friend obtained the relics from a bikkhu long time ago. Since he has a better faith in Christianity, he gave way all his Buddhist's stuff such as Dharma books, mala (beads for prayers) and the relics of the Buddha too. How bless I am.

(Relics are encased in the middle part of the glass stupa while the bottom red part are dried saffron's flowers)

So What Are Relics?

Buddha relics are holy precious with over 2,500 years of history. They are not only sacred heritage of Buddhism but also very precious to Buddhist. Buddha relics represent Buddha's Dharmakaya body. Similarly, paying respect to the relics are symbolic of paying respects to Buddha Shakyamuni. The Mahaparamita has mentioned: "To be with the Buddha relics is equivalent to being with the Buddha. Relics have no life but they manifest and expand in number and size respectively. It was told that, Buddha Shakyamuni funeral pyre ignited by itself. When the pyre was completely burned, only the bones and relics of the Buddha were left. It's said that thousands pieces of relics are transformed into billions in number today.  

These diamond-like indestructible relics signify the perpetual existence of Dharmakaya in this world is impermanence. As a result, paying respect to the Buddha relics helps to purify one's body and mind. 

The Buddha's relics are considered to show people that enlightenment is possible, to remind them that the Buddha was a real person, and to also promote good virtue. Real Buddha relics cannot be bough and are normally received from Bhikkhus who have got them directly from a certain lineage. 

So What Category The Relics Belong To? 

Many years ago, there was this "Collection of the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and His Great Disciples" Relics Exhibition held in The Mines and from there I obtain this book by His Holiness the 6th Jamseng Rinpoche. The book shows various relics from each part of Buddha such as The Buddha's tooth, brain, bones and blood. Then I learned that the relics which I got are belongs to the Buddha's blood category.

 (An image from the book, "The Buddha and His Principal Disciples' Relics")

Some of you must have doubt on why on earth Buddha relics are so easy to get. Seriously I don't know how to answer to this question. Maybe because of fate or some good affinity with the Buddha, I guess. But then, if you were to ask me how sure am I that what I have obtain is it real or false relics or some crystal that carved out of some stones? Well, neither I can answer you this question too..... But I am sure that this is relics as the picture shown below, the relics has manifest into those smaller one, crystal can't manifest right? (or maybe can, I don't know). 

(The relics which I got from my friend. See the tiny little one that protruding out from the bigger one) 

So dear readers, either you believe it or not or you may have doubts on it, to me I still believe what I believed as what it is. I am not trying to be ignorant or arrogant on what I had said here. Moreover relics are still relics even though they are precious as Buddha said, "Nothing is permanent". It doesn't mean that since I have the Buddha's relics, good luck, wealth, and opportunities pouring in my way. By having the good fate on receiving or keeping relics only means that it will definitely brings further motivations and greater faith in Buddhism in me, and peoples around the relics. The reason I post this up so that (if these are really relics), I sincerely wish all of you who saw the pictures of the relics could accumulate good merits and enjoy the blissful blessings from the Buddha. The most important is what we did or believes in will brings benefits to us and others.

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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? 

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