Yet another birthday celebration with an eggless cake. Yet another attempt to educate on why it’s insensitive to animals’ suffering. Call me a killjoy perhaps, but there is no joy in being killed for others’ joy. Below is my reply to all to a mass email asking for...

A Tit for a Tat (56) Tit: Why is it so difficult? Tat: You. Tit: Huh? Tat: Because you refuse to learn properly! Tit: But I’m trying… Tat: … while refusing to accept that it’s not going to be as easy as expected! Next aT4aT:...

When we were younger, our dreams to save the world was huge. But as we grew up, we easily find ourselves distanced from our ‘heroic’ ambition. Had a chat with an old friend recently about our supposed big dream, about how we drifted so far apart from what we wanted to do. Now, we...

Eugen: Stonepeace said ‘The truly wise appear truly foolish to the truly foolish.‘ But who is the wise and foolish? Shi’an: It depends on what situation. Eugen: Mirror effect… if both behave foolishly! Shi’an: The only way to break free is to keep becoming...

Question: Sorry, I’ve done my best to help her. I’ve no more energy. I give up! Answer: No worries. Take a break. It’s important to not leave the friendship bitter – or there would be negative karmic affinity formed, that creates more problems in time to come. When...

Question: A friend’s son lately found it difficult to focus and could not study at all. He had applied leave of absence from school. But, currently he is preparing for a special exam required for studying the subject of choice later.  At times, he is quite frustrated, tense and...

Once there are three friends – Yes, No and Dunno. Yes is full of enthusiasm, who believes that many high ideals are possible, provided that they are accomplished with right understanding and effort. No is full of skepticism, who doesn’t believe he can accomplish much or that the goals...

Question: What is the correct approach one must practice to stop people who are persistently bad, like extremists? Answer: There’s a need to befriend them, to express concern for their general welfare first, before finding out why they think the way they do, and to gently persuade...

A dialogue built upon a texting dialogue: D: (Looking for room to rent again) I realise I have to keep letting go of the idea that I can find a more permanent place to stay. S: Even Pureland is not for staying forever; it’s just for training. D: Yeah… unless I attain...

A Tit for a Tat (55) Tit: I have a bad impression of him. Tat: But that’s just an impression. Tit: So? Tat: Impressions are all we have… shallow ones or deeper ones. Tit: They all fall short of truth? Tat: Yes – to some extent – unless you can read minds! Next...

某人问‘做慈心观会不会不小心爱上观想的对象?’ 若成如此，那慈心观就做错了。为何呢？ 因慈心应偏十方而不偏一人； 否则即是私心而非无缘大慈，同体大悲。 慈心是无量心；非偏心! Someone asked if it’s possible to...

In long drawn drama serials, it is rare that there are no sudden misfortunes via traffic accidents or great illnesses among some key characters. Sounds cliched? But in the long drawn drama of real life, such stuff do often happen. Sometimes, just because it’s on reel, we forget it can...

Who bears within them enmity: ‘He has abused and beaten me, defeated me and plundered me’, hate is not allayed for them. - The Buddha (Dhammapada) J: I don’t believe in karma [the moral cause and effect; of begetting fruits of that sown], because many ruthless people get...

A Tit for a Tat (54) Tit: Do you have any regrets over it? Tat: Nope. Tit: Why? Tat: Because I did my best. Tit: But I have regrets over it. Tat: It means you havn’t done your best yet. Tit: But I’m sure I did. Tat: It still means you havn’t done your best yet. Tit:...

K: There is nothing wrong with getting ahead. But there is nothing wrong with not getting ahead either. S: I think it depends on one’s aspirations. E.g. Getting ahead in terms of influence can help many more – in terms of walking the Bodhisattva path too. K: We all can help people within...

An SMS-email dialogue… C: I having bad headache from an infection, but I dreamt of of you last night. How are you doing? S: I’m okay. What happened in the dream? C: I dreamt you beat me. S: Huh? I have never got into any fist fight since young… got no history of violence....

White wallpaper tiger ghost: http://facebook.com/shenshian I got a nice Facebook message recently… Dear Sir, … I live in Phoenix Arizona, in the United States… I am a subscriber to NamoAmituofo (TheDailyEnlightenment-Weekly) email list for years and I always looked forward...

From Depeche Mode’s ‘The Sun and the Rainfall’: Things must change. We must rearrange them. Or we’ll have to estrange them. All that I’m saying, the game’s not worth playing, over and over again. Comments: Our lives must change. We must transform them. Or...

Guy: I think girls are evil. I know some guys are as well, but girls are more evil. What do you think? Gal: I think we are generally equally ‘evil’. Guy: You think so? Well, I still think girls are evil. Gal: (thinking) Gosh, some gals must have really hurt him. Hurting is...

In the poignant but touching story of ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, a young girl realises that she was conceived specifically to save her older sister’s life. She decides to sue her parents for ‘medical emancipation’ – to reject any further bodily donations,...