I have mixed feelings about films that have an overtly religious element, especially when the religion plays a central role in a movie focused on bone-crunching action, head-crushing martial arts, and temple explosions. I class Shaolin, which is an overwhelmingly positive portrayal of the martial art masters in Republican-era China, as one such guilty indulgence. […]
Month: August 2017
No Tomorrow
Inspired by the Maranassati Sutta The moment she was born Gemma knew she was about to die. By all accounts she was unlike any other child: she never got excited about Christmas and she never got upset when she was grounded. In fact her brother tells me she didn’t even bat an eyelid when her […]
Flying Mindfully by Air France
We had been flying to Madrid from Hong Kong with a layover in Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport. The purpose of our journey was to attend the conference “1st World Encounter Teresian Mysticism and Interreligious Dialogue: Theravada Buddhism and Teresian Mysticism – Meditation and Contemplation Pathways to Peace,” which was held from 27–30 July at the International Centre of […]
Infinite Guru
Nothing will remain It will be brief Still I want you inside The minutes I serve you In the water mirror I offer you Endless Mandalas Until the meeting of the suns I touch the unreal It makes me smile And sigh The stream goes by I weave my fingers into yours One Last Time […]
Master Huijing’s Dharma Words about Benefits in Amitabha-recitation
The Buddha’s Name contains Amitabha’s great compassion, great vow power, and great meritorious virtues. This Name is alive and active, as it has the Buddha’s eyes, ears, and conscience. So, when we recite his Name, Amitabha Buddha can hear it immediately and, in response, appears to protect us, to clear all our karmic obstructions, and […]
The Story of the Doctor
I’m going to tell a story. It’s a story that has been floating around in my head for years, perhaps decades. I don’t know where it came from. It’s likely I once heard a teacher tell it. Or maybe I read it somewhere. I’m sure I have also embellished it a bit over the years. […]
Identity in “In the Mood for Love” and “2046”
When work on the film 2046 began before 2004, Hong Kong film star Tony Leung lobbied hard for director Wong Kar-wai to let him grow a mustache. This was because his character, Chow Mo-wan, was totally different to how he was in 2046‘s prequel In the Mood for Love: whereas Chow in Mood was a gentlemanly […]
Finding yourself and others through art
“If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint,” said the American artist Edward Hopper. Here, Hopper emphasizes the importance of painting as a language. Art has a power to free humankind but who is it freeing? The context of the works not only remains in the audience’s hearts, but […]
Who’s Qualified to Teach the Children?
From Master Jingzong Facebook; English translation by Foying, edited by Jingnian Are we qualified to educate a child, simply because we are adults? Are those who have teachers’ credentials competent enough to teach youngsters? Are more knowledgeable people capable of teaching kids? Aren’t children more innocent, honest and joyful than we are? Are they not more […]
Milarepa’s Exhibition 2017
Bodhgaya is a special place of power, in particular when it fills with the energy generated by practices and blessings. Earlier this year, during the Kalachakra 2017, walking from the hotel to the Kalachakra grounds, a leaflet on a market stall caught my attention. It advertised an exhibition being held at the Mahayana Hotel, on […]