NUSBS and Dharma Camps

I’ve joined in two Dharma Camps during the December holidays of 2010. One of which is the NUSBS Dharma Camp in Singapore, the other being Youth Dharma Camp (YDC19), by Subang Jaya Buddhist Association Youth Section (SJBAYS). One common thing is that I went for both with Chin Xia (group mates for both of them too!), and that I kept on being exposed to the four Brahma Viharas in the two camps.

NUSBS Dharma Camp (6-10 December), I was part of the Organising Committee, being in charge of Be a Lamp Upon Yourself workshop. Behold my group: Uppekha. Yup, we used the 4 Brahma Viharas as Group names.

The flag contains the meaning of the name.

It was one of the best NUSBS Dharma Camp I’ve been to and enjoyed. It was a lot of nights of talking with the Management Committee of NUSBS after the official sleeping time, but somehow I kept on having lots of energy for the next day. And the workshop I’m in charge of, (almost) everyone likes it!

Well, on to the second camp, 24th-28th December (yes, we celebrated Christmas there, complete with the red hat and gift exchange). It was full of fun games and very little Dharma Talk compared to NUSBS’s one. One of the amazing things that happened during YDC 19 is the secret Santa.

Everyone in the camp is a secret Santa who’s supposed to take care of his/her little child during the camp. And the little child is chosen randomly by each participants (70+ people). On the last day, we get to have a revelation, of who’s our secret Santa? My little child is someone I didn’t knew before. But imagine my surprise when I discovered that my secret Santa was no other than the other NUS people in the camp. (Yes, you guessed right).

The revelation is done via tying strings onto the hands of the participants. String on the left hand of a Santa leads to string on the right hand of the little child. Everyone is seated in blindfold and we sing the songs we learned to pass the time while the committees of the camp tie us up together. I was tugging and pulling my right hand string when the blindfold is finally off. My string is being diverted by a pillar and it was hard to make sure who was my secret Santa. So when I saw it was her, I had to double check. And triple check. And even after all the strings has gone off, I’ve still difficulty accepting this……pleasant surprise. Then the Santa and child are supposed to hug each other, and we hugged.

YDC is a Dharma based creative way, but a bit more fun than INCOVAR camp. Contrasting it with NTUBS Dharma Camp, 17th-20th January 2011, (which I joined in halfway in week 2 this semester) I have experienced a whole range of Camps…

NTUBS Dharma Camp is more of very very close to meditation retreat, with Noble Silence during meal time! Adding in more interactions and group forming, would be NUSBS Dharma Camp, and add in more workshops like be a lamp upon yourself, you get INCOVAR Camp, adding in more fun, you get YDC. I’ve joined in:

• 1 YDC (19th YDC, December 2010)
• 1 INCOVAR Dharma Camp (31st IDC, June 2009)
• 3 NUSBS Dharma Camp (December 2008,09,10)
• 2 NTUBS Dharma Camp (January 2010,11)

Totalling 7 dharma camps since I’ve entered University.

Wow, and really I like INCOVAR a lot from the 4 above, and also NTUBS’s very very Dharmic atmosphere, you can have a spontaneous Dharma Circle there during free time!

Amazingly, the time I went for INCOVAR, I wasn’t the only NUS people there too. There was Ken Juin.

So for the Buddhism Awareness Week of NUSBS (7-11 February 2011), I’ve found and paired up Chin Xia (4 timer YDC) and Ken Juin (4 timer INCOVAR) together to help organise the Joy Full Days. They did it splendidly, making it very big, much bigger than last year’s and creating lots of opportunity for the interactions between the subcommittees and Management Committee, and showing to ourselves and NUS that NUSBS can do it!

A crazy moment during Buddhism Awareness Week!

Special thanks to Chin Xia, for being very active in NUSBS and creating so much fun and happiness during the time we are together.

Friends (Special Programme in Science, Part 1)

This will not be the full list of my friends in SPS, so if your name is not here, fret not, look out for the next post! There are too many people that I know in SPS to put this in one post, and it also defeats the purpose of pouring my emotions here. So here goes:

Hariom

Old pal, roommate, ex-project mates for SP 2171 and SP 2172, a very headstrong person that I often get into quarrels with (I still don’t see those as quarrels), occasionally, a friendly fight too (caught once on camera). He’s my Physics course mate that is honest, down to earth on his expectations in Physics. He is now back in his home country, India after one year of not going back (due to his Mexico summer programme last holiday). Having a first class CAP and extremely active in asking questions in classes, this guy wearing specs is also interested in investing time for religion or as he prefers it, spirituality. As such, we meditated in the room together often, and discusses anything. Oh and he is very good in making friends and keeping them, I quite admire his ability to be wacky, friendly and cheerful almost all the time! And more than that is his dedication towards physics! I’m really grateful to have such a good close friend!

Tzyh Haur

Old buddy, the Physics senior in SPS, he is one of the coolest smart guy in Physics that you can ask anything about and he’ll answer you. Although he claims to be anti-social, he is in good terms with everyone in SPS! I got to be able to relate to him via our passion for free food! Ok, more seriously, it is because I think we have a similar social shyness history. Being a purely quantum guy, he is very happy now to have Ass. Prof. Valerio Scarani (my supervisor too for UROPs) to be his supervisor. Besides having a good family relationship, he also inspires me in his passion for research and excellence.

Minh

Old buddy too, our mentor in SPS for one year. My mentor for 1 and a half year. He is crazy in Mathematics and asks a lot of Philosophical questions. He often comes back to SPS to see us after his graduation and even hangs out at our (me and Hariom’s) room to talk until very very late. He keeps on jump hopping on religion, learning some of each here and there, including Buddhism, Hinduism, etc…His aloofness seems to stem from his intense passion in Mathematics and his willingness to help me out in Mathematics shows that he’s a really good guy!

Hung

A special kid. Stranger than me, but also very determined to do well in her Physics. She’s one the cutest and sxxx people I can see in SPS. A lot of a Rock guitarist and some sort of a child-like gal, she has one specialty in language: Hunglish. However, she’s true to friends and true to her feelings (that she doesn’t manage very well), and she constantly ask for advices and we all comfort her, like the child of SPS. A good friend that cares for others and I’m glad to have met her!

Friends (NUSBS 32nd MC)

Last time I did this type of post, I can’t write more than 20 friends before burning out. So I’ll do it by groups this time. Starting from the family in Buddhist Society: May I present the 32nd Management Committee of National University of Singapore Buddhist Society!

Ow Yeong Wai Kit

President, USP, English Literature major, Vice President of the NUS Interfaith Interest Group, previous Publications director of NUSBS, involved in NUS Stage and USP performance too! A very good speaker with style, leading the Buddhism in Asia Global Programme to Thailand and India right now as I’m writing this, responsible, multitalented, very knowledgeable in Buddhism, produced this article: http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=6275 And a cool guy!

Kevin Siswandi

Resource Director, both for NUSBS and Physics Society and very very good at his job! Physics major, and although quiet, is a very dependable person!

Yulinda

Treasurer, fun loving, active, likes to help out and be in photos. Mathematics major, she takes her job seriously, takes fun seriously too!

Johan Zhang

Dharma Director, Mathematics major, he is serious in his job, taking up Meditation course and Dharma Circle seriously. He leads a group of people called the Dharma Subcom, and organises Dharma Friend trainings too!

Alvin Tan (Tashi Pandito)

Deputy Dharma Director, Physics major! Having a high expectation towards what he does, he knows how to meditate and relax himself too to avoid over expectation! He is an aspiring Bodhisattva, with a BIG dream! Taking up my previous job, he is recruiting people into his company that will change the world! As such, I’m giving him a bit of a hard time to test his resolve and determination.

Soe Lin Myat

Marketing Director, computer engineering major. The previous Dharma Director, we had a good time planning for Dharma Circle topics together, and now he’s doing a great job with Marketing, giving us name cards, coloured posters design, mini publications, T-shirt, videos, and now he’s doing the website of NUSBS! Doing all that and beyond the call of duty!

Jasper Ang

Auditor, political science major. He was president of choir for his JC and secondary school and worked in KMSPKS before. He’s a great actor, winning the best actor lots of times in finale nights of NUSBS Dharma Camp! The previous deputy secretary, he helped to gather this group of able people and like-minded person to work together for NUSBS! He also continues to contribute in his wisdom and leadership in various ways that help the society!

Chriswini Tanaka

A serious and cool girl, she’s the Project Director and is in Engineering. She works hard for the society, and places family in an important position too! Cute and stylish, she is caring and thoughtful to push us to get the job done fast so that we can enjoy our November of studying! Oh and pretty too!

Lim Wen Xin

Deputy Project Director, economics major, she does almost all of her work along with Chriswini, and they are fast becoming twin sisters which means she’s pretty too! Nice and caring, she has a very good boyfriend to take care of her too!

Hein Aye Aye Aung

Deputy Secretary, she is in Business. A truly newbie in NUS and NUSBS, she has the courage to join in the Management Committee in her year 1. Fun loving and able to take charge when things breaks down, she is a good and meticulous person that directed our skit (for Upekkha group) for the NUSBS Dharma Camp 2010. She has lots of potential to grow! 

Leow Poh Jin

Secretary, or Honorary General Secretary, he is an Engineering guy! Down to earth, honest, hardworking. Likes the 3 Idiots film. He bravely integrates his previous knowledge of Buddhism (in Chinese) with the teachings taught here (in English). Working hard and tirelessly, he is indeed a great secretary!

Lyhor Nalene

Welfare Director, Business. She has been in NUSBS for one year before joining in the Management Committee at year 1. Being a good Dharma subcom she is dependable and nice! She nicely organised a birthday celebration for both Johan and Kevin! And she is very responsible in her part of Dharma Camp welfare visit and Dharma Friend training!

Wong Fang Cheng

Publication Director, Life Science major. A seriously cool and active girl! She’s quiet, yet one of the most active in doing work! Having done 2 (very nice) video editing, rushing for the Lamp of Wisdom magazine right now, she also helped out in Dharma Camp Welfare visit. Having been through a meditation retreat, she has a very good basis in the practice! Her strong inclination towards pushing herself to the best that she can do is an admirable attitude to emulate!

Jason Kong

Public Relations Director, Business. A very very social able person, in other words: friendly towards anyone! He has the party attitude, yet can pay enough attention to get things done! A naturally charismatic person that is good with any girls, he’s also able to handle his emotions well! Buddhism has changed something in him and keeps on changing him as he develops various hidden potentials inside of him.

 

Now these are the 14 people that I now work with, and learn the Dharma with. And I love this team! Go NUSBS!

Life with NUSBS friends!

After my final exam on the morning of 2nd December, I've gone back to SPS room and was missing part of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Movies Extended Version. That night was the SPS Xmas celebration! We had potluck& gift exchange. I didn't expect my gift (A4 papers) to be the most popular one. I've gotten a book brought by Weiding, and exchanged it for an inverted hourglass.

We had lots of fun later on playing some games involving food! About 30 of us all together in SPS had a really good time before leaving SPS to it's empty (I'm the only one here now) state.

The next day I had a NUSBS MC meeting for discussions on the Dharma Camp final details. Then Jason, Khisan and the Group Leaders came to go for a trial run of the temple tour. I've stayed on and once the meeting has ended, we had lunch together at Science and then I showed them about SPS room.

Well, after that, I've made a special trip to join in the temple hunt group for Mangala Vihara visit before going to Helipad for a free buffet by OSA. The food is not as nice as what we get in SPS, but the environment is quite new there. Later on that night, Wen Xin, Johan, Kevin, Yulinda, Nalene, Poh Jin, me and Shi Peng (new friend) had gone to walk around clarke quay.

In this respect, the trip to China and the trip to Clarke Quay (about 2 years ago with SPS people) are helpful in making me comfortable with walking around with my fellow MC members just as friends that night.

The next day, (this morning to me) I've woke up to come to the Group Leader training for Dharma Camp and meet Chin Xia & fellow group leaders and join in the whole day gaming. Then I've gone back and packed up my stuffs! But there was a detour for dinner with Tzyh Haur and Jia Jia and a long talk with Hariom and Minh later on in my room. Ahhh.... tomorrow (or later today I'm going for the Dharma Camp until 10th December! Ahh...

How to Balance Studies and Personal Life Positively by Ajahn Brahm

Last Thursday was the NUSBS Ajahn Brahm’s Talk 18th November 2010. It was the first time ever that NUS Buddhist Society had organised such a big event! Over 150 people came, from other Buddhist Societies, Staffs, Patrons, and NUSBS Alumni, but the main bulk of the people are our main targets: NUS Students! Including people from NUS Interfaith, Varsity Christian Fellowship, University Scholars Programme, Special Programme in Science, and Physics people! And most importantly, our usual NUSBS members, subcommittees, and the Management Committee!

It was also the first time that I and Damon, as co-organisers organised such a big scale event! We had about 20 people together to form a subcommittee to run the show during that day. It was a pretty nice thing to handle so many things for the first time. Eg: Goodie bags, food catering, venue booking, permits, posters, online publicities, subcommittee recruitments and management, registration for the talk, video before the talk, the flow plan for the event, the seating arrangements, the video camera, ushers, Ajahn attendant, feedback form etc…… It’s more than enough to make me not want to do this again for some time… Especially making it on reading week. In the middle of the reading week! Wow.

I’ve got to congratulate all of us to be able to make it thus far and still survive! Ha ha. Although I did not get to sit for the talk in one sitting, I get to re-examine it on video and I felt very satisfied after watching it. It makes me feel like all these effort, all these planning and preparations are worth it! And I felt that it is unfair for me to have all these good advices and good Dharma knowledge. All these wisdom is very applicable for the students (like me) who are in exam mode. So I implore you, yes you the reader, to be a listener for 2 hours (or at least 1 hour for the talk), to invest your time and to benefit much more than if you’re taking the time to study and slack (facebook, games, movies, taking with friends, lazing in bed etc…). And so here it is: (after some 10 hours of uploading, editing etc…) Enjoy and benefit. And remember to share it with your fellow students friends from all around the world!

Movies

The classic reading week slacking period. 

Every semester, after all the homework and lectures stops, just before the exams, there seems to be a lot of free time up our hands. So after studying for most part of the day, we slack here and there, watching movie or playing games or simply chatting with friends who we study together with.

This post is about the movie I've seen these last few days.

Let's see:

1. How to Lose a guy in 10 days
• Romance movie, kinda disappointing in the things that I was looking for when I wanted to watch this one. Good movie to see through anyway.
2. Samsara
• Extremely not recommended. 18SX as in seriously SX. It does teach me a lot in terms of life problems through. A disappointing movie overall, but I don’t regret watching it. Just wish that the SX part can be cut off, totally not necessary to go to such extremes. The film style is mostly silent.
3. Shutter island
• Scarier than a horror movie. Psychological thriller. Very little about love but very good about how dangerous delusion is. Nice to see if you want a jolt through your brain.
4. Megamind
• Totally nice. Wow, unexpected storyline and a bonus of a love story in it. It teaches me something about love and how to get a girl. An animated superhero comedy film.
5. Mr. Nobody
• Science fiction drama film that explores multiple possible choices of Mr. Nobody on how to live his life and the implications of choices and which choice is the right choice? Teaches me about how with the right attitude in life, all the choices you make are right.
6. Shrek forever after
• Animated fantasy comedy film that tells of a fairy tale. How to fall in love again in just one night. Very nice too.

Wow, that's a lot. It seems that a lot of the movies I see lately has an element of love in there. Sigh…… And I seems to like animated films better than real life actors. Well it’s off to studies/bed again… See ya all!

True Happiness

Ever since I was a child, I kept on thinking about how to prevent suffering, how to think out of the box to stop the suffering from outside. How to keep on being happy. As a child, it was easy, just take out the toys and games and play with them. It provides instant happiness and there seems to be no drawbacks, it’s not like we had to work or study all the time.

One of the most satisfying experiences of happiness I’ve got as a child is meeting my dear cousins again. We always played together all the time whenever we meet. Even through it was just for a few days of the holidays every year, whenever we hear even the slightest news about each other, we would bath in ecstasy, waiting for them (literary at the doorstep) to come and then rush off to play computer games, Play station 1 or even just hide and seek. And whenever we separated, I would spend a whole afternoon feeling sad, usually falling asleep in the process.

Once, I had even screamed and shouted to go to their place in another state, reasoning out that parents will do whatever to make their kids happy, and this makes me happy, so they should oblige.

This is part of the pursue of happiness.

Getting top in classes, getting to skip one year of school, getting to buy and play new toys, getting to joke with friends, getting to dream about the future and writing them down, these are part of the happiness I’ve encountered.

But how long can these last? How long can any of these happiness last?

Video gaming brings as much happiness as long as you are at it.

Physics and academic pursuits brings a more subtle satisfaction that can last a bit longer.

Friends and Family brings you comfort and love and happiness as long as you’re with them, even then it is not always.

One cannot be the top of the class forever, or be the best in some area of specialisation forever.

Even the straight As which are supposed to be forever doesn’t bring you to the tops of your spirit more than just that once.

Money is obviously not a solution, any kid knows that.

Even love, the kind between boy and girl, that if successful will eventually lead to marriage and wanting to stay with her/him forever, even that love is not forever. This feeling of falling in love can no doubt be satisfied by having the significant other in your arms for the rest of your life. It may even last this whole lifetime! However strong, however intense, however insane the other person drives you when you think about her/him, it will end. It is finite.

It seems like whatever we do, we do it for the fleeting happiness that it brings us. Success, wealth, fame, gain, praise, none of them last a lifetime.

I had seen a shampoo advertisement, “Use this and you’ll get rid of your dandruff”. I wondered, does it means use it once and my head will never produce dandruff? Or do I need to use it for the rest of my life to prevent dandruff, dependent on it like drugs?

I’m sure you can see the similar analogy towards happiness.

What’s the difference between the things we do for temporary happiness versus taking drugs then? Hardly any. Perhaps it is because drugs makes you a bit more unhappy in the overall count (addicted, wasted etc…). (Not promoting drugs here, more like promoting the disgust towards our mundane lifestyle).

Those who see no way out tends to spend their life falling in love, getting married, or enjoying materialistic pleasures, be it gaming, movies, books, academics, money, and they do get their temporary happiness. Temporarily. 

Perhaps it is those who work towards eternal happiness that are truly the wise ones. Those in science works for the betterment of society. For eternal happiness, the goal cannot be just having nuclear fission energy plant realised or even space travel; nothing less than immortality and cracking the secret of happiness in the brain will do.

As we are only an individual and powerless to fast-forward science, some has opted for cryonics. Some turn to religion. Religion, generally referring to the Abrahamic religions with their one true God and eternal heaven, provides a sane and good way (in general) for people to channel their energy for their own personal benefit in their afterlife. For the Indian religions and East Asian religions, it is also quite good in channelling the energy for the elongation of happiness.

In particular, for Buddhism (for I know it best) it is a path towards the ultimate happiness: the end of suffering. It does not make sense for a person who had seen for himself the futileness of mundane life to continue living it. The way out of this cycle of birth and rebirth is to practise the supra mundane life. To develop the Noble 8 fold path and to escape the wiles of suffering, the tangles of attachments, the 3 poisons forever. To work towards true happiness would be the only sane and logical purpose in life.

Not the pursuit of gain, fame, praise, worldly happiness, but the happiness that is beyond mundane and without dissatisfaction. The happiness that cannot be imagined or compared in terms of worldly happiness that still contains a tinge of un-satisfactoriness, however intense and strong worldly happiness maybe.

Viewed in this way, the pursuit of Nibbana is the only logical purpose of life.

Resume

Name: Ng Xin Zhao

Fellowships and Awards:

Honourable Mention for the International Physics Olympiad 2007

Silver Medal for the International Physics Olympiad 2008

Anugerah Belia Remaja Pendidikan 2008

Dean’s List 2009, Semester 2

USP Honours Roll 2010

Education:

Malacca High School: Upper and Lower 6.

Obtained Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia

Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (Malaysian Higher School Certificate)
Pengajian Am (General Paper)	A-
Mathematics T	A
Further Mathematics T	A
Physics	A
Chemistry	A

National University of Singapore (NUS): Currently year 3 Majoring in Physics, second major in Mathematics.

Part of the Special Programme in Science (SPS), exposed to research early

Part of the University Scholars Programme (USP), a multidisciplinary Programme that accepts 3% of the whole NUS undergraduate students.

Part of Special Programme in Mathematics (SPM).

Areas of Research Interest or Areas of Specialization or Areas of Competence/ Expertise or Principal Research:

Physics, Mathematics, Done review on Closed Timelike Curves (General Relativity), Done Computational Research on finding Consistent Closed Timelike Curve in van-Stockum Universe, Photonics: micro ring resonator, Quantum information: Nonlocality Distillation.

Skills acquired:

Basic C programming, reviewing paper, writing research paper, Matlab, Mathematica, Presentation skills, poster making.

Jobs:

Taught Further Mathematics Personal Tuition for 2 months.

Internship at Data Storage Institute (DSI) as research assistant for 3 months.

Languages: English, Chinese, Malay.

Volunteering Experiences:

Youth Olympic Games 2010 in Singapore.

Co-Curricular involvement:

Assistant Publication of NUS Physics Society for 2008/09

Deputy Dharma Director for NUS Buddhist Society for 2009/10

Vice President of NUS Buddhist Society for 2010/11

Outside of Classroom involvement:

Joined Science Buskers and won the qualifying round.

Global Programme with USP, Buddhism in Asia, focusing on research at Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

Short-term noviciation for monkhood programme in Mangala Vihara for 15 days.

Others: Mensan

The Story of Electronics

http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/

The Story of Electronics, released on November 9th, 2010 takes on the electronics industry’s “design for the dump” mentality and champions product take back to spur companies to make less toxic, more easily recyclable and longer lasting products.

Touch up

This is to touch up on the transition between the post of This time on my life and the last 2 weeks. That weekend between week 11 and 12. It was crazy. I joined in the Dharma Friend training which includes some of the GLs in Dharma Camp and I’ve had a great time being my old self back again.

Then it was all weekend of thinking about my UROPs, until Sunday night. That night I had a great western dinner. On board the MV explorer, the ship for Semester at Sea! There was a dinner reception and they invited USP students to come and join in the dinner. http://www.semesteratsea.org/what-s-new-at-sas-/press-releases/sas-and-national-university-of-singapore-celebrate-academic-partnership.php

Wow, I got caught in one of the pictures! I’ve been delaying this post until I can find one of the pictures of me and voila, now I just found it! Amazing. Nothing short of amazing. Picture from: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyage-blog/fall-2010/judith-mayotte-desmond-tutu-chair-for-global-understanding.php

The dinner was superb and the speech by Desmond Tutu (another Nobel winner that I met) is equally good! Before that, we had a good tour of the MV Explorer, it was the first time I was in a cruise ship! And the room is quite small, almost PGP size, but just a bit smaller. However the amount of activities there is so cool and the amount of countries they visited… ahhh if it wasn’t for the extremely expensive price…… I would want to join in too!

After the dinner, I hanged out and explore the ship again. I’ve met Jules Duffin, and talked a lot of things with her. http://julesduffin.com/semester/wading-through-the-world%E2%80%99s-melting-pot

It seems that she mentioned about me too! Yay and she’s a author! And now I’ve got a writer friend that’s about the same age as me! How cool is that?

Now backing up to the present, I’ve just done a [more than] 24 hour take home exam that is pure torture. From 7pm Sunday to 10am Tuesday I was in tortured mode………… doing Human Relations. During the exam time, I had slept (a little) blogged, watched Stutter Island (really nice and scary psycho-thriller movie) and chatted on msn.

After the exam, I allowed myself some break, watching 3 idiots and playing cards. However I didn’t get another good sleep until 11p.m. as I had another one of the many (especially recently) heart to heart talk with my fellow roommate, Hariom.

Then the day rolled by and it comes back to today, where I when and participate in the last of 3 sessions of the decision making research and read all the backlog of the rest of my emails that I left it there for more than 2 years now. And also deleting a lot of my sms and talking in facebook and playing bridge. It took the whole day, and now I’m way behind on my studies…

Well on another note, Ajahn Brahm’s Talk is tomorrow at NUS! As the co-organiser, I’m way happy! Yay!

See ya all next time!