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Soulful Peace

  • Writer: Peter K F Cheung SBS
    Peter K F Cheung SBS
  • Sep 10, 2020
  • 2 min read
  1. FADE IN.


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY


  4. Loud drilling sounds.


  5. PETER (V.O.): Oh, the unit above is doing renovation work.


  6. Noise pollution continues.


  7. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So disturbing and stressful. When will it stop?


  8. Noise pollution continues.


  9. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Come on!


  10. Drilling sounds dying.


  11. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is it stopping? At least for now.


  12. Pausing.


  13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's real comfort in a quiet environment.


  14. Act 2


  15. INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS


  16. FLASHBACK


  17. EXT. BANNAJI TEMPLE, ASHIKAGA, JAPAN - DAY (2019)


  18. Electric cutter noise. Peter walks past a gardener and enters the temple area.


  19. PETER (V.O.): The farther away from the noise, the better I feel.


  20. Having captured a photo of the temple environment, Peter checks the image.


  21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Without the noise, it looks so tranquil and full of colours.


  22. END FLASHBACK


  23. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I am not fond of religious institutions. But I became a Buddhist when I was about 10.


  24. Recalling.


  25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was studying in a Buddhist primarily school. When asked to become a Buddhist, I had thought about whether I should be drawn towards the faith.


  26. Recalling.


  27. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I thought Buddhism was compassionate and wasn't meant to do harm to anyone. Then, I believed in reincarnation.


  28. Recalling.


  29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I even had a Buddhist name called: 釋靜輝, meaning Siddharta-Quiet-Glory.


  30. Pausing.


  31. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While the religious surname is standard, they changed my middle name to Quiet, which I didn't like.


  32. Thinking.


  33. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I assumed loud was strong and quiet was weak.


  34. Pausing.


  35. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But now, I've thought more about the wisdom of being quiet.


  36. Peter surfs the web.


  37. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Buddha says: Whatever isn't full makes noise. Whatever is full is quiet.


  38. Thinking.


  39. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Have I become full now?


  40. Thinking.


  41. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I'm not just making noises. I'm a system actor and have roles to play - as a lawyer in court or as a council member in university governance.

  42. Thinking.


  43. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I contribute my part to make institutional developments better.


  44. Thinking.


  45. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But it seems that there is no way humanity can have perfect order and harmony.


  46. Pausing.


  47. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Humans aren't robots. They like to choose their lifestyles. They're what they're and no one can live lives for them.


  48. Pausing.


  49. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But have I been doing my best to cope and survive, not knowing that I've been starving my soul?


  50. Drilling sounds resume.


  51. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh my Buddha!


  52. Reflecting.


  53. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, it's a training for me that I should get used to being in a state with less disturbing emotions.

  54. Act 3


  55. INT. PARK - DAY


  56. Peter is running and sweating.


  57. PETER (V.O.): Mind sharpness and positive spirit aside, I must keep my body reasonably healthy.


  58. INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT


  59. Thinking.


  60. PETER (V.O.): I must try to achieve inner peace.


  61. Pausing.


  62. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe it's like the temple photo that I captured - with only the sounds of silence.


  63. Pausing.


  64. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To quiet my mind, I shouldn't be disturbed and feel stressful about earthly issues. Only I can nourish my soul better.


  65. Peter looks enlightened.


  66. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, I'm enough. Let me endeavour to have more soulful peace.


  67. FADE OUT.


  68. THE END


 
 
 

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