Sunday, October 19, 2008
Moothoo
A Story of Greed and Forgiveness
In the Bollywood movie Moothoo, a very wealthy widower was very generous to his tenants. In return for their services he rewarded them with gold and looked after their welfare. When a hundred couples were getting married he gave orders to apportion a piece of land to each couple for them to begin their new wedded life. But his minister who was his brother-in-law wrote out fake documents instead after filing the land into his own name; he even had them beaten and driven away when they came to protest to the landlord.
However, when the landlord saw this he did not punish the corrupt minister. He told his brother-in-law that he had regarded him like a brother and had already willed half his estate to his son leaving the other half to his own son Moothoo, still a baby. Then he made a will leaving the whole estate to him and said that he had forgiven him. After that, upon the begging of his sister, he left his infant son Moothoo with her, having obtained her promise that she would bring up Moothoo as a commoner. With that he walked out of the mansion, an ordinary man wearing only his garment and shoes.
His brother-in-law fell into great remorse and shame, and he hanged himself.
But his sister was true to her promise, she managed the estate and employed Moothoo as the chief servant while her own son assumed the position of landlord. This relationship worked fine and everybody was happy. Moothoo enjoyed his duties, driving the landlord in his chariot everywhere to perform his business.
Then a girl came into their lives. The landlord fell in love with the girl, but the secret love between her and Moothoo was natural and stronger and they pledged to marry, but only after the landlord got married; the landlord was being matched with his uncle's daughter. But, on discovering this, the landlord felt that Moothoo had betrayed him by stealing his love and drove him out of the estate. When his mother knew this she scolded her son and revealed the whole secret of Moothoo's real life.
However, the greedy uncle was more than determined to have his hold on the estate and he instructed his servant to kill the landlord and blamed it on Moothoo. After the servant had knocked the landlord unconscious and dumped him into the river he shouted all over that Moothoo had killed the landlord. But Moothoo came and beat him up and got him to confess his evil deed which was that he had been ordered by the uncle to do so. Thereupon the whole community went after the uncle for his blood.
But like all happy ending story the landlord returned alive, saying that he had been rescued by an old man. That old man was Moothoo's father who had come back incognito as a holy man and who had been hanging around. Moothoo looked for him everywhere but he could not be found.
Afterword:
The uncle was forgiven and his daughter married the landlord.
Moothoo refused to assume his heritage,
preferring to serve than to be served;
and of course he married his sweetheart.
After thought:
What would the story be like if Moothoo's father had punished his brother-in-law or had him killed for his crime ?
In the Bollywood movie Moothoo, a very wealthy widower was very generous to his tenants. In return for their services he rewarded them with gold and looked after their welfare. When a hundred couples were getting married he gave orders to apportion a piece of land to each couple for them to begin their new wedded life. But his minister who was his brother-in-law wrote out fake documents instead after filing the land into his own name; he even had them beaten and driven away when they came to protest to the landlord.
However, when the landlord saw this he did not punish the corrupt minister. He told his brother-in-law that he had regarded him like a brother and had already willed half his estate to his son leaving the other half to his own son Moothoo, still a baby. Then he made a will leaving the whole estate to him and said that he had forgiven him. After that, upon the begging of his sister, he left his infant son Moothoo with her, having obtained her promise that she would bring up Moothoo as a commoner. With that he walked out of the mansion, an ordinary man wearing only his garment and shoes.
His brother-in-law fell into great remorse and shame, and he hanged himself.
But his sister was true to her promise, she managed the estate and employed Moothoo as the chief servant while her own son assumed the position of landlord. This relationship worked fine and everybody was happy. Moothoo enjoyed his duties, driving the landlord in his chariot everywhere to perform his business.
Then a girl came into their lives. The landlord fell in love with the girl, but the secret love between her and Moothoo was natural and stronger and they pledged to marry, but only after the landlord got married; the landlord was being matched with his uncle's daughter. But, on discovering this, the landlord felt that Moothoo had betrayed him by stealing his love and drove him out of the estate. When his mother knew this she scolded her son and revealed the whole secret of Moothoo's real life.
However, the greedy uncle was more than determined to have his hold on the estate and he instructed his servant to kill the landlord and blamed it on Moothoo. After the servant had knocked the landlord unconscious and dumped him into the river he shouted all over that Moothoo had killed the landlord. But Moothoo came and beat him up and got him to confess his evil deed which was that he had been ordered by the uncle to do so. Thereupon the whole community went after the uncle for his blood.
But like all happy ending story the landlord returned alive, saying that he had been rescued by an old man. That old man was Moothoo's father who had come back incognito as a holy man and who had been hanging around. Moothoo looked for him everywhere but he could not be found.
Afterword:
The uncle was forgiven and his daughter married the landlord.
Moothoo refused to assume his heritage,
preferring to serve than to be served;
and of course he married his sweetheart.
After thought:
What would the story be like if Moothoo's father had punished his brother-in-law or had him killed for his crime ?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Who made all the money in the stock market?
Basically it is money and assets.
Money increases year by year, so does assets of all kinds.
Wealth is equal to what assets is owned at the current worth plus whatever money; the value of assets vary and the quantity of money is constant.
When assets price rise money loses value, yet total wealth is virtually more, the value of assets is greater than the value of money; and vice versa; but the quantity of money is the same.
Thus, those who sold assets at higher prices will gain when the assets value drop, since they can now own more assets, and vice versa.
But all this wealth is really volatile since supply and demand can quickly change its worth. The state of a value of an asset is not what it is when people start to buy or sell that asset.
Ron
Money increases year by year, so does assets of all kinds.
Wealth is equal to what assets is owned at the current worth plus whatever money; the value of assets vary and the quantity of money is constant.
When assets price rise money loses value, yet total wealth is virtually more, the value of assets is greater than the value of money; and vice versa; but the quantity of money is the same.
Thus, those who sold assets at higher prices will gain when the assets value drop, since they can now own more assets, and vice versa.
But all this wealth is really volatile since supply and demand can quickly change its worth. The state of a value of an asset is not what it is when people start to buy or sell that asset.
Ron
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Tilapia
One way to live.
Some of the fairways at Changi Golf Club course are bounded and crossed by storm water drains. Water flows continuously along these drains. At a casual glance the drain channels are lined with silt and regular patches of clean inverts at about a metre distance apart. At a closer look at these patches, there are tilapia fish steadying themselves upstream against the slow flowing water, their movement keep those areas clean. These fish are about three to eight inches in length. They do not swim about but remain at each its own spot and live.
What an easy life, stay where it is and feeds on what comes along. Nature does have its providence, and for those who know how there is no need to work, no need to hunt or get hunted, and food passes by for picking and choosing.
Is life like that not great ? Now who wants to have this kind of paradise ?
Well, paradise is only when good times prevail. During a prolong drought these drains do get dried up. Also when heavy rains pour these drains fill up and overflow, and everything in it get swept out towards the sea. During these bad times how does the tilapia fish cope ? Who knows, I do not, ha ha ha ha !
But of course they do not get annihilated; because if they did I would not have this story to tell. These tilapia do know how to take the easy way of life and survive.
In the wet market, the red variety tilapia are quite expensive, about ten bucks per kilogram. These red tilapia have easier lives, they are well fed regularly and grow to about a foot long, but they all end up as a dish on the table.
Ron
Some of the fairways at Changi Golf Club course are bounded and crossed by storm water drains. Water flows continuously along these drains. At a casual glance the drain channels are lined with silt and regular patches of clean inverts at about a metre distance apart. At a closer look at these patches, there are tilapia fish steadying themselves upstream against the slow flowing water, their movement keep those areas clean. These fish are about three to eight inches in length. They do not swim about but remain at each its own spot and live.
What an easy life, stay where it is and feeds on what comes along. Nature does have its providence, and for those who know how there is no need to work, no need to hunt or get hunted, and food passes by for picking and choosing.
Is life like that not great ? Now who wants to have this kind of paradise ?
Well, paradise is only when good times prevail. During a prolong drought these drains do get dried up. Also when heavy rains pour these drains fill up and overflow, and everything in it get swept out towards the sea. During these bad times how does the tilapia fish cope ? Who knows, I do not, ha ha ha ha !
But of course they do not get annihilated; because if they did I would not have this story to tell. These tilapia do know how to take the easy way of life and survive.
In the wet market, the red variety tilapia are quite expensive, about ten bucks per kilogram. These red tilapia have easier lives, they are well fed regularly and grow to about a foot long, but they all end up as a dish on the table.
Ron
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Infernal Affairs
"He who is in Continuous Hell never dies.
Longevity is a big hardship in Continuous Hell",
Says the Buddha,
In the Hongkong movie Infernal Affairs, a movie with two sequels and adapted by Hollywood as The Departed, this quotation appeared aptly at the end of the story. This story is about cops and drug smugglers, about moles and betrayals, killings and living. The leading characters are a mole Ming in the police department serving a triad boss and an undercover police officer Yan in the smugglers den, both of whom felt increasingly trapped in their kind of life.
The story unfolded with the police chief being killed and Ming having to terminate his triad boss to safeguard his position. And when Yan was killed while trying to bring Ming to justice, Ming killed his other colleagues too, wiping out all evidence and became the police chief.
Thus ended the show with the quotation: "He who is in Continuous Hell never dies.
Longevity is a big hardship in Continuous Hell" as a saying of the Buddha.
In ancient Chinese history, all courtiers wish the emperor ten thousand years all the time. In politics people fight in all kinds of way to win. In some countries nearby there are happenings which have a semblance to this movie story.
Wishing for ten thousand years ?,
winning to be in Continuous Hell ?
Longevity is a big hardship in Continuous Hell",
Says the Buddha,
In the Hongkong movie Infernal Affairs, a movie with two sequels and adapted by Hollywood as The Departed, this quotation appeared aptly at the end of the story. This story is about cops and drug smugglers, about moles and betrayals, killings and living. The leading characters are a mole Ming in the police department serving a triad boss and an undercover police officer Yan in the smugglers den, both of whom felt increasingly trapped in their kind of life.
The story unfolded with the police chief being killed and Ming having to terminate his triad boss to safeguard his position. And when Yan was killed while trying to bring Ming to justice, Ming killed his other colleagues too, wiping out all evidence and became the police chief.
Thus ended the show with the quotation: "He who is in Continuous Hell never dies.
Longevity is a big hardship in Continuous Hell" as a saying of the Buddha.
In ancient Chinese history, all courtiers wish the emperor ten thousand years all the time. In politics people fight in all kinds of way to win. In some countries nearby there are happenings which have a semblance to this movie story.
Wishing for ten thousand years ?,
winning to be in Continuous Hell ?
