A beautiful mind
Interview by Chuah Bee Kim
2010/02/01
THEY say that when the mind has beautiful thoughts, then your world becomes beautiful.
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| A. Ganggayah with Lions Club of Skudai former president Raymond Lim. |
I try my best to banish all negative thoughts and cultivate only good thoughts in my mind.
Coincidentally, I live in a neighbourhood called Taman Cantik in Kulai, which makes it easier for me to create a serene and harmonious inner world.
I grew up in Simpang Renggam, a town in Kluang. It lies on the old main trunk road which served the majority of the North-South traffic passing through Johor before the opening of the North-South Expressway.
Growing up in an oil palm plantation, I felt life was mundane and plain although it was one hundred per cent healthy living.
Then I got married in 1992 and ended up here in Taman Cantik.
I soon got to know the neighbours and I found them to be friendly and considerate.
There are no potholes on our roads. I've heard my friends complaining about potholes and unlit roads, but there are no such complaints here.
The housing estate has roads with names like Jalan Molek (cute) and Jalan Menawan (attractive). I live in Jalan Menawan, and indeed, I think the neighbourhood is attractive and a very pleasant place to live in.
To keep the mind beautiful, it is important that we contribute to community service. I am the chairman of the Johor branch of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).
It was formed in 1985 and is unique because the leader of each religious community gets to become the chairman for two years.
I find that many youths are straying from religion and their culture. Youths should be educated not to forget their own culture and not to become too influenced by Western culture through television programmes and the Internet.
Blogging is common among youths nowadays. It is important for parents and teachers to keep tabs on what the young are doing.
MCCBCHST has organised motivation camps in the hope that such camps will teach youths to live in peace and harmony with those who come from different backgrounds and religions.
Sometimes even adults are so busy pursuing their careers that they forget about spiritual growth. So how can we blame the youths for going astray?
Recently, we worked together with the Johor Baru St John's Ambulance and Johor Baru Shing Wah Amateur Dramatic Association in a blood donation campaign.
We plan to give away food such as rice, cooking oil and instant noodles, and other basic necessities donated by Good Samaritans to orphanages and old folks homes in Saleng, Kempas and Bandar Selesa Jaya.
Our members try to meet once a week, and we get along with one another. We may speak different languages but there aren't any communication problems.
So if we can do it, I do not see why some Malaysians cannot rise above their differences. Mutual respect should be practised at all times and all will be well.
It is important to give, give and give because every religion teaches that one will get abundant blessings when one gives with sincerity.
A. Ganggayah, 46, an engineer, lives with his wife and two daughters in Taman Cantik, Kulai.
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