tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13636080634375691842024-03-26T23:35:46.715-07:00Dhamma DelightsIf it's sutras you are looking for here, then you'll be disappointed. Dhamma Delights! is more about dhamma in our everyday life from a layman's, not even a proper Upāsaka's point of view; the latter, I understand has to undergo certain vows.The Buddha says: The gift of Truth excels all other gifts.If you find truth in any religion, accept that truth! That applies to viewpoints too which otherwise stand to be corrected.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger812125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-37423805598334525872024-03-21T23:53:00.000-07:002024-03-21T23:59:52.163-07:00News! : Sock it!<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6Z2CRvshzt-u8RdpAWP1bkEeLlysukGfeKtMsE89S6w_2etMlYuC-seSbgJYoFFi6RU_FdYRfHkynGY7IARmTQp7SXNA6z22huB_xyyd0e4xE52HDWOfGdsvd06VJ9i5bpgx6ctokALsDBnRACCc9KXG4uWhKT7AsrEYdGcghqKocLsYpSj7EXMAGAQ/s913/IMG_20240322_134026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="913" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6Z2CRvshzt-u8RdpAWP1bkEeLlysukGfeKtMsE89S6w_2etMlYuC-seSbgJYoFFi6RU_FdYRfHkynGY7IARmTQp7SXNA6z22huB_xyyd0e4xE52HDWOfGdsvd06VJ9i5bpgx6ctokALsDBnRACCc9KXG4uWhKT7AsrEYdGcghqKocLsYpSj7EXMAGAQ/s320/IMG_20240322_134026.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The <a href="https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2024/03/15/kk-mart-slammed-for-selling-socks-with-allah-print-issues-immediate-apology/">socks issue</a> had landed a <a href="https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/21/allah-socks-issue-sabahan-sentenced-to-six-months-of-jail-for-insulting-islam-on-facebook/124802">man in jail</a>. He had been fined too for making offensive remarks in the social media. For a few days, after a <a href="https://focusmalaysia.my/conspiracy-theories-abound-over-kk-super-marts-socks-saga-enters-firdaus-wong-as-the-plot-thickens/">preacher</a> revealed some socks with the name of the Almighty printed on it being sold in several outlets of a local convenience store chain, the whole nation seemed to go on a frenzy. <a href="https://thesun.my/local_news/umno-youth-demands-kk-mart-to-display-apology-banners-in-all-stores-over-socks-issue-KD12226682">A national leader had demanded an apology</a> from the owner in the form of banners being hung in all its outlets and had asked Muslims to boycott the stores as he felt he needed to protect his religion which he said had been insulted. <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1028231/men-confront-kk-mart-staff-over-sock-issue">Some had on their own went to a store to confront the staff.</a> The <a href="https://newswav.com/article/man-who-exposed-the-allah-socks-controversy-appeals-for-calm-but-isn-t-it-t-A2403_fz75Xw">preacher who started it all had appealed the Muslims to be calm</a>. Wonder if the sock issue would escalate further to divide the people. Even in a Buddhist Sangha community, monks could be swayed to be split into groups in what is called </b><i><b>schism</b></i><b> which is considered one of the 5 unforgivable acts. Not sure what would happen to a person who cause a schism. Some Buddhists don't believe in hell and if there is one, it is just temporary. A person who causes schism probably causes a lot of damages and sufferings. Probably, the person would meet his just comeuppance and if living in a temporary hell, he could retrieves himself after serving sentence.</b><p></p><p dir="ltr">
<b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">What would Buddhists think of these <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/11/buddas-t-shirts.html">merchandise</a>?</span></b><br />
<b> </b></p><p dir="ltr"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxteXDtU1JOV1nac9lgf83tgp_JzH__POpYWcgJ7ggDHSgXTgs2SK3kAU-qgvhdUK_qAor3du85jQ6-GnODeQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><p></p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2024/01/news-genius-monk.html">News</a>!</b></p>
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<p dir="ltr"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-77570688883065991642024-02-29T06:46:00.000-08:002024-02-29T06:46:40.055-08:00Buddhist App : Buddha Wisdom - Buddhisn Guide<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXrJh8md2kqCAo8w6lu1GmvmhmBSxQ1e4OwO-pZtbqhXSBK0BBfV6_YX9AZR_UrM2ZloyOyOXig1pRkNNGKevMp2zvO8FZ2i72klmugcFNwW7B9GPT_m3PYEg23bcA23FeDh2IMGshybjnFQ54vLQ_q21sUnwZoo8F743dkkvA5hkMonbqpvMSLHLp4g/s351/IMG_20240121_112803.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXrJh8md2kqCAo8w6lu1GmvmhmBSxQ1e4OwO-pZtbqhXSBK0BBfV6_YX9AZR_UrM2ZloyOyOXig1pRkNNGKevMp2zvO8FZ2i72klmugcFNwW7B9GPT_m3PYEg23bcA23FeDh2IMGshybjnFQ54vLQ_q21sUnwZoo8F743dkkvA5hkMonbqpvMSLHLp4g/s320/IMG_20240121_112803.jpg" width="283" /></a></b></div><b><br />An app in Play Store </b><i><b>Buddha Wisdom - Buddhisn Guide</b></i><b> is a gem. What I like most about the app is the 7-day course on the fundamentals and practices of Buddhism. 7 days seems like a long time but the course is actually short, concise and covers the most important aspects of Buddhism. It is easy to follow and should serve as a good refresher course for all Buddhists. Then, there are interesting daily wise quotes from Buddha and other famous personalities as well as daily random quotes from the </b><i><b>Dhammapada</b></i><b>. The quotes come with a short commentary, an insight; taking reading quotes to a higher level.</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-76766949543478467862024-01-17T18:55:00.000-08:002024-01-19T22:14:17.817-08:00News! : A Genius Monk<p><b><a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/01/04/china-maths-genius-monk-who-returned-to-secular-life-gets-married-says-he-is-better-suited-to-down-to-earth-life"></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ0eAQixMPySf4vpI8QpzcZcBMleQtPEh48dK_bCW0y5QO9B1OqgFYU3Y_HOzwz6z_oO3c_gDomd17XjzqqE_khq8uuAKr6TMZf0BHvOUDPs9nlsA3TfD1I3VfQ9qF2h46PxKxj34WYjDH-nXZaNYm4oR_b5gjjj4xI_v9JUgSfqXnmo7p9YArVZVY7Y/s1168/IMG_20240118_104854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ0eAQixMPySf4vpI8QpzcZcBMleQtPEh48dK_bCW0y5QO9B1OqgFYU3Y_HOzwz6z_oO3c_gDomd17XjzqqE_khq8uuAKr6TMZf0BHvOUDPs9nlsA3TfD1I3VfQ9qF2h46PxKxj34WYjDH-nXZaNYm4oR_b5gjjj4xI_v9JUgSfqXnmo7p9YArVZVY7Y/s320/IMG_20240118_104854.jpg" width="188" /></a></b></div><b><br /><a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/01/04/china-maths-genius-monk-who-returned-to-secular-life-gets-married-says-he-is-better-suited-to-down-to-earth-life">A Buddhist monk in China</a> became a news item when he returned to secular life and got married. A monk here who did the same didn't grab half the attention. Then, of course he was not a maths genius. The monk in China happened to be a former winner of a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad and had been declared a genius by China’s prestigious Peking University. He had even been offered a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but had declined the offer to devote himself to Buddhism. He had given up mathematics, choosing Buddhism to explore his own heart in what he considered </b><i><b>a path to loneliness</b></i><b>. In returning </b><b>to secular life, he had said that he had realised his heart was </b><i><b>closer to the wider public</b></i><b> and that he liked to </b><i><b>be a part of society</b></i><b>, thinking that he was more suitable for the </b><b><i>down-to-earth life</i></b><b>. A monk being a member of the </b><b><i>sangha</i></b>, <b>I suppose would be part of society. <i>Sangha</i> which refers to the monastic communities of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhu"><i>bhikkhu</i></a> (monks) and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhuni"><i>bhikkhuni</i></a> (nuns) by itself may be a small part of society but it probably would be big and <i>wide</i> if the monastic communities decide to play an active part in instructing the public on the spiritual aspects of their life and go the extra mile to organise charitable works. Giving up the mundane life to pursue nirvana isn't wrong but it could well be a lonely path when one struggles for one own's private salvation. Then too, when one is part of the <i>wider public, </i>it is not easy to lead a </b><b><i>down-to-earth life</i></b><b><i>.</i></b><p></p><p><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/08/news-singers-suicide.html">News</a>!</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-50829195040260055682024-01-16T22:22:00.000-08:002024-01-16T22:22:14.605-08:00Life after Death and God<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6L48Mc_mPTydYFUPPpJ7rJFIP8d40X2MufjyD5l176UWha8csGmFxsug_qKC7IC78nOFdY-uQnKFWz0vNgC6ntcAOj42VU_C6mAiXC_UJzwgoWWrv_HCoaC2v3FHHWZw7-z2aIu2iiS9PgseB5iaHrYXj_zo5dKPFp95SkVsw5tJ8SQMfkdNFA_N1Ekw/s1481/IMG_20240106_144132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6L48Mc_mPTydYFUPPpJ7rJFIP8d40X2MufjyD5l176UWha8csGmFxsug_qKC7IC78nOFdY-uQnKFWz0vNgC6ntcAOj42VU_C6mAiXC_UJzwgoWWrv_HCoaC2v3FHHWZw7-z2aIu2iiS9PgseB5iaHrYXj_zo5dKPFp95SkVsw5tJ8SQMfkdNFA_N1Ekw/s320/IMG_20240106_144132.jpg" width="233" /></a></b></div><b><br />Suddenly, I couldn't help but think that the concept of <i>rebirth</i> is similar to the concept of <i>God</i>. Both can't be brought out to be shown to non-believers. When asked to show life after death, Ajahn Chah had said that tomorrow can't be shown either. While Ajahn Chah seemed to associate tomorrow with life after death, I remember a Christian man associating God with electricity. Like electricity, God supposedly can't be seen but could be felt. That probably isn't like tomorrow. One doesn't feel tomorrow.</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-70926761720877916992024-01-11T00:25:00.000-08:002024-01-11T00:25:47.334-08:00Quotes to Ponder: Taylor Swift<p></p><p dir="ltr"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tpFjMNTBwi6BdOU52XWPSEKGmFkkAldTHTLDAJT65KoSjf5TomqEu1qTlknu87EN3UnI18brzjohlQNMtL5QtVZ9UHnvJillBT6D3f7e31FG_Pxebw_DxvpVV8NmlrAbjGvBnB1kRrriy27jNI_RQ-lJReTTmbWDOu6GtScpsb7xBY8ok2YLTyLUFes/s1454/IMG_20240104_120854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="935" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tpFjMNTBwi6BdOU52XWPSEKGmFkkAldTHTLDAJT65KoSjf5TomqEu1qTlknu87EN3UnI18brzjohlQNMtL5QtVZ9UHnvJillBT6D3f7e31FG_Pxebw_DxvpVV8NmlrAbjGvBnB1kRrriy27jNI_RQ-lJReTTmbWDOu6GtScpsb7xBY8ok2YLTyLUFes/s320/IMG_20240104_120854.jpg" width="206" /></a></b></div><b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>We don't need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.</i></b></li><li><i><b>Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.</b></i></li><li><i><b>Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together. </b></i></li><li><i><b>I still think it's important to be polite, but not at all costs. </b></i></li><li><i><b>My imagination is a twisted place.</b></i></li></ul></b><p></p><p dir="ltr">
<b>Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. At 12, she learned to play the guitar from a computer repairman and at 14, she started to write songs professionally. Taylor Swift is not just one of the world's best-selling musicians; she had also been said to be a savvy businesswoman.</b><br />
</p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/10/quotes-to-ponder-narendra-damodardas.html">Wise Quotes</a>!</b></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-78375530816397596032024-01-02T04:42:00.000-08:002024-01-02T04:42:05.154-08:00Somewhere I read : Ignorance is Foolishness<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXkEXqfkN1Rnor8IPnWmywhDiiS6vD0sxbtopUwAg0cWLaUe8I8tosfZiqBnhg4tNQjDkrvVMMd6e_wHNkn3gdnPqI3J2EjSqjQFj1J3P_DnPjRZUUzUqfqa4RUHKvZR5xm0WfABR7uG4kdRPFMh7bNxamhB-Xpvh5ZgHnK0j6qV2mi9Cv9z_gApyp6M/s1204/Polish_20231021_114859275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXkEXqfkN1Rnor8IPnWmywhDiiS6vD0sxbtopUwAg0cWLaUe8I8tosfZiqBnhg4tNQjDkrvVMMd6e_wHNkn3gdnPqI3J2EjSqjQFj1J3P_DnPjRZUUzUqfqa4RUHKvZR5xm0WfABR7uG4kdRPFMh7bNxamhB-Xpvh5ZgHnK0j6qV2mi9Cv9z_gApyp6M/s320/Polish_20231021_114859275.jpg" width="287" /></a></b></div><b><br />Somewhere I read : </b><i><b>Ignorance takes the form of foolishness and its nature is delusion and darkness.</b></i><b> </b><i><b>Ignorance</b></i><b> in normal term simply means </b><i><b>a lack of knowledge or information</b></i><b> and somewhere it is claimed that ignorance could be bliss. A person could just be happy and be free of worry if he does not know about a problem and cares not about the troubles in the world. I wonder then if there is a need to eradicate ignorance.</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-51874185185797991042023-12-25T19:43:00.000-08:002023-12-25T19:51:08.785-08:00Sharing Christmas Joy<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB1s6TO0McNY9N6N-QpN9EmE3LfObTVy6hZWSDiE5AqaSRKBED2UiNFBUVrzHCpmIujjHwjHSNZQGoeRhNm8nbIIiMMwHubC6PBHxj_ou4RnYqGRzXSPb0RH0s2NkEVqyohyphenhyphen7_L8VQh4ZDzOR0v6_3F4gCJGKJG8IrBsG8Y823BkI9qaLk8Pe52A2z7o/s900/IMG-20231225-WA0035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB1s6TO0McNY9N6N-QpN9EmE3LfObTVy6hZWSDiE5AqaSRKBED2UiNFBUVrzHCpmIujjHwjHSNZQGoeRhNm8nbIIiMMwHubC6PBHxj_ou4RnYqGRzXSPb0RH0s2NkEVqyohyphenhyphen7_L8VQh4ZDzOR0v6_3F4gCJGKJG8IrBsG8Y823BkI9qaLk8Pe52A2z7o/s320/IMG-20231225-WA0035.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div><b><br />Christmas is over but there is this lingering thought about the festive season. It is not about the <a href="https://steptpg.blogspot.com/2023/12/little-talk-christmas-greetings.html">cake for Christmas</a> but more on a question that has been posted in FB : Can Buddhists celebrate Christmas? There has been news of <a href="https://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/christians-banned-from-celebrating-christmas-in-two-muslim-majority-west-sumatra-villages/51129/1">Christians being banned from celebrating Christmas in a Sumatran village</a>. </b><b>I</b><b>n Malaysia, there was even <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2022/12/24/merry-christmas-and-hamkas-fatwa/">an instance when </a></b><b><a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2022/12/24/merry-christmas-and-hamkas-fatwa/">M</a></b><b><a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2022/12/24/merry-christmas-and-hamkas-fatwa/">uslims were prohibited from greeting Christians</a> </b><i><b>Merry Christmas</b></i><b>. <a href="https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/12/05/saying-merry-christmas-only-a-greeting-to-christians-ft-mufti-tells-muslims/1700250">A mufti however said that they can do so as long as they are not glorifying Christianity</a>. In the Buddhist context, greeting or celebrating Christmas perhaps does not involve breaking any of the <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/12/buddhist-initiation.html">Buddhist precepts</a>. If one does not <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2022/06/to-drink-or-not-to-drink.html">drink</a> to the point of getting mindless during Christmas, there perhaps is no reason to deny Buddhists some Christmas joy.</b><p></p><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Sharing Christmas joy!</span></b></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtxFhWBa321UGmYbfOYj6siTeY4mWQX_1T6-z4CiOFp_kJZLs_Vp8tGGrEtpwU5RZdNAM2puwfwuCxRcXRVQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/11/all-that-jazz.html">musings</a>!</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-66532675675274682842023-12-24T04:17:00.000-08:002023-12-24T04:17:45.636-08:00Reel Quotes : Two Women<p><b><a href="https://archive.org/details/two.-women.-1960.1080p."></a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUIt-x9pbaNVp4Uyx5GsxpBnaz-GNMzqTzN8DVZCJImJM9_UUjgrUIjuYjfCMTo-kesZnLsGxvCaIGlDqDz0ilkoinLArF1VYiEgG2MVJc4ZhVy9mHyIZaBUXA3247kxCR5SwudnnE05X5-LUiEGsg4rkwpI2coX5GJxXP-mPdB1CMzztf7ntR74uJ3Y/s1437/Polish_20231021_092625656.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="946" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUIt-x9pbaNVp4Uyx5GsxpBnaz-GNMzqTzN8DVZCJImJM9_UUjgrUIjuYjfCMTo-kesZnLsGxvCaIGlDqDz0ilkoinLArF1VYiEgG2MVJc4ZhVy9mHyIZaBUXA3247kxCR5SwudnnE05X5-LUiEGsg4rkwpI2coX5GJxXP-mPdB1CMzztf7ntR74uJ3Y/s320/Polish_20231021_092625656.jpg" width="211" /></a></b></div><b><br /><a href="https://archive.org/details/two.-women.-1960.1080p.">Two Women</a> (1960)</b><div><b>4.3⭐</b><br /><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>It is not a sin that I deserve to be killed.</i></b></li><li><b><i>
We are turning into animals eating weeds.</i></b></li><li><b><i>
Not even Jesus can resuscitate you.</i></b></li><li><b><i>
I haven't the courage to be honest anymore.</i></b></li><li><b><i>
It's better than gold. You can eat it.</i></b></li></ul><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><i>Two Women</i> is a 1960 war drama which earned Sophia Loren an Academy Award for Best Actress. Sophia played a widowed shopkeeper who with her twelve-year-old daughter, Rosetta were gang-raped inside a church during World War II.</b></p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/10/reel-quotes-peaky-blinders-s1.html">Reel Quotes</a>!</b><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-58328258342885140592023-12-09T01:27:00.000-08:002023-12-09T01:29:39.029-08:00Buddhist Initiation<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswCkY3t0BwxRYx9xZ5wp9kdDDjZG82hayRgE2UDsT4dNCEqikzA2c6UOiQL9KfU6-M83vgxHr1Gu2cTjSSLh8y9bJJLpsYhYDI2Xu_E-zmvhxE62GxSasvRsSq7wvR5vIJ_dFVCZWT9sViRv4nryy27Unhq71H6hF_R6EucI1RJYuYVCRlmFO5ZxnRNQ/s1080/IMG_20231205_080424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1080" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswCkY3t0BwxRYx9xZ5wp9kdDDjZG82hayRgE2UDsT4dNCEqikzA2c6UOiQL9KfU6-M83vgxHr1Gu2cTjSSLh8y9bJJLpsYhYDI2Xu_E-zmvhxE62GxSasvRsSq7wvR5vIJ_dFVCZWT9sViRv4nryy27Unhq71H6hF_R6EucI1RJYuYVCRlmFO5ZxnRNQ/s320/IMG_20231205_080424.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Remember seeing someone being baptised once. Then, had thought that Buddhism has no such formal ceremony to initiate people into the Buddhist community like Christianity has baptism or Islam has the shahada for converts. Later, of course I heard of the need to take refuge in the Triple Gem; the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; and the ceremony to take a vow to uphold the <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2015/06/you-tube-stars.html">Five Precepts</a>; to not kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, refrain from false speech and abstain from the use of intoxicating substances that cause inattention. Perhaps all these would remind of what that matter in Buddhism.</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-41735756842093768422023-12-09T01:25:00.000-08:002023-12-13T00:36:58.136-08:00Consciousness according to Buddha<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY5AI7nSmykmijxiuNiSb6fOxw19zCSpAw3T58-iIq2n_Ehz1SBXKyj9GXSU5Co_81EA4WapCTV1UcuNrp3gOM98xBCxTOjN1DEYnT-hBJZA6qIucihpvvsF84SVR_3ZsATUPq3buQCQ5x98b281mRW1Py2MMbDh1-Qtx87i44HpsCiI95BdIVIZGasE/s1080/Polish_20231021_112529548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1080" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY5AI7nSmykmijxiuNiSb6fOxw19zCSpAw3T58-iIq2n_Ehz1SBXKyj9GXSU5Co_81EA4WapCTV1UcuNrp3gOM98xBCxTOjN1DEYnT-hBJZA6qIucihpvvsF84SVR_3ZsATUPq3buQCQ5x98b281mRW1Py2MMbDh1-Qtx87i44HpsCiI95BdIVIZGasE/s320/Polish_20231021_112529548.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />In the article </b><i><b><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-does-consciousness-arise/">When Does Consciousness Arise in Human Babies</a></b></i><b><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-does-consciousness-arise/">?</a>, it is stated that </b><i><b>infants have no awareness of their own state, emotions and motivations</b></i><b>. It is stated though that </b><i><b>a baby could process complex visual stimuli and attends to sounds and sights in its world. </b></i><b>In Buddhism, I read that </b><i><b>consciousness is gained when one enters the womb</b></i><b>, that's to say it is achieved the moment a person is being reborn. Consciousness probably needs a physical body to manifest itself and though a new life is not aware of it, it probably does not mean it does not exist</b><b>. Buddha taught that <i>consciousness is always continuing, like a stream of water</i> and has <a href="https://www.lionsroar.com/the-four-layers-of-consciousness/">four layers namely mind consciousness, </a></b><a href="https://www.lionsroar.com/the-four-layers-of-consciousness/"><i><b>sense consciousness, store consciousnes</b></i><b>s, and manas. </b></a><b>It's weird even to suggest that we are just aware of some kind of consciousness.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-9344709157734694382023-11-28T01:47:00.000-08:002023-11-28T01:47:12.754-08:00All that Jazz<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVfGuZvXZszdDQ45j-pOWRqg__ia0Hdou4SAHw9r842adJbOg7q2j6EapnpPN5UF5bUm8fz12XfdrFDhRh37hwceCF3hO_ELBmP0muNNei1rvFB2CvgrjgSlU85IK1DbNUpGq_psqXfjSaycBimxlb-G8UhWgx3XW6Sn_j14g0olQSBOoyJD9zj6bYHU/s1274/IMG_20231018_163538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVfGuZvXZszdDQ45j-pOWRqg__ia0Hdou4SAHw9r842adJbOg7q2j6EapnpPN5UF5bUm8fz12XfdrFDhRh37hwceCF3hO_ELBmP0muNNei1rvFB2CvgrjgSlU85IK1DbNUpGq_psqXfjSaycBimxlb-G8UhWgx3XW6Sn_j14g0olQSBOoyJD9zj6bYHU/s320/IMG_20231018_163538.jpg" width="205" /></a></b></div><b><br />Remember </b><b>reading a comment in Facebook about Buddhists praying to idols of stones. Someone sarcastically asked if the same reverance would be accorded if the stone is replaced with plastic. Somewhere it was written; in the beginning, the Buddha was merely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniconism_in_Buddhism">represented by symbols such as a footprint, an empty chair, an empty throne, a riderless horse, a Boddhi tree or an umbrella</a>. Statues and busts of the Buddha only appear later; in the Gandhara region which is in modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. All the jazz about worshiping and idolizing stones leads me to forgeting the <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2007/12/five-precepts-of-buddhism.html">Five Precepts</a>, <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2008/01/four-noble-truths.html">Four Noble Truth</a> and <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2007/11/noble-eightfold-path.html">Eightfold Path</a>.</b><p></p><p><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/08/seeing-ghosts.html">musings</a>!</b></p><div align="left"><p dir="ltr"></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-24275659871561860062023-11-01T13:08:00.000-07:002023-11-01T13:08:54.669-07:00Budda's T- shirts<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaInXUosmrJ7iY6qidxt7hK_gW_Wg2muy1uCYOf2D83PfzXyWYpHq16hx0wW-QDfjGrZqXQWlYs1YKGeszPmzgsUk2x_TkLLIoFFuAXOSpfICel04E7hw_ECGKvd3qLUnarnvBsEzYRxQ2G5rABcrqENrhhHL5IGKmbqQQLH8A1Jf5mMUF63yUz8mylI/s1080/Polish_20230916_131602751.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaInXUosmrJ7iY6qidxt7hK_gW_Wg2muy1uCYOf2D83PfzXyWYpHq16hx0wW-QDfjGrZqXQWlYs1YKGeszPmzgsUk2x_TkLLIoFFuAXOSpfICel04E7hw_ECGKvd3qLUnarnvBsEzYRxQ2G5rABcrqENrhhHL5IGKmbqQQLH8A1Jf5mMUF63yUz8mylI/s320/Polish_20230916_131602751.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Came across some T- shirts with Buddha's images while browsing a shopping App recently. In the past, Buddha's statues have been used to <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2019/10/buddha-bust.html">decorate the living room</a> or study; and even in <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2013/06/whats-in-bar.html">bars</a> too when it is a well known fact that Buddhism does not encourage drinking as can be seen by the Buddhist Fifth precept : <i>Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami </i>I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness. The use of Buddha's image seems to be taken to a new level; and I wonder if Buddhists would be pleased that Buddha could inspire such creation or get annoyed instead and go up in arms, intepreting this as a form of disrespect... </b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Would you consider wearing these?</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwgJDriuAkb6aoyEaNRYWfpoXoYDhsGQVUvZwezm29dRCzhkTFwMQjBLzTQLltT8LOjGFqDGghBj1k00xV3-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><p></p><p><b></b></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-25255572735634344042023-10-29T06:59:00.000-07:002023-10-29T06:59:28.041-07:00Reel Quotes: Peaky Blinders (S1)<p></p><p dir="ltr"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUp-Jgf_yq5I32ZBd0trj2CQ5ZSP94POWpjU5SK31oHjAhTvzFZaGXveBpcFhvCm83z5kOF2GzdQKp1hdcClUGx3flf1daZ2HqGipJcvH_U3BVtR2XUEzljkufAW3hrByBsf-fc3z_xGAnXmbP5gWp3LbmsYzMozFvd-E8Mlzy2tDi2wlVMgH4R9eePU/s1322/20230806_094501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUp-Jgf_yq5I32ZBd0trj2CQ5ZSP94POWpjU5SK31oHjAhTvzFZaGXveBpcFhvCm83z5kOF2GzdQKp1hdcClUGx3flf1daZ2HqGipJcvH_U3BVtR2XUEzljkufAW3hrByBsf-fc3z_xGAnXmbP5gWp3LbmsYzMozFvd-E8Mlzy2tDi2wlVMgH4R9eePU/s320/20230806_094501.jpg" width="201" /></a></b></div><b><br /><a href="https://onionplay.se/episodes/peaky-blinders-season-1-episode-1/">Peaky Blinders</a> S 1 (2013)</b><p></p><p dir="ltr"><b>4.0⭐</b></p><p dir="ltr">
</p><p dir="ltr"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><b>What does a 10 year old know about hell?</b></i></li><li><i><b>God and Aunt Pilly are listening.</b></i></li><li><i><b>If it is heaven, what am I doing here?</b></i></li><li><i><b>God takes the best first.</b></i></li><li><i><b>Change is good.</b></i></li></ul>
<p></p><p dir="ltr"><i><b>Peaky Blinders</b></i><b> , a British period drama set in Birmingham tells of the exploits of the Peaky Blinders street gang. The gang's ambitious and cunning leader,Tommy Shelby is played by Cillian Murphy who currently rides the wave of success playing the father of the atomic bomb, Julius Robert Oppenheimer.</b></p><p dir="ltr"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">An Indian lady's view on <i>Oppenheimer</i>, the movie:</span></b></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwPFuMrkxWFHmlXaRfghqT_6PZVlDYjtc578NfWolwtrDf4_JozUEg-RA-w4Cdez25wlnPiSwR8OBLwzvfuSA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p dir="ltr">
<b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/07/reel-quotes-little-women.html">Reel Quotes</a>!</b></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-67125677034285562762023-10-23T19:42:00.000-07:002023-10-23T19:42:00.106-07:00Barefoot Buddha<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DS4NzDHc0hzS1HstDjcQl9d44Fhu0nrvrifjieSs0RWJ9ccC3op25y-y4sOclXWTAQwTe0AKc8QMDGkQOIttF5LaJYqAbDCv_1Vfo65uJj3hmtCfMJjnxEppAye5s0O_H19TbDCpnTJ6rgIG0nTkOAYqNnKRh7n9rLxJjQAJeSeUrtMIvszsRaKMOEc/s1384/IMG_20230730_203830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DS4NzDHc0hzS1HstDjcQl9d44Fhu0nrvrifjieSs0RWJ9ccC3op25y-y4sOclXWTAQwTe0AKc8QMDGkQOIttF5LaJYqAbDCv_1Vfo65uJj3hmtCfMJjnxEppAye5s0O_H19TbDCpnTJ6rgIG0nTkOAYqNnKRh7n9rLxJjQAJeSeUrtMIvszsRaKMOEc/s320/IMG_20230730_203830.jpg" width="194" /></a></b></div><b><br />I read that <a href="https://www.sariputta.com/sutta-pitaka/224-sakalika/english">Buddha had a foot cut by a stone splinter when in the Maddakucchi Deer Park</a> at Rajagaha. Then, like any other human, he experienced severe pains described as </b><i><b>racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable </b></i><b>but he endured them all, </b><i><b>mindful and clearly comprehending, without becoming distressed</b></i><b>. For this, he has been likened to a </b><b><i>naga</i></b><b>, a lion, a bull, a thoroughbred, a beast of burden. Then, I was thinking that people during Buddha's time probably did not wear shoes and Buddha must have trekked through Northern India barefoot...</b><p></p><p dir="ltr">
<b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/07/musing-halal-or-haram.html">musings</a>...</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-72603315079352856582023-10-16T00:10:00.001-07:002023-10-18T01:42:19.376-07:00A Monk Said<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU56MWvgx23bjkt2UJATxWdJOcYe34HJcJUaG2w0WBWU4N_UlGWjkMJzNE5JyRAgLMt_t4-PCPy-5oVTTGA2ebiX0urcDZmVxT24T24nZZq48afmZCZZwAxIv72L7O6153SsurOYa0y51wOxKBlZDkIkmuJ9qH-EdVErdmWFJdJztXKxG1Sz11sseztY/s990/IMG_20230829_101705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="990" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU56MWvgx23bjkt2UJATxWdJOcYe34HJcJUaG2w0WBWU4N_UlGWjkMJzNE5JyRAgLMt_t4-PCPy-5oVTTGA2ebiX0urcDZmVxT24T24nZZq48afmZCZZwAxIv72L7O6153SsurOYa0y51wOxKBlZDkIkmuJ9qH-EdVErdmWFJdJztXKxG1Sz11sseztY/s320/IMG_20230829_101705.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>A monk said: <i>If you don't want any dukkha, then do not have or own anything. </i></b><b>The Buddha taught <a href="https://buddho.org/anicca-dukkha-anatta-the-three-characteristics-of-existence/">three characteristics of existence</a>: </b><i><b><a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2020/06/looking-forward-to-anicca.html">anicca</a></b></i><b> , </b><i><b><a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2020/07/overcoming-lifes-sufferings.html">dukkha</a></b></i><b> and </b><i><b><a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2008/12/meme-7-facts-about-me.html">anatta</a>. Dukkha, </b></i><b>often translated as suffering is more the unsatisfactoriness we face in life. Many times, the lack of things give us dukkha. That we don't have or own anything creates much distress and there are people who lie, cheat and kill just to have and own. A</b><i><b>nicca</b></i><b> refers to Impermanence and often </b><b>w</b><b>e cling to that which is impermanent that we have </b><i><b>dukkha.</b></i><b> Perhaps, it is all right to have and own. Knowing that they are not permanent, just don't cling to them.</b></p><p>
</p><p dir="ltr"><br /></p><b></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-28283723735905244282023-10-07T21:25:00.000-07:002023-10-07T21:25:56.677-07:00Quotes to Ponder : Narendra Damodardas Modi<p></p><p dir="ltr"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbMTRos4XSfWRfpFrn34wfV9xyZGDG22Y9QPTuxrmx7KGDmkyYzUa1-EZbIcdKXPJ-HxzEFHZjbt-UI0OIjXq-dzvGQp43g1KXTEbVJi9SETzfUdfwgrVhdHFa23j25xr6WXtihMNNYFaHBjY1jVQ-VOQdZw3u8U8w8vRpDS_iO0UlM-97HDYqJbZj2Y/s807/IMG_20231005_125649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="807" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbMTRos4XSfWRfpFrn34wfV9xyZGDG22Y9QPTuxrmx7KGDmkyYzUa1-EZbIcdKXPJ-HxzEFHZjbt-UI0OIjXq-dzvGQp43g1KXTEbVJi9SETzfUdfwgrVhdHFa23j25xr6WXtihMNNYFaHBjY1jVQ-VOQdZw3u8U8w8vRpDS_iO0UlM-97HDYqJbZj2Y/s320/IMG_20231005_125649.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>I don't carry the burden of the past or the madness of the future. I live in the present.</i></b></li><li><b><i>Don’t rent-out any room in your mind to house others’ negativity.</i></b></li><li><b><i>Peace can only thrive when the climate is right. </i></b></li><li><b><i>We live in an inter-dependent world. An isolated India is not in our interest.</i></b></li><li><b><i>Our country does not believe in the concept of your God and my God. </i></b></li></ul></i></b><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Narendra Damodardas Modi, the 14th and current prime minister of India has often been regarded favourably in opinion polls and has even been touted the greatest prime minister in Indian history. He is the first Indian politician to interact with citizens on a live chat and has been known to be a vegetarian and a teetotaller.</b><br />
</p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/08/quotes-to-ponder-tina-turner.html">Wise Quotes</a>!</b></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-43920575753567386852023-10-04T21:21:00.003-07:002023-10-04T21:24:50.281-07:00A Buddha-Approved Killing<p> <b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqyTNdYRPyKXjU5pBs1UF3rAYGBuiHEuyJiOqM8UneqofUraV9xNziuz1IZzpiDDC15ZbgBXaarQ6rNSuG0xHA1XX1tJTuhJWoSgiCyguXTkgHUGrdbihZxKb2qnO72Dsuqwv3aoUd7RZgijn-qerQXnMBT7g8fd8OVoy8B5Cf_OKwFtLCd2wTuZiBntq/s1093/Polish_20230822_172608199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqyTNdYRPyKXjU5pBs1UF3rAYGBuiHEuyJiOqM8UneqofUraV9xNziuz1IZzpiDDC15ZbgBXaarQ6rNSuG0xHA1XX1tJTuhJWoSgiCyguXTkgHUGrdbihZxKb2qnO72Dsuqwv3aoUd7RZgijn-qerQXnMBT7g8fd8OVoy8B5Cf_OKwFtLCd2wTuZiBntq/s320/Polish_20230822_172608199.jpg" width="316" /></a></b></p><b><br />Buddhism clearly discourages killing as stated in the Buddhist First Precept : </b><i><b>Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami </b></i><b>I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures. Yet, in the <a href="https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/">Chetvā Sutta</a>, it is recorded that a deity had asked if there would be an instance when Buddha would approve of killing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN1_71.html">Having killed what, do you sleep in ease; Having killed what do you not grieve?; Of the slaying of what one thing does Gotama approve?</a>; </i></b><b>to which the learned one has replied: </b><b><i><a href="http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/chetva_sutta.html">Having killed anger you sleep in ease.Having killed anger, you do not grieve. The noble ones praise the slaying of anger - with its honeyed crest and poison root -for having killed it, you do not grieve.</a></i></b><b> Maybe, one can also add jealousy, ill will and many other negative things to the list.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-29317414848382100612023-09-12T18:31:00.000-07:002023-09-12T18:31:46.219-07:00Accidental Recipient<p dir="ltr"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAm0kIp2cSHwcZ2njKuAyy2s1OBMjhFCvZhRBZI2ffGRy3iXWP87EZfS3SCNNoO-tF6T8-oXRGXvg6ftFKbZ3NXW-ERbwwsaTtA0Us8tWEExfUtfAuQQaBx1K7P10IKFzKpl4ZvR9FH9w-ZRsSNRX1jGtpb0ARHrKJoTAD-kUPsDbVuGIF5nkFk5umrjI/s1080/IMG_20230815_155037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1080" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAm0kIp2cSHwcZ2njKuAyy2s1OBMjhFCvZhRBZI2ffGRy3iXWP87EZfS3SCNNoO-tF6T8-oXRGXvg6ftFKbZ3NXW-ERbwwsaTtA0Us8tWEExfUtfAuQQaBx1K7P10IKFzKpl4ZvR9FH9w-ZRsSNRX1jGtpb0ARHrKJoTAD-kUPsDbVuGIF5nkFk5umrjI/s320/IMG_20230815_155037.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The other day, a colleague asked if civil servants could get rebates when renewing their road tax. </b><b><i>Not that I know of</i></b><b>, I said and added that perhaps she could get it cheaper if she renewed her online via a shopping app. Then, on second thought; I would not recommend that. <a href="https://mothership.sg/2023/02/woman-transfer-2888-flower-shop-mistake/#:~:text=A%2054%2Dyear%2Dold%20woman,to%20a%20separate%20savings%20account.">A Singaporean woman had mistakenly transferred a substantial sum of money to someone's else account</a>. There is always this risk when transactions are done online. Would you perhaps return the money if you were the accidental recipient? Would not returning constitutes breaking the second of the Buddhist Five Precepts: </b><i><b>Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami </b></i><b>I</b><i><b> </b></i><b>undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-30296223305537002972023-08-29T21:26:00.002-07:002023-08-29T21:26:44.514-07:00Offerings of Food<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd157CeojuwoM6n8P9lHBZ_Gny1CFgnSAuTROX928KP6K0cFMVPf3Y0w8pFV8-BxviDFvhcNgky7OMZN37Pe2MMNYkAX32X1PXBx-TC2uCpqlwhGvS6bNkqoiz-Z7NO2ud6RHmNOPx3XzJgNcjai4XuVYsiBmu4E0LWWXxKAs0KT6bdSo5eoU12Seazs/s4624/IMG_20230830_111524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd157CeojuwoM6n8P9lHBZ_Gny1CFgnSAuTROX928KP6K0cFMVPf3Y0w8pFV8-BxviDFvhcNgky7OMZN37Pe2MMNYkAX32X1PXBx-TC2uCpqlwhGvS6bNkqoiz-Z7NO2ud6RHmNOPx3XzJgNcjai4XuVYsiBmu4E0LWWXxKAs0KT6bdSo5eoU12Seazs/s320/IMG_20230830_111524.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />It's <a href="https://dragondescendants.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-festival-to-honour-dead.html">Hungry Ghost Festival</a> today and there's a prayer at home specially to the ancestors. Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival but Buddhists would easily embrace it. In fact, the festival was said to be inspired by the Buddhist text </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulanpen_Sutra"><b>Ullambana Sutra</b></a><b>. A disciple of Buddha, Maudgalyayana, upon attaining <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhij%C3%B1%C4%81">abhijna</a>, learned that his mother was now a hungry ghost in hell.</b><b> Maudgalyayana was distraught when the rice he offered his mother turned into burning hot coals. The Buddha said it would take the combined spiritual power of the Sangha for her liberation. Maudgalyayana was then asked to prepare an offering of food, fruits, incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding on the 15th day of the seventh month for the Sangha who would recite mantras on his behalf. Not sure if the food were for the deceased or Sangha.</b><div><div><p></p></div></div><div><b style="background-color: white;">30.8.23</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-87163333068423431372023-08-15T00:54:00.006-07:002023-08-18T20:10:56.638-07:00Giving<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0kn1WppZY9n8oy2tS_GEx8eLCjmw59jRSZfeuKSa-tK3Z90C5Yp2lKr8moaTZN8PbPUGUcMdxcv646dlTWrx8_FSkbuBzGWY-GyGRusQrKBMHucwUGR0gJhwJWWL69PDgnZ_WL4LZjXFOtfCacnG3NsPj4g4etPxnHbesvNU9grgFINUyZIhGlgEIlI/s1080/Polish_20230814_152525694.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1080" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0kn1WppZY9n8oy2tS_GEx8eLCjmw59jRSZfeuKSa-tK3Z90C5Yp2lKr8moaTZN8PbPUGUcMdxcv646dlTWrx8_FSkbuBzGWY-GyGRusQrKBMHucwUGR0gJhwJWWL69PDgnZ_WL4LZjXFOtfCacnG3NsPj4g4etPxnHbesvNU9grgFINUyZIhGlgEIlI/s320/Polish_20230814_152525694.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Some people I know are kind by nature. They don't mind giving and are quick to donate in cash when approached. Some just donate, never really knowing who or where their money ended up. Questions posed t</b><b>o the Buddha by Devahita, a brahmin; should be good food for thought: </b><b><i><a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn7.13/en/sujato">Where should you give an available gift? Where is a gift very fruitful? How does one who is donating ensure the success of their religious donation?</a></i></b><b> Buddha's reply however, I do find difficult to understand : </b><b><i><span style="color: #ff00fe;">One who knows their past lives, and sees heaven and places of loss, and has attained the ending of rebirth, that sage has perfect insight. Here you should give an available gift; what’s given here is very fruitful. That’s how a sponsor of sacrifices ensures the success of their religious donation.</span></i></b><b> Not being able to pin point a deserving sage, perhaps a person just have to give a gift to just anyone. Just don't expect to be rewarded though.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-41286135753015324272023-08-14T04:55:00.001-07:002023-08-14T04:55:33.012-07:00Seeing Ghosts<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwXEgB-60L7hzxH2Kg4CkHuF9M0byqvhlrE-U56GNWcJ6WvZsQsQ2gA5ieM7txTGLxyhlaMdi9CKQ8SMi4MR7ZJTgotpcR97kP8zTEDKwhZAeKp5qsCIF5cFSvj30aFza_MlGurDUrtoOlWBNyJPg-FV8F6CEByNpKLPuF5aGn-F6AJKmxkF2LtlD4uM/s1164/IMG_20230812_112841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="915" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwXEgB-60L7hzxH2Kg4CkHuF9M0byqvhlrE-U56GNWcJ6WvZsQsQ2gA5ieM7txTGLxyhlaMdi9CKQ8SMi4MR7ZJTgotpcR97kP8zTEDKwhZAeKp5qsCIF5cFSvj30aFza_MlGurDUrtoOlWBNyJPg-FV8F6CEByNpKLPuF5aGn-F6AJKmxkF2LtlD4uM/s320/IMG_20230812_112841.jpg" width="252" /></a></b></div><b><br />In the 2023 Korean TV series, </b><b><i><a href="https://www3.myasiantv.tv/show/the-demon-/episode-1">Revenant</a></i></b><b>; when the female lead asks a doctor if ghosts exist, the latter has answered most confidently without blinking the eyes that they don't. Yet, throughout human history, there are many instances where people have seen ghosts with their own eyes and could describe them vividly. While there may be historical evidence that Buddha existed, people don't get to see Buddha the way they do get to see ghosts; God, too.</b><p></p><p><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/07/musing-halal-or-haram.html">musings</a>!</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-65805238862074403162023-08-11T18:25:00.000-07:002023-08-11T18:25:51.491-07:00Quotes to Ponder: Tina Turner<p></p><p dir="ltr"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4M4MVlIXeRJwQHNKAERDdrs4sxRNx6AAqREYLZlaBOl_nk7_FmE2u7x3rH_a5BtkbYp_EaR-sGLI8745fuOU5JylceFvVTkImcKFi0PgiaJK1xqyYF57w2TSLX_QLUKwl9lfBTa4Fd_SmHNlZkCt_xUVfXFIR9IQjsW8givrrTusip57P52hFC9yCMs/s966/IMG_20230730_092516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="805" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4M4MVlIXeRJwQHNKAERDdrs4sxRNx6AAqREYLZlaBOl_nk7_FmE2u7x3rH_a5BtkbYp_EaR-sGLI8745fuOU5JylceFvVTkImcKFi0PgiaJK1xqyYF57w2TSLX_QLUKwl9lfBTa4Fd_SmHNlZkCt_xUVfXFIR9IQjsW8givrrTusip57P52hFC9yCMs/s320/IMG_20230730_092516.jpg" width="267" /></a></b></div><b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>After you’ve bought all your houses and your clothes, you want something bigger.</b></li><li><b>I like me very much. </b></li><li><b>Problems are inescapable for all living beings.</b></li><li><b>Our differences are ultimately superficial, and the best thing to do is celebrate them.</b></li><li><b>You don’t need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding. </b></li></ul></b><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/05/tina-turners-passing.html">Tina Turner</a>, the American turned Swiss singer of </b><i><b>What's Love Got to Do with it</b></i><b> had a tumultous life with her abusive first husband. The singer who sold more than 100 million records worldwide managed to turn her life around by becoming a successful solo performer in one of the greatest comebacks in music history.</b><br /></p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/06/quotes-to-ponder-chris-hemsworth.html">Wise Quotes</a>!</b></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-76574211457100090582023-08-07T17:47:00.001-07:002023-08-07T17:49:30.958-07:00News! : A Singer's Suicide<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCgKO8VXbDMtbI6cChaQYAXlDHFwN7hag2YdUSTbD-FwoVYMaGxPvF0qs-2xB5vFBxUAxx1swIN8qvLUtQ-Ttg4jW5kazm4VoV6yC8SFY7zTexOCz8_VzL3GTP_2ODXYuRbQhLLBQ-LB8tPoyQR7xwpM-5Uzl1btemNE5q-NjbI4TG-ufbO8GpU8ZlS4/s1289/IMG_20230728_185923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCgKO8VXbDMtbI6cChaQYAXlDHFwN7hag2YdUSTbD-FwoVYMaGxPvF0qs-2xB5vFBxUAxx1swIN8qvLUtQ-Ttg4jW5kazm4VoV6yC8SFY7zTexOCz8_VzL3GTP_2ODXYuRbQhLLBQ-LB8tPoyQR7xwpM-5Uzl1btemNE5q-NjbI4TG-ufbO8GpU8ZlS4/s320/IMG_20230728_185923.jpg" width="224" /></a></b></div><b><br />When the famed HK singer Coco Lee passed away on 5 July 2023, fans all over the world were devastated. Coco was admitted to hospital in an unconscious state after she attempted suicide. She passed away three days later. She was just 48. Someone in the social media commented that she took her own life because she didn't have God, not believing in one, I suppose. Coco was born with an abnormality in her left leg and had to rely heavily on her right leg all her life. In 2022, she underwent a surgery to remove the tumour in her breast and and in 2023, she had surgery on her pelvis and thigh after a dance rehearsal triggered an old leg injury. On top of all these, she was battling depression and had marital problems. Strong a person may be but when troubles come in droves, there is a likelihood that one would succumb to the pressure. Committing suicide need not be just to end it all. A believer in a creator probably would commit the act in the belief that he or she is merely making an early return to the creator. Buddhists definitely don't go back to Buddha upon death but some probably would fear such deaths which put them at a disadvantageous position in the wheel of rebirth.</b><p></p><div><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/07/news-nepals-decreasing-buddhist.html">News</a>!</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-79349893892349091612023-07-28T00:18:00.001-07:002023-07-28T00:19:35.908-07:00Robot Wife Poser<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB3OkLc43AKnzlp0mixqvV6YK65ieCohNwikGNvl9-y0dOUc1QIROyqXjtUF5fLRhlbyNdU-J754gn-YkVu4ug8M3AprVCH7VqXb1s6H7684JwQBYkvX2FhS1uz2CSFL-JCv5S5up5dWLgUIG_yT80yyxgvKEB-y42fFY-daFtl2g6AVQal59XQv_7RU/s1024/IMG-20230715-WA0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB3OkLc43AKnzlp0mixqvV6YK65ieCohNwikGNvl9-y0dOUc1QIROyqXjtUF5fLRhlbyNdU-J754gn-YkVu4ug8M3AprVCH7VqXb1s6H7684JwQBYkvX2FhS1uz2CSFL-JCv5S5up5dWLgUIG_yT80yyxgvKEB-y42fFY-daFtl2g6AVQal59XQv_7RU/s320/IMG-20230715-WA0024.jpg" width="247" /></a></b></div><b><br />Someone sent an article about Elon Musk and his company making a robot wife which runs on battery for the market. One would be able to make love to the robot but it would require a password or some sort of identification. Wonder if a robot husband would follow suit and more importantly if the fourth Buddhist precept </b><i><b>Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami </b></i><b>I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct still holds...</b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1363608063437569184.post-82089916120766265392023-07-22T22:42:00.002-07:002023-07-22T22:42:32.237-07:00Reel Quotes : Little Women<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B0uqvhC8Lcjvbpkpwhe9YcVG9GAuy1PfJUsPS9TTh8yqJ-OiwDxQOWHH3V49EQTqSaPtVrTWeEkLHPhr-VlCepAfHMc0Vc1hdHDgiCWiRWbWM_MrpmNzcszB1EazqmR81RgzJW8we3-mcDwnUxxINNmbxGPo0AY7IO1ZE4RyEiZbl8WrrJ1_J_SneFM/s1080/20230716_195217.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1080" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B0uqvhC8Lcjvbpkpwhe9YcVG9GAuy1PfJUsPS9TTh8yqJ-OiwDxQOWHH3V49EQTqSaPtVrTWeEkLHPhr-VlCepAfHMc0Vc1hdHDgiCWiRWbWM_MrpmNzcszB1EazqmR81RgzJW8we3-mcDwnUxxINNmbxGPo0AY7IO1ZE4RyEiZbl8WrrJ1_J_SneFM/s320/20230716_195217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr"><b>Little Women (2023)</b></p><p dir="ltr"><b>4.4⭐</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><b>Are you afraid you'll be alone until you die?</b></i></li><li><i><b>What is a soul made of?</b></i></li><li><i><b>All murderers were once ordinary people.</b></i></li><li><i><b>Life doesn't always go as planned.</b></i></li><li><i><b>Where do souls live?</b></i></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr">
<i><b><a href="https://www3.myasiantv.tv/show/little-women/episode-1">Little Women</a></b></i><b>, the Korean series has little to do with Louisa May Alcott's </b><i><b>Little Women</b></i><b>. Except for being poor, the Korean sisters share nothing else in common with the March sisters. One of the Korean sisters in fact is luckier because her purportedly dead friend has left a big sum of money for her. She has however to survive the threat on her life before she can stake a claim on the money.</b></p><p>
</p><p dir="ltr"><b>More <a href="https://dhammadelights.blogspot.com/2023/06/reelquotes-reborn-rich.html">Reel Quotes</a>!</b><b>!</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0