Been wanting to blog about this for ages.....
At the end of the movie, The Dark Knight (Batman2), Batman sacrificed his reputation, image & freedom of movement for the city. He continues to help the citizens, at no price. Not even asking for recognition or appreciation. He just does what is right.
This brings me back to something mentioned in Sun Tzu's Art of War. The true strategist is often the unknown. Nobody will applause him for his wits, his strategic achievements, his brilliance. Why? Because it will seem that all the battles he fought are all easy battles, a sure win. No chance for heroic show-offs. Thus, a truly good strategist has to be one who does not carve for reputation, rewards or appreciation. In fact, sometimes, people may even jeer him for cowardice, for always fighting the easy battles.
Back to reality. How many of us can truly put in our heart and soul for somebody else without asking for appreciation, or even to let somebody else take the credit for the good of the whole? You probably won't ask for it consciously. But when the days go bad, the thoughts will come - "I did so much for him/her/them/it, just that they do not know, and I still have to take this nonsense.", or "It's just that you do not know, but I did those works. I just let him have the credit."
I think it takes a really confident and high esteem individual to reach the level of Batman or the true strategist Sun Tzu talked about - the ultimate level of humility. It's a level I wanna work towards, but not sure if I'll ever reach. Till date, I'm don't think I've met a person who is truly at that level. But then, they're hard to notice because of their outward insignificance.
Aug 31, 2008
Aug 13, 2008
Letting Go
Once there was a very famous wood carver. The animals he carved on wooden frames look so realistic and life-like. One day, the emperor summoned him and ask him for the secret behind his brilliant wood carvings.
He said, "I'm just a simple wood carver. What secret can I have? But if you really must know, before every job, I'll fast for a week in the forest."
Apparently, this allows him to let go of what's not important.
After 2 days of the fast, he'll start to let go of profits and rewards. Letting go of the profits & rewards that the job will/may bring. The profits no longer matter.
After 4-5 days, he'll start to let go of his reputation. It no longer matters to him what people may think about him and his carvings. Be it praises or criticisms, it no longer matter. Whether he does a good or bad job, it doesn't matter.
After a week, he'll start to let go of his self. His biases, emotions, thoughts, character etc.
When he reaches this stage, he'll break away from his meditation and look for a tree. He merely picks the tree that has the best "animal form" in it. So his carving is merely bringing the beauty out of the tree.
Because he was able to let go completely, he was able to see the reality for what it really is, together with all its subtleties. Because he was able to let go, his emotional and mental states were no hindrances, because they no longer matter, they do not "exist", and they do not cloud.
He said, "I'm just a simple wood carver. What secret can I have? But if you really must know, before every job, I'll fast for a week in the forest."
Apparently, this allows him to let go of what's not important.
After 2 days of the fast, he'll start to let go of profits and rewards. Letting go of the profits & rewards that the job will/may bring. The profits no longer matter.
After 4-5 days, he'll start to let go of his reputation. It no longer matters to him what people may think about him and his carvings. Be it praises or criticisms, it no longer matter. Whether he does a good or bad job, it doesn't matter.
After a week, he'll start to let go of his self. His biases, emotions, thoughts, character etc.
When he reaches this stage, he'll break away from his meditation and look for a tree. He merely picks the tree that has the best "animal form" in it. So his carving is merely bringing the beauty out of the tree.
Because he was able to let go completely, he was able to see the reality for what it really is, together with all its subtleties. Because he was able to let go, his emotional and mental states were no hindrances, because they no longer matter, they do not "exist", and they do not cloud.
Aug 5, 2008
Youth
Was rewatching a Cantonese serial, and there was one message that was often repeated by the lead actor.
Know what's the thing about being young and youthful? It's being daring to try, to be adventurous, to dare to venture and fall. At least years down the road, there's no regrets. To be able to stand up tall and say, "I was foolish once. I was silly once. I was crazy once. I've failed numerous times, but at least I've tried. I've experimented. I've experienced."
Was telling M last night... Chance of succeeding at first attempt is real slim, but I'm still gonna try. At least even if I failed, I know at least I tried. I don't want to live with the regret, "what if I had tried?" So if I fail the first time, I'll try a second time.
One very important thing people should learn (and I'm still learning) is to let go. Let go of failures, and move on. With this, it's lots easier to let go of a failed attempt than an unknown. Having not tried means having to live with an unknown, having to live with the message: "what if I've tried?"
So, youth is not determined by age, but by the courage to try, the courage to fail. At least there's an attempt. I don't wanna go back to my former mentality: "What's the point of trying? Sure fail one." Sure fail, but at least I tried. At least it's circumstances that determined my failure, and not my mind.
Know what's the thing about being young and youthful? It's being daring to try, to be adventurous, to dare to venture and fall. At least years down the road, there's no regrets. To be able to stand up tall and say, "I was foolish once. I was silly once. I was crazy once. I've failed numerous times, but at least I've tried. I've experimented. I've experienced."
Was telling M last night... Chance of succeeding at first attempt is real slim, but I'm still gonna try. At least even if I failed, I know at least I tried. I don't want to live with the regret, "what if I had tried?" So if I fail the first time, I'll try a second time.
One very important thing people should learn (and I'm still learning) is to let go. Let go of failures, and move on. With this, it's lots easier to let go of a failed attempt than an unknown. Having not tried means having to live with an unknown, having to live with the message: "what if I've tried?"
So, youth is not determined by age, but by the courage to try, the courage to fail. At least there's an attempt. I don't wanna go back to my former mentality: "What's the point of trying? Sure fail one." Sure fail, but at least I tried. At least it's circumstances that determined my failure, and not my mind.
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