He who, depraved, devoid of truthfulness and self-control, puts on the ochre [monastic] robe, doesn’t deserve the ochre robe. But he who is free of depravity, endowed with truthfulness and self-control, well-established in the precepts, truly deserves the ochre robe. – The Buddha (Dhammapada) I appreciate the custom in Thailand, so I’ve heard, of how [...]

At what point is technology too much? It seems inevitable that technology will not just be extensions of our bodies but gradually internalised too, literally. The movie ‘Vexille’ tells of the future, when the Japanese government and its leading corporation asks its people to take a vaccine, which secretly infects them with a gene-altering virus [...]

Ray: What’s the best way to attain inner peace despite being in the midst of those who have a blaming attitude? Shian: Why not take it a case at a time? E.g. Blaming session #1 means opportunity #1 to explain why the blaming is not needed. If you do it long enough without being worked [...]

Question: What is the correct approach one must practice to stop people who are persistently bad, like extremists? Answer: There’s a need to befriend them, to express concern for their general welfare first, before finding out why they think the way they do, and to gently persuade them to think otherwise, for their benefit and that of [...]

What I learnt from the espionage movie ‘The Message’… ‘Don’t shoot me. I’m just the messenger!’ That said, sometimes, the message is worth dying for. A message that will save physical lives. Or better still, a message that will save spiritual lives too. What message will you be willing to die delivering? What message will [...]

Literally using ‘illegal aliens’ for addressing multiple socio-political issues such as xenophobia (irrational fear of strangers), ‘District 9′ is a thought-provoking film indeed. A private military contractor (MNU: Multinational United) is tasked to police and forcibly evict 1.8 million aliens from their District 9 slums to District 10 – a new refugee camp some 240 [...]

We jail and fine those who abuse and torture pets, but isn’t culling harmless animals the extreme form of abuse and torture? A good friend sent an email asking signatures for an on-going petition to help stop the extermination of all stray cats in Singapore. It is really sad to know that in this age, [...]

From ‘A Heart Full of Peace’ by Joseph Goldstein are many thought-provoking quotes, with elaborations on what their significance. Below are some personal reflections on those which especially resonated with me. The only thing I can rely on is my sincere motivation. – The Dalai Lama Comments: All we can be truly sure of is [...]

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 [...]