A dialogue from the movie ‘Up In The Air’: Ryan: Kara mentioned that you were having some thoughts. Jim: I don’t think I’m gonna be able to do this. Ryan:: Why would you say that today? Jim: Well, last night I was kind of laying in bed and I couldn’t get to ...

He spent $200,000 to change his kidneys via the black market. He spent 1 second to fall and die. What bitter irony! Wealth is no true refuge. Health is no true refuge. What is your true refuge? Amituofo… Amituofo… Amituofo… Amituofo is the name of the Dharmakaya of all...

As generally defined, seven kinds of refuge. Which one are you? Generally, any form of refuge missing Dharma is spiritually unsafe. In the absence of Buddha and Sangha, is refuge in Dharma enough? Refuge In The Single Gem 1. Refuge in Buddha: Faith in Buddha without learning Dharma from...

Before we returned home, we spent a night at the district called the Tibetan Refugee Colony in Delhi. We had to do so as the connecting flight was on the next morning. In a sense, we sought refuge there. It was as if we were refugees of sorts too. The place was like a more crowded version...

Q: I have always thought that the Buddha’s Parinirvana was the end and that he would not be subjected to rebirth upon achieving it. I was surprising that you mentioned that the Buddha still exists. And that he and all other Buddhas are still working hard to guide beings to Nirvana A:...

(Thank you, Scorpio East, for the premiere tickets!) Though ‘Aftershock’ retells the terrible tragedy of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which killed 240,000, it is not a typical disaster movie. Its focus is on its tear-jerking aftermath – of the subtle yet sure spiritual...

Symbol of the Triratna (: Sanskrit; Tiratana: Pali), as seen in the Sanchi stupa, 1st century BCE. 自皈依佛，当愿众生，绍隆佛种，发无上心 自皈依法，当愿众生，深入经藏，智慧如海 自皈依僧，当愿众生，统理大众，一切无碍 - 华严经 Taking ...

My parents finally took the Threefold Refuge and the Five Precepts last Sunday. (There’s quite a crowd. Well, it’s National Day, a Sunday and Guanyin Bodhisattva’s birthday – a triply convenient day for more ‘refugees’ to come! Then again, refuge should not...

Question: As long as f I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha within, it doesn’t matter to me whether I participate in a refuge ceremony as it is only a ceremony to me.  It’s my own practice that counts after taking refuge, right? Answer: Taking refuge formally is not...

Pic: 4ocima Taking refuge in the Buddha, may I be with the awakened Taking refuge in the Dharma, may I be on the path to awakening Taking refuge in the Sangha, may I be with those on the path to awakening - Stonepeace A Dharma friend was rationalising for her refuge master’s legal...