An acquaintance P sent me this:

‘I saw J today. He looks so frail and weak and I think his vegan diet is not well-balanced.
However, I consider the odds. I shall stick to more vegetables and little meat… look at J.’

I sent the comments to J, without naming P, titled:

‘Something funny from someone who doesn’t know I know you.’

J’s reply:

‘Thanks. Always nice to know how others see you.
Please tell that person I challenge them to a swimming race,
a walking race, or a tennis or badminton match. Cheers.’

I sent J’s reply to P and added this:

‘I’m slim, a vegan and healthy myself.
I’m sure I can win you in the above too.
Best not to judge by appearances :-]

The Group Vs Sole Survivor Paradox:

Players are expected to be loyal to their teams,
while expected to betray individuals,
who might be from their teams.

Survivor games are social experiments.
Just put a bunch of people together,
divide them – again and again
and see their best and worst surface!

Related Article:

Survivor: Selfishness Vs Selflessness
http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/10/selfishness-vs-selflessness
Schemers Don’t Like Schemers
http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/07/schemers-dont-like-schemers

A paradox of horror flicks:

The victims are also the hero(ines),
who despite being very afraid, are also very brave.
If not, there would be no dramatic tension!

The above applies to those who love-hate horror flicks too!

(Blogged about this somewhat some time back
but while watching one episode of ‘American Horror Story’,
thought it might be worth mentioning again.)

Last night, at NUS Buddhist Society’s camp at Cheng Beng Buddhist Society, I conducted the most detailed Groundhog Day Dharma@Cinema session yet… from 7.30 – 11pm! The prizes for the best group effort – a set of TDE books: http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/05/get-tde-book-1-2-3-4 (Well, the gift of the Dharma excels all other gifts!) But of course, they can get more from me later.

The group discussions and presentations on lessons learnt from the show had surprisingly good results. Slides on the movie with reviews by many others who appreciate it are shared too.

She kept saying she didn’t get the joke.
But there was no joke in the first place -
which is why she couldn’t catch it.

Then again, this itself became somewhat funny -
an accidental joke.

A paradoxical thought came to mind -

‘My instincts frequently tell me
not to always trust my instincts.’

So… do I go with that?
But isn’t that just another unfounded instinct?

Hmmm…
As Stonepeace put it,
‘Sometimes, gut feelings are just feelings in your guts.’

A special present with a thank you card from a student from this class that ended last Sunday: http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/07/understanding-amituofo-via-the-amitabha-sutra-8th-run

Under the grey wrapping paper is another box, with red paper.

Wait! It’s actually a paper box wrapped with paper!

Within is a hand towel…

with little animals too :-]
I’m blogging about this because I appreciate the meticulous efforts.
Amituofo!

In the movie ‘Tokyo Sonata’, there is dissonance, hidden tension in a family, between every member of the family… that drives them apart. Everyone wanders off for a while, going through extremes to seek freedom, which are misadventures that awaken them on the value of their family… as they return in the end, reborn in harmony, as reflected by the sonata played by a son. Realistic and quietly moving the film is, just like the Sonata. Families with unspoken tensions should watch it together – for a transformational experience.

末法末法，人末法不末。
正法正法，人正法自正。 ~ 石子

Dharma Ending Age, Dharma Ending Age…
It is in the humans that the Dharma ends,
the Dharma itself has no end.

Right Dharma Age, Right Dharma Age…
It is when the humans are upRight,
that the Dharma Ending Age naturally becomes Right. – Stonepeace

It’s natural
for the less spiritualistic
to be more materialistic…
because that seems all there is,
that is fulfilling to them.

The material world
is only helpful for the spiritual
in supporting their spiritual life,
and possibly harmful
if it distracts them from it.

(Above is a scene from the movie ‘Fight Club’.)

Meritocracy sounds fair at first – the idea that may the ones who work the hardest shine, but the truth is, everyone starts on unequal grounds – the more well-to-do ones tend to shine more easily as they have better living conditions, education and connections, while the poorer ones have to struggle extra hard against the force of their negative karma.

Did I hear some say they are just reaping their just deserts? Well, what if the tables are turned? Would you not appreciate a compassionate helping hand, especially if you are willing to work extra hard to change your destiny? Or would you prefer a totally each-for-his-own society, where the better off ones leave you far behind when they are perfectly capable of giving you a good boost?

Seeing this as a problem spiritually, the Buddhas create Pure Lands with their own merits – where everyone is truly given equal opportunity to learn and practise the Dharma, to attain enlightenment. Amituofo doesn’t ‘use’ meritocracy – he uses his merits to share with all instead, to top up the differences substantially enough to enable all in his Pure Land to be able to create even more merits on their own. Yet, at the same time, there is a natural form of meritocracy in action there – those with more merits and wisdom are naturally able to be progress even faster there.

The opposite of meritocracy might sound like communism, but the latter can’t work in our world as long as humans have lots of greed, hatred and delusion – that leads to corruption when sharing resources. Forced material fairness will never ensue due to individual beings’ different karma too. This is no Pure Land after all, not that it is communist, as communism is generally materialistic and anti-spirituality too.

Here is another great comic on the ‘merits’ of meritocracy: http://boingboing.net/2011/11/30/tom-the-dancing-bug-hollings.htm

轮回路险，生生世世，
反目成仇，反仇成目。

何不大家厌离娑婆，欣求极乐，
与诸上善人，俱会一处，
修菩萨道，共成佛道？

阿弥陀佛！

The rounds of rebirth are dangerous.
From life to life, love becomes hate, hate becomes love.

Why not, everyone, renounce Samsara, aspire for Pure Land,
to gather with all of superior goodness in one place,
to practise the Bodhisattva path, together attaining Buddhahood?

Amituofo!

The above is Faith Yang’s (楊乃文) song ‘Proof’ (證據).
The video depicts mildly voodoo-ish scenes,
and the words sing of vengeance for an ‘unfairly’ broken heart.

The most interesting scene is the last though,
when she sings the following and finally smiles -
‘没了你, 才有出口’ (‘Only without you, is there a way out.’)

This would usually be taken to mean
that it is having been parted, that she is now free.
It seems that she finally makes peace.

However, the real making peace
must come from letting go of thoughts of vengeance,
for ‘only without hatred, is there a way out’ – to truly make peace.

These are some scenes from lesson #9 of this 10-lesson class: http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/07/understanding-amituofo-via-the-amitabha-sutra-8th-run at Buddha of Medicine Welfare Society. The class is practising guided mindfulness of Amituofo (Amitabha Buddha’s name). [The 9th run will be next year :-] Amituofo

Related Article:
Scenes from a Pure Land Class (1)
http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/11/scenes-from-a-pure-land-class

Came across a scriptural quote for the moonpointer analogy:

修多罗教，如标月指，
若复见月，了知所标毕竟非月，
一切如来种种言说开示菩萨，亦复如是。

~ 圆觉经

Sutras’ teachings are like the finger that points to the moon.
If the moon is repeatedly seen, one realises that the pointer is not the moon after all.
All Tathagatas’ variety of spoken instructions for Bodhisattvas, are also like thus.

- Sutra of Complete Enlightenment

We don’t dare to call ourselves ‘moonpointers’.
This blog is called ‘moonpointer’ only to remind readers
that all words, including these, are just pointers trying to point to the moon beyond.  

Related Article:
About Moonpointer.com
http://moonpointer.com/new/about