A Tit for a Tat (91)

Tit: Aren’t you supposed to clean the toilet?
Tat: Aren’t I supposed to be(come) enlightened?
Tit: Aren’t the enlightened supposed to do chores too?
Tat: I guess they do what they have to as well…
Tit: … except that they don’t do them grudgingly!  

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/02/just-your-perception
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/something-rational

Warning: This is a proper vampire movie, where vampires adhere to the classic rules. E.g. they do not glitter with fairy dust in the sun without bursting into flames during non-twilight hours! (To avoid confusion in monster lore, Twilight’s ‘vampires’ shouldn’t be called so in the first place!) What if the situation is in reverse? What if vampires are the rule and ordinary humans are the exception? What if you are a vampire yourself? Would you simply be one of the crowd due to peer pressure and your bloodlust, or struggle to abstain from blood? How would you survive? Some movies with less cliched stories turn out even better than their trailers, which were edited to attract the masses. This is an example!

‘Daybreakers’ tells the future of 2019, when the spread of a virus renders most humans into vampires. Due to craving for blood, so many humans are turned into vampires that human blood becomes a rare commodity – probably like how fresh water is becoming increasingly rare. While the rich and powerful hunt and ‘farm’ humans for their blood like cattle shackled for milk, Edward (played by Ethan Hawke, not Robert Pattinson) chooses to research to concoct something more humane – a blood substitute. Reminds me of the creation of harmless faux (mock) meat to urge weaning off real meat!

If a vampire is no longer a human, does it mean there is no obligation to be humane? But humanity cannot be limited to humans, for even beasts can live in harmony with one another to some extent. What makes us human then? Is it alright to be monstrous just because most are? Might clearly doesn’t make right. Though a vampire or two in our midst might become demonised by us, how would we like it to be the few humans left, hunted by a world of vampires? If it’s distasteful, why should any human hunt, imprison, breed, exploit and kill any animals at all?

The vampires on the lower rungs of society become severely blood deprived, which urges them to feed on one another, leading to a condition where they mutate into bat-like creatures called the ‘subsiders’. Despite being the most unfortunate and hungry of the lot, they become demonised by the ‘human’ vampires, though they too were susceptible to their condition. It’s an analogy for present day social discrimination, where the poor and sick become the ‘bane’ of society, ostracised by some of the wealthy and aloof. Monster movies can be very telling of the human condition!

Is it not also monstrous, as a vampire, to prevent becoming more monstrous (subsiders) by terrorising more humans (to ward off the subsiders’ condition), or by exterminating subsiders (who might infect them)? Edward utters, ’Life is a bitch… and then you don’t die.’ What if you are a vampire, who never ages or dies (by natural means)? Would life be endless torture of unfulfilment? Would mortality be a permanent cure? But what about rebirth? Is immortality a disease? Or is endless craving the true one? A long life without physical change is not problematic if there is continual spiritual growth.

The solution to the vampires’ lack of human blood was to end their craving for it. It turns out that the cure is blood from vampires who accidentally reversed their condition to be humans again. Drinking it, the vampires regain their human selves. Now that this is so, that they had lived through monstrous times, will they look back on hindsight with 20/20 vision and regain or even increase their humanity? One of the final scenes depicted vampires biting cured vampires (humans) for blood, thereupon accidentally becoming humans too, who get unwittingly bitten by the remaining vampires! The bitten become biters who become bitten… A ‘bloody’ effective illustration of the viciousness of karmic payback and cyclic craving!

A Tit for a Tat (90)

Tit: Can you promise me something?
Tat: I’ll need to know if it’s something rational first.
Tit: Don’t worry. It is rational.
Tat: I do worry!
Tit: Why worry?
Tat: Because if it’s rational, you would tell me about it first!

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/supposed-to-be-enlightened
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/you-look-terrible

A Tit for a Tat (89)

Tit: You look terrible unshaved!
Tat: Oh dear… What to do now that I’m out of the house?
Tit: It doesn’t matter.
Tat: Didn’t you say I look terrible?
Tit: It doesn’t matter… that you look terrible… to me!
Tat: Huh?
Tit: I’m not sure how you or others would think!

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/something-rational
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/a-lousy-teacher

Something written in the year 2000:
(An Exposition on Crystal Craze)

Hold on to this crystal
Touch that gem
Feel the power
Experience the energy

Let me introduce you
to the new “stone” age
in this aquarian age…

Some of the myriad colourful “new gods” of the new millennium-
here are some of their exotic names in their cosmic pantheon -
Meet Citrine, Jade – gods of abundance
Meet Opal, Green Tourmaline, Citrine, Back Tourmaline – gods of bad luck
Meet Blue Agate, Kunzite, Drusy Chrysolla, Gem Silica, Moonstone – gods of acceptance
Meet Apatite, Jasper, Nephrite, Rose Quartz – gods of aggression
Meet Chrysoprase, Dioptase, Emerald, Malachite, Thulite, Rose Quartz – gods of beauty
Meet Imperial Topaz, Topaz – gods of aneroxia
Meet Dioptase, Selenite, Citrine – gods of ambition
Meet Apophyllite, Aalachite, Rose Quartz – gods of asthma

In the old stone age,
we believed in the seemingly ever-active formless gods,
of rain, thunder, wind, mountains and rivers…
who can neither be seen or touched in the flesh.
In this brave new stone age,
you can readily have and hold on to the seemingly lifeless “new gods”,
crystallised in their various shapes and sizes
in the palms of your hands.
Embrace sacred power -
you don’t have to wait for it to embrace you.
Reach out – touch faith.
You can be “devoted” to the new gods,
but you might also be obsessed?

Read more

That there is only one truth
does not mean that
all so-called ‘truths’ are one.

- Stonepeace

Recently, I met a holistic healer, who claimed to be very open-minded. His intentions seem good, though the way he carried himself could do better to benefit more. After asking a few questions about the methods he uses for helping a friend, he jumped to the conclusion that I wasn’t open-minded, and repeatedly asked me to be more so, while being somewhat pridefully and agitatedly preachy on a nutritional topic I was already mostly in agreement to. For someone advocating holistic well-being, he didn’t seem ‘well’ in body, speech and mind in the moment. It was ironical that he wasn’t open-minded enough to believe I was open-minded! I jokingly pushed the special nutritional smoothie he had made for me towards him, telling him that I’m unsure of the efficacy of its holistic healing powers, since I see its creator to be extremely worked up in temperament. If he consumes that stuff which is so good, shouldn’t it make his character more welcoming for instance? To that, he calmed down… For the record, I did drink it completely later, and thanked him for it. But that’s just me taking a calculated risk to prove I was open-minded. You should never consume what you’re unsure of!

He didn’t apologise for his harsh speech, which did rattle on for some time, but explained that there are those who are not receptive to what he had to say. I again assured him that I was not one of them. I remarked that different techniques are suitable for communicating to different folks, that there was no need to be so strong or firm with me. I reminded him that it was also possible to be assertive without generating genuine anger. I told him I was worried for his well-being. And I did mean it. It’s worrying that someone who is supposed to be an expert in holistic matters lacked basic self-awareness. His house was full of crystals of various types and sizes standing around like small statues. Crystals are somewhat the ‘new gods’, the new idols of the new age ‘faith’. Some believe they radiate various kinds of energies that are good for human health, though some do complain of terrible headaches when they are too close. I prefer the gems in Pureland, which are truly universally pleasing, while emanating teachings of the Dharma.

While discussing about my friend’s condition, he claims that the root of the problem was the lack of proper nutrition. The smoothie was one of the solutions, among other new age methods. He said that proper nutrition would heal his brain cells, which would help him get better. I again assured him that I was open to the possibility, but that prior to healing his body, healing the mind comes first – because this friend’s mind is very scattered, even when it comes to following healing methods. For instance, he would hop from one healer to another doctor, from one monk to another counsellor… in search of advice that is never fully utilised. It’s no wonder he couldn’t heal properly – even if he did encounter a genuinely effective remedy. Thus was my key advice for him to focus on practising mindfulness of (Amitabha) Buddha via recitation – to gather in his scattered mind for greater focus, while connecting to the Buddha for healing.

Read more

In ‘The Question: The Five Books of Blood’ by Greg Rucka, Renee Montoya, who takes on the persona of the masked yet faceless (vigilante’s) persona called ‘The Question’, hunts for the legendary ‘Crime Bible’ to uncover its secrets, so as to better understand how criminal minds tick. But in the process of knowing the nature of deceit, lust, greed and murder deeper, she stares into the proverbial Nietzschean abyss and the abyss into her too. Eventually unwittingly winning a crime cult leader in a duel, she becomes worshipped as the next default chief of his minions.

The story is called ‘the parable of the faceless’. Defilements are really faceless – till we choose to embody them, to give human faces to them. Yet, one’s defilements are not always worn visibly on the face. Even ‘The Question’, who is ‘faceless’, had undetected and unmindfully masked defilements. One can fool others, but more frighteningly, one can fool oneself too. Deceit indeed! (Will Renee turn to the dark side? The sequel will tell.)

Related Article:
Who am I?
http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/who-am-i

A Tit for a Tat (88)

Tit: He’s a lousy teacher. I learnt nothing from him.
Tat: Why is he lousy?
Tit: He’s very biased.
Tat: Well, he did teach you a good lesson on why it’s not good to be biased!
Tit: …
Tat: So don’t be too biased over his bias!

Are there only poor teachers,
or poor students,
or both?

- Stonepeace

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/you-look-terrible
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/phantom-shopping

A Tit for a Tat (87)

Tit: What do you wish to buy? Can I help you find it?
Tat: It’s okay. I don’t know what I want either.
Tit: How can you find it then?
Tat: When I see it, I will know.
Tit: This sounds self-contradictory!
Tat: This is called shopping!

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/a-lousy-teacher
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/a-question-of-time

The below is a compilation of discussions based on the article ‘Why Veganism is Not an Extreme Way of Life’ at http://thedailyenlightenment.com/enewsletter/24.php :

[1] Do Diets Matter Spiritually?

Q: We don’t respect Dharma teachers and learn from them because of their dietary choice. What do you think?

A: Besides the Dharma dispensed, how sensitive a teacher is to the plight of animals is a measure of his or her compassion too, which is one of the chief spiritual qualities all should cultivate. Between a teacher (say, a monastic) who demands KFC chicken (I know one, but he has turned vegetarian recently) versus another who is veg*an, if both of them teach the Dharma equally well, wouldn’t one choose to learn from the latter because we can learn from his example of compassion in terms of diet?

[2] Did the Buddha Eat Meat?

Q: Wasn’t the Buddha not vegetarian because he ate whatever was given? As he was once a prince, did he eat meat in the palace? If yes, despite this, he became the Buddha. Thus, it’s not what you eat but how you practise the Dharma that is more important? Being vegetarian can diminish our attachment to food, but eradicating our defilements can by other means besides choice of diet? Didn’t the Buddha taught different means to different people to suit their karmic tendencies?

A: The Buddha was never stated in any Pali Sutta or Mahayana Sutra to have eaten any meat, though he permitted meat taken by monastics via random alms. Most of us don’t take random alms though; we are lay consumers with the power of choice. Conversely, there are many sutras stating the Buddha’s gradual persuasion of his followers to be vegetarian and even vegan. There is a Jataka Tale that states that the Buddha as a Bodhisattva in a previous life as a lion king was a vegetarian! What more to say when he becomes a human Bodhisattva? What we eat is part of Dharma practice too.

If we simply follow our cravings to eat whatever we want, this does not decrease the spiritual defilement of greed at the in/direct expense of sentient lives. Being vegetarian is not just about diminishing defilements – it is also for these many reasons at http://moonpointer.com/vege/10.htm as part of the larger picture. Yes, the Buddha taught different teachings to different people. But spiritual cultivation is about countering negative karmic tendencies in time too, such as greed. To Bodhisattva-wannabes, he advocated vegetarianism as a Bodhisattva precept – because it is impossible to aspire to save all beings while in/directly demanding some to suffer at the same time via demand for their flesh and produce.

Read more

A Tit for a Tat (86)

Tit: What would be a stupid question?
Tat: ‘When did the clock breakdown today?’
Tit: Why is that a stupid question?
Tat: Now, this is another stupid question! Think about it!
Tit: The first question is stupid only if the clock was working well before it broke down! Think about that!

Notes: ‘When did the clock breakdown today?’
The answer is obvious – the time it stopped working is on the clock face. (E.g. 1.23pm)
But this time is accurate only if it was telling the time accurately in the first place. (E.g. the real time could be 1.24pm then.)

Related Articles:

Irony of the Broken Clock
http://moonpointer.com/index.php?itemid=2323
A Broken Clock Telling the Right Time
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zeph/message/711

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/phantom-shopping
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/hate-shopping

(Pic: Kites flying by Buangkok train station)

A kite without a guiding string
is a dangerous kite,
that endangers itself (when it crashes),
that endangers others too.

A car without working brakes
is a useless car,
that cannot be slowed down,
that cannot be stopped either.

The moral precepts are guidelines
that protect us more than they restrict us,
that lead us away from unhappiness,
that guide us towards True Happiness.

True freedom is not
being able to do whatever you want,
which can harm oneself and others.
Real freedom is from mindful self-control.

The most urgent matter,
upon attaining this precious but brief human rebirth,
is to safeguard one’s future rebirth.

- Stonepeace

From (1) Wikipedia and (2) The Phrase Finder: (1) ‘The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger, and the thumb extended. Often, the famous line “live long and prosper” was briefly said after it.’ (2) ‘”Live long and prosper” is an abbreviated version of a traditional Jewish religious blessing. It came to a wider public in the Star Trek TV series. It was used there by the character Mr. Spock (actor Leonard Nimoy, himself Jewish) as the greeting of the Vulcan people.’ A reason why this greeting became popular among Star Trek fans and beyond is because to ‘live long and prosper’ is really a universal wish of many. A life that is short is clearly inadequate for attaining happiness – unless it is spent meaningfully. Likewise, a life that is short of prosperity is inadequate too. Here, prosperity need not refer only to having material wealth. It can refer to having spiritual prosperity too – to have abundance of virtues helpful to one and all such as compassion and wisdom. In fact, to live long and have only material prosperity would be a hollow life indeed, since nothing material can be brought over to the next life, and since spirituality is essential for True Happiness.

Having a spiritually and materially prosperous and long life enables us to better help others as practising Bodhisattvas with our twin wealths as we advance steadily towards Buddhahood. This would be skilful use of longevity and prosperity. While it might seem an impossible ideal to live such a life, it is indeed possible in Pureland, the most famous of which is Amitabha Buddha’s. Created with the immeasurable merits, compassion and wisdom of this Buddha of Infinite Light and Life to be the best Dharma school, this Pureland offers indefinite longevity by the sharing of his merits with its inhabitants, while they also ‘top up’ their merits by the cultivation of good (e.g. by making offerings to countless Buddhas.) A long life is invaluable for spiritual cultivation as it is hard for the Dharma learnt from life to life, that is not impressed deeply, to have strong transformative impact. The problems of not living long enough to master the Dharma, and not encountering a Buddha long enough to learn from him in person due to our limited merits are eliminated once we reach Pureland.

It is a misconception that realisation of the Dharma is based on direct cumulative effects of learning from one life to the next. With boiling point representing a spiritual breakthrough, it is tough to hit it if there’s is not enough time, while we keep ‘reheating’ in many lifetimes. This is one of the repetitive horrors of rebirth. Unless one is already well established, the path to Buddhahood is not a smooth one. It is instead a rocky road with many valleys and hills, as one trudges through lower and higher realms of rebirth. In Pureland however, one can truly amass spiritual wealth in an ever-cumulative and non-retrogressive way. This is in sharp contrast with our situation now, where the opportunities to practise the Dharma are often intermittent, while we have many worldly obligations and distractions that urge us to digress. For those presently with attachment to material wealth and pleasure, Pureland is also skilfully adorned with transcendental gems and comforts, though they are means for conveying the the pure Dharma via appealing to the senses! Being such an excellent destination of rebirth, it is no wonder that all Buddhas urge beings of their worlds to seek birth in Amituofo’s Pureland via mindfulness of him with the right faith and aspiration!

Though we aspire to be with wonderful spiritual friends in Pureland,
we can also aspire to be wonderful spiritual friends with one another in Samsara now,
who inspire one another to meet more wonderful spiritual friends in Pureland.

- Stonepeace

A Tit for a Tat (85)

Tit: Still don’t see what I want. I hate shopping!
Tat: No, you don’t hate shopping. You hate ‘not shopping’!
Tit: Huh?
Tat: What you hate is not being able to shop what you’re looking for!

Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/a-question-of-time
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/01/what-kind-of-kind

‘The Blind Side’ tells the touching true story of how the once underprivileged and racially discriminated Michael Oher became a successful football player by proving his worth in various aspects of life – beyond just the sport. What is the blind side? It refers to that side opposite of the direction a player is facing. As an example of this term in usage, when a right-handed quarterback sets up for a pass, the left tackle is responsible for protecting his blind side. Basically, a blind side is the wider version of a blindspot. This concept of interdependent protection reminds me of the Buddha’s admonition to members of the Sangha, now that they are living without their families (as paraphrased) – ‘If you do not take care of one another, who will?’

In many ways, Michael’s adoption by a generous family when he was a teenager revealed and protected the blind sides of many involved. For instance, Michael realised how much love and education he was missing, while the family members realised how much they could do for him out of sheer kindness. In this way, they looked out for and covered one another’s spiritual and material blind sides, transforming one another’s life for the better. When we give others a chance to prove themselves, we give ourselves to prove our humanity and worth too. Without beings to practise and perfect our compassion with, how can we ever give rise to Bodhicitta to accomplish the Bodhisattva path and attain Buddhahood?

At one point, Michael was made to question his new family’s intention for helping him. Was it just doing good… or to gain personal satisfaction? If it is the latter, is it still unconditional compassion? Are we sometimes unmindful of our motivations, even though our actions are good? It seemed to Michael for a while that the family was subtly steering him towards the school and star football career of their choice… and it was somewhat so… though it was unmindful and with no truly selfish intentions involved. Once aware of this, they sincerely apologised and urged him to choose for himself. A blind side discovered and covered! With this incident, he appreciated them even more. Now… back to us for self-reflection… I wonder what blind sides do we have? A trick question… because we are blind to them – at least for now!