【最大的福份】GREATEST FORTUNE
(English writing below)

哇～～～線上視訊諮詢真好玩！😃

我剛結束為在紐西蘭客人批八字的線上視訊。這是我第一次做視訊諮詢。

我一向比較喜歡當面會面，所以海外客人可選擇來新加坡見我，或付費請我給過去。

但是中華玄學提倡的就是要隨機應變。無論現在生活如何的安穩，人要時時居安思危，懂得變通，更要隨時準備就緒，才能把握時機，甚至從危機中脫穎而出。

畢竟如《易經》所說，唯一不變的是變化。

世事無常，沒有永遠的好，也沒有永遠的壞。

止步不前的人永遠不會進步。

這位客人關注我的臉書已有幾年的時間。

當她請我為她批八字時，我一口答應接下這差事。

幾年前，我寫過一篇文章，提到風水命理師都要能夠及願意代客人的業，因此我們很多同行都是佛教徒。

這位女士當時就私訊我，想以我的名義捐款，為我祈福。她請我選一個我喜歡的慈善機構。

我拒絕了她的好意。因為我認為自己的人生選擇，應該自己去承擔。

現在也輪到我以我的所長來答謝她。

視訊裡，我看到她一部份的居家擺設，並道出那是漏財之相，會無緣無故花了很多錢，卻又不知道錢去了哪裡，財富無法增長。

客人點頭同意，說家裡確實有這樣的問題。

我指點她該如何化解這風水問題。

雖然這次不是看風水，但我不會忘記，誰曾經施恩於我的。

在二月份時，我寫信給我的根本上師聖尊蓮生活佛，求「救瘟疫度母」持咒灌頂。

幾個星期前，我收到回信。

回信中，結尾恭錄著師尊文集《神變的遊歷》裡的一段話：

“有很多修行人的「庫藏」，裡面是充滿智慧的法本，他們將智慧握在手中，「庫藏」內並不一定有什麼福份，他們只是將智慧發光，使一切眾生得到成就，而他們的福份就是「自在」。”

我家師兄讀了之後，緊張地拿著信來問我：「你是不是在信裡跟師尊求財，然後祂的意思是跟你說你命中沒有嗎？為什麼信會這樣子回覆你？」

真是好氣又好笑。

「沒有啊！我只求持咒灌頂，其他都沒有求。」

但你知道嗎？

這也正是我此生唯一的所求。沒有什麼比這更值得拼上我一生的青春了。

為明天四小時的視訊諮詢準備咯！

_______________________

Ooooh, consultations via video calls are FUN! 😃

I just concluded my very first video call for a Bazi analysis of a client in New Zealand.

I always prefer to meet in person, so either overseas clients come to Singapore to meet me or they pay for me to fly over.

But Chinese Metaphysics is always about being flexible and prepared for change, no matter how comfortable we may be in our current state. After all, as I-Ching states, the only constant is change.

Nothing lasts forever, be it good or bad.

Nobody progresses by staying put.

This client has been following my Facebook for several years.

When she approached me to analyse her Bazi, I agreed right away.

Years ago, I wrote a post on how Feng Shui practitioners must be able and willing to take over the negative karma of clients, hence many of us are Buddhist practitioners.

This lady PM me and offered to do a donation under my name, as she wished to send me some blessings. She asked me to choose a charity.

I kindly declined. Because I should take personal responsibility for my choices in life.

Now is my time to thank her with what I am competent at.

During the video call, I saw a part of her home. I told her that was a sign of leaking wealth. Money would be spent carelessly without knowing where it goes, and it gets harder to grow the family wealth.

The client nodded in agreement with my observation, and said this was indeed the current situation.

While this may not be a Feng Shui audit, I went ahead to tell her the way to resolve it.

Because I never forget who had shown kindness to me.

In February, I wrote a letter to my Grandmaster His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng to seek empowerment for the mantra of the Tara who saves from contagious diseases.

I received the reply a few weeks ago.

Interestingly, the letter ended with a short paragraph extracted from my Grandmaster’s book:

“In the treasury storage of many spiritual cultivators, lies many Dharma books of wisdom. They hold the wisdom in their hands.

There may not be much good fortune in their treasury storage. They just add shine of brilliance to the wisdom, so that all sentient beings can achieve accomplishments.

And their blessedness is freedom from worldly restraints.”

The husband read the letter and asked me panicking, “ Did you ask Grandmaster to grant you riches or something? He said you are not destined for wealth, is it? Why did the letter write that?”

“No! I never asked for anything, except the empowerment!”

But you know what?

This is all that I wish for till the end of my life. Nothing else will ever be worth my youth.

Onward to another 4-hour video call tomorrow!

#EZTALK #你不知道的美國大小事

美國生活用語：cheese起司與 cream 鮮奶油

1⃣ big cheese
2⃣ cut the cheese
3⃣ say cheese
4⃣ have more holes than Swiss cheese
5⃣ cream of the crop
6⃣ the cream always rises to the top

--
Last time we talked about milk and butter, but what about other dairy products? Are there idioms related to things like cheese and cream? Of course!
我們上次聊了牛奶跟奶油，那其他的乳製品呢？有沒有跟起司和鮮奶油之類有關的生活用語？當然有！

Cheese is an important source of protein, 1⃣ and the “big cheese” is an important person, i.e. the boss. Ex: If you want a raise, you have to talk to the big cheese. Some cheeses, like Limburger and Camembert, have strong, unpleasant smells. 2⃣ So can you guess what “cut the cheese” means? If you guessed “to fart,” you’re right! Ex: All right—who cut the cheese?
起司是很重要的蛋白質來源，而big cheese可以指「大人物」，也就是老闆。如：If you want a raise, you have to talk to the big cheese.（如果你想加薪，就要跟老大談。）有些如林堡起司或康門貝爾起司，具有強烈的臭味，所以你大概就能猜到cut the cheese的意思了吧？如果你猜的是「放屁」，恭喜你猜對了！All right—who cut the cheese? （好吧──這屁誰放的？）

3⃣ Have you ever noticed that your mouth curves upward when you say “cheese”? This is why photographers tell people to “say cheese” before they take their photo. Ex: OK, everybody, say cheese! And you’ve probably noticed how Swiss cheese is full of holes. 4⃣ But what does the phrase “have more holes than Swiss cheese” mean? It means something has lots of problems, or lacks many things. Ex: The plot of that movie has more holes than Swiss cheese.
你有注意過當你說cheese的時候嘴角會上揚嗎？這是為什麼拍照時攝影者都會要你say cheese。如：OK, everybody, say cheese!（好，各位說cheese！）你或許也發現了，瑞士起司總是一堆洞，所以片語have more holes than Swiss cheese（比瑞士起司還更多洞）到底是什麼意思？它指「有很多問題或缺陷」。如：The plot of that movie has more holes than Swiss cheese.（這部電影的劇情缺陷比瑞士起司上的洞還多。）

And how about cream? Cream is the richest part of milk, and it rises to the top. So when you say something is the 5⃣ “cream of the crop,” it means it’s the very best of a group of people or things. Ex: The professors at Harvard are the cream of the crop. 6⃣ We also say, “the cream always rises to the top,” which means that the most competent person wins or succeeds in the end. Ex: I’m sure our team will win the Super Bowl, because the cream always rises to the top.
那鮮奶油呢？鮮奶油是牛奶中最為濃郁的部份，浮在上方，所以當你說某東西是cream of the crop，就是指該事物是「群體中最精華的部份」或「菁英」，如：The professors at Harvard are the cream of the crop.（哈佛教授都是菁英。）我們也會講the cream always rises to the top，指「有能力的人最終會獲得勝利」。如：I’m sure our team will win the Super Bowl, because the cream always rises to the top.（我相信我們球隊最後會贏得超級杯，因為我們是菁英中的菁英。）

【✍關鍵單字】
1. raise「加薪」：當名詞時指「加薪」。當動詞有許多意思，如「養育（孩子或動物），種植」：The kid was raised by her grandparents. ；「募款」：raise funds；「增加、提高」：raise taxes、raise my voice、raise your hand。
2. rise「上升，升起；上漲」：當動詞，為不及物動詞。

--
🔔 按下「搶先看」，每週五【美國大小事】，由 Judd 編審分享最即時美國新鮮事！想知道更多美國文化，請看 👉 http://bit.ly/EZTalk嚴選

上回先生出訪以色列， 除傳回一張以海灘及美女當背景的「大頭照」之外，也帶回實質的禮物給我(是以色列的面膜、洗顏劑和護手霜) ，其實大家都知道，那些東西是駐以色列外館人員送的，我也清楚以他的個性，他不會真的跑去買東西給我， 不過再怎麼樣， 收到禮物就是開心， 感謝外館人員的貼心，很好用喔。
這次的美國行，可能是行程太緊湊了， 沒有海邊的大頭照傳來， 但最後一站的波士頓，當地經濟辦事處的人員也很貼心， 特別選了一些美國經典的餅乾和巧克力送我， 先生也很有誠意的一路從波士頓扛回台北家，喔喔，這是原裝坐飛機從美國飛來的耶， 哈哈， 我從沒去過美國，對我來說很新鮮，也很感謝這些外館人員的心意。
家人出遠門， 沒跟去的當然都會擔心， 上回先生去以色列， 有媒體寫到先生穿一雙穿沒多久的鞋子，因為不適應，差點跌倒， 這回換穿一雙同款式、同大小的， 但穿久了， 皮革較軟， 好像再沒聽到出什麼問題， 至於腳上那雙館長朋友送的海軍襪， 因他有足內翻的毛病， 穿上這種厚襪子，除保暖外，還有cushing 的作用，所以他對這襪子滿意極了。
今天他出門前， 突然叮嚀我，要我找出他過去常穿的一雙黑、黃相間的美津濃布鞋， 他說這雙最好穿，下個月他走大甲媽遶境時要穿這一雙，想也知道當然好穿， 因為已經被他穿破好幾個洞了， 能殘存到現在，是我用粗針、黑線把洞一個個縫好的，不過真的要走長遠的路，腳上就要有一雙好穿的鞋子…
記得2014年初，他第一次準備參選市長，就曾對我說， 他說他想當個competent的市長， 要先完成三件事， 第一是登頂玉山； 第二是腳踏車環島；第三就是全程走完大甲媽繞境 …
今天看到一則跟我有關的奇怪新聞…
『高雄市長韓國瑜出訪港、澳時仍被問到2020選總統，韓的夫人李佳芬說，「如果他真的有這個想法，我會叫他去洗衣服」；台北市長柯文哲上午受訪，媒體問他，夫人陳佩琪是否有叫他洗衣服，柯文哲說，我們家有洗衣機，但他從來沒有洗過，都陳佩琪在洗。』(先生的意思應該不是說我要去選總統吧？ 喔喔，套句流行語，嚇死寶寶了！)
基本上現代家庭都有洗衣機， 除特殊衣物外， 很少需花時間去洗衣服，但我們家的確都是我將待洗衣物搜刮整齊後，丟到洗衣機裡面的，我想很多家庭都是這樣，也不知道這怎麼會變成一條新聞的， 若哪一天媒體問我先生選總統的議題時， 我會回答：「多念點書(當醫生或從政都應該這樣)， 好好去完成你想要完成的那三件事，至於衣服嘛，還是我洗就好！」