From ‘The Mighty Avengers: Secret Invasion Book 1′ by Brian Michael Bendis is this diialogue,
Journalist: Doctor, why did the Avengers [superhero team] break up?
Dr. Henry Pym: In my mind, they’re – they’re just taking a break. I think – I think if the world needs the Avengers again, the Avengers will be [...]

Some espouse this idea – ‘…他是真的欺骗我们，我们随他…’ (If they really bully or cheat us, we let them do it.) The idea is to let them express our negative karma, so as to wear it out, and to just accept the suffering they inflict on us graciously. This doesn’t seem healthy, because it allows evil-doers to go [...]

From ‘The Color of Earth’ by Kim Dong Hwa, a young monk poignantly thinks to himself when he realises he has a crush on a girl.
Night after night,
I embrace Buddha and sleep.
Morning after morning,
I embrace Buddha and wake…
Hour
by minute
by second
I always believed I’d spend
every moment with Buddha, but…
Why does Ehwa appear bigger than Buddha?
If I [...]

‘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 [...]

Question: Sorry, I’ve done my best to help her. I’ve no more energy. I give up!
Answer: No worries. Take a break. It’s important to not leave the friendship bitter – or there would be negative karmic affinity formed, that creates more problems in time to come. When conditions are ripe, we can still help in [...]

This life, this suffering, this Samsara, is nothing
but a springboard
to Pureland.
Pureland is nothing
but a springboard
to Bodhisattvahood.
Bodhisattvahood is nothing
but a springboard
to Buddhahood.
Buddhahood is nothing
but a springboard
to [re-manifestation of] Bodhisattvahood [out of endless compassion].

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Bodhicitta (Productions) has just released a compilation of their ‘greatest hits’ for free distribution, and will be giving a free anniversary performance (as above) soon. One of the group members passed me a copy of the CD recently, reminding me that I contributed lyrics to a couple of their songs years [...]

In the book ‘The Meaning of Life’ by Terry Eagleton is this passage – “… we are in something like the situation of the narrator of Henry James’ story ‘The Figure in the Carpet’, who is told by a celebrated author he admires that there is a concealed design in his work, one implicit in [...]

Jon: As an artist, I wonder is artists are necessarily self-cherishing by nature? Is there a difference between being selfish and being driven in the creation of art?
Me: Artists need not be self-cherishing (as in being self-centred). In fact, the true artist lets go of ego, which allows him or her to create the best [...]

Now, Life is Living You? 
When you walk by Higashi Honganji, you will see a huge billboard with these words on it – “Now, Life is living you.” When you enter the temple’s reception centre and bookshop, you can get a flyer which explains these words. The slogan is the theme for the 750th memorial of [...]