VVJ380

When I purchased my Ford Fairmont Ghia sedan in 2002, I also bought a personalized registration plate (VVJ380) to come with it. VVJ stands for my three children: Vickie, Veronica and Johnson. 380 was the airbus aircraft model introduced at that time. As I had been working in the airline industry for over 30 years, I had particular passion for choosing such number. Besides, 380 also mean:

3 (生) - healthy
8 (發) - wealthy
0 (靈) - intelligent.

I'm so fond of the number 380 that, every time I go to withdraw money from the ATM machines, I withdraw $380 for no reasons!

The Window in the Hospital

Two seriously ill men were staying in the same ward in a hospital. Eddy had to sit up in his bed every afternoon for an hour in order to drain the water from his lungs. His bed was beside the only window of the ward. Ken had to lie flat in his bed all day for his illness and could not see the window. Everyday the two men talked about everything, including their families, houses, work, hobbies and holidays.
In the afternoons, when Eddy sat up to drain the water from his lungs, he looked out through the window and described what he saw to Ken in every details. Outside the window, there was a park and a beautiful lake. Several ducks and swans were swimming leisurely on the water. Children were playing with their toy boats. Young couples were leaning upon each other beside the colourful flower beds. There were beautiful city landscapes in the far distance. Ken listened attentively in closed eyes, imagining the views of all the activities and colours in his mind. Day after day, Eddy told Ken the scenes happening outside the window and Ken said to Eddy he felt very happy with all those views and events.
Time passed. One day when the nurse came by for regular inspections. She found Eddy had passed away quietly and peacefully during his sleep. Eddy's body was subsequently removed from the ward by hospital staff. Several days later after things settled down, Ken asked the nurse if he could change to the bed beside the window which Eddy previously occupied. The nurse gladly agreed and changed accordingly.
In his new bed, Ken forcefully pushed himself to sit up slightly and turned his head slowly to look out through the window, hoping he could have a look himself on the real world outside. But he was shocked as he could see nothing except a white wall of another building opposite. He couldn't understand why Eddy told him things so differently in all those days. He asked the nurse, and she replied, "Eddy was blind. He couldn't see there was a wall outside the window."

Eddy was just trying to create happiness and joy with his imagination, and shared them equally with Ken in order to cheer him up at their difficult times!!

No matter what situations we're in, if we can make others happy, we'll feel happy ourselves too. Sharing sadness and pain reduces sadness and pain by half. Sharing happiness and joy multiplies happiness and joy manifolds. As Michael Jackson also put it in his song (Heal the World):

"We could really get there
if you cared enough
for the living.
Make this little space
to make it a better place."

The Story of Buddha (3 of 3) - The Eightfold Path (八正道)

The Eightfold Path (八正道) describes the ways to end desire and hence suffering as laid out by Buddha. It outlines a plan of self disciplines regarding wisdom, ethics and mentality with the goal of freeing the individual from all desires and hence sufferings, and finally leads to understanding of the truth of life. The Eightfold Path should not be taken as a sequence of eight individual steps. Instead, they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other.

The Eightfold Path can be described in simplistic terms as follows:

Wisdom disciplines (智慧) - these require people to establish correct thinking and willingness.
1. RIGHT UNDERSTANDING (正見解)
In order to start down the Eightfold Path, people must understand the Four Noble Truths and the reason for choosing this course of action.
2. RIGHT INTENTION (正思想)
People must be firmly convinced that following the Eightfold path is what they wish to do.

Ethical disciplines (持戒) - these require people to take specific actions in their lives.
3. RIGHT SPEECH (正語言)
People need to consider their words carefully. What they say may not be totally freed from faults, but they should aim for truthfulness and kindness.
4. RIGHT ACTION (正行為)
People must think about the motives for their actions. Actions should be caused by selflessness and kindness, and not selfishness and cruelty. All their actions should show respect for others.
5. RIGHT LIVELIHOOD (正職業)
People should earn their living in ways not to harm others, but show respect for all living creatures, and allow them to continue with their own moral and spiritual growth.

Mental disciplines (定力) - these require people to take specific actions in their minds
6. RIGHT EFFORT (正精進)
People should persist in their effort to live their lives in keeping up with the principles of the Eightfold Path. Don't be too rough on oneself when things got messed up. Just pick up, dust off and gently and firmly set back in the right direction. Practice makes things perfect.
7. RIGHT MINDFULNESS (正意念)
People should be very aware of their own minds and bodies. They should notice when moods and feelings change, not for the sake of judging them as good or bad but for the sake of noticing what they are and how rapidly they change.
8. RIGHT CONCENTRATION (正禪定)
In this step, people must focus their mind and meditate. With correct practices of meditation, their bodies will relax, their minds will be calmed and freed from all distractions. Their minds will enter into a state where all mental forces are unified and directed into one particular object for contemplation.

By following the Eightfold Path, people would be led ultimately to the liberation of all sources of desire and hence suffering, thus attaining nirvana - the state of being freed from all sufferings. It is anticipated to be difficult but achievable.

After Buddha attained his enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at the age of 35, he chose to return to the world to share his knowledge with others. Over the next 45 years, he travelled from place to place to preach his teachings to everyone who listened (including the five ascetics he met, his own wife and his son), and his followers multiplied as time went along. His teachings were later collected and organized by his disciples and became today's Buddhism. As Buddhism continued to be spread worldwide, Buddhism became a bit localized (and unfortunately a bit mystified). But nevertheless, Buddha's teachings are always regarded a good philosophy of life. Buddha died at the age of 80.

The Beauty of Mathematics

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 + 10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888
987654321 x 9 - 1 = 8888888888
9876543210 x 9 - 2 = 88888888888

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

I Know This Lawyer

A prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial. The witness was an old, grandmotherly woman. He approached her and began, "Mrs Jones, do you know me?"
She responded, " Yes, I do know you, Mr Williams. I've known you since you were a little boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie. You cheat on everything. You manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never be able to do the simplest bit. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"
She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr Smith since he was a youngster too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, a big loser. He has a serious drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in town. Yes, I know him."
At this point, the judge ordered the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said to them, "If any of you ask her if she knows me, you'll be in jail in 3 minutes."