huiteng.blogspot.com

好不

容易终于拿到签证了。

posted by hui teng @ 3:39 PM 2 comments

the fax

went through. things aren't really that difficult, if you know where the loopholes are.

supposed to report attendance for my new career today. but i'm still here slacking my time away with tv variety shows, selective veg. food, slow baths and long sleeps. getting nowhere at this rate. longing to dive into the ocean of wisdom and compassion.

while the paperwork is pending, what would be the cheapest way to tw? - swim.

in the "pirates of the caribbean", there was one scene where the insane captain got everyone in the ship to rock till it capsized, and then quite miraculously, the ship rose up to sea level and the whole picture turned 180 degrees, and then all was bright and gay. that was a pretty obvious message to people of today's world: when you think the world is getting dark and boring, try to get everyone on earth to rock and shake it till it gets a 180 degree swirl around the equator. and then see what happens.

posted by hui teng @ 2:22 PM 0 comments

undergoing a

slow and time-consuming process of getting my visa application done.
15 aug, arrive at tpe rep office with the letter of recommendation. application immediately rejected, reason: no permit from the consular office in taiwan.
16 aug, received instruction to authenticate my degree and have it speedpost to tw. called up tpe rep office for advice - need to go back to school to get the photocopy of cert authenticated and then bring to office for application of authentication.
17 aug, authenticated cert in school. brought the copy to the tpe rep office who requested a photocopy of the authenticated photocopy to be made before application. the S$27 fee does not include photocopying service. i suspect they do not have a zap machine to do this kind of chore, or that their zap machine is too precious to handle.
18 aug, medical checkup at sata. endured a good whole morning to get my stool ready for analysis at noon time. relieved to have my lab test done. to follow up on physical check.
20 aug, collected authenticated copy of cert from tpe rep office. speedpost to tw fgs.
22 aug, met up with p.oay, a thai friend, who commented that my visa application process is nothing compared to three months of paperwork for a six-month german residence visa. i'm glad i was out of germany after three months.
23 aug, follow-up physical check at sata. chop-choply done due to an imminent staff function. requested completed form to be faxed to tpe rep office. request rejected, reason: sata doesn't transmit patients' particulars; they are meant to be confidential. sms-ed friend if she faxed her report to the tpe rep office for authentication - no.
24 aug, called up tpe rep office to check if the medical report needs to be submitted for visa application - yes. needs to be authenticated? - yes if it's done in sg. what if the clinic doesn't fax? - then ask the clinic to write a letter to show that the medical report was done at the clinic.
25 aug, returned to sata to ask if it's possible to fax - no sorry, we don't fax. fine, it wasn't sata's business anyway to do such an absurd chore. tried out msfax, it worked! shh..

---
project taiwan touch your heart:
thirty-day tour to the four great destinations with seven days spent at each place - short-term monastic ordination at foguang; walking meditation and mountain climbing at dharmadrum; volunteering and farming at tzuchi; sitting meditation at chungtai. participant can choose to start the tour at any great destination, and then move clockwise to the next place.

posted by hui teng @ 9:11 AM 1 comments

本悦

我和你一起坐火车离开高雄后，我便到台南找了法鼓山的法师。法师很照顾我，也费心安排让我在法鼓山当义工。我在台南两天后坐高铁上台北。到了台北，法师特地安排一位义工来接待我，带我上山，把我安顿在禅堂。到山上的第一个感觉是好干净，和新加坡和台南的道场一样。我在禅堂住下，但我对义工的工作不是很了解，所以也帮不上什么忙，就随着大众一起作息。那个时候在办花头禅，参“什么是无”。记得第一天晚上，我在打坐的时候，突然有一个女生跑到水盆去吐，然后就崩溃了。师父义工们把她扶到后面，她不停地哭，说自己怕死（那天师父开示谈死亡）。我吓倒了，想怎会有人打坐打成这样。但义工告诉我这是正常的。后来，因为打坐老打不好，就要求到大寮去，而且那里也需要人，我也想到处看看（在禅堂不能离开到外面去）。


在法鼓山的时候，觉得还是比较喜欢佛光山，可能是因为喜欢有人气的地方吧。感觉法鼓山太静了。但很惭愧的是，台南的法师很费心地照顾我，希望能成就我，但我却把法鼓山放下。然而，从长远的角度来开，我想我并不适合法鼓山。

我在法鼓山一个星期后，下山坐了五个小时的火车到花莲去。路上绕过海边，好漂亮。晚上到了花莲住进了民宿，老板告诉我哪里有好吃好玩的，但我只想到慈济去。所以就走了一个多小时的路，到了慈济大学。到那里，刚巧有个老师刚好离开，告诉我精舍离那里还有十公里，每天早上上人会给开示，建议我早上去。隔天，我就截了计程车，到精舍去听志工早会，当时想有机会待在精舍几天多好。之后我自己在精舍里面闲逛，准备离开的时候碰到两位师父，我问师父早上有没有车进去精舍做早课。师父知道我从新加坡来，建议我到知客处去，看能不能安单。


知客处的师父没有马上答应我要安单的要求，而是安排两个师姐跟我交谈。两位师姐很照顾我，给我介绍慈济，带我浏览精舍。其中一个师姐是新加坡人（她是第一个也是唯一一个在那里常驻的）对我特别热情，可能是好久没有见到老乡的缘故。我告诉她我准备走修行的路，她就安排我到大寮和师父们一起切水果，叫我隔天把行李带过去，我也乖乖听话了。就这样，我顺利地在精舍住下了。之后，我就在精舍帮这帮那，师父师姐叫我做什么，我就做什么，前后待了十天。在精舍和师父师姐们一起生活很开心，也感觉很自在，特别是每个人都对我很好，我很感恩。师父师姐们以为我要在那里常住，但有位师父告诉我，慈济不适合我。我也这么觉得。但和那里的人结了善缘，我希望以后还有机会去那里参学。

慈济的师父师姐很好，离开前送了好多东西给我。后来我就坐火车到了台中，在那里和一位我在德国佛光山认识的道友见面。我告诉她我准备念佛学院，给她一个惊喜，因为她也想念佛学院，但是因为家人的关系暂时还没有办法。但我觉得她太听家人的话了，有时候应该叛逆一点，走自己的路。希望我的录取能够激励她，在修行的道路上勇敢一点。


我在台湾要到的最后一个道场是中台禅寺。觉得去那里交通太不方便了，花好多钱。到了那里，看了那现代化而且花了很多钱建的建筑，没有太多感想。想到里面参观，但都不让进。后来四处看看之后，就回台中了。最后几天的旅程安排得很不妥当，因为不知道什么地方好去，而道友有事到台北去了。后来，坐火车回高雄，上了佛光山。那天下雨了，好高兴，终于可以凉快凉快了。那天晚上到机场附近找不到旅店，就在麦当劳过了一夜，好难受。我的台湾之旅就这样结束了。

本来我去年就想到台湾来参观各个道场，但可能那时因缘还未聚足，也幸好我没去。今年四月，我在德国的时候，接触了柏林佛光山，觉得自己是华人应该多了解中国佛教（我过去几年都在看藏传佛教和南传佛教的书）。后来才知道佛光山有办短期出家，又在新加坡接触法鼓山，这些善缘都让我在台湾的时候能更好地了解台湾的佛教。觉得自己很幸运能够到台湾这块宝地。觉得台湾人都好有人情味，水果好丰富，斋食更棒，佛教又如此兴盛，台湾人真有福报。而对岸的大陆，却要面对好多不必要的阻碍，想想以前大陆佛教如此兴盛，如今却那么败坏，也还好佛教流入台湾才得以保留。也觉得台湾的比丘尼都很幸运，地位都很高。像在西藏或是泰国，比丘尼的地位都不如比丘，一些藏传的比丘尼都是到台湾受菩萨戒的。这也是我考虑到台湾修行的一个理由。

posted by hui teng @ 4:19 AM 0 comments

The purpose

of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.
- Shunryu Suzuki

posted by hui teng @ 3:23 PM 0 comments

project hostel

in developing nations, situated far from the hustlings and bustlings of cities. free accomodation with 3-hour work everyday. three meals provided free, vegetarian. all cooking, cleaning and maintenance done by guests. locals and foreigners welcomed. library with foreign books from backpackers. work include free education and training for local people. linen, utensils and toiletries provided. minimal usage of electricity. used resources collected and transformed into items for sale.

posted by hui teng @ 4:00 PM 0 comments

fgs

short-term ordination: pix

posted by hui teng @ 5:16 PM 0 comments