In the movie ‘Vacancy’, a couple were urged by circumstances, of their car breaking down in the middle of nowhere one night, to walk some distance to a creepy motel, feeling compelled to risk spending the night there. And as we know of such thriller flicks, they check in a room and...

From ‘Young Blood’, as covered by Birdy… Lyrics: We’re only young and naive still We require certain skills The mood it changes like the wind Hard to control when it begins Comments: Most of us are still spiritually naive, despite our age, still lacking much skilful...

The Buddha definitely didn’t encourage premarital sex, probably as it can lead to many problems like heartbreak when there is betrayal, indulgence, unwanted pregnancy… but he didn’t speak strongly against it either – if it’s an agreement between consenting adults...

L: Is the so-called Buddha boy in Nepal really ‘Buddha’ or ‘Buddha-to-be’? Q: According to a report, a French journalist saw that at night, the boy is shielded from the public, and he eats in secret. If so, the perception created that he doesn’t eat is an...

The Paradox of Strife: Sometimes, when you push yourself, you will breakthrough. How do you know you can outdo yourself if you do not outdo yourself? Sometimes, when you push yourself, you will collapse. How do you know the difference between trying too hard and trying your best? With more...

I like most of Edward Monkton’s stuff, but he got this one wrong… Being Zenny is not about not knowing where one is going, or letting external conditions rule over one’s life without question or reshaping them. Zen Dog above seems too laid back, and probably even fatalistic...

Models too skinny on the catwalk might promote over-dieting? Models too plump on the catwalk might promote over-eating? Models must be models of walking the Middle Path on the catwalk? Pic: Kate Moss as an extreme...

The Middle Path means not to take extremes, while it is often mistaken to mean one should be moderate in everything, including observation of moral guidelines (precepts). But to be so is to be half good and half evil - which is not very good at all. E.g. there is no such thing as moderate...

The above is a page from Mitch Albom’s ‘Have a Little Faith’ (which I have not read fully). Te below are comments on it: Being attached is an extreme. Being detached (as in being apathetic) is the opposite extreme. Being attached to being detached is extreme too, a marriage...

A Tit for a Tat (195) Tit: If you enter the packed train at the last second, you might not get in in time! Tat: If you enter the packed train too immediately, you might not get out in time! Tit: Only if you enter the packed train at the right time, you can get in and out in time! ...

W: Always choose the harder path, as they say, the harder path is always the right path… But what if both are equally hard? X: What happened to the Middle Path? W: The Middle Path doesn’t mean a path that is neither easy nor hard. It means doing the right thing. And doing the...

I worry for Dharma friends who learn from many teachers, because they might become confused if there are (‘seemingly’) contradicting teachings (that they can’t reconcile). I worry for Dharma friends who learn from only one teacher, because they might become disappointed if...

While in motion during sparring, your arms should never cross the virtual line the divides your left from the right, or it would become a weakness, easy to be pushed off balance. This is the physical Middle Path, not exactly there physically, yet to be noted...

A random lesson from Taiji class: Never straighten or bend your arm totally in defense. When you give leeway to yourself to move back and forth when pushed or pulled, you are likelier to remain standing when attacked. It’s a middle path of balancing of...

Someone asked if I was more left-brained or right brained. Not that I’m no-brained, but I couldn’t really say. Are we mostly left-brained, too logical, too methodical, too rigid? Should we be more right-brained, more intuitive, more ‘random’, more creative? I...

This is a follow-up article to http://moonpointer.com/new/2010/07/cause-for-alarm : If everyone is complacent (upon hearing a fire alarm), it is dangerous. If everyone panics in a stampede, it is more dangerous. We need a Middle Path – to be calm and clear-minded How do we know if this is...

I wonder why some prefer to sit at side cinema seats even when in a big and relatively empty theatre. It might be easier to move off but some might cross your path. If you sit in the centre row and seat, the view is the best and and no one crosses your path. It is thus the most focused and...

Japan Adventures (16) : Walking the Path of Philosophy Winnie: What’s so philosophical about this ‘Philosopher’s Walk’ (Higashiyama-Ku: Path of Philosophy)? Minnie: Obviously, you’re not a philosopher! Winnie: Chay! Minnie: It’s the walker, not the walk,...