Pol: Does your brother eat what he fishes? Jat: Yup. Pol: Eweeh! He should just catch and release. I do that. I think it’s too cruel to eat what you fish. Yah: Huh? Catch and release isn’t kind either. Pol: True, but at least it won’t have to die. Jat: Did you cut away the [...]

What does it mean… that I’m not sure what it all means? that I’m not sure how I’ll figure it out? What does it mean… when I’m born into a life of uncertainty? when I’ll die a certain death? What does it mean… when the birds sing a foreign language? when the skies have different [...]

Last evening was the second time I watched ‘A Full Bright Moon’ (Yilun Mingyue) – as the opening film of T.H.I.S Buddhist Film Festival (www.thisfilmfest.com), which tells the biography of the great Venerable Hongyi. I had already seen the video version of it, but I wanted to see it on the big screen – because [...]

Question: Is there a need to be a full-time vegetarian if I pay homage to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Dizang Pusa)? Am asking because I’m going to install his image at home. Answer: It’s not compulsory, but it would be good to eat less meat, as many animals and Ksitigarabha Bodhisattva would rejoice greatly when they know of your compassionate [...]

From yesterday’s news, a headline (and sub-heading) reads – ‘A star to the end: (Michael) Jackson mourners kept waiting as casket arrives late’. It finally arrived 90 minutes after the scheduled time. An interesting question came to mind. If it arrives even much later, will the mourners feel more sorrow or less sorrow? With no [...]

If there is a single film, that I have seen, that illustrates Samsara the most graphically, it would be Baraka. If there is a single song, that I have heard, that sings of Samsara the most poignantly, it would be The Host of Seraphim. [The Host of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance (with Lisa Gerrard) [...]

All interpersonal and organisational problems arise from people with different extents of delusion interacting with one another. It is usually the initiative of those who have less delusion to help those with more delusion to realise any problematic issues at hand. But another problem arises when these people (with less delusion on the issues) are [...]

There is a quiz game show on TV that we all know, that is seemingly the most difficult, because almost anything can be asked ‘randomly’. This game is ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionnaire?’, which tests general knowledge. Now, some of the ‘remainder’ unasked questions are used in another quiz game show instead, that is [...]

While helping to decide what birthday gift to get another nephew, we came across the above. A ‘Dunk the Duck’ infra-red ray gun shooting game set. ‘Try your luck… hit the duck… Just like a midwest shooting gallery.’ Next, we came across the below, made by the same company. It’s a contrast that’s mildly amusing [...]

After so many years, I still don’t understand why some commuters steer clear of reserved seats on trains and buses totally. This is so in some other countries too. It seems to reflect inflexibility in thinking. These are priority seats for the more needy – the elderly, pregnant, handicapped and those carrying kids. But even [...]

‘Superman: Escape from Bizarro World’ by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner and Eric Powell is a collection of Bizarro tales. For those unfamiliar, Bizarro is an imperfect clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor, who becomes one of Supe’s most formidable adversaries Not only does he has Superman’s equivalent strength in other manners (e.g. freeze-vision instead [...]

Perfect goodness (universal compassion) based upon perfect truth (universal wisdom) leads to perfect beauty (universal magnificence) – in the form of Buddhahood. – Stonepeace A popular author on comparative faiths espouses this idea – ‘It doesn’t matter what you believe, but how you behave.’ (This might not be a verbatim quote.) At first, it seems [...]

A Tit for a Tat (35) Tit: Just to let you know, in case you are losing patience with him… Tat: Aha? Tit: He is actually suffering from a mental condition. Tat: That explains so much! Tit: On him appearing to be difficult? Tat: Yes! Tit: I thought letting you know this would help you [...]

A Tit for a Tat (34) Tit: That person called to ask some standard queries. Tat: What’s wrong with that? Tit: He later asked for solutions to his personal problems. Tat: What’s wrong with that? Tit: Well, I’m not his counsellor! Tat: Well, you can’t always choose your roles! Tit: Huh? Tat: Sometimes, our karma [...]

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].