I am moving.

 

All bosses would be out of town next week.

It's going to be like a country before the elections.

 

No Government

 

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BUSINESS IS PICKING UP. Everyone at work is busy. Furious and at times futile attempts to clear work on time. The sharing of gossips in the company transport that used to be part and parcel of every working day ... is now replaced by silence. Each in their own thoughts. Many in the same direction. How to try to finish work as quickly as possible to avoid staying late working or bring work home.

 

Alas! Every relationship takes effort to maintain. Social topics of conversation are rarely heard these days. Replaced by discussions, conference calls, emails. All about work.

 

Yes. BUSINESS IS PICKING UP. Along with that, Stress Level and Work Load increase proportionately as well.

 

 

I STUDIED BUDDHISM FOR TWO YEARS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. It was then that I learnt about the life and transformation of the Buddha. From a prince with luxuries, fame and status in life, he chose the path of an ascetic and later attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.

 

I remembered asking my brother if there were a Bodhi Tree in Singapore. In my simple (or naive!) mind then, I thought that the wonder and mystic powers leading to Enlightenment came from the tree. My brother gave me no answer and I asked no more.

 

I grew up. Graduated. Started working. Faced all realities in life. FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE NEED FOR ENLIGHTENMENT.

 

As realities seem to defy the feasibility of all spiritual doctrines, I began to doubt if Enlightenment is even possible in the age today. I seriously believe that I would get more bored or frustrated than enlightened if I try to meditate under any holy tree in my current mental state. I seek desperately for peace. INNER PEACE.

 

The more I seek. The more it seems to delude me.

 

A thought fleed past my mind yesterday evening. Leading me to think deeply before I slept. There was once a spiritual leader who chose the path of living with bandits for 15 years. During this period of time, no Bodhi Tree was in his vicinity. He had to practise spirituality in this somewhat harsh condition in the midst of barbaric beings. In this state of injustice, he stayed for 15 years!!!

 

But during this period of time, his pure heart was not stained by the harsh realities of outside world. In fact, the harsh realities served to help him in attaining his realization then to deter him.

 

Strange is it not? So Enlightenment is independent of Bodhi Tree. Even a condusive, peaceful environment is not a must.

 

I realise that it is seeing things as they really are. To exist in the present. Experience NOW.

 

I was chatting with XBB on my way home yesterday after my two-hour exercise routine at Amore. As we discussed and shared the frustrations we faced at work, she told me about a book that she is currently reading that is made up of short insightful essays. In one of the essays, the writer wrote about the difference between Ideal & Reality.

 

Ideal is what we hope to have. Reality is what we actually face everyday.

Stress, Anger, Dissatisfaction and a host of other negative feelings basically arise when the Reality we face is far from our Ideal.

So what's the catch?

We can't change Reality.

But we can make adjustments to Our Ideal so that it is not so far from Reality. No matter what, Happiness is inversely proportional to the gap between the two.

 

We have many ideals in our heads ... A caring, rich and romantic boyfriend. A good paying job with understanding boss that is stressfree. A circle of supportive and understanding friends which is gossip and slander free ...  the list never ends.

 

But hey, anyone who studied physics would know that Ideals rarely .. (or never) exists!

 

So kill those Ideals floating in your heads. Get Real. The Reality that you face is the Life Now!

Simply embrace it instead of wasting energies comparing it against your Ideals.

 

Life is Happy. Life would be Happier.