Dec 2017
Dear Readers
I am no philosopher, nor had I taken any course in philosophy.
Furthermore, I have read very little though there are some philosophers who are close to my heart---Montaigne, Marcus Aurelius, Epicurus, Seneca, Epictectus, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus and a few more.
However, I have plunged myself into the writings of Confucius, Lao-Tze (author of Tao Te-Ching) and his followers', Buddhism and Zen.
I never planned to write this 'life series'-- after having written a few,
I couldn't stop. But these were not 'forced' thoughts--it's as though they had been latent somewhere in the labyrinth of my mind--in incubation- waiting for the right time to hatch.
A writer must have honesty and integrity. I did not have a book in front of me so that I could copy an idea and then ventured to restate in my own words--all the ideas I have expressed are my own.
It's intrinsically me thinking about life and my own experiences
and my way of perceiving things.
They had been written at home, in the tram, in the library, in coffee-joints--even mentally when I had my regular walks.
No doubt, some would not agree with what I have said and I am not the least offended or unhappy in any way as such---I welcome their comments so that I could re-examine what I had expressed. I would even learn from them.
I realised right from the start that I could inadvertently stir up a hornet's nest but I was prepared to take that risk, even to the extent of
being challenged or ridiculed.
No one looks at life in the same way as we are all unique. At the same time, none has the monopoly of knowledge or wisdom--not even the brightest among us. Life is such that we could only understand some parts of it with most being unknowable. There are limits to our understanding but we don't throw our hands in the air and give up-
we are thinking creatures and are never content to stay stagnant-
it's in our nature to explore, to reach out, to understand and try to make sense of things that matter or our life would have little meaning or value- we have to push frontiers and test our limits to be able to come to our own.
It's in the light of the above that I have marshalled enough courage to
write this 'life-series'.
I sincerely hope that readers would come forward to talk to me.
My best wishes to all of you.
4th December 2017, Melbourne
I am no philosopher, nor had I taken any course in philosophy.
Furthermore, I have read very little though there are some philosophers who are close to my heart---Montaigne, Marcus Aurelius, Epicurus, Seneca, Epictectus, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus and a few more.
However, I have plunged myself into the writings of Confucius, Lao-Tze (author of Tao Te-Ching) and his followers', Buddhism and Zen.
I never planned to write this 'life series'-- after having written a few,
I couldn't stop. But these were not 'forced' thoughts--it's as though they had been latent somewhere in the labyrinth of my mind--in incubation- waiting for the right time to hatch.
A writer must have honesty and integrity. I did not have a book in front of me so that I could copy an idea and then ventured to restate in my own words--all the ideas I have expressed are my own.
It's intrinsically me thinking about life and my own experiences
and my way of perceiving things.
They had been written at home, in the tram, in the library, in coffee-joints--even mentally when I had my regular walks.
No doubt, some would not agree with what I have said and I am not the least offended or unhappy in any way as such---I welcome their comments so that I could re-examine what I had expressed. I would even learn from them.
I realised right from the start that I could inadvertently stir up a hornet's nest but I was prepared to take that risk, even to the extent of
being challenged or ridiculed.
No one looks at life in the same way as we are all unique. At the same time, none has the monopoly of knowledge or wisdom--not even the brightest among us. Life is such that we could only understand some parts of it with most being unknowable. There are limits to our understanding but we don't throw our hands in the air and give up-
we are thinking creatures and are never content to stay stagnant-
it's in our nature to explore, to reach out, to understand and try to make sense of things that matter or our life would have little meaning or value- we have to push frontiers and test our limits to be able to come to our own.
It's in the light of the above that I have marshalled enough courage to
write this 'life-series'.
I sincerely hope that readers would come forward to talk to me.
My best wishes to all of you.
4th December 2017, Melbourne
