Don't release animals on Vesak Day ?

Its Vesak Day tomorrow. and i came across this news article on Asiaone.

"Releasing animals free on Vesak Day may be a kind act but it actually causes more harm than good. " This is the appeal to members of the public from the National Parks Board (NParks), together with its partners PUB, the national water agency, SPCA, SPH Foundation, the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.

When i was young, mum would always bring us to buy birds to set free, symbolising "放生". It is supposedly to accumulate merits for us. Of cos, being young, i dun question what and why. As i grow older, and as i experience life, i also am able to start thinking about more profound stuff, like, "WHY wait till a specific date or time or festival to do good deeds?", or behaving in impeccable behaviour during certain period.

Like many people tend to release animals during a major taoist or buddhist festival. Its a ceremony that was brought down by the old folks in the house. My question is, why wait till a specific date? Everyday, every hour, every minute, we are doing things, that will affect us. You can be scolding someone you dun like, or cursing or swearing, and you can be releasing animals the next minute. So, will you be blessed just simply you set free lives? Or, will you be punished for bad-mouthing? Chicken and egg question, isn't it?

I am no saint, and i probably will never qualify as one. I do enjoy eating my meat (no, i dun take beef, mutton or anything "exotic"), love my beer and wine etc... but i do know that doing good things dun just stop at one. it doesnt stop at just a specific moment, when we do good deeds with a hidden agenda.

All i know is that i have to seek my conscience clear, when i am doing anything. This sounds very "preachy" and boring, but like i say, the objective of this blog is to discuss abt life. Anything more gossipy or interesting, you should refer to the other blog @ http://jazzjewel.spaces.live.com

Birth

running out of materials to write... or perhaps i havent attain enough enlightenment? since its bday of a special good pal, perhaps the focus for today's blog shall be on "Birth".

i always thot that the life cycle of "Birth, Age, Sick, Dead" is very very amazing. How so? Its always a very heart pounding experience for me, when i see "New Born Babies". Excited to see new lives coming into this "Not-too-bad, but-not-too-fantastic" world. The first air they smell, the first fuzzy sight they see, and the first sound they hear, all promise to be an exciting new arena for them. But, these are pretty superficial too. Why superficial? Because give the babies another few months, and what they smell, see and hear, will be different. They will start to smell foul air, see ugly happenings, and hear horrible arguments.

Well, how a baby develops, depends greatly on the family upbringing, as well as the environment around it. I am one, who strongly believes the saying, of "what you sow, will be what you reap". If you display perfect manners, positive habits, properly structured sentences, to a baby, you can be pretty assured that chances of the baby-turned-kid, will be positively trained.

Similarly, if crass speeches, rude behaviours and selfish thinkings are constantly showered onto the kid, don't be surprise that the kid will score countless As in the "Bad Conduct" category. Afterall, pardon my uncouth saying," you pass out what you eat."

Well, although i abide by the "sow and reap" concept, i certainly do not want to have my kid grow up to be full of mannerisms, slang the english language like nobody's business, or someone who cannot learn to fight back, even after being bulllied. I guess, everything needs to be done in moderation. How nice if people start commenting ,"arwww.. he's such a sweet thing.. full of manners and good social behaviour, but too bad, behaves like a "gu-niang"...? That will hurt too!

While its important to keep up with the pace, i think its very important too, to maintain good pressure system. I hope i will slap myself in the future, for having ever said that. But i am gonna try my best, to learn to accept that my kid has done his best in whatever he does, and whatever consequences will be his fruits of labour.