The below is a set of answers I helped to write for Makan Sutra (MS) upon request via a friend. MS is not to be mistaken as an actual spiritual sutra. In fact, it’s a very worldly guide for indulgence in all kinds of foods, including animals. It’s kind of an abuse of the word...

  Super Short Story (177): Sweet Five kids were each granted a sweet wish… The first wished for……… a sweet. The second wished for… a sweet shop. The third wished for…….. a sweet factory. The fourth wished for…… unlimited sweet...

Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings’ in pursuit of the One Ring is almost the perfect personification of a hungry ghost. Consumed by greed, his essence of being is nothing but craving, at the expense of everything else, including his life eventually, as he plummets into the lava of Mount...

What’s terrifying about zombies is their relentless mindless hunger – sounds familiar? Think consumers’ herd mentality on Black Friday. There may be more, but here are four recurring dilemmas from observation of zombie flicks. 1. Should you take human-like zombies down,...

Super Short Story (70): Appetite Because he was used to eating so much, there was not enough to eat to have his fill this time. He never imagined that eating too much could lead to hunger. His greed was his own demise as he didn’t change his appetite in...

She thought it should be alright to place only small bets in the casino games. But since big losses begin with small bets, the safest bet is really not to...

He, a stone-cutter, saw a rich man gathering many luxuries, and wished to be like him. Suddenly, he became him. He saw a high official getting much respect, and wished to be like him. Suddenly, he became him. He saw the hot sun making him sweat, and wished to be like it, Suddenly, he became...

A relative had a nightmare, where many people leapt in to a fire, as a ‘gift for god’. They claim it will be painless. She just stood there with the family and watched, and saw a familiar face wanting to throw her son into the fire, whom she saved in time. I was there to tell...

If you look for things to buy, your window-shopping will take a long time. If you look for what you need to buy, your shopping takes just a short while! P: Consumerism and surplus choices are the pitfalls of modern society. B: Strictly speaking, window-shopping shouldn’t buy...

Struck me that Elmo is the opposite of Emo! Emo: One who has negative emotions often. Elmo: One who has positive emotions often,  such has loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice and equanimity.  If Oscar’s the snobbish grouch, then Elmo’s the cheery! The littlest but best monster...

If the world looks to economic sustainability in terms of contentment with the minimum over growth in terms of greed for the maximum, it wouldn’t be in this current mess? Globalisation of economies led to globalisation of greed. That’s how so many countries are collectively...

Sometimes, when I encourage Buddhist friends to go easy on eating animals and their produce, I’m asked to ‘let go’. It becomes as if I’m the one attached to eating plants. Actually, I’m not. I’m just mindful not to add to demand for animals to be exploited...

I’ve no intentions of being a killjoy when it comes to others’ gastronomical pleasures. But I do find it as jaw-dropping as it is bizarre, when Buddhist friends post photos of their ‘catch of the day’, the meaty dishes they are about to tuck into, in their Facebook...

A Tit for a Tat (316) Tit: If I’m richer, it would be better. Tat: If you don’t compare, would it be better? Tit: If I don’t compare, how would life improve? Tat: Depends on whether you wish to improve greed or contentment! Next...

Saw a modern gangland movie version’s retelling of Macbeth, which I studied in school years ago… A case of listening to witches’ hearsay (or heresy?), hearing only what he wanted to hear, his heart’s desires spelled out, trapping and tripping himself with...

Learnt and expanded from a Dharma talk: 放下不是放弃。 Right ‘letting go’ is not ‘giving up’; it is acceptance of things as they are for now, till they can be bettered later. 放下贪嗔痴；提起菩提心。 Let go of greed, hate and delusion; Embrace...

The endlessly greedy are like one who gathers fallen coins into pockets with holes, walking in circles, getting richer yet poorer at the same time, in a futile cycle of getting and losing, for material wealth is always lost before or upon death, no matter how much one has. It is the opposite...

A Tit for a Tat (222) Tit: He said he can’t live without tuna! Tat: Well, the tuna he eats couldn’t live because of him! Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/02/feigning-ignorance Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2011/02/subjective-stuff About aT4aT:...

‘Independence Day’ re-screening on TV tonight reminds me of how simplistic the idea is, of being able to write a computer virus to disable alien invaders’ spaceships. (What programming language do they use anyway?) That said, alien or human, we suffer from the same triple...

This is the traditional verse for recitation to express repentance: 忏悔文 Verse for Repentance 往昔所造诸恶业 For all the evil deeds I have done in the past 皆由无始贪嗔痴 from beginningless greed, hatred and delusion 从身语意之所生 created by my body, speech and...