Q: How do you know that the Buddha’s teachings is the truth? A: Through active learning, practising, testing and questioning the teachings. There is no world religion or philosophy that confidently advocates as much diligent intelligent doubting with clarifying, and personal experience as Buddhism. When there is deeper practice, the more it comes to light that the [...]
From the graphic novel ‘Americus’ by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill is this amusing frame. According to the Bible, everything arose less than 6,000 years ago, while modern science points to fossils dated back to the Archean Eon, some 4.6 to 2.5 billion years ago. When Creationists stumble upon Scientists’ discoveries that inconveniently prove them wrong, they often [...]
From the movie, ‘An Education’ Headmistress: Have you set a date? Have you decided on a church? Jenny: We won’t be getting married in a church. David’s Jewish. Headmistress: Jewish? He’s a Jew? You are aware, I take it, that the Jews killed our Lord [Jesus]? Jenny: And you’re aware, I suppose, that our Lord [...]
From the movie, ‘An Education’: Jenny: David, if tomorrow night does happen, it’s only ever going to happen once. David: Why will it only ever happen once? Jenny: Because the first time can only ever happen once. (She loses her virginity to him later.) David: It wasn’t too uncomfortable? Jenny: Not after the first bit. [...]
What is good only for you is seldom really good for you, as it arises from selfishness. What is good for others is always good for you too, if it arises from selflessness. - Stonepeace
Dukkha is suffering from Birth Ageing Sickness Death Departure from who/what we like, Being with who/what we dislike, Failing to achieve what we like or to be with who we like, Form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness (Five Aggregates) subject to clinging Dukkha is from expecting stability despite the inherent instability of Health Emotions Preferences [...]
Review of ‘Walking The Tiger’s Path – A Soldier’s Spiritual Journey in Iraq’ By Paul M. Kendel The war genre for books has never been my cup of tea. To me, there is just too much stupidity and hurting in war. My first contact on the subject of war was through history class. I got [...]
This is a response to Lee Yue Heng’s article ‘Fifty Steps Laugh At One Hundred Steps’ at http://ahhengwrites.blogspot.com/2012/05/fifty-steps-laugh-at-one-hundred-steps.html as on 21.05.12. It’s a strange title, with a strange explanation, because it assumes vegans are laughing at meat-eaters? I have never heard of such cases. I’ve heard of many meat-eaters sniggering at vegans self-righteously though, unfortunately. The below [...]
There is an interesting pro-vegetarian article (28.01.12) titled ‘Why Buddhists Should Be Vegetarian’ at http://sujato.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/why-buddhists-should-be-vegetarian-with-extra-cute It comes from a Theravada monk, as a pleasant surprise. This particular set of comments interest me: Bud: (22.02.12) Hi Bhante, On this – ‘There are numerous passages in the Vinaya that refer to the Buddha or the monastics eating meat, [...]
Someone initiated a debate on vegetarianism on one of my pro-vegan Facebook posts: http://moonpointer.com/new/2012/05/all-mothers-deserve-respect-of-course Each non pro-vegan point from him was systematically debated over and overcome. Next, he writes a lengthy blog post, seemingly to ‘summarise’ and extend it, and shares it with his Facebook friends. He posts the link in one of my Facebook [...]
Lee Yue Heng (L): [On his non pro-vegan link being deleted from S's Facebook profile.] It seems like I was censored by Shen Shi’an. If it is indeed true, I concede that he has every right to suppress views that he did not agree with, but nevertheless I find it intriguing… Shen Shi’an (S): Further [...]