Letting go of the Non-Sense and seeking what makes Cents.

The house at To'Jembal has finally been settled as far as my presence is concern, I have sold, given away and burned away most of my family's belongings saving only the few items that meant most to them and myself. I was very surprised at how much photographs I had accumulated over the years and often felt ashamed that I wasted so much money over such hobby and the hundreads of CDs that I had to give away or discard. Neighbors came over and ransacked my belongings taking whatever they could use from cloaths to window curtains and the potted plants and even the compost piles were not spared. I see this as my charitable act of which eventhough I could hardly afford was meant to be as such.

The act of giving is more of an authentic power than the act of receiving it is said in the Qur'an or Hadiths of the Prophet (SAW) somewhere and sometimes at the back of my mind I realize that I am forced to be charitable in this life whether I like it or not. On the other hand I have found that there are times when I am most in need there was always someone somewhere who would share their wealth with me. It is coming to the final stage of preparation for my journey and between me and Raof we have decided to drive to KL together and have a talk with his sister with regard to setting up a joint venture. I would be her buyer and artist while she becomes my dealer and manager as I travel through Indonesia. My friend Raof will be the runner and oversee my side of the business making sure that I am safe and seek out potential market for my works. He is also managing my litterary and artworks putting together all my writings past, present and future making sure that they all are arranged accordingly and presentable for the general readers.

Hopefully my project will grow of its own accord with the participation of my friends in the US and Japan through the internet. This as I said before is one study of an aspect of Globalization and what it does to a family unit moving from one country to another. It is also a study in self empowerment and emotional intelligence being put to the test in a global stage. The trials and tribulations, the unexpected and unforseen circumstances beyond my control all has to be accepted as Baba Ram Dass would have it, 'Grist for the Mill' and the mill is grinding its cork and screws all being primed to face the next venture. Win or loose, right or wrong choices it is all in the hands of the Almighty...'Inna LilLahi W'Inna LilLahi Rawjiun'. What comes from Him will at the end of the day return to Him. The game is only over when the Fat Lady sings and not till then and as Pink would have said " And The Show Must Go ON!"

It is also the Buddha's birthday today and so I will have to say a few words in honor of a great Teacher if not a prophet as I see the Buddha Gautama to be in the chronicles of Man. I was born and raised a Buddhist for twelve years of my life and converted to Islam when I moved back to live with my immediate family to Terenggnau. I used to feel that was less of a Muslim being raised a Buddhist at my early age but today I am proud of the fact that God has chosen this path less traveled for me to pass through this allotted time of my existance. Whatever I have learned as a Buddhist has greatly enhanced my understanding as a Muslim, I have had glimpses of my original nature through the teachings of the Buddha and as such my worship of God is more personal than just fulfilling a religious obligation.

As my friend Raof's partner and MD of this office walked into the room I greeted with "Happy Birthday to you!" off course he looked surprise and gave a second about when exactly is his birthday, then he said. "Today is Buddha's birthday not mine." But it is, I insisted, it is my birthday, and his birthday pointing at Raof and yours too. By now the very devout Muslim in him stuck out and brushed the whole thing aside as too deep to think about or too dangerous. And I dropped the humor wishing that I could share with him who or what being a Buddha is, the fact a man of his intelligence and strong relegious upbringing should at least take the trouble to have a right understanding of another religion especially one that exist side by side in the multi-racial, multi-culture and multi-religious country of Malaysia. Religous tolerence does not end with respect for other's belief alone it is also the taking of time to understand better of what the other's beliefs entails. What are the differences and the simmilarities, how do we become inter- dependant and exist with greater unity despite our differences, it is the practice towards The Merging of Differences in Unity or Sandokai.