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Even the most fun app(lication) in my iPhone gets deleted eventually, to make room for another app. Life is seeking one app after another, for one kick after another - till you lose the kick of seeking kicks? What is life thereafter? Seek the ultimate ‘kick’ of transcending kicks - by...

His doctor told him to drink cow milk daily for calcium. I told him it will lead to loss of calcium instead as the latest well verified studies say so (e.g. The China Study). I advised him to eat more greens like broccoli instead, and to give up milk. He says that is extreme and that he takes...

From ‘The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship Into Joy’ by Andrew Holecek - There are teachers who proclaim that the only thing necessary to wake up is to ‘just do it.’ They tell us that we are already enlightened, we just do not recognize it. I have studied...

Q: In Buddhism, is it not so that only the Buddha can verify if there is a creator God or not? But no one can verify if there is a creator God since he is almighty, right? A: Everyone can personally know there is no creator god – by becoming a Buddha oneself – thoroughly enlightened....

G: Thank you for all the effort and time to lead the Pureland fellowship. S: You’re welcome! The Pureland teachings are too precious not to share with as many as we can :-] Amituofo. (Just as the Buddha saw them to be so precious that he even taught them without request, we should too!) To...

If your idea of God is not a person, while most believe him as so, let’s not call him God, If your idea of God is not good, who relieves all suffering instantly, let’s not call him God. If your idea of God is not a creator, who created evil in this world, let’s not call him...

Q: Where is the mind? How does it multi-task? A: The mind is where you put it to. E.g. If you think of your fingers typing, your mind is there then. Multi-tasking is an illusion. We can only do one thing mindfully at a time, though we can train to do many things quickly and some mindlessly...

There is no Judgement Day to come but there is this Judgement Moment - from moment to moment. Judgement Moment is this moment when we make personal judgements and take actions, which leads to consequences in this or future moments. We are naturally and karmically ‘judged’ for what...

A deal with the ‘devil’ appears good, so that it will be tempting enough to sign it, but will never come to any long-term good, because it is a deal with the ‘devil’ after all, with the ‘devil’ in the missed details, the fine print of guaranteed long-term harm. Any agreement with...

We shall not cease from exploration And the end to all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. - T.S. Eliot (Four Quartets) We shall not cease from watching the mind till the perfection of our mindfulness of it, which will lead to the true...

Q: Of all things in life, what is the most amazing? A: That a man, seeing others die all around him, never thinks he will die. – Yudhisthira (Mahabharata) Q: Of all things in life, what is the most fortunate? A: Knowing how to transcend death in the most skilful way, by mindfulness of...

Q: Does one who sacrifices his life for you have the greatest love of all? A: Being able to live a full life based on the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice, equanimity) perfected to help as many as possible is the greatest love. It is greater and truer love to live to...

A Tit for a Tat (131) Tit: Too bad! Tat: Why? Tit: ‘Cos you don’t know what you’d missed! Tat: It’s okay. Tit: Why? Tat: ‘Cos I don’t know what I’d missed! Tit: How can it be okay if you don’t know what you missed? Tat: It’s okay for now...

The more I look around, the more ‘mantras’ I see in everyday life. Here’s a haunting one… ‘Mmm mmm mmm mmm’ A ‘mantra’ on doubt, puzzlement, wonderment… ? ‘Mmm mmm mmm mmm’ Now this will get you nowhere near...

When friends tell me their various reasons for being ‘unable’ to be full vegans, despite ‘knowing’ its rationale, I reply by saying: ‘As long as you do your best.’ In case they feel ‘pressurised’, I hesitate to ask, ‘Are you sure you are...

Since we inadvertently kill some beings in daily life, such as accidentally stepping on ants, does it mean it is alright to intentionally buy other beings for food? Since we already unwittingly kill some beings in daily life, this makes it even all the more important to conscientiously...

为培养慈悲心而吃素即是修行一部分。 吃荤又不培养培养慈悲非修行一部分。 Being a vegetarian to nurture compassion makes it part of Dharma practice. Being a meat-eater while not nurturing compassion is not part of Dharma...

Eating a vegetarian dinner at a restaurant, it was surprising to hear almost everyone at the table speaking about the arbitrariness of vegetarianism. If vegetarianism doesn’t matter at all, why are we Buddhists here, eating what we are, instead of devouring flesh elsewhere? I asked...

Unless one does not understand what meat is from, it is impossible to just see meat as food, instead of murdered animals, while continually eating it. Unless one is at least an Anagami, who is already free from greed, our choice of food will always entail some greed - which is why we are...