關於 sense of language ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

快開學了！
🧐大家知道嗎 ? 根據研究顯示，親子共讀有益於提升親子關係，對孩子的腦部發育、語言發展也大有幫助喔！

特別是在學英文的過程中，家長也可透過共讀的方式，用英語童書或兒歌練唱等方式，除了增加孩子的興趣外，也能培養英文語感和表達能力。

有鑒於此，#衛福部國民健康署 特別推出親子共讀推廣影片，鼓勵父母多陪伴孩子共讀，想知道更多共讀小技巧，一起來看影片了解吧😊

➡ 影片傳送門🔗 https://youtu.be/Gj57fXpstVo

------------------------------------------------

Studies have shown that parent-child shared reading is beneficial to enhance the parent-child relationship, and it is also very helpful for children's brain development and language development.

In the process of promoting the bilingual nation policy,
we encourage parents to gradually increase English story books or nursery rhymes time. And that will help to cultivate children’s sense of the English language and expression.

The Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare has specially launched a "Parent-Child Shared Reading science educational" video which includes Chinese-English bilingual content.

It is hoped that this video will inspire more parents to read with their children and to start as soon as possible.

Click below to see more tips about parent-child shared reading.

> Parent-Child Shared Reading science educational video🔗 https://youtu.be/Gj57fXpstVo

#2030雙語國家政策
#BilingualNation2030

我們到底應該用哪一種英文口音溝通?

真的要看同學的目的和說話場合是什麼。

若是為了跟聽眾產生共鳴，那可能用他們熟悉的口音和說話方式，你說的話才會直達到他們的心坎裡。

同學來看一下Presentality分析李光耀 (新加坡開國最主要的領導人)與人民溝通的方式和他選擇使用的口音。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 不知為何，幾天前我的 Youtube 突然推薦了前新加坡總理李光耀 (Lee Kuan Yew) 接受西方媒體採訪的影片。

我知道很多名人說李光耀是他們最敬佩的領導人之一，但我從來沒看過他說話的影片， 我就決定來看看他是否真的很會溝通。

結果，我的天啊，太強大了。

就算影片是幾十年前的，影像跟聲音的畫質都不是很好，你還是可以感受到他講話的力道、威嚴、還有魅力:

https://youtu.be/VexrmTacOAA

我們就來解析他的一些溝通及說話技巧吧。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 如果這是你第一次聽他說話，你第一個注意到的，很可能是他的英文有多流利。畢竟人家可是在英國劍橋大學受教育的，英文根本就是母語。

但除了口音之外，最能展現語文能力的，是他的用字遣詞。

選擇有效的字眼，及潛在意義。

當第一位記者問他，他對美國在越戰使用武力的看法時（有點敏感啊！），他的回答，每個字都選擇的很巧妙。

*我把值得注意的幾個字，用大寫標示起來：

I would like to see a great deal more CAUTION, a more SELECTIVE EXERCISE of your enormous range of weapons you’ve got, and more BRAINS AND FEET — preferably Vietnamese brains and feet — rather than more power and GADGETRY.

他回答這個問題的時候當然要小心，不能過度批評美國政府，所以他選的字，也符合了這位記者想要表達的 “restraint” (克制)

•Caution — 會比 “Should use power more carefully” 要來的更溫和 (你可以自己唸出來看看，連 caution 的字本身都比較柔和)。

•Selective — 他不告訴美國怎麼使用武力，只是說 be selective，就是要選擇性的使用。

•Brains and feet, rather than gadgetry — 這邊也很巧妙，把當地的人，用 brains and feet 來代表，更能強調他們的長處，比 “local people” 更能夠有說服力。而且他選擇 gadgetry — 就是 fancy tools 的意思，但其實就是武器，但如果他說武器就太直白了，說成 “fancy tools” 又可以強調這個的短處，讓人覺得沒錯，brains and feet 確實比較好。

他能夠選擇好的字眼的原因，其中當然有他受過的教育、以及過去累積的經驗。但同樣重要的，是他不疾不徐的風格。

如果我們把他現場說出上面那段話的每個停頓點寫出來，變成分行，會變成這樣：

I would like…

… to see a great deal more caution…
… a more selective exercise of…
your…
enormous range of weapons you’ve got, and uh…
more brains and feet…

他幾乎每幾個字就會停頓一下，不但給自己時間思考，也可以表現出深思熟慮的感覺。

適時的停頓，可以讓你沈穩、有力!

停頓加上強調字眼的力道有多強大，我們看接下來這段就知道了，這也是我整個訪談中最喜歡的一段之一，在影片中的 17分25秒左右開始。

他對記者表示，他這次來美國，是要看美國人對於越戰，是否真的有決心。

我同樣把他停頓的地方分行，而且用大寫，表示他特別強調的字：

You MUST demonstrate, and which…
I’ve really come here to understand better…
is whether YOU…
as a PEOPLE…
have got that resolution (註：不是解決的意思喔，是決心)…
that stamina, that perseverance, AND…
most important of all…
*這裡明顯放慢速度，還對聽眾眨眼一下
infinite patience, AND…
*這裡一個超級長的停頓…
the capacity to hold back…
your desire to settle this quickly and get it over with, because this is a very different kind of war…
The other side is not in uniform. You are.

*還記得我們上次提到的長短句交錯嗎？這一段是不是就有用到這個原則呢？

我相信看上面的一段，就可以感受到他說話的力道，但還是推薦大家去看影片。這段話他 deliver 出去的方式，實在太好了。

尤其是說到 “infinite patience” 的時候，他整個把音拉的超級長，似乎想要讓很長很長的音，來讓聽眾感受到那個 “infinite”。

Note: 這是另一個演講技巧：就是讓你的音調、語氣、音量等等，來傳達字面上的意思。沈重的訊息，就用低沈緩慢的方式來說。要強調時間很長或過的很慢，就把字句的音本身拉長等等。

他連說到這段的時候，臉上的表情都很有趣，好像在跟美國人上一課：

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 Speaking the Audience’s Language

李光耀也很會看聽眾來調整自己的溝通方式。

如上面提到，李光耀上面對西方媒體說話的用字，都是比較有學問的，完全展示他的知識水平。畢竟東方人到了西方，不能被看貶。如果他說的是 highly-educated English，西方聽眾會比較覺得 ah he’s on our level!

你看看他對自己生涯的回顧，寫的多文雅：

I am not given to making sense out of life — or coming up with some grand narrative on it — other than to measure it by what you think you want to do in life.

他不是寫 “I don’t try to make sense of life”，而是 “I am not given to making sense out of life”。他還在後面加個 “grand narrative”。滿文學的。

但他跟自己國家的老百姓說話，就不是這樣了，也不能這樣。

把上面他跟西方媒體訪談的英文，與下面這個對新加坡人民做的演說相比，就很明顯了。甚至連口音也變了！

https://youtu.be/bGMKiv8-bzM

開頭他說：

I hope to tell you what merger means, why it’s good for all of us, why it’s coming, and why some people are deliberately creating trouble and difficulty…

很白話文對不對？

他就是一個很會看聽眾說話的人。當地媒體就曾經指出...

📌 完整文章請參考Presentality! Learn from their experience and expertise!

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 我以前一直認為，反正新加坡不算個民主，李光耀完全掌權，當然可以照他自己的意思去做事情。但看完這些影片，讀了一些分析，發現我想錯了。

新加坡這麼小的地方，沒什麼資源，周圍環繞著這麼多的勢力，不但有東南亞的大國們，也有外來的勢力：美國、英國、澳洲、日本等等… 他是如何在這麼複雜的歷史背景下，不只持續掌權，生存，而且還打造今天的新加坡？

我相信他的溝通能力，一定是關鍵：對不同的勢力，在不同的時機點，用對的故事跟語言，傳達他需要傳達的訊息。

It’s not just about speaking. It’s about speaking to achieve your goals.

★★★★★★★★★★★★

相關詞彙:

•accent 口音，腔調
•pronunciation 發音
•enunciate 清楚地念（字）；清晰地發（音）
•intonation （尤指對話語意義有影響的）語調，聲調
•intelligibility 可解度，清晰度，可懂度，明瞭度，可理解性

BBC發音相關文章:
https://www.bbc.com/ukchina/trad/vert-fut-43590187

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創立於1986年的石門金剛宮風景優美可眺望北濱，雖主祀四面佛，儒釋道眾神尊也不含糊，可過七星橋解厄、繞行五百黝黑羅漢敲鑼印心、跪拜亞洲最大臥佛涅槃像，安太歲自不在話下，甲子太歲爺雙眼長出手掌印象甚深，1994年經閻羅王指示廟公建造一條肚內設極樂世界及陰曹地府之神龍，行走暗黑通道觸動感應機關，只見面容猙獰受刑者呼天搶地喊冤、身邊盡是血肉糢糊殘肢敗屍腦漿塗地，十殿閻羅各司其職、威儀攝人。新北市林口區青嶺湖北文紫祥宮包公廟則以壁面彩塑地獄浮雕獨步全台，粉嫩色彩搭配卡漫風格，尤為造型簡直恐怖到可愛透頂，該廟主祀森羅殿閻羅天子包拯（包青天），陽世冤屈者可至此參拜祭解，求破懸案者眾，逢中元普渡皆以紙紮船渡亡魂至彼岸，全台唯一閻羅天子巨像籌備中，四周環繞墓地，適合修不淨觀也。台灣首尊彰化八卦山大佛旁南天宮（1971）地府則是首座電動地府，規模精小但驚嚇度破表，略顯破敗但五光十色仍蠻凶悍，出自已故台南大道長金登富之作，而電動神明起始可追溯至1960年代北港朝天宮。倒是嘉義水上鄉白人牙膏觀光工廠「戴相府」、「將軍府」設置十殿地府出乎意料之外，乾淨亮麗、ㄧ殿ㄧ間、簡單樸實。由高雄蓮潭龍虎塔龍口入內可見全臺唯一交趾陶地獄牆面，尊尊栩栩如生，續入龍身乃進聞聲救苦白衣觀音大士三十三化身浮雕隧道，造型設色甚為古錐。高雄大岡山超峰寺入口處「西方三聖蓮池海會」（阿彌陀佛、觀世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩巨像）旁設靜態十殿閻羅（1970年代初），雖略為陳舊然韻味猶存，續往上行可抵「證菩提道－釋迦如來應化事迹」雕塑園區，一攬世尊畢生精華。如來年邁時，琉璃國王為報長期被釋迦族輕蔑之傲慢心，世尊雖三次單獨伽跌坐 阻擋大軍進攻之路，但因緣果報無法逆轉，昔日婢女所生王子瞋恨無以復加，還是滅了祖國。自持神通第一目犍連不忍無辜百姓慘遭屠殺，遂以缽盛救度五百族人，最終卻化為血水，佛言神通廣大仍不敵千百劫業力，因緣果報屢試不爽。其母死後墜入餓鬼道飢餓難耐，目犍連遂展神通救渡，但所食尚未入口皆化為赤火，佛陀囑咐農曆七月十五日僧眾解安居自恣日，於盆中設甘露美食供養十方僧眾，因此超度亡母。後世「盂蘭盆法會」乃至「水懺法會」、「瑜珈焰口法會 」皆為消業障、斷塵垢之超渡儀軌，既渡亡魂也自懺悔。

台南麻豆代天府規模宏大、造型豔麗，不但可遊十八層地獄尚可逛天堂（1979年興建，1983年開放)，燈光絢爛、聲響駭人，獨自漫步宛如觀落陰、地獄走一回。先過「心頭山」、入「清心池」、進「陰陽界」、抵「交簿廳」、達「鬼門關」、遊「補經所」、探「枉死城」、行「奈何橋」，至ㄧ殿泰廣王照「孽鏡台」現造惡原形，睹抱柱、火床等小地獄。二殿楚江王開「陰查簿 」判案定奪，觀糞尿泥、餓鬼、舞池、寒冰、膿血、鞭韃、舌犁、劍葉、戟腹拋接、砧截……等小地獄。三殿宋帝王刑罰為倒吊、銅鐵刮臉、挖眼、搗樁、倒烤、吸血、穿肋、抽筋、蛆蛀等小地獄……兼遊「四生（胎、卵、濕、化）回魂府」。四殿五官王掌管腰斬、拔舌、沸湯、刺嘴、剝皮、箭樹、車崩、射眼……等十六小地獄。隨五殿森羅王豋「望鄉臺」回眸親人最終眼後觀擊膝、誅心、刀山、飛刀火石……小地獄。六殿卞城王別稱「大叫喚大地獄」，轄火牛、虎啖、噬腎、鉗嘴含鍼、釘喉、磨摧、砍頭……等小地獄。七殿泰山王為「熱惱大地獄」，窺烙手指、抽腸、頂石蹲身、油釜滾烹、割舌穿腮……等十六小地獄。八殿都市王掌管「大熱惱大地獄」兼火狗、鐵汁、鐵蛇、鋸劈斷肢、釘板、灸脊、鐵丸、磅秤……等小地獄。九殿平等王直轄十八層「阿鼻大地獄」，直透地心、內中陰森、不見五指、滿溢地漿，皆為極犯，另轄紫赤毒蛇鑽孔、夾頂、鐵鴉、針雨、蜂蠍……等小地獄。至十殿輪轉王上「觀生臺」、「轉劫所八司」（查驗司 、稽善司 、考過司 、恩怨司 、壽命司 、支配司、掌劫司 、授生司）後至「孟婆亭」飲「醧忘湯」忘盡前塵往事，依前世功德過金、銀、玉、石、木、竹六種橋樑至「轉輪臺（紫河車）」入六道輪迴轉生投胎。據《十八泥犁經》記載，人過世後七七四十九天為「中陰生」，經閻羅王審判善惡業力判定去留或懲罰百千萬劫，犯五逆重罪則墮入「無間地獄（阿鼻地獄）」永劫不復。地藏王乃幽冥教主，統轄十殿閻羅，逢三曹普渡便在各殿設「講道所」超度尚存善根之鬼魂。

人類居於五趣（阿修羅、人、傍生、餓鬼、地獄）雜居地五濁惡世之堪忍世界，犯十惡業（殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、兩舌、惡口、綺語、貪慾、嗔恚、愚痴）者必墮三趣惡道。如何出「三界」（欲界、色界、無色界）二十八天？凡人無此意識，別說能破「十二因緣」（無明、行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死）還滅門，更別想斷除「四聖諦」（苦、集、滅、道）集地八十一品見惑與八十八使思惑（五利使-身見、邊見、邪見、見取見、戒禁取見、五鈍使-貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑），了悟「五蘊」（色、受、想、行、識）本空、「十二入」（眼、耳、鼻、舌、意、色、聲、香、味、觸、法）空、「十八界」空，破俱生我執與分別我執、法執甚至空執，生十一處「善心所」（信、精進、慚、愧、無貪、無瞋、無痴、輕安、不放逸、行捨、不害），降二十六處「惡心所」（貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑、惡見、忿、恨、覆、惱、嫉、慳、誑、諂、害、憍、無慚、無愧、掉舉、惛沉、不信、懈怠、放逸、失念、散亂、不正知），須知善根斷盡則陷永劫輪迴、無垠轉世之苦。

地獄可能空滅嗎？若地獄空乏人間多鬼怪，地獄淨空世間何嘗非淨土？若能證空性何處現地獄？

地獄曠古來便廣泛流傳各部族間，老死生滅為自然運行之基礎、宇宙意識之核心，然今文明昌盛如咱城邦並非慾望消弭之所，惡性所及實無可根除，礙於憲法國家法律社會軍隊企業公司學校家庭團體之層層束縛不亞於十八層，乃遁於壓抑、束己情懷，暗埋心底、日久貪嗔痴慢疑怨噌會疊穢。而六塵未熄，心多妄念，妖魔鬼怪魑魅魍魎孤魂閃靈出沒於荒郊乃至人間，會靈於曠野密林以增性靈乃出世高人修煉之舉，我等凡人擅闖宛如迪士尼般之人造地獄，三魂七魄尚不足以出竅，驚邪恐怖淒厲猙獰倒滿足了自以為是的慚愧，豈不謬哉？

病毒肆虐年半有餘，全球確診者逼近一億八千萬，枉死者近四百萬，堪比戰爭規模，望眾生發慈悲心、令往生者安息、善待其他物種、平等有情眾生。地獄本空，唯妄念生起一切羨慕嫉妒恨而地獄現前。盡以此書作為世界新冷戰獨裁者、超限戰者、暗網駭客、陰險狡猾冷嘲熱諷落井下石者之良知備忘錄矣。

姚瑞中寫於2021年端午節

Postscript

I have been living recklessly in Taiwan for more than fifty years. According to Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), Tan Lang is the sole star in my house of Self. This star, which represents xxx, forms an equilateral triangle with that star Qi Sha and Po Jun on the square chart and constitutes a Sha Po Lang pattern. The pattern indicates a kind of turbulence and change, a life of wandering with ups and downs and it tells a lot about my life. After my ill-fated youth, I started from scratch and traveled around the world with exhibitions that I participated. Like a flaneur, I wandered around ruins, nature, and temples with every type of film camera obliviously. Thus, I founded the Hall of Illusion and claimed to be the master of the hall. Several times a day, I pondered a quote from the Diamond Sutra, “Everything with form is unreal.” In addition, I usually stayed in the darkroom developing film and enlarging those negatives overnight. However, I treasured the simplicity of the black and white world. The earthly, gaudy, garish, phony and pleasing qualities within colored photos make the images even more realistic than the real world. It is not my cup of tea, so I seldom took colored photos. In Confucian thought, the age of fifty marks the stage knowing the mandate of Heaven. I am now at my fifties and realize how ephemeral human life is. However, I am not an immortal, nor having sagelike characteristics. I just learned that the stage of stainless (the second bhūmi) and develop a pure mind that is free from doubt and defilement. However, I’m still far from the immovable state and need to practice.

In the summer of 2017, after filming the work Incarnation, I experienced a severe heart rhythm problem which almost triggered myocardial infarction and could have killed me. Consequently, I realized that death was waiting for me and the life is too short to figure out how I can liberate myself from the cycle of Birth and Death. I couldn’t comprehend how to be free from all afflictions and worries and how to avoid delusive ideas. I wept for three days and nights after being enlightened by Shakyamuni Buddha. Up to the moment, I felt ashamed that I failed to realize that the self is as insignificant as dust after these years learning and practicing Buddhism. Since then, I have visited famous temples and monasteries in my spare time, worshiping Buddha, Bodhisattvas, arhats, and all the deities and immortals. Taiwan’s temples are myriad with a enormous number of sects, including Buddhism, Taoism, Yiguandao, Catholicism, Christianity, Chinese religions of fasting, Islam& Baháʼí Faith, Confucianism, Tiandiism& Tian-De Teachings, Xiwangmu cult, Yellow Emperor Sect, Precosmic Salvationism, Liism, World Wide Ethical Society, séance cult, etc. Some people even claim that they can mediate communication between the deities or spirits of the dead with human beings, having their believer rely on themselves instead of the orthodox dharma or dogma and pay excessive respect and admiration for the mediums or objects, accumulating wealth through such an unfair means or even harassing their believer sexually. Due to Taiwan’s historical changes, social turbulence, political struggles, and ideological issues, Buddhism and Taoism are somehow mixed. However, there are few emphases on the concept of the hell. As I took photographs of Yama of each court, judges, wardens of the underworld, jailers, General Fan and Hsieh (the ghost escorts) and all sinners, I found few temples cleverly created hellish scenes that are intriguing, exaggerating, and extraordinary. However, the creations are unparalleled unique. I have been studying Western arts for decades and then I came to realize that simplicity makes the most beautiful works of art. These hellish scenes can even compete with works of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) and Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564).

Jingang Temple Shimen District, founded in 1986, overlooks the beautiful North shore. Although the temple is mainly dedicated to Phra Phrom (the Thai representation of Mahabrahma), spirits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism can also be founded in the temple. The worshipper can go cross the Seven Star bridge to relieve bad luck, walk along the five hundred arhat statues and knock on the gong to affirm one’s Buddha nature. Furthermore, the worshipper can also prostrate themself before Asia’s largest statue of Buddha in Nirvana (the Reclining Buddha statue) and pacify the Taoist Tai Sui deity of the year. I was impressed by the Jia-Zi Tai Sui General that a pair of palms grow out of his eyes. In 1994, the biō-kong (the person taking charge of the temporal affairs of a temple) received a divine inspiration from Yama (the King of Hell) that he had to build a sacred hall in the shape of a divine dragon, with the interior designed according to the World of Ultimate Bliss and the Underworld. When the visitor walks in the dark hallway, they will see the tortured people (dioramas, of course) scrunching their faces and crying bitterly and loudly in excessive grief as the visitor triggers the mechanism. One will even find them in the midst of flesh, body liquid and blood, mutilated limbs, and rotten corpses. While each of the ten Yamas are focusing on their own duties, showing their sacred dignity that collect visitors’ attention. The Baogong Temple in Linkou District, New Taipei City exclusively features colorful depiction of hellish scenes in relief in Taiwan. With its pastel shades and cartoon-like style, the relief is both grotesque and adorable at the same time. This temple is dedicated to Bao Zhen (also known as Justice Bao) representing the incarnation of Yama. Living people who have been treated unjustly can come worshipping Bao Gong and receive exorcism. Therefore, many people come here for seeking to solve unsolved cases. In Zhongyuan Festival (the ghost festival), the temple will burn the Zhizha (paper craft) boat to ferry the ghosts to the other shore, which is the shore of enlightenment. The only giant statue of Yama in Taiwan is still in the making. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery, suitable for meditating on the loathsomeness and impurity. Nantian Temple (1971), located next to the Eight Trigram Mountains Buddha in Changhua, features the first animatronic underworld. Despite the small size, the animatronic underworld is intensely shocking. Though it’s slightly worn, the colorful dioramas are still brutally ferocious. The creator was the late venerable Dao Zhang (Taoist priest) Jing Deng-fu while the origin of animatronic deities can be traced back to the 1960s Beigang Chaotian Temple. On the contrary, the Whiteman Toothpaste Tourism Factory in Shuishang Township, Chiayi, features ten Yamas with individual booth. The place is unexpectedly clean and polished yet keeps a simple and modest tone. Then, the Dragon Pagoda of the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Lake in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, holds the only relief of hellish scenes made of Kochin ceramic. All the figures are vivid and life-like. If one goes further into the pagoda, they will see a relief tunnel of the thirty-three incarnations of the white-robed form of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) on a white lotus, with a lovely and interesting design. Another Hall of Yama is built in the 1970s next to the entrance of Dagangshan Chaofeng Temple, located in the Alian District of Kaohsiung. Visitors will also see three statues of the Three Holy Ones of the Western Pureland (Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta) which assemble at a lotus pond. Although the hellish scene looks somewhat antiquated, you may still find its previous charm. If one goes further, they will reach the sculptural garden of “Attaining the Bodhi Way: the Incarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha,” where the visitor can see the essence of Bhagavato’s (meaning the Blessed one, one of the common epithets for Buddha) life. When Tathāgata (another epithet for Buddha) was old, the king of Kosala wanted to avenge the arrogance of the tribe of Shakyas who had long despised him, regarding him as a son of a maiden. Although Buddha has sat in lotus position alone three times to stop the army from attacking his tribe. However, one can never reverse the cause and following karma. The prince born of a maiden was so furious that he eventually destroyed his homeland. Maudgalyāyana (one of the Buddha’s closest disciples), who is said to have had supernatural abilities that surpassed the other disciples, could not bear to see the slaughter of innocent people. Thus, he saved five hundred people of his tribe with a pātra (an eating utensil of Buddhist monks). Unfortunately, everything he did was in vain, those who were saved eventually turned into a puddle of blood. The Buddha said that the supernatural abilities cannot surpass the power of karma. The cause and effect work all the time. When Maudgalyāyana’s mother fell into the path of hungry ghost, he used his supernatural abilities to save his mother from hunger. However, all the food turned into fire before being fed to his mother. Later, the Buddha commanded the monks to put nectar and dishes in a basin on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar for the monks from all directions to free his mother from reincarnation. In later times, the Ullambana Dharma Service, the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance, and the Yoga Collection for Feeding the Searing Mouths Dharma Service are rituals to eliminate karmic hindrance and to cease to worldly delusions. Through such practices, one can free the dead as well as confess their repentance.

Madou Daitian Temple is a magnificent and colorful temple in Tainan. Not only can the worshippers visit the eighteen levels of Hell but also the Heaven (it was built in 1979 and inaugurated in 1983) here. The lighting and sound effects are stunning and frightening. When walking alone in the space, one may feel like taking a Guan Luo Yin trip (a Taoist necromancy which leads people’s spirits to hell and communicate with the dead ones) to visit the underworld prison. Before arriving the first court of the underworld, the visitor will walk through the Mountain of Heart Summit, the Pure Heart Pond, the Frontier between the Living and the Dead Realms, the Soul Registry Hall, the Portico of Demons, the Center for Complementary Teaching of Canonical Books, the Citadel of Premature Death, and the Bridge of Vanity. When one arrives at the first court, they will see King Chin-guang, who is in charge of the court, using the Mirror of Retribution to show the earthly form of evil creatures and also witness the sub-hell of Pillar-Holding and Fire Bed, etc. At the second court, King Chu-jiang collates the register of sins the souls of the dead have committed to impose the punishments. Here, you will see the sub-hell of Excrement and Urine, Hungry Ghost, Burning Dance Floor, Ice, Pus and Blood, Whipping, Tongue-Raking, Sword Blade, Stomach-Piercing, Chopping, etc. Next, the dead at the third court, ruled by King Song-di, will receive the punishments including inversion tortures, face-skinning with steel and copper knife, eye-wrenching, pounding, blood-sucking, rib-piercing, roasting, tendon-taking, being eaten by maggots. The visitor can pay a visit to the Palace of Soul-Resuscitation for the Four Forms of Creatures (birth from an egg, birth from a womb, birth from moisture, and birth by transformation). King Wu-guan is in charge of the fourth court. There are sixteen sub-hells at the fourth court including Waist Chop, Tongue Removal, Boiling Pond, Mouth-stabbing, Skin-peeling, Sword Tree, Burning Wheels and Cart, Eye-shooting, etc. Next, at the fifth court, sinful souls are allowed to ascend the Tower of Hometown-Viewing to take a final look of their family. The visitor will witness sub-hells of Knee-striking, Heart-slicing, Blade Mountain, Flying Swords and Burning Stones, etc. The King of Bian City takes charge of the sixth court, which is also known as the “Great Hell of Screaming,” with sub-hells including Fire Cattle, Tiger-Biting, Kidney-Eating, Mouth-Poking, Throat-Nailing, Iron Mill, Decapitation, etc. The King of Tai-shan is in charge of the seventh court, the “Great Hell of Heat and Fire.” The sixteen sub-hells at this court include Finger-Searing, Bowel-Hauling, Stone-Bearing, Boiling Oil, Tongue-Removal and Cheek-Piercing, etc. Next, the King Du-shi is in charge of the eighth court, the “Great Hell of Intense Fire and Heat,” and the sub-hells including Fire Dogs, Molten Iron, Iron Snakes, Dismemberment, Steel Spikes, Burning-Marrow, Iron Ball, Scale, etc. The ninth court is ruled by the King Ping-deng. It is known as the biggest court, Avici Hell (the Hell of Incessant Suffering), which if the lowest level of the hell realm and the interior is gloomily and terrifyingly dark. Those who committed the most serious evil deed will be sent to the Avici Hell. Sub-hells such as Poisonous Snake, Brain-Removal, Crow-Gnawing, Raining Needles, Wasps and Scorpions are included at this court. After arriving the tenth court, ruled by the Great King of the Reincarnation Palace, one can visit the “Observatory of Life on earth” and the “eight bureaus of the Reincarnation Palace” (including the Bureau of Judicial Control, the Bureau of Good-Actions, the Bureau of Bad-Actions, the Bureau of Debts, Gratitude, and Vengeance, the Bureau of Longevity and Destiny, the Bureau of Familial Ties, the Bureau of the Reincarnated, and the Bureau of Birth). The sinful one will be sent to the Pavilion of Mengpo and made to drink the Soup of Forgetfulness to forget all past affairs. According to the sinful one’s merits of previous life, they will go across one of the six bridges (gold, silver, jade, stone, wood, bamboo) to the “Reincarnation-Wheel (Wheel on the Crimson River).” Finally, one is able to reborn in the six realms. According to the Aṣṭadaśa nāraka sutra ( the Eighteen Hells Sutra), after one passes away, they will enter an intermediate and transitional state between death and rebirth, known as antarābhava in Sanskrit, for forty-nine days. The being will be evaluated by Yama, who will decide if one should get reborn or get punished at the hell. Those who committed the Five Grave Offenses (killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an Arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha, and creating a schism within the community of Buddhist monks and nun who practice for attaining enlightenment.) will be sent to the Avici Hell and stay there eternally. Kṣitigarbha is the Lord of the Nether World, ruling the ten court of Hell. The lord will set up the “Hall of Teaching” at each court to salvage those sinful ones who still obtain few merits at the offering rituals.

Human beings live the Sahā world (sahāloka in Sanskrit, meaning “endurance of suffering,” a concept of mundane world in Mahāyāna Buddhism) where they share with other reincarnations (including beings of the hells, of the preta, and of malevolent nature spirits) with five turbidities (the Kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity). Those who commit the ten evil deeds (killing, stealing, adultery, lying, using immoral language, slandering, equivocating, coveting, anger, and false views) must fall into the three evil paths (animals, preta, and hell). However, how can one escape from the three realms/ twenty-eight heavens (including the six heavens of the desire realm, the eighteen heavens of the form realm, and the four heavens of the formless realm)? Worldly people who don’t have such an awareness cannot leave the cycle of the twelve nidanas (meaning causes or motivations), let alone eliminate the eighty-one afflictions (that have been produced due to misunderstanding regarding reality) and the eighty-eight illusions (including five afflictions of advanced practitioners, also known as five views: view of self, extreme view, evil view, view of attachment to views, and view of morality; and five unintelligent temptations: desire, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and doubt) of thought within the three realms and four Arya satyas (noble truths, including suffering, arising, ending, and path). They cannot realize that the essence of the five skandhas (referring to aggregates of clinging, including the matter of form, sensation, recognition, mental formation, and consciousness) , the twelve ayatana (meaning sense base, including six internal bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and six external bases: visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects), and the eighteen dhātavah (meaning compositional elements of human existence, including six consciousness, six faculties, and their objects) are the emptiness and the void. Furthermore, they cannot dispel the two reasons for clinging to the idea of the self and the attachment to elemental constructs and even believe in the two (false) tenets that that karma and nirvana are not real and that the ego and phenomena are real. As a consequence, they fail to develop the eleven wholesome mental factors (faith, energy, conscience, being ashamed, non-attachment, non-aggression, non-delusion, calmness, equanimity, conscientiousness, and non-injuriousness) and cease the sixteen unwholesome mental factors (desire, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, wrath, enmity, hypocrisy, vexation, jealousy, parsimony, deceit, flattery, harming, ambitiousness, stupidity, lacking of faith, idleness, being unrestrained, forgetting, distraction, non-discernment, ). One must bear in mind that once all our virtuous roots are discontinued, they will be trapped in the never-ending reincarnation and the suffering of infinite continuity.
Is it possible that the hell will be empty one day? If the beings in hell will become extinct while evil spirits inhabit the mundane world, the world could be considered as a pure land. If we could witness the nature of the void, then hell will exist no more.
Since ancient times, the concept of hell has been widely spread among all tribes. Aging, death, beginning, and end are the basis of nature and the core of cosmic consciousness. However, the prosperous civilization as our island is not a place where desire can be eliminated. It’s impossible to eradicate evil nature. Since fetters brought by the constitution, the state, the law, society, the military, corporations, schools, families, and groups are not less than the eighteen levels of hell, the mortals repress themselves, bury their feelings. Day after day, greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, doubt, and resentment are stacking. However, since the six dust (visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects) has not yet been extinguished, people in the mundane world are still full of delusions. The demons, devils, evil spirits, and the wondering dead exist in the wilderness, while only advanced practitioners with transcendent would attempt to make contact with the dead in the wasteland and forest. Worldly people like us trespass in Disneyland-like man-made hell. It is absurd and ridiculous that the hellish scenes cannot stop us from perpetrating evil deeds, but the horrific and cruel scenes yet satisfy our self-righteous shame.

The pandemic has been boiling over for more than a year and a half. The number of infected patients worldwide is nearly a hundred and eighty million, and the death toll has risen to four million, which is equivalent to a war crisis. I hope that we can all be compassionate, give peace to the dead, treat all sentient beings well and equally. The hell is innately empty; however, deluded and misleading thoughts would give rise to all jealousy and hatred and then manifest the hell before us. This book merely serves as a memorandum of conscience for dictators of the world’s new cold war, supporters of unrestrained warfare, dark web hackers, and those who are cunning and contemptuous and maltreat others when knowing they have problems.

June 2021,

Yao Jui-chung

9.24 於公廣金鐘入圍茶會演唱


🔸 中文字幕高畫質版：https://youtu.be/sur9pugrjVM
🔹英文字幕高畫質版：https://youtu.be/GyAPQEhBp7U



無垢鳥 (改編自客語童謠〈阿啾箭〉)
White Drongo ( Adapted from a Hakka nursery rhyme "Black Drongo" )

作詞改編：徐麗雯 Sub Author : Herb Hsu
作曲改編：蔣韜 Sub Composer : Jiang Tao
演唱：邱舒 Performer : Shu Chiu

文/徐麗雯 By Herb Hsu

〈無垢鳥〉的歌詞係由《維摩詰所說經·方便品》以及客語童謠〈阿啾箭〉所發想而成。
The lyrics are inspired by “The Vimalakirti Sutra” and the Hakka nursery rhyme “Black Drongo”.

阿啾箭為大卷尾的客語稱法，是地域性很強的鳥類，昔常見於農村牛背上；維摩的梵語是清淨、無垢的意思，結合以上二者，故曲名題為〈無垢鳥〉。
A black drongo is a highly territorial bird often seen resting on the back of a cow in the countryside. “Vima” in Sanskrit language means clean and pure, which is why the song is named “White Drongo”.

〈阿啾箭〉這首童謠使用在電影《光的孩子》的劇情關鍵處，藉由不同角色的無伴奏哼唱，前後串連出生命、情感的一脈相承。〈阿啾箭〉的童謠歌詞迴環反覆、直白簡要，指出無父無母的處境、追尋的失落，剛好扣合電影的角色際遇，也與《維摩詰所說經·方便品》的核心精神相呼應。
The Hakka nursery rhyme “Black Drongo” is used in an important part of the film “The Child of Light”. Hummed by different characters without the accompaniment, it expresses how our lives and feelings are interrelated. With the rotatory and straight forward lyrics, we know how it feels when you’ve lost your parents and try to find something but in vain, which is what the protagonist of the film has been through and in accordance with the core of “The Vimalakirti Sutra”.

〈無垢鳥〉歌詞以聚沫、泡、燄、幻、夢、影、浮雲、電等喻，示明無常的諦理；而〈阿啾箭〉童謠則提供了一個生活感的基底；兩者一虛一實，精神層面和現實景況交匯共振，成為了普世無盡的扣問。
A cluster of foam, a bubble, a flame, an illusion, a dream, a shadow, a cloud and lightning in the lyrics show us how transitory life is while the nursery rhyme “Black Drongo” itself describes an ordinary daily routine. The former is unreal while the later is real. When the spirituality meets the reality, endless questions arise ubiquitously.

〈無垢鳥〉是電影《光的孩子》的片尾曲。原初的構想是希望片尾曲能有不斷往前、往前，最後隨風消散的感覺，意圖在影片結束時，以對自然的感知、經文的無常空相，延擴至更超然的識界，並帶給人飛昇、療癒的力量。
“White Drongo” is the ending song of the film “The Child of Light”. The initial conception about ending song is to deliver the feelings of going forward and fading away eventually. We expect that the ending shows the sense to nature and the impermanence of sutra expending to the unlimited ambit, and also provides people the power of inspiration and mind-curing.



影片封面相片 / 楊鈺崑 攝影

I had a lovely afternoon cooking whilst catching up with you guys. It's a bit of a lengthy one so if you're gonna watch all the way to the end, feel free to grab a snack and beverage!!


Questions asked:

What are your recent little victories?
If you could (without worrying about family), where would you move to?
How do you deal with uncertainty of your future?
What can one do to maintain sense of identity in a relationship?
What would you say to 10 year old you, past you and yesterday you?
Have you grown up to be who you thought you would be?
How do you know when you’re ready for a relationship?
Was it hard transitioning from one child to two?
What is your favourite date with RG?
How do you know if someone is right for you?
How do you like to start your mornings?
What emotions do you feel the most recently?
Have you tried Brazilian wax?
Do you think you will talk about your divorce as a way to comfort other women?
What are you and RG’s love language?
How can I not let hate comments get to me and stop seeking approval?
What are 5 things RG makes you feel that you couldn’t previously?
How do you deal with toxic family members who you love?

Here is the recipe I followed (I added seafood and used chicken instead for this day):
TOFU STEW RECIPE: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/kimchi-soondubu-jjigae-soft-tofu-stew-kimchi/

To ask a question for the next Q&A, comment below or follow me on instagram @itsbubz .

Thanks for watching everyone!!

Love, Lindy xo



Music by Fiji Blue - Butterflies - https://thmatc.co/?l=46147060
Music by kelsat - Exhale - https://thmatc.co/?l=E0810290
Music by Ryan Farish - Honey - https://thmatc.co/?l=7BB8BBEA
Music by Singto Conley - You Are The Stars - https://thmatc.co/?l=AFA938BF

So we heard Nina is back in the dating game? How does Mandy look at Sylvia?
This week, The Thirsty Sisters aka self-proclaimed (but pretty legit) love gurus are here to solve your relationship problems and woolly thing called feelings. Tune in to find out!

P.S. Shoutout to @Gee Lian Ng for inspiring us to make this episode! ?

Get the Shure MV7 at:
SeeHearLive - https://seehear.live/catalogsearch/result/?q=mv7
SHURE LazMall - https://www.lazada.sg/shop/shure/

Quote TTS10OFF to get $10 off STOREWIDE. Promo code is valid until 31 Dec 2020.

01:26 Q&A segment: Would You Confess or Stay Friends Forever!
05:50 Topic of the day
06:50 He reaches out and initiates plans
09:35 He always seem happy around you and is persistent
11:01 His body language and you feel comfortable around him
12:18 He listens to what you say and makes future plans
14:33 He integrates you into his life and tells you how much he likes you
18:11 He opens up to you and cares about your “needs”
21:48 Interpret with your sixth sense
23:31 Georgina (Nina’s friend) list: How to tell if a guy is into a girl

General resources:
13 Signs He’s Into You - https://www.anewmode.com/dating-relationships/signs-hes-into-you/3/
+ 1 by Georgina ??

*Disclaimers*
The legal age for sex in Singapore is 18. While being comfortable with your bodies is a must, please protect yourselves by using protection ?
https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/legal-age-for-sex-in-singapore/

Our views in this podcast include only our own experiences as heterosexual women in Singapore, we respect everyone’s views regardless of genders, gender identities and sexual orientations.

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https://www.instagram.com/thethirstysisterstts
https://open.spotify.com/show/5yx8txjfb7dMkosumEv6lQ?si=5Ew1dv6wRlCayZ0TQfo-Ug

Featuring:
Sylvia - https://www.instagram.com/sylsylnoc
Nina - https://www.instagram.com/ninatsf

Brand collaborations/features:
thirstysisters@noc.com.sg.

The Thirsty Sisters TEAM
Co-Founders: Sylvia Chan | Nina Tan
Head of Production: Virus Tan
Crew/Editors: Jeraidine Kwong | Isaac Lim | Wan Qi
Motion Graphics Designers: Kher Chyn | Vanessa Riadi
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