I heard a Dharma teacher saying she encountered another Dharma teacher, who was supposedly an expert in teaching about emptiness, who is however very particular about the tea he drinks. She thought it was ironical, and laughs, as one versed in emptiness should also practise non-attachment to particular forms. About an hour later, she asks [...]

I love how this piece of news is flipping perceptions around: http://independent.co.uk/news/science/candles-shine-new-light-on-diamonds-2339499.html Diamond dust forged in candle flames ‘Magical’ transmutation An unlikely haiku. Another wonderful reminder of how forms deemed common or rare, useless or precious, are but morphing agents in the open furnace of emptiness.

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 [...]

Learnt from Geshe Damdul’s talk tonight, in my own words: Actualisation of Bodhicitta brings about tenderness (an aspect of compassion). Realisation of emptiness brings about fearlessness (an aspect of wisdom). 发菩提心则生大悲柔软心。 了悟空性则生大智无畏心。 Good balance!

In ‘All Star Superman: Volume 1′ by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, Superman tries to convince Lois Lane that he is Clark Kent, that he is not different from him. Just as Clark didn’t pretend to be Superman, Superman didn’t pretend to be Clark. They are one and the same, even if they seem different. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Koi Cafe’s drinks are becoming very popular these days. (I go only for the vegan ones, once a while, free of dairy stuff.) It struck me that the reason why its drinks are so in demand, that long queues form and ticket numbers have to be issued, is really very simple… Other than having a [...]

Upon entering Dharma Drum Mountain’s resource library is an interesting artwork. It’s called 心经影壁 or ‘Wall of Images of the Heart Sutra’. On it are 20 copies of the Heart Sutra inscribed on bronze in various languages. It’s an apt piece of sacred decoration as the library represents a storehouse of wisdom, while the Heart [...]

Form is emptiness; (色即是空) Emptiness is form. (空即是色) Form is not different from emptiness;（色不异空） Emptiness is not different from form.  (空不异色） So says the Heart Sutra, but what do these lines really say? They speak of that which cannot really be put in words, that which is hinted by these words. Read between the lines, [...]

‘…Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.’ – Stephen King Monsters are empty, and ghosts are unsubstantial too – when they are realised as so, vanquished within us. That is how we win them all – inside out, conquering our inner Mara before  the external one. When our [...]

Naked we come Naked we are Naked we go We come empty of possessions. Stripped even of ‘self’. Even our past karma is empty of fixed nature. We live empty of possessions. Stripped even of ‘self’. Even our present karma is empty of fixed nature. We die empty of possessions. Stripped even of ‘self’. Even [...]

In ‘Superman: Camelot Falls’ by Kurt Busiek, Superman resists a spell by repeating a ‘mantra’ (taught by J’onn Jones) that tries to overpower his will – ‘I know who I am. I know where I am. I think for myself.’ To that, illusory avalanche rocks become more solid and resistible, as he pushes them aside, [...]

Just finished teaching the last lesson of a series of four weekly classes on the Heart Sutra. This last lesson began an hour earlier at 6.30pm, and ended at 9.30pm. Last week, I had to request the class to grant me another extra hour for this lesson, so as to better pace it, to give [...]

  It’s probably not the best combo to attend a Heart Sutra lesson and watch a rom-com movie (Cape No. 7) later. I was unable to relate to the story, which would usually stir up feelings of yearning and forlornness. I found myself sitting in the dark cinema, predicting the ending and waiting for it to [...]