The Dream Seller

Finally finished reading this book by Augusto Cury, a Brazilian author, quite sometime back like almost a month ago. It was a good read. The Chinese translator again did an excellent job, on an otherwise unusual novel, which was depicted from first and third person perspective interchangeably that could be confusing at times.

The author Augusto is termed a rising star best selling author in Brazil, or has he already surpassed Paulo Coelho in terms of no. of books sold? I haven't read any of Paulo's book yet, thus can't comment. But Augusto really does have something to share in his messages.

This book is the first of a trilogy series. Inside the main character is as mystic as a Prophet. He was trying to sell dreams (aka hopes) to those in need, so that they can get back up on their own feet, from whatever failures or setback they have been facing.

This charismatic prophet soon attracted a group of followers. The author (first person) is the first disciple, after he was saved by the prophet (teacher) from the brink of committing suicide.

There are a lot of references to Biblical teachings, especially those of Jesus Christ. I have been holding the suspense not to finish the last chapter to reveal who the real identity of this Dream seller is :)

As the story progress, more is known about the background of this 'prophet'. He was once a mental patient! Indeed, he went crazy for a period of time after his family was killed from an airplane crash. The prophet was spared because of his hectic work schedule, and didn't join them due to last minute office meeting over run.

After that incident, he went on for soul searching, gave up everything and become homeless. Towards the last few chapters, he was revealed indeed the CEO of the largest business empire Megasoft Corp.

There are many dramatic turns, all weave with smaller stories when the 7 followers were each introduced. An alcoholic rehab, university professor (main actor), a model, an old educated lady, a thief etc

The unusual scenes are plenty: and how the 'prophet' was able to turn the situation around by giving his unusual speech, and sold more dreams to the listeners. Eg he gate crashed to a funeral and urged people to remembrance the joyful moments of the deceased, and ended up become a carnival!! The other occasion was like when his identity was about to be disclosed, he actually led a group of high power executives to a tomb and reminded they are in fact the slave and deprived because of the work stress and constant worrisome that they are undertaking, as compared to their staff. How true it is!

At the beginning of the book, when the author ie the college professor was about to commit suicide by jumping off the roof top of the Megasoft building, that's where the 'prophet' appeared. He managed to convince the author not to jump down, by selling him more commas ",", the reasons to continue to live on his life, and not to put on a full stop (period) so abruptly.

Augusto says he still has 3000+ pages of materials not yet published. His main role is clinical psychiatrist and researcher. He has been writing non stop for the past 25 years, with a passion to share on what he has received as a calling. What a writer!

I look forward to seeing the part 2 and 3 sequels for the dream seller book series, to see what kind of dreams the seller has in store for us as the buyers! :)

The Laws of Spirit - A Tale of Transformation

I read the Chinese translated version of this Dan Millman book first, called 鹿智者的心靈法則. The Taiwanese translator surely did a wonderful job. His translated Chinese text was so well written that I thought the English original text must be equally good.

Guess this is the first time I wrote the blog, without going thru the English book. I did finish the Chinese book though. I was so impressed with the 12 Laws that were described that I went ahead to order the original English book as I don't think I can translate the Chinese text backward to English without much effort from my end, and still preserve the meanings :)

After comparing the Chinese and English version, I would say they both have merits. The whole book is about a Mountain Sage (presumably a female character) meeting with Traveller (Author), and sharing with him the 12 Laws, within like 48-72 hours.

There are many interesting parables and life exercise examples embedded to this little book (about 100 pages) that can be finished within a day. The storyline is simple, but the meanings behind each Law is deep and far reaching.

Without further ado, below are the 12 Laws. They all are distilled wisdom that I think worth reading again to contemplate the meaning behind. I would say quite some Chinese/ Zen philosophy behind them, too. Enjoy!!

1. THE LAW OF BALANCE
- Finding the Middle Way

If gravity is the glue that holds the universe together, balance is the key that unlocks its secrets.

Balance applies to our body, mind, and emotions, to all levels of our being.

It reminds us that anything we do, we can overdo or underdo, and that if the pendulum of our lives or habits swings too far to one side, it will inevitably swing to the other.

2. THE LAW OF CHOICES
- Reclaiming Our Power

We are both burdened and blessed by the great responsibility of free will - the power of choice.

Our future is determined, in large part, by the choices we make now.

We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can and do choose our response to whatever arises.

Reclaiming the power of choice, we find the courage to live fully in the world.

3. THE LAW OF PROCESS
- Taking Life Step-by-Step

Process transforms any journey into a series of small steps, taken one by one, to reach any goal.

Process transcends time, teaches patience, rests on a solid foundation of careful preparation, and embodies trust in our unfolding potential.

4. THE LAW OF PRESENCE
- Living in the Moment

Time is a paradox, stretching between a "past" and "future" that have no reality except in our own minds.

The idea of time is a convention of thought and language, a social agreement.

Here is the deeper truth: We have only this moment.

5. THE LAW OF COMPASSION
- Awakening Our Humanity

The universe does not judge us;
it only provides consequences and lessons and opportunities to balance and learn through the law of cause and effect.

Compassion is the recognition that we are each doing the best we can
within the limits of our current beliefs and capacities.

6. THE LAW OF FAITH
- Trusting in Sprit

Faith is our direct link to universal wisdom,

reminding us that we know more than we have heard or read or studied -

that we have only to look, listen, and trust the love and wisdom of the Universal Spirit working through us all.

7. THE LAW OF EXPECTATION
- Expanding Our Reality

Energy follows thought;

we more toward, but not beyond, what we can imagine.

What we assume, expect, or believe creates and colors our experience.

By expanding our deepest beliefs about what is possible, we change our experience of life.

8. THE LAW OF INTEGRITY
- Living Our Truth

Integrity means living and acting in alignment with spiritual law and with our highest vision, despite impulses to the contrary.

From the heart of integrity,

we recognize, accept, and express our authentic interior reality,

inspiring others not with words, but with our example.

9. THE LAW OF ACTION
- Moving into Life

No matter what we feel or know, no matter what our potential gifts or talents, only action brings them to life.

Many of us understand concepts such as commitment, courage, and love, but we truly know only when we can do.

Doing leads to understanding, and action turns knowledge into wisdom.

10. THE LAW OF CYCLES
- Dancing to Nature's Song

The world of nature moves in rhythms, patterns, and cycles -
the passing of the seasons,
the movement of the stars,
the ebb and flow of the tides.

The seasons do not push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky.

All things happen in their own good time -
rising and falling and rising like ocean waves,
in the cycles of time.

11. THE LAW OF SURRENDER
- Embracing A Higher Will

Surrender means accepting this moment, this body, and this life with open arms.

Surrender involves getting out of our own way and living in accord with a higher will, expressed as the wisdom of the heart.

Far more than passive acceptance,
surrender uses every challenge as a means of spiritual growth and expanded awareness.

12. THE LAW OF UNITY
- Remembering Our Connection

We appear on Earth as separate beings with diverse destinies; but as each separate raindrop is a part of the sea, so are we each a part of the Ocean of Awareness, the Body of God.

Find love and inner peace deep within the highest truth that we are all one Family.

Leave behind the baggage of fear, envy, and resentment;
fly aloft on wings of understanding,
to enter the boundless Lord of Compassion.

Joseph cycle - 7 good years followed by 7 bad years

Ever heard of this Bible story? Joseph the dream interpreter who managed to crack the then Egypt Pharaoh's recurring nightmare dream: by explaining that the king's dream is to forewarn about 7 good years followed by 7 bad famine year, thus need to stock up and be prepared when the days are good. From a prisoner Joseph became the Prime Minister and successfully led Egypt avoid the pitfall when the bad years strike.

I remembered I read this Joseph Cycle book during 2008, when the times were good, before the last financial crisis. This Singaporean author is a chartist and analyst from UBS it seems. When he published this book at 2005/6, he was forecasting STI is on bull trend and may hit 4300 in 2008. Well, it was peak at 2008, and after Beijing Olympic things went downhill as per the cycle foretelling.

7 looks like a magical figure. It took God 7 days to create this world. There are 7 days in a week. 7 year of Itch. Lucky 7 is the jersey for greatest football player in the team etc.

When history repeats itself at times, and like pendulum. 14 years is the cyclic time. Each working adult should have 2 to 3 times to ride on the right trend.

Looks like we are on the downtrend, so folks, just have a lookout on it, preserve and capitalize the next macro uptrend from 2015 onwards, agree?

PS: Enlarging the pic so you can have a good read on the events. :)

Our Mind's Spiritual Healing Power

I previously mistaken the author 許添盛醫師 as a Chinese physician. Only after finished reading this book then I realized in fact the author is a western medical doctor by training, and is a specialist in healing cancer patients - tackling from mind, body and spirit perspective.

The book interweaves with a lot of meditation exercises, and good Q&As after each topic. I haven't been a follower of Seth's teachings, as channeled by Jane Roberts, but it seems the author has been greatly influenced by Seth's messages.

Few ideas I grasped from this book that strike me:

1. Our body is ever changing. Moment by moment. Sickness is a temporary setback. Our body is ever sending signals to us when we fall sick or not feeling well. We just need to listen to our inner voice - i.e. search within - to know what has gone wrong. We are all born with perfect health, as we are all powerful individual being. We have been so adept to falling sick easily, that we forget we can and should be able to get well in the same quick and easy manner. Ultimately, it's all up to us, up to our mind, to determine where we are heading. There is sure an easy way out that we have been forgotten with all the upbringings. We try to make our game of life more challenging, by setting ourselves up with many traps, not knowing that we play it so well that we fall into our own victim, and not knowing how to get out of it :) The answer is all within. We just need to listen to our body and know what our heart is trying to tell us. If we view the sickness as temporary setback, there is no long term sickness that can't be cured. Like high cholesterol, diabetes or even cancer. It shouldn't be there in the first place, or unfortunately if our body is diagnosed with it, we need to change our perspective, that once we know the cause behind (mostly psychologic factor involved), we can tackle it with the right mentality, and see us in upward trend on healing path. On the contrary, we should thank our body of contracting the illness, to have the opportunity to learn the lesson behind.

2. The body is made up of sound, light matter, and the use of OM sound as attunator to regulate our mind-body-spirit wellness, and boost up our body condition. OM being the first sound when this universe is born certainly has it's magical influencing power. Take a deep breath and chant this OM sound when breathe out to feel the difference.

3. The past, present and future time co-existence. And the powerful NOW. Have you ever regret about something you have done wrong in the 'past' and wish you could travel back to change it? Indeed, it's possible, and it's all in your mind. What you need is to rehearse in your mind now for another ending(s), and the future will be changed. As there are endless possibilities (remember we are ever changing - not just physical body, but also mentally possible), we can always make better choice and decision, and this will surely lead us to better future. The key is make best and full use of the power of NOW. There are indeed no segregation of past, present and future. The concept of time is created so that our life events and experiences can move as if in a linear continuum.

The book is full of wisdom and new concepts that I begin to look at my body and mind healing power differently :)

The Easiest Way

This is a little simple book written by Mabel Katz, the third generation teacher of Hawaiian Ho'oponopono cleansing method a.k.a Zero Limit.  You can refer to my earlier blogpost on Zero Limit by clicking here.

This Chinese translation is again an easy read.  The author Mabel didn't elaborate much on the mechanics of the 4 key phrases, but instead, she focused a lot on practicality.  In fact, she is more inclined to just use the 2 pharases:  I love You, and Thank You.  The you here can be referring to our Subconscious (our inner child).  By establishing a good relationship with our Inner Child (who usually has been hurt by our ego or during our upbring), we can entrust our subconscious to continue to carry out the cleansing for us, 24/7, even our conscious mind has already not been paying attention anymore.

To achieve what we wish (be it peace, health, wealth, relationship, etc), we should take 100% responsibility of our behaviour.  Surrender, be totally humble and recognise that there is a higher Divine seff, who just knows the right time, the right place and right people to deliver what is the best option for us.  To allow this to happen, we just need to keep cleansing (consciously or subconscriously), and leave the rest to GOD to do the fulfilment.  It's that simple.  Period.  Thus the book title. :)

I did a quick look up at the author's website, and found this interesting article about Ho'oponopono and the changes in 2012.  It contains the gist of her interpretation.  I would suggest you also take a good read here.

This post is gonna short, as I am off to start reading another interesting book I just got it from local library, written by a Chinese Physician, on inner search and how to live LOVE to fullest.  Gotta be another interesting read :)

The Moment of Truth - Becoming A Living Angel Today

The is the first time I read a book, again and again, about 3 times, before I start my blogpost. There must be something special going on here :)

Master Ryuho Okawa 大川隆法, founder of Happy Science and a prolithic author who published 52 books in a year, has written more than 600 books, was actually in Singapore in mid Sep. I attended his night talk in Orchard hotel, and was sitting in the first VIP row since I come late. Ha.

To put it the least, I wasn't impressed at all on that night speech. Not sure was it only me :) Nevertheless I bumped into this book in Times bookstore on same weekend, and thought I should give it a go. It is on 30% off anyway.

Perhaps, Ryuho is a much better speaker when he delivered his speech in Japanese. This book is a compilation on his few key speeches on his week long travel to Brazil early this year.

It's a good book to have a glimpse of his spiritual mindset of El Cantare.

Few key pointers as a takeaway:

1. We are all spiritual beings with soul. Earth is our training ground, school, to live up our mission. All the setbacks, experiences, happy or bad moments are meant to polish our mind, as at the end of day, we can only bring our mind with us, and not any earthly belongings, back to our eternal home (heaven) and receive our report card.

2. We are the author of our lives. We decide our happiness or unhappiness. It's our mind that chooses one or another.

3. We are God's descendent. God is pure light and love, so we have trace of this within us, and we all have great and equal potential to bring this shine out - to help us, and people surround us. Always be the giver, not seeker of love. We have the duty to bring others happiness.

I particular like pp.12-13, so will quote few phrases directly there:

- Your Soul is your true self
- When you go home to the spirit world, you will be assessed on the clarity, pureness, beauty, and richness of your mind
- Since the mind is the only possession you can take with you to the other world, all of what you experience in this world are materials that help cleanse, buff, and polish your mind. This is the very purpose of life.
- What is essential is to use these events and experiences to polish your mind and give it a brilliant luster
- The world is meant to be a place for you to gain all kind of experiences. It is meant as an opportunity to cultivate a rich, round, and beautiful heart.
- When you feel lost in life and don't know where to turn, always choose faith. It takes great courage to believe in something that is completely invisible and to devote your life to values that cannot be perceived by the eyes.
- The work that you do here on Earth will have ten times more worth than if it was done in the spirit world
- You cannot see Heaven
- You cannot see God
- You cannot see Hell
- But those of you who keep walking on the path of God and the invisible world of Heaven with only faith as your guide are the very people who will become angels

The last quote which actually is part of the introduction is also very good:

"Countless angels in Heaven are working as servants of God, making effort night and day to decrease the unhappiness that is found in this world. I hope that you, too, will become angels who never hesitate in your daily efforts to help cleanse this world and actualize Heaven on our Earth."

I bump into Angels teachings, Heaven on Earth in my past 2 blogposts. Thus have a great affinity when I follow my inner voice to read this book in such a sequential manner. Am again in awe that "things happen for a reason. There is no accident"

I hope you can pick up a few new ideas from this post like I do. Have a great weekend folks! :)

Carnegie De-Stress Formulae

Found this book written by Taiwanese author 黑幼龍. A very special name. Black (surname) Small Dragon (middle names). Guess is real name, as his son is called 黑立行.

The author is Dale Carnegie Training Greater China partner and owner, so he surely is the best person to interpret and explain the teachings of Dale Carnegie. The book is written in Chinese, but in similar style with Carnegie's other books full of examples in between. If you have read "how to win friends and influence people", "how to stop worrying and start living" you will know what I mean.

The book is divided into ten chapters, each explaining one formula at a time:

1. Determine to live a more freedom lifestyle
Once we are stress free, our immune system will improve, and health will come back. Our mentality decides how we act and react to situation. Always maintain a positive attitude. 90% of our worries will not materialize anyway, so why live in the negative self sabotaging thoughts and be haunt by it?

2. Live in the Day time compartment
Compartmentalize our life timescale. Live in the current moment and heaven is NOW. No point worry over the spilled milk (PAST), and not to worry about tomorrow worries (FUTURE). Today is the Day that we all need to seize and treasure.

3. Three Magical steps to overcome all the worries
a) Ask ourselves what could be the worst situation?
b) Accept the worst situation
c) Try our best to improve from the worst situation

Similar to Chinese idiom saying 否極泰來, when one reaches rock bottom worst situation, we could not go any more down but have to improve. Always have high hopes. There are many ways to improve the situation, and don't be paralyzed by the issues we currently facing.

4. Three principles to analyze and resolve issue
As taught by Greek philosopher Aristotle, the three key principles are:
a) Collect the facts
b) Evaluate the facts
c) Make the decision, and take immediate action

To be factual one needs to calm down left brain and invoke our logical reasoning mind.

Two techniques:
- count the color items in the room and surroundings
- ask the famous 6Ws: who, where, what, when, why and how

Once decided, back by facts and evaluated, we should march forward and don't look back.

5. The four questions need to be asked before solving any problem:
a) What is the problem? Define it.
b) What causes the problem? The real root cause.
c) What are the possible solutions?
d) What is the best option?
Many times before finish answering these questions, the problem is no longer an issue. :)

6. Have fun in our work, job
- boost morale everyday is a new day
- do things one at a time, like the sand passes thru the funnel "one grain at a time"
- take a 5 mins break to rejuvenate our energy before getting too tired

7. Set stop loss for worry
When situation can't be improved, after we have tried our best, we should simply accept the fact, and move on.
At least we won't lose every hopes if we have set a stop loss.

8. Divert our attention by being occupied with positive work
Often time when our mind is free, we will become negative and feeling down. To combat this, we should make ourselves busy and take actions continuously, no matter how small or trivial it is.

9. Forgive and Forget
Don't expect people will reciprocate when you have helped others. Don't take it for granted. Be kind, forgive and forget, don't hold grudges with your enemies or those who had hurt you.

10. Peace at mind
Count our blessings that we already have. Be grateful, and have gratitude on things happening to us. Don't let our lives become monotonous. Our children will follow parents when they make it a habit to have gratitude in everyday living.

The final chapter says it all. These are not new teachings. We all know these and aware of it, but not practicing it only. Start by changing our mind, thought, and our action will start to change for the better.

I am glad that I didn't return this book to the library too early before finish reading it, and got to renew it. I had dragged too long to write this post to remind what I have read and learnt. I hope you can pick up some good pointers to combat your stress when you are feeling stressful next time. Now go play! Have a good weekend folks! :)