13 dogs... a sad day for humanity

Although the owners are at fault for not complying with local council regulations, the Vet Services Department should not have condoned shooting the poor animals, and of all places in the owners' compound! Look at the blood stains in the photo, and tell me that the owners can still sleep without nightmares.

It's all over the news!

I may not have a job in 6 months time... it depends on how this whole thing plays out...

Good for the industry, bad for 9000 employees worldwide?

It's official!

photo courtesy of jyon

Obstacles

Got this from Oon Yeoh:

"If an obstacle is in your path, don't treat it as a hindrance. The obstacle is part of your path."
- Ajahn Vayama

One day more

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

"Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion"

Life and Death

Uncle Vijaya mentioned that we die with every exhaling breath and are reborn with every inhaling breath. But because the duration between the life and death states is so minute, we perceive ourselves as a constant being, and so the Ego forms, and the illusion of permanance invades our consciousness.

Which brings me to wonder. What about those insects that "breathe" through pores on their bodies which constantly cycle air in and out of their respiratory system? How does this "breathing" parallel make sense?

False religions

I was leafing through some Christian literature about Spiritual Healing. One of the sections refer to False Religions as a manifestation of the Devil's ways of destroying the Chrisitan faith.

Interestingly, Buddhism is listed amongst Islam, Scientology and other religions of the world as a False Religion.

Three ingredients for a healthy relationship

Respect
There must be mutual respect between two people for them to have a meaningful relationship. The respect must transcend superficial tolerance toward each other. Rather, it must be a deep seated willingness to accept each other's characteristics and quirks without prejudice.

Openness
With mutual respect, both parties must be open and transparent with each other. There should not be any secrets or hidden resentments. Any dissatisfaction must be sorted out immediately in order not to allow it to grow and pile up irreversibly. Open communication is vital toward the success of any relationship.

Patience
While respect and openness are fostered, there will be times when either person will experience a breakdown and thus bouts of emotional bursts will occur. This should never be taken personally, and instead of confronting it, the other person must have the patience to let this subside.

With these three ingredients - respect, openness, patience - a truly healthy relationship can be formed and sustained between two people.