"The Tibetan word for body is lu and it means something we leave behind"
- Sogyal Rinpoche-
This will be my last "best of 2014" post before I do my huge recap on the year. And it's gonna be a special post, about probably the greatest lesson I learned this year.
Similar to the previous post, I came across this "lesson" from the Tibetan Book of The Dead and Living by Sogyal Rinpoche. In fact this lesson is nothing but merely a sentence I came across with, that changed my life forever. It changed the way I see life, and everything. This sentence blew me away really. Alright here goes that sentence which I came across in the book:
"The Tibetan word for body is lu and it means something we leave behind"
To me this sentence is the quintessence of life. The epitome of life. And it's the only reason to why we should live our life to the fullest. Sometimes we forgot that after we die, we literally carry nothing with us. Even this body that we've been living in forever, is going to be left behind. No memories, feelings, thoughts and emotions will be carried with us. All, disappear into the abyss of life.
However most importantly this sentence drives me a lot, not just to live life to the fullest.
Before I die, I want this body to see the great sights of the world. I want this body to listen to the great music of the world. I want this body to speak the greatest words of the world to other people. I want this body to taste as much great food as ethically possible. I want this body to write the greatest words and stories for other people to read. I want this body, to experience great things, as much as possible, before I live this body behind.
Most importantly, I want this body to be kind to other sentinent beings. I want this body to help other sentinent beings. I want this body to relieve as much sufferings of other beings as possible. I want this body to be of great use to other beings as possible. I want this body to give as much compassion as possible to this world. So that when I leave this body behind, I know this body has fulfilled what I want this body to do. I know that this body has done a lot of good deeds in this life.
Which leaves me to the next great question: who is this "i" we are talking about?
One of the new habits that I started (or more like took again) this year is to meditate. After reading "The Tibetan Book of The Dead and Living" by Sogyal Rinpoche, I am just so convinced to start meditating again. I used to meditate on a daily basis in 2011 for like a month heh. And in 2012 I meditated only when I want to. After reading the book however, I realised that my technique was wrong.
So before reading the book, I thought we're supposed to empty our minds when meditating. And I realised how difficult and annoying it is to do that, cause the more you "try" to empty your mind, the more it will be filled with thoughts. After reading the book, I learned that we're supposed to let go of our thoughts. Instead of trying hard to get rid of them, just let it rise, don't cling onto them, and let it go. And yes, this is much easier, and somehow naturally your mind will be "empty" too.
When I mean empty I don't mean it figuratively. From the book, I learned that the mind is like a body of water. When we have so many thoughts and emotions inside it, this body of water is like a stormy sea. Moving, ravaging, shaking and just pretty much uncontrollable. But when we meditate, this body of water is like a small lake on top of a mountain with no winds blowing. Very still, very quiet, very peaceful. And the more we meditate, the more often our mind will become still like that lake, instead of a stormy sea. And the more we can see things clearly and solve problems clearly too.
I watched a Buddhist documentary back in 2012 during the THIS Buddhist Film Fest in Singapore called "Your Mind Is Bigger Than All The Supermarkets In The World". It is from there that I learned how big, limitless and spacious is our mind. And how much potential it has, when we are able to train them. And I can't agree less when the book says that meditation is the way to train our mind.
I've been meditating for almost 5 months now, everyday, or at least 6 days a week. I followed the book's method of meditation closely and... I did feel a difference. One of the biggest differences I feel now is that I don't cling on to emotions and thoughts. I used to feel annoyed by things for DAYS. Now the feeling can disappear within hours. I used to feel angry by little things but now I feel less anger controlling me. And another difference I feel is that I'm calmer throughout the day.
To be honest you just feel different. I can't describe this feeling, but who I am now, after meditating everyday, is definitely a different person than who I was before. You can try it out for yourself. Try 5 minutes a day, then 10. Now I meditate at least 15 minutes a day. Quite an improvement I suppose. And I am definitely carrying this habit forward to 2015, and more years to come.
And also, meditation is sometimes (or most of the time) the only time in the day when I feel most serene and calm. I couldn't remember what I think, feel and experience during meditation (well since my mind is empty) but I could remember how peaceful I feel during meditations.
As Sogyal Rinpoche puts it: "In meditation be at ease; be as natural and spacious as possible.
Quietly sitting, body still, speech silent, mind at peace, let thoughts
and emotions, whatever rises, come and go, without clinging to
anything."
I've always believed in the Buddha's words "Your mind is everything, what you think you become. With our thoughts, we make the world". I've always believed that our mind is the most powerful thing in the world. Whatever you do to it, will have an effect to you and your life. It is big and limitless, and we are yet to explore a tiny bit of it. It is like the sky, boundless and free. And when we meditate, it is when we are exploring this boundless part of the sky. We are truly free when we meditate. I feel free when I meditate. Free from worries, free from thoughts, free from emotions. Well I recommend everyone to make meditation a part of your daily life. You will feel the difference it makes. and I think your mind will thank you for it.
Today I'm gonna talk more about my favourite song of the year, and it is Stay Gold by First Aid Kit. This song (and the same-titled album) was released in June this year and I fell in love with it instantly! I discovered First Aid Kit last year, thanks to Jango haha. I think the sister-duo, Johanna and Klara, has one of the most beautiful voices in our time. I think that their voices are very unique, and definitely not a lot of people can sing like them. I discovered them from their song "Emmylou" and well, just fell in love.
So when they announced that they're releasing a new album this year, I was pretty excited and I couldn't wait for it. Although it is very saddening that I couldn't get a physical copy of it till now. HMV Singapore didn't have it, and let's not talk about CD store here hah. But anyway gotta thank Candy for helping me buy their album in Australia! And she found it :D Can't wait to get a hold of it!
Stay Gold is definitely my favourite from their new album. I love everything about it. The melodies, the harmony, the feel, and most importantly the lyrics of the song. To me Stay Gold is a song about hope in times of uncertainties. The lyrics goes like Oh I wish for once, we could stay gold. I think "gold" here refers to us being strong, brave, great and awesome all the time, despite the situation we're facing.
The first verse goes like:
The sun shone high those few summer days Left us in a soft, wide-eyed haze It shone like gold, it shone like gold. But just as the moon, it shines straight So dawn goes down today No gold can stay, no gold can stay
The first verse talks about the great and hopeful days in life, basically the "awesome" days where we feel like we can do anything, become anything and our future shining brightly. But then in these days we seem to forget that our days don't stay like this forever, that we'll get "visited" by the not so bright days when we are filled with doubts and worries - Our days will not stay "gold" forever.
I love the chorus especially, which goes like:
What if our hard work ends in despair? What if the road won't take me there? Oh I wish for once, we could stay gold.
The chorus to me talks about uncertainties, and the wish we have to always be hopeful, optimistic and confident about the choices we make in these times. Which is something I was kinda experiencing last year, and sometimes this year. I'm pretty sure we all have dreams and well sometimes we decide to take another path which is of a different direction from them. But we are always hopeful that one day this path will still take us to our dreams, or at least the life we always wish of living.
The second part of the chorus goes like:
What if to love and be loved is not enough? What if I fall and can't bear to get up? Oh I wish for once, we could stay gold.
This part talks about those days when we feel like giving up. When we feel like the things we do are no longer worth it, and we should just stop chasing for what we want. And how much we wish we can be remain brightly hopeful like the sun of the summer days. And then goes the second verse which goes like:
We're on our way through rugged lands Top of that mountain we wanted to stand With hearts of gold, with hearts of gold But there is only forward, no other way Tomorrow was your hope at the end of the day And gold turns grey, and gold turns grey
I think the second verse talks about our journey, or life in general. Like how we go through "rugged lands" to reach the "top of that mountain we wanted to stand". How we struggled through life's challenges to reach our goal. And to reach our goal, we can only continue to move forward each day, closer to them. But then we realised that this is not an easy task, that's when "gold turns grey" but hey, we have no choice but to always hope for a better tomorrow. And to get us closer to our dreams.
Last but not least, the bridge goes like:
All of my dreams, they fall and form a bridge of memories, where I can't get back All of my dreams, they fall and form a bridge of memories, where I can't get back to you
I'm not sure about this part of the song but to me the "you" here refers to our dreams and goals. And this "bridge of memories" is basically the memories of the past, the reminders to why we chase for our dreams in the first place. However... I'm not sure if the lyric goes as "where I can" or "where I can't" get back to you. If it goes where I can get back to my dreams, the bridge of memories is the reminders we have to why we begin chasing our dreams in the first place. And these reminders will then serve as a bridge for us to get to our dreams.
If the lyric goes where I can't get back to my dreams, well sometimes we give up chasing our dreams. And dreams being dreams, when shattered, will be difficult to go chasing it back again.
Well so yep, this is my full analysis of this beautiful song. I hope you like the song too, and I hope this song will be a great beginning and addition for the new year. To conclude, basically this song is all about not losing our hope in times of uncertainties. A song about chasing our dreams without being deterred by the uncertainties in our minds. Thank you First Aid Kit for this wonderful song, a song that carried me through this year and more years to come. I hope you can one day go to Indonesia and hold a concert. I'd love to see you both live one day! Tack!
My trip to Iceland has taught me that "next time" is one of the most dangerous phrases that you can ever tell yourself. Because most of the time it is almost equivalent to "never going to happen". Go to the places you've always wanted to go, and do the things you've always wanted to go. Because most of the time we live our lives like as if we have another one to continue on to.
And I'm here to remind you, and myself that we only have one.
It's Christmas day so first of all wishing you a merry Christmas! Today was kind of a busy day for me because I have a visitor coming over. And it was also a rainy day too. I don't really celebrate Christmas but the rain kinda dampens the day's spirit! Ah well no one can control the weather. Plus it's December, can't complain much right. Oh and it was a pretty much cold day as well.
Anyway Christmas day is always an awesome day of reminiscent for me. So for today's post, I'm going to talk about the best moments of this year! From the beginning till now.
Best of 2014 - Moments
Great to be reunited again!
I started the year to a great trip back to Singapore to catch SPSB's 37th MD! It was a great trip back reuniting with some of my friends, whom mostly are heading overseas to study, and to reunite with my band mates as well. It felt pretty weird to be seated on the audience seat watching my juniors perform, and to realise we are alumni now. It brought back a lot of memories of my last MD too. Nevertheless it was a great trip back to Singapore! :)
My one-day old nephew, can't believe he's this small back then!
Then shortly after my trip to Singapore, my nephew is born! It was such an exciting time for my family to welcome a new addition haha. And it was also the day I officially turned into an uncle. I'm happy to become one, and I'm glad my nephew is growing healthily (he's turning 11-month soon).
The siblings and their newly wed sister!
February begins with the wedding of my sister and brother-in-law! It was another exciting time too, to see the both of them getting married. The sister whom I've been living together with in Singapore ever since I first went there to study is now married! Although the house feels a little bit emptier without my sister now, but I suppose I have gotten used to it through time. But I still do miss her sometimes.
EOTS live in Singapore. So, alive.
2014 has been a great year of gigs for me too. Kicking off this year was Empire of The Sun in Singapore! I've been wanting to catch them live, because I read of the internet about how much of a pleasure to the eyes (and not only the ears) their concert is. And yup pretty blown away by it. I'm very excited to hear their new album, which I believe is going to be released next year.
I miss you
The highlight of the year is definitely my trip to Iceland, a trip where I finally realised the dream I've been holding on to for years. It was a great trip and I believe I've emphasise how awesome it is in my posts back in August. Sometimes I just can't believe that I went there this year. It feels too good to be true. But well yes I went there, bucket list item ticked off! I wonder where I'll go to next.
Resolution done
After returning from Iceland, I decided to run the Jakarta marathon 10K race. It's a 2014 resolution for me so I have to make it happen. With only about 50 days of training, I managed to finish the race in 1h17m. Not my best timing, but I truly enjoyed the race. It is indeed great to be back running again. I hope I can make this a yearly affair because I truly enjoyed running the race.
L'alphalpha at Soundsfair!
Next on my 2014 gigs list are Soundsfair 2014 in Jakarta (before my marathon) and RRREC fest in the valley a week after that. I managed to catch my favourite Indonesian band L'alphalpha, and also pretty lucky to catch Weish, whom I've been wanting to watch live, both at Soundsfair!
WSATCC at RRREC Fest
And to finally watch White Shoes and The Couples Company live is truly a dream come true for me.
Chvrches was so so great
To close off my 2014 gigs is Chvrches live in Singapore too! When the released the news that they're performing in Singapore again (back in August I think) I was just so so happy. I missed them during Laneway this year and it was pretty devastating hah. So glad for them to come back to Singapore and for me to catch them live with Brenda! And and and, we got to meet them too! My life is almost complete seriously hah. Definitely one of the best moments of 2014.
Right, I suppose these are the awesome moments of 2014! We have 6 more days left to this year so who knows I'll have another awesome moment heh. Well, wishing everyone an awesome last 6 days to the year! Let us all end 2014 beautifully, it's been a year, really.
To be honest I have really learned a lot of lessons in this year. And like I said life itself is a school, a school that teaches people without the use of textbooks but experience. I've learned a lot of things through the experiences and events that I went through. And one of the biggest lessons I've learned in 2014 is you really reap what you sow.And most of the time, you can't control what you reap!
Some of you may not know this, but I am actually helping my dad at a flower plantation. Kind of managing it. Managing the cost, the delivery, ordering etc. And to be honest, I've never imagined myself to be working in such environment. Although one of my dream jobs is to actually work in a farm. But hey I actually enjoy doing this. I didn't know flowers can teach me so much about life.
You see planting flowers is a very interesting affair. To simplify things, we plant the seedling of the flower, water it and give it fertilisers, clean the weeds, and in three months they will grow into a beautiful flower. You plant a red flower, it will grow into a red flower. You shower it with love, it will grow beautifully. You neglect it, they will grow poorly and die. You plant 50.000 flowers, you'll gain about 37.500 of it. Being in this business really taught you that you really reap what you sow.
Whatever you do now, whatever decision you make now, the result will only be seen three months later. This is one of the most challenging aspects of the business. And also not forgetting that you're planting a living thing that is affected by nature and a lot of things. You don't make flowers, you grow them. And whatever you do to the flowers within this three months will be reflected to their final growth. And do we know how well will they grow? Can we control how we want them to grow? No.
The flowers have taught me a lot that you really reap what you sow, and most of the time you cannot control what you reap. And if we reap something we do not like, something we do not wish to reap, the only thing we can do is to make the best of whatever we have reaped. And learn from the experience so that you can choose what not to sow in the future. We make mistakes, we make wrong moves. But we cannot just choose how the outcome will be. But we can learn to not make the same mistake and not to make the wrong move in the future, and ultimately lead a better life.
So thank you to my dear flowers, you have indeed taught me a great lesson in life.
Today is winter solstice, without the snow of course. I wish we have snow here to make everything seems more... Wintery. But ah well since we've been doing this tradition for as long as I can remember, we eat tang yuans today! I specially made the ones with fillings for myself cause it's kinda yummy and I love it anyway. Winter solstice is a day that also reminds me that I'm getting old... Because...
As a tradition, we're supposed to eat the tang yuans according to our age, plus one. Since I'm 22 now, I have to eat 23 of them. So every year this number will increase and yes, I feel old in this day. I used to eat only 10 and now I have to eat 13 more. Next year 14 more, and so on. But well it's also a chance for me to sort of look forward to the new year, and reflect back upon the year. To me each tang yuan represent my hopes and aspirations for the coming year, and also as a reminder to the lessons I've learned in this year. A moment of reminiscing and looking forward ahead!
And talking about lessons... I've decided to start "counting down" the moments and things I discovered in 2014 in the next ten days, kind of like a "best of 2014" posts. I hope I can stick with this hah. Okay for today, I'm going to countdown on the great music/albums/artist discovery for this year!
// Best of 2014 - Music //
I'm inspired to do this after watching The Needle Drop's list week where Anthony lists his favourite albums, EPs and Singles of the year. There is a lot of music to choose from and I am confused to choose them! I'm just going to list down, in my opinion, the best albums & songs I discovered in 2014.
Best albums (in no particular order)
- In The Silence by Asgeir
- Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
- Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
- Ghost Stories by Coldplay
- Goddess by Banks
If I were to pick my favourite favourite album, I'll go with Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
Best songs (in no particular order)
- Step Out by Jose Gonzales
- Ribs by Lorde (discovered in late 2013 but listened to it all the way till now hah)
- Future Days by L'Alphalpha
- Head In The Snow by Asgeir
- Going Home by Asgeir
- A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay
- Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
- Fifteen by Goldroom ft Chela
- Hideaway by Kiesza
- Bedroom Wall by Banks
- Dreamer by Low Roar
- All Night by Icona Pop
- Touch by Shura
- Get Away by Chvrches
- The Nights by Avicii
If I were to pick one, it'll be a tie between Head In The Snow by Asgeir and Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
I love Head In The Snow, there's something about the song that made me fall in love deeply with it, especially at the chorus where Asgeir sings about hope and joy. As for Stay Gold, I love the lyric of the song as (I think) it is a song about uncertainties, but at the same time being hopeful and brave while facing them. So yup, I have love them both.
Breakthrough artist of the year: Banks and Shura
I can't wait to see what Shura has in store for us in 2015! She's so talented and I just can't wait for her new album/EP. As for Banks, I think she's my breakthrough artist of this year haha.
Right that's all for my first best of 2014 post! More coming up, see you soon! :)
