I’ll never forget the smile of my grandmother (po po/婆婆). Her soft, inviting grin greeted me every time I visited her with my parents and sister. Po Po always seemed excited to see us, but she expressed her excitement with a modesty that few people could perceive or appreciate outside of the family. Her excitement […]
Vincent Lim
The Parable of the Vessel
In his memoir, Vessel (Pínáng / 筏喩), Cai Chongda (蔡崇達) describes the tough-love advice given to him by his great-grandmother (太姥爷 / 太婆): “Your body’s a vessel. If you wait on it to do something, there’s no hope for you. If you put your body to work, you can start to live.” Those words made […]
Mafan
Mafan. 麻烦 or 麻煩 in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, respectively. Meaning: trouble; troublesome; a bother, a thorn in one’s side. Mafanwas one of the first Chinese words I learned as a child. My grandmother (maa maa / 嫲嫲 / nai nai / 奶奶) would utter the word several times throughout the day when I stayed […]
Developing a Sense of Similarity
Several years ago, when I was eating lunch alone in the dining area of a university food court, a smiling student recruiter from a major international religious organization asked whether he could speak with me for a moment. I obliged, and he sat down in the chair directly across from me at my table. After […]
When is Generosity Not Genuine?
When I grew up, I’d occasionally stay up late watching TV. About 10 minutes into a show, the screen with cut away to the first ad. I remember the images used in commercials produced by NGOs that were meant to solicit donations, which appealed to the sensibilities of audiences in the developed world. The typical […]
Giving with a Cheerful Heart
When some people see others in unfortunate situations in their lives, they may act with subconscious feeling of superiority. A response that appears to come from a sense of compassion or justice may actually be a response that merely feeds the ego. To put this into clinical terms, these people may be suffering from a […]
How to Learn from Nature
Living among snakes in the wilderness taught me about the value of mindfulness and how to apply it to different situations in life. Part of living in the wild requires an understanding of how to co-exist peacefully with other beings like snakes. One of the first things that I learned about snakes was their tendencies […]
Why is Nature Peaceful?
On a bright, moon-lit night, while walking back to my kuti in a forest in Thailand, I spotted a huge scorpion that had come out of hiding from under a rock. Out of curiosity, I pointed my flashlight directly at it for a moment, then continued to walk the path back to my resting place […]
Why Does the Mind Run Wild?
From being out in the wilderness, I’ve awakened to the reality of how fragile life is in all its form. During the day, I’ve seen bears cause deer and squirrels to flee into hiding. At night, I’ve heard the cries of hungry coyotes and wolves. As one of my teachers once said, the images used […]
No Body at Home
As we explore the body through the breath, it’s necessary to have a trusted guide on your journey into uncharted world. Otherwise, you can end up practicing in unwise ways as I have before. You also need an experienced teacher to tell you when you’re not trying hard enough and when you’re trying too hard. […]