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A leaf from this book
By Zuhaila Sedek-De Booij
New Straits Times,
Saturday,March 9, 2013
Lillian Too and Jennifer Too tell Zuhaila Sedek-De Booij about the books that moved and impacted them
GOOD books not only tell good stories, they open doors to different perspectives. Some can even alter the way you think and to some extent, change lives.
That is the power of the written word.
Lillian Too
World Of Feng Shui chairman
Which book moved you?
The Way Of The White Clouds by Lama Anagarika Govinda (The Overlook Press, 2009)
Why?
Because it gives depth to my beliefs and my aspirations, unlocking greater meaning to my existence and my life's work.
How did this book change your life?
The thoughts and words of many great men and women have moved me through the years, given me joy, touched chords of truth within me but it is Lama's The Way Of The White Clouds that truly crystallises life's meaning for me.
The book tells of Lama's pilgrimage across Tibet in the 1930s before the Chinese invasion. He describes his treks across the Himalayas, taking refuge in monasteries, circumambulating the sacred Mount Kailash, bathing in holy lakes and meeting his teacher, Domo Gomo Rinpoche.
Beautifully written, incredible prose, joyous wit and with tongue-in-cheek humour, there is wisdom and uncanny observations on every page and in every anecdote - the book resonates hugely with my faith in my guru, my Rinpoche.
It opens my eyes to all that is important in my life. It is a book I revisit many times because it reiterates my belief in the teachings of the Buddha, in the sacred ambience of holy objects and in the meaning of embarking on philosophical journeys.
Jennifer Too
World Of Feng Shui chief executive officer
Which book moved you?
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman by Nora Ephron (Vintage, 2008).
Why?
It's hilarious, but with so much wisdom to impart.
How did this book change your life?
This book is a collection of essays that Nora Ephron wrote for magazines and publications, so they are chapters of bite-sized topics you can delve into in no particular order. It made me see things in a different way. Ephron makes fun of herself, injects humour into everyday situations and turns incidences that could be construed as misfortune into comical learning exercises. I love all her other books too, but this is the first of her books that I read. She was gone too soon.
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