Confidence in sharing the Dharma can be perceived as arrogance by those who don’t understand the Dharma, the real source of the confidence, which reminds us of the importance of sharing the Dharma more skilfully. Some need firmer approaches though, precisely due to arrogance on their...

His doctor told him to drink cow milk daily for calcium. I told him it will lead to loss of calcium instead as the latest well verified studies say so (e.g. The China Study). I advised him to eat more greens like broccoli instead, and to give up milk. He says that is extreme and that he takes...

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 a scene of the movie ‘Sherlock Holmes’, the famed super sleuth makes sharp observations and astute deductions on the character of Dr. Watson’s fiancée. He gets most of them right, but a key one wrong, His wrong conclusion hurt her feelings as she stomps off in rage. It...

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...

In the poignant but touching story of ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, a young girl realises that she was conceived specifically to save her older sister’s life. She decides to sue her parents for ‘medical emancipation’ – to reject any further bodily donations,...

The thumbprint clocking in and out represented regimentalism that is pointless, because the nature of her work is anything but regimental anyway. Her work required irregular hours, while the unappreciative management requires her to clock in as regularly as possible, as if afraid that she...

Not too hard or it would be painful Not to soft or it would be sagging Not too high or it would lift too much Not to low or it would not lift the butt Not too in or it would make you lean backwards Not too out or it would make you lean forwards Not too apathetic or it would be difficult to...

Yup, Depeche Mode does slow and sentimental songs too. The above is the moving studio version of ‘Come Back’ from their new ‘Sounds of the Universe’ album (which some say is better than the album version). It is angsty yet calming at the same time, with the element of...

Some eat to live, some live to eat, but you can eat towards enlightenment! Disclaimer: The diet described here has not yet been scientifically endorsed. If you have a medical condition, you might wish to seek your doctor’s advice before trying! I ate lunch today at 3pm. Or was...

The Middle Path is… not to sit on the fence, neutral, not to be ambivalent, uncertain, not to be apathetic, indifferent. The Middle Path is… to not be extreme in sensual indulgence,* to not be extreme in asceticism,* to not be extreme in grasping any views.** * These are opposite...

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven [st]ages [from cradle to the grave]. – Shakespeare (As You Like It) Once a year, during the lunar new year...

There was a solar eclipse yesterday. Traditionally, the Chinese (and even Indians) call the phenomenon ‘the heavenly dog eating the sun’. (Hmmm…. why would a humongous dog in the sky devour it so slowly? How does the single bite’s size increase? And if it took bites at...

Over the top X’mas-ish CNY festive deco at Plaza Singapura? Why do humans ‘need’ festive days to celebrate? Because it would be too boring to live every day without any spectacular ‘theatrics’? Why do humans not make every day a festive day? Because it would be...

Do check out three versions of the 2005 song ‘Fix You’, followed by some reflections on them in terms of how they were performed… By Coldplay: By Young@Heart Choir: By Cantamus Girls Choir: Coldplay’s version is probably what they had in mind in the first place...

In ‘Eternals’ by Neil Gaiman, Sprite the immortal utters this about becoming human - ‘I can even die - Do you know how cool that is? Every moment can be my last. How amazing is that?’ Some of us want to live forever, while some who live forever want to die forever! A...

In the movie “Tokyo!”, the first story is called “Interior Design”, where a girl felt so pressurised of not having found her vocation in life in seemingly purposefully bustling Tokyo, that something bizarre happens… She starts to morph into a an ordinary-looking...

Her family dentist always paints the worst case scenario of what could happen during surgery. But her family members realised over the years that none of the terrible situations ever occurred when they sat in the dentist’s chair. In fact, they continually experienced swift and effective...

Swindled by ‘The Black Swindler’? I have always wondered this – Why can’t filmmakers make their films to be as good as the trailers of their films? Once I saw an intriguing movie trailer. So entranced was I that I went to see the show. To my surprise, the trailer was...