The Social Ramifications of Problem Gambling.

Compulsive gambling is a vice. Addiction to gambling causes undue stress to the gamblers as well as their immediate families. Gambling problems exist and prevail all the while. Ironically, only now the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is highlighting the social ills associated with it. And the government is building two Integrated Resorts to promote gambling. How ironic!!

Suddenly, it became front page news.Is there such thing as responsible gambling ? Where do we draw a line as to say how and what is responsible gambling.? The ramifications of compulsive gambling is far and wide. It is easy said than done. It will be a gigantic task for NCPG to contain its resultant effect.

We take clubs that have licence to operate slot machines. NTUC club is the champion in this respect. The amount of money people slot into the jackpot machines is staggering. And majority of clubs are maintained largely by the revenue from the slot machines though the tax on it is high - over 40%.

Many jackpot players are so hooked to the machine that they can spend five hours and above just to slot in coin after coin, hoping the next pull or rather the next press will give them a jackpot claim. A human weakness of false hope and the reluctance to let go of the machine, afraid that the next player will strike when they let go.

The amount of money collected monthly comes to millions by all the clubs combined together and NTUC has a better slice of the cake which runs 200 machines as stated in the Straits Times of July 6, 2007. The sad truth of jackpot addiction.

Feedback and hearsay from diehard players who lost and just cannot come clean of the game is heartbreaking. People losing their CPF money, their cars and even their 3-rm flats playing jackpot. Many a sad but true happennings of such cases abound if you stay in the jackpot room to listen to their woes and stories.

Personally, I was intrigued by the fact that I visited the jackpot rooms in clubs to observe and gather information. And I did play for a while. And know what! I have never won. I was and am still at a loss why people knowing that out of ten times, they will lose nine and a half times, yet they keep on going back to play the jackpot.

So, this is where NCPG has a big row to play. The various counselling agency on gambling must step in to help. Many gamblers will never admit they have a problem. The sad truth is that many a problem associated to compulsive gambling is discovered too late. And many families will be affected by this social ills of irresponsible gambling. A responsible gambling will become irresponsible.

Our human weakness can never resist the next and yet another next try to recoup the losses. A gambler's fantasy. We will always deceive ourselves. So bring in the experts for help. But why go to such extent when "Prevention is better than Cure."

Gambling is a serious evil business.

Patrick lee song juan
(First written to the S.Times Forum and
published on the online letters, 11th July 2007)

Is the Government serious with our feedbacks?

Many of us would certainly like to give feedbacks and offer our views on issues that strike our heart and the life of Singaporeans.

But as the statistics show, many a feedback falls on death ears. Instance like the transport increased feedback to the PTA, was a whitewash. They increased the fare even with huge profit.

Politics has a hand in every facet of our life. The ruling party being monopolitic exerts the greater say in policies. And many a times, it is just a routine and nothing is in the offing. Policies
just bulldoozed through regardless.

And in areas of free speech, how free and democratic can we get. The Speakers Corner for example. In London's Hyde Park anyone can just go there and speak up. Here we need to apply for a day licence and what not. As long as we speak with responsibitiy and within the framework of the nation, we should be given a freer hand to do so. So, Speaker's corner die a slow death. Why lay obstacles in this process. What freedom do we have in free speech.

Another area of great concern. The Ministers high salary. Greater even than the President of the United States. In fact, in every circle of Singapore, we voiced our concern on this issue but then it sailed through with flying colours. MM Lee has the greater say. And so the young ministers and ministers-of-state jump on the bandwagon to be with the government. Good pay, diplomatic immunity and great recognition. Why not?

I remember during one of the dialogue session with the audiences sometime ago, a reporter by the name of Ken Kwek asked a certain question to MM Lee, he was shot down in no time and embarrassed on the spot.

We need to really open up for true dialogue and feedback. The authority cannot just acknowledge and take no action. We too want a gracious Singapore to live in. But as it is; the cost of living do not favour the poor and man in the street with so many increases every now and then. More consultative approach should be the norm, not just lip-service.

We the citizens of S'pore charted this course to vote in the government for so many years. We do not want to be short-changed. We want impartiality in the implementation of our feedback. Too many disapointments and little is done to help elevate the citizens' hardship. So, why waste time.

patrick lee song juan

The Power of Sex

Well, well, a topic taboo to our parents and grandparents, is an open secret to many but only some have the audacity to invite controversy of open discussion.

Terence, did not leave any bones unturned. Candid to the point of divulging the power of tongkat ali, with Shirley talking about beetle-juice.

Sex is always in the air throughout the world. When a young couple married, sex is the predominant excitement of marital bliss and ecstasy. Many orgasm is attained.

Asian culture of yonder days, viewed Sex as a concomitant factor of married life, not the paramount factor.Western civilization’s emphasis of sex life in married as the deciding factor of family’s cohesion. Hence the high rate of divorces abound. To them, Sex come before love. Hollywood is an icon for sexual divorces. Elizabeth Taylor still holds the record for the highest number of divorce (seven, in her journey to marriage and sex.) Nothing to be ashamed off in an open Western society, taking sex as the yardstick to seemingly happy marriage life. No sex, no life.

With many of our cohorts well-educated and informed, Sex has revolutionised society into delinquency. Free sex, pre-marital sex, sex orgy, promiscuous sex, gay and lesbian sex. You name it and it can happen. Society has degenerated into a free for all. Illicit sex, adulterous sex.
The decadence of social norms and liberal sex underpin the seriousness of sex without a cause.
Families paid a price for not upholding the moral dignity of a one man one woman sex life of devotion. We begin to wonder, has sexual freedom totally transformed the world or are we to be blamed for the liberty of sexual desires into the abyss.

Sex is a doubled-edged sword. Do it clean and good with our wife or husband, is the ultimate in sexual orgasm and everlasting faithfulness. Illicit sex life of fling is a no no, but human weakness, be it men or women, unable to resist the sexual temptations, will betray our very morals to enjoy the wildest sex of our life.

Copulation with a legal partner is different from fornication with anyone we have a fancy.
Everyone loves sex. Sex makes the world go round. Sex can round the world into a square. Haha! Sex for all and all for sex… really keeps the juices flowing….as Geraldine puts it … but alas….. (to complete Geraldine’s sentence), sex welcomes the world of HIV, the deadliest now; with Vietnam Rose once upon a time sent a chill down the spine.

Who does not love sex. Stay alive for faithful sex, never let sex outstays you.

I love sex in the comfort of home not “Sex in the City”.

Patrick Lee S Juan
(First written for SHC website, paste to my Blog)

LOVE (poem)

Since love is in the air in SHC (Silverhairs Club), my inspiration to compose a poem for the lovebirds is getting the better of me. I am no poet but I try: The title is: LOVE

Love strikes with a bolt of lightning
The force is nature’s binding
It blinds everything in a flash
Lovers interlock in tight embrace
Due to the thunderous roar from above.

Two hearts diffuse as one
The world unfolds without a care
My love for you will always be there
To eternity we shall part.

Never before the love so strong
Is it fate that brought us together
Love’s power vanquished the impossible
Forever we will stay faithful to each other.

An inspiration by Patrick Lee Song Juan

To Feel and Look Good

What is your secret of looking good and feeling good? Looking good and feeling good are two different things altogether.

Looking good as to personality and attire are concerned can enhance the physical aspects of a character. Taking me as an example, born to look good due to my genes which is a blessing. Haha! Dress code is important for anyone wants to look good. Proper attire on the right occasion will make you look good and presentable. No amount of personal grooming will suffice if a personality is a mismatch with his/her clothings. That is the number one sutra for a looking good person.

The poise, the posture, the maturity you convey yourself to others in a conversation defines the polished culture of an individual. Ah Beng can never look good in the company of a casanova, nor do Ah Lian be compared with ‘my fair lady’ (aka the late Audrey Hepburn). That visualised the difference of looking good.

Feeling good encompasses a greater pre-requisite of the inner self in relation to the outward appearance. Feeling good as the word implies, is the feel. How can one feel good?
Taking myself in context. An extrovert, positive inclination, conversant, and the ability to empathise my feelings with others, is a good feeling.A happy family, cohesive and engaging, understanding the perimeter of each other’s space of privacy, be it wife, children, is a disposition of feeling good. Feeling good comes from the heart. No amount of success or material abundance can give you the good feeling if one lacks the very basic of life humility. A show of wealth, self-centreness is only a feeling to yourself. But in a world of engaging reality, the feeling good angst, radiates without pretension.

Feeling good has to do with achievements of career and many positive attributes. Different yardstick for different individual. Feeling good depends on one’s satisfaction of wants. No amount of feeling good will be there, if the pursuit of the good feeling is infinite.
Doing volunteer work by helping others is a good feeling. True to one’s heart and a compassion to our less fortunate peers is a real good feeling. My personal experience can attest to joyous feel.

When morning dawns, looking into the mirror and SMILE to begin the day, is a good feeling. The simple pleasure of life can be a good feeling. The impermanence of life makes it not worthwhile not to feel good.

In a nutshell, the feeling is in our heart to activate our own feeling of goodness to ourselves, to others and to the world at large. HAVE A NICE DAY.

(I wrote it and posted on the SilverhairsClub website,
transferred to my Blog.)

Patrick Lee S Juan

An Authoritative Rule

I am retired (or put it that way too old that employers do not want to consider me for employment,) volunteer for the poor, and doing freelance writing on moral subjects and comments of current situations facing poor Singaporeans.

The ageing population, the rising cost of living and the great divide between the rich and poor Singaporeans. The monopolistic rule of the PAP. Policies become high-handed and sweeping. We need more oppositions of good calibre to raise stronger voice in parliament. The absurd high salary of the Ministers of $100,000 per month and more, whereas the poor destitute S'poreans subsist on a mere handout of $340 if on the dole and average working class are lucky to have a salary of $2500 per mth.

Singaporeans have come of age. We cannot let PAP rule Singapore forever. A balance of power is a good alternative. Absolute power degrades itself into great arrogance and insensitivity of people's suffering. How do the rich scholars who jump on the bandwagon and in the comfort zones of PAP, know what is poverty and many enter through the backdoor of GRC.

Sometime ago when Vivian Balakrishnan, the MCYS minister's sweeping statement to the Straits Times, saying that no Singaporeans will go hungry, I wrote to REACH to ask him to be more responsible for what he said. Mere lip service !! Can the government feed all Singaporeans? They cannot even help the poor and destitute. Talk is easy. Anyone can talk, what more a minister.

The public housing started well for the average citizens of Singapore, escalating into speculative disaster with the HDB opening up to the free market force. Though the building cost of public housing is cheap, the government (HDB) with no transparency, refused to moderate and control the wild upsurge of HDB flats. And new flats are priced too high for many average citizens to afford, especially young couples without any CPF savings. Just last week, a 4-rm 963 sq. ft. HDB resale flat at Queenstown was sold at $653,000/-. Sheer madness!! The actual cost for construction and other factors included, may not be S$150,000/-.

The government only knows how to squeeze the citizens to enrich their world highest salaries with increases, GST, ERP, COL etc. Then comes small sweetenings to Singaporeans especially during elections. The Government legally robbed you and give you little back. The modern day 'Robin Hood' but with hidden agenda.

The Malaysians voted the right way in the last election. Nothing is permanent in life. We need stronger opposition voices to contain the authoritative voice of the PAP.

DO YOU ALL WANT A STRONGER OPPOSITION VOICE IN PARLIAMENT? DO WHAT THE MALAYSIANS DID TO UMNO ?

Patrick Lee S J

A Simple Life is a Good Life

How many of us can say that they have lived a fulfilled life? Guess not many dared raise their hands. A simple life can be a good and fulfilled life. Sounds that simple. Everyone of us is able to live a life of simple happiness and contentment. But the reality of our existence cut short many sweet dreams into nothing. Why is this happenning? Is it so difficult to pursue our lifestyle to our wishes, and live a simple life.

Nothing is impossible. But many wishes of a good life may not be realised. Human existence through the ages has fought for survival. Each stage of our life, we qualify ourselves and our family for the best in living.

Humans are never satified with a simple life. As we move up the ladder of success, our lifestyles move up in tandem. There is no safety marker to what is a good life. You may feel good but you want it to be better because the neighbours car is a Mercedes, whereas yours is only a Hyundai sonata ( in E minor). So due to peer pressure and face-value to level up or excel, a simple good life becomes a living unreality. Huge loans on housing, big cars, greater ostentation of lifestyle, eventually transformed a simple good life into a life of total debts. The stress factor sets in. The sad truth of living beyond one’s means.

Everyday is a comparison. The yardstick never ends. The frivolity of life’s wanting for the impossible dream and unrealistic pursuit of extravagant nothingless, created a hollow to live a simple good life.

The temptations of life luxuries, the materialistic pursuit of unnecessary needs, brings about the truth in human weakness of what is the actual essence of simple good living. We lose ourselves in the wilderness of pseudo-achievements by great showmanship in living a stressful debt-ridden existence. We lose our rational judgement to recover our senses and plough deep into greater financial chaos and catastrophe.

The unreality of high living and life, leave much to be desired. And desire it is, in the wrong gear of over-drive. Nevertheless, as humans we are exposed to the elements of wanting all the best in life, better than others and maintaining a status quo of great success and achievement all in the name of fabulous living.

In consequence, many a simple living and life devastated by its own hurricane of destruction, goes beyond the rationale of homo sapiens that choose to self-destruct.
We begin to ask: how can a simple good life becomes an agony of living beyond ourselves.
The source lies in one’s unrealistic dream of despair.

A SIMPLE LIFE IS A GOOD LIFE, A SIMPLE GOOD THOUGHT IS WISDOM.

(originally written for the Silverhairsclub, re-posted into my Blog)

Patrick Lee S Juan

A Wise Awakening

A wise awakening. This thought is my little contribution to selected friends
and kind people.

In retrospect and reflection, I find myself too involved in the nitty-gritty of
happenings. With it, brings untold sadness to my disposition.

All these years of meditation though gave me a wise awakening but the human
in me succumbed much to my inability to refrain my actions.

Most of us are not comfortable to be defamed . Most will defend our
rights to the extend of lawsuits or to a worst scenario, seek unlawful revenge to uphold
one's honour. The olden days of the Mafias and Godfathers, reflected how ruthless man
can be to defend one's honour.

As we matured in life, we are supposed to be wiser and more forgiving but in many
instance, it is not so. We tend to be even narrower in out thoughts and stronger in our Egos.
Our fallen pride needed resurrection to the glorious days. We lose our insight to the
real meaning of life. We failed in our mission of self-harmony and detachment. We would have fallen miserably. We are unable to let go.

A wise awakening. This reflection of thoughts is a self-lesson in humility.
I have acquired BHAVANA (wisdom) through my years of meditation.
Hopefully the focus of my journey is in the right direction.

Do enlighten and comment on it. Thank you.

patricklee SJ

'True exists; only lies are invented' - Georges Braque

The Power of Love (poem)

The power of Love
The tenderness of care
The truth of understanding
The fallacy of delusion
Towards a living of despair.

Life has a meaning on earth
But do everyone of us care
Till the last teardrops fall
And our very life trickles away.

And we asked ourselves
Why do good words not spoken
Till the evening shadow tinges our brow
And we regret our lost horizon of Love.

Patricklee SJ

Wisdom of old Age (poem)

The wisdom of old age
A gem of remembrance.
Nature has its recall
Those yonder days behold.
A treasured experience of life
More solid than a nugget of gold.

Regret the passing of time
Never can relive the wonders of youth.
Beyond our lives of wholesomeness
Many a dreams unfold.
The happiness of letting go
To eternity we reach our goal.

Patrick Lee S J

The Power of Meditation

Hello Hua Kin

Thanks for the articles. All this years of meditation, has taught me to differentiate the true compassion of human beings.

Meditation characterises a person into deeper thoughts and mindful of other's sufferings as what the article you sent me propounded.

Putting into perspective, and a case in point, the Ren Ci case. Ven. Ming Yi has lost a certain respect in his inabilitiy to draw a line between right and wrong. He has failed in his mindfulness of judgement due to his folly. He lost the insight of wisdom.

Money , through the ages, has been the root of all evils. Making use of public money for individual gain and have no moral courage to admit such conflict of interests, is a sad truth of human's imperfection. Only Buddha who denounced his earthly comfort of life and vast wealth as a prince to seek the noble truth , is the Enlightened One.

The world is full of charlatans, we have to beware.

Meditation can lead us to
transcendental tranquility. Human character will always have failings.
The true strength of each individual lies in the inner realms of total
understanding of oneself.

The purity of life can never be accentuated with false pretence and ulterior motive or maybe a moment of weakness.

It only shows that meditation has not reached the level of true and bare awareness of
the mind.

We will lose the insight of life.

Metta
patrick lee

Senior Citizens are liabilities

Singapore has always regarded Senior Citizens as liabilities to the State.It was a very unfair practice set by the Ntuc to reduce the salary of workers when they reached 60 years and later 62 years old. Now they are talking about restoring it to a performance base entity. What nonsense is the government doing?
Ntuc is govt. Govt. is Ntuc. Yes! there is no free lunch everywhere. But are senior citizens given a fair deal in our search for gainful employment? Has the employers' mindset changed to accommodate older workers into the workforce.

Talk is cheap. Lim Swee Say was talking about working cheaper, faster and better. Yes! all these can be done by the foreign workers who worked long hours, less pay and without CPF. So, where do we stand as a S'porean and for that matter an older S'porean? Is the government's policy of admitting so many FWs to help S'poreans or to help themselves laughing to the bank? Now Ntuc is coming with a new gimmick of performance base appraisal for senior citizens not to cut their pay. Is this feasible? Will the employers change their mindset to welcome old workers or take in more FWs for cheap, better, faster work and the government reaped levies on all FW imports into the State coffer. And ultimately into the high salary of the Ministers.

What have our country and society turned into after 50 years of rule by the PAP? Have we lost the compassion of humankind to even look into the basic needs of the Senior Citizens, whom had played a part in moulding the Singapore of today. The sad truth of our Senior Citizens is, many of them who do not have an nest-egg to live a quality life, are been marginalised into miserable living in a first world S'pore.

The abyss created by the government in all aspect of living, be it housing, food, medical, are all escalating day by day. Do our government really care for its citizens or care more for its number one status in the eye of the world? Everything looks good from the outside but nothing is good from the inside for many citizens. The government prospers day after day. The citizens, many living a life hanging in the balance. Do we want this to happen to our children and children's children?

Patrick Lee S J (leesjuanpat)
Senior Citizen
Health is wealth. Knowledge is wisdom.

Retirement (poem)

The bliss of retirement.
The boredom of time
The loneliness of self
Counting the seconds to pass.

The minutes forever there
Come the hour is a nightmare.
Without forward planning of life
Each day passed with little fare.

Retirement is a sad affair
With little or no money to spare
Singapore is a country without a care
Senior citizens are left to stare.

You may be discarded to JB to stay
As your worth is a liability
You are left at your own mercy
To pass the days with indignity.

Patrick Lee S Juan

CSJ vs LKY

In reference to your article on CSJ (Chee Soon Juan) on Sat 7th June, I totally agreed on your perspectives and comments. A sad letdown to himself and the voters of Singapore. A morbid truth of a human who cannot grasp with himself. He lost the very dignity of himself, albeit much learned. The years teach much which the days never known. CSJ is more subdued now. After so many lawsuits by LKY and son, he is more prepared and wiser to be prudent with the despotic old dictator.


Singapore's political scenerio has come to a stage of no nonsense from any opposition party. Either you toll the line, or be prepared to face the consequences of the Government. In this respect, Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang did well to survive the odds. CSJ was a little arrogant. The incident with Goh Chok Tong at one hawker centre put him in a bad light then.

With due respect, MM Lee's tendency to sue many political opponents do not go down well with many citizens too. Absolute power is merciless. As a monopolistic government with autocratic powers, MM Lee should show magnanimity to what others said. "Real gold are not afraid of ravaging fires. "MM Lee has lost some credibilty of his image as a 'great' man.

Nevertheless, as human, we are never perfect. But as a leader, MM Lee should show greater compassion to fellow opponents, (not as CSJ put it and I quote from your passage "My Christian faith guides me, and it is a faith that compels me to fight for justice and to treat my fellow men and women with compassion"). CSJ has used the word "compassion" in the wrong context. It has nothing to do with Christian faith. Compassion is universal to all human beings regardless of religion.

His, is a 'quandered potential' that will go into infamy and coffee shop talk.

patrick lee song juan
A simple good thought is wisdom.

A Fair Judgement.

To be fair with SBS transit, our bus system is one of the best in S.E.Asia. If you travel around the region, you will know what I mean. I have.

And our MRT is punctual and one of the newest and more reliable mode of transport. Morning rush hours happen everywhere and nothing much can be done apart from adding more buses on the road. But traffic road is not like MRT track where there is no traffic congestion.

As our economy and personal income rises, many people will want to own cars as a reliable and convenient personal transport but this will add to the chaotic traffic conditions if car curb is not stringently implemented. The present system of issuing COE has given rise to more cars on the road.

SBS transit is lauded for introducing lately some express service to commuters rushing to work in the morning peak hours. We must thank SBS transit for constantly improving services to the general public and make taking public transport to another level.

It is interesting to hear on air one caller asking for SBS transit to provide return trip. Let us face it, evening hours, not everyone will be heading home at the same time, hence SBS did not implement the return journey, which is right for commercial sense of business. Whereas work starts at 9am for most office in the CBD. So it make sense to only have one way.

Our Singapore society has never lacked behind, be it transport system, public housing, structured hospitals, civil services etc. So, we need to view everything in a wider perspective of achievements in comparison to some shortfalls of society which inevitably will always suffice. Everything in life adds to a balance.

Well done SBS transit and SMRT. BUT CAN YOU DO AWAY WITH THE CONCESSIONS ONLY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AFTER 9 A.M. ? It will be seen as a compassionate approach to understand the plight of many poor old senior citizens who need to work and take the bus or train before 9 am.

SBS Transit and SMRT are making profit every year!! Show your magnanimity please.

Patrick Lee S Juan

A Beauty of Impermanence

Dear Nancy

An eye opener !! All the hollywood beauties had a place in my heart.
A lovely presentation of all my famous stars. It is so NOSTALGIC !
The beauties of yesteryear faded with merciless time and nothing
will bring back the gorgeous elegance of youth.

In as much as time is age's nemesis, the invaluable experiences of
life is so much enriched. Be it joy or sorrow, extravagance or thrift, the old age
elegance of many belies their glamorous encounter of the life happenings.
Each had a story to tell.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Inner beauty is in tandem with the heart.
It will live on forever. Beauty is impermanent

The superficial beauty of life is the sad truth of human ( women's) ostentation.

And as the evening halo tinged the last shadow of beauty, we will leave behind
the silhouette of our fragile self.

The impermanence of life and its fading beauty.

Alas! we all hope to leave behind a beautiful and gorgeous reminiscence
of the impossible youth.

A simple and fulfilled life is a good life.
A simple good thought is wisdom.

Patrick Lee Song Juan

Lighten your Luggage

True to what is written. This luggage is totally different from the luggage we tagged along on those vacations.

This will be a moral luggage. As long as we are living in this decadent world,
there will be influences - good and bad. This is where the power of the mind comes into action. Doubtless, as you said about the fish market .

After numerous visits to the fish market, our sense of smell will be in-tuned to the obnoxious air and may not feel nausea. But we are tainted !

In the same vein, wholesome influence is a joy. Unwholesome ones like, the propagating of porno emails to 'sexcite' one's adrenaline, especially for a meditator, can in the long run subject to the fish in the grass. We will smell
even holding the grass.

Men are men. Nothing 'sexcite' the manhood more than the voluptuous nude body
with the 'chee ham' in full view. Like you said my friend, even the Arahat got tempted.

But as I told you my encounter in April this year. In reflection, I cannot believe even till today I could resist the advances in a setting so conducive to such physical ecstasy. So invitingly irresistable. I surpassed the fetter of sensual pleasure.

My new luggage to meditation is to bring the moral, compassion , benevolence and empathy qualities of life into my fold. Nothing beats the determination to try harder.

Last but not least, I quote two verses from Dhammapada 233 and 234 :

"Let a man guard himself against irritability in thought;
let him be controlled in mind. Abandoning mental misconduct,
let him practise good conduct in thought." --D. 233

"The wise are controlled in bodily action, controlled in speech
and controlled in thought. They are truly well-controlled. --D 234

Thank you.

patrick lee s juan

Self Development to Awareness

There is no such thing as a perfect life, nor is there a perfect match.
God is perfect, is an under-statement. With God's creation of humans, the consequence of sufferings bestowed upon fellow humans by the very human in us, incapacitates God's greatness.

Self-development of character, inner practice of calmness and transcendental tranquility, give
us the true discipline of training. Focusing greatly on one's mind. Our behaviour, our actions, are in our mind's training. Having trained the mind in meditation for many years, the perspective of view in any occurence, any happening, are only a daily concomitance of passage. Mundane.

Mindfulness and awareness of self, in relation to the society at large, entails greater harmony and congenial co-existence of each other. Devoid of the struggle for power, for fame and focus on the mind's training of pure emptiness, is to enter into another realm of realism in serenity.

The mind in profound meditation. All forces are subdued to nothingness.

The road to enlightenment.

Patrick Lee S J

Your Own Faith

In today's world, religion is a cosmopolitan entity. Children are exposed to the internet at a young age. A parent's religious belief and practice may not be the belief of the child as he/she grows up and gain insight and knowledge of other religions.

Depending on the severity of influence and indoctrination of a religion, the choice
is left to the child to decide its inclination.

Christian's emphasize its religion with greater earnest. A weaker mortal will be
taken in with little effort.

Buddhist is more a participating religion of practicality. A daily view of
perspective to the happenings of living. Buddhism is simplicity of words
and actions such as observing the five precepts as in Sila. The Dana part is
quite characteristic to many kind-hearted mortals who have a generous
disposition to help others.

Buddhism on its superficial scale may not appeal much to a young
adult as compared to Christianty who manifests strong
psychological indoctrination of the weak mind.

At the end of the day, it is an affinity of destiny one choose the right faith
and practise it in full serenity of its beliefs and calling.

Put myself in perspective, I was from a Catholic school.
But Buddhism is my calling.

With Metta (Love)
patrick lee s juan