Enlightentainment



Entertainment- Playing with Emptiness
Enlightenment- Realising Emptiness
Emptiness- Anicca (Impermanance) and Anatta (Insubstantiality) JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Dotted Lines



Nature's membranes in plants and animals are dotted lines-
that's how they can 'breathe' in and out-
that's how they exist in interbeing with the rest of nature.
This is the teaching of emptiness and dependent origination- there is no independent self.
If we all freeze up with solid lines or walls that cut ourselves from each other,
we will die trying to be independent and self-contained. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Understood



If one feels something to be self-understood while another not,
it is not self-understood- at least not for the second party.
Does this 'mis-understanding' reflect at least half of the world out there?
If we are unsure about whether something is self-understood,
do we make the surer decision of declaring what should be understood?
The practice of Right Speech in the Noble Eightfold Path includes making clear the unclear truth. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Being a Bodhisattva in the Workplace



The Bodhisattva vows are to benefit as many as possible and to minimise harming any beings extend in all directions. These vows are not constrained by worlds or departments. Bodhisattvas don't work in any fixed department. And they do not shift blame, or be apathetic to the ignorance or suffering of any being- as they see themselves as one with all beings. Bodhisattvas look out for each colleague (or any other being) as much as they can, whether there are any work politics or not between. In this way, even the scheming backstabbers and of the like can be touched and transformed. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

You Your Judge & Jury



No one can judge you if you do not judge yourself.
Am I saying we should not judge ourselves?
If you do not judge yourself,
how do you better yourself?
Your standards of judging yourself must be higher than yourself,
or even that of everyone else's,
or you will never outgrow yourself. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Feelings



Z: Feelings... nothing more than feelings...
S: Wrong! Changes, nothing more than changes. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Technology



zL: How reliable can technology be? Train broke down, leaving us in distress...
Z: Only the Dharma is reliable and does not break down. Only the Dharma frees us from distress. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Cling



Suffering or Dissatisfactoriness (Dukkha)
is wanting to cling on,
is not being able to cling on
the moment past, to come, or now.

This is the First Noble Truth, the Second Universal Characteristic. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Run



Inspired by "Easier to Run" on Linkin Park's "Meteora"-

It might be
easier to run
now.

But it might only mean
it might be
harder to run
in future.

It might be escapism,
not escape. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Adantages



It has its advantages...
and disadvantages...
which can be transformed into advantages. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Love After Love



Do you believe in love after love?

Do you believe in holding on,
only to let go,
again and again?

Do you believe in living,
only to die,
again and again? JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

True



When you are true to yourself,
you are true to everyone else.
This is true honesty-
no self-rationalisation and no pretense.
Truth will be everywhere. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Last Notch



The last notch of my battery may die anytime.
I may be at the last notch of this life.
Uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty.
Use this last notch carefully.
Treasure every moment it brings. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Ourselves



We got in all this by ourselves-
and are all by ourselves.
Essentially, we save ourselves from our "selves". JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Nihilism



I think it is hypocritical to think and say that one subscribes to nihilism in terms of not believing in any form of morality at all. Because for the discussion you have with this person to be possible, he has to observe all the basic universal guidelines of morality- he should not kill me, steal from me, lie to me... Yes, moral guidelines are just guidelines- but we need guidelines as long as we are unenlightened. We need guidelines to guide us to transcend guidelines. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Ghost



Not seeing oneself clearly in the physical and mental mirror,
I am a vague ghost to myself.
But then again,
everything is ghostly in that all is shapeshifting. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

SARS



Ours is the world of Samsara- there will be disease- even if cures are found for old ones, new diseases and mutant viruses will evolve into existence- unless we turn Samsara into Pureland together by mental cultivation. SARSmsara is here. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Ghost in the Shell



Some thoughts on the manga movie-

~ She's a cyborg who questions her "consciousness"- which is called "the ghost in the shell" of her body.

~ "Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you"

~ There is a sentient being attached to the non-sentient being that is too life-like (the cyborg).

~ The cyborg was reborn/ revivied with child cyborg's body by transfer of program.

~ Interesting idea of a superconsciousness (likened to the Dhammakaya- body of Truth that pervades all space and time) and growing consciousness- evolution of mind to embrace all.

~ Makes us question what is precious- violent humans or peaceful robots? About high technology bringing high hopes yet much fear.

~ At the end of the day, we should ask- What is this ghost in our shell?

~ Our mind is a ghost because it can't be grasped or seen properly, always flitting.

~ The ghost is an illusion- but a "real illusion" as opposed to "real reality." "Real illlusion"- REALLY an illusion. But we cannnot ignore the ilusion- we need to use it to cultivate to go beyond the illusion. Mental cultivation at the end of the day is for the relinqishment of the mind itself... exorcism of our ghosts- Enlightenment. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Stubborn



A: You are stubborn.
B: No I don't think so.
A: You are entitled to your view, and so am I. I think you are stubborn. You ought to reflect.
B: I reflected- and still do not think so. But you are right...
You are entitled to your view, and so am I.
______________________
Who is the stubborn one?
He who insists he is not?
Or he who insists the other is?

Are you A or B?
If you are A or B, do you see yourself as stubborn?
Why not?
Stubborn?

Beware!
The stubborn do not grow spiritually.
The stubborn think they are grown spiritually.
The stubborn have their hearts and mind closed.
Open up now! JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

For Who You Are



I love you for who you are, seemingly imperfect.
I love you for who you are, innately perfect (with Buddha-nature).
And there is no contradiction.
For as much as you appear imperfect,
you are actually perfect.
I love you for who you are. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Foot



Lin: About "The foot feels the 'foot' when it feels the ground." Would appreciate some enlightenment! Should it be 'ground' or 'foot'? Curious. Shouldn't it be "The foot feels the 'ground' when it feels the ground." Somehow, that feels easier to feel and understand.

Z: Foot :-] When the foot feels the ground, the foot feels the foot too. In awareness of that (object of awareness) we are aware of, we are aware of our awareness (that which we use to be aware). JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Weakest



"Our opinion is the weakest authority of all."

-Ven. Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa

"Our weakest link is our smallest delusion about the smallest matter."

-Stonepeace JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Butter



Frank Abagnale Sr/Jr (Christopher Walken / Leonardo Dicaprio) in the movie "Catch Me If You Can" told a little story- "Two mice fell into a bowl of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse fought and struggled until he churned that cream into butter and he crawled his way out. I am that second mouse."

While it's a neat story of unrelenting hope and courage, there is a problem with it... I don't think the second mouse knew it was in cream, and that it can be churned. In this sense, he was lucky. What is it was just plain water? It would have clung on dearly for its life right to the very last moment- so much so that it would have died an agonising death. By this perspective, well, the first mouse might have died a more peaceful death. Yes, it's extremely tricky indeed- we should treasure our lives, yet not be attached to them. Find the Middle Path and strike the golden mean of balance- and let go at the right time.
__________________________________________
Incidentally, here are a couple of quotes on butter...

"Churning and churning water, doesn't produce butter." -Anon

"The great master Shantideva said that just as we churn milk to extract its essence, butter, we should extract the essence of the 84,000 heaps of teachings given by Buddha Shakyamuni - this essence is Bodhicitta (the aspiration to seek liberation for one and all)." -Ribur Rinpoche JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Strange Nirvana



Dedicated to the late Kurt Cobain & Leslie Cheung

The "Strange Nirvana" of some is not Nirvana at all.
It is not exactly a death wish.
Suicide is just a wish for release,
for the sweetness of nothingness.
But nothingness is not sweet.
And nothingness cannot be grasped in this way, if at all.

Ending the body does not end the mind.
It is the mind that needs release, not the body-
only achievable through REAL Nirvana-
by giving up attachment and aversion to both life and death.
(Wanting to live forever and wanting to be gone forever.) JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

The Five Wonderful Precepts ~ The Key to Moral Happiness



The First Precept
Respect for Life
Not to Kill ~ To Protect
I abstain from taking life.
I shall practise compassion to protect and benefit.

The Second Precept
Respect for Personal Property
Not to Steal ~ To be Generous
I abstain from taking the not given.
I shall practise generosity to share my material and spiritual wealth.

The Third Precept
Respect for Personal Relationships
Not to Indulge ~ To be Content
I abstain from misconduct of sexual and sensual nature.
I shall practise contentment to channel my energy for spiritual development.

The Fourth Precept
Respect for Truth
Not to Lie ~ To be Truthful
I abstain from false, divisive, harsh, and useless speech.
I shall practise positive communication to bring harmony.

The Fifth Precept
Respect for Mental and Physical Well-being
Not to Take Intoxicants ~ To be Mindful
I abstain from taking intoxicants.
I shall practise mindfulness to safeguard the precepts. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

The Essential



Those who mistake the unessential to be essential
and the essential to be unessential,
dwelling in wrong thoughts,
never arrive at the essential.

-The Buddha (Dhammapada 11)

Before we agree to this piece of the advice by the Buddha,
Before we believe we do not mistake the unessential to be essential,
Before we believe we are dwelling in right thoughts leading to the essential,
Let us ask ourselves-
Do we know what is essential?
This is the essential question that leads to the Third Noble Truth- Nirvana. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Timeless



Juan: Is time permanent? There's an argument that it is for us to be able to tell when the seasons will change and prepare ourselves in advance

Zeph: Time does not have a purpose. Neither do the seasons nor the elements, rain or shine... No- time is not timeless. Nirvana is beyond time- it is timeless. The Buddha said time is a measurement of change (yes, of the seasons too). JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Let the Earth Dance



When the Buddha attained Enlightenment,
He realised oneness with the world.
Touching the Earth, He asked it to bear witness.
Touched, the Earth shook and danced with rejoice.

The living Earth bears witness to all we do.
Caring for the Earth is living the Buddha's teachings.

We breathe the air that all breathe.
We breathe with the Earth.
We breathe the Earth.
Where do you begin or end
in this web of interdependence?

Taking care of the Earth,
We take care of ourselves,
We take care of all.

Let every day be Earth Day. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Not a Matter of Taste



There is nothing tasteful or distasteful, agreeable or disagreeable.
Not even this line above.
There are only people with different tastes disagreeing on the same things.

Truth is no a matter of taste.
Having preferences is delusion,
clinging to one is rejecting another.

Truth is everything-
it neither clings nor rejects anything. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Management



When managing becomes
a matter of mediating and helping two opposing parties to compromise,
it might lose its meaning and purpose-
it might become unreal management;
a compromise of real management.
Sometimes what you see to be a win-win situation is a lose-lose one.

Sometimes,
the fist has to be put down hard on matters which cannot be compromised.
Sometimes, that is the best management-
even when there is an unhappy party at the end of the day.

One cannot always please everyone all the time,
but one can always do the wisest thing we are capable of in the moment,
while we continually increase our wisdom best we can. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Carefree



"Feeling nothing is the best feeling"

-"Carefree" panty liner ad on tv's slogan.

Haha- somewhat applies to deeper meditation. See how it links? When you feel no feelings, you are more carefree haha. But of course, meditation is not for numbing of our compassion. We have to be careful not to become stone cold by balancing with Loving-kindness (Metta) meditation. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Shopping



I remember a friend saying it doesn't matter how many items we check out while shopping in a supermarket- what matters is what we check out at the cashier's counter at the end of the day. Likewise, what matters at the end of our life is our final decision, our last thought. Whether we go to a good rebirth or not, or none at all is dependent on it. But of course, what we do now, what we keep doing will greatly affect what our last thought tend to be. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Shy



Shyness is not real humility.
It is the subtle but sure manifestation of the ego.
It is the fear of embarassing the self-
taken to be real, taken too seriously. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

V Day



On this V Day,
with the V standing for Valentine's, not Vesak,
I visualise myself
offering lovely red roses, with other flowers and all,
to the Buddha...
my ultimate valentine,
the embodiment of true love.
Namo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha! JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Baby



There is nothing as nice and peaceful as a sound sleeping baby.
There is nothing as nasty and rowdy as a howling baby.

Which is the real baby?
What is the true baby nature?

There is no real baby.
The baby nature is the nature of change.

It is not different from your nature.
Despite growing up,
we do not outgrow changing.
It is changing that enables us to grow,
to evolve or devolve,
for better or worse. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Relationships



By the way, I don't really "philosophize" about letting go of relationships- but of letting go of attachment in relationships- which is the key thing that ruins relationships. The truth is we have many intricate interdependent relationships which cannot be shaken off as long as we are unenlightened. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Ungraspable



"Grasping at things can only yield one of two results:
Either the thing you are grasping at disappears, or you yourself disappear.
It is only a matter of which occurs first."

-Goenka

"All mind and matter change all the time-
the changing cannot grasp the changing."

-Stonepeace JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Attachment to Attachment & Detachment



Zeph: "All that you fashion, all that you make, all that you buld, all that you break... all of these you can leave behind... you got to leave it behind..." U2 (Walk On)
Yah: Can you do it?
Zeph: Trying.
Yah: Not hard if you don't own or build anything. If you want to give up, why have it in the first place?
Zeph: Sometimes we realise that after we have attachment.
Yah: True... Don't get too attached to giving up attachment too, haha. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Should You be a Monk or Nun?



Even if you are a monk,
if your practice of the Way is not intense,
if your aspiration is not pure,
how are you any different from a layman?

Again, even if you are a layman,
if your aspiration is intense and your conduct wise,
why is this any different from being a monk?

-Zen Master Hakuin

If you want to be a monk but hesitate,
let go of that which holds you back...
if you really want to be a monk.

If you want to be a monk but hesitate,
and cannot let go of that which holds you back...
you either do not want really to be a monk,
or are not yet ready.

-Stonepeace

There is basically only one good reason to be a monk-
to have more space and time dedicated to intense practice.
To know if you are have this dedication or not,
go for a long retreat.
When you decide not to leave this retreat,
which is in reality retreating from attachment, aversion and delusion,
you have already become a monk within.
Decide then, whether you wish to be a monk without.

-Stonepeace JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Complex Yet Simple



Via SMS to Edna on the train home after explaining complications of a seemingly simple matter:

Zeph:
The world is a complex place haha...
(pause)
But it can be as simple as the 3 characteristics.

Eng:
Just to share some thoughts:
The world is a simple place to one who can eradicate the "I" illusion.
Be greed-free, hate-free, delusion-free.
Keep walking on the eight-fold path.
Neither too fast nor too slow.
With progress not stagnation.

Zeph:
Wonderful!
Sadhu! (Excellent) to the power of 3! JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Marriage Commitment



I used to think that the custom of holding lavish Chinese wedding dinners, which invite lots of relatives and friends is a way of announcing, not so much of two people’s mutual commitment to each other, but to the whole wide world (at least, their social worlds). The more trouble you go through personally to arrange for the dinner, the more you are committed. That was till May gave me an alternative viewpoint. Real commitment need not be expressed in a ceremony. Ceremonies however, can help to foster commitment in the moment. Is that oxymoronic? Commitments are supposed to be lasting; not lasting only for a moment. Well… occasions like dinners might “enforce” commitment unknowingly to the couple! Here we have the paradox of the significance of ritual. The truly committed do not mind commitment rituals. But neither do they truly need them. On the other hand, the uncommitted or half-hearted frets commitment rituals to some extent. If so, should they go through the rituals at all? I guess that is why they need to make that leap of faith in their “commitment to be committed” by going through the test of the ritual… though it is, as we have discussed, not a foolproof test! The rites of life will be important till the day the world is free from unsure hearts- both of those committing themselves and those witnessing their formal commitment. By the way, the above applies to all rituals in life, including taking the threefold refuge. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Victim of Boredom



I am a continual victim of boredom- which is why I blog a lot. I continuously crave for interesting experiences of entertaining and enlightening nature. It is my intellectual experiential misgiving. What are you doing here, spending so much time reading these blogs? I hope you are not like me. Please meditate more. Yes- I’m talking to both of us. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Window Portrait



When I was at Cameron Highlands, I saw a gorgeous view of the mountains from a window at the hotel elevator landing on our floor. The window was divided into quarters by its frame, but it looked like a giant portrait hanging on the wall. A picture of change- as the light of the day changes with the rise and fall of the sun. It was a portrait of a window and a portrait of the mountains at the same time. Thought it would make an interesting piece of installation art called “Portrait of Change.” This will leave the viewer stunned for a while, before they realise that I am hinting that no matter how static whatever “scene” through the window is, it inevitably changes. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Blindspots



We cannot depend fully on ourselves to discover our shortcomings-
because we have personal blind spots.
We also cannot fully depend on others to uncover our shortcomings-
because they have their personal blind spots.
Thus we have to continually be open to ourselves and all other views of ourselves.

Some time a year ago, I played a game with a circle of about ten Dharma friends. In it, we balance open verbal praise of each other with “discreet” written views of each other’s shortcomings. Here is my summarised list of shortcomings as a reminder to work harder (the “virtues” are left out as I find them too flattering!)-

1. Impatient.
2. Strict on some views. Must be tolerant to others who are at different levels.
3. Flare up sometimes on certain topics of discussion.
4. Must learn to listen to other views.
5. Generally egoistic (my comment) JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

A Pebble for Your Pocket



Here’s a simple article from the book by Thich Nhat Nanh entitled as above. Notice that I seldom put up excerpts. I’m including it here because once I read it, the word “Stonepeace” came to mind!

Sometimes when we become angry during the day, it is difficult to remember to stop and breathe. I know a good way for you to remember to stop and breathe when you are angry or upset. First, go for a walk and find a pebble that you like. Then, go sit near the Buddha, if there is one in your house, or outside under a special tree or on a special rock, or go to your room. With the pebble in your hand, say:

Dear Buddha,

Here is my pebble. I am going to practice with it when things go wrong in my day. Whenever I am angry or upset, I will take the pebble in my hand and breathe deeply. I will do this until I calm down.

Now put your pebble in your pocket and take it with you wherever you go. When something happens during the day that makes you unhappy, out your hand in your pocket, take hold of the pebble, breathe deeply, and say to yourself, “Breathing in, I know I am angry. Breathing out, I am taking good care of my anger.” Do this until you feel a lot better and can smile to your anger. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Beauty is Functional



I have a new office laptop. When I first got it, there was a film of plastic on its cover. It has been more than a month but I have yet to remove it. One day, while shutting down the laptop, I realised the plastic wasn't doing justice to the laptop in the sense that it covered up and "marred" its design. I wondered if I was going to keep it on forever. What am I forever protecting the laptop cover for if I am never going to expose it? It struck me that the mere protection of beauty or anything precious with no use of that which is protected is a total waste of time and effort. Anything beautiful which is shielded from the world loses its essence of being beautiful. Anything beautiful must be functional. By functional, it can be subtle but sure. A painting can inspire for instance. Interesting... this must be why inspiration is always beautiful. The best and most beautiful things in life are functional and free for all- the breeze, the singing of the birds, the cooling rain. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Guessing Games



As long as we cannot read others' minds, we can only be sure of our own intentions when it comes to communication. What matters is that we personally uphold the integrity of being truthful and sincere. Much miscommunication occurs due to uncertainty of each party's intentions- leading to both parties playing guessing games. What makes matters worse is when we are sure of our guesses while being miles apart from the truth. They are guesses after all. Even when we think someone is not being sincere, on our part, we should avoid guessing what's on his mind- because these games are endless and pointless. We are not responsible for the guessing games and games of deceit others play but are solely so for those we play. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Why



Why try to hold on when change is inevitable?
Why give yourself grief when you can be happy?

-Sophie JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Happy



When fellow Buddhists say "May you be well and happy" to each other, it sometimes feel a little passive- hinting the notion that happiness is a wished for thing that may or may not befall one depending on your karma or "luck." I prefer something more personal and direct- "Hey! Remember to be happy okay?" Yes, happiness is your own choice- yours to make anytime, all the time. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply

Certainty



In our seeking of safe ground, of certainty, of refuge, realise that there is nothing safe in Samsara, that everything of Samsara is uncertain, only certain to change, not worthy of refuge. This is not hopeless- it means safe ground, certainty and refuge is not of Samsara but in Nirvana. In Samsara, rest in the truth of uncertainty instead of forcing the uncertain to be certain. That the uncertain is uncertain, this is certain. This also means that that the certain is certain, this is also certain. JoinMailingList4LatestUpdates/Reply