Some years ago a robust-looking gent, dressed in impressive apparel and well-groomed, presented himself at the door of the largest hotel in the city. The commissionaire dutifully opened the door for him and provided directions to the restaurant.
The gentlemen enjoyed a fine meal, together with the best refreshment. When he was finished he summoned the headwaiter.
“Sir,” he began with utmost dignity, “Do you recall how a year ago, I ate just such a repast here and then, because I couldn’t pay for it, you had me thrown into the gutter like a common bum?”
“I’m very sorry sir.” began the contrite headwaiter.
“Oh, it’s quite all right,” replied the guest, “but I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you again …”
—– Collected from Internet
I got a new toy late last summer. It’s a Macbook Pro 15″. Unlike the Windows, this thing is much more responsive to job requests. And, the screen is big enough for me to see clearly without glasses at my age. Mac has provided as usual loads of useful applications for you to play around with your life. It stores pictures and movies in an efficient, yet a proprietary way. Well, as long as you would stick to Apple, who cares what is proprietary, right?
Um…, this is not a promo for Apple, but I just want to say my MBP is a perfect companion to my new gadget obtained recently. This new toy is an ebook reader by iriver: the Story. To optimize the use of which, I went online to search for ebooks to fill up the space. Now I’m carrying it around with around a hundred books that I think I’ll never finish them all. Greediness is said to be an evil nature of every sentient being. So, without exception, I keep on searching for online resources so as to satisfy my desire but not my needs to maintain a handful of resources to supplement my research job to take. Last weekend, I jumped at a new website that hosts lots of teachings by HHDL XIV in Dharamsala! Alas! These teachings are delivered in both audio and video formats. So, you are encouraged and strongly recommended to take a look and download whatever topics which is of interest to you.
Among all, the dialogues between HHDL XIV and a group of scientists, including a few Nobel Laureats, made in late 2009 are really fascinating. These dialogues helped to fill in the gap between metaphysics and physics and discussed “in depth” on consciousness/mind from both Buddhist and scientific perspectives. In particular, they addressed about the “limitation” of consciousness physically on one hand and discussed the “unlimited potential” of consciousness religously on the other.
Here is the link: click here. Enjoy! Don’t forget to click on the items under “Browse Webcasts” on the right for more!
近日又與一些友好談到社會與及文化上的一些問題，歸納了兩點，姑且記下，作個人的學習札記。
由於工作的原因，總有機會碰到不同階層的人士，當中有知識分子，有成功的商賈，有官員，有議員，更多的是普羅大眾。敝國轄下的兩個特區，是當代世界少有的區域，兩者雖僅彈丸大小，對普天之下的事情，莫不關心。縱或未瞭如指掌，卻都略懂一二，閒來時加月旦，高議一番。
常言今人不如古人，其實不可一概而論。我相信現代人的常識，遠超古人，比歷代智者都要高，古人在這方面無論如何是遠不如今人的。除此之外，其他如交通、醫療、知識傳播、科技應用、休閒享受乃至政治體制，也是古不如今。然而正是這些古不如今，孕育了我們在人文素質方面的今不如古。
知識傳播方式的改變，讓現代人可以接觸各種各樣的知識，古人在涉獵面上自是不可同日而語。我們就是窮數生時光，也不能悉數掌握，所以現代人只能挑選一些與他們生活有關的來草草略讀。故此和古人相比，今人是明顯欠缺了對某些命題的深度認知，這是以有涯隨無涯的無奈抉擇，也是今天很多社會與政治問題的癥結之一，這是第一點。
I love the following quotation said to be the work of Mark Twain, but I’m not quite sure as there are other opinions.
“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”
We’ve all been too pretentious whether intentionaly or unintentionally in our daily life, after we started to learn. We live a life of husbands. We live a life of wives. We live a life of fathers and sons. We live a life of mothers and daughters. We live a life of students and teachers. We live a life to employ and be employed. But, I’d confirm that
we rarely live a life of our own.
