this week in my life

So today i went for the Anatomy quiz with my teammates Becky and Melissa (the 4th year meddie=)) it was fun, but well we didnt do very well and we attributed that to calculation error. the topic was thorax and our score was worse than some participants who didnt study. so well w didnt win. it was a $500 book boucher flown away lol. well we may joint the next quiz: head and neck.

and at last i started on my CAT assignment. we have to appraise a journal article that would eb able to answer questions arising from a clinical scenario. the arduous journey to complete the assignment (which some may argue takes only a few hours) is still on for me. but well at least i got to play with an opthalmoscope again thanks to my baby.

and this week something triggered a lot of thought. it's about burning paper for the deceased.
there are many who say that burning paper whether houses or paper 'hell money' is part of buddhism. i can safely say i do not think so, it may be a part of taosim, but it isnt part of true taoism too. it probably is art of what some call 多神教 yup translated to many god religion, where most of the time in the religion is spent worshipping numerous gods.

offerings to gods have been part of worship by many religions, it is a form or respect and also expression of fear. Whether it is the sacrifice of the numerous lambs in the bible, or the sacrificial processions in the muslim mosques or burnt incense for buddhism and taosim, it is still for worship. But the problem is when people get too involved in worship and forget about the teachings of the various religions. the christian teaching of love, the buddhist teaching of enlightnment, the teachings of taoism of The Way, and we get too caught up in the lowest level of religion, just worshipping alone.

then the burning of offerings gets extended to the burning for the deceased. it used to be incense to show respect for the deceased, that they are not forgotten. then came the square paper with a gold centre bordered by a red square, that was fanned out in a fashionable way and tossed one at a time into the burning inferno. Then came the belief that burning 'hell money' and houses and cars and what nots are for the deceased to 'live comfortably' in the afterlife.

well we can start thinking about the production of the paper stuff. they do have exquisite designs, mercedes cars and huge mansions. and the detail put into the 'hell money'. so somehow this stuff that we print and onstruct when burnt ends up in the afterlife. but well the mercedes car does not have a steering wheel or the boot space, the mansions have no bulbs or fridge or car porch or toilets, the hell money probably can be photocopied. so it really doesnt make sense to me the EXCLUSIVITY of the objects burnt and the fact that that bunch of paper used to make a house costs thousands of $$$. should get my architect friend to go into this business. my point is that why do you have to buy it from this swindling businessmen?

next is of course the process of burning, in what way does the burning of the offerings end up in the afterlife? mm wouldnt the house or cars be too small? and what makes you think there is ability to bring these material stuff over to the afterlife if there is one?

okay enough said. ranting ranting. and just to remind, these are my point of view, everyone is entitled to state their believes ;p and apologies to all those out there buying real houses and real cars from the money they earn from selling these paper ones ;p