Rhododendron Radiance at Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome

Last Friday after work, I went to Gardens by the Bay to see rhododendron flowers from New Zealand. More than 400 rhododendron plants of 80 varieties are on display for the first time at flower dome from now till 28 October. This year, I already visited the flower dome to see tulips, roses, orchids and now rhododendron flowers. Every few months, the flower dome main will feature different flowers. 

By the time I arrived at the flower dome, it was about 6.50 pm. Actually its better to see the flowers before sun set. Some areas are dim or the light that shine on the flowers are too bright. 

I'm looking forward to new flowers coming to flower dome. I really hope for November to December theme, they will change poinsettia display to other flowers display. 

Where: Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome

Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT

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Image from Gardens by the Bay

Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra Concert 心经演唱会 in Singapore 2020

The Heart Sutra is still my favourite Buddhism sutra and it captures the essence of Buddha's teaching on emptiness. Thus I started Buddhism blog titled Heart Sutra and Buddhism. 

Whenever I want to listen to the Heart Sutra, I will listen to Imee Ooi rendition of Heart Sutra. 

Thus when I heard that there will be a Heart Sutra  (in 8 different languages) concert by Imee Ooi and her team in Singapore Esplanade Theatre by the bay, next year 11 of January, I felt very happy. Today is the first day to purchase the concert ticket. I just brought a ticket! Now I can listen to Heart Sutra in 8 different languages by Imee Ooi.

To purchase the ticket, click here.

The following Heart Sutra is from here by Chung Tai Translation Committee.

SUTRA OPENING GATHA 開經偈

The Dharma, infinitely profound and subtle,
Is rarely encountered even in a million kalpas. Now we are able to hear, study, and follow it,
May we fully realize the Tathagata’s true meaning.

無上甚深微妙法 百千萬劫難遭遇 我今見聞得受持 願解如來真實義

THE HEART OF PRAJNA PARAMITA SUTRA

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara,
While deeply immersed in prajna paramita,
Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas, And transcended all suffering.
Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, Emptiness is not different from form.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and
consciousness.
Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in character;
Neither arising nor ceasing,
Neither impure nor pure,
Neither increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form;
There is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind;
No form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas;
No realm of vision, and so forth,
Up to no realm of mind-consciousness;

No ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth,
Up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death. There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path. There is no wisdom and no attainment.
There is nothing to be attained.
By way of prajna paramita,
The bodhisattva’s mind is free from hindrances.
With no hindrances, there is no fear;
Freed from all distortion and delusion,
Ultimate nirvana is reached.
By way of prajna paramita,
Buddhas of the past, present, and future
Attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore, prajna paramita
Is the great powerful mantra,
The great enlightening mantra,
The supreme and peerless mantra.
It can remove all suffering.
This is the truth beyond all doubt.
And the prajna paramita mantra is spoken thus:Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄, 

舍利子, 色不异空, 空不异色, 色即是空, 空即是色, 

受想行识, 亦复如是, 舍利子, 是诸法空相, 不生不灭, 不垢不净, 不增不减, 

是故空中无色, 无受想行识, 无眼耳鼻舌身意, 无色声香味触法, 

无眼界, 乃至无意识界, 无无明, 亦无无明尽, 乃至无老死, 亦无老死尽,

无苦集灭道, 无智亦无得, 以无所得故, 菩提萨埵(duǒ), 依般若波罗蜜多故, 

心无罣碍( guà ài ),无罣碍, 故无有恐怖, 远离颠倒梦想, 究竟涅盘, 

三世诸佛, 依般若波罗蜜多故, 得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提, 

故知般若波罗蜜多,是大神咒, 是大明咒, 是无上咒, 是无等等咒, 能除一切

苦, 真实不虚, 故说般若波罗蜜多咒, 

即说咒曰, 揭谛揭谛 波罗揭谛 波罗僧揭谛 菩提萨婆诃

The Heart Sutra by Imee Ooi

Just Sketch

Today I just sketch my favourite playground, the dragon playground that I used to play near my home. I also added some orchids to fill in the gap.

Singapore Night Festival 2019

I'm looking forward to Singapore Night Festival in the Bugis/Bras Basah area this Saturday! I've been busy with work lately so I rarely go out for fun and update this blog. Next week I will update more. I plan to visit Gardens by the Bay to see beautiful lanterns for Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinatown lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hong Kong Protest and Singapore

Recently I read a rather biased SCMP report titled Have Singaporeans misunderstood the nature of Hong Kong protests? The young Hongkies must be too conditioned or brain-washed by western lecturers in Hong Kong university on democracy and freedom.

Hong Kong became a colony of Britain for about 150 years after the loss of Opium war in 1841. During those 156 years, Britain did not give Hong Kongers democracy and election. It was ruled under one British resident, one law by Britain. Which British governor was elected by Hong Kongers under British rule? After returning Hong Kong to China, they started to talk about freedom, democracy and election. What a hypocrite! 

Singapore used to be a colony of Britain too. However, when Japan attacked Singapore in 1942, British soldiers did not fight to the end for the people in Singapore. They surrendered and many returned to Britain, leaving the locals to fend for themselves in 1942. Many locals lost their faith and despised them when they returned to Singapore in 1945 when the Japanese surrendered. 

After Britain surrendered in 1942, more than 50000 Chinese men were killed in the Sook Ching massacre. Westerners will not defend Asians.  They are most happy to see the division of their opponents. Hong Kong is part of China. It was ceded to the British by China after China lost the Opium war. British imported opium to Chinese for profit. Now they are brainwashing, poisoning and conditioning the mind of young naive Hong Kongers.

Naive and pathetic young Hong Kongers are just a pawn for western politicians who want to sow discord. Look at what happen to those middle eastern countries after Arab spring. Those western leaders after proclaiming support for Arab Spring are not doing anything to help. Libya is now in worse state than before; it is still in civil war after the strong leader was deposed.

I hope Singapore government monitors what western lecturers in local universities are teaching and churches. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was right that we must be mindful of western interference and influence. Unfortunately for Hong Kong, the damage is done. I read that those protesters got their funds from their churches. Perhaps Singapore authority should set up a helpline for Singaporeans to report on foreign interference or influence. 

We must not take our peace and racial harmony in Singapore for granted. I'm thankful for a strong and assertive government who is not influenced by the opinions of some western media.

A Singaporean lady rushing against the nuisance protesters in Hong Kong airport. What a brave lady! (Image from Zaobao newspapers) 

Hong Kong authority needs to be tough. I support Hong Kong Police. Jia you HK Police! 

Posting My First Video on YouTube

Finally I decided to post a video I took on 29th June during Singapore National Day Parade Rehearsal. I just want to see if I can earn some pocket money from youtube. Been busy lately, so I rarely update my blog. 

Singapore 54th National Day

Yuan Xiang Vegetarian

Recently went to Yuan Xiang Vegetarian and had their sweet and sour mushroom small at $9.00. Also brought their hor fun. Their sweet and sour mushroom is a must order. 

Yuan Xiang Vegetarian at 835 Tampines Street 83, #01-02, Singapore 520835

Sweet and sour abalone mushroom, Very delicious!

Singapore National Day Parade Rehearsal on 29th June 2019

Yesterday I attended Singapore 54th National Day Parade rehearsal at the Padang. We arrived at the Padang at about 4.30pm. After going through security check, we went to get our funpack filled with snacks, Tiger balm ointment, Singapore flag.  

This year theme "Our Singapore" commemorates Singapore bicentennial from the day Stanford Raffles arrived in Singapore which heralded the start of prosperous trading city.  

If you like fireworks, you can wait near Esplanade theatre the following Saturday at around 8 pm before 9 August 2019. There will be National Day education show for the Primary 5 students and National Day preview shows from next Saturday till 3 August 2019. 

For more information, visit National Day Parade 2019 website at https://www.ndp.org.sg/index.html 

Wave the flag!

The finale ended with fireworks as usual.

There were only 22000 people in yesterday rehearsal. Next week there will be about 27000 people. The participants have been practising the performances since March this year.

Majulah Singapura means Onward Singapore in Malay. The building shown is National Gallery of Singapore.

 I was wondering who were at the rooftop at the National Gallery of Singapore, so I used my 16x zoom camera to take a look. Think they must be from the media with their powerful cameras.

 Various acts by students. 

 Since this is rehearsal, the actual guests like Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) were not here. They will only attend on the actual day celebration on 9 August.

 This 'fake' Prime Minister also wear pink shirt.

 POSB is my spending account. I don't save money with POSB. 

 The Singapore flag fly past.

 We sat at the yellow section

 Fun pack also came with potato chips.

 Bamboo straws of various sizes are in the funpack too.

Finally Attended Ajahn Keng Dhamma Talk on 27 June 2019

This Thursday, I finally attended dharma talk by Chao Kun Keng, a Singaporean monk at Nibbaba Dhamma Rakkha located at 24 Lorong 29 Geylang. Normally I don't like to go out on weekdays as I need to wake up early for work. I decided to attend as I didn't attend the March Dharma talk this year and I wanted to offer requisite to him personally.

I arrived early as I anticipated there would be many people. But the building was locked so I thought that I went to the wrong place. Luckily I arrived early and sat near the front. The room at level 4 was filled to the brink and some had to stand to listen to the talk. I like to listen to Ajahn Keng's dhamma talk as he teaches the Dhamma in a light-hearted way and he is also a very humorous teacher. 

Some key points of his Dharma talk:
Ajahn Keng taught us how to meditate by relaxing different parts of our body and observing our breaths. All of us take for granted our breaths. 

During meditation, you can observe your thoughts influenced by the five aggregates （色受想行识）( form (or matter or body), sensations (or feelings, received from form), perceptions, mental activity or formations, and consciousness.

He also shared with us that sentient beings like snake, dogs and rats understand what we said. Also if dogs or cats go to your house, do not treat them badly as they have affinity with you. They could be related to you in their past lives or were past occupants of the house but due to attachment to the house, it came back again. 

If a person is greedy, he/she easily deceived by others. 

One of his student meditated for 13 hours straight. I could only meditate for 1 hour at most. I need to be diligent in meditation. 

Besides meditating, you should observe the five or eight precepts. Do not complicate Buddha's teaching. Basically Buddha taught the threefold practice namely Sila (Precepts, morality), Samadhi (concentrated mind) and Prajna (Insight, understanding). 戒定慧

Sila: Precepts, Morality, Ethics (Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood)

Samadhi: Equanimity, Calmness, One-Pointedness, Absorption, Settled Mind, Concentrated Mind, Undistracted (Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Samadhi) via meditation

Prajna: Insight, Understanding, Emptiness, Interdependence (Right View, Right Intention/Thinking)

Below is the Dhamma talk in Mandarin by Chao Khun Keng on 27 June 2019

To read more, you can visit my blog on Buddhism here.