Four Kinds of Like This

In zen, we often hear “just like this” or “only like this”. I’m also very fond of saying that but what is the meaning of “like this”? Below is an excerpt of an interview with ZMSS on his system of “like this” kong-an practice. I found it from the Kwan Um School of Zen website sometime ago. Read on…umm…hope it’s not too confusing…hehe! ^_^

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ZMSS: We use four kinds of “like this” kong-ans:

1. Without like this
= true emptiness
= primary point
= silence
= complete stillness

Example kong-ans:
“What is true emptiness?”
“What is complete stillness?”

2. Become one like this
= KATZ!   
= correct demonstration of primary point
= hit

Example kong-ans:
“Buddha picked up a flower, Mahakashyapa smiled. What does it mean?”

3. Only like this
= meaning is truth
= true function of primary point

Example kong-ans:
“Spring comes, grass grows by itself.”
“3 x 3 = 9.”
“What is Buddha?” “Three pounds of flax.”

4. Just like this
= just doing is correct life
= one-point correct function

Example kong-ans:
“Go drink tea.”
“Go wash your bowls.”

We can understand these four kinds of kong-ans in this way. You go into the interview room; the teacher places a cup and a pen before you and asks you if the cup and the pen are the same or different. The four kinds of “like this” answers will be:

Without like this: maintain complete silence, a don't know mind.

Become one like this: hit the floor or shout KATZ!

Only like this: saying “cup is cup, pen is pen.”

Just like this: drink from the cup, write with the pen.

So, “just like this is just doing it, correct function, correct everyday life.

A Review of The Frog Prince – A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults

Most of you would know by now that I don’t read fictions very much nowadays, preferring to pick up a book related to topics like living, dying or spiritual growth. I got interested in this book purely because it was written by Stephen Mitchell. This hilarious fiction may have a suggestive title but upon reading it, your will be wowed by the author’s way with words and his witty plot in transmitting his message on the transcendent power of love.

Frogs never become princes but princes may turn into frogs due to the downward slide of events (entropy). But the writer thinks the rules of the soul consist of nothing but exceptions so he writes a love story about a meditative frog who fell in love with a princess and actually became a prince.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

…She leaned over, steadying herself on her elbow, and lowered her head until she was face to face with the Frog. Then she kissed him on his cold lips.
Five seconds passed.
Ten seconds.
Nothing happened.
After a minute, she sat up and glared. “I am very disappointed in you, I must say.”
“But why, Princess? I haven’t done a thing.”
“That is exactly the point. You had your chance and you didn’t do anything.”
“What was I supposed to do?”
“Oh, you know very well,” the Princess said, in a tone of great disgust. “You think that you are really a frog. I don’t believe it for a single moment. But I can’t solve your problem for you. And I am certainly not going to try kissing you again. Ugh!”
“What problem?”

Hehehe…funny right? Go read the book! Umm…don’t forget to look out for the actual message behind the story. ^_^

Biography of Stephen Mitchell
An acclaimed poet and translator, Stephen Mitchell was an early student of Zen Master Seung Sahn. He edited ZMSS’s Dropping Ashes on the Buddha and translated various spiritual literature such as the Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching and Genesis. His other books include The Gospel According to Jesus, Meetings with the Archangel, The Enlightened Mind, The Enlightened Heart etc. I think he considers himself a Buddhist-Taoist-Jew.

Selamat Hari Raya

Yesterday was Hari Raya Puasa, a festival celebrated by our muslim community to mark the end of Ramadan, their fasting month.

Hari Raya Puasa (or Hari Raya Aidilfitri)
Muslims mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan with a month of feasting. It is a particularly joyous occasion for all Muslims, as it signifies a personal triumph, a victory of self-restraint and abstinence, which symbolises purification and renewal. (Got this info from a Citibank email today…hehehe…so timely!)


Hari Raya Puasa is also an annual gathering for me and my RGS classmates. For more than 20 years, we’ll meet up at Nora, our Muslim friend’s place on this occasion to savour her mum’s wonderful spicy food and delectable kueh kuehs while we update each other on our lives and happenings. It is normally a girls-only affair because the men would get very very bored listening to us yak away for hours on end.

This friend’s family have been cat lovers for as long as I can remember. During our school days, I recall seeing cats everywhere in the house, from the kitchen to the bedroom to the living room and front porch. Their love for cats have never ceased through all these years. This year, they had a new cat by the name of TV Wonder. Quite strange to see a cat lying quietly in a basket placed on top of a cabinet. Apparently, this stray cat was adopted by my friend’s sister after it got ran over by a car in March this year. When the cat was brought to the vet, it was in pretty bad shape. As some of its organs like the kidneys and liver were damaged, the vet suggested putting it down but my friend’s sister would not hear of it. She brought the cat home and nursed it back to health.

This cat is no longer able to walk because it’s hind leg was crushed but it is still able to drag it's body around using it’s front paws. Because of its damaged organs and nerves, it is also not able to pee and excrete by itself. My friend’s sister would stroke it's lower body to help it discharge, then wash it, clean it, dry it’s body. Isn’t this cat-lover amazing? I can only say Orz…She definitely deserves an award for her efforts in caring for this animal. Ummm……this is a little embarrassing, but does anyone know what is Nora’s sister’s name?

A round of applause for this animal-lover…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap…clap!

Primary One in Singapore

I’m stuck at home these couple of days. Have to teach my Primary 1 niece whom will be having her semester assessment in a week’s time. Her parents are the relaxed, ‘bochap’ type so this aunt has to be kiasu a bit, must help her revise the entire mathematics syllabus to make sure she knows what has been taught in school.

What a shock I got when I saw her maths worksheets. No…she’s not having trouble with her schoolwork. I was astounded by the language and difficulty level of the worksheets. She is only in her first year of formal education and had to answer questions like these:

Qn: 1
∆ + O = 20
∆ + ∆ = 30
The value of O is ____ .

Qn: 2
A storybook costs $3 and a calculator costs $30.
Linda bought a calculator and 2 storybooks.
The cashier gave her $4 change.
How much did she give to the cashier at first?

Qn: 3
Mr Li has 76 apples in a basket.
He has 35 fewer oranges than apples.
How many oranges does Mr Li have?

Qn: 4
Nancy is standing between Lina and Sue in a queue.
Two girls are standing before Lina.
One girl is standing after Sue.
How many girls are there in the queue?

Look at them…more words than numbers and they call these maths questions??? I think even some adults may have problem understanding such questions! Kids who still can’t read when they are in Primary 1 are definitely doomed. Thank goodness my niece amazingly started reading halfway through her second year in kindergarten last year.

After looking at our primary one education syllabus, I can understand better why every year we have EM3 students, kids whom are not stupid but are unable to cope with their schoolwork. They probably had no proper English language preparation prior to Primary 1 and their parents most likely had no idea what was in store for them when they started their primary school education. You just can’t wait until they are in primary one to learn English. They must know the language and are expected to be able to read when they go into primary one. Poor kids!

New parents and parents-to-be, you really need to be kiasu. You don’t have a choice. >_<

Finally saw ‘Be With Me’

Not sure how many of you do read my friends’ blogs through the links I put up here. Couple of months back, Tiffany did blog about the movie ‘Be With Me’, a Singapore-made movie which was featured in many international film festivals. I didn't notice much about this movie until some overseas online friends mentioned it as well. I figured the movie must have been pretty good to attract the attention of foreign viewers. I scouted around for the DVD and finally found it after enquiring at several shops.

I just saw it a few days back and thought it was pretty decent. The storyline was good, the directing was commendable, the acting from the amateurs were not bad at all. This may be a typical low-budget, slow, artistic movie with hardly any dialogues but it captures the attention of the audience through the stories of several characters which have been cleverly inter-woven together.

I don't want to be a spoiler and tell too much about the plot here. oh yeah……there are two pretty cute girls in the movie…hehehe! Go watch it on DVD if you're interested. I must say it captured my heart. A must for film fest goers!

For more information on the movie, check out the official website: http://www.zhaowei.com/bewithme.html

Getting Ready for the Cold

Will be leaving for the Netherlands in about three weeks’ time. The last time I went Europe was in 1989…wow…more than 15 years ago. My two major concerns are the cold weather there and food. Food because I’m a semi-vegetarian. I don’t eat meat in the earlier part of the day. But I can live on bread with cheese or olive oil for many days so eating should not be a big issue.

I am more afraid of the cold weather. I carry a jacket with me everywhere I go in Singapore, even though we are in the tropics. I need to put on the jacket whenever I’m in an air-conditioned place. Hmmm……sign of old age? My friends and I intend to spend at least a week in Scotland. If I need a jacket in an aircon room, how many layers do I need to put on to combat the wet and cold climate in Scotland? Brrrrrrr………Hope my nose and ears won’t freeze and fall off!

I suppose I have to be kiasu for this trip and be thoroughly prepared for the cold. Lots of things to buy…jackets, sweaters, mufflers, gloves, socks, heat packs etc. I’ve been doing some window-shopping recently, just checking out the designs and prices. But guess what? I’ve already got half of the items I need! Received them in the mail yesterday.

Thuy, thanks for being so thoughtful. Really appreciate it. ^_^

The Lone Traveller

The trip to Thailand during the Chinese New Year period next year was called off because the friend whom we were planning to meet has to be on standby for a project during that period.

I’ve been toying with the idea that I could still make the trip alone because the promotional airfare is quite tempting. But I would need to grab my ticket by this month…or this week, knowing how 'kiasu' Singaporeans are when it comes to cheap airfares.

I do want to discover other parts of Thailand like Yeesan, Hua Hin, Cha Am, Sukhothai, Trang, Krabi etc. But I do have several considerations now…one of which is whether I’ll be broke by the time I return from my Europe trip! Yup, that is very likely to happen if I need to pay $6 for a cup of coffee in Scotland!

Why travel alone, you may ask. By going on a trip alone, I do not need to consult anyone on the dates, the itineraries, the airline to take etc. I just decide, book my ticket, hotel and go!

Isn’t it boring, lonely, scary to travel all by myself? My answer is, yes. When you’re doing everything alone, you have to take care of everything and I mean everything on your own! There’s no one to help keep an eye on your baggage while you go to the washroom, no one to wake you up should the alarm clock fail to work, no one to help you find your way around when you lose your orientation. Basically you just need to be 100% independent.

So why do I still choose to travel alone? My friends, every now and then, I do like to be a lone traveller not because I don’t like to travel with friends…but because it’s just essential for me to be quiet, alone at times. We live in a very noisy, chatty, stressful environment so moments of silence are luxury to me. When I’m alone, I learn to discover myself and get to know the real me. I get to see clearly my likes and dislikes, my fears, my tolerance and adaptability levels.

Don’t get upset if I don’t invite some of you for a trip sometimes. But if I’ve agreed to take you with me to my favourite destination…Thailand, you can be assured, I will definitely keep to my word.

Last Minute Work 臨時抱佛腳

Last night was the last lesson for our P6 EM3 students. Evelyn and myself were desperately trying to get the kids to try out the mock exam paper and revise some basic mathematics concepts. More specifically, we were trying to cramp the basics up the brains of the twins at the last minute. I hope they can remember what we taught them. It’s their second attempt in the PSLE so we’re hoping that they can pick up some points in the simple, straight forward questions and scrape through this time round.

What is the area of a rectangle?……“Length x Breadth”
What about volume?……“Length x Breadth x Height”
Perimeter is?……“Add up all the sides.”
The angles in a triangle will always add up to……“180º”
What is an isosceles triangle?……“Two sides the same.”
What is an equilateral triangle? ‘Equi’ means……“Equal”

Sigh……we’ve done what we can. If they can’t make it, they can either choose to repeat P6 for a last time or apply to get into Northlight, the special school that’s been set up recently to meet the needs of the ‘not so bright’. Better for them to pick up some useful lifeskills rather than waste time learning formula that make no sense to them at all.

But I’m still keeping my fingers crossed. Hope at least one of them makes it to Sec 1. No U grade please. But then again, if only one makes it, the other one is definitely going to be upset……sigh! 心情好矛盾!

Northern Thailand

I’ve finally booked my ticket to Amsterdam. Will be visiting my RGS buddy who is living in Deventer, Netherlands in November. But even before I leave for my Europe trip, I'm already discussing another trip during the Chinese New Year period next year with my online friends. We may be meeting up in Thailand.

Some friends suggested going to Chiangmai instead of Bangkok. But I was in Chiangrai and Chiangmai only early last year so I’m not too keen to go there again so soon. It was a family trip and my second brother being a travel agent, arranged the entire itinerary for us. I didn't enjoy the trip as much as when I travelled by myself. Also, I had a very bad throat infection then and it worsened when I went on to Bangkok on my own after Chiangmai. My eyes also got infected and my nose bled very badly.

If I remember correctly, my nose bled three times on the same day while I was wandering around the streets of Bangkok. Blood flowed from my nose, dripping and staining the shopping floor in Maboonkrong and the walkway at Suanlum Night Bazaar. I felt so embarrassed and had to keep holding a cold can of coke on my forehead to “cool” myself down. Quite drama yeah? Anyway, this posting is not about my nosebleed.

For the benefit of friends who have not been to the northern part of Thailand, I would like to share some highlights and pictures of my trip. I didn’t take that many good pictures. I think my brother did a better job. So some of the pictures you see here are his effort.

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Family Trip to Chiangrai / Chiangmai
We flew to Bangkok, then took a domestic flight to Chiangmai and transferred to an awaiting combi immediately to Chiangrai. The journey to Chiangrai took 3 hours. Don't attempt this unless you're a very seasoned road-traveller. It was really exhausting! Do spend a couple of days in Chiangmai to break the journey before going on to Chiangrai

A lovely view of Chiangrai in the early hours. Picture was taken from the hotel room.

On the road towards our first itinerary - Doi Tung.

This is how they sell strawberries, by the roadside. They also have strawberry wine.

Doi Tung Royal Villa

Doi means mountain and tung means flag/banner.

Many of the Thai royal family actually live in Europe, Switzerland. As such, the design of this royal villa is similar to Swiss architecture. The King's mother was said to have lived here until her death.






Chiang Saen - The Golden Triangle…but I didn't spot any poppies there.

Mae Sai - The Thai-Burmese border. This is the northernmost point of Thailand.

A customer driving a hard bargain…hehe! Look at the face of the stallholder. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Pong Num Ron Hotspring. See the two dimwits whom were about to scald their hands by touching the seemingly harmless looking hotspring water at the stream.

Eggs being cooked in the hotspring and sold to tourists.

We visited a mock village of Thailand's hill tribes which includes the Longneck (Karen), Akha, Yao etc. The adults and kids there quickly put on their headwear and accessories when they saw us approaching. The kids obviously got some tips from us when they posed for pictures.




We went up to the highest point in Thailand, Doi Inthanon. Temperature was around 15 degrees up there…very nice.






On your way down the mountain, you can stop at this small market place to get some organic vegetables.

Doi Suthep is another tourist attraction. It's the locals' most important Buddhist temple.


The people there make offerings to the Buddha based on the day of the week they are born. If you're not sure, you can check it out at the temple. For instance, those born on Saturdays will make offerings to this Buddha statue with serpents on its back.