’3 Idiots’ is the most amazing Indian movie I have seen so far. Truly wonderfully moving, funny yet insightful. (It is to date the highest grossing Bollywood film.) In it, a story was related by Rancho, of an old watchman, who goes about a village at night proclaiming his ‘mantra’ aloud –  ’Aal izz well’ [...]

I figured that it is alright to no longer subscribe to any local papers, since they are all government controlled. I figured that the important stuff the government wants me to know will be notified to me somehow, even if I don’t buy their stuff. I figured that significant and alternative views of the government [...]

A Tit for a Tat (335) Tat: Why the little left over? Tit: You don’t know how much I already ate! Tat: Why eat so much? Tit: You don’t know how much would be left over! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/10/two-way-management Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/09/washing-before-flushing About aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/02/logo-for-a-tit-for-a-tat-series

A Tit for a Tat (334) Tat: Usually, we think it is hygienic to wash our hands after flushing the loo at home. Tit: Of course! Tat: It is actually more hygienic to wash our hands just after using the loo, just before flushing it. Tit: Why? Tat: If not, the flushing apparatus will be very unhygienic over time. Washing your [...]

Some lament of not finding a dream partner, of not getting the one one wants now. Some lament of losing a dream partner, of not having ‘the one’ any more. Which is worse? Not getting what you want now, or losing what you get later? Is it worth it? Getting heavenly marital bliss now, only [...]

Woody Allen said this – To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but [...]

Saw this story online. I shortened it to its essentials: A tortoise family decided to go on a picnic. Being slow, they took two years to find an ideal spot. Then, they realised they forgot the salt. After a long discussion, the fastest tortoise was chosen to get it from home. He agreed to go [...]

Question: If farmed animals are not bred in farms and wild animals are not caged in zoos, will they be roaming about on Earth? If farmed animals are bred with much humanity, say almost equivalent to rearing pets, will it be deemed fit to eat them eventually? Answer: The truth is that wild animals have been [...]

Question: On the article ‘The Cabbage & the Cow’ at http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/09/the-cabbage-the-cow , I think we should simply be grateful to have food to eat, be it a cabbage or a cow. It’s easy to condemn meat-eaters and conveniently forget that hundreds if not thousands of earthworms and other sentient beings living in the soil had to die just [...]

Personally speaking, I have learnt not to trust my intuition from experience – because gut feelings are often just irrational feelings not aligned to reality. Knowing this keeps me more open than conclusive when uncertain, less judgmental, more open to learning. If our intuition is so accurate, we would long be enlightened already. It is [...]

Here is the original Hippocratic Oath taken by ancient Greek doctors, from which modern versions of doctors’ moral conduct is derived: I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement: To consider dear to [...]

She immersed in Dharma research work, and used it to avoid human contact, even with those whom she should help. Her excuse was that she was too busy with Dharma work, as if Dharma theory mattered more than Dharma practice, as if many lifeless words of wisdom mattered more than a deed of kindness. She [...]

Unfortunately, due to unskilfulness in reconciling or separating the two, increase in worldly proximity between Dharma friends, including teachers and students, sometimes leads to spiritual distancing. Sometimes, there is disappointment, that someone is less inspiring or more unenlightened than imagined. This is however a reality check for our expectations. Let us just continue to walk [...]

I saw someone wearing this t-shirt. It’s meant to be a ‘fun’ way of re-interpreting what ‘fast food’ is, but what it implies isn’t fun for the prey at all. It’s the harsh law of the jungle. It should also remind animal-eaters that the ‘fast food’ they consume at restaurants didn’t really arrive via fast [...]

Q: What is the Buddhist basis of trust? A: The truth is, despite mustering the best of our wisdom, but because we can’t read minds, it is always a gamble to some extent when we choose to trust another unenlightened being. As such, we have to be prepared to be tricked in the first place, to [...]