tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322171782012-02-16T16:41:11.860ZThis blog chronicles my journey along the path to peace in a peace-less world; my attempt to realise the Truth and rid my mind of <i>dukkha</i>; my life as Theravada Buddhist. It is my wish that what you read here will help you along your own journey.<br><br> <i>Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā</i>!PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.comBlogger181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-36460208472568353222011-10-06T12:08:00.000+01:002011-10-06T12:08:59.042+01:00

Sometimes I wonder. Death is sad, yes...but it is also inevitable. Considering the manner in which other people grieve (especially at the loss of those they didn't know personally), I feel as though we assume immortality is a given. But it isn't.Jāti-paccaya jarāmaraṇa"With Birth as condition, Ageing and Death arise"Paticcasamuppāda (Dependent Origination)I feel awkward for not feeling the need

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-90070133136429607742011-03-30T00:49:00.002+01:002011-03-30T00:51:26.810+01:00

It's not so much what they think of me, but more the mere fact that their opinions have an effect on me. That's what's so annoying. It's my inability to rise above their immature jibes. Selo yatā eka ghano vātena na samiratiDhammapada: Pandita Vagga [6]That's what you said, no? Why is it so difficult to follow? Why must everything be so difficult? Why can I not be weak, for once? Sabbe sattā

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-2536166880359541432011-01-24T00:57:00.000Z2011-01-24T00:57:05.416Z

I try to keep my emotions in check. Always. Not that I suppress them (which is an oft-mistaken view of Buddhism), but I try not to let my emotions get to a level where they consume me. Sometimes, I falter. I get upset, or angry, or annoyed...I suppose we all do. The problem with me, is that I get annoyed that I'm upset/angry/annoyed. I berate myself for letting my emotions get the better of me.

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-67200936719903874792010-11-21T21:44:00.001Z2010-11-21T21:45:32.085Z

I got this link in an email from the university Buddhist Society. It's a comic about a monk who gets sent to Hell for a bit. The Devil & the Monk - Theory of Everything Comics For me, there were two important lessons in this comic - No matter what life throws at me, I can face it...all I need is a pure mind No matter what we've done and where we are in life, it's never too late to embrace the

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-81915025538989499742010-05-31T22:53:00.002+01:002010-05-31T23:13:50.713+01:00

Why is it so difficult for people to see all the sides of a story? We're so quick to take sides, based on our preconceived notions about the parties involved. I'm not saying we need to justify each party's actions, but at least attempt to understand their logic? View the bigger picture? Consider all points of view? But no, the majority of people are content to see the world through blinkers, and

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-12255792804385987532009-12-03T20:39:00.000Z2009-12-03T20:39:22.764Z

My grandmother had a policy of 'if you have nothing good to say, say nothing'. It was a good policy. OK so maybe I gossip a bit, but it is never malicious...it's more a case of me living vicariously. And I listen to far more gossip than I spread. I'm not trying to justify my actions but I'm just saying...I don't approve of malicious gossip. Why is it that there are so many people who do?! It's

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-76194984581066584792009-10-16T23:07:00.001+01:002010-02-05T10:12:52.364Z

I just got back from a talk by Ajahn Brahm. Oh wow, he really is something, isn't he? I only hope I can be as captivating a speaker as he is. I could listen to him for hours...oh wait, I did. But onto what he said. He related his story about the two chicken farmers. I realised that all this time I've been doing what the first farmer did: collecting the shit. It's not that I didn't notice the

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-32904002909512564722009-09-04T20:35:00.002+01:002009-09-04T20:52:46.848+01:00

Why do people take themselves so seriously? We are all flawed, we are all vulnerable, and when considering the bigger picture, we are all insignificant. So why waste so much energy getting offended and upset and feeling hard done by? Isn't it far better to laugh it off, let go and move on?Sigh...anicca, dukkha, anatta indeed.Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-21865839137525728492009-08-17T10:15:00.002+01:002009-08-17T10:17:39.718+01:00

Try living in the moment for five minutes. No past, no future. Just the present. Oh wow, this meditation business is hard. It'll get easier eventually, apparently.Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-67436354095082227092009-07-05T13:17:00.002+01:002009-07-05T13:22:51.816+01:00

Yes I know my life is full of false starts. What to do.Had a look at Ajahn Brahm's youtube videos today. One caught my eye and proved very valuable, as mentioned here. So what do I need to do? Separate body from mind. Simple as that. Even though my body is tired, it doesn't mean my mind needs to be. How difficult could that be, eh?Hmm...Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-50880564774948722732009-05-06T23:03:00.002+01:002009-05-06T23:16:18.304+01:00

I feel myself slipping away. The trappings of worldly pleasures distract me from the bigger picture.I'm struggling to find my place in this world. I do not wish to conform, but I do not wish to be an outcast. I want to stand out and yet be accepted. Surely this is a contradiction?!I need to find my way back to the Teachings. To rediscover my conviction. The scent of dried bo leaves in my copy of

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-8104438893878477882009-01-27T15:46:00.002Z2009-01-27T15:52:38.709Z

I just followed a 35 minute meditation session. My mind wandered a lot more than I'd envisaged, but I'm glad I've at least started. I would like to develop this meditation into a habit. We shall see.Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01993144590186704387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-22049482345126417612008-11-02T17:00:00.003Z2009-01-27T15:53:28.933Z

What is religious tolerance? Is it possible to be tolerant about a religion that you perceive as inferior to your own? This troubles me.As I see it, a lot of people confuse 'religious tolerance' with 'pity'. A lot of people think that those who don't follow their own religion need to be saved. And some of those who don't follow any religion seem to revel in religion-bashing. What's the point?

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-3289691938164516732007-10-27T11:48:00.001+01:002009-01-27T15:53:41.950Z

Sometimes it takes a shock to the system to set everything right. Those perceived as being immortal must disprove that notion, in order for us to accept that everything is impermanent.Have I woken up? We shall see.Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-1162851113865167642006-11-06T22:06:00.000Z2006-11-15T21:51:54.201Z

Why is it so difficult? I preach the benefits of equanimity to others, and then let others get me down. Why am I so susceptible to others' criticism? I do not feel I have done anything wrong, and yet I feel victimised. Still, I know that allowing myself to feel victimised is giving others permission to do so. I have made a judgment I know to be right...why is it so difficult to be proud of my

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-1161561257199802312006-10-23T00:22:00.000+01:002006-11-15T21:51:54.059Z

Blind faith is something that's generally frowned upon in Buddhism. To quote Ven. Rahula in his What The Buddha Taught,"Almost all religions are built on faith - rather 'blind' faith it would seem. But in Buddhism emphasis is laid on 'seeing', knowing, understanding, and not on faith, or belief. In Buddhist texts there is a word saddhā which is usually translated as 'faith' or 'belief'. But

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-1154775849723735682006-08-05T11:41:00.000+01:002006-11-15T21:51:53.865Z

I like to tell myself "I will meditate daily", "I will read the Dhammapada on a regular basis", "I will attend more Buddhist talks at university"...But I don't like to break promises. The frustration and disappointment that ensues brings home a sense of failure, and thereby negates the initial purpose of the promise. So I must be content with 'baby steps': one day at a time, one hour at a time...

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32217178.post-1154767300828925742006-08-05T09:40:00.000+01:002006-11-15T21:51:53.761Z

This is my first.Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā!

PseudoRandomnoreply@blogger.com0