It was a rainy afternoon in September 2004. An ambience of serenity was shielding every soul on Singuttara Hill from the bustle
of Yangon, while the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda towering over the holy Buddhist shrine summoned a higher level of spirituality
from every individual present.
We were in Myanmar for business for several days at the tail end of that monsoon season, and were still dazzled by the strange
opportunity to have dealings in the quaint and exotic country.
Where one of the oldest Buddhist architecture in the world has stood against time, Singuttara Hill was a must-see sight in our short
itinerary beyond business dealings. Around the breathtaking monument of Shwedagon Pagoda, somewhere amidst many other intricate pieces
of artwork, was an open space where the shape of a huge star was tiled on the white marble floor. We were told that it was a powerful
spot to pray.
A few locals were sitting on the wet floor of the open space, either meditating or chanting quietly. The downpour had stopped, but
a slight drizzle appeared to be enhancing the peacefulness on the hill while keeping the sun away.
I remembered I knelt near the centre of the tiled star with my trousers folded up to the knees. I had nothing specific in mind to pray
for at first, but it was a natural thing to do in the holy place, just kneeling and asked for blessings.
After 10 years of excitement in
finance and business, one thought came up naturally and I prayed for guidance to have a more spiritual accomplishment in life.
It was only many months later that it would dawn upon us, that the birth of Harmony Astrology Centre actually traced back to the vow I had
made on that ordinary day in an extraordinary place.
A buddy in my MINDEF days, Johnny Lim, now an entrepreneur, told me he had chanced upon a vacant shop unit in Shaw Tower, shortly after
I had returned from Myanmar. The 2nd storey unit was just under 170 feet, about the right size for some fun business or hobby business.
I made quick inspections on the premises. Shaw Tower is a place that evokes much nostalgia. I shopped there in my high school days,
and continued frequenting the Prince and Jade cinemas well into my 20s.
My decision was quick. I had been practising Fengshui and
destiny analysis in my spare time after completing my formal classes in Hong Kong in 1995. Even when I was a stockbroker, the passion
for practising the skill had always translated into many reading sessions for people around me, friends and other stockbrokers alike.
The economy was still sluggish in 2004 and the rental wouldn't have cost much. While Shaw Tower is not exactly anymore a hip location
that is attracting herds of crowds, it is not like many other rundown malls where many traditional, old-fashioned fortune-tellers are
found either. So why not have my hobby and passion formally established, there and then?
There was only a Chinese name for my practice after I had sought the blessings of my mentor, Venerable Guangxuan, in 1995, but an
English name was required for business registration. The name HARMONY came up very quickly, although I might not have realised fully
its significance and relevance until some time later.
On October 8, 2004, Harmony Astrology Centre was born. It was a great day to have gathered many good friends. I had no clue at that
time how the hobby business would turn out to be.