When all is said and done..

There are times or moments in your life when you feel like it is all for nothing really, wealth, friendship, the good life all the beautiful things that life has to offer; it is all clouds in an empty sky. There are moments if your life when it all makes a whole lot of sense as all your dreams and aspirations comes together and life is like a rainbow bridge over troubled with a pot of gold waiting at the other end. Whenever you feel high like kite know that it too will come to an end when there is no wind or the string snaps and whenever you feel low know that the next wave that comes along will lift you up and take you for a wild exhilarating ride of your life; just be aware and ready when this happens. And this too will pass as the Sufi Master, Naseruddin is said to have said whenever in a good or bad situation.
You are merely riding the wave or simply put surfing the crest of the wave avoiding getting sucked down into the deep as you traverse life's busy highways. You can stop by and admire the roadside attractions or even settle down for a bit if you find it worth you while and then move on when it seems like you are getting to mired into the detours you have taken. You try not to let yourself get sucked into the riptide that is pulling you towards the distant rocks and crush you to pieces before you know it. This is Life's busy highway that most of us passes through in our everyday life, some in deep sleep while others in zombie modes and very few in a state of awakened awareness. We barely read the caution signs anymore as it passes by and before we know it we end up in a dead end wondering where we took the wrong turn. By the time we realize that all these roads and highways are there to lead us on towards our own demise in one form or another it is too late and we find ourselves running out of steam to make any significant changes; "Oh my God, and I worked all my life for this?!" 
Most of us will let our last breath out with deep regrets over things that we were not able to do or things we have done which we should not have; such Is. There will always be something that is is not fulfilled or completed, there will always be unresolved issues or matters left not reconciled like between loved ones or siblings. The man who departs from this life with no qualms about leaving this life for any reason is one who has lived fully with no baggage to carry with him nor any wanting. He has found ultimately who he is and who he has been all along that there is no more to seek for or questions to be answered; there is only letting go.  

Clearing the path as we move along.

How much time have you wasted thinking of things that really have no concern or significance to your personal well being? Episodes, people, occurrences, accidents, wrong accusations and reactions, things that you go through in a day, things that sticks to your mind simply because you were exposed to them. These are what occupies your mental states most of the time each playing out their dramas from beginning till the end and then with some additional twists and turns from your mind to make it more acceptable or justifiable or even more exciting than it really is. Most of us do this if not all of us as we strive to fill up the empty spaces in between the line of thoughts that runs through our conscious mind. Our mind especially the minds of those who lives unaware that they even think, is an energy box that never ceases to play each and every episode that crosses its path and if it runs out of them it will create from dreams and consciousness beyond; it is the worse kind of addiction, thinking is.
One way that i find helps me to narrow down the line of thoughts that flows through my mind is to keep on writing my observations of how my mind function. By keeping an on going journal such as this blogging I find it possible for me to at least catch myself thinking up a storm over matters that are really a brew in the tea cup. By keeping an ongoing awareness of what transpires through my mind i am able to sieve through and filter what i feel aught to be focused on more so than others when i am thinking.If I have to put up with an addictive thinking mind that never wants to quit, than I might as well think of more awesome thoughts that helps me to heal myself, mentally, physically as well as spiritually. Through meditation I channel my thoughts more consciously away from wanting to kill my cat or the guy who gave me the dirty looks for no apparent reason or feel anger towards ISIS or the Zionist regime and stay more with how can I heal my lower back pains or flatten my pot belly or help to find a solution to the ills of my society.
Through years of watching and observing and putting to the test of the rights and wrongs in life, I have come realize that at the end of the day it is the little things in life that makes for the greater; the ground you walk upon has to be made solid...this is your Dharma position as the Buddhas calls it. The ground from which you stand and deliver who you truly are, for better or worse. Building this firm foundation from which you stand and deliver your 'sermons' or your deeds is fundamental in all our existence if we are awakened beings, beings that have been exposed to the truths of past Masters, Gurus and Teachers. No man is above or beneath himself in what he chooses to be and the highest order of being is to manifest that which is the Divine in him. Allah has ninety nine Beautiful Names known as  Al Asma Al Husna and these Names are attributes of the Divine Nature of the Al Mighty like the All Compassionate, All Merciful, All Seeing, All knowing and so forth. For man it is in these attributes that he has to aspire to  to emulate and become like his Maker. Allah does not let it be known that He has 99 Beautiful Names for no apparent reason but to give man an example of what to strive for to return to his original being. Hence Muslims are encouraged to Zikr (Meditative chanting) to these names it is my own opinion that it is to help man to realize his inherent nature and strive to regain it for as long as he is alive. Al Insan Kamil, The perfect man, is he who manifest these attributes in his daily actions, he becomes Godly.

You make the difference.

You want to serve humanity? Do the laundry for your wife your kids your relatives and friends who could use your help in times of need. Be aware and awake at all times to the needs of others help to make it easy for them to live their lives day to day...as the Beatles sang in one of their songs..."I get by with a little help from my friends." Giving does not have to be a major donation or grant for a foundation, simply giving a little time to listen to someone or give a lift or a ride, give and advice or a few good words of Love and Compassion to those who could use some; this is giving. It is not something out of the ordinary that needs to be announced or celebrated as there is no giver and none receiving in essence. You are serving humanity the very moment you let your actions become a source of help to ease the burden of others no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

There is not a leaf that falls from the tree in the forest that does not stir the air that envelops the planet; not an action that is done by you positive or negative that goes unnoticed. You are the Universe in action, manifesting as you go along creating and destroying as the case may be and being a Universe of your own at the same time from within you manifest what is without. It is said careful what you wish for in this life, is a statement that has a far reaching effect that most of us are totally unaware of as what we wish for is and will be manifest in one form or another in time with or without your knowledge of it happening. There times you wonder hwy things happen to you for no apparent reason but you fail to remember that at some point in your life you have set in motion the circumstances that has led to this effect; some call it dejavu when things happen like they had experienced it before. You leave your print in the Universe as so does billions before and after you and as such it all gets molded up into one lump of a Universe of thoughts and ideas , wish and dreams, seen and unseen.
So if you think you make no significant impact upon humanity and the environment while you are alive on this plane of existence, well sit and contemplate deeply on who you truly are and what force you play upon this plane. Those who have made great impacts upon humanity were men and women who saw themselves as prime movers and shakers and not just as a heard of cattle being primed for the slaughterhouse. 

“Do not share the knowledge with which you have been blessed with everyone in general, as you do with some people in particular; and know that there are some men in whom Allah, may He he glorified, has placed hidden secrets, which they are forbidden to reveal.” 
― Ali

Was God Bored that he created the Universe?

It is said that 'Seeing is Believing'. This idiom may refer to primarily the seeing with the naked eye, the physical eye which often is used to disproof of supernatural phenomena or the unseen Like what i can see and touch or register into some form of recording, I will believe. However seeing with the heart is something else that is not as easy to explain or put in words, like trying to explain satori to someone who has no understanding of Zen or Buddhism whatsoever. It is like holding water in the palm of your hand and trying to quench the thirst of another, it is almost an impossible effort. The heart sees with a sense of invisible feeling, it is there but i just cannot put it into words.
Consecutively today and tomorrow is the Birthdays of two of the greatest and wisest men who had walked the earth. Both having been Prophets and whose followers makes up for more than half the world's population; the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Prophet Isa or Jesus, the Son of Mary (AIS). Both the Muslims and Christians are celebrating these birthdays each in the own ways all over the world. Unfortunately in their names too there will be killing and brutality committed by the followers all in the name of religious and sectarian belief. It is a paradox that mankind has been inflicted with as he grapples with the truth of what Is. In this matter it is the heart that is able to see beyond words and manifestations; it is within the heart that the answer is found.  
One has to approach the heart like one is looking into a tabernacle where all the secrets of life is held in. One looks into the heart with awe and reverence for it is where the Divine Essence of who you are resides; it is the abode of the Spark of Life that was the beginning  From this spark originated the 'Big Bang' and in Islam I believe it is called the 'Nur Muhammad' or Light of Muhammad and it was said that out of this Light that the Lord Created the Universe.

It is related that Jābir ibn ‘Abd Allāh (r) said to the Prophet (s), “O Messenger of Allāh, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, tell me of the first thing Allāh created before all things.” He said: O Jābir, the first thing Allāh created was the light of your Prophet from His light, and that light remained[1] in the midst of His Power for as long as He wished, and there was not, at that time, a Tablet or a Pen or a Paradise or a Fire or an angel or a heaven or an earth. And when Allāh wished to create creation, he divided that Light into four parts and from the first made the Pen, from the second the Tablet, from the third the Throne, then He divided the fourth into four parts [and from them created everything else].[2]

The Prophet (s) told Jābir (r), “O Jābir! The first thing that Allāh created is the light of your Prophet.” If we heed what modern physics is teaching us, then that light must be the source of the great Big Bang. Physicists say that before that event, there was nothing. Then Allāh said, “Kun―Be!” and “it was―fayakūn.”

In explaining this tremendous aspect of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s), Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir Jilānī, (d. 561) in his book Sirr al-asrār fi mā yahtāju ilayh al-abrār said:

Know that since Allāh first created the soul of Muhammad (s) from the light of His beauty, as He said: I created Muhammad from the light of My Face, and as the Prophet said: The first thing Allāh created is my soul, and the first thing Allāh created is the Pen, and the first thing Allāh created is the Intellect - what is meant by all this is one and the same thing, and that is the haqīqa muhammadīyya. However, it was named a light because it is completely purified from darkness, as Allāh said, “There has come to you from Allah a Light and a manifest Book.”

It was also named "an intellect" because it is the cause for the transmission of knowledge, and the pen is its medium in the world of letters. The Muhammadan soul (al-rūh al-muhammadīyya) is therefore the quintessence of all created things and the first of them and their origin, as the Prophet said: I am from Allāh and the believers are from me, and Allāh created all souls from me in the spiritual world and He did so in the best form. It is the name of the totality of mankind in that primordial world, and after its creation by four thousand years, Allāh created the Throne from the light of Muhammad himself, and from it the rest of creation.[4]
However, what Allāh (swt) created and gave to the Prophet (s) at that time no one knows. He said:

In all my studies of the various religions such as Hinduism and Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism and many others, I find the truth in this in Islam. I feel it in my heart more than any other teachings as to be what is to me to be an acceptable revelation as to the origin of Creation itself. Most other explanation bears too many loopholes and does not carry water or I might just say incomplete in essence. The skeptics and atheist, the scientists and philosophers may be able to ridicule such claim but they cannot refute one single truth about the whole nature of Creation and that is the simple question as to not how but why. Why was the Universe created or happen to be or whatever, why would someone or something took all the effort and energy to create such a glorious piece of creation and for what purpose? And then why create a thinking being like the homo sapiens to ask this question and demand for its answer throughout the ages: Boredom?

What is Pure Consciousness.

What is it to be human? Why do we call ourselves human beings? No matter who we are where we are or on this planet, how young or old how smart or stupid how beautiful or ugly, we are all human beings or Homo Sapiens. 
Homo sapiens (Latin: "wise person") is the binomial nomenclature (also known as the scientific name) for the only extant human species. Homois the human genus, which also includes Neanderthals and many other extinct species of hominid; H. sapiens is the only surviving species of the genus Homo. 
We are a surviving specie that can call itself 'Wise' for our ability to think, to feel, to experience and share our experience with our fellow species. We are capable of Love and Hate, sorrow and joy and we can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong; we are the thinking species on this planet. 
Some believe like all else in this Universe, we have evolved while other believe that we were 'placed upon this planet by a higher or greater Being or our Creator at some point in the history of this planet and were made to propagate and become nations all over the face of this earth. We are even said to be 'sent' down to inhabit this planet from above or a higher dimension of existence along with the rest of those who for one reason or another sent down with us to become not only inhabitants but as caretakers of this Planet. Whatever the reason or circumstances may have been, whatever the cause that had led us to become who we are today, we as humans have become a specie that is on the verge of our own demise; we have become 'self destructive' and along with this nature we are also destroying all that is around us. In short we are robbing ourselves of our humanity.
How and why we have reached such a state in our history is anyone's theory and thoughts, anyone's views and perception and thus far none can say what really has happened to us throughout our historical existence; like where did we go wrong? Why have become so self destructive and predatory worse than the wild creatures of the planet. We have buried layer upon layer of civilizations as archaeologists and science is beginning to uncover and most are brought to extinction through self annihilation of wars. What is disturbing in this day and age is that if and when the next holocaust occurs it will have the capacity to wipe out not only one civilization or tribe but the whole specie itself and most probably taking along the rest of planet's sentient beings.
Is there any chance hat Man can reverse his fortune, take control of his fate or even become a Master of his destiny. How or What would it take for Man to see that he is the cause of his own inevitable demise? How much more can history reveal to him that he may discover the causes and remedy the effects of past experiences and how much more must he endure before he realizes that it is within his reach to help and heal this splintered soul of his and make it whole again just as the Universe itself needs this positive energy to heal; man is causing the Universe to expand for as long as he looks out for the solution to his predicament. Tremendous amount of energy is used up when projected externally and the energy is dissipated as it expands into emptiness or void of space. It is like the breathing out of the Universe into space. Man needs to reverse this process by looking within, working from within, into his inner 'Universe' where energy is conserved and sustained to create more energy for creation itself. 
Like the engine of a vehicle, the human physical form is like a generator that houses a power to drive the engine and thus create motion. The intake valve is more important than the exhaust and it requires greater care that it is constantly clean and well balanced where the elements of air and fuel, fire and water are concern. I am no mechanic but it is in my limited understanding that if any component of the basic element is out of proportion the engine will not function ideally. This is the 'breathing in' aspect of the human physical function, this is the source of the energy that governs all internal as well as external. Breath, as I have always emphasized in the past is the key to all creation. Like a swinging door, it swings in when you breath in and swings out when you breath out, if you stop, you are dead; the Universe cease to exist.
Hence what impact have you upon the Universe as Homo Sapiens? Individually perhaps it is impossible to make any dramatic claim, however collectively, as a whole, as one unified entity, the human element is the 'Force that shapes our Universe.' Some call this Unified whole, God, some call Yaweh or Jehovah while others may call It Allah (SWT), while yet others may call it simply The Force. or Pure Consciousness. Most are not even aware of what it is all about much less care to find out. It is this ignorance of the vast majority of the species that has led Man down the path of self destruction.

  

The little things in life.

Two days ago during a heavy rain storm at the Sungai Pinang Food Court the makeshift canvas awning accumulated allot of water and sagged threatening to topple over my Daughter's burger stand. The Chinese guy trying to prop it up is the CDs seller who happens to be taking shelter from the storm. Where is the Safety Standards on this?

It was chaos not to mention a dangerous episode as everyone were yelling and screaming but not doing much else.  The management was not around although the men who were supposed to be working for them stood at a distance watching and later claiming this and that. The guy who was supposed to be the maintenance men appeared only after most of the chaos had been settled down and the rain lessen like he appeared out of nowhere solving the problem.

Last night i said good bye to my trusty friend the Kancil. Picture taken with wheel of 'karma lighten up in the background where the fair ground is. Someone according Huat has offered to buy the car. I drove this little car 10 times back and forth from Georgetown, Penang to Kuala Terengganu on the East Coast to visit my family. I received from Huat my mechanic friend RM300 and RM250 went to my daughter who needs about that amount to pay for her medical check up s well as uniform for her sewing class at Giat MARA. It all worked out leaving me with RM50 to play with.

My friend Ah Huat upgrading my new set of wheels that he insist i should be driving at my age as it is fully automatic. You do not have to worry about the air conditioner not working, he laughed. The car is his 'Gift' for me like payable when able and so forth. I am indebted to this simple man who treats me like his own father. I have in the past often called myself the 'Elegant Beggar' and now I am living it. Between Huat and my friend Lee Khai, I am okay. It actually is more than just them giving me it is more like a give and take situation and money just happens when I am really in need; yes a beggar i still am.

All looks good! The words on the side of the van in the background says 'Tour Bus' and that is what i am driving now; a tour bus.

Getting Old and Cranky?

Where are you at these days Bahari? 
Not exactly where i want to be, but there are times when one has to be in places that is not exactly where one desire simply because there are other circumstances that require one's attention or assistance involving those one cares for; like one's children. Taking care of the matters closer to home that needs attention no matter how small is a must if one is to take care of the world. The world does not need someone who cannot do the laundry or take his daughter to work every now and then to help heal itself. It is in the small things, handling the small stuff and solving the petty matters that makes one to become a world leader. Being a world leader does not need to mean that one is the President or the CEO or the Captain of any enterprise in this case it simply means one leads in one's own capacity. You become a leader when others look up to you with respect, trust and gratitude.
Presidents, Kings, CEOs and such are leaders by virtue of being selected, elected and promoted but not necessarily leaders in the trues sense of the word leader and some may even make for the worse kind of leaders that the world can do without. Natural born leaders are those that arrive in the leadership position by virtue of simply being capable of earning the the respect and trust of his fellow man like the Prophet of Allah or like Jesus or the Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and those like them. For the lay man, leaders are those whose presence give a sense of comfort and security, who radiates calm and even dignity about themselves. I do not feel like any of these of late and as a matter of fact i feel like my little needy self again, drifting in limbo from here to there with no sense of self confidence. Still looking for something, seeking something, needing something; what, I don't really have a clue anymore!
Perhaps this is how it is meant to be, as you get older the lows out number the highs in one's life as every minute that passes becomes more and more time gone by that will never be redeemed and every time you look in the mirror your facial hairs keeps reminding you of the times that were. It is a bonus to have lived till the age of 66 without any major health hazards incurred, while mentally still able to write, paint and think up nonsensical issues to keep passing the time productively. The eyes are beginning to fade and the body is slowly giving way to aches and pains like never before experienced especially in the shortness of breath with every slight exertion. There is a sense of lack of energy and the will to get up and go to get things done and not to mention the feeling not motivated to do what needs to be done. All said and done, where I am at lately is where I thought I would never be but i am drifting towards what most would call getting old and cranky.

Capturing the Moment....

It takes some doing to be able to sit and sketch a whole Chinese family having dinner out. I takes a whole lot of curiosity to hand around a strange old fart doing doping his thing.  

Yes nothing attracts children better than drawing, forget the food!

Yes I know, when you grow up you too wanna be and artist, right?

Okay, you get to keep the drawing since you know who all the characters in it are.

Yes you can be or do what you want in life, a Hotel Staff one day and a burger flipping lady the next, why not?

At the Sungai Pinanag Food Court while assisting my daughter selling burgers.

'Just Do It!'

If you truly love your country protect your land and its resources. Do not become a part of the problem but become the guardian that you are supposed to be as written in most sacred text for mankind. It is as simple as that failing which you are nothing but a hypocrite if you insist that you are patriotic and willing to die for your country. The earth needs our protection and its never too late for us to heal whatever that has been subjected to it by human ignorance and hubris. The fact that we came out of it and will return to it in the physical sense should be a a good reminder for us all that we owe it to ourselves if not the future generations to keep this planet that is our only place of habitat in good form for as long as we can. It may sound naive and simplistic but it is the simple truth that cannot be denied and deny it at our own peril sooner than later. The voices of concern from the scientific and research institutes internationally are calling out to us to wake up before it is too late to the fact that our planet is in peril. The fact that we are digging our own funeral at a steady pace is as clearly spelled out as could ever be and only the few are taking any cause for concern over these facts; like Climate change is real and happening.
Hollywood movies has done a very good job at desensitizing our younger generations from being freaked out by future cataclysmic events through their almost realistic depiction of Earth quakes and Tsunamis, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions. Cities and landscapes are shown upended while skyscrapers are wiped out and yet some survived as in all movies to live and tell the tales. We are lulled into false pretenses over what can happen or will happen but just as we become desensitized with wars and violence through movies we become complacent in natural disasters too; it will never happen to us, not in our time and if it does, oh well.  
What can i do? How do i go about getting my hands dirty in order that I may heal the very soil that has been contaminated by years of abuse and apathy. How can i help to clean the rivers or the drains in front of my home? How? The answer is right there in the very act of asking the question, just do it as 'Nike' the brand slogan said it, 'Just Do It!. Star with not polluting or being conscientious in how we dispose off our garbage and the amount of water we use or the conservation of fuel in our need to use our vehicles or not to. Reduction of wastage and recycling of discarded items, all these simple acts of conservation helps more than we really know. Educate our young with mindfulness and awareness of the environmental use and abuse. Give if and when you can afford towards those institutions that strive to work towards environmental conservation, if not financially make it in the form of voluntary work. Become leaders in leading groups to take on the various aspects of environmentally friendly activities, such as growing trees or cleaning up rivers etc.... in short 'Just do it'.
  

Time for Retribution for Monsanto.

Several activist groups joined by food and farming experts are suing Monsanto for their crimes against humanity. Finally, Monsanto, the US-based, transnational company responsible for introducing multiple genetically modified crops and numerous toxic chemicals into our environment – including saccharin, aspartame, polystyrene, DDT, dioxin, Agent Orange, petroleum based fertilizers, recombinant bovine growth hormones (rGBH), Round Up (glyphosate), Lasso (an herbicide used in Europe), Bt toxic plants, and more – will have to answer to the world for its reign of terror. Monsanto has acted with severe negligence, and the hubris and supremacy of a corporation given personhood, but no longer. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), IFOAM International Organics, Navdanya, Regeneration International (RI), and Millions Against Monsanto, along with dozens of global food, farming, and environmental justice groups announced at the United Nations conference held recently in Paris that an international court of lawyers and judges will assess Monsanto’s criminal liability for their atrocious acts. The court, in The Hague, Netherlands, will use the UN’s ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights’ developed in 2011 to assess damages for Monsanto’s acts against human life and the environment. The court will also rely on the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court in The Hague in 2002, and it will consider whether to reform international criminal law to include crimes against the environment, or ecocide, as a prosecutable criminal offense. This International Criminal Court, established in 2002 in The Hague, has determined that prosecuting ecocide as a criminal offense is the only way to guarantee the rights of humans to a healthy environment and the right of nature to be protected. The proceedings will take place on World Food Day, October 16, 2016 ( via naturalsociety.com ). READ MORE: http://www.disclose.tv/news/finally_monsanto_going_to_trial_for_crimes_against_humanity/125368?utm_content=bufferf3043&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Faith in Allah is holding them together.

There was a time when I read of the Buddha's teaching that made a whole lot of sense in relationship to being detached from the world and its tribulations. The Gautama Buddha was said to have said that, "One has to live in this world as though one is plucking a lotus from the pond and not getting the fingers wet." That is like one is aware of what is happening but is not affected by what is happening. well at least not in the negative sense, my add. Sure it is a living hell in Syria right at this moment with all the brutality that man is inflicting upon his fellow man and there is little that i can do at my age and even if i can i have in all truth no idea who to fight or where i can get myself involved in other than pick up a wounded child or a assist in moving the injured to safety, that is what the Red Crecent or Red Cross is doing. I am very angry as a man at what is going on if not ashamed of being called a human being when I see what is happening around the world but I know i would most probably be right in the middle of it all if i were there myself kicking and killing those i consider my enemy or a threat to me too. 
Gautama also went on to say, "May we exist with the purity of a lotus in muddy waters." Despite all that is going on that is negative it is still our duty to make the best of our own lives like growing out of the bottom of the pond filled with rotting debris and mud to bloom with purity of the lotus flower. I am fully aware that i am existing in a screwed up world that is bound and determined to self destruction but it is still my duty or my call to shine through it all as a witness that through it all Love still prevails and where there is Love and Compassion there is still beauty in existence. As a man i bear witness towards the atrocities man has inflicted upon his fellow man for whatever the reason and wherever the place or country today and I will stand before my Maker on this, but as a man it is also my duty to share Love and Happiness with all those around me so as to help in some small way to fan the cool breeze of Love and Hope among them, This is my small contribution towards healing an already sick planet while also heal my sick heart.
It seems like there is no turning back for mankind than to fulfill his own destiny of bringing self annihilation upon himself and the beautiful Planet hat he was supposed to have been assigned to care for. It is like the Titanic drifting toward the iceberg for her final countdown while the passengers were unaware and having a good time on board. The captain and her crew could only stand and watch as she slide towards her watery grave and this is how i feel about the state of our world. I can moan and groan and cry out foul, but it will do no good. Instead i will just sing and dance that the children around me will not feel what i feel deep within me. I will pluck the lotus and not get my fingers wet in the process and I will continue on to exist in the best of possible ways that will benefit others for the sake of all till I die.
This life to the Buddha is only fleeting and everything in it is Maya or Illusion, we live and die according to our karma for that what we sow so shall we reap. Perhaps it is my Karma that i was born n this country and has been spared many a bad turns as i grew up like not having to experience war or starvation just as perhaps it is the Karma of the children of Syria and many other countries today suffering the scourge of wars and starvation to have been born in such an environment. who is to say? I am a Muslim and as such I am very disturbed that this is happening and Allah is not doing much about it, but I have to accept in faith the He knows fully well what He is doing. As i watched all the horrors that is being posted on You Tube I keep hearing the victims screaming His name and glorify Him despite their suffering and from this i feel small when in comparison to their faith. Who or What would they call out to after witnessing their children being butchered and homes destroyed if they had no faith at all?
Sadly enough, when one looks back in history one ask, who cried for the Native Americans when their lives were thrown into hell by the Whiteman? Or who cried for the six million Jews who were roasted by Nazi Germany? This is national karma that every nation is paying their dues back in one form or another ...from the Buddha's perspective.

Join Us in returning to the Wild and the Organic.

Organically grown rice and hopefully it will become the norm all over the country. Returning to organic farming is one form of a healing process that is needed to bring back sanity to the world as we have been consuming too much chemically processed and grown food that we have become zombies and drug addicts.

How we have abused the land through our ignorance in the use of chemicals and pesticides, but through awareness and commitment we will heal this land to its natural state again. We can still reverse the effects of chemicals in the environment  by returning the land tow what nature had planned for it.

The insects that provides us the  healing properties of honey and must be propagated and cared for instead of wiped out through our need to attain good harvest through the use of chemical herbicides. We will keep on looking for ways and means to draw these so called pests from the crops by natural means instead of eradicating them through the use of poisonous chemicals.

Children will stop asking for lap tops and Ipads when they find better hands on activities through nature. By providing an environment that is close to nature children can be made aware of their heritage and their responsibilities towards the environment.

Knowledge of the wild and what it has to offer for our benefit health wise and sources of food has to be handed down through our  younger generations so that they can continue to preserved the natural heritage that nature has to offer.By bringing together their technical knowledge and understanding the students can be made to become conscious of their roles in the modern society with regards to how to work with nature.

At SRI LOVELY  or the Lintang Valley organic farm in the Belantik, Sik area in Kedah offers a retreat as well as a refuge for those who seek to return agriculture back to its natural ways while benefiting man. Join us in this quest to bring consciousness back to the call of the wild and organic.

LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO MY sONG ,MA!

I wish to continue on writing, but my mind is being occupied by so much negative pieces of news that i am almost choked from wanting to do it anymore even if it meant giving up this whole process of 'self healing', 'self discovery' effort that has taken so much of my time for so long since it began. Very early this morning sometime at three or four, my son who was at the computer said to me, look at this dad and he showed me a clip where a man was being accosted for attacking with a knife and hurting some people in the subway in London. AS the bobbies brought him down I can hear someone repeating, "You are not a Muslim Bro.!"  Off course, CNN News claims that the man had said this was for Syria, and this whole episode was dubbed a terror act before the thing was even over.
"We are dealing with a criminal undertaking at a global level … and there is an ongoing war, it is led by the United States, it may be carried out by a number of proxy countries, which are obeying orders from Washington …The global war on terrorism is a US undertaking, which is fake, it’s based on fake premises. It tells us that somehow America and the Western world are going after a fictitious enemy, the Islamic state, when in fact the Islamic state is fully supported and financed by the Western military alliance and America’s allies in the Persian Gulf. …They say Muslims are terrorists, but it just so happens that terrorists are made in America. They’re not the product of Muslim society, and that should be abundantly clear to everyone on this floor. …The global war on terrorism is a fabrication, a big lie and a crime against humanity.” (source) (source) – Dr. Michel Choissudovsky, Canadian Economist & Ottawa’s Professor of Economics
Now every country that has an arsenal or war machines wants to bomb Syria just like the Russians are doing and they claim it is to wipe out ISIS, hence screw collateral damages like the men, women and children whose whose homes are already in shambles or whatever is left of them in the streets of Syria. The warmongers are having a field day and there is none that can check them. Russia is up in arms ready to turn on Turkey for shooting down one of its war plane and the Turks turns up in mass demonstration in support of their leader willing to take on the Bear from the North. In the United States, the 'Implosion' syndrome is gathering momentum as more and more police brutality and random shootings are happening all across the nation of unsatisfied citizens.

The Pentagon have admitted that they are concerned that widespread civil unrest will hit U.S. streets in the very near future. The Department of Defense have begun funding universities to research the areas in society that are likely to breakdown and the risks that would come with a breakdown of society at large. Anonhq.com reports: READ MORE: 

 At home the ruling power has managed to establish itself with a stronger hold on the nation's well being by passing the law allowing for the National Safety Council to be implemented giving the Prime Minister an almost dictatorial power to perform his duties.
The gory details of violence inflicted by man on his fellow man and not to mention the environment has filled the Face Book postings just as much as the food postings. It is a very depressing world we live in, yet my niece in Balik Pulau, who is raising her three kids by herself because her husband died not too long ago is still optimistic and had me tried her first time made spaghetti when I visited her yesterday. Her youngest son, not yet one year old had one of his fingers smashed in a door jam and the trauma in dealing with that in itself must have been agonizing for her, but she was optimistic. The rising cost of living like the prices of milk and diapers has become a part of her daily worry and the fact that they out in the middle of the rice field with no neighbors around and being haunted by a group of wild monkeys is an added challenge.
I can go on rambling all day with more negative issues that is going on in and round the country but what is the use? What good does it do to keep telling yourself that you, the one person can make a difference when in reality shit is hitting the fan all over and there is little if not anything that you can do,(except remove yourself from the equation).

But. there is still hope for humanity.

This incredible story is from a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15:

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic.

All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain.

As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had that “All Business” look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta’s main office in Atlanta and simply read, “All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination.”

No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland.

He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian traffic controller and approval was granted immediately — no questions asked. We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving our request.

While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the hijackings.

We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the air. We told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport in Gander, Newfoundland, to have it checked out.

We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There was much grumbling among the passengers, but that’s nothing new! Forty minutes later, we landed in Gander. Local time at Gander was 12:30 PM …. that’s 11:00 AM EST.

There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world that had taken this detour on their way to the US.

After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The reality is that we are here for another reason.”

Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the US. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane.

In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were US commercial jets.

Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC.

People were trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada . Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.

Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm.

We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning.

Passengers were not happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and lavatory servicing.

And they were true to their word.

Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red Cross.

After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and were taken in vans to a small hotel.

We had no idea where our passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander!

We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the US airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while.

We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.

Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the “plane people.” We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time.

Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and found out what they had been doing for the past two days.

What we found out was incredible…..

Gander and all the surrounding communities (within about a 75 Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers.

Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up.

ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their time to take care of the “guests.”

Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged.

Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes.

Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility. There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration.

Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available to everyone once a day.

During the day, passengers were offered “Excursion” trips.

Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests.

Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests.

Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft.

In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travelers.

Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully.

It was absolutely incredible.

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time.

Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling.

Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.

And then a very unusual thing happened.

One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said “of course” and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days.

He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers.

He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewisporte.

“He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte.

He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers. When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

“The gentleman, a MD from Virginia , promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well.

As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million and has assisted 134 students in college education.

“I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them.

It reminds me how much good there is in the world.”

“In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today’s world this story confirms that there are still a lot of good people in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward. Let’s not forget THIS fact.

This is one of those stories that needs to be shared!

Source: www.tpnn.com

Finding my call in Life.

Despite the fact that there is minimal if at all aids from government agencies related to NGO agricultural activities in the rural areas, the SRI LOVELY Organic farm has come a long way to become a part of the international research institute for Organic Rice Cultivation. Today, practically most of the agricultural land cultivated on a large scale of rice and various other crops is being done with the use of chemical fertilizers as well as chemical pest control system and this has caused  a whole lot of destruction to the environment not only to the cultivated land but also to its surrounding environment due to run offs and flood born chemical residues. The effect this has on streams as well as rivers is often gone undetected  but fishes and various other forms of life normally found in abundance in many area are now becoming scarce if not extinct. Still the public awareness to these effects are at the very minimum as most of these happens slow and steadily over a long period of time in most cases. 
I have written on this subject a few times already in my previous Blog entry but it is never enough to keep reminding myself as well as others who cares about our environment and the food we eat that Chemicals used for agriculture products are killing us as well as the environment itself. Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer  among other major agricultural chemical companies in the world that have their holds on the agricultural belt of the Malay Peninsular.

The World's Top 10 Pesticide Firms - Who Owns Nature?

https://www.organicconsumers.org/.../wo...

Organic Consumers Association

Nov 1, 2008 - Bayer: the world's biggest agrochemical company is also the world's seventh biggest seed company. Syngenta: the world's second largest agrochemical company is also the world's third largest seed company. Monsanto: the world's biggest seed company is the world's fifth largest agrochemical company. 

www.sourcewatch.org/.../%22Big_6%22_Pesticide_and_GMO_Corporati...

The "Big 6" pesticide and GMO corporations are BASF, Bayer, Dupont, Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto, and Syngenta. They are so called because they dominate the agricultural input market -- that is, they own the world's seed, pesticide and biotechnology industries. 
Down on the ground in the fields, in the streams and rivers all over the country life is never the same; it is like the environment itself is addicted to drugs just like a drug addict and never is enough until there is a total breakdown of the ecosystem itself leading on to the scarcity as well as demise of indigenous habitats and wildlife. The average farmer has become like his land sensitized by the use of chemicals as a sure fired way toward achieving his goals the easiest and fastest if not cheapest ways. The fact that all around him there seem to be MIA of wild life and especially local fishes is not any problem to him anymore so long as he gets to gain from his timely harvest of his chemically grown crop. This is a case where ignorance is not bliss but has the potential to kill.
A case example :-
“With this action, EPA confirms the toxic nature of this lethal cocktail of chemicals, and has stepped back from the brink,” said Earthjustice Managing Attorney Paul Achitoff. “Glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and is wiping out the monarch butterfly, 2,4-D also causes serious human health effects, and the combination also threatens endangered wildlife. This must not, and will not, be how we grow our food.”
Missouri farmer Margot McMillen added, "I applaud the Environmental Protection Agency for this action. For many of us, the right to farm has been lost because there are so many pesticides in the environment. Many acres of crops have been killed by combinations of poisons. I hope the EPA takes this opportunity to re-examine all existing pesticide registrations."
Source:
http://www.panna.org/press-release/epa-pulls-registration-dow-enlist-duo-herbicide-citing-high-toxicity-levels

When i discovered during my travels in 2012 the organic farm at SRI LOVELY I was captivated by what was going on so much so that instead of staying there for two days as i had planned I ended up staying there for two months. I had found my calling and in some small way I vowed o help make  it happen for the guys who were trying to keep the farm alive despite of all the travails and no help from the proper authorities. And ever since i had been going back there to do my bit if and when ever i can afford to do so. It is mt way of saying thank you to Mother Earth.