I love you. Jon @31

 Knocking On Heaven's Door

That would be your anthem, among many of course. I chose this one because it reminds me of the mortality of the human form. The surety that as each of us is born we must each surely die. The best line thus far depicting and driving home this fact for me is encapsulated in this cheeky quote; “ do not get too serious with life, nobody gets out alive” So it is and was on that score( hmm.. I’m wondering if any great composer has a music score on that? Must check) that you, me and largely the conscious have come to live life. 

I still remember back when you and your band chose to sing this song, I was a little disturbed but gave it no further thought as I marked Guns & Roses under the genre of heavy metal and hard rock. They’re meant to be rebellious and provocative and I had little interest in them. 

However upon further introspection over time, this song holds much truth for living as much as it is about dying. We must come to terms with death before we can start living. 

Originally composed by Bob Dylan for the Sam Peckinpah movie- Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, this song is one of the greatest soundtracks of our lives. It has since been covered by many artists including Eric Clapton and GnR. Peckinpah also made the epic western- The Wild Bunch, that revised the entire western genre with innovative storytelling, and real depictions of violence in his interpretations. His characters are mostly loners and losers who desire to be honourable but are forced to compromise in a world of injustice and brutality. He inspired many filmmakers notably John Woo, who framed most of his shots inspired by Peckinpah, who pioneered the slow motion action sequences and Woo became iconic for using those techniques in his movies.

The song was written to the lyrics depicting the movie, there's nothing to it. 

Jon’s take was purely band and pop (rebel)culture driving the young of his time. It was after all 2004 and you were 14 and not much of a rebel. The oft repeated phrase keeps coming back in reprise. The rebuttal on my lips every time is;  aren’t we all, Knocking on Heaven’s door? Well you knocked and the door opened for you. You lucky bastard! Son of a Gan! I always see that cheeky grin of yours, it's a certain delightful knowing that it's all ok. 

I suppose at 31 you’d know by now that we don't ever really die. We live on in each other even after we die. 

Happy Birthday Son. It is all ok.

I love you. My Ai Wei Wei #2

 Is she or is she not another spy?

Continued..

I woke up with a start from a short but blissful sleep to find her lying next to me. Whatever happened the night before seemed like a distant dream. It couldn’t have been real. It seemed too good to be true. It seems overnight a friend turned into a lover. 

Lying next to me so silent, still and warm in the muted morning light, she was in deep peaceful slumber. 

I tried not to move for fear of waking her. As I lay stretched on my side, my shoulder was still hurting from my unexpected scuffle with the Chinese spy months ago, the knife was lodged in-between my shoulder blade and spine, the sharp tip punctured my aorta. I was still healing and secretly hoping the one sleeping next to me isn’t another plant plus I wasn't ready for another blow. Well at least there were no new wounds since last night. Still I knew I had to be cautious. But so far I could tell she’s no mortal danger to me. I did my homework she’s got the goods for the mission. 

Question is; whether she’s willing and at what price. I was about to find out. 

She woke up as I was looking at how beautifully comfortable she slept. She turned to me and smiled, as though she had done this to me a thousand times before. Maybe that’s why she looked so beautiful. It just seemed so natural and deeply intimate. I leaned over and kissed her. 

It wasn’t until about noon that we finally dressed to go downstairs for a late breakfast. Though still in the dress and heels she wore the night before, she looked every bit as resplendent. Now even more radiant. 

We ate breakfast and drank coffee with languid casualness showing no signs of missing a dinner promised last night. Satiated with our first meal of the day, we drifted back to the living room for more lovemaking on the couch. 

Later in the afternoon, I drove her back, we parted reluctantly, only to reconnect via text of what remains of the day, talking later in the night, making plans to journey south to mission headquarters. 

When we met the following day, we both agreed it already felt too long. We buckled up for the delightful road trip not caring if we arrive. We finally did, only to see her joy and approval of mission headquarters. She was sold. We spent the next eighteen days and nights together. With no visible wounds to show. 

HBTY my WW.

To be continued. 

I love you. Brickfields

 There's no place like Brickfields on a Sunday afternoon.

A typical lazy Sunday would have me eating lunch at 3pm ideally in Brickfields. I'd be spoilt for choice for either Peter's Pork Noodles or Moorthy's legendary Fried Fish on Banana leaf rice, both are tucked away in a secluded but bustling food court coffee shop in the middle of Brickfields. 

Today at 3.30 pm only Peter's stall remains open in a near empty food court, Ah Lai, his ever reliable right-hand man, expertly prepares my usual order, then packs it tightly for me with equal vigour and enthusiastic chatter. I bid him a warm farewell and left promptly with my favourite pork noodles.

Normally after being satiated, a walk would be recommended- firstly to allow the food to settle into the lower reaches of the body and second, to take in the sights and delights this rich little Indian settlement has to offer. 

The 200-meter walk from our food court to the bustling old quarter takes us pass one of the last remaining historical landmark of the district- the Vivekananda Ashram beautifully built by Jaffna Tamils in 1908. This center of education was built in  recognition of their founder being a key member in raising interfaith awareness worldwide and in getting Hinduism recognised as a major world religion at the end of the 19th Century.

Today that walk would still take you past the Vivekananda Ashram, but it would bring little joy apart from the fact that it was recently awarded a National Heritage site, the shops are mostly shuttered, the streets deserted. 

Past that, you're entering the old commercial center of Brickfields where it all began- merchants of all trade hawk their wares in the shops, on the walkways, spilling onto the pedestrian walk. It used to be as colourful and as noisy as the beautiful and gregarious people of the mystical nation of India but today it takes on muted hues and tones. The shops are only half open but the businesses are still spilling out on the streets- fruits, vegetables, desserts and sweetmeats are on display on street vendors' carts. 

One particular vendor caught my eye, selling tea time snacks- fried spicy indian doughnuts- vada, green pea balls, curry puffs, samosas, boiled chick peas and a huge pot of masala tea. I excitedly purchased a little of everything including the masala teh tarek, which was served in an open paper cup as takeaway. 

As I sat in my car sipping my tea, I glance at the stalls and shops that lined the long thoroughfare serving the small crowd, I see a time when it was bustling, busy, colourful and chaotic and I wonder when will that be again. Who knows? For now my masala tea taste simply heavenly and visiting Brickfields on a Sunday afternoon always hits the right spots in me. Though they're a little muted, they're nonetheless beautiful. 

  

I love you. Folk Tales- The Emperor's New Clothes.

 The emperor Has No Clothes. 

When you fail to learn, whether from history or what is evidently happening in your country. Then you have lost the plot. 

Especially if your plot is to hang on to the crown you clearly grabbed when the pendulum swung in your direction. 

Unless you’ve been quarantined in your bathroom suffering from unstoppable diarrhoea, you have clearly demonstrated your stripe. I was about to compare your stripe to that of the hyena, but I wouldn’t want to insult the latter. 

You are no different from the deposed chairman who quipped about two trains kissing when hundreds were injured in a train mishap recently. Both of you are cut from the same cloth.

You joked about raising your blue flag, when the black and white flags hoisted by the people were cries of desperation and despair. 

You strut the public domain thinking we admire your prowess at power grabbing and court intrigue. Knowingly or unknowingly, you have just disrobed yourself for all to see. 

What an ugly sight it was to be forced upon. The truth in this case is truly ugly.

You and your kind. No matter how you adorn yourselves we can see through you. 

We now cannot un-see what we saw. And we shall never want to see, ever again in a person leading our nation.

This is one Farewell we can’t wait to bid you. 

You have just promoted a minister, during whose watch, saw new record high numbers of cases and deaths. 

Now we know why our nation is losing in this Covid war. You and your kind have no interest and no clue about what is happening in the real world. You are lost in another world. Totally lost. 

Instead of commending the rakyat for starting positive initiatives like the white flag movement to care for and feed each other, you told us to not believe in them. 

This was clear when you failed to show any shred of sympathy or understanding of the people’s pain during your public address yesterday. 

The people were looking for some comforting words from their leader. You instead rubbed the hopelessness of the situation in their faces by making quips like raising blue flag instead of black or white flags and full kitchens. And that the T20s are also suffering. Insensitive? Or simply incapable of any form of compassion or feeling or you just simply don't care?

Yesterday- July 15, has to go down as one of the saddest day in history for Malaysians, not only because there are people starving or dying, the people living are devoid of hope when hope and leadership are most needed now.

Before bed, as I trawl the thick and fertile plains of social media channels, I find countless, and endless laments, essays, videos, blogs, vlogs, twits, tik-tocs, pleas, cries and rants on the state of our nation and our leaders and I find myself joining them in chorus. "The emperor has no clothes" and maybe then they will slowly listen and do something.

Good night and good luck Malaysia.

I love you. Keep Calm and Hold on. (Yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, Stoicism)

 Yogic Culture births Hinduism. Hinduism births Buddhism. And perhaps Stoicism?

In times like these, one is tempted to be sucked into the doldrums that besiege our nation- the alarming number of Covid cases has become a daily scoreboard for public sentiment. At time of writing, the numbers are at an all time high of 11,618 new cases. The higher the numbers climb, the more the hopeless masses sink into despair. Who can blame them? Their livelihoods have been severely curtailed, jobs have been wiped out, businesses have shutdown for months now. No solution is yet in sight.

How will people feed themselves or their families? How do they even survive? 

Here I distract myself from answering questions that have no plausible answers but write about spirituality because spirituality is where I seek solace and more importantly, clarity. While solace is a temporary feeling, clarity is actionable.

While I try to maintain an even keel with my life grounded in Stoicism principles outlined in my previous blog- Here- Stoicism, I am also a devotee of Hinduism, deeply rooted in the Yogic culture. 

I have come to realise there are great similarities in the two. Whether they are related or not I do not know.

I would like to highlight 5 Yogic Principles extolled numerous times by one of the most lucid and eloquent thinker and speaker on the subject of life. 

With great reverence and gratitude I would like to share practical enlightenment from Sadhguru.

1. Keep Account of Your Joy.

Everyday (Covid or no) all sorts of things and events happen to our life, most of which we have no control over. So what's important is that no matter what happens in our life situation, we must stay joyful and keep score of how many moments of Joy you have. Joy is not a goal to attain, joy is available to you at any time. Joy means you're at ease with no pain in the body or trouble in the mind. 

These are the only two kinds of human suffering- body and mind. 

Joy means life has come to ease you not mess you up. If you are at ease, your are in Joy. 

2. Eating With Gratitude.

Whatever you eat, just like whatever you do, you must do it consciously. There is life in food, as we consume it, it gives us life, keeping us alive. Therefore it is life giving material, so whatever and whenever we eat we must eat with reverence and gratitude. Especially now, when people aren't certain when they will have their next meal.

3. Connecting With The Earth.

This very earth that we walk upon has a certain power and memory. After all, all life on this planet has come out of this earth. Spend a few minutes outdoors in your garden, staying in touch with mother earth, touching the soil with our palms and our soles to connect with nature, touching the plants, the flowers and the trees. 

This is the basis of our life, this will harmonise our system. 

4. Wake Up With A Smile.

Before going to sleep each night, sit in bed for two minutes and imagine you're going to die in two minutes time. Then see how you sleep. You will see that when or if you wake up you will feel like a 'newborn'. If you are still alive, then give yourself a Big Smile. Statistics show some people may not wake up tomorrow morning. Being alive is the greatest thing happening to you. Not your possessions, not your family, not your titles or achievements. You're Alive right now. So Smile. Life is indeed very brief.

5. Resolve to get High on Life.

Your ability to live on this planet is essentially how well you can harness your body and your mind. To harness this, it's very important to keep a little space between You and your body and You and your mind. Remember whatever suffering is only experienced in the body or the mind. There is no other kind of suffering- only Physical suffering and Mental suffering. When you can keep a little distance between You and the body and mind, there is no fear of suffering. If you can do this for just a few minutes a day, you will truly get high on life. 

Only then you will explore the full depth and dimension of this life. 

All you need to resolve to do is;  Meditate.

If you'd like to do so, go to my earlier posts > Meditation #1, or Meditate #2, or Be Still  or Meditation #4 or just scroll down to the last post before this. Try it. It's highly recommended.

Stay Safe. Stay Joyful.

I love you. Self Healing Meditation.

Strengthening The Immune System

HalGatewood.com on Unsplash

There is a simple but powerful self healing meditation that you can do whenever you feel the need to boost your immune system. It is particularly effective if used when you feel the first symptoms of an illness, but it also works with illnesses that are already entrenched, if you  use it at frequent intervals and with an intense focus. It will also counteract any disruption of your energy field by some form of negativity.

Here it is;

When you are unoccupied for a few minutes, and especially last thing at night before falling asleep and first thing in the morning before getting up, "flood" your body with consciousness.

Close your eyes. Lying flat on your back, choose different parts of your body to focus your attention on; Head, Neck, Shoulders, Arms, Hands, Chest, Abdomen, Hips, Thighs, Knees, Calves, Ankle, Feet and Toes. Feel the life energy inside these parts as intensely as you can. Stay with each part for fifteen seconds or more.

Then let your attention run through the body like a wave a few times, from head to toes and back again. This need only take a minute or so. After that , feel the inner body in its totality as a single field of energy. Hold that feeling for a few minutes.

Be intensely present during that time, present in every cell of your body.

Don't be concerned if the mind occasionally succeeds in drawing your attention out of your body and you lose yourself in some thought. As soon as you notice that this has happened, just return your attention to the inner body.

Please don't just accept or reject what is written here, Put it to the test.

Stay Safe. Stay Present.

I love you. 4th of July

 Saturday in The Park 

In such a "Saturday in the park" kinda mood today. 

Perhaps it's because I took a stroll around the premises today, round the pool, by the garden, the trees, and soaked up some sun after a fabulous Saturday night.  Plus it's the 4th of July. 

This song, written by Robert Lamm, founder of Chicago, aptly captures the emotions and feelings of going to the park and indulging in activities in the park. In this case Central Park in NYC. Lamm was reportedly very excited after visiting and seeing the activities there- the steel drum players, singers, dancers, and jugglers. He said; "Man, it's time to put music to this!". Also the peace and love thing with people spending time and enjoying each others presence.  The lyrics are simple, poetic and as vivid as the colours they amplify. Like this line;

"Slow motion riders fly the colors of the day" He was describing kids riding bicycles tied with balloons.

Enjoy the song, the video and Central Park. Happy 4th of July everyone, especially people in America.

  

https://youtu.be/HjylD7esXDo

Saturday in the park
I think it was the Fourth of July
Saturday in the park
I think it was the Fourth of July

People dancing, people laughing
A man selling ice cream
Singing Italian songs

Eh Cumpari, ci vo sunari
Can you dig it? (Yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For Saturday

Another day in the park
I think it was the Fourth of July
Another day in the park
I think it was the Fourth of July

People talking, really smiling
A man playing guitar (play the song)
(Play the song, play on)
And singing for us all

Will you help him change the world?
Can you dig it? (Yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For today

Slow motion riders fly the colors of the day
A bronze man still can tell stories his own way
Listen children all is not lost, all is not lost, no, no, no

Funny days in the park
Every day's the Fourth of July
Funny days in the park
Every day's the Fourth of July

People reaching, people touching
A real celebration
Waiting for us all (waiting for us all)
If we want it, really want it
Can you dig it? (Yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For the day, yeah, yeah, yeah

Ooh-hoo
Hmm hmm
Hmm hmm

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Robert William Lamm

Saturday in the Park lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, BMG Rights Management

I love you. Mind.

 I Am Not My Mind.

During this prolonged lockdown, the mind is probably the most overworked and overused organ of the human body. 

Question is; do you use it or does it use you?

Your answer will determine whether you have a happy or depressed lockdown or lockup.