Pic: Mug at Dharma Drum Mountain’s Bookshop at Jinshan OMG! Oh my God? Ohmigosh? OMB! Oh my Buddha! My own Buddha-nature… too. Next Taiwan Adventure: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/07/taiwan-adventure-7-heart-sutra-in-binary-code Previous Taiwan...

Pic: Sign for ‘Homage to (or refuge in) Amitabha Buddha (Amituofo)’ in Taoyuan Another still and well-meaning ubiquitous sign, to remind fleeting passers-by to be mindful of Buddha… but how many are mindful of what his name means? More and more I hope! Namo Amituofo! Next...

Pic: Worm crossing at gate of Sun Moon Lake Peacock Park What one thing is to one is another thing to another. The gate track in the rain is a bridge over stormy waters too. Next Taiwan Adventure: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/06/taiwan-adventure-5-more-more Previous Taiwan...

Pic: Drizzly evening at Shilin Night Market The rain has stopped. But it drizzles on… Not the sky, but the dripping awnings. What irony, when that which keeps the rain out, keeps the rain coming. Next Taiwan ...

I turned the digital clock off before stepping out of the house. Since all will be away for some time, there’s no need for anyone to know the time. And in the house, everything is ‘frozen’ still, as if time does not pass. Reminds me of the Buddha’s definition of...

In Singapore, those eager to slam other faiths publicly and unfairly, regardless of inter-religious harmony, in order to proselytise their own religion can no longer readily do so due recent repeated government-alerted incidents (e.g. Rony Tan and Mark Ng) – unless they are out of their...

Herd mentality is paradoxically individual mentality based on delusion and/or selfishness. If herds always unite, predators will have no luck in capturing their individuals. Likewise, if predators unite as herds, they will always be able to capture their...

Since Bodhisattvas do manifest as animals at times (to help various beings), isn’t it a scary thought that the animals one eat might be Bodhisattvas? Then again, even if they are not already Bodhisattvas, all beings are future Bodhisattvas… and Buddhas...

To someone who is unhappy over middle management: Remember… the pivoting point for change is the big boss; not anyone else (who is not the big boss). The secret is to focus on changing the big boss’s mind to improve management. If you focus on changing the wrong person to better the...

A Tit for a Tat (149) Tit: If you have twins, would you dress them the same? Tat: Why would I want to confuse them? Tit: And others! Tat: And myself! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/07/why-so-noisy Previous aT4aT:...

A Tit for a Tat (148) Tit: Mumble mumble… grumble grumble… Tat: Eat a mango! Tit: What’s that about? Tat: My question exactly! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/06/why-confuse-anyone Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/06/is-it-really-easy About...

A Tit for a Tat (147) Tit: Don’t worry – it’s very easy! Tat: If so easy, why don’t you do it yourself? Tit: I meant – it’s easy for you; but hard for me! Tat: Yeah… right! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/06/eat-a-mango Previous ...

A Tit for a Tat (146) Tit: The sculpture looks like a distorted Buddha head. Tat: I don’t see any Buddha head. Tit: Perhaps because it’s too distorted? Tat: Maybe because it’s not meant to be a distorted Buddha head? Tit: When does a distorted Buddha head stop being a Buddha...

Q: Sometimes, suffering may not be a bad thing. A: Suffering is ‘useful’ only if it spurs one to advance to enlightenment. If not, suffering will return again and again – and one repeats suffering pointlessly – life after life. Q: I don’t think I am...

A parent laments that his Buddhist vegetarian child does not buy non-vegetarian food for him as an act of filial piety. He hears of another vegetarian child who buys meat delicacies for his father. But this displeasure is due to different perceptions of filial piety. The common worldly...

When away in another land, we want to seize the day, as we will be there only for a while, even though we can visit again. When here in the now, we want to seize the moment, as we can only be here now, even though we can be reborn again. Next Taiwan Adventure:...

A Tit for a Tat (145) Tit: Hey! I could do that! Tat: Yes – but there’s a difference. Tit: What’s that? Tat: You didn’t do it. Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/06/distorted-buddha-head Previous aT4aT:...

In ‘Green Hulk/Red Hulk’ by Jeph Loeb, one of the most mysterious yet useless characters in the Marvel comics universe, ‘The Watcher’, says pompously, ‘I am Uata, the Watcher. It is my sworn duty to witness the potentially critical moments of any race across...

This is one of my favourite scenes from one of my favourite movies, where Bob (played Bill Murray) sings Roxy Music’s oldie ‘More Than This’ in a karaoke room. ‘More than THIS – there is nothing.’ THIS is THIS now. All we have is now. Live in the moment...

A Tit for a Tat (144) Tit: This curry is so much thinner than the previous time. Tat: Well, it’s another kind of curry. Tit: How do you tell? Tat: I think so. Anyway, it’s always a different curry – even if it’s the same kind! Next aT4aT:...