Movie: Are You in the 'Land of the Lost'?

A Tit for a Tat:

(20) Mums & Dads Will Be Sad
(19) Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
(18) Are Names Arbitrary?
(17) Another Day in Paradise
(16) You Must Try this Tea!
(15) Right or Wrong Belief?
(14) Pain-free Comfort

Why I'm So Going Pureland
Do You Really Give Away Gifts?
Time to Clock Out of Samsara (2)
The Absent Monster of Self
Importance of Taking Refuge
Stuck in Politics

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Realisation: We are Shot & Short of Time!



There are no good answers if there are no good questions. - Stonepeace

In the Culamalunkya Sutta, a monk was so preoccupied with metaphysical (and thus spiritually unpractical) questions, that he 'threatened' to disrobe, should the Buddha refuse to answer them. Here are the paraphrased questions: 'Is the world eternal or not? Is the world finite or not? Is the soul [sic] and body the same or different? Does the Buddha exist, not exist, both exist and not exist, or neither exist nor not exist after death?' To that, the Buddha got him to recognise that neither did he urge him to lead the holy life for answers to such questions, nor did the monk asked for the answers as a condition to live the holy life.

He remarked that one who refuses to live the holy life without the answers are likened to a man shot by a poisoned arrow. Despite having a doctor available, he demands that the arrow be removed only after knowing the clan, name, family, size, complexion and address of the shooter... plus the kind of bow, string and shaft used! Surely, he would die before finding all the answers to such pointless questions - due to having an unskilful focus and little time. Attachment to speculative views digresses from the holy life, while one is still stuck in suffering. Since we too are shot by the arrow of existential suffering, it is urgent to prioritise!

The pragmatic Buddha was only concerned with showing the path to liberation. That undeclared is not essential for enlightenment; not because he didn't know the answers, which the unenlightened would find hard to understand, while enlightenment will lead to their natural knowledge. (The skilful Buddha did answer similar questions to quell the curiosity of some, without which they would not listen to his actual teachings!) What the Buddha declared instead are the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its causes, its end and the path to its end. To this, the monk was satisfied and delighted, thereafter resuming the holy life. - Shen Shi'an

There are no right answers for those attached to wrong questions being right. - Stonepeace

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Excerpt: Make Kindness & Awareness Your Religion



With awareness, there is compassion. With compassion, there is wisdom. - Stonepeace

Situation: Your cousin has bipolar disorder. You do not feel comfortable inviting him to family functions becasue of his unpredictable behavior. You feel bad about it, but you also want to protect your family.

Wisdom: Make kindness your religion, and it will spread to others. Kindness breeds kindness. First, be compassionate with yourself for feeling this way. When you are experiencing difficult emotions, hold them gently. Then you are likely to do acts of kindness towards others. Mindfully cultivate compassion and understanding for yourself so that through kindness you can add happiness, not pain, to the lives of others.

Situation: You began smoking because it is cool. Now, it is just an unhealthy habit. When you smoke in public or outside your office, people look at you in a disgusted way, like you are doing something dirty. You don't like how you feel when you smoke.

Wisdom: Smoking is unhealthy for the person who smokes, as well as for family members, friends, and anyone else around who is exposed to secondhand smoke. It is also costly to society as a whole. The more you cultivate awareness of your mind and body in the present moment, the more you will be aware of the contradictions inherent in your smoking addiction. The reasons to stop smoking will become so obvious that you will realize you must quit.