Let me translate this Buddhist poke into the context you are more familiar with.
Every Sunday go sing songs for decades...
Chit-chat small talk, how are you?
Put on Sunday finest, cannot lose face.
Question is, are you more "Christ-like" today than before?
If not, how are you any different from an atheist?
P.S. During my Alpha course, the group leader in charge of us (ex-business owner who sold business to take care of special needs son fulltime) said it best when I asked how to tell Christians apart for the pagans and heathens?
Atheists can also be aware of their inner darkness ;)
The poke is - to anyone of faith - if BEFORE and AFTER conversion we are still the SAME person, no change whatsoever, what's the point again?
That means it has to manifest in our behaviour, speech, and actions that's VISIBLE to others.
Who can see what you are thinking?
Give you a concrete example.
If we say we should love our neighbours, treat everyone like brothers and sisters, how does it look when we go online (anonymously) and whine about born and bred entitlements?
How about if the foreign talent is a fellow Christian brother or sister?
Will that change anything? Or you don't care?
Let's say I liven up the discussions in my Alpha course ;)
One simple look around us the answer is self-evident - all men are NOT born equal. If we take it literally.
"All men are created equal" is the most famous phrase in the US Declaration of Independence penned by Thomas Jefferson.
The philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment had a big influence on that statement.
Before that, the absolute power of the Monarchy and the dogmas from the Church ruled over the masses.
Men were not created equal. Some had the Mandate of Heaven, some had monopolisitic access to Divinity.
The Age of Englightenment is the foundation and well spring of the many democractic countries and separation of Church and State we see today.
Although I know all men are not created equal, like our Singapore pledge, its an aspirational reminder that if we forget where we came from, then we deserve to go back to the days where men were not created equal :(
I don't know about you, I'm not going back to the old days where kings can chop off my head whenever they like, or I can be burned at the stake just for possesing a copy of the bible translated to English...
A good reminder not to be caught up in the rituals, and forget the actual practice. I always say that my 2 yr old son is a zen master. He didn't pray, didn't offer a single incense, didn't chant any sutra. But he laughs when he is happy, cries when he is sad, eat when he is hungry, sleep when he is tired, lets go when he needs to. There are no inhibitions, except those that we impose on him... and we're supposed to be the enlightened one? Hahaha
Just yesterday, me and wife are talking about introducing meditations to kids after talking about how distracted they are. I asked when are we going to introduce it to our son. Then I stopped myself. Silly me...he is already meditating all the time. Not sitting down cross-legged with eyes closed, with a religious song or two playing in the background, doesn't mean he is not meditating! He is even at a higher level, because he is meditating without the form of meditation LOL
Wah, you hor, very vulgar...always money money money HAHAHA! Every topic also can link to money. Yes, money is very important, but no need to stress it all the time right? lol
Quote : 濟公 is the hilarious poke to those pedantic Buddhists who cared more about form than essence ;)
This was what my late MIL who was on Buddhist and lifelong vegetarian told me when I mentioned 濟公 ate dog meat and drank wine and act crazy.
She would reply she haven't reach the level of 濟公 so she had to follow forms of Buddhist including being vegetarian. 濟公 is living Buddha and very powerful who can save himself from whatever troubles and can escape whatever punishment. He could do what he like; but she couldn't. She followed forms so she would have hope too as Buddhist.
Hmm, is it better to eat back your own words or to dilute the essence of your words? I think I prefer the former. At least I know my own mistakes of my authentic self, haha
No evil heart. No fear. Why need to change?
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/SSn_f2lDMFY
ReplyDeleteSmall Time Investor,
DeleteThanks.
Its nice to know another 道友。
I do my cultivation in the markets.
Pride, ego, greed, fear, ignorance, shame - I get to say hello to them one by one.
All these years, I knew they exist, but I never really got to know them up close and personal ;)
The monk in the video summarizes 2 things which are very important, composure and self discipline.:)
DeleteSmall Time Investor,
DeleteWe see what we want to see.
I see his cultivation in the mountain contrasting with mine ;)
修行?
ReplyDeleteCW and temperament,
ReplyDeleteLet me translate this Buddhist poke into the context you are more familiar with.
Every Sunday go sing songs for decades...
Chit-chat small talk, how are you?
Put on Sunday finest, cannot lose face.
Question is, are you more "Christ-like" today than before?
If not, how are you any different from an atheist?
P.S. During my Alpha course, the group leader in charge of us (ex-business owner who sold business to take care of special needs son fulltime) said it best when I asked how to tell Christians apart for the pagans and heathens?
"Christ-like".
It has stuck in my mind ever since ;)
temperament,
ReplyDeleteLife has a way of reminding us what's really important.
Better to discover now than on our deathbeds!
temperament,
ReplyDeleteThat's why I don't let myself get caught with "labelling".
Calling oneself a "Christian" - that's a noun.
But to be "Christ-like" in your actions... that's an adjective.
Nouns are easy (anyone and everyone can call themselves whatever they like); adjectives are much harder to live up to :(
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteChrist-like I'm not sure, but being aware of my inner darkness counts?
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteAtheists can also be aware of their inner darkness ;)
The poke is - to anyone of faith - if BEFORE and AFTER conversion we are still the SAME person, no change whatsoever, what's the point again?
That means it has to manifest in our behaviour, speech, and actions that's VISIBLE to others.
Who can see what you are thinking?
Give you a concrete example.
If we say we should love our neighbours, treat everyone like brothers and sisters, how does it look when we go online (anonymously) and whine about born and bred entitlements?
How about if the foreign talent is a fellow Christian brother or sister?
Will that change anything? Or you don't care?
Let's say I liven up the discussions in my Alpha course ;)
temperament,
DeleteOne simple look around us the answer is self-evident - all men are NOT born equal. If we take it literally.
"All men are created equal" is the most famous phrase in the US Declaration of Independence penned by Thomas Jefferson.
The philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment had a big influence on that statement.
Before that, the absolute power of the Monarchy and the dogmas from the Church ruled over the masses.
Men were not created equal. Some had the Mandate of Heaven, some had monopolisitic access to Divinity.
The Age of Englightenment is the foundation and well spring of the many democractic countries and separation of Church and State we see today.
Although I know all men are not created equal, like our Singapore pledge, its an aspirational reminder that if we forget where we came from, then we deserve to go back to the days where men were not created equal :(
I don't know about you, I'm not going back to the old days where kings can chop off my head whenever they like, or I can be burned at the stake just for possesing a copy of the bible translated to English...
temperament,
DeleteWell, I am glad lao lee and his cohorts did something about the inequality during our colonial days ;)
If not, we would be still singing "Ang moh tua kee" till today!
:)
Merdeka!
Life has a way of reminding us what's really important.
ReplyDeleteRead? More money or my son
诵经，是给自己一个清净。
ReplyDelete诵经，是提醒自己活在当下。
诵经，是让自己放下，原谅自己，也原谅别人。
你诵经也好，烧香也罢，合掌、磕头都无妨。
你提醒自己向善了吗，你原谅自己的丑恶了吗。
你能专心了吗？
其实做这么多，不是要你悟，只是要你专心。
让一颗心不那么容易动摇。
才有根基积累我们要的念，
才不会随风飘。
sorry， Iknow a bit over. Night time more emo hahahah
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteYes, chanting sutras does not help in "enlightenment".
Especially when we can only parrot the pronunciations of the words; not the meaning of the text...
But its a great alternative form of meditation; to focus our minds on the here and now.
Other faiths use the same technique too. Some sing; some do ritual dance.
Those who do sports and exercises may have similar experiences ;)
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteA good reminder not to be caught up in the rituals, and forget the actual practice. I always say that my 2 yr old son is a zen master. He didn't pray, didn't offer a single incense, didn't chant any sutra. But he laughs when he is happy, cries when he is sad, eat when he is hungry, sleep when he is tired, lets go when he needs to. There are no inhibitions, except those that we impose on him... and we're supposed to be the enlightened one? Hahaha
Just yesterday, me and wife are talking about introducing meditations to kids after talking about how distracted they are. I asked when are we going to introduce it to our son. Then I stopped myself. Silly me...he is already meditating all the time. Not sitting down cross-legged with eyes closed, with a religious song or two playing in the background, doesn't mean he is not meditating! He is even at a higher level, because he is meditating without the form of meditation LOL
We adults have a lot more to learn hahaha
Kids are not burden by dependents and responsibilities so they can be free. Why FI? To be free from financial burden?
DeleteHi bro8888,
DeleteWah, you hor, very vulgar...always money money money HAHAHA! Every topic also can link to money. Yes, money is very important, but no need to stress it all the time right? lol
If we can find sugar daddy or mummy we can like kids once again. Ha ha
Delete1) LP,
Delete濟公 is the hilarious poke to those pedantic Buddhists who cared more about form than essence ;)
Yup. Remember when we were young and "distracted" by a computer game, toy, TV programme, book?
We lost all notion of time and space. Forget to eat, forget to do homework, forget to sleep... Until mom yells, "Go to sleep oredi!"
LOL!
We were in the flow or zone ;)
2) CW,
You'll feel right at home with those Prosperity Gospel "Churches" ;)
Strip away your 10 baggers and "Ba Ba" CPF, who is CW?
Do you feel naked and less of a man?
Or is it really clothes make the man?
Quote : 濟公 is the hilarious poke to those pedantic Buddhists who cared more about form than essence ;)
DeleteThis was what my late MIL who was on Buddhist and lifelong vegetarian told me when I mentioned 濟公 ate dog meat and drank wine and act crazy.
She would reply she haven't reach the level of 濟公 so she had to follow forms of Buddhist including being vegetarian. 濟公 is living Buddha and very powerful who can save himself from whatever troubles and can escape whatever punishment. He could do what he like; but she couldn't. She followed forms so she would have hope too as Buddhist.
I can! You can! Chun bo!
CW,
DeleteYour MIL is wise. She has the awareness her kung fu is at what level ;)
Remember your first year at your last company?
Everything by the book and follow procedures right?
Was your last year before retirement still the same? No right?
Same for cooking.
New follow the cookbook religiously. 1 teaspoon is 1 teaspoon; 5 ml is 5 ml.
Once we know how to cook, everything goes by "feeling" agar agar!? LOL!
Of all places, I think this is the last place to hear me say, "I can; so can you!"
Sorry hor, this is the "Crash got sound!" watering hole ;)
I am talking to the butterfly; you don't quote out of context :)
temperament,
DeleteYup. Children are innocent and pure until they discover what parents, teachers, and adults say and do themselves are full of ...
LOL!
I see lots of parents delegating parenthood to smart phones and tablets ;)
I can't poke as I'm single and no children; I've not earned the right to do so :(
Last time I also see parents giving smart phones and tablets to chewren, and I say I won't do it myself. Have to eat back my own words lol
DeleteI learnt to be less judgmental.
LP,
DeleteTell me about it!
I had to eat my own words, and pull my foot out of my mouth so many times, that now I always leave a backdoor open so I can beat a hasty retreat!
LOL!
Hi SMOL,
DeleteI've learned that 话不可说太快. It can come back to haunt.
Was trying to teach a xiao mei in office that utmost care has to be taken while writing papers.
No "Cause", use "Influence" instead
No "Should", use "Could" instead
No "results in", use "seems to suggest/it could be inferred"
Cover backside and be somewhat vague is important for survival lol
Same like a certain "investment newsletter": the stock price could go up, down, or stay the same. Safest answer ever!
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteWe learn to become like "politicians" ;)
In trading, we say if STI can break 3250, then positive momentum may carry us to 3350 and beyond.
But if STI breaks 3100, that may put 3000 in view.
In the words of Hokkien lingo, got say like never say...
Look! Anyone and everyone can write trading newsletters!
LOL!
Same like "I will never" and "I will always."
DeletePeople change. Things change. Circumstances change.
Market will crash!
DeleteMarket never rise forever!
LOL!
Hmm, is it better to eat back your own words or to dilute the essence of your words? I think I prefer the former. At least I know my own mistakes of my authentic self, haha
DeleteLP,
DeleteI'll choose my battles ;)
If I can't be famous, I'll aim to be infamous instead!
Being spectacularly wrong will get me there ;)
LOL!
And that's when I'll do what you prefer - stick my neck out!
Cannot always sit on the fence. Nobody remembers a person without convictions ;)
temperament,
ReplyDeleteJust like when we started as bei kambings ;)
As a piece of white paper, we thought the first investment "guru" we came across as the best thing since sliced bread!
LOL!
Just take Rich Dad, Poor Dad. So inspirational! It changed my paradigm!
Once we have walked the path a little longer, we soon realise its "fluff", at best light weight material. That's about it.
Don't get me wrong. Its great for its purpose - reaching out to beginners.
And we started as beginners too ;)