Just nowMember-onlyPantheist AestheticsToday is March 24, 2023. In Japan, the cherry (sakura) blossom season extends from the end of March to the beginning of April. It is just a short window of about two weeks. During this period, there are many festivities. There is much eating, sake drinking and barbequing underneath the…Mono No Aware6 min readMono No Aware6 min read
1 day agoMember-onlyRethinking Human Nature(Portrait of Mencius, Confucian philosopher) We live in extraordinary times. The state of affairs in the world is a mess. Every day, I go online to find out what is going on. I rarely find anything encouraging. It is easy to lose one’s spirit in this environment. Recently, however, I…Human Nature5 min readHuman Nature5 min read
1 day agoMember-onlyThe Myth of EnlightenmentEnlightenment, also known as “awakening” or “bodhi,” is a central concept in Buddhism. It would be fair to say that there would be no Buddhism without it. The term “Buddha” means “the awakened one. Given the central importance of “enlightenment” in Buddhism, it is amazing that there is no agreement…Enlightenment5 min readEnlightenment5 min read
Mar 14Member-onlyCraving for ExperienceAbout two weeks ago, I posted a passage from Krishnamurti’s book, Freedom from the Known. It goes as follows: A mind that is seeking, craving, for wider and deeper experience is a very shallow and dull mind because it lives always with its memories. A Facebook friend responded to this…Meditation5 min readMeditation5 min read
Mar 14Member-only中國佛教的困境與出路我們世界佛教青年會提倡佛教現代化，轉眼間已有三十年了。 三十年是一段很長的時間，我們已經由青年變為已經退休的長者。退休後，我們去作研究和反省的時間比較多，對宗教的了解和體悟亦比較成熟。我認為這亦是去深入探討佛教現代化的大前提的好時候了！Buddhist Reformation8 min readBuddhist Reformation8 min read
Mar 5Member-onlyNirvana, bliss and anandaRecently, a Facebook friend asked whether Buddhism can really help us rid of suffering in a complete and permanent manner. After all, isn’t that the “selling point” of Buddhism to the general public — that it can solve the problem of suffering for you? Further, isn’t the Noble Eightfold Path…Nirvana4 min readNirvana4 min read
Mar 4Member-onlyWhat is spiritual escapism?Several days ago, I posted a quote from the American spiritual teacher, Adyashanti. He said: Many spiritual people are involved in a radical denial of what is happening. They want to transcend it, get rid of it, get out of it, get away from it. There’s nothing wrong with that…Spiritual Escapism6 min readSpiritual Escapism6 min read
Mar 2Member-onlyCan Buddhism end all suffering?A Buddhist friend is conducting a survey in a secular Buddhist group. The survey asks this very interesting question: Do you believe that there is a way to completely end all suffering, indefinitely? In Buddhism, it is taught that the Noble Eightfold Path is a path that leads to the…Problem Of Suffering6 min readProblem Of Suffering6 min read
Feb 21Member-onlyA Theory of Wabi-SabiI discovered the Japanese aesthetic concept of “Wabi-Sabi” when I read a book on the subject in the mid 90s. Since then, I have been exploring Wabi-Sabi art, photography and poetry. The notion of finding perfection in imperfection has tremendous appeal to me. Perhaps it is because the notion is…Wabi Sabi3 min readWabi Sabi3 min read
Feb 16Member-onlyDid Master Hui Neng reject meditation?Just like Buddhism has many different schools of thought, so does the Zen(or Ch’an) tradition. For this reason, using one single name or label would be misleading. Instead of using the term “Buddhism,” it may be more accurate to use the term “Buddhisms.” Similarly, the use of a single term…Zen8 min readZen8 min read
