‘Go’ (围棋) is not an ordinary board game, but one that involves much wits and strategising. Unlike it’s counterpart Chinese chess (中国象棋), Go is a very minimal game with simple rules and only two different pieces (black and white). The objective is to conquer a larger portion of the board than the opponent, to capture [...]

Met up with a rather old friend last night for dinner and chat. As he’s between jobs and since it’s the holiday season, he’s taking his time to text and call up friends individually to catch up with them. He lamented that when he contacted them, most of them would exclaim that they too had [...]

Below is some traditional Vajrayana advice on how to dispose Dharma books that have become too old or damaged for re-circulation. (Yes, ideally, such books should be ‘recycled’ for reuse by others as much a possible – before being disposed.) – ‘If it is necessary to dispose of written Dharma materials, they should be burned [...]

If you haven’t noticed, the black and white version of the above poster was featured in the The Sunday Times’ Lifestyle section’s page 3. It’s a prayer relay collaborated by four organisations to create and dedicate merits for the well-being of Singapore, with the wish that all beings find the strength to tide over bad [...]

I was at a group dinner last weekend, during which the conversation centered mostly around food. That seen as ‘great food’ for most is but burnt carcasses to me, no matter how well masked the meat is with herbs and spices. I can no longer comprehend why anyone can be fascinated by meat, isn’t it [...]

Ding: For goodness sake, ditch those torn cargo pants!  Dong: Why? They can be patched. Reduces wastage of resources! Ding: Come on! Who patches these?  Dong: Well, people patch torn jeans all the time. Ding: Those are jeans! These aren’t! Dong: There’s no law that pants cannot be patched like jeans. Ding: It’ll be weird. [...]

Tit: Why does the Buddha image have blue hair? Tat: It symbolises the blue light of universal compassion that radiated from his hair when he attained enlightenment.  Tit: Thought it was strange to portray him with blue hair. Tat: Look at the image’s body. Tit: Aha? Tat: Do you think it’s appropriate that his body [...]

Riff: Look at that poorly painted picture of the Buddha! Raff: What picture? Riff: That one! Raff: What Buddha? Riff: That one in the picture! Raff: Who said that is supposed to be the Buddha? Riff: Looks like it’s supposed to be! Raff: But you said it’s poorly painted. Riff: So? Raff: It’s poorly painted but [...]

Hee: I wanna eat something special for dinner. Haw: But where is something special? Hee: I don’t know. Haw: And what is something special? Hee: I don’t know either. Haw: Looks like you’re letting yourself be haunted by a unknown meal from nowhere in particular. Hee: Craving leads to suffering! Haw: Yes, the more you crave, [...]

Woo: Look at the kid! She’s so irritating!  Hoo: Don’t look then. Woo: Huh? Hoo: Unless you are looking to be irritated. Woo: As in ‘looking for irritation’? Hoo: Not really, because the cause of irritation is in you!         The kid only presented a condition for it to arise.        [...]

Q: We’re working on our 2553 Spiritual Journal. Need to check with you the meaning of 2553 on the Buddhist calendar cos we’ll be including the meaning in its intro. A: 2553 is the calculation of Buddhist year beginning from the physical passing of the Buddha. Come 19th May 2009, Vesak Day, the Buddhist calendar will be [...]

Though what they do not understand as yet is as it totally irrelevant to them now, what they do not understand is that it might be totally relevant. From the Dhammapada:  Those who mistake the unessential to be essential and the essential to be unessential, dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential. Those [...]

Me: You’ll find me weird… only if you don’t understand me. He: But what if you still seem weird after I try to understand you? Me: Well, like I said, ‘You’ll find me weird… only if you don’t understand me.’ He: As in… don’t really understand you fully yet? Me: Yup. Food for thought… The Buddha [...]

Ti: Why is she doing so little? Shouldn’t she do as much as us to help? Gi: Well, she’s just a volunteer. Ti: But so are we! Gi: You should see it this way - she needn’t have volunteered at all, but because she is helping, she is in a way volunteering to lessen your work. Why not [...]

An interesting question was raised during a recent class – ‘Is it okay to feel gratitude for the meat we eat?’ This is sometimes asked for the absolution of guilt, while seeking a way to rationalise or justify meat-eating. I answered that having gratitude is definitely better than not having any at all. However, if [...]