In a taxi at Dharamshala, we told a cabbie that he was going the wrong way. If I heard him correctly, he kind of admitted, but kind of denied this. While reversing his way out, he thought I heard him say, ‘There is no wrong way; only long way!’ Remind me of the idea that a trip to...

A Buddhist friend whom I did not know too well commented during a group chat that just as the universe has balanced energies of the Yin and the Yang, it is necessary for  individuals to have balanced positive and negative aspects too, in terms of character. I think he is one of those ...

At a wedding lunch of a friend, two of us were served vegetarian food. We took a peek at the non-vegetarian menu placed at the table and to our surprise, shark fin was listed on it, though the bride had mentioned earlier that she won’t be ordering it. When the dish came and after it...

In ‘Valley of Flowers’, which might appear to be a Tibetan Buddhist movie at first, there is a scene of classic misinterpretation of death as release with the wrong use of a quote from Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: May I be a guard for those...

To her own surprise, a friend who broke up with someone about eight years ago felt that it was only two to three years ago. She realised that time didn’t really flow on at its normal speed because she blocked out the break-up experience, and did not really accept it until recently. She...

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The last bowing session in the Pureland retreat lasted the shortest as there was the least fret, as there is the most doing it in the moment, without entertaining stray thoughts of how long more it will be, especially since this is the last chance to practise it...

Turning these defenseless animals into egg-producing machines with no consideration for their welfare whatsoever is a degradation of our own humanity. - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama HHDL joins the campaign against battery (caged) hens. Let’s support and follow his example at...

A friend confessed that he believes in the Buddhist teachings, while believing there is a creator God (which clashes with Buddhist teachings), and added that he has the tendency to have negative thoughts. This was my reply: It’s very simple - if there is an almighty good creator God, he...

A Tit for a Tat (165) Tit: Clean up the room now! Tat: Why? Tit: Because it’s messy! Tat: But it’s always messy! Tit: Which is why it always needed a clean up! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/09/angry-birthday Previous aT4aT:...

But a monk wrote the article! But so what? A mistake is a mistake. Poor editors don’t go enough for truth but do perfunctory checking, while passing to sub-editors for the same. Don’t pass it to me just to edit language if unready for alternative views of substance. More regard...

A conversation via instant messaging… Wyi: http://www.veganburg.com Wya: Yup, I know about it, but I have not got time to visit yet. Have you tried? Wyi: I’m going after work. Wya: Let me know if it’s good. Wyi: Even if it’s not good, we still have to support it, or...

A wonderful one-liner from ‘The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’: ‘When you drift, you’re in control and out of control.’ Is this not the story of our lives? We drift with the change in ripening karmic conditions created, semi-forced to go with the flow, while...

Just because the lie-detector says you’re telling the truth doesn’t make what you tell the truth because you might have successfully lied to yourself to believe and tell a lie as ‘truth’. A lie-detector only detects your lies to others and yourself; It does not detect...

Question: If I have committed observe the Five Precepts but repeatedly break one of them despite having practised repentance, can I still repent again effectively? Answer: To answer the question, I need to know how many times more the precept is intended to be broken! You need to remember...

Question: Though it is wrong to kill animals for meat, isn’t it the karma of these animals to be killed? Answer: Though it is the negative karma of some of animals to be killed for human consumption or otherwise, none of us have to purposely play a part in being conditions for their...

Someone attending an interfaith event on violence emailed to as about the Buddhist perspective of the subject. This was my reply: There is much to say on this… which can be googled online. Some short thoughts on violence… Violence does not bring peace but keeps it at bay. To...

From Wikipedia: ‘Thundereggs are rough spheres, most about the size of a baseball – though they can range from less than an inch to over a meter across. They usually contain centres of chalcedony in the form of agate, jasper or opal, either uniquely or in combination. Also...

While chatting with friends on the ‘Agree to Disagree: Conversations on Conversion’ project (http://conversion.buddhists.sg) much earlier, I suggested doing something more handy and easy to use, for more swift dissuasion against the ways of manic street preachers. Below is the...

I make a long list of stuff to bring to India, before I departed. Don’t forget the toothbrush, the torch in case there are blackouts, extra socks cos’ it’s the monsoon season…. Some of the stuff I never use, such as many extra batteries, and handkerchiefs… So...