The other day I came across a brilliant parody article from the satirical site Newsthump, highlighting how hard a basic task like buying a vacuum cleaner has become in our society. The point is not necessarily that vacuum cleaners are difficult to buy, but how much more effort it seems we must spend on mundane […]
Raymond Lam
Chösgyal: Kings of Old Tubo
A stele of a Buddha or bodhisattva image in Purang in Ngari Prefecture, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, exudes the courtly mystique and power of the ancient Tibetan imperium (Tubo) during the first diffusion of Buddhism. Functioning perhaps as a donative monument or a pillar of a long-lost temple, this stele was erected in either 826 or 838: […]
Disenchant and Re-enchant: Spiritual Writing for a Cynical Age
Last week Buddhistdoor Global published a View about infusing the media industry with the values of the Noble Eightfold Path. Each “stoke” of the Eightfold Path can have fairly complicated considerations, but then again, journalism is a complicated industry. I also believe that regardless of our platform, whether it’s online or print, writers don’t give […]
Buddhist Values and Leadership: Zoya Sandzhieva
Politics has become somewhat of a dirty word in Buddhist life. Sometimes, this is for legitimate reasons. However, if we are to be consistent, then we should welcome and support those who become statesmen with a genuine wish to benefit their people and whose vision has common ground with our Buddhist values. Zoya Sandzhieva, minister […]
Postcard from Raymond: Taking Care of Your Magic Dragon
There is a magical dragon dwelling inside every one of us. Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow’s Puff the Magic Dragon, which was masterfully sung by folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, is a melancholic song about losing the capability for imagination, for wonder. When I first heard this song as a kid, I thought that […]
Ideas for an Emotionally Mature Life
Personally, I like to stick to a few cardinal rules for maintaining some measure of happiness amidst a sea of human discontent and restlessness. As a prime directive, following the Mahayana (or any legitimate) Buddhist path will always bring some measure of tranquility, in spite of how inadequately I practice. Being on the path is […]
Happiness: Shveitta Sharma and Adrian Taffiner on Success and Transformation
On 15 December, Shveitta (our personal growth columnist and School of Happiness founder) gave a very well-received speech at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PolyU), at an event organized by the Mind Expansion Academy. While I managed to only attend the morning half of the seminar, I came away feeling deeply enriched by both her […]
Khamtrul Rinpoche: Living a Blessed Life
A religious teacher might not necessarily have much to share, unlike those of us (journalists, theologians, academics, and other guilty parties) who enjoy writing about them. That is the perspective of His Holiness Dokhampa Shedrub Nyima, the 9th Khamtrul Rinpoche (whose tulku lineage is affiliated with the Kagyu and Nyingma schools). He carries the message of […]
Indulging in Our Self-Pity
I sometimes think I’m reliving Groundhog Day with some people. You might know such individuals too. Take any grievance across the spectrum of human experience today: office politics, insufferable personal relationships, struggles to pay the bills, turmoil and gridlock in the governing classes, getting divorced, that guy who just cut me off on the freeway. […]
The Noble Reporter: Lessons about Right Speech and Media from “Roman Holiday”
Roman Holiday is one of my favourite movies, not only because it’s a moving comedic romance (one of the few romantic comedies I enjoy) but because it touches upon a timeless issue in journalism: what stories are worth reporting? It gets more complex than simply bad or boring stories versus good and entertaining ones. It’s […]