Think for yourself,or others might think for you,or rather, for them.
Author - random reader
Bodhisattvas Do Not Eat Meat 菩萨不食肉
菩萨摩诃萨发菩提心不失正念。于诸众生不起害心。不食肉。不欺诳。常以善法教化众生。众生不受不废不愁。 — 释迦牟尼佛《菩萨善戒经》 Bodhisattva Mahāsattvas give rise to the Bodhi Mind and do not lose right mindfulness. For all sentient beings, not giving rise...
Why Look For A Needle In A Haystack Without Needles?
Be constructivein terms of your virtues,with pure Dharmalearning and practice. — Shilashanti A young Buddhist seems to habitually ‘rant’ on some relatively more prominent...
Illumination Of True Wisdom 实智慧之照
汝等比丘，若有智慧，则无贪著。常自省察，不令有失，是则于我法中，能得解脱。若不尔者，既非道人，又非白衣，无所名也。You and other Bhikṣus, if having wisdom, are then without greedy attachment. Constantly personally examining oneself, not leading to having...
Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions On Karma
Question [1]: Basically, what is the law of karma?Answer: It is the natural law that according to what we think, say and do, be it good or evil, we will experience happiness or suffering respectively...
The Hungry ‘Morbius’ Vs. The Angry Hulk
Michael Morbius (2022) snarls as a vampire for a moment and says, ‘I’m sorry. I’m starting to get hungry. And you don’t wanna see me when I’m hungry.’ He snarls...
Focus Haikus
Live with ever sharperlaser-sharp focuson what you should realise. Live with ever broadersun-like radianceon how you should help.
Actions And Speech Should Match The True Mind 身口应对真心
不行真正道，随邪号行婆。口慙神佛少，心怀嫉妬多。背后噇鱼肉，人前念佛陀。如此修身处，难应避奈何。 — 寒山（文殊菩萨化身） Not practising the true and right path, following evil ‘orders’ of old ‘practising’ (wo)men. With mouths...
How To Overcome Bullying?
The law of karma is unrelenting, even for those who do not believe it exists, do not understand it, and misunderstand it. — Shilashanti An unfortunately common question these days goes, ‘Still...
Pare Down Your Belongings
The more of the excess you give,the more of contentment you gain. In Zen, we have a word for almsgiving: kisha. It means gladly giving something up, without regret. This is how we describe it when...
How To Increase Attention Span?
Question: I am impatient, with short attention for Dharma learning and practice. What should I do?Answer: First, do not keep affirming to yourself that you are so. What you keep affirming...
Dark Side Of ‘The Good Nurse’?
How is it possible that an apparently ‘good’ nurse nefariously kill many patients? According to the depiction in ‘The Good Nurse’, ‘To avoid a death sentence, Charles...
Even The Buddhas Take Refuge In The Dharma 佛亦皈依法
法是佛母，佛从法生。三世如来，皆供养法。 —《涅槃经》 The Dharma is the Buddhas’ mother,as Buddhas are from the Dharma ‘born’.The three periods’ Thus Come Ones,all make offerings to the Dharma[by...
Wholehearted Mindfulness Of The Buddha Is Cultivation Of Precepts, Concentration And Wisdom 一心念佛时，即修戒定慧
三学治三毒：戒施治贪欲，定悲治瞋恚，智慧治愚痴。— 三学偈 (1) With the Threefold Learning cure the Three Poisons: with Precepts and Generosity cure Greedy Desires, with Concentration and Compassion cure Hatred and Anger, and...
Four Sayings On Being Timely
Even ‘bad’ experiences become goodif there are good lessons learnt.Even ‘good’ experiences becomes badif there are no good lessons learnt. — Shilashanti In this world, knowing...
How To Neither Gossip Nor Slander? 如何不说闲话不诽谤？
Question: Is pointing out others’ mistakes to them considered as speaking of the fourfold assembly’s transgressions (说四众过)? Is pointing them out to others considered as gossip (说闲话)...
‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ But Should They?
After reading the novel ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ (by Horace McCoy, which was made into a movie in 1969) in the film version of the short story ‘Mr. Harrigan’s...
Patience Haiku
Am grateful for the lizardpatiently listening to my‘Āmítuófó, Āmítuófó, Āmítuófó…’
Be Sincerely Diligent 勤精进
汝等比丘，若勤精进则事无难者，是故汝等，当勤精进，譬如小水常流则能穿石。若行者之心数数懈废，譬如钻火未热而息，虽欲得火，火难可得。是名精进。 释迦牟尼佛《佛遗教经》 You [and] other Bhikṣus, if constantly diligent, [are] then [with] matters without difficulties...
Retributive Responses Of 23 Evil Habits 二十三恶习之报应
A fruit if nurtured, to be reapedfor every seed planted,good, evil or neither.— Shilashanti In Kṣitigarbha Sūtra’s Chapter Four: Jambudvīpa’s Sentient Beings’ Karmic...
Abandon Scattered Minds With Frivolous Discussions 舍离乱心戏论
汝等比丘，若种种戏论，其心则乱，虽复出家，犹未得脱。是故比丘，当急舍离乱心戏论。 You [and] other Bhikṣus, if [with] all kinds [of] frivolous discussions, your minds [will] then [be] scattered. Even if [having] left [the] household [life...
Do The Evil Live Shorter Or Longer?
Question: Why do evil leaders in the past generally live shorter lives? Answer: This is due to their immense evil karma created via creating much suffering for the masses, which bear their...
Should Craig Call ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’?
Miss Hart replies to Craig when he asked if she believes in ghosts, ‘I would never attend a séance or mess around with a Ouija board, trying to summon the dead… My grandma always used to...
Plan Haiku
Plan well for your life,your death,and your afterlife.
Verses Expressing Sentiments 抒怀偈
沉沦生死海，轮回苦无涯。娑婆非吾土，净土是君家。众生离苦海，弥陀航慈筏。信愿勤念佛，金台坐莲华。 — 传印长老 Sunken in the ocean of birth and death, reborn with suffering without a shore. This Sahā World is not my land, and the Pure Land is your home...
To Stay In This Defiled Land Or Reach A Pure Land? 留在秽土或往生净土？To Personally Reach Pure Land First Or Encourage Others To Reach Pure Land First? 先自生净土或劝生净土？
安忍不动，犹如大地；静虑深密，犹如密藏。— 释迦牟尼佛《地藏十轮经》With peaceful patience not moving, similar to the great earth. With calm contemplation deep and meticulous, similar to a secret treasury.— Śākyamuni Buddha(Earth...
Can Merits Really Be ‘Transferred’?
Question: When we practise ‘transference’ of merits, are merits really ‘transferred’? If yes, how is this possible? Answer: ‘Dedication (or sharing) of merits...
The Two Danas Of ‘The Midnight Club’
The Dana who feels constricted by her responsibilities strikes a ‘deal’ of sorts with a supernatural being, that allows her to manifest a doppelganger, to experience what she cannot, on...
Change Haikus
If you do notlike yourself,change yourself. If you cannotchange your body,change your mind. If you canchange your mind,your life will change.
Within The Path’s Mind 道心之中
道心之中有衣食衣食之中无道心 Of the path’s mind within,it has clothing and food.Of clothing and food within,they are without the path’s mind.— Buddhist Saying有修行者必得所需有所需者未必会修Those who have...
To Attain Buddhahood First Or Guide Others To Attain Buddhahood First? 先成佛或先度众？
众生度尽，方证菩提；地狱未空，誓不成佛。— 地藏菩萨（重申）愿With sentient beings delivered completely, then realising Bodhi, if the hells are not yet empty, I vow to not accomplish Buddhahood.— Earth Treasury Bodhisattva’s...
The Buddha’s Teachings On Women’s 84 Manners 佛陀对女人八十四态之教理
不闻思不能修，不能自我修改。知错者才能改，不知错不能改。Those not listening and contemplating are not able to cultivate, not able to have personal cultivation to make amends. Those knowing their wrongs are then able to make...
Can Evil Karma Be Passed Down?
Question: Can ‘sin’ be passed down, according to Buddhism? Answer: In Buddhism, the terms ‘transgression’, ‘evil karma’ and ‘negative karma’ are...
12 ‘Stowaway’ Questions On Life And Death
[1] Are all sentient lives equally worthy to you? [2] What kind of sentient life/lives is/are worthy to you? [3] How much is one such life worth to you? [4] Will...
Tilt Haiku
Be not balancedbetween good and evil;be tilted towards good.
Be Horses And Bulls, Before Dragons And Elephants 先牛马，后龙象
欲为诸佛龙象，先做众生牛马。 — 佛教格言 If desiring to be as all Buddhas’ dragons and elephants,[to take on great responsibilities],first be as sentient beings’ horses and bulls[to serve them]. — Buddhist...
Some Physical And Mental Benefits Of Eating As Vegetarians 吃素之身心利益
Do not consume with crueltyto any being.Do consume with compassionfor all beings.— Shilashanti It should be known that of those in water and on land, the flying and submerged, all sentient beings...
Desire Little And Know Contentment 少欲知足
Human desire is such that, even if the Himalayas were turned to gold, it would not be enough. Human desire is boundless. There is no limit to it. The classic manifestation of desire is money. There...
How To Transform Our Five Poisons? 如何转化五毒？
Question: Spiritually, we have the three poisons (三毒) of (i) greed, (ii) hatred and (iii) delusion (贪嗔痴) that keep enlightenment (i.e. liberation) at bay...
‘The Hunt’ For A Crazy Lady
Once, two pickpockets joined a group of laypersons on their way to Jetavana Monastery, where the Buddha was teaching. One listened attentively and soon attained stream-entry. The other, however, only...
Cultivation Haiku
Have more cultivation,with less complacence,for more confidence.
Mixed Good And Evil
戒律不分明，好坏便参半。难称为善人，随时可成恶。 With precepts and rules not understood clearly,one is with good and evil then mixed as halves. Difficult to be called as a good person then,as at any time, possibly...
Record Of Bright Eyes’ Mindfulness Of Buddha To Save Her Mother And Giving Rise Of The Bodhi Mind 光目念佛救母发菩提心记
As we have been reborn for countless times already, all sentient beings have been reborn as our mothers before…— Shilashanti In Kṣitigarbha Sūtra’s Chapter Four: Jambudvīpa’s...
Contemplating Knowing Contentment 观知足
汝等比丘，若欲脱诸苦恼，当观知足，知足之法即是富乐安隐之处。 You [and] other Bhikṣus, if desiring [to be] liberated [from] all sufferings [and] afflictions, should contemplate [on] contentment. [The] Dharma of knowing contentment...
Are The Buddha’s Teachings Worthy For Learning?
Question: If I have doubts about the worth of the Buddha’s teachings, what should I do? Answer: Paradoxically, the fact that you are asking this question means you do think there...
The Existential Burden Of ’21 Grams’
A small boy hits his sister on an arm, and the girl complains. Their father responds, ‘Hold out your other arm and let your brother hit you… [because] “Whoever slaps you on the...
Control Haiku
Control what you canandforget what you cannot.
The Triply Beautiful
Practise the Dharmabeautiful in the beginning,beautiful in the middle andbeautiful at the end.For a lifebeautiful in the beginning,beautiful in the middle andbeautiful at the end.— Shilashanti
How Earth Treasury Bodhisattva Entered The Buddha Path With Mindfulness Of Buddha 地藏菩萨如何以念佛入佛道
Be inspired personallyto become the inspiring.— Shilashanti In Kṣitigarbha Sūtra’s Chapter One: Supernormal Powers In Trāyastriṃśa Heavenly Palace《地藏经》(忉利天宮神通品第一) was this taught by Śākyamuni...
Not Forgetting Mindfulness 不忘念
汝等比丘，求善知识、求善护助而不忘念，若不忘念者，诸烦恼贼则不能入，是故汝等，常当摄念在心； You [and] other Bhikṣus, [when] seeking good-knowing friends, [and] seeking good protective helpers, none [are] like not forgetting mindfulness. If...
What Is Most Essential For Buddhists To Master?
Question: What is essential to learn from Buddhism?Answer: How to have the best rebirth. Q: Why is it not how to be liberated from rebirth (i.e. be enlightened)?A: It is too difficult to do so in...
Why ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Is Still Tragic
After three instalments of Ghostbusters in the movies, a sore problem still exists, on the nature of their ‘solution’. There is still the ‘practice’ of trapping demons...
Time Haiku
The Buddha oftenspeaks of impermanenceas we are always running out of time.
Restrain From Evil Speech 禁止恶口
白圭之玷，尚可磨也；斯言之玷，不可为也！ —《诗经•大雅•抑》 The blemishes of white jade,still can be polished away,but for the blemishes of that said,this cannot be done! — (Book Of Odes: Greater Odes: Restraint)
Somebody, Please! Anybody?
To be sincereis to be wholehearted,and thus single-minded.— Shilashanti In a Taiwanese comic book《怪奇微微疼》of ghost stories (by 微疼) is a full page drawing of a frowning guy having a supernatural...
Contemplating Eating And Drinking As Taking Medicine 观饮食为服药篇
You [and] other Bhikṣus, [when] receiving all drinks [and] food, should [be] like taking medicine. Of [that] good [and] of [that] bad, [do] not give rise [to wanting] more [or] less. [For the]...
Are The Bothersome All Karmic Creditors?
Question: Are those I feel bothered by my karmic creditors (冤亲债主)? Answer: Anyone or even anything we are unhappy with functions like a karmic creditor in the moment. However, when we respond with...
An Existential Crisis Of ‘Mine’?
A lone soldier who found himself standing on what could be a mine in the middle of a desert brings these questions to mind… [1] How do you know if you are on an existential mine or not, as...
Words Haiku
Words thatpoint the wayare not the way.
Four Steps For The Dharma
Do not just learn; contemplate too.Do not just contemplate; practise too.Do not just practise; realise too.Do not just realise; share too.— Shilashanti
The Buddhas And Bodhisattvas Are Always Smiling
An enlightened smilereveals that all is wellfor the one smiling.— Shilashanti The Buddhas and Bodhisattvasare always smiling,as they are always blissful,having perfect wisdom about all. The Buddhas...
With The Straightforward Mind Sever Flattery’s Mind 以直心断谄曲心
汝等比丘，谄曲之心，与道相违。是故宜应质直其心。 You [and] other Bhikṣus, [should know that the] mind of flattery, with [the] path, contradict each other. Therefore, [there] should [be] straightforwardness [of] your minds...
Why Is There Aversion Of Some?
Question: Why do we sometimes have inexplicable aversion of some sentient beings ‘naturally’? Answer: Generally, when we feel averse towards anyone (human, animal or otherwise) for no...
How Justice Was Served To ‘My Daughter’s Killer’
The synopsis of this true crime documentary reads, ‘A father believed his daughter had been r_ped and killed by her stepfather, a respected doctor. His long pursuit of justice led to last...
Shame Haiku
Those with moral shamewill be free from the shameful,while the shameless will not be so.
Verse On Being Without Patience 无忍偈
真忍无忍，忍无可忍。忍者所忍，皆无所住。 — 直弦子 True patience is without patience,thus patient without that to be patient of.With the one patient and that patient of,all without that to abide upon(due to impermanence...
You Can Always Control Your Interpretations And Responses
We don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond.— Mark Manson(The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Journal) We...
Dedication Verses For Printing, Upholding And Distributing Sūtra Books 印持流通经书回向偈
普为出资及读诵受持辗转流通(经书)者回向偈曰Dedication Verses Universally For Those Who Sponsor And Those Who Recite, Accept, Uphold, Pass And Distribute This (Sūtra Book)...
How Do I Know I Am Bound For The Hells?
Question: How do we know if one is bound for the hells in the next life? Answer: When one is clearly unrepentant, by continually doing great evil, with breaking of the precepts, by killing...
Review Films Personally
Why only ‘review’ a filmby ‘reviewing’others’ reviews of it?Why not review the filmby watchingand reflecting on it? Not that others’ reviewsare worthless,but truth...
Truth Haiku
As the truthis forever,it will prevail.
Verse On Patience With Abuse To Protect Your True Mind《忍辱护真心》偈
瞋是心中火，能烧功德林。欲行菩萨道，忍辱护真心。— 寒山和尚 Anger is fire within the mind,able to burn away meritorious virtues’ forest.Desiring to practise the Bodhisattva path,have patience with abuse to protect your...
Are We In The ‘Beginning’ Pure, Impure… Or Both?
譬如销金矿， 金非销故有， 虽复本来金， 终以销成就，一成真金体， 不复重为矿。 — 释迦牟尼佛《圆觉经》For example, like smelting gold ore, the gold does not, with smelting thus exists. Although again with the original gold, in the end, it is with...
Take Dharma Medicine To Walk The Buddha’s Path 服法药，行佛道
我如良医，知病说药，服与不服，非医咎也。 I [am] like [a] good doctor, [who] knows [your] sicknesses [and] spoke [of their] medicines, [while] taking and not taking [them, is] not [with the] doctor to blame...
How To Be Veg(etari)an With Non-Vegetarian Family Members?
Question: I find it very challenging to be veg(etari)an when having family gatherings. Is there any advice for this? Answer: It is of course best to invite and treat the whole family to a...
Don’t Miss 9 Lessons From ‘The Gray Man’
Don’t Be Grey[1] Those grey might be easily made black (i.e. wrong) to harm the white (i.e. right).[2] Those grey should become as white as possible, and as soon as possible.[3] Those...
Bonus Haiku
Prepared for the worst,anything not sobecomes a bonus.
No Resentment For No Recognition 不愠人不知
人不知，而不愠，不亦君子乎？ 孔子《论语》 With people not knowing one, yet not resentful,is one not also a noble person? Confucius(Analects) (The truly virtuous are at peaceand remain truly virtuous,even if recognised...
Your Coffin, Urn, Tablet, House Is Not Your True Home
闻说阿弥陀佛，执持名号… 一心不乱。其人临命终时，阿弥陀佛，与诸圣众，现在其前。是人终时，心不颠倒，即得往生阿弥陀佛极乐国土。— 释迦牟尼佛《阿弥陀经》Hearing this said about Amitā[bha] Buddha, firmly uphold mindfulness of his name (Āmítuófó)… wholeheartedly...
Make Only Veg(etari)an Offerings At Wakes 丧礼只供素食
至于丧祭，通须用素，勿随俗转。— 净土宗十三祖印光大师(复周孟由昆弟书)As for funeral rituals, all should use veg(etari)an food, not according to (other) ‘customs’ transforming this.— Pure Land Tradition’s 13th...
[8] What Is The Buddha Like And How Does He Relate To Me?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [8][As continued from the previous issue…] Question [15]: What is the Buddha about again? Answer: The Buddha is the very embodiment of all the...
Morally Dissecting ‘The Butcher Of Delhi’?
The most thought-provoking part of ‘Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi’ is this mentioned by Deepak Sharma, who was the defence lawyer of Chandrakant Jha, the titular serial killer...
Doubt Haiku
Willingness to doubtis willingness tonot be gullible.
Just Take Care Of The Grain Now
It isn’t the mountain aheadthat wears you out;it’s the grain of sandin your shoe. Anonymous
How A Meditator Ascended The Highest Heaven And Fell Into Hell 禅者登天堕狱记
From the Treatise On Perfection Of Great Wisdom《大智度论》(Scroll 17, Preface Chapter 1; 卷17: 序品1) written by Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva (龙树菩萨), is this very short, yet important and terrifying...
Guard And Protect Against Anger’s Mind 防护瞋心
瞋是心中火，能烧功德林，欲学菩提道，忍辱护瞋心。 As anger is a fire within the mind, that is able to burn meritorious virtues’ forest, if desiring to learn the Bodhi path, with patience protect against anger’s...
[7] Is Buddhism Another Religion Or Beyond Religion?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [7] [As continued from the previous issue…] Question [13]: Is Buddhism not just another religion? Answer: If ‘religion’ means to...
The Real ‘Resident Evil’
When humans already with muchgreed, hatred and delusion‘mindfully’ meddle with science… zombies are created with moregreed, hatred and delusion,who ‘mindlessly’ consume...
Absolution Haiku
No one canabsolve ourselvesbut ourselves.
Pure And Cool Moon 清凉月
菩萨清凉月，常游毕竟空。众生心垢净，菩萨影现中。 — 佛教名言 Bodhisattvas, like the pure and cool moon,constantly travel in ultimate emptiness.When sentient beings’ minds’ defilements are purified,the...
How Do Buddhas And Bodhisattvas Save And Deliver Hell-Beings? 佛菩萨如何救度地狱众生？
诸恶莫作，众善奉行，自净其意，是诸佛教。— 释迦牟尼佛 《法句经》第183偈Of all evil not do,of all good practise,and to self-purify this mind,these are all Buddhas’ teachings.— Śākyamuni Buddha (Dharmapada: Verse 183) As hell...
Make Only Vegan Food Offerings For The Deceased 为亡者只供素食
是命终人，未得受生，在七七日内，念念之间，望诸骨肉眷属，与造福力救拔。过是日后，随业受报。— 地藏菩萨 《地藏经》These people with lives ended, when yet to attain receiving of births, in seven of seven days within, hope that all their kin and family...
[6] How A Great Scientist, Philosopher And Psychologist See The Buddha’s Teachings
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [6][As continued from the previous issue…] Question [11]: If the Buddha’s teachings are so wonderful, why are they not the most widespread ones...
Does This ‘Incantation’ Bless Or Curse?
After watching ‘Incantation’ (咒), a friend asked, ‘Is the “Great Black Buddha Mother” (大黑佛母) Black Tārā?’ Before you take the movie too seriously, the director...
Trust Haiku
That which canbe truly questionedcan be truly trusted.
Find Buddha
A Buddha is not easy to find,for one is not born just anywhere.However, where one is found,you will also find great happiness.— The Buddha(Dhammapada Verse 193)(It is easiest to find a Buddha in his...
What Makes This Life Worthy?
There is no predicament whichcannot be ennobled either byan achievement or by endurance.— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [I]magine that you are sitting in a concert hall and listening to your favourite...
When ‘Bad’ Things Happen To ‘Good’ People
重业重报偈凡重业，无忏悔，无念佛，皆重报。Verse On Heavy Karma With Heavier RetributionAll heavy evil karma,without repentance,without mindfulness of Buddha,are all with heavier retribution(with even more transgressions)...
[5] Are The Buddha And His Teachings Outstanding?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [5] [As continued from the previous issue…] Question [9]: Since the Buddha’s teachings encourage the asking of questions, how do I know the...
The Gem Within ‘Richard Jewell’
Being unenlightened, none of us are perfect all the time, be it in the past or present. After all, we are mixed bags, with pure gold but embedded in ore, that requires further refinement. Despite...
Shame Haiku
It isshamefulto be shameless.
Verse On Diligent Learning 勤学偈
未成佛者，学无止境。唯成佛者，学达止境。 For those yet to accomplish Buddhahood,learning is still without an end.Only for those who have accomplished Buddhahood,has learning reached its end.
Time Will Tell The Truth 时间会说出真相
时间会说出真相 [1] 赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍。[2] 试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期。[3] 周公恐惧流言日，王莽谦恭未篡时。[4] 向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知？ — 白居易《放言五首·其三》 Time Will Tell The Truth [1] [I hereby] give you a method for resolving doubts, that does not...
To Live A Meaningful Life, Fully Fill Your Life Circle
Do your best now,to better yourselfto do even better later.— Stonepeace [One] day, a young man… confronted me about the question of the meaning or meaningless of life. His argument was as...
‘The Umbrella Academy’s Grandfather Paradox Resolved?
‘The Umbrella Academy’s third season’s third episode summarised the Grandfather Paradox — of a ‘temporal anomaly’ that might be created, (if time travel in its usual...
Non-Anger & Non-Violence
He who meets anger with anger is the loser. He who is calm in the face of anger is the winner. He has won a difficult battle.He who remains calm and unperturbed in the face of anger,saves both...
How Should Buddhists See The Plant-Based Meat ‘Revolution’?
第三食肉[轻]戒：若佛子，故食肉，一切肉不得食。夫食肉者，断大慈悲佛性种子，一切众生见而舍去。是故一切菩萨，不得食一切众生肉。食肉得无量罪。若故食者，犯轻垢罪。— 释迦牟尼佛《梵网经菩萨戒本》The Third [Light] Precept Against Eating Meat: If as Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, of...
‘Spiderhead’s Existential And Ethical Questions
Is our experienced ‘reality’ just a result of chemical reactions in the brain? Is it matter over mind, or mind over matter? If the first is true, there would hardly be need to mind the...
Opportunity Haiku
All missed opportunitieswere in the now,even those ‘later’.
Mindfulness Of Buddha As A Universal Deathbed Practice In The Theravāda, Mahāyāna And Vajrayāna Buddhist Traditions
Plan for the last first,as the last will come,and it can come fast.— Shilashanti A meditator asked, ‘When approaching the end of life, how should I abide, as the body will be deteriorating...
‘RRR’s (Rise, Roar, Revolt) Riveting Relentless Resilience
Raju the revolutionary, who was unjustly imprisoned in chains, when mocked by his captor for still using them to exercise (for his eventual spectacular escape), uttered the following defiantly —...
Work Haiku
Work, only to rest,to work even more, mundanely,or towards the transcendental?
Five Sections On Patience In The ‘Sūtra Of Forty-Two Sections’《四十二章经》之忍辱五章
被辱不瞋难。— 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》(第十二章：举难勤修：第八难)To be insulted yet not angry is difficult.— Śākyamuni Buddha(Sūtra Of Forty-Two Sections:Twelfth Section: Raising Of Difficulties For Diligent Cultivation: Eighth...
The Dharma Of ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’
The movie suggests that dreams, instead of being mere delusions, are alternate realities with parallel worlds that we might ‘dreamwalk’ in. If so, this is not just one universe, but a...
Teaching Haiku
For various beings,skilfully share the Dharma —essentially, detailedly and in between.
Seven ‘Recurring’ Lessons From ‘Russian Doll’
[1] Core: With dreamlike layers within layers like nested Russian dolls, what are we at the core? We cannot be nothing as we are something. We cannot be something fixed as we can change. What...
Fall Haiku
Only fall…to do a push-up,that strengthens upon rising.
‘Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story’… In The Afterlife Too?
Over time, Savile subtly betrayed his lack of understanding on the dynamics of karma, not that he was expected to know them, or he would not have done the hellish deeds he did. During interviews, he...
The Buddhas Are The Best Friends Of All Sentient Beings
While mindfulness of teachings learnt is meritorious, mindfulness of our teachers is also meritorious.— Shilashanti During a chat on the precious support of spiritual friends, a friend remarked that...
Control Haiku
Since only youcan truly control you —take control well.
A Spinning Coin
The world keeps changing,and you are part of the world,but even if it changes to be worse,you can still change yourself for the better.— Shilashanti Uncertainty is the cause of anxiety, but it is...
[4] How Do We Know The Buddha’s Teachings Are Reliable?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [4][As continued from the previous issue…] Question [7]: If I’m interested in the Buddha’s teachings for attaining True Happiness, how do I...
‘Against The Ice’, Along With Hope
What if you are stranded in an almost totally frozen land, with scanty hope of any rescuers arriving? It is not at all unreasonable that there will be projections of whatever little hope remaining...
Rising Haiku
A sunsetis moonriseand star-rise too.
Where Should Buddhist Teachers And Students Be Reborn?
The Buddhas wish all beings to swiftly attain Buddhahoodfor one and all, by reaching Pure Land.— Shilashanti (Part 1) Question [A]: If there is a teacher, who also wrote many Buddhist books...
A Great Master’s Only Sincere Request 大师之唯一至祷
有一秘诀，剀切相告。竭诚尽敬，妙妙妙妙。— 净土宗十三祖印光大师《与吴璧华书》There is one secret for success to reach Pure Land, to earnestly inform one another. It is to have wholehearted sincerity and utmost reverence, which is most...
[3] Can There Be Both Worldly And Spiritual Happiness?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [3][As continued from the previous issue…] Question [5]: To attain the spiritual True Happiness mentioned, will I have to give up material ‘false...
‘The Batman’ As The Shadows And The Light
In the second year of Batman’s clandestine yet harsh vigilante work, he still seems to struggle between venting his anger and checking his bearings. Perhaps unsure of what he stands for, he is...
Dream Haiku
Further awaken —to know this is nota dream in a dream.
What Is The Best Way To Depart?
上念佛者，佳妙瑞相，预知时至，启众信心。—《佳妙偈》(1)Those with superior mindfulness of Buddha, have excellent and wonderful auspicious signs, including in advance knowing the time of reaching Pure Land, which inspires all...
What Does Your Life Expect Of You?
If it is finitely meaningfulto seek True Happiness for oneself,it is infinitely meaningfulto seek True Happiness for all.— Stonepeace I once had two world-weary people sitting opposite me — as chance...
[2] Can True Happiness Be Attained?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [2] [As continued from the previous issue…] Question [3]: What is this True Happiness that the Buddha attained? Answer: True Happiness...
‘Operation Chromite’: An Existential Race Against Time
The ‘Operation Chromite’ movie retells the Battle of Incheon, as planned by General Douglas MacArthur. Although about war and the fragility of life, the film also offered significant...
Attention Haiku
Attention.Attention.Attention.— Ikkyu
Should We All Fully And Strictly Uphold The Five Precepts?
有而犯者，胜无不犯。有犯名菩萨，无犯名外道。— 释迦牟尼佛《菩萨璎珞本业经》Those having precepts, yet breaking them [unmindfully], are superior to those without precepts, not breaking them. Those having precepts to break are named as...
Be Morally Superior Firmly
Those with a higher purposecan suffer meaningfully,thus not truly suffering.Those without a higher purposemight suffer meaninglessly,thus truly suffering.— Stonepeace We know today more than ever...
[1] Why Learn The Buddha’s Teachings?
TDE’s Dharma Dialogues: Issue [1]Question [1]: Why should I be interested in the Buddha’s teachings? Answer: Speaking from the personal experiences of many, there is no...
‘All Of Us Are Dead’ In Humanity?
The trickiest scenarios in zombie stories involve uncertainty over fellow humans on the run together. Was s/he really bitten by zombie? Will s/he transform to be another zombie? Should s/he be...
Self Haiku
Actual ‘self’-actualisationactualises selflessness,for all as one and no one.
Patience With Evil Without Anger 忍恶无瞋
恶人闻善，故来挠乱者，汝自禁息，当无瞋责。彼来恶者，而自恶之。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第六章 When evil persons who hear of good,are with those who thus come to disturb,if you are personally restrained and calm,you will be without angry...
All The More Should Pure Land Be Reached
国中天人… 识宿命，下至知百千亿那由他诸劫事者… — 前法藏菩萨；现在阿弥陀佛《无量寿经》：第五：生者皆得宿命愿[H]eavenly and human beings within my [Pure] Land, have those… knowing past lives… at least know[ing] a hundred...
Animals (A Vegan Slam Poem)
Veganism gives us all the opportunity to say what we ‘stand for’ in life — the ideal of healthy, humane living. Add decades to your life, with a clear conscience as a bonus.— Donald...
Are Such Funeral Proceedings Ideal?
Question: At a teacher’s funeral, there was a period when many students were standing and sitting around, not doing anything in particular. Some might be meditating, but none were chanting...
Just A ‘Feria’ Tale?
If there is evil in this world, is there not also the most powerful evil? Yes, of course. by logical default. In Buddhism, this is represented by Māra, the heavenly demon king. What if there is a(n)...
Right Haiku
Not rightly knowingright from wrongis already wrong.
Evil Returns To Oneself 恶还本身
有人闻吾守道，行大仁慈，故致骂佛。佛默不对。骂止，问曰：「子以礼从人，其人不纳，礼归子乎？」对曰：「归矣。」佛言：「今子骂我，我今不纳，子自持祸，归子身矣。犹响应声，影之随形，终无免离，慎勿为恶。」 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第七章 There was a person who heard of my guarding of the path, and practice of great...
From Schadenfreude to Mitfreude And Beyond
What Is Schadenfreude? In this Internet age, Schadenfreude is trending. Under the cloak of anonymity, malicious trolls will spin almost every celebrity’s mishap into an international roasting...
Keep Leading By Doing What Is Right
Let us not wait for other people to come to us and call upon us to do great deeds. Let us instead be the first to summon the rest to the path of honor. Show yourself to be the bravest of all the...
Can Those Who Misrepresent The Dharma To Many Avoid Hell?
Question: If a person who gave wrong teachings that harmed many in the name of ‘Buddhism’ passes away, can merits dedicated to this person prevent falling into hell...
Some ‘Bulgasal’ (Impossible To Kill) Truths
A ‘soothsayer’ of sorts tells a ‘prophecy’ of sorts — ‘You will cross paths [with one another] one way or another [in this and/or future lives]. Either as enemies or as...
Purpose Haiku
The full meaningof meaningfulness —is purposefulness.
With Dust & Spittle Self-Defiling 尘唾自污
恶人害贤者，犹仰天而唾。唾不至天，还从己堕。逆风扬尘，尘不至彼，还坌己身。贤不可毀，祸必灭己。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第八章 When evil persons harm those virtuous, it is like looking up to the sky and spitting. Their spittle does not reach the sky...
Am ‘I’ Thinking About ‘I Think, Therefore I Am’?
The fundamental delusionis to mistaken the selfas the fundamental reality.— Shilashanti In ‘Meditations On First Philosophy’, René Descartes (1596 – 1650) postulated the possibility that...
How To Stoically Respond To A Ghost
Direct yourself calmly and clearly.Guide others kindly and wisely.Direct and guide one and all likewise.— Shilashanti There was at Athens a large and roomy house, which had a bad name, so that no one...
Are Enlightened Ones Still Sentient Beings?
Question: Are awakened beings (觉者) like Buddhas (佛陀), Pratyekabuddhas (辟支佛), Bodhisattvas (菩提萨埵/菩萨) and Arhats (阿罗汉/罗汉) still considered as sentient beings? Answer: The term ‘sentient...
The Many Mysteries Of ‘The Medium’
‘The Medium’ tells a tale with more open-ended questions than conclusive answers. Are ‘medium’ practices primordial or primitive? Do every single practitioner continue their...
Selfless Haiku
To transcend yourself,do that selfless —for someone else.
Past As Prologue
The past had already formed.The future has yet to form.Only in the present is forming.— Shilashanti William Shakespeare wrote, ‘Whereof what’s past is prologue…’Not...
The Meaning Of Life Transcends Mere Pleasures
The meaning of lifeis to be livedever more deeplyuntil it is realised fully.— Shilashanti ‘[A]s the saying goes, “we are not in this world for fun”… [A] Russian experimental...
Why Is Buddhahood Manifested In The Human Realm?
Question: Why is Buddhahood manifested in the human realm? Answer: Buddhahood is always manifested in the human realm, be it terrestrial (planetary) or extraterrestrial (extraplanetary), as...
The ‘Squid Game’ Is Over, If You Want It
The ‘Squid Game’ is a series of life or death competitions, in the guise of childhood fun and games. As New Order sang, ‘Grow up children, don’t you suffer, at the hands...
Tragedy Haiku
The real tragedyis not having tragedy,but not rising above tragedy.
What Is The Proper Buddhist View On Rearing Of Child Spirits?
开示忏悔，念佛回向，即是最速，超度法门。Offering guidance, repentance,mindfulness of Buddha and dedication of meritsis the most swift Dharma Door for deliverance. Rearing of child spirits (养小鬼) was never taught by the...
How You Respond Matters More Than What Happens
It is not what happens to you,but how you react to it that matters.— Epictetus ‘Whoever has a why to live can bear almost any how,’ as the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche...
Ten Frequently Asked Questions On Troublesome Ghosts
Question [1]: Can scolding of vulgarities ‘shoo away’ a troublesome ghost?Answer: This might work — only if one is more intimidating than the ghost, who becomes intimidated instead...
Is This The Horror Of Horrors?
Having watched many horror films, I wondered what is the simplest yet still effectively ‘horrible’ scenario. To ‘qualify’, it must have the element of an existential crisis...
Advice
Advice for the young at heart: Soon we will be older… When we’re gonna make it work?— Tears For Fears(Advice For The Young At Heart)
Giving Of Alms In Turn Superior 施饭转胜
饭恶人百，不如饭一善人。饭善人千，不如饭一持五戒者。饭五戒者万，不如饭一须陀洹。饭百万须陀洹，不如饭一斯陀含。饭千万斯陀含，不如饭一阿那含。饭一亿阿那含，不如饭一阿罗汉。饭十亿阿罗汉，不如饭一辟支佛。饭百亿辟支佛，不如饭一三世诸佛。饭千亿三世诸佛，不如饭一无念无住无修无证之者。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第十一章 Offering food to a hundred evil...
Towards The True ‘Happily Ever After’
A very unhappy beginningand even many unhappy in-betweensdo not matter if there is a truly happy ending.— Shilashanti In Neil Gaiman’s ‘Preludes & Nocturnes’ (The Sandman, #1)...
Now Is Forever
That once thought, said and done become that forever thought, said and done, with karmic repercussions echoing forever.— Shilashanti [T]he eternal refers back to the temporal – to the temporal...
Should I Learn The Dharma From Movies?
Question: Someone asked if a movie with Buddhist themes is based on a ‘true’ story. How should I answer? Answer: Unless it is a proper documentary filmed with sound research, story-based...
Realignment Haiku
Be dead to the pastevil and false self —realign to Buddha-nature now.
Six Serenity ‘Prayer’ Reminders
What I can controlis what I think, say and do — that is all.As this is how I create my karma,may I always think, say and do well.— Shilashanti(The Control Reminder: Part 1) [1] When Trouble...
Rationality: A Simple Definition
The more rational knowthey are not always rational.The more irrational thinkthey are always rational.— Shilashanti Clearly the words “rational” and “irrational” can be quite...
How To Handle Unwanted Buddhist Pictures?
Question: What is the best way to ‘remove’ an old and faded Buddha picture? Answer: Due to its condition, unless it is a valued antique (and not a mass-produced picture), even if passed...
Can ‘My Name’ Be Neither Prey Nor Predator?
Villains often assume and impose false dichotomies upon their victims to justify their ways. For example, there is a rather central assertion in this series, that there are only two kinds of people —...
Character Haiku
‘Character is destiny’, taught Heraclitus.Change yourself to change your ‘fate’.
Are Humans More Frightening Than Ghosts? 人比鬼可怕吗？
人与鬼之间，谁更加可恶？恶人成恶鬼，都可怜可怕。— 人鬼偈 (1/2)Between humans and ghosts, who are more repulsive? With evil humans becoming evil ghosts, both are pitiable and frightening.— Verses On Humans And Ghosts (1/2)...
Buddhism And Stoicism On Overcoming Obstacles
You have power over your mind —not outside events.Realize this, and you will find strength. — Marcus Aurelius A misconception that many people have of Stoicism or Buddhism is that we have to bear any...
How To Know If What Learnt Is Questionable?
Question: How can I know if what learnt is questionable? Answer: The answer is in the question — to know if what learnt is questionable, question it. A quick way to know if one is caught in a cult...
Are The Unenlightened Not Somewhat ‘Unsane’?
The key problem with the very insane is that they think they are very sane, and that those who think they are insane are truly insane ones. Ironically, since only the very insane and very enlightened...
Karma Haikus
Those who do not believethat fire burnsnevertheless suffer fires’ burns.Those who do not believethat ill causes lead to ill effects.nevertheless suffer ill causes’ effects.
Why Is Āmítuófó’s Pure Land The Land Of All Lands, The Land Of Your Dreams? 为何阿弥陀佛的净土即是国中国，您的理想国
极乐世界，无山海谷。佛神力故，欲见则见。— 如意偈 (1/2)The Land Of Ultimate Bliss, is without mountains, seas and valleys. With the Buddha’s supernormal power thus, desiring to see them, then seeing them.— Verses On...
Life Is For Joyful Duty
I slept and dreamtthat life was joy.I awoke and sawthat life was duty.I worked – and behold,duty was joy.— Rabindranath Tagore [L]ife is somehow duty, a single huge obligation. And there...
Should We Help The Deceased Within 49 Or 100 Days After Death?
Question: Should post-death practices to benefit the deceased be within 49 or 100 days? Answer: In the Buddhist teachings, rebirth is taught to usually occur within 49 days after death (if in the...
Fare Well Now For ‘The Farewell’ Later
If an elderly relative is, according to medical professionals, technically dying, already in his or her last stages of life, but not yet sickly enough to be bedridden, should he or she be informed of...
Usefulness Haiku
You are usefulto others until…you are not.(But at least you were useful.)
What Will Never Deceive You
I can become a good personand create one good person for the world.And I think that if I can just do that,then I might become a personwho can create more than that.— Copper (via Genzaburo...
Give It To Me!
Give away what you do not need.Give away your miserliness.Give away what others do need.— Shilashanti One morning when the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes...
How To Relate To The Great And Small Vehicles’ Teachings?
Question: How should we relate to the Great Vehicle (大乘: Mahāyāna) and the Small Vehicle (小乘: Hīnayāna)? Answer: The Great Vehicle’s teachings contain the complete path to...
Run ‘Beckett’ Run
What is worse than being on the run, fleeing from relentless enemies eager to take your life? Not knowing why they are after you, even if you believe it is some karmic situation you got caught up in...
Karma Haiku
Those who will especially be humbled by the law of karma,are those who do not believe in it.
You Have Your Now
The centre betweenthe past and futureis forever the now.— Shilashanti I walked up toward Suzuki [Roshi] and said, ‘What now?’ He said, ‘Don’t ask me. Now is now. You have your...
Does The Teaching Of Emptiness ‘Condemn’ Forms?
Question: Does the Buddhist teaching of ‘form is emptiness’ (空即是色) ‘condemn’ or ‘negate’ one another’s personal identities? Answer: There need not be any...
Beyond ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, In Thought, Word And Deed
In (the movie) ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, before Freddie Mercury made it to the big time, his father semi-admonishingly reminded him of his family’s Zoroastrian spiritual roots, by...
Effect Haiku
As right cause and effect too,the wrong cause planted surely reaps the wrong effect.
When Brightness Comes, Darkness Fades 明来暗谢
夫见道者，譬如持炬入冥室中，其冥即灭，而明独存。学道见谛，无明即灭，而明常存矣。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第十七章 Those who see the path, for example, are like those holding torches entering dark rooms within, with that darkness then eradicated, and...
Why Is Eating Less A Spiritual Practice?
Question: Are there spiritual benefits for consuming only one meal a day (or one less meal a day), compared with having three meals and snacks whenever wished? Answer: Having one near-noon meal...
The Future Buddha’s Gambatte Spirit Under The Bodhi Tree
If the goal is worth it,and possible to reach it,rest if you must,but you must never give up.— Shilashanti The story of Siddhartha Gautama is well known; he left his family and the pleasures of...
What Truly Is ‘A Family’?
What if all left for worldly refuge is a ‘surrogate’ family? What is a real family? What if one never felt the love of a real blood family, while experiencing real care by gangsters? What...
Appreciate Wabi-Sabi, But Don’t Fall In Love With It!
This body and mindbear the Three Dharma Seals of phenomena.That Buddha-nature realisedbear the Four Virtues of Buddhahood.– Shilashanti Wikipedia’s entry on ‘wabi-sabi’ opens...
Wellness Haikus
There are none bornwho do not keepgetting to die. There are none youngwho do not keepgetting old.There are none wellwho do not keepgetting unwell. Wellness hereis no true wellness,just respite from...
Beyond Ruffy The Dog And Meowy The Cat
The language of fear and hatredtranscends words and species —it is of shrieks and screams.— Shilashanti In books and movies, when humans talk to animals and give them personal names, even if the...
The Most Wonderful Secret For Success 最妙秘诀
事事以诚为本，念念常省自心，则汝诸生之成就，均不可量。— 净土宗十三祖印光大师《法云寺佛教慈幼院规约书后诫勖诸生》When handling everything, with sincerity as foundation regarding them, and from thought to thought, always reflecting upon your own minds...
Does Mindfulness Of Buddha Always Work For Protection?
Question: Why is it that some say mindfulness of Buddha works for protection when having supernatural disturbances, while some it does not work?Answer: The answer is simple, as presented in the...
‘Reliving’ Lessons FromThe ‘Pet Semetary’
The tagline of ‘Pet Semetary’ says, ‘Sometimes dead is better.’ And sometimes, this needs to be reminded. Thus the ‘revival’ of the 1989 movie with the 2019 remake...
Rebirthday Haiku
Celebrate yourliberation day;not rebirthday.
Your Invincible Summer Despite The Changing Weather
Man is condemned to be free;because once thrown into the world,he is responsible for everything he does.— Jean-Paul Sartre(Being And Nothingness)(tr. Hazel E. Barnes) In Albert Camus’ essay...
With Utmost Sincere Minds Study And Recite Sūtras 以至诚心读诵经
有一秘诀，剀切相告。竭诚尽敬，妙妙妙妙。— 净土宗十三祖印光大师《与吴璧华书》There is one secret for success to reach Pure Land, to earnestly inform one another. It is to have wholehearted sincerity and utmost reverence, which is most...
Is Telling Half-Truths Lying?
Question: Is not telling all of the truth a form of lying, in terms of breaking the Fourth Precept? Answer: This depends on several factors. For instance, if there is legal declaration needed, such...
Are ‘Things Heard And Seen’ Completely Yet?
This life is ideally like a good movie, with all the fine details heard and seen tied up by the end, with everything falling into place, with all the bothersome issues ironed out. (Hopefully, there...
Do Films Reflect Or Recreate ‘Reality’?
This is not a film review, but a review on film, and its predecessor, photography. Beyond written words, paintings and sculptures, which conveniently record fiction, humans probably invented various...
Opinion Haiku
The definite truth is,your opinion isnot the definite truth
With The False And True Both Contemplated 假真并观
观天地，念非常。观世界，念非常。观灵觉，即菩提。如是知识，得道疾矣。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第十九章 Contemplate the heavens and earth, to be mindful of impermanence. Contemplate the world, to be mindful of impermanence. Contemplate spiritual...
The Central Practicality Of Pure Land Buddhism
无禅有净土，万修万人去。若得见弥陀，何愁不开悟。– 净土宗六祖永明延寿大师 | 法眼宗三祖永明禅师《禅净四料简》Without Chán and with Pure Land practice, of ten thousand cultivators, ten thousand persons will go to Pure Land. If...
Is It Right To Be Angry (At The Angry)?
Question: Is it not right to be angry at those who have offended us? Answer: Other than doing what practical to clear misunderstandings, there should not be anger, which only harms your mental well...
From ‘Ragnarok’ To ‘Trese’, From Myth To Reality
A review with eight ‘what if’ questions… What if ancient myths are not totally outdated world views, not merely arbitrary ‘theories’ for explaining the nature of life...
Strength Haiku
The more strength you exertwhen exerting strength,the more strength you have.
Reasoning For Self To Fundamentally Be Empty 推我本空
当念身中四大，各自有名，都无我者。我既都无，其如幻耳。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十章 You should be mindful, that of the body within’s four great elements, although each has a name, [as earth, water, fire and wind], all are that...
Why Did The Buddha Eat Horse Wheat? 佛陀为何吃马麦？
菩萨畏【造恶】因Bodhisattvas fear[creating of evil] causes.—Buddhist Saying (Part 1) According to the ‘Sūtra On Arising Of Practices’《兴起行经》, in a distant past life, when Pípóyè Thus Come One (毘婆叶如来) was in...
What Are The Benefits Of Committing To The Bodhisattva Precepts?
Question: What are the advantages of observing the Bodhisattva Precepts? Answer: According to the ‘Bráhma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text’《梵网经菩萨戒本》as taught by...
How ‘The Curse Of La Llorona’ Perpetuates
Whether true or as a mythical archetype, the Mexican case of La Llorona, (which means ‘The Weeping Woman’), is a powerful cautionary tale for all. With several takes on her origin, the...
Betterment Haiku
Offset,not upset,unless for the better.
For Reputation Losing The Fundamental 名声丧本
人随情欲，求于声名，声名显著，身已故矣。贪世常名，而不学道，枉功劳形。譬如烧香，虽人闻香，香之尽矣；危身之火，而在其后。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十一章 Of people following passionate desires, seeking for reputation, with reputation outstanding, the body is already...
In Each One Moment Is One New Encounter 一期一会
When I first came across the saying ‘一期一会’ in a Japanese-styled tea shop, I thought it was a special slogan, for urging customers to come and meet once a week in the shop for tea. It...
Should Merits Be Dedicated To Karmic Creditors Only?
Question: I heard online, that it is not good to dedicate merits directly to loved ones who are not well, that there should be dedication to their karmic creditors instead, who might be the...
The ‘Ghost Lab’ That Didn’t Work Well
The problem with trying to prove the existence of ghosts is that it requires physical recording and assessment of that recorded with the senses. This seems like the usual seeking of empirical...
Words Haiku
Only write wordsworthy to be your last,worthy to last.
Wealth And Sex Attracts Suffering 财色招苦
财色于人，人之不舍，譬如刀刃有蜜，不足一餐之美。小儿舔之，则有割舌之患。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十二章 Of wealth and sex given to people, of people not renouncing them, for example, are like having a knife’s blade with honey, not enough...
How To Avoid Supernatural Disturbances And Curses? 如何不撞鬼中邪？
To observe the Precepts well, is to avoid ghostly woes well. — Shilashanti As taught in ‘Guānshìyīn Bodhisattva’s Universal Door Chapter’《观世音菩萨普门品》in the ‘Wonderful Dharma...
Why Were The Buddha’s Eyes ‘Blinking’?
Question: A friend said he saw the Buddha’s eyes in a framed picture opening and closing when he was chanting with a group in a wake. Why is this so? Answer: Due to a technical issue, there is the...
‘Army Of The Dead’ (2021) Revives Ethical Issues
Just when we thought the zombie genre had run out of new nuances, it literally evolved to the next level… What makes zombies no longer run-of-the-mill zombies? When they begin to feel in terms...
Finity Haiku
In this finite life withfinite thoughts, words and deeds,think, speak and do well.
With One Recitation Of Āmítuófó Driving Out A Ferocious Possessing Ghost 一声阿弥陀佛驱赶附体猛鬼
不以戒律， 降伏三毒， 即自感召， 五十阴魔。 — 防魔偈 (1) Not with the Precepts, to subdue the Three Poisons, is to personally connect and call upon the Fifty Aggregate Demons. — Verses On Prevention Of The Demonic (1) The...
How To Transform Those Foolish And Arrogant 如何转变愚傲者
令亲在堂，宜以净土法门， 感应事迹，常时解说， 令其发欢喜心，信受奉行。 — 净土宗十三祖印光大师 《复永嘉某居士昆季书》 For your esteemed Mother still healthy and alive, you should with the Pure Land Dharma Door, its’ achievements of connections with...
Are Sicknesses Due To Karma?
Answer: All sicknesses that lead to physical and/or mental suffering involve negative karma, as expressed through biological and/or psychological processes naturally. Karma is part of nature too; it...
‘Searching For Sheela’ Outside ‘Wild Wild Country’
In 2018 was release of the engrossing ‘Wild Wild Country’. As Netflix introduces the documentary series, ‘When a controversial [Indian] cult leader builds a utopian city in the...
Opponent Haiku
A ‘good’ opponentis one who might win you,not one you will surely win.
How Should We Lie Down When Sleeping And Dying?
Every night is a minor death, the death of another day, as we advance towards the day of our ‘redeath’. — Shilashanti In the Seyyā Sutta, which is the discourse on ‘Lying...
‘Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas’ (Of Drugs And Such)
On what he considered the failure of the 1960s counterculture movement, Hunter S. Thompson wrote, ‘He [Timothy Leary, who advocated psychedelic drugs like LSD to be with potential for...
Desires’ Fire Burns Oneself 欲火烧身
爱欲之人，犹如执炬，逆风而行，必有烧手之患。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十五章 Of people with attachments and desires, they are like those holding torches, against the wind then walking, who definitely will have the suffering of...
How The Pure Land Tradition’s 13th Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng Was Recognised As Great Power Arrived Bodhisattva’s Manifestation 净土宗十三祖印光大师如何被认定为大势至菩萨的化身
莲风迭扇奏肤功，万论千经一句融；势至化身弘净土，故应念佛证圆通。— 李慧澄第十四《诗偈》: 第五偈With the Lotus Tradition’s wind repeatedly fanning, while [humbly] presenting ‘shallow’ merits, with ten thousand treatises and...
Why Not Dress Before Buddha Images?
Answer: In the absence of the Buddha in person, Buddha images are customarily taken to represent his presence, to serve as precious Dharma reminders. They are not meant to be mere decorative images...
‘The Little Stranger’ Who Is A Little Familiar
The best supernatural tales are never really about ‘super-nature’. They only use supernatural elements to highlight the workings of human nature, thus telling engaging stories filled with...
How To Solve ‘The Problem Of Evil’ With Buddhism
An omnipotent being [if he exists], who created a world containing evil [or potential for evil] not due to [its] sin must himself be at least partially evil [i.e. sinful]. — Bertrand Russell...
Should I ‘Just’ Let My Negative Karma Ripen?
Question: Is it right to think that I should not take special care of my health, so that my negative karma can be allowed to ripen, to be depleted? Answer: The Buddha’s teachings are not...
Are Negative Karma And Negative Habits The Same?
Question: A friend mentioned that a mutual friend has negative karma, that prevents learning and practising the Dharma well. However, I think it is due to negative habits instead, leading to...
The True Horror Of All Horror Movies
Watching on, seeing a truly horrific horror flick,we naturally first wonderhow such a horrible villain or demonis able to exist, even if fictitiously. Watching on, discovering the mysterious...
Transcendence Haiku
Go beyond space and timeby doing whattranscends your self.
Heavenly Demons Disturbing The Buddha 天魔娆佛
天神献玉女于佛，欲坏佛意。佛言：「革囊众秽，尔来何为？去。吾不用。」天神愈敬，因问道意。佛为解说，即得须陀洹果。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十六章 Heavenly gods offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, desiring to destroy the Buddha’s resolve. The Buddha said...
A Review Of Epicurus’ ‘Deadly’ Existential Mistake
What seems to make sense at first,might be exactly that —what only seems to make sense at first.— Shilashanti In the third section of the ‘Letter to Menoeceus’ by the Greek philosopher...
Which Realm Has The Most Beings?
Question: Of the six realms of existence, which has the most sentient beings? Answer: Numbers in the scriptures were not encountered, probably as they fluctuate with rebirth. However, there is this...
Nothing Haiku
There is nothing to lose if you cling to nothing.
Those Without Attachment Attain The Path 无著得道
夫为道者，犹木在水，寻流而行。不触两岸，不为人取，不为鬼神所遮，不为洄流所住，亦不腐败。吾保此木，決定入海。学道之人，不为情欲所惑，不为众邪所娆，精进无为。吾保此人，必得道矣。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第二十七章 Those as practitioners of the path, are like wood on water, along with the flow then...
Record Of A Venerable Identifying A Fake Bodhisattva 和尚辨认假菩萨记
譬如穷人，妄号帝王，自取诛灭。况复法王，如何妄窃？— 释迦牟尼佛《楞严经》For example, like a poor person, falsely naming oneself as an emperor, this is to self-court extermination. Moreover, as a Dharma King, how can this title be...
Live Without Cold Spots
镬汤无冷处。The cauldron’s soupis without cold spots.— Zen Saying If you are living as fully a you can, you will have no time to be bored [or unhappy]. There is not a single drop of cold water in a...
Is It Alright To ‘Focus’ On More Than One Enlightened Being?
Question: Although I usually practise mindfulness of the name of Amitābha Buddha (i.e. Āmítuófó: 阿弥陀佛), as I once felt very desperate, I then pleaded to both Āmítuófó and Guānshìyīn Bodhisattva...
An Awakening Walk Through Bly Manor
Every unresolved ghost story is a tragedy, arising from the three poisons of strong attachment, aversion and delusion. Reborn out of delusion, we return with its offsprings of attachment and aversion...
Threefold Learning’s Haiku 三学俳句
Be good with preceptsBe calm with concentrationBe clear with wisdom
All Sentient Beings Have Everlasting Buddha-Nature 一切众生佛性不朽
人非草木，知错能改。灵性不朽，宰予成材。 — 不朽偈 (1)As humans are not grass and trees,when knowing their mistakes, they are able to change.With spiritual nature never rotting,even Zǎiyǔ became worthy.— Verses On...
Everything In The Right Places
好雪片片，不落别处。— 庞云居士Good snow!Flake by flake,they do not fall on other places.— Layperson Páng Yún Do not be afraid. Live while accepting everything [as they are, so that they can be bettered if...
Is It Alright To Feed Deceased Animals To Living Animals?
Question: What do you think of feeding fish (and ‘standard’ canned pet food) to cats and dogs, while being vegetarian personally, with chanting of the Rebirth Mantra (往生咒) for the fish...
Direction Haiku
If there is a clear direction,there should beno confusing distractions.
Three Ways To Urge Those Doing Well To Learn Buddhism
The fleeting nature of the worldly,is our wake-up call from the worldly.— Skýlosan For those doing well in life, who feel that as long as they do not do evil, and do some good, there is no need to...
Even Great Bodhisattvas And Patriarchs Seek Birth In Pure Land
[I]f you wish to rescue deluded, suffering sentient beings, you should first seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Only after you have achieved Tolerance of Non-Birth should you return to the sea of...
How Should Buddhists See Birthdays?
Question: How should Buddhists view birthday celebrations? Answer: The term ‘birthday celebration’ viewed with the spiritual perspective is most ironic, as they are actually...
Endurance Haiku
Whining makes enduring harder.
Great Master Hānshān’s ‘Song On Wasting In Vain’ 憨山大师《费闲歌》
In Great Master Hānshān’s (憨山大师) ‘Song On Wasting In Vain’《费闲歌》, he wrote a list of ten deeds, which are relatively easier to do externally, as compared with ten deeds which are...
Universal Virtue’s Practices’ And Vows’ Chapter’s Verses Related To Amitābha Buddha’s Pure Land 与阿弥陀佛净土相关的《普贤行愿品偈颂》
尔时普贤菩萨摩诃萨，欲重宣此义，普观十方而说偈言：… At that time, Universal Virtue [Samantabhadra] Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, desiring to repeat proclamation of this meaning, universally contemplated the ten directions...
How To Advise An Angry And Greedy Dying Person?
Question: How can I advise an angry and greedy person who is dying to let go of her grudges and greed for money? Answer: Remind her that as her angry state of mind will affect her next life...
Learning Haiku
Learn to break free; not just to learn.
What Is ‘Beauty’?
The worldly onlycling to the beautiful.— Shilashanti(Part 1) The so-called ‘beautiful’ is soonly when perceivedunder certain conditionsof space and time. When seen too far without,it is...
The Danger Of Arrogance Vs The Power Of Repentance
忏悔文我昔所造诸恶业，皆由无始贪嗔痴，从身语意之所生，一切我今皆忏悔。— 普贤菩萨《普贤菩萨行愿品》Verse For RepentanceFrom my past, those created all evil karmas,all due to beginningless greed, hatred and ignorance,from body, speech and mind, of...
Will Speaking Of The Unfortunate Cause It?
Question: Will speaking of the unfortunate happening lead to it occurring? Answer: Not if there are no follow-up efforts to cause it to occur, or karmic conditions that allow so. The idea that...
Openness Haiku
Open your heart, and focus your mind to learn and ask.
From Desire’s Fire Far Depart 欲火远离
夫为道者，如被干草，火来须避。道人见欲，必当远之。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十章 Those as practitioners of the path, are like those who wear dry grass [i.e hay]. When fire comes, it must be avoided. Practitioners of the path...
To Transcend, And To Transcend Transcending
I woke up to see the sun shining all around me…Why would it shine down on me?…Just had to ask myself,‘What’s it really for?’— What’s It For?(Yoko Kanno) The worldly yet noble...
Go For That Easy To Get, Use And Keep
Wealth is able to buy the pleasures of eating,drinking and other sensual pursuits —yet can never afforda cheerful spirit or freedom from sorrow.— Musonius Rufus [From ‘On Furnishings’]:...
What If I Forgot A Death Anniversary?
Question: I recently forgot about my late parents’ death anniversaries. However, I have been daily practising repentance (on the behalf of all, including them) and mindfulness of Buddha, with...
Birthday Haiku
It is a happy birthday only if you were born happy, to bring happiness to others.
Great Master Hānshān’s ‘Song For Awakening The World’ 憨山大师《醒世歌》
In Great Master Hānshān’s (憨山大师) ‘Song For Awakening The World’《醒世歌》, he wrote a string of universal reminders and admonitions for spiritual practice. Being timelessly relevant, the...
Why Choose Sickness Over Indulgence?
How much better is itto be known fordoing well by manythan for living extravagantly?— Musonius Rufus [From ‘On Furnishings’]: I would choose sickness rather than luxury, for sickness...
What Is ‘Form Is Emptiness’?
Question: What is the meaning of ‘form is emptiness’ (色即是空)? Answer: ‘Form’ (色) refers to matter, (which is what has mass); the material, as summed by the Four Elements (四大)...
The Right Story Can Resume With Timely ‘Atonement’
‘Atonement’ is a believable cautionary tale on the ills of an over-active imagination, which can lead to the ‘natural’ ease of spinning destructive and false testimonials...
Wisdom & Kindness Haikus
The wise learn what they should, to help themselves. The kind share what they can to help others.
With Self Emptied Is Fear Eradicated 我空怖灭
人从爱欲生忧，从忧生怖。若离与愛，何忧何怖？ — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十二章 People from attachments and desires give rise to worries, and from worries give rise to fear. If departed from attachments, what worries and what fears...
To Pull Or Not To Pull… That Is The Question
If you are not able to choose,it is not your choice to make,not your responsibility to bear.— Shilashanti In ethical philosophy, perhaps the most famous dilemma is that of ‘Trolleyology’...
It Is Easier To Be Born In Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land
I prostrate to Amitabha, leader of humans and gods.Through compassion you always see each migrator as your own child.Remembering you just once leaves fear of the Lord of Death far behind.May you...
Is Guānyīn A Bodhisattva Or Buddha?
Question: If Guānshìyīn (Avalokiteśvara) Bodhisattva (观世音菩萨) is still a Bodhisattva as named, why do Buddhists commemorate her/his day of accomplishing the path to Buddhahood (成道日) on the 19th...
My Love Is ‘My Magic’
A man jaded after the loss of his wife struggles to provide for himself and his young neglected son. He intoxicates himself by drinking to drown his sorrows, but is reminded eventually, of his past...
Best Haiku
Do (what is right) (with) your (thought, word and deed) best (you can).
With Wisdom’s Brightness Destroy The Demonic 智明破魔
夫为道者，譬如一人与万人战。挂铠出门，意或怯弱：或半路而退，或格斗而死，或得胜而还。沙门学道，应当坚持其心，精进勇锐，不畏前境，破灭众魔，而得道果。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十三章 Those as practitioners of the path, are for example, like one person with ten thousand persons...
Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva’s Teachings On Butchers & Buyers
[M]eat itself always derives from killing.If there were no killing,the lives of animals would remain unharmed.If there were no meat-eater, there would be no killer.— Shambhala King...
To What Extent Should The Dharma Be Protected? 护法应当到什么程度？
于诸佛净戒，护持如明珠。— 释迦牟尼佛《梵网经菩萨戒本》Of all the Buddhas’ pure precepts, protect and uphold them like bright pearls.— Śākyamuni Buddha (Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts) The Bodhisattva...
Why Dread Karmic Retribution?
Question: Why should one be afraid of being reborn in a lower realm like hell if one does not remember anything from one’s past life? Answer: If one knows one is going to hell later...
Meet Ron The White-‘BlackkKlansman’
Dharmically, we have been reborn so many times already, that we must have all been of various species of sentient beings, what more races. Who is a ‘purebred’ then? There are no...
Battle Haiku
As life is precious and short,choose your battles well —those against your ‘self’.
Abide In The Middle To Attain The Path 处中得道
沙门夜诵迦叶佛遗教经，其声悲紧，思悔欲退。佛问之曰：「汝昔在家，曾为何业？」对曰：「爱弹琴。」佛言：「弦缓如何？」对曰：「不鸣矣。」「弦急如何？」对曰：「声绝矣。」「急缓得中如何？」对曰：「诸音普矣。」佛言：「沙门学道亦然，心若调适，道可得矣。于道若暴，暴即身疲。其身若疲，意即生脑。意若生脑，行即退矣。其行既退，罪必加矣。但清净安乐，道不失矣。」 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十四章 A...
That One Should Disdain Hardships
You will earn the respect of all menif you begin by earning the respect of yourself.— Musonius Rufus(Fragment: 30) In order to support more easily and more cheerfully those hardships which we may...
How Best To Have Sea Burial?
Question: For sea burial, is it better to scatter the ashes, which seems to express freedom, or to drop the ashes in the urn?Answer: Scattering of ashes does not lead to freedom of the deceased, just...
‘She’s Funny That Way’, How She’s Connected To Others
In the tight comedic scripting of ‘She’s Funny That Way’, the audience quickly realises how each person is linked to another. As a film ‘law’ of sorts, it is no...
How Maitreya Bodhisattva Gave Rose To The Aspiration To Be Born In Amitābha Buddha’s Pure Land 弥勒菩萨如何发愿往生阿弥陀佛的净土
是故弥勒，设有大火，充满三千大千世界，要当过此，闻是经法，欢喜信乐，受持读诵，如说修行。– 释迦牟尼佛《无量寿经》Therefore, Maitreya, if there is a great fire, that fully fills the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world, one should cross this...
Buddha Haiku
If what mindful of, you will become —be mindful of Buddha then.
With Defilements Purified Brilliance Is Retained 垢净明存
如人锻铁，去滓成器，器即精好。学道之人，去心垢染，行即清净矣。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十五章 Like people forging iron, ridding sediments to become wares, the wares are then excellent and beautiful. Of people learning the path, ridding...
May Your Compassion Be More Powerful Than Greed
We are just being slaughtered and slaughteredone lifetime after another — don’t let your wisdom, compassion and power be so weak!— Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol(in the voice of old ewes) As for...
What Is This Certain Sutra About?
Question: What is this ___ sutra about? Answer: While this is a very good question, it is also very difficult to answer simply. It is especially difficult to answer due to the length of the scripture...
Was ‘Mee Pok Man’s Love ‘True’?
Adapted from a horror story, ‘Mee Pok Man’ (1995) is an ‘innocent’ love story that turns into a heartbreaking tragedy. In an unqualified attempt to save his crush from a car...
Wáng Yángmíng’s Fantastic Encounter 王阳明奇遇记
无善无恶心之体，有善有恶意之动。知善知恶是良知，为善去恶是格物。-《四句教》王阳明Without good and without evil is the essence of the mind. Having good and having evil is the movement of the mind. Knowing good and knowing evil is intuitive...
Ego Haiku
Ego is our true enemy, for both ourselves and our false ‘enemies’.
Passing Through Much To Obtain Victory 展转获胜
人离恶道，得为人难。既得为人，去女即男难。既得为男，六根完具难。六根既具，生中国难。既生中国，值佛世难。既值佛世，遇道者难。既得遇道，兴信心难。既兴信心，发菩提心难。既发菩提心，无修无证难。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十六章 For people to depart from evil paths, to attain as humans is difficult. Already...
How Should Buddhists Respond To Pandemics? 佛教徒该如何应对疫情？
Consumer demand for fresh meat is also rising as the global population approaches 8 billion, including many who are increasingly adopting diets rich in meat. — Mattha Busby(The Guardian, 21 Jan 2020)...
Does Cutting Out The Organs Disturb The Mind?
Helping our loved ones at the time of death is the best service we can offer them, our greatest gift. Why? Because death is the most important time of life: it’s at death that the next rebirth...
When Do Bodhisattvas Intervene To Help?
Question: Some claim great Bodhisattvas do not intervene to help those with ripening negative karma. However, we know that all Bodhisattvas vow to help all beings. How should this...
A Monkey’s Satire On Human ‘Love’?
‘A Chinese Odyssey, Part Two: Cinderella’《大话西游之大圣娶亲》is one of the (too) many (?) comedic retellings of ‘Journey To The West’《西游记》. Although often ridiculous, there seems to be...
Freedom Haiku
Freedom is fromgreed, hatred and delusion,not to be greedy, hateful and deluded.
Be Mindful Of Precepts To Be Near The Path 念戒近道
佛子离吾数千里，忆念吾戒，必得道果。在吾左右，虽常见吾，不顺吾戒，终不得道。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十七章 The Buddha’s disciples departed from me for several thousand miles, if recollecting mindfully my precepts, will definitely attain...
We Are Our Own Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Being part of society,you shape the way it iswith the way you are.— Shilashanti ‘A self-fulfilling prophecy is an assumption or prediction that, purely as a result of having been made, cause...
Why Should I Attain Buddhahood Too?
Immeasurable Buddhas, including you,are needed to guideimmeasurable beings, including you,to Buddhahood.— Shilashanti Someone wonders, “Can Buddhas really benefit sentient beings?” Yes...
How Does Reciting Sutras Relate To Learning About Them?
Question: How does reciting sutras (i.e. Buddhist scriptures) differ from attending classes on them? Answer: There are many nuanced implications in profound teachings that need detailed explanation...
Should You Choose ‘Truth Or Dare’?
The two choices of the ‘Truth or Dare’ game are less conflicting than usually thought, a false dichotomy. Since when has telling the truth been kind of the opposite of doing a dare? The...
Mind Haiku
Mind your mind more as it matters more than your matter.
Are You Fighting A Viral Disease Or Viral Fear?
The Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca once said, ‘We suffer more in imagination than in reality.’ What did he mean? With too much-unfounded information leading to too many ‘what...
Why Be Ashamed Of Being Shameless?
Non-integrity is not to be ashamed of yourself;inconsideration of others is not being embarrassed with regard to others.Haughtiness is the incapacity of honoring others.Fury is a mental disturbance...
Why Do Buddhists Practise Fasting?
Question: What are the spiritual benefits of having only one (or two) meals a day (as in practice of the Eight Precepts)? Answer: Having one near-noon meal a day (or with breakfast) helps to...
On ‘Percy Jackson’, Knowledge & Power
In ‘Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters’, Chiron tells Percy the half-blood (i.e. an imaginary semi-human and semi-god), ‘Knowledge isn’t always power, Percy. Sometimes it’s...
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Of A Manifesto
In this sixth M:I movie instalment is a rather intriguing yet deluded manifesto featured, that a bombing terrorist insisted to be aired on the news to justify his destruction. Deluded thoughts are...
Fall Haiku
Always be mindful as all it takes is a slip to fall badly.
That Taught Are Without Differences 教诲无差
学佛道者，佛所言说，皆应信顺。譬如食蜜，中边皆甜，吾经亦尔。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第三十九章 Those who learn the Buddha’s path, of that the Buddha taught by speaking, all should be faithfully followed. For example, like eating honey...
Three Ways To See Mountains And Rivers 三看山水
[1] 参禅之初，看山是山，看水是水。[2] 禅有悟时，看山不是山，看水不是水。[3] 禅中彻悟，看山仍然山，看水仍然是水。— 青原惟信禅师 (意译) As above, it was proposed by Chán Master Qīngyuán Wéixìn in his paraphrased saying, there are three key stages to be...
Be As Bodhisattva-Like As You Can
All the suffering there is in this worldarises from wishing our self to be happy.All the happiness there is in this worldarises from wishing others to be happy.― Santideva You also get plenty of...
Is It ‘Better’ To Eat More Small Animals Or One Big One?
Question: Since we know meat is available only with killing on one’s behalf, does eating several cockles create more or less negative karma than eating a piece of beef? Answer: Generally, the...
How The Buddha Relieved A Triple Disaster 佛陀如何救济三大灾难
Whatever beings are assembled here,terrestrial or celestial, come let us salute the Buddha, the Tathāgata (Verse 15) /the perfect Dharma (Verse 16) / the perfect Saṅgha (Verse 17) /honoured by gods...
How An Angry Insulter Was Calmly Reasoned With
Overcome the angry by non-anger;overcome the wicked by goodness;overcome the miser by generosity; overcome the liar by truth.— The Buddha(Dhammapada Verse 223) According to the ‘Akkosa...
A Golden Line Extracted From ‘Extraction’
During a few moments of respite, somewhere in the middle of the action-packed movie, the protagonist boy shares a golden quote with his rescuer, who was still grieving for his deceased son —...
Refuge Haiku
The path to enlightenment begins with taking refuge and ends by becoming refuge.
Walking The Path Is In The Mind 行道在心
沙门行道，无如磨牛，身虽行道，心道不行。心道若行，何用行道？ — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第四十章 Śramaṇas walking the path, should be without those like milling cows, whose bodies although walking the path, with the mind’s path not...
How A ‘Haunted’ Room Was ‘Exorcised’
If your fears are neverfaced and transformed,they will always haunt you.— Shilashanti On the second night in the small solo retreat room, one of the most nerve-racking events was experienced…...
The Butter & Lamp Analogies For Buddha-Nature
Full enlightenment is attainedby fully realising Buddha-Natureand fully renouncing all other ‘natures’.— Shilashanti I bow to you, the Dharmadhātu[i.e. Dharma-nature, or Buddha-nature,the...
Should I Use Chanting To Fall Asleep?
Question: Can I use a chanting track with a Buddha’s name, such as that of ‘Āmítuófó’ (阿弥陀佛) for listening to help me sleep? Answer: You should not use chanting as a lullaby to...
Choose Life Again, According To ‘T2: Trainspotting’?
21 years later, in 2017’s sequel ‘T2: Trainspotting’, Renton gives an updated ‘Choose Life’ speech, that marks significant cultural changes over time — ‘Choose...
Brace Haiku
Unenlightened life is suffering — brace yourself for it, or become enlightened.
With Straightforward Minds Leaving Desires 直心出欲
夫为道者，如牛负重，行深泥中，疲极不敢左右顾视，出离淤泥，乃可苏息。沙门当观情欲，甚于淤泥。直心念道，可免苦矣。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四四十二章经》: 第四十一章 Those as practitioners of the path, are like bulls carrying heavy burdens, walking in deep mud within, even if...
Summary of ‘Practices With Ten Great Obstacles’《十大碍行》纲要
佛祖圣贤，未有不以逆境为大炉韝者。— 净土宗九祖蕅益大师《十大碍行》跋 Of Buddhas, Patriarchs, noble and virtuous ones, there are yet to be with those who did not practise with opposing situations as great furnaces and hearths.— Pure...
Tame & Transform Your Raging Tiger
It’s great to be able to stopWhen you’ve planned a thing that’s wrong,And be able to do something else insteadAnd think this song.— Mr. Rogers As silly as those lyrics might seem to...
Is Spiritual Friendship Or Spirituality More Important?
Question: Which comes first — spiritual friends or spirituality? How should we ‘balance’ desire for spiritual friendship and spirituality itself? Answer: Although the Buddha taught that...
Choose Life, According To ‘Trainspotting’?
What is ‘trainspotting’ actually? It is a movie based on the novel by the same title. It is a serious hobby of some, to watch trains, to note their distinctive characteristics in...
Anxiety Haiku
There are noanxious situations;just anxious people.
Attain The World By Knowing Its Illusoriness 达世知幻
吾视王侯之位，如过隙尘。视金玉之宝，如瓦砾。视纨素之服，如敝帛。视大千界，如一诃子。视阿耨池水，如涂足油。视方便门，如化宝聚。视无上乘，如梦金帛。视佛道，如眼前华。视禅定，如须弥柱。视涅槃，如晝夕寤。视倒正，如六龙舞。视平等，如一真地。视与化，如四时木。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第四十二章 I see positions of kings and lords, to be like...
How Can Wandering Spirits Be Delivered? 如何超度孤魂？
One without meritscan be offered guidanceto easier create merits.— Shilashanti There are wandering spirits (i.e. 孤魂野鬼: lonely spirits and wild ghosts), who are those yet to be reborn, due to...
Do The Right Thing Naturally
There is no enjoying the possession of anything valuable unless one has someone to share it with. — Seneca Neither the Buddhists nor the Stoics believed in what has come to be called ‘original...
How Is The Threefold Refuge Both Vows & Precepts?
Question: Is it alright for ‘Buddhists’ who had taken the Threefold Refuge in the Triple Gem (of the Buddhas, Dharma and Sangha) to totally immerse themselves in other...
Meaning Haiku
Think the meaningful, to speak the meaningful and do the meaningful.
Bird In Vase
鸟来入瓶中，以縠掩瓶口。縠穿鸟飞去，识神随业走。 《大智度论》 When a bird comes to enter a vase within,with fine gauze covered is the vase’s mouth.When the gauze is penetrated, the bird flies to go off,the...
One Stone At A Time
Since there is only one thoughtin each moment,be aligned to do only one thing wellin each moment.— Shilashanti There is no such thing as good multitasking… Pay attention to your attention —...
Must Negative Karma Be Exhausted For There To Be Liberation?
Question: Is it so that we have to exhaust all our negative karma before we can become liberated? Answer: No. This can be clearly known by looking at the case of Maudgalyāyana (Moggallāna). Although...
The Matrix’s Desert Of The Real Vs Altered Carbon’s Garden Of The Virtual
In ‘The Matrix’ is this introductory dialogue on the titled… Morpheus: [In a white boundless space, which represents the mind’s open possibilities for simulated experiences.]...
Anger Haiku
An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes. — Cato the Elder
Return To Original Nature By Understanding The Path 返本会道
博闻爱道，道必难会。守志奉道，其道甚大。 — 释迦牟尼佛《四十二章经》: 第九章 Widely listen to and treasure the path,as the path is definitely difficult to understand.Guard your aspiration for receiving the path,as that path is...
Is There Buddhist Minimalism?
Minimise evil entirely.Maximise goodness totally.Realise purity completely.— Shilashanti In recent years, the minimalist lifestyle seems to be the in thing. Is there a Buddhist take on it? Yes...
Master Being A Beginner
Those who think they are learnedare probably the least learned.Those who know they should learnwill probably become learned.— Shilashanti All of us act like those close-minded experts sometimes, and...
Are Saṃsāra & The Sahā World Same?
Question: How are the Sahā World and Saṃsāra different and similar? Answer: The Sahā World (娑婆世界) which means the ‘World Of Endurance’ [of suffering] (堪忍世界) refers to our world system, in...
The Chicken Or Egg Question In ‘The Coldest Game’
‘The Coldest Game’ begins with this chat in a cab, with a cerebral ‘joke’… Professor: What came first? The chicken or the egg? It’s important to see things as they...
Time Haiku
I wasted time,and nowdoth time waste me. — Richard II (in prison)William Shakespeare
Mindfully Ask Your Heart If You Need It
It’s only after we’ve lost everythingthat we’re free to do anything.— Chuck Palahniuk(via Tyler Durden in Fight Club) You’re climbing a mountain but you aren’t well...
How To Help The Possibly Possessed?
Question: How to help a kid who might be possessed? Sometimes, there is waking up with crying, and speaking ‘gibberish’ at certain times, with preferring of dark and cold places. ...
‘The Coldest Game’ Of Duplicity
In this story that ties cunning games of chess competition with duplicitous espionage, the chess master Mansky spoke of how he decides who is truthful by recalling a classic brainteaser –...
First Haikus
You might be young now,but you will be old later —if you do not die first. You might be healthy now,but you will be sick later —if you do not die first. You might be alive now,but you will be dead...
Mind Like Bright Moon 心如明月
吾心似秋月,碧潭清皎洁。无物堪比伦,教我如何说？ 寒山(文殊菩萨化身) My mind is like the autumn moon,in the green pool pure and shining clean.Without an object worthy as an equal, tell me how can I speak of...
I Want You To Panic
No one is acting as if we are in a crisis. Even most green politicians and climate scientists go on flying around the world, eating meat and dairy.* — Greta Thunberg* Such consumption is one of...
What Is The Cause Of Sickness?
Question: A non-religious friend says he does not understand why he contracted a sickness, while a religious friend says she does not understand why the deity she has faith in allowed her sickness to...
5 Pain Relief Tips From ‘Narcos: Mexico’?
In season 2’s episode 2 of ‘Narcos: Mexico’ are some literally torturous-to-watch yet thought-provoking scenes, of an accomplice in torture-cum-murder being interrogated for leads...
Productivity Haiku
Be productive,or you might be destructiveor just stagnate.
How News Can Destroy Peace Of Mind
The more we value thingsoutside our control, the less control we have. — Epictetus What is wisdom? Think of a wide man… your personal ideal, a beacon of humanity. Someone like Socrates...
Are There Buddhist Wealth Gods?
Question: Does the god of wealth (财神) exist? Is there an equivalent in Buddhism? Answer: In Chinese culture, there are some characters believed and worshipped as gods of wealth, some of whom might be...
What Truly Scary About ‘The Ghost Bride’
The following clarifies on major myths propagated by the named series. In the Buddhist perspective, the very Chinese title of ‘The Ghost Bride’, as based on the book《彼岸之嫁》, which means...
Bitter Haiku
Life is already too bitterto be even more bitterabout others’ bitterness.
Verse With Three Truths 三谛偈
诸行无常，是生灭法。 生灭灭已，寂灭为乐。 释迦牟尼佛《涅槃经》 All phenomena* is impermanent,being rising and falling dharmas.*With rising and falling eradicated already,it is stillness...
How Dairy Cows & Veal Calves Suffer
若诸比丘，不服东方丝绵绢帛，及是此土靴履裘毳、乳酪醍醐，如是比丘，于世真脱。酬还宿债，不游三界。何以故？服其身分，皆为彼缘，如人食其地中百谷，足不离地。— 释迦牟尼佛《楞严经》If all Bhikṣus, [do] not wear eastern silk waddings [and] silk clothing, and this land’s [leather] boots [and]...
Do Not Forget This World Of Phenomena
Trying to suppress delusion is delusion too. Delusions have no original existence; they’re only things you create yourself by indulging in discrimination.— Bankei It’s said that Bakei’s...
How To Say ‘Thanks, But No Thanks’ Nicely?
Question: How can I reply someone who persistently invites me to his activities of another faith to try to convert me, despite knowing I am not interested? Answer: If invited again, how about...
The ‘Brightburn’ Alternative To Superman
‘Brightburn’ (i.e. BB, also spelling Brandon Beyer) imagines the polar opposite of the Superboy or Superman mythos. What are the chances anyway, that an alien baby is like a...
Anxiety Haiku
Aware of the worst possibility,never be anxious if it becomes reality.
How To Have More Peace
If you have the misconception that your life will be perfect, you will always be shocked by its up and down nature. If you expect your life to be up and down, your mind will be much more peaceful...