Thursday 15 May 2008

Dream home



The city I once knew

From my window of Maya hotel I could see the Petronas twin towers in full view if I lie down on the bed. The towers look even more dramatic when it's against the rising sun in the early morning.

They looked a bit out of the place when first built on Jalan Ampang. 1o years later I returned to a city where the skyline changed beyond my recognition.

My close friend, Yong Ming, took me to see the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. I had always had a fascination for this building. Designed by British Architect Arthur Benison Hubback in a mixture of Neo Moorish and Mughal style, it houses the hub of the railway in the city.

What impressed me most was not only Mr Hubback's meticulous detailed plan, but also his open mind to adapt Islamic elements as part of the key designs throughout the whole building. In 1910 he could have easily designed a European-styled building. But instead he adopted the local influence and built the most notable architecture of that era.

Sadly, as I strolled on the pavement in the late afternoon sun, I noticed corny-looking flower lamp posts erected along the main road trying to beautify the atmosphere. A renovation campaign probably under a few talented men from the Tourism board who must have thought they had done a great job.

What an eyesore for me! But who should take the blame?

The importance of discerning eyes matters most when it comes to housing developments. At Sentul East I saw hope and consolation from a series of YTL projects, most prominently the KL Performing Art Centre.

The architecture was created out of an old railway station, making it look classic yet modern with its glassed walls. According to Yong Ming, Sentul was still a poor neighbourhood a few years back.

Kudos to the visionary inspiration crafted by YTL. I hope more Malaysians will use this as a benchmark in future developments.

When I looked down from the plane on the city I once knew, I was glad it escaped my cruel scrutinies and became the talk of the town.

Twin towers, from my hotel balcony on 13th floor at 6.30 am

When you respect the local culture, you get it in return too.

Something delightful I could fall back on 
after leaving home for 15 years.

zen wisdom



沒用的往往最有用
丁一

去年坎城廣告展中,有許多濫竽充數的得獎作品,甚無看頭,獨有一支120秒的銀獅作品,至今我仍百看不厭。

影片拍攝手法簡潔流暢,以男主角自述其坎坷際遇為開場白。

孤僻的他從不受人重視,也不被人了解,在別人的眼裏是個不中用的窩囊廢,走到那兒他都不受歡迎。 從畫面上,我們看到他掀起女性的裙子,弄亂路人的頭髮,颳倒帳逢及整壞老人的雨傘。他似乎像個小無賴,弄得人人雞犬不寧。

有一天,他途經公園一隅,並作弄正在看報紙的一位先生。有禮的先生不厭其煩地請他坐下來,並和他作了朋友,還介紹一份工作給他。

畫面又重回到男主角身上,他自信又欣慰地說:“當別人開始接受並看重我的時候,我覺得自己變得有用起來!”

整支廣告最耐人尋味的地方乃其結尾文案。

“風, 讓我們好好利用它的能量。”

此語一出,才恍然發覺男主角原來是風的代言人。EPURON能源公司將風人性化,呈現出一幕活生生的伯樂識馬圖,創意之妙叫人拍案叫絕。

這個廣告不禁令我聯想起2500年前,釋迦牟尼佛也有個叫般特的弟子,為人忠厚老實,遺憾的是生性有些愚鈍。佛祖讓五百羅漢天天輪流教導他,可是仍然看不出他有甚麼長進。眾弟子都瞧不起他, 甚至不與他為伍。

大悲的佛祖非但沒有唾棄般特,還逐字逐句地教誨他。

日復一日地推敲琢磨,終於讓般特徹底覺悟了,並成為一名備受敬重的法僧。

這個典故提醒了我們,重要的反而不是智慧 的高低,而應該是,我們能否慷慨給予他人一個重生的機會。

有時候不免覺得沮喪,因為在一個以創意表現為指標的廣告公司裏頭,你會發現有好多看似不中用的同事遭受被冷落的厄運。

甚至,有些自詡為“創意高手”的資深廣告人,也不屑與這群不起眼的同事打交道。

但是如果我們放下分別與成見,靜下心來想一想,這些所謂不起眼的同事,卻往往為公司盡下最重大的職責。大家仿佛只看到表面的光華,而忽略了內在的辛勞。就好比一輛時髦的法拉利跑車,沒有工人的裝配,絕對生產不出來。

不妨想想看。。。

沒有美術指導,誰來幫你畫稿?

沒有總機接線生,誰來幫你接聽電話?

沒有清潔女傭,誰來幫你泡咖啡,整理辦公桌,及清理垃圾?

沒有快遞人員,誰來幫你傳送信件?

把視野再放遼闊起來。

路邊的清道夫,駕德士或巴士的司機,賣咖啡的小販們,大廈的保安人員。這些小人物每天都在幫助我們營造一個舒適的生活環境,以讓我們能處在最佳狀態,發揮十足十的工作效率。

我們每個人都受惠於他們經年累月的服務貢獻,是他們造就了今日的我們。

在日本禪宗裏,倒是有一個很吻合的現象,即禪師所強調的“空”,正是取自無用之用的哲理。沒有“空間”,何來一切法遍虛空呢?

比擬來講,一個沒有空隙的杯子,水該如何盛進去?一個沒有空間的手提袋,該怎麽裝下東西?一棟沒有空洞的房子,人是不可能住進去的。

這些看起來多麽微不足道的“空間”,卻無盡地涵括了世間的一切事物。

在我們周遭那些扮演著無足輕重的小角色,卻往往為我們提供了無盡的發揮空間,就像杯子裏看不見的“空間”,看似無用,其實卻是妙用無窮。

世上根本沒有所謂的無用之材,問題是我們怎麽去好好善加利用。如果能從一堆垃圾中瞥見一朵綻開的花兒,我們即以抽離扭曲的邏輯分析,而開始認真的去反省思考。

就如一行禪師在其新著“認識你的自性”中所說的:

“我中有你,你中有我。你我都是同出一轍”

放下一切人爭我執,則處處都是可以啟發我們自性的般若智慧。

A windy day in Lijiang old town, China.


Sunday 4 May 2008

Happy day



Happy Continuation Day

We don't just live for one life time. We are the continuation of countless life times from the past into the present. There's no birth. Hence there's no birthday. 

Likewise, there's no death. And death is not the ending. It's just a continuation phase to the next life.

We can somehow stop the continuation of this karmic cycle if we attain nirvana.

Challenge is, how can we?

The buddha showed us his middle path to the enlightenment. All we need to do is just take the first step and follow him behind. Easier said than done, you might argue. But without our willing mind nothing will open up for us. Not even the Amitabha buddha can take you to the pure land paradise if you are not willing to.

Remember those childhood days when you chose to believe in monsters and later realised it was purely fictional. What you need now is your willingness to believe once more, that your life can be better and beneficial to all sentient beings if we practise what the buddha taught.

The one eternal truth is out there awaiting our discovery.

Give me your hands. And tell me you will.

The largest Buddha Amida in the world, Kamakura, Japan.