The force is with you
The belief is part of yoga: all things have prana. Prana is what we call Qi in Chinese. Life force. Prana is more inert in things we call "non-living" but these still possess prana. As we practice "pranayama", "mastery of prana" in yoga class in breathing exercises, we learn that we are simply in a constant process of exchanging prana with the rest of the world -- not just through the air we breathe but also through the food we eat, through what we return to the world, how we act in the world. As we practice this mindfully, the boundaries between us and the rest of the world begins to dissolve in our minds and we can see clearly how we are the world.
What this means is that all things, so called "living" or "non-living" are part of a whole, part of us. This means that we do not throw a book across the room when we are done with it. We put it down gently in its rightful place. All the more, we do not kick a cat to get it out of our path, it deserves its own space as much as we do in this world. Ahimsa, non-violence, becomes natural because it is more a case of taking care of and respecting ourselves -- since the boundaries between self and other are dissolved.
The implications of this is that we are only one of many other inhabitants, neighbours in a small world, living in not just co-existence but also co-dependence. We all deserve to live. We all deserve to be well and happy. From this perspective, examine what you consume and discard each day. Do you use or abuse? The case for protecting the earth is really after all a case for protecting ourselves, with "ourselves" taking in the larger perspective of being all of creation.
Watch where you are sending prana: recycle, reuse, renew. I guess recycling is an active form of conserving prana: a kind of energy management. If all things have life force, won't you ensure that this is put to good use as far as you can rather than "destroyed" when you don't need them anymore. You cannot get rid of prana -- so make sure that what you have is put to good use.
When I was at the Monastery for the retreat, they announced their new recycling project. For those of you living in Bishan area you can bring your things to them on weekends:
'88 Recycling Kiosk' at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
at 88 Bright Hill Road, Singapore 574117
To encourage devotees and residents around the monastery to recycle their daily household items that they do not need or are spoilt, we invites all to do our bit for the environment commencing 1st August.
Please bring down unneeded or spoilt household items to be recycled at:
Venue: Big Carpark (behind Pu An Columbarium)
Opening Hours: Every Sat 3pm-7pm & Sun 10am – 2pm
For enquiries Johnny 9695 4932
Items : Home appliances and kitchenware (E.g. TV sets, hi-fis, VCD players, pots & pans), scrap metal, newspapers, magazines, books, phone directories, shoes, old clothing, soft toys, computers, printers, fax machines, handphones, pagers, curtains, carpets, mattresses
May the force be with you. May all beings be well and happy.
What this means is that all things, so called "living" or "non-living" are part of a whole, part of us. This means that we do not throw a book across the room when we are done with it. We put it down gently in its rightful place. All the more, we do not kick a cat to get it out of our path, it deserves its own space as much as we do in this world. Ahimsa, non-violence, becomes natural because it is more a case of taking care of and respecting ourselves -- since the boundaries between self and other are dissolved.
The implications of this is that we are only one of many other inhabitants, neighbours in a small world, living in not just co-existence but also co-dependence. We all deserve to live. We all deserve to be well and happy. From this perspective, examine what you consume and discard each day. Do you use or abuse? The case for protecting the earth is really after all a case for protecting ourselves, with "ourselves" taking in the larger perspective of being all of creation.
Watch where you are sending prana: recycle, reuse, renew. I guess recycling is an active form of conserving prana: a kind of energy management. If all things have life force, won't you ensure that this is put to good use as far as you can rather than "destroyed" when you don't need them anymore. You cannot get rid of prana -- so make sure that what you have is put to good use.
When I was at the Monastery for the retreat, they announced their new recycling project. For those of you living in Bishan area you can bring your things to them on weekends:
'88 Recycling Kiosk' at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
at 88 Bright Hill Road, Singapore 574117
To encourage devotees and residents around the monastery to recycle their daily household items that they do not need or are spoilt, we invites all to do our bit for the environment commencing 1st August.
Please bring down unneeded or spoilt household items to be recycled at:
Venue: Big Carpark (behind Pu An Columbarium)
Opening Hours: Every Sat 3pm-7pm & Sun 10am – 2pm
For enquiries Johnny 9695 4932
Items : Home appliances and kitchenware (E.g. TV sets, hi-fis, VCD players, pots & pans), scrap metal, newspapers, magazines, books, phone directories, shoes, old clothing, soft toys, computers, printers, fax machines, handphones, pagers, curtains, carpets, mattresses
May the force be with you. May all beings be well and happy.
