On Humility

by Thomas Heng

Humility, you are profound indeed!
You slip out of our grasp when we speak
You elude us when we stand to profess
Yet you reside in us when we are still

In silence we marvel at your nature
In solitude we wonder at your beauty
Rare indeed is the one who truly is
Humble amidst the company of humans

For you are not proclaimed through words or deeds
Not in accomplishments alone are you clearly seen;
But through the mere act of being amongst nothingness
Are you most accurately discerned

On Pursuit

by Thomas Heng

Not to beat down the Other

Nor to promote Oneself

Not for Riches from without

Nor for Glory for its own sake

Not to avenge some Injustice

Nor to cast aside one's own Afflictions

Not for one's Redemption

Nor for Others' sake

You are but the natural Consequence; the

Sum of mind, flesh and ego; when

Aligned to universal Spirit; a

Response to divine Grace

On Conscience

by Thomas Heng

The voice of conscience

Eludes the wisest of sages;

Its nature often cloaked

In the unlikeliest of guises

Desire shouts it down

Fear drowns it out;

Two emotions both alike

Yet neither are true to Self

Still the soul, quieten the spirit

Notice while looking within;

Let Wisdom lead one to the

Essence of one's Being

Keys to Success

by Thomas Heng

Consider

Life

As

Really

Important

To

Yourself

Forget

Other

Considerations

Utilise

Spirit

Let

Information

Seep

Through

ENtirely

Master

Emotions

Always

New

INsights

Gained

Excellence

Never

Excludes the

Results

Generated by

You

When

In

Silence

Dwell

On

Me

Place

Ultimate

Recognition on

Personal

Objectives that

Serve

Everyone

Life

Of

Virtuous

Excellence

The Mystery of Choice

by Thomas Heng

Choice, a word oft used yet much abused

When paired with Freedom, one finds War

When bounded with Rationality, one risks Conformity

When teamed with Dichotomy, Falsehood reigns

Choice, a word simple yet profound

When confronted with the mirror of Truth

Suppression flees, as does Fear and Loss

Only Purpose and Wisdom remain

Guiding one's steps towards Destiny

On Mission

by Thomas Heng

Visualisation of the dream is the first step towards creating reality
But it is Mission that provides purpose to Sight,
That directs and drives Action.

While the forces of Doubt do their best to thwart Action,
It is Mission that sustains faith, and Vision that preserves hope,
Blessed indeed are those who do not see, and yet believe.

For Vision, Mission and Action are but one,
In union with faith, hope and love, striving towards Destiny
And eternal Harmony with the Infinite.

On Suffering

by Thomas Heng

Oh! that Man can be so deluded, to
Believe that Suffering o'er him reigns;
Permanent though Suffering may seem, yet
Immortal she is not.

For Pain is only as strong as its victim
Who may well tremble under her rod; yet
Ownest her Man must, for
Such is his birthright.

Ally with Pain, once Man's enemy,
Transform fear into faith
Allow Suffering to run her course,
The fullness of Man's Destiny awaits.

Renewal

by Thomas Heng

"Unnoticed by the crowd;
Passed on by the world;
Discounted by the brethren."
Impaled by self-doubt.

Are these shackles not self-imposed?
Are these wounds not self-inflicted?
Are these not the chains of self-delusion?
Awaken, and watch the virtual binds loosen completely.

The time has come for self-exile to end;
As the permafrost melts, so must the hibernation cease;
As the earth renews itself, so does one's nature;
Claim the inheritance that is your destiny.

Without

by Thomas Heng

LORD, with you I can
Arrive without preconception
Enter without qualification
Partake without charge

Hope without proof
Witness without evidence
Share myself without judgement
Provide solace without comfort
Illuminate without being engulfed

Be right without being righteous
Be humbled without humiliation
Be content without avarice
Be hurt without suffering
Revisit without rancour

Toil without weariness
Persist without approval
Proceed without wavering
Persevere without vindication
Love without reward
Leave without being abandoned

May I always remain in Your Love
without losing faith in You
Amen.

Ultimate Thoughts

by Thomas Heng

The ultimate wealth is Freedom
The ultimate knowledge is Truth
The ultimate measure is Results
The ultimate pain is Regret
The ultimate folly is Greed
The ultimate failure is Inaction
The ultimate gift is Forgiveness
The ultimate peace is Being Oneself
The ultimate wisdom is Knowing the Divine
The ultimate joy is Remaining Connected to the Divine
The ultimate price is Personal Responsibility
The ultimate journey is Life

The full meaning of suffering cannot be adequately comprehended without taking into account the ultimate sacrifice of laying down one's life for the sake of people who scarcely deserve it.

'I am your friend now, rock...'

This essay is written by a 15-year-old student from Singapore.
I find it rather meaningful, so I'm sharing it with you here, enjoy.



'I am your friend now, rock...'
by Chew Chia Shao Wei, Raffles Girls' School

THERE was something vaguely sad about the rock. It was as old as it looked, standing weathered and lonely amidst the stretch of sand, and its thoughts were quiet as it listened to the waves.

The wide unconquerable sea touched the edges of the land like a curious animal in the way it rolled forward eagerly onto the shore. It left the land unwillingly, pulling as it went, grasping for what it could. The sand in the shallow water swirled.

The sea was no stranger to the rock on the beach. The sea came often to the rock, rushing up wetly against its warm grey, and always as it swept away it took an infinitesimal part of the rock with it. The rock had known the waves for a long time, and learned it was in its nature to erode.

One day, the sunlight on the rock was interrupted by a brief darkness in the blurred shape of a bird. The rock, interested, observed the bird winging its way uncertainly about the sky, then landing, presently, on the very rock that wondered about it.

'Where am I?' said the bird, largely to itself, as it gripped the surface of the dark grey rock with its feet and peered out at the sea.

'What are you?' countered the rock.

'I am a bird,' said the bird in surprise.

'You are a rather rude sort of bird,' the rock pointed out calmly. 'I was enjoying the sun when you came and blocked some of it from me.'

Birds exist for a very short while in comparison to rocks, and have less time to develop the exceptional serenity that rocks possess. The bird hopped from one foot to another, flapping its white wings in annoyance.

'You are a big, stupid rock!' the bird cried, its beak clicking irately. 'Funny you should feel so important, when one of these days you will have been reduced by the sea to a tiny grain of sand!'

'Yes,' agreed the rock, surprising the bird yet again, 'I shall feel rather sad when that day comes.'

'Wait, no - you are confusing me - we are in the middle of an argument!'

'I made a comment, and you responded rather explosively, after which I shared with you a private thought in concurrence with something you had said. That was not an argument at all.'

The bird paused mid-hop, disgruntled. 'Well, you are a very well-spoken rock,' it conceded, 'and not at all stupid; I'm sorry.'

The rock hummed peaceably in response and returned to its own thoughts. The bird, feeling wholly ignored, allowed itself to settle down on its newfound perch, and examined mentally the conversation that had just taken place.

Some time passed before the bird spoke again, hesitantly, as if now remembering its manners and unwilling to intrude upon the rock again.

'Rock, will you truly end up one day as nothing more than a grain of sand?'

'I expect so,' the rock rumbled. 'The sea works at me constantly, you know.'

'Is that awfully sad?' asked the passionate bird, who, while given to tempers, was intrinsically kind-hearted.

'Only to those who care,' the rock admitted, 'only to me.'

The bird was deeply moved by this, by the loneliness of the rock and the seeming inevitability of its fate. The bird considered the situation, and felt it must do something to aid the rock. Although their acquaintance had gotten off to a bad start, the bird found it rather liked the warm, rough rock, and was unwilling to leave it alone to the hunger of the sea.

'I care,' volunteered the bird, 'I will do something to help you, rock, if you will let me.'

'No,' said the rock, laughing in a way that did not mock the bird. 'Don't waste your time.'

But the bird had found a cause.

'I am your friend now, rock,' it said, and the rock was touched.

'You are just a bird,' the rock said, 'and you will be able to do nothing.'

The bird did not disagree. 'I will try.'

Over the next few days, the bird tried a variety of ways to get the rock out of harm's way. It started with simple pushing, which had proved futile, and progressed to increasingly creative ideas. On the eighth day, the bird had looped several lengths of seaweed around its friend, in the hopes of being able to pull it further up the shore.

The rock had never observed with much significance the passing of the days, and entire years blurred in its long memory, but this had been a week that would stand out forever. The frustration, the laughter, and the gratitude that the rock had experienced along with the bird would be preserved as colour images amidst a wash of sepia recollections.

The time had come, however, to begin to dissuade the bird of its altruistic notions, lest it exhaust itself with the efforts of the fruitless undertaking.

Bird was picking the rope of seaweed up in its mouth for the seventh time that day when the rock addressed it.

'I do thank you for your efforts,' it began, 'but I am beginning to feel that this was a hopeless enterprise. I know you have expended much energy over it, and it has not gone unappreciated, but perhaps we must stop here.'

The bird dropped the end of the seaweed and made to protest, but the rock would not allow it.

'You have been a faithful friend, but it seems that here I am and here I will remain. The sea works slowly, and I have much time left yet. One day, I will be sand on the beach, but the idea does not bother me so much now.'

The rock did not add that through getting to know the bird, it had realised exactly how much more ephemeral was the life of the bird, and begun to feel selfish for being unsatisfied with the idea of eventually ending up a small grain of sand.

'Let us abandon this pursuit, and instead look to happier things,' the rock ended, hoping to mollify the bird. In truth, it was unsure that the bird, now robbed of his cause, would stick around for much longer, and the thought made it feel a shiver of unhappiness.

The bird, wordlessly, began the task of unwrapping the seaweed it had covered the rock in. There was resignation in its wingtips. When it had finished, it glanced at the rock with which it had spent eight sun-drenched days, then flapped slowly into the distant sky.

The rock watched it go.

The beach was blanketed by night when the rock once again felt the feet of the bird sharp against its surface.

'I am sticking around,' the bird told the rock, 'so you won't forget me, even when you are just a grain of sand.'

The rock said nothing, but it was happy.

The years moved on, then, like they always had. The rock stayed in the same place even as the world changed around the little beach, and the bird, going off frequently on expeditions to see the world, returned always to the rock it had met so long ago.

'Tell me a story,' the rock asked the bird once, as it landed lightly.

'But you are so old and wise, no story would interest you,' teased the bird. It was older now, and it knew ever so much more about the world.

The rock chuckled, and the bird complied. 'I will tell you about the strange things I saw the last time I flew past these cliffs...'

Sometimes, it was the bird that asked for the story.

'The earth was young once,' the rock would begin, in a vivid story of the colours of the wind.

And always, imperceptibly, the years moved on - like they always had.

One morning, a long, long time from the day the bird and the rock had first met, the rock was abruptly aware of a different quality to the day. There was something in the air, maybe, or something about the sea, or the sand - the rock was uncertain, but something was different and wrong. The colours felt wrong, for instance, the sky felt green and the sand was turning white, and the sea when it touched the rock felt hot and cold and hot again.

'Bird...'

That was a strange thing for the rock to do, for it never spoke aloud when it was alone. But it called out anyway, tentatively, 'Bird... Bird...'

The word was snatched away by the wind, but it seemed to echo in the dark beach. The rock was very still, and began to feel something it had never before felt: fear. It spread slowly and coldly like the pink sun rising softly over the horizon, and the rock found that it knew that its friend the bird had died.

'How and why,' the rock murmured numbly to itself, to the sand, to the sea. 'How and why and how and why and why. Goodbye, goodbye, oh, goodbye.' So saying, it slipped gently asleep.

The bird never returned, just as the rock never again expected it to. The rock became silent once more, unused to conversation as it had once been. Its thoughts were numerous but never aired now, and frequently, it thought of its dearest friend, the bird.

As for the years, they moved on like they always had, and the world changed around the rock, just like the world was wont to.

Centuries passed, and there was something vaguely sad about the rock that was as old as it looked, standing weathered and lonely amidst the stretch of sand. And as it listened to the waves, it thought of the sun on its surface, and the bird-shaped shadow that fell just so across the warmth, warmer than the sun itself.

On Love

by Thomas Heng

Love + Loss = Grief

Love + Desire = Lust

Love + Reason = Vanity

Love + Hate = Philosophy

Love + Control = Obsession

Love + Laughter = Euphoria

Love + Longing = Attachment

Love + Words = Law

Love + Action = Justice

Love + Action + Words = Romance

Love + Loss + Desire + Reason + Control + Laughter + Longing + Words + Action = the approximate of the Entirety of the Human Experience

Love diminishes when added to other forms of human expression.

Love simply Is, without compare, for Love originates from that which is Divine.

Oh! for the Infinite Love that transcends all human understanding,

Yet that is the Eternal Legacy embedded within every single soul of Humanity.

On Respect

by Thomas Heng

Realise that while each of us is different, we are altogether not that much different after all
Edify one another through each simple thought, word and deed
Strengthen one another in times of trial, even in the midst of one's own
Place one's emphasis on the other, rather than the self
Encourage one another to share the deepest of emotions through revealing one's own
Clarify one's thoughts through discussions of candour
Thank one another for the audience granted, the support rendered, and the time shared

The Infinite Love

by Thomas Heng

Love initiates through a multitude of circumstances and situations.

Love grows with faith.

Love ends when expectations begin.

Love returns through forgiveness.

The same can be said of once's relationship with the Infinite.

Ministry

This is a piece inspired by the hymn Lord, You Give the Great Commission.

Ministry

by Thomas Heng

The humble individual, while made of mere cosmic dust, is crticially important to the sustenence of all of Creation. While the Infinite creates all there was, is and ever will be, it is incumbent on the individual to respond with the Integrity that has been bestowed by the Infinite, so that the cycle of unity between that which is divine and that which is mundane remains unbroken.

While the cycle remains unbroken through the boundless grace of the Infinite, the individual is not bound to slavery. Alongside the gift of Integrity is the gift of Liberty, which allows for the full expression of the individual, according to the specific gifts that one has been so endowed. Restrictions are but an illusion that the individual imposes on oneself, such that they prevent the completeness and fullness of the Infinite from effectively channeling through oneself to all of Creation.

The reality of the individual's particular role in this Journey cannot be divorced from one's immediate surroundings -- plants, animals, the elements, and other individuals. Each of these constitutes the individual's immediate Community, and responds in perfect accordance to the mysterious and unfathomable system established by the Infinite. For the ultimate purpose of the Journey is to allow the individual to find Infinity within oneself, as well as to recognise and indeed rejoice in the Infinity that resides within one another.

Communities are seemingly disparate, yet these are seen as but one Society in the eyes of the Infinite. It is the continual task of each Community to recognise its limitations in Society's scheme of things, while proceeding to channel its strengths towards the benefit of its own, as well as towards the enhancement of other Communities.

Magnificent though Society may be, it is all too finite. For over time Society waxes and wanes, as it must exhale just as certainly as it must inhale. Society's breath allows it to remain constantly aware of its dependence on Eternity. Such is the power of Eternity that no less than the Infinite can wield it, with Grace, Joy, and Love.

O mystical Infinite!

Thy Grace, Joy and Love

Sustain the individual with Integrity

Strengthen one with your Liberty

Nourish the manifold Community

Unites them into one Society

Preserves us for all Eternity!

Here are the lyrics for the original hymn:-

Lord, You Give the Great Commission

Lord, You give the great commission: “Heal the sick and preach the Word.”
Lest the Church neglect its mission, and the Gospel go unheard,
Help us witness to Your purpose with renewed integrity,
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You call us to Your service: “In My Name baptize and teach.”
That the world may trust Your promise, life abundant meant for each,
Give us all new fervor, draw us closer in community.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You make the common holy: “This My body, this My blood.”
Let us all, for earth’s true glory, daily lift life heavenward,
Asking that the world around us share your children’s liberty
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You show us love’s true measure: “Father, what they do, forgive.”
Yet we hoard as private treasure all that You so freely give.
May Your care and mercy lead us to a just society.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, you bless with words assuring: “I am with you to the end.”
Faith and hope and love restoring, may we serve as you intend
And, amid the cares that claim us, hold in mind eternity.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

On Civilisation

Humankind's existence borders on the illusionry, and the word legacy has been very much abused. Significant our (dubious) achievements may well be, many of the modern trappings our society has lauded will not stand the test of time. In all likelihood once the last humans have disappeared off the face of the planet, the Civilisations on this Earth will be reduced to the fragile dust in which it originated, and will ultimately be reclaimed by the Nature of old within 10,000 years. 

Not that it would really matter to us by then. Schools of thought abound regarding the after-life, and range from animal reincarnations to alien evolution. Perhaps our collective memories will be retrieved by some alien archaeologist, or perhaps we could ship these out to one of our satelites for more permanent storage.

Ultimately, I believe that efforts to add some semblance of permanence into our footprint are relatively futile. For such moments of historical significance more often than not pale in substance when compared to the little snippets of joyful daily living that we have been called to engage in. 

If collecting past glories be fair, and planning future conquests be good, then treasuring the present be divine.

The 99 Club

Accordingly to an old folk tale, a king wanted to find out the source of one's happiness. A wise advisor suggested that the king secretly place a bag of 99 gold coins outside the house of the servant who seemed happiest to the king. So the king did as he was advised, and one night he went to the servant's house secretly, and placed a bag of 99 gold coins outside the door. 

The next morning, the servant opened the door and was thrilled to see the bag of coins. He counted the coins, there were 99 of them. Puzzled, the servant counted them again, and there were 99 coins just the same. Now the servant was sure that no one would leave a bag of 99 coins; he was certain that there was one coin missing, and began to search everywhere for it. Before long, this once-cheerful servant who was given the gift of 99 coins became frustrated and angry about the alleged missing coin, and showed up for work at the palace in the foulest mood everyone in the palace had seen since, well, since next to never!

Beware the insidious trap that is the 99 Club. The ways of this Club lead to people to find sorrow in every joy, suspicion in every intent, doubt in every faith, excuse in every cause, inaction in every choice, uncertainty in every step, malcontent in every event. Sometimes it may be better to consider the possibility that the blessings one receives, no matter how inadequate to human eyes, are in fact complete in themselves. 

Rather than pursue imaginary gains, one may do well to celebrate the victories one already has on hand.

Rather than mourn past losses, one may do well to take stock of what one can learn from such experiences, in order to gain from future opportunities.

Beyond the Flow

by Thomas Heng

Descent

Trapped in one's thoughts

Wrapped in one's woes

Torn by tumult

Worn by worry

Ascension

Overpowering doubt through faith

Overcoming darkness with light

Striving towards excellence

Stretching beyond limits

Transcendence 

Be beyond the flow

See beyond what is

Gaze into all there is

Absorb all things while remaining pure

Calmness amidst strife

Peace amongst euphoria

Balance without struggle

Simplicity within complexity

Governance and Management

by Thomas Heng

Management of self is trivial; one cannot function effectively without at least consciously being in control of oneself.

Governance of others is equally trivial; one need only lay down the law clearly for others in order to define right from wrong.

There are few things more difficult to manage than the management of others, for others can never be fully under one's control.

There are even fewer things more difficult to govern than the governance of self, to act with fullness of purpose despite all emotions to the contrary; such is the purpose of one's life.

On Courage

Courage is the persistence to demonstrate the validity of one's beliefs despite the awareness of one's apprehensions. Society plays but a secondary role in determining one's actions in the ultimate analysis, although it must be clarified that the two are not mutually exclusive by any stretch of the imagination. Far be it for me to claim that only the anti-social, counter-cultural elements of society can be said to be courageous; some of them may in fact be running away or avoiding from that which is their genuine purpose. 

Courage is found in both the dramatic and the mundane. The journalist that gives his/her life in order to accurately communicate the truth about repressive regimes in war-torn areas of the world; the parent who disciplines the child firmly but gently, so that the child knows the importance of respecting boundaries of space and time; or even the strength of someone afflicted with an incurable illness to keep striving for the next meal when the authorities, society and loved ones stack increasingly insurmountable odds against him/her.

A prime example of Courage in Singapore is when MP Christopher de Souza defied party lines to oppose the passing of the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA). Rare is the man who stands up for what he believes in, despite all opposition to the contrary. For this little act, you'll go down in history, so take a bow, Chris...