Our Courage

The courage of life like conquer Mountain Kinabalu is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.

To be courageous requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all. Politics merely furnishes one arena which imposes special tests of courage. In whatever arena of life one may meet challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience – the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men – such man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient –they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they can’t supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.

量大福报大

亲爱的母亲：

每当放假回家，您都会向我倾诉爸爸的不是，但爸爸却不会因此而动怒，他听而不闻，视之无睹。始终无动于衷，因爸爸的量大，福报大。
我们常常最难看见的就是自己----平 日都是张着眼睛向外看，把别人称斤论两，把世事说长道短，殊不知自己在其中啊！如能跳脱开来，把自己也当成观看的对象，事理才真能看得清，分得开。
心如要保持常常快乐，就必须不要把人与人之间的事当成是非，有些人常常活在烦恼，因为别人一句无心的话，他却有意的接受。
祝：心开福就来

A Journey To Mountain Kinabalu

Have you ever wandered what it feels like to have the first sunlight through your eye? It is an amazing experience. Standing quietly on Low’s Peak with my friends and colleagues in the cold pre-dawn hours, we saw the clouds rolled slowly towards to us, and as our surroundings gradually became misty the dawn broke on the horizon and filled the sky with brilliant colour.

How are dare to scale the Low’s Peak of Mountain Kinabalu will know that was challenging. Trekking up the Mesilau trail was tough as we encountered 80 degree steps with no railings and tall rocks with no ropes to help us climb up, plus we had to jump on slippery rocks with shaky knees.

During the 8 hour walk to Laban Rata, our goal on the first phase of the climb, we braved freezing rain and winds. I felt so vulnerable but I kept plodding on, telling myself that every five steps I took were better than nothing at all.

About 2 km from Laban Rata, my body felt numb but the cold wind was merciless and I could feel sharp pains all over. By that time, it was sheer instinct that drove me and my compatriots forward in the dark. We had made arrangements to stay at Laban Rata Hut and I had to walk to get there after we having our dinner at Laban Rata Rest House about 4 pm. More discouragingly, there was a blackout and the temperature hovered around less than 9 Celsius. Despite being dressed full climbing gear, I struggled to stay warm for a few hours before the climb at 2 am.

After the briefing by the Head Guide – Gardis, 10 of us set set off on our journey to the peak at 2:30 am. When we reached the rocky cliffs after Sayat-Sayat check point, we were strictly reminded not to let go of the rope. The sheer cliff was nearly at a 70 degree angle and very slippery without wearing the mountain shoe name Adidas Malaysia. So physically, I was pushed to the limit.

But in the end it was all worth it when 6 or our group reached Low’s Peak and I mad it to South’s Peak; I felt whole range of emotions that brought pride, freedom, relief and joy. I have a camera to capture the moment before the Mountain Guide chase us down, and I stood quietly absorbing every second of God’s wonderful creation.

自造福田，自得福缘

亲爱的母亲：

爸爸的抽屉里收藏着各式各样的杂物，其中最为人感动的是数张献捐寺庙的收据以及一张捐助某某女士的医药单据。虽然爸爸受教育不多，但却懂得发挥其功能。他虽无腰藏万贯，但乐于助人。他无广夏千间，但能尽其所能，广交善缘，益心公益。人只要有心就有福，有愿就有力，自造福田，自得福缘。
爸爸懂得把握时机与因缘做好事，如果因缘消逝才想做就来不及了。有些人总是想要做好事，但都想等到自己有钱，或有机会时再去做，须知人生无常啊！只要有因缘，哪怕是一点一滴的力量，也要赶快去做。力量，因缘会合起来，就是无量公德。祝：功德无量。