Mandala of Sweets for the Full Moon. May we remember all the pockets of sweetness in life that have been bestowed upon us. May we be forgiving to ourselves & others. May we be receptive to teachings to improve all lives.
Yesterday’s full moon was not only a time for reunion meals for those celebrating lunar new year but also Lailat al Bara-ah for Muslims (day of forgiveness) & Sangha Day (day of teaching) for Buddhists.
Prayers on Lailat al Bara-ah yesterday evening.
In that context, cab fares island wide were understandably higher than usual. Passengers for rides increased even as drivers may have slowed down to fulfill their familial & spiritual obligations.
Instead of lamenting & stressing over the price hikes, I stopped to have a salad. While refreshing myself with the greens I recalled the times where my cab fares were low & journeys were eased by the goodwill of many others.
Messengers of Ease: Oasis Holistics founder, Erika Khoo and media lecturer, Jailani Abu Bakar.
Yesterday was also my yoga teacher’s birthday. She was born in the Year of the Dragon, and is looking stronger each year we meet. In the quiet of the salad shop, I sent her a birthday greeting.
The cab fare had dropped by the time I finished my meal. When I reached home, I was greeted by the sight of the golden yellow moon. ❤️😊
This morning I offered a belated mandala of sweets to the first Full Moon of the Dragon Year.
Mandala of Sweets for the first full moon of the Dragon Year.
May the brightness of her light illuminate our mind & the simplicity of her shape calm our heart so that we may call on the sweetness of life to see us through trying times. ❤️🙏
We are known by the goodwill we send out. These decorations were put up in the common area by a resident whom I have not met.
First Picture with the temple door guardian on the first Day of the Year of the Dragon. (10 Feb 2024)
Each lunar new year, I feel the calling of the temple door guardians and the chiku tree in the backyard of my childhood.
The old chiku tree in the backyard is all dressed up and poised for a new beginning. 🙏❤️
The pair’s paintwork continues to shine through decades of incense smoke & fire. They remind me of my late maternal grandfather who quietly braved the storms of life and remained kind.
Posing with the other temple door guardian, who was a comforting presence in my childhood and later on a colossal influence over my interest in religious iconography in my adult life.
The chiku tree continues to thrive and provide for birds, insects and many lives, long after my dad who planted it is gone.
3 generations of women gathering under the shade of the Giving Chiku Tree.
And despite not being the centre of attention, this old tree is dressed in auspicious reds & symbols of prosperity & abundance to receive a new beginning.
Receiving Spring & wishing good ❤️health upon all sentient beings.
May our spirit of renewal continue, and even be enhanced, by time & circumstances. 🙏
Shelter cat, Tenzin, meditates on the condiments before we use them.
Yesterday I had the honour of helping to prepare a lunar new year dish at the Mettacats & Dogs Sanctuary to welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon.
White for new beginning, red for life affirming & green for renewal.
After the animals’ living spaces & human meeting area were cleaned & tidied up, it was time to make auspicious aspirations for the shelter residents and all sentient creatures.
Marcus makes sure the animals’ living space is spick & span.
Each sprinkling of condiments and drizzling of sauces over the carrots, radishes & cucumbers were accompanied by verbal recitations of wishes for health, harmony, abundance & prosperity.
Terry & Marcus unwrapped the condiments & sauces to form a circle of good wishes around the carrots, radish & cucumbers.
The cats looked on with quiet wonderment at the strange human ritual. How can people get so excited about vegetables?
Kenji wonders why can’t he join in the tossing of the salad. It’s not as if he’s gonna eat the vegetables.
As we tossed the artlessly julienned red, white & green pieces to mix well with the consciously crafted blessings embedded in the seasonings, I felt the reunion of thought, speech & action from within. 😊🙏
May the change of seasons that brings about energy shifts enhance the mindful recalibrations of our life’s purpose & positive intentions towards others.
Tam Tam, the cat who lives on the edge makes an appearance as we wish for ease & safely for all sentient beings.
In 2019, I made 2 trips to Kinmen Island, my grandmother’s birthplace. One full moon evening I was walking on a street of the old city when I met an old lady. She was dressed in a traditional qipao/ cheongsum made of pink shimmering fabric. She was also using a cane. As we crossed path, she smiled at me. Although I was too stunned to ask for a picture with her, I will never forget the joy she radiated.
As a part time library assistant in my student days, I met two senior ladies from the management who left lasting impressions on me.
The Central Library where I worked part time and met the two senior ladies about 40 years ago. I was a teenager then.
Both of them held positions of authority. Both had education, culture and wealth.
The First Senior Lady did not suffer fools and had a way with words if you did not meet her standards. The perpetual scowl on her face even when she was not upset contrasted dramatically with her coiffured hair & her well made clothes.
The Second Senior Lady got things done by explaining & correcting. With her blazer drapped over her shoulders, and in a soft voice, she would show how things should & could have been. Her thinning hair did not make her look aged, but instead gave her a look of impish innocence. She seemed to shed gold dust when she worked with us. Each time she pointed out our errors she left us feeling wanting to do better.
Years later, I would run into Second Senior Lady in Esplanade Theatre lobby. When I greeted her, she still shone like a chandelier even though she was in an ordinary dress.
The Japanese have a practice of summing up a year in one word. If I had to use one word to describe my experience of Second Senior Lady, the word would be “Gold.” For First Senior Lady, “Crushed,” came to mind.
I wonder what word would define me as I’m also a senior lady myself now.
My yoga teacher, Erika was 60 when we met. Now she’s 72 and I’m 60. She is healthy & happy, sharing her knowledge freely. (Madras Woodlands Restaurant, January 2024)
I think often of Second Senior Lady. Recently I found her presence in Queen Margarette II of Denmark as she announced her abdication.
Beyond diet & lifestyle, ageing well is also about watching one’s mind & behaviour.
As our looks fade, and strength wanes, our thoughts, speech and manners gain prominence.
When we have a habit of thinking ill of others or we’re above them, we may develop a habitual sneer. So it’s good to watch our mind & refine our thoughts instead of assuming we’re right just because we have lived longer.
And a voice that carries complaints & unreasonable demands grates on the nerves of people around us. So watching our mouth to avoid causing harm & be totally ignored later on is a priority too.
Finally like Queen Magarette II, who had the wisdom to abdicate her authority when she still could, senior ladies must also learn that whether we like it or not, a time when we can no longer take centre stage will come. This means accepting the loss of attention from others & becoming more at ease with what doesn’t please us. And maybe then we have the chance to turn gold. 😊
Had a great day in a former student’s art studio in 2021 doing nothing special. Because there are thousand & one things that can go wrong when we approach old age, every bit of joy counts.
Monday’s laundry day. It is not a hassle at all. I took my time to sort out the items and read the operation manual of the new washer carefully. The previous washer which broke down towards end 2023 lasted 16 years.
My handsome boy, Oliver, died in November 2023. He was 20 years old. A month later, the washer broke down.
While the washing went on, I made breakfast. It is not a hassle at all. In many parts of the world, not many get the chance to boil water and inhale the aroma of coffee powder. It is also wonderful to still be able to start the stove by myself, place uncooked dough onto a heated pan and watch it turn into edible spring onion pancake.
While having coffee, I returned a message to my first younger brother. Each morning he sends me a greeting with a picture. I guess it’s his way of making sure I’m responsive. 😊
My first younger brother’s text to me this morning.
Today I also replaced the vacuum bag, and cleaned the filter of the vacuum cleaner. It’s not a hassle that I have a home to clean. It is also a relief that there’s no need to specially make a trip to the mall just to buy vacuum bags. These days many household items can be ordered online.
In between hanging up laundry to dry, I made lunch. The prayer flags fluttered outside the window as I ate fried eggs and plain rice with a sprinkle of furikake.
Remembering that a friend is taking a community cat to the vet tomorrow, I made an offering of flowers & light for a smooth trip & easy recovery.
Flower & Light for a smooth trip & easy recovery.
Throughout the day, I listened to music, songs & chants but spoke little. The only conversation I had was with a friend about his success at making Peranakan curry.
The above mundane activities are indicators of independent living & living according to the pace I can cope. Be it taking out the trash or exploring new options to reduce physical strain, I cherish every moment when I can still take care of business.
And just like that, the first new moon of 2024 is upon us. It felt like just recently we were at Boudha Stupa to observe the last new moon of 2023.
Observing the last new moon of 2023 at Boudha Stupa with some of the most compassionate people I know. (13 Dec 2023, Nepal)
The postcard I wrote & mailed to myself on 7 Dec 2023 from Nepal arrived on 7 Jan 2024 in Singapore. I showed it to my first tuition class of the year to get them to design & write a postcard to themselves to capture their hopes for the New Year.
“Who’s Marcus?” The curious speed readers in my class asked.
Visiting Ganesh at Park Village Hotel in Budanilkantha. (7 Dec 2023)
“Marcus was my travel buddy who helped me carry relief supplies for street & shelter animals. He also held my hand when the road became uneven so that I wouldn’t fall down,” I explained to the clean limbed and bright eyed 12 year olds.
Marcus with Lakshmi at Street Dog Care.
For Nepal constantly tests one’s fitness, capacity for kindness and openness to changes.
Marcus carried all the heavy stuff, helped me up & down stairs, vehicles, curbs and kept me from tripping over misaligned tiles & bricks on our paths.
Some days he went ahead to check out places we could have our meals in, their menus and accessibility to me. He was my google map. 😄
Our first meal in a Tibetan shop tucked deep in an alley. Without my travel buddy, I wouldn’t have the motivation nor strength to venture further.
Silence followed as the young ones ruminated on the challenges of travelling with someone like me, and reflected on new reasons beyond that of entertainment & education for travelling.
Listening to his singing bowl at Pilgrims Book House, Thamel, Kathmandu.
As we look to the first New Moon of 2024, may we continue to find new meanings, new directions and new resources for our benefit and for all sentient beings, regardless of the conditions & situations we’re in.
The “photo bombers” in this pic show me we don’t need to wait for a “perfect background” to take a good shot. In fact their presence enrich this picture. 🙏
“Please give Pema a hug for me!” My friend, Sharonne, texted when my trip to Nepal was finalised. Pema is the name of her sponsored shelter dog.
Pema means Lotus Flower in Tibetan. Although rooted in mud, the Lotus rises from its murky surroundings without carrying a trace of dirt.
Hence, the Lotus in eastern spirituality has become a symbol of rising above challenges while remaining free from defilements.
At our recent shelter visit to Street Dog Care, we were greeted by dogs that embodied the spirit of the Lotus.
Despite having suffered from human abuse and neglect, they came prancing towards us like we were their best friends.
To avoid getting knocked over by wave after wave of canine affection, I had to quickly sit on a little mound of soil upon entering the shelter.
Dr Bikesh quickly offers a chair.
Dancing at our feet in anticipation, each dog was vying for the chance to pull us into their earthy embrace.
Laughing humans, smiling dogs and swirling dust … what an absolute chaos but oh so delightful!
Earthy hugs that lifted my sadness of losing my cats Emmanuel and Oliver this September and November respectively.
Rocky had an acid wound that was deep & red, but he offered his face and looked at me with the kindest eyes as I spoke to him. Could this dog be anymore aggressive as his abuser claimed?
Rocky’s was wounded but his kindness remains. Rocky snuggling with vet, Dr Bikesh. Can this dog get any more aggressive as claimed by the person who poured acid on him?
Then there was one who pedalled frantically on two front legs to welcome us. He was probably a survivor of motor traffic or birth defect. Marcus quickly went over to receive his greetings to show the beige angel that he was not overlooked.
Beige Angel. Marcus makes sure the paraplegic dog knows he is loved.
We couldn’t finish walking the length of the shelter without getting greeted, kissed or hugged by dogs.
Rough sleeping on the streets and not having ready access to cleaning did not defile the purity of these canine beings one bit.
Loving under the Prayer Flags. 🙏
On our ride back from the shelter in our little taxi, I was beaming from ear to ear. Mud splattered and in my down jacket punctured by canine attempts to hug me, I felt cleansed of all sadness by the Lotuses in the dog shelter.
Pema is my friend, Sharonne’s sponsored shelter dog.
Handmade shelter for a community cat in one of the neighbourhoods in Singapore. (Source: FB post Dec 2023)
One Christmas Eve many years ago, I passed by 3 or 4 dogs seeking shelter from the on off day long rain under the void deck of abandoned flats.
By the time I bought dog food and aluminium trays from the supermarket to go to their aid, the dogs had disappeared.
A slight panic descended as darkness deepened in the deserted premise where I stood. Held down by trays of opened canned food, there was not much I could do. The drizzle was also gathering force.
“Miss Ong, what are you doing here?”
I looked up to see two smiling boys. They introduced themselves as SJI boys.
More than 20 years after the Christmas Eve Dog Feeding Encounter, I would be travelling to Nepal in Dec 2023 with Marcus Tan. Besides letting me hold onto his arm for balance when I walk on uneven grounds, this SJI boy also stops for animals. (Dec 2023)
Despite having no memory of seeing them in school, I told them what I was trying to do.
Without hesitation, they took the food offerings from me, and headed to the bus stop where they said they saw the dogs.
After they returned from their act of kindness where the dogs gobbled up everything in a flash, the boys and I held hands in the rain and gave thanks.
Those were the days of pre-social media. I had scant knowledge of helping homeless animals.
And had I let my physical condition, the inclement weather, and the darkness convince me to ignore the dogs’ hunger, I wouldn’t have met these two boys whom I believe to be angels in disguise. 😊❤️
And as the years pile on, the seemingly mundane, “Miss Ong, what are you doing Here?” has become a question of transcendental importance to me.
So in the spirit of Boxing Day as we put away present wrappers, and tidy up our surroundings, here’s wishing everyone increasing clarity to what we’re doing with our life & gifts. 🙏
Rocky, the survivor of acid attack came to welcome me. (Street Dog Care, Nepal, 11 Dec 2023)
Poinsettias in full bloom in Park Village, Budanilkanta, Nepal. (7Dec 2023)
In my youth December meant holiday jobs to make some money for personal outings & school supplies.
There was always some anxieties whether my limp would be an issue with the employer or labour laws.
December in my late teens & early twenties meant carolling rehearsals and admiring well dressed people who had invited us to sing in their beautiful homes on Christmas Eve.
Only in my 30s, December became a time of looking inward at who I really am. Living with 12 cats & 1 dog assures me that I am home. There’s no need to go outside to seek amusement or approval.
I adopted my first and only dog, Shoya, when I was 35 years old.
After my dog passed on in December 2014, and my cats slowly left me one by one, December becomes a time to rest & remininsce.
And whenever I get the chance to visit Boudha Stupa, I bring my animals with me. In my walks, I thank them for taking on animal forms to teach me what it means to be human.
Showing Shoya the Boudha Stupa at every chance I could since 2016)
This December as I stood still by windows & on terraces, I witnessed wedding celebrations in Budanilkantha, an engagement party in Nagarkot, cultural performances and devotional practices in Boudha.
On the balcony of Hotel Country Villa in Nagarkot Hills, Nepal. (10Dec 2023)
In the midst of music, singing & chanting my spirit lifted as my animals & I received the auspicious vibes generated by these celebrations.
Butter lamp circumabulation at Boudha Stupa.
December is truly an ending & also a beginning. 🙏😊
Lisa Ong 