Poor Nanda's Lamp : Sep-10

September, being the traditional zaimu month, has been designated the Month of Good Fortune & Gratitude for SSA. To bring across the spirit of making offerings in Buddhism, we courageously made a novel attempt - we did a sketch adapted from the Buddhist parable, The Poor Woman's Lamp.

In our sketch, Nanda, a poor woman with a strong & pure heart, was very touched by King Ajatashatru's long procession of lamp offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. So touched that she too wanted to offer a lamp to the Buddha! Alas, she had no money. So she sold her long, beautiful hair in exchange for a little oil to light a tiniest lamp for the Buddha, at the same time praying for the wisdom to lead everyone in the world to enjoy great happiness. Due to her sincerity & selfless prayer, her tiniest lamp among all was the only remaining one to glow brightly on Eagle Peak throughout that night of cold, strong wind from Mount Sumeru. Not even Maudgalyayana could extinguish the tiny lamp's beautiful glow the following morning! Shakyamuni Buddha acknowledging Nanda's pure, sincere offering for the whole world's happiness, prophesied that Nanda will definitely become a Buddha who possess the most wonderful wisdom in the future!

Well, Nanda's *"efforts were not impressive, and people preoccupied with mundane affairs might not have taken the slightest notice of the dedication she expressed in offering the amount of oil. But Shakyamuni was indeed a man of penetrating insight. You can no more severe the ties of sincerity which bind human beings to one another in the depths of their lives than you can cut through water or air. Even when all other things wane & collapse into the whirlpool of life's relentless difficulties, such sincerity will only glow all the more brilliantly. "

"It is not the material worth of an offering but the spirit behind it that counts. The poor woman's single lamp meant far more than the five thousand barrels of lamp oil which Ajatashatru, the ruler of that country, donated to the Buddha. The little lamp contained the sincerity that a nameless woman felt with her entire being. A mind which attaches the importance even to the slightest matters and which loves and treasure even seemingly insignificant things can profoundly move people even through a small action."

We sincerely hope to bring through Nanda's sincere and selfless spirit of offering through this amateurish effort. Enjoy ~~ !

* extracted from Treasures of the Heart by SGI President, Daisaku Ikeda

New Toy, Rebounder : Sep-10

It was a while since we had read about the greatness of a rebounder.  However considering it's size, we had been a bit hesitant in getting one.  It was only recently when i went back to read about it's benefits that i finally decided to get one for the family.  It was great fun!  But i thought that's secondary... by jumping on the rebounder, you could be surprised on the "incredible health returns" you could obtain while having fun. 

These are some of it's benefits: 

• 68% more efficient than jogging (NASA, Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887)
• Fights fatigue by strengthening the glandular system to increase the capabilities of the thyroid gland, the pituitary gland and the adrenals.
• Rebounding has a natural analgesic effect on the body which helps to relieve joints and pain in the neck, back, and head through the increase of circulation and oxygen flow.
• Conditions and strengthens the heart which allows the resting heart to beat less often. This in turn sends a stronger surge of blood through the veins.
• It provides an extremely effective 'no impact' exercise - especially important for those with less mobility or undergoing rehabilitation.
• Rebounding has been found to lower elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• It increases metabolism which assists the body in burning more calories.
• One of the primary causes of aging is the declining performance of the heart and circulatory system. Rebounding is incredibly effective in increasing the performance of both the heart and the circulatory system and thus slows the aging process.
• Rebounding specifically stimulates the flow of lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. The change in gravitational forces allows for greater blood flow and this increases the amount of waste and toxins flushed from the body. Rebounding can increase lymph flow by up to 15%!
• Rebounding has also been found to enhance digestion, relaxation, sleep patterns, nerve impulses and muscle fiber.
• Blood pressure can be significantly reduced by rebounding. This is achieved by boosting the muscle tone of the middle arterial muscles and the improvements to the circulatory system.

Xuan's Party : Sep-10

Having done pretty well for her SA1 this year, Xuan 'earned' a birthday party juz like her jeje three years ago. Unfortunately her birthday falls right smack in between the much-dreaded CA2.. She reckoned most of her friends would not come for the party even if she were to invite them, hence we had a post-CA2 party instead.. a gathering of friends on Sep 1, the Teacher's Day school holiday!! :)