There is no soul, as in an unchanging mental entity. If it is there, why did we change to be the way we are? If it is there, how can we change to be better? There is however, Buddha-nature – the potential to become enlightened, perfect in compassion and wisdom.

多年以前有一位朋友到楚布寺去覲見剛剛坐床的大寶法王。 不知道是怎樣的因緣，他突然問了小法王一句： “我可以抱你嗎？” 只有七歲的小法王靜靜地回答：“你可以抱住天空嗎？” ～摘自噶瑪噶舉之家 我們就是為了幻化的事物忙一輩子，以為可以抓住什麼， 但就是留不住，終其空空忙碌一生。 A summary of the above in English: Someone visited the then seven year old Karmapa, and asked if he could hug him. The Karmapa replied calmly, ‘Can you hug the sky?’ We busy ourselves for the illusory all our lives, hoping to grasp on to many things, which [...]

One of the most deluded kind of meditators are those who imagine they were in deep peace, when they were really in deep sleep, who imagine they have experienced non-self mindfully, when their consciousness was simply switched off while snoozing.

Sunyata (Emptiness) = Anicca (Impermanence) + Anatta (Unsubstantiality; Non-self) Anicca refers to all physical and mental phenomena not being with solid fixed nature at any time as they change from moment to moment. Anicca describes phenomena in terms of nothing physical and mental enduring in time, Anatta refers to all physical and mental phenomena not being with [...]

I find shows featuring makeovers for glamour shots on TV amusing… not that it’s a joke that these makeovers do give some greater practical social confidence. The shows would depict the subject struggling with new hairdos, clothes, and most of all, trying to pose well, such that they break free of their past personas as [...]

Bunny In A Bunny Suit Lyrics by Richy Vesecky, Music by Frank Bango, Sung by Simone White pretending to be myself again acting as if I was who I am wearing the clothes that I always wear and doing the usual thing to my hair Comments: We all cling to an identity, and try to [...]

A Tit for a Tat (208) Tit: How are you? Tat: Same old, same old. Tit: How so? People change! Tat: So? Tit: If you’ve not changed for the better, were the last few years wasted? Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/01/oi Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/01/no-marriage-guarantee About aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/02/logo-for-a-tit-for-a-tat-series

If you don’t like yourself, why don’t you change yourself? If you can change yourself, who is really your ‘self’? – Stonepeace Reflections from watching ‘A Ton Image’: If your clone vies for attention of your beloved, would you be jealous – of your double? Would there be a form of self-hate mixed with self-love? [...]

Question: How does the concept of the Collective Unconscious (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious) fit in Buddhist philosophy? Answer: Commenting based on the definition of ‘collective unconscious’ in the Wikipedia link, Buddhism would see that the collective unconscious is actually based on the personal unconscious. Because of the existence of past lives with similar experiences for many individuals, they [...]

What is the difference between an actual flower and a dream flower? That’s the only difference… The first is an actual flower and the latter a dream flower. That’s all. All conditioned dharmas are like dreams. The actual flower is dream-like, though not a dream. Both flowers are of emptiness: they are impermanent, and lack [...]

自不在 而自在. [As one realises] there is no self, there is ease with one’self’. – Stonepeace Total realisation of non-self, not just of inner self (of internal phenomenon), but also of outer self (of external phenomenon) brings about complete ease.

Question: While the three spheres (of self, other and connecting action) are interdependent of each other, how does emptiness come into this framework? Answer: Here is a simple illustration… First, we need to remember emptiness means being empty of a fixed unchanging self. Next, let’s look at how the components of the trio are each [...]

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 had buried [...]

When I visit some relatives semi regularly, I’m unfortunately not much of a conversation-maker in terms of small talk. I usually sit around and watch the tube in almost total silence, while the others chatter on. When a relative attended one of my Dharma classes recently, she was shocked at how different and alive I [...]

If There Is No Self, Who Owns My Karma? Just as there are thoughts without a thinker, there is karma without a creator (of karma). – Stonepeace How is it possible, as the Buddha taught, that there is no fixed self to inherit the karma of one’s deeds, while karma still operates for one? Here [...]