BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN KOREA

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Yesterday, May 27, was a day of celebration in Korea, on the occasion of Buddha’s birthday, according to lunar calendar. We too enjoyed the event by visiting Jikjisa Temple, which consisted of several small temples scattered in a wooden hill.

It is believed that this temple was established in 418 AD, under the reign of King Nulchi (417-458).

The place was crowded and free lunch was given to everybody. I entered one of the small temples in the area. There were hundreds of small Buddha statues inside. I bowed to the statues three times, to pay homage to Buddha.

We then had a walk in the area and to my surprise I found a labyrinth. I walked on it, as I had done in Canada a few years ago. There, I had learned the magic of this very ancient symbol. It is believed that by walking on it, you purify yourself.

We spent a beautiful, peaceful day in an ancient Korean temple on Buddha’s birthday. Happy birthday, Buddha!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

NYEPI DAY (THE DAY OF SILENCE) IN BALI (INDONESIA)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Yesterday was March 22, a holy day for the Balinese people. They call this day ‘Nyepi Holy Day’, dedicated to total silence. The day before, people go the beach to purify themselves with sea water.

The Balinese people spend Nyepi Day praying, meditating, and introspecting. Any activity is forbidden, even going to the street for a walk. Tourists must comply with this rule. They cannot leave their hotels or accommodations.

Nyepi Day starts at six am, on March 22 and ends at six am on March 23. During this time, it is forbidden to do any activity: no traveling, no cooking, no swimming, no surfing on the Internet, no watching television, and so on. No cars, taxis, or public transportation on the streets. Even Bali International Airport is closed!

What did I do on Nyepi Day? I decided to conform to the religiosity of the people of Bali. Therefore, I stayed in my room all day, meditating and introspecting. Today, I had a feeling of being reborn.

How about the powerful rulers of the world have a Nyepi Day too? Who knows, maybe something good would come of it!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English version)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English version)

– The Vibrations of Words (English version)

– Travels of the Mind (English version)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (versione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (versione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MY REVIEW OF IN GOD’S HANDS BY POPE JOHN PAUL II

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Pope Karol Wojtyla, in his will, asked that his spiritual diaries be burned upon his death, but his secretary did not; instead, he presented them to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.

Later, the notebooks were published in Polish, and then translated into several languages. I read the English edition.

The spiritual diaries range from 1962 to 2003, before and after Karol Wojtyla became a Pope.

Reading this book, I have been surprised that he attended the gatherings not as the supreme head of the Catholic Church, but as a simple participant. The retreats were led by others, usually a bishop or an archbishop, not by him! This shows how humble he was.

In his diaries, the word ‘meditation’ is recurrent. Obviously, during the spiritual retreats he meditated. I thought that the term ‘meditation’ only belonged to the Eastern religion. As a child, I learned that prayer was enough to get to heaven. Apparently, also Catholics meditate. I think Pope John Paul II meditated on the Bible, but who knows what was hidden in his great, noble, and humble heart!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

FATHER PIO, A GREAT FRANCISCAN MONK

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Traveling in Southern Italy, we arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo, the town where Father Pio had lived. These days, people call him Saint Pio, for Pope John Paul II proclaimed him a saint in 2002.

Visiting the town, I turned my attention to the contrast between the modest cell where he had lived and the large hospital he had built. The name of the hospital is Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House to Alleviate Suffering).

Why was he proclaimed a saint? Because he was a man out of the ordinary. Father Pio’s hands and feet showed the stigmata. Furthermore, he had the charisma of bilocation. Some witnesses claim to have seen him at the same time in two different places.

Apart from these extraordinary facts, Father Pio’s great heart led him to hear people’s confession all day. He listened to everyone and gave everyone comfort.

When we left San Giovanni Rotondo, my thought went to the hospital the humble friar, Father Pio, had built. Everybody can see this miracle with his or her own eyes. As for the other miracles, you need faith to believe in them!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE MIRACLE OF SAN GENNARO IN NAPLES

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

On December 16 of this year, just a few days ago, we were in Naples on a trip. While we were visiting the Cathedral, which houses the bones of San Gennaro and two ampoules containing his blood, the abbot of the chapel took an ampoule in his hand and walked among the people standing there.

I was nearby and filmed the scene. Indeed, after a few minutes, the coagulated blood liquefied.

The liquefaction of San Gennaro’s blood takes place only three times a year. I was very lucky to be in Naples on December 16 and witness the miracle up close.

San Gennaro was beheaded in the year 304 during the persecutions ordered by Emperor Diocletian. As he was dying, a little blood was made to flow into two ampoules. These days, one is almost empty, for part of its content was stolen by King Charles of Bourbon who, having become King of Spain, took it with him; the other is more than half full.

Sometimes, San Gennaro’s blood does not liquefy. In this case, something terrible happens. In 1939 and in 1940, coinciding with the outbreak of the Second World War, the blood of San Gennaro did not liquefy.

Are those who believe in miracles gullible? I do not think so. Religion is also made of mystery and miracle. The rational mind is not enough!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

A STATUETTE OF OUR LADY WEARING HANBOK

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Before leaving Korea, we received a beautiful gift from our Korean friends. They gave us a small statue of the Virgin Mary wearing hanbok, a traditional Korean dress; furthermore, her hairstyle is typically Korean.

We placed the statuette on a piece of furniture in our house in Enna. In the same room, there is a picture of Mary of the Visitation, the protector of my hometown of Enna (Sicily).

The picture of the Sicilian Madonna is quite different from the Korean statuette. The former wears a crown, a cloak and a robe covered with gold, furthermore it has western features; the latter wears a very simple traditional dress and shows oriental features.

What is the real face of the Virgin Mary? Eastern, Western, white or black? We do not know.

Probably, when we are in another dimension, we will be able to see the true face of Our Lady!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo